Al Hakam - 22 April 2022

From the Markaz The historic message of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V for Arabs on completing 15 years of successful broadcast of MTA3 Al-Arabiyya Page 3

A

The spiritual aspect of Islam – Part I

7 ways for attaining Allah’s nearness

Did someone say ‘Burn the Quran’?

The wisdom behind the physical acts of worships in Islam Page 16

Page 13

Page 12

THE WEEKLY

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

The so-called ‘Enlightenment’ st of the 21 century

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

To search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights َّ َ َ َ​َ َ ّٰ َ َ ّٰ ‫ع ْن َ�ا�ِشۃ َر ِﺿ َی الل ُہ ع ْﻨ َﻬا أ ّن َر ُﺳ ْول الل ِہ صلی‬ َ َ َ َّ َ ّٰ ْ ْ ْ َْ َ َ َ ‫الل ُہ َ�ل ْی ِﻪ َو َﺳل َﻢ ﻗال " ��َ َّﺮ ْوا ل ْیلۃ القد ِر فِي ال ِوﺗ ِﺮ‬ َ​َْ ْ َْ َ َ ‫اﺧﺮ ِم ْن َر َم َﻀ‬ �" ‫ان‬ ِ ِ ‫ِمن الﻌ� ِ� ا��و‬ Hazrat Aishara narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said: “Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fadlu Lailatil Qadr, Hadith 2017)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

The grave and its relationship with the soul

A significant change emerged in the West during the seventeenth century; the birth of modern-day science and discovery and philosophy began taking root.

From John Lock’s liberalism advocating personal freedom and human rights to Galileo’s painstaking findings in astronomy despite facing persecution from the Church; the advancements of the “Age of Reason” were fruitful in that they freed much of the world from the oppressive and obstinate clergy.

The age of discovery, science and freedom meant humanity saw astronomical material progress – from the revolution in transport systems bringing steam trains and combustion engines and reducing travel times to unthinkable metrics to the creation of new disciplines like archaeology unlocking the past. Humanity was progressing albeit materially.

The Holy Quran had already foretold, for example in Surah al-Takwir, that precious camels (the primary mode of transport

of Arabia) would be replaced, the world would become a global village, mountains would be carved, people would recognise women’s rights and even books would be accumulated under one roof (libraries).

Surah al-Takwir also speaks of a new spiritual dawn and the dwindling of spiritual darkness that the Muslim Messiah would manifest. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas fulfilled the Quranic prophecy and parallel

Maulvi Qutb-ud-Din Sahibra enquired: “What is the reality of the relationship that we hear about between the soul and the grave?”

The Promised Messiahas said: “The fact of the matter is that everything narrated in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, about the relationship of souls and graves is absolutely true and correct. The deeper nature and essence of this relationship is another matter, of which knowledge is not necessary. Albeit, it can be said that we are responsible for proving that such a relationship between graves and souls does in fact exist, and that such a phenomenon is not a rational impossibility.

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Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

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to material advancements the world was undergoing, we saw a new community being planted by Allah’s hand through Jamaat-eAhmadiyya.

Unfortunately, where the world advanced materially, those who distanced themselves from the true Islamic teaching revived by Hazrat Ahmadas continued to fall into a spiritual and moral abyss.

In 2022, where there are certainly huge advancements in science and innovation, the list of immoralities and social injustices continues to grow. Without a definite, objective moral compass (that Islam provides) we – as humanity – are growing spiritually and morally cold. In reality, the clock of human progress seems to be slowing down too. Gone are astronomical discoveries and inventions that “The Age of Genius” created. Yes, we are progressing in science, medicine and the spread of information, but it seems humanity – at least in the West – is more focused on issues that lead to no social or human progress.

With the notion of unrestrained freedom taking root, people are spending their time and energy on advocacies that – to put it in simple terms – are a waste of their time and everybody else’s.

Each day that passes brings little news of improvement. Social unrest continues to climb higher at extraordinary rates and the focus of our society leans towards hollow pursuits. Material revolutions that started in the seventeenth century certainly brought about improvements for humanity, but ultimately have taken the world into a spiritual drought. The material progress could have been coupled with the spiritual revolution brought by the revival of Islam

by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, but 114 years after his demise, it’s clear humanity desires a different, more painful path.

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“The law of nature demonstrates a parallel in this respect. As we observe, the truth and reality of certain things is ascertained only through the tongue, and in reality the phenomenon in discussion is similar. We can say in broader terms that Allah the Exalted has put in place various methods through which we learn of the deeper reality of things. The properties of certain things are observed through the eye, while other truths are learned of through the ear alone. Moreover, other things are discovered through multiple senses. Further still, how many a truth do we discern through the nucleus of our faculties – the heart. To summarise, Allah the Exalted has designed various methods and means by which to ascertain the truth. For example, if someone were to place a lump of crystallised sugar (misri) on their ear, they would not be able to experience its taste, nor would they be able to perceive its colour; similarly, if brought before the eyes, one would not be able to say anything as to its taste.

This clearly demonstrates that there are varying faculties and powers by which one attains to the deeper reality of things.

Now, if a person desires to experience the taste of something and places it before their eyes, would we say that the edible thing is tasteless? Or if there was a sound and someone tried to hear it using their tongue instead of their ears, would this be possible? The philosophically inclined in this day and age suffer from the illusion whereby they reject a truth due to their own lack of knowledge. Even in daily

Photo courtesy of Suhaib Ahmad

matters we observe that all tasks are not done by the same person, rather, different people are assigned varying tasks. A water-carrier will fetch water, a launderer will wash clothes, and a cook will prepare food. Hence, division of labour is a phenomenon we observe even in the system instituted by man himself.

Therefore, always bear in mind that different faculties are responsible for various tasks. Man has been vested with many a great faculty, and diverse duties have been assigned to each for their perfection. The ignorant philosopher seeks to determine all matters on the basis of their own limited reason, even though this is completely inappropriate. Historical matters can only be determined by history itself. Moreover, how can one acquire a knowledge of the properties of things except by true experience. Inductive

matters are settled through reason.

Similarly, there are individually distinct means in place to acquire a knowledge of various things. Man falls to deception and deprives himself of a deeper knowledge of the reality of things when he attempts to attain a complete knowledge of matters by one avenue alone. I do not deem it necessary to speak on the truthful nature of this principle, because even the least bit of reflection makes this manifestly clear and we observe the truth of these matters in our daily lives. Hence, when the soul separates itself from the body or forges a relationship with it, these phenomena cannot be determined by our faculty of reason alone. For if this was the case, philosophers and thinkers would not have gone astray.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 2, pp. 8-9)

Seek the pleasure of God with humility After taking bai‘at, a person requested the Promised Messiahas to direct him as to what he should do. The Promised Messiahas

“

said: One should read the Holy Quran again and carefully ponder

over its meanings. Offer salat with sincerity of heart and act upon the commandments of the shariah [divine law]. These are the responsibilities of man and then begins the work of God. Whoever seeks the happiness of God Almighty with humility, they attain the pleasure of God.” (Badr, 1 August 1907)

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AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

From The historic message of Hazrat Khalifatul the Masih V for Arabs on 15 years of successful Markaz

broadcast of MTA3 Al-Arabiyya

Islamabad, UK 20.3.2022 Dear Arab brothers and sisters, May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.

The management of our satellite channel MTA Al-Arabiyya has requested me to send a message on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of its foundation.

My message on this occasion is that today, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, 15 years have passed since the foundation of MTA Al-Arabiyya. Through this, we have witnessed that God Almighty’s promise to the Promised Messiahas, “I shall cause thy message to reach the corners of the earth” has been fulfilled among the Arab brothers as well. Its far-reaching and very encouraging results are clearly visible by the grace of Allah.

MTA was the fruit of the means through which Allah the Almighty decreed to spread Islam in an unparalleled manner in this age.

The Promised Messiahas gave us the glad tidings of these modern means for conveying the message of Islam, and informed us how they had been subjected to him to convey his message. He said: “Just as God Almighty has – without the usual means of intervention – used the resources of the earth to create modern inventions and satisfied our physical needs by making trains that outrun horses, He will in the same way – unaided by human hands – use His angels to fulfil spiritual needs. Great heavenly signs will be seen, and numerous flashes of light will open many eyes. Ultimately, people will recognise that they erred gravely in elevating ordinary people and objects to divine status. Be patient and keep watching, for God guards His unity with more jealousy than you do.

Keep praying lest you be counted among the disobedient. O ye who yearn and thirst for truth, listen! These are the days that have been promised since the beginning. God will not permit much delay in these affairs. Just as you can see that the lamp placed on top of a minaret spreads its light far and wide, and just as lightning in one part of the sky also illuminates all other parts, so too will it be in these days. God has Himself provided the means for fulfilling His prophecy that the message of the Messiah will spread in the world like lightning and will encompass all four corners of the earth like the light from a tower.” (The British Government and Jihad, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, pp. 15-16) Moreover, the Promised Messiahas explained in his own words that include subtle and hidden revelation on the issue of the Promised Messiah descending from a white minaret east of Damascus: “There is an indication in the word ‘minaret’ in reference to the time of the Promised Messiah that his light and voice would spread in the world quickly, and

that these means were not available for any other prophet. It is mentioned in the Gospel that the coming of the Messiah will be like lightning, which flashes in one part of the sky and illuminates all other parts in the blink of an eye. This is also an indication of the same thing. Since the Messiah has come to enlighten the whole world, all the means have been prepared for him in advance. He did not come to shed blood, but rather he came with a message of peace for the whole world.” (Khutbatul-Ilhamiyya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 16, pp. 17-18) There is no doubt that MTA is a wonderful manifestation of the blessed words that were uttered by the Promised Messiahas. He was in eager anticipation of spreading his message among the Arabs and saw it as one of his most important goals, as he himself explained: “At present, I have two important tasks at hand: firstly, that my message is propagated in Arabia; secondly, that the message is fully conveyed and clarified without a shadow of doubt to the people of Europe. The Arabs are significant because internally they possess the truth, and a large segment of them perhaps do not even know that God has established a Divine dispensation. It is my responsibility to convey this message to them, and if I do not, I shall be guilty of sin. Similarly, the people of Europe also deserve to know where they have erred – they have deified a man and thus, distanced themselves from the True God.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 253) His Holiness thought well of the Arabs;

and responded to those who thought that this message could not reach the Arabs and to those who had ill-thinking of them, saying: “There are those who think that the people of the Arab world will not accept me and will not even listen: I have no response for their foolish thinking except to utter ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’, i.e. ‘There is no power and no strength save in Allah’ over their statements and recite ‘Inna lillahi wa-inna ilaihi raji‘un’, i.e. ‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him do we return’ over their thinking. Do they not know that the Arabs have been foremost in accepting the truth from time immemorial? Indeed, they are like the root [of a tree] in this and others are their branches. I say that this is Allah’s work as a mercy from Him, and that the Arabs have the greatest right to His mercy and are the closest and most deserving of it.

I can sense the fragrance of Allah’s blessings, so speak not the words of despair nor be among the disheartened.” (Nur-ul-Haqq, p.

15) He, peace be upon him, was not left disappointed by the Arabs, for they accepted this message, which is the true Islam and its second advent, which Allah willed to be established at the hands of the faithful servant of the Holy Prophetsa, the Imam Mahdi and the Promised Messiahas. By this, the Divine Promise to the Promised Messiahas in the two following revelations has been fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled: “The sulaha [righteous ones] of Arabia

and the abdal [devotees] of Syria call down blessings on you’ and ‘The abdal [devotees] of Syria and the servants of Allah from among the Arabs are supplicating on your behalf.”

Allah be praised for all this!

Finally, I would like to address the Arabs using some words of the Promised Messiahas and say: “O ye who are the pious and the chosen ones among the pure-hearted Arabs. O people of the land of Prophethood, adjacent to the magnificent House of Allah. O Arabs of noble descent! O, ye, inhabitants of the land on which the Chosen One placed his blessed footsteps. Take advantage of this spiritual table, which is set 24 hours a day.

Quench your thirst with this spiritual drink that the Promised Messiahas, the faithful servant of the Holy Prophetsa has brought.”

I pray that, may Allah help the Arab world benefit the most from this TV channel, and may He enable its workers to convey the message of Ahmadiyya, that is, true Islam, to the Arab world as it is its due right. I also pray that, may Allah bless our Arab channel with success upon success, Amin.

Wassalam, Yours sincerely, [Signed] The Fifth Caliph of the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias (Translated into English from the original Arabic by Ibrahim Ikhlaf, Headof the English and Arabic Translation and Research Desk)

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

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Answers to Division of the Holy Quran, qunut, Everyday female prisoners of war, praying for non-Muslims, interest, the meaning Issues of ‘heart’ Part XXXII 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.

Division of the Holy Quran Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa was asked in a letter whether there was a particular َّ َ ْ reason behind placing the phrase ‫ َول َی َتلﻄ ْﻒ‬in the centre of the Holy Quran.

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 12 February 2021, gave the following response to this question:

“Allah the Exalted revealed the Holy Quran in the form of verses and surahs, and the Holy Prophetsa established their present order according to the guidance vouchsafed to him by God Almighty. The various kinds of division that took place at various times after the Holy Prophetsa was all done according to people’s own preferences and interpretation. This division does not affect the Holy Quran’s everlasting teachings and their profound spiritual meanings at all.

“The main purpose of the Quranic teachings is to propagate tawhid, the Oneness of God. When we consider the Holy Quran from this point of view, we can clearly see that the subject of the Oneness of Allah is mentioned at the beginning of the Holy Quran as well as the end of it. There is also a special emphasis on tawhid in the surahs that are in the middle of the Holy Quran i.e. Surah al-Kahf. The beginning and the end of this surah speak of the subject of tawhid in particular.

“In other words, the order of the Holy Quran seems to be informed by the following wisdom: By explaining the teachings of tawhid in various places in the Holy Quran, Allah the Exalted has conveyed the message to man that the secret of his success lies in making this Oneness of Allah the focal point of his transient life so that in the eternal life of the Hereafter, he may inherit the infinite bounty of God Almighty.”

Qunut during the Friday prayer Hazrat

Amirul

Momineen,

Khalifatul

Masih Vaa was asked in a letter, “I am the imam, appointed to lead the prayers at my local mosque. I wish to observe the qunut during the Jumuah [Friday] prayer as we are currently passing through a pandemic and Ahmadis are also being persecuted in some countries. However, some of the members are objecting to it. I request your kind permission and guidance in this regard.”

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 12 February 2021, offered the following guidance regarding this issue: “The Holy Prophetsa gave an extremely valuable piece of advice to the imam, who leads prayers. He said: َّ ْ ُ ُ َ َ َّ َ َ َّ َ َ َّ ْ ُ ْ َّ َ ْ ّ َ ُ ْ َ َ ‫الس ِق‬ �� ‫اس َفل َ�� ِف ُﻒ ف ِﺈن ِ�ﻨ�� الﻀ ِﻌیﻒ و‬ ‫ِلﻨ‬ ‫ِإذا صلی أحد�ﻢ ل‬ ِ َ ْ ّ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ َ ‫�� َوإذا َصلی أ َحد� ْﻢ ل َِﻨف ِس ِﻪ فل ُیﻄ ّول َما ش‬ َ َ ْ َ ‫اء‬ ِ ِ ‫وا�� ِب‬ “‘When one of you leads the people in salat, he should shorten it for amongst them are the weak, the sick and the old; and if anyone among you prays alone then he may prolong (the prayer) as much as he wishes.’

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Azan) “As far as observing qunut in prayers is concerned, the ahadith indicate that the Holy Prophetsa observed it for some time even when Muslims faced some calamity.

Hence, on the occasions of [the incidents that took place at] Al-Raji and Bi‘r Ma‘unah, when a large number of the Companionsra were martyred by the enemies of Islam through dishonesty and deception, the Holy Prophetsa observed qunut against these opposing tribes for thirty days and prayed against them. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab alMaghazi)

“In addition to this, the Holy Prophetsa also taught the Companionsra the method of qunut during the witr prayer and for this, he also taught them various supplications.

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Salat, Bab alQunut fi l-Witr) “Therefore, one kind for qunut is that which is observed during the witr prayer and the other one is that which is observed due to special circumstances, such as when an affliction from an enemy befalls or when an epidemic etc. spreads.

“During the time of the Promised Messiahas, when the plague spread through Punjab in accordance with the prophecy given by Allah the Almighty, Huzooras, following the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa, said: “‘Nowadays, qunut should be recited in prayers due to the prevalence of the epidemic.’ (Al-Badr, No. 15, Vol. 2, 1 May 1903, p. 115) “He also said: ‘Everyone should try to get up for Tahajjud and to include qunut in the five daily Prayers as well.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, 2016, p. 192) “Apart from this, Huzooras also instructed regarding the supplications [ad‘iyah] recited in qunut and instructed that only the ad‘iyah mentioned in the Holy Quran and the hadith should be recited in it.

(Badr, No. 31, Vol. 6, 1 August 1907, p. 12) “Regarding qunut, it should be kept in mind that it is masnun and not obligatory to recite it in the different prayers. Therefore, its observance cannot be declared mandatory.

Moreover, the practice of observing qunut

during prayers [salat] is substantiated by ahadith and the instructions of the Promised Messiahas, but there is no mention in any narration of it being observed in Friday prayers. Thus, such good deeds, in which others are also participating, should be carried out as far as permitted by the shariah so that nobody is overburdened beyond their capacity.”

Female prisoners of war and interest Huzooraa was asked about the issue of physical relationships with female prisoners of war, and the views of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and Malik Saif-ur-Rahman Sahib were presented regarding interest for guidance on both the issues.

In his letter dated 15 February 2021, Huzooraa replied as follows: “Following the cruel actions of the enemies of Islam since its early days, Islam ultimately allowed for [defensive] wars, as a result of which, along with other spoils, the women of the enemy also came under the control of the Muslims as female prisoners of war. In light of some verses of Surah al-Nisa, my position is that conjugal relations could be established with those female prisoners of war only through nikah. Nevertheless, their consent was not required for this marriage, nor did this marriage affect the permission for a man to rightfully marry up to four women.

“You have mentioned your position on the issue of such female prisoners of war.

As I wrote in my first reply (which has been published in [Al Hakam under] Answers to Everyday Issues, episodes IV & V), there are different views on this issue; Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh was of the view that a nikah with such female prisoners of war was not necessary, while both types of positions are proven from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. “In any case, whether a nikah used to take place or not, whatever method existed, everyone agrees that if such a female prisoner of war had a child, she would get the status of umm al-walad in the life of her master, which meant that the master could neither sell her nor give her to anyone else and after the death of the master such a woman would get full rights of freedom and

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AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

she would be completely free.

“As far as the issue of interest is concerned, by the grace of Allah the Exalted, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat has always expressed its position at various times through the Jamaat’s scholars under the supervision of the Khalifa of the time after considering various aspects of this issue in light of the Holy Quran, the hadith and the guidance given by the Promised Messiahas. And even now, many issues related to interest are under consideration by the Jamaat.”

Praying for a friend who died as a non-Muslim Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa was asked in a letter whether a person could pray for a friend who died as a Christian, a Hindu or a Buddhist but who had had good and loving sentiments for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 15 February 2021, provided the following reply to this question: “As I wrote to you previously, Islam does not teach us to hate any humans, only to detest their evil deeds. As far as anyone’s going to Paradise or Hell is concerned, Allah the Exalted has kept this decision in His hands and has not given any human being in this world the right to pass judgement on whether someone is destined for Paradise or Hell. Nonetheless, it is true that sometimes Allah informs His prophets and messengers whether a particular person is destined for Heaven or Hell. However, Allah the Exalted alone decides whether that person would go to Heaven or Hell. Hence, Allah the Exalted describes this subject in the Holy Quran as follows: “‘(As to) those who believe, and the Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians, and the Magians and the idolaters, verily, Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection; surely Allah is Witness over all things.’ (Surah al-Hajj, Ch.22: V.18) “Then, Allah the Exalted also states in the Holy Quran that He does not waste the good deeds of any human being regardless

of what religion he may belong to. Thus, He says: “‘Surely, the Believers, and the Jews, and the Christians and the Sabians – whichever party (from among these truly) believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds – shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear (shall come) upon them, nor shall they grieve.’ (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: Ch.63) “So, there is no harm in paying condolences over the death of someone, in reciting the supplication of:

َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِه َوإنَّا إل َ ْی ِہ َراج ُع‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

“[‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return’] or in asking for the mercy of Allah the Exalted. One who recites:

َ ‫إنَّا ل ِ ّٰل ِه َوإنَّا إل َ ْی ِہ َراج ُع‬ “‫ون‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

it even becomes a prayer for him as well because Allah the Exalted has instructed us to recite this prayer in case of any harm or loss. The purpose of this supplication is to express: ‘O Allah, remove this distress or make up for this loss.’ And when we offer this supplication upon the death of a person, one of the purposes may also be to say that, ‘O Allah, at the death of this person, I pray that You fulfil the expectations I had from him.’

