Al Hakam - 14 February 2020

My Maryam Part II of a beautiful eulogy written by Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra in memory of his wife, Hazrat Maryam Begumra Page 4 - 5

Remembering Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud

The final moments Written by Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh upon the demise of his father, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra

Part I of Mir Mahmud Ahmad Nasir Sahib’s memories with Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra Page 8

Page 11

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and freedom of faith A unique campaign at global scale

Page 16

THE WEEKLY

A

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 14 February 2020 | Issue C Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Remembering a great servant of Islam: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra addressing the Jamaat

40 nights of solitude, prayer and anguish sprouting from a small room in northeastern Punjab caused a commotion in the heavens; Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him, was fervently praying for a divine sign that would prove the greatness of Islam. Answering his anguish, God promised him a son, who would change the course of history; a “Musleh-e-Maud” (Promised Reformer) with 52 distinct qualities; “as if Allah, Himself, descended from the heavens”.

Throughout this month, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat celebrates the life and times of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad – the Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him. The prophecy of his future legacy was published by the Promised Messiahas on 20 February 1886 after 40 nights of prayer in Hoshiarpur, India.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra life was a colossal mountain of tireless striving for Islam; he was an epitome of the Quranic declaration, “So haply thou wilt grieve thyself to death for sorrow after them if they believe not in this discourse.”(Surah alKahf, Ch.18: V.7) The mantle of Khilafat was bestowed upon him at the tender age of 25, which was followed by severe opposition, trying times and a vast community to lead towards the success of Islam.

As this young man was to be “blessed with a holy spirit” as Allah foretold, his leadership qualities, spiritual awe, acceptance of prayer, academic insight, “intelligence”, unshakable mettle and “Messianic qualities”, over a period of 52 years, proved he was, without a doubt, the Musleh-e-Maud.

Carrying the torch of Islam is no easy Continued on page 2

USA Jamaat celebrates 100 years Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Musleh-e-Maudra was himself a prophecy personified.

He was born to the Promised Messiahas as predicted by the Holy Prophetsa of Islam, who had also prophesied that the sun of Islam would rise from the west in the days of the Messiah.

Having instructed Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra to travel to USA to establish the Ahmadiyya Muslim mission, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra instigated the fulfilment of the latter prophecy.

Hazrat Mufti Sadiqra was instructed

by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra (second successor to the Promised Messiahas) in December 1919 to proceed to America and take the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat to Americans.

Hazrat Mufti Sadiqra boarded the SS Haverford from Liverpool that set sail to the American port of Philadelphia on 24 January 1920, arriving on 15 February 1920.

This first step of the representative of the Promised Messiahas and his Khalifa was the first significant leap for the advent of Islam in modern America.

As soon as he set foot on the port, he was arrested by the American authorities on doubts that he was there to preach polygamy.

It took Mufti Sahibra months to explain to them that what is allowed in Islam is not obligatory.

However, the time spent behind bars did not go futile as Mufti Sahibra utilised this time in propagating the message that he had brought with him. Many around him in the detention centre showed interest and he had converted 19 inmates in the very short period of two months, before his release in April 1920.

All historians agree that Mufti Sahib’sra steps on American soil served as the dawn of Islamic identity to the American nation.

Yvonne Haddad, with her co-author Jane Smith, declares that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was “unquestionably the most influential group in African American Islam.” The aspect of Mufti Sadiq’sra approach that attracted the Americans, especially African Americans, Continued on page 3

Remains of Pier 53, Philadelphia, where the first Ahmadi missionary to the USA disembarked | Ahmadiyya ARC

2

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM Continued from page 1

This Week in History 14 - 20 February A selection of brief incidents from the first and second era of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya

14 February 1925: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him, advised the Muslims of India with regard to communal representation at the elections.

His suggestions proved to be of great benefit, especially keeping in mind the political backdrop of India at the time.

14 February 1928: Hazrat Sufi Maula Bakhshra passed away. He was a companion of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him.

14 February 1945: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra transferred the administrative authority of all Jamaat missions and educational institutes operating outside of the Indian subcontinent to Tahrik-e-Jadid.

14 February 1948: A formal request was submitted to the concerned governmental department for the registration of Anjuman Tahrik-e-Jadid in Pakistan.

14 February 1948: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud started his tour of Sindh, which continued until 20 March. ra

14 February 1954: A revised German translation of the Holy Quran was published by the Jamaat.

14 February 1955: The wording of the oath for Lajna Imaillah was approved. A sentence was later added to it in 1956.

14 February 1964: A mosque in Calcutta was inaugurated.

15 February 1920: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a speech in Lahore about the future of world peace and how, without Islam, lasting world peace cannot be established.

15 February 1920: Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra arrived at the shores of Philadelphia to spread the message of the Jamaat in America. Unfortunately, he was barred from entering the country and was even detained by the authorities. During his imprisonment, he managed to convert many people to Islam Ahmadiyyat.

15 February 1939: A devout and sincere member of the Jamaat in Afghanistan, Wali Dad Sahib had to brave the martyrdom of his young son, Fazl Dad Sahib. On this date, owing to the lawlessness in the country, opponents attacked again and this time, Wali Dad Sahib was martyred. His body was disposed in an unknown location.

15 February 1948: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra arrived at Mirpur Khas in Sindh, Pakistan. Huzoorra graciously met some members of the Jamaat who had returned from captivity lasting around six months.

15 February 1954: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra went to Lahore and stayed there until 23 February.

15 February 1960: The supervisor of the Ahmadiyya Mission in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Sheikh Amri Ubaidi Sahib was elected as the Mayor of Dar es Salam. He was the first native African to be chosen as Mayor of Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania at the time.

15 February 1960: Talim-ul-Islam College won the interuniversity rowing competition for the 11th time in a row.

16 February 1923: Gas lamps were installed on Minaratul-Masih in Qadian. The lamps were purchased from funds donated by members of the Jamaat in Nigeria, West Africa.

16 February 1948: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra arrived in Nasir Abad state during his tour of Sindh, where he stayed for three weeks.

16 February 1952: The Jamaat in Sialkot started its twoday local Jalsa, however, near the end of the inaugural session, opponents attacked the venue and brutally attacked members of the Jamaat, resulting in around 40 Ahmadis being severely injured. Owing to these precarious incidents, the organisers had to postpone the Jalsa.

16 February 1956: The local chapter of the Jamaat in Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan convened a three-day annual Jalsa. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra special message was read out regularly every morning of the Jalsa prior to formal sessions.

16 February 1963: A meeting was held between the Vice President of Spain and the Jamaat’s missionary in Spain, Maulana Karam Ilahi Zafar Sahib. He conveyed the message of the Jamaat to the Vice President.

17 February 1908: Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra announced the nikah of Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begumra, daughter of the Promised Messiahas.

17 February 1945: Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafarulla Khanra led the Indian delegation to the Commonwealth Relations Conference held in London. On this date, he spoke at the conference and eloquently raised the issue of the Indian subcontinent’s independence. His rationale and commanding approach towards the matter was largely praised by the Indian and British press alike. Later in the evening, he delivered another effective speech on the matter.

17 February 1949: Hazrat Sheikh Umar Bakhsh Bangwira passed away at the age of 92. He performed Bai‘at in 1903.

17 February 1957: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra arrived at Ahmad Abad during his tour of Sindh, where he graced a gathering and distributed prizes.

18 February 1920: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a speech entitled, Religion and its Need in front of a gathering at the Ahmadiyya Hostel, Lahore.

18 February 1922: Sheikh Mahmud Ahmad Irfani Sahib departed from Qadian for Egypt to establish the Jamaat’s mission there. He was able to established the mission within a year.

18 February 1933: On this date, Hazrat Musleh-eContinued on page 22

task. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, through extremely trying times, carried this torch to great lengths and devoted every particle of his being to the cause of Islam. He delivered scores of breathtaking speeches and lectures, wrote deeply researched commentaries of the Holy Quran that were often divinely inspired, educated millions of Muslims and non-Muslim alike, became the spiritual solace for Ahmadis, proved to be an effective authority on political matters, successfully challenged Western attacks on Islam, initiated the spread of Islam through missions across the world and established the compelling organisational structure of the Jamaat we witness today.

The true depth and understanding of the importance of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and how he was a divine sign of Allah can only perhaps be comprehended by reading and learning about his life. He was a sign of Allah for the truthfulness of Islam and will be forever in the memories of Muslims until the end of times, Insha-Allah.

We present this issue of Al Hakam for the benefit of our readers to better understand who Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra really was, the effect he had and the works he achieved. We want to show why exactly he was “Muslehe-Maud”.

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

Best of worshippers Harzat Abu Hurairah, Allah be pleased with him, relates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “O Abu Hurairah, be righteous and you will be the best of worshippers. Be content, so that you can be the best of those who are grateful.

Choose for others what you like for yourself, then you will become a (true) believer. Treat your neighbour in the best of manners then you will be worthy of being a Muslim. Do not laugh excessively, because excessive laughter causes the heart to die.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words The servitude of the Holy Prophetsa Study the Holy Quran and you will see that there is not a single example of anyone who can match the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who was the perfect man, nor can he be matched until the end of time. Even though the Holy Prophetsa was blessed with the ability to manifest miracles in which it appeared as though he could harness divine power, he was always characterised by his servitude to God. The Holy Prophetsa would always declare, again and again, “I am only a man like yourselves.”

This was to such an extent that even in the Muslim creed, which professes the Unity of God, the Holy Prophetsa declared that it was incumbent to profess the Prophet’s servitude to God as a necessary constituent – a declaration, without which a Muslim cannot be a Muslim.

Reflect again and again! To entertain in our hearts and minds those ideas previously mentioned is absurd and inappropriate, given how our Perfect Guide lived such a life that even after attaining the highest possible status in nearness to God, he still did not fail to acknowledge his own servitude to the Divine.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 113)

3

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

TI College Students Association dinner with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih The Talim-ul-Islam College Students Association had a dinner with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, may Allah be his Helper, on 9 February 2020.

The event commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by an Urdu poem.

Mubarak Siddiqi Sahib, President of the Talim-ul-Islam College Old Boys Association UK then proceeded to present a report of the efforts of the body. In the report, he mentioned the accomplishments of the association, construction of a new school, different events, sports tournaments and sittings.

Following this, Huzooraa announced the new elected Sadr, Mubarak Siddiqi Sahib, who was once again elected and Bashir

“Always smile; this will keep you active” – Gulshan-e-Waqf-e-Nau Atfal

On 9 February 2020, 267 Waqifeen-e-Nau from all over the UK had a class with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper.

The sitting started with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a hadith.

Thereafter, extracts on the topic of the rightly guided Khulafa were presented from the Promised Messiah’sas book, SirrulKhilafah (The Reality of Khilafat).

Following this, the Waqifeen had the opportunity to engage and ask Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa various questions on numerous topics.

The first question asked was with regard to God’s love and why bad things occur if God loves us. Answering the question, Huzooraa stated: “It is through His love that He has told us what is good and what is bad. Acting on God’s commandments makes us closer to Him.” Huzooraa further said that God has provided so much for mankind that we should show our gratitude towards Him. Thus, God has told us that if you are grateful for the things God has given, then He will, in return, love you.

Succeeding this, one young Waqf-e-Nau asked Huzooraa what his favourite sport was when he was young.

Answering this, Huzooraa said, “In my youth, I used to play cricket. Then, when arrangements were made in the Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya hall, I started to play badminton.”

One Waqif-e-Nau asked how Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa found time to rest and do other activities whilst managing his busy schedule.

Huzooraa stated, “I work in my office and also manage to perform other work too, such as listening to the news.” Huzooraa added, “It is all in the mind; if man becomes lazy and says that he does not get enough sleep, then nothing can be accomplished.

You must be firm and tell yourself that you need to get such and such work done, and always smile; this will keep you active.”

A question was asked with regard to what is necessary to gain admission into Jamia. Answering this, Huzooraa said, “You should know how to recite the Quran, know the translation of Salat and religious knowledge. The rest you will be taught in Jamia.”

A Waqif-e-Nau asked Huzooraa whether God would forgive a person who commits a bad deed and seeks forgiveness and then commits a bad deed again. Answering the

question, Huzooraa said, “God is all merciful; if you pray to Him, then He will forgive.”

Huzooraa added, “It is man’s duty that upon seeking forgiveness, he should refrain from sin.”

A question was asked with regard to why Ahmadi Muslims are not allowed to offer Salat behind non-Ahmadi Muslims.

Answering this, Huzooraa said, “At first, Ahmadis used to offer Salat behind nonAhmadis. Then, when the non-Ahmadis started opposing and started saying not to offer Salat behind Ahmadis, then the Promised Messiahas also said that Ahmadis should not offer Salat behind non-Ahmadis.

Secondly, we have accepted Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas as the Mahdi and Messiah, whereas the non-Ahmadis have not accepted this.” Huzooraa added, “When non-Ahmadis do not accept him and when God has made him the Imam of the age, then how are we to follow them in prayer.”

Whilst mentioning the media and weapons of mass-destruction, one Waqif-eNau asked what the most powerful weapon was.

Huzooraa replied, “The most powerful weapon is prayer. You should pray to Allah, bow before Him and then ask for

Akhtar Sahib as the Naib Sadr. Huzooraa then instructed Mubarak Zafar Sahib, Additional Wakil-ul-Mal, to announce the rest of the approved names of the body.

Hearing the report, Huzooraa said: “It was a great accomplishment that the Talim-ul-Islam College Old Boys Association UK managed to construct a school” and further stated, “The association should strive and endeavour to achieve more.”

Huzooraa said, “There is a great need of schools and hospitals in Africa too.”

Huzooraa prayed that Allah may give the association the opportunity to do more.

Huzooraa then granted Mubarak Siddiqi Sahib the opportunity to recite some poetry.

Following this, Huzooraa led the sitting in silent prayer and dinner was served.

Continued from page 1

was his openness to people of all ethnic origins.

Historian Richard Brent Turner very justifiably sees the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as “unquestionably one of the most significant movements in the history of Islam in the United States in the twentieth century, providing as it did the first multiracial model for American Islam”.

Mufti Sadiqra highlighted the anti-racist approach of Islam that served as a great attraction to the African Americans in particular.

February 2020 marks the centenary of fulfilment of the Holy Prophet’ssa prophecy.

This service of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud has been acknowledged by eminent historians of Islam in America, but the day is not far when the American population will realise this great favour and unite with us in saying: ‫تلم ےک اس دفایئ ہپ رتمح دخا رکے‬ “May God show mercy to this ardent devotee of the nation.”

His help and guidance. He can protect you from all weapons, whether it is media or mass-destruction.” Huzooraa added, “In the worldly realm, atom bombs or hydrogen bombs are very lethal weapons, capable of destroying the whole world. Media plays another role; it pollutes the minds of the people.” Huzooraa further added, “The best thing is to seek Allah’s help and guidance and pray that He saves you from all those weapons the world has made and created.”

Following this, one Waqif-e-Nau asked how Allah helps Huzooraa in his daily lives. Answering the young boy, Huzooraa said, “He helps me in managing my time so that I can complete all my work and responsibilities.” Huzooraa added, “I have a pile of letters from people and a pile of letters from different missions. Then there are so many files which I go through and give notes on.” Huzoor further added, “When I see a letter, in one glance I can see the subject matter of it which an ordinary person cannot read. Without God’s help, I cannot do it.”

Upon this, the Gulshan Waqf-e-Nau Atfal concluded.

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

4

My Maryam Part II

By Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II and Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him – an obituary written for his late wife, Hazrat Umm-e-Tahir, Syeda Maryam Begum Sahiba, may Allah be pleased with her

A brave woman Maryam was extremely courageous.

In sensitive times, I knew with full confidence that I could rely on her. Her feminine weaknesses would automatically be supressed at such moments and she would put on a brave face of tenacity and determination, so much so that an onlooker would be convinced that other than death or success, there was no other option for her.

She would rather face death than withdraw from her assigned responsibility.

In desperate times, my beloved spent many late hours assisting me in my work and never complained of fatigue. Merely saying, “This is the Jamaat’s work,” or, “This could be a potential danger for the Jamaat,” or, “It could bring the Jamaat to disrepute” would suffice for her and she would selflessly pounce at the occasion. She would forget about eating; she would forget about her children and what’s more is that she would forget about me; her entire focus would be on the task at hand.

Only after the task had been accomplished would she exist. Either that, or she would surround herself with hot water bottles, wrap her swollen abdomen and lay down in a manner that would appear as though she had just returned from hospital after a major operation. In actual fact, the tasks would be no less than complicated operations for her ailing body.

