Al Hakam - 29 May 2020

Scenes of God’s forgiveness

France’s obsession with the Muslim headscarf

Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismailra describes God’s forgiveness through a vision

A look at the law in France on the Hijab

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Those who abandon Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya cause no harm

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100 Years Ago...

Ahmadiyyat in America and sincere Ahmadis in the UK

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 29 May 2020 | Issue CXV Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Menu of modern media The curiosity in humankind’s nature has been the main drive behind its pursuit of information.

Before the invention of the printing press, sailors and wanderers would bring back information from distant lands, which was then passed on by word of mouth, from one person to another, one community to another.

The printing press brought with it the facility of having such information recorded and, subsequently, be challenged if someone had a different version of the same story.

Thanks once again to humankind’s curiosity, this storytelling developed into the business of reporting, which became popular at an unprecedented scale, so much so that publications had to be dedicated for this purpose.

This is the shortest story of the birth of newspapers and its twin called journalism.

When versions of the same story began to differ in core facts was when civilised society started to think about responsible journalism and thus came up the question of credibility, fact-finding and checks of various kinds. State censorships emerged at around the same stage, out of similar reasons.

This potentially meant that all newspapers reported the same stories, which, commercially speaking, left no charm in the business.

At this juncture, the predicament faced by the newspaper industry was how to be different and how to generate

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

The superiority of making peace and establishing justice among people Hazrat Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “There is a sadaqa to be given for every joint of the human body; and for every day on which the sun rises, there is a reward of a sadaqa [charitable gift] for the one who establishes justice among people.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari) Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Three conditions of repentance

more revenue from circulation and advertisement. It was at this point that gossip was first introduced as a lifesaver for the budding (and already struggling) industry of journalism. The public was already intrigued to know what celebrities did behind closed doors.

This genre, later to be termed as tabloid journalism, gained mass popularity as newspapers continued to reveal the everyday lives of celebrities. This led to scandals becoming the main lifeline of

journalism.

The definition of celebrities, which was initially restricted to actors and actresses, expanded to take into its fold politicians and leaders.

As the world of journalism evolved into mass media, politicians emerged as the most scandalous class and, naturally, one that generated more sales and profits.

As we write these lines, actors and Continued on page 3

Repentance, in actuality, truly enables and reinforces the acquisition of good morals and makes a person complete.

In other words, a person who desires a change in their immoral habits must first repent with a true heart and firm resolve.

It ought to be borne in mind also that there are three conditions for repentance, without fulfilment of which true repentance cannot be achieved.

The first of these three conditions is referred to as iqla in the Arabic language. That is to say, the discarding of one’s evil thoughts, which arouse evil propensities.

The fact of the matter is that one’s ideas bear a very heavy influence.

For every action takes on a form in Continued on page 3

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

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This Week in History 29 May - 4 June

In this third year of Al Hakam, we will present a selection of incidents from the blessed life of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, this time, with some more details

29 May 1887: The Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, wrote a long letter to his trusted friend, Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira, in which he shared some future projects and sought his opinion. Huzooras used to ask for the viewpoints of his companions on certain issues. In this letter, Huzooras was considering generating budgets for printing books.

a written message to Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira, asking him to come to Qadian for at least two months. Huzooras shared the intensity of his malady and that hope for his recovery was beginning to fade, so much so that even news of his demise was beginning to spread. Huzooras added that a huge influx of letters was piling up daily, owing to his illness.

29 May 1898: The Promised Messiahas received reports about the activities of some of his followers and Huzooras did not find the standard of their worships and traits etc. up to the standard he desired. In response, the Promised Messiahas wrote and published a lengthy announcement, which was, in essence, the summary of the Ten Conditions of Bai‘at and the contents of Our Teaching.

31 May 1896: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Mian Abdullahra of Sanaur that he came to know from the letter of Hazrat Munshi Ghulam Qadir that he was with him. Huzooras sent a detailed vernacular prescription and reaffirmed Mian Abdullah Sahibra to make extra effort in the treatment of Munshi Ghulam Qadir Sahib.

30 May 1887: The Promised Messiahas informed Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira, through a letter, the interpretation to a dream seen by Munshi Rustam Ali Sahibra. Besides this, Huzooras asked him to purchase and send ghee worth 5 rupees because in Qadian, owing to the special and extra consumption of ghee in Ramadan, the supply of ghee was limited.

30 May 1884: The fiasco of Munshi Inder Man of Muradabad has been shared in this column many times. On this date, the Promised Messiahas published a letter along with a detailed notification containing the complete history and courageous steps taken by the Promised Messiahas in defence of Islam against all opponents.

31 May 1887: The Promised Messiahas replied to a letter of Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra and commended his arguments that he had presented during a debate with a Christian priest. Huzooras stated that Islamic teachings are deeply rooted in nature and logic. God says in the Holy Quran: “Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom.” Further, it has enjoined its followers to reply with tenderness. The postcard did not carry a date on it, but the stamp of the post office of Qadian cited this date.

31 May 1890: The Promised Messiahas informed Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira about the condition of his health after receiving treatment in Lahore. Huzooras wrote in this postcard that his illness was fading away day by day, but he was still severely weak due to the illness.

31 May 1890: The Promised Messiahas sent

31 May 1904: On this date, the Promised Messiahas was in Gurdaspur and Maulvi Ilahi Bakhsh Sahib visited him, who came all the way from Banaras (modern day Varanasi). Before a huge gathering, Huzooras delivered a powerful speech, covering many subjects. He also shared that he once read in a newspaper that a deputy inspector cleaned his nails with a pencil that caused swelling and infection in his hand, so much so that the doctor suggested amputating his hand. He thought it was something minor and this resulted in his death. Likewise, Huzooras once sharpened a pencil with his nail. When Huzooras went for a walk the next day and thought of the deputy inspector, it was too late and by that time, Huzoor’sas hand had been infected.

The Promised Messiahas prayed immediately and received a revelation. When he looked again, his hand was completely healed; there was no swelling or pain. In short, with God Almighty’s blessings, no pain or difficulty remains. However, it is essential that man brings about a change in himself.