“One may ask for Allah’s mercy for anyone because it is also up to Allah the Exalted to show mercy to anyone and He knows best when to show mercy to which person. Therefore, it is mentioned in the ahadith that one day, as a result of Allah’s mercy, Hell will be completely emptied.

(Tafsir al-Tabari, Tafsir of Surah Hud verse 108)”

of the hearts’, ‘doubting of the hearts’, ‘hearts being blind’, ‘hearts reaching the throats’, ‘turning of the hearts’, ‘hearts not understanding’, ‘sinning or doing good of the hearts’, ‘hearts being oblivious to the remembrance of Allah’, ‘purity of the hearts’, ‘contentment of the hearts’, ‘having piety in the hearts’, ‘having strong hearts’, ‘intention of the hearts’, ‘faith entering the hearts’, ‘the revelation of the Word of God upon the hearts’, ‘hearts being free from worries’ and ‘seeing of the hearts’ etc. Similarly, in the ahadith, the word ‘heart’ has been used as a metaphor as well as in the literal sense.

“Therefore, the usage of this word in the Quran and the hadith with different meanings shows that in the religious and spiritual language, ‘heart’ does not just denote the physical organ that performs the function of circulating blood, rather it is also used as a metaphor to convey various meanings. It has numerous meanings such as soul, knowledge, understanding, intellect, intention, disposition, courage and primordial nature [fitrah], etc.

“Hence, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states in his lexical analysis of the terms qalb and fu‘ad: “‘Qalb […] means al-fu‘ad (the heart) […] and sometimes the term qalb also refers the intellect […] And by the word qalb, human states are described that are related to soul, knowledge and courage, etc. […]

Qalb also denotes thinking and pondering.’

(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 153) as “The Promised Messiah ُ ُ َ َ َ states [with َ ۡ ‫…‘( کت‬. in whose reference to ‫ب فِ ۡی قلوۡ ِب ِہ ُم الاِیۡ َمان‬ hearts Allah has inscribed [true] faith…)], as mentioned in verse 23 of Surah alMujadalah]:

Usage of the word ‘heart’ in Islamic theology Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa was asked in a letter, “When we speak of the ‘heart’ in religious and spiritual terms, does it refer to the human organ that circulates blood, or does it refer to the soul and the brain?”

Huzooraa, in a letter dated 26 January 2021, gave the following reply to this question: “The words ‫[ ﻗلﺐ‬qalb] and ‫[ فﺆاد‬fu‘ad] are commonly used in the Arabic language for the heart. The Holy Quran uses these two words both literally and metaphorically, for example, ‘veils on the hearts’, ‘crookedness or deviation of the hearts’, ‘hardening of the hearts’, ‘disbelief of the hearts’, ‘disease in the hearts’, ‘seal on the hearts’, ‘rusting of the hearts’, ‘denial of the hearts’, ‘wrath

“‘By the inscribing of faith in the heart, it is meant that faith has entered into their heart’s desires and become a part and parcel of their nature, every insincerity having vanished away. This stage is reached when, assisted by the Spirit of holiness, a person attains a new life. As the constant presence of the soul in the body is a source of protection and light to it, so the Spirit of holiness of the new life should make its permanent habitation in the heart and cast a light upon it every hour and every moment, and as the soul gives life to the body, so the Spirit of holiness should be a source of life to the heart and all spiritual faculties. It is for this reason that in the verse quoted above, Almighty God has spoken of the assistance of the Spirit of holiness immediately after the statement that faith was inscribed in their hearts. For, when faith enters into the nature of man, he attains really a new life, and this new birth does not take place without the assistance of the Spirit of holiness. In short, the Holy Quran very frequently speaks of the spiritual or new life, and speaks of the true and perfect believers as the living and of the unbelievers as the dead, thus showing that the true believers obtain a new life by

the entrance of the Spirit of holiness into their hearts while the disbelievers are not granted such life.’ (Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 5, pp. 100-102) “The Promised Messiahas also says: “‘The Holy Quran states:

ُ ُ َ ّٰ َ ‫خ َت َم الل ُه َعلی قل ِوب ِہ ْم‬

“‘[Allah has set a seal on their hearts (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V. 8)]. The meaning of God’s setting a seal on their hearts is that when a person commits evil, the result of that evil is manifested on his heart and face by God Almighty. And that is also the meaning of the verse:

ُ ُ ّٰ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ‫فل ّما زاﻏوا أزاغ الل ُه قلوبَ ُہ ْم‬

[Surah al-Saff, Ch.61: V.6]. That is, ‘When they deviated from the truth, Allah caused their hearts to deviate from the suitability to the truth.’ Eventually, under the influence of hostile zeal, a strange metamorphosis took place in them and they became so evil that it was as if they lost all previous identity and gradually the poison of selfish opposition suppressed the radiance from their fitrah.’

(Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 13, pp. 47-48) ُ ُ ُ ْ ُ ْ َ ّٰ ْ َ َ “With regard to ‫ألا ِب ِذک ِر الل ِه تﻄ َم ِئ ّن القلوب‬ [Aye! it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts can find comfort. (Surah al-Ra‘d, Ch.13: V.29)], the Promised Messiahas states: “‘The general meaning of this is that hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah but its reality and philosophy is that when a person remembers Allah the Exalted with true sincerity and complete loyalty and believes himself to be in front of Him at all times, this creates a fear of Divine Greatness in his heart. That fear protects him from abominations and prohibitions and such a man progresses in piety and purity until the angels of Allah descend upon him and give him glad tidings and the door of revelation is opened to him. In that moment, it is as if he sees Allah the Exalted and sees [some of] His hidden powers. Thereafter, no sorrow can befall his heart and his natural disposition is always filled with joy and happiness.’ (Al Hakam, Vol. 9, No. 32, 10 September 1905, p. 8) “Explaining the verse:

َ ٌ ُ​ُ ً ّٰ ‫�ِ� قل ِوب ِہ ْم َمﺮَض � َز َاد ُہ ُم الل ُه َمﺮَﺿا‬

“[In their hearts was a disease, and Allah has increased their disease to them. (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.11)] in Tafsir-e-Kabir, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes: “‘In this verse, it is stated that their acting contrary to the sound nature [fitrate-sahihah] indicates that their hearts are diseased because if there was no disease in their hearts, they would at the very least be conscientious of those things that are born of the sound nature. Just as excess bile spoils the taste of mouth and makes even the sweet taste bitter, likewise those whose hearts are diseased cannot hear the voice of their fitrah properly.’ (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 173) “Thus, the Holy Quran, the hadith and the above-mentioned statements prove that in the theological and spiritual contexts ‘heart’ does not only denote the physical organ but the term also serves as a metaphor to convey various meanings.”

(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London. Translated by Al Hakam)

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

6

This Week 22-28 station owing to his absolute loyalty.

He was utterly devoted to serving the Jamaat and passed away two days ago. […] This was our dear brother Mahmood Ahmad Shahid, who is known as Mahmood Bengali Sahib by many in Pakistan. He was a servant of the Jamaat, an excellent helper of the Khulafa of the time who had an intense sense of honour for Khilafat. These days he was serving as the Amir Jamaat Australia.

He passed away on 23 April.” (Friday Sermon, 25 April 2014) 23 April 2017: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurated the Al-Ain Mobile Eye Clinic at the Baitus Sabuh Mosque in Frankfurt.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivering his address at Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany’s 2017 Convocation

22 April 22 April 2006: During his visit to Australia, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurated the Baitul Masroor Centre. Further, 290 people from 71 families had the privilege of meeting

Germany’s second convocation ceremony took place at the Jamia premises in Riedstadt. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa presided over the ceremony and delivered the keynote address. In his address, Huzooraa said:

remember that Islam’s true message is destined to spread because this is the promise of Allah the Almighty.” (“Convocation ceremony of Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany takes place in historic event”, www. pressahmadiyya.com, 23 April 2017)

“As missionaries, you must never

23 April 23 April 2010: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered his Friday sermon from Noor Mosque, Wigoltingen, Switzerland, and said that every sermon was addressed to every Ahmadi wherever they may be.

23 April 2014: Mahmood Ahmad Shahid Sahib passed away. In his Friday sermon on April 25, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:

with Huzooraa. These families belonged to members of the Jamaat who were martyred and families of Ahmadis who were held captive and were now residing in Australia after migration. Also on this day, Huzooraa left Brisbane for Adelaide. (Al Fazl International, 2 June 2006, pp. 1011) 22 April 2017: Jamia Ahmadiyya

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurating Baitul-Masroor, Brisbane, Australia, 2006

move away from the fundamental tenets of Islam and the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

It does not matter if media columns are written against you or even if an entire newspaper is printed in opposition to you. No matter the circumstances, you must remain firm in your conviction. Always

24 April 24 April 2006: This day was the last day of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’saa tour of Australia. Huzooraa visited the Opera House in Sydney, Harbor Bridge and the Royal Botanic Gardens. On the same day, some members of the Jamaat were graced to have a mulaqat with Huzooraa.

Huzooraa also inspected the Jamaat’s library and named it the Hassan Musa Khan Library. (Al Fazl, 2 June 2006, pp. 10-11)

25 April 25 April 2006: During his visit to the Far East, Hazrat Khalifatul Maish Vaa arrived at the Nandi Airport in Fiji, which is called the edge of the world. Huzooraa was interviewed by a correspondent for a national TV station.

Delegations from neighbouring countries like Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati etc. also came to receive Huzooraa. (Al Fazl International, 9 June 2006, pp. 1-2)

25 April 2008: During his visit to Benin, Mahmood Ahmad Shahid Sahib with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered his Friday Sermon at a newly constructed Porto-Novo mosque and “I wish to pay tribute here to a very dear personality who had a special

7

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

in History April countries Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Congo, Zimbabwe and Botswana gave a warm welcome. (Al Fazl International, 13 May 2005, p.

16)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa upon arrival in Fiji

26 April 2006: During Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’saa visit to Fiji, 118 people from 34 families had the opportunity to meet with Huzooraa

27 April 27 April 2005: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa was in Nairobi where, before Fajr, he received the sad news of the demise of his elder brother, Mirza Idrees Ahmad Sahib, from Pakistan.

On this day, Huzooraa inspected the then new three-storey complex attached to the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Nairobi. Huzooraa visited the langar and inspected the Ahmadiyya Clinic located several kilometres away. At four o’clock, Huzooraa visited the Ahmadiyya Cemetery, where some of the Companions of the Promised Messiahas are buried. In addition, 29 families were privileged to have a mulaqat with Huzooraa. (Al Fazl International, 13 May 2005, p.

8 & 16) 27 April 2006: During Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’saa visit to Fiji, the acting president had the opportunity to meet with Huzooraa.

Fiji TV interviewing Huzooraa, Fiji

thus inaugurating the mosque.

26 April 26 April 2005: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’saa visit to Kenya and East Africa began. Huzooraa arrived in Nairobi from London. Delegations from Kenya and neighbouring

on this day. Huzooraa travelled 35 kilometres from Nandi city and inspected the Ahmadiyya school located in Lautoka. There, 60 people from 21 families had the privilege of meeting with Huzooraa. (Al Fazl International, 9 June 2006, p. 2 & 9)

Huzooraa inspected the arrangements for Jalsa Salana and addressed the dignitaries at a dinner held at the

main hotel in Sova that evening. (Al Fazl International, 9 June 2006, pp.

9 - 10)

28 April 28 April 2005: This was the first Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V with members of the Jamaat at the Sydney Opera House, Australia, 2006 aa

day of the 40th Jalsa Salana of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Kenya. This Jalsa was historic as it was the first Jalsa of Kenya in which the Khalifatul Masih attended in person.

The vice president of the country also addressed the inaugural session of the Jalsa. It should be noted that the country’s officials had never attended the jamaat’s Jalsa before.

The attendance was five times more than the previous year. In addition to other engagements, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa attended a reception in the evening to which the country’s political, diplomatic and higher judicial and administrative officials were invited.

(Al Fazl International, 13 May 2005, pp. 8-9) 28 April 2006: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered the Friday Sermon from Sova, Fiji.

This sermon was broadcast live.

Huzooraa said that all praise was due to Allah that He enabled Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa to deliver the sermon directly from this region of the world, which is also known as the end of the world. Hence, the

The staff involved in the preparation of Al-Ain Mobile Clinic & members of Humanity First Germany with Huzooraa

message of the Promised Messiahas was being conveyed from one end of the world to the other via the means of MTA.

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

8

Huzoor’s message to readers of Maltese magazine, Id-Dawl following its 50th edition

ّٰ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ َّ َّ ۡ َ َّ َ َ ‫اس من یت ِخذ ِمن دو ِن الل ِه‬ ِ ‫و ِمن الن‬ ٰ َ ّ ّ ۡ َ‫اَن ۡ َد ًادا ّیُ ِح ُّبوۡن َ ُہ ۡم َک ُح ّب الل ِه ؕ َوال ِذین‬ ِ ّ ٰ ّ ً ّ ُ ُ ّ َ َ ۤۡ ُ َ ٰ ؕ ‫امنوا اﺷد حبا ل ِل ِه‬ “And there are some among men who take for themselves objects of worship other than Allah, loving them as they should

Laiq Ahmed Atif President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta has been blessed to publish a monthly tabligh magazine IdDawl, in the local Maltese language since January 2018 and has so far published 50 editions.

Id-Dawl, which means “light”, has been providing a fresh and peaceful perspective of the philosophy of the teachings of Islam through providing true and profound wisdom and understanding of the Quranic teachings. It has been a means against irrational interpretations of Quranic pronouncements and misapplications of Islamic law; and a means to correct misinterpretations, misunderstandings and misconceptions about Islam Ahmadiyyat.

This magazine has been playing a vital role in providing light in finding the valuable and feasible road that leads to a peaceful, stronger and prosperous world. It has been continuously providing a platform to build bridges between people, promote tolerance, harmony and brotherhood and spread the message of hope and peace.

The magazine was started with the blessed approval of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa in January 2018 and now we are blessed to publish its 50th edition. In this special edition, Huzooraa has also graciously sent his message.

We request the esteemed readers for special prayers that may the Almighty Allah enable us to utilise all our abilities and capacities to serve Islam Ahmadiyyat in the best manner possible and may He make this magazine an ideal and effective tool for the propagation of Islam Ahmadiyyat.

Moreover, your feedback will also be highly appreciated and will be helpful for further improvements.

Readers can find all the past issues of this magazine at: www.ahmadiyya.mt/id-dawl

Special message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa to Id-Dawl readers “Dear Readers of Id-Dawl, “Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahe wa barakatohu – peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all.

“I am very pleased that by the grace of Allah, February 2022 will mark the 50th edition of your monthly magazine Id-Dawl.

Alhamdolillah! May Allah bless you and enable you to continue to inform the readers of the true teachings of Islam which promote peace and harmony for all mankind.

“The Promised Messiah (may Allah’s peace be upon him) has stated; ‘One of the various other Quranic prophecies about the Latter Days is:

‫واذا الصحﻒ نشرت‬

i.e. the Latter Days are those when books will be published in abundance.’

“So Allah the Almighty did not only foretell the victory of Islam in the Latter Days, but also provided us with the means of its propagation. The purpose of publishing this magazine is also the propagation of Islam, which was the objective for which the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, came into the world. Allah Almighty has now provided us various ways and means for the spreading of the message of Islam including publications. Therefore, may Allah grant you the opportunity to utilise these resources properly and enable you to render admirable services in preaching the beautiful teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and Islam, effectively and in an exemplary manner.

“No matter where in the world we are working, our objective is to take the message of the Promised Messiah peace be upon him to every corner of the world. Allah Almighty will definitely bring this to pass because He revealed to the Promised Messiah peace be upon him that ‘I shall carry thy message to the ends of the earth’ and for this task He has provided us with so many resources.

“Only if we self-reflect and fully appreciate the significance of our responsibilities, and also participate in tabligh activities, will we truly be seen to be honouring the obligations required of us.

Only then can we be included among those fortunate ones who gain Divine nearness.

May Allah enable you to do this. May Allah bless you all.

“Yours Sincerely, [Signed] “MIRZA MASROOR AHMAD KHALIFATUL MASIH V”

love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah.”

(Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.166)

9

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

The philosophy of invoking durood on the Holy Prophet – Part II In his book, Hayat-e-Qudsi, Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasul Sahib Rajekira states:

Manifestation of divine attributes through Durood Sharif In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty says:

ّٰ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ ۡ َ ۡ ‫َو َس ٰل ٌم َعلی ال ُم ۡﺮ َس ِلی َن۔ َوال َح ۡم ُد لِل ِه َر ِّب ال ٰعل ِمی َن‬

[“And peace be upon the Messengers! And all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Surah As-Saffat, Ch.37: V.182-83)] In the previous [verse], God says:

ُ َ َ ۡ َ ‫ُس ۡب ٰح َن َر ِّبک َر ِّب ال ِع ّﺰ ِۃ َع ّما یَ ِصفوۡ َن‬

[“Holy is thy Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power, far above that which they assert.”

(Surah al-Saffat, Ch.37: V.181)] The meaning of the aforementioned two verses is that acknowledging the messengers of God Almighty as innocent, free from every vice and defects, and believing in them agreeably is a proof and a sign that all and perfect praise belongs to Allah the Almighty. The greatness of His praise is that He is unceasingly showering His blessings for the guardianship of all the worlds and the advent of God’s messengers also comes under His guardianship, which eventually led to the appearance of the greatest messenger, Muhammadsa Rasulullah, to all the nations of the world and for the guardianship of all the creations. By doing so, in addition to the manifestation of His praise, Allah the Almighty demonstrated to the atheists and polytheists that, “All the Glory belongs to your Lord, Who has sent you, O Messenger, and He is free from all those faults and defects which the ignorant, polytheists and atheists attribute to His Holy and Praise-worthy Being. َ ّ ” َ ُّ Hence, in ‫“[ َصلوۡا َعل ۡی ِہ َو َس ِل ُموۡا ت ۡس ِل ۡی ًما‬Invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace”], the reason for sending salaam in addition to salat is in the same sense as stated above. It is for this very reason that the words of Salat [Durood Sharif] for sending durood on the Holy Prophetsa contain the attributes of Al-Hameed [the Most Praise-worthy] and Al-Majeed [the Most Glorious] of God Almighty, which means that the praise and glory of Allah the Almighty have a special connection with the status of the prophethood of the Holy Prophetsa and the manifestation of his truthfulness.

The aims and objectives of the Holy Prophetsa When Durood Sharif is recited as a dua [prayer], it is necessary to keep in view the aims and objectives of the Holy Prophetsa and pray for their fulfilment. The aims and objectives of the Holy Prophetsa are of three kinds: (1) Regarding the Creator; (2) with respect to the creation; (3) about the nafs [inner self].

As regards the Creator, the objective of the Holy Prophetsa is to manifest the greatness of the word of God and the regard

Masjid al-Nabawi, the mosque initially built by the Holy Prophetsa and his Companionsra in the city of Medina. Upon the Holy Prophet’ssa arrival in Medina, one of the first tasks was the construction of this mosque

for the commandments of God in the world.

Regarding the creation, [the objective of the Holy Prophetsa] is that every human being may attain the tawhid [belief in the Unity of Allah] of God Almighty in a doctrinal and practical way, and fulfil the entrusted rights of God and the rights His creation, and become a perfect model in discharging the obligations of showing regard for the commandments of God and compassion for God’s creation. Moreover, they may become the heirs to paradise and be saved from hellish life by being close and attaining nearness to God. The personal [nafs] objective [of the َ َّ sa Holy Prophet ] is that according to ‫ِان َصلا ِت ۡی‬ ٰ ّ ۡ َ ۡ َ ‫“[ َون ُ ُس ِک ۡی َو َم ۡح َی‬My Prayer ‫ای َو َم َما ِت ۡی لِل ِه َر ِّب ال ٰعل ِمی َن‬ and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds”], the extent to which the Holy Prophetsa desired for himself to advance in the stages of irfan [divine wisdom] and closeness to God Almighty, he may continue to progress along those lines َ at allُ times. Therefore, the ُۡ َٰۡ َ ّ ٌۡ َ verse: ‫“[ َوللاخ َِرۃ خی� لک ِم َن الا ۡولٰی‬Surely every hour that follows is better for thee than the one that precedes”], gives the glad tidings that the status of the Holy Prophetsa has the glory of progressing to infinite degrees.

Salat, nusuk, hayat and mamat ّٰ َ ‫ِا َّن َصلَا ِت ۡی َون ُ ُس ِک ۡی َو َم ۡح َی‬ In the verse, ‫ای َو َم َما ِت ۡی لِل ِه‬ َۡ َ ٰ ۡ ّ َ ‫“[ ر ِب العل ِمین‬My Prayer and my sacrifice and

my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds”], the salat of the Holy Prophetsa has been placed before hayat [life] on muqam-e-istifaza [the station of seeking blessings], and nusuki, i.e. his sacrifice has been placed before mamat [death] on muqam-e-ifaza [the station of distributing

blessings]. From this, it is explained that the great objective of his life is that on the one hand, an endless series of seeking blessings from Allah the Almighty may continue forever and on the other, an infinite and eternal series of the distribution of blessings may continue for the creation of God through the Holy Prophetsa.