Miscellaneous qualities She knew brilliantly how to find enjoyment in things. She could mend broken souls [by putting smiles back on their faces]. She had a deep passion for horse-riding; she was good at shooting and when her aim proved more precise than mine, she would overwhelmingly rejoice. She alone knew how to find enjoyment in mountain hiking and crossing rivers.

She travelled with me to Kashmir in 1921 during the rainy season. I would implore her to be serious, while she had continuous outbursts of laughter. This resulted in neither seriousness, nor laughter and the “torrential rain” of tears continued to flow until our return from Kashmir.

The second time we went to Kashmir was on Maryam’s request, which was around 1929. Now, Maryam had three children of her own, as well as three of Amatul Hayy’s.

As a result, Maryam was somewhat more mature as compared to the previous trip.

Also, I had far more appreciation due to her fostering Amatul Hayy’s children and thus, her laughter was always welcome in that atmosphere.

Thus, on that trip we had a great time seeing the sights in Kashmir and filled the void that was left in the 1921 trip. However, the only thing that remained was her desire to see Kashmir with me alone, without any other wife accompanying me.

A self-contradiction Maryam had a strange characteristic, which was somewhat self-contradictory in that she showed immense love to all my children, no matter which mother they were from, to the point that she expressed deep respect for them, however she would struggle to get along with my other wives. She would not quarrel like an uncultured person but would certainly hold a grudge. She always had the desire to be given special treatment, but because I was unable to do this under the instruction of God and His Prophetsa, she would be certain that I never loved her and that I loved my other wives more.

A question by Syeda Umm-e-Tahir and its answer At times, when we were alone, she would ask me, “Who do you love the most?” to which I always gave the reply, “God Almighty’s instruction forbids me from answering this.”

Upon hearing this she would become cross and fall silent. But for the past few years, she had given up asking me that question.

Today, if Allah brought her to this world and enabled her to see the rays of light constantly shimmering from my heart, extending to the Heavens in supplication for mercy and clinging on to God’s throne, she would know the answer to her question.

If she could be granted permission to enter this world again, she would see my zikre-Ilahi [remembrance of Allah] in which, whenever I praise God, the thought of His

Purity covers and envelops me, causing me to tremble and further causing me to spontaneously cry out in the final moments of His praise, “O You Who are the Pure God! Will you not purify my Maryam?”; or when praising God in my thoughts, the

whole world begins to praise God and all that exists in the Heavens and the Earth is the praise of God, which ultimately causes me to shudder and my heart to skip a beat, resulting in my spontaneous cry, “O God; The Being Who every particle praises! Will

5

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM you not make my Maryam the recipient of Your praise?”

If her soul was able to witness this, how regretful would she be for her prolonged misconceptions.

O my Lord! O my Lord! For a long period, I suppressed myself to fulfil Your command. Will You not keep my Maryam happy in the next world in return for this?

O my Master! I beseech Your mercy and prostrate my being before You. Accept this supplication of mine and keep the flame [of love] between us alive forever and protect it from all calamities and misfortunes.

Kinship My Maryam had immense love for my relatives and would show more love for them than her own. She had a deep connection with my brothers, sisters, uncles and their children. She would hold their sincere opinions in high esteem and would take all possible measures to see that they be fulfilled.

She had a special desire to serve Hazrat Ummul-Momineenra [the noble wife of the Promised Messiahas]. Initially, when she resided in her house, she was hurt by one or two housemaids due to which she kept her distance in the first couple of years.

However, that distance soon vanished. If anyone was suffering in our family, Maryam would be the first to respond and would not tire from spending night and day attending to them.

During pregnancy, despite being severely ill herself, she would sit and hold her abdomen for hours without complaining in the slightest.

High standard of hospitality She was extremely hospitable. She would try to accommodate everyone in her home and during the Jalsa period, she would refrain as much as possible in requesting food from the Langar Khana [Jamaat’s kitchen] for the guests at home. She would burden herself and assign tasks to the children in order to please her guests.

She would burden herself with so much at times that I would be displeased and say, “After all, the central guest house is made for this very purpose; why do you compromise your health by overburdening yourself?

Eventually, I will have to bear the burden of your illness.” No advice in this regard would make a difference.

Would that her hospitality benefits her now for she is in divine hospitality and that the most Beneficent Host grant her lone soul a place in Jannatul-Firdaus [the highest status of Paradise].

Sound memory Upon the demise of the late Amatul Hayy, I started a talimi [educational] class as a means of encouraging education among young girls. Maryam also joined. However, her heart was not set on books, rather she preferred practical tasks. She could not bear the burden and so withdrew from education after only a few months. Yet, her memory was so sharp that only until recently, she knew committed Arabic poems to memory, which she had come across during those days. Only a few months back, she sang an Arabic poem for me.

Syeda Sara Begum’s children

When I intended to promote female education and in doing so, married the late Sara Begum, [Maryam] promised to let her stay with her, though she was unable to keep this promise and eventually they both had to make separate arrangements.

Their rivalry continued until Sara Begum’s demise, after which [Maryam] showed so much love to her children that they revered her just as a mother deserves.

The heart of a believer is full of hope

Onset of poor health I have mentioned that at the birth of her first child, Maryam Begum was afflicted with an internal infection that would get aggravated at every birth. It would further aggravate when she would have to perform hard work.

I tried my best to treat the condition, but it was to no avail. She was admitted twice to Aitchison Hospital for treatment. She also attempted to get treatment in Lahore Cantonment [Military Hospital]. Esteemed doctors, the likes of Dr Nelson, Dr Hayes and Dr Cox were consulted, but there was never any considerable improvement and only momentary relief.

She was sensitive by nature and as a result, she could not tolerate anything conflicting her desire. Many a time, she would fall unconscious after she had been irritable and this would harm her internally.

Eventually, I was forced to tell her – albeit very reluctantly – that if she had such a fit again, I would not come near her for treatment. I knew that they were displays of hysteric behaviour and that my saying this would benefit her. When she displayed such behaviour, I would call the doctor and leave due to which she started to suppress such emotions and never had such bouts for the last three or four years of her life.

Extraordinary progress of Lajna tasks I have written above that her heart was set on practical work rather than books. When Sara Begum passed away, Maryam’s passion for work was ignited and she took upon herself the workload of Lajna [Imaillah]. The ladies of the Jamaat bore witness to the manner in which she fulfilled the responsibility, despite not being well-educated. She put her heart and soul into her Lajna work.

The Lajna [Imaillah] today is not the Lajna it used to be during the time of the late Amatul Hayy and Sara Begum. Today, it is an organised community wherein there is great potential to excel. She infuriated some but pleased many. Catering for widowed wives, bringing up orphaned children, enquiring about the frail, giving a helping hand in the organisation of Jalsa and extending hospitality and warmth to those ladies who had travelled from far [were just some of her qualities].

She broadened the scope of the organisation in every faculty in a better manner than before. But when one takes into account that she mostly managed the organisation laying on a charpoy surrounded by hot water bottles, the hearts of perceptive people are filled with love and appreciation for her. O my Lord! Have mercy on both of us.

(To be continued) (Meri Maryam, Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 17, pp. 347-372; Al Fazl, 12 July 1944, pp. 1-8)

Talking about fear and hope, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated: “No system which breeds despair can be called Islamic. We should also be very watchful about fear. It must never exceed hope which should outweigh fear. Fear certainly is part of faith but is never as big a part as hope. Allah says: ‘I shall inflict My chastisement on those concerning whom I so determine; but My mercy encompasses all things.’ (Surah alA‘raf, Ch.7:V.157).

“In the heart of the faithful, hope should, therefore, dominate over fear. The heart of a believer is full of hope. He is afraid but not as much as he is hopeful. He is convinced that God will not be so harsh as to let him perish. In truth he is afraid not because he doubts God’s mercy but because of his own faults. His hope proceeds from his faith in divine grace. … If he fears God because of his own weakness, let him not forget that Allah’s might is overwhelmingly greater than his weakness. In either case, hope reigns supreme, for the source from which it springs is stronger than that of fear.” (The Way of the Seekers, p. 92)

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

6

I need you (An announcement published by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him, in search of young Waqifeen)

1. Are you able to work hard, working up to 13 to 14 hours a day?

2. Are you able to speak the truth and not lie under any circumstance, to the point that even the closest of friends cannot lie to you? If someone does falsely narrate their tales of bravery to you, can you express your utter disdain?

3. Are you free from a sense of false pride? Can you sweep the streets?

Can you lift heavy weights whilst wandering the streets? Can you make every type of loud announcement in marketplaces? Can you travel for entire days and stay awake throughout the night?

4. Can you perform e‘tikaf i.e. can you sit in one place for days, sit and recite prayers and refrain from talking to anyone for days?

5. Can you travel alone and bear your expenses without having any money in your pocket for yourself and live among enemies, opponents, strangers and unfamiliar people for days, weeks or months?

6. Do you believe that some men are above every type of defeat and do not like to hear the word “defeat”? Do you believe that such men are ready to carve their way through mountains and alter the flow of rivers?

Do you think that you can prepare yourself to make such sacrifices?

7. Do you have enough strength to say “Yes” while the whole world says “No”; to observe everyone laughing around you, while you remain unshaken; to have someone chase after you and tell you, “Stop! We will kill you!” and you pause and say, “Go on!”, while presenting your head to them; to not listen to anyone because people can lie, but you have everyone listen to you because you are truthful?

8. Can you refrain from saying, “I made every effort, but God prevented me from being successful”, and instead, consider every failure to be of your own doing? Can you be certain that everyone who makes effort eventually succeeds and whoever is unsuccessful did not make any effort?

If you can answer the above affirmatively, then you have the capability of being a good missionary and businessman. But where are you? A man of God has been in need of you for a long time?

O Ahmadi youth! Find that person in your regions, in your cities, in your villages, in your households and in your hearts, for the tree of Islam is withering away. Only through such a person’s blood can it be revived.

Mirza Mahmud Ahmad (Al Fazl, 22 May 1948)

Fazle Umar: Umar II Human history is laden with influential personalities who had tremendous impacts across the globe. These giants of history possessed certain praiseworthy attributes, like persuasive oratory skills, bravery, steadfastness, perseverance etc., which contributed to their success and led them to rise above other individuals of their time. However, a limited number of leaders proved to be a class of their own; possessing countless qualities and abilities.

The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the perfect human model and an epitome of every necessary trait which was needed to reform the entire world. The four Rightly Guided successors inherited his attributes and carried the torch. Then, the Messiah of Muhammadsa, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian came to revive Islam and God Almighty granted him divine signs to demonstrate his truthfulness; the institution of Khilafat being one of the blessed signs Allah endowed to the Promised Messiahas after his demise.

Another sign vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas was that of “a handsome and pure boy” who was to be “the light of Allah” and “the manifestation of Divine Majesty.” This promised son was Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, the second Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas, the Musleh-e-Maud.

He was also named “Fazle Umar” by God Almighty, as stated in the historical Green Announcement.

The divine title of Fazle Umar signified his spiritual and physical affinity with the second Khalifa of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. It also indicated that the person mentioned in the prophecy could very well be identified by the presence of those attributes which were found in Hazrat Umarra.

Figuratively speaking, the Promised Messiah’s appearance was in fact the second advent of the Holy Prophetsa.

Keeping this in mind, a stark resemblance between Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and Hazrat Umarra is that Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra was the second Khalifa of the “Muhammad” of the latter days. Similarly, Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattabra was the second Khalifa of the Holy Prophetsa.

The Holy Prophetsa prayed to God Almighty saying, “O Allah, strengthen Islam with one of the two men whom you love more: Amr ibn Hisham [Abu Jahl] or Umar ibn Al-Khattab” (Sunan alTirmidhi). As a result, Hazrat Umarra, who

was an influential and notable personality among the Meccans, became a Muslim and Islam gained a strong foothold in Mecca.

Likewise, the Promised Messiahas prayed to God Almighty for a sign of the truth of Islam and after 40 days of solitude, he was blessed with the glad tiding of Fazle Umarra. This Fazle Umar came into the world and rose to divine heights as he was to “grow rapidly.” He firmly established the mission of the Promised Messiahas and laid strong foundations for the continuous revival of Islam in the latter days.

There is also a distinct similarity between Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and Hazrat Umarra with respect to one of their wives. Hazrat Umarra was married to Hazrat Umme Kulthumra, the daughter of a Khalifa, Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. Likewise, Syeda Amatul Hayyra, the daughter of Khalifatul Masih I, Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra, married Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra (Fazle Umar).

In the era of Hazrat Umarra, owing to the miraculous victories in defensive wars against the greatest empires of the time, huge territories came under the influence of Islam and well-established Muslim armed forces became the guardians of countless civilised nations.

Coupled with this was the powerful and effective preaching power of Muslims which boosted the spread of Islam at an unprecedented rate across the world.

Similarly, in the time of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, the message of Islam and the missionaries of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya reached the corners of the world. Jamaat books, magazines and newspapers etc., spread in many foreign countries; the rapid expansion of Ahmadiyyat in those days needs no explanation.

The Holy Prophetsa expressed a dream regarding Hazrat Umarra, saying: “I saw myself standing at a well which had a bucket on it. I drew water from the well as much as Allah desired. Then Ibn Abi Quhafa [i.e. Hazrat Abu Bakrra] took the bucket from me and drew one or two buckets [of water] and there was weakness in his drawing of water. … Then the bucket transformed into a huge one and Ibn al-Khattab grabbed it and I have never seen such a strong person among the people as him in performing such a difficult task, till the people quenched their thirst and watered their camels…”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fazail Ashab alNabi) Narrating a divine vision on another occasion, the Holy Prophetsa said: “I saw that a cup of milk was given to me and I drank it till I noticed its wetness

7

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

coming out of my nails. Then I gave the remaining milk to Umar ibn al-Khattab.

The [companions of the Holy Prophetsa] asked, ‘O messenger of Allah! What is the interpretation of (this divine vision)?’ The Holy Prophetsa replied, ‘[It is] knowledge.’”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ilm) At another place, the Holy Prophetsa said: “Some people were shown to me in my sleep who were wearing shirts, some reached to their chests and other [shirts] fell short. Umar ibn al-Khattab was shown to me wearing a shirt that was trailing on the ground. The [Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa] asked, ‘O messenger of Allah!

What is the interpretation of (this divine vision)?’ The Holy Prophetsa answered, ‘[It is] din [religious knowledge].’” (Sahih alBukhari, Kitab Fazail Ashab al-Nabi) As Hazrat Umarra utilised his blessed extraordinary physical prowess and his gifted knowledge to water God’s creation, Hazrat Fazle Umarra also satiated the thirst of many people through his God-given knowledge. His remarkable intellectual prowess and gifted physical strength to work for long hours were manifest upon every person who witnessed and observed him. He was immensely enlightened with spiritual insight and knowledge of the Holy Quran along with din. Every person who has read his books

and commentary of the Holy Quran, or attended his gatherings and listened to his sermons, attests to his religious wisdom.

The words of the prophecy, “He will be extremely intelligent and understanding … and will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge,” points towards these characteristics of Hazrat Fazle Umarra, which reflected Hazrat Umarra.

Hazrat Umarra used to take pride in the fact that he expressed his opinion regarding certain matters before the Holy Prophetsa and after his request, certain verses of the Holy Quran were revealed according to his viewpoint. For instance, the verses addressing the instruction of hijab. Although Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra was not of age in the time of the Promised Messiahas that he could present a scholarly opinion to him, however a kind of similarity is found in an incident when Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra saw in a divine vision that the Promised Messiahas received the following revelation: ً ْ َ ٰ ََْ ْ َ َ ّ ‫اج اتِ ْیک بَغ َتۃ‬ ِ ‫اِنِ ْی مع الافو‬ “I shall come to you suddenly with the armies.” When he later asked the Promised Messiahas if he had received any such revelation, the Promised Messiahas replied in the affirmative and said that he received the same revelation earlier that night. Hence, as the divine inspiration of Hazrat Umarra appeared in the revelation

of the Holy Prophetsa, the divine vision of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was revealed in the revelation of the Promised Messiahas.

Another resemblance is in the glad tidings of entering paradise. The Holy Prophetsa gave Hazrat Umarra the good news in this world that he would achieve paradise. Likewise, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra was given the same glad tiding in the following words of the prophecy, “He will then be raised to his spiritual station in heaven,” i.e. his end would be good and his soul would achieve spiritual elevation.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra shared another similarity with Hazrat Umarra in the fact that both of them were recipients of God’s revelations and visions. The Holy Prophetsa knew that Hazrat Umarra was blessed with divine inspiration and insight, therefore he said, “If there were to be a prophet after me, he would have been Umar ibn al-Khattab” (Sunan Tirmidhi).

Another occasion which shows that Hazrat Umarra would receive revelation is the incident when in the middle of a Friday sermon, which he was delivering in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, he said in a loud voice, “Ya Sariyya al-jabal!”

