Al Hakam - 14 January 2022

Nigerian Ahmadi students from AMSA meet Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa Page 5

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An attack on Khilafat: The hypocrites’ slander (Ifk) against Hazrat Aisha and analysis of Surah al-Nur

The Ahmadiyya system of justice in conflict resolution

Page 19

Page 8

Developing our children, to bring a better future: Islam’s advice on the upbringing of children

Page 21

THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022 | Issue CC Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7396

Ahmadis should not be afraid of anybody; they should be courageous Atfal of Nigeria meet Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, in a virtual mulaqat On 8 January 2022, members of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria were given the opportunity to meet Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in a virtual mulaqat.

The mulaqat commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Atiba Sideeq and the translation presented by Abdul Samad.

Then, Irfan Oshinowo recited a qasidah composed by the Promised Messiahas in praise of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.

After hearing the qasidah, Huzooraa said, “Jazakallah! Very well done, mashaAllah.” Bello Abdul Basit then read out the translation of the qasidah.

After this, Abimbola Khalil Rahman Sahib had the opportunity to present a hadith of the Holy Prophet, Muhammadsa followed by its English translation.

Saliu Abdul Muiz then read out a quote of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas, in which he stated that it did not behove a righteous person to fall into disputes over castes. Hazrat Ahmadas said that Allah the Almighty had decreed that castes were no means of preference in His estimation and that true honour and greatness derived from righteousness alone.

After this, Mohtamim Atfal, Azeez

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

My Lord is Allah َ َ َ َّ ّ ٰ َ ْ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻗال‬،�ِّ �ِ ‫عن ُسف َيان بْ ِن ع ْﺒ ِد الل ِه الﺜﻘ‬ ُ ُْ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ّ ّٰ َ ‫ﻗﻠﺖ ﻳَا َر ُس ْول الل ِه َح ِدﺛ ِ� ْ� بِﺄ� ٍ� أع َت ِﺼ ُﻢ‬ ٰ َّ َ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ُْ ْ ‫اللّ ُه ﺛ ُ َّﻢ‬ ‫اس َت ِﻘ ْﻢ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻳَا‬ �ِ�‫بِ ِہ ﻗال ﻗل ر‬ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ّٰ َ ْ ُ َ ‫رسول الل ِه ما أﺧوف ما ��اف �ﻠ ّی فﺄﺧﺬ‬ َ َ َ َ ُ َْ َ ‫ان نف ِﺴ ِہ ﺛ َّﻢ ﻗال ﻫﺬا‬ ِ ‫بِﻠِﺴ‬ Hazrat Sufyanra bin Abdullah alThaqafi narrates: “I said: ‘O Messengersa of Allah!

Please tell me about a matter that I may hold fast to.’ He said: ‘Say, “My Lord is Allah”, then be steadfast’. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! What do you fear most for me?’ So he took hold of his tongue and said, ‘This.’”

(Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Zuhd an Rasulullahsa, Hadith 2410)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Glad tidings of success

Photo courtesy of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Nigeria

Alaran Sahib presented a brief report.

Thereafter, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked him what the programme was. Azeez Alaran Sahib replied that there were some atfal who had questions they wished to ask Huzooraa and seek guidance on.

The first question was asked by Atiba Sideeq who asked what one should do when being bullied at school and was threatened not to report it to his parents to save him from being bullied more.

In reply, Huzooraa said: “You should not be afraid of anybody.

You should tell this to your parents and

to the teacher as well, and you can also tell them that ‘the person has threatened me that if I report this matter to anybody, he will bully me more and will even beat me.’ So, an Ahmadi should not be afraid of anybody. If you want to reform the atmosphere of your school, then you have to be courageous.”

Atiba Sideeq then asked his second question. He said that he was having difficulty balancing his schoolwork and hifz (memorisation of the Holy Quran).

Continued on next page >>

On the morning of 26 September [1898] after the Fajr prayer, the Promised Messiahas said: “Now I have reached a state where even if I see a dream, I do not consider it to be confined to my own person or soul; rather, I consider it to be related to Islam and my community. I can swear on oath and say that when I see a dream, I do not consider my own self even slightly.

“In this context, last night I saw that I drank a large cup of sherbet.

Its sweetness was beyond my ability to bear, but despite this, I went on drinking it. The thought also crossed my mind that I suffer from diabetes, Continued on page 2

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

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"I am with you, O Masroor..." - A revelation of the Promised Messiahas َ َ ََْ ُ َْ َ َْ َ َ َ َ َ َ ّْ ���� ��� �� ������ �� � ������ ���� �� ��� ���� ��� ���� �� ��� ��َ ‫ارك۔‬ ‫ِا� ِي معک و مع اہ ِلک۔ اح ِمل اوز‬

ْ َ َ َ َّ َ ْ َ َ ٌ َ َ َ َ َّ ٌ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ّ َ َ َ ‫اس ت ْح َت اق َدا ِمک۔ َوﺿ ْعنا‬ ‫����� ۔ ِا� ِي معک یا مسرور۔ وقع واقِع و ہلک ہال ِک۔ وﺿعنا الن‬ َ ٰ ْ َ َ ٰ ْ ْ ُ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َّ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ‫اق َو ف ِ ْي‬ ‫ف‬ ِ ‫عنک ِوزرك ال ِذي انقﺾ ظہرك ورفعنا لک ِذكرك۔ ا ِجیبت دعوتک۔ سنرِی ِہم ایا ِتنا فِي الا‬ ُ​ُ َ َ ُ ُ ُ َْ ّٰ َ ‫انف ِس ِہ ْم۔ ا ِج ْی َب ْت َد ْعوَتک َما۔ ِا ّن الل َہ َع�ٰي � ِ ّل ش ْی ٍﺊ ق ِدیْ ٌر۔‬ Translation: [Arabic] Surely, I am with you and with the members of your family. I shall bear your burden. [Urdu] I am with you and with all your dear ones. [Arabic] Surely, I am with you, O Masroor [happy one]. An event will happen and the one who is to be destroyed will be destroyed. We have put the people under your feet. We have relieved you of your burden, which had wellnigh broken your back and have exalted your name. Your prayer has been accepted. Soon, We shall show them Our signs all around them and in their own selves. The prayers of both of you have been accepted. Allah has power over all things.

<< Continued from previous page

He said that he did not want to leave one for the other. He asked Huzooraa what he should do.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa asked him how many days he spent in hifz class; to which he said that he spent the weekends in hifz class and also sometimes in the holidays.

Huzooraa said: “On the weekends, you [should] give your full time to your hifz class and on the weekdays, you should give time to your schoolwork. Even in school, if you don’t have much homework, whenever you get time, during the weekdays even, you should try to memorise the part of the Holy Quran which you have been taught during the weekend.”

Salaudeen Umar said that there was a vile allegation raised by opponents of the Jamaat about Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas death. He asked how one could respond to this allegation.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “They are just making up some story.

They themselves have fabricated this story.

The Promised Messiahas, when he fell sick, had some stomach problem but when he died, it was because of weakness. He was having other ailments as well and sickness.

He died on the bed. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra was sitting beside his bed, Hazrat Khalifa Ira was there, his wife was there. They were all there before he died”.

Huzooraa added, “So, whatever they [opponents of the Jamaat] are saying is

all concocted. They [the stories] are all fabricated. He died on the bed as the normal man dies, and there were so many witnesses there. It was even endorsed by the doctor as well that his death was not because of cholera.”

Abdus Salam informed Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa that he was hoping to study medicine but also wanted to become a missionary. He asked Huzooraa for his advice.

Huzooraa said: “You should try to study medicine and become a doctor, and at the same time,

alongside your education, you can read the Holy Quran and learn the meaning and commentary of the Holy Quran that you can read from the available literature of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. And, at the same time, you can read the books of the Promised Messiahas and Ahmadi literature.

Then you will have enough knowledge to preach to other people about Ahmadiyyat and Islam. But when you study medicine, then you will be more useful for the people of your country.”

Abdul Lateef Sahib asked what the Promised Messiahas did as a profession

before he got married.

Huzooraa explained: “When he completed his basic education – his father actually appointed three teachers for him who gave him education – and when he completed that traditional education, then his father arranged for his job in the government department in the court and he lived there in Sialkot […] This was his source of income. But even then, at that time when he was doing some job there in Sialkot, he would always debate with Christian priests and there were quite a number of Christian priests with whom

Continued from page 1

‘so why am I drinking such a sweet sherbet in so large a quantity?’ But despite these thoughts, I drank the entire cup. Sherbet signifies success and so this is a glad-tiding of success for Islam and our community.

“In truth, the string of a person’s dreams extends in their scope and breadth to the extent of their relations with other people. For example, if someone lives in Kolkata and I do not even know him, I will not see dreams in their connection.

As such, many years ago when only a few people knew of me, the dreams that I experienced were limited to those few people alone, but now I see dreams related to thousands of people.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 274-275) Photo courtesy of Suhaib Ahmad

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AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022

he talked and had debates”.

Upon being asked when he would visit Nigeria, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa smiled and said: “Allah knows better. When Allah wishes, I will visit, insha-Allah. Nowadays, we are passing through a very difficult time of Covid. So, travel is very difficult during these days. Whenever the conditions become normal, then we shall see when to visit Nigeria, insha-Allah.”

Next, a tifl asked how Huzooraa how he could become righteous. Responding to the questioner, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “You should obey the commandments of Allah. What Allah the Almighty has said, you should try to follow it, and there are so many commandments given to us in the Holy Quran, and there are some basic things. Allah the Almighty says if you do them, you will become righteous.

Pray five daily prayers, and if possible, in congregation; and offer them fervently without deviating your concentration here or there, or anywhere else. Concentrate solely on whatever you are saying. Then, read the Holy Quran daily and also try to know what the commandments given in that portion are, which you have read during that time or on that day. And try to behave well, morally good. Try to tell good things to other people. Concentrate on your studies because studies are also your obligation and a righteous person should always try to fulfil his obligations so that after having completed your studies, you can be a good asset for the Jamaat and the nation. So, all these things make you righteous.”

A tifl asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa what a person should do if they are praying at home and an elderly person needed their urgent assistance and attention.

Huzooraa said: “If you are praying at home and an

elderly person, or a child, or any person who needs your help, is in urgent need of your help, then you can break your prayer and help the person first and then after helping, you can again start your prayer and complete your prayer. Allah the Almighty says that sometimes, obligations or duties towards human beings are more important than your prayers.”

Next, upon being asked how one could get used to offering Tahajud prayer, Huzooraa said that it all depended on one’s willpower. Huzooraa asked the tifl if he woke up for the Fajr prayer; to which he replied in the affirmative. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that he should try to wake up 30 minutes before he usually woke up for the Fajr prayer.

“When you become used to that time, and offer two nawafil or two rak‘aat of Tahajud, then, in this way, you can adjust your time so that you can give more time to Tahajud prayer. But this is all [dependent on] your willpower.”

Upon being asked how a member of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya could save himself from worldly problems and what prayers could be said to prevent worldly issues, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “[…] if you are a good tifl, you are a good Muslim. So, for that, as I have already said, we should offer our five daily prayers and during that, while you are praying, pray to Allah the Almighty that Allah saves you from all these worldly things and makes you a good, morally good, and spiritually good Muslim. So, Allah Almighty will accept your prayer and He will save you from these things. And at the same time, as I have already said, there are quite a number of commandments in the Holy Quran; [there are] some obligations we have to perform and there are some other duties – moral duties – we have to do. So, if we abide by all these things, follow all these things, then they will also

be helpful to save us from these bad things.

And then, you should also pray to Allah the Almighty, during the day: َ َّ َ ّ ٰ ُ ْ ُ َ َّ ‫الر ِج ْي ِم‬ ‫ان‬ ِ ‫أعوذ بِالل ِه ِمن الش ْيط‬ “and: َ َُ َ َْ ُّ ّٰ ْ َ ‫أ ْس َتغفِ ُرالل َہ َربِّ ْی ِم ْن ک ِل ذنب ّوأت ْو ُب اِل ْی ِہ‬ “Istighfar will also save you from these bad things […]”

Abdul Samad Sahib asked Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa what the strongest arguments were to convince one’s friends about the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas.

Answering, Huzooraa said: “There are quite a number of arguments.

All those non-Ahmadi Muslims believe that a Messiah and Mahdi will come. And they are thinking the same Messiah – Jesus Christas – will come from Heaven. But Allah the Almighty, in the Quran, says nobody can live forever or for a long period, and whenever a person lives his life, he has to pass his life here on this Earth. Nobody can go to Heaven [with their physical body].

“We believe that the Holy Prophetsa is the last of the [law-bearing] prophets and he is the person most loved by Allah the Almighty in every respect, more than any other prophet. So, Allah the Almighty loved him more than any other prophet.

So, if it was possible to take any person to Heaven [physically] it would have been the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, whom Allah the Almighty could take to heaven, not Jesus Christ, right? [That is argument] number one.

Number two: the Holy Prophetsa himself, while explaining the verse of the Holy Quran: َ َ ُ ۡ َ ۡ ‫ّو ٰاخ ِریۡ َن ِمن ُہ ۡم ل َ ّما یَل َحقوۡا ِب ِہ ۡم‬ “that ‘Among the people of the Latter Days, the person will appear’ […] when a companion of the Holy Prophetsa asked, ‘Who are those people?’ and ‘Who is that person who will appear in this world in

the Latter Days?’, the Holy Prophetsa, when the people asked three times, put his hand on the shoulder of Hazrat Salman Farsira and said (this is a well-reputed narration, hadith) ‘A person from among [the people of] Salman Farsira will appear in the Latter Days.’ That means he would not be an Arab. The Mahdi and Messiah would appear from among these people.

“Apart from that, the Holy Prophetsa said that when the Promised Messiah would claim that he was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, there would be a heavenly sign. And that heavenly sign was the eclipse of the sun and the moon on particular dates and days in the month of Ramadan. And he said that this sign had never happened before. So, according to prophecy, the lunar and solar eclipse occurred during those days in 1894, when the claim of the Promised Messiahas was already there, in the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. And it is well-documented in newspapers that it happened. So, these are the signs”.

Abdul Malik asked Huzooraa why Ahmadi men should marry Ahmadi women only.

Responding, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “To save your progeny and your children from going to the other religions.

So, if an Ahmadi boy and an Ahmadi girl marry each other, then you are quite sure – at least 80% sure – that your progeny will grow up as Ahmadi. And if any of the parents is not an Ahmadi, then there is a chance – quite a big chance – that your progeny, your children, your offspring, will follow those religions other than Islam which one of the parents is following”.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then asked him how old he was, to which he said he Continued on next page >>

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

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was 15. Huzooraa smiled and said, “You are only 15 years old; there is still some time for you left to get married. So, when you are 25 years old, then you should try to get married and try to find a good, pious Ahmadi lady so that your children, your offspring, your progeny, is brought up in a good atmosphere.”

Adefaray asked Huzooraa that if somebody committed shirk [associated partners with Allah] in their life, but later built a mosque, what their position would be in the sight of Allah.

Huzooraa said: “If someone committed shirk and then, later on, repented, and sought Allah’s forgiveness, and then he died, and to prove that he had repented, he made a mosque for people to worship the One God, then Allah the Almighty would forgive Him.” Abolaji asked Huzooraa a question about Gog and Magog.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “These are the people who are trying to destroy the peace of the world. This is why Allah the Almighty says that you should seek Allah’s help in the Latter Days when you see Gog and Magog so that you are safe from the effect of their bad deeds, bad actions, and their brutality. […] There are some Western powers, big powers, who are playing the roles of Gog and Magog.”

Huzooraa said that these powers were driving people away from religion.

Huzooraa added, “Muslims should always be very much vigilant and careful and pray to Allah the Almighty that Allah saves them from the bad effect of these people and these powers. And if Muslims were following the true teachings of Islam, and obeying what Allah the Almighty had said, then they would be saved from the bad effects of Gog and Magog and their actions against Islam. You should also pray. These are the big powers who are trying to make you go astray and leave the religion and become an atheist or at least leave the true religion and follow them and become a mushrik or commit shirk. So, you have to try to save yourself from them. This is why the Holy Prophetsa said that a true Muslim should recite the first 10 verses and the last 10 verses of Surah al-Kahf so that you are saved from the bad effects of these people.”

Next, a tifl stated that there were a lot of youth who were engaging in cybercrimes which was affecting young people. He asked Huzooraa for his advice on this matter.

Huzooraa said: “This is why I have been saying all the time that you should not involve yourselves in playing so many games which can make you go astray or deviate from the right path. This is why I say that you should not involve in […] games which are even illegal and they also make you addicted to playing those games […] Ahmadi Muslims should try to avoid these things because ultimately, they will involve you in doing cybercrimes”.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa then conveyed his salaam to all the atfal and the meeting came to a close.

(Report prepared by Al Hakam)

100 Years Ago...

A Hindu’s view on the early life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

The Review of Religions [English], January & February 1922 An anecdote from the early life of the Promised Messiah[as] as related by an old Hindu. [Editor, The Review of Religions (1922)] From his very childhood he was given to retirement and seclusion. He would not take part in the boyish games. His whole life from the very dawn of boyhood up to his youth and manhood was one continuous chain of virtuous and pious acts.

He would never utter an abusive epithet, he did not call any one names, he would not practise the pranks which the youth are so fond of, and he would never tell a lie or kick up a row.

We regarded him as a simple, indolent and slothful companion who had no heart in the boyish games for which we evinced so much zest. We had our boyish anxieties whether he should ever make a home at all, for we knew that he loved his secluded and lonely closet wherein he would remain confined for days together.

Though he would sometimes come out with us but he ever remained a stranger. He was never on terms of familiarity with anyone.

He never spoke any harsh or offensive word to anyone. There was no friendly give and take as with the common run of boyhood.

His was a strange sort of pure life. He would never call at any boy’s house, nor would they at his. As a matter of fact, there was no freemixing at all. He did not know what was going on about him or how the world was faring. Whenever we drew his attention to this sleepiness in his character, he would only smile and be silent. Rustics as we were, we used to admonish him sometimes in our own boyish way.

His father, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza, would very often depute one of us to fetch him. He, of course, would filially and dutifully obey his father’s behest. He would immediately put in his appearance before his father and quietly take his seat. All the

time he would sit, he would never look up; like a bashful maiden, he ever kept his looks down, and his father would impress upon him the necessity of his looking about his bewould upongenerally him) begin worldly(peace affairs. He in this way: “Ghulam Ahmad, my son, I am ever anxious about you. I do not know how you shall make your living. How long would you go on like that? You must take up some profession to earn your livelihood.

How long would you spend away your time like a new bride? Something must be done to earn one’s living. Look here. The world earns and spends. People do their daily toils. Some day you will be married and make a home. Your wife and children will look to you for their food and clothing and other necessities of life. You will have to be responsible for their upkeep. Your present condition is not a hopeful augury for the future. I shudder to think of marrying you.

Look up my son. Shake off this lethargy and indolent simplicity. Do you think I shall live forever and look to your maintenance?

I am well known to a good many English officials. They have a deep regard for me. I

[will] give you a letter of introduction; gird up your loins. If you like, I can personally interview the English officials on your behalf and see [what] they can do for you.” But Mirza Ghulam Ahmad would keep dead silent all the while his father effused on account of paternal regard and solicitude for his beloved son.

Such scenes were frequently enacted before our eyes. All he had to say to his father’s repeated requests was: “Father, let me know whether one who is the servant of the Ruler of the Rulers, should care a bit for these worldly services. All the same, father, you will always find me amenable to the least of your wishes.”

Hearing this, his father would allow him to go back to his closet.

Once after such an interview as the one described above, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza turned to us and said that Ghulam Ahmad his son would ever remain the hermit that he was. In his opinion, his son was not fit to become even the village priest whereby he could hope to earn his livelihood by getting tithes in kind. He would express his deep anxiety for his future when he was gone from him, or he said that his son was too good to suit the times. Then, tears would well up in his eyes while he would say, “What he (Ghulam Ahmad) is we cannot be. He is not earthly; he is a heavenly being. He is an angel, not a mortal.”

At this, the eyes of that old Hindu narrator of this episode would become tear dimmed, and he would point to the religious activity of which Ghulam Ahmad[as] is the centre and nucleus. He would sigh for the presence of the Promised Messiah’s[as] father who would have been wonder struck to find this progress and activity and the worldwide fame of his son.

(Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original in The Review of Religions [English], January and February 1922)

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From the Markaz

“We are here to change the world”: Nigerian AMSA students meet Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V

Ahmadi students from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Student’s Association (AMSA) of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria had the opportunity to meet Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, through a virtual meeting held on 9 January 2022.

The students asked Huzooraa questions from a wide range of topics and thoroughly enjoyed the meeting.

The meeting started with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Hafiz Salaudeen Mudathar Sahib, AMSA President of Ogun State. An Urdu poem, composed by Hazrat Dr Mir Muhammad Ismailra, in praise of the Holy Prophetsa, was recited by Habib Jimoh Sahib, Assistant Talim Secretary AMSA Nigeria. While reciting the poem, the AMSA members present joined in the chorus of “alaikas-salatu, alaikas-salaam”, meaning, “Peace be upon you [O Prophet]”.

A report of AMSA Nigeria was then presented by Abbsa Agbaje Sahib, Mohtamim Umur-e-Tulaba (Student Affairs). He said the total count of Ahmadi AMSA students across universities and polytechnic institutes in Nigeria was 543.

AMSA Nigeria – under the umbrella of umur-e-tulaba department of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria – had been involved in a lot of activities including holding CV boot camps, preparing Ahmadi students for life after university, internships during studies, giving opportunities to Ahmadi students to apply for international scholarships and to assist them in this, for example, the Common Wealth Scholarship.

AMSA Nigeria also organised preaching sessions on Islam Ahmadiyya in Nigerian universities, organised sports during national university conventions, like Taekwondo, football and table tennis.

Huzooraa asked Abbas Agbaje Sahib if he was a muallim (missionary) for the Jamaat, to which he said he was. Abbas Sahib said Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa granted him permission to pursue his studies and after doing so, he qualified as a sustainability specialist.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa asked if the students present in the meeting were from only Lagos and Ojokoro, or if they had come from all across Nigeria. Abbas Sahib said those present were from all over Nigeria and were representing their respective regions.

Huzooraa noted that the Jamaat’s Minaret International University was being built and would soon join the other universities of Nigeria.

Abbas Sahib reported that Huzooraa had asked him in the virtual meeting with the amila of MKA Nigeria (the week prior) about the number of Ahmadi khuddam students who were studying medicine.

Abbas Sahib reported he did not have the numbers of specific subjects the khuddam students were pursuing in that meeting but had acquired the data. Seven khuddam students in Nigeria were currently studying medicine, 26 were studying computer science, 72 were studying engineering, and the rest were studying other subjects.

Huzooraa said “masha-Allah” and asked what types of engineering the students were studying. Abbas Sahib said he did not have the breakdown, and after listening to Huzooraa list types of engineering – civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer engineering – Abbas Sahib said that Ahmadi students were pursuing all of these areas of engineering in their studies.

Huzooraa asked how many students

from the seven who were studying medicine belonged to the Waqf-e-Nau scheme.

Abbas Sahib said there was only one.

Huzooraa asked, “Will he devote his life after completing his education?” Abbas Sahib said he believed he would “insha-Allah”.

Next, Abbas Sahib said the AMSA students present had questions they wanted to ask. Huzooraa accepted the request.

Awwal Afolayan Sahib was first to ask a question. Seeing his name tag, Huzooraa remarked, “‘President AMSA Lagos State’, I see. Masha-Allah! What are you studying?”

Awwal Sahib said he was studying Arabic at Lagos State University.

Awwal Sahib then asked what the best action was towards those Jamaat members who indulged in social vices – whether to punish them, excommunicate them from the Jamaat, or try as much as possible to correct their ways through exhortation.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “Just to expel them from the Jamaat is not the solution. You have to admonish them, advise them first and if they repent, Continued on next page >>

6 << Continued from previous page

i.e. they leave those vices, then well and good. Otherwise, they can be given some other punishments, for instance, we can say, ‘Okay, if you do not want to repent, then we shall not take chanda from you, or you will not be allowed to be given any Jamaat office or any service of the Jamaat.’

“Those who are of pious nature, even this punishment is enough for them. And you should also advise them that being an Ahmadi Muslim, ‘We should now portray in ourselves the true picture of Islam’, not that the people raise their fingers by saying that ‘these are Ahmadi Muslims. They claim themselves to be the people who have accepted the Reformer of the Age, the Promised Messiahas, and they claim that they are going to spread the message of Islam all across the world, and they say, “We are better than the other Muslims”, and even then, this is their behaviour’.

“If you properly ask them to change their lives and try to be true Ahmadis, then most of them understand it. Otherwise, every person has some shortcomings, we cannot say that every one of us is perfect or even all of us are perfect. There are shortcomings in us but those minor shortcomings can be ignored.

“Otherwise, if a person is persistent in doing wrong things, then you have to be persuasive and keep on advising them. This is why Allah the Almighty has asked us – [and] even the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him – that:

ّ َ ۡ َ ۤ َّ ّ َ ‫ذكِ ۡر ِان َما ان َت ُمذكِ ٌر‬

“Yes, ‘Keep on advising them and this is your duty’ – not to expel somebody. If someone wants to be in the Jamaat, expelling the person is not the solution. But if a person himself wants to leave the Jamaat, then that’s a different thing. And if a person has made some gross mistake and a great sin, then just to make him realise that he has done something very bad and he has committed a heinous crime, then he can be expelled from the Jamaat for some time. When he asks for forgiveness, then he can again be included in the Jamaat.

“But apart from that, if it is minor mistakes or some small vice in a person, then our job is just to advise them and admonish them and try to make them understand and realise the responsibility of an Ahmadi.”