This very objective has also been ّ ‫َف َص‬ expressed in the words of the verse: ‫ل‬ ِ ۡ‫“[ ل ِﺮَ ّب َک َوان ۡ َحر‬So pray to thy Lord, and offer ِ sacrifice”]. That is, seek blessings with fasalli [so pray to thy Lord], and continue the series of sacrifices with inhar [offer sacrifice], which is a distribution of blessings from the Holy Prophetsa to the people, and as a result, he will be blessed with kauthar [abundance of good]. That is, the abundance of all kinds of rewards and blessings which is infinite and beyond the limits of counting.

The sacrifice of the Holy Prophetsa is also َ َّ َ mentionedُ inَ the words of the verses: ‫ل َعلک‬ َ ّ ُ َّ َ ۡ ٌ ۡ ‫“[ بَا ِخع نف َسک الا یَکوۡنوۡا ُم ۡؤ ِم ِنی َن‬Haply thou wilt grieve thyself they believe ُّ to death َ ٌ because َ not”] and ‫“[ � ِزیۡﺰ َعل ۡی ِہ َما َع ِنت ۡم‬Grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble”]. That is, leave aside the sympathy and compassion of the Holy Prophetsa for other creations, his compassion and sacrifice for the disbelievers, who were his mortal enemies, was such that God Almighty, Who is the Creator of the nature and the Knower of the unseen and the seen, testifies that the Holy Prophetsa was melting with compassion for his enemies and disbelievers to such a degree that he was risking his life due to his concern and extreme spiritual practices.

Thus, keeping in view the said compassion of the Holy Prophetsa and bearing in mind his benevolent and gracious

favours and kindness, while sending Durood Sharif on the Holy Prophetsa, one should pray for the fulfilment of his aims and objectives.

The durood of Allah the Almighty and His angels The durood of Allah the Almighty and His angels is different from that of the believers. That is, the durood of Allah the Almighty and His angels is a bestowing of grace without any effort and without any compensation or exchange under the attribute of rahmaniyyat [graciousness]. On the other hand, the durood of the believers is a prayer and a spiritual practice and effort due to which the blessings of God Almighty are bestowed as a reward under the attribute of rahimiyyat [mercy]. In this way, the Holy Prophetsa is showered with blessings through both the attributes of rahmaniyyat [graciousness] and rahimiyyat [mercy].

At the same time, a believer through his utmost attention and utilising the fullest possible extent of his divine wisdom should pray by including in his Durood Sharif the durood of Allah the Almighty and His angels, and also remembering the blessings of the prayers of all the prophets and believers, and their favours and supplications. In this way, they should expand the scope of istifaza [seeking blessings] for the Holy Prophetsa. Moreover, they should combine the blessings of the attributes of rahmaniyyat and rahimiyyat and present it in a comprehensive manner in their durood.

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in Hayat-e-Qudsi, pp. 604-606)

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

10

The miraculous Sign of Red Drops in Ramadan

Masjid Mubarak, Qadian Jalees Ahmad Al Hakam

As we enter the last 10 days of the blessed month of Ramadan, we intensify our worship to reap the full blessings of the remaining days of this month.

In the last 10 days, Muslims are reminded to search for the night that is better than a thousand months: Lailatul Qadr (the night of destiny).

The Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said: “Look for Lailatul Qadr in the oddnumbered nights during the last 10 nights of Ramadan.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fazlu Lailatil-Qadr) Hazrat Munshi Abdullah Sanaurira – an ardent companion of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas – states: “Once, I heard from Hazrat Sahib[as] that when the 27th day of Ramadan falls on a Friday, then that night is Lailatul Qadr, the Night of Destiny.” (Sirat-ul-Mahdi, narration 100) Going through the leaves of history and the life of the Promised Messiahas, we read about a divine vision Hazrat Ahmadas saw in the month of Ramadan – and that too in the last 10 days – in which he was presented before Allah. In 1885, on a Friday during the month of Ramadan, having just offered the Fajr prayer, Hazrat Ahmadas took rest on a charpoy in a small chamber to the east of Masjid Mubarak. With no mattress or pillow on the charpoy, Hazrat Ahmadas cushioned one arm beneath his head whilst the other rested over his face. With him was a devoted companion, Hazrat Maulvi Abdullah Sanaurira, who began kneading Huzoor’sas feet till the sun came out and the room was lit up. Hazrat Ahmadas had

placed his head towards the qiblah and face towards the north.

Narrating his sentiments of this moment, Hazrat Maulvi Abdullah Sanaurira says: “I was thinking with great joy how fortunate I was and what a blessed opportunity had been afforded to me by Allah, the Holy and High, that it was the blessed month of Ramadan and it was the blessed 27th day, the blessed period of the last 10 days [of Ramadan], a blessed Friday, and I was in the company of a blessed person.

I thought to myself how many blessings combined for me that day; it would not be strange if God Almighty was to show me some sign of the Promised Messiah[as].” (Al Fazl, 26 September 1916, p. 10) Hazrat Munshi Abdullah Sanaurira said that he was overjoyed by the blessed moment when, unexpectedly, the Promised Messiah’sas body suddenly shuddered.

“Thereafter,” narrates Hazrat Maulvi Sahibra, “Huzooras removed his elbow from his face and looked in my direction. At that point, I noticed that Hazrat Sahib’s[as] eyes were filled with tears.” (Sirat-ul-Mahdi, narration 100) It was at this moment that Huzooras had just seen a vision in a state of divine inspiration. Narrating what he saw, Hazrat Ahmadas, in his book Surma Chashm-eArya, writes: “I remember that on one occasion, in a state of vision, I saw that I had written certain divine decrees with my own hand setting out events in the future and then presented the paper to Allah the All-Powerful, Gloried be His name, for His signature. […] To the same Peerless and Self-Sufficient Being – Who manifested His attribute of Beauty to my mind in the state of vision and appeared to be God, the All-Powerful – I presented the document containing divine decrees for

attestation. And He, Who was manifesting Himself in the form of a Ruler, dipped His pen in red ink and first flicked it in my direction and with the rest of the red ink which remained at the point of the pen He put His signature to the document.

“Thereupon, the state of vision came to an end and when I opened my eyes to look at the material world around me, I witnessed several red drops falling on my clothes. Two or three of the drops also fell on the cap of one Abdullah of Sanaur (Patiala State) who was, at the time, sitting close to me. Thus, the red ink which was part of the vision materialised externally and became visible.

Many other such manifestations have been witnessed which it would take too long to relate.” (Surma Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 179-180 footnote) Hazrat Ahmadas narrated this same incident in his book Haqiqatul-Wahi.

For the benefit of readers, the passage is presented below: “Once I beheld God Almighty in a spiritual manifestation. I wrote many prophecies with my own hand which meant that such and such events should happen and then I presented that paper to God Almighty for His signature. Allah the Almighty signed it without any hesitation in red ink. At the time of signing, He flicked the pen as one does when the pen carries more than the required amount of ink – then He affixed His signature. I was very emotional at that time with the thought of how great the kindness and favour of God Almighty is upon me that God Almighty has placed His signature on whatever I desired without any hesitation. Right at that moment, I woke up. Mian Abdullah of Sanaur was kneading my feet at that time in the mosque chamber.

In front of him, out of nowhere, drops of red ink fell on my shirt and on his cap also.

The strange thing is that the falling of the red drops and the flicking of the pen was simultaneous – there was not a second’s difference between the two.” (Haqiqatul Wahi [English], pp. 325-326) Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira saw the Promised Messiah’sas eyes filled with tears.

Hazrat Ahmadas then covered his face with his forearm, as he had been doing before.

Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira continued to massage the Promised Messiahas. Whilst massaging him, he reached his shin and saw that there was a tiny red drop under Huzoor’sas ankle. He placed his right index finger on it to see what it was and at that moment, the drop spread towards the ankle and onto his finger. He then smelt it to see if it had any fragrance, but there was no smell.

“I [Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira] was surprised and the verse passed through my mind:

َ ًَ ّٰ َ َ ّٰ ‫ِص ْبغة الل ِه َو َم ْن أ ْح َس ُن ِم َن الل ِه ِص ْبغة‬

“[‘The colouring of Allah and who is better than Allah in the matter of colouring?’

(Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.139)]” (Al Fazl 26 September 1916, p. 11) Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira observed a few wet red stains on Huzoor’sas shirt which made him wonder what it was. He then got up and examined the whole room but did not find any red stain anywhere else.

He searched for the cause of the drops on and around the ceiling but was unable to understand its cause.

“I even speculated that a lizard’s tail might have been cut causing its blood to fall from the ceiling and thus I searched for some sort of clue on the roof; however, I could not find any. Then eventually I got tired and sat down.” (Sirat-ul-Mahdi, narration 100) Puzzled by this state of affairs, Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira resumed kneading Huzoor’sas feet. The Promised Messiahas continued lying down with his forearm covering his face. After a brief interval, Huzooras sat up and went inside the mosque and sat there, where Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira continued massaging his back and shoulders. He then asked the Promised Messiahas where these red drops came from.

Hazrat Ahmadas first replied that it could be the juice from a mango and avoided any further questioning. Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira then said that the drops could not be from the juice of a mango as it was red.

“Upon this, Huzooras gestured with his head slightly and said, ‘Kithey hai? [Where is it?]’” (Sirat-ul-Mahdi, narration 100). Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira pointed out the drops on the kurta. Huzooras brought the front of the kurta before his eyes and glanced at the drop on the kurta.

It can be said that it was here the Promised Messiahas understood that the vision he saw, in which God manifested Himself in the form of a Ruler, had materialised in this world also. Before describing the incident and explaining where these drops had fallen from, Huzooras explained, in detail, the matter of beholding God the Exalted and the external materialisation of elements observed in a vision. He further mentioned experiences of Hazrat Muhyiddin ibn Arabirh and earlier saints regarding the seeing of Allah and other visions, aspects of which can manifest in the physical world too.

The Promised Messiahas went on to explain what he had seen in the vision. He said that when Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira was massaging him, in a vision he saw an extremely spacious and clean house. In that house, there was an elegant throne upon which an individual sat in the form of a ruler. Huzooras said that his heart felt that this individual was in fact Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

“I [Hazrat Ahmadas] had written down some instructions regarding fate and decree and presented them before Him to sign them. When I approached Him, He very affectionately sat me beside Him on the throne. At that moment, I presented the instructions to get them signed. He dipped the pen in an inkstand of red ink which was nearby, shook it in my direction and placed his signature on it.’” (Sirat-ul-Mahdi, narration 100) Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira narrated that the Promised Messiahas imitated with his hand the way in which the pen was flicked and then used to sign.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah & Mahdi

Hazrat Ahmadas said that the red ink on his kurta were the drops that came out from that pen. The Promised Messiahas then asked Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira to see if any ink had fallen on his clothes too.

He searched but could not find any. Hazrat Ahmadas then told him to look at his cap, to which he then saw that the divine ink had fallen on him also.

Overjoyed by this magnificent incident, Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira desired to take the blessed relic that Huzooras was wearing as tabarruk [a blessed token].

“I requested the Promised Messiah[as] persistently to bestow upon me the shirt which the red drops had fallen on. He agreed on the condition that I should instruct in my will that on my death, it should be buried along with me. His initial apprehension in bestowing it upon me was to prevent people from converting it into an object of worship after our demises. He gave it to me after a good deal of discussion between us. It is still with me and bears the red stains exactly as they were then.” (Al Fazl, 26 September 1916, p. 11) This vision, commonly known as the Sign of Red Drops, is a well-known sign in the history of the Jamaat. Those who are unfamiliar with the ways of Allah might fail to understand this sign and some may resort to ridicule – as opponents, such as Maulvi Sanaullah of Amritsar, had done in the past and continue to tread on this path of scepticism – and would altogether doubt this sign.

In relation to this, the Promised Messiahas writes: “An uninitiated person will not understand this mystery. He will doubt

it, because to him it will merely appear to be a matter of a dream. But one who has knowledge of spiritual phenomena cannot doubt that God can create something out of nothing in this very fashion. In short, I related the entire incident to Mian Abdullah; at that time tears were streaming down my eyes. Abdullah who is a witness to this was deeply moved and he acquired that shirt of mine as a holy relic which is still in his possession.” (Haqiqatul-Wahi [English], pp.

325-326) On another occasion, Huzooras explained: “It should be remembered that it often happens in visions and divinely inspired dreams that some divines attribute of Beauty or Majesty are beheld by the recipient of the vision in the form of a human being and the person seeing the vision thinks, by way of symbolism, that he is actually beholding God, the Absolutely All-Powerful. Among those with experience of spiritual visions, this matter is well-recorded, known, and accepted as an established fact. It cannot be denied by anyone with experience of visions.” (Surma Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 179-180 footnote) In Tazkirat al-Awliya, which is said to be a hagiographic collection of 96 Muslim saints and their miracles, with regard to Hazrat Abdullah bin Jalarh, it is written that he dreamt that the Holy Prophetsa gave him a loaf of bread, which he ate half of in the dream. When he woke up, he states that he found the remaining half of the loaf “still in my hand.” (Tazkirat al-Awliya, Shaykh Fariduddin Attar [d. 627 AH], Published by Al-Farooq Book Foundation, Lahore, 1997, under Hazrat Abdullah Jalarh, p. 238)

Similarly, in Tazkirat al-Awliya, under Hazrat Hassan Basrirh, an incident from his life has been recorded which highlights the mercy of Allah the Almighty along with how a dream can transcend its effect into the material world.

Hazrat Hassan Basri’srh neighbour, Sham‘un, was a fire worshipper who became extremely ill. Hearing about his illness, deeming that his death was near, Hazrat Hassan Basrirh preached to him about Islam.

After preaching for a while, his neighbour accepted Islam on the sole condition that Hazrat Hassan Basrirh wrote a testimony that he had accepted Islam, and told him to have it signed by credible men of Basra, and then to place it in his, Sham‘un, hand - at the time of his burial. This is what Sham‘un desired so that, on the Day of Reckoning, he would have proof of his acceptance of Islam.

At his demise, having placed the testimony in Sham‘un’s hand at his burial, Hazrat Hassan Basrirh, on the same night, saw a dream in which he saw Sham‘un, crowned and wearing fine clothes, walking in Paradise. Sham‘un handed back to him the testimony he wrote and said that he no longer needed it. When Hazrat Hassan Basrirh awoke, he found the testimony in his hand. (Tazkirat al-Awliya, Shaykh Fariduddin Attar [d. 627 AH], Published by Al-Farooq Book Foundation, Lahore, 1997, under Hazrat Hassan Basrirh, pp. 20-21) As for those who oppose and ridicule the fact that Hazrat Ahmadas saw Allah the Almighty manifesting Himself in the form of a dream, they should consider what past scholars have said about this matter.

It is reported that the Holy Prophetsa saw Allah the Almighty in the form of a vision:

the evidence of Prophets is taken to be the strongest evidence because all their lives they have never told a lie.

“The Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, together with Abdullah Sanauri Sahibra, are known to us, very clearly, never to have said a single word of lie.

“And as I have told you, this evidence is very clear and very specific evidence. But, what about nature? How can we see similar things happening in nature? We have seen similar things happening in nature during the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

What about that food which was increased and had become sufficient for the entire army at the Battle of the Ditch? […] The whole army of the Battle of the Ditch witnessed this sign. How can anybody deny [it]? How can a scientist have a right to deny that? And they [the Companionsra] were empty of stomach and they were filled to their capacity, got all their energy, and started working again. So, these things do happen.” (Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh during MTA’s Liqa Ma‘al Arab programme) During a mulaqat with khuddam from

‫رأيت ربي في صورة شاب‬ “I saw my lord in the form of a young man.” (Al-Asma wa Sifaat, pp. 363-364) This has been quoted by Imam Ahmad ibn Husayn, better known as Imam alBayhaqi, who was known to be a Sunni Shafi‘i muhaddith. The narration of the hadith was transmitted from Hazrat Qatadara on the authority of Hazrat Ikrimahra on the authority of Hazrat Ibn Abbasra.

Further, Imam Al Tabarani, in relation to the above-mentioned hadith is reported to have graded it as sahih. (Ibtal al-Ta‘wilaat, p. 143) Ibn Taymiyyah, known as “Shaykh alIslam”, in Bayan Talbis al-Jahmiyyah, writes: “And the righteous and others still see their Lord in a dream, and He addresses them. And I do not deem a sane person would deny that.” (Bayan Talbis alJahmiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 326) So, for one to oppose and ridicule the Sign of Red Drops and ridicule Hazrat Ahmadas is akin to opposing the vision seen by the Holy Prophetsa and the past scholars who have written about this matter.

In relation to the Sign of Red Drops and the evidence of its reality, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh said: “The evidence of such people who are known all their lives to be completely [and] absolutely truthful is much more and much greater than the evidence nowadays presented on television and modern papers of people whose previous lives we do not know about. But, of these people [Hazrat Ahmadas and Hazrat Abdullah Sanaurira], we know they would never tell a lie. So, the evidence is very strong, that is why

Hazrat Munshi Abdullah Sanaurira beside the shirt he received from the Promised Messiahas

Northern England and Scotland, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa was asked about this vision. Huzooraa responded by saying: “Sometimes, science cannot comprehend all things which are a matter of spiritual things. It happened and there was a witness, Abdullah Sanauri Sahibra, who attested to the fact that it happened. And the drops also fell on his clothes […] First he thought that there might be some lizard on the roof, and sometimes drops come out if there are lizards or some insects are there, but there was nothing of that sort.

“These are miracles – spiritual miracles.

It cannot be proved by scientific formulas, no. So if you have a high spiritual status, then you will understand. And the Promised Messiahas also said there was a witness, there was a presence of some person there […] so we have to believe.” (Al Hakam, 17 September 2021, Issue 183, p. 4) Indeed, foolish are those who, in the presence of sufficient evidence, outright deny something due to their lack of knowledge, or due to it not corresponding with their train of thought. The lack of knowledge of an experience is never sufficient to negate its occurrence.

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

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Did someone say ‘Burn the Quran’? interpretation by extremists to the burning of the Quran by the likes of Stram Kurs.

If all copies of the Quran were to disappear from the world The reality is, even if every single Quran on the face of this earth was to be burnt, the Quran would remain preserved to the letter; in fact, it could be reproduced in a matter of days. This is a claim that no other scripture can make.

Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra explains this in Tafsir-e-Kabir: “If all copies of the Quran were to disappear from the world, even then, within

(Barahin–e-Ahmadiyya, Part 2, p. 119) There are other ways in which the Quran has been preserved, which have been mentioned at length by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra in Tafsir-e-Kabir Vol. 4. A detailed discussion of this can be found in the following article: www.alislam.org/articles/was-holyquran-perfectly-preserved/ Therefore, yes, although the burning of the Quran is extremely inflammatory and provocative, this incident gives us proof of a living God who is All-Powerful. Despite all attempts, the Quran can never be erased.

We should rejoice to know that no man can ever destroy what Allah the Almighty has vowed to preserve and safeguard.

How should Muslims react to the Quran-burning?

A question that naturally arises is how should Muslims react to such behaviour.

When similar events took place in Sweden in 2020, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa not only condemned the burning of the Quran, but also gave guidance on how Muslims should respond.

“If all copies of the Quran were to disappear from the world, even then, within a couple of days, the entire Quran can be reproduced. We can instantly reproduce it to the letter even in a small town like Qadian, not to speak of larger cities.”

Romaan Basit Final-Year Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya UK

Sweden is seeing yet another rising wave of anti-Muslim sentiment. A copy of the Quran was burnt in public this Easter weekend, causing violent riots in response.

Rasmus Paludan, leader of far-right party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), wrote on Facebook that it was “time to burn the Quran”, which he carried out last Thursday in the city of Linkoping.

The reaction was fierce; vehicles were set on fire and stones were thrown at the far-right group in protest, with the nation seeing the highest level of violence it has ever witnessed according to national police chief Anders Thornberg.

Danish politician, Paludan is no stranger to such controversy. In 2020, a similar plan was hatched to burn the Quran in Sweden, causing a parallel violent reaction.

In the same year, Paludan was jailed in Denmark for offensive behaviour, banned from Sweden for two years and prevented

from entering Germany amidst plans of a provocative demonstration in Berlin.

Far-right groups like Stram Kurs have declared war against Islam. They aim to rid the West of such a “violent” and “repressive” ideology, and have proved they will go to any length to do so; hence why atrocities such as Quran-burnings are becoming increasingly common.

What they do not realise is that burning physical copies of the Quran will never erase it from the hearts of the people.

Safeguarding the Quran is a responsibility that Allah has taken on Himself. He says in the Holy Quran itself: “Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian.” (Surah al-Hijr, Ch.15: V.10) The Quran has been preserved in its entirety; not only in letter but also in spirit.

Every other divine scripture has been altered. The Quran, however, is the only book that has remained unchanged in the face of constant attempts to interpolate and even destruct it – from the wrongful

a couple of days, the entire Quran can be reproduced. We can instantly reproduce it to the letter even in a small town like Qadian, not to speak of larger cities.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 4, p. 18) One might wonder how this is possible.