[O Sariyya, (towards) the mountain!], and then he resumed his sermon. After he had finished the sermon, people asked him about those words and he told them that he observed Muslim troops in great difficulty and saw in a vision that if they could take refuge towards the mountain, they would be saved, therefore he uttered those words. It was later revealed that the commander of the Muslim army, who was at war in another location, heard those words in the battlefield and moved his army towards the mountain; saving his troops. In a similar vein, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra was a recipient of divine visions, dreams and revelations, and it is indicated in the words of the prophecy, “He is the Word of Allah, for Allah’s mercy and honour have equipped him with the Word of Majesty.” Hazrat Syed Sarwar Shahra, a companion of the Promised Messiahas, writes: “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II used to study from me and one day, I asked him, ‘Mian! your father receives a lot of revelations. Do you receive revelation and dreams etc.?’ Mian Sahib replied, ‘Maulvi Sahib! I see many dreams and there is one dream that I see almost every day.

From the moment my head touches the pillow to the moment I wake up in the morning, I dream that I am leading an army. Sometimes, I see us crossing oceans to fight the enemy. And many times it has happened that if I have nothing to make the crossing with, I make a boat out of reeds etc. and with it, make the crossing to attack the opponents.’ When I heard this dream from him, it was imprinted on my heart that this man would lead the [Ahmadiyya] Jamaat sometime in the future.” (Al Fazl, 16 February 1968) The above vision was fulfilled to the letter when he became the second Khalifa and the reins of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya were handed to him.

On one occasion, the Holy Prophetsa stated regarding Hazrat Umarra:

َْ ُ َ َ ّ َ َ َ َ َ ّ ٰ َّ ‫ان ع َمر َوقل ِب ِه‬ ِ ‫ِإن الله جعل الحق على ل َِس‬ “Surely, Allah has placed truth upon the tongue and heart of Umar.” (Sunan Tirmidhi) Similar words can be found in the prophecy of “Musleh-e-Maud” where it states: َّ ‫َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ّ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ ّٰ َ َ َ َ م َن‬ ‫الس َما ِء‬ ِ ‫مظھر الح ِق والعلا ِء کان اللہ نزل‬ “A manifestation of the True and the High; as if Allah has descended from heaven.”

The nature of Hazrat Fazle Umarra – Musleh-e-Maud – also bears a strong resemblance to Hazrat Umarra. No one can deny the glorified works and the dedication of Hazrat Umarra for the religion of Islam. His complete personage was sheer inspiration and motivation for the people of his time. Likewise, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra was passionately devoted to faith and the task of spiritual reformation of mankind. His inspirational speeches were full of glory and wisdom. Moreover, his motivational words penetrated the hearts of many thirsty souls.

Another resemblance of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra with Hazrat Umarra lies in the establishment of key institutions and the organisation of Islam. Hazrat Umarra undertook many administrative measures and laid the foundations of the judicial system, the military, tax, education, policing and financial departments. He introduced the Hijri calendar, Shura [advisory council], census systems and fixed salaries for workers etc. Likewise, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra formed a splendid system of administration by establishing separate departments in Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya, like education, the treasury, literature, local and external affairs etc. and created auxiliary organisations like Lajna Imaillah, Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya, Ansarullah and Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya to strengthen the Jamaat as a whole. He also introduced the Hijri Shamsi calendar, Majlis-e-Shura [consultative council], many new schemes like Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid etc.

Various censuses at a Jamaat level were also initiated by him.

A fatal tragedy, which resulted in the demise of Hazrat Umarra when he was attacked with a dagger while he was leading a congregational prayer, seems identical to the tragedy experienced by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. He was also attacked in the middle of a prayer by an assailant who had a grudge against the Jamaat. However, as he was Fazle Umar, God Almighty blessed him with life and saved him from the near fatal tragedy.

Hence, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, Fazle Umar, had a unique and close resemblance with Hazrat Umarra in various aspects and diverse spheres. From being the second Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas, who was the spiritual reflection of the Holy Prophetsa in the latter days, to his spiritual and administrative achievements, Hazrat Fazle Umarra seems almost identical to Hazrat Umar ibn Al-Khattab – may Allah be pleased with them both.

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

8

Remembering Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud Part I Narrated by Syed Mir Mahmud Ahmad Nasir Sahib, son-in-law of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. Al Hakam is grateful to Syed Mir Mahmud Sahib for sharing his personal recollections of a great A personal problem Aside from many other reasons, it is difficult to say anything about Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him, because he was a universe in himself and an ocean of knowledge. I remember his great personality and become anxious as to whether I can even describe him adequately or whether I will be able to explain his characteristics completely and draw a sufficient sketch in the minds of readers and listeners. Given the situation, how can a person express such a vast, diverse and deep personality?

This is a hurdle and I think that I will not be able to fulfill the responsibility of this article. Once, I reached for a notebook to write something, but I was not able to do it.

One of the reasons was that I was afraid that I would not be able to fully introduce a great being like him. Another reason was that I could not stop my tears when remembering the compassion and kindness of his majestic personality.

A personal hindrance in writing is that though I have seen Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra myself, I have also heard a lot of things in the house from my elders over an extended period of time. Verbal accounts are equally important, but I am afraid that when people hear them from me, they will start considering them as my eyewitness accounts. Careful consideration of the narrated accounts is very necessary.

In response to a man’s query about Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra while I was serving in the United States, I said that I had not witnessed any prophet with my material eyes, but the closest person I had seen to a prophet was Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, whom I observed closely.

Love of God Regarding Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra love for his Lord, I would say that people do remember God, but at times, they tend to forget Him. However, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra states: ‫وسؤں وت ھجت وک ی‬ ‫د� رک غاجوگں وت ھجت ہپ وہ رظن‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ےسکدر� اس اک یہ ااظتنر اھت‬ ‫ومت ےس اھت‬ “I go to sleep looking at You [God] and when I wake, You are my focus. I am not reluctant to die because am waiting for death [so that I may meet You].” (Kalam-eMahmud, p. 182)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in the UK in 1955, with Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh (right) and Syed Mir Mahmud Ahmad Nasir Sahib (left) behind Huzoorra

Some people used to call Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra a prophet owing to their innocence or deep affection for him.

For instance, Chaudhry Ghulam Sarwar Sahib, who belonged to Sialkot, used to say that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra did not call himself a prophet because of his humility, but people should call him a prophet.

I [Syed Mir Mahmud Ahmad Nasir

Sahib] have also heard one such incident that listening to similar discourses, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said, “Some people call me a prophet, but I am certainly not a prophet,” but after a short pause he stated, “I wonder whether the love of God I have in my heart is somehow less than that of prophets?”

He had a yearning for attaining God’s

love. Though I am not an eyewitness, I have also heard another incident that occurred in Qadian.

Once, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra became very ill. There were frequent announcements in the newspaper and requests for prayer were made. A regular pronouncement was published by Hazrat Amma Janra that her son, Mahmudra was ill. After some time,

9

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM Allah the Almighty blessed him with good health.

He visited the house of Hazrat Umm-eTahirra for a formal meal. Food was served, but he would not eat it. In fact, he would not even pay heed towards it. His family members requested him to start eating.

Then in a very unique manner, expressing great displeasure, he told his relatives upon their repeated requests, “I was sick; I was to die and meet my God I was to see Him, but you all prayed and my health was restored.”

He said this due to his passion of beholding the Divine. The narrator of the incident states that he left without eating any food.

Greatness and glory I will now describe a bit about the feeling people used to experience when they would see Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and the way they would observe him.

To put it briefly, they used to experience a kind of grandeur, spiritual elevation, splendour, magnificence and dignity. It was as if a person was standing beneath a great mountain of the Himalayas and the mountain was about to come tumbling on them. However, looking closely, people would be filled with the certainty of affection, compassion, benevolence and kindness. This is not just my personal impression, rather just as has been said [to the Promised Messiahas]: ْ ُّ َ ْ ُ ‫الرع ِب‬ ِ‫ن ِصرت ب‬ “You have been helped with prestige”, similarly, he too had an awe-inspiring personality that was full of grandeur, glory, excellence and honour.

When I imagine the pure life, prominence and magnificence of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, the following verse of the Holy Quran comes to mind: َٰ َ ‫اَلَّ ِذ ْی َخ َل َق َس ْب َع َس ٰم ٰو ٍت ِط َب ًاق‬ ّ ‫اؕما تَ ٰرى فِ ْی َخ ْلق‬ .ؕ‫الرَ ْح ٰم ِن ِم ْن تفوُ ٍت‬ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ ِ َ َ ْ ْ َّ ُ ْ ُ ُ ْ ٰ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ْ َ ‫فار ِج ِع البصر هل ترى ِمن فطو ٍر۔ ثم ار ِج ِع البصر كرتی ِن ینقلِب ِالیك‬ َ ً َ ُ َ َْ ْ ‫اسئا ّو ُهوَ َح ِسی ٌر‬ ِ ‫البصر خ‬ “… Who has created seven heavens in harmony. No incongruity canst thou see in the creation of the Gracious God. Then look again: Seest thou any flaw? Aye, look again, and yet again, thy sight will return unto thee only confused and fatigued.” (Surah alMulk, Ch.67: V.4-5) For 52 years, Paighamis [otherwise known as Lahori Ahmadis] and nonAhmadi scholars kept trying to find faults in Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra but were unable to do so.

I remember one scene vividly. I was a bit late for Friday prayer. Normally, we used to reach the mosque before the arrival of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. He would come and then the muazzin would make the call to prayer. Huzoorra would wait by the pulpit and then stand up to deliver the sermon.

On that specific day, I saw that the Huzoorra departed to lead the Friday prayer.

There were some guards with him and some other elders of the Jamaat. As I was also walking behind him at some distance, I noticed a civil servant. This person probably worked for the post or the telegram office and they would wear khaki uniforms in the winter season. He came on a bicycle and immediately got off when he saw Huzoorra and quickly set his bicycle up against the wall. Huzoorra did not see him and only I was watching the spectacle. The man, who was a Hindu, fell prostrate on the ground, due to the glory and radiance of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.

In one of his writings, the Promised Messiahas has stated about Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra that God would send him with His Word of Majesty [“He is the Word of Allah, for Allah’s mercy and honour have equipped him with the Word of Majesty.”

(Announcement, 20 February 1886)].

Intelligence The third impression that I have in my heart was the extraordinary intelligence of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.

You cannot even gauge the scale of Huzoor’sra intelligence. I can try and explain with the example of a lightbulb, that once it is switched on, a time comes when its light goes off, but the intellect of Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra was constant and kept progressing without stopping.

I will relate a small incident of his intelligence. In 1955, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra was ill and he travelled to London.

At the time, I was already there and had the pleasure to prepare a house for his accommodation. Some other friends were also accompanying him …

There was a person who was associated with the Jamaat and a service was entrusted to him. Later on, he abandoned the Jamaat.

It took me six months to understand this person. After a whole six months, I understood the mentality of the person and what he wanted. However, when Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra came to visit, one day, that person handed me a letter placed in an envelope, which, instead of the private secretary, he wanted me to directly deliver to Huzoorra.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra opened the envelope, but only a little bit; he did not open it entirely. He must have seen only a small part of the letter inside and immediately, he closed the letter and told me in detail about the person’s intentions. It was the same impression which took me a full six months to assess. That person later turned out to be exactly as Huzoorra had described.

“He was a very impressive personality” Regarding the astuteness of Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra, I wish to narrate the case of a nonMuslim scholar-priest. He was Kenneth Cragg whose book, The Call of the Minaret is quite famous.

A few years ago, when I went to England, Asif Mahmood Basit Sahib told me that Kenneth Cragg was alive. I was surprised as I thought that he would no longer be alive.

He was a very old person. This gentleman was then living in an institution built for the elderly. I went to meet him with Asif Mahmood Basit Sahib. This author was a very well-known and renowned figure. He was also known in the intellectual circles as well as the Christian circles. Accompanied with Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafarulla Khan Sahibra, he once came to meet Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. I reminded Kenneth Cragg that he met Huzoorra in the year 1955. He had only one remark: “He was a very impressive personality.”

Now, he was an elderly learned man and a famous priest who worked against Islam. His testimony about the personality of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was that he was impressive, even though he remained in the company of Huzoorra for a very short period of time.

Knowledge of the Holy Quran

Those who have read his commentary of the Holy Quran, Tafsir-e-Kabir are well aware of this aspect of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra personality. It was this field in which he was a vast ocean of knowledge.

Despite his illness, health and many other engagements, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra used to regularly deliver his dars [sermon] of the Holy Quran in Qadian twice a day.

A trunk of already prepared notes and references was ready before the preparation of Tafsir-e-Kabir’s volumes.

When conditions began to worsen during the partition of the subcontinent, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had already recognised the course of changing circumstances with his wisdom and foresight, and a small plane had been purchased for the Jamaat. Syed Muhammad Ahmad Sahib, son of Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismailra used to fly it.

Once, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra called him and asked, “How old are you, Muhammad Ahmad?” After hearing his reply, Huzoorra said, “A person can understand things at such an age. The trunk containing the notes of Tafsir-e-Kabir is placed right there. This is the basis of the Holy Quran’s interpretation for the next 1,000 years. Take this trunk from Qadian to Lahore by plane and there, tell Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Sahib to deposit it in a bank.

Even his rivals were convinced about

this aspect. So what more can I say regarding Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra knowledge of the Quran!

Hard work How do I write about this and explain it?

[I recall] an instance of Rattan Bagh, Lahore. Once, after Isha prayer, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra quickly came down and Chaudhry Ishaq Sahib was keeping guard there. After the partition, there was an ordinary security arrangement, with only a couple of men available for the security duty in every shift.

Chaudhry Ishaq Sahib himself related this incident to me that Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra told him, “Ishaq, I am engaged in important work. I have to send it to London by tomorrow morning. Due to this work, I sometimes lose track of time. So do this; come upstairs every hour and remind me of the time.”

Ishaq Sahib told me, “I went in at 9 o’clock and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was working. Again, I went in at 10 o’clock and he was working. I kept visiting him every hour, 11 o’clock, 12 o’clock, 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock and 4 o’clock – each time, I found him working. Then at 5 o’clock, Huzoorra said that it was enough and started to offer his prayers.”

On many occasions, Maulvi Abul Munir Nurul Haq Sahib had the opportunity to

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

10

Our fight “The truth is that unless every one of us is saintly in their conduct, we cannot bring about a spiritual revolution and the salvation of the world cannot be achieved. We should remember that we have to fight not only prevalent evils, but also the strong current of evil thinking. We have to fight the swollen river of evil thinking that is surging everywhere.

Ours is a very delicate situation. I beg you all to try to become what the Promised Messiahas wanted us to become.”

(Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, The Way of the Seekers, pp. 115-116)

work with Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. He had the privilege to be actively involved in the work of finding various references for Tafsir-e-Kabir. In one of his lectures at Jamia, he stated his observation of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in simple words that Huzoorra used to work all day and night, and he would only rest from 5 to 8 o’clock in the morning.

Likewise, my father, Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaqra was gracious to me in that many of his works that were to be presented before Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, he used to deliver them to Huzoorra through me, instead of sending them through the private secretary. He would send me to ask about specific matters.

As usual, he sent me one day and as I entered, I saw Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra seated on the floor. In front of him was a pile of letters, almost two and a half feet high. Similarly, the mother of Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh [Hazrat Umm-e-Tahir, Syeda Maryam Begum Sahibara] was seated at a distance of two to three yards and there was a heap of letters in front of her as well. I noticed that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra would read out a letter from the envelope, put it back in the same envelope and write the response on top of the envelope, which was later sent to the people in the form of proper responses through the staff members of the private secretariat.

That day, I saw that in between the short period of time when Huzoorra would open the letter and place it back into the envelope, Hazrat Umm-e-Tahirra would read out a letter expressing that the sender had written about such and such subject

and in this manner, would seek guidance from Huzoorra. Huzoorra would explain to her how to reply.

In the meanwhile, Huzoorra affectionately joked with me, listened to my father’s question and guided me in this regard. The work of correspondence continued side by side.

No one should consider this description of the “piles of letters” as an exaggeration. I wish to make it clear that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh received 55,000 letters only in the very first year of his Khilafat and that is not all; he said that he read all those letters, dictated the answers and sent replies to all of them.

Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begumra has stated in her poem regarding Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra: ‫ت‬ ِ ‫واےطس‬ ‫ اجگ اس ےک ن‬،‫اجگ ُ�و تیھب‬ ‫وقم ادمح ت‬ ‫م وس یا� ہ ی‬ ‫را� وج ی�رے درد ی‬ ‫ان تنگ ی‬ � “Wake up O ye nation of Ahmad!