2 June 1883: The Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to Mir Abbas Ali Sahib of Ludhiana and commented on the report he sent of his journey towards Jalandhar. In this letter, Huzooras condemned the views and activities of naturalists and told Mir Sahib about the ultimate success of men of God. Moreover, the Promised Messiahas advised him to recite Durood (salutations upon the Holy Prophetsa) regularly and to consider it dearer than the Philosopher’s Stone.

2 June 1898: The Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to his companion, Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra, informing him that he had received the sent amount of one hundred rupees.

Additionally, the Promised Messiahas expressed

his desire to hear the result of some matters that Hazrat Seith Sahibra had asked Huzooras to pray for.

3 June 1888: The Promised Messiahas informed his companion, Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira that he was still in Batala and would be back in Qadian after five or six days. Huzooras shared that the health of his ailing son, Bashir Ahmad had shown little improvement.

3 June 1890: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira and asked him whether he could come to Qadian for the next two months for assistance in correspondence of letters.

4 June 1885: The Promised Messiahas replied to a letter of Mir Abbas Ali Sahib of Ludhiana. In it, Huzooras lauded his contemporary spiritual experiences. Huzooras shared his upcoming travel plans to Delhi and details about a prevailing illness in India.

4 June 1886: The Promised Messiahas informed his follower, Hazrat Pir Siraj-ul-Haq Numanira that he had received 25 rupees sent by Pir Sahibra. It seems that Huzooras had a habit of appreciating even the smallest of contributions from his beloved followers. Hazrat Pir Sahibra had a following of thousands, but he found solace and contentment in serving the Messiahas, while offering Chanda.

4 June 1888: The Promised Messiahas replied to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira and said that he had not received the mentioned rice paddy consignment, which Munshi Sahibra had sent.

Huzooras also wrote that he was still in Batala and would be back in Qadian before Eid-ul-Fitr.

4 June 1895: The Promised Messiahas replied to a letter of Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira. In it, Huzooras informed him that his book, Nur-ulQuran had been printed and yet another very comprehensive book was being written. This letter exemplifies the Promised Messiah’sas mission to serve Islam.

4 June 1907: The Promised Messiahas replied to a letter of his beloved companion, Hazrat Khan Sahib Abdul Majid Khanra, District Magistrate of Kapurthala. Huzooras wrote that he had prayed after every letter that he received from Majid Khan Sahib. He said that, God willing, more prayers would be made afterwards.

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Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

Continued from page 1

our minds before it is manifested in the realm of deeds. Hence, the first condition for repentance is to abandon one’s evil thoughts and ill fancies. For example, if a person has an illicit relationship with a woman, in order to repent, it is necessary for him to conceive of her as ugly and call to mind all her ignoble qualities. As I have said, the effect of one’s thoughts are very powerful indeed.

I have read in the accounts of various sufis that they were able to carry their thoughts to such a degree that they were able to see a human being in the form of an ape or a pig. In short, everything takes on a hue that is consistent with our own thoughts. Therefore, those thoughts which arouse evil pleasures must be uprooted.

This is the first condition.

The second condition is known as nadam in Arabic. In other words, to feel regret and remorse. Everyone’s conscience is powerful enough to admonish a person when they commit an evil, but an illnatured person neglects this conscience.

Hence, a sinner must show remorse when he commits a sin or an evil action, and he should realise that the pleasures he derives are temporary and will last for a short span of time. He should also consider that on every instance there is a decrease in his pleasure and enjoyment. Ultimately, in old age when the faculties become weak and ineffectual, all of these pleasures of the world will have to be relinquished. Now, when all of these pleasures will ultimately escape us in this very life, then what is to be gained by indulging in them now?

Truly fortunate is the one who turns to

repentance, and whose attention is turned towards discarding and uprooting all of their evil thoughts and fancies. When an individual is purged of this filth and impurity, they must be remorseful and feel ashamed for what they have done.

The third condition is called azm in Arabic. In other words, this means to make a firm resolve to never revert to these vices in the future. When a person remains firm in this resolve, Allah the Exalted shall grant them the strength needed for true repentance, to the extent that they will be wholly cleansed of their sins and good morals and praiseworthy actions will take their place. This is a triumph of morals. It is the work of Allah Almighty to grant a person strength and ability in this regard, because it is He alone who is the Master of all strengths and faculties. God Almighty states: ّٰ َ ُ ْ َ َ ‫أ ّن الق ّوَة ل ِل ِه َج ِم ْي ًعا‬ “All power belongs to Allah.”

All of our faculties are to be exerted in the way of Allah Almighty, for man is frail and weak. His reality is expounded in the following verse: ً َ ُ َْ ْ َ ُ ‫ان ﺿع ِْيفا‬ ‫خلِﻖ ال ِ�نس‬ “Man has been created weak.”

Therefore, in order to seek strength from God Almighty, if a person follows the three conditions mentioned earlier to the fullest extent and forsakes indolence and sloth, and becomes fully prepared to improve, and prays to God Almighty, then surely, Allah the Exalted will transform their morals.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 135 - 136)

Continued from page 1

actresses jealously feel overshadowed by politicians in the world of scandals as the latter hog headlines much more and for a longer period of time.

Also, as we write these lines, the global media has gone into a frenzy of scandal reporting. At a time when thousands of members of the global population continue to die of the deadly coronavirus, it is distressing to see the media shamelessly take off its robes of decency and wrap itself in the scales of tabloid and yellow journalism.

A short headline on the hundreds who lost their lives to the coronavirus and then a long story of a president who considers injecting disinfectants into the veins of the general public; a stupid idea that can easily be brushed away is given huge chunks of airtime, where virologists, epidemiologists and experts of public health are taken on Skype to condemn an idea that requires no more than a common man (with a bit of common sense) to reject.

The discussion goes on and on with diagrams and charts showing how injecting toilet bleach could travel into the bloodstream and work as a killer and not a cure of viral infection.

A more sensible debate might have been to question those who elected such a leader. A democratically leader, they say, represents the nation. So why not ask the nation what made them stoop this low.