As mentioned, Allah the Almighty has promised to safeguard the Quran. For this, there are certain means of preservation in place to assure this. For example, since the beginning of Islam up till this day, there have always been people who have committed the entire text to memory. Also, the verses of the Quran were always written down and then compiled in a book form.

Regarding this, the Promised Messiahas has written: “Hundreds of thousands of Muslims know the whole of the Quran by heart, thousands of commentaries have been written upon it, its verses are read in Prayers five times every day. It is recited by its followers daily, millions of its copies have been spread throughout the world, and its teachings have become known to the people of every nation. All these things compel sane reason to believe that it is impossible for any kind of interpolation or alteration to ever find its way into the Holy Quran.”

During the virtual mulaqat of the national amila of Sweden, Huzooraa stated: “The reason why this is happening is that they do not know the true teachings of Islam and the Holy Quran. Moreover, due to the actions of some terrorists amongst the Muslims, these people get the impression that such things might actually be written in the Quran.

“They try to grab on to one verse that instructs the believers to do qitaal or to fight, whilst overlooking the rest of the verses which explain the circumstances or context enabling this permission.

“So, these people should be made aware of these teachings, and you should make your plans to propagate the true teachings in accordance with this.”

A violent response is never the answer.

The only practical and effective response is to educate the masses about the true peaceful teachings of Islam. To do so, we must first educate ourselves; and even better, act on its teachings and become a living example of what this magnificent book stands for. This is what Islam is all about.

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

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7 ways for attaining Allah’s nearness (Al Furqan, April 1961) Maulvi Ghulam Ahmad Sahib Farrukh (1917-1981)

Maulana Ghulam Ahmad Sahib Farukh, son of Hazrat Mian Ghulam Qadirra, was born in 1917, in Thay Ghulam Nabi, a neighbouring village of Qadian.

After obtaining religious education from Madrasa Ahmadiyya Qadian, he went into the field of preaching Islam Ahmadiyat in 1937. He had the opportunity to serve the Jamaat in Sialkot, Karachi, Quetta, Sukkur, Hyderabad and some other areas of Sindh, Pakistan. He also served in Fiji from 1972 to 1976. He passed away on 17-18 April 1981.

Below is an article he wrote in April 1961 on attaining Allah’s pleasure: Allah the Almighty is our Creator and we are His creation. He is the Lord and we are His servants. In the Arabic language – which is the mother of all languages and full of wisdom – the word “insan” which has been used for “man” means the affiliation of two loves; one of his loves is with Allah the Almighty and the second with fellow human beings.

In the Holy Quran, while stating the purpose of man’s creation, Allah the Almighty says:

َّ ۡ ۡ َۡ​َ ‫َو َما خلق ُت ال ِج َّن َوالۡاِن َس ِالا ل َِی ۡع ُب ُد ۡو ِن‬

“And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.” (Surah al-Dhariyat, Ch.51: V.57) And ‫ عبد‬is that being which accepts the form [naqsh] of the other. Thus, the purpose of mankind’s creation is that they should instil the attributes of Allah the Almighty within themselves, and become like a mirror to His attributes and traits.

Similarly, in another verse, Allah states:

َ َ ‫َخ َل َق الۡاِن ۡ َس‬ ‫ان ِم ۡن َعل ٍق‬

[“He Created man from a clot of blood.”

(Surah al-Alaq, Ch.96: V.3)] Meaning that Allah has put His love in man’s nature. That is, the purpose of man’s creation is to love God Almighty, be obedient to Him and instil His attributes in oneself. But because Allah the Almighty is Wara al-Wara, and this world along with its stars is like a crystal palace, behind which the All-Powerful Being of Allah is working, many people faltered and attributed the creation to these “crystals” in the sky, and went astray from that One Being and The Real Master.

Thus, it is necessary to ponder on those means and ways that have been mentioned in the Holy Quran for attaining the nearness of that Real Beloved and strengthening our relationship with Him.

The first means of gaining closeness to Allah Therefore, the first means for attaining the

nearness of Allah is to truly understand Him. One should believe in the true God because a true God grants help to His seekers, but a dead [god] cannot help the [spiritually] dead. One can understand the true belief in Allah from the following excerpt of the Promised Messiahas: “How unfortunate is the man, who even now, is unaware that there is a God who has power over all things. Our Paradise lies in our God. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and found every beauty in Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one’s life to procure it. This ruby is worth purchasing though one may have to lose oneself to acquire it. O ye, who are deprived! Hasten to this fountain as it will satiate you. It is this fountain of life that will save you. What am I to do? How shall I impress the hearts with this good news?

What sort of a drum am I to beat in the streets in order to make the announcement that this is your God, so that people might hear? What remedy shall I apply to the ears of the people so that they should listen?

“If you become one with God, rest assured that God too will be yours. God Almighty shall remain awake for you as you sleep. God shall watch over your enemy and frustrate their designs, while you are unmindful of him. You still do not know the extent of God’s powers. Had you known, not a single day would you have grieved over the world. Does he who owns a treasure weep, cry and become sorrowful unto death over the loss of a single coin? Had you been aware of this treasure and knew that at every time of need God is able to fulfil your requirements, why would you look to the world so restlessly? God is a precious treasure; appreciate Him accordingly, for He is your Helper at every step. You are nothing without Him, nor do your resources and your schemes amount to anything.” (Noah’s Ark, pp. 35-36) Thus, the first step for attaining the nearness of Allah and strengthening our relationship with Him is to believe in that true God Who is unmatched in all of His attributes and is All-Powerful.

The second means is dua [prayer].

It is apparent that man is weak and can never achieve his objective and goal with his own power and personal strength. For this reason, Allah has taught man prayer to attain His help and support and to remove all the hurdles present on the way to reach the Real Objective [Maqsood-e-Haqiqi].

Therefore [Allah the Almighty] stated:

ُ َ ‫ۡاد ُعوۡنِ ۡۤی ا ۡس َت ِج ۡب لَک ۡم‬

Meaning, “‘Pray unto Me; I will answer your [prayer].’” (Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.61) Similarly, it is stated:

َ َّ َ َ ۡ َ ُ ۡ ُ ٌ ۡ َ ۡ ّ َ ۡ ّ َ ۡ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ‫الد ِاع ِاذا‬ ‫و ِاذا سالک ِعبا ِدی ع ِنی ف ِانِی ق ِریب ؕ ا ِجیب دعوۃ‬ ‫ان‬ ِ ‫َد َع‬

Meaning, “And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.187) Moreover, in the Holy Quran, Allah has repeatedly commanded us to pray.

The third means of attaining closeness to Allah Another means for attaining the nearness of the True Creator has been called mujahidah [spiritual struggle] in the Holy Quran. Meaning one should search for God by devoting their body, wealth, honour, wisdom, knowledge and ability, in His way.

Allah states:

ُ ُ َۡ ُ َ ّٰ ‫َجا ِہ ُد ۡوا ِبا ۡموَال ِک ۡم َوانف ِسک ۡم فِ ۡی َس ِب ۡی ِل الل ِہ‬

Meaning, “Strive with your property and your persons in the cause of Allah.” (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.41) Then, He states:

ُ ۡ َٰۡ َ ‫ِم ّما َرزقن ُہ ۡم یُن ِفقوۡ َن‬ [“Spend out of what We have provided for them.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.4)] Meaning ‘whatever wealth, life, knowledge, wisdom, ability, intelligence and insight We have provided’, all of that should be spent in the way of Allah the Almighty.

He further states:

َّ َ َ َ​َ َ ‫َوالَّذیۡ َن َج‬ ‫اہ ُد ۡوا فِ ۡینا لَن ۡہ ِدیَن ُہ ۡم ُس ُبلنا‬ ِ

Meaning, “And [as for] those who strive in Our path — We will surely guide them in Our ways.” (Surah al-Ankabut, Ch.29: V.70) Then He states:

َ َ َ َ َ َّ ُ َ ۡ ۡ َ ُّ َ ٰۤ ‫ان ِانک کا ِد ٌح ِالٰی َر ِّبک ک ۡد ًحا ف ُم ٰل ِق ۡی ِہ‬ ‫یایہا الاِنس‬

Meaning, “Thou, O man, art verily labouring towards thy Lord, a hard labouring; then thou art going to meet Him.” (Surah al-Inshiqaq, Ch.84: V.7) Continued on next page >>

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

14 << Continued from previous page

In short, the nearness of Allah can be achieved after a life-long consistent effort and mujahidah [spiritual struggle]. In this regard, the Promised Messiahas states:

ٰ َ َ ‫“ق ۡد اَ ۡف َل َح َم ۡن َزکّٰ َہا۔ َو َق ۡد َخ‬ ‫اب َم ۡن َد ّس َہا‬

[“He indeed [truly] prospers who purifies it. And he who corrupts it is ruined.”

(Surah al-Shams, Ch.91: V.10-11)] “In other words, He who purifies their soul will receive salvation, and ruined is the one who has corrupted their soul.

The word falhun means to cleave asunder.

The word filahah means cultivation in the context of agriculture. A kind of cultivation or ploughing is required in the purification of the soul as well. Spiritual struggle frees the soul of man from its deficiencies and hardened nature so that it may be sown with true faith. Then the tree of faith becomes capable of yielding fruit.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol.1, p. 132)

The fourth means of attaining closeness to Allah Another means for attaining the love and nearness of Allah the Almighty is steadfastness. Meaning a seeker of the spiritual path should never lose hope or get tired, and should not fear the trial. Allah states:

ُ َ ۡ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ َ ۡ َّ ُ ُ ّٰ َ ُّ َ ۡ ُ َ َ ۡ َّ َّ ‫اموۡا ت َتنز ُل َعل ۡی ِہ ُم ال َم ٰٓل ِئکۃ‬ ‫ِان ال ِذین قالوا ربنا اللہ ثم استق‬ َ‫اَلَّا تَ َخ ُافوۡا َولَا تَ ۡح َزنُوۡا َواَ ۡبش ُر ۡوا بال ۡ َج َّن ِۃ الَّ ِت ۡی ُک ۡن ُت ۡم تُوۡ َع ُد ۡون۔‬ ِ ِ ٰ ۡ َ َ ۡ ُّ ٰ َ ۡ ۡ ُ ُ ٰٓ ۡ َ ُ ۡ َ َ ‫نحن اول ِیؤکم فِی الحیو ِۃ الدنیا وفِی الاخِر ِۃ۔۔۔۔۔‬

Meaning, “[As for] those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast, the angels descend on them, [saying]: ‘Fear ye not, nor grieve; and rejoice in the Garden that you were promised. We are your friends in this life and in the Hereafter [...]’” (Surah Ha Mim as-Sajdah, Ch.41: V.31-32) About steadfastness, the Promised Messiahas states: “It is true, as has been said, that steadfastness is more than a miracle. The perfection of steadfastness is that when one is encircled by calamities and life and honour and good name are all in peril in the cause of Allah, and no means of comfort are available, so much so, that even visions and dreams and revelation are suspended by God as a trial, and one is left helpless among terrible dangers, at such a time one should not lose heart nor retreat like a coward nor let one’s faithfulness be put in doubt in the least. One should not let one’s sincerity and perseverance be weakened, one should be pleased with one’s disgrace; one should be reconciled to death; one should not wait for a friend to lend one his support in order to keep one firm; nor seek glad tidings from God because of the severity of the trial.

One should stand straight and firm despite one’s helplessness and weakness and lack of comfort from any direction. Come what may, one should present oneself for sacrifice and should be completely reconciled to divine decrees and one should exhibit no restlessness nor utter any complaint, right till the end of the trial. This is the steadfastness which leads to God. This is that the perfume of which still reaches us from the dust of Messengers and Prophets and Faithful ones and Martyrs.” (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, pp. 165-166) The fifth means of attaining closeness

to Allah is the company of the pious people.

One should understand that naturally, man needs a perfect example. And through a perfect example, the heart feels attraction and interest and a great wish is inculcated for moving a step forward. Therefore, Allah states in the Holy Quran:

ۡ ّٰ َ َ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ ‫الص ِدقِی َن‬ ‫کونوا مع‬

Meaning, “Be with the truthful.” (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.119) It is apparent that one sitting close to a furnace benefits from the flames of fire and one sitting close to perfume benefits from it.

Similarly, one sitting in the company of the pious people is also affected by their pious thoughts. And when two people are sitting together but not conversing, even then the thoughts are instilled into each other and have an impact. Thus, it is necessary for a seeker and follower of the spiritual path to be in search of pious, righteous, and truthful men of God and to benefit by sitting in their company.

The sixth means is to have sympathy for the creation of God Almighty and to make a habit of serving mankind. Therefore, Allah states:

ّٰ ۡ ُ ۡ ‫َوالل ُہ یُ ِح ّب ال ُم ۡح ِس ِنی َن‬

Meaning, “And Allah loves those who do good.” [Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.135] The one who shows mercy on not only

mankind but also the animals and birds, with the thought and passion that “they are my Lord’s creation”, is the recipient of Allah the Almighty’s mercy, compassion, love and blessings.

In fact, “service to mankind” holds a distinctive glory in Islamic teachings and it has been emphasised greatly. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stated: ٰ ٰ ‫الخلق عیال اللّہ فاحسن الخلق من احسن‬ ‫عیالہ‬ ‫الی‬ ٖ Meaning, “Creation is the family of Allah. Thus, the best among you is he who is kind to His family.” (Mishkat, Bab AlShafaqah [‫)]الشفقۃ‬

The seventh means of attaining closeness to Allah Another means for attaining the love of that Real Master [Malik-e-Haqiqi] and enhancing the relationship with Him, is that man should always remember Him. Not only should the heart and tongue be filled with His praise, but one should always ponder and contemplate upon His attributes and becomes a true image of:

‫دتس َ�ب اکر و دل َ�ب ی�ار‬

[While one’s hands are occupied in work, the heart should continue to remember the beloved.]

Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

َّ َ ُۡ َّ ُ َ َُ ّٰ ‫ال ِذیۡ َن یَذک ُر ۡو َن الل َہ قِ ٰی ًما ّوق ُعوۡ ًدا ّو َع ٰلی ُجنوۡ ِب ِہ ۡم َویَ َتفک ُر ۡو َن‬ َ َۡ​َ َ​َ َ َّ ۡ َ ۡ ۚ ‫ض ۚ َر ّبنا َما خلق َت ٰہذا بَا ِطلًا‬ ‫الس ٰم ٰو ِت َوالۡا ۡر‬ ‫فِی خل ِق‬ َّ َ َ َ َ ِ َ َ َ ٰ ۡ ُ ِ‫سبحنک ف ِقنا عذاب النار‬

Meaning, “Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and [lying] on their sides, and ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth: ‘Our Lord, Thou hast not created this in vain; [nay], Holy art Thou; save us, then, from the punishment of the Fire.’” (Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.192) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra stated [in one of his couplets]:

‫ن‬ ‫ہ‬ ‫ی‬ ِ � ‫اعدت ذرک یھب ڈاول ہک �ی نکمم یہ‬ ‫ی‬ ‫دل م وہ قشعِ منص بل ہپ رگم انم ہن وہ‬

[“Make remembrance a habit, as it is not possible to have love in your heart and not mention the name of the beloved.”]

These are only some of the means for attaining the nearness of Allah the Almighty which have been mentioned here, otherwise, there are many other means which have been mentioned in the Holy Quran, ahadith and the writings and Malfuzat of the Promised Messiahas.

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in April 1961 issue of Al Furqan, Rabwah, pp. 38-42)

1,000 pairs of shoes donated for the needy in Gulyantsi, Bulgaria Ata Ul Hayee Sohail Mohtamim Ishaat, MKA Bulgaria

Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Germany donated six pallets of shoes for children and families in the town of Gulyantsi, district Pleven, through Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Bulgaria.

The donation consisted of over 1000 pairs of shoes for all seasons, mostly for children. School backpacks, toys, kitchen utensils and accessories, bed linen, blankets, duvets, etc., are to be distributed among children and disadvantaged families via the joint expertise of the Amalipe and the school team.

After the kind acceptance of the donation on 22 March 2022, the director of the Hristo Smirnenski Secondary School, Mrs Emilia Petrusheva, and the Educational Mediator of Amalipe Centre, Mr Nikolay Ognyanov, held a meeting with Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Bulgaria. They discussed joint future possible initiatives in support of education and in support of families with low social status.

The school team and the Amalipe Centre team praised this good deed and expressed their gratitude to the donors.

In the coming weeks, especially during the month of Ramadan, we will continue to bring smiles to the faces of children and families in need, insha-Allah.

MKA Germany donated six pallets of shoes for children and families in the town of Gulyantsi, District Pleven, through Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Bulgaria

15

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

100 Years Ago...

The Governor of Punjab invites Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II at the reception ceremony of the Prince of Wales The Review of Religions [English], March, April & May, 1922

At the reception of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, an express invitation was extended from His Excellency, the Governor of the Punjab, to His Holiness, the Khalifatul Masih [IIra]. Though it is not his habit to take part in such public ceremonies, but keeping in view the fact that noncooperation was in the air and that loyalty to the throne and the British Government was an article of faith with him and his following, he set out for Lahore on 23 February [1922], lest abstention at such a juncture might be construed as in anyway lending countenance to this nefarious movement.

He was accompanied by Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmad, Maulvi Rahim Bakhsh MA, and Ch Fateh Mohammad Sayal MA. At Lahore, he [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih] put up with Ch Zafarulla Khan BA (Barat-Law) and most of the people who had flocked to the latter place on hearing of his visit, were accommodated in the Ahmadiyya Hostel.

The Lahore Ahmadiyya Anjuman is to be congratulated on the splendid public

spirit with which they met the board and lodging expenses of all the guests whom a conservative estimate puts at eight hundred.

Ch Zafarulla Khan, the energetic Ameer and president is to be specially congratulated for his bearing a lion’s share of the expenses out of his own pocket.

M Sher Ali who had been specially deputed to Bombay for the printing of the nice little book to be presented to His Royal Highness as well as the making of the silver casket in which it was to be presented reached Lahore in due time to be present at the public reception that was to be accorded to the Prince.

An ordinary sightseer of a new place generally passes his time in lolling about the streets or visiting the various sights with which Lahore abounds, but not so with our leader. His was a religious duty.

The ceremony being over, he lost no time in addressing various meetings of the Ahmadi students, the Ahmadiyya community of Lahore, the Ahmadiyya Community that had assembled at Lahore from various parts

Fasting is a shield The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

َّ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ُّ َ ْ َ ٌ َّ ُ ُ َ ّ َ َّ ‫الﺼیام ﺟﻨۃ �س� ِ�ن ﺑِﻬا الﻌبد ِمن الﻨا ِر‬ ِ ‫ِإﻧﻤا‬

“

Surely, fasting is a shield and

with its help the servant of God seeks protection from the Hellfire.”

(Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal)

of the province, and a public meeting as well. Moreover, he gave long and extended interviews to some of the literati of Lahore, foremost among whom were Mr Roy, Principal Dyal Singh College, Messrs. Abdul Qadir and Ghulam Abbas, of the Islamia College, Lahore, and Mr. Khalilur Rahman, Supdt. NWR Office Lahore. Some of these meetings extended over six hours and he had to sit up till late in the night. However, he never felt tired; it was all a labour of love.

In his public lecture, he [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih] dealt with the question of spiritual regeneration which he exhaustively dealt with. He passed in review the various theories held by different schools of thought in connection with the problem of soul and the way how its regeneration can be brought about. After exposing the absurdity and defective nature of all such beliefs, he passed on to the Islamic view-point and convincingly established the irrefragable nature of this view. As a finishing touch to his masterly review of all this he showed that Islam was the only living religion,

for all other religions were devoid of the signs of life and in support of the vitality of the Islamic belief he held forth the everrecurring phenomena of the raising up of heavenly reformers within the fold of Islam and cited the instance of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad[as] of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, and the messenger of the Latter Days, whose miracles and writings have established the proof of the truth of Islamic doctrines beyond the shadow of a doubt.

It would only be fitting if we added that the Prince’s reception was a complete success. We would not be guilty of exaggeration if we say that it was a marked, splendid and unparalleled success, for if one can judge from appearances the concourses that gathered on various occasions, one could say with confidence that the whole of Lahore has turned out to give a hearty welcome to the distinguished visitor, the heir to a worldwide empire.

(Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original in The Review of Religions, March, April & May, 1922)

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

16

The spiritual aspect of Islam – Part I (The Review of Religions, October 1918, pp. 341-357)

The wisdom behind the physical acts of worship in Islam Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra (1893-1985)

Non-Moslem scholars as well as hostile critics of Islam assert that Islam pays very little attention to matters spiritual and that it lays undue stress on mere ceremonies.

This they allege is a characteristic of all primitive forms of religion. At a time when human intellect was in its stage of infancy and no great philosophic truths had been discovered, man’s perception could not travel beyond outward appearances and the material things by which he was surrounded, and he, therefore, tried to win God’s pleasure by mere ceremonial and outward acts of worship. This is the reason why all old religions are full of rituals and ceremonies. In Islam too we find that great stress has been laid upon the performance of ceremonies.