Wake up for that person who has not slept countless nights in your pain.”

This is the exact reality. He passed many nights without sleep.

There was a non-Ahmadi who came to Qadian and later became Ahmadi; he used to publish books, like Al-Wasiyyat, Durre-Samin and Kishti-e-Nuh etc. that were permitted by Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya.

He was a very nice person. He used to carry out very interesting discourses. When he came to Qadian before he embraced Ahmadiyyat, he said after spending some time there, “Your Mirza is a liar.”

Everyone was shocked to hear these words. They turned towards him and insistently enquired, “What do you mean by this, that Mirza Sahib lies!”

He said, “Mirza Sahib stands up to carry out a speech and tells [the audience] that he is ill; that his health is poor and then he delivers an eight-hour speech!”

I have personally heard those speeches.

After offering the Zuhr and Asr prayers, the speech would begin after the recitation of the Holy Quran. It would continue until the time for Isha, and even then, the speech would continue and no one in the audience would leave the gathering.

Regarding such occasions, an elderly person expressed to Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra, “I sit down to listen to your speech.

You explain a point. I listen to that point carefully. But I also have bladder issues and I am old. Thereafter, you start explaining another matter. I sit down again to hear it as well. As soon as it ends, the next one

starts and I cannot leave to answer the call of nature. At last, it becomes extremely impossible [for me to hold it any longer].”

I was present at the scene when Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was attacked with a dagger. I ran towards the house of Dr Mirza Munawar Ahmad Sahib to report the attack on Huzoorra. When Huzoorra was shifted to the upper storey of the house, I had the opportunity to serve him for some days. At that time, I remember that despite such a near fatal attack, there were only a few days before Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra resumed his work again.

(To be continued)

11

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

The final moments Written by Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh and published in Al Furqan, Rabwah in December 1965 and January 1966, this article was written upon the demise of his father, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra

The memory of the final illness of our very dear Imam and my beloved father – both spiritual and biological – Hazrat Aqdas Khalifatul Masih II[ra] is something that cannot be forgotten.

His health had been deteriorating since the evening and to control his breathing, oxygen was being supplied to him. There was fluid retention in his chest, which had to be removed repeatedly.

Dr Qazi Masud Ahmad Sahib and my brother, Dr Mirza Munawwar Ahmad Sahib would continuously inspect his health and remove the liquid that had gathered.

From his children, two were on duty, while the rest had gathered without any assigned duty. Every member of the family, whether young or old, had apprehensions in their hearts, however not a single word of dismay was uttered; everyone clung on to the fine thread of hope.

Fear would arise and dissipate like smoke. The level of everyone’s tawakkul alallah [trust in Allah] and good hopes were akin to firm rocks.

Those who are inexperienced may not be able to comprehend this seemingly selfconflicting state of affairs, however those people who have experience and who, after accepting the signs of divine decree, do not know how to be disheartened will completely understand what I have said.

In the smoke of uncertainty glimmered a flame of hope that remained till the end, however at times, the smoke of uncertainty would cause one to momentarily choke.

Prayers were being uttered by all tongues and every heart was in prostration to its Lord.

Huzoorra would sometimes fall into a swoon and at other times, he would gain consciousness, fully opening his eyes and

glancing at his visitors. On one occasion, he called Dr Mirza Munawwar Ahmad Sahib in a very low voice.

As was decreed, the moments of unconsciousness began to prevail and as the night progressed, the unconsciousness increased. Even at that point, although our fears had amplified, we had not imagined that that would be Huzoor’s last night, which he was spending among us.

To get a bit of rest, I left at around 11pm and dropped a guest, who had travelled from Lahore, to his residence. I instructed [Mirza] Anas Ahmad that he should call me on the telephone should he notice any further weakness in health.

After offering my prayers, I had only just lay down on my bed for a few minutes when the telephone rang in its startling manner. I was told to instantly return. I immediately performed wuzu [ablution] and arrived in an indescribable fashion. Upon entering Qasr-e-Khilafat [Huzoor’s residence], I noticed Dr Masud Ahmad and Dr Zaki-ulHasan Sahib seated on chairs outside in the courtyard and appearing rather down.

I entered Huzoor’s room and found a completely different environment. No longer was there any care for the rule of having no more than two individuals present in the room at any one time; now, the room was filled with members of the family.

Hazrat Syeda Umm-e-Mateen and Hazrat Syeda Mehar Apa, who were completely distraught, sat on the left side, towards the head of the bed. My brother, Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmad Sahib, stood on the right, towards the head of the bed, while Hazrat Barri Phupphi Jan [Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begumra] and Hazrat Chotti Phuppi Jan [Hazrat Nawab Amatul Hafeez Begumra] also stood beside the bed. The rest of my siblings who were present in Rabwah were all present in the room, as were other relatives. Everyone was reciting prayers under their breath and all eyes were fixated on the face of their beloved.

Huzoor’s pace of breathing was a lot faster, yet he was unconscious. There were no signs of distress or struggle on his face.

Never have I seen the face of an ailing person so beautiful and innocent. I cannot remember how long we remained standing there in this manner and the change that occurred in his breathing that startled us all.

For the first time then, I realised with immense certainty that God is Omnipotent, Living and Self-Subsisting; that He can alter

His decree. However, the hour of decree that we ignorantly feared had now come upon us.

At that point, I asked for a copy of the Holy Quran. For the sake of this individual, who had dedicated his life to the service and love for the Holy Quran, I recited Surah Ya Sin aloud.

It was a difficult time and my body was trembling from head to toe. I felt the thread of hope getting weaker. I could hear breathing spasms [from those attempting to contain their emotions], but God is a witness to the fact that every such breath was enveloped in prayers and every prayer was full of tears.

During the tilawat of Surah Ya Sin, Huzoor’s breathing started to deteriorate and towards the end of the tilawat, the final moments of his life arrived. I placed the Quran down and began to recite Quranic prayers and other such prayers alongside everyone else.

Huzoorra took a long, deep breath – much like that of an innocent child after getting tired of crying – and we felt as though this was his last breath.

It was then that I mixed homeopathic medicine with some water and dropped some of the medicine with my right index finger onto Huzoor’sra lips. With that, I instinctively prayed: ُ َ َ َُ ‫یَا َح ُّی یَا ق ّی ْو ُم بِ َر ْح َم ِتک ن ْس َت ِغ ْیث‬ [O Living and Self-Subsisting (God), we beseech Your Mercy.] At the time, his breathing had stopped and his body began to feel cold; apparently, his ties with life had ended. But all of a sudden, we saw a miracle of the Living God. I heard a loud, spontaneous cry from Hazrat Phupphi Jan, “Look, there was some movement in his feet.” With these words, there was subtle movement in his lips and perhaps some breathing. Immediately, the pain and anxiety was replaced with calm and all over, cries of “Ya Hayyu, ya Qayyum” were heard. As we continued to pray, Huzoor’s breathing got deeper and deeper, to the extent that the doctors who had left the body as a corpse now returned and witnessed the remarkable miracle with amazement.

However, it seems that Huzoor’s life leaving his body and then re-entering it was only to provide some peace to us and as a dressing of grace and mercy for our [wounded] hearts from God Almighty.

Thus, after twenty minutes, the final call of his Lord was made. The environment and feelings of the time are indescribable.

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

12 We witnessed patience and peace descend upon our hearts from the heavens. It felt as though angels had taken control over patience and control. Tears were indeed flowing down our cheeks and prayers were being recited as is customary, but all hearts were fully content in the decree of the Almighty and all heads bowed before the worthy-of-worship Creator and Master.

Only God knows how long we remained standing in that position, with our eyes fixed in his direction, who now appeared even more beautiful and innocent after death.

In that sanctified atmosphere, which was replete with the remembrance of Allah and the memory of which can never be forgotten, Huzoor’s blessed body lay to rest, appearing as an innocent angel, emitting spiritual light.

After invoking blessings on the person who is most beloved to all of us, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, every heart prayed: ً َ َّ ً ٰ ۤ ۡ ُ َّ َ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ ۡ َّ َ ُ َّ َ ٰۤ ‫اض َیۃ م ۡر ِض ّیۃ‬ ‫یایتہا النفس المطم ِئنۃ‬ ِ ‫ار ِج ِع ۡی اِلی َربِّکِ َر‬ [(And) thou, O soul at peace! Return to thy Lord well pleased (with Him) and He well pleased (with thee).]

Pakistan to USA: What does “Centennial Day” mean for us?

Amjad Mahmood Khan Secretary for External Affairs, Jamaate-Ahmadiyya USA

It was the Summer of 1989. I was an 11-yearold kid on summer vacation visiting Pakistan with my family. I clung close to my father as he took me on a tour of the streets of Rabwah – a burgeoning, dusty town full of life and vigour, and with Ahmadi Muslims, like me, all around.

I had heard so much about Rabwah prior to visiting it for the first time – the blessed headquarters of our Jamaat, with numerous mosques, the historic Jamia University, inspirational Ahmadi Muslim professionals devoting themselves to caring for the poor and needy; and, of course, the iconic Bahishti Maqbarah – the heavenly graveyard – wherein lay the graves of Khulafa and distinguished servants of the Jamaat.

My interactions did not disappoint. I marveled at meeting Dost Muhammad Shahid Sahib, the Jamaat historian, who took us to his residence full of books as far as my eye could see. I enjoyed thumbing through old newspapers at Khilafat Library with the chief librarian giving me a crash course in how Rabwah corresponds with US universities.

I saw Jamia students playing a fierce game of basketball and peering closer, met for the very first time our distinguished Missionaryin-Charge, Azhar Haneef Sahib, then a final year student at Jamia – dunking the ball to the delight of onlookers.

And yet, as I spent a few days enjoying life in an Ahmadi Muslim town, I could not help but notice something that unnerved me.

On each block corner, I saw signboards lay to waste; strings of festive lights ripped down from their fasteners, draped low; the word “Centenary” and the symbol of the minaret blacked out. Every house, office and mosque I visited had the same eerie appearance of

a structure that a prior celebration had once undoubtedly enlivened.

I soon learned that months earlier, Rabwah had celebrated the 100-year centenary of our Jamaat, as all Ahmadi Muslims had done all around the world. In the wake of this celebration, anti-Ahmadi extremists had raised an uproar, causing the entire town of Rabwah to face grave charges of “blasphemy” and ultimately leading to the forcible removal of all possible indications of celebration.

I was an American kid passing through a Pakistani ghost town, and I did not even know it – not a ghost town of the kind I watched on television with no people and rolling tumbleweeds, but something more hidden, though equally galling: a town of people and homes that were once illuminated in lights and luster, now made to cloister in the quiet solitude of their own faith.

On the faces of every Ahmadi man, woman and child, I saw expressions of contentment and courage – so pronounced, in fact, that I initially could not even notice a deeper pain in their hearts: the inability to let their neighbors know who they were. It was my first encounter with the unforgiving grip of an unjust law: the forcible deprivation of an Ahmadi’s conscience.

Over 30 years later, I reflect on those few days on the streets of Rabwah, and I am unable to forget some indelible images. I cannot forget seeing tears stream down my grandmother’s face as she recounted how extremists had prevented hundreds of thousands of Ahmadi Muslims from having a single day of celebration in their homes for the Jamaat’s centenary. I cannot forget speaking broken Urdu to a child of my age who was playing soccer near the streets of Gol Bazaar, and him telling me that they could not talk about the Jamaat Centenary in public. I cannot forget seeing nervous shopkeepers covering

the 1989 worldwide centenary logo on their posters.

This year marks the Centennial of the USA Jamaat. Tomorrow, we will be celebrating Centennial Day on 15 February to mark the 100th year since Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra landed in Philadelphia on 15 February 1920, a hallmark achievement in the time of Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra. While we prepare for this day living in the generous comforts this country affords us – in our spacious homes, comfortable cars and open mosques – it’s very easy to see this day as just another Saturday in America where we spare a few hours for a Jamaat meeting. But 12,000 miles away, our dear Ahmadi Muslim brothers and sisters remain deprived of any ability to share in any celebration of our Jamaat—be it the 1989 Centenary, the Khilafat Centenary in 2008 or any other historic milestone.

Let us celebrate Centennial Day knowing full well that this is a precious and immense privilege afforded us. Let us celebrate Centennial Day showing our immense gratitude to Allah that our country, America, has enshrined religious freedom for all and preserved our unrestricted freedom to showcase our Ahmadi Muslim identities in private and in public, at our mosques and mission houses and in our front yards.

Let us celebrate in honour of our Ahmadi Muslim brothers and sisters in Pakistan (and other parts of the world) who cannot fasten a festive light to the walls of their homes or hand a balloon to their children. Let us educate our children about who we are as one Jamaat and one nation among thousands. Let us encourage our fellow American Ahmadi Muslims to appreciate the history of our forefathers who sacrificed everything they had to introduce Ahmadiyyat in America so that we can be alive to witness the 100th year of our

Ahmadiyya headquarters, Chicago, 4448 Wabash Avenue (1922)

movement.

Let us not treat 15 February as just another Saturday. Let us wake up in the dead of night on that day with our eyes welling in tears thanking Allah for us being alive to witness history.

Let us remember the great servant of Islam on this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, through whose resilience, training and prayers, we see the Jamaat in the shape it is today.

May Allah forgive our shortcomings and bless our meagre efforts in His cause. May we witness the next century of Ahmadiyyat in America as humble water carriers and expendable foot soldiers for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, may Allah be his Helper. Amin.

13

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

100 Years Ago...

How to study the Holy Quran

By Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra The Review of Religions (English), January & February 1920, pp. 4-6

Regarding this study [of the Holy Quran], it should be remembered that every man should fix for himself a certain amount of the text, which he should read daily. He should not indulge in desultory reading, but should observe a regular system and measure. Desultory and irregular reading is not fruitful of result. What is therefore required with reference to the study of the Holy Quran is that a certain amount of it should be fixed for daily study and the same [should be] fully read every day.

Whatever the amount may be, half a part or one or more, whatever portion may be fixed, should be regularly read every day and by all means be daily completed.

The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said that the devotion which is most pleasing in the sight of God is one which is regularly performed by the devotee and in which he allows no intermission.

Intermission implies absence of zeal,

and spiritual purification of the heart is impossible without zeal and sincere love.

I have myself observed that when owing to any urgent pre-occupation I have failed to attend to the daily allotment of Quran study, I have invariably felt a depression in the heart and a perceptible effect upon other devotions. Thus the first rule with regard to the reading of the Quran is that it should be regularly performed everyday.

The second rule is that the reading should be intelligent and never so hurried as to preclude a proper understanding of the sense. Slow reading should be practised so that a comprehension of the sense may accompany the reading of the text, and at the same time due reverence may be paid to the sacred nature of the book.

The third rule is that, whenever possible, one should proceed to the study after performing the prescribed ablution, although in my opinion it is no act of sin

to proceed without such ceremony. It is true that according to some theologians it is not permissible to read the Quran without first performing the prescribed ablution. But personally I hold no such extreme view. Nevertheless, I consider it proper as tending to deepen the effect and increase the merit of the exercise that one should proceed to the study after proper ablution.

Some friend enquired what was to be done if one did not understand the Holy Quran. Such men should read the Quran with translation. If, however, he cannot read the whole of the book with translation, the best thing for him to do is that he should learn the translation of a certain portion of the Holy text, and this he should revise every day when doing the fixed daily allotment of reading.

It may be asked what then is the use of reading the fixed portion of which one

cannot understand the sense. The answer is that every work performed in a spirit of sincerity and devotion is sure to bring its reward from God. Therefore when a man reads the text even without understanding its sense with a view to please God, then God will surely mark the sincerity of his motive and give him his reward.

Moreover, mere words are not altogether barren of influence. For instance, the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, commanded that as soon as a child was born, the Azan or call to prayers should be recited into its ear, although, as a matter of fact, the infant at that time has not the least power to know or understand anything. But agreeably to the proverb that things left by will come handy one time or other, the practice will not altogether be barren of a useful effect.

Spiritual drums Addressing members of the Jamaat, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said: “God’s Majesty has resurged and He has entrusted you, yes you, surely you, with the service of this spiritual drum house.

“O musicians of the heavenly kingdom; O musicians of the heavenly kingdom; O

musicians of the heavenly kingdom! Beat “Consequently, owing to the sincerity of this drum once again with such fervour your cries, your slogans of takbir [God is that it floods the hearing of the world.

Great] and your testimonial calls of tawhid [believing in the oneness of Allah], God “Once again fill this bugle with your heart’s may once again descend from the heavens blood, once again fill this bugle with your on the earth and once again, His Kingdom heart’s blood that even the foundations is established on earth.” (Sair-e-Ruhani, pp. of Mighty Throne may shake and angels 619-620) begin to quiver as well.

