Afghanistan’s bleak situation precedes the Taliban – Recalling the Promised Messiah’s warnings
It’s been a year since the US-led occupation of Afghanistan ended and the world saw the Taliban sweep across the country. A dismal show of Western failure was broadcast to the world on television as the Taliban seized American equipment left behind and started controlling the streets of Kabul once again. The Western world’s attempt to “reform” Afghanistan proved to be futile and now Afghans have to face severe oppression and immensely un-Islamic laws that the Taliban continue to impose. It seems Afghanistan needs a miracle for any chance of improvement. The occupation of Afghanistan (and other Muslim countries) in the name of eradicating terrorism has only produced more extremists. Carpet bombing and “collateral damage” in the shape of innocent lives have created vicious cycles where organisations like Al Qaeda have enough convincing power to continue their recruitment and grow. This is coupled with the continuous misrepresentation of Islamic teachings by extremists and so-called scholars, including a false picture of jihad –another sword’s edge in the perpetuation of extremists that countries like Afghanistan are Hazratwitnessing.Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas, during the colonial era, warned of the influence of Western propaganda coupled with the inaccurate preaching of Islamic concepts by scholars and how this would continue to destroy lands, in particular Afghanistan. In his monumental treatise, The British Government and Jihad, Hazrat Ahmadas wrote: “It should be remembered that today’s Islamic scholars (who are called maulavis) completely misunderstand jihad and misrepresent it to the general public. The public’s violent instincts are inflamed as a result and they are stripped of all noble human virtues. This is in fact what has happened […]. “O Muslim scholars and maulavis!
Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7388 An authentic Islamic take on attackRushdie Page 6 Page 8 Page 4 THE WEEKLY www.alhakam.orgA AL HAKAM | Friday 19 August 2022 | Issue CCXXXI Answers to Everyday Issues Part XXXVIII Our opponents’ enmity is due to our heeding God’s call Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s address at Jalsa Salana Rabwah 1950 Faith in Allah and His Messengersa Hadith-e-Rasul – Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa Hazrat Abu Hurairahra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa was asked: “Which deed is best?” He replied, “Faith in Allah and His Messengersa.” (Sunan al-Nasa’i, Kitab al-Iman wa Hadithshara’i‘ihi,4985) Continued on page 2 ���ا ﻰﻠﺻ ���ا لﻮﺳر نأ ،ةﺮﻳﺮﻫ ��أ ﻦﻋ لﺎﻗ ﻞﻀﻓأ ل�����ا ىأ ﻞ�ﺳ ﻢﻠﺳو ﻪﻴﻠ� ��ﻮﺳرو ���ﺎﺑ نﺎﻤﻳ��ا Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words A dream and interpretationits A sign that was manifested to revive and strengthen our faith was that [one] afternoon [during the week ending on 10 July 1899], the aforementioned letter [addressed to the Promised Messiahas informing him of a shrine of Yuz Asaf] arrived unexpectedly, while on that same morning, the Promised Messiahas saw a dream. The Promised Messiahas saw that Her Majesty the Queen, Empress of India, may Allah preserve her, was seated in the home of the Promised Messiahas. In the dream, His Holinessas addressed my humble self (Abdul-Karim), as I was seated next to him, and said: “Her Majesty the Queen has most graciously come to my house and has remained here for two days. Gratitude ought to be offered to her.” The interpretation of this dream Continued on next page >> Radcliffe line and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – Part I Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s tireless efforts to save millions from displacement Page 9
Listen to me. I tell you truly that this is not the time for jihad. Do not disobey God’s Holy“AtProphet. thispoint, I must with great regret say that although ignorant maulavis have instructed the ordinary public in plunder and killing by calling these actions jihad, Christian clerics have also done something similar. They have, in Urdu, Pashto and other languages, produced thousands of publications, journals and flyers alleging that Islam was spread by the sword. This literature has been distributed by them in India, Punjab and the Frontier Region, wrongly claims that Islam is synonymous with violence. The people’s penchant for violence has increased as a result of the combined testimony of the maulavis and Christian clerics. The dangerous lies of the Christian clerics create unrest and rebellion and, in my view, it is essential that our government prohibit them.” (The British Government and Jihad, pp. 10-11) These warnings fell on deaf ears and ever since, the situation in Afghanistan has only got worse – whether the attempts of invasion by the Soviet Union and the subsequent creation of the “Mujahideen” or the invasion of the USA and allied forces for the better part of twenty years. Western forces have not acted on justice and neither have so-called “Islamic” extremist organisations like the Taliban upheld and represented the unadulterated teachings of Islam – whether in Afghanistan or elsewhere.
was the best athlete in Jamia and Basalat group won the best group prize for sports. After this, prizes were given to the students who took the top three positions in their classes, and the final year students were given certificates as well. This year a total of 19 students graduated from Jamiatul Mubashireen Sierra Leone. After the prize distribution, a group of Jamia students presented an Arabic Qaseeda in chorus.Inhis address, missionary-in-charge, Saeedur Rahman Sahib advised the students that Jamia is the beginning for the students to acquire religious knowledge and after completing Jamia they should not consider themselves scholars and stop acquiring knowledge.Inhisaddress, Amir Sahib Jamaat Sierra Leone told the Jamia students and the graduating missionaries that they were the representatives of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and they should recognise their status and should establish its dignity and fulfil their pledge of devotion in the best possible manner.After the programme, the guests were served lunch, which was followed by Zuhr and Asr prayers.
It is worthy to note that a great and dear companion of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Sahibzada Abdul Latifra was brutally martyred in Afghanistan following the edicts and pressure of the Muslim clergy, despite him being a senior adviser to the Amir of Kabul and a renowned alim of Afghanistan. The persecution of Ahmadis in Afghanistan (and other Muslim majority countries) continues to this day and is growing. In a virtual meeting with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, an Afghani Ahmadi living in Australia asked Huzooraa about the future of Islam Ahmadiyyat in Afghanistan. Huzoor’s answer covered not only the possibilities of freedom for Ahmadis in Afghanistan but covered how peace could be established in the long Huzoorrun.aa said that for every nation, where there was progress, there was also a point of decline. When it reached a certain stage of decline, then Allah could change its condition. It was possible that when Afghanistan reached a further point of decline and fell close to destruction, then perhaps there might be someone among them who takes over again and establishes religious freedom – in turn enabling Ahmadiyyat to be well established with a prosperous future. Until such a situation arose, there was no viable future, Huzooraa was that the Promised Messiahas would soon receive some form of divine help for the blessed name of Her Majesty the Queen is ‘Victoria’ which means, ‘one who is triumphant and supported with succour.’ At this time, since Her Majesty the Queen is the most successful and fortunate of all the sovereigns on the face of the earth, for this reason, her graciously visiting the home of the Promised Messiahas was a sign of immense blessing and success for the Promised Messiahas Now observe the knowledge and power of God. In the afternoon (when the letter was received) the dream was fulfilled. Goodness gracious! What greater succour can there be than for such means to reveal themselves, which stand as a shining argument of God against all the Christians of the world? (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 27) emphasised. ( melbourne-meet-huzoor/www.alhakam.org/khuddam-
Abdul Hadi Qurashi Sierra Leone Correspondent Jamiatul Mubashireen Sierra Leone held its annual convocation on 31 July 2022. Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Sierra Leone, Musa Mewa Sahib and his entourage arrived at the Jamia compound and were welcomed by the principal of Jamiatul Mubashireen, lecturers and the Jamia students. At the principal’s office, Amir Sahib joined a meeting with the Jamia staff and discussed the progress of the students.After the meeting, the convocation programme was presided over by amir sahib Jamaat Sierra Leone. The principal of Jamia, Mubarak Ahmad Ghumman Sahib then welcomed the guests which was followed by the annual report by Sulaiman H Kamara Sahib.After the detailed annual report, a prize distribution ceremony was held in which students who got positions in various competitions over the year, were awarded prizes.This year, Muhammad Yero Kamara Sahib has been declared the best student in academic competitions and Noor group was the best group in Majlis-e-Ilmi for the year 2021-22 whereas, Ibrahim S Koroma Sahib
) The injustices in Afghanistan are not merely a year old but span a long time. The Messiahas of Prophet Muhammadsa gave the roadmap to lasting peace and true justice and his Khulafa have continued his message over decades. It is only when these words are heeded that Afghanistan, and the world, will see lasting peace and justice, insha-Allah
Friday 19 August 2022 | AL HAKAM2 Continued from page 1 << Continued from previous page
Convocation of Jamiatul Mubashireen Sierra Leone – 2021-2022
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Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivering a Friday Sermon from Baitus Sabuh, Frankfurt, Germany
21 August 2017: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurated the Baitus Samad Mosque in Giessen, DuringGermany.his address on this occasion, Huzooraa said: “Certainly, all Ahmadi Muslims who are living in this country, whether born or immigrants, must be loyal citizens and seek to help the nation progress and develop. Students should strive to excel so that they can go on to serve the nation, whilst businessmen or women should always be honest in their dealings and display integrity and should ensure that they pay all their taxes and fulfil their duties to the State. Our members should always remember the favours of this nation whereby they are able to practice their faith freely
This Week in History and are being accepted into this nation. They should live here as true loyal citizens of this nation.”
20 August 20 August 2010: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned Dr Najam-ul-Hassan Sahib of Karachi, Pakistan who was martyred on 16 August outside his clinic. He was born in 1971 in Dhaka, Bangladesh and got his education – from primary level to being a child specialist – from Karachi. He was working as a professor of health sciences at the Dow University, Karachi. He was also a musi Huzooraa mentioned another martyr, Habib-ur-Rahman Sahib of Sanghar, Pakistan, who was martyred on 19 August, while he was attending to his agricultural lands. He was born in 1950 in Sanghar and got his education from Rabwah. He had the opportunity to serve the Jamaat in various capacities, such as qaid Majlis Sanghar,Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya qaid MKA District Sanghar, and secretary maal Jamaat AfterSanghar.this, Huzooraa mentioned Musa Rustami Sahib of Kosovo, who had passed away on 5 August. He had the opportunity to serve as the president of Jamaat Kosovo for 10 years and had a great passion for preaching the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat.
(“New Ahmadiyya Mosque opened in Giessen by Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community”, www. pressahmadiyya.com)
22 August 22 August 2008: During his Friday Sermon on this day, at the inauguration of Jalsa Salana Germany 2008, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said that last year he had placed some restrictions on the German Lajna due to too much noise in the ladies marquee and some other issues. However, following many letters of apology, he was removing the restriction. Huzooraa reminded everyone that the promise they had made should be fulfilled. Huzooraa added that at Jalsa Salana Ghana, about 50,000 women would participate. There was never any noise during prayer, sermons or speeches despite the heat and the fact that there was no separate arrangement for children.
21 August 21 August 2015: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned Ikramullah Sahib of Taunsa Sharif, Pakistan, who had been martyred on 19 August. He was born in 1978, and after his graduation, established his own medical store. Many times, he would give medicine to the poor people free of Huzoorcost.aa also mentioned Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Muztar Arifi Sahib, who had passed away on 14 August He2015.was born in 1917 and accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1941. On 9 April 1944, presented himself as a life devotee, and Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra accepted his request. In June 1967, he had the opportunity to serve as the private secretary of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh and accompanied him during the tours of Africa and ForEurope.more details, please visit: personality/289/chaudhry-www.ahmadipedia.org/content/ muhammad-ali-muztar-arifi
3AL HAKAM | Friday 19 August 2022 19 August 19 August 2017: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived at Baitus Sabuh, Frankfurt (the headquaters of the Jamaat in Germany) from London. Huzooraa travelled from London by road and after crossing into mainland Europe, he was greeted by Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany and various other office-bearers. Huzooraa travelled onwards to Frankfurt and arrived at Baitus Subuh at 10:25 pm local time where he was greeted by hundreds of Ahmadi Muslims. Shortly after arrival, Huzooraa led the Maghrib and Isha prayers.
23 August 23 August 2013: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned Zuhoor Ahmad Kiani Sahib of Orangi Town Karachi, who was martyred on 21 August by two motorcyclists. His daughter was standing near the window and had a cup of tea in her hands; she threw the cup at them and in response they fired at her as well, but she survived. Zuhoor Ahmad Sahib was aged 47 and was a musi as well. He was working at the Federal Board of Revenue and serving as a clerk in the anti-smuggling unit of the customs department. 24 August 24 August 2007: During his Friday Sermon on this day in the Netherlands, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned the statement of Geert Wilders against Islam, the Holy Quran and the blessed character of the Holy Prophetsa Geert Wilders had said that in the Holy Quran, Muslims had been incited to commit violence against the Christians, Jews and apostates. He also demanded a ban on the Holy Quran. After mentioning the natural calamities which were prevalent in the world, Huzooraa said that the only solution to save the world from these calamities was to turn to God. Huzooraa advised members of the Jamaat that it was their duty to call everyone towards the One God and to convey to them the true teachings of Islam.
25 August 25 August 2017: During his Friday Sermon on this day, at the inauguration of Jalsa Salana Germany, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa instructed members of the Jamaat to pray for the Muslim ummah that Allah the Almighty may enable them to act sensibly and accept the Imam of the age. Moreover, Huzooraa also asked everyone to pray for the whole world in general that it may be saved from the destruction towards which it was heading rapidly and the world may turn to its Creator.