Abdul Mojeed Abdul Qayyum Sahib, Unit President Yaba Tech said some Ahmadi parents did not want to give their children’s hand in marriage to Ahmadis whose parents were not Ahmadi Muslims. He asked for Huzoor’s advice to such parents and youth.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “If a person is a new convert, he is better than the non-Ahmadi. […] If a boy and girl want to get married and they have some understanding, and they are Ahmadis, then it is better for the parents to permit them to get married instead of saying ‘No, you are a new convert and we shall not give our girl’, or ask the boy that he should not marry a girl who is a new convert.

“It is better to marry with an Ahmadi girl or boy than to marry with a non-Ahmadi, and parents should not be that much rigid in this regard.”

Huzooraa asked Mojeed Sahib if he was going to get married, to which he said he was soon going to marry. Huzooraa smiled and said, “If she is a new convert, then it is

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

“

So make every khadim realise that ‘this is your pledge, this is our bond, these are the conditions of bai‘at and we have to fulfil all these things so that we can reform ourselves and, as a result, reform our nation and then we shall be the country that will prosper. Otherwise, if we behave like this, Allah the Almighty will punish us. And we must realise this fact that ultimately we have to go, leave this world, and face our fate in the afterlife.’

okay, you are allowed.”

Rabiu Hasbiyallah Sahib asked how one could get Ahmadi students to remain active in AMSA activities despite being surrounded by immorality in and around university campuses.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said: “As I have already said, the true teaching of Islam should be practised and portrayed by every Ahmadi, especially the students.”

Huzooraa emphasised: “An Ahmadi Muslim should be a true portrayal of the Islamic teaching. And […] make them realise – that being an Ahmadi, this is their duty. And from time to time, just keep on reminding them [about] their bond with Ahmadiyyat by sending them the conditions of bai‘at, [saying] ‘these are the conditions on which you accepted Ahmadiyyat and this is your bond and this is your promise that you will give precedence to your religion over worldly matters. If they realise it, then they will understand it.”

On the free-mixing of genders, Huzooraa said: “This is a great challenge that in the present-day atmosphere, the environment – the university even – is not very favourable.

Girls and boys mix up with each other and sometimes they go to the extent to make intimate relations with each other. But Ahmadi students should avoid these things.

“You should only have interaction with the girls when you are in need of anything with regard to your studies. It is not a sin to talk to a girl, but it is sin to go to the extent where your relations are un-Islamic or immoral. This is why the Holy Quran says, Allah the Almighty says, that there should be a distance between man and woman. This is why there is a commandment of hijab and veil. And this is why it is also the saying of the Holy Prophetsa that if you want to get married, you should try to pick a girl who is a religious-minded and pious girl. If our students realise all these things, then they will try to change themselves.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa continued: “You see, we are here to change the world – we claim that we are going to reform the world. If we ourselves indulge in these bad things, then how can we fulfil our promise?

In your Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya pledge, you say, ‘I will sacrifice my this, this, this …’

If you cannot sacrifice your emotions, if you are not practising the teachings of Islam,

Photo courtesy of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Nigeria

then how can you fulfil your pledge?

“So make every khadim realise that ‘this is your pledge, this is our bond, these are the conditions of bai‘at and we have to fulfil all these things so that we can reform ourselves and, as a result, reform our nation, and then we shall be the country that will prosper. Otherwise, if we behave like this, Allah the Almighty will punish us. And we must realise this fact that ultimately, we have to go, leave this world, and face our fate in the afterlife.’

“These are the things you have to make them realise – if they understand it, well and good; otherwise our duty is only to advise, and to keep on advising them and admonishing them, as I have already said.”

Abdul Quadri Olanrewaju Sahib asked Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa what the social media guidelines were for Ahmadi students.

Huzooraa said: “On social media, there are some good things and bad things as well, but unfortunately the bad things are outnumbering the good things. So, you Ahmadi students can also create a platform on social media where you provide to Ahmadi students, to Ahmadi youth and to others as well, the things that can help make you better morally, which can help you to enhance your educational level, which can help you to better your spiritual level. And those sites on social media that are helpful for educational betterment or some other things can also be promoted and give your comments to them and suggest to your

khuddam and students that they can visit those items.

“And those social media platforms which are spoiling your life, their programmes are making you morally corrupt – or can corrupt you spiritually or morally – then ask your students not to see them. […]

“But if you create your own social media platform, that would be better. Then at least those who are very much fond of visiting social media – if you have your own social media which can help you to increase their knowledge and make them morally and spiritually better – that would also help them to quench their thirst with regard to social media.”

Sodiq Seniola Sahib, Vice President AMSA Nigeria said that in Nigeria, some people educated themselves about technology so they could carry out cybercrime. He asked Huzooraa how this could be stopped.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said that if one realised their religious duties and responsibilities, then even after having learned about modern-day technology and how to use it, they would not fall into vice such as cybercrimes.

“If we know what are the good things and what are the bad things, then we shall definitely leave those things which are not good for us. But if we don’t understand, if we have become addicted to those things which are now available on social media – as I already said – and that can lead us to cybercrimes, then we cannot do anything. It

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AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022 is a matter of realisation. If you realise who you are and what are your duties, then you can stop doing all these things. Otherwise, you cannot do anything else.

“You see, this is a big charm on social media nowadays and that leads to cybercrime. This is what Satan said to Allah the Almighty when Allah said to the angels, ‘Submit yourself to Adam’, and Satan refused to do it. Even after that, he said […] ‘I am made of fire’ etc. and secondly, ‘Now, since you have asked me to get out of here, from Paradise, I will try my level best to make people do bad things; I will try my level best to make them go astray; I will try my level best to try to follow bad things – so this is what is happening nowadays. And social media and all these things are also playing their role in this regard; they are helping Satan fulfil his promise.

“And Allah the Almighty said, ‘That is okay, most of the people will follow you, but I will put all of them in Hell; I will fill Hell with them’. So, this is a matter of realisation, a matter of understanding.”

Huzooraa said Ahmadis should regularly keep in touch with their fellow Ahmadi students and members and make them realise their duties to protect them from such harm.

Ibrahim Talabi, Vice President of AMSA Nigeria asked how one could preach to someone who was not listening.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “Allah the Almighty has said to the Holy Prophetsa that ‘you cannot forcefully convey your message to every person. Those who do not want to listen to your message, leave them.’ That is their fate that they are going to face,” and Allah would deal with them however He liked.

On who to preach to, Huzooraa advised: “Instead of wasting time on those who do not want to listen to you, try to find some people – there are quite a number of pious people even, and righteous people, or those who are morally good people – who want to listen to you, or at least those who would like to listen to some good things from you if not completely about your religion.

“In this way, you can try to befriend those who are morally good, who are of pious nature, and then, when they become your friends, you can tell them who you are, what is Ahmadiyyat and why we believe in Ahmadiyyat. So, this is the way of preaching to them”.

Otherwise, Huzooraa said, we could not “force anybody” to listen to us. “People are nowadays indifferent with regard to religion.

Although they say they are Muslims, or they are Christians, they are not practising Muslims or Christians or of any other religion.

“So it is better to find out about people who want to listen to you, instead of wasting your time on those who are just the people [who] do not pay heed to your words.”

Lawal Ibrahim Sahib, Unit President AMSA Futa asked how one could balance enjoying life in school and religious activities.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa advised: “Your first religious duty is offering five daily prayers, right? Get up early in the morning for Fajr prayer and offer your Fajr prayer, then recite the Holy Quran and then get yourself prepared for your college, university or school. After attending your school for 6-7 hours, when you come back,

if there is homework given to you by your teachers or any assignment given to you by the university professor, then complete it.

“And after that, if you have time, you should try to increase your knowledge by reading some religious knowledge that will also – alongside increasing your secular knowledge – change your mindset; you will try to change yourself and try to be spiritually and morally good.”

Huzooraa said that if it was not possible to give time to Jamaat activities – for example to Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya – during the weekdays, then at the weekends, students should give time to the Jamaat. Huzooraa continued: “[...] being a student, your first duty is to concentrate more on your studies but alongside it, never ever leave the five daily prayers and the reading of the Holy Quran.”

Wadud Ambali Sahib, Unit President Oau said most students were challenged by staying consistent in their religious life and studies.

Huzooraa said: “As far as your secular education is concerned, I have already said being a student, your first priority should be your education. And alongside it, whenever you find time, apart from reading the Holy Quran and knowing the meaning of the Holy Quran, you should also read the literature of the Jamaat. As I have already said, it will change your mindset.

“Alongside your educational activities and secular education or other general knowledge books, if you are reading the religious books and the Jamaat literature, then it will increase your spiritual and moral knowledge as well.

“So you have to allocate some time. In the university or college, you spend only 6-7 hours at the most. Our university students even sometimes, some days they only spend one or two hours, there are only two, three periods or one period. And you have the remaining free time which you can use in the library by reading.

“When you are in the university, you go to the library, read the book which can increase your knowledge and when you are at home, you should also have some religious books, some Jamaat literature on your bedside, then before going to sleep, you can even read those books. Or whenever you find some time, you read the literature.

“This way you have to manage – you allocate some time. If you have an extra one, two, three hours [in] which you think you should study and you have already studied in the university and read some other secular books or general knowledge books, then you should read religious books. You will have to study both these books side by side.

“You have 24 hours in a day. After having six hours’ sleep, you have 18 hours. And if you spend six hours in school or university, then you’ll have 12 hours. If you spend some time with your family and eating and this and that, then [it would take] two hours, which leaves 10 hours. Then, for prayers and everything, two hours at the most, again eight hours [are left]. If you are going to play outside – if you are playing soccer or football, or whatever it is – at least two hours there, [leaving] six hours. In the remaining six hours, you have enough time, at least you can give one or two hours daily to your religious studies and that will increase your

knowledge.

“If you only give one or two hours to your religious studies, that is enough to maintain your religious level or even better it, enhance it.”

Adeleke Jubril Sahib, Unit President AMSA Lautech asked how students could fulfil their financial obligations to the Jamaat.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said: “If you are being given some pocket money by your parents, then you can give your Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya chanda because since you are not an earning member, Chanda Aam is not obligatory on you. And if you have done Wasiyyat, then you can pay the small amount available with you […] and you can pay some Waqf-eJadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid chanda if you have money.

“If you don’t have money and your parents are not giving you any pocket money, and you are not even getting any scholarship or any other stipend, then Allah the Almighty is not making it compulsory on you and obligatory on you that you must pay chanda. You are free from all these things.

“But at least, at the same time, to fill this gap of not paying chanda, you can pray to Allah the Almighty in your five daily prayers and after that, you can even do some prayers while walking, sitting, standing or even after prayers.

“During the time of the Holy Prophetsa, the poor people came to see the Holy Prophetsa, and they said, ‘These rich people offer their five daily prayers as we do and they do jihad of the sword (at that time) and we are also doing so, as much as we can; but at the same time, they are rich people, they

have money, they can sacrifice more than us. What shall we do? How can we compete with these people?’ The Holy Prophetsa said ‘Okay, I can give you one tip. After each prayer, you can recite or say “subhanallah” 33 times, “Alhamdulillah” 33 times, “Allahu Akbar” 34 times, then you can also get the same reward. Because you don’t have money, so you are praying to Allah.’

“But later on, when these rich people came to know about this, they also started doing this dhikr [remembrance]. Then, the poor people again came to the Holy Prophetsa and said, ‘These rich people now know what we are doing, so they have started doing the same thing again – they are also doing the dhikr of “subhanallah”, “Alhamdulillah” and “Allahu Akbar”, so now stop them, they should not do it.’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘How can I stop them?

If Allah has given the chance to do all these good things, then let them do it, but you will get your reward.’

“So, Allah rewards you for your deeds and for your intentions: َ ّ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ َّ ‫ات‬ ِ ‫الﻨ ّي‬ ِ ِ‫اِنما الا���ل ب‬ [Sahih al-Bukhari] “Allah gives reward according to your intention. If you have good intentions, Allah will reward you, whether you pay chanda or not. But whenever you have money, you can pay chanda, or sadaqah, or charity.”

This concluded the question and answers with Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa.

The mohtamim of umur-e-tulaba, Abbas Sahib thanked Huzooraa for his time and for answering the students’ questions.

After Huzooraa conveyed his salaam, the meeting came to an end.

(Report prepared by Al Hakam)

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

8

The Ahmadiyya system of justice in conflict resolution In the context of establishing justice, all institutions and schools of thought have their roots in the history of religion – the institution that first gave the concept of right and wrong. It was precisely this distinction between right and wrong that laid the foundation for civilisation in human society, which today the world is very proud of; so proud that the world has forgotten its very foundation.

Relationship between religion and civilisation Historically, mutual conflicts had their origin in the way livelihoods were earned.

When the resulting disputes could not be resolved through mutual understanding – as humans, by nature, tend to think they are in the right – an external authority was required. Such authority was available to God’s messengers through divine revelation. Thus, religion and civilisation are inseparable, both in meaning and in practice.

The history of religion shows that in every age, religious and spiritual leaders have guided their followers on mutual conflicts. And it is also known that the most detailed guidance in this matter has been given by Islam.

The system of divine law revealed at the hands of the Holy Prophetsa served first for the individual and then, when the state of Medina was established, tribes and nations in case of conflicts. The judiciary came into being, legal procedures were devised and a penal code was set up.

The purpose of all of this was and is to maintain peace in society through justice.

The primary purpose of all this was and still is the reformation of wrongdoers.

The purpose of all of this was to work as a deterrent and remains so to this day.

The present age and the role of religions in establishing peace The number of religions increased over time.

The known history of religion shows that the followers of each religion associated to it an element of finality. Moreover, these religions were for specific times and regions. They were limited to a certain audience in a given period of time. God Almighty continued to guide mankind through the periods of intellectual and spiritual evolution.

Thus, when so many systems of divine law – as each religion took it to be – encountered each other, conflict resolution became impossible.

Since the followers of these religions were considered citizens of one state or another, they were bound by their respective state laws.

Therefore, the only possibility of conflict

resolution through religious laws narrowed down to reconciliation and arbitration; and that too in matters of civil nature that do not legally require involving the law of the land. In general, the arbitration systems of religious communities refrained from interfering in criminal offences. It has now become a generally accepted rule within religious communities to honour the state law and is now seen as unacceptable and unethical for any member of the public, a religious community or its leader or even a spiritual head to decide cases of criminal nature.

Arbitration system of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, interpreted the Islamic system of divine law according to the changing times to resolve mutual conflicts and gave guidance – ranging from personal affairs to matters of transnational nature. The same continued in the time of his successors and still does. However, a body with the name of Dar-ul-Qaza – of no legal standing but

functioning only by way of arbitration – has been set up to resolve day to day matters that are legally allowed to be resolved thus.

Formal establishment of Dar-ul-Qaza As the Community progressed, the number of people continued to multiply; growing to the extent where all mutual conflicts could not be decided by the Khalifa alone – especially for a thorough investigation to be carried out before any decision was served.

In view of these circumstances, and the fact that every disputed matter should be carefully heard, all evidence be carefully examined, witnesses appear before the arbiter and the right judgment be passed, the Second Khalifa to the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra established the institution of Darul-Qaza (or Dar-ul-Qada – arbitration council) in 1919.

From the very beginning, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra issued detailed instructions for Dar-ul-Qaza, whose task was to arbitrate in conflicts arising from the day-to-day affairs (of civil nature) of Community members. For

criminal matters, he instructed from the beginning that the parties should turn to the country’s courts of law. Civil cases are however brought before Dar-ul-Qaza by Ahmadis who abide by its decision.

The founder of Dar-ul-Qaza in the Ahmadiyya Community, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, described its philosophy as such: “There are certain areas of the Islamic law that infringe into the legal and political system, but the government does not demand them to be seen as such. For instance, in Qadian, there is the office of qaza where the government has itself given permission to resolve such cases internally and tends not to interfere in matters that do not legally require the involvement of the police.

“Therefore, it is our duty to establish within the Community a procedure of conflict resolution, under Islamic law, in matters where the government does not interfere and over which the government has given us the freedom to decide in any way we deem fit. And if we are able to establish a part of the system of divine law, but abstain from doing so, then that would

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AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022 essentially mean that we are desecrating the system of Islamic law. So, we must now take practical steps for this very important and necessary purpose which God Almighty has placed in our discretion and should have no regard for the weakness or stumbling of any individual in the Community.” (Inqilab-eHaqiqi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 15, p. 106)

Procedures of Dar-ul-Qaza Access to this arbitration system in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is completely free of charge and Dar-ul-Qaza does not receive any remuneration from the parties.

No special form or application on any special type of paper is required to access this system of arbitration. The application is filed in writing and the system comes into operation. It should be noted that this legal system performs the functions of arbitration and mediation which is carried out only if both parties agree in writing to seek the help of this system.

In the first stage of the proceedings, the parties present their case before an arbiter (qazi) appointed by Dar-ul-Qaza. This hearing may take place in one session but can spread over several, depending on the nature of the case.

Since both parties have made a written agreement at the beginning, the decision of Dar-ul-Qaza is in principle acceptable to both. If both or one of the parties feel the need to appeal the decision, they can do so and the case is referred to the appellate arbitral tribunal (murafa‘ah-eula). If any of the parties still feel the need to appeal against the decision made by the murfa‘ah-e-ula, the matter is referred to the higher arbitral tribunal (murafa‘ahe-aliyah), i.e. a board in which the arbiters involved decide on the basis of testimonies and evidence all over again.

(Usually, the murafa‘ah-e-ula precedes the murafa‘ah-e-aliyah. However, in order to expedite the resolution of matrimonial conflicts, the murafa‘ah-e-aliyah comes directly after the first arbiter [qazi-e-awal].)

If the disagreement from a party or both still persists, they may appeal to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. If Hazrat Khalifatul Masih notices any deficiency in the case or how it has been dealt with (gathered from the evidence and other supporting material in the file), he may ask Dar-ul-Qaza to revisit the whole case.

At this stage, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, having reviewed the case, may uphold the decision, or he may instruct Dar-ul-Qaza to make necessary amendments.

Criminal offences and Dar-ul-Qaza In all matters related to criminal offences, the law enforcement authorities have to be contacted in the first instance and told to follow the legal procedure as advised by the authorities in accordance with the laws of the country. In such matters, Dar-ulQaza does not interfere in any way at any stage, and all these steps are determined in accordance with the laws of the country.

For instance, if an Ahmadi’s house is robbed, the Ahmadi will not be expected to get in touch with Dar-ul-Qaza. They will automatically know that they must immediately go to the police, follow their instructions, cooperate with the law of the land and then comply with the outcome.

In all matters of criminal nature, no

Ahmadi would go and complain directly to Khalifatul Masih.

They may, however, ask for prayers in an audience or through a letter, or ask for advice and follow it.

Those who send Hazrat Khalifatul Masih the details of their ongoing cases in writing or present them during an audience are all witness to the fact that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih never passes judgement on the case and always advises to cooperate with the law of the land.

Some instructions from Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa regarding Dar-ul-Qaza Right from the onset of Dar-ul-Qaza to this day, all Khulafa (plural of Khalifa) have urged Dar-ul-Qaza to settle conflicts in light of Islamic teachings. They have kept a watchful eye on the code of Dar-ulQaza so that no principle is formulated that contradicts the Islamic system of divine law.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih is keen on ensuring that not even a word from Darul-Qaza is such that it may hurt a party’s self-esteem. On one occasion, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa instructed the nazim (official in charge) of Dar-ul-Qaza: “Instruct arbiters to use words in their judgments that generally do not offend anyone.” (Instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa to the nazim of Dar-ul-Qaza) In the very early days of his Khilafat, in 2003, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa addressed the Dar-ulQaza officials and said: “We have a system of Qaza in the Community, both at a local and central level. Dar-ul-Qaza cases are also such where every arbiter should set off impartially and with prayers. Neither party should ever get the impression that the arbiter listened more closely to the other, or that their stance was not fully considered in the decision, or that the other party was given any favours. Even though the person against whom the judgement is rendered will usually complain, the matter of the arbiter himself should be completely flawless.

The Holy Prophetsa said that a judge who decided after a thorough investigation and whose judgement turned out to be correct would receive two rewards, and if he made a wrong judgement despite his best efforts, he would receive one reward for his efforts and good intentions.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-I‘tisam, Bab Ajr al-hakim idh ijtahada faasaba au akhta‘a) (Friday Sermon, delivered

by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, 5 December 2003) The last two decades have shown that Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has seen the establishment of justice, at all levels of society, to be the precursor of peace and

has emphatically delivered this message to not only members of the Jamaat but also to world leaders. For instance, he said: “Allah the Almighty has c o m m a n d e d justice, and justice is something that is essential to be established in everything; from the basic unit of the society, i.e. the home, to international affairs. This is the very thing that can bring peace to the world at all levels.” (Friday Sermon, 25 October 2013, Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 11, p. 586) In light of this same Islamic teaching, he said in a directive to Dar-ul-Qaza: “Qaza only has the task of protecting rights. So just ensure that rights are protected.” (Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V ke Qazai Faislay wa Irshadat, Vol. 1, p. 400) In the last two decades, hundreds of conflicts have been submitted to Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa by way of appeal, and he has ensured that the rights of the innocent are not violated.

If, in line with the sunnah (practice) of the Holy Prophetsa, forgiveness can bring about reform, he has reminded the claimant of this option. He has, where the culprit is found to have exhibited cruelty, instructed Darul-Qaza to ensure that the innocent is recompensed and justice is served to both the innocent and the perpetrator. We must remind everyone that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih does not decide on any matters of criminal nature, but only civil cases that filter through for his consideration.

However, for an actual arbitration system to be successful, it is also necessary that it be based on a clearly defined jurisdiction. This, in the case of the Dar-ul-Qaza, is established under Islamic law and overseen by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. This ensured, Dar-ulQaza then functions independently within its remits.

One community member wrote about their case to Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, asking for his advice. The reply of Huzooraa is given below: “I have received your letter. Your case is still pending with Qaza and I do not interfere in matters of Qaza. May Allah help you to cooperate with Qaza in this matter with righteousness. Amin.” (Ibid, p. 404) This means that until the matter has not passed through all stages and reached the stage where the parties may appeal to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, Huzooraa has allowed the legal system to freely continue in its jurisdiction.

It is important to reiterate here that cases presented to Dar-ul-Qaza are not of criminal offences which are always for the law of the land to decide; this is common knowledge for every Ahmadi. The example of a robbery presented above is sufficient to prove this point.

Dar-ul-Qaza: The first point of reference It is commonly known among members of the Ahmadiyya Community that should there be a conflict, they can contact Dar-ulQaza and let their case go through the steps described above. It is, however, a matter of choice in the first place.

Since the very purpose of this institution is to ensure justice and impartiality, every case presented before it is given thorough consideration.

Even if a person presents their case to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, Huzooraa would instruct them to contact Dar-ul-Qaza to ensure the protection of the rights of both the claimant and the defendant.

Let us take the example of a woman who complains directly to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih about her husband not taking care of her and their children and only spending their wealth on himself. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, while graciously giving her and her husband advice, will also direct her to take her case to Dar-ul-Qaza so that all details of the matter can be presented to the arbiter and an impartial decision be secured.

When a case is referred to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, which is not a civil conflict but falls under criminal law, there is a standing instruction that it must be forwarded to the law enforcement agencies of the country. We have said above that this is a standing instruction that need not be reiterated on every occasion. However, the following commandment of the Holy Quran is never to be disregarded:

َ َۡ َۡ َ ۡ َ ‫َو لَا تق َربُوا الفوَا ِحش َما ظ َہرَ ِمن َہا َو َما بَط َن‬

“[…] and that you approach not foul deeds, whether open or secret”. (Surah alAn‘am, Ch.6: V.152) A tradition of Sunan Abi Dawud tells us that the Holy Prophetsa said: َ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُّ ُ َ َ ّ ٰ َّ ‫احش ال ُم َتف ّ ِحش‬ ِ ‫ِإن الله لا ي ِحب الف‬ “Allah does not love anyone who is obscene and vulgar.”

Thus, if allegations are of criminal nature and presented to the law of the land, but spread obscenity if discussed in public, then Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, as the leading proponent of Islamic teachings, may advise that obscenity should not be made public as it benefits no one but harms society in general. This, however, does not mean that the matter should not be subjected to state law.

Similarly, if Hazrat Khalifatul Masih advises someone not to lodge or pursue the case on the Community’s platform (owing to its criminal nature), it would be wrong to imply that his advice means dropping the case altogether. It will still remain the claimant’s choice to pursue the law of the land.

Hence, the Ahmadiyya justice system aims to guarantee the establishment of justice under the supervision of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa. Thousands of people are benefitting from this justice system. However, in cases of criminal nature, Ahmadis are advised to seek justice through the law of the land.

Note: This is a broad introduction to the system in general. Ahmadis should directly seek guidance on individual matters and exceptions with Dar-ul-Qaza.

(Prepared by and published under the responsibility of Al Hakam)

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

10

Riots in Kazakhstan and ramifications: Past warnings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V

Opinion

Ata-ul-Haye Nasir UK The recent protests in Kazakhstan which began on 2 January 2022, as a reaction to a surge in fuel price, led to the resignation of the government, and now protests have escalated to complete chaos in the country.

The protests began in Zhanaozen, Western Kazakhstan, and have spread (as of 10 January) across the entire country.

Although the fuel price cap has been restored in an attempt to appease the public, protests are still continuing and have taken a more political angle – Kazakhstan is experiencing one of its most severe public unrests.

“A presidential palace was torched. There have been reports of protesters storming municipal buildings, police vehicles set on fire, armed officers out on patrol, shots and even explosions”, DW reported. (www.dw.com/ en/kazakhstan-whats-behind-the-unrest/a-60343674)

On 29 November 2020, during a virtual meeting of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Germany with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, a question asked to Huzooraa was, “Would life ever become normal again after Covid?”

Huzooraa replied: “Allah the Exalted knows best. Even though it may return to normal, the economic state that has developed after the coronavirus pandemic will have consequences for the world. Even if there is no physical warfare or major conflict, it will still take years for the global economic situation to stabilise. However, usually, we observe that the economic situation worsens under such circumstances which more often than not leads to warfare.” (Al

Hakam, 29 October 2021, Issue 189, pp. 7-9)

Kazakhstan is a tightly controlled country that cultivates an image of political stability, helping it attract hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign investment in its oil and metals industries over three decades of independence.