1914 – Dars of the Holy Quran starts (three days after his Khilafat commences)

1916 – English translation of the first part of the Holy Quran published

1924 – The Fazl Mosque’s foundation stone laying

1923 – Expansion of Masjid Aqsa, Qadian

1938 – Launch of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya

1940 – Majlis Ansarullah launched

1948 – Foundation of Rabwah, Pakistan

1957 – Launch of Waqf-e-Jadid scheme

1917 – Tahrik of Waqf-e-Zindagi start

1934 – Launch of Tahrik-e-Jadid

1944 – Journey to Hoshiarpur, Ludhian Delhi

1957 – Tafsir-e-Saghir published

ted

na,

Some from the many services of Hazrat ra Musleh-e-Maud 1922 - Launch of Lajna Imaillah

1934 – Second launch of Al Hakam

1944 – TI College founded

...He will be characterised with grandeur, greatness and wealth. He will come into the world and will heal many of their disorders through his Messianic qualities and through the blessings of the Spirit of Holiness. He is the Word of Allah for Allah’s mercy and honour have equipped him with the Word of Majesty. He will be extremely intelligent and perceptive and will be meek of heart and will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge...

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

16

Hazrat Musleh-eMaud and freedom of faith: A unique campaign at a global scale

Asif M Basit

Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra witnessed the London summer of 1924 turn into autumn.

He had intended to only attend the Conference on the Living Religions of the Empire, where he had been invited to read a paper on the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam. During the course of his stay in London, a series of events began to unfold – one leading to the other – and turned this tour into an extremely eventful one.

Having found out that he was in London, newspapers, societies, study

circles, religious communities and various political platforms approached him and requested him to enlighten them with his knowledge.

This alone was a demanding task – constantly writing papers to be delivered to a variety of audiences – but more was yet to come his way.

He was in his rented accommodation at Chesham Place when the afternoon post slipped through the mail slot of the front door. Away from home, this post were understandably much awaited. But today, it had brought a very sad news: Maulvi Nematullah Sahib had been stoned to

death in Kabul at the order of the Amir of Kabul. Why? For proclaiming his faith in the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.

As Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra proceeded to his room to supplicate, he ordered Hazrat Maunlana Abdur Rahim Dardra, Hazrat Fateh Muhammad Sayalra and Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyarra to bring this tragic incident to the knowledge of the British press.

After his supplications in solitude, Huzoorra came out of his room and led the congregation in Asr Salat. Afterwards, with a very heavy heart, Huzoorra sat among his companions and spoke with great grief

about the innocent martyr.

He was restless for the whole world to find out how, in a civilised world, the Amir of Kabul could commit such inhumane brutality and that too in the name of faith.

He considered publicising this atrocity, for the sake of raising awareness, through billboards, placards and posters on streetlights.

Having considered all these options, he still saw it as an insufficient reaction as compared to the level of the act itself; he wanted every person in Britain to know how inhumane it was to not only prohibit someone to profess their faith, not to speak of slaying innocent human beings.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra did not want to restrict his message of freedom of faith to London or the UK only, rather he wanted it to be circulated to countries across the world, especially to the countries that were influential in the League of Nations.

One specific instruction he gave in this regard was: “Spend whatever amount of money it takes to publicise our protest!”

The statement is quite strong on its own, but coming from the head of a community that did not have much in its reserves and only thrived on meagre contributions of its members makes it even more powerful. More than it being powerful, it goes to show the passion that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra had for freedom of professing one’s religion, a passion ignited by the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and upheld by all his successors to this day.

A press release was prepared to which Huzoorra made changes to the text and finalised it so that be sent out to the British and the overseas press. Dard Sahibra and Sayal Sahibra returned from Fleet Street and reported to Huzoorra how editors had shown great interest in the news story;

17

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM some spoke for an hour to extract all details.

After much consideration, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra decided that the best way to raise awareness about freedom of faith, in the wake of this atrocity, would be to hold a protest meeting where dignitaries and the press were invited.

While preparations for this peaceful, yet powerful protest were underway, the press had picked up the news and published it.

The 3 September 1924 issues of The Times, The Daily Chronicle, The Daily Express, The Daily News and almost all major and minor newspapers of the country had it covered.

Several visits of Hazrat Chaudhry Zafarulla Khanra to the India Office (then in-charge of Indian affairs) brought back no good results. The government seemed reluctant in approaching the Amir of Kabul. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra understood and explained why it was so: the British government did not want to sour it relations with the Afghans at a time when Russia was waiting to use the Afghanistan for its political purposes.

Huzoorra, however, insisted that if the press keeps the story alive for a few days, the government would feel obliged not to sit idly.

While many halls could not be booked at short notice, the organisers of Essex Hall agreed and booked it for 17 September 1924. Being situated at the Strand, Essex Hall was, undoubtedly, in the heart of London – the global capital.

All those accompanying Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra were allocated certain duties with regard to the protest meeting and a committee formed by the name of “Protest Committee”. Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib being its president and Fateh Muhammad Sayal Sahibra its secretary, all others were given duties of cashiering, publicity and event management etc.

With all set to go, the protest meeting started at 8pm. A huge number of dignitaries and members of the press were in attendance.

Dr Walter Walsh was invited to the stage to chair the meeting. In his opening remarks, Dr Walsh condemned the inhumane act of stoning a human being merely on the grounds of their belonging to a certain faith. He said that everyone

Dr Walter Walsh, Founder of Free Religious Movement in London | National Portrait gallery

The Evening Telegraph, Monday, 15 September 1924

Aberdeen Press and Journal, Friday, 5 September 1924

The Evening Telegraph, Thursday, 18 September 1924

The Scotsman, Thursday, 18 September 1924

18

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

who becomes aware of this brutality should express their hatred openly.

Dr Walsh, at the end of his address, introduced Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra and invited him to the podium to express his thoughts on the whole issue.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra elaborated the details of the stoning of Maulvi Nematullah Shaheed and described the series of unfortunate events that led to his sad end.

Dr Walsh appreciated Huzoor’sra passionate advocacy for freedom of faith. He particularly acknowledged how Huzoor’s ideology was based on purity of intention and not on emotional attachment to the painful incident. Dr Walsh urged that the British government should intervene and see how they could curb such inhumane tendencies.

A resolution was passed and signed by most of the dignitaries in attendance. It was unanimously agreed that a resolution be prepared and sent to not only the British government, but to the League of Nations also. Dr Walsh signed the resolution, followed by other dignitaries.

It is interesting to note that among the dignitaries attending were the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Francis Younghusband.

With special thanks to the United Nations Archives in Geneva (who hold the records of the League of Nations), a selection of the correspondence is included.

While the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat had always upheld the freedom of faith – something it continues to this day – this event proved to be one of the first, if not the first, campaign in this regard and at this scale by any Muslim leader.

Telegram from Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra to the League of Nations | League of Nations Records, UNO Archives

19

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

Top seven signatories of the resolution sent to the League of Nations| League of Nations Records, UNO Archives

Acknowledgement by the League of Nations| League of Nations Records, UNO Archives

In difficult and burdensome times “The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has directed: ّ ّٰ ‫تخلقوا بأخلاق الله‬ ‘Adorn yourselves with divine qualities.’

Letter from Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Dardra to the League of Nations | League of Nations Records, UNO Archives

“A person should not worry too much if their heart is not in a task. One should persist in doing good as a duty. One should continue to be charitable, even if charitable acts hurt the person. One should go on praying, even when one is unable to concentrate. The important thing to remember is that duties must be performed with studied intent and without losing heart.” (Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, The Way of the Seekers, p. 96)

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

20

Distinct leadership qualities of Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad

Fazal Masood Malik & Farhan Khokhar Canada

Fear is the emotion that grips the heart of its victim with icy, cold fingers. It was this fear that paralysed thousands in the late winter of 1914.

A small community of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, was lost

in despair when the benevolence of Allah turned the tide and Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, the son of the king foretold by ancient scriptures (Al Fazl, 18 February 2016, pp. 17-19) became the shepherd – the leader.

Security and peace replaced dread and thus began a monumental chapter in the

history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.

Years before his election to the office of Khilafat, the young Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud Ahmadra displayed a remarkable resolve that powerfully attested to his leadership abilities.

The fear that numbed the community in the winter of 1914 was the same terror

that overtook it following the demise of the Promised Messiahas in 1908. There, standing by the blessed body of the Promised Messiahas, a young Mahmud Ahmadra proclaimed with every fibre of his being, “Even if the entire Ahmadiyya Jamaat leaves you, I will carry your mission to every corner of the world!”(Sawaneh

21

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM Fazl-e-Umar, V. 1, pp. 178-179) This was not a mere youthful emotional proclamation; his entire life became the embodiment of fulfilling this pledge.

In 1914, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, Musleh-e-Maud, was elected as Khalifatul Masih II. The weak elements in the community started to rebel, attempting to weaken the blessed institution of Khilafat. The malice of hostile factions had found a new life. A few members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, including some intellects, erroneously came to believe that the Promised Messiahas was not a prophet but a mujaddid (reformer). They believed that an administrator should be appointed to continue his work, not a Khalifa. (The Ahmadiyya Movement Vol. IV – The Split, 1918) This group became known as the Paighamis (Lahori Ahmadis) due to the fact they went to Lahore after the demise of Khalifatul Masih Ira and renounced their pledge to Khilafat.

The Paighamis started publishing papers and distributing them to Ahmadi Muslims residing outside of Qadian; they had also taken the organisation’s finances, leaving the Khalifa and his Jamaat with a burdensome debt (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 125, 228). The speed with which they were able to spread their false doctrines indicated that the preparation for such a scheme had begun long before.

They claimed that if the young Mahmud Ahmadra was allowed to become the Khalifa, the Jamaat would dissipate and Qadian be lost in no time.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra responded to the accusations swiftly and decisively.

A general call for donations was met with extreme enthusiasm. Articles and advertisements printed all over India gave logical and definitive answers to the questions raised by the Lahori group. For example, the article entitled, Who Can Stop the Work of God? – in which Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra drew the attention of pious Jamaat members back towards their Khalifa – is a true reflection of his exceptional mental abilities, sincere dedication and utmost belief in God. In addition, many Ahmadi Muslims were sent to every corner of India to ensure the queries were addressed in a timely and proper manner. These efforts bore fruit and within days of the malicious attack on Khilafat, the once turbulent ocean of fear became calm.

In light of the difficult situation faced by the Jamaat, while the flames of dissension were being doused with logic and common sense, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra turned to the community and brought people together for consultation at the Majlis-e-Shura in 1914. This demonstrated another noble quality of leadership where, even in times of turmoil, a true leader works with his followers to move the organisation forward. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 4, pp. 141-142) The community of the Promised Messiahas was still fragile and learning to walk on broken ground.

After

consultations, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra created various nazarats (departments), which were instrumental in organising the monumental work that stood ahead for the community. This structure would act upon the guidance of Khalifatul Masih and implement his wisdom.

As a good leader, he knew these measures were not enough to ensure continuity. Leadership as a skill had to be instilled into the hearts of the members.

He recognised the need for women to take an active role in the spiritual and moral upbringing of their children. Out of this immense desire, to see every member of the community succeed, was born the first auxiliary – Lajna Imaillah – a leadership organisation for Ahmadi Muslim women, announced on 25 December 1922.

(Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 303, 566) With a profound understanding that different age groups and genders had different requirements, Huzoorra formed an establishment of youth called Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya on 31 January 1938. For members aged 40 and above, he formed Ansarullah on 26 July 1940. The purpose of these auxiliary organisations was spiritual training and advancement towards the achievement of the Jamaat’s noble objectives. (Al Fazl, 17 November 1943, pp. 1-8) His yearning to find ways of protecting the Jamaat in every aspect led him to formally establish the system of Qaza (judiciary) in 1919. The purpose of setting up an internal judicial and adjudication system was to provide the Jamaat with a fair, economical and dignified way for its members to settle internal disputes.

(Silsila-e-Ahmadiyya, Vol. 1, pp. 356-357) As a leader, he had the foresight to mitigate future challenges. Keeping in mind the crisis with which the Jamaat had been confronted following the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, he established an electoral college for the election of the Khalifa.

Education and the financial system Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra viewed education as an essential life skill that permitted a person to participate intelligently in social and economic development. He did not view it as a limited process where children emerged from school with the required life skills, but an ongoing learning process which developed the right attitudes, skills and emotional intelligence.

His fervent belief in education is evident from his tireless efforts. During the life of his esteemed father, he started a magazine called Tash-heezul-Azhaan, meaning “sharpening of mental abilities”.

Its purpose was to educate youth in a language that was comfortable for them.

In 1913, under the guidance of Khalifatul Masih Ira, he started the Al Fazl newspaper with a view to improve the moral guidance of more mature members of the community and strengthen their understanding of Islam. (Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 8, p. 329) Recognising the importance of strong leaders, an orderly environment

A vow at the deathbed of the Promised Messiahas Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra recalled: “Even though I was only 19 years old at the time, I remember standing at the head of the bed on which lay the sacred corpse of the Promised Messiahas and saying, ‘My Lord, believing You to be Omnipresent and Omniscient, I make a solemn pledge that even if the entire Jamaat were to forsake Ahmadiyyat, I will convey the message that You have revealed through the Promised Messiahas to each and every corner of the world.’ ” (Al Fazl, 12 June 1944)

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

22

and a focus on basic academic skills, he established a high school for girls (1928, 1951) and a higher learning institute called Talim-ul-Islam College, first in Qadian, then in Rabwah (1944, 1950). Nusrat Girls School was establish in 1928, then in 1951 (Rabwah) with further expansion in 1962.

The Talim-ul-Islam school was first initiated by the Promised Messiahas in 1898. Due to changing requirements of the University of Punjab, it closed down in 1905 and was reopened in Qadian in 1944, then in 1950 in Lahore, after the migration to Pakistan, and finally in Rabwah in 1954.

To ensure that the Community founded by the Promised Messiahas flourished in the Indian subcontinent and around the world, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra established two critical financial schemes; Waqf-e-Jadid and Tahrik-e-Jadid.

Political Savviness One of the qualities of Hazrat Musleh-eMaud’sra insightful political awareness was that other world leaders often sought his advice on complex matters. His detailed guidance for the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, his political, moral and financial support for a resolution of the Kashmir dispute and his detailed guidance on the resolutions of Palestine and Jordan are just some examples of his remarkable ability in the political sphere.

The partition of India is a painful chapter in history, riddled with the blood of millions of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs.

By the grace of Allah and owing to the exceptional planning of Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra, thousands of Muslims – Ahmadi and non-Ahmadi – migrated to Pakistan from Qadian with no casualties. There remained, however, a core group of people in Qadian, including members of Huzoor’s family, whose purpose was to safeguard the blessed town, even if it meant dying for the cause. They numbered 313 and are known as the Darweshan-e-Qadian. (Al Furqan, 1963) After the establishment of Pakistan, the situation in Kashmir worsened and threatened the freedom of the newly formed nation of Pakistan. At the behest of the Government of Pakistan, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra organised a military force known as the Furqan Battalion. This entirely volunteer-based battalion served with the Pakistan Military at the Jammu border in Pakistan from 1948 to 1950.

(Ahmadiyyat – The Renaissance of Islam, p. 329) Once the situation in Pakistan had stabilised and Ahmadi migrants had started their new lives, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra offered guidance to a multitude of groups on how to build a bright future for Pakistan. These lectures focused on the creation of industrial as well as scientific industries. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 11, pp. 406-437) In one of his lectures to the Executive Council of Pakistan, Huzoorra advised not forcing East Pakistan to adopt Urdu, otherwise “they will separate from

Pakistan …” (Al Fazl, 14 December 1947, pp. 1-4) An unbiased study of history clearly reveals that the main issue dividing West and East Pakistan (Bangladesh) was language. This issue caused the division of a country and resulted in bloodshed.

(War and Secession: Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh, 1991) His humble Jamaat, however, was ready to offer any sacrifice deemed essential by the Khalifa. Well aware that the Jamaat needed financial stability and intellectual acumen, he worked tirelessly on both fronts. The Jamaat, in turn, stood behind every decision he made. They walked the path he walked and they cherished the words he spoke. If the measure of success is the prayers of a Khalifa, they ensured that the eyes of Allah were always pleased with them and their obedience to the Khalifa.

The riots of 1953 once again tested the resolve of the community. The state and clergy had joined forces with the aim of annihilating Ahmadi Muslims. With his followers being martyred and their belongings being looted, he successfully navigated the community from grave danger into another era of success. (Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh, Friday Sermon, 22 March 1985) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stands out in the pages of history as a great spiritual leader who strove to ensure that a chain of leaders was left behind him. As a khalifa, he guaranteed that the dignity and nobility of the office of Khilafat remained immaculate and honourable.