A president from Latin America has refused to wear a mask and has made it to international headlines. He hogs the headlines for several days, and, as soon as other stories start to take over, he decides to wear a mask. There he is! Back at the top.

A political advisor of a prime minister travels to a different part of the country, where he and his family can self-isolate.

He ends up at his destination and also at the top headlines. Fair enough, he should not have breached the lockdown that kept everyone strictly indoors, especially when he himself was instrumental in drafting the law around it. But unlimited time for questioning an advisor? Why not just bring the story to light and leave the public to decide if a government that relies on such advisors is trustworthy or not. The media claims to be a public servant, so why not leave it to the public to decide?

Over the last couple of weeks, hours upon hours have been invested in covering the story. Reporters and politicians are shown demanding the advisor to resign.

He is made to sit before the media and read out to them what was more of an alibi than a statement. The one who asks him the most gruelling question is seen as the best reporter.

All this goes on in the theatre of mass media at a time when humanity is going through its worst crisis in many decades; at a time when every person of the world is swamped in the uncertainty of how to get back to normal life; at a time when the underprivileged population of the world is trying to decide whether the epidemic of poverty is the worst killer or the coronavirus.

At such a time of uncertainty and crisis, humanity looks at the menu card of modern media. There is very little or nothing on it that the majority of the world’s population can afford.

Scandal, for most of the human population, is still a luxury.

Humanity First Niger help worst affected Covid-19 area Muhammad Jamal Niger Correspondent

In less than 30 days, Covid-19 cases spiked dramatically in Niger, so far Niger has 955 confirmed cases, 64 deaths were also registered. The worst affected area is Niamey, which is the capital of Niger. Due to lack of resources and being the poorest country in the world, the hardships of people are more than any other developed country. Here people toil on the daily to support their families and the government imposing the lockdown in Niamey has made life miserable for the poor.

In these circumstances, Humanity First is diligently engaged in the service of people in Niger, regardless of race or religion. A link in the same chain is a ration distribution programme in Niger, for which Humanity First Niger was supported both financially and morally by Humanity First Norway.

On 6 May 2020, in a neighbourhood of Niamey, Humanity First Niger distributed 200 ration bags to the needy and less

privileged. All the bags contained five kilogram of rice, one kilogram of sugar, one litre of oil and soap. Through this programme, awareness was also raised amongst people regarding maintaining social distance and practicing good hygiene etiquette.

At the invitation of Amir Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Niger, Asad Majeeb Sahib, the governor of Niamey also attended the event and appreciated the role of Humanity First.

Apart from the chief of the neighbourhood, some other members of the governor’s cabinet also attended the programme and everyone expressed their gratitude for Humanity First Niger and Humanity First Norway.

At the end, Amir Sahib Niger and President Humanity First Niger thanked all the attendees for their participation.

National television of Niger covered the programme and aired it in the 9pm bulletin, in which they praised the efforts of Humanity First.

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Scenes of God’s forgiveness Part III Written in Urdu by Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismailra – brother-in-law of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas – and published in Al Fazl on 13 June 1944

After a while, I told Ghufran, “I have seen many examples of the forgiveness of Allah. But what I see here is like an ocean with no end in sight. I am a little tired.

Can you please take me back?”

So we started making our way back, but Ghufran, considering my tiredness, wanted to keep me occupied. He informed me about some general rules and reasons for forgiveness. So, I will mention them here briefly: A few reasons of forgiveness 1. No one will enter paradise due to the strength of their own actions, no matter how good their actions might be. It is only Allah’s grace and compassion which results in a person’s salvation 2. The second rule is that Allah is very appreciative and rewards every action manifold 3. Allah is the Most Forgiving, Ever Merciful, of His Own will. He may forgive someone without any judgment, while someone may have an easy judgment and another may be called to full account 4. Allah’s mercy always overpowers his wrath 5. Every punishment of Allah is based on wisdom and leads to reformation and is not based on personal anger or displeasure. Even hell is an abode for rehabilitation and is temporary and not permanent 6. No one can forgive any sins of another person. Forgiveness of sins is exclusively God’s prerogative. ّٰ َّ ُ ُّ ْ َ ْ َّ ‫ِان ٗه لَا يغ ِف ُر الذنوْ َب ِالا الل ُه‬ [Verily, no one can forgive sins, save Allah] 7. There is no cruelty in God’s judgment. There is either compassion, justice or appropriate punishment 8. Every good deed is rewarded manifold, whereas the punishment of each sin is equal to its measure. If a person only thinks about doing a good, they get the reward for it, but if a person thinks about doing an evil, then there is no punishment for it, rather, if he stops himself from the evil he planned to do, there is reward for that as well 9. Istighfar [prayer for Allah’s forgiveness] is readily accepted by Allah 10. If a person prays for someone else’s forgiveness, this prayer is considered for

both the one praying and the one prayed for. In reality, praying for the deceased is one of the best gifts we can offer them 11. The Most Forgiving, Ever Merciful God has appointed numerous angels in each and every corner of both worlds and there is a very respected and close group of angels around His throne whose sole job is to pray for the forgiveness of His servants. God does not shy away from even forgiving the shortcomings of a believer whose sins are high like a mountain or even reach the sky. Everyday, infinite sins of mankind are forgiven by the Most Gracious, Most Forgiving God without any reason 12. On the Day of Judgment, prophets, especially the Holy Prophetsa – the Chief of all Prophets – as well as other holy and chosen people, will intercede on behalf of the believers, with the permission of God, and countless creation of God will be forgiven by their intercession. Not only these chosen ones, but even the Holy Quran and its chapters will intercede on behalf of servants. Many people will be forgiven due to such intercessions 13. Finally, the Most Forgiving and Merciful God will extend His hands into hell and say, “All the intercessors have interceded. Now the Most Forgiving, Most Compassionate, Most Loving will intercede”, i.e. God Himself. All the sinners will be removed from hell and the doors of hell will shake with the soft breeze of God’s mercy – no one will be left therein. Even the Pharaoh and Abu Jahl will be brought into the mantle of Allah’s forgiveness. Hell would keep its prisoners only until their reformation is complete.