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Friday 19 August 2022 | AL HAKAM4
The kinship between Hazrat Musaas and Hazrat Harunas A lady asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa whether Hazrat Musaas and Hazrat Harunas were blood brothers. She also asked, how Hazrat Harunas survived when Pharaoh had ordered for all the boys of the Bani Isra’il to be killed. Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 13 June 2021, provided the following reply to this“Thquestion:eBible suggests that Hazrat Musaas and Hazrat Harunas were blood brothers. Hence, it is written therein: “‘And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him
Aaron surviving Pharaoh’s order for the sons of the Israelites to be killed “According to the Bible, Hazrat Harunas was older than Hazrat Musaas. Hence, it is written“‘Andtherein:Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.’ (Exodus 7:7,“ItKJV)was at the time of the birth of Hazrat Musaas that Pharaoh ordered the killing of Hebrew boys on the advice of astrologers and soothsayers after having seen a dream. Hazrat Harunas survived because he was born before “Anotherthat.reason for the survival of Hazrat Harunas, as mentioned in the Bible, is that long after the passing of the time of Hazrat Yaqubas and Hazrat Yusufas, the population of the Bani Isra’il swell to the point that the country was filled with them. Thus, the king of that time, fearing their numbers, began inflicting all kinds of hardships on them. However, the more they were persecuted, the more their number increased. As a result, the king of Egypt ordered the midwives to kill any sons born to the Israelite women and to keep any daughters alive. However, the midwives did not follow the king’s orders. (Exodus 1:7-17, KJV)“Moreover, it is also written in the tafasir, the commentaries of the Holy Quran, that Egyptians used to employ the Israelites without remuneration. Thus, to maintain a sufficient supply of labour, they would let any sons born to the Israelites live a year but would kill those born the following year to prevent the number of the Israelites from growing. Hazrat Harunas was born in the year in which the sons of the Bani Isra’il were spared. (Ma‘alim al-Tanzil [Tafsir al-Baghawi] by Abu Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Mas‘ud ibn Muhammad alFarra‘ al-Baghawi, under verse 50 of Surah al-Baqarah)“Thus,these are the various reasons for the survival of Hazrat Harunas which have been mentioned in the Bible and the books of tafsir.” Muraqabah and meditation Someone asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa about muraqabah and the teachings and methods of the Promised Messiahas regarding it. Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 13 June 2021, provided the following guidance on this issue: “Muraqabah generally denotes watchfulness, focusing, and pondering over one’s actions. This is a habit found in animals as well as humans. Hence, the Promised Messiahas says about Hazrat Junaidrh that he used to say, he had learned muraqabah from a cat. (Malfuzat [Urdu], Vol. IV, 2016, p. 147)“Although Muslim saints and Sufis have especially occupied themselves with the method of muraqabah, it also appears in religions other than Islam, albeit in their particular ways. Hence, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra writes with reference to Encyclopaedia Britannica about the Essene sect of the Jews, who have also been referred to as [a branch of the] Pharisees, that they used to fast, live pure lives and predict future events. They also used to perform muraqabah [i.e. meditation] at the time of worship so that their souls may be connected with the Heavenly Father. (Tafsire-Kabir, Vol. IV, p. 384, column no. 2) “The main purpose of Islamic worship is to create a close relationship between man and God. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa defined ihsan in response to an individual’s question and said: كاﺮﻳ ﻪﻧﺈﻓ هاﺮﺗ ﻦﻜﺗ ﻢﻟ نﺈﻓ ،هاﺮﺗ ﻚﻧﺄ� ���ا ﺪﺒﻌﺗ نأ “‘[Ihsan is] to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state, then at least that Allah sees you.’ (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, Babu Su’ali Jibrila n-Nabiyysa […]) “These two states of worship are forms of muraqabah. Thus, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, while describing the wisdom behind salat, says:“‘In fact, salat teaches us that three things, namely cooperation with others, preaching or admonishing and muraqabah, are necessary for the perfection of the human soul. The substitute for muraqabah are the silent prayers [salat], the intensity of
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab ad-dahaya, babu l-udhiyyati ‘ani l-mayyit) “Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, while describing the special place and status that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira held in his heart and the love he had for him, once said: “‘Forty-two years have passed since the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira However, I still sacrifice [an animal] on his behalf whenever it is the occasion to offer qurbani [...] Later, when I went on Hajj, I offered qurbani on his behalf on that occasion too and I have continued to offer qurbani on his behalf on the occasion of every Eid till today.’ (Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 25, p. “Th468)us,it is a sunnah of Allah’s Messengersa to offer a sacrifice on the occasion of Eid alAdha on behalf of the deceased relatives and loved ones.”
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.
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-adahi & Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, musnad al-ansar min musnad al-qabaail, hadith abi rafi‘, hadith no. 25937) “Apart from this, there is also a tradition recorded among the ahadith according to which a person saw Hazrat Alira sacrificing two animals and asked the reason for it. Hazrat Alira responded, ‘The Holy Prophetsa instructed me that I should also sacrifice on his behalf [after his demise]. Therefore, I sacrifice one animal on his behalf too.’
Qurbani on behalf of the deceased An Indonesian Ahmadi asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa whether it was possible to sacrifice an animal on behalf of the deceased on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 8 June 2021, provided the following reply to this question: “There is nothing wrong with offering sacrifices on behalf of the deceased, rather it is a sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa. Hence, it is mentioned in the ahadith that on the occasion of Eid al-Adha the Holy Prophetsa used to offer one sacrifice on behalf of himself and his family and one sacrifice on behalf of his ummah. And in the ummah of the Holy Prophetsa, there were also many companions who had been martyred during his blessed life. They were also included in that sacrifice offered by him [i.e. the sacrifice was also on their behalf].
Answers
Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. […] These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.’ (Exodus 6:20, 26-27, KJV)
Qurbani on behalf of the deceased, Aaron surviving Pharaoh’s order for first-borns to be killed, kinship between Moses and Aaron, muraqabah, renewing wudu, marrying ‘those whom your right hand possess’ EverydaytoIssuesPartXXXVIII
5AL HAKAM | Friday 19 August 2022 which one can increase to suit one’s taste.’
مکنامیا تکلم ام الا ءآسنلا نم تنصحملاو
(Anwarul-‘Ulum, Vol. 24, p. 515) “While advising the members of the Jamaat regarding muraqabah, Huzoorra said: “‘You should also develop the habit of quietly spending some time every day in the remembrance of Allah [zikr-e-ilahi] and performing muraqabah. By zikr-eilahi’ I mean setting aside some time daily in addition to the daily salat etc. even if it is only five minutes in the beginning. [This time should be utilised] to sit quietly in solitude and to do tasbih and tahmid by repeating, for example, SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahuakbar and similarly other attributes of Allah and reflecting over them.“‘
Muraqabah means to sit in solitude for some time daily and take account of one’s own self and to see what mistakes one has committed; whether one can distance oneself from them or not, if one can, why one has not done so, if one cannot, what are the reasons and what can be the solution. Then, moving forward, one can think about the reformation of one’s loved ones and neighbours. Also, what are the effective sources of preaching, what are the obstacles and how can they be removed? The result of this kind of self-analysis should be written down in form of a diary and this process should then be expanded. “‘If the habit of zikr-e-ilahi and muraqabah is inculcated in this manner, it will certainly grow one’s spirituality, sharpen the intellect and increase one’s ability to ponder over and act upon the instructions and addresses of the Imam-e-Waqt [the Khalifa]. Such a person would gradually become a spiritual doctor and a reformer for the world in a limited way.’ (Anwar-ul‘Ulum, Vol. 23, pp. 61–62) “The Promised Messiahas explained the true method of muraqabah and its benefits to his followers and stated: “‘Be devoted to Allah the Exalted with all your body, mind and spirit. Then God Almighty will automatically become the Protector, Helper and Guardian of all of you. All of man’s faculties — eyes, ears, heart, mind, hands and feet — should be devoted to Allah as one unit. There should be no disagreement between them. Therein lie all the successes and victories. This is the real muraqabah. This is what creates warmth in the heart and spirituality. And perfect faith is attained through this.’ (Malfuzat [Urdu], Vol. V, 2016, p. 320)”
He further asked whether one was allowed to marry those women even though they were already married, or was this verse for a specific time and had now been abrogated. Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 22 July 2021, provided the following guidance on this issue: “You are a murabbi and yet you do not know that no verse of the Holy Quran can be abrogated. From your question, it appears that you have neither studied the books of the Promised Messiahas nor those of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, nor do you listen to the sermons and addresses of the Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat. Rather, you do not even know the basic beliefs of the Jamaat. Hence, you are asking whether this verse of the Holy Quran has been abrogated. It is a fundamental belief of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community that the Holy Quran is the Word of God, which He has taken upon Himself to guard and that its entire text from the ba of the basmalah to the seen of wa n-nas is protected by the command of God Almighty and is immutable to the extent that not a dot, nay, not even an iota, of it can be abrogated. Moreover, just as the Holy Quran was pertinent 1400 years ago, it is still applicable and will continue to be practicable until the Day of Judgement, insha-Allah
“Yes, it is true that some commands of the Holy Quran are related to specific situations. When those situations arose during the lifetime of Holy Prophetsa such commands were applied to them. Should the same conditions arise again in the future, then these commands will be implemented under them. The commands regarding female prisoners of war described in the verse under discussion are also specific to similar situations. “A murabbi’s job is not only to find answers by just submitting questions [to others] or to merely resort to Google search to find out something. Instead, a murabbi should have the habit of conducting his own research to increase his knowledge. His knowledge should be firm and deep, he should pay meticulous attention to the study of Jamaat books and other scholarly works and he should have the habit of contemplating and deliberating on them to extract new scholarly insights. “As far as the question related to women in the above-mentioned verse is concerned, [one should remember that] in the early stages of Islam, the enemies of Islam would make Muslims a target of various kinds of atrocities. If they got hold of the wife of a poor and oppressed Muslim, they would include her among their wives as a slave. “Hence, in accordance with the Quranic injunction of اهلثم ةئيس ةئيس اؤزج [‘the recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof’], such women who came along with an assailing army against Islam in order to support them would be taken captives as prisoners of war in accordance with the custom of that era. Then, if such women did not earn their freedom by paying the ransom or through the method of mukatabat [an agreement between a slave and master, where the slave offers to pay their own monetary value in order to be set free] they would be distributed among the army as there were no royal prisons etc. to hold such prisoners of war in those days. These soldiers were responsible for meeting the needs of the female prisoners of war who came into their possession such as housing, food and clothing etc. So, in return, according to the custom of that era, these soldiers had full right to benefit from them, which included having a physical relationship with them. Therefore, in this verse, the same kind of women of the enemy are mentioned. If they came into the possession of the Muslims under the above-mentioned circumstances as female prisoners of war, regardless of whether they were married or unmarried, it was permissible to have conjugal relationships with“Here,them.
(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London. Translated by Al Hakam)
Renewing wudu
I should also make it clear that in the light of the Holy Quran, the ahadith and the sayings of the Promised Messiahas, 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 was the consent of a wali, as is mandated in Islamic law, necessary for such marriage. Rather, as was the practice in many tribes and societies of the past, and is still practised in some countries that it is only pronounced in the society that ‘we are husband and wife’ and this is a kind of ‘nikah announcement’, in the same way, the act of [public] distribution of such female prisoners of war along with other spoils of war to the soldiers was considered a kind of ‘nikah announcement’. Moreover, a nikah to such a woman did not affect the permission for a man to rightfully marry up to four [free] women. In other words, a man could perform nikah with such a woman despite being married to four [free] women. However, if the female prisoner of war bore a child, she would become free as a result of being the mother of that child [umm alwalad].”
Someone asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa whether it was necessary to perform istinja’ when renewing wudu upon having passed wind. Huzoore-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 22 July 2021, provided the following reply to this question:“There is no mention of doing istinja’ before wudu anywhere in the lived example of the Holy Prophetsa nor in his statements wherein he has described the details of wudu. Therefore, if one’s wudu is invalidated due to having passed wind, there is no need to perform istinja’ before renewing the wudu for salat. However, if any faecal matter or urine have also been discharged with it, then it becomes necessary to perform istinja’ before wudu so that any impurity can be washed first. Otherwise, if one has done istinja’ once after relieving themselves and performed wudu, then it is not necessary to perform istinja’ again after passing wind in order to renew the wudu.” Milk al-yamin: Marrying ‘those whom your right hand possess’ A murabbi asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa which women were referred to in the following verse:
(Daily Al Fazl, Qadian, 5 September 1936, p. 4)“Explaining the method of muraqabah and its benefits, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says:“‘We have a situation in our country in which people jump from one idea to another, then to another and then to yet another as a monkey jumps about trees. This applies to all aspects of life. There is a lack of determination. For this reason, the most excellent teachings of the Holy Quran and the Hadith are not internalised by them, as they quickly jump from them and move on. (The Holy Prophetsa said muraqabah was the treatment for this. The Sufis have developed some practical methods for its implementation, but who cares about it in this material age!) [...] Muslim preachers have also not utilised this treatment i.e. internalising the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith related to these matters, which is also called muraqabah and repeatedly preaching them to the people. Rather, instead of admonishing people that their morals should be reformed, all that is said is ‘Observe the salat and fasting, perform prostrations like this, use cleansing stones [or toilet paper] like that; your act of using the stones cannot be correct unless you perform certain movements with the stone at least seven times etc. etc.’ In short, the emphasis is placed on the outer form or the rituals, and the real lesson behind these commands is completely ignored.’