[Development of worship in various religions] [In addition to the profession of faith (shahadah), t]here are four pillars, as they are called, of Islam, viz., prayer (salat), fasts [siyam], pilgrimage to Mecca [Hajj], and the legal alms (zakat); all these are outward physical acts and so much stress is laid upon them that the omission of any of them renders a Muslim’s faith imperfect. What spiritual benefit, it may be asked, can be derived from certain prescribed movements at certain prescribed hours of the day, or from starving during certain seasons of the year, or from visiting certain spots on certain occasions, or from paying out a fixed sum within a prescribed period of time?

Different people, it is alleged, living under a variety of circumstances and conditions can, if necessary, frame rules and regulations conducive to their respective material and spiritual progress. It is not necessary that all countries, ages and conditions should be subjected to one uniform code. Besides, all these prescribed acts are mere forms without any spiritual meaning in them, and although perhaps necessary in the case of a primitive people, can have no significance for the enlightened races of mankind. For instance, we see that different religions in the course

Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra

of their evolution have completely discarded outward forms and have only retained their spiritual meaning. Take the case of Judaism. This great religion in its infancy was a mass of forms and ceremonies, but as it progressed the performance of mere formalities was less and less insisted upon.

The study of the Bible reveals the fact that after Moses[as] each succeeding prophet laid less and less stress upon outward forms and directed people’s attention more and more towards spiritual matters, till in the time of Jesus Christ[as] the greatest stress was laid upon the doctrine that outward forms are but empty nothings and that purity of heart is the only object to be aimed at. Prayer and fasting belong to the spirit rather than to the body, and real success lies in purifying the mind and in establishing and maintaining the right relations with God and man.

The next great religion is Hinduism.

Here too we find evolution on similar lines.

In its primitive stage, this religion was enveloped in forms and ceremonies, but gradually it began to progress, till in the time of Buddha[as] it was proclaimed that outward ritual was nothing and that inner purity was the only true aim of religion.

All this is borne out by the doctrine of Evolution. If, on the other hand, we study the downfall of religions, we arrive

at a parallel conclusion, viz., that with the decline of a religion outward forms begin to assert themselves more and more, till nothing is left but the mere outer shell of ritual. The decline of the Jewish, Hindu and Parsi faiths furnishes instances of this rule. The degeneration of Christianity in the Middle Ages further strengthens this conclusion. In the progress and decline of the Hindu religion we can very clearly trace these three stages, viz., the primitive stage, i.e., the stage of forms and ritual, the advanced stage, i.e., the stage of spiritual progress, and finally the stage of decadence, i.e., the stage of reversion to empty forms and ceremonies. These observations lead us inevitably to the conclusion that conformity to outward form is associated with the primitive stage of civilisation, and that with the advance of civilisation and progress outward conformity to forms begins of itself to decline, inasmuch as such conformity is required only of a people who possess a primitive intellect, and who are incapable of grasping abstract spiritual truths. Hence the stress which Islam lays upon formalities shows that this religion was suited only to the primitive condition of the Arabs at the time of its appearance and that it is totally

unsuited to the needs and requirements of this age of civilisation and progress, wherein the purity of the soul is regarded as the only true aim of religion. The result of this is that even among the [Muslims] there has sprung up a class who do not view these “outward forms”, as they call them, with any respect.

[Views of a Muslim graduate of Aligarh] Some years ago a [Muslim] graduate gave expression to these ideas in an article which he sent for publication to various papers. He pointed out that ablution (wuzu), prayers, fasts, the pilgrimage, etc. were suited only to the condition of the Arabs, and that they were mere symbols and no more. According to him the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) prescribed these acts merely to point out to us the manner in which he desired us to conduct ourselves and that the form prescribed by Islam for these acts possessed no special virtue. As the Arabs of that time led very irregular and disorderly lives and had absolutely no idea of, or regard for, the value of time, the five daily prayers were instituted, in order to introduce among them notions of regularity and punctuality. Similarly, as they were not very cleanly in their habits, especially owing to the scarcity of water, regular ablutions and other ordinances concerning physical purity were enjoined on hygienic principles. In this enlightened 20th century, however, civilised people go regularly through their daily ablutions and baths, and they, therefore, do not stand in need of any religious ordinance concerning these matters. Again, all educated people are not only fully alive to the value of time, but their time is generally so usefully occupied and they have so many engagements to keep, that the five daily prayers are mere superfluities. If, however, prayer is considered absolutely essential, the opening and concluding graces at meals should suffice to reconcile man to his Maker.

At the time of the advent of Islam, oriental monarchs insisted upon their subjects prostrating themselves before them, so that prostration was considered as the symbol of absolute submission and humility. Therefore was a Muslim required to prostrate himself before God, the King of kings. The oriental dress offering no inconvenient hindrances to the performance of this feat and Oriental

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022 limbs being supple enough to go through such evolutions, prostration became the principal feature of Muslim prayers. Great difficulties and inconveniences, however, attend the performance of this gymnastic feat in modern society. Modern sovereigns no longer regard prostration as an essential part of the homage due to them, and fashionable trousers no longer admit of prostration being performed without disregard of their safety and a sacrifice of decency on the part of the wearer. Even if a pair of modern English trousers could stand the strain of half a dozen orthodox sajdas, they would certainly be distorted out of all shape and proportion and would become absolutely unfit to appear in decent society around the lower limbs of any selfrespecting member thereof. In addition to the resistance offered by one’s trousers, there is the want of suppleness of limb which can only be acquired by the constant use of the carpet or the floor as a substitute for chairs.

The stiffness of the joints born of chairs and sofas renders the sajda, therefore, a physical impossibility.

Similarly, there is no sense in starving for a fixed period during the year. To keep up the symbol of fasts, however, it is enough if during Ramazan one reduces the number of meals. Light refreshments should not be objected to during the period of the fast. The pilgrimage to Mecca could with advantage be replaced by compulsory attendance at the annual Sessions of the Educational Conference and the League. Donations to the Aligarh College, the Muhammadan University and other national institutions could take the place of zakat. This is how a Modern Muslim graduate interprets the “symbols”, as he calls them, prescribed by the Quran and the Holy Prophet[sa].

Although only one man has been bold enough to give open expression to such ideas, unfortunately, there are thousands of Muslims whose thoughts run in the same channel but whose fear of public opinion prevents them from making an open profession of them. It is clear, therefore, that this aspect of the question is not only dwelt upon by hostile critics but is also agitating the minds of many thoughtful Muslims themselves. Some of these latter have practically renounced all connection with, and all interest in, the purely religious side of the faith, and others, who still feel an affectionate regard for the faith of their forefathers, either through long association or through habit or as the result of a purely national sentiment, employ themselves in inventing excuses and expedients which would meet these and similar objections on the part of non-Muslims and yet retain a semblance of the Islamic practices ordained by the Quran and the Holy Prophet[sa].

Among this latter class may be counted the young man whose views I have explained above.

His view is that all these practices are mere “symbols” and that, keeping their object in view, we are at perfect liberty to devise rules of conduct and practice which should accord with the conditions and circumstances under which we are now living.

[Refutation of the above views] The truth of the matter, however, is that neither the enemies nor these so-called advocates of Islam have really understood, or

17 made any serious attempt at understanding, the spiritual meaning which is hidden in every ordinance or practice enjoined

by Islam. The very same doctrines of evolution and decline from which they have drawn their conclusions offer a complete refutation of those conclusions. Not a single religion which has succeeded in reforming the morals or in elevating the spiritual condition of any section of mankind has ever been free from these external physical acts of worship. The different stages through which a religion passes and which have been instanced in support of the theory under discussion illustrate only the result of neglecting one aspect of religion and giving undue prominence and attaching undue importance to the other. Where degeneration has resulted from too great subservience to forms, the reason has not been the mere observance of forms and their retention as part of the practice of the faith, but their acceptance as an end in themselves and the complete neglect of the spiritual aspect of religion, on the other hand, it has not been found possible to dispense completely with external acts even during periods of the highest spiritual progress.

Besides, there is a vast difference between the elementary teachings of Islam and those of other religions. The study of the ZendAvesta, the Vedas, or the Bible reveals such minute and detailed regulations concerning the smallest affairs of life, that a [Muslim], being unaccustomed to such details, begins to wonder how fettered an existence the followers of those books must have led. For instance, the Book of Exodus, chapters 25 to 31, contains such detailed instructions concerning the building of the temple, the kinds of woods to be employed in different parts, the quality, colour and texture of the cloths and tapestries, the adornment of the altar, the ark, the mercy seat, the tables, the candlesticks, the curtains, the boards and bars, the garments of the priests, the holy garments and ornaments for Aaron and his sons and numerous other matters of the like nature, that one is absolutely bewildered, and marvels what extraordinary memories Moses[as] and his followers must have possessed to remember and carry out to the letter all these commands. Similarly, there are instructions about the proper performance and offering of the different kinds of sacrifices. The Hindu religion also contains a confusing wealth of ordinances concerning caste, purification, the different kinds and modes of worship and kindred subjects. The Zend-Avesta prescribes rules even for the preservation of water and the tending of the Holy Fire. In short, the visible forms and external acts prescribed

by Islam are so few and so definite that an average [Muslim] accustomed to the regular performance of all the duties laid down by his faith would begin to find life too heavy a burden if asked to conform to all the rules set down by any of the books mentioned above.

It is quite wrong to say that Islam lays undue stress on mere forms. No doubt, Islam too has retained visible forms as parts of its practice, but only on occasions when, and to an extent to which, their observance leads to some physical or spiritual benefit.

For instance, in salat, fasts, pilgrimage and the legal alms, visible forms have been adopted only so far as they are conducive to spiritual progress or the good of humanity

at large.

[Salat: the benefits of wuzu (ablution)] Let us first take salat. In order to complete his salat, a Muslim must perform the wuzu (ablutions) and then say his prayers in certain defined attitudes. Now, wuzu is a[n act of the] purification of certain external organs, viz., the mouth, the nose, the face, the head, the arms and hands and the feet. No doubt, there are many Muslims who habitually live in a state of irreproachable cleanliness, and it might be urged, that whatever the necessity or the benefit of wuzu in the case of those

In moments of excitement and disturbance of the mind, cold water ablutions restore one to absolute tranquillity and bring about that state of calmness and repose without which man shrinks from venturing into the presence of his Maker. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) has also recommended the use of cold water for ablutions.

These are only a few of the benefits to be derived from wuzu, but they are enough to prove that it is not a mere empty form.

The five daily ablutions enjoined by Islam not only promote physical cleanliness, but the mental repose induced by them enables a man to go through his daily task patiently, cheerfully and without irritation.

The hygienic benefits of wuzu, however, are not negligible either. It can, with confidence, be asserted that a Muslim who is regular in his five daily prayers exhibits a far higher standard of personal cleanliness than the majority of Europeans in similar walks of life. Indeed the introduction of compulsory wuzu among certain sections of the population of Europe would result in their leading cleaner, purer and happier lives than they are at present doing.

[Salat: outward expressions affect the inner self]

whose habits are not as cleanly as one would desire, it is clearly a superfluity in the case of those to whose purification it can add nothing. But apart from the fact that Islam contains ordinances alike for the rich and for the poor, for the tidy and for the untidy, the promotion of physical cleanliness is not the only object of wuzu, so that the tidiest Muslim can derive as much spiritual benefit from it as the most untidy. The washing of all those organs which lead a man towards sin indicates that prior to presenting himself before God the worshipper must wash off all immoral stains and must make himself as clean morally as the wuzu renders him physically. All sins originate with the hands, feet, eyes, nose and the mouth, and the ordinance enjoining a thorough cleansing of these organs requires symbolically, as it were, absolute moral purity on the part of the worshipper. As in wuzu, he removes every impurity from these limbs, so must he purify them by restraining them from all sinful acts.

Again, it is an established fact that our thoughts are constantly flowing out through our hands, feet, noses, mouths, etc., thus causing a constant disturbance. This fact has been illustrated by a French Scientist in a very amusing and instructive manner.

He has invented an instrument, called the planchette, which may be roughly described as a slate on a wheel with a pencil attached to it; and this instrument can, by a very simple process, record the thoughts of the operator. One has simply to place the tips of one’s fingers very lightly on the surface of the slate to enable it to record the thought which is uppermost in one’s mind. Now, this constant flow of thoughts can only be checked by wetting the limbs with water, cold water proving a most effective remedy.

Similarly, the attitudes adopted in Muslim prayers appear at first sight to be mere formalities with no spiritual meaning whatever, but in reality, they constitute a regular course of spiritual training, and a little reflection would make this apparent.

The human soul is encased in the body and the latter serves it as a vessel or as a shell, and the condition of the vessel affects its contents as the condition of the shell affects the kernel. A dirty vessel is sure, sooner or later, to contaminate its contents, and a crooked one is bound to impart to its contents its own crooked shape. For instance, we find that the amount of intellect possessed by an individual depends upon the shape, dimensions and structure of his brain, and the development and decline of the intellect are subject to the development of the physical characteristics of the brain. If by some accident or some scientific operation the shape of a man’s brain could be altered, his intellect would be affected at once, notwithstanding the fact that no diminution or increase has taken place in the quantity Continued on next page >>

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

18 << Continued from previous page

of the substances of which the brain is composed. The assumption of a particular facial expression or a particular attitude produces a corresponding change in our powers, manners or moods. For instance, the mildest of men could, by assuming a stern expression of countenance, acquire a corresponding sternness of character. A high functionary in one of the American States, placed in a position of great authority which required the exercise of strict control and discipline, was pronounced absolutely unfit to perform his duties, inasmuch as he totally lacked the will and resolution to carry out disciplinary measures. He could never bring himself to administrate the slightest reproof or punishment. At last, he was told that unless he could infuse a little more firmness and resolution into his character he would no longer be allowed to retain his post. He then went to consult a character specialist and was told that he must put on an expression of sternness, keep his teeth clenched and generally assume a severe manner. He relates that after going through this course of assumed sternness for a few months he began to find that he was growing really severe and that gradually he practically lost all feelings of compassion and forgiveness! This is a very convincing illustration of the influence which the mere assumption of an attitude or an expression exercises on one’s character.

Physiognomists and phrenologists are able to read a man’s thoughts and character from a study of his features and the shape of his head, and these sciences have been reduced to definite principles. These sciences demonstrate that there is a strong relationship between a man’s outward form and his character and that they both react to each other. A moral or spiritual charge in a man’s character produces a corresponding change in his features or in the expression of his countenance and vice versá. By the artificial development of certain parts of the head or face of a man, it has been found possible to develop certain moral characteristics in him, so that it cannot be denied that every alteration in the physical condition of a man has its corresponding effect on his moral or spiritual nature.

Weeping, even if artificial, saddens the heart, while even an artificial laugh is sure to dispel the fogs of melancholy. Similarly, certain foods develop certain qualities in those who make use of them. On the same principle, certain attitudes and postures are not only symbolical but induce certain states of mind. All the attitudes and postures prescribed in the Salat are productive of meekness and humility, and not one of them has been enjoined as a mere formality. They are all natural expressions of respect and homage. Similarly, jama‘at (congregation) is a symbol of union. When the Muslims stand in rows to offer their prayers, they in a manner express by their attitude that in all spiritual trials and contests they would stand steadfastly by each other, and help each other in carrying out the commands of God. Besides, it must be remembered that no kernel can exist independently of its shell, and a shell is to be valued only for the sake of the substance which it contains. Those who neglect the shell altogether, in the end, lose the substance also. Those peoples who have completely discarded outward

religious forms have also gradually lost the spiritual reality. In the case of the greater portion of mankind the result of the neglect of outward forms would be that everybody who finds the ordinances of his religion a little irksome or inconvenient would allege that he can acquire the substance without the shell and that therefore conformity to those ordinances is not obligatory on him.

Hence, this freedom instead of helping spiritual progress would lead millions of men to spiritual death, as is apparent from the plight of those who in answer to these objections allege that purity of heart is the only object worthy of being striven for and that external acts have no virtue in themselves. Such people lose both the shell and the substance; they do not retain external conformity and fail to attain inner purity. Their hearts become foreign to the fear and the love of God, whereas if the substance could be acquired without the shell, it should have followed that their hearts should not for a moment have lost sight of God. By neglecting external acts of worship, they become incapable of rendering the true homage of the heart to their Maker. Conformity to salat would at least have directed their attention to God five times a day.

No doubt the real object is the substance and not the shell, but can any kernel exist without the shell? From a study of the laws governing external nature we can discover the laws governing our spiritual development. In external nature, we find that the outer skin or shell is necessary for the development of the substance or the kernel. Would it be wise to do away with the skin or the shell of a fruit because we only want the sweet substance of the fruit and not its outer covering? It is a universal rule that fine and delicate substances are protected by rough coverings, and just as the soul stands in need of the protection afforded by the body, our spiritual devotions stand in need of physical expressions. The mistake lies not in adopting outward physical symbols of worship but in regarding these outward expressions as the only object of worship, and this is strongly condemned by Islam.

The object of salat is thus expressed in the Quran:

َ َۡ َۡ ۡ ۡ َ َ َّ َّ ‫الص ٰلوۃ تن ٰہی َع ِن الف ۡحشٓا ِء َوال ُمنک ِر‬ ‫ِان‬

“Salat keeps one away from unseemly and undesirable acts.” [Surah al-’Ankabut, Ch.29: V.46] Elsewhere the Quran strongly condemns those who perform acts of worship for mere show and outward conformity. The Holy Prophet (on whom be peace and the blessings of God) has said that prayers unattended by the devotion of the heart are useless and that real prayer is that in which the heart finds itself in the presence of its Maker.

[Siyam: fasting] Next, there are the fasts. Here too it is supposed by some people that the act of worship consists in merely abstaining from food and drink during certain prescribed periods of the year, whereas fasts are not merely feats of abstention but lead to great spiritual benefits. It is an admitted truth that the connection of the soul with the body inclines the former towards material objects and pleasures. This is the reason why the spiritual perception of those

whose principal concern is the care of the body becomes dulled. We find that people engaged in intellectual pursuits devote comparatively little attention to eating and drinking and the mere physical pleasures of the body. Very often their food and dress are matters of indifference to them, beyond the fact that the former should be healthy and the latter clean. Even in these days of material comfort and luxury, we find that the intellectual portion of every community bestows comparatively little time and attention upon mere physical comforts. This shows that until the soul is to some extent freed from the trammels of the body it cannot soar very high in the intellectual and spiritual realms.

[Siyam: fasting in other religions] A study of the lives of men who have attained spiritual eminence in any age or religion shows that all of them have kept fasts during some part of their lives. Almost all spiritual leaders and founders of religions have enjoined their followers to keep fasts.

Out of the thousands of religions which have flourished or are flourishing in this world, there are only two, viz., the Parsee religion and the religion of Confucius[as] about which it has been asserted that they do not enjoin fasting on their followers. As regards the Parsi religion, however, modern investigation has established that fasts were enjoined by that religion, although the keeping of them has now fallen into disuse through neglect of the ordinances of that religion. One of the prayers in use among the followers of that religion contained a reference to fasting. Thus every religion, ancient or modern with the solitary exception of the religion of Confucius[as], is found to have contained ordinances concerning fasts. It is possible that further investigation may yet disclose the fact that Confucianism is no exception to this rule.

However, this single exception, in the face of the united testimony of all the other religions of the world, dead or living, is not sufficient to refute the proposition that at all times and among all religions the keeping of fasts has been considered essential for spiritual progress, or at any rate, that fasting helps spiritual progress. In the present day, the followers of Christianity, especially

those belonging to the Protestant Churches, are the greatest objectors to outward acts of worship, yet even here we find that Jesus Christ enjoined fasts on his followers and that the disciples kept fasts. Among all Christian communities the great fast of Lent is still recognised and to a certain extent observed. This shows that fasting has not been enjoined as a mere ceremony but has a deep spiritual meaning.

For instance the Holy Quran says:

َّ َ ُ َّ ُ َ ُ َُ َ ّ ُ​َُۡ​َ َ ُ ‫ام ک َما ک ِت َب َعلی ال ِذیۡ َن ِم ۡن ق ۡب ِلک ۡم ل َ َعلک ۡم‬ ‫الصی‬ ِ ‫ک ِتب علیکم‬ َ‫تَ َّتقُوۡن‬

(Fasts have been enjoined upon you, just as they were enjoined on those who were before you, in order that you may attain to purity of heart.) [Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.184)] In this verse, the Holy Quran has dealt with both aspects of the matter. It says that fasts have been “enjoined” upon you, thereby declaring that the mere keeping of a fast simply because God has enjoined fasting is an act of worship which pleases God. This would amply satisfy those who wish to perform an act of worship simply because it would please God and not because they would thereby secure some direct spiritual benefit or reward. This, however, the Holy Book says, is not an obligation imposed upon you alone. It was considered equally necessary for the spiritual progress of former nations and was also imposed upon them. It is not an empty form or ceremonial.