This is indicated by the Holy Prophetsa as well that: ّ َ ٰ ّ ‫َح ّتی اِذا هذبُوا َواتقوا‬ that as soon as manners and righteousness are achieved by them and they are capable of living peacefully among the people of paradise, with high morals and virtue, they will be sent towards paradise. And severe punishments are given to the people of harsh and extreme natures 14. Some people are in doubt that if God is Ever Merciful, more compassionate than one’s parents, then why would He place people in hell? The answer to this is that hell is for those who associate

partners with Allah and transgress and rebel without any care and are among the worst enemies of God and His Messengersa in the world. Even parents become apathetic and get sick of their children when they become openly rebellious and transgressors. َّ ّ ُ ّٰ َ ّٰ َ ْ ْ َّ ‫ِا ّن الل َه لَا ي َع ِذ ُب ِم ْن ِع َبا ِد ٖه ِال َا ال َمارِ ِد ال ُم َت َم ّرِد ٰال ِذ ْي يَ َت َم ّرَ ُد َعلى الل ِه‬ ُّ َّ َ ٰ َ َ ْ ُ ّ ْ َ َ َ َ ‫وابی ان يقول لا ِاله ِالا الله‬ “Allah does not punish any of His slaves except those who are defiant and rebellious, who rebel against Allah and refuse to say, ‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah.” [Sunan Ibn-eMajah, Kitab al-Zuhd] Otherwise, you have already seen how Allah will deal with people on the Day of Judgment. ُ َّ َ ّ ٰ َ َ ْ ُ َ ‫ان الل ِه عما ي َ ِصف ْو َن‬ ‫فسبح‬ “Glorified be Allah above all that which they attribute [to Him]!”

Righteous deeds Ghufran said: “Other than what you have seen, there are countless other ways of the forgiveness of Allah. There are countless deeds which are so liked by Allah that due to them, a person is covered in the light of Allah’s forgiveness.

“Some such actions include the five daily prayers, fasting, good morals, taking care of the elderly, obedience to parents, loyalty to husbands, taking care of orphans, charity and alms-giving, seeking

forgiveness and repentance, propagating the message of Islam, remembrance of Allah, fear of Allah and taqwa, having hope in the mercy of Allah, trying to stay away from big sins, respect of elders, forgiving the faults of other people, love of Allah, helping people, invoking Durood upon the Holy Prophetsa with love and devotion, sincerity, jihad, sacrifice, recitation of the Holy Quran etc.

“In essence, all good deeds absorb the forgiveness of Allah and sometimes, it is these small deeds that are appreciated and rewarded manifold by Allah and result in the forgiveness of the person. When you return here next time, I will tell you some other aspects.

“And anyway, with the command of Allah, your leader and guide, Ahmadas [the Promised Messiah] has opened a place of forgiveness in the world. I asked, “Which place?”

He replied, “The same place which is known as Bahishti Maqbarah [the Heavenly Graveyard, founded by the Promised Messiahas]. Your Jamaat is very fortunate that they are able to receive such [blessings] through the grace of Allah, which the previous ummahs and the earlier people of this ummah were not able to. Everyone who is buried in this graveyard will come out on the Day of Judgment already dressed in the garb of Allah’s forgiveness.”

Then, Ghufran asked me, “Tell me, since you are personally aware of matters of that graveyard, let me hear some interesting incidents of God’s forgiveness pertaining to the place. I have shown you around this place in such detail, now let me hear an incident or two from you that you have witnessed with your own eyes so that it may please my heart.”

I replied, “Okay, then listen!”

Interesting incidents linked with Bahishti Maqbara “One incident is that of Maulvi Nabha Sahib. He used to live in a city called Nabha, quite far from Qadian. He was very old and poor. If he had died there [in Nabha], there was no appropriate arrangement for bringing the dead body [to Qadian], nor were his relatives rich enough to arrange for the transport.

“One day, perhaps only four days before his demise, Allah instilled a great

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Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM yearning and passion in his heart to visit Qadian. He got on a train right away and alighted at Batala Station. In those days, the trains did not yet reach Qadian.

“The same day, I was returning back to my place of employment from Qadian.

I met him roadside near the village of Vadala. He was happy and in great shape.

I asked him as to what brought him to Qadian? He replied, ‘All of a sudden, I got so eager to visit Qadian that I could not even stay a single moment in Nabha.

I plan to stay a few days here and then I shall return.’

“After this [short conversation] my horse-carriage left for Batala and his departed for Qadian. Two or three days after I reached the place of my employment, I read in Al Fazl that Maulvi Nabha Sahib was visiting Qadian, he got sick there and had passed away from the illness. It said that he was buried in the Bahishti Maqbarah.

“So, this was one sign I saw in that Allah compelled his heart and brought a weak and poor person, hundreds of miles away from his home, to Qadian at the time of his death. Otherwise, the poor person would have been buried in his hometown Nabha because there would have been no arrangements for his dead body to be brought to Qadian, so Bahishti Maqbarah pulled him to itself.

“The second incident is even more fascinating than this one. Sheikh Mahmud Ahmad Irfani Saghir was sick in his final illness. He was not a musi [participant in the scheme of Al Wasiyyat]. A few days before his death, he finalised his Wasiyyat and sent it to the administrative offices of Bahishti Maqbarah. He passed away after a few days.

“The day he died was the same day when Jalsa Hoshiarpur, relating to the announcement of the fulfillment of the Musleh-e-Maud prophecy, took place.

The majority of the men in Qadian had traveled to Hoshiarpur to participate in the Jalsa. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] was not in Qadian, nor were any of the other elders of the Jamaat. It was quite a desolate sight in Qadian and his family members felt that Irfani Saghir had passed away on a day when you could not even see enough people in Qadian to offer the funeral prayer.

“Irfani Kabir informed Hazrat Amirul Momineen [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra] and also informed Hazrat Maulvi Sarwar Shah[ra] about his son’s demise. He requested His Holiness to allow for this old servant [of the community] to be buried in qitta-e-khas [an area of the graveyard dedicated for devout servants of the Jamaat] and wrote to Maulvi Sarwar Shah Sahib[ra], Secretary of Bahishti Maqbarah that his Wasiyyat was still in the office, pending approval. Thus, he requested him if he could grant special permission for him to be buried in Bahishti Maqbarah.