The President of Kazakhstan, KassymJomart Tokayev requested the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – a Russia-led military alliance – to quell the protests. On 6 January 2022, limited numbers of Russian paratroopers, plus contingents from Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were sent as a “peacekeeping” force. (Financial Times, 6 January 2022, “Russian

forces arrive in Kazakhstan after president seeks help”)

Senior US officials are urging Kazakhstan’s leaders to find peaceful resolutions while questioning the wisdom of the country’s decision to seek assistance from a Russian-dominated military alliance.

Kazakhstan borders Russia and China, making it of strategic interest to the United States. US companies such as Chevron and ExxonMobil have invested billions in the country’s energy sector. (Politico, 6 January 2022, “U.S. Embassy ramps up security as officials urge calm in Kazakhstan”)

The

turmoil

in

Kazakhstan

has

Supports Kazakhstan’s Efforts to End ‘Chaos’”)

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has questioned Kazakhstan’s decision to seek Russian military aid. He told the reporters that it was unclear why the deployment was happening. He said: “One lesson of recent history is that once Russians are in your house, it’s sometimes very difficult to get them to leave. […]

It would seem to me that the Kazakh authorities and government certainly have the capacity to deal appropriately with protests to do so in a way that respects the rights of protesters while maintaining law and order. […] So it’s not clear why they feel the need for any outside assistance. So we’re trying to learn more about it.” (BBC, 8 January 2022, “Kazakhstan unrest: Blinken questions Russian troop deployment”)

In response to Blinken’s comment, the Russian foreign ministry said that he should reflect instead on US military meddling around the world, and called this remark “typically offensive” and accused him of joking about tragic events in Kazakhstan.

It said Washington should analyse its own track record of interventions in countries such as Vietnam and Iraq. (Reuters, 8 January

“presented Russia with yet another opportunity to reassert its influence in its former Soviet domain, one of Mr. Putin’s most cherished long-term goals.” (The New York Times, 6 January 2022, “In Kazakhstan, Putin Again Seizes on Unrest to Try to Expand Influence”)

There are speculations that the “uprising” in Kazakhstan could be a tactic to divert Russia’s attentions from Ukraine.

“Ongoing mass protests in Kazakhstan have briefly diverted attention away from the biggest geopolitical question that has vexed Europe in recent weeks – whether Russia will wage war against Ukraine.

“Although the issue will soon return to the agenda, it has lost urgency in light of the unrest unfolding in Kazakhstan, Russia’s large Central Asian neighbor.” (www.dw.com/

en/opinion-kazakhstan-unrest-will-curtail-moscowsaggression/a-60352765)

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia have also called for restraint and dialogue.

Speaking to journalists on 6 January 2022, in New York, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, said the Organization continues to follow the situation “very closely.”

“Mr. Dujarric confirmed several contacts between the UN and the authorities in the country, including a call on Thursday morning between Special Representative Natalia Gherman and the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mukhtar Tileuberdi.

“During these exchanges, appeals to exercise restraint, refrain from violence and promote dialogue to address the situation, were reiterated by Ms. Gurman, in behalf of the Secretary-General.” (https://news.un.org/en/

story/2022/01/1109252)

In recent advances, “Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, has said he personally gave the order to security forces and army to ‘open fire with lethal force’ in the past days, against protesters he called ‘bandits and terrorists’.

“In an uncompromising address on Friday, Tokayev said lethal force without warning would continue to be used against violent protesters, and also blamed ‘so-called

free media outlets’ for helping fan unrest.”

(The Guardian, 7 January 2022, “Kazakhstan president says he gave order to ‘open fire with lethal force’”)

In his address, the President KassymJomart Tokayev also said that “20,000 bandits” had attacked the main city of Almaty. He has blamed foreign-trained “terrorists”, without giving evidence. The interior ministry says 26 “armed criminals” and 18 security officers have been killed so far in the unrest. (BBC, 7 January 2022, “Kazakhstan

unrest: Troops ordered to fire without warning”)

Lilia Shevtsova, an expert on Russia, wrote: “Today, Ukraine is the jewel to fight for. But it won’t end there: Belarus, whose embattled leader relies on Russia’s support, could be the next prize in the geopolitical rivalry – or perhaps it will be Kazakhstan, where popular anger at the corrupt, Russian-backed regime has erupted. The drama is just beginning.” (The New York Times,

7 January 2022, “Ukraine Is Only One Small Part of Putin’s Plans”)

Sky News reported: “The circumstances in Kazakhstan are very different from the crisis over Ukraine, but their respective fates will play into a wider, high-stakes power struggle between the world’s democratic governments and resurgent, authoritarian regimes.

“Unlike in Ukraine, protests this past week in Kazakhstan were not generated by a desire for closer ties to the West or a resistance to Russian influence, but were instead – on the surface at least – triggered by anger at a hike in fuel prices.

“There is also a suspicion that factions within the ruling authoritarian elite could be exploiting the chaos to further their own interests.” (Sky News, 7 January 2022, “Kazakhstan’s

2022, “Russia reacts furiously to Blinken jibe over troops in Kazakhstan”)

In regards to the question whether the unrest in Kazakhstan has changed Putin’s calculations about Ukraine, some say that he may not want to engage in two conflicts at the same time, while others say Russia has the military capacity to do both. The instability in Kazakhstan may even add new urgency to Putin’s desire to shore up Russia’s power in the region. (Independent, 8 January 2022, “Kazakhstan adds uncertainty to talks with Russia on Ukraine”)

The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell condemned the violence in Kazakhstan and offered help in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He urged Kazakh authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and underlined that “outside military support should respect the sovereignty and independence of Kazakhstan.” (TRT World, 9 January 2022, “EU condemns widespread violence in Kazakhstan”)

On 9 January 2022, the authorities in Kazakhstan said that 164 people were killed during the recent unrest. The deputy defence minister, Sultan Gamaletdinov, said that a “counterterrorist operation” was still underway and would continue “until the terrorists are completely eliminated and the constitutional order is restored in the Republic of Kazakhstan”. (The Guardian, 9 January 2022, “Kazakhstan says 164 people were killed in week of unrest”)

fate will play into a much wider high-stakes power

While Ukraine’s fate is being discussed at the US-Russia talks, Ukrainians took to the streets on 9 January 2022, to defend their independence and champion an additional cause – that of Kazakhstan’s protests. The demonstrators in Kyiv and Kharkov, held signs that read “Say no to Putin” and flew Kazakhstan flags alongside Ukrainian ones. (Al Jazeera, 10 January 2022, “‘Say no to Putin’:

struggle”)

Ukrainians support protests in Kazakhstan”)

The Chinese President, Xi Jinping has said that the country firmly opposes external forces deliberately fostering unrest and instigating a “color revolution” in Kazakhstan. He ensured that China is willing to provide necessary support and help to Kazakhstan through this difficult time. (Bloomberg, 7 January 2022, “China Says It

On 10 January 2022, while speaking at a video conference of leaders of the Russianled CSTO, Vladimir Putin claimed that the unrest in Kazakhstan was the result of foreign meddling, and said that the Russianled military bloc should take steps to ensure Continued on page 13

11

AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022

Answers to Everyday Issues

Part XXVII

Talaq, gaming bets, birthdays, tarbiyat, leadership skills, tabligh and meeting attendance 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.

Wali Nazarat-e-Islah-o-Irshad Rishta Nata asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa about the appointment of a girl’s sister’s husband as the wali for her nikah.

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 30 August 2020, gave the following instructions: “In the absence of a girl’s father or brother at her nikah, the paternal male relative [usbah], who is closest to her in terms of the degree of kindred, will be her wali, provided that he has the best interests of the girl at heart in every respect, as the word wali [guardian] itself demands.

“However, if nobody from the girl’s usbah is available, then the Khalifatul Masih shall be her wali. The wakil [attorney] for the nikah of such a girl shall be appointed by the Nizam-e-Jamaat and that is the way of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.”

Conditional talaq The nazim of Dar-ul-Ifta submitted a report to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa about the conditional or suspended divorce [al-talaq al-mu‘allaq].

While commenting on the report, Huzooraa, in a letter dated 25 September 2020, stated: “In my opinion, the instructions of the Promised Messiahas and Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra regarding the conditional divorce are very clear and, in light of these references, it has been established that a conditional talaq would indeed become effective upon the fulfilment of the set condition.”

The instructions of the Promised Messiahas and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, mentioned in Huzoor’saa letter, are being reproduced below for the benefit of the readers. (Editor) The Promised Messiahas said regarding conditional talaq: “If there is a condition that if such and such happens then one would be considered to have issued talaq [divorce] and if that condition is actually met, then that talaq

would become effective indeed. For example, if a person says that if he ate such and such fruit then he would be considered to have issued talaq, if he then indeed ate such fruit, the divorce would become effective.” (Badr, Vol. 2, dated 12 June 1903, p. 162) “The Promised Messiahas said that the belief of Maulvi [Muhammad Hussain Batalvi] Sahib that hadith took precedence over the Holy Quran was by no means correct or appropriate.

“Respected audience! It is worth noting that the Holy Quran is ‘the recited revelation’ [al-Wahi al-Matluw] and this Majestic Word was collected in its entirety during the lifetime of the Holy Prophetsa, and it was thus the Word of God. Conversely, the ahadith had no such arrangement, nor were they compiled during the time of the Holy Prophetsa and they do not have the same rank and status as the Noble Quran because they have reached us through a chain of narrators. [Given all this] if a person swears saying ‘Every letter of the Holy Quran is the Word of God and if it is not the Word of God, then I should be considered to have issued talaq [divorce] to my wife’, then his wife would not be considered to have been legally divorced. [However] a person who swears with regard to hadith by saying, ‘Every letter and every word of the ahadith is the same as that which was uttered by the tongue of the Messengersa of Allah, and if that is not the case, then I should be considered to have issued talaq to my wife’, then his wife would indeed be considered to have been legally divorced without any iota of doubt.

“This is a summary of the spoken words of the Promised Messiahas.” (Tazkiratul-Mahdi, by Hazrat Pir Siraj-ul-Haq Nu‘manira, p. 161, published in June 1915) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said in this regard: “Someone wrote to his wife, saying, ‘If I ever called you to this certain house or you went there yourself, then I shall be considered to have issued a talaq to you.’

However, now he wants to invite his wife to that certain house. It was replied to him that one talaq would become effective if [his wife] went to that house but he could return [ruju‘] to her immediately without a new nikah. However, if the stipulated period [for ruju‘] passed, then he could only return [ruju‘] to her after a [new] nikah.” (Al Fazl Qadian, Vol. 2, No. 113, dated 14 March 1915, p. 2)

Nafs, rooh and Eid sermons Someone asked Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa whether nafs and rooh were the same.

They also wrote about the hadith about Eid sermons, recorded in Sunan al-Daraqutni, wherein the Holy Prophetsa said after an Eid prayer that he was going to deliver the Eid sermon and that whoever wished to stay, could stay and whoever wished to leave, could leave. The person asked whether this hadith was authentic.

Huzooraa, in his letter dated 20 October 2020, granted the following reply: “The words rooh and nafs appear in various places in the Holy Quran carrying different meanings. The word rooh denotes the Word of God, angels, Gabrielas, prophets and that soul which appears in the human body at a certain time by divine command.

The word nafs, on the other hand, is used

and elevates humans to be in communion with God is also termed as rooh.

“Linguistically, the term nafs, on the other hand, denotes body, person, soul, human being which is made up of body and soul, greatness, honour, courage, intention, ‘itself ’ and opinion etc.

“A study of the Holy Quran and the ahadith also reveals a difference between the nafs and the rooh which is that Allah the Exalted has granted man the power to control the nafs, to reform it and to change it to a certain extent. Hence, the Holy Quran has described three states of the nafs (ammarah, lawwamah and mutma‘innah).

Moreover, according to a hadith, ‘The strong person is not one who is good at wrestling, but the strong person is one who controls his or her nafs during a fit of rage.’ The matter of the soul [rooh], on the other hand,

for life, breath, a person, a being with a soul, heart, a being or consciousness etc.

“Linguistically, the term rooh is used to denote that thing by means of which the souls [nufoos] remain alive i.e. life. Likewise, the term rooh is also used for breath, revelation and inspiration, Gabriel, the matter of prophethood, and the judgment and command of God Almighty. Moreover, as opposed to the body, the thing that distinguishes animals from other things and distinguishes human beings from animals

is exclusively under the control of Allah the Exalted and He has not given man the power over it as He states:

َ َّ ۡ ۡ ُۤ َ ّ ‫ُقل‬ ‫الرُ ۡو ُح ِم ۡن ا ۡمرِ َر ِّب ۡی َو َما ا ۡو ِت ۡی ُت ۡم ِّم َن ال ِعل ِم ِالا ق ِل ۡیلًا‬ ِ

“‘Say, “The soul is by the command of my Lord [; and of the knowledge thereof you have been given but a little.]”’ (Surah Bani Israil, Ch. 17: V. 86) “Moreover, Islam does not approve of asking many questions about the soul.

“The Promised Messiahas, while commenting on the following verse of Surah

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

12 al-Naba in his Arabic book Nur-ul-Haq, has, has explained the meaning of rooh and has also mentioned the nafs:

َ َّ َّ َ َّ ًّ ُ َ ۡ ّ ‫یَوۡ َم یَقُوۡ ُم‬ ‫الرُ ۡو ُح َو ال َم ٰٓل ِئکۃ َصفا ۙ٭ؕ لا یَ َتکل ُموۡ َن ِالا َم ۡن ا ِذ َن ل َ ُہ‬ َ ‫الرَ ۡح ٰم ُن َو َق‬ ّ ‫ال َصوَ ًابا‬

“(Surah an-Naba, Ch. 78: V. 39) “His commentary reveals that these are two different things. Moreover, the following guidance by the Promised Messiahas also abundantly clarifies the difference between the two. The Promised Messiahas says: “‘It has been inspired upon my heart that the word al-rooh in this verse refers to the group of messengers, prophets and muhaddathoon, upon whom the Holy Spirit is poured and they communicate with God Almighty […] Moreover, God has mentioned His prophets by the word al-rooh, that is, by a word which signifies separation from the body. He did this in order to point out that the purified people were absolutely engrossed in the Will of God in their worldly lives in terms of all their faculties. They broke away from their nufoos as the soul breaks away from the body. Neither their nafs, nor the desires of that nafs remained. They spoke only when called through the Holy Spirit, not of their own will. It was as if they themselves had become the Holy Spirit, with whom the nafs does not mix. Moreover, know that prophets are like one soul […] They completely broke away from their nafs and their movement and their comfort and their desires and their emotions and there was nothing left in them except the Holy Spirit. And they broke away from all these things and went in the company of God. So, God desired to manifest the station of their uniqueness and holiness through this verse and how they are far removed from the impurities of the body and the nafs. Hence, he named them al-rooh meaning ‘Holy Spirit’ so that this word may reveal the greatness of their glory and the purity of their heart. And soon they shall be called upon on the Day of Resurrection by this title, so that Allah may reveal to the people their station of separation [inqita‘], and so that He may reveal the difference between the bad men and the pure ones.

By God, that is the truth. (Nur-ul-Haq I [Arabic-Urdu], pp. 73-74, first edition) “The hadith regarding leave from the Eid sermon that you have mentioned in your letter with reference to Daraqutni has also been narrated in Sunan Abi Dawood.

“It is correct that the Holy Prophetsa has not emphasised the listening of the Eid sermon as much as he has emphasised the attending of the Friday sermon and listening to it with complete silence. Based on this, fuqaha and other scholars have declared the Eid sermon a sunnah and mustahab [i.e. a desired action as practised by the Holy Prophetsa].

“However, alongside this, one should also remember that the Holy Prophetsa has declared the attending of the Eid prayers and joining in the supplications of the Muslims, a blessed act of virtue. He emphasised it to the extent that he instructed that a woman who does not have her own scarf, should borrow it from one of her sisters to attend the Eid prayers. Moreover, he emphasised attending the Eid prayer for menstruating women with the instruction that they should join in the dua while staying out of the prayer area.”

Gaming bets and celebrating birthdays The nazim of Dar-ul-Qaza Qadian wrote a letter to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa and asked about the Islamic ruling on playing online games by betting money through various mobile phone apps, and on celebrating the birthdays of young children and congratulating each other on social media.

Huzooraa, in his letter dated 20 October 2020, granted the following reply: “These two questions have nothing to do with qaza. However, I am answering them for your knowledge that risking money in games in a manner that would incur a loss of one’s money if one loses that game or one would gain some money in case of winning the game, is called gambling which has been categorically declared haram [forbidden] by Islam. Whether the game is played in person, or by way of a lottery, or by risking money online through various apps, it is called gambling in all cases which is prohibited.

“There is nothing wrong with celebrating children’s birthdays and cutting cakes within one’s home with the family members in a way that does not involve any kind of innovation [bid‘ah], or extravagance, or any un-Islamic acts. However, at the same time, one should also give some charity in the way of Allah and the children should be instructed to especially offer nawafil on this day to give thanks to Allah the Exalted for giving them a healthy life and to beseech His grace [fazl] for the next life.”

Tarbiyat of Ahmadi girls During a virtual mulaqat of the national majlis-e-amila of Lajna Imaillah Australia with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, which was held on 19 December 2020, Huzooraa stated regarding the tarbiyat of Nasirat-ulAhmadiyya: “You should advise girls from an early age that they should dress modestly. When they grow older and enter Lajna, they ought to know that alongside wearing modest clothing, it is Allah the Exalted Who has commanded them in the Holy Quran to wear the hijab too. If you provide them such training when they are young, it is then that they will wear modest clothing once they become nasirat of ma‘yar-e-kabir and then enter Lajna. Advise them from childhood that although they are still young, the Holy Prophetsa has stated that modesty is part of faith. Therefore, they ought to dress modestly. Then, when they grow older, alongside modest clothing, they ought to wear the hijab too. When one wears the hijab, it naturally has an effect. It can prevent many ills, such as socialising with men or forging friendships with them. It naturally develops awareness among the girls who go to universities and colleges that have to uphold the sanctity of hijab. Therefore, if you ensure good moral training of the girls when they are still young and nasirat, then all the problems faced by Lajna will be resolved and there will be no complaints.

“The task [of the moral training of] nasirat is very significant. If you ensure the moral training of nasirat from now, by the time the girls go to colleges and universities, they would know their identity and should know what Ahmadiyyat is. The girls are taught the Quran and the hadith, but many not do not even know the reason for the coming of the Promised Messiahas. [Many

do not know] if we have the Quran and the hadith and also the final Messengersa, then what was the need for the Promised Messiahas. They should know these things from a young age. What was the need for the Promised Messiahas, and why did he come? This was a prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa, and he came to fulfil it. They should learn these things from childhood. It was after learning these fundamental issues that they will be able to progress. Otherwise, people eventually come to learn about the major issues anyway. Teach them the basic matters. They should know what their beliefs are, why they are Ahmadis, and what their responsibilities are. Once you do this, you will see that your next generation of Lajna will be much better than the current generation.”

Team building and leadership skills During the same virtual mulaqat [of the national majlis-e-amila of Lajna Imaillah Australia with Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, which was held on 19 December 2020], while answering a question, Huzooraa stated with regard to working as a team and the significance of training others: “To simply work or even work well on your own is not representative of genuine achievement or excellence. Of course, if you work well yourself and submit excellent

reports, this is a personal quality of yours and is a good thing. However, if you have not developed a team alongside this or have not trained your second line to continue the work after you, then it means that you have actually not achieved anything at all. The real aim is not to work independently; rather, the objective is to build a team and a second line so that when you are older, and I am not saying that you are already old, but when you become older, then at least there will be others who will be able to assume the duties and carry on the work. Therefore, all the Lajna secretaries who are sitting here should not think that they are only 35, 40, 45, or 50 years of age. They should prepare a second line regardless [of their age]. Moreover, the sadr of Lajna should instil this spirit of work amongst all the different majalis in her country and should advise their secretaries and presidents to do the same, so that you continue to find members who can carry on the work and also understand the system.

When someone is entrusted with any task,

they are able to fulfil it one way or the other.

You have the various constitutions and the rules & regulations [with the help of which] you will be able to accomplish the tasks. That is not the issue. However, if one is already part of the system, then one will be able to discharge that duty or that responsibility in a better way whenever it is entrusted to them.”

The intention behind tabligh [During the same virtual mulaqat of the national majlis-e-amila of Lajna Imaillah Australia with Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, which was held on 19 December 2020], while answering a question by the secretary for tabligh, Huzooraa outlined the philosophy behind spreading the message of Islam in the world and stated: “The purpose of achieving bai‘ats is not so that you can include it in your reports.

The reason you are to carry out tabligh is that we have compassion for people and want to bring them closer to Allah the Exalted. That compassion requires us to convey to them the true message of Islam. Furthermore, it requires us to improve our own conditions and to develop a personal relationship with Allah the Exalted. The secretary for tabligh should have a personal relationship with Allah the Exalted. May Allah the Exalted enable you to achieve this.”

Attendance at Lajna meetings During the same virtual mulaqat [of the national majlis-e-amila of Lajna Imaillah Australia with Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa], which was held on 19 December 2020, while answering a question on how one could improve the attendance at meetings, Huzooraa said: “You should continue to remind and make them understand with love. Instead of exercising your authority as an officeholder, be like their elder sister or their younger sister or their mother and continue to remind them. They will eventually start attending. Our duty is to remind them continuously. You should also include interesting segments in your meetings and involve those who do not attend; ask them, for example, to deliver a talk and you will see that they will attend.”

(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Dept, Private Secretariat, London.

Translated by Al Hakam)

13

AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022

Renovation of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I’s house, and Jalsa Salana Qadian 2021

Various photos of Hazrat Maulana Hakim Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih I’sra house in Qadian. Bottom right is the bookstall based in the same house

Wakalat-e-Tamil-o-Tanfidh (India, Nepal and Bhutan)

Theَ revelation of the Promised Messiahas, َ َ ‫“ – َو ّ ِس ْع َمکانک‬enlarge they abode” – is being fulfilled with new greatness, by the grace of Allah, during the time of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, as the renovation work of the blessed places in Qadian is going on.

On the instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul

Continued from page 10

future attempts to interfere in the region failed. He said: “The events in Kazakhstan are not the first and far from the last attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of our states from the outside.” (The Guardian, 10 January 2022, “Foreign meddling behind Kazakhstan unrest, Putin claims”)

Now that a superpower, Russia, has entered as a “peacekeeping” force, it must ensure the establishment of peace there, instead of exploiting the situation for its own interests.

In this regard, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, Khalifatul Masih V has warned world powers. While addressing the external guests at Jalsa Salana Holland 2019, he said: “Modern society is consumed by selfinterest and greed. Disorder, conflict and

Masih Vaa, the renovation work of the house of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira – which was built in 1891 and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ia lived in from 1893 to 1914 – was initiated.

This house is located near the Dar-ul-Masih.

The renovation work was completed in December 2021.

Within the premises of this house, a new part has been built in which the book shop of nazarat-e-nashr-o-ishaat has been established.

After the renovation work, the inauguration ceremony was held on 21 December 2021, which commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a brief introduction and historical importance of the house and details about the renovation work, presented by the nazim ta‘mirat. After this, Sadr Sahib Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian led everyone in silent prayer.

warfare are on the rise and the principles of equity and justice are being consistently discarded.

“This is illustrated by the foreign policies of many powerful and rich countries. It has been a constant theme of modern history that dominant powers have sent their armies to distant lands, on the pretext of establishing peace, but time has proven that their real objective has been to protect and enhance their vested interests. […]

“The world is now so inter-connected that the ramifications of hostilities in one part of the world, are bound to spread beyond borders and we have seen many examples of this in recent years.

“Hence, if we genuinely desire peace, whether in our personal lives or at a collective level, the pivotal point is that

we should like for others what we like for ourselves. As I said before, this simple principle is the foundation for true peace in the world. […]

“Every government and every political leader – be they from the United States, China, Russia, European countries, the Muslim world or elsewhere – routinely condemn warfare and bloodshed. However, the reality is that their opposition to such matters tends to remain limited to their interests and their people. Their cries in favour of the rule of law, justice and human rights are all too often rendered hollow when their interests are at stake. […]

“Instead of calling the different parties to the negotiating table and establishing fair and honest dialogue, major powers have habitually interfered in the conflicts of other

Jalsa Salana Qadian 2021 Jalsa Salana Qadian 2021 was held on 24, 25 and 26 December. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a limited number of members were able to attend the Jalsa from all over India. Representatives from 25 provinces attended the Jalsa Salana.

On all three days, congregational Tahajud prayer, and dars after the Fajr prayer were held.

On 24 December 2021, at 10 am, Muhammad Karimuddin Shahid Sahib, Sadr Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian hoisted the Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat and led everyone in silent prayer.

The formal session commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the inaugural address by Sadr Sahib Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian. The session ended with a silent prayer.

During the three days, six sessions were held in which scholars of the Jamaat delivered insightful and spiritually uplifting speeches, which were translated simultaneously into six different languages of India. The event was streamed live on the official website of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya India.

The highlight of Jalsa Salana Qadian 2021 was the concluding address delivered

by Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. Before Huzoor’s address, a documentary consisting of highlights of the Jalsa Salana Qadian 2021, was also played.

After Huzoor’s address, different taranas (choral poems) were also presented.

During the Jalsa, all Covid-19 protocols were followed. A total of 1,400 men were seated in two different parts of the men’s Jalsa gah, while 700 women were seated in the women’s Jalsa gah. 1,949 people from outside Qadian had come to attend the Jalsa, and representatives of eight countries were present.

countries by arming or funding whichever side supports their interests. They are pouring petrol on an open flame and the result is that innocent people, including women, children and the elderly, are losing their lives and observing the torment of their families.” (www.reviewofreligions.org/18944/ the-need-for-outward-and-inner-peace/)

The motivation behind the political manoeuvres by world powers, following the unrest in Kazakhstan, are not entirely clear, however, we can see world powers setting themselves up to benefit from hostilities and protests to serve their vested interests.