Throughout his 52 years, one does not find a day in which Jamaat-eAhmadiyya did not stride forward in a manner greater than the day before. An impressive number of mosques, missions, schools and hospitals form but one small part of his legacy. His love for the Holy Quran and his burning desire to save every human being on the planet led to the translation of the Holy Quran in over 20 languages, a feat almost unimaginable for the Jamaat in 1914, when the flames of hatred were threatening to destroy Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. (Sawaneh Fazl-eUmar, Vol. 1, pp. 327-58) The daunting migrating from one country to another is sufficient to make a person worried; but this man of God not only successfully migrated thousands of Muslims to Pakistan, but created an entire new home for them – Rabwah – which served as the headquarters for millions of Ahmadi Muslims around the world.

A desolate land that was desperate for life had waited patiently to welcome the followers of the Promised Messiahas, to offer all it had to the Khalifa we know today as “Musleh-e-Maud”.

O what a portrait of greatness was this man! Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, the Promised Son, a leader with unsurpassed, godly qualities – in his own being, a nation!

Continued from page 2

Maudra graciously pardoned certain members of the Jamaat after accepting their apologies about their ill-treatment of a Jamaat missionary.

18 February 1935: Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra laid the foundation stone of a new mosque in Darul Barkat Qadian.

18 February 1937: Maulana Nazir Ahmad Mubashir Sahib inaugurated a new building of the Jamaat mission in Saltpond, Ghana.

18 February 1956: Talim-ul-Islam High School arranged a reception that was graced by Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra, who also delivered a speech.

18 February 1956: Indonesia convened its 7th Jalsa Salana where a special message from Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was read out.

19 February 1920: Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra delivered a lecture in Lahore near the Delhi gate.

19 February 1921: Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyarra reached Sierra Leone. A local listened to his message and converted to Ahmadiyyat. After establishing a local chapter of the Jamaat, he moved to his next destination after three days.

19 February 1928: A girls school was being run by the Jamaat in Sialkot. On this date, its new purpose-built building was inaugurated by Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyarra. This was the first Muslim school in Sialkot.

19 February 1934: A tourist from Persia, Mr Abu Qasim Khan visited Qadian. He shared his travel experiences in a session organised in Masjid Aqsa, Qadian.

19 February 1939: A convert from England, Mr Abdullah Arscot joined the institution of Al-Wasiyyat. He is considered the first person to be a musi (part of the Wasiyyat scheme) in the UK.

19 February 1957: Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra departed for Karachi from Nasir Abad, Sindh during a tour of the province.

20 February 1914: A delegation left for Madrasa Chathha, district Gujranwala from Qadian to take part in a religious debate.

20 February 1915: Hazrat Sufi Ghulam Muhammadra set off from Qadian to Mauritius, with the aim of establishing a Jamaat mission.

20 February 1919: The Amir of Afghanistan, Habibullah Khan was assassinated while on a hunting trip in Kalagosh. He was killed while he was on a secluded mountain passage in Laghman province. He was the ruler of the country when Hazrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif Shaheedra was martyred under his orders.

20 February 1944: A special “Jalsa Musleh-e-Maud” was arranged in Hoshiarpur, India, where Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a powerful and insightful speech.

During the Jalsa, 18 missionaries shared tabligh achievements of their respective countries. After these faith-inspiring accounts, Huzoorra proceeded to Bait-ul-Dua (the room where the Promised Messiahas would often pray in seclusion in Qadian) where he remained occupied in supplication for a heavenly sign.

20 February 1944: Hazrat Sheikh Mahmud Ahmad Irfanira, a companion of the Promised Messiahas passed away.

20 February 1953: A delegation of the Jamaat met with the governor and chief minister of Punjab on 20 and 22 February.

20 February 1956: Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra laid the foundation stones of Fazl-e-Umar Hospital and the central offices of Majlis Ansarullah in Rabwah.

20 February 1957: Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra arrived in Karachi, where his stay was for 13 days. On this date, Huzoorra addressed a special session organised to highlight the prophecy about the Musleh-e-Maud.

19 February 1952: An attempt on the life of Chaudhry Muhammad Hussain Sahib in Gambat, Sindh was made. He died on 22 February due to suffering severe injuries from the attack and thus, attained martyrdom.

20 February 1958: Hazrat Muslehe-Maud established Fazl-e-Umar Free Dispensary in Karachi, which was run by Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya. On the same day, Huzoorra also inaugurated a library.

19 February 1957: Hazrat Dr Ghulam Ghausra passed away. This companion of the Promised Messiahas entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat in 1900.

20 February 1960: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra formally inaugurated the plantation drive by planting a tree in the premises of Majlis Ansarullah’s main office block in Rabwah.

23

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

100 Years Ago...

Islam uniting East and West Al Fazl, 12 February 1920 Six English Ahmadis ‫رچاےغ راہک ا�ی ش�زدرب ش رفوزد‬ � ‫ےسک وک فت زدنر ی�� وسبزد‬ “The person who [tries] to spit on the lamp illuminated by God Almighty has his own beard burnt in the process.”

No one can stop a matter from taking place when Allah Almighty wants to do it. It is only the question of sooner or later in the fulfilment of God’s motive, but the opposition of men cannot stop divine works and whatever He wills, eventually comes to pass. ‫ن‬ ‫رغض رےتک ہ ی‬ ‫� رہزگ دخا ےک اکم دنبوں ےس‬ ‫پش‬ ‫الھب اخقل ےک آےگ قلخ یک ھچک ی‬ ‫� اجیت ےہ‬ “Thus, God’s plans are not hindered by men. Can people hold any sway before their Maker!”

Those people who believed the promulgation of Ahmadiyyat in England to be an impossibility and considered it an improbability that the English would convert to Ahmadiyyat; those who do not want to see the efforts of the Ahmadiyya mission to flourish and remember the Ahmadiyya Jamaat by the name of an “indescribable sect” in a derogatory manner should know full well that the seed that was planted in the land of England in the name of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, is becoming a thriving tree and the hand that caught white birds in the divine vision is certainly capturing the hearts of noble Englishmen with its sincerity and love.

As a result, in the current week, a total of six persons – two noble gentlemen, an intelligent lady, a boy and two girls – entered into the servitude of the Promised Messiahas. They are being acknowledged as

true Muslims after reciting the creed: ّ ٰ ُ َ ٌ َ ُ ّ ٰ َّ ٰ َ ‫لااِل َہ اِلا الل ُہ محَ ّمد ّر ُس ْول الل ِہ‬ [There is none worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is His messenger]. All praise belongs to Allah. Their details and names will be presented to readers next week.

Lecture in Wimbledon Lodge I have written before that a Theosophist Society has invited Chaudhry Sahib to give a lecture on “Ahmad, the Promised Messiah.” Thus, the invitation was accepted and a lecture was delivered on the said subject at Wimbledon Lodge on the night of 10 January at 8pm.

Although the Wimbledon Lodge is at a significant distance from London, the subject of the lecture and the passion to personally witness and write the report, stimulated me to travel alongside Chaudhry Sahib. Beside us, our new Ahmadi nurse who converted to Islam five years ago, Sister Haneefah Bekon also accompanied us. The decorated hall of the society was full of educated men and women, and the eyes of all the attendees awaited the evening’s lecture.

The subject of the lecture and questions & answers Following the recitation of the kalimae-shahadah [Islamic creed], Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayal MA delivered a lecture for nearly two hours on the life and character of the Promised Messiahas, his works, education, signs, acceptance of prayers and prophecies. He told the audience how the Promised Messiahas convinced atheists about the existence of God Almighty and persuaded those who

were waiting for the sword to become peaceful Muslims.

He then went on to say that according to Ahmad’sas prophecies, Europe witnessed the war and the world had to face various disasters due to the denial. “Now, again, you should pay heed, for Ahmad’s teachings will join the East with the West, and the English and Russians will become Muslims.”

After the lecture, an opportunity for questions was given and of the many questions, the following discourse was particularly interesting: Question: You can eat rice in the East and spend all day in prayer. Our Western life is spent in acquiring knowledge, studying and in a practical manner. I am afraid you will be disappointed in the hope of [spreading] Islam in the West!

Answer: My body, powers and strength have been effected by a dark and foggy atmosphere of London and five months of illness. However, regardless of these adverse impacts, they are a testimony of the fact that their nourishment was made possible with meat, milk and butter and not rice, which I ate in India before coming to the UK. Moreover, I am prepared to have a trial of strength with anyone from among you. (Laughter) My presence in this country for tabligh rejects the notion that we only know to pray sitting idle and that we are practically behind the West. You should realise that as you possess certain ideas about the oriental people, similar misconceptions are also famous about you in the East.

However, neither are you as ill-mannered as an Easterner imagines, nor are the

Orientals as insignificant as you consider.

Hence, the meeting of the East with the West through Ahmadas and the acceptance of Islam in the West is not impossible. The only thing needed is to remove mutual misunderstandings.

Post lecture After the question and answer session, the president of the gathering said, “We are grateful to Mr Sayal and we all return with more information and advanced knowledge about Ahmadas Nabiyullah [Prophet of God].”

Towards the end of the conference, courteous workers of the society refreshed us with tea and many people thanked the lecturer in person.

The questions and answers that followed the lecture and the subsequent discussion showed that those people were not concerned about matters of Trinity, the divinity of Jesus and the atonement etc. because despite the fact that all these issues were refuted [in the lecture], no one asked any question about them. The issue that most questions were asked about was the issue of reincarnation. However, the thing which caused a huge impact on the audience was the challenge of the trial of strength that was an act of repaying the debt of those issues in the same coin.

Hence, by the grace of God, the message of the Messiahas was conveyed in the most lucid and clear manner. Moreover, plenty of matter was made available for the wise men to consider and to feed their sensible thoughts.

An Early Ray of Western Sunrise Tracing the roots of early Islam Ahmadiyyat in the USA https://www.alhakam.org/mufti-muhammad-sadiq-r-a-an-early-ray-of-western-sunrise/

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

24

Friday Sermon Men of Excellence 17 January 2020 After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated: I have been narrating accounts from the life of Hazrat Saadra bin Ubadah for the last few sermons, and today I will narrate the remaining accounts relating to him.

His name is especially mentioned as one of those whom the Ansar wanted to elect as their Khalifa after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has also written in Sirat Khatam-unNabiyyin that the Ansar were strongly in favour of electing him as the Khalifa as he was also the leader of his tribe. When Hazrat Abu Bakrra was elected as the Khalifa, Hazrat Saadra bin Ubadah remained in doubt regarding the matter, or was hesitant even before this due to the insistence of the Ansar for him to be made the Khalifa.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has shed ample light on this issue and has also highlighted the importance and significance of the institution of Khilafat with reference to this incident. Hence, I consider it vital to mention this incident and it is a need of the present era as well. However, before I present the writings of Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra, I will present one hadith and a historical reference in this regard.

It is narrated by Humaid bin Abdur Rahman: “When the Messengersa of Allah passed away, Hazrat Abu Bakrra was in the outskirts of Medina. He removed the cloth from his blessed face and kissed it, and said, ‘May my father and mother be sacrificed for you; how pure was your countenance when you were alive and even now when you have passed away.’ He then said, ‘I swear by the Lord of the Ka‘bah that Muhammadsa has passed away.’ Then Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Hazrat Umarra quickly left for Saqifah Bani Sa‘idah. When both of them had arrived, Hazrat Abu Bakrra spoke first and began mentioning all the excellences of the Ansar that were revealed in the Holy Quran, not omitting any detail therefrom and also those that were mentioned by Holy Prophetsa.

He further said, ‘You know full well that the Messengersa of Allah once said, “If all the people were to walk in one direction and the Ansar were to walk in another, I would walk in the direction of the Ansar.”’

Then addressing Hazrat Saadra, Hazrat Abu Bakrra said, ‘O Saadra! Do you remember in a gathering in which you were also seated, the Messengersa of Allah said that the Quraish have a rightful claim to Khilafat. Those

that are righteous will follow the righteous individuals from the Quraish and the evil ones from among the people will follow the evils ones of the Quraish.’ Saadra replied, ‘Indeed, you speak the truth. We are viziers and you are the leaders.’” This hadith is from Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, pp. 158 – 159, Musnad Abi Bakr Siddque, Hadith no. 18, Dar-ul-Haith, Cairo, 1994) Regarding this incident, in Al-Tabaqatul-Kubra, it is stated: “Upon the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Abu Bakrra sent a message to Hazrat

Saadra bin Ubadah that he ought to come and perform the Bai‘at [pledge of allegiance] as everyone had performed the Bai‘at, including the people of his tribe. He replied, ‘By Allah! I will not perform the Bai‘at until I have shot all the arrows in my quiver and until I, along with the people of my tribe who are with me, have fought against you.’”

(According to this reference, he refused to perform the Bai’at) When this news reached Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Bashir bin Saadra said, “O Khalifa of the Prophetsa! He has rejected and is persistent upon it.” That is, he is persistent in

his refusal. “He will not pledge allegiance to you even if he were to be killed. Moreover, he will only be killed once his children and tribesmen are killed along with him.

Similarly, they cannot be killed unless the entire tribe of Khazraj is killed; and the tribe of Khazraj can certainly not be killed unless the tribe of Aus is killed. Therefore, you should not advance towards them as the matter has now become clear to people and he cannot cause you any harm.” In other words, the majority of his tribe had pledged allegiance. “Hence, it does not matter if he [i.e. Hazrat Saadra] has refused to do so, for he is alone and has been abandoned by his people.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra accepted the advice of Hazrat Bashirra and left Hazrat Saadra alone.

After this, when Hazrat Umarra was appointed as the Khalifa, one day, he came across Saadra and said, “What do you say, O Saadra?” He replied, “What do you say, O Umarra?” This is a conversation between the two. Hazrat Umarra asked, “Are you the same as you were before?” Saadra replied, “I am the same as before”, i.e. despite the fact that Hazrat Umarra had been elected to the station of Khilafat and many people had pledged their allegiance, however, Hazrat Saad had not done so. Following this, Hazrat Saadra said, “By God! Your companion”, i.e.

Hazrat Abu Bakrra “was dearer to me than you.” Hazrat Saadra said to Hazrat Umarra that Hazrat Abu Bakrra was dearer to him in comparison to Hazrat Umarra. Following this, Hazrat Saadra said,“By God! I have woken up in a state that I do not appreciate you as my neighbour.” Hazrat Umarra replied, “Whoever dislikes the company of his neighbour should move away from him.”

Hazrat Saadra replied, “I will not forget these words”, i.e. he will act accordingly “and shall move to a neighbourhood that is better than being with you.” (This was according to the estimation of Hazrat Saadra). A short while later, towards the early part of Hazrat Umar’sra Khilafat, Hazrat Saadra migrated to Syria. This is a reference from Al-Tabaqatul-Kubra. (Al-Tabaqat-ul-Kubra Li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, Saad bin Ubadah, p. 312, Dar Ihyaa Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, 2002) In relation to Hazrat Saad, there is another narration in which it is stated that he pledged allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakrra.

Hence, in Tarikh al-Tabari, it is stated: ْ َ َ ْ َ َّ ٌ َ ‫ َوبَایَع َس ْعد‬،‫َوات َبع الق ْو ُم َعلى ال َب ْی َع ِۃ‬

25

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM Meaning, one by one, the entire tribe pledged allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Hazrat Saadra also pledged allegiance to him. This is a reference from Tarikh al-Tabari. (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 3, p. 266, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2002) Nevertheless, as I mentioned earlier, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has presented various aspects as to why it is important to pledge allegiance to Khilafat, what is the status of Khilafat and what is the significance of this act of Hazrat Saadra. Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra states in one of his Friday sermons: “Qatal also refers to severing one’s ties.

After the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, the companions began to differ in who should be appointed as the Khalifa; the Ansar were of the opinion that it was their due right for Khilafat to remain within them as they were the natives of that area. They said that at the very least, if there was to be a Khalifa from among the Muhajireen, there should also be one from among the Ansar, that is there should be two Khalifas. Banu Hashim were of the opinion that Khilafat was their due right as the Holy Prophetsa belonged to their family. Although the Muhajireen were of the opinion that the Khalifa ought to be from among the Quraish, as the people of Arabia would never obey anyone who did not belong to the Quraish, they did not suggest anyone in particular, rather they wished to leave the matter of appointment to an election; i.e. whoever the Muslims chose would be considered the appointed Khalifa of God Almighty. When they expressed this opinion, the Ansar and Banu Hashim agreed to this. However, one companion could not comprehend this matter. This was that very companion, whom the Ansar wanted to elect as the Khalifa. Perhaps he considered this to be an insult to him or he may not have been able to truly understand this matter. (In any case, whatever the reason was,) he said that he was not prepared to pledge allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakrra.