An authentic Islamic take on Rushdie attack
More recently, in 2006, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a lecture at the University of Regensburg in Germany, in which he painted Islam in a very negative light. He attributed things to Islam, the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa which were simply untrue, causing much distress to Muslims. In defence of true Islam, the current and fifth Khalifa of the community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, immediately refuted the erroneous statements made by the Pope in his sermons. These have since been published in book form, titled Through Force of Faith? Huzooraa said: “May Allah show mercy and protect the world from discord and turmoil. Ahmadis should always pray to this end and, with prayers, they should also respond to the questions that were raised in the lecture that the Pope delivered. We have only these two weapons that we can use, and no other reaction has ever been shown by an Ahmadi, nor will it ever be, God willing.” (Through Force or Faith?, p. 2) In recent years, whenever a publication has been blasphemous towards the Holy Prophetsa of Islam, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa has been at the forefront in guiding the Muslim Ummah in the right direction – demystifying Islam’s peaceable teachings and not resorting to violence. He has explained, time and again, that violent reactions only fetch negative publicity about Islam and its adherents. As followers and ardent lovers of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, Ahmadi Muslims feel the pain that blasphemous attacks bring with them. Yet we respect the teachings of Islam and keep our responses within the bounds set by Allah and His MessengersaTheway the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has responded to such acts of blasphemy has proved to be the most pragmatic and fruitful method. To see the enlightening responses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa in this current day in detail, readers might want to visit the faithwww.alislam.org/book/through-force-or-holy-prophet-muhammad-caricatureswww.alislam.org/book/blessed-model-following:
Practical guidance by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
Friday 19 August 2022 | AL HAKAM6 Romaan Basit Graduate, Jamia Ahmadiyya UK
The recent attempt on Salman Rushdie’s life has reignited the age-old debate around blasphemy and the Muslim reaction. He was stabbed – by an allegedly “proud” Muslim –as he was about to speak at an event in New York. He is still in critical condition. It is argued that Rushdie penned his highly offensive and controversial novel, The Satanic Verses using his right to “freedom of speech”. Although it caused a great deal of offence to the Muslim world, the question remains, is such violence an Islamic response to blasphemy? A Japanese translator of his book was killed, the Italian and Norwegian translators both severely attacked, and now, Rushdie himself has been stabbed. All this begs the very important question asked above. Much has been written on the topic of blasphemy and whether it is a punishable offence. The true Islamic stance, in light of the Holy Quran and the example of the Holy Prophetsa, is that there is actually no physical punishment for blasphemy. The two most authentic – and sacred sources for Muslims – strongly condemn all such reactions and class them as un-Islamic. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh, the fourth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, writes: “No physical punishment is prescribed for blasphemy in Islam, despite the commonly held view in the contemporary world. Having studied the Holy Quran extensively and repeatedly with deep concentration, I have failed to find a single verse which declares blasphemy to be a crime punishable by man.” (Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues, p. 38) The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has always publicly denounced such behaviour, yet, the media does not seem to find it spiced enough to be picked up. Instead, sensational stories of violent retaliations and decrees of death continue to hog the news headlines. Satanic Verses and the Ahmadiyya response Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh was once asked if he supported the fatwa (edict) issued against Rushdie, and whether a violent reaction was justified. Rejecting the fatwa, he explained that the public must be made aware of the peaceful teachings of Islam. He said it seemed that the press did not like the peaceable version of Islam, as they continued to focus on violence-inciting decrees like that of Khomeini. Huzoorrh said that he had given this answer in a recent conference with the press. Referring to this, he explained: “IfIhadsaid whatever Khomeini had said, it would have been published in the headlines that ‘the Head of the Ahmadiyya Community fully supports this’, and every paper would have covered it. But because I have rejected his fatwa, and have explained with reference to the Holy Quran that no man has a right to punish anybody for any blasphemy, [I told them] that it is not going to be published, and it wasn’t. The next day it was as if no conference had even taken place […]” (Question and Answer Session with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, 24 March 1996)The response of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to Rushdie’s book was the most pragmatic, most powerful, peaceful and, above all, most Islamic in its nature. Instead of resorting to violence and bloodshed, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh instructed that a book be written as a rebuttal. This research task was assigned to Arshad Ahmedi Sahib, who authored Rushdie: Haunted by His Unholy Ghosts Not only did this serve as a refutation to Rushdie’s misconceptions, but also as a means of educating the masses about Islam and its founder, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. In this way, the public was made aware of true Islam and was well received. Legacy continues Such a response was directly in line with the example set by the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian. During his time, a book titled Ummahatul Momineen was written by a Christian missionary, Ahmad Shah Shaiq, ridiculing the character of the Holy Prophet MuhammadsaMuslimsacross India were enraged, but the Promised Messiahas – most hurt by this mischief – condemned any sort of violence. He advised that the only viable response was to respond to the allegations raised so that the general masses could be educated on the reality of Islam and saw the true picture. He strongly believed that such attacks stem from misunderstandings about Islam and the Holy Prophetsa and the tides of such blasphemous attacks could only be turned around by demystifying both the religion and the character of its founder. Rangila Rasul and Vartman Similarly, in the time of the second Khalifa of the community, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, more inflammatory anti-Islam literature kept coming to the surface. This included Rangila Rasul by Pandit Chamupati in 1924, Sair-eDauzakh (published in Vartman magazine) in 1927. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra responded by writing an article which was published in Al Fazl and plastered in form of posters across most parts of Punjab. The article urged all Muslims to unite and voice their sentiments to official authorities. As a result, the authors were brought to account for their offensive behaviour, and, hence, the honour of Islam was upheld.
The Review of Religions [English], June, July & August, 1922 نحنو ۚ ہسفن ہب سوسوت ام ملعنو ناسنالا انقلخ دقلو دیرولا لبح نم ہيلا برقا “Verily
[Surah Qaf, Ch.50: V.17] A careful survey of the human mind will disclose to us the fact that human nature is inclined either one way or the other. Some are inclined to be happy and hopeful; while some are moody and despondent. Those who are optimistic and apt to take a happy and cheerful view of things are ever found to be buoyant and glad. While quite young, I used to go to the house of the first Caliph of the Promised Messiahas to read the Holy Quran with him. One day he pointed to a woman who he said would keep on smiling even though she was mentioning sad news. To assure me that it was a fact he enquired of her elder son in my presence. She smiled and as is the modest feminine trait she put her hand on her lips and said that he was dead. Similarly, he inquired of her about her other dead relations and every time she replied, she smiled and said that such and such was dead. He explained to me at that time that it was a sort of a mental ailment which she suffered from. Such [people] form a distinct class by themselves. Now there is another class who are ever mourning and bewailing their lot. They will grieve, of course, if some mishap befell them, but they will be unhappy at the birth of a son, for now, they would say that being already burdened with big families to support, they have had one more mouth to feed. If they married their son, they complained of the insufficiency of dowry given by the parents of the bride, and if they married their own daughters in some other family, they would ruefully declare the lack of means wherewith to endow their daughters with sufficient dowry and jewellery. If they advanced in life and their income was raised, they were not satisfied, and if their incomes shrank their moans and sighs rent up heavens above. If their wealth increased, they get discontented alleging that their worldly cares had increased, but if, on the other hand, they suffered a material loss, they sent up deep lamentations. This trait is found in various degrees. In certain dispositions, it is more marked than in others.Most of the people in the world are those who follow the extremes. There are very few who would become altogether God’s, and take their stand on the right path. Now, what is the result? The first group of people fall easy prey to pride, vanity and conceit. Overconfidence in their personal efforts and powers makes them feel independent of divine intervention. They feel self-sufficient and they forget that every hour they stand in need of divine support and sustenance. In whatever they think and do, they rely solely on themselves or worldly means. Calamities and other troubles do not come to them as eye-openers. They pass over them as drops of water glance off an oily surface. Their hearts become the seat of excessive pride, vanity and conceit and overconfidence in themselves and their worldly possessions makes them oblivious of the divine existence. The second set of people inclines to the other extreme. They are pessimists whom nothing can make happy. Not only do they think themselves helpless but they even despair of Providence. Both these groups deserve to be chastised. The one group is too proud and conceited to think of a divine hand that in certain instances is sure to come down heavily and sweep away all human plans. The other group is too despondent to think of any divine intervention in human affairs. The latter cannot even conceive that God is the real support of everyone and that He can save man from all sorts of pain and trouble. Both these groups are mentioned in the verse quoted above. God says that He has created man and therefore He knows precisely what sort of fancies his mind is subject to. He well knows the affliction that besets the first type of people whose minds are prey to the wandering and empty fancies of personal pride and vanity and therefore He suggests a remedy. His chief shortcoming is that he thinks himself self-sufficient and that he has no need for God. He is therefore reminded of his internal constitution which is that all his mental powers depend upon his brain without which he is no better than a piece of wood or stone. It is this brain then that is the centre of all his mental powers and activities. Yet the same brain is there in the dead man who cannot at all make any use of it. However vile the vituperation he cannot make any reply to it and if a child were to pull the dead man by his legs, he cannot shake him off. He cannot prevent anyone from divesting himself and his house or his property. But he has the brain. What is that whose absence makes all the difference between a live man and a dead man and without which the dead man cannot make use of his brain? It is the cutting off of that connection between the brain and the heart, I mean, the circulation of the blood which puts an end to all his cerebral activities. So dependent is the brain on this blood connection with the heart that a temporary stoppage puts a man out of his senses and renders the brain useless. Does not man know that there is a closer connection between him and God than there is between the heart and the brain as represented by the jugular vein, for man is a compound of these things in regular order? He who sets this system going and puts a stop to it is that external power. He is the creator of all these things and therefore as establisher of that inner connection between the heart and the brain He is nearer to man than his own self. He, therefore, exerts His influence directly while all other things work through Him and in Him. Then what is man himself and what makes him proud and conceited? If God were to stop all this activity, what is man to interfere with it! See, for instance, even when the jugular vein is working in order, outgoes the divine order and the man turns mad, and his faculties are jangled out of tune. The brain is there, the heart is there, and there is the regular flow of blood through the jugular vein, yet the living person becomes a human wreck. So miserable does his condition become that even the onlookers are moved to sigh for death for him to put an end to his miseries. There is the decent woman of a noble family who though not observing the Islamic purdah, is yet careful to put on the decency of manners and dress to screen off the vulgar gaze, but as soon as she loses her balance of mind, she tears off all her outer habits and runs naked through the streets. The state of mind her relations are in may be better imagined than described. Similarly, there is the scion of the noble family. He is looked upon as the sole mainstay of all. He loses his mental equilibrium, beats and is beaten, abuses and is abused in return, thus making the whole family miserable on his account. It is at times like these that his own kith and kin wish for his speedy death to spare them furtherGod’sindignities.connection with man is closer –aye much closer – than the one subsisting between the heart and the brain through the neck-vein. He, therefore, warns man of the consequences of entertaining ideas of self-sufficiency and indispensability. Man is frail and weak; he is nothing without divine aid and help and support. Therefore, this warning is the knife that should sever the threads and roots that bind man to these ideas.As to the other desponding fancy that makes man pessimistic, God says that man was made by Him out of nothing. As the Creator He is well acquainted with the downward tendencies of his mind. Such a nature is apt to magnify his difficulties when he starts doing something. He creates his own difficulties. What can he do, he thinks, seeing that he is beset with this difficulty or that. He is here reminded of his shortsightedness.Canachild despond in the presence of his mother? When at night the child wakes up frightened in his dream the mother gently passes her hand over him and with an affectionate and loving caress and patting reminds him of her presence which soothes him at once and he falls into a calm sleep again. A little while before he was crying out of extreme fear and a little while after he is sound asleep as if quite oblivious of all fear. Why? Because the mother said that she was near. But what are mother and her powers? The child knows her sympathy and love and is cognisant of the fact that she has some power, therefore the child thinks himself safe. But God reminds man of His closer proximity to himself than that of a mother’s for her child. Why should man feel despondent?
7AL HAKAM | Friday 19 August 2022 Years100Ago...
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Golden advice: Avoid extremes we created man and we know what incitements his soul whispereth to him, and we are closer to him than his jugular vein.”