The real object of the injunction is that you may attain to purity of heart. Thus the Holy Book explains that by means of fasts a man gains strength to avoid all manners of sins and evil-doing and attains nearness to God. The reason for this is that fasting loosens the bonds which bind the soul to the body, and the former being thus set free is enabled to soar higher and higher into spiritual realms. On the other hand, there is no doubt, that while the soul seeks separation from the body for the sake of its intellectual and spiritual development, it seeks union with the body in order to attain perfection in deeds. This double requirement demonstrates the need for fasting at some seasons and for administering to the needs of the body at others. In Islam, therefore, while on the one hand, fasting has been

19

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022 enjoined as a religious obligation during Ramazan, continuous fasting during other seasons has been altogether prohibited, so that this arrangement ensures opportunities for development in every direction. There is neither too much ease nor too much asceticism in Islam. It aims at creating neither hermits nor epicures. Its object is to encourage the symmetrical development of every faculty, and not the abnormal development of certain faculties at the expense of others.

Siyam: benefits of fasting in Islam Apart from the principal object of attaining taqwa (righteousness) fasting leads to many other beneficial results. For instance, it is a great test of endurance. For a poor man to whom one full meal a day is a luxury it may be comparatively easy to abstain from all food and drink for sixteen or seventeen hours, but for a rich man who is accustomed to his four meals a day at regular hours the limit of endurance is reached when he is asked to deny himself food and drink from earliest dawn till after sunset on a hot summer’s day, and this not only on a single occasion but during a whole long month. Imagine a wealthy man accustomed to all sorts of delicacies imposing upon himself such a course of stern self-discipline during a whole month and relaxing it neither in thought nor in deed! Thus, Ramazan keeps alive habits of patience, abstinence and endurance even among the richest Muslims. It also awakens the wealthy to a realisation of their duties towards the poor, especially during times of hardship and famine. A man who has never missed a single meal in his life is not likely to be aroused to much sympathy by the knowledge that to thousands of his fellow beings one full meal a day is a luxury. The pangs of thirst and hunger have no meaning for him. It is a form of ill to which he himself has never been subject and for which, therefore, he is not likely to afford much sympathy. A man, on the other hand, who fasts during one month out of every twelve is not likely to treat the solid facts of hunger and thirst with indifference. The knowledge that there are fellow beings of his to whom a loaf of bread might mean life itself will keep him restless till he has done all that in him lies to relieve the distress around him. The reality experienced by him will prevent him from dealing with such matters lightly.

Similarly, there are many other benefits which result from an observance of this injunction, but they are all minor or secondary ones and it must be clearly understood that the chief object to be attained by fasting, as already stated, is taqwa (righteousness). The Holy Prophet (may peace and the blessings of God be upon him) has said that the pleasure of God cannot be won by mere abstention from food and drink and that so long as a man’s fast does not keep him away from evil, it is not a fast but mere starvation. This shows that the true aim and object of fasting is to gain strength to avoid evil and to purify the soul, and the man who observes the form and forgets the substance gets no credit for his starvation.

(Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original, published in The Review of Religions, Vol. XVII, October 1918, No. 10, pp. 341-357)

10,000 attend 30th Jalsa Salana Burkina Faso Taimoor Ahmad Head of Social Media Department, Jalsa Salana Burkina Faso Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Burkina Faso held its 30th Jalsa Salana on 25-27 March 2022.

This year, the Jalsa theme was – keeping in mind the national insecurity context – “Islam Ahmadiyya: Love for All, Hatred for None”. The Jalsa was held at Bustane-Mahdi, located 20 km from the capital, Ouagadougou.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa honoured Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Burkina Faso by sending Muhammad Sharif Odeh Sahib, Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Kababir as his representative.

Participants started arriving from all regions of Burkina Faso for the Jalsa on 24 March. The same day in the evening, Muhammad Sharif Odeh Sahib along with Amir Jamaat Burkina Faso, Mahmood Nasir Saqib Sahib, and Afsar Jalsa Salana, Daouda Kone Sahib, inspected the Jalsa site where they visited all the departments of the Jalsa.

The Jalsa commenced on 25 March early in the morning with tahajjud and Fajr prayers, followed by a dars on the importance of learning and teaching the Holy Quran.

Later on, after Friday and Asr prayers, it rained heavily which soaked the Jalsa Gah

and the carpets where participants would sit and pray. Thus, the opening session was delayed. At around 6 pm GMT, the session began with the flag hoisting ceremony.

Sharif Odeh Sahib hoisted the Liwa-eAhmadiyyat and amir sahib Burkina Faso hoisted the national flag. Despite the wet carpets and water pouring into the Jalsa Gah, participants resolutely remained in their seats to follow the opening session of the Jalsa.

In the evening, the Ahmadi Muslim Students Association had a meeting with Ahmadi students present at the Jalsa.

The students had the opportunity to ask a wide range of questions related to their studies and what they should do in their everyday life as Ahmadis. In addition, another meeting was held between Ahmadi teachers and professors in order to elaborate a plan to improve the Jamaat’s educational programme in Burkina Faso.

Alongside the proceedings of Jalsa Salana, there were bureaus of Waqf-e-Nau, Wasiyyat, and Rishta Nata present at the site to help participants better understand these respective schemes and answer their questions. Humanity First Burkina Faso also had their cafeteria in Bustan-e-Mahdi, where they collected donations to serve mankind.

The next day, 26 March, also started with

tahajjud and Fajr prayers and a dars on the importance of remembrance of Allah. Later that day, two sessions were held in which Jamaat scholars delivered speeches on various topics.

In the evening, as a tradition, the Ahmadi Muslim Student Association organised a forum on “Security challenges and national reconciliation: What could be the contribution of religion?” People from various beliefs were invited on that occasion to present their points of view.

Simultaneously, there were Jalsa sessions in local languages going on. These languages included Mooré, Dioula, Fulfuldé and Bissa.

There was a special session for the Arabic speaking guests with Muhammad Sharif Odeh Sahib.

On 27 March, after tahajjud and Fajr prayers, at 9 am GMT, a fourth session took place which was presided over by amir sahib Burkina Faso. In that session, a speech was delivered on the main theme of this year’s Jalsa by the principal of Jamia-tulMubashireen Burkina Faso.

Immediately after the fourth session, the concluding session started which was presided over by Muhammad Sharif Odeh Sahib. He delivered a speech on the importance of Khilafat and later led everyone in silent prayer.

Approximately 10,000 people attended this year’s Jalsa Salana.

At what age should one start fasting?

Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra states: “In my opinion, it is a crime to make a child, under the age of 12, fast; also, to make a child between the ages of 12 and 15 fast is wrong.

One should try to observe as many fasts as possible around the age of 15 and by the age of 18, fasting should be considered obligatory.

I remember when we were young, we also wished to fast but the Promised Messiahas would not permit us, and instead of stressing and urging us to fast, he would describe to us its grandeur and sanctity.”

(Al Fazl, 11 April 1925, p. 11)

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

18

100 Years Ago...

Preaching amid friction in Africa and the victory of Islam

Report from French Dahomey

Al Fazl, 3 April 1922 Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra (1883-1948)

Second life Friends! In these [African] countries, where the traveller Nayyar is entrusted with the service of spreading the religion of God and conveying the message of truth, the task of tabligh [preaching] is to risk one’s life and have a constant wish to immediately meet with the angel of death. Despite the fact that the English people are very careful and always stay in the open air, and even return to England for six months after a year, they still continue to suffer from this climate. The Indians are quite often sick and thus far, it has been determined that this atmosphere is not favourable for Indians.

Friends know that I fell seriously ill last May 1921, and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, I regained health. Now, after the days of great hardships and difficulties in the Gold Coast, I again fell ill as soon as I arrived in Nigeria, and I was struck with such a terrible fever that I was on the verge of death. The doctor said, “[He] is very near [to] death.”

At one point, the condition became so severe that I remained unconscious for twelve hours and the medicine could not be ingested to sever the effects of nausea.

Therefore, the doctor injected the medicine and Allah the Almighty revived a dead body by the blessings of the holy spirit of the Promised Messiahas and I am now completely healthy.

would happen in 2 + 1/2 + 1/4 years.

Immediately after waking up from the said vision, I came to the conclusion that the year is equal to a century and thus 200 + 50 + 25 years were meant, i.e. it will take a total of 275 years, as the Promised Messiahas has also mentioned a period of three hundred years. Only Allah knows best.

My difficulties Difficulties [sometimes] come all at once and if not for God’s blessings, one loses patience and begins to feel the earth is being hard on him despite it not being the case.

Dear friends! On the one hand, I am sick and weak and the doctor advises me to go back to England at once, but on the other, the allied forces of hypocrites and disbelievers are standing in line against faith.

1. The magazines of opponents have started arriving here, and two Punjabi individuals who are unfortunately present here and are known for their irreligiousness, translate these magazines and read them to

Moreover, goats, sheep and chickens are not sacrificed according to their custom after the completion of other Surahs. Therefore, the said mullahs are suffering from the disease of hypocrisy and making hidden plans against the sincere ones.

3. Finding me absent in the Gold Coast, the Christian preachers have started going to Ahmadi villages and delivering sermons against Islam.

4. The financial difficulties of India and the trade downturn in these countries are such a burden that I have no other choice except for the grace of God and to pray before Him by laying prostrate on the threshold of the One Who accepts the prayers. Friends should also pray. I hope from Allah the Almighty that I will overcome all these difficulties. The strong army of faith will achieve a significant victory against the disbelievers and hypocrites, because Allah the Almighty will never do anything against His Sunnah [way of God].

The honourable Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Sheta, in-charge Dahomey reports: “The dars [religious sermon] of the Holy Quran is being held. A series of weekly speeches has been started. The first task is to make them aware of the commands and prohibitions of Islam, and I am doing this by the grace of God. A group of young people, consisting of educated gentlemen of French madrasas, have come to believe in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, but for taking bai‘at, they are planning on requesting you to come to Yurto Nodo. I do not miss any opportunity to preach. On Milad al-Nabi (birth of the Holy Prophetsa), I visited two new mosques here and gave comprehensive speeches and informed the people about the appearance of the Promised Messiahas.

Dar-ul-tabligh in Sierra Leone I thank Allah the Almighty that I am witnessing the following scene in my difficult situation: ‫ش‬

‫در� ی‬ ‫مغ وخمر ہک مہ ی‬ �‫وشت‬ ‫ن‬ �‫�ب� ی‬ ‫رخئم ولص ی�ار ےم م‬

[“Be not sad that even in this difficult time, I receive good news of meeting my Friend (i.e. the support of God).”]

By the sheer blessings of God Almighty, arrangements have been made to open a dar-ul-tabligh in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. Maulvi Al-Hadi S Egbaji, missionary to Sierra Leone, and Mrs Egbaji have departed on the last (Royal Mail Ship) RMS Ikabu to Freetown, and both of them have promised that they will give preference to tabligh work over there. Maulvi Sahib has very generously presented one of his houses for the dar-ul-tabligh without any rent. In it, they will make a dar-ul-kutub [library] and hold jalsas for tabligh.

Islam will again be dominant in 275 years In a divine vision, I was shown a strange sight and it was that in a state between wakefulness and sleep, I saw two individuals sitting on chairs. As I saw them, they suddenly began to transform. One of them changed into an English duke, and when I saw the other person, an English woman was sitting there. Their chairs began to move towards each other. The man underwent further changes and a crown appeared on his head and a glorious robe appeared on his body, and he transformed into a great king.

On the chair in front of him, what I then saw was a queen with a crown on her head and a cross was present on her crown. The back of her chair got away from her and the front part of the chair bent. She leaned towards the king in such a way that her knees joined the king’s knees and it seemed that they were going to get married. At that very moment, I perceived that the king was Islam and the queen was Christianity, and their marriage meant the dominance of Islam. I observed the back of the queen’s chair at that time and saw a shape similar to this: 1, 1, 1/2, 1/4 It was instilled in my heart that this is the time period in which Islam will [again] be dominant. I was then informed that it

concern to me and I am requesting for a new missionary in spite of financial difficulties because the effect of a missionary’s presence on the uneducated people is far greater than that of speeches and literature. Moreover, there are a lot of members of the Jamaat and thus far, 375 pounds, 6 shillings and 3 pence have been spent on preaching in the new settlement.

Work in Lagos

Bafodia, Sierra Leone (West Africa) 1967

people who have nothing to do with religion but possess enmity against those [Ahmadis] who place their hands on their chests while offering prayers and advise against drinking alcohol, dancing and lying prostrate before human beings, (this is the identity of Ahmadis here).

2. There was a large group of mullahs here who used to practice amulets and magic and take money from people. They would receive Zakat and spend it on themselves.

The establishment of the [Ahmadiyya] Anjuman and the commencement of regular work have affected the numbers in which these mullahs used to come here. The women and men became free from them and started studying the Holy Quran free of charge. There is no cow sacrifice after completing the study of Surah al-Baqarah, nor are the lentils boiled after Surah al-Tin.

Report from Gold Coast The superintendent of the dar-ul-tabligh [mission house] writes: “The Ahmadiyya madrasa [school] has been closed for ten days. Maulvi Muhammad Ishaq Sahib has gone to the Gomoa region for preaching. There are reports from the village of Abora that the Christian priests of the Wesleyan mission are disturbing them.

A proposal to raise 100 pounds for the Abora school is under consideration by the jamaat there.”

Second letter: A telegram has been received from Swedru to send a missionary for the inauguration of their mosque. Consequently, Maulvi Muhammad Ishaq Sahib is going there. The chanda is being collected in Abora and everything is running smoothly.

The Gold Coast mission is of great

1. I have not started outdoor lectures, but I still give speeches every Sunday in the Ahmadiyya Hall. I have started a series [of speeches] on the signs of the Promised Messiahas because it is very necessary.

2. We have started a missionary training class.

3. The dars [of the Holy Quran] for women has also been started.

Moreover, a dars of the Holy Quran is held daily in the Yoruba language from 7 to 8 pm in the Ahmadiyya Hall. In other parts of the city, local Ahmadis teach the Holy Quran in their own constituencies.

The “Ahmadiyya School Lagos” will start from 1 March [1922], insha-Allah. The necessary equipment has been purchased for 50 pounds. The Anjuman is considering constructing a permanent building for the madrasa and for this purpose it has proposed to purchase a piece of land for 500 pounds.

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 3 April 1922 issue of Al Fazl)

19

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

The Islamic Economic System: Bait-ul-mal & Islamic state treasury – Part III Fazal Masood Malik and Farhan Khokhar Canada

The bait-ul-mal (Islamic state treasury) is possibly the most important financial institution in Islam. Instituted as a state treasury in 18 AH (639 CE) during the reign of Hazrat Umarra, its roots go back to the life of the Holy Prophetsa.

While Muslims’ lives in Mecca were tough and hardships were heaped on them, the change for the better started in Medina.

Charity and donations were encouraged and mandated by the Holy Quran during Mecca; however, its distribution was left to the donor. In 2 AH (623 CE), after the establishment of Zakat as an institution, the Holy Prophetsa laid the foundation of the bait-ul-mal. A room in Masjid al-Nabawi was dedicated for this purpose which remained under lock and key under the leadership of Hazrat Bilalra. The condition of the Muslim community was so precarious that any funds that came for charitable purposes were immediately disposed of to the needy. The funds attained through land taxation were held for purposes of government expenses.

As the first Khalifa of Islam, Hazrat Abu Bakrra faced a challenging situation. After the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, some tribes threatened to break allegiance with Medina and refused to pay Zakat. Some tribes, such as Sajah (Tamim), Musaylima (Hanifa) and Tulayha (Asad) were claimants to false prophethood. They started conflicts with outlying Muslim tribes and rallied to fight against Medina.

In pre-Islamic tribal practice, after the death of a tribal leader, the alliance with the leader of the tribe would end.

Islam, however, established a new unified Arabian state that contrasted with the tribal community code that existed before Islam. Hazrat Abu Bakrra, citing the unity between Zakat and salat (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.44), decided to fight the rebels.

This was crucial for the existence of a new, fragile nation as well as ensuring the unity of Zakat and salat is well understood as an inseparable principle.

The uprising by insurgents had to be quashed, tyranny rewarded accordingly, and peace restored. It took two years to restore order, taxation and the formation of a central authority in Medina (Futuh al-Buldan, alBaladhuri, Vol. I, pp. 143–62). Throughout this period, the bait-ul-mal continued

operating similarly as during the life of the Holy Prophetra. It was, however, moved from Masjid al-Nabawi to a designated building.

With state tax now a consistent revenue stream and fractured tribes standing as a unified force, Medina stood at a watershed moment. In the two decades that followed, mind-boggling development in administration, economy and finance was to reshape the future of humanity.

When Hazrat Umarra became Khalifa, the dominion of Islam had spread beyond Arabia, having reached Iraq and Syria. With the rising number of people and expanding geography came tremendous responsibility.

Hazrat Umarra, whose character and sense of duty stood like a mountain towering over the immensity of a merciless desert, rose to meet the challenge.

He had a remarkable ability to predict, analyse and foresee consequences, which very few possessed. An example from his early life would be from the time of the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Umarra opposed releasing of prisoners on grounds of security. This position, although not popular at the time, was supported by a revelation of the Holy Quran shortly after. (Friday Sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, 21 May 2021) During his Khilafat, Hazrat Umarra oversaw incredible administrative and legislative developments, perhaps most notably being the institution of the diwan (commonly known as bait-ul-mal or “treasury”) to manage the revenues of the new polity. While the bait-ul-mal was established during the life of the Holy Prophetsa, it was formally established as an institution by Hazrat Umarra. In 639 CE, he formalised the Islamic Calendar in response to the growing complexities presented by economic and administrative growth. The suggestion of Hazrat Alira was that the new calendar should be based on hijra because that would distinguish between truth and falsehood. (Tarikh al-Tabari, p. 2481, p.

2749) The new system of dating represented stability in the administration. It was indicative of an evolved governance structure, leaving the tribal affiliations of the pre-Islamic times behind. (Ibid., p. 1254) Before the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra, part of the war spoils were distributed among the victors. With the victories of Iraq and Syria, ample land was acquired and the question of ownership arose. While his companions advocated distribution among

the victors, he disagreed. He thought that the state government should purchase the land and a bearable tax should be paid by the owner. The condition of bearable tax is of interest. As no two lands can produce the same profit, it would not be just to tax them equally. The clarity in understanding the dimensions of this problem requires an understanding of the spoils of war, a topic best discussed at a later time. attached great Hazrat Umarra importance to natural resources as a means of production. He clarified that while private ownership in Islam is encouraged, the state has the right to step in and rectify the situation if the ownership is not utilised in the community’s best interest. The reader will recall that God is the owner of all resources, be they land, labour or capital as a means of production. An interesting example illustrating this principle is cited in Kitab al-Kharaj, whereby the Holy Prophetsa had granted the valley of Aqiq to Hazrat Bilalra, but he could not cultivate a significant part of it. Hazrat Umarra confiscated the unutilised portion of the land, stating that the Holy Prophetsa had not granted this land to keep it fallow and withhold it from use by others. The land was then distributed to other Muslims.

During the early phase of Islam, the primary source of income was voluntary

donations and Zakat. Over time, as the economy grew diverse, many different forms of taxes were levied. Custom duties, agricultural levies, land tax and eventually property taxes and brokerage tax came into play.

The distribution of wealth was consistent, for a better part, during the first halfcentury of Islam. There were two primary means of distribution. Zakat was already well established, and the second was the system of stipends. The Holy Quran (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.60) stipulates how Zakat is to be distributed, the beneficiaries being “[…] the poor and the needy, and for those employed in connection therewith, and for those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and for the [freeing of] slaves, and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer – an ordinance from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.” The source of Zakat also included war-booty, also known as khums in Arabic for 1/5 (Surah al-Anfal, Ch.8: V.42), which in the modern-day period comes from mining resources.

The second means of wealth distribution was the stipend system. During the life of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, equal stipend was distributed among all Muslims. However, due to various reasons, Hazrat Umarra Continued on next page >>

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

22 << Continued from previous page

decided to pay a stipend depending on various factors that took into consideration factors such as lineage, when a person joined Islam and their status in terms of knowledge and closeness to the Holy Prophetsa. This distribution system was revoked during the reign of Hazrat Alira, the Fourth Khalifa of Islam.

To ensure that every member of the Muslim dominion had a roof over their head, food to eat and clothes to wear, Hazrat Umarra initiated the first known census of the Muslim world. In addition, a minimum income was also set for all citizens. The source for this funding was a complex mixture of Khums, Zakat and Kharaj (land tax).

Child benefits from birth, old-age benefits and disability benefits were all introduced during the time of Hazrat Umarra.

Hazrat Uthmanra did not modify the structure set up by his predecessor, except for land ownership. The land ownership rules were modified in favour of privatisation.

Being an excellent administrator, he focused his attention on the efficient management of the bait-ul-mal. The infrastructure under Muslim dominion made great leaps. Roads and bridges were constructed throughout the land, in addition to the building of various canals such as Abi Musa, Ma‘al and Saad. These canals streamlined various services for citizens, such as the supply of fresh water and food transportation.

The rapid expansion of Islam brought with it challenges. One major challenge that Hazrat Uthmanra, and in particular Hazrat Alira faced was that of moral and ethical education of new Muslims. Over time, the number of companions of the Holy Prophetsa passed. The grounding of Islamic values in the new converts started to diminish.