“Within a few hours, an answer was received for both telegrams. Huzoor[ra] replied that a place could not be offered in qitta-e-khas because there were special conditions for that. This instruction was complied with. Hazrat Maulvi [Sarwar

Shah] Sahib[ra] replied that the will was not accepted, that is why he is not permitted to be buried in Bahishti Maqbarah.

“This was possibly because the will was made at the deathbed. But despite all this, God’s forgiveness and mercy was smiling over the body of this individual, that ‘We have caused you to die today so that you can be buried in the graveyard [Bahishti Maqbarah] and We have sent those who did not approve your request there [to Hoshiarpur]. Do not worry, for your services will not go in vain. And you will surely be buried in this very graveyard of which you are not considered worthy by the administrators.’

“So, what transpired was that a few members of Sadr Anjuman [the Central Administrative Body of the Jamaat] were able to reach Qadian in the middle of the night. A meeting was held that very morning by those members and the Wasiyyat was accepted. By 2pm, the deceased was buried in the graveyard after his funeral prayer.

“The train upon which Hazrat Maulvi Sarwar Shah Sahib and the others were supposed to arrive in Qadian was scheduled for 1:30pm, but the train was delayed by an hour and a half. If the train had reached in time, then surely Irfani Saghir would not have been buried in the graveyard because he was buried just after 2pm. Hence, I saw the special involvement of the forgiveness of Allah in that case with my own eyes, and I truly came to believe: ْ َ َّ ُ ُّ ْ َ ‫لَا يغ ِف ُر الذنوْ َب ِالا ان َت‬ “that ‘there is none other than You [Allah] who can forgive the sins.’

“When the will of Allah decides to show mercy, then there is no one who can stop it! Those of us who were saddened by the fact that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] and other elders were not in Qadian came to know that this was all according to the wisdom of Allah and that the forgiveness and mercy of Allah had decided that Mahmud Irfani would most definitely be buried in Bahishti Maqbarah, despite various hurdles and even not fulfilling certain criteria. And so it happened!”

Ghufran’s whispering Ghufran laughed at these incidents and then said, “Bring your ear closer to me.”

I leaned towards him and he whispered such a thing in my ear that I could not stop the tears from flowing down my eyes; all I managed to say was, “Alhamdolillah” and “Jazakallah”.

Ghufran was not yet done with his conversation, when I saw the great door which we had used to enter the place of resurrection. Upon seeing the door, the peaceful trance that had intoxicated me with the forgiveness of Allah was slowly lifted and I was awoken.

What I saw was that I was still on my bed in my home, writing this very article. But the only thing I wrote in full consciousness was this last sentence: ّٰ ْ َ َ ْ ْ ‫آخ ُِر َد ْعوَانا ا ِن ال َح ْم ُد لِل ِه َر ِّب ال َعال َ ِمی َن‬ [Our final call is that all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.]

Humanity First Guyana helping communities during Covid-19 Maqsood Ahmed Mansoor Missionary-in-Charge & Chairman Humanity First, Guyana

As the world continues to grapple with the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, people are becoming more and more in need of assistance to cope with daily life.

On humanitarian grounds, it is up to those who can offer assistance to do so. One such organisation which has been making efforts to ease the burdens of Guyanese is Humanity First Guyana and Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Guyana.

By the grace of Allah, Humanity First Guyana and Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Guyana has been so far engaged in a countrywide effort to bring ease to the hundreds of Guyanese suffering across the country; from as far as Linden, to Berbice and Georgetown.

We have been able to provide help to over 200 families with food hampers, medical supplies and clothing. Additionally, we have been able to provide over 360 facemasks to Guyanese in need of them. The efforts which began since April have also seen the distribution of 24 food hampers to the residence located in Logwood Village up the Demerara River.

We are also committed to helping all Guyanese; as such prisoners housed in the New Amsterdam Prison benefited from the distribution of a number of ointment and facemasks which was done by the Rosignol chapter of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Guyana.

These efforts will continue by Humanity First Guyana as it aims to bring ease to as many Guyanese people as possible during this Covid-19 pandemic.

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

6

Global food crisis and lessons from Ramadan Jazib Mehmood Jamia Ahmadiyya Ghana

An aim of fasting during Ramadan is to remind Muslims of the suffering of people who don’t know when their next meal will come. It is indeed one of the many ways Islam reminds us to have sympathy for those who are in need.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him, speaks of this essence: “A little consideration would show that fasting teaches men lessons which secure their national welfare. The first lesson is that a rich man, who has never suffered hunger or privation and cannot realise the sufferings of his poorer brethren who have very often to go without food, begins through fasting to realise what hunger is and what the poor have to suffer. This produces in his mind active sympathy with the poor which finds vent in measures calculated to ameliorate the lot of the poor, the natural result of which is an increase in the national welfare.

It is obvious that the welfare of the nation is bound up with the welfare of the individual.”

(Ahmadiyyat or the True Islam, pp.81-82) Since the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic, most people haven’t paid attention to much else. However, another crisis has been quietly growing that could affect us all. Although for most panic buyers, food shortage was just a nightmare, it’s slowly turning into a reality. One of the world’s most important industries is wilting; the food industry.

Many migrant workers involved in agriculture and food production are now immobile because of border crackdowns.

This has left produce unharvested and left to rot in fields. Seasonal labourers are missing

on the farms of Spain, Germany, Italy, and France (New York Times, 27 March 2020).

The UK, desperate for farm labour, has looked to tap its reservoir of the unemployed to harvest the food that’s wasting away since workers cannot get to it. India has limited rice exports due to labour shortages. It takes people to harvest, process and package the fruits and vegetables we easily pick off our shelves. This food also rots easily which poses an even greater threat to their supply.