Even a child sleeps soundly when he finds his mother close at hand and it is only the idea of her being distant that makes him cry out in his sleep. Why should then the servant of God despair in the presence of his Lord Who is nearer to him than all the things that go to form his shield and screen? Why should he admit that this or that difficulty is insurmountable if His God be nearer to him than his own self? What are these difficulties and obstacles? Ahmadi brethren should be on their guard against both these tendencies. Maybe, some of them think that they can do this or that eliminating all ideas of Providence, or those who on account of the opposite tendencies may be too diffident of success, thinking their own capabilities and powers too far deficient to be of any use. It is to both of them that I address my words of advice. The verse explained above prescribes for them both. It cuts at the root of both these heretical tendencies. It serves as a double sword. It should be used to sever the ties that bind man to these extreme views, for these evil tendencies are due to the whisperings of the devil who is busy gnawing at the root of their faith and belief and undermining their very souls. They who are prey to the first sort of temptation might set it off by realising in their souls that it is through the power and grace of God that they are enabled to perform this thing or that and those who suffer from the opposite kind of malady may rest assured that God can do everything for them. Let them not feel diffident because they seem small and deficient in comparison to their enemy. Their powers may seem small and deficient but they are powers to be and there is no knowing how far and to what extent they can be developed. Let not a spirit of pessimism weigh them down. The propinquity of God is a sufficient guarantee of success. Why despair they? Let them use the same sword that divine presence has placed at hand. Let them cut up the fibres of despair, root and branch, for it is a dangerous canker that eats into the frame of hope and success and consumes it utterly. Unaided you may think you can do nothing but at the same time, you may feel yourself a strong weapon wielded by a strong and veteran hand. Of itself, the sword may be capable of nothing, even a child may break it and render it useless but in the hands of a trusted veteran it may perform wonders. It may cut the foes in heaps and flash east and west like the Excalibur of old, blinding the foe. Never assert that you can do this or that; say God alone will do it and it is His aid and assistance that does everything; but all the same, the strength and number of the enemy should not frighten you out of your wits and fill you with gloom and despair. I think even pessimism savours pride and conceit, for a pessimist, thinks that such and such a thing he alone was capable
Friday 19 August 2022 | AL HAKAM8 Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam History bears witness to the fact that attempts have always been made to efface divine communities from the face of the earth. The opponents with such intentions, however, are unaware that God Almighty has promised the ultimate victory of His communities. The support of God openly declares: نوحلفملا مہ هللا بزح نا الا ؕ هللا بزح کئلوا
Our opponents’ enmity is due to our heeding God’s call Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s address at Jalsa Salana Rabwah 1950 since attaining your nearness is as if one has achieved everything, and to endure abuses for Your sake is better than the whole world. O God, enable us to be truthful in this claim, instil your love within us, create within us an inclination towards you, and may the whole world disappear from our thoughts save Your Being. [...]’ “Let us seek help from God Almighty, and may we spread the message of Ahmadiyyat to all corners with such zeal that people become compelled to pay attention towards this, and eventually they may be able to accept this [message].” (Ibid, pp. 3-5) The history of Ahmadiyyat bears witness that in every era, opponents have left no stone unturned in order to harm the Jamaat, however, they were at loss in each and every attempt.Inevery trial and affliction, Jamaate-Ahmadiyya seeks help from Allah the Almighty alone, as He has promised to help and support His divine Jamaat. During his Friday Sermon on 8 August 2014, while speaking about the opposition of the Jamaat, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:“At this juncture, I am reminded of a dream, which I have narrated previously as well. That is, if we wish to see a change in circumstances and save the Jamaat from these trials, then as a Jamaat [community], we must prostrate to Allah by purifying our souls for His sake and sincerely and earnestly praying to Him. If we submit to Allah in this manner and this is the state across the Jamaat and our nights are spent in such a way that we pray for the Jamaat, then in a matter of a few days, as a result of a few nights’ prayers, a revolution can be brought about. Otherwise, a revolution shall come and circumstances shall change, but this will take time. It is the Almighty Allah’s promise that circumstances will change, insha-Allah.”
“They are Allah’s party. Hearken ye [O people]! It is Allah’s party who will be successful.” (Surah al-Mujadalah, Ch.58: V.23)The same is the case with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. The history of Ahmadiyyat testifies that the opposition of the Jamaat could never halt its progress, rather it has always proved to be fruitful. The Promised Messiahas once said that just like compost serves as a catalyst in agriculture, in the same way, the opposition of the Jamaat serves as a catalyst for its progress. (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 10, p. 370) On 11 November 1921, while answering a question, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra stated that when people hear about Ahmadiyyat, “the noble-natured among them will accept it and others will get angry. The true religion always makes people furious because they think that in its presence, their religion is at stake. The anger of the people here is justified because they have their own worries.” (Al Hakam, 17 December 2021, Issue 196, p. 17) On 27 December 1950, during his inaugural address at the Jalsa Salana Rabwah, Pakistan, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra spoke about the reasons behind the opposition of Ahmadiyyat. In the beginning, Huzoorra said that the Jamaat was facing severe opposition from all sides, and it seemed as if the whole world had turned against Ahmadiyyat. Huzoorra added that the Ahmadiyya Jamaat has never deprived anyone of their rights, rather we serve people, and while the opponents oppress us, the members of our Jamaat express mercy and sympathy in return.Huzoorra continued: “When the opponents exhibit their grudge and enmity towards us, the members of our Jamaat treat them with love and compassion. When others do not hold true love towards the country and nation, rather just act with artificiality, the members of our Jamaat express their sympathy and love towards their country, nation, coreligionists, Muslims, and in fact the whole mankind, whether they have any connection with Islam or not. Moreover, despite the fact that the opponents consider us to be liable to be killed, we always strive for everyone’s well-being.“Theworld does not befriend us, but the reason is not that we have afflicted any loss upon them or oppressed anyone, rather it is due to the fact that we have made a bond with our Creator and Master. This is the reason behind the world’s enmity towards us. However, we can never abandon our Master, and for this sake, we can even sacrifice our lives. We cannot abandon Him, even not for any government. [...] We cannot leave God Almighty at any cost. The enmity of our opponents towards us is only because we have accepted the Call of God Almighty. [...] “The opponents want us to abandon God, whereas if we abandon Him then we would have nothing left, either in this world or the Hereafter. These people want us to leave God, however, we only have one response: ‘Take from us our country, freedom, honour, wealth, and we are even ready to sacrifice our lives, but we will never abandon God Almighty.” (Al Fazl, 31 December 1950, p.3) Huzoorra further said: “Let us pray to our Master that ‘O our Master, we have proclaimed that we have become your servants, and the world is opposing us. [...] O God, instil within us such a revolution that even if the world continues to oppose us, we may prove truthful and sincere in our claim to have love for you, and may we become your true servants. Then all kinds of opposition will become a source of pleasure for us, and we will face these hardships with happiness,
(Al Hakam, 5 August 2022, Issue 229, p. 3) On 6 August 2022, during his address at the Jalsa Salana UK 2022, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa narrated the blessings of Allah the Almighty on Ahmadiyyat and the progress during the past year. Huzooraa stated that by the grace of Allah, 355 new jamaats were established, aside from Pakistan, and there were 855 places where the seed of Ahmadiyyat had been planted for the first time. Moreover, 1,76,836 people entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat during the past year. In short, despite severe opposition, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is continuously progressing under the divine leadership of Khilafat and will continue to do so, inshaAllah. It is our duty to always remain loyal to Khilafat and obey all commands given to us by Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa of doing, but as he could not do it hence it was impossible to do, and therefore it is his inability to do that fills him with despondence. As a matter of fact, he could have reversed his train of thought. If he could not do it at one time, he could, with greater effort and perseverance, do it the next time. Or in case of failure, he could rest content that he had done his best under the circumstances. Someone else would succeed where he had failed and therefore God’s purpose would be fulfilled. All he had to do was to exert his utmost. Why should he feel despondent?Thething is that one who has complete trust in God, thinks that though he himself is weak, frail, even half dead, yet he is the divine instrument. In himself, he may be nothing but divine aid and support has made him very strong. Man cannot cross the seas unaided and unassisted, but by means of ships, he has traversed all the seas and negotiated the inaccessible regions. Can he not traverse the oceans of troubles, misfortunes and calamities with the aid of a divine ark? Certainly, he can. Stand forth, then, getting a fast hold of these two fundamental principles of action. Firstly, of ourselves, we are capable of nothing; God alone can do everything. Secondly, with divine aid and assistance, there is no obstacle that we cannot surmount, for we are the divine instruments. (Transcribed by Al Hakam from the original published in The Review of Religions, June, July & August 1922) page Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra addressing at the occasion of Jalsa Salana Rabwah
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Tahmeed Ahmad Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre
O. H. K. Spate states: “In February 1947 the British Labour Government decided that the deadlock must be broken, and that the British would ‘Quit India’ by June; 1948. “Great was the fury of old India hands; at a talk I gave later in London, an ex-governor of a Province fumed at me that grave matters which had been discussed for sixty; years were to be settled in sixty weeks and almost spat when I remarked mildly that after sixty years of talk there could not be much left to say.” (On the margins of history: from the Punjab to Fiji, p. 51) 60 later turned into six when the new deadline was moved to 15 August, giving Sir Cyril Radcliffe just six weeks to make an award regarding the boundary. Nevertheless, our sights are placed slightly elsewhere, in the small, but well-known town of Qadian.
When all the possibilities and hopes for a coalition Constituent Assembly faded, officials announced on 20 February 1947 that the government wished to implement necessary plans to transfer power to the responsible people of India by June 1948. “It is with great regret that His Majesty’s Government finds that there are still differences among Indian Parties which are preventing the Constituent Assembly from functioning as it was interned that it should. It is of the essence of the plan that the Assembly should be fully representative. His Majesty’s Government desire to hand over their responsibility to authorities established by a constitution approved by all parties in India in accordance with the Cabinet Mission’s plan, but unfortunately there is at present no clear prospect that such a constitution and such authorities will emerge. The present state of uncertainty is fraught with danger and cannot be indefinitely prolonged. His Majesty’s Government wish to make it clear that it is their definite intention to take the necessary steps to effect the transference of power into responsible Indian hands by a date not later than June, 1948.” (Hansard, HL Deb, 20 February 1947, Vol. 145, cc. 835-41) On 3 June 1947, Prime Minister Mr Attlee stated in the British Parliament: “On 20th February, 1947, His Majesty’s Government announced their intention of transferring power in British India to Indian hands by June, 1948. His Majesty’s Government had hoped that it would be possible for the major parties to cooperate in the working-out of the Cabinet Mission’s
The transfer of power
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s
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The final date came to light through the Indian Independence Act 1947: “An Act to make provision for the setting up in India of two independent Dominions, to substitute other provisions for certain provisions of the Government of India Act 1935, which apply outside those Dominions, and to provide for other matters consequential on or connected with the setting up of those Dominions. (18 July 1947) “The new Dominions “1. As from the fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty-seven, two independent Dominions shall be set up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan.“2.The said Dominions are hereafter in this Act referred to as “the new Dominions”, and the said fifteenth day of August is hereafter in this Act referred to as “the appointed day”. (Indian Independence Act, 1947, Chapter 30, 10_and_11_Geo_6) The extract above is the first section of the Independence Act, but for now let’s have a closer look at the fourth section, mainly regarding the division of the Punjab: “The Punjab “As from the appointed day: “(a) The Province of the Punjab, as constituted under the Government of India Act, 1935, shall cease to exist; and “(b) There shall be constituted two new Provinces, to be known respectively as West Punjab and East Punjab. “(2) The boundaries of the said new Provinces shall be such as may be determined, whether before or after the appointed day, by the award of a boundary commission appointed or to be appointed by the Governor-General in that behalf, but until the boundaries are so determined.”
tireless efforts to save millions from displacement
9AL HAKAM | Friday 19 August 2022
Independence Act
15 August 2022 marked the 75th year of independence for the South Asian nations, India and Pakistan. The many years of British rule came boiling down to just a few weeks in which the borders for these two nations were to be decided.