The ramifications of these unrests can easily spread across the world and a “dark and bleak” future – as Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa put it – seems to be at our doorstep.

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This Week in History 14 - 20 January 14 January 1929: Sir Geoffrey Fitzhervey de Montmorency, Governor of Punjab met with Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra.

which he became known as BT. After dedicating his life to the service of religion, he was able to serve from 1913 to 1974.

The governor was very impressed with the educational development of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. On one occasion, he is reported to have said, “For a community that is relatively small and has limited financial resources, significant progress has been made in terms of education.” (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 5, p. 124)

He was born in 1892 in a village in Ludhiana. On 3 August 1907, he pledged allegiance. In 1920, he served as the private secretary to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra for about six months. He also served as the editor of The Review of Religions. In 1977, his book, In the Company of the Promised Messiah, was published which became very popular.

14 January 1955: Hazrat Dr Faiz Ali Sabirra, companion of the Promised Messiahas passed away. He was born in 1876, did bai‘at in 1900 and migrated to Qaidan in 1902. He assisted Hazrat Munshi Muhammad Afzalra to launch the newspaper Al Badr in the early days of the Jamaat.

15 January 1934: The 1934 NepalBihar earthquake was one of the worst earthquakes in the history of Nepal and Bihar, India. This 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurred on this date at 2:28 pm and caused widespread damage in northern Bihar and Nepal.

For some time, the Hazrat Dr Faiz Ali Sabirra management of Qadian’s Langar was also entrusted to him.

Hazrat Dr Faiz Ali Sabirra also worked in Makran (Baluchistan) and the state of Bahawalpur where he was in-charge of the army medical office and dispensary.

In view of his honesty and goodness, he was also appointed as the medical officer of the palace of Nawab Bahadur Sadiq Muhammad Khan V of Bahawalpur State.

Hazrat Dr Faiz Ali Sabir was buried in Bashishti Maqbarah, Rabwah. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 17, p. 200) ra

14 January 1979: Hazrat Chaudhry Ali Muhammadra BA BT, companion of the Promised Messiahas, passed away. Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh, Hazrat Choti Apa (Hazrat Syeda Maryam Siddiqa) and Hazrat Mehr Apa (Hazrat Syeda Hazrat Chaudhry Ali Bushra Begum) Muhammadra were among his students.

He was the first person in Qadian who had obtained the degree of BT, due to

delivering lectures on the Holy Quran and Sahih al-Bukhari.

Huzoorra even said, “Due to my frailty, sometimes when I must work while lying down, even then if I find a new book, I cannot set it aside without finishing it.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 3, p. 501)

17 January 1958: A Christian bishop commissioned in Delhi, India visited Qadian. During his visit he was given a welcome by Jamaat members. He was given various literature of the Jamaat which he happily accepted. Since he was Bengali, Bengali members of the Jamaat spoke with him in Bengali.

In fact, the Promised Messiahas, on 20 April 1907, saw in a vision: “I received a revelation this morning.

First, I saw in my dream that I was in the big mosque and my son Bashir Ahmad was with me. He pointed to the East, slightly towards North, and said, ‘The earthquake has gone in that direction.’”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra wrote an article about this sad calamity, highlighting the scores of prophecies about heavenly Hazrat Mirza Bashir signs in favour Ahmadra of the Promised Messiah’sas claims. The Jamaat took part in humanitarian efforts conducted after the earthquake. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 6, p. 174)

15 January 1956: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra recorded a message using an audio recorder upon the request of Chaudhry Anwar Ahmad Kahlon Sahib, Amir of Dhaka Jamaat. He recorded, in his voice, some of the prophecies of the Promised Messiahas. His words were also published in Al Fazl. (Al Fazl, 24 January 1956) 16 January 1935: A devout Ahmadi, Sheikh Ahmad Furqani Sahib was martyred in Iraq.

He lived in his village of Loa Kirkuk, about 200 miles from Baghdad. He had pledged allegiance about ten years before his martyrdom. Opponents of Ahmadiyyat had boycotted him and

continued to oppress him.

The news of his martyrdom had reached Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra through a letter from an Ahmadi youth, Alhaj Abdullah Sahib, who, after living in Qadian for a long time and completing his religious education, was assigned to preach Ahmadiyyat in Arab countries. (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Bab Shahadat, Chapter of martyrdom, p.

35)

16 January 1935: Hazrat Malik Altaf Khanra, companion of the Promised Messiahas, passed away. Originally from Charsadda, Peshawar, he did bai’at in 1908.

He was a pious man who experienced the nearness of Allah through dreams and visions. He endured many hardships for the sake of his faith. On his demise, Al Hakam (Urdu) wrote, “A wali [saint] of our Jamaat has passed away.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 7, p. 274)

16 January 1949: Sakhi Mang Sahib was martyred in Kashmir on this date.

He converted to Ahmadiyyat at a young age in 1933. He was a volunteer in the Furqan Battalion when he was travelling in a truck with his comrades on the night of 16-17 January. The truck fell into a ditch and he was martyred in the accident. (Khutbaate-Tahir, Bab Shahadat, Chapter of martyrdom, p. 85) 17 January 1914: The illness of Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih Ira worsened and reached a critical level. However, despite the intensity of his deteriorating health, he continued

18 January 1977: A companion of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahman Juttra, then amir of Jamaat Qadian and nazir-e-ala, passed away. He was born in 1893 and received the honour of visiting and pledging allegiance to the Promised Messiahas in 1903. In the same year, under the guidance of Hazrat Sheikh Hamid Alira (who was also his maternal uncle, who later became his father-inlaw, came to Qadian as a teenager for education and after acquiring Hazrat Maulana Abdur knowledge, Rahman Juttra he settled there.

Although he was residing in a boarding house, he stayed in the house of the Promised Messiahas and enjoyed the kind treatment of Hazrat Amma Janra.

Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahman Jutt’sra whole life was full of service to religion and service to humanity. He was a well-educated teacher. He was well-versed in Arabic literature and Islamic jurisprudence. He also had the honour of teaching Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh.

Hazrat Maulana Sahibra served in many capacities for 63 years. During the partition of the Indian subcontinent, he preferred to stay in Qadian. Therefore, Huzoorra promoted him to the position of amir-e-muqami in Qadian and then to the important post of nazir-e-ala, which he carried out till his last breath with a great degree of integrity and responsibility.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022

Humanity First Croatia lauded for distributing food during festive season 19 January 1933: On this date, a ship that Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafrulla Khanra was aboard, dropped its anchor on the shores of Mumbai after successfully sailing from England. Apart from Ahmadis, some other famous Muslim personalities also greeted him at the port. On 22 January, he arrived in Qadian. He was returning after effectively proving the case of the political rights of the Muslims in India during the third Round Table Conference held in London.

Hazrat Musleh-eHazrat Chaudhry Sir Zafrulla Khanra

Maud received Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Zafrulla Khanra in Qadian along with hundreds of Ahmadis from Qadian.

He performed two rak‘aat of nawafil in Masjid Mubarak, then prayed at Bahishti Maqbarah and had a meal with Huzoorra, before leaving for Lahore.

(Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 6, p. 96) ra

19 January 1954: A court of inquiry for the investigation of the disturbances against the Jamaat in Punjab took the statement of Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra. In this statement, he dispelled many misconceptions spread in the country about Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.

Essential parts of this statement can be read on pages 420 to 432 of volume 15 of Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat.

20 January 1956: Hazrat Musleh e Maudra, in his Friday sermon, urged members of the Jamaat to read the books of the Promised Messiahas carefully. Huzoorra directed Sadr Anjuman to take suitable measures to ensure the preservation and protection of the clothes and relics that belonged to the Promised Messiahas. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 17, p. 385) 20 January 1966: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh addressed the first class of muallims (missionaries) of Waqf-eJadid. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol 23, p.

448)

Rana Muhammad Munawwar Khan President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Croatia Humanity First Croatia has a lasting tradition to help needy families stuck in hardship in various cities of Croatia.

The need for families living in poverty becomes even more visible during the days of Christmas and the new year. The gap between the rich and poor is growing faster than ever.

At a time when parents buy expensive toys and presents for their children after spending a lot of money on decorating the Christmas tree, a large number of families are worried about if they will manage to have enough food on their table. Humanity First tries to reduce this visible gap by creating awareness about the needy in our society. They also encourage food donations to assist the poor.

The first step of this initiative this year was to cooperate with three schools to collect prescribed food items for the food packets being prepared to give to the needy. In this regard, the primary school in Brezovica collected 402 litres of milk and 249 litres of oil; the primary school in Kašina collected 197 kg of sugar and 168 chocolates; the primary school in Soblinec collected 130 packets of Vegeta and 132 canned chickpeas.

We highly appreciate this generous donation from the students and the involvement of the school staff as well as their parents.

Mr Namik Alibegović donated us empty cartons for our food packets.

On 18 December 2021, with the help of Marina Pucević the former Mayor of the capital district in Brezovica and her volunteers, Humanity First managed to distribute in the region of Brezovica 58 food packets for families and 10 packets for singles (pensioners).

Marina Pucević said: “Thanks to our humanitarians from the Humanity First association, many families and singles received gift packages for our biggest Christian holiday, Christmas.

Donations brought tears to my eyes, but also pride. They did not forget the children in the House of St. Josip and Caritas House Bl.

Alojzije Stepinac, and many others outside the City of Zagreb. I thank everyone who participated in this action, and especially our donors.”

On the same day, Humanity First donated milk, sugar, cereals and bonbons to the orphanage in Hrvatski Leskovac.

Sister Katarina Pišković said: “In this pre-holiday time as we prepare for the celebration of the Christmas holidays, we are sincerely grateful for your presence in our lives [...]. We are pleased with your openness and selflessness with which you have enriched us in these pre-holiday days through joint socialising and giving. Your presence, care and understanding for the children and young people who are with us in care make their lives more beautiful and joyful. We would like to say a big thank you from the bottom of our hearts for thinking of them and for choosing to give us food products and sweets. Thank you for your support and cooperation with our house and for testifying that there are good people who make the world a more beautiful and safer place for all who need it. We remain grateful and in constant prayer before the good God for all of you! In the new year ahead, we wish you every blessing in family and business life.”

Humanity First since the last year has started the initiative to provide help to needy families on the coast side. This year, 30 packets of groceries were prepared by Humanity First which was then handed over to local charities and the Red Cross with the help of Father Vedran Obućina, on 19 December 2021, in Rijeka and Lovran.

Father Vedran Obućina, also pastor of the Rijeka parish of St Cyril and Methodius of the Orthodox Old Catholic Church said: “Before the Christmas holidays, about 30 families received flour, sugar, milk, beans, chickpeas, pasta, cooking chocolate, rice, oil, jam and food seasoning. We also got aware of the difficult situation, especially of those people who are alone and mostly elderly and sick [...]. If our neighbour is hungry, let‘s feed him. This is a humanitarian action

by Humanity First. They do not ask what religion or nationality their neighbour is.

We are all human and as such sons and daughters of the One God.”

For the first time, Humanity First managed to distribute 33 food packets to needy families in Soblinec with the help of the staff of the primary school in Soblinec on 20 December 2021.

On 21 December 2021, Humanity First distributed 20 food packets in Kašina with the help of the primary school in Kašina. Caritas in Kašina provided a list of needy people living in that region. During the distribution, the attendees highly appreciated the donation. A very delighting thing happening that day was the coverage of this humanitarian event by the young journalists from the primary school Kašina.

After the distribution of the food packets and several pictures, the young journalists took an interview.

The school wrote on their Facebook page: “Today in Vugrovac, Christmas packages were distributed to the users of Parish Caritas. We are proud that our students and their parents participated in the humanitarian action organised by Humanity First [...].”

Humanity First has a very good relationship with Kuća Brezovica, a centre for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. The joy in the eyes of these children is the most valuable reward a person can get.

Ivana Kokić Ajazaj said: “This year has brought great challenges for all of us, especially when it comes to caring for children with multiple disabilities.

Thank you for being able to count on your friendly, neighbourly, and above all, human help at every important moment. We are especially pleased that you have provided our users with a richer lunch on Christmas Day so that they too can feel the blessing and magic of this great feast [...]. When we have friends like you and Humanity First, every challenge is easier to overcome and we truly thank you for that. We wish you and everyone at Humanity First many beautiful moments, health and happiness in the New Year.”

Our humanitarian action ended on 26 December, distributing about 14 food packages to refugee families and pensioners living in and around Zagreb.

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Introduction to chapters of the Holy Quran

Surah Fatir, Ya Sin, al-Saffat, Sad, al-Zumar, al-Mumin The English translation of the introduction to chapters of the Holy Quran as given by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh is being presented for the benefit of our readers. Insha-Allah, in the coming issues, we will endeavour to publish the introduction to all chapters of the Holy Quran:

Chapter 35: Surah Fatir This is a Meccan surah and including “Bismillah …”, it consists of 46 verses.

This surah as well, like the preceding one, starts with the words “Al-Hamd” [praise of Allah]. The preceding surah discusses Allah the Almighty’s sovereignty in the heavens and the earth and that the entire universe is self-evidently occupied in His praise. Here, it draws attention to the praise of Allah when Allah the Almighty originated the heavens and the earth because originating heaven and earth cannot be without purpose. And before being a reference to the existence of the heavens and earth, it is a reference to the benevolence of the Lord Who creates.

Verse 2 mentions the angels who possess two, three, or four wings. This does not mean that the angels possess any physical or apparent wings. In fact, it is a reference to the four basic valencies of matter, as a result of which all chemical miracles take place. Monotheist scientists especially draw attention to the fact that as a result of the chemical reaction of the four valencies of carbon with other matters, the life which came into being is called carbon based life by scientists. This verse of the Holy Quran mentions that there also exist the angels who possess more wings and hitherto man is unaware of them. And under the influence thereof, wonderful chemical reactions will take place which are beyond the ken of present-day man.

Once again in the current surah, two seas are mentioned, one of which has saline water whereas the other possesses sweet water. But the miracle of the creation of Allah is that the flesh of marine life in saline water does not get salty, and the flesh of the marine life in freshwater is also non-saline. How is it possible that the flesh of the fish that regularly drink seawater is not at all affected by the salinity of the water there?

Next follow verses (17 and 18) which warn mankind that if they fail to be grateful for the bounties of Allah the Almighty and persist in disbelief, then if Allah pleases, He shall wipe them out from the land and bring a new creation

Him with regard to the things created in land; then how do they, in their imagination, associate partners with Allah in the heavens about which they have no knowledge at all?

Next, mankind has been admonished that the heavens and the earth are not upheld in their orbits on their own. If the hand of Allah the Almighty’s will did not hold them and as a result, they deviated from their orbits, then the heavens and the earth would be destroyed and never again would the heavenly bodies be established in any orbit.

instead; and this is not at all difficult for Allah the Almighty.

Then, again, mankind has been admonished that all forms of life on earth benefit from the water that descends from the sky and different varieties of fruit, with varied colours, grow of this water.

The difference in colours is a reference to the fact that as we see fruits of varied

colours growing from the soil of the same colour, similarly mankind descends from one Adam but have different complexions.

They speak different languages but all are derived from the same language. There does not seem to be any resemblance between them except to the enlightened ones who are guided by the divine light.

Those who associate partners with Allah cannot associate any partner with

Chapter 36: Surah Ya Sin Surah Ya Sin is a Meccan surah and including “Bismillah …”, it consists of 84 verses.

The disbelievers’ swearing a strong oath is mentioned towards the end of the preceding surah that if a Warner had come to them, then they would have followed guidance better than any other past people. Addressing the Holy Prophetsa in the opening verses of Surah Ya Sin, Allah the Almighty says, “We have sent you to a people whose ancestors were not warned for a long time. Despite this, the word of Allah came true for them that they would not believe.” Thus, the claim of the disbelievers at the end of the preceding surah that if a Warner had come to them, they definitely would have believed in him, has been refuted in the current surah.

Next, a similitude of the opponents of Prophets has been presented that in fact, it is their arrogance that keeps them from accepting guidance. An arrogant person’s neck is erect like someone’s neck that has a collar around it. Thus, only those are blessed to believe, who are free of all arrogance.

Commentators have given different presumptions regarding the discussion that starts from verse 14. In this regard, Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih Ira has given a commentary that touches the heart, and that is that the previous two prophets were Hazrat Mosesas and Hazrat Jesusas.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022 The Holy Prophetsa upheld their honour by supporting them. But after incessant disbelief of the disbelievers, a fourth person stood up from a distant town to warn the disbelievers that they should believe in the great person who procures a number of means of their guidance without any reward from them.

At the time of the revelation of the Quran, the knowledge of Arabs with regard to male and female in plants was limited to the date-palm only. And none could have even imagined that Allah the Almighty had created pairs not only in all fruit trees, but verse 37 claims that everything in the universe exists in pairs.

Modern science today has uncovered this reality; so much so that matter, atoms and even sub-atomic particles have pairs.

In short, the subject of pairs is an unending subject. And in order to understand the subject of the unity of God, it is essential to understand this topic. It is only the Creator of the universe Who does not stand in need of a pair; the rest of all creation needs to be in pairs.

Addressing the subject of resurrection once again in the following verse, the dead bodies who are to be resurrected in the Hereafter have been shown expressing their wonder as to Who He is Who resurrected them. In reply to this, it is stated that what all the Messengers of Allah said was true.

Some people believe that the topic of producing fire from green trees in verse 81 relates to the trees when they get dry and produce fire. This is true in its own right. But in reality, the green trees can produce fire while they are still green, and it happens as such. Thus, botanists assert that when the leaves of pine trees touch each other as a result of wind, they catch fire due to this continuous action and vast woodlands are destroyed because of this fire.

The last verse of the current surah as well concludes the chapter by discussing the resurrection in the Hereafter; it states that Allah is the only Master of everything in the universe and “O mankind! You all will be brought back to him.”

Chapter 37: Surah al-Saffat Surah al-Saffat is a Meccan surah and including “Bismillah …”, it consists of 183 verses.

Before elaborating the initial verses of Surah al-Saffat, it is important to mention that these verses state that by the time the mentioned prophecies are fulfilled, this will also be proven to be true that the resurrection which was claimed very forcefully will definitely come to pass.

In verse 12, Allah the Almighty says [to the Prophetsa] to ask them whether their creation was harder to create, or others whom Allah the Almighty had created?

After this question, a declaration has been made for the disbelievers that being the Creator, Allah the Almighty is far beyond their abilities to create, and He possesses the power to revive them again once they become dust after their death. It contains a warning as well that once they are resurrected, they will be abased too.

That is to say, it will be proven to those

who used to make tall claims with regard to their creation that their creation stands nowhere and that “ashaddu khalqan” [harder to create] is none else except Allah the Almighty.

Now, we revert to the initial verses.

The words, “Was-saffat-i- saffan” [by those who range themselves in close ranks] in fact contain a prophecy of warplanes which will be made by man, and they will attack the enemies ranged in close ranks, warning them time and again and dropping on them large number of pamphlets containing the message to bow their necks before them or else they would be destroyed. Then, Allah the Almighty says, “How dare they claim divinity as a result of their superficial power! Allah is the One and Only.”

Next, Allah says that He is the Lord of easts. This verse also implies a kind of prophecy. Otherwise, at that time, there was no concept of more than one east as has been generated in this age of ours.

This age would be one in which, through various modern inventions capable of very high flight like rockets etc., man would endeavour to find out the secrets of higher skies. Such endeavours are being made in this age. But they would be pelted with stones from every side. That is to say, they would be pelted with very dangerous stones from terrestrial bodies. Save a few secrets from the closer sky, they would fail to achieve any major success. These are the things about which the current age and its modern inventions testify that it is coming to pass in exactly the same way.

The wars that are going to be fought between nations for material victories are mentioned in the beginning of the surah; therefore, the battles of the Holy Prophetsa and his Companionsra, which were waged purely for the cause of Allah, have also been mentioned in the current surah. In these battles, the sword was not raised to shed others’ blood, but a group of companions was to be slaughtered like sacrificial cattle. This was in relation to that sacrifice of Hazrat Abrahamas which he had made by agreeing to slaughter his own son. The belief of the commentators that a ram was stuck in a bush and Hazrat Ishmaelas was released in lieu of that great sacrifice is a very absurd belief, which is neither found in the Quran, nor in hadith.

How can a ram be greater in comparison to Hazrat Ishmaelas? Hazrat Ishmaelas was kept alive so that the world could witness that great sacrifice which was to take place in the time of the Holy Prophetsa.

In relation to Surah al-Saffat, where a number of assaulters ranged in ranks are mentioned earlier, at the end of this surah the Holy Quran states that real armies ranged in ranks “belong to Us only”. Here, the ranged armies of the Holy Prophetsa as well as the ranged angels who descended from the heaven in ranks have been mentioned, whose end result was none else that apparently these weak ranged in ranks battlers, whose enemy was much mightier than those, would be vanquished, but Allah’s will overpowered and Allah and His men triumphed.

Photo courtesy of Suhaib Ahmad

Chapter 38: Surah Sad This is a Meccan surah and including “Bismillah …”, it consists of 79 verses.

This noble surah as well starts with one of the abbreviated letters, ‫[ ص‬Sad].

One of the explanations of it presented by ُ the commentators is that ‫ ص‬signifies ‫َصا ِدق‬ َْ ْ ‫القول‬, i.e. “That Allah Whose statements will definitely be fulfilled”. And the Quran, which consists of great exhortations, stands to witness that this Quran is being rejected just because of opposition caused by a false sense of honour.

This very surah presents the vision of Hazrat Davidas which exhibits the greed of human nature that if man is granted sovereignty over 99 per cent, his next goal is 100 per cent and he does not spare even one per cent for the weak and poor. The wars waged by major powers mentioned in the previous surah were waged with the intention to usurp all rights of sovereignty from the poor countries; and they wished to rule the entire world without anybody’s share in it. In other words, it is a claim to divinity. Then, with reference to Hazrat Davidas, mankind has been admonished that mutual disagreements should be settled with justice and not with aggression and coercion.

The very surah states with regard to Hazrat Solomonas that he loved horses greatly. Misinterpreting this incident, some commentators state that once, he was patting his horses and stroking their legs, while in the meantime he missed prayer time. At this, he avenged the horses for this negligence of his and ordered for all of them to be killed. But this very ridiculous commentary is absolutely refuted by the verse in which Hazrat Solomonas says to bring them back to him.

This shows that Prophets greatly love the mounts granted to them for striving in the cause of Allah the Almighty, and desire to see them time and again.

With regard to the horses prepared for jihad for his people, the Holy Prophetsa also said that their foreheads have been blessed until the Day of Resurrection. In this very surah, Hazrat Jobas has been presented as a great, exemplary, forbearing Prophet; and those facts have been furnished here which are found in the form of strange stories in the Bible.

Chapter 39: Surah al-Zumar This is a Meccan surah and including “Bismillah …”, it consists of 76 verses.

The chosen servants of Allah who refused to worship Satan and bowed down in worship before Allah the Almighty alone are mentioned towards the end of the preceding surah. And from the very beginning, this surah states, “O Messenger! You should worship none else save Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience. Surely, Allah the Almighty accepts only sincere obedience.”

Next, an argument of the polytheists has been refuted. The explanation furnished by them in support of idol worship is that these artificial gods are a means to bring them closer to Allah. Allah says, “Not at all; but only he will serve as a means whose obedience is as sincere as that of the Holy Prophetsa, and which is free of even an iota of polytheism.”

Next, the reality that human life was started from a single being has been presented again. At the time, when man started developing as a foetus into the womb of the mother, it was concealed in three stages of darkness. The first stage of darkness is the darkness of the belly of the mother, which envelops the womb.

The second stage of darkness is that of the womb, wherein the foetus is nourished.

And the third stage of darkness is that of the placenta, which envelops the foetus in the mother’s womb.

Next, the Holy Prophetsa was allowed to proclaim that he was commanded to devote his worship sincerely for Allah.

Then, Allah directs him to say that it is Allah alone he will continue to worship in sincerest obedience. They may worship whomsoever they please. “And tell them that it will be a bargain of a huge loss if they do so; because they will be a means of misguiding themselves as well as their future generations as a result of this crookedness.”

Thereafter, a question is raised: can anybody be better than the one whose chest Allah has opened for His remembrance; in other words he who has been granted openness of the heart. The answer to this question is not mentioned apparently, but is implied in the question.

That is, none can be better than him.

Thus, very unfortunate are those who are

18 negligent of the remembrance of their Lord.

It is announced in verse 24 that “Allah informs you of the best discourse, that is Allah has revealed to you an oftrecited book, some of whose verses are mutashabihat [open to more than one interpretation] and they come in pairs.” But there are some other very similar verses which explain them and guide the truth seeker to understand the mutashabihat verses. This is the same ُ َ َُ subject which has been related in ‫یف ِّس ُر ب ْعض ُہ‬ ًَْ ‫[ بعضا‬some of its verses explain the others].

At another place, Allah says, that none of ُ َ the verses remain mutashabih for ‫اسخوْ َن فِی‬ ِ ‫ر‬ ْ ْ ‫[ ال ِعل ِم‬those who are firmly grounded in knowledge].

This surah contains the noble verse which was revealed to the Promised Messiahas as well and he had it engraved on a stone َ ّٰ andَ َ fixed in a ring. That is, ‫اف َع ْب َد ُہ‬ ٍ ‫( ال ْی َس الل ُہ ِبک‬Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?). In this very connection, Ahmadis wear such rings on their fingers for blessings and a good omen.

Verse 43 of this surah reveals a great secret that sleep is also a kind of death wherein the soul or conscience goes deep down time and again. Allah the Almighty has constituted a system that exactly on time, it bounces against the layer of the brain and is aroused once again.

Scientists have made some research on it and revealed that such a thing happens again and again with a sleeping person; and that exact time can be measured with an atomic watch; and no discrepancy whatsoever will be found in that period of time. When Allah the Almighty does not send the soul back after its going deep

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM down, this is termed as death or demise.