(Foreign Policy Magazine, 14 April 2020) We’re already feeling the impact. Wheat prices have gone up by 8 per cent and rice prices by 25 per cent. Nigeria – Africa’s biggest economy and the number one producer of rice in Africa – has seen rice prices jump by more than 30 per cent just in the last four days of March (Bloomberg, 6 April 2020). Time Magazine reports that meat shortages could last for months.

Countries that usually import more might suffer most because of price increases and weak currencies. This means that dozens of developing countries just won’t be able to afford basic food items like rice and grains for their citizens. Some countries are reducing exports to keep a stockpile of food in case food becomes scarce.

On 22 April, the New York Times reported: “Already, 135 million people had been facing acute food shortages, but now with the pandemic, 130 million more could go hungry in 2020, said Arif Husain, chief economist at the World Food Program, a United Nations agency. Altogether, an estimated 265 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by year’s end.”

World Food Programme Executive Director, David Beasley also warned the UN Security Council of an impending hunger pandemic. He said: “So today, with Covid-19, I want to stress that we are not only facing a global health pandemic but also a global humanitarian catastrophe. Millions of civilians living in conflict-scarred nations, including many women and children, face being pushed to the brink of starvation, with the spectre of famine a very real and dangerous possibility.

This sounds truly shocking but let me give you the numbers: 821 million people go to bed hungry every night all over the world, chronically hungry, and as the new Global Report on Food Crisis published recently shows, there are a further 135 million people facing crisis levels of hunger or worse. That means 135 million people on earth are marching towards the brink of starvation.

But now the World Food Programme analysis shows that, due to the coronavirus, an additional 130 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of 2020. That’s a total of 265 million people.”

(World Food Programme, 21 April 2020) While some of these statistics might be exaggerated, there is certainly something we can do to make a difference. We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to make sure food is not wasted. Twice as much food

as previously estimated – or a third of all food available for human consumption – is wasted, with people in wealthier countries wasting more, according to a recent study published in the journal PLOS One. If food waste could be represented as its own country, it would be the thirdlargest greenhouse gas emitter after China and the US, said the UN Environment on its website. In the US alone, an estimated £133 billion of edible food (worth over $161 billion) goes to waste every year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. A lot of food is wasted every day, which could feed millions of mouths, keeping in mind that around nine million people die of hunger and hunger-related diseases every year, more than the lives taken by AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined (UN).

Wasting that much food means a lot of water is wasted too — the equivalent of three times the size of Lake Geneva, as some reports put it. And yet, almost one billion people on our planet don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water and proper sanitisation (WHO). That’s one in every eight of us.

4,100 children die every day from diseases caused by contaminated water (UNICEF); approximately one child every Continued on next page >>

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Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

Find the love of the sea, the ship will begin to form Serjeel Ahmad Missionary, Micronesia

Another blessed Ramadan comes to an end and we strive to elevate our spiritual status by offering humble supplications; the spiritual mirage of a believer. We forego eating and drinking the lawful for only a few hours in aspiration of Allah’s love. Fasting is an act for which the reward is Allah himself. We spend our nights prostrating at the threshold of His mercy, equipping our soul with the delights of which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor any mind has imagined.

Yet, many ask why Muslims put themselves in such “distress”? Why do they not liberate themselves in the name of freedom? What motivation does a Muslim have in sacrificing their time and effort?

This question brings us to the time of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The first Companions to accept the message were weak and poor.

Still, the resolve they gained by acceptance of the Prophetsa was such that no money or worldly rank could ever procure.

The early Muslims of Mecca would forego their nights in the worship of Allah, imploring His mercy, but would wake up ready to endure hardships enforced on them by the Quraish. Having tasted the truth of Islam, the worldly pain appeared trivial.

They bore the hardship with such resolve that the Holy Quran stands testament to their faith: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

And those who are with him are hard against the disbelievers, tender among themselves.

Thou seest them bowing and prostrating themselves in Prayer, seeking grace from Allah and His pleasure. Their mark is upon their faces, being the traces of prostrations.”

(Surah al-Fath, Ch.48: V.30) The once arrogant and assertive Arabs, whose hearts were hardened by generations of savagery, became extraordinarily tenderhearted. They could not bear to spend time away from the worship of Allah and were told by the Holy Prophetsa that the << Continued from previous page

21 seconds. 80% of all global diseases are water-borne and result from drinking contaminated water. These diseases kill more than 2.2 million people every year (WHO).

In every blessed month of Ramadan to come – and of course, throughout the rest of the year – more than ever, we should remember all those people who cannot get access to healthy food and clean water as we share in their hunger. We should support organisations like Humanity First and many others who are doing all they can to provide food and care packages to people in need.

We need to be thankful for all we have and all that Allah has blessed us with. We need

best among them was the one who could maintain a consistent balance in life. This consistency is the hallmark of a believer!

What was in the heart of Hazrat Bilalra, who was mocked and dragged in the streets of Mecca, only because he believed in oneness of Allah? How beautiful was his response of “ahad, ahad”, announcing to the world that their Lord is “One”, without partners.

How can we measure the depth of love that Hazrat Talhara bin Obaidullah demonstrated on the day of the Battle of Uhud? It was he who shielded the Holy Prophetsa by stopping the flying arrows aimed for the Prophetsa with his hand. Due to the loss of blood, he lost consciousness. When he awoke, his first enquiry was about the condition of the Prophetsa. Upon learning of the Prophet’s well being, he exclaimed, “All praise be to Allah! After learning that the Holy Prophetsa is fine, every hardship seems insignificant.” (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 324, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) These are not isolated stories of a few who were devoted, but a small example of devotees whose vision reached beyond the realm of this world. This was the revolution of love caused by the message of the Holy Quran, which they witnessed in the being of Prophet Muhammadsa – love that included all of humanity.

This is not the story of one man. It holds for all the prophets that have graced the world with the love from Allah. History holds witness to the fact that prophets would think naught of their own wellbeing.

Recall the story of Josephas, who was cast into a well by his brothers; of Jesusas being nailed to the cross, and Abrahamas being thrust into a raging fire.

What then was in their hearts that made them ever so ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of their faith?