(Indian Independence Act, 1947 Chapter 30, 10_and_11_Geo_6) The umpire One of the key issues of the Independence Act was who would be the one to divide Punjab and Bengal. India and Pakistan needed an umpire for their first and biggest game to ever take place. One of the earliest mentions of Radcliffe comes up between Earl Listowel and Mountbatten:“TheEarl of Listowel to Rear-Admiral Viscount Mountbatten of Burma India Office,“13 June 1947 “On receiving your telegram No. 1348S of 7th June about the proposed Arbitral Tribunal, I at once approached the Lord Chancellor about a possible Chairman. It seems that, apart from any other consideration, the members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council are all ruled out on account of age since 60 ought, I think, to be regarded as an absolute maximum and 55 would probably be the optimum age. […] An approach is, however, being made to Sir Cyril Radcliffe who would, I think, fill the bill admirably. ” (The Transfer of Power 1942-47, Vol. X, p. 336) At the time they were looking for a head for the Arbitral Tribunal, whose service was needed after the partition from 6 months to two years. This tribunal would sort out any matter that came up after the partition. Many names and recommendations came and went but it was clear that the British wanted Radcliffe to be there as the head of the Arbitral Tribunal. Another idea was to get the UNO involved, but that would bring shame to the British. In other words, it would have meant they were incapable of performing their duties. “The Earl of Listowel to Rear-Admiral Viscount Mountbatten of Burma “20 June 1947 “I note that it was agreed at your meeting on 13th June that Patel and Liaqute Ali Khan should consider together the composition of the Arbitral Tribunal; possibly, however, the services of a distinguished outsider as chairman may still be required. You will have received my telegram number. 71 [72] about Radcliffe who, as I said in my previous letter, ought to fill the bill admirably if he is accepted. I am glad that the idea of consulting UNO about the composition of the Boundary Commissions has been line and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community –
Part I
Plan of 16th May 1946, and evolve for India a constitution acceptable to all concerned. This hope has not been fulfilled.” (Hansard, HC Deb, 3 June 1947, Vol. 438, cc. 35-46)
Radcliffe
Ahmadis portray Islam in its true light at Rotary Kadina market, Australia After reaching the marketplace, the Jamaat members set up a marquee in which Jamaat literature was displayed. They brought the Holy Quran in different languages and books published by the Jamaat to break the barriers of misconceptions and make bridges between communities. People visited the stall with great interest to know about the Holy Quran. Jamaat members explained different verses of the Holy Quran to the visitors that highlighted human rights, peace and interfaith harmony. From the Copper Coast Council, Councillor Cathy Vluggen and Councillor Peter Oswald visited the stall and welcomed the initiative and thanked the Jamaat members for participating in the markets. Councillor Cathy Vluggen said: “Welcome to our region. It’s lovely to see you here at the market, spreading your message of peace to our locals and visitors. Thank you for coming. I think it’s so important to have you here today because – like me – other people in our region probably don’t realise the good work that you’re doing. And there are only a few bad people that are giving you guys a bad name. You guys, what you’re doing with all the blood donations and the mail deliveries, and the other valuable work that you’re contributing to our society, I think, you know, the more that we can spread that message and share with the communities, it’s a great thing to do. So thank you again very much for coming and well done to you all.”Jamaat members prepared five gift bags in which books Life of Muhammadsa and World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace, pamphlets and chocolates were put together for the community leaders. Those gifts were given to councillors from the city council and community leaders from the Rotary Club of Northern Yorke Peninsula. Upon receipt of the gifts, they expressed their gratitude for the books, which they said they wouldHundredsread. of pamphlets and the book Distinctive Features of Islam were distributed among the community members. In the stall, discussions with the community members were held on the topic of the concept of God in Islam and the Hereafter. One newly converted Muslim visited the stall. He was very happy to see Muslims in the market and took the Jamaat’s details. Atif Sahib invited him to visit our mosque when he visits Adelaide. The market started at 8:30 am and ran till 12:30 pm. During this time, the stall was able to spread the message of the Jamaat to hundreds of community members. Daniel Copping, a local who converted to Islam a year ago was very happy to see the stall and commented in the following words: “I think this is wonderful what you’ve set up. I think more and more Australians need to know about Islam and realise that it’s a religion of peace. I think many Australians are misled by the press. They are trying to paint Islam in a bad form while it is a religion of peace.”
The contents page of the Indian Independence Act
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(The Transfer of Power 1942-47, Vol. X, p. 539) Finally, Jinnah suggested that having an Arbitral Tribunal and two different chairmen for each Boundary Commission would be a waste, so why not let the gentleman chairing the Tribunal also chair both the commissions, he said. Of course, he was unaware that Radcliffe, a man who had not even been East of Paris, was being favoured for the position. However, the damage had been done and the British had gotten what they wanted.
Sharif Rasel, Secretary Tabligh Adelaide West Jamaat Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Adelaide West organised a Holy Quran exhibition and bookstall at the Rotary Kadina market on 30 JulyKadina2022. is the largest town on the Yorke Peninsula, which is an hour and 40-minute drive from the Mahmood Mosque. This was the first time that the Jamaat held a stall in the ThPeninsula.eRotary Club of Northern Yorke Peninsula organises the market on the last Saturday of the month in Victoria Square. Kadina is a commercial hub of the agriculture sector in the region. However, the town was once famous for copper mining.Agroup of seven members led by a missionary, Atif Ahmed Zahid Sahib started the journey in the Jamaat van from the Mahmood Mosque after Fajr prayer. Before the journey, Atif Sahib gave some instructions about tabligh and then led the silent prayer.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra also established the “Office of the Establishment of Peace and Conciliation”. This office consisted of Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh, Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra, Hazrat Syed Zain-ul-Abideenra, Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayalra and other esteemed members of the community. This office worked tirelessly till the end of the Punjab Boundary Commission, on 31 July 1947. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 9) Searching for an expert As efforts were being made towards the partition in India, work was also being done on the other side of the world, in the heart of the Empire, the city of London. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra had instructed the Ahmadi missionaries in Europe and America to send any literature on boundary making and to also search for an expert. This led Mushtaq Ahmad Bajwa Sahib, Imam of the London Mosque, to begin searching for an expert. The correspondence between him and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra has been recorded in Tarikhe-Ahmadiyyat. They talked of rigorous searching for an expert, but the expenses to hire one, were not something the community could finance at the time. That was until the Imam stumbled upon Dr Oskar H K Spate, a famed Geographer from London’s School of Economics. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 9) Memorandum Coming back to India, the partition was moving at a fast pace and the question regarding who had a claim over Punjab was being made through the use of memorandums. At first, it was thought that the more memorandums the Muslim league produced, the better it would be for their case against Congress. This is why Ahmadi Muslims were told to write one memorandum separately whilst the Muslim League Gurdaspur would also write another. However, the idea was later abandoned when it became clear that only the League and Congress were to present their respective cases. Thus, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra refrained from presenting the memorandum.Nevertheless, when Congress gave some time to the Sikhs and the so-called “untouchables”, the League got permission for the Christians and the Ahmadis to present their separate memorandums. One might wonder why the League put much weight on the Ahmadi case. The reason behind this is due to religious complications as much as political. The Ahrar, a Congress-supported Muslim group, had gone to extreme lengths in declaring the Ahmadis non-Muslims. This would result in Gurdaspur no longer holding a Muslim majority, hence weakening the League’s case. The Muslim League gave the Ahmadiyya Muslims the right to prepare their own memorandum so that it would be clear they wanted to join Pakistan, doing so would make Gurdaspur, if not Muslim, a League majority. (Al Fazl, 2 January 1951) (To be continued)
(India Pakistan Partition Documentary BBC, www.youtube. com/watch?v=0ZS40U5yFpc ) “Record of interview between RearAdmiral Viscount Mountbatten of Burma and Mr Jinnah. “23 June 1947 “[...] It was suggested that in view of the fact that the Arbitral Tribunal in Mr Jinnah’s opinion would not be functioning seriously for some time, whoever was appointed Chairman of the Tribunal (and the composition of the Tribunal has not yet been agreed to by Congress) and might come out from England in the near future and act as Chairman of the two Boundary Commissions before taking over his duties with the Tribunal. He did not anticipate that the work of the Boundary Commissions would last very long. The Viceroy told Mr. Jinnah in confidence, that the man who had been suggested as Chairman of the Arbitral Tribunal was Sir Cyril Radcliffe.” (The Transfer of Power 1942-47, Vol. X, p. 581) The Punjab Commission Boundary Created in July 1947, the idea of the Boundary Commission was simple – there were four judges, two from the All-India Muslim League and two from the Indian National Congress. They were to review the cases brought by the various parties and then consult the head of the committee on where to draw the boundary whilst upholding all the Duringdemands.the partition, there were two regions where this system was used, Bengal and Punjab. Hence, two boundary commissions were made, both chaired by Sir Cyril Radcliffe. We will take a closer look at the Punjab boundary commission, which was to decide regarding Qadian, the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Friday 19 August 2022 | AL HAKAM10 abandoned and it will probably be best if a reference even to the president of the International Court of Justice is also avoided as it would inevitably involve delay.”
The AhmadiyyaCommunityMuslim It was clear that the Ahmadiyya Muslims had a central role to play in the partition. Whilst this was a realisation most people came to much later, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra had begun preparation earlier than people anticipated.Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih IIra began collecting census reports from throughout the district of Punjab and other documents as well. This work was given to his brother, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, who was the Nazir-e-A’la of Qadian at that time.
[…] Tabligh efforts of Christians and Muslims
Bai‘at-e-Khilafat of Hazrat Fatima A person asked whether Hazrat Fatimara performed bai‘at of Hazrat Abu Bakrra or not.Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “Surely, Hazrat Fatimara pledged bai‘at She pledged her allegiance in the same manner as the other women of her time. The ladies did not pledge bai‘at of the Khulafa like men. The allegiance of their elders was considered their bai‘at and this is proven by history.”
The truth behind the silence of Hazrat Fatima A person asked that it is mentioned in the ahadith that Hazrat Fatimara got angry with Hazrat Abu Bakrra and ﺦﻟا ۔۔۔ﻢﻠ�ﺘﺗ ﻢﻟ [“She did not speak (with Hazrat Abu Bakrra till Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “Hazrat Fatimara was not a man but a woman. If it is proved that Hazrat Hafsara used to go and sit in the assembly [of Hazrat Abu Bakrra] and talk and join in the discussions, then it will be accepted that Hazrat Fatimara never spoke to Hazrat Abu Bakrra. The fact is that when Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied with respect to Fadak, she got angry at that time and left. How does this prove that she never spoke to Hazrat Abu Bakrra throughout her life? “On the contrary, it is found from certain narrations that Hazrat Fatimara ﻚﻟاذ ﻰﻓ ﻢﻠ�ﺘﺗ ﻢﻟ, i.e. she did not talk on the aforementioned matter again. It is not that she did not speak up in any case. The different sects have come up with the aforesaid notion according to their own beliefs. However, these people should prove that Hazrat Hafsara used to come and hold discussions [with Hazrat Abu Bakrra], or Hazrat Saudahra, Hazrat Umm-e-Habibara, and other Ummahat-ul-Momineenra used to come and join the discussions, but Hazrat Fatimara never came. Then, their argument will be proved right, but when none of the women used to come and talk, then how is Hazrat Fatima’s displeasure proved by the fact that she would not join in discussions?
On the mention of tabligh matters, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] said: “Currently, 60000 priests in the world are engaged in the propagation of Christianity and these are the people who are in-charge of their respective constituencies. Further, many men work under them and they spend several million rupees annually. However, the Muslims are completely oblivious to the preaching of Islam. “There are both types of people in the world: Firstly, those who say we have no work to do. Secondly, those who do not find the means to do their work. Nowadays, Muslims generally think that there is no work suitable for them to do. On the other hand, we say that we do not have many resources with which we can spread Islam in the whole world.”
18 June 1922
Hazrat Fatima’s will Question: What is your understanding of the narrations that Hazrat Fatimara made a will that she would not offer the funeral of Hazrat Abu Bakrra? Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “Such narrations are fabricated and they are all false.”
Years100Ago...
11AL HAKAM | Friday 19 August 2022 14 June 1922
Revenue of Fadak [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said]: “The revenue of Bagh-e-Fadak would go to the Holy Prophetsa during his lifetime and it was not even sufficient for him. Hazrat Aishara used to cry when she would see good food after the time of the Holy Prophetsa that such food was not available in those days and if it was, the Holy Prophetsa would have eaten it too. All the expenses of the Holy Prophetsa used to come out of the revenue of Fadak and the Khalifa also had the right as his successor. On the other hand, what could have Hazrat Fatimara got out of it? She used to get more wazaif [stipends] than that [i.e. revenue of Fadak]. The debate of Fadak and the intention of Hazrat Fatima [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said]: “In my opinion, Hazrat Fatimara was not concerned about the revenue [of Fadak]. Rather, out of immense love, she wanted to get a share of her honourable father’s land [to keep his memory alive]. The objectors should at least ponder on the fact that it is not only the children who get the
Daily diary of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II: Bai‘at-e-Khilafat of Hazrat Fatimah and the issue of Bagh-e-Fadak, difference between waqf-e-zindagi and bai‘at, and photography
The matter of Bagh-e-Fadak Question: Hazrat Fatimara had a dispute with Hazrat Abu Bakrra in the matter of Bagh-e-Fadak, what is the truth behind this matter?Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “Hazrat Fatimara had no dispute with Hazrat Abu Bakrra in the matter of Fadak, rather she had an argument with the state. Don’t some people argue with the authorities of the Jamaat regarding their rights?”
Al Fazl, 31 July 1922 Continued on next page >>
“In fact, when Hazrat Fatimara presented the question [of Fadak] to Hazrat Abu Bakrra, he said that though he could not divide Fadak, he would definitely give them their expenses out of it and spend according to the sunnah [practice] of the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Abu Bakrra [would give them expenses] without fixing any amounts, but when Hazrat Umarra fixed the stipends of the Ahl al-Bayt [family members of the Holy Prophetsa], he gave the most share to Hazrat Abbasra, who was the uncle of the Holy Prophetsa, and then to the wives of the Holy Prophetsa, and to Hazrat Hassanra and Hussainra, and then to others. When a son of Hazrat Umarra complained, he reprimanded him severely saying that he had no right to be granted an equal share. “Some ill-informed people had said regarding a house here that they were confiscating the property of Hazrat Maulvi Sahib’s [Khalifa Ira] children. However, that house has three plaintiffs. Firstly, the people from Hazrat Maulvi Sahib’s family. They say that it is theirs. Secondly, Hazrat Ummul Momineenra says that it is her house. Thirdly, I say that it is the house of the Jamaat and a part of the guest house. The objectors have raised an allegation, but they don’t observe that if we were to confiscate their house, then why would we bear their expenses? However, we are bearing their expenses.”