Since returning to Allah the Almighty and separating for good from this world is mentioned at this point, those who are afraid of accountability have been given the glad tidings that Allah the Almighty has the power to forgive all kinds of sins because He is the Gracious, the Merciful.

“Therefore, bow before Allah and submit yourself before Him alone before you are afflicted with the punishment and you die prior to your repentance; and in regret man may say, ‘If only he had not dared to commit sins in respect of Allah the Almighty before His eyes.’”

This surah is named Al-Zumar, and towards the end, in two verses, zumar (group) has been divided into two. One group consists of those who will be driven in troops to Hell, whereas the other is of those who will be taken to Paradise in groups.

Chapter 40: Surah al-Mumin This is a Meccan surah and including “Bismillah …”, it consists of 86 verses.

This surah starts with the abbreviated letters of ‫[حم‬Ha meem], and the following six surahs as well start with these very abbreviated letters. It means, including this surah, there are in total, seven surahs that start with ‫حم‬. Allah knows best what the connection is, if any, between these surahs and the seven verses of Surah alFatihah.

The children of Adam were exhorted in the preceding surah that one should not despair of the mercy of Allah. In fact, hopelessness is a characteristic of Iblis.

And whosoever will trust the mercy of Allah with all sincerity and repent truly

for his sins, Allah Almighty has the power to forgive all sins.

Similarly, the preceding surah talks ّْ about angels being ‫ َحافِین‬, i.e. they are surrounding the environment of the Throne. But in addition to that, the current surah says that “your forgiveness is dependent on the supplications of the angels as well, who are holding up the Throne of Allah. Allah the Almighty is not something material who is seated on a throne which is held up by the angels.

Allah exists everywhere and He is holding up everything in the universe.”

Thus, Allah’s transcendent attributes are mentioned at this point. And ‫عرش‬ [Throne] signifies the pure heart of the Holy Prophetsa where Allah’s throne rests.

And in order to strengthen his heart, the angels surround him all around and also supplicate for the sinful men of God as well, and also pray for their generations.

Thus, the writer is sure that it stands for the supplications that arise from the throne of the heart of the Holy Prophetsa which he made for the righteous men and their generations to come until the Day of Judgment.

In this very surah, in relation to Pharaoh when he intended to kill Hazrat Mosesas, the mention of a prince is found who had believed in him but hid his faith. But when a plan to kill Mosesas was hatched before him, he could not help but give expression to his faith. He warned his people in majestic terms that they should spare Mosesas if he was a liar, as liars perish on their own. But if he was truthful, then some of that which he threatened them with would surely befall them.

At this point, there is an everlasting

exhortation for the people that they should leave the matter of those who claim to be Prophets to Allah the Almighty. If they are liars, then Allah himself will destroy them.

But if they are truthful and you refused to believe in them, then some of that which they threatened you with will surely befall you. As these verses also have a connection to the claimants of Prophethood after the Holy Prophetsa, that is why their history shows that exactly the same occurred to them. All the imposters were destroyed and no trace of theirs is found in history.

In this very connection is mentioned the claim of people with regard to Hazrat Josephas that no Prophet would come after him. If it was true, then how would the Holy Prophetsa be raised after Hazrat Josephas? Thus, these are the claims of only those people who have no knowledge of the decree of Allah. Every other thing can cease, but the way to the munificence of Allah can never cease. In relation to the fact that Allah the Almighty destroys the liars, it has also been warned that He definitely helps the truthful. Therefore, you may exert all your force, but you can never frustrate and destroy the truthful Prophets of Allah the Almighty.

Verse 66 exhorts once again to be sincere to Allah, as there does not exist any other god but the living God worthy of worship. Thus, call unto Allah alone being sincere to Him in obedience.

(Translated from the original introduction of chapters as presented in the Urdu translation of the Holy Quran by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masihrh. Translated by Shahid Mahmood Ahmad, missionary in Ghana)

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An attack on Khilafat: The hypocrites’ slander (Ifk) against Hazrat Aisha and analysis of Surah al-Nur Ataul Fatir Tahir Al Hakam

“Khilafat is a divine reward and there is none who can stop it. It is a vehicle for the spread of Allah’s light and whoever desires to end it, in fact, wants to extinguish the light of Allah.” (Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6, p. 330) The Holy Quran is Allah’s word, perfectly authored and profound in meaning. Every letter, word, sentence and theme has a purpose – they are not arbitrary, as the random fall of rain droplets. Topics or verses may seem unsystematic to the untrained eye, yet they are not.

An example is the connection in the Holy Quran between the slander – commonly known as Ifk – against Hazrat Aishara and the verse promising Khilafat to Muslims, both of which arrive closely together in Surah al-Nur (chapter 24). Seemingly exclusive verses uncover a deceptive attack by the hypocrites amongst Muslims on the future establishment of Khilafat in Islam.

Early themes in Surah al-Nur The promise of Khilafat in the Quran arrives in verse 56 of Surah al-Nur (The Light).

Allah starts the surah (chapter) by declaring, “[This is] a surah which We have revealed and which We have made obligatory; and We have revealed therein clear Signs, that you may take heed.”

In the opening verses, the surah lays out Islamic punishments for illicit sexual relationships and for those who wrongly accuse “chaste women” of illicit relationships “but bring not four witnesses”.

The Event of Ifk (false imputation) – in which the hypocrites, with some success, spread vile rumours accusing Hazrat Aishara, the noble wife of the Holy Prophetsa, of having an illicit relationship with Hazrat Safwanra bin Mu‘attal – is then addressed by Allah from verses 12-20.

The slander against Hazrat Aishara was serious and had some companions in doubt and affected the Holy Prophetsa too.

Describing the intensity of this slander and its effects, The Seal of the Prophets (Vol. II) reads: “Abdullah bin Ubayy and his wretched followers propagated this lie so widely, and disseminated such a twisted version of it that the Muslims began to lose their peace of mind. Certain Muslims, who were of weaker dispositions and unmindful, became victims of this propaganda as well. Hence, this era was especially a time of full force for the hypocrites, and their most desirable weapon was to spread false and filthy propaganda in order to slander the Holy Prophetsa and his relatives. These rumours were spread so cunningly that on certain occasions, due to not having in depth knowledge of

Medina, where the Prophetsa became the head of state after he escaped persecution in Mecca

affairs, the Holy Prophetsa and his most prominent Companions could not even find the opportunity to rebut these allegations, and their poison would continue to spread.

In these instances, latter Muslims who were not in the habit of thorough investigation and deep thought, would consider this misinformation to be true and begin relating these accounts. It is in this manner that these narrations have found way into the collections of such Muslims who are the Waqidi type, etc. […]”. (Seal of the Prophets, Vol. II, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra MA, p. 419) Allah strongly condemned the slander against Hazrat Aishara and questioned why Muslims even entertained them:

ُ ۡ َ َُۡ ٰ ۡ ۡ َ َۡ ‫لَوۡ لَا ِاذ َس ِم ۡع ُت ُموۡ ُہ ظ َّن ال ُم ۡؤ ِمنوۡ َن َو ال ُم ۡؤ ِمن ُت ِبانف ِس ِہ ۡم خی ًرا ۙ ّو‬ ۡ ُ ٌ ۡ َۤ ُ َ ‫قالوۡا ٰہذا ِافک ّم ِبی ٌن‬

“Why did not the believing men and believing women, when you heard of it, think well of their own people, and say, ‘This is a manifest lie?’” (Surah al-Nur, Ch.24: V.13) Addressing the hypocrites who forged the accusation, Allah asks, “Why did they not bring four witnesses to [prove] it?” and that “Since they have not brought the [required] witnesses, they are indeed liars in the sight of Allah!” (Surah al-Nur, Ch.24: V.14) The slander was so serious that Allah said: “Were it not for the grace of Allah and His mercy upon you, in this world and the Hereafter, a great punishment would have befallen you for [the slander] into which you plunged.” (Surah al-Nur: V.15)

The Quran then admonished: “[…] you uttered with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge, and you thought it to be a light matter, while in the sight of Allah it was [a] grievous [thing].”

(Surah al-Nur: V.16) Instead, Allah says, Muslims should have said: “It is not proper for us to talk about it.

Holy art Thou, [O God], this is a grievous calumny!” (Surah al-Nur: V.17) Surah al-Nur firmly establishes that accusations must be supported with substantial proof, and in the case of illicit relationships: four witnesses. Otherwise, Allah strictly instructs Muslims not to entertain such rumours ever again:

َ َ ّٰ ُ ُ َ َ ۡ ۡ ُ ُۡ ‫ی ِعظک ُم الل ُہ ا ۡن ت ُعوۡ ُد ۡوا ل ِ ِمث ِل ِہ ابَ ًدا ِا ۡن کن ُت ۡم ّم ۡؤ ِم ِنی َن‬

“Allah admonishes you never to return to the like thereof, if you are believers.”

(Surah al-Nur: V.18) A sudden change In his tafsir (commentary) of Surah al-Nur, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra notes that the theme of the surah seems to drastically change when verse 36 arrives: “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a [lustrous] niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star […]”.

Then, in verse 56, Allah suddenly talks about Khilafat and its establishment:

َّ َ ۡ ّٰ َ َ َ ّٰ ‫الل ُہ الَّ ِذیۡ َن ٰا َم ُنوۡا ِم ۡن ُک ۡم َو َعم ُلوا‬ ‫الص ِل ٰح ِت ل َ َی ۡس َتخ ِلفن ُہ ۡم‬ ‫وعد‬ ِ ۡ ‫فِی الۡاَ ۡرض َک َما‬ ۡ‫اس َت ۡخ َل َف الَّ ِذیۡ َن ِم ۡن َق ۡب ِلہ ۡم ۪ َو ل َ ُی َم ِّکن َ َّن ل َ ُہم‬ ِ ِ ً ۡ َ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ َ ۡۢ ّ ۡ ُ َّ َ ّ َ ُ َ َ ۡ ُ َ ٰ َ ۡ َّ ُ ُ َ ۡ ؕ ‫ِدینہم ال ِذی ارتضی لہم و لیب ِدلنہم ِمن بع ِد خوفِ ِہم امنا‬

ُ ۡ َ ً َ َ َُ َ ٰ َ​َ َ ‫ی ۡع ُب ُد ۡون ِن ۡی لَا یُش ِرکوۡ َن ِب ۡی ش ۡیئا ؕ َو َم ۡن کف َر بَ ۡع َد ذل ِک فاولٰٓ ِئک‬ ُ ٰۡ ‫ُہ ُم الف ِسقوۡ َن‬

“Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely, make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors [from among] those who were before them; and that He will, surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will, surely give them in exchange security [and peace] after their fear; They will worship Me, [and] they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.” (Surah alNur: V.56) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra writes that where many commentators would accept the “randomness” of the Quran, followers of the Promised Messiahas refused to accept that the Quran had no purposeful order.

(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6, p. 322) Huzoorra goes on to uncover a profound link between the apparent changes in themes across Surah al-Nur – from the surah addressing illicit relationships, the lie against Hazrat Aishara, to the promise of Khilafat.

Why the slander against Hazrat Aishara?

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra reveals the slander against Hazrat Aishara by the hypocrites who called themselves “Muslims” was carefully orchestrated as a deliberate attack on the future system of Khilafat by attacking Hazrat Abu Bakrra who they saw was going to play an instrumental role in the establishment of Khilafat. The opening verses of the surah, reference to the

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slander against Hazrat Aishara and the verse promising Khilafat uncover the ploy of the hypocrites who attempted to take two birds with one stone.

This accusation was not an attack due to personal resentment against Hazrat Aishara – she had no authority politically, financially, or a say on conflict and wars (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6, p. 324). Deeper evil intentions were involved.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra concludes that the slander on Hazrat Aishara had two possible reasons. Either the accusation was true, but no Muslim can accept this and Allah nullified such a thought; or the accusation was by people who wanted to attack certain others through Hazrat Aishara and therefore achieve their motives.

“Now, we must ask who those people were that the hypocrites wanted to defame through which the leaders of the hypocrites would benefit. Also, who were the people that the hypocrites could take their frustration out on through this [slander against Hazrat Aishara]?

“With little thought, it can be established that by accusing Hazrat Aishara, enmity against two people can be revealed. First, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, and second, Hazrat Abu Bakrra. This is because she was the wife of the former and the daughter of the latter. Both these men were such that their defamation could bring political benefits

and advantages to their enemies. […]

“The slanderers could not take away the status the Holy Prophetsa possessed. What they feared was that their objectives after [the demise] of the Holy Prophetsa may still not be achieved […] sensing this danger, they accused Hazrat Aishara with the aim of reducing her respect and status in the eyes of the Holy Prophetsa and through this, the eminence and status that Hazrat Abu Bakrra [her father] possessed amongst the Muslims would be ruined […]”

“This is the reason why Allah the Almighty speaks of Khilafat after the incident of accusations against Hazrat Aishara.” (Ibid, p. 325) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra notes that during his time in Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa had no political or worldly power and influence. However, in Medina, after the Prophet’ssa arrival, a Muslim state was established. The hypocrites feared that through Khilafat of the Holy Prophetsa, the Islamic government would continue and the desires of the hypocrites to attain power reduced to naught.

Chief of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool’s desire for power The central hypocrite behind the slander against Hazrat Aishara was Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool. The reason he was so bitter takes us back to when the Holy Prophetsa was still in Mecca and Islam had not spread to Medina.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra explains that before the Holy Prophet’ssa arrival in Medina, Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool was chosen to rule Medina – the Aus and Khazraj tribes had experienced tribal wars between each other for a long time and finally decided to settle the disputes and unify and elect one king; Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool was chosen.

During the same timeframe, some of the Aus and Khazraj tribe members met the Holy Prophetsa and accepted Islam. More members of the tribes in Medina progressed to meet the Prophetsa in Mecca and accepted Islam and the religion began to spread rapidly amongst the tribes.

As the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions were facing severe persecution in Mecca, the new converts of Medina – known as the Ansar – invited the Prophetsa to

migrate and relocate to Medina, which the Prophetsa accepted. After his migration to Medina, the Prophetsa was unanimously chosen as the leader of the state of Medina and became the political king for the populace and the spiritual king for Muslims.

The leadership Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool was previously chosen for ended, creating great resentment in his heart. The Aus and Khazraj had a new king who was the leader of both spiritual and worldly realms for them, and Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool’s past authority was forgotten.

This angered him and he joined the Muslims as a hypocrite, causing mischief throughout his life.

He still had his eyes on leadership and was worried over the spread of Islam in the future. He could not take away the kingship of the Holy Prophetsa and therefore took aim at the institution of Khilafat by slander.

Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool manufactured the vile accusation against Hazrat Aishara, daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. If Hazrat Abu Bakr’sra daughter was maligned successfully, Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool and the other hypocrites saw it as harming any future leadership in Islam – Khilafat being their core target.

It wasn’t just Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool who had his eyes on leadership; Musaylima al-Kadhab possessed similar ideals and told the Prophetsa that he would accept Islam, along with his “large” following, if he was given leadership – an offer the Holy Prophetsa firmly rejected.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra notes that “It is for this reason that Allah the Almighty said in the Holy Quran:

ُۡ ٌ ۡ ُ ‫ِا َّن الَّ ِذیۡ َن َج‬ ‫ٓاء ۡو ِبالۡاِف ِک ُع ۡص َبۃ ِّمنک ۡم‬

“Meaning, ‘Those who slandered Hazrat Aishara are a group from amongst you who call themselves Muslims’.

“Allah then says:

ُ َّ ۡ َ ُ َّ ً َ َ ‫لَا ت ۡح َس ُبوۡ ُہ � ّرا لک ۡم بَ ۡل ُہوَ خی ٌر لک ۡم‬

“[Meaning], ‘Don’t think this slander will have harmful consequences; rather, the accusation will ultimately result in your progress and success.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6, p. 326) Failure of the hypocrites to attack Khilafat In Surah al-Nur, Allah goes on to promise true Muslims the divinely supported institution of Khilafat and reminds them that no matter how much effort the hypocrites exert, they will fail in their plots and attacks to hinder the creation of Khilafat.

Ultimately, the leader of the munafiqeen (hypocrites), Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool was disgraced and died in the very life of the Holy Prophetsa, and the divine promise of Khilafat manifested.

In the Holy Quran, Allah promised that the hypocrites would be punished when speaking about the slander against Hazrat Aishara and this ultimately came about.

The ploy attempting to demean Khilafat was exposed by Allah, and attempts of the hypocrites failed miserably.

“An illustrious niche”: Allah, Prophets and Khilafat In his insight on the themes of Surah alNur, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra gives the reason why, in verse 36, the subject suddenly changes, seemingly without any

reason. After talking about the penalties for illicit relationships, accusations and the slandering of Hazrat Aishara, and before the promise of Khilafat (in verse 56), Allah says in Surah al-Nur:

ٰ ۡ َ ُ َ َ َّ ُ ۡ ُ ُ ّٰ َ ؕ ‫ض ؕ َمث ُل نوۡرِ ٖہ ک ِمشکو ٍۃ فِ ۡی َہا ِم ۡص َب ٌاح‬ ‫الس ٰم ٰو ِت َو الۡا ۡر‬ ‫اللہ نور‬ ِ ٌّ ّ ُ ٌ َ ۡ َ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ َ ُّ َ َ َ ُ ۡ ُ َ ۡ ۡ َ ‫ال ِمصباح فِی زجاج ٍۃ ؕ الزجاجۃ �انہا کوکب درِی‬

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a [lustrous] niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star. […]”

Huzoorra says “the Light” is Allah, the “lamp” is prophethood which protects the light of Allah and “the glass” is Khilafat that acts as a “reflector” of the divine light which prophets project.

In this verse, Allah teaches: “The existence of Khilafat is essential like prophethood because through it [Khilafat], the age for the manifestation of divine majesty is extended and divine light is safeguarded for the benefit of the world for a long period of time.” (Ibid, p. 323) If there was no Khilafat after the Prophetsa, then the spread of Allah’s spiritual light and the protection of that light through the Holy Prophetsa would have also ceased.

Therefore, Khilafat had to be established.

A natural consequence of understanding the meaning of this verse is that Muslims desire Khilafat. Hence, Allah, in verse 56, promises true believers the reward of Khilafat that He would establish for them:

َّ َ ۡ ّٰ َ َ َ ّٰ ‫الل ُہ الَّ ِذیۡ َن ٰا َم ُنوۡا ِم ۡن ُک ۡم َو َعم ُلوا‬ ‫الص ِل ٰح ِت ل َ َی ۡس َتخ ِلفن ُہ ۡم‬ ‫وعد‬ ِ َ َ ۡ ُ‫اس َت ۡخ َل َف الَّذیۡ َن م ۡن َق ۡب ِلہ ۡم ۪ َو ل َ ُی َم ّکن َ َّن لَہ ۡم‬ ۡ ۡ ‫فِی الارض ک َما‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ً ۡ َ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ َ ۡۢ ّ ۡ ُ َّ َ ّ َ ُ َ َ ۡ ُ َ ٰ َ ۡ َّ ُ ُ َ ۡ ؕ ‫ِدینہم ال ِذی ارتضی لہم و لیب ِدلنہم ِمن بع ِد خوفِ ِہم امنا‬ َ ٰٓ ُ َ َ ٰ َ ۡ َ َ َ َ ۡ َ َ ً ۡ َ ۡ َ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ َ ۡ َ ۡ ُ ُ ۡ َ ‫یعبدون ِنی لا یش ِرکون ِبی شیئا ؕ و من کفر بعد ذل ِک فاول ِئک‬ ُ ٰۡ ‫ُہ ُم الف ِسقوۡ َن‬

“Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely, make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors [from among] those who were before them; and that He will, surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will, surely give them in exchange security [and peace] after their fear; They will worship Me, [and] they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.” (Surah alNur, Ch.24: V.56) Hypocrites always fail By refuting the slander against Hazrat Aishara and immediately following it with the verse promising Khilafat’s establishment, Allah reminds Muslims that the hypocrites will ultimately fail and the promise of Khilafat will continue. Their ploys were reduced to nothing and despite creating a big stir amongst the Muslims, the hypocrites ultimately failed.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra writes: “The slanderer’s central aim was to disgrace them [the Khulafa] and to reduce their respect in society; however, God Almighty desires to raise their status instead.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6, p. 329) History does repeat itself and hypocrites crop up in divine communities; however, their attacks and desire to end Khilafat have never seen success and, insha-Allah, never shall.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022

Developing our children to bring about a better future Islam’s advice on the upbringing of children M Adam Ahmad Al Hakam Ahmadi Muslims are fortunate enough to have a Khalifa as their spiritual guide and a leader. Each word of this divinely guided Khalifa is precious and every saying, very timely.

We must always remember that the best means of moral training and edification of our children are the sermons and regular advice of the Imam of the age, Khalifatul Masih V, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, may Allah be his helper.

On 7 November 2021, while guiding the national amila of Finland in a virtual meeting, Hazrat Khaliafatul Masihaa said, “Do not lose your own children while attempting to reform others. That should be our foremost concern.” (Al Hakam, 12 November 2021) Given the global unrest and rising tensions between civilians and governments, this saying of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa becomes all the more important and merits serious consideration.

Moreover, the harmful effects of the appealing environment of social media and the internet have increased the risks of completely dismantling the very fibre of healthy relationships between parents and children. As a result, where parents are neglecting their children’s moral education, children are increasingly vulnerable to evil advice which is distancing them further from their much-needed parental attention.

It’s essential, in such an environment, to pay heed to the words of the Khalifa and put forth every effort towards the reformation and moral training of our children. If, as a nation, we want to stay reformed and become an everlasting guiding light for others, we must never forget the advice of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra: “Nations cannot be reformed without first reforming its youth.” (Al Fazl, 10 April 1938) The responsibility of parents starts before the birth of a child; in fact, it starts even before conception. The Holy Quran, ahadith and the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa lay stress that two individuals should not go into a marriage thoughtlessly.

Allah the Almighty has taught us a prayer in the Holy Quran for seeking good wives and having noble children. God says:

َ ۡ ۡ َّ ُ ۡ َ َ َّ ُ َ ّٰ ّ ُ َ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ َ َّ َ ‫اج َعلنا‬ ‫اجنا و ذرِی ِتنا قرۃ اعی ٍن و‬ ِ ‫ربنا ہب لنا ِمن ازو‬ َ ۡ ّ َ ً ‫ل ِۡل ُمت ِقین ِا َم‬ ‫اما‬

“Our Lord, grant us of our wives and children the delight of our eyes, and make us a model for the righteous.” (Surah alFurqan, Ch.25: V.75) The Holy Prophetsa also advised us to

prefer the religiousness and piety of a woman over her wealth, lineage and beauty. He said: “A woman is married for four things: for her wealth; for nobility of her family; for her beauty and for her faithful [character], so attain success by marrying a woman for her faith.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Nikah) During a virtual meeting of khuddam of Netherlands on 30 August 2020, a khadim asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa as to how one should conduct the tarbiyat (moral reformation) of young children.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “The fact of the matter is that Allah the Exalted states that the tarbiyat of a child should start as soon as he is born. […]

When a child is born, we call the azan in his right ear and the takbir in his left ear so that he may hear the name of Allah the Exalted and he may adhere to tawhid, the belief in the unity of Allah. So, Allah the Exalted has said that the tarbiyat of a child should start from day one. Do not think that the child is young and that he will not understand.” (Al Hakam, 9 April 2021) Allah the Almighty also says:

َّ ُ َ َ ُ َ ُ ُ َۡ ۤ ُ ُ ‫ٰۤیا ّی َہا ال ِذیۡ َن ٰا َمنوۡا قوۡا انف َسک ۡم َو ا ۡہ ِل ۡیک ۡم ن ًارا‬

“O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire.” (Surah al-Tahrim,

Ch.66: V.7) Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih I, may Allah be pleased with him, says with reference to the above verse: “Allah the Almighty draws our attention to keep on advising and admonishing our family, and to keep them focused on good deeds so that they may be saved from the torment and gain the pleasure of God Almighty.” (Haqaiq-ul-Furqan, Vol. 4, p.

150) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra spoke in detail regarding the moral training of children and addressed almost all its aspects in his book, Way of the Seekers. We can read the said points under the heading, “Moral Training of the Child”, and take full benefit from them during the upbringing of our children.

The responsibility of the child’s tarbiyat rests on both the father and mother. They are equally required to play their respective parts in the moral betterment and development of the child.

At Jalsa Salana France 2019, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa elaborated on the roles of parents and said: “In today’s world, people are abandoning

faith and denying the existence of God at an alarming rate. Muslims who live in this society – and their children – are also being influenced by this view. Therefore, Ahmadi Muslim parents have the great responsibility to safeguard themselves against the negative influences of society and do the same for their children. […]

“One of a woman’s greatest responsibilities is the moral training of her children. Any moral weakness in a child can affect the entire family. Particularly in a secular society, the good moral training of children can be a highly sensitive matter.

Mothers should aspire to reach the highest standards in the moral training of their children and turn them into polished jewels.

Their children should be models of purity and piety, focused on God and excelling in knowledge and understanding so that they can then guide and lead the world. In particular, mothers need to be role models for their daughters in terms of modesty, since the values and practices of Western society do not safeguard the modesty of women. Only the teachings of the Holy Qur’an provide women with this protection. […]

“Fathers, too, have a responsibility in supporting mothers in the moral training of their children. They should cooperate with them and neither criticise their wives in front of their children nor undermine them.

In Asian societies, many times a barrier develops between fathers and sons after the age of 15 or 16. This is wrong and should be prevented. Fathers should cultivate friendly relationships with their teenage sons and guide them through the challenges of navigating this society at this vulnerable age.” (The Review of Religions, 5 October 2019) The ways in which the present generation is behaving and voicing their concerns (protesting violence with violence etc.) are indeed alarming. We can thus save this world from another global war and restore its order, not through violent protests and burning buildings, but through instilling the love of Allah the Almighty in the hearts of the people and uniting the world under the banner of the Messiahas of Muhammadsa.