The main element of their selfless acts was quite simply the love and recognition of Allah. Their ability to recognise the heaven that awaited them. It was the conviction that helped them put the being of the Almighty Allah before every being and object this not be ungrateful for what we have and look to things we don’t have.

The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said that when you see someone who has more than you, look to someone who has less so that you may be grateful and you may not belittle the favours of Allah (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Let us not take for granted all that we’ve been blessed with. It is Allah’s to give and it is His to take away. The Holy Quran encourages us not to waste what Allah. He says: ً ۡ َ ّ َ َ ۡ َ ّ َ ّ ٰ ۡ ُ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ َ ّ ٰ ۡ ُ ۡ َ ّ ّ ٰ َ َ َ ۡ َ ۤۡ َ ّ َ ُ َ ‫الز ۡر َع ُمخ َتلِفا‬ ‫و ہو ال ِذی انشا جن ٍت معروش ٍت و غیر معروش ٍت و النخل و‬ ََۡۤ َ َ َۡ َ َ َ َّ ُّ َ َ ۡ ُ ۡ َّ َ ٗ ُ ُ ُ ُ​ُ ‫ان ُم َتش ِاب ًہا ّو غی َر ُم َت َش ِاب ٍہ ؕ کلوۡا ِم ۡن ث َمرِ ٖ ۤہ ِاذا اث َمرَ َو‬ ‫اکلہ و الزیتون و الرم‬ َ‫ٰاتُوۡا َح ّقَ ٗہ یَوۡ َم َح َصاد ٖہ ۖ۫ َو لَا تُ ۡسر ُفوۡا ؕ ِانّ ٗہ لَا یُح ُّب ال ۡ ُم ۡسرفِیۡن‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

world could offer. Nothing could deter them from their pursuit of the Almighty, a reward worthy of achieving, even at the cost of their own lives. It is this sentiment that the Holy Quran pronounces in these words: “Say, ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.’” (Surah al-An’am, Ch.6: V.163) Thus, Allah points our faith towards a higher purpose. While others may deem worship as acts within themselves, Allah instructs us that every moment should be fueled towards the attainment of His love and mercy. The greatest goal perhaps is to diminish ourselves like drops within the ocean, allowing our souls to levitate towards the pull of the Almighty.

The Holy Prophetsa beautifully explains this relationship between the Master and His servant in the words: “The most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing nawafil [praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory] till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears and his sense of sight with

which he sees and his hand with which he grips and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him and if he asks My protection, I will protect him.” (Sahih alBukhari, Kitab-ul-Riqaq) Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a French writer with an aptitude of poetry, writes in his classic Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince): “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Thus, if we as Ahmadi Muslims want to build the ship of faith, we must fall in love with the “immensity of the sea” of faith.

When we genuinely recognise Allah and the beauty of his majesty, the ship of our faith will become a labour of love.

The Promised Messiahas describes this love most beautifully with the words: “Our paradise lies in our God. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and have found every beauty in Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one’s life to procure it…” (Our Teaching)

“And He it is Who brings into being gardens, trellised and untrellised, and the date-palm and cornfields whose fruits are of diverse kinds, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Eat of the fruit of each when it bears fruit, but pay His due on the day of harvest and exceed not the bounds. Surely, Allah loves not those who exceed the bounds. (Surah al-An’am, Ch.6: V.142) As we are remembering Allah, we should also make it a point to be thankful for all that He has provided for us and not to be ungrateful to Him. Allah says: ُۡ َ ُ ۡ ُ َُۡ َُۡ ‫فاذک ُر ۡونِی اذک ۡرک ۡم َو اشک ُر ۡوا ل ِۡی َو لَا تکف ُر ۡو ِن‬

remember you; and be thankful to Me and do not be ungrateful to Me.” (Surah alBaqarah, Ch.2 V.153) It is worthy to note that after this verse, Allah also speaks about trying man through various means and gives glad tidings to those who are patient.

True gratitude must be shown at all times and in all situations despite the ordeals man goes through. Because no matter where you are in life, no matter what you’re going through, there’s always something to be grateful for. For surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.

“Therefore remember Me, and I will

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

8

France’s obsession with the Muslim headscarf

Asif Arif Attorney at Law admitted to Paris Bar

Since the apparition of fundamental rights and the state of law in the Western world – mainly after the Second World War – various countries and political parties applied them differently according to their political agenda or their national cultures.

This very observation shall raise substantial interrogations: are fundamental rights meant to be subject to political agendas or shall they transcend all aspects of political agendas and local cultures?

The question of the veil in French society is closely related to the history of France but also to the recent developments it is facing in the public debate. These recent developments toward, of course, a restriction of the freedom of conscience, began at the end of the 1980s. After a silent period (1990s up to 2003), the debate regarding the meaning and the importance of the headscarf in French society awakened again in early 2003, shortly after 9/11.

Since the end of Jacques Chirac’s presidential mandate, up to today, the veil held a substantial space in France’s media to the extent that Philippe Portier, a political secularism historian, talked about a “French obsession”. In order to understand the situation in France, we have to review the entire root of this sentiment throughout history and then understand the reality of the debates today.

The history of French “laicite”, or “political secularism” French history has to be sliced for the comprehension of this article: pre 1905 and post 1905.

Pre 1905 There are traces of the inception of a

secular regime in the early middle ages, when King Henry IV wanted to put a term on the recurrent wars between Catholics and Protestants. He had promulgated the Edict of Nantes in order to recognise both religious movements.

Apart from a few exceptions, we find that France had very deep royalist roots and the French Revolution in 1789 changed that royalist tendency for good. Even though in 1815 the royalists resurfaced – and France faced two Napoleon periods – France turned its back to monarchies in general.

In the fundamental constitution of the kingdom, it was clearly stated that the king is a “good Christian” and he is the king of the Catholic people of France. There was no room for any secular view and the state was religiously oriented and defined.

In order to understand the power of the church at that time, just before 1905, the church was the first landlord of France and the 1905 law was, initially, mainly to deal with the church properties. In fact, only four articles deal with the separation of the church and state and all the others are related to the management of church assets at that time.