“If the intention is to draw out the meaning of one’s own liking, then we say that the meaning of ﻢﻠ�ﺘﺗ ﻢﻟ is that Hazrat Abu Bakr’s reply was so reasonable that Hazrat Fatimara could not answer and thus she went back silently. “If a person is not considered to be beyond the realms of humanity, then there is no matter of dispute. However, the problem is that people sometimes consider a certain person out of the human realm. Hazrat Fatimara was angry, she was a woman and women have fragile hearts. She did not have knowledge as much as Hazrat Abu Bakrra did, so she could not have a debate with him. When she got the reply, she got angry and left. The Holy Prophetsa also once said to her when she asked for a girl servant that she would not get a servant, rather she should recite Subhan-Allah, Alhamdulillah and Allahuakbar, and it would serve as a servant for her. “Many people consider a person out of the human realm and make them something else. Hazrat Fatimara was a woman. She wanted to inherit something from her father. Whether Hazrat Abu Bakr’s decision was right or wrong, though it was right in our view, he used to pay her expenses, so what is the issue if he did not give the share of Fadak?
Bai‘at [The following friends took bai‘at at the hand of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih]: 1. Ilmuddin 2. Allah Ditta 3. Saein 4. Amiruddin Kumharan, Qadian 26 June [Photography]1922
“The Prince, through his Chief Secretary, sent the following acknowledgement for the address and the book: “No.“[From,938 P. “Prince of Wales Camp, India. “GF De Montmorency, “Chief Secretary to His Royal Highness, The Prince of “To, ZulfikarWales.Ali Khan, Additional Secretary, Ahmadiyya Community, Qadian, Punjab. Dated the 1 March 1922. “I“Sir,am commanded by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, to acknowledge with thanks the address of welcome received from the members of the Ahmadiyya Community through the Government of the Punjab. His Royal Highness has read with interest the account given in the address of the origin of the Ahmadiyya movement and looks forward to reading the fuller history of the community in the very handsome volume presented to him by subscription among the members. “His Royal Highness appreciates very warmly the loyal feeling, which has prompted so many thousands of your co-religionists to contribute towards this presentation and his pleasure in receiving this token of loyalty is the greater because he learns from His Excellency, the Governor of the Punjab that throughout the Great War and in the difficult times that followed the Ahmadiyya Community have been distinguished for a steadfast attitude of loyalty both towards the Throne and to the Empire. I am commanded to assure you that, in view of this record, the community may always count upon the warm regard of His Royal Highness. “I have the honour to be, “Your“Sir, most obedient servant, “De “ChiefMontmorency, SecretarytoHis Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.]”
Almost the same article has also been published in the Yorkshire Herald, an English newspaper.
Waqf-e-zindagi [life devotion] and bai‘at A friend asked, “What is the difference between waqf-e-zindagi [life devotion] and bai‘at? A person who takes bai‘at will also fulfill the instructions they receive, then what is the need to devote one’s life?” Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “Every person used to take bai‘at of the Holy Prophetsa. Moreover, on special occasions, the Holy Prophetsa used to take bai‘at again. The point is that in the first bai‘at, a person intends that when he receives an instruction, he will act on it. On the other hand, a person who devotes his life turns his intention into action and gets ready to sacrifice everything. If the person who devotes his life takes up employment or any other work on his own, he makes a mockery of his waqf.”
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(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 31 July and 3 August 1922 issue of Al Fazl) inheritance but the wives as well. If Hazrat Abu Bakrra did not give Hazrat Fatimara a share of her inheritance, then did he give his daughter Hazrat Aishara anything? Bai‘at of Hazrat Ali Question: Why did Hazrat Alira refrain from pledging bai‘at during the life of Hazrat[HazratFatimara?Khalifatul Masih said]: “It is not proven that Hazrat Alira refrained from taking bai‘at, rather it is substantiated from authentic ahadith that he took bai‘at on the third day. In fact, it is established from some narrations that he took bai‘at on the same day or on the second day [after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa]. “As far as the question that why Hazrat Alira would not attend Hazrat Abu Bakrra as much as he used to attend his assembly during the time of the Holy Prophetsa is concerned, then the reason for this is obvious that Hazrat Fatimara was sick and he was taking care of her. Though she was his wife, being the daughter of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Alira had great respect for her. Therefore, Hazrat Alira once also expressed this matter [to Hazrat Abu Bakrra] that he was engaged in taking care of Hazrat Fatimara.”
20 June 1922
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih smiled and said, “The light is always witnessed by raising one’s head.” Untouchability [of Dalits] Regarding untouchability, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih“Thissaid:matter [of untouchability] is baseless. Generally, one will avoid any person who is unclean. However, if an individual of the chuhra [dalit caste in India and Pakistan] is clean or he washes his hands before your eyes (because he is not of the People of the Book, and after all, he does unclean work), then one can certainly allow them to touch the food and drink. “However, if some forbidden thing is present on the hand of even a person from the People of the Book, for example, wine or particles of swine flesh, then the food they touch by their hands will become impure.”
Friday 19 August 2022 | AL HAKAM12 Years100Ago...
1922: London newspapers cover the progress of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in the UK
[…] The newspaper then writes: “It is further added that there is a branch of Ahmadiyya Jamaat in London and they have a mosque in Southfields, Melrose Road, where regular prayers are offered.”
Wandsworth Burrough 1. In its issue of 3 June 1922, the newspaper Wandsworth Burrough states: “The Eid-ul-Fitr ceremony, which marks the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, or the month of fasting, was celebrated at the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Southfields on Sunday. The congregational prayer was offered in the garden of the mosque at 11:30 pm and Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib BA BT, the imam of the mosque, delivered the sermon in English. In it, he explained the meaning of this event and the wisdom of the commandment of fasting in Islam. He also mentioned the Ahmadiyya Jamaat that its mission and purpose are to make Islam evergreen and spread it in the world. “Around two hundred Muslims and nonMuslims from different regions of India, Afghanistan, Persia, Mesopotamia, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, East and West Africa, joined in celebrating this event. Among those present were the Minister of Afghanistan with his staff, the Foreign Minister of Turkey and his son, members of the Palestinian Arab delegation who are currently in London, Mr Jeevan Ji (East Africa), Mr TE Nelson Williamson, Barrister-at-Law (West Africa), Dr T Ahmad MB and Miss Muhammad Ali MB (India). There were many British women and distinguished people among the participants, among whom there were a lot of new Muslims. The attendees were treated with food and tea.” [...] Al Fazl, 3 August 1922 Daily Telegraph 4. The well-known London’s newspaper Daily Telegraph in its issue of 6 June 1922 states:“One of the many addresses received by the Prince of Wales during his visit to India was from the distinguished members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. This is a purely religious movement which was established in Punjab about 30 years ago. One of its major beliefs, which is based on the teaching of Islam, is that it will remain loyal to the government under which its members will have religious freedom. The members presenting this address have stated that since they have this real freedom under the Government of Great Britain, they cannot be disloyal to it.
19 June 1922 Exalting someone other than Allah A Sikh came, bowed down and brought his head near the knee of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. Huzoor[ra] immediately pushed his head away by his hand and said that it was forbidden. He said to Huzoor[ra], “You are lau [a light] for us and we come to see you.”
A friend asked whether it was permissible to earn a living by learning photography. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “It is generally permissible, but one should refrain from any prohibited aspects of it.” (Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu published in the 31 July 1922 issue of Al Fazl)
“It is written in the address that on the occasion of the visit of His Royal Highness to India, a book has been prepared. It contains the special teachings of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, the purpose for the establishment of this Jamaat, its special features and distinguishing signs, and the brief historical accounts of the founder of the Jamaat. The Prince has been requested to accept this book as a gift from members of the Jamaat.
21 June 1922
Al Fazl, 31 July & 3 August 1922
Men of Excellence: Hazrat Abu Bakrra
After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: Friday Sermon
13AL HAKAM | Friday 19 August 2022 22 July 2022
As I mentioned in the previous Friday sermon, today I will narrate the accounts relating to the military expeditions against the Persians during the era of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. In this regard, one of the battles was called the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil and also known as the Battle of Kazima. This battle was fought in the month of Muharram-ulHaram in the 12th year after Hijra. This battle is known by three names; the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil, the Battle of Kazima and the Battle of Hafeer. This battle is known as the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil i.e. the Battle of Chains, because the Arabic word for chain is “Silsilah” and “Salasil” is its plural. This is because the Persian soldiers had tied themselves to one another with chains so that none of them could flee from battle. Some historians however do not accept this narration regarding the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil. This battle was fought between Muslims and the Persians near the area of Kazima. As such, it is also known as the Battle of Kazima. Kazima is a town, located on the coast on the way from Basra to Bahrain. (Umar Abu alNasr, Sirat Sayyiduna Siddique Akbar, p. 644) (Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003), 239) (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Abu Bakr Siddiq Akbar Translated by Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Pani Pati [Lahore, Pakistan: Ilm-o-Irfan Publishers, 2004], 272) (Yaqut Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu’jam al-Buldan, Vol. 4 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-’Arabi], 488.) As it was fought in the area known as Hafeer, it is also called the Battle of Hafeer. (Ali Muhsin Siddiqui, Al-Siddique, p. 127) Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid was the commander in chief of the Muslims and the name of the commander in chief of the Persians was Hurmuz. The Muslim army comprised of 18,000 soldiers. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 309) As has been mentioned in previous sermons, Hurmuz was the Persian governor of that region, who enjoyed a higher status in terms of ancestry, dignity and honour than most other Persian leaders. It was the custom of the more revered individuals of Iran to wear expensive hats instead of ordinary ones. The higher a person’s status was in terms of ancestry, dignity and honour, he would wear a hat corresponding to his status. It is said that the most expensive hat cost 100,000 dirhams and only an individual of the highest level of respect, dignity and honour was considered worthy of wearing it. As such, the status of Hurmuz can be gauged from the fact that his hat cost 100,000 dirhams. The Persians afforded him with great honour, but the Arabs living at the border in Iraq abhorred him as he treated those Arabs much harsher than all the other officials at the border. Their dislike, i.e. of the non-Muslim Arabs, had reached the point that whenever they mentioned the immorality of an individual, they would use Hurmuz’s name as a proverb. For instance, they would say that such and such individual is even more immoral than Hurmuz, or such and such individual is even more wretched than Hurmuz and that such and such individual is even more forgetful of the favours conferred upon him than Hurmuz. Due to this very reason, Hurmuz often had to deal with continuous raids and skirmishes conducted by the Arabs. On the other hand, Hurmuz also used to engage in skirmishes with the Indians at sea. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiquera Translated, pp. 269-270.)
Nevertheless, before setting off from Yamama, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid wrote a letter to Hurmuz in which he stated, “Obey and you will remain protected, or you may acquire a guarantee for your protection as well as that of your nation by accepting to pay the Jizyah. Otherwise, there will be none to blame but yourself. I have brought such a nation to oppose you, which loves death just as you cherish life!” (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 309)When Hazrat Khalid’sra letter reached Hurmuz, he informed the Persian king of it and then gathered his forces and set out along with a swift battalion to Kazima to fight against Hazrat Khalidra. He advanced forward more swiftly than his horses, however, he did not encounter Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid on his path. Instead, he heard the news that the Muslim army was gathering in Hafeer. Thus, he turned around and set forth for Hafeer. Hafeer is the first location one would cross en route from Basra to Mecca. As soon as he arrived there, he organised the formation of his forces. Hurmuz appointed two brothers to his right and left flanks, the first of whom was Qubadh and the second was Anushjan. According to this narration, the Persian forces had chained themselves together and it is said that upon seeing this strategy, those who differed said to them, “You have helped the enemy by binding yourselves together in chains. Do not take this course of action. This is a bad omen.” Those in favour of binding themselves together by chains responded and said, “We have received news that you intend to flee and run away.” When Hazrat Khalidra received news of Hurmuz arriving in Hafeer, he redirected his forces to Kazima. Hurmuz learned of this and immediately set forth for Kazima and set up his encampment there. Hurmuz and his armies assembled in rows and took control of the water supply. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid had to set up camp in an area where there was no water and the people brought this matter to him. His caller announced that everyone should dismount, unload their provisions, and fight the enemy for control of the water, for surely, the control of the water supply would fall into the hands of the army that is more steadfast and honourable of the two. Upon this, the provisions were unloaded, the mounted soldiers took their place and the foot soldiers marched forward and attacked the enemy. Both sides engaged in battle, all the while Allah sent a cloud behind the Muslim forces. It rained behind the Muslims, which gave them strength. Hurmuz then hatched a plot to deceive Hazrat Khalidra. He instructed his defensive forces that he would challenge Hazrat Khalidra to a duel, and while he keeps him occupied in combat, they should launch a sudden attack on Hazrat Khalidra And so, Hurmuz approached the battlefield and Hazrat Khalidra dismounted from his horse. Hurmuz, too, dismounted from his horse and challenged Hazrat Khalidra to a duel. Hazrat Khalidra approached him and a fight ensued and both attacked one another. Hazrat Khalidra was able to overcome
Then there is mention of the Battle of Ubullah; which was fought in 12 AH. Hazrat Abu Bakrra ordered Hazrat Khalidra to start the campaign in Iraq from Ubullah, which was a frontier part of the Persian Gulf area. Trade caravans from Iraq that would travel to the subcontinent and Sindh would first stop at Ubullah. There are two narrations with regard to the conquest of Ubullah. One narration is that the Muslims conquered it for the first time during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, but then later fell back into the hands of the Persians and it was during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra that the Muslims conquered it fully. According to the second narration, Ubullah was conquered in the time of Hazrat Umarra. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakrra Siddique, pp. 269) But Allamah Al-Tabari has recorded brief details of this battle in his book under the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. However, he further writes: “The conquest of Ubullah, which has been mentioned by historians during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra seems to be contrary to authentic narrations because Ubullah was conquered in 14 AH during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra at the hands of Hazrat Utbah bin Ghazwanra.” (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 310) This has been mentioned in other books of history with regard to the Battle of Ubullah. Some historians attribute the first victory to the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, whereas others reject this notion and state that this battle did not take place in the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, rather it was during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra Nonetheless, in the books of history, the battle of Ubullah and its conquest has been recorded during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Hazrat Umarra. It seems that Ubullah was first conquered during the blessed Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, however, afterwards, owing to receiving Persian aid through sea routes, the people of Ubullah rebelled and broke away. Then during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra it was conquered again. (Ali Muhsin Siddiqui, AlSiddique, p. Nonetheless,127) the details of the Battle of Ubullah are as follows: After the battle of Dhat al-Salasil, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid sent Hazrat Muthanna to pursue the defeated Persian army. Alongside this, he sent Hazrat Ma’qalra to Ubullah to gather the spoils of war and apprehend the prisoners of war. Hence, Hazrat Ma’qalra left from there and reached Ubullah and gathered the spoils as well as the prisoners. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 310.)