Hence, the world is in dire need of a generation with high moral and spiritual standards to rescue it from the clutches of darkness and bring it back to light. Following the guidance of the Khalifa of the time, Ahmadi parents can fill this void once and for all with well-disciplined children and bless this restless world with an enlightened generation.

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Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

3,565 attendees from 300 villages at Jalsa Salana Senegal 2021

Musa Khan Senegal

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Senegal held its annual Jalsa Salana on 24, 25 and 26 December 2021 at Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The theme of the Jalsa was “The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa as the perfect model for Humanity”.

Jalsa Salana Senegal 2021 was attended by 3565 men and women from more than 300 villages in 14 regions of Senegal.

Delegations from neighbouring Mauritania and The Gambia also attended. More than 200 non-Ahmadi guests, mostly the chiefs of villages and representatives of various villages attended the Jalsa Salana.

In addition to the representatives of several radio stations in Senegal, the annual Jalsa was broadcast by two TV channels in the capital Dakar, and more than 8000

viewers watched these reports via YouTube and Facebook. The programmes of the Jalsa are being broadcast on the radios of the regions.

In addition to being the leader of a political party and Member of Parliament, the ambassador of Burkina Faso to Senegal also attended the Jalsa Salana, and the local police commissioner attended on the first day.

This year, for the first time, in addition to the Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat, flags of 60 countries were hoisted. This was of great interest to the participants and especially to the government officials.

At the beginning of the year, the preparations for the Jalsa Salana began according to the directions set by the national amila.

In Senegal, the annual Jalsa is usually held in late December, and in early December, the

Ahmadis in Malta assist a 12hour fundraising telethon for the disabled, to celebrate the New Year Laiq Ahmed Atif President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta had the opportunity to participate and contribute actively towards the Dar tal-Providenza telethon for the third time.

Dar tal-Providenza – a home for the disabled people – organised its annual 12hour fundraising telethon event called Festa ta’ Ġenerożità, meaning feast of generosity,

on New Year’s Day. The organisers were extremely delighted and grateful for the Jamaat’s help and assisted them in setting up their stand which aimed to serve the people working behind the scenes in making this event successful with refreshments and food.

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta served refreshments, lunch and dinner for all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this telethon a huge success. We also helped

Jalsa Salana is seen functional around the country, not only in the Jalsa site, but across the country. The Jalsa dates are given to the members and arrangements are made for buses and other rides to bring participants from each region to the Jalsa Salana site.

On 23 December 2021, participants from far-flung regions of the country started arriving in caravans, and among them were members who had travelled more than 600 kilometres to reach the Jalsa site.

On 24 December, at 12 pm, all the participants had gathered for the flag hoisting ceremony. Nasir Ahmad Sahib, Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Senegal hoisted the Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat and Umar Sane Sahib, Naib Amir II hoisted the flag of Senegal, followed by silent prayer.

At 1 pm, all the attendees of the Jalsa Salana came to the Jalsa Gah and listened to the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Mirza Masroor in responding to telephone calls and remained present there till the end of the telethon that ended at midnight.

An interfaith prayer session, on the Jamaat’s suggestion, was also held on national televisions, praying for the participants, viewers, volunteers and benefactors.

This was led by Rev Martin Micallef, Director of Dar tal-Providenza, and myself.

I recited some Islamic prayers with Maltese translation; and explained the Islamic perspective about serving humanity and said that those who serve for the sake of the Almighty Allah are rewarded manifold.

Ahmad, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa live on MTA Africa.

At 2 pm, Amir Sahib Jamaat Senegal delivered the Friday Sermon and led the Friday prayer.

In the first session, several speeches were delivered on the blessed character of the Holy Prophetsa, and the guests were invited to express their comments.

After Maghrib and Isha prayers, local jalsas were held in local languages (Wolf, ​​ Polar, Serer and Jula). Apart from speeches in the local languages, question and answer sessions were also arranged.

The second day commenced with Tahajud prayer, followed by Fajr prayer and dars. Later in the morning and evening, two sessions were held in which speeches were delivered on various aspects of the blessed life of the Holy Prophetsa and at the end of the session the distinguished guests were given an opportunity to express their views.

In the morning, the proceedings of the ladies Jalsa under the administration of Lajna Imaillah began. The female speakers delivered speeches on various aspects of the blessed life of the Holy Prophetsa. Nasirat also recited the naat.

Local jalsas, in local languages, ​​were also held at night after Maghrib and Isha prayers.

The last day of Jalsa Salana Senegal 2021 commenced after the Fajr prayer. After the recitation of the Holy Quran, there was a long series of questions, in which Amir Sahib Jamaat Senegal answered the questions and Naib Amir Sahib translated it into Wolf language.

At 9 am, prizes were distributed to more than 200 students who achieved high marks in their subject of education during the year.

At around 11 am, all the participants came to the Jalsa Gah, where Huzoor’s concluding address at the Jalsa Salana Qadian 2021 was listened to. The Jalsa Salana of Senegal also came to an end with the concluding address and silent prayer by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. May Allah Almighty bless all the participants of the Jalsa Salana and may all the participants inherit the blessings of the special prayers offered by the Promised Messiahas for the Jalsa participants. Amin.

By the sheer grace of the Almighty Allah, this event was very successful and €1.4 million were raised during this event.

This 12-Hour event was telecasted live on national televisions in Malta.

AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022

100 Years Ago...

23

An Ahmadi martyr, defence of Islam and Moslems, and an urgent appeal The Moslem Sunrise, January 1922

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra (1872-1957)

An Ahmadi martyr Syed Abdul Latif Of blessed memory I will here relate briefly the story of one of the members of our community which will show how God has strengthened the hearts of the sincere members of this brotherhood.

Maulvi Syed Abdul Latif was one of the leading men of Afghanistan. A Muslim Kingdom situated between India and Russia.

He was held in such high respect that at the coronation of His Majesty, the Amir Habibullah Khan, it was he who was selected to perform the function. He heard about the Promised Messiah[as] “Ahmad” founder of the Ahmadia Movement and came down to Qadian to see him. When he returned to Kabul, he was met by a powerful opposition.

The Amir was obliged through the outcry of the priest [Muslim scholar] to place him under confinement. He challenged all the priests to meet him in a discussion regarding the claims of the Promised Messiah[as], but nobody ventured to accept the challenge.

At last, all the priests announced against him the decree that he should be stoned to death. More than once the Amir urged him to renounce, at least outwardly, his opinion, but he remained steadfast. Again, at the time of the execution, the Amir repeated the request, but only he replied, “Today is the day of my Passover. What way it is you would have me go? It is the covenant of God that I am today going to fulfil.”

When all means failed to persuade him to renounce the truth, then they cruelly stoned him to death. But even under the storm of stones he showed not the least sign of perturbation.

This event will show the nature of the faith the Promised Messiah[as] has implanted in the minds of his followers, and that not in the hearts of the unlettered men, who sometimes venture on such deeds through sheer foolhardiness, but in the minds of learned men, like Maulvi Syed Abdul Latif, who are wont to accept opinions only after thorough deliberation and research.

Our beloved Syed is not dead and gone, but his spirit is still working to bring his countrymen to the truth. May he rest in peace and blessings ever and ever.

Jesus has come Ever since Jesus said, “this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done,”

there have been hundreds of fixing the dates about the second coming of the Christ, and he never came in the way they thought he would, so all the dates brought disappointment after disappointment for the Christian World. Now, Rev. John H Rutherford of the International Bible Students’ Association proclaims that Jesus will come in 1925. Well, 1925 is not very far, only four years more and all will see that it will be nothing better than all the previous disappointments. Listen to me, my dear friends, do not fool yourselves anymore with the hope of his appearing like an aeroplane.

He has already come and you did not know him. Did he not say that his second coming was to be like that of a thief? Who knows in the dark night when all are asleep that a thief is already in the house? So, wake up and waste no more time. Ahmad[as] is your Messiah, your Saviour and your Guide; accept him through his apostle Sadiq and his successor Mahmud[ra].

In defence of Islam and Moslems The following article was sent to the American papers in reply to one attacking Islam and Moslems: “Even to abuse an enemy one must have some reason and Mr Theodore Geasimos has chosen a very curious reason to abuse the Turks of Anatolia and blame them with all sorts of evilness. ‘The Turks have been repeating cruelties in Europe and they should be driven out of Europe,’ this is the reason says Mr Geasimos why the Greeks are fighting against Turks. I wonder if the gentleman has ever seen a map of the countries in the East or studied any geography. Eskishahr and Anatolia are not in Europe, but in Asia Minor. These places are not home to Christians, but of Turks and Moslems. The few Christians there have always been quite free in their religious matters. Had all the stories of the Turks’ atrocities been true long ago, there would not have been left a single Christian. Greeks, now far away from their homes, have gone out to fight against the Turks and drive them away from their very hearths and homes.

They are not at all justified in their present advance into a foreign land. Their act is just like the Japanese if the latter take a fancy to cross the ocean and fight against the Americans for California, merely because of the Japanese, living there. The Turks who are so despised by you today for defending their lands and places, had brought the first torch of light and civilization into Europe.

They always gave full independence to

their subjects. It is a pity that Mr Geasimos, claiming to be a Christian, could use no better words for a million of Moslems living in this country and who are as good citizens as anyone else.”

Justice The so-called Christian nations have massacred in war their own people and the peoples of other religions, many times [more than] the number of the massacres done by other nations. The Christians have invented and have been using and are always manufacturing instruments for the destruction of the human life in such a huge quantity that the Moslems, Hindus and Buddhists have never dreamed of. The Christians have occupied by force of the arms the Moslem countries of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, etc. With all this, whenever a Christian takes up his pen to write on history, the first words that drop out of his refined lips are, “The peaceful Christianity is suffering from militant Islam.”

When the Moslems advanced in political wars, they were called unjust and dirty heathens and when the Christians found the opportunity to usurp other’s land, they were called pioneers of civilization, justice and meekness. When the Muhammadans prevailed over other countries, it was only on account of their strength of sword, but when the Christians conquered other continents, it is looked upon as a proof of their religion being true and right. Ah! No one likes to be so measured by as he metes out to others.

A Japanese is reported to have said: “We followed the Western people in education, opened schools, colleges, and universities and our educational conditions were nothing short of European standards, but they never acknowledged us to be a civilized nation. Then we made great progress in industry and commerce, but the Christians continued to call us nothing better than heathens. But we had to fight against Russia and came victorious out of it, then and only then, the voice rang out through Europe that the Japanese are a civilized nation.”

After my lectures on Islam in this country, one of the questions often asked is: “If Islam is of such value as you speak of, why did the Moslem power decline?” Well, they have declined because Moslems are no more the Moslems of the old days of real love, sincerity and devotion for Islam. If the Master punishes his servants with the stick, the stick does not become his favorite. The

servant will finally turn to his Lord and be accepted, but the final place for the stick is the pit of fire. Allah the Gracious has raised a great leader for Islam in these days, whose prayers and spiritual powers will once more turn the Moslem world to God and make them sit in His lap as they used to in the early centuries of Islamic history.

An urgent appeal “[The] Moslem Sunrise” is the only periodical in this country to defend Islam against all the false stories fabricated and published in so many papers and magazines. It requires a large amount of money for each number to print and send out post-free to the public of this land to make them acquainted with the truth and facts about our religion and our people. Send donations to continue it for the cause of Islam and thereby you will receive the reward for same. We are in want of the financial help from the sympathisers of our cause. All donations will be thankfully acknowledged. [Editor, The Moslem Sunrise] Another honor Press Congress of the World Columbia, Miss., USA Sept. 10, 1921 Dr M M Sadiq, Editor, [The] Moslem Sunrise.

My dear Sir: I have the honor to inform you upon nomination to the Executive Committee you have been elected to membership in the Press Congress of the World.

I am enclosing your membership card No. 2927.

With fraternal regard.

Very sincerely yours, (Sd.) Walter Williams, President.

Grand Rapids, Mich., Oct. 11, 1921 To whom it may concern: This is to certify that I am personally acquainted with doctor MM Sadiq and I have had the honor of presenting him to my congregation. His sermons were excellent and enthusiastically received. It is a pleasure to recommend him to any society or church.

Cordially, Rev. Amanda Flower Pastor – Church of Truth (Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original in The Moslem Sunrise, January 1922)

24

Opinion

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

The conflicts between Iran, Israel and the US proxy militias” of continuing attacks on US troops in the Middle East and said that Iranian officials “threaten to carry out terror operations inside the United States and elsewhere around the world.” (Independent, 10

Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam In 2015, Iran had agreed a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with a group of world powers known as the P5+1 – the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

Under this accord, Iran had agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities, in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

On 8 May 2018, Donald Trump, then President of the US, declared that he was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. The decision left the 2015 agreement reached by seven countries after more than two years of grueling negotiations in tatters. (The New York

January 2022, “US calls new wave of Iran sanctions against Americans ‘threats and provocations’”)

Times, 8 May 2018, “Trump Abandons Iran Nuclear Deal He Long Scorned”)

“‘We cannot prevent an Iranian bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement,’ the president said in justifying his decision. ‘Therefore, I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.’”

(VOX, 8 May 2018, “Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, explained”) Two years after the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, Iran had resumed its enrichment of uranium and restarted research and development on advanced centrifuges.

“Iran is manifestly closer to being able to produce a nuclear weapon than they were two years ago,” said Richard Nephew, who participated in negotiations on the landmark nuclear deal in 2015. (Foreign Policy,

8 May 2022, “Despite U.S. Sanctions, Iran Expands Its Nuclear Stockpile”)

“By November 2021, Iran had amassed a stockpile of enriched uranium that was many times larger than permitted, including at least 17.7kg (39lb) of material enriched to 60% purity – just below the level needed for a bomb. It had also resumed enrichment activity at Fordo; installed more centrifuges, and of a more advanced type, than allowed; and taken steps in the production of enriched uranium metal, which is a key material in nuclear weapons.” (BBC, 23 November 2021, “Iran

nuclear deal: What it all means”)

In late November 2021, the talks resumed between Iran and the world powers, in an effort to revive the 2015 nuclear accord.

“An eighth round of talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal has begun in Vienna, with Iran saying participants have been largely working from an acceptable common draft text and that its team was willing to stay as long as it takes to reach an agreement.”

(The Guardian, 27 December 2021, “Iran nuclear deal: eighth round of talks begins in Vienna”)

Some officials close to the talks said the window to negotiate a return to the 2015 deal could close by the end of January or the beginning of February, although others claimed that there is no fixed date.

Diplomats from the UK, France and Germany noted that while they didn’t want to set “an artificial deadline for talks,” there

remained “weeks, not months” to restore the accord. A spokesperson for the US State Department said Iran needed to “add real urgency in Vienna.” (Politico, 3 January 2022,

been able to gallop forward with its nuclear promise.” (The Times of Israel, 13 January 2022, “White House focusing blame on ‘reckless’ Trump ahead of Iran nuclear deal decision”)

Iran has refused to meet directly with the US officials, meaning that other parties – Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia – must shuttle between the two sides.

On 8 January 2022, Iran imposed sanctions on dozens of US officials. The Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement that they had been blacklisted in relation to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, and human rights violations. (Al Jazeera, 8 January

(The Jerusalem Post, 12 January 2022, “France says still far from reviving 2015 Iran nuclear deal”)

2022, “Iran sanctions more US officials over Soleimani assassination”)

“Iran nuclear talks resume, but time is running out to strike a deal”)

On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett said that Israel would not constrain itself with any nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran, Anadolu News Agency reports. “‘Israel is not part of the agreements and is not obligated by them. Israel will maintain unlimited freedom to act’, Bennett told the Knesset (Israel’s parliament)’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. “‘Iran is the head of an octopus that constantly threatens Israel via its proxies’, he added, in statements cited by the Jerusalem Post newspaper.” (Middle East Monitor, 10 January

2022, “Israel says will not abide by Iran nuclear deal”)

On 12 January 2022, the US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price said: “It is deeply unfortunate that because of an ill-considered or perhaps unconsidered decision by the previous administration that this administration came into office without these stringent verification and monitoring protocols that were in place.”

She further said that the Trump administration promised a better deal “that never came close” and instead, “Iran has

Many of the named officials are from the US military. They include Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, General Mark Milley and former White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien. The sanctions let Tehran confiscate assets owned by the American’s in Iran, but since they apparently do not have such assets, the move is largely symbolic. (The Times of Israel, 9 January 2022, “Iran

sanctions 52 Americans on anniversary of Soleimani killing, drawing US rebuke”)

In response to this announcement, the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan said: “Make no mistake: the US will protect and defend its citizens. This includes those serving the US now and those who formerly served. […] We will work with our allies and partners to deter and respond to any attacks carried out by Iran. Should Iran attack any of our nationals, including any of the 52 people named yesterday, it will face severe consequences.” (Al Arabiya News, 9

January 2022, “After Tehran sanctions Americans, US vows to deter and respond to any attack by Iran”)

The White House also accused “Iran’s

“The blacklisted US citizens include Donald Trump and officials such as Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and central command chief Kenneth McKenzie.

“Nikki Haley, who served as the US’s envoy to the UN, and other Pentagon officials were blacklisted as well.” (Ibid) On 10 January 2022, Iran’s Vice President for Economic Affairs, Mohsen Rezaei had a meeting with Nicaraguan officials, including the minister of economy and finance. The topic discussed included the need to strengthen cooperation between Iran and Nicaragua, especially in the oil and energy industries. Emphasising that the development of cooperation between the resilient countries was a “strong slap in the face” to the US and the other oppressive powers in the world, he stated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stood by the resilient governments and nations of Latin America, especially Nicaragua.”

Referring to Iran’s action in sending gasoline to Venezuela despite US opposition, the vice president said that this action sent a message to the governments and nations of the world that the era of pressure and coercion against other countries is over. He called the US interference in the internal affairs of countries, an insult to those nations. (Tehran Times, 11 January 2022, “Mohsen Rezaei: Iran-Nicaragua cooperation is ‘a slap in the face of U.S.’”)

For the past 19 years, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa had been calling the world leaders towards establishing world peace.

In 2012, Huzooraa wrote letters to the heads of states of many countries, in which he called their attention towards the true teachings of Islam and for establishing world peace.

In his letter to Benjamin Netanyahu, then Prime Minister of Israel, Huzooraa wrote: “We hear reports in the news nowadays that you are preparing to attack Iran. Yet the horrific outcome of a World War is right before you. In the last World War, whilst millions of other people were killed, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jewish persons were also wasted. As the Prime Minister, it is your duty to protect the life of your nation.

The current circumstances of the world indicate that a World War will not be fought between only two countries, rather blocs will come into formation. The threat of a World War breaking out is a very serious one. The life of Muslims, Christians and Jews Continued on next page >>

AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022

100 Years Ago...

25

Nayyar’s tabligh tour of West Africa Al Fazl, 16 January 1922

Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra (1883-1948)

Another Romahin The news of our arrival had reached the neighbouring village and the amir halqa of Saraha Jamaat had informed the king of ‫ہی‬ Ejakun Division, i.e. Rumahin (�‫)روام‬, that a “White Maulvi” was going to visit. The public was eagerly awaiting. The horns were ringing and the drums were being beaten. It was as if the village was preparing for a war with the invaders.

Anyhow, the first Adam, who was making the announcements for the caravan, raised the slogan of “Subhanallah”, “Alhamdulillah”, and “Allahu Akbar”, and the whole caravan became ready. The arrangement of the procession was such that the first Adam was in front of me, the second Adam was my interpreter, two Braham amir jamaat were to my right and left, and the rest of the people were behind me. Everybody was repeating the words of the first Adam in a loud voice. << Continued from previous page

are all at peril from it. If such a war occurs, it will result in a chain reaction of human destruction. The effects of this catastrophe will be felt by future generations, who will either be born disabled, or crippled. This is because undoubtedly, such a war will involve atomic warfare.

“Hence, it is my request to you that instead of leading the world into the grip of a World War, make maximum efforts to save the world from a global catastrophe. Instead of resolving disputes with force, you should try to resolve them through dialogue, so that we can gift our future generations with a bright future rather than ‘gift’ them with disability and defects.” (https://www. reviewofreligions.org/6230/letters-sent-to-worldleaders/#israel)

Then, in his letter to Barack Obama, then President of the United States of America, Huzooraa wrote: “There is currently great agitation and restlessness in the world. Smallscale wars have broken out in certain areas. […] Globally, we find that almost every country is engaged in activities to either support, or oppose other countries; however, the requirements of justice are not being fulfilled. It is with regret that if we now observe the current circumstances of the world, we find that the foundation for another world war has already been laid. As so many countries, both large and small, have nuclear weapons, grudges and hostilities are increasing between nations.

“In such a predicament, the Third World War looms almost certainly before us. Such a war would surely involve atomic warfare;

In that formation, we entered the court of Rumahin located in the middle of the village.

There was an arrangement of two-sided tables. The chief, wearing gold ornaments, was present with his dignitaries under a big umbrella. After taking their seats, members of jamaat recited naat [poem in praise] of the Holy Prophetsa in Fante language, which was presented by the new missionary of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, Yaqub, in his very melodious voice, and everyone else repeated after him in an amazing voice that was also melodious. However, the listeners could not understand anything other than “dwa dwa du dy”. Thereafter, I addressed the chief and the audience, and instructed the disbelievers to repent and convert to Islam by explaining the concept of Paradise and Hell as described in the Holy Quran. In short, I carried out tabligh and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, I preached to best of my abilities. As a result, the translator, who was an apostate Muslim, converted to Islam, alhamdulillah. A young man immediately became a Muslim, alhamdulillah. Moreover, and therefore, we are witnessing the world head towards a terrifying destruction. If a path of equity and justice had been followed after the Second World War, we would not be witnessing the current state of the world today whereby it has become engulfed in the flames of war once again. […]

“My request to you, and indeed to all world leaders, is that instead of using force to suppress other nations, use diplomacy, dialogue and wisdom. The major powers of the world, such as the United States, should play their role towards establishing peace.

They should not use the acts of smaller countries as a pretext to disturb world harmony.” (www.reviewofreligions.org/6230/letterssent-to-world-leaders/#usa)

In his letter to the then Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Syed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Huzooraa wrote: “As Muslims, we should endeavour to teach the world to live in peace, love and harmony. In particular, Muslim leaders need to urgently pay heed to this. For this reason, it is my request to you to draw the attention of your Government towards its responsibilities to establishing peace in the world. If Iran is attacked it has the right to defend itself to save the country, however it should not instigate aggression and take the first step forward into any conflict.

Instead, an effort should be made to leave aside religious differences and to try and unite upon common values. It is this very approach that we find was adopted in the history of Islam. […]

“The disorder prevalent in the world today is based upon one overriding factor, and that is a complete lack of justice,

the chief became convinced of Muhammadsa, the messenger of Allah, with all his heart.

Sincerity of the chief Being in awe of the Supreme Being of God Almighty, the chief asked me, “Can I be saved?” I said, “Yes. Listen! Muhammadsa of Arabia was permitted to tell people that: ‘My children! If you have wronged yourselves, do not despair of God’s mercy. He is Forgiving and Merciful.’”

The pessimistic heart was comforted and the idol worshiper chief respectfully said, “There is Roman Catholic Wesleyan Zion Church and your teachings, which can save me and why should I recognise the truth?”

I replied, “Salvation is in Muhammad’ssa deliverance, and a wise man never prefers dangerous paths of the forest or roads over an airplane. The Messiah has come.

The living prophet Muhammadsa is the last prophet and the last king of spirituality.”

The chief said, “Yes, I certainly understand.

Please give me the honour of accompanying you to the main road.” Nayyar said, “You are which is causing widespread anxiety and restlessness. Thus, it is my request that strive to your utmost to prevent a World War from breaking out. Utilise all your energy, resources and influence to save the world from the horrific destruction that looms before us. […] We must remember that nuclear weapons are not possessed by only the major powers of the world; rather, even relatively smaller countries now possess nuclear weapons.

“What is worrying is that in some of these small countries the leaders are trigger-happy, and appear unconcerned of the consequences of using such weapons.

Therefore, once again, it is my humble request to you that try your level best to establish world peace. If we fail in this task there should be no doubt in our minds that a nuclear conflict will cause devastation that will lead to generation after generation being born with defects, and who will never forgive their elders for leading us into a global catastrophe. May God the Almighty enable you, and all world leaders, to understand this message.” (www.reviewofreligions.org/7152/ letters-to-world-leaders-part-2/#iran)

In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Huzooraa again wrote letters to the world leaders, and invited them to put efforts for establishing the world peace.

In his letter to Donald Trump, then president of the United States of America, Huzooraa wrote: “It is imperative that the leader of the nation sets an example for the rest of society. For the sake of peace and harmony of any nation, it is a prerequisite that the government, local authorities and law enforcement agencies treat all of their

an important person, stay at your residence.

Let me go alone, I am only a humble traveller.”

The chief said, “Not at all. Please pray for me. I am a servant. This is 2 pounds 10 shillings for you as a gift and 10 shillings for your companions.” Thus, the sincere chief insisted and came along with the newly converted translator to the main road.

The said young man will soon formally announce his conversion to Islam, inshaAllah.

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 16 January 1922 issue of Al Fazl) citizens equally, irrespective of their skin colour or ethnicity. In this regard, the expectation of absolute justice and nondiscrimination from the leader of a country such as the United States is especially (www.reviewofreligions.org/26918/lettershigh.” sent-to-world-leaders-by-head-of-ahmadiyya-muslimcommunity-during-covid-19-pandemic/#leaderssame)

On 9 March 2019, while addressing the 16th National Peace Symposium of Jamaate-Ahmadiyya UK, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa said: “On one side, Russia and Turkey are aligning, whilst on the other side, the United States and Saudi Arabia are joining together and are ratcheting up pressure on Iran and seeking further sanctions against them.

Political experts are openly expressing that the objective of these nations is to dominate the Middle East.”