“In certain books of history, a saying of Hazrat Umarra is recorded in which he said: ُ ُْ ً ‫اق ُتل ْوا َس ْعدا‬ meaning to ‘kill Saad’, however, Hazrat Umarra did not kill him, nor did anyone else. Some expert linguists have said that in his statement, Hazrat Umarra only meant to sever ties with Saadra. In other historical sources, it is also stated that Hazrat Saadra would regularly go to the mosque, but would offer his prayers separately and then leave, and no other companion would speak to him. Thus, one interpretation of the phrase ‘Kill Saad’, is to sever ties with him and for everyone to disassociate with him.”

(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 16, pp. 81-82 – Friday Sermon, 1 February 1935) Further writing about this incident of Hazrat Saadra bin Ubadah, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra states in the extract from the sermon I have just quoted: “In a previous sermon, I mentioned regarding an Ansari Companion and that after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, some of the Ansar Companions believed that the Khalifa ought to be chosen from among the Ansar. However, the Muhajireen – especially Hazrat Abu Bakrra – explained to them that this choice would not be beneficial for the Muslim Ummah, because the Muslims would never accept this, i.e. for a Khalifa to be chosen from among the Ansar. Subsequently, the Muhajireen and

the Ansar gathered together and mutually agreed that everyone ought to perform Bai‘at [Pledge of Allegiance] at the hands of someone from the Muhajireen. Eventually, they unanimously agreed that this person ought to be Hazrat Abu Bakrra.”

It was not possible for everyone to unanimously agree upon one particular individual from among the Ansar. Hazrat Abu Bakrra as well as other Companionsra explained that this decision would not be beneficial. Nonetheless, it was decided that the Khalifa ought to be chosen from among the Muhajireen and thus, it was unanimously agreed that this should be Hazrat Abu Bakrra.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then further states: “In that sermon, I said that when Hazrat Saad showed reluctance to perform the Bai‘at, Hazrat Umarra said: ُ ُْ ً ‫اق ُتل ْوا َس ْعدا‬ meaning to kill Saad, however, neither did Hazrat Umarra kill Hazrat Saadra nor did any other Companionra, in fact, he remained alive until the Khilfat of Hazrat Umarra.” As mentioned in one of the previous extracts, Hazrat Saadra remained alive until the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra and passed away in Syria. “Hazrat Saadra migrated to Syria and passed away there. Scholars of the past have concluded from this that the meaning of Hazrat Umar’sra statement was not to physically kill Hazrat Saadra, rather it only meant to sever ties with him. Furthermore, in the Arabic language, qatal – to kill – has many other connotations as well. Despite the fact that in the Urdu language, qatal only means to kill someone, however, when Qatal is used in the Arabic language, it has many other meanings, among which one is to sever ties with someone. From the statement of Hazrat Umarra, the grammarians have inferred that Hazrat Umarra did not mean to kill, but rather to sever ties, keep a distance and not to speak with him. Otherwise, if from this he meant to kill him, then why did Hazrat Umarra – who possessed great zeal – not kill Saad himself? Or why did anyone from among the Companions not kill him?

Hazrat Umarra did not kill him and even though Hazrat Saadra remained alive until his Khilafat, he was not killed. According to some narrations, Hazrat Saadra remained alive even after the Caliphate of Hazrat Umarra and no Companion lifted a finger against him.”

Nonetheless, it is evident from this that the meaning of “kill” was only to sever ties and not carry it out in its literal sense.

Even though this Companion remained in seclusion away from the other Companions – Hazrat Saadra moved away from everyone – but nobody attacked him.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “I presented the example that if one sees a dream in which a person is killed, the interpretation of that dream could be of severing ties or boycotting that individual.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra is referring back to one of his previous sermons. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further continues: “After the sermon, one of our members mentioned to me that although Saadra did not perform the Bai‘at, yet he was included in all matters of consultation,” i.e. the individual claimed that despite not performing the Bai‘at, Hazrat Abu Bakrra sought his advice on different matters.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then says, “There could only be two reasons why this individual said this regarding Hazrat Saadra; either he wished to refute my interpretation (i.e. he rejects the lexical meaning of qatal as mentioned by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and hence assuming that the companions did not sever ties with him), or he thinks that refusing to pledge allegiance to Khilafat is not a significant crime.” The second reason of the aforementioned statement by this individual could be that according to him, refusing to pledge allegiance to Khilafat was not a significant matter, because although Saadra did not perform the Bai‘at, he was still consulted on different matters.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “A poet once‫ ش‬stated: ‫ت سخن ن ت‬ ‫َ ا� رَمْد نُ�َ� َ� ُگ نفْ َ�ہ َ�ب َ ش د‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ت‬ ‫َش َ� ُ� ہفْ َ�ہ َ�ب َ د‬ �‫ا‬ ‫� ُہ ْ ر‬ ‫عَ ْ�ی ب‬ ْ �‫و‬ meaning a person’s flaws and faults are concealed only until they remain silent.”

At times when a person speaks, they unveil their shortcomings. As long as they remain silent, their faults remain concealed, but on occasions they speak ignorantly, thereby uncovering their own shortcomings. Harzat Musleh-e-Maudra further states, “The statement of this person, (i.e. the one who inferred that Hazrat Saadra was included in matters of consultation and commented on the sermon of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra) indicates that either he wishes to diminish the significance of pledging allegiance to Khilafat, or he wishes to exhibit his knowledge. However, both of these matters are incorrect; to exhibit one’s knowledge will not prove beneficial, because this statement is so far from the truth, that upon hearing this, a wise person would simply be amused.

With regard to the lives of the Companionsra, there are three well known books of Islamic history; any event pertaining to the history of the Companionsra can be found in these books and they are: Tahzeeb al-Tahzeeb, Al Asabah and Usdul Ghabah. All three of them mention that Saad lived the remainder of his life away from the Companionsra and after migrating to Syria, he passed away there. Furthermore, some lexicons have referred to this incident while discussing the meaning of the word qatal.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then states: “The fact of the matter is that there were sixty or seventy Companions with the name Saad. Among them one of them was Saadra bin Abi Waqas, who was one of the Asharah Mubasharah [ten companions who were given glad tidings of Paradise by the Holy Prophetsa], and appointed as Commander and Chief by Hazrat Umarra and was included in all matters of consultation. It seems as if the person who raised this allegation (with reference to the sermon of Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra,) did so out of his ignorance and hearing the name ‘Saad’, he failed to distinguish as to which Saad was being referred to. Instead he immediately passed remarks about my sermon. I was not making reference to Saadra bin Abi Waqas, who was a Muhajir [those who migrated from Mecca], rather the companion I was referring to was from among the Ansar [Muslims native to Medina]. Aside from these two, there were many other Companions with the name ‘Saad’; there were approximately sixty or seventy such Companions. The Saad I was referring to was Saadra bin Ubadah. In actuality, the Arabs used a limited number of names; often in the same village there

would be many people with the same name.

If someone wished to find a person, they would call them by his father’s name. For example; they would not use the name Saad or Saeed, rather they would say Saadra bin Ubadah or Saadra bin Abi Waqas. Similarly, if they were unable to locate the person based on their father’s name, they would refer to the person by their rank or status and where this was not possible still, they would then use the name of the individual’s tribe.

“Therefore, among the circles of historians, there has been an extensive debate as regards one particular individual with the name Saad as his name was similar to many other companions by that name.

Hence, whenever historians have referenced this name, they have written that they are referring to the ‘Ausi Saad’, or the ‘Khazraji Saad’ [i.e. referring to their tribes]. It is evident from this individual (i.e. the one who criticised or passed these remarks) has misunderstood the different individuals with the same name and has thoughtlessly raised this allegation. Such comments do not serve to increase understanding, rather it serves as a means of unveiling ones ignorance.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes: “The status of Khilafat is such that one cannot gain any honour after detaching from it.” Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then says referring to the mosque from where he was delivering this sermon – which perhaps was Masjid Aqsa – “I heard Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira saying, ‘Do you know who the enemy of the first Khalifa was?’ Answering this question himself, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira says, ‘Read the Quran and you will come to know that the first enemy was Iblis. Allah the Almighty appointed Adam as the Khalifa (vicegerent) and his enemy was Iblis.’ Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira then said, ‘I am also a Khalifa, and whoever is my enemy is [a manifestation of] Iblis.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then says: “There is no doubt that a Khalifa is not a ma‘moor. However, it is not necessary that this should always be the case in that he is not a ma‘moor . Hazrat Adamas was in fact a ma‘moor and also Khalifa. Hazrat Daudas was a ma‘moor and also a Khalifa.

The Promised Messiahas was a ma‘moor and also a Khalifa. Every prophet is a ma‘moor as well as being a Khalifa of God. Just as every individual is a Khalifa from one aspect, similarly, prophets are also Khalifas.

Although there are also some Khulafa who are not ma‘moor, however there is no difference between them and the prophets in respect to demonstrating obedience towards them. It is necessary to display obedience in the same way to the Khalifa as it is shown to a prophet. Indeed, there is a clear distinction in the obedience shown to both, and that is one must show obedience to a prophet because he is the focal point of Divine revelation and purity However obedience to a Khalifa is not for the reason that he is the focal point of Divine revelation and purity [in the same rank as a prophet]. Obedience is necessary to a Khalifa because he is the one who has been appointed as a focal point to disseminate and further propagate the revelation brought by the prophet. (i.e. a Khalifa is the one who propagates the revelation of a prophet and to further the system established by the prophet). This is why the wise have said that Prophets receive Ismat-e-Kubra whilst the Khalifas receive

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM

26 Ismat-e-Sughra.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then says: “From this very pulpit in this very mosque, on a Friday (where Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra was delivering the sermon at the time in Qadian) I heard directly from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira who said, ‘You cannot disobey me based on any personal fault you find in me (if one were to find a fault in a personal matter that does not mean that one can disobey the Khalifa).

This can never be the case. You can never turn away from the obedience Allah the Almighty has ordained essential for you to display. Indeed, the task for which I have been appointed is something else; and that is to establish and uphold the Nizam, and thus obedience to me is necessary and obligatory.’

It is the Divine Way that the Prophets do have natural human weaknesses, and this was done to differentiate between God’s Unity and Prophethood and God does not interfere with that. This was necessary also for the training of the people, for instance, take the example of the sajda-e-sahav, which one performs if they inadvertently make a mistake [in prayer]. Thus, through this, the practical application of the sajda-esahav was demonstrated before the Ummah.

Therefore, this is such a mistake which even prophets can make. The Holy Prophetsa also made an inadvertent error [during prayers] and then performed the sajda-e-sahav.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “All the actions of Prophets are safeguarded by Allah the Almighty. With regard to the Khulafa, Allah the Almighty safeguards all their actions which they perform to progress the system established by the Prophet. A Khalifa will never make such a mistake that will harm the Jamaat or which will convert victory into defeat for Islam. Or if they ever do commit such a mistake they will immediately rectify it and will not continue with it. Allah the Almighty demonstrates His support and protection to all those actions of the Khalifa which are done to further Islam and strengthen the nizam established to achieve this progress.

Even if the Khalifa ever commits an error, Allah the Almighty has made it His own responsibility to rectify it. In short, the Khalifa is not responsible for his actions in relation to the nizam, rather God Himself is responsible. This is why it is said that Allah the Almighty appoints the Khalifa Himself. However, this does not mean that the Khalifa cannot make a mistake. What this signifies is that Allah the Almighty rectifies any mistakes through the person of the Khalifa. Or, alternatively Allah the Almighty ensures that no negative effect results from any error made by the Khalifa.

If through God’s Wisdom a situation ever arises where apparently the Khalifa commits an error which may be harmful to the Jamaat and there is a threat that it could lead to decline instead of progress, Allah the Almighty manifests hidden means and He converts any potential harmful effects into means of progress and success. This unseen wisdom would become manifest as to why the Khalifa inadvertently erred in the first place. Prophets, however, possess both forms of protection, in other words Ismat-e-Kubra and Ismat-e-Sughra.

Prophets are the centre of the system of spreading the message of God, the perfect reflection of Divine revelation as well as the perfect embodiment of righteousness.

From this one should not infer that it is not necessary for every Khalifa to be the perfect embodiment of righteousness, and although it is possible that in terms of righteous deeds their status can be below that of other saints of God but even then it is only in a particular aspect of a righteous deed. Thus, where it is possible that there are such Khalifas who are the perfect embodiment of righteousness as well the centre of spreading the message, there may be Khalifas who are lesser in status than others in righteousness [but only in relation to a particular aspect of a righteous deed] but higher in rank in administrative capability and running the system of spreading the message. In any case, it is necessary in all circumstances to obey them because the system is linked to the siyasat of the Jamaat.”

Some people will immediately be startled when hearing the words “Siyasat [politics] of the Jamaat” and would be curious as to what this infers. What does the term siyasat [politics] mean in this context? In our general use of the word, we refer to “politics” in a negative connotation. This is partly caused by politicians who have caused the word “politics” to hold a terrible reputation. It has come to signify causing havoc, damage, harm or to not work in an honest manner. In truth the lexicons describe the word “politics” to mean to properly administering a system. Another meaning is to employ reason and wisdom when implementing something, to ensure a system is in place to prevent evil is another connotation, to use reason and wisdom to carry out something, and to have the ability to solve international matters in the correct manner are included in the connotation of “politics”.

In short, this word holds all manners of positive meanings, however as I have said, regrettably we have forgotten its true meanings due to the misconduct of politicians and instead derive negative meanings from this word due to our misdeeds. In any case, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra used the word ‘politics’ for its positive connotations here. It signifies the wisdom, understanding, intelligence, acumen and capabilities required to properly operate a system.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further says: “Since the nizam [administrative structure of the Jamaat] is closely associated with the implementation of Jamaat principles, that is why one of the foremost attributes of the Khulafa is that they uphold and implement the administration.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then further elaborates: “At the same time, it is necessary that they ensure the establishment of faith and to spread its understanding.” The Khalifa is responsible for running the administration of the Jamaat as well as ensuring the principles that strengthen and establish the faith are implemented. For this reason, where God Almighty has mentioned the institution of Khilafat in the Holy Quran, He has stated the following: َّ ُ ُ َ َٰ ْ ُ َ َ َ ّ َ َُ​َ ‫ارتضی لھ ْم‬ ‫کن ّن لھ ْم دِیْ َنھ ُم ال ِذی‬ ِ ‫ولیم‬ That is God Almighty will surely establish for them their faith and ensure it prevails throughout the world. Thus, the manner in which the faith is presented by the Khulafa is safeguarded by God Almighty, however this is Hifazat-e-Sughrah.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “They [i.e. the Khulafa] can err in minor and supplementary matters relating to faith and Khulafa can disagree with one another, however they are relating to extremely inconsequential matters. For example, in some matters Hazrat Abu Bakrra held a different opinion to Hazrat Umarra …” and in fact, up to this day, the Muslim Ummah cannot agree upon some of these matters.

“This disagreement is relating to minor and supplementary matters of faith. There can never be any disagreement regarding the fundamental principles of faith. On the contrary, they – i.e. the Khulafa – will always unanimously agree on such principles as they are the guides and leaders who bestow light to the world.

Thus, if one believes that a person who has failed to do the Bai‘at can be of the same rank as the one who has done the Bai‘at, then such an individual has not truly understood the significance of the Bai‘at nor the nizam.

In regard to seeking consultation, one must remember that it is possible that one can seek consultation from an expert in their respective field, who does not share the same faith as them. The Promised Messiahas appointed an Englishman as his lawyer during a trial. However, this certainly does not mean that he sought consultation from him in matters regarding prophethood.

On the occasion of the Battle of Ahzab, the Holy Prophetsa took advice from Hazrat Salman Farsira and asked what the people of his country did at times of battle. Hazrat Salman Farsira replied that in their country they would dig a trench. The Holy Prophetsa found this to be an excellent advice and thus a trench was dug, which is why the battle is famously known as the Battle of the Ditch.

However, despite his advice, we cannot say that Hazrat Salman Farsira had greater skill and knowledge than the Holy Prophetsa in the art of battle. There is no comparison to the feats and achievement of the Holy Prophetsa and those of Hazrat Salman Farsira, in fact he was never appointed as the commander-in-chief of an army during any era of the Khulafa, even though he lived to an advanced age. Therefore, there is no harm in seeking advice from an expert, even if they belong to a different religion.”