The soldiers of the army that ran away and the soldiers from the reinforcements – i.e. the new army coming from Persia – joined forces and both incited each other to war. A new army was formed to defend the king. The forces that had run away said, “This army has come to help the king and is under the command of Qarin, who is with us. It is quite possible that god will grant us victory and rid us of our enemy. In this way, we can recover some of our loss.” Thus, they did so accordingly and settled in Mazar. Qarin assigned the vanguard to Qubadh and Anushjan, who had run away during the battle of Dhat al-Salasil.
Further details about this conquest during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra are as follows:Hazrat Umarra sent Hazrat Utbahra bin Ghazwan to Basra in 14 or 16 AH and instructed him to remain there for one month. The people of Ubullah came out to confront him; they were 500 non-Arab soldiers who were appointed to safeguard Ubullah. Hazrat Utbahra fought against them and defeated them and entered the Persian town. Hazrat Utbahra returned to his army. Allah the Almighty struck awe and fear in the hearts of the Persians and they left the town. They took whatever little they could and boarded boats. They crossed the river and left; in this way, the entire town was left vacant. The Muslims entered the town and found many weapons as well as other provisions and also seized the prisoners. After taking out the Khums from all the spoils, the rest was divided amongst the Muslim soldiers, who numbered 300 in total. (Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2006), 335)Then there is the Battle of Mazar, which was fought in Safar 12 AH. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 311) Mazar was a settlement in Mesan. Between Mazar and Basra, there was a distance of four days travel. (Yaqut Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu’jam al-Buldan, Vol. 5, Al-Madhar, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah], 247) During this incident, everyone was reciting the following, “The month of Safar has arrived, and every rebellious oppressor will be killed at the place where the rivers meet.”In the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil, Hurmuz was up against Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra Hormuz had written to his king to send reinforcements. The king sent a contingent as reinforcements under the command of Qarin. However, this contingent had only reached Mazar when they received news of the defeat of Hurmuz in the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil and his death. Alongside this, contingents of the defeated army of Hurmuz ran to Mazar and met Qarin. Some of the soldiers from the contingent who ran away said to the soldiers under Qarin, “If you become dispersed today, then you will never be able to gather together as one again. Therefore, immediately prepare to return.”
Meanwhile, Hazrat Muthannara and Hazrat Mu’annahra had sent news of the activities of the enemy to Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. As soon as Hazrat Khalidra heard of Qarin’s arrival, he distributed the spoils of war received in the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil to those soldiers who had been allotted the spoils according to Allah’s decree. He also gave from the Khums as much as they wished. He sent the remaining spoils and the Khums from the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil and the good news of the victory to Hazrat Abu Bakrra. He also informed Hazrat Abu Bakrra that the army defeated in the battle of Dhat al-Salasil has joined the new contingent under the command of Qarin and gathered in one place. Thus, Hazrat Khalidra left from there and went to confront Qarin’s army in Mazar. He arranged his army in rows; the two armies clashed in a state of rage and fury. Qarin stepped into the battlefield for a duel. Both Hazrat Khalidra and Hazrat Ma’qalra bin A’ashah stepped forward to confront Qarin, however, Hazrat Ma’qalra moved ahead swiftly to overpower Qarin and killed him. Hazrat Asimra killed Anushjan and Hazrat Adira killed Qubadh. When three of these Persian commanders had been killed, the resolve of the remaining forces was broken and they began to flee. During this battle, a large number of Persians were killed. Those that retreated boarded boats and fled. Hazrat Khalidra remained in Mazar; he gave the provisions belonging to the dead soldiers to the person that killed him no matter how much it was. He also gave to them those spoils that were acquired without any fighting [Maal-eFaey]. From among the Khums he gave to those soldiers who displayed extraordinary feats. He sent the remaining Khums with a delegation headed by Hazrat Saeedra bin Numan to Medina. According to one narration, 30,000 Persians were killed in this war, and this does not include those that jumped in the river and drowned. It is said that if the water did not stop the Muslims, not a single soldier would have been spared. Still, there were some who survived and fled in a frantic state, leaving behind everything they had. After the battle, all those who fought and aided the Persian army were imprisoned along with their families. Among these prisoners was Abu al-Hasan Basri; it is said that Abu alHasan Basri – who was the father of Imam Hassan Basri, who became a Muslim and was a renowned preacher and Sufi of Basra – after being imprisoned, Abu al-Hassan Basri was taken to Medina where his captor freed him. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 311-312) (Urdu Da’irah Ma‘arif Islamiyyah, Vol. 8, p. 262, Shu‘bah Urdu Da’irah Ma‘arif, Lahore) After this victory, the general population was treated with exceeding kindness. Without inflicting any sort of harm upon them, farmers and all others were urged to offer Jizyah and they were allowed to maintain possession of their lands and properties. After tending to these preliminary matters, Hazrat Khalidra then turned his attention toward the law and order of the conquered land. He assigned collectors for Jizyah in various places. To ensure the safety of the conquered land, the armies that were appointed at Hafeer and at Jisr-e-A’zam, i.e. The Great Bridge were better organised and each battalion was appointed a commanding officer, and they were ordered to remain abreast of secret and open movements of the enemy and to combat them if ever the need arose. What greater testament can there be to Khalid’sra military prowess than the fact that from the outset of his advancements in Iran, the mighty armies of Chosroes began to fall and their vigorous confidence and enthusiasm dissipated. The Battle of Mazar took place only a short distance away from Hirah; Hirah is located between the gulf and Mada’in. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Abu
Friday 19 August 2022 | AL HAKAM14 Hurmuz, upon which Hurmuz’s defensive forces broke protocol and attacked Hazrat Khalidra whilst surrounding him. When a single combat duel such as this is taking place, others are not allowed to interfere and attack, however, the enemy’s army launched an attack. Despite this, Hazrat Khalidra was able to kill Hurmuz. As soon as Hazrat Qa’qa’ra bin ‘Amr witnessed this deception by the Persians, he surrounded and attacked Hurmuz’s defensive forces and killed them. The Persian forces faced defeat and fled. Qubadh and Anushjan were also among those who fled. The Muslims pursued the Persian forces in the darkness of the night and continued to kill them up until the large bridge at the Euphrates River where, today, Basra is established. Upon the conclusion of this battle, Hazrat Khalidra had the spoils of war collected. Amongst the spoils of war was also a camel’s load worth of chains. The chains weighed 1,000 ratal, or in other words, approximately 375 kilograms. The spoils of war sent to Hazrat Abu Bakrra also included Hurmuz’s hat which was worth 100,000 dirhams and was embellished with gems.Hazrat Abu Bakrra gave this cap to Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. Hazrat Khalidra sent the good news of the victory, Khums and an elephant to Medina, and announced everywhere about the victory of the Islamic army. Zirr bin Kulaib went to Medina with the Khums and the elephant. The people of Medina had never seen an elephant before. Let alone the people of Medina, no Arab had ever seen an elephant aside from the elephants of Abraha’s army. When the elephant was paraded around the entire town, upon seeing it, the elderly women were astonished and asked whether it was something from among the creation of God. They thought that it was something that had been constructed. Hazrat Abu Bakrra sent the elephant back with Zirr to Hazrat Khalidra. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 309-310) (Al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakrra Siddique, pp. 404-405) (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakrra Siddique Translated, pp. 271-273) (Yaqut Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu’jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah], 319) (Lughat al-Hadith, Vol. 2, Under ‘Ratal’, [Nashir Nu’mani Kutub Khana, Lahore, 2002], 121) One key reason why the Muslims succeeded in this battle was the policy Hazrat Abu Bakrra devised with respect to the farmers of Iraq, which Hazrat Khalidra implemented strictly. Under this policy, the farmers were not disturbed. Instead, they were left wherever they were settled. Aside from a small amount taken in the form of Jizyah, no tax or reparations were taken from them. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Abu Bakr Siddiq Akbar Translated by Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Pani Pati [Lahore, Pakistan: Ilm-o-Irfan Publishers, 2004],Every272)member of the cavalry who took part in the Battle of Dhat al-Salasil was given 1,000 dirhams and those on foot were given one-third of this. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2012], 311)The battle of Kazima had a far-reaching impact; it made the Muslims realise one thing; despite knowing all about the reputation of the power wielded by the Persians, their full-strength army could not contend with a small Muslim army. They could not even imagine the volume of the spoils they acquired. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Abu Bakr Siddiq Akbar Translated by Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Pani Pati [Lahore, Pakistan: Ilm-o-Irfan Publishers, 2004], 272.)
Bakr Siddiq Akbar Translated by Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Pani Piti [Lahore, Pakistan: Ilm-o-Irfan Publishers, 2004], 275) Upon tending to various matters after the battle, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid became occupied with obtaining intelligence regarding enemy plans. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 312, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut,This2012)wasso that he could remain aware of the enemy’s movements to ensure that they weren’t assembling against Islam. Another battle was the Battle of Walajah, which took place in Safar 12 AH. Walajah is a dry land near Kaskar. The Persians had been made to face humiliating defeat at the Battle of Mazar in which many of their prominent leaders were killed. Upon this, the Persian king devised another ploy and intended to confront the Muslims with better preparation. Hence, the Persian government invited a prominent tribe of Christians from Iraq called Bakr bin Wa’il to the royal court in Iran and after inciting them to fight against the Muslims, they formed an army and a famous cavalier named Andurzeghar was appointed its leader. This army then proceeded to Walajah. There was a large tribe of Christians residing in Iraq called Bakr bin Wa’il. Emperor Ardashir called them and organised them into an army, upon which he sent them to Walajah to fight the Muslims. Residents and farmers living in the surrounding areas of Hirah and Kaskar also joined the army. Hirah is a city located three miles North West of Kufa while Kaskar is a town located between Kufa and Basra. The thought arose that all of the credit for defeating the Muslims should not go solely to the Christian Arabs, and so a prominent soldier named Bahman Jazwiyah was also sent with a large army. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 312, Dar-ul-Kutub AlIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2012), (Hazrat Abu Bakrra Siddique, Mohammed Hussein Heikal, pp. 287-288)When the Persian ruler felt that his army was quite large, he decided to attack Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid was near Basra when he learned of the Persian army assembling in Walajah. He felt that the best course of action was to attack the Persian army from three sides so that they become scattered and would become confused due to the sudden attack. (Syedna Abu Bakrra, Dr Ali Muhammad Sallabi, p. Hence,406)he appointed Suwaid bin Muqarrin in his stead and instructed him to remain in Hafeer and he went to join those whom he had left in the lower part of Dijlah. He instructed them to always remain vigilant with regard to the enemy and to never be caught off guard or deceived. He took his army and set out towards Walajah and fought against the enemy army and its supporters, ensuing in a fierce battle. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid had Muslim soldiers lie in ambush on both sides of the enemy army and eventually, both battalions attacked the enemy from either side. The Persian armies fled upon suffering defeat; however, they were surrounded from the front by Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid and from behind by the two battalions that had been lying in ambush. This perturbed them to the extent that they no longer cared if their compatriots were killed. The leader of the enemy forces was ultimately defeated and killed. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid treated the farmers as he usually would; in other words, he did not kill any of them. Only the progenies of those who had participated in the war and their supporters were captured, while the general population of the nation were urged to offer Jizyah and become part of the Muslim rule, which the people accepted. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 312, Dar-ul-Kutub AlIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2012), Then there is mention of the Battle of Ullais. The Battle of Ullais took place in Safar 12 AH. Ullais was one of the cities in the Anbar province in Iraq. The humiliating defeat handed by Hazrat Khalidra to Bakr bin Wa’il and the Persians at the Battle of Walajah greatly angered their fellow Christians. They and the Persians exchanged letters and then gathered at a place called Ullais. Their appointed leader was Abd al-Aswad Ijli. Similarly, the Persian Emperor wrote a letter to Bahman Jazwiyah instructing him to take his army to Ullais and to join with the Persian and Arab Christians gathered there. Bahman Jazwiyah did not accompany the army himself, however, he appointed another brave fighter named Jaban and sent him off with the instructions of inciting people to fight, but to not engage in battle with the opposition until he himself arrived, unless they were attacked first. Hence, Jaban set out towards Ullais. Bahman Jazwiyah then went to the Persian Emperor Aradshir in order to consult with him, however upon arriving he found the Emperor to be ill. Hence Bahman Jazwiyah became occupied with tending to him and did not send any guidance to Jaban. Jaban set out along with the army towards the battlefront and arrived at Ullais in the month of Safar. (Tarikh AlTabari, Vol. 2, p. 313, Dar-ul-Kutub AlIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2012), (Mujam-ul-Buldan, Vol. 1, p. 494, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)Various tribes and Arab Christians from the surrounding areas of Hirah joined Jaban. When Hazrat Khalidra learned that these Christian tribes had assembled, he set out to combat them, however, he was unaware that Jaban was nearby as well. Hazrat Khalidra had set out only with the intention of combating those Arabs and Christians, however, he was confronted by Jaban in Ullais. When Jaban arrived in Ullais, the non-Arabs asked him his opinion as to whether they should gather intelligence or eat first. In other words, they asked whether they should begin fighting or eat first and then fight. Jaban said that if the opposition was not posing any hindrance then they should remain silent, however, he was of the opinion that they would attack them suddenly and not allow them the opportunity to eat. However, they did not heed what Jaban said; they lay down their sheets, selected the food and after inviting everyone, they began eating. (Al-Kamil Fi Al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, p. 241, Dar-ul-Kutub AlIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2006) Once Hazrat Khalidra arrived to combat the enemy, he took a pause and instructed for their belongings to be unloaded. Once this was done, he turned his attention toward the enemy. Hazrat Khalidra appointed a battalion to protect him from behind. He then proceeded towards the enemy ranks whilst proclaiming, “Where is Abjar? Where is Abd al-Aswad? Where is Malik bin Aith?” Aside from Malik, everyone else remained silent out of fear. Malik however came forward to fight. Hazrat Khalidra said, “Out of all these people what has given you the courage to come and face me? You do not even possess the strength to combat me.”