The uprisings during the khilafat of Hazrat

Alira are a testament to such dwindling values. It was a short-lived khilafat, but one where Hazrat Alira constantly reminded the Muslims of their core values. He would walk about in public places, especially markets and remind the people to be honest, truthful and conduct their business with integrity.

Taxpayers and collectors were constantly reminded to be humble and mindful of their duties. A well-defined social welfare function and the duties of the administration in this regard emerged as a critical product during this time.

Upon appointment as governor of Egypt, the advice given by Hazrat Alira to al-Ashlar included a key reminder that the current world economy lacks sorely. The newly appointed governor was reminded that “he should give greater attention to the development of the land than to the collection of the kharaj (land tax) because the latter depended upon the former. Whoever demanded kharaj without developing the land, destroyed the country and the people.

If the people complained of the heaviness of taxation, or some natural calamity, the interruption of irrigation, misfortune, or that the land had become waterlogged or parched, their burden was to be lightened so that their affairs might recover.”

With the martyrdom of Hazrat Alira in 661 CE, the period of Rashidun Khilafat ended, and the reign of Umayyad started.

The following article briefly covers the development of economic thought from the Umayyad Khilafat onward.

Sheharyar Sarwar Sahib reports that on 27 March 2022, Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya USA held a virtual “Jamia Awareness Webinar” in collaboration with the National Waqf-e-Nau Department, USA. The purpose of the event was for waqifeen-e-nau to gain insight into Jamia Ahmadiyya to encourage curiosity. Two main topics were covered during the event, including day-to-day life and the academics of Jamia Ahmadiyya.

The event was presided over by Hafiz Samiullah Chaudhary Sahib, Secretary Waqf-e-Nau, USA. Hosting duties were performed by Hashim Usman Sahib.

After the recitation from the Holy Quran and excerpt of the Promised Messiahas, presentations on the main topics were presented.

Abdul Aziz Bin Mohammad Ibrahim President Jamaat Penang, Malaysia

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Penang, Malaysia was invited to the opening ceremony of “Kempen Kenali Al Quran” (The Holy Quran Recognition Campaign) organised

by Gabungan Dakwah Malaysia Pulau Pinang. The campaign will last for one whole month from 3 April to 2 May 2022.

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Penang took this opportunity to distribute a summary of the Holy Quran in the form of a simple booklet to all the guests, especially the non-Muslim guests.

• • •

The Economic System of Islam by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra The History of al-Tabari by William Montgomery Watt and Michael V McDonald The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol. 2, Koninklijke Brill, 2002

The first presenter, Farhad Rana Sahib presented “Introduction to life in Jamia Ahmadiyya”, an insightful talk covering the daily schedule, extra-curricular activities, hostel life and discipline at Jamia Ahmadiyya.

The second presentation, titled “Jamia Academics” was presented by Adil Ahmad Sahib, covering the academic structure in Jamia Ahmadiyya, including classes, yearly schedules, self-study, and research culminating in a well-composed thesis.

The three talks were followed by a 30-minute-long question and answer session.

Concluding remarks were delivered by Hafiz Samiullah Chaudhary Sahib, followed by silent prayer.

Alhamdulillah, there were 141 unique logins to the event, with the highest number of attendees at any given time numbering 91.

At the Kempel Keali Al Quran campaign

Tarawih

Bibliography

Jamia awareness webinar by MKA and Waqf-e-Nau USA Talha Saifi Mohtamim Ishaat, MKA USA

Malaysian Ahmadi Muslims invited to “Kempen Kenali Al Quran” (The Holy Quran Recognition Campaign)

“

The Promised Messiahas said: The constant practice of the Holy Prophetsa [about Tarawih] was to offer eight rak‘aat during the time of Tahajjud, and this is the best way.

However, it is also permissible to offer them in the earlier portion of the night. There is a narration that the Holy Prophetsa offered them in the first part of the night. 20 rak‘aat were offered afterwards, but the practice of the Holy Prophetsa was what I just mentioned.”

(Badr, 6 February 1908, p. 7)

23

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022

Friday Sermon 25 March 2022 Truth of the Promised Messiahas After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:

It was 23 March two days ago. This day is known as Yaum-e-Masih-e-Maud [Promised Messiahas Day] in the Jamaat. On this day, the Promised Messiahas took the first pledge [bai‘at] of initiation. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the Jamaat also holds gatherings in relation to this day in which the claim of the Promised Messiahas, the purpose of his advent in accordance with the need of

the time, the Holy Prophet’ssa prophecies regarding the Promised Messiahas and various aspects of his life etc. are highlighted.

On one occasion, the Promised Messiahas mentioned the importance of his advent in accordance with the need of the time in the following manner: “God Almighty has bestowed a great blessing in this era in that owing to His

honour, He has sent an individual in support of His religion (i.e. the religion of Islam), and the Holy Prophetsa; an individual who speaks among you in order to call people towards this light. If such disorder and corruption had not existed at this time and the various efforts in order to eradicate the religion were not made, there would be no such need (there would be no need to send

someone). However, as you see, nations in every direction are bent upon eradicating Islam.”

In whichever direction one observes, they will see that efforts are being made to destroy Islam. The same situation was prevalent at that time as well when the Promised Messiahas made the claim and the same is the case even today. However, most

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

24 Muslims are unable to comprehend this.

Nevertheless, the Promised Messiahas stated: “I have mentioned this in Barahin-eAhmadiyya as well that 60 million books against Islam have been written and published. It is strange that the population of Muslims in India is also 60 million (the population of the Muslims was 60 million at the time of when the Promised Messiahas mentioned this) and the number of books against Islam amounts to the same. Even if we dismiss the recent increase in publications, our opponents have already handed a book into the hands of each Muslim (living in India). If the honour of Allah the Almighty had not been aroused and if the promise of:

َّ ُ ‫إِنا ل َ ٗه ل َ َحافِظوْ َن‬

that is, ‘Most surely We are its Guardians’ were not true, then most certainly Islam would have been eradicated from the face of the earth today, so much so that not even a trace of it would have remained. However, this could not be possible! The hidden Hand of God Almighty is safeguarding it.”

(Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 73)

Following his claim, the Promised Messiahas mentioned how the succour and support of Allah the Almighty was with him; how the prophecies of Allah the Almighty stated in the Holy Quran are being fulfilled in favour of him and how the prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa in relation to his Mahdi and Messiah are being fulfilled. As I mentioned, various gatherings are being held during which people will have heard these details and they are also being expounded upon in the programmes broadcast on MTA. People should listen [to these programmes].

I shall now present some excerpts of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. These are those incidents or matters which Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra witnessed himself or heard directly from the Promised Messiahas, and some of these narrations are those which were related to him by those who witnessed them directly, among whom are members of the Jamaat as well as others. On the one hand, these incidents display the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas, and on the other, they draw our attention towards reforming ourselves and strengthening our faith. If after having heard these, we do not pay attention to reforming and bettering ourselves, then there would be no benefit in listening to them. Therefore, we must listen to them with this mindset and even at this present time as well, so that they may become a means to strengthen our faith.

Opponents of prophets have always had the habit of claiming that whatever knowledge and wisdom the prophets impart, has been taught by someone else. In fact, there is an allegation against the Holy Prophetsa in relation to the Holy Quran, that God forbid, someone else was teaching him. However, this is a book that no one can present the like thereof, and this is a challenge of Allah the Almighty.

In any case, I shall mention with regard to the Promised Messiahas that when he wrote Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, he stated at the beginning that he would write a certain number of volumes, but later when he was appointed by Allah the Almighty, he stated that these matters had now been taken into the hands of Allah the Almighty and this task was in His hands. Therefore, according to the circumstances, he would continue to present those subjects which were taught to

him. The opponents raised the allegation that someone was writing these literary works for him and the Promised Messiahas would simply present that as his own. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has written in relation to this in one of his speeches. During that time there was a newspaper named Zamindar and another by the name of Ihsan. He stated: “These newspapers always wrote in opposition that a certain Maulvi Chiragh Din Sahib of Hyderabad would pen these writings and send them to the Promised Messiahas, which he would then publish in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. As long as he kept writing to him, the Promised Messiahas would continue writing his books, but as soon as he stopped sending his writings, the Promised Messiahas also stopped writing his book.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then states: “I do not understand what has happened to Maulvi Chiragh Ali Sahib. What is the matter with him that he would send the noteworthy points he could think of to the Promised Messiahas yet keep other minor points to himself? After all, Maulvi Chiragh Ali Sahib is a writer. Place his books alongside Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and compare them.” He has also written some books so place them alongside Barahin-eAhmadiyya, is there any comparison? “Look at the status of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and then look at his writings?

“Furthermore, how could he write and send such peerless literary work [to the Promised Messiahas], yet when he wished to publish some writings under his own name, they were not anything near that calibre.

Firstly, what need did he have to even write and send anything to the Promised Messiahas? Then, if he was to even send anything, he ought to keep the best to himself and send the ordinary work to others, as is the case with Zauq, a poet of the past.

Everyone knows that he used to write poetry for Bahadur Shah Zafar, yet both Diwan-eZauq and Diwan-e-Zafar are available even today. It is evident after analysing these that the eloquence and articulacy found in the poetry of Zauq are not to be found in that of Zafar. It is therefore clear that when he sent anything to Zafar, it would only be the surplus, not the best of his work, even though Zafar was the king. Hence, even an ordinary person can understand that even if Maulvi Chiragh Ali did send any writings to the Promised Messiahas, it would have made sense to keep the most intellectual points to himself, and to send the basic points to the Promised Messiahas. The books of Maulvi Chiragh Ali Sahib are available and so are the books of the Promised Messiahas. Place them alongside one another and compare them. There is no similarity between the two. Maulvi Chiragh Ali Sahib has only compiled references from the Bible in his books, whereas the Promised Messiahas has presented such knowledge of the Holy Quran which no other Muslim was able to during the last 1,300 years. Not even a hundredth; or even a thousandth of this knowledge is even present in his [Maulvi Chiragh Ali’s] books.” (Fazail-ul-Quran, No. 6, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 14, p. 350)

Whilst mentioning the clamour raised by the clerics and opponents of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has written in one instance: “When the Promised Messiahas made his claim, his state and that of his followers

was seemingly very weak.” Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra states, “I was born prior to the claim of the Promised Messiahas, and even though I did not witness the very beginning, I did witness the time that followed right after (i.e. when he developed a sense of understanding). That era was also one of great frailty for the Jamaat. The clerics were inciting the people in various ways, and causing harm in every way possible.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “Observe the extent of opposition (there was great opposition in the time of the Promised Messiahas as well); how the people caused disorder for the Jamaat in various ways; how the people thought that now, Ahmadiyyat would be erased. However, every single time, instead of disappearing, by the grace of God Almighty, the Jamaat progressed even more than before.” (Khutbat-

(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 8, p. 248)

e-Mahmud, Vol. 33, p. 298)

Yet they could not halt its progress, and the works of Allah the Almighty continue to be fulfilled.

In regard to the response of the Promised Messiahas to all the opposition he had to face, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “Many a time, I have heard the Promised Messiahas say, ‘People hurl verbal abuse at me, and I become troubled for fear that they are ruining their life in the Hereafter as a result. On the other hand, if they do not verbally abuse me, I also become troubled because without any opposition and resistance, the Jamaat cannot progress.’”

When they hurl verbal abuse, they are also propagating the message of the Jamaat.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “The Promised Messiahas used to say, ‘I also take pleasure when people hurl verbal abuse at me; therefore, one should not pay heed to allegations and ill-speech.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then quoted a Punjabi proverb which the Promised Messiahas used to cite:

‫اوٹن اڑادنے ای دلے اجدنے ےن‬

“That is, although a camel laments, its master is still able to load his belonging on it by stroking it with his hand. Thus, no matter what others would say, the Promised Messiahas continuously advised that one should always treat others with tenderness and love, and Allah the Almighty would bestow His grace.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 15, p. 265)

Others would emerge from among those very people who would then accept [the truth].

On another occasion, in reference to this opposition, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “When the Promised Messiahas made his claim, there were only a few individuals who had accepted him. However, after some time, when Atham stood against him, people were put to trial because many began to think that the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas was not fulfilled according to its literal meaning.

Thereafter, Lekhram also stood against him, and though the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas [regarding Lekhram] was fulfilled immaculately, the Hindus became impassioned in their hostility towards him and began to oppose him severely. Similarly, when Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Sahib Batalvi began to gather edicts [against the Promised Messiahas], the Jamaat faced another great trial. Furthermore, when Dr Abdul Hakeem fell prey to apostasy, then Jamaat underwent another trial. In short, with the passage of time, there have been a great many disturbances to the extent that those observing [the Jamaat] thought that this would be the end of the community.

However, God Almighty brought about the means to remove each and every disorder and instead of bringing ruin upon the Jamaat, each strife resulted in its progress and honour. All of this is happening today as well.”

This is a part of the history of the Jamaat, and as such all divine communities undergo the same conditions and continue to face opposition. Even now, nothing has changed, and by enduring the very same opposition, the Jamaat is progressing and, insha-Allah, will continue to progress. The opponents are exerting their strength and the hypocrites are also employing all their efforts, but Allah the Almighty fulfils His objective, and He will surely fulfil His promises, insha-Allah.

During a speech, while referring to this opposition, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated: “One aspect of this is that due to the hostility that people harbour, they do not pay heed to what we have to say. Their hearts become angered. This is, indeed, disadvantageous to us. On the other hand, there is another aspect as well. When someone hears words of opposition, they begin to investigate whether the people are as awful as others say. They desire to observe for themselves. When such a person makes their own observation, they are left astonished because what they had heard from others turns out to be completely wrong. In other words, the things said by the opponents were completely contrary to what the Ahmadis say. Thus, they accept the truth.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “I remember when I was young, the Promised Messiahas was once seated in the mosque in a gathering and a person arrived from Rampur. He was originally from near the vicinity of Lucknow, but he lived in Rampur. He was a short and thin man. He was a writer and a poet, and the Nobleman [Nawab Sahib] of Rampur had officially appointed him to write a dictionary of Urdu metaphors. He joined the gathering and introduced himself as a resident of Rampur and a courtier of the Nobleman of Rampur.

The Promised Messiahas asked him what had prompted him to visit here [Qadian]. He replied that he had come to take the bai‘at.

Upon this, the Promised Messiahas said, ‘There are not many members of our Jamaat in that area’” i.e. in the area of Rampur, “‘and our message is not propagated there very much. Who from that area convinced you to come here?’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “These words have echoed in my ears to this day and I am unable to forget them, despite the fact that I was only 16 years old.

The man spontaneously replied that it was Maulvi Sanaullah who had caused him to come here.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “Due to my young age, I probably could not understand what he had said, but the Promised Messiahas started to laugh upon hearing his reply and asked, ‘How so?’ The man replied, ‘Some of the books written by Maulvi Sanaullah came to the royal court of the Nobleman. The Nobleman would read them and would tell me to read to them as well. I thought to myself that I should seek

25

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022 out the actual references of Mirza Sahib [mentioned in these books] and see them for myself. I thought that by doing so, I would have collected excellent material to use against Ahmadiyyat; however, when I found and read those excerpts, I realised that the subject matter was completely different [from what I was told]. This intrigued me even more and I thought to read more pages.

When I had read even more pages, then I came to the realisation that the honour, esteem and grandeur of the Holy Prophetsa mentioned by Mirza Sahib cannot be found in the hearts of these people.’ He further said, ‘I have a keen interest in the Persian language. Coincidentally, I came across the Persian Durr-e-Sameen and I began to read it. Once I started to read it, my heart became clear and I decided to come and pledge allegiance.’

“Thus, where opposition causes disorder, it also comes with advantages.” (Chashma-eHidayat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 22, pp. 433-435)

In light of both circumstances, we should prepare our strategy for propagating our message. If prophets do not face opposition, they still become worried because, as mentioned by the Promised Messiahas, opposition is the means of progress.

Speaking on this very topic, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “The Egyptian government was a very well-known power in its time (i.e. the era of the Pharaoh) and their king was very proud of his influence and strength. In the face of such a powerful king, Mosesas held no authority. After visiting the king, he was threatened and was told that his people would be destroyed, and that if he did not desist then he, too, would be eradicated along with his people. However, Mosesas did not desist despite everything, and said, ‘I will surely deliver the message I have been commissioned to give by God, and no power in the world can stop me.’ Jesusas did the very same thing, and so did the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra continues: “This is the same resolve we witnessed from the Promised Messiahas.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says: “We have seen with the Promised Messiahas that the entire nation was against him, even the government in one way was against him, although towards the latter years this was not the case. Nonetheless, every nation was against the Promised Messiahas. All the followers of other religions were against him; the clerics were against him, the custodians of shrines were against him; the ordinary people were against him; the rich and notables were all his enemies.

In short, there was a storm of opposition raging all around him. Many people tried to persuade him, and some under the guise of friendship said to retract some aspects of his claims; some said that if he were to abandon such and such claim, then everyone would join his community.

“However, the Promised Messiahas did not show any concern for this, and instead would always openly present his claim.

People would raise a hue and cry; people would be beaten and killed. Yet, despite all of these difficulties, and despite the fact that the Promised Messiahas was up against an entire world, and according to the apparent means, the Promised Messiahas did not have the power to confront them, but still he continued challenging them. In fact, I

remember vividly that on many occasions the Promised Messiahas would say that the example of a prophet is similar to the fable often narrated by people; it is said that there was a woman in a village who was not in her senses. Whenever she would leave her home, young children would gather together to tease her, they would mock her and annoy her continuously. In response, she would swear at the children and curse them. One day, the villagers consulted each other and thought that the woman was innocent and their children irritated her unjustly. Owing to her simple nature, she cursed the children. [They thought] ‘What if her curses turn out to be true? We ought to stop our children so they do not tease her and so she stops cursing them.’

“Thus, after this consultation, they decided that the following day every villager would keep their sons at home, and nobody would be allowed outside. Thus, the following day, everyone told their sons that they would no longer be permitted to leave the house. And as an extra safety precaution they bolted the doors. When dawn broke, the senile woman came out of her house as normal. She began roaming the streets for a while, she would go down one street and then another; but she would not see any of the boys. Previously, it would so happen that one boy would be pulling on her hem, another would pinch her, and some would be pushing her, while others would be clinging on to her hand and others would be mocking her. However, on that day she did not see a single boy. She waited until the afternoon and when she saw that not a single boy had come outside of their house, she decided to go to the market and stopping at every shop she would say, ‘has your house collapsed? Have your children all died? What has happened that nobody is around?’ After a while, when she visited every shop and said the same thing to everyone, the people thought that they were still receiving abuse and she was still cursing them, and they also cursed when the boys teased her as well, then what was the use of locking them away, they should let the children go outside.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further says: “After narrating this fable, the Promised Messiahas said, ‘In a way, the case of the prophets resembles this, in that the world teases them, mocks them and act unjustly towards them. In fact, they persecute them so cruelly that it is difficult for them to live their lives. Then, a realisation develops in the hearts of one faction of society that they are acting unjustly and that they should not do so.’ The Promised Messiahas then said, ‘But prophets cannot abandon the world. When the world does not cause them pain, the prophets themselves shake the world and awaken them from slumber. They spread the message to them and explain to them the teachings [which they have brought].

They increase in their preaching endeavours so that the world begins to pay attention to them.’” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 24, p. 272-274) Then, with regard to prophets dealing strictly, it is often asked why prophets are strict in their conduct. In relation to this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “The prophets are never strict for any personal reason, but only to establish the authority of Allah the Almighty in the world.

If they ever show strictness and become impassioned, it is only for this reason. With

regard to their own being they show the utmost humility. Regarding this, there is an incident of the Promised Messiahas; once in Lahore, while passing through a street, a person pushed the Promised Messiahas owing to which he fell to the ground. The Promised Messiah’sas companions became enraged and it was nigh that they would beat him, but the Promised Messiahas said, ‘He became enraged in support of the truth.’ (Meaning that after listening to the clerics declaring Mirza Sahib to be a liar, he thought that he would exact revenge, and so he has done this because of what he considered to be the truth.) Therefore, the Promised Messiahas told them not to harm him. Thus, prophets never say anything with regards to their own beings, in fact, they only speak out to establish the honour of God Almighty. Therefore, one should not think that Allah’s prophets also act in this way. (That is if they ever act in a strict manner.) There is a huge difference between them and ordinary people. They only act in this way for the sake of Allah the Almighty, whereas ordinary people act harshly for their own sake.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further explains: “Thus, if someone develops this understanding that they are indeed weak, then such a person can never go astray, (because that person would always focus on their own weaknesses and seek help from Allah the Almighty). A person goes astray when they think that they are right.”

As a result of this their arrogance becomes manifest. Therefore, we ought to look at the example of the prophets and always show humility, and in fact this is the way to safeguard oneself from sin.

There is another extract of the Promised Messiahas [mentioned by Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra] in relation to this.

“The Promised Messiahas would always mention the incident about the prayer of Hazrat Mu‘awiyyahra. Once, he offered the Fajr prayer after its actual time had passed.