Speaking about himself, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states, “Once I was ill and consulted some English doctors, however this does not mean that I seek advice from them in matters pertaining to Khilafat, or that I consider them to be of the same rank as the Companionsra of the Promised Messiahas. Indeed, I consult the Companionsra, however this certainly does not mean that seeking advice from a nonMuslim is of equal significance as taking advice from the Companionsra. In fact, the Companionsra hold a much loftier rank.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states: “Seeking advice from them [i.e. the doctors] was only in relation to matters of medicine. (Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra took advice from them in regard to a particular field of study or in regards to a specific matter.) Therefore, even if it were proven that Saadra bin Ubadah was consulted in regard to a secular matter in which he held expertise in, however even then it cannot be said that he would be part of the consultations. No authentic narration can be found regarding him in which it states that he was involved in consultations. In

fact, majority of the narrations state that he migrated from Medina towards the region of Syria. In the view of the Companionsra, he had completely detached himself from the Markaz [headquarters of Islam]. Hence, it is mentioned that the Companionsra would state that the angels or the Jinn had caused him to die and from this it seems that the Companionsra did not describe his demise in a positive sense because although every soul is taken by angels, however for them to specifically mention angels and the Jinn in this manner signifies that God Almighty caused his demise owing to a particular Divine Decree of His so that he could not be the cause of any division or discord.”

In other words, he was among the Badri Companionsra after all and so was caused to die, lest he would be guilty of hypocrisy, opposition or any other such act which would consequently dishonour his status.

In any case, he separated himself from the others.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further mentions: “All of these narrations reveal that the Companionsra no longer held him with the same esteem and honour as they previously did due to the rank that he had once attained. Moreover, it also shows that the Companionsra were not happy with him, otherwise why would they say that the angels or the Jinn had caused his demise?

In fact, upon his demise they used even stronger words than this which I do not wish to repeat. Therefore, to claim that one can maintain their rank and status without performing the Bai‘at of the Khalifa and adhering to the nizam of Islam is completely contrary to the events [from the history of Islam] and the teachings of Islam. Those who entertain such thoughts have in fact completely failed to understand the true concept of Bai‘at.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 16, pp. 95-101 – Friday Sermon, 8 February 1935) Hazrat Saadra bin Ubadah passed away in Horan in Syria, almost two and half years after Hazrat Umarra had been elected as the Khalifa. According to Allama ibn Hajjar Asqalani, he passed away in Busra, a town situated in Syria and was the first town conquered by the Muslims in Syria.

There is another narration which states how the people of Medina learnt about his demise. It states that in the intense heat of the afternoon, some of the boys who were jumping into the wells of Bi‘r-e-Munabbeh or Bi‘r-e-Sakan, heard someone say: ْ َ ّ َ َْ َ​َ َْ َ ‫الخَ ْز َرج َس ْع َد بْ َن ُع َب‬ ‫قد قتلنا س ِید‬ ‫ادہ‬ ِ ُ َ َْ َ​َ َ‫اہ ب َس ْھ َمیْن فَل َ ْم ُن ْخط فُ َؤادہ‬ ِ ِ ‫ورمین‬ ِ “We have killed Saadra bin Ubadah, chieftain of the Khazraj. We shot two arrows aiming for his heart, which did not fail to strike their target.”

The boys became frightened and could never forget that day. The people found his body the very same day he passed away.

Saadra was sat answering the call of nature when he was killed and died straight away.

Hazrat Saadra passed away during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra, however there are varying opinions regarding the exact year of his demise. According to some, he passed away in 14 AH while others state 15 AH and 16 AH as well. Hazrat Saad’sra grave is located in a village called Manaiha which is situated in the southern area close to Damascus. This reference is from Al-

27

Friday 14 February 2020 | AL HAKAM Tabqat-ul-Kubra. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 423, Saadra bin Ubadah Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2012) (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, p. 56, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005) (Al-Isti‘ab Fi Ma‘rifat Al-Sahaab, Vol. 42 p. 164, ar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2002) I shall now mention some details about two deceased members and will also lead their funeral prayer [in absentia], God willing.

The first is of Respected Syed Muhammad Sarwar Shah Sahib, who was a member of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian. He passed away on 8 January at the age of 85. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ ‫اج ُع ْون‬ ِ ‫اِنا لِل ِہ واِنا اِلی ِہ ر‬ “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”

He was suffering from cancer for a while but endured this illness with great strength, patience and steadfastness and right till his demise, he continued to fulfil his duties in an excellent manner. He never let his illness become a hindrance in any way.

The deceased belonged to a very devout Ahmadi family from Mauza Sungarah situated in the province of Odisha. The deceased’s great maternal grandfather, Hazrat Syed Abdul Rahim Sahibra, was a companion of the Promised Messiahas and his maternal grandfather, the late Respected Maulvi Abdul Aleem Sahib, was a great scholar and poet. Upon his birth, his father requested his father-in-law to name the child and he stated that he had seen in a dream that Syed Sarwar Shah Sahib had come to their house, therefore he should name his son Syed Sarwar.

The deceased acquired his primary education from the district of Katak and then after acquiring a BA, he worked as a headmaster in a private school. Thereafter, he worked as an assistant in the High Court of Odisha and then worked in the audit office. In 1995, after taking retirement from employment, he dedicated his life to serve the Jamaat. In 1996, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh entrusted various responsibilities to him and also made him oversee them.

The deceased also had the opportunity to perform Umrah. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh also appointed him as the auditor and also to serve as a one-man commission. He served as the auditor right until his demise.

The deceased also had the opportunity to serve as the president of the Qaza Board for nine years. Similarly, he also had the opportunity to serve as the president and as a member for many central committees.

He also had the opportunity to be a member of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya till his demise. He had great administrative skills and as I mentioned earlier, he had the opportunity to serve for many years as the central auditor. Hazrat Khalifatul Maish IVrh once wrote in a letter to him stating, “You are working in an excellent manner – Jazakumallahu Ahsan al-Jaza. I admire your devotion which you demonstrate without any fear. Masha-Allah, you have great observation of very fine and important matters. You should continue to work like this according to your programme and no one shall stop you. May God Almighty grant you a healthy and long life.” Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh then also prayed for his health and long life.

The Nazim of Dar-ul-Qaza, Qadian states: “He had a very loving relationship with all the workers of the Qaza department in Qadian. He would try his utmost to quickly resolve the case and issue a decision on the case being dealt by the department. The deceased would very carefully go through the case and would make every effort to ensure the decision was based on justice. He possessed a very sound opinion in delicate and sensitive matters and would always seek help from Allah the Almighty when dealing with such sensitive and delicate issues.”

His son-in-law, Dr Tariq Sahib, who is a senior medical officer at the Noor Hospital in Qadian, states, “He was very regular in offering his Tahajud prayers. He would always be punctual in offering his prayers and would offer them in Masjid Mubarak.

When his hands and feet became extremely weak, he would take support of others and go to the mosque. He would always go on time for the Friday prayer and sit in the first row. He would remain in the mosque after the Maghrib prayer until the Isha prayer and would spend the time in offering Nawafil, supplication and remembrance of Allah the Almighty.”

The nazir-e-ala of Qadian has also written that he possessed many excellent qualities – he was very friendly, very hospitable, extremely hard-working, kind to the poor and very obedient to officer-bearers. He had a deep bond with Khilafat and would also urge others to remain firmly attached to Khilafat. By the grace of Allah, he was a Musi [part of the Al-Wasiyyat scheme] and all his sons and daughters are at the forefront in serving the Jamaat. His youngest son, Syed Mahmood Ahmad is serving in the Noor Hospital, Qadian as a pharmacist. Both of his sons-in-law, Tanveer Ahmad Sahib and Dr Tariq Ahmad Sahib are life devotees and serving in Qadian. Likewise, his youngest son-in-law, Syed Hasan Khan continues to serve the Jamaat as a volunteer even after his retirement.

Whilst the late Sahibzada Mirza Waseem Ahmad Sahib was serving as the Nazir-e-Ala, Syed Muhammad Sarwar Shah Sahib would work with great dignity in the audit department and would ask him any question in this regard. He would always say, “There is no one more loving in the whole of Qadian than Mian Sahib.” He lived in Darul-Masih and Hazrat Mian Sahib took great care of him. At times, Shah Sahib would even burst into tears when thinking about the love and affection showed by Mian Sahib. He had great reverence for the Darweshan-e-Qadian and himself led a very humble and simple life. He also had great affection for Jamia students and would show utmost respect to the scholars. May Allah the Almighty elevate the rank of the deceased and enable his progeny to follow in his footsteps.

The second funeral is of Respected Shaukat Gohar Sahiba who was the wife of Dr Latif Ahmad Quraishi Sahib of Rabwah and daughter of Maulana Abdul Malik Khan Sahib. She passed away in Rabwah on 5 January at the age of 77. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّ ٰ َّ ‫اج ُع ْون‬ ِ ‫اِنا لِل ِہ واِنا اِلی ِہ ر‬ “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”

By the grace of Allah, she too was a Musia. She was born in Agra and in those

days, her father, Maulana Abdul Malik Khan Sahib was appointed as the missionary in that area. Thereafter, she moved with her parents to Hyderabad Deccan.

After the partition, she moved to Karachi, where she received her primary education.

She showed great aptitude in her studies and would always achieve a notable position [in class]. She had a passion for serving the Jamaat from a young age, and she served as the Nasirat Secretary in Karachi, where she managed to bring the Karachi Nasirat to first position. In 1961, when her Nikah was settled with Dr Latif Quraishi Sahib, at the time he was studying in Medical College.

When her husband moved to the UK, she also went with him [after their marriage].

After completing his studies in the UK, Dr Sahib wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh who replied stating he should return to Pakistan and then appointed him in the Fazl-e-Umar Hospital. She too returned to Rabwah and worked alongside her husband with great enthusiasm. She also had the opportunity to serve the Jamaat extensively and worked for Lajna. During her time, everyone living in Rabwah, every woman and I believe even the young girls were aware of her services.

When my mother, Sahibzadi Nasira Begum Sahiba, served as the Sadr Lajna in Rabwah, she appointed Shaukat Sahiba as the General Secretary in her Amila [committee]. She continued to offer services in this role for 15 years and it was from her that she received her training. She served with wonderful administrative capabilities and then also served as a Secretary in the Markazi Amila [Central Committee].

Thereafter, I appointed her as the General Secretary Markaziyya of Pakistan, where she rendered great services for six years. Due to her ill health, she had to leave her Lajna responsibilities but she would continue to give services, whenever the opportunity arose, and in whatever capacity possible.

She served the Jamaat in different capacities for 50 years and all the women and girls who worked with her only have words of praise for her. Being kind to neighbours, taking care of the needy, being hospitable and paying her Chanda at the first available moment were some of her distinct qualities.

In fact, when the announcement was made this year to donate towards Waqf-e-Jadid, she made a donation there and then. This was a few days prior to her demise on 5 January and the announcement for the new [Waqf-e-Jadid year] was made on 1 January.

Dr Quraishi Sahib writes that in the 50 years they spent together, she was most exemplary in her conduct as a wife, mother, sister and daughter and fulfilled all her obligation. One thing Dr Sahib has not written or perhaps has been left out, is that she was also an exemplary daughter-in-law.

Perhaps he forgot to mention this. She lived with her mother and father-in-law, and in fact her mother-in-law is still alive and despite her illness, Shaukat Sahiba continued to serve her mother-in-law and take care of her like her own mother. Thus, she departed this world after living an exemplary life. She was unwell for a long period of time, but despite that she remained mindful of her responsibilities around the home and would complete all of them. Even in sickness, she would never complain and would bear the illness with great patience. She had a deep bond with Khilafat. Among those she leaves

behind are her husband, Dr Latif Quraishi Sahib, three sons and two daughters. Two of her sons and one of her daughters are doctors, and one son is an engineer; all of her children all well-educated. She taught them in very difficult circumstances. One of her daughters once asked why she never wore jewellery or had fine clothes made for herself, to which she replied that whatever money she saved would go towards their education. She also said the only type of jewellery and nice clothes she desired was for her children to attain an education, become valuable individuals for the Jamaat and be able to take care of themselves.

She often saw true dreams and visions.

Her children have written that many of her dreams came true. At the time of her daughter’s entry to college, Shaukat Sahiba informed her daughter that she would be accepted by such and such medical college, as she had seen it in her dream, which then was fulfilled as stated. There are many other similar dreams [which were fulfilled]. By the grace of Allah Almighty, she was a very pious woman and took care of her sisters and others. Her son Abdul Malik has written that she was selfless in her services to the Community. She would walk in the extreme heat from the Lajna Office to Darul Ulum, but not once did she complain. On the day of Eid, she would always make a sweet dish at home and send it to her neighbours, whether they were immediate neighbours or lived at a distance. She would always say that if we remain attached to our religion, then God Almighty will never abandon us.

One daughter who lives in the US, writes, “After marriage and when I had children, she would advise me that in order to keep them away from the bad influences and environment of while living in the US and other such countries, I ought to have a loving and friendly relationship with my children.

Also that I ought to make the environment of the home such that they remain content at home and for them to spend more time at home rather than outside of the house.”

The same daughter then says, “Once, in medical college, other girls began to oppose me and boycotted me as I was an Ahmadi Muslim. I called my mother and began to cry on the phone, however, she gave me wonderful advice, stating that there is no reason to cry, as this was the case with all prophets and that I had an opportunity to follow in their practice. She also said to note her advice that if I ever suffered pain in the way of Ahmadiyyat, then God Almighty would never let me go to waste and that I shall also be successful in my examinations.”

She then states, “I not only passed my exams, but each one of the mischievous girls failed theirs.”

May Allah the Almighty elevate the rank of the deceased and enable her children to follow in her footsteps. May they become pious, righteous, servants to their faith and may they always have a firm and loyal bond with Khilafat.

As I mentioned earlier, after the prayers I shall lead the funeral prayers in absentia of the two deceased members.

(Original Urdu published in Urdu in Al Fazl International, 7 February 2020, pp. 5-9. Translated by The Review of Religions.)

The prophecy about the Musleh-e-Maud On 20 February 1886, a leaflet was published in which Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas expressed that Allah the Almighty vouchsafed a sign amid his time of isolation that a child would be born to him who would serve Islam and would be blessed with extraordinary attributes.

The words of the prophecy are as follows: “I confer upon thee a Sign of My mercy according to thy supplications. I have heard thy entreaties and have honoured thy prayers with My acceptance through My mercy and have blessed this thy journey.

“A sign of power, mercy, nearness to Me is bestowed on thee. A Sign of grace and beneficence is awarded to thee and thou art granted the key of success and victory. Peace on thee, O victorious one.

“Thus does God speak so that those who desire life may be rescued from the grip of death and those who are buried in the graves may emerge therefrom and so that the superiority of Islam and the dignity of God’s word may become manifest unto the people and so that the truth

may arrive with all its blessings and falsehood may depart with all its ills, and so that people may understand that I am the Lord of Power, I do whatever I will, and so that they may believe that I am with thee, and so that those who do not believe in God and deny and reject His religion and His Book and His Holy Messenger Muhammad, the chosen one [on whom be peace] may be confronted with a clear sign and the way of the guilty ones may become manifest.

“Rejoice, therefore, that a handsome and pure boy will be bestowed on thee. Thou wilt receive a bright youth who will be of thy seed and will be of thy progeny. A handsome and pure boy will come as your guest.

“His name is Emmanuel and Bashir. He has been invested with a holy spirit and he will be free from all impurity. He is the light of Allah.

“Blessed is he who comes from heaven. He shall be accompanied by grace (Fazl) which shall arrive with him. He will be characterised with grandeur, greatness and wealth. He will come into the world and will heal many of their disorder through his Messianic qualities and through the blessings of the Holy Spirit.

“He is the Word of Allah for Allah’s mercy and honour have equipped him with the Word of Majesty. He will be extremely intelligent and understanding and will be meek of heart and will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge.

He will convert three into four. [the Promised Messiahas said concerning this, ‘Of this, the meaning is not clear.’]

“It is Monday, a blessed Monday. Son, delight of heart, high-ranking, noble; a manifestation of the First and the Last, a manifestation of the True and the High; as if Allah has descended from heaven. His advent will be greatly blessed and will be a source of manifestation of Divine Majesty.

“Behold! a light cometh, a light anointed by God with the perfume of His pleasure. We shall pour our spirit into him and he will be sheltered under the shadow of God. He will grow rapidly in stature and will be the means of procuring the release of those held in bondage. His fame will spread to the ends of the earth and peoples will be blessed through him. He will then be raised to his spiritual station in heaven. This is a matter decreed.”

Editor: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Design & Layout: Jalees Ahmad | Sub-Editorial: Ataul Fatir Tahir | News: Ata-ul-Haye Nasir | © Al Hakam 2020

Th