On 6 July 2019, while addressing more than 1,000 dignitaries and guests at the Jalsa Salana Germany, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa said: “Tensions between the United States and Iran are ratcheting up and there is intense speculation about the possibility of a war between them. […] It is a prime example of irresponsible sabre-rattling and unnecessary belligerence putting at risk the lives of millions of people.” (www.pressahmadiyya.com/ press-releases/2019/07/selfish-quest-wealth-powerruthlessly-destroying-prospects-todays-youth-hazratmirza-masroor-ahmad/)

May Allah enable the world leaders to pay heed towards the valuable guidance of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, Khalifatul Masih V. Amin.

26

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

Regional Jalsa Salana in Abengourou, Ivory Coast Abdul Quyyom Pasha Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Ivory Coast Sadiq Ahmad Latif Sahib, Regional Missionary Abengourou reports that this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Ivory Coast was unable to hold the national Jalsa Salana.

Whereas, there is an ongoing series of regional Jalsas.

The regional Jalsa in Abengourou was held on 24 and 25 December 2021.

A detailed programme of the Jalsa was printed and delivered to all the Jamaats in the region a month ago. However, various preparations were started two weeks before the Jalsa.

Accommodation for the Jalsa guests was arranged in the classes of a primary school near the mission house. Therefore, a few days before the Jalsa, a detailed waqar-e-amal of the Jalsa site and the school was carried out. A formal stage was prepared for the Jalsa two days ago.

The Jalsa guests started coming on 23 December. Amir Sahib Jamaat Ivory Coast also reached Abengourou on the night of 23 December along with a delegation of five people. While another central delegation of ten people reached Abengourou the next day.

The regional Jalsa was formally inaugurated on 24 December at 11 am with the flag hoisting ceremony. Amir and the Missionary-in-charge of Ivory Coast raised the Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat while Mr Coulibaly Siriki, Deputy Mayor of Abengourou, hoisted the Ivory Coast flag.

This was followed by silent prayer.

The first session of the Jalsa commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran with translation and a poem, followed by the inaugural address by Amir Sahib Jamaat Ivory Coast, in French language, on the aims and objectives of the Jalsa Salana, which was simultaneously translated into the local language Joula.

After that, Jumuah and Asr prayers were offered. Then, the attendees listened to the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Huzoor’s Friday sermon was also translated simultaneously into the Joula language.

The second session of Jalsa started at 3:30 pm, with the recitation from the Holy Quran with translation and poem, followed by a speech by Abdul Razzaq Sahib, Regional Missionary Agboville, in French language, titled “Islam, a religion of peace” and summarised his speech into the Joula language as well.

After that, Balo Ahmed Sahib delivered the second speech of this session on “Family matters and their solutions in Islam” in the Joula language.

After Maghrib and Isha prayers, different meetings were held. Sadr Lajna Imaillah Ivory Coast presided over a meeting with local Lajna members, while

Amir Sahib, Sadr Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya Ivory Coast and the representative of Sadr Majlis Ansarullah Ivory Coast held their meetings with local office-bearers.

On the second day, the third session of Jalsa started with the recitation from the Holy Quran with translation and poem, followed by a speech by Yousuf Doumbia Sahib, muallim of Afalikro jamaat, on “Veracity of the Promised Messiahas”.

The second speech was delivered by Sadiq Ahmad Latif Sahib, Regional missionary, Abengourou, on “Contemporary problems and their solutions in Islam” in the French language, which was also translated simultaneously into Joula.

After this speech, Mr Coulibaly Siriki, Deputy Mayor of Abengourou City expressed his views as follows: “Today, I am very content to have come to this spiritual gathering. I spoke to the honourable mayor of Abengourou about this event about three days ago. He told me that he himself wanted to join you this morning but since he has a busy schedule, he has sent me as his representative.

I have learned a lot from this speech […]. After listening to this speech, I realised that we are lucky to be Muslims.

This speech has given a new impetus to my faith. I am very grateful to all of you for inviting me to this event. May Allah Almighty help us to present the true picture of Islam.”

This was followed by the concluding address by Amir Sahib Jamaat Ivory Coast, on “The duties and obligations of an Ahmadi after Bai’at”. The session concluded with silent prayer.

Both days of the Jalsa started with congregational Tahajud prayer, while a blood donation campaign was arranged on 24 December 2021. 17 bags of blood

were donated on this occasion.

Apart from other guests, journalists were present. An online newspaper, Aip. ci has already published a report on the Jalsa. In addition, radio Agnia FM covered all sessions. The representative of Agnia FM interviewed the amir and the regional missionary.

The whole proceedings of this Jalsa were broadcast live on Facebook from which people are still benefiting. A total of 399 people attended the jalsa.

AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022

27

First Ahmadi mosque and Jalsa Salana in Bondoukou, “The city of a thousand mosques”, Ivory Coast

Abdul Quyyom Pasha Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Ivory Coast

Shahid Ahmad Sahib, regional missionary of Bondoukou reports that the first Jalsa Salana of Bondoukou region, Ivory Coast, was successfully held on 18 and 19 December 2021 at the mission house in Bondoukou city.

The markazi delegation of Abidjan also attended the Jalsa which consisted of 18 members including Amir Sahib Jamaate-Ahmadiyya Ivory Coast and members of the national amila. The inauguration of the Bait-ul-Ahad mosque in Bondoukou – called the “City of a thousand mosques” in Ivory Coast – took place during the Jalsa and Bait-ul-Ahad is the very first Ahmadiyya mosque in this region. The land for the mosque was gifted by the king of

Bondoukou to Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. The area of the mosque is 7800 square meters in which an Ahmadiyya school has been built on one side and a mosque on the other side.

The foundation stone of this mosque was laid on 22 March 2015. The total area of the mosque is 224 square meters and about 200 members can offer prayer in the mosque.

On the first day, the inauguration of the Jalsa took place through the flag hoisting ceremony, followed by the formal proceedings.

The first session commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran and a poem followed by a question and answer session.

The second day started with Tahajud prayer in congregation, as did the first day.

After the Fajr prayer and dars, breakfast was presented to the participants of the Jalsa.

The second day’s programme also

included a blood donation programme and the team from the National Blood Bank had been present since 7 am and a total of 19 people donated blood.

A team from the government hospital was also present to vaccinate people and gave guidance on Covid-19 and how to prevent the spread of this disease.

The closing session of the Jalsa Salana and inauguration ceremony of Bait-ul-Ahad Mosque was held under the chairmanship of Amir Sahib Jamaat Ivory Coast. The session was attended by the First General Secretary of Governor, Deputy Governor Koutouba, representative of commissioner police, a delegation from the Director of Government Hospital and a representative of the director of the fire brigade.

The session commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran followed

Jamaat Belize commemorates New Year with public clean-ups Maham Warraich Belize

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Belize began the New Year by organising congregational tahujjad prayer at the Noor Mosque.

This year, for the first time it was decided that a countrywide cleanup would be arranged where members would come together and conduct a clean-up campaign to begin the New Year.

Members of the council also joined members of the Jamaat in different districts and shared their gratitude with the Jamaat for arranging such an event.

Belize City targeted the main western highway, proceeding with a couple of groups at the Jamaat roundabout, whilst other groups began work from the Central American Blvd roundabout. All groups completed the work and arrived safely back at the Noor Mosque which is located between both roundabouts.

Similar was the case in Belmopan and in Orangewalk where main parks along with some streets were also cleaned.

Councillor Hope of Belmopan and the Mayor of Orangewalk both took part in our countrywide cleanup. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Belize is very grateful for the services provided and the contribution of their time and efforts.

In total, more than 40 garbage bags were collected by the members in three different districts.

by a poem and two speeches in the French language and were translated into the local language, Koulango as well. After, the national presidents of the auxiliary organisations expressed their views.

In the end, Amir Sahib Jamaat Ivory Coast delivered the concluding speech.

Then, the First General Secretary of Governor congratulated the Jamaat on the building of the Bait-ul-Ahad Mosque in the Bondoukou city. After the session, Amir Sahib inaugurated the newly built mosque and led the silent prayer.

The total number of participants in this Jalsa was 350. The event was also livestreamed via Facebook, which was viewed by 1,200 people.

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Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

Friday Sermon 17 December 2021 Men of Excellence: Hazrat Abu Bakrra After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated: The accounts in relation to Hazrat Abu Bakrra freeing slaves were being narrated.

There are some further accounts with regard to this. Hazrat Abu Bakrra freed Nahdiyah and her daughter, both of whom were slaves of a woman from the Banu Abd al-Dar. Hazrat Abu Bakrra passed by both of them. At the time, their master had sent them to grind the flour and she was saying, “By God (or whoever she was swearing by) I shall never free you!” Hazrat Abu Bakrra said, “O mother of so and so! Break your oath.” She replied, “Leave here, you are the one who is ruining them. If you care so much, why don’t you free them?” Hazrat Abu Bakrra then said, “Tell me how much I need to pay in order to free them.” She then stated an amount for each of them. Hazrat Abu Bakrra said, “I have taken both of them, and freed them.” He then said, “Return the flour to this woman”, i.e. he said to the two of them who were enslaved to return the flour which she was taking in order to grind it.

The two of them said, “O Abu Bakr, shall we complete this task and return the flour?” In other words, to fulfil the duty that they were given of grinding the flour and then return it to her. Hazrat Abu Bakrra answered, “Do so only if you wish to.”

Hazrat Abu Bakrra once passed by a salve of the Banu Mu‘ammal. Banu Mu‘ammal was a branch of the Banu Adiyy bin Kaab tribe. This slave was a Muslim. Umar bin al-Khattab was punishing her in order to force her to abandon Islam. In those days, Hazrat Umarra was still a polytheist and had not yet accepted Islam. He would strike her until he would tire, and would say, “I only let you go due to being tired.” Thereupon she would reply, “Allah shall treat you the same.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra also purchased her and granted her freedom.

It is recorded in one narration that Abu Quhafah, the father of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, said to him, “O my son, I see that you are freeing the weak. If you wish to carry on doing so, then you should free the stronger men that they may protect you and so that they may stand by your side.” The narrator says that Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied, “O my beloved father, I only desire the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.” (Ibn Hisham, Al-Raud al-Unf fi Tafsir al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Dhikr Udwan al-Mushrikin ala al-Mustad‘afin [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2001], p. 236)

Some commentators, such as Allama Qurtubi and Allama Alusi etc. say that the following verses were revealed due to this

on the rocks.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes: “In Arabia, in order to protect the houses from water which were made from mud, they would place a type of rock near the area which is called ‘khingar’ in Punjabi.

This is an extremely rough and sharp rock which people place on the walls of their homes to protect them from any harm from the pouring of water, i.e. so that the walls are not damaged. So this companion said, ‘When we refused to reject Islam, and the people would become tired from beating us, they would then tie our legs with a rope and continue to drag us on these rough rocks. So whatever you see on my back is as a result of that beating and dragging.’

Hence, such injustice was inflicted upon them year after year. Eventually, Hazrat Abu Bakrra could no longer tolerate this, so he sold a large portion of his property in order to free them.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 22, pp.

546-547, Khutbah Farmudah 31 October 1941)

action of Hazrat Abu Bakrra: ۡ َ​َ َ​َ​َ ُ َ َ ۡ َ​َ َ َّ َ َ ‫فأ ّما َم ۡن أ ۡعط ٰی َواتق ٰی ۔ َو َص َ ّدق ِبال ُح ۡسن ٰی ۔ ف َسن َی ِّس ُر ُہ ل ِل ُی ۡس َر ٰی ۔ َوأ ّما‬ ۡ ُ َ َ ۡ َّ َۡ ۡ َ َ َ ۢ َ ‫اس َتغن ٰی ۔ َوکذ َب ِبال ُح ۡسن ٰی ۔ ف َسن َی ِّس ُر ُہ ل ِل ُع ۡس َر ٰی ۔ َو َما‬ ‫من ب ِخل و‬ َ‫یُ ۡغ� ْي َع ۡن ُہ َمال ُ ُہٓ إ َذا تَرَ َّد ٰٓی ۔ إ َّن َع َل ۡی َنا ل َ ۡل ُہ َد ٰی ۔ َوإ َّن ل َ َنا لَلۡأٓخ َِر َۃ َوالۡأُ ْول ٰی‬ َّ َ َّ َ َّ ِ َ ۡ َ َّ َ ٰ ِ َّ َ َ ِ َ ُ ُ َ َ َ ِ ‫۔ فأ َنذ ۡرتک ۡم ن ًارا تلظَ ٰی ۔ لَا یَ ۡصل َہٓا ِإلا الۡأ َشقی ۔ ال ِذ ْي کذ َب َوتوَل ٰی ۔‬ ّ َ ‫َو َس ُی َﺠ ّن ُب َہا الۡأَتۡقَی ۔ الّذ ْي یُ ۡؤ�ي َمال َ ُہ یَ� َ َ�ک ّ ٰی ۔ َو َما لِأَ َحد ع‬ ‫ند ُہ ِم ْن ن ِۡع َم ٍۃ‬ ِ ٍ ِ َ ِ َّ َ َ َ َ ‫تُ ۡﺠ َز ٰٓی ۔ إلا ۡابتِغ‬ ‫ٓاء َو ۡج ِہ َر ِّب ِہ الۡأ ۡعل ٰی ۔ َول َ َسوۡ َف یَ ۡرﺿ ٰی ۔‬ ِ “Then as for him who gives and is righteous, And testifies to [the truth of] what is right, We will facilitate for him [every] facility. But as for him who is niggardly and is [disdainfully] indifferent, And rejects what is right, We will make easy for him the path to distress. And his wealth shall not avail him when he perishes. Surely it is for Us to guide; And to Us belongs the Hereafter as well as the present world. So I warn you of a flaming Fire. None shall enter it but the most wicked one, Who rejects [the truth] and turns [his] back. But the righteous [one] shall be kept away from it, Who gives his wealth to become purified.

And he owes no favour to anyone, which is to be repaid, except [that he gives his wealth] to seek the pleasure of his Lord, the Most High. Surely, will He be well-pleased with him.” (Ch.92: V.6-22) (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr

Siddiqra, Shakhsiyyat aur Karname, Urdu Tarjumah, p. 74) (Imam al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ li-Ahkam al-Quran, Vol. 3, Surah al-Layl [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Hazm, 2004] p. 333)

Among the slaves who were freed by Hazrat Abu Bakrra was Hazrat Khabbabra bin al-Aratt. Whilst mentioning Hazrat Khabbabra bin al-Aratt, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra states: “Another companion who was previously a slave, once took off his upper garment to bathe. Another person who was stood nearby saw that the skin on his back was so hardened and rough that it was like the hide of a buffalo. He was astonished to see this and asked, ‘How long have you had this illness? The skin on your back is so hard that it is like the hide of animals’ Hearing this, Hazrat Khabbabra laughed and replied, ‘This is no illness. When we accepted Islam, our master decided to punish us. So he laid us down in the scorching heat and began beating us, telling us to renounce our belief in Muhammadsa. In reply, we would recite the Kalimah [Muslim creed] and he would hit us even more. Even after this, when his anger would not subside, he would drag us

Then, whilst mentioning how Hazrat Abu Bakrra would free slaves, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra states in one instance: “Those slaves who believed in the Holy Prophetsa came from different nations; there were Abyssinians, like Bilalra and Romans, like Suhaibra; there were also Christians among them, like Jubairra and Suhaibra; there were idolaters, like Bilalra and Ammarra. The master of Bilalra would force him to lay on scorching sand and either place stones on him or have young boys jump on top of him […] When Hazrat Abu Bakrra saw this cruelty against them, he freed them by paying their master their price.” (Dibacha Tafsir al-Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 193-194)

Once, Hazrat Abu Bakrra also intended to migrate to Abyssinia. In this regard, it is mentioned that when the Muslim population had grown and the religion of Islam became manifest, the disbelievers amongst the Quraish began to torment and inflict pain to those who had accepted Islam from among their tribes. Their objective was to cause them to deviate from their faith. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa instructed the believers, “You all should spread across the land. Surely, Allah will bring you back together.” The companions submitted, “Where shall we go?” The Holy Prophetsa stated, “This way” and pointed toward the land of Abyssinia. This took place in 5 Nabawi, in the month of Rajab.

In accordance with the Holy Prophet’ssa

AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022 instruction, 11 men and four women migrated toward Abyssinia. (Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 1, al-Hijrah al-Ula ila al-Habashah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 1996], pp. 53-54)

After the Muslims had migrated to Abyssinia, Hazrat Abu Bakrra was also persecuted, due to which he, too, intended to migrate to Abyssinia. In this regard, there is a narration of Bukhari. Hazrat Aishara relates: “When the Muslims were afflicted with hardships, Hazrat Abu Bakrra set out to migrate to Abyssinia. When he reached a place called Bark al-Ghimad – a city in Yemen, situated near the coast and is a five-nights’ journey from Mecca – he met Ibn Daghna, who was the chief of the tribe of Qarah. He asked, ‘O Abu Bakr, where are you travelling to?’ Hazrat Abu Bakrra answered, ‘My people have exiled me. Thus, I wish to travel the land and worship my Lord.’ Ibn Daghna replied, ‘A man like you does not leave his land on his own accord, nor should he be forced to leave. You embody such virtues that have been long lost; you honour your family ties, carry the burden of the tired and weary, host guests and help those in difficulties.’”

In another place, this is translated as follows: “You earn and provide for the poor, treat your close relatives kindly, care for the vulnerable, host guests and help those afflicted because they speak the truth.”

[Hazrat Aishara says:] “Ibn Daghna then said, ‘I will grant you protection under my authority. Return to your land and continue to worship your Lord there.’ Ibn Daghna accompanied Hazrat Abu Bakrra back to Mecca and met the chieftains of the Quraish. He said to them, ‘Abu Bakr is such an individual who should neither leave his homeland, nor should he be exiled. Are you people exiling such an individual who embodies virtues that have been forgotten? He honours his family ties, carries the burden of the tired and weary, hosts guests excellently and helps those facing difficulties.’ Upon this, the Quraish honoured the protection granted by Ibn Daghna and allowed Hazrat Abu Bakrra to live in peace. They then told Ibn Daghna, ‘Tell Abu Bakr to worship his Lord within the confines of his home. He should offer his prayers there and anything else that he desires, but he should not cause any hindrance to us through his prayers and his recitation of the Quran. He should not recite aloud because we fear that he will lead our children and women astray.’

“Ibn Daghna conveyed this to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, and consequently, Hazrat Abu Bakrra started worshipping his Lord only in his home and ceased to pray or recite the Quran openly other than within his home.

After some time, a thought occurred to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, due to which he made a mosque – or a place of prayer – in an open area in his courtyard. There, he would offer his prayers and recite the Holy Quran, while the women and children of the idolaters would crowd around him. They would be astonished”, i.e. they were astonished to see Hazrat Abu Bakrra while he worshipped.

“They would observe that Hazrat Abu Bakrra would weep a lot. He could not hold back his tears whilst reciting the Holy Quran.

This state of Hazrat Abu Bakrra was of great concern to the chieftains of the Quraish.

They sent for Ibn Daghna, and when he

29 arrived, they said to him, ‘We offered Abu Bakr protection on the condition that he would worship his Lord in the confines of his home; however, he did not respect this condition and has established a mosque in his courtyard where he prays and recites the Quran aloud. We fear that he will place our sons and our women in a trial.

Go to him and tell him that if he wishes, he can worship while remaining inside his home. On the contrary, if he is insistent on offering his worship openly, then inform him that he should renounce the protection he was given under your authority because we would not like to breach your authority.

However, we will never permit Abu Bakr to worship openly.’”

Hazrat Aishara continues, “Ibn Daghna came to Hazrat Abu Bakrra and said, ‘You are aware of the condition upon which I made this covenant with you. Accordingly, you must either abide by these conditions or renounce the protection you have under my authority because I would not like that the Arab people come to know that I have been disloyal to the covenant I made with someone.’ Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied, ‘I renounce the protection I have under your authority, and I am content under the protection of Allah.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Kafalah, Bab Jiwar Abi Bakrra fi Ahd al-Nabisa wa Aqdih, Hadith 2297) (Sahih al-Bukhari mutarjam, Vol. 4, p. 276, Nazarat Ishaat Rabwah) (Farhang-e-Sirat, p.

57)

There are some details mentioned in Umdat al-Qari, which is a commentary of Sahih Bukhari, about the mosque which was established in the courtyard of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. It is mentioned that this mosque was spread to the walls of his house and this was the first-ever mosque established in Islam.

(Umdat al-Qari, Kitab al-Kafalah, Bab Jiwar Abi Bakrra fi Ahd al-Nabisa, Vol. 12, p. 185, Hadith 2297)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “Abu Bakrra was such a person to whom all of Mecca was indebted. Whatever he earned was spent in freeing slaves. He was once leaving Mecca when a chieftain encountered him on his way. He asked, ‘O Abu Bakr, where are you going?’ Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied, ‘There is no peace for me in this city. I am moving elsewhere.’

That chieftain said, ‘If a man as pious as you leaves this city, then it will surely lead to its ruin. I will offer you protection under my authority, so do not leave this city.’

He returned under the protection of this chieftain. In the morning, when Hazrat Abu Bakrra would wake up and recite the Quran, women and children would put their ears to his walls just to hear the words of the Quran. This is because his voice was impassioned with fervency and emotion and because the Holy Quran was in the Arabic language, every woman, man and child could understand it and every listener would be inspired by it. When word spread of this, there was an uproar in Mecca for fear that everyone would lose their faith.”

In other words, the people would leave their old beliefs upon hearing the recitation of the Holy Quran and the fervency of Hazrat Abu Bakr’sra voice. This is exactly what is happening to Ahmadis in some countries, particularly to those living in Pakistan. [They claim] that they, too, will become faithless if they see an Ahmadi recite the Quran or pray. For this reason, there are severe punishments for Ahmadis who are caught praying or reciting the

Quran.

Nonetheless, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes: “The people went to that chieftain and questioned him, saying, ‘Why have you provided him with protection?’ This chieftain then went to Hazrat Abu Bakrra and said, ‘Please desist in reciting the Quran in this manner because the people of Mecca are angered by it.’ Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied, ‘Withdraw the protection you have offered to me because I cannot abandon this practice.’ Thus, the chieftain withdrew his protection.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 10, 327) Hazrat Abu Bakrra also accompanied the Holy Prophetsa in Shi‘b Abi Talib. After meeting with failure in every possible effort to curb the spread of the message of the unity of God, the Quraish decided to boycott Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib as a practical measure. Regarding this, in his book, The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophetssa, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra writes: “Therefore, as a practical endeavour, through mutual deliberation they decided that all relationships with the Holy Prophetsa, and all the members of the Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib be severed, and if they refused to relinquish their protection of the Holy Prophetsa, they should be besieged in one place and destroyed. Therefore, in Muharram of 7 Nabawi, a proper agreement was drafted that no individual would marry any member of the Banu Hashim or Banu Muttalib dynasty. No one would sell anything to them or purchase anything from them, nor would they let any food or drink reach them. They shall not keep any relations with them”.

These days, certain Ahmadis in some places are also treated in this manner. In any case it further states: “They would not keep any relations with them until they separated themselves from Muhammad[sa] and handed him over to them. This agreement in which the Banu Kinanah were also included, along with the Quraish, was formally written and signed by the main chieftains of the Quraish and hung to the wall of the Ka‘bah in the form of a significant national testament. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa and all of the Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib, whether Muslim or disbeliever”, except Abu Lahab the paternal uncle of the Holy Prophetsa, who, in the infatuation of his animosity, sided with the Quraish, “were besieged in a mountainous valley called the Valley of Abu Talib. In this way, two large tribes of the Quraish were completely cut off from the social life of Makkah and were imprisoned under close watch, in the Valley of Abu Talib, which was a valley belonging to the Banu Hashim. The very few other Muslims who still resided in Mecca were also with the Holy Prophetsa.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 166)

Even in these extremely difficult circumstances, Hazrat Abu Bakrra did not leave the Holy Prophetsa.

Hazrat Shah Walliullahrh states: “When the Quraish unanimously agreed upon afflicting harm to the Holy Prophetsa and they wrote a formal document, Hazrat [Abu Bakr] Siddiqra remained with the Holy Prophetsa. In relation to this incident, Abu Talib uttered the following couplet: َ ‫ه ُ ْم َر َج ُع ْوا َس ْه َل ابْ َن ب َ ْي َض‬ ‫اض ًيا‬ ِ ‫اء َر‬ ْ َ َ َ ُ َ ُ ‫ف ُس ّر أب ُ ْو بَك ٍر بِ َها َومحَ ّمد‬

“‘When they happily sent back Sahl bin Baida, Abu Bakrra and Muhammadsa expressed their delight.’” (Shah Waliullah, Izalat al-Ikhfa – Urdu Translation, Ishtiaq Ahmad Deobandi, Vol. 3, pp. 39-40, Qadimi Kutub Khana Aram Bagh, Karachi) (Sayyiduna Siddiq Akbarra ke Shabb aw Roz, p. 30)

In other words, when the Quraish of Mecca ended this boycott, Abu Talib recited some couplets, one of which was the aforementioned couplet in that the Holy Prophetsa and Abu Bakrra expressed their happiness when the boycott came to an end.

With regard to the prophecy about the Romans being defeated, there is an incident about Hazrat Abu Bakrra placing a bet.

There is a narration of Hazrat Ibn Abbasra regarding what Allah the Almighty states in the verse: َ ُ ٓ

ۡ َ ۡ َ ۡ ٓ ُ ْ ُّ َ ٓ ‫ض‬ ِ ‫م ۔ فِي أدنى الأر‬ra‫الم ۔ غ ِلب ِت الرو‬

Hazrat Ibn Abbas stated, “They have been defeated” and “They will overcome”.