However, owing to this mistake he did not stumble; in fact, he progressed. (Satan did not take hold of him, but instead he tried to attain the pleasure of Allah.) Thus, only the one who has a realisation of sin can abstain from sin. When one becomes careless towards sin, it is at that point that they fall into trial. Therefore, a believer ought to ponder over the verse:

ۡ ّ ‫ا ۡہدنَا‬ ‫الص َر َاط ال ُم ۡس َت ِق ۡی َم‬ ِ ِ ِ

“[‘Guide us in the right path’] and ought to understand that they are not safe from dangers, and they can only consider themselves to be safe when they hear the voice of God. Therefore, one ought to analyse their weaknesses. For a person who holds themselves accountable for their weaknesses, the doors to spirituality are opened for them. And a person who fails to do this, the paths to spirituality are closed for them, and such a person goes astray.”

(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 18, pp. 141-142)

On one occasion, the Promised Messiahas said that without effort in one’s worldly endeavours and in one’s religious endeavours, a person can never attain honour.

[Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states] “The Promised Messiahas would say: “‘In this era, God has ensured that all honour is gained through me. Now, those

that will attain honour will be either my followers or my enemies.’”

Just observe, the people who gain repute will either be a follower of the Promised Messiahas or his enemy – i.e. they consider themselves to be enemies due to religious reasons.

[Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra continues:] “Thus, the Promised Messiahas would say: “‘Just look at Maulvi Sanaullah Sahib, he is not the most eminent scholar, there are thousands of clerics just like him throughout the Punjab and India. If he has built up a reputation, then that is due to opposing me. Whether these people accept it or not, this is the reality, that today, a person will gain honour through supporting me or by opposing me. In essence, we are the main focal point, and if our opponents gain fame, then that is because of us.’” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 8, p. 614)

Thus, this is what we are observing even today, if the clerics are earning a livelihood, or they have earned a position then it is due to their opposition to Ahmadiyyat. And now, even politicians of certain countries, especially Pakistan, wish to further their careers by opposing Ahmadis and thereby holding onto their seats.

With regard to the ploys and schemes against the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes: “People conspired against the Promised Messiahas, lodged murder cases against him, but Allah the Almighty rendered the ploys of the enemy ineffective. In an attempted murder trial, Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi came to give evidence against the Promised Messiahas and thought that if he was not handcuffed, then at least, he would be able to see the Promised Messiahas humiliated in court – God forbid.

However, despite the fact that the Deputy Commissioner before whom the case was presented was English and opposed our community, and as soon as he was appointed in this district, he said, ‘Why has he (i.e. the Promised Messiahas) still not been punished!

For he disrespects our Messiah, Jesus and says that he has died. I will be the one to punish him!’ However, when the Promised Messiahas appeared before him, Allah the Almighty ensured the means that as soon as he saw the face of the Promised Messiahas, all his enmity vanished and he asked for a chair to be brought for the Promised Messiahas and asked for it to be placed near him, and so the Promised Messiahas sat down. Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Sahib Batalvi had come only to see the Promised Messiahas humiliated, when he saw that the Promised Messiahas was seated on a chair, he could not tolerate it; he asked the Deputy Commissioner, Captain Douglas for him to also be given a chair. Maulvi Muhammad Hussain thought that if the accused could sit on a chair, then why would the witness not get a chair to sit on. However, when Captain Douglas heard this, he became enraged and in a stern tone, said, ‘You will not be given a chair.’ Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Sahib said, ‘In the courtroom of his Lordship, my father would have a chair, I should also be given a chair. I am an advocate for the Ahl-e-Hadith and I have a right to a chair.’

Upon this, Captain Douglas said: ‘Enough with your nonsense, move back and stand up straight.’

“Instead of witnessing the Promised

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Messiahas being humiliated, God Almighty in turn humiliated him [Maulvi Hussain].

This is what transpired inside the courtroom.

When Maulvi Sahib came outside, in order to show the people that he received a chair inside as well, he came outside and sat on a chair in the veranda. However, since a servant always does what he sees his master do, when the clerk saw that Maulvi Sahib did not get a chair inside, but is now sitting on a chair in the veranda, he thought that if his superior [officer] saw this, he would be angry with him, and so he immediately rushed over and said, ‘You do not have permission to sit here, please vacate the seat.’

“In this way, those outside were also able to witness for themselves how much respect was given to Maulvi Sahib in the courtroom.

Overcome with rage and fury, Maulvi Sahib moved ahead and sat on a sheet of cloth that someone had laid outside on the floor.

Incidentally, the person whom the sheet belonged to arrived and said, ‘Get off of my sheet as it will become impure for you have come to give a testimony in the court against a Muslim and in favour of a Christian.’ Thus, one ought to remember that when Allah the Almighty bestows His help, there is no one that can stop it. Let alone an officer in the police or a policeman, even the most elite of men have no guarantee of life and Allah the Almighty can destroy the enemy in a matter of seconds. Hence, one ought to prostrate before Allah the Almighty and supplicate to Him. Indeed, it is destined for believers to be subjected to trials, therefore if one remains patient and continues to remain occupied in prayer, then Allah the Almighty shall remove those trials.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 15, pp. 184-186)

There was a debate between the

Promised Messiahas and the Christians and the proceedings of this debate have been recorded in the Promised Messiah’sas book, “Jang-e-Muqaddas” [The Holy War].

Whilst mentioning this debate in one of his sermons, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has stated with reference to Hazrat Khalifa Awwalra: “Hazrat Khalifa Awwalra used to say, ‘We witnessed an incident during the debate with Atham whereby initially we were left perplexed, but then our level of faith ascended as high as the heavens. When the Christians became tired of debating and realised that none of their arguments was fruitful, they tried to create ridicule by mischievously gathering a few Muslims, who were either blind, deaf, unable to walk or physically handicapped and made them sit to one side prior to the debate.

When the Promised Messiahas arrived, they immediately brought these people before him and said, “One cannot resolve disputes through dialogue. You claim to have come in the likeness of Jesus and he would grant sight to those who were blind, grant the ability to hear to those who were deaf and he would heal those who were physically handicapped.

In order to save you from any trouble, we have gathered some people who are either blind, deaf and physically handicapped.

If you really have come in the spirit of the Messiah, then cure them of their ailments.”’

Khalifa Awwal would say, ‘We were also sat there at the time and upon hearing them say this, our hearts completely sank. Even though we knew that there was no truth to what they were attributing to Jesusas, but still our hearts sank for we thought that today they would have the opportunity to mock and ridicule. However, we looked towards

the Promised Messiahas, there was not a single expression of any kind of displeasure or anxiousness upon his countenance.

When they finished saying what they had to say, the Promised Messiahas stated to the Christian priest, “According to the teachings of Islam, my belief regarding the Messiah in whose spirit I have come did not heal such blind, deaf and physically handicapped people. In fact, this is your belief that Jesusas physically healed such people. Moreover, it is written in your book that if one has even the slightest level of faith, they can move the mountains upon their command and if they place their hands over the sick, they will be cured. Thus, you cannot pose this question to me for I can only demonstrate those miracles which my Master, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafasa showed. If you seek those miracles of me, then I am ready to show them. As for those kinds of miracles [in question], your book has mentioned that if any Christian who possesses faith even as much as a grain of mustard seed then they can show such miracles as shown by Jesusas.

Thus, you indeed have saved me from the trouble by gathering these blind, deaf and the physically handicapped. They are now present here and if you possess faith even as much as a grain of mustard seed, then grant them cure.”’ Hazrat Khalifa Awwalra would say, ‘The Christian clergymen were left astounded by this response and some of their most reputable priests began to remove those sick people from there.’ And so, Allah the Almighty bestows honour upon His close servants at every occasion and teaches them such responses by which their opponents are left completely stunned.”

(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 23, pp. 88-89)

There is an incident relating to the

opposition towards the Promised Messiahas which took place in Sialkot. [Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra] states: “The Promised Messiahas travelled to Sialkot and the maulvis issued an edict that whoever attended the Promised Messiah’sas lecture their marriage would become annulled. However, Hazrat Mirza Sahibas personality was so captivating that people completely disregarded the edict. And so, the maulvis stationed people along the way in order to stop them from going. They also gathered stones so they would throw them at those who did not stop and they would drag people away from the actual venue, so that they could not listen to the lecture. BT Sahib was the city inspector in Sialkot at the time and later became a superintendent in the police force; however, I do not what office he holds now.” This was at the time of narrating this incident. “BT Sahib was responsible to oversee this event. When people began to raise a hue and cry and started to create disorder, BT Sahib had also heard the lecture of Hazrat Sahibas and was therefore astounded because the lecture was against the Arya and Christians and even if whatever Mirza Sahibas had said was against the views of the maulvis, even then no allegation could be levelled against Islam. What was said was against the Christians and if it were true then it proved the truthfulness of Islam, therefore he thought why did the Muslims have to create disorder. Even though he was a governmental officer; however, he stood up and addressed the Muslims saying, ‘He states that the god of the Christians is dead, so why are you becoming enraged? Does it not go in your favour what he says?’ Hence, this is precisely the manner in which they treat us. (In other words, the opponents.)

From what it appears is that they don’t mind if someone from amongst the Muslims enters the Arya faith, so as long as they do not listen to the words of Mirza Sahibas.”

[Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra] further states: “The fact of the matter is that this view of theirs is not correct. We, however, are affected if a Muslim changes his faith.

“The Promised Messiahas would often say:

‫ُ� ن ِ ن ِ ن‬ ‫��� ا ِ ی�اں �ہ دار‬ ��‫اے دل �� ی‬ ‫ن‬ �� � ‫اک ِٓ�� � د�ئ � ی��ب��م‬

“‘O my heart! Have consideration for these people; for after all they claim to be the beloveds of my Prophetsa.’” (Tarikh Shuddhi Malkana, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 7, p. 192)

Thus, we feel pain when they change their faith or stray away from the truth.

On one occasion, someone said to the Promised Messiahas, “I have great admiration for you; however, you have made a huge mistake. The fact is that the ulema [scholars] do not listen to what anyone says because they know that if they accept it then that would be a means of humiliation for them and people would say that they couldn’t think of it and someone else understood the matter correctly instead. Hence, in order to make them agree to something is that one has to make them be the first ones to say it.

When you realised that Jesusas had passed away, you should have invited some of the most prominent scholars to a meeting and then presented this matter before them. You should have explained that by believing in Jesusas to be alive strengthens the position of the Christians. Subsequently, they cause

27

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 April 2022 harm to Islam by raising allegations. They claim that our prophet has passed away and the founder of their faith is alive in the heavens, hence he is superior; in fact, he is God. You should have posed this question to them and asked for a response. The scholars you would have invited would have asked you for a response and then you should have said, ‘Though the view you all hold is the one that is correct; however, my view is that such and such verse [of the Holy Quran] proves the death of Jesusas.’ The scholars present would have immediately agreed to it and would have told you to announce it and that they would support you.”

This was the method this individual proposed to the Promised Messiahas in order to convince the scholars to agree with the Promised Messiahas. He then further said: “In the same way, you could have said that the ahadith mention that the Messiah is going to return; however, if Jesusas has passed away then what would those traditions mean. Upon this, one of the scholars would have said that you are the Messiah and in this way all the other scholars would have agreed to this.”

Upon hearing this suggestion, the Promised Messiahas stated: “If my claim was merely owing to human endeavour, then no doubt I would have done it in this way. However, this was owing to the commandment of God. I did just as God informed me. Ploys and deception are employed in response to the deceitful ploys of man; however, Divine communities never have any fear of these. This is not our work; rather, it is the work of God and He is the one Who shall convey this message.”

(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 12, pp. 196-197)

The occurrence of the eclipse of the moon and the sun is a very well-known incident in our Jamaat. A maulvi who opposed the Jamaat and perhaps lived in Gujrat would always say that people should not be deceived by the claims of Mirza Sahibas for it has been clearly recorded in the traditions that one of the signs of the Mahdi is that in his time, the sun and the moon will be eclipsed in the month of Ramadan. So as long the sun and the moon are not eclipsed in the month of Ramadan, one should not believe his claims to be true. It so happened that he was still alive when the prophecy regarding the eclipse of the sun and the moon was fulfilled. One of his neighbours was an Ahmadi and he mentioned that when the sun was eclipsed, the maulvi became anxious and went on top of his roof and whilst walking from one side to the other, he would repeat, “Now people will definitely go astray, now people will definitely go astray.” He failed to understand that by accepting Hazrat Mirza Sahibas upon the fulfilment of the prophecy, people would be guided instead of going astray. The Christians at the time [of the advent of the Holy Prophetsa] also believed that all the signs had been fulfilled which were mentioned in their earlier scriptures, but on the other hand, upon hearing of the claim of the Holy Prophetsa they would say that it was a sheer coincidence that a liar had claimed to be a prophet. In the same way, the Muslims believe that the signs are being fulfilled, but it so happened that a liar has made the claim. This is the condition of the Muslims and what is astonishing is that this incidentally only happens to a so-called liar and not a truthful person [in their eyes].”

(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 10, p. 56)

Regarding the Promised Messiah’sas past, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says: “Every evil takes root gradually. Never is it the case that a person goes to sleep while being truthful and wakes up as the worst of liars. He never lied about anyone, yet as soon as he wakes up he begins lying about God. Accordingly, let us examine the life of the Promised Messiahas before his claim. He announced many times to the Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims here, ‘can you raise any allegation regarding my past life?’

Yet no one had the courage to respond. In fact, they would attest to his piety. Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi – who went on to become a staunch opponent – attested in his publication that the Promised Messiah’sas life was pure and free from fault. In his newspapers, Mr Zafar Ali Khan’s father attested to the fact that in his early years the Promised Messiahas was a virtuous individual. Hence, how could it be that a person who had been unblemished and virtuous for 40 years, completely changed and went astray overnight? Psychiatrists and psychologists agree that the flaws and moral faults develop over time, as opposed to an immediate change in a person’s morals.

the magistrate, thinking that no one had yet seized this claimant to being the Mahdi and Messiah and so he would be the one to do it; however, the same magistrate said that in his view this was a false charge, and he continued repeating this. Eventually, that person was separated from the Christians and kept in the custody of the police officer.

Eventually, the person then began crying and confessed that he had been taught by the Christians and thus, God completely annihilated this false charge.”

Similarly, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “Maulvi Umaruddin Sahib Shimlavi is a passionate missionary of our Community.

He recounts his own incident of how he became an Ahmadi by assessing upon the same standard. He recalls that in Shimla, Maulvi Muhammad Hussain, Maulvi Abdur Rahman Siyah and some others were consulting about how they should challenge the Promised Messiahas. Maulvi Abdur Rahman Sahib said that the Promised Messiahas had announced he would no longer engage in debates. They should publish an announcement for a debate; if he responded then they could say that he lied by first publishing an announcement saying

pledged allegiance. Maulvi Muhammad Hussain said that he had turned out to be very evil and said that he would write to his father. He replied, ‘Maulvi Sahib, whatever has happened was because of you’. The opponents try to end the beloved of Allah the Almighty, yet he continues to be saved.

God helps bestows upon him His Divine knowledge and honours him in every field.”

(Mi‘yar-e-Sadaqat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 6, pp. 61-62)

[Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:] “Similarly, Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi Sahib also claimed that he would destroy Mirza Sahib. Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi Sahib had been childhood friends with the Promised Messiahas; he would stay in contact with him and would praise his writings. Immediately after the Promised Messiahas made his claim, he [Muhammad Hussain Batalvi] said that he was the one who had elevated him to this rank, and he would be the one to now destroy him […] Then, the Promised Messiah’sas own relatives announced, and some even published in newspapers that this person had merely taken this up as a way of earning money and should not be given any attention. Thus, they attempted to turn the entire world against him.”

“Remember, if my movement is a mere business as people have said, then any remnant of it will be erased. However, if this is from God – and surely it is from Him – then even if the entire world opposes it, it will increase and flourish and the angels will protect it (insha-Allah). Even if a single person does not remain with me and no one helps me, I have firm faith that this movement will prove successful (insha-Allah).”

Therefore, ponder over how unblemished, flawless and enlightened his past was.”

(Mi‘yar-e-Sadaqat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 6, pp. 60-61)

Then, let us see how Allah the Almighty helped the Promised Messiahas. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes: “God’s help accompanies His prophets.

One cannot be considered as a messenger of God if they do not experience His help.

People come close to ending the prophet’s life, however God’s help arrives and causes His prophet to be successful leaving the ploys of his opponents to be completely foiled. Such was the opposition against the Promised Messiahas. Various plots were hatched to kill him; people were even appointed to kill him, but their plots became known and they failed. False charges of attempted murder were made against him, such as the false murder charge filed by Martin Clarke. In fact, someone even said that he had been hired by the Promised Messiahas. Moreover,

that he would no longer engage in debates with anyone yet he had now accepted a debate. If he did not accept the debate then they could simply raise a hue and cry that he avoided the challenge. Upon this, Maulvi Umaruddin Sahib asked why all of this was necessary, he could simply go and kill him and put an end to the matter. Maulvi Muhammad Hussain said, ‘Boy, what do you know, we have tried everything.’ The thought occurred to Maulvi Umaruddin Sahib that if God was protecting someone so much, then he must be from God.” He was just a boy, yet he thought that if Allah the Almighty was protecting him so much and protecting him against all the plots being made against him then he must have been sent by God. “Then, when he was returning after having pledged allegiance, he met Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi at the station, who asked where he was going. He replied that he had just returned from Qadian after having

Then, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says: “I was old enough to remember that many workers who are known as Kameen in farming terms refused to work at the Promised Messiah’sas home (the workers refused to work at the home of the Promised Messiahas, despite him belonging to a family of landowners). The proponents of this were in fact members of our own family.

Hence, our own people and strangers alike wished to erase and completely destroy him; however, God said to His servant, ‘A prophet came to the world, but the world did not accept him; but God will accept him and will manifest his truth with powerful assaults’. A lonely and helpless man stood in Qadian, where the mail arrived only once a week, where there wasn’t even a primary school, where people did not even have a single rupee’s worth of flour; this person was neither a cleric, nor did he possess much property. Although the Promised Messiahas

Friday 22 April 2022 | AL HAKAM

28 belonged to a respectable family, he did not possess a great deal of property like royalty or noblemen. He stood as a single man before the world and announced from the very outset that God would spread his name to the corners of the world. Is there anyone today who can say that the name of the Promised Messiahas did not reach the corners of the world?” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol.1, pp. 324-325)

Today, we see that there is no corner of the world where the name of the Promised Messiahas has not reached.

The Promised Messiahas states: “A liar’s falsehood is enough to destroy him. Any undertaking which serves to prove the majesty of Allah the Almighty and manifest the blessings associated with His prophet and is a plant which has been planted by Allah the Almighty’s own hand, then the angels protect it. Who then can

destroy it? Remember, if my movement is a mere business as people have said, then any remnant of it will be erased. However, if this is from God – and surely it is from Him – then even if the entire world opposes it, it will increase and flourish and the angels will protect it (insha-Allah). Even if a single person does not remain with me and no one helps me, I have firm faith that this movement will prove successful (inshaAllah).” (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, p. 148) May Allah the Almighty enable us to honour our pledge of allegiance to him and spread his message throughout the world.

May we reap the blessings and rewards of Allah the Almighty. May we never be among the disloyal; rather, may we become counted amongst those who are loyal. May Allah the Almighty grant us this ability.

I will announce a website that I will be launching today. This is yet another means

of spreading the message of the Promised Messiahas to the corners of the world.

This is the Jamaat’s website in Kurdish; islamahmadiyya.krd. This website will be overseen by Dr Ismail Muhammad Sahib along with a team consisting of members from the Kurdish Jamaat. The purpose of this website is to give Kurdish readers the opportunity to learn about the Ahmadiyya beliefs by reading about them in their own language for the first time. This website will primarily be in the Sorani dialect of Kurdish while there will also be some material in the Badini dialect as well. This website will comprise news, articles, commentaries, books, Friday sermons and a video section.

With help from the Kurdish translation committee, various books of the Promised Messiahas and other Jamaat books will also be available on the website. There will be books of the Promised Messiahas, books of

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra along with other Jamaat literature, including The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, Jesus in India, The Need for the Imam, The Truth of the Mahdi, Invitation to Ahmadiyyat, The Institution of Khilafat and others. Insha-Allah, this website will be launched after the Friday prayer. May Allah the Almighty make it a source of blessings.

I would also like to say that continue praying in light of the current world situation. May Allah the Almighty save the world from destruction, grant sense to people and enable them to recognise their Creator.

(Official Urdu translation published in Al Fazl International, 15 April 2022, pp. 5-10.

Translated by The Review of Religions.)

Sadaqah The Promised Messiahas said:

“

The Arabic word for alms ‘sadaqah’

is derived from a root ‘sidq’ that means sincerity. If the heart is not inspired by sincerity in bestowing alms, the almsgiving ceases to be alms and becomes mere display. That is why those who exercise benevolence have been admonished by God Almighty not to render vain their benevolence by reproaches or injury.”

(The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, p. 25)

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