After saying this, he attacked and killed Malik and made the non-Arabs get up from their sheets before they could even eat. Jaban said to his people, “Did I not warn you against eating first? By god, I have never feared any soldier as I fear today’s battle.” When they were unable to eat, they began to suppose their bravery by saying, “We will leave the food for now, until we are finished with the Muslims, and then we will eat.” Jaban said, “By god, it seems to me as if you have left this food for our opponents. Do not think that you will be victorious and will then eat, rather it seems to me that your opponents will eat this food (meaning the Muslims), however, you do not perceive this. Hearken to what I say now.” He told them to listen to him and said, “Poison the food. If you are victorious then the loss of food is a paltry one. If the opponent is victorious, then you will have done something to cause harm to our opponents because they will have eaten the poisonous food.” However, those people were firmly convinced of their victory and said that there was no need to poison the food as they would easily win the war and would then eat the food. Hazrat Khalidra organised the formation of the army in the same way he did in the previous battles. A fierce battle then ensued. The Persians were expecting the arrival of Bahman Jazawiyah because Jaban was giving them hope of this and informing them that he had departed with a huge army, hence they fought with great resolve and intensity. However, in reality, owing to the ill health of the Persian king, Bahman was neither able to tell the king of the current circumstance nor could he leave with an army. He was no longer able to have any communication with Jaban. The Muslims also fought with great courage and valour in this battle and intense fighting took place. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 313, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012),With regards to the passion and zeal of the Persian army and the weakening state of the Muslims, a historian writes: “From the Persian forces, the Christians were the first to launch an attack but their leader, Malik bin Qais was killed. As soon as he was killed, their condition completely changed and they became dejected. Upon seeing this, Jaban sent the Persians to go forth and in the hope of Bahman’s imminent arrival with reinforcements, they all fought with great bravery. The Muslims attacked repeatedly but the Persians were able to repel these attacks with great strength and determination. Upon seeing that all the physical measures one could adopt were proving to be insufficient, Hazrat Khalidra raised his hands and began to supplicate with utmost humility, ‘O Allah! If you grant us victory over the enemy, I shall not spare a single one of them and the river shall turn red with their blood.’” In certain other books, it is mentioned that Hazrat Khalidra swore an oath or promised that if he was granted victory in the battle then he would not let a single soldier from the enemy remain alive. In any case, Hazrat Khalidra then tactfully moved the right and left flank of the army to attack the rear side of the Persian army. Subsequently, the Persian army became scattered and they realised that the safest option for them was to either flee or surrender. Hazrat Khalidra ordered to take the enemy forces as prisoners and not to kill anyone apart from those who were fighting. Only those were to be killed who were engaged in combat. (Sirat Syedna Siddiq-e-Akbarra, p. 671-672, Umar Abu AlNasr) (Tarikh Al-Tabari, [Urdu] Vol. 2, p. 564,ThereDar-ul-Isha’at)isanote in relation to this from the Research Cell and I also believe this to be correct. Whilst mentioning the details of this incident, most biographers and historians, including Tarikh Al-Tabari have mentioned that in accordance with the pledge he made in his prayer, Hazrat Khalidra had all the prisoners killed and thrown into the river continuously for one night and one day so that the river could turn red with their blood. In other words, he not only fought against those who were engaged in fighting, but he also killed those who had been taken as prisoners. It is for this reason that even today, this river is known as “Nahr-ul-Dam”, i.e. the River of Blood. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 312, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut,However,2012) this does not seem to be true in that the prisoners were killed and their blood was spilt into the river. It seems that the historians have either acted with negligence or greatly exaggerated, or it is quite possible that those who sought to deliberately include false accounts of cruelty and barbarity in the wars fought by Muslims included such accounts wherever they found the opportunity. Among the historians there were some who opposed the Muslims and harboured malice against them, therefore they would write such things. Hence, it is possible that they may have written that the prisoners were killed and thrown into the river. However, it seems that such accounts have been added from themselves so that through their ploys and deception they would portray as if the Muslims carried out cruelty and oppression and also that the unarmed prisoners were killed. First and foremost, in accordance with the rules and principles of warfare that were prevalent at the time, it would not have been objectionable to kill the prisoners. However, the battles which particularly took place in the blessed lifetime of the Holy Prophetsa and in the era of Khilafat-e-Rashidah there was never such an instance where the prisoners were killed like this. Although there were hundreds of thousands of people who were killed during these battles, all of them were those who were killed during active combat. If one studies the battles of the commander-in-chief, Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra, one will find that to whatever extent possible on the battlefield he would spare the lives of those who either surrendered or were willing to pledge their obedience. And despite the false accounts by the historians, one who researches into anyone who was killed by him, will find solid justifications for it. Similarly, if one ponders over this particular incident as well they will find that it seems to be fabricated. This is because, amongst the biographers and historians, who have detailed every minute information with regards to these incidents, there are some who have not mentioned this particular incident at all. This is proof of the fact that this was completely fabricated. In fact, one author, who generally tends to document history in a very liberal fashion and has mentioned certain things which
15AL HAKAM | Friday 19 August 2022
I am certain that this book will guide many who are eager to know the truth.
Friday 19 August 2022 | AL HAKAM16 one cannot agree with, even he mentioned, after making reference to this incident, that the narrators of this particular incident have greatly exaggerated. There is no doubt that Khalidra treated the opponents of Islam so very strictly that even Hazrat Qa’qara and his men could not bear to see it. (Hazrat Abu Bakrra Siddique, Hazrat Farooq-e-A’zamra, Dr Taha Hussein, pp. 85-86) Similarly, another author wrote that he treated the prisoners in a very strict manner but to say he killed them is wrong. Another author writes through which it is evident that the Persians were not actually killed and thrown into the river. He writes that Hazrat Khalidra launched an attack against the Christian army in such an intelligent manner and broke them down and completely destroyed the rows of the Persian army that it seemed as if they were made of mud as opposed to muscle and flesh. Since the Persian army was spread widely, they formed a crescent shape and encircled the Muslims. Subsequently, the Muslims were surrounded by the Persians and Arab Christians and the opponents began to fight with great passion. But the passion of the Christian army could not match that of the Muslims. Each and every Muslim became like a bloodthirsty lion and through mighty onslaughts, they cut through the Christian army like grass. Even though the Persians were martyring and wounding the Muslims, very few Muslims were falling down and those who were injured would fight with even greater passion. The Persians were being killed in such large numbers that the battlefield was covered with their bodies and those who were injured would leave the battlefield. The Muslims killed their opponents in such large numbers that their clothes were covered with bloodstains. The clothes of Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid were also in the same condition. The ground was drenched with the blood of the Persian army and it began to flow like water. Eventually, the Persians suffered defeat and they fled in great panic. The Muslims pursued them and continued to kill or imprison their soldiers for quite some distance. The Persians fled in such disarray that a thousand soldiers of theirs plunged into the river and drowned. When the Persians had gone quite far ahead, the Muslims then returned. 70,000 Persians were killed in this battle and 138 Muslims were martyred. Historians are also astonished at the fact that how the Muslims were able to kill so many of the Persians. (Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid, Sadiq Hussein Siddiqi, pp. 161-162) This is what has been written by another historian.Andso from this, it is evident that even if one were to consider the incident where the river turned red to be true, then it is possible that it happened due to those injured soldiers who drowned in the river. Thus, it can be said that there is some element of exaggeration in these accounts and on the basis of this people had the opportunity to level such strange allegations against the Islamic wars and against the character of Hazrat Khalidra. Through these battles, they have tried to accuse the Muslims of being cruel and oppressive. In any case, Allah knows best, however from what it seems is that these are just mere allegations. When the enemy suffered defeat and their army became scattered and the Muslims were no longer going after them and returned, Hazrat Khalidra stood next to the food provisions and stated that this was for them because whenever the Holy Prophetsa would find the food which had been prepared by the enemy who had fled the battle, he would distribute it amongst his army. And so, the Muslims began to eat the food as their evening meal. In the battle of Ullais, 70,000 soldiers from among the enemy were killed, which has already been mentioned. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 314, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012), With regards to the victory at Amghishia, it is written that Allah the Almighty granted victory over Amghishia in Safar 12 AH without any battle taking place. Amghishia is the name of a place in Iraq. When Hazrat Khalidra finished the conquest of Ullais, he made preparations and went to Amghishia. However, prior to his arrival, its residents quickly fled from the area and dispersed in Sawad. Those settlements in Iraq that the Muslims had conquered during the era of Hazrat Umarra were named Sawad owing to their lush green fields. Hazrat Khalidra ordered to seize everything that was in Amghishia and in its near vicinity. Amghishia was a city similar to Hirah and Ullais was its military cantonment. The spoils of war acquired by the Muslims from Amghishia were in such abundance that never before had such a vast amount been acquired in all the previous battles starting from Dhat al-Salasil. The share [from the spoils of war] granted to the horse-riders was 1,500 dirham and this was in addition to what was given to all those who achieved great feats in this battle. The news of the conquest of Ullais and Amghishia was given by Hazrat Khalidra through a person called Jandal, who belonged to the Ijal tribe. He was famously known for being a courageous guide. He went before Hazrat Abu Bakrra and conveyed the news about the conquest of Ullais and also gave details of the amount acquired from the spoils of war, the number of prisoners and the amount acquired as part of the Khums as well as those who achieved great feats. He particularly mentioned the valiant efforts of Hazrat Khalidra in an excellent manner. Hazrat Abu Bakrra was greatly impressed by his bravery, firm resolve and the manner in which this emissary conveyed the news of victory. Hazrat Abu Bakrra liked the mannerisms, the accounts of bravery and courage and the manner in which this emissary narrated these accounts. Hazrat Abu Bakrra enquired of him his name and he replied that his name was Jandal. Hazrat Abu Bakrra then commended him and granted him a bondswoman from the spoils of war from whom he had progeny. On this occasion, Hazrat Abu Bakrra stated, “No woman from now will be able to give birth to a child the like of Khalid bin Walid.” (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, pp. 314-315, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012) (Hazrat Syedna Abu Bakr Siddiqra, Heikal, p. 312, Islami Kutub Khana) (Mujam-ul-Buldan, Vol. 1, p. 301, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut) (Mujam-ul-Buldan, Vol. 3, p. 309, Dar-ulKutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut) The rest of the accounts will be narrated in the future, insha-Allah (Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International 12 August 2022, pp. 5-9. Translated by The Review of Religions)
“ Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdias
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