He said that it pleased the polytheists that the Persians defeat the Romans, because both were idolaters, whereas the Muslims desired for the Romans to defeat the Persians because they were the People of the Book. He mentioned this [prophecy] to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, who in turn asked the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa said, “Most certainly they [the Romans] will be victorious.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra mentioned it to them (the polytheists), to which they said, “Set a timeframe for it. If we win, we will get such and such thing, and if you win, you will get such and such.” That is, they placed a bet and set a time period of five years. However, they [the Romans] did not gain victory in this time. Hazrat Abu Bakrra mentioned this to the Holy Prophetsa, upon which he said, “Why did you not set a time limit more than this?” The narrator states that he thought the timeframe suggested by the Holy Prophetsa was 10 years. This was a narration of Tirmidhi from Kitab al-Tafsir.

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Tafsir, Bab wa min Surah al-Rum, Hadith 3193)

There is a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari, which mentions four prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa which were fulfilled with great grandeur and glory. Out of these four prophecies, one of them was the prophecy about the Romans.

Masruq narrates, “We were with Hazrat Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud. He said, ‘When the Holy Prophetsa saw that people had refused to accept his message, he prayed, “O Allah!

Just as You sent down a famine for seven years in the time of Josephas, send a famine on them in the same way.” And so, a famine spread which destroyed everything. It was so severe that people started eating hides, carcasses and rotten dead animals.

Whenever one of them looked towards the sky, he would [imagine himself to] see smoke because of hunger.’” This is one of the four prophecies. “‘So Abu Sufyan went to the Holy Prophetsa and said, “O Muhammad[sa]!

You order people to obey Allah and to keep good relations with kith and kin. No doubt the people of your tribe are dying, so please pray to Allah for them.” So Allah the Almighty revealed: “‘“But watch thou for the day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke […] but you will certainly revert to disbelief. On the day when We shall seize you with the great seizure.” Thus, this “great seizure” happened in the Battle of Badr, and undoubtedly the

30 punishment of the “smoke”, “great seizure” “prophecy of Lizam” and prophecy about “the Romans” have all been fulfilled.’”

This is a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Istisqa, Bab Du‘a al-Nabisa: Ij‘alha alaihim Sinin, Hadith 1007)

In the commentary of this hadith, Allama Badruddin Aini writes regarding the prophecy about the Romans: “When the Persians and the Romans fought against one another, the Muslims wanted the Romans to gain victory over the Persians, because the Romans were People of the Book. On the other hand, the disbelievers of the Quraish wanted the Persians to win the battle because they were fire-worshippers and the disbelievers of the Quraish also worshipped idols. Thus, upon this, a bet took place between Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Abu Jahl, i.e. they fixed a time period between themselves of a few years.

The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘The word “bid‘un” [in a few years] refer to nine or seven years, therefore increase the time period.’ Thus, Hazrat Abu Bakrra did just that and the Romans gained victory. Allah the Almighty stated:

َ​َ ۡ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ ٓ ُ ْ ُّ َ ُ ٓ ٓ ‫ض َو ُه ْم ِّم ۢن بَ ۡع ِد غل ِب ِه ۡم‬ ِ ‫الم ۔ غ ِلب ِت الروم ۔ فِي أدنى الٰأر‬ ۚ ۡ َ ۡ َ ّ ْ ‫َس َيغ ِل ُبوْ َن ۔ ف ِ ْي بِض ِع ِس ِني َنۗ لِل ِه الۡأ ۡمرُ ِم ْن ق ۡب ُل َو ِم ۢن بَ ۡع ُد‬ ّٰ ۡ َ َ ْ ُ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ َ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ َ ُ ‫اللهِۚ يَ ْن ُص ُر َمن يَ َش‬ َ‫ٓاء ۖ َو ُهو‬ ‫ويوم ِئ ٍذ يفرح المؤ ِمنون ۔ ِبنص ِر‬ ُ ‫ال ۡ َعز‬ ُ‫الرَ ِحيم ۔‬ ّ ‫يز‬ ِ

“Meaning, ‘I am Allah, the All-Knowing, the Romans have been defeated, In the land nearby, and they, after their defeat, will be victorious between three to nine years.

Allah’s is the command before and after that and on that day the believers will rejoice. In Allah’s help.’

“Sha‘bi states that at that time it was not unlawful to make bets.” (Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Istisqa, Vol. 7, p. 46, Hadith 1007, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 2003)

Regarding this, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra writes: “Prior to the advent of Islam and in the early era of Islam, the two most powerful and largest empires among the civilised world were the Persian and Roman empires. Both of these empires were situated near Arabia.

The empire of Persia was located in the northeast of Arabia and the Roman empire in the northwest. Since the borders of both these empires met, at times there would be war and conflict. Even in the era we are alluding to now”, i.e. when this prophecy was made, “both these empires were at war. Persia had gained dominance over Rome and had seized many of its valuable regions. As such, Persia would continue dominating Rome. Since the Quraish were idol worshippers and the religion of Persia was also quite similar, for this reason, the Quraish were very pleased with Persia’s victories. However, the Muslim sentiments were with Rome, which was Christian. On account of their being Christian, they were also Ahl-e-Kitab [People of The Book] and due to their relation to the Messiah, were closer to the Muslims than the idolatrous and fire-worshipping nations. In such circumstances, after receiving knowledge from Allah the Exalted, the Holy Prophetsa prophesied that although currently, Rome was being dominated by Persia, in a few years’ time, it would defeat Persia, and on that day the believers would rejoice. Upon hearing this prophecy, the Muslims, among whom the name of Hazrat Abu Bakrra has been recorded in particular, began to openly

Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM announce in Mecca that their God had told them that Rome would soon defeat Persia.

The Quraish responded that if this was true, then they should come and place a bet on it. Until that time, placing a bet had not yet been prohibited in Islam, so Hazrat Abu Bakrra accepted. Terms were set between Hazrat Abu Bakrra and the chieftains of the Quraish on a few camels and an appointed time of six years. However, when the Holy Prophetsa received news of this, he said, ‘To appoint a time of six years is wrong. Allah ۡ the Exalted has used the words ۗ‫بِض ِع ِس ِنين‬ regarding the appointed time, which, in the spirit of Arabic idiom, is used to denote a time period of three to nine years.’

“This instance is during the era in which the Holy Prophetsa still resided in Mecca and had not yet migrated. After this, within the appointed timeframe, the war took a turn, and within a short timeframe, Rome defeated Persia and reacquired the entirety of its land. This took place after the migration.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, pp. 216-217)

After the migration, the Roman were victorious.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes regarding this: “While the Holy Prophetsa was still in Mecca, news arrived that the Persians had vanquished the Romans in battle.

This occasioned great rejoicing among the Meccans, for the Persians were idolaters just as they were. The Meccans took the victory of the Persians as a good omen indicating their own ultimate triumph over Muslims. On this occasion, the Holy Prophetsa received the revelation:

َ ‫وم ۔ فيٓ أَ ۡدنَى الۡأَ ۡرض َو ُهم ّم ۢن بَ ۡعد َغ َلبه ۡم َس َي ۡغ ِل ُب‬ ُ ُّ َ ُ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ​ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫غ ِلب ِت الر‬ َ ‫۔ في ب ۡضع س ِن‬ ۗ‫ين‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

that ‘the Romans had been vanquished in a neighbouring land of Syria but do not consider this to be the final outcome, within nine years of their defeat the Romans would again be victorious’; When this revelation was announced among the Meccans, they laughed and jeered at the Muslims. Some of them made a wager of a hundred camels with Hazrat Abu Bakrra that the prophecy would not be fulfilled. Events indicated that there was very little chance of the Romans defeating the Persians as their defeat in Syria was followed by further victories of the Persians and the Roman army was pushed back by stages to the shores of the Sea of Marmora. Constantinople was cut off from its Eastern dominions and the Roman Empire was reduced to the size of a small State. The Word of God was, however, bound to be fulfilled and was fulfilled. In their state of utter despondency, the Roman emperor himself set out from Constantinople along with his troops and met on the shores of Asia for a decisive battle. The Romans, though smaller in number and not so well equipped as the Persians, won a complete victory – as prophesied by the words of the Holy Quran – and the Persians were put to flight. They were forced to retreat into Persia not finding any respite anywhere and the Romans re-occupied their Asiatic and African possessions.” (Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 445)

The Promised Messiahas states: “When Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra placed a bet with Abu Jahl about the prophecy of the Holy Quran:

َ​َ ۡ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ ٓ ُ ُّ َ ُ ٓ ٓ ‫ض َو ُه ْم ِّم ۢن بَ ۡع ِد غل ِب ِه ۡم‬ ِ ‫الم ۔ غ ِلب ِت الروم ۔ فِي أدنى الأر‬

َ ‫ون ۔ ف ْي ب ۡضع س ِن‬ َ ۡ ۗ‫ين‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫َس َيغ ِل ُب‬

“A period of three years was stipulated.

When the Holy Prophetsa came to know of this, upon pondering over the prophecy and owing to his foresight, he asked Abu Bakr Siddiqra to make an amendment to the details of the bet, stating that the word:

َ ‫ب ۡضع س ِن‬ ‫ين‬ ِ ِ ِ

“Had a broader meaning and often meant up to nine years.” (Izalah-e-Auham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, pp. 310-311)

Then, there are narrations about how the Holy Prophetsa presented his claim before his tribe and how Hazrat Abu Bakrra was always by his side. Allah the Almighty had decreed to grant dominance to His faith and bestow honour upon the Holy Prophetsa and fulfil His promise. Thus, during the days of Hajj, the Holy Prophetsa went outside and met with the Aus and Khazraj tribes of the Ansar. The Holy Prophetsa presented his claim before the people, as he would do so each year during the days of Hajj. In one narration, Hazrat Alira bin Abi Talib states, “When Allah the Almighty commanded the Holy Prophetsa to preach to the tribes of Arabia, Abu Bakrra and I were with him when he set out towards Mina. We reached a gathering of the Arabs. Hazrat Abu Bakrra moved ahead, and he was an expert in genealogy. He asked, ‘Which tribe do you belong to?’ They replied that they belonged to the Rabi‘ah tribe. Hazrat Abu Bakrra asked, ‘Which branch of the Rabi‘ah tribe?’

They replied that they belonged to the Zuhl tribe.” Hazrat Alira further says, “We went to the gathering of the Aus and Khazraj and it was these people who were given the name of ‘Ansar’ by the Holy Prophetsa, because they granted refuge to the Holy Prophetsa and said they would support him.” Hazrat Alira further says, “We left from that place once everyone had pledged allegiance to the Holy Prophetsa.” (Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2, Dhikr ‘Ardh al-Mustafa’ Nafsah ala al-Qaba‘il [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 1996], pp. 72-74)

In another narration, Hazrat Alira says: “When Allah the Almighty commanded His Prophetsa to present his claim before the tribes of Arabia, the Holy Prophetsa set out for this task. Abu Bakr and I were with him at the time. We went to a gathering which was civilised and dignified. They were honourable and noble people. Hazrat Abu Bakrra asked, ‘Which tribe do you people belong to?’ To this, they replied that they belonged to Banu Shayban bin Tha‘labah.

Hazrat Abu Bakrra turned to the Holy Prophetsa and said, ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! By Allah, there is not a nobler people among them.’ Among them was Mafruq bin Amr, Muthanna bin Harithah, Hani bin Qabisah and Nu‘man bin Shareek. The Holy Prophetsa recited the following verse to them:

َ َْۡ َ ُ ْ ُ ۡ ُ َّ َ ُ َ ُ ُ َ ۖ‫ق ۡل ت َعالَوۡا أت ُل َما َح ّر َم َر ّبك ۡم َعل ۡيك ۡمۖ ألا تش ِركوا ِب ِهۦ ش ۡي ٗـٔا‬ َّ َ ۡ ۡ ّ ْ ُ َ َ ۡ َ ْ ٓ ُ ُ ۡ َ َ َ ً َ ٰ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ َ ‫اق ن ۡح ُن‬ ٍ ‫و ِبالوال ِدي ِن ِإحسناۖ ولا تقتلوا أولادكم ِمن ِإمل‬ َ‫اه ۡمۖ َولَا تَ ۡق َربُواْ ال ۡ َفوَاح َش َما َظ َهرَ م ۡن َها َو َما بَ َط َ ۖن َولا‬ ُ َ‫ن َ ۡر ُز ُق ُك ۡم َوإ ّي‬ ِ ِ ِ ُ ّٰ َ ۡ ُ َ ّ َ ۡ َّ ُ ّٰ َ َّ َ َّ َ ۡ َّ ْ ُ ُ ۡ َ ‫تقتلوا النفس التِي حرم الله إِلا ِبالح ِقۚ ذال ِكم وصكم ِب ِهۦ‬ ُ َ ُ َّ ‫ل َ َعلك ۡم ت ۡع ِقلوْ َن‬

The translation of this is: “Say, ‘Come, I will rehearse to you what your Lord has forbidden: that you associate not anything as partner with Him and that you do good to parents, and that you kill not your children for fear of poverty – it is We Who provide for you and for them – and that you

approach not foul deeds, whether open or secret; and that you kill not the life which Allah has made sacred, save by right. That is what He has enjoined upon you, that you may understand.’” (Ch.6: V.152) “Upon this Mafruq said, ‘These words are not of any human, if they were, we would certainly have known it.’ The Holy Prophetsa then recited the following ۡ verses:

ُۡ ۡ ّٰ َ ۡ َ ‫ٓاي ِذي الق ۡربَ ٰ َى َويَن َه ٰى‬ ‫ِإ ّن الل َه يَأ ُمرُ ِبال َع ۡد ِل َوال ۡ ِإ ۡح َس‬ ٕ ‫ان َو ِإيت‬ ِ ِ َ ُۡ َ َ ۡ َۡ َ َ ‫نكر َوال ۡ َبغۡيۚ يَ ِع ُظ ُك ۡم ل َ َع َّل ُك ۡم تَ َذكّ ُر‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ‫ع ِن الفحشٓا ِء والم‬ ِ

“That is, ‘Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids indecency and manifest evil and transgression. He admonishes you that you may take heed.’

[Ch.16: V.91] “Upon hearing this, Mafruq stated, ‘O my Quraish brother! By Allah, you have invited us towards the highest morals and good deeds. The nation which rejects you and helps one another to oppose you are indeed liars.’

“Muthanna stated, ‘O my Quraish brother! We heard what you have said and you have discoursed in an excellent manner.

What you have said has greatly inspired me. However, we have an agreement with Chosroes that neither will we initiate something from our own selves nor grant refuge to anyone else who initiates something new. What you are inviting us towards is perhaps something that the kings will be displeased with. If you wish that we help you and protect you against the people dwelling in and around Arabia, then we can do this for you.’

“The Holy Prophetsa stated, ‘There is nothing wrong in what you have said for you have openly spoken the truth. Only those people can protect the religion of Allah, whom Allah Himself has surrounded [by His grace].’ Thereafter, the Holy Prophetsa took hold of Hazrat Abu Bakr’sra hand and departed from there.” (Ibn Naeem, Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, Riwayat number 6382 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002], pp. 309310)

In another narration, it is mentioned that the Holy Prophetsa stated, “What do you say if, in just a short span of time, Allah the Almighty shall grant you the land of Chosroes and their women shall come under your authority, will you then praise and glorify Allah the Almighty?” Upon hearing this, he stated, “By God, we are ready!”

God manifested His will in such a manner that these words of the Holy Prophetsa were fulfilled to the letter. The same Muthanna, who at the time was greatly overawed by the might of Chosroes and was hesitant to accept Islam lest he displeased him, soon became the commander-in-chief of the Muslim army during the era of Hazrat Abu Bakrra to fight against Chosroes, that is Muthanna bin Harithah. He was the one who broke the power of the Chosroes and became the recipient of the Holy Prophet’ssa glad tidings. (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra, Shakhsiyyat aur Karname, Urdu Tarjumah, p. 82, 84)

There is another narration from the occasion of Hajj wherein it states that when the tribe, Bakr bin Wail came for Hajj, the Holy Prophetsa stated to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, “Go to these people and present my message before them.”

That is, to preach to them the message of Islam and present the claims of the Holy

AL HAKAM | Friday 14 January 2022 Prophetsa to them.

Hazrat Abu Bakrra went to those people and presented the message of the Holy Prophetsa before them and then the Holy Prophetsa gave them the message of Islam. (Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Bab Dhikr ‘Ard al-Mustafa’ Nafsah ala al-Qaba‘il [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002], p. 7)

The rest of the accounts will, insha-Allah, continue in the future.

Today, I would also like to say to pray for the Ahmadis in Afghanistan. They are passing through a lot of hardship. Some of them have also been arrested and the women and children are extremely worried in their homes. Those men who have not been arrested have had to leave their homes as there is the danger of being arrested. May Allah the Almighty create ease for them and remove this difficulty from them.

Pray also for the Ahmadis in Pakistan.

The conditions for them are generally dire and every now and then some incident occurs of people causing harm to the Ahmadis.

Pray generally as well for the entire world that Allah the Almighty may enable them to accept the Promised Messiahas and He may remove every evil. And may the world understand the true reality of accepting their Creator.

Now I shall mention details of some deceased members and will also lead their funeral prayer in absentia.

The first mention is of Al-Hajj Abdul Rahman Ennin Sahib. He was Ghanaian and formerly served as the umur-e-ama secretary and officer of Jalsa Salana. He passed away at the age 81.

َ ‫راج ُع‬ َ ‫وإنَّٓا إل َ ۡي ِه‬ َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِہ‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

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

Both his parents were Ahmadis and had accepted Ahmadiyyat themselves.

He attained his higher education from Egypt and thereafter began working in the practical field and worked as a manager of various companies in Ghana. He also worked for some time in Nigeria. He then started his own company and worked as the managing director. He was a very pious and sincere individual. He had the opportunity to render an excellent service to the Jamaat.

Throughout his life, he always gave precedence to that which benefited the Jamaat over himself. He had the opportunity to serve in various capacities and roles. He would always consider it his good fortune to show obedience to the amir and adhere to his every instruction. Often, he would go in the morning to the mission house and meet Amir Sahib and if there was any Jamaat work, he would do that first and then begin his other work.

He also had the opportunity to serve as the president of the Greater Accra Region for quite a long time. From 1989 to 1998, he served as the sadr for Majlis Ansarullah and then for a long time served as the umur-eama secretary. He then had the opportunity to serve as the officer of Jalsa Salana and prior to his demise, he was serving as the national trustee.

He was very generous and was always ready and willing to help others. His compassion was not just limited to his own family members – besides generously spending on his friends and family, he would also spend on the members of the

31 Jamaat and also other people of the area regardless of their faith. He was a very loyal servant of the Jamaat and was ready to devote his life to Khilafat. He would always give precedence to what benefited the Jamaat over everything else and was never concerned about the opposition.

He was regular in his Tahajud prayers and would ensure to offer his Tahajud even if he was travelling. He was a musi [part of the Wasiyyat scheme] and regularly paid his financial contributions [chanda]. He leaves behind his wife, five sons and five daughters.

Hafiz Mubasher Ahmad, a missionary in Ghana, writes: “He was extremely wise and would speak with great wisdom and to the point.

He would very quickly get to the core of the matter. Once, during a board meeting, a matter was being prolonged as everyone was presenting their opinions. He kept listening quietly and when it was his turn, he stated that an instruction had already been received from the Khalifa of the time on that particular matter, therefore there was no need to debate it. He stated that if the Khalifa of the time had given a decision then there was no need for anyone else to present any suggestions of their own, instead one should adhere to it to the letter.”

Allah the Almighty has granted such sincere members who are dwelling even in far off lands.

The next mention is of Azyab Ali Muhammad Al-Jabali Sahib, who recently passed away:

َ ‫راج ُع‬ َ ‫وإنَّٓا إل َ ۡي ِه‬ َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِہ‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

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

He was a member of the Jamaat in Jordan. The president of the Jordan Jamaat writes that the deceased did the bai‘at in 2010. He was the only Ahmadi in his area.

Owing to the traditions and customs of the area, the wife adopts the same faith as her husband, therefore she also became Ahmadi.

He states that the deceased’s level of belief in the Promised Messiahas, Ahmadiyyat and Khilafat was as strong as the mountains.

The deceased showed a true example of patience despite the opposition from his family members and other opponents. He had a great sense of honour for Ahmadiyyat and Khilafat and would very courageously defend it. The deceased had a great passion to learn knowledge and carry out tabligh.

At times, he would call late in the night to enquire about a certain religious matter.

Many tabligh gatherings were held in his house with those who opposed the Jamaat and also with his family members. The deceased was diabetic and had to endure a lot of difficulties as a result of this, and it was this very illness that led to his demise. Some of his relatives would say that this condition of his was due to Ahmadiyyat. They would say that if he would have left Ahmadiyyat, then they would testify in his favour on the Day of Judgment. Upon this, he would passionately pray, “O Allah, cause me to die in a state whereby I am an Ahmadi Muslim.”

The next mention is of respected Deen Muhammad Shahid Sahib, a retired missionary who was currently residing in Canada. He recently passed away at the age of 92 years,

َ ‫راج ُع‬ َ ‫وإنَّٓا إل َ ۡي ِه‬ َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِہ‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

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

Ahmadiyyat was introduced to his family through his father, who accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1938. In 1940, his father took him to attend Jalsa Qadian. There, his father was very impressed with the intellectual and spiritual atmosphere of Qadian, and the deceased himself also had a passion for studies, thus his father left him in Qadian at the age of 11 under the supervision of Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaq Sahibra, and that was where he obtained his education.

He obtained his Shahid degree from Jamia Ahmadiyya in 1953. He served as a missionary in various cities of Pakistan. He also served for three or four years in Fiji as the missionary in-charge. He served for an extended period as the press secretary in Rabwah. Along with writing four books, he wrote numerous scholarly articles as well.

He was very passionate about propagating the message of Islam and he would find new and innovative ways of doing so. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was a musi.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.

The next mention is of respected Mian Rafiq Ahmad Sahib, who was a worker in the office of Jalsa Salana. He recently passed away at the age of 87.

َ ‫راج ُع‬ َ ‫وإنَّٓا إل َ ۡي ِه‬ َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِہ‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

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

His father’s name was Mian Bashir Ahmad Sahib. His father migrated from Qadian to Quetta before the establishment of Pakistan and served as the amir of the jamaat of Quetta. Ahmadiyyat was introduced in Mian Rafiq Ahmad Sahib’s family through his paternal grandfather, Hazrat Dr Abdullah Sahibra, a companion of the Promised Messiahas. Mian Rafiq Ahmad Sahib graduated from the Engineering College of Lahore with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering in 1960, after which he worked in various organisations. Then he went to Tanzania for about 10 years, where, aside from working for a company, he would also teach. He also served as the finance secretary in Tanzania. In 1986, he undertook a period of temporary devotion during which he worked in the offices of Jalsa Salana. Then, in 1987, he officially became a worker in the offices of Jalsa Salana. In 1989, he devoted his life and became the nazim for technical affairs at the offices of Jalsa Salana Rabwah, a position he served in until his demise.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh arranged his marriage and Hazrat Maulana Abul Ata Sahib announced his nikah. Allah the Almighty granted him three sons and a daughter. His son says that if ever people said anything wrong about the Jamaat, he would immediately stop them. He had immense love for Khilafat. Once, someone at home or a guest mentioned that the home provided to him by the Jamaat was quite small. If he was to make a request, he could receive a bigger home. He replied, “Even if the Jamaat gave me a tent to live in, I would be prepared to live in it, but I will not make any requests.”

Then, his son writes, “After the demise of our father, we learned that he had been discretely helping certain less-fortunate people.” His younger son says that “he was regular in offering Tahajud prayers, he loved the Holy Quran, he was kindhearted, softspoken, trustworthy, truthful and possessed many great qualities. He was obedient to the Khalifa and was loyal

to Khilafat and was very passionate about fulfilling his life-devotion.”

I have also witnessed this. He was extremely kind, humble, and fulfilled his oath of allegiance with great loyalty. He also strove to save Jamaat money, and did his best to spend the resources in the most efficient manner. He also worked very hard to design some “roti” machines in Rabwah.

His son further writes, “Even during times of hardship and worry, I always saw him remain patient and forbearing. Often, during times of worry and hardship, I observed him reciting the Holy Quran.

During his illness and before his demise, he did not express any discomfort.” As mentioned before, “He did everything with honesty and passion.”

The next mention is of respected Qanita Zafar Sahiba, who was the wife of respected Ihsanullah Zafar Sahib, former Amir of the USA Jamaat. She passed away recently in a car accident.

َ ‫راج ُع‬ َ ‫وإنَّٓا إل َ ۡي ِه‬ َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِہ‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

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

She was born in 1941. Her father was Chaudhary Azam Ali Sahib, retired session judge. Her maternal grandfather was Chaudhary Faqeer Muhammad Sahib who served as nazir umur-e-ama right after the partition [of the subcontinent].

She possessed many great qualities and was a cheerful person. She was always loyal to Khilafat and would openly express this as well. She had profound love for the Holy Quran. She had a strong bond of love with the Holy Prophetsa and the Promised Messiahas. This was the same love and bond which she strove to inculcate within her children. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, she was a musia. She is survived by her husband and two daughters. She had a young son who passed away in an accident a few years ago, and she bore this tragedy with great patience.

Inaamul Haq Kausar Sahib, who is a missionary in Australia, writes about when he was in America: “We used to hold Holy Quran classes and she would regularly attend, despite having to come from a long distance. Even though she was a PhD, she was a very simple person.

She did not show any pride or arrogance in any way. She took great care of the poor and the needy. She treated missionaries like a loving mother and had great respect and honour for them, and she did everything with humility. She would often advise Lajna to place their shoes in the appropriate place, and if they hadn’t, she herself would pick up their shoes and put them in the appropriate place. She would very humbly tend to the cleanliness of the mosque.”

He says, “She was not at all arrogant or ostentatious. Her attire was very simple, and she would deal with everyone in an excellent manner. She did not have enmity towards anyone, and she treated everyone in an excellent manner. She hearkened to every call made by Khilafat.”

May Allah the Almighty bestow His forgiveness and mercy upon the deceased members and elevate their station, and may He enable their progenies to follow in their footsteps.

(Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 7 January 2022, pp. 5-10.

Translated by The Review of Religions.)

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Friday 14 January 2022 | AL HAKAM

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

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