The law of 9 December 1905 After long debates in the National Assembly, on 9 December 1905, the law separating the church and state had been adopted. This law detailed, in article 1, that the French Republic (abandoning the de facto term of “French Kingdom”) would ensure and recognise freedom of conscience. Article 2 stated that the state would neither finance nor help religious institutions.

We have to keep in mind that when article 1 of the law was being debated in the National Assembly, a member of parliament, Mr Allard asked Jean Jaures to

2004 law about religious signs in school In 2003, the Education Minister, Francois Bayrou, adopted a circular precising that all the students in pre-school, high school and all other schools up to university would be subject to the ban of religious signs when they were in the premises of the school.

This circular was fundamentally against the Supreme Court’s advice of 1989, but political parties, at that time, had another agenda.

In 2002 another important event occurred that might justify the very existence of that circular. In 2002, JeanMarie Le Pen, representant of the far-right in France, for the first time, came second write down, in the law, that France was an in the presidential election tour. The atheist republic. Jean Jaures didn’t attest, theme of Le Pen’s campaign was all based saying that there was a difference between on immigration, Islam and secularism atheism, which is a philosophy and (although they keep calling for Christians ultimately an opinion, and the laïcité in to take back their power in France). which the state has no opinion whatsoever.

In the second tour, Jacques Chirac Jean Jaures played a crucial role during was elected and in order to respond to the adoption of this law. He was, himself, the public opinion that voted for Le Pen’s averse to religion and did not show any programme, he decided to nominate sympathy for religious groups. Despite Nicolas Sarkozy as the interior minister. these views, he was not influenced by the During the same time, Jacques Chirac radical members of parliament like Mr installed the Stasi Commission that would Allard. Moreover, Jean Jaures made the be responsible for producing an opinion following very important statement in on the sensitive question of the wearing of the national assembly, “We have to close headscarves in public schools. our differences with the church in order This political game led to the to focus our attention towards the social adoption of a law in 2004 (now codified rights”. For him, the religious question in the French Education Code), banning was secondary and the primary political religious signs in every school apart from fight were social rights. Today, the debate universities, private schools and other is the exact opposite; in order to avoid superior educational schools. The vacuum social failures (unemployment, poverty left by this law regarding universities and rights etc.) the mainstream media justified why today, in France, we still scapegoats Islam. have some politicians that call for banning headscarves in universities as well.

The recent debate in France and the Even the socialist former prime polarisation of different institutions minister (who left France for Spain) was In order to understand the actual debates a fervent lobbyist for the ban in university in France, we must pass through all in order to counter the terrorism and the the debates that were raised in France rampant Islamism in French society. This regarding laïcité and Islam. is indeed a strange statement implying that any person wearing a headscarf is a 1989 Creil case and the position of France’s Supreme Court (Conseil d’Etat) terrorist or contributing to Islamism.

In 1989, two students attended a 2010 law about the burqa ban high school in France while wearing In 2010, while Nicolas Sarkozy was headscarves. The principal gave them a the French president and was facing warning and said that they had to take their substantial strikes in the country due to his veils off in the premises of the school due economic policy, he decided to talk about to “laïcité”. When these cases came into the (you guessed it) Islam. Therefore, the media, all political parties started to debate proposal of a law banning the burqa was the issue and the government requested put into motion in the National Assembly.

France’s Supreme Court to present advice Before doing do, a very important on the application of the 1905 law to this debate started emerging in the National particular case.

Assembly. The question asked was “on The Supreme Court’s advice is worth which legal basis would this law be reading and very insightful. Judges said adopted?” Sarkozy’s political party was that if the students are wearing a religious chanting “laicité, laicité”. It is interesting sign but they are not proselyte (not forcing to note that this law was in debate shortly other people to join a specific religious after the subprime crisis of 2008. Often, group), the mere fact of wearing a religious in France, when a law related to religious sign is not considered a violation of the signs is put into motion there is a social 1905 law, which is meant to give freedom background to it, for example, strikes of conscience. economic issues etc.

This advice would then be followed To be sure, president Sarkozy decided by multiple judgements of the Supreme to request the Supreme Court to provide Court, who would adopt the same opinion legal advice on the matter and, in fact, the in their ruling. In order to stop lower Supreme Court rendered a very interesting courts of appeal to apply this advice, the advice. Judges found no legal basis in only way left was for the legislative power secularism, nor in woman dignity, nor to adopt a law that would ban religious in equal protection of all subjects. The signs in schools.

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Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM Supreme Court denied all these options as the ban would limit a fundamental right; freedom of religion.

Although the Supreme Court judges did not shatter all hopes. They proposed the legal basis of the “imperious necessity for any police authority to recognise the identity” of a person, and the burqa was construed as a violation of that imperious necessity as the face was totally dissimulated.

This law would be challenged in front of the European Court of Human Rights that ruled in favour of France’s policy (ECHR, Grand Chamber, Case of SAS vs France) against multiple opinions that were arguing the contrary. The ECHR based its decision on the necessity to live together in a society and the importance for any authority to know the identity of any individual.

Seoul Police laud Jamaat's efforts during Covid-19

Recent developments including burkini and parents during field trips Recent developments in public debates demonstrate no changes in the way France sees Muslims on its soil. France has the most important Muslim community in the European Union and is still considering widespread bans on different areas of a Muslim’s life. For example, in 2016, the prime minister called to ban burkinis on public beaches. Regarding that ban as utterly illegal, some Muslim women decided to file a lawsuit against the state.

When that case was heard by the Supreme Court, judges decided that the ban was illegal because it was violating freedom of religion and freedom of expression.

(French Supreme Court, Order, 26 August 2016, Human Rights Associations) Parents accompanying children in field trips are also subject to recent restrictions.

While parents cannot be considered bound by the ban on religious signs (they are not students), far right and right-wing parties decided to call for a debate to suggest a ban.

While nothing came out in a legislative shape, so-called experts occupied all the media space in order to advocate for such a ban.

On this matter too, multiple lower administrative courts have held contradictory judgements.

(Lower administrative court in Nice ruled in favour of the headscarf, while the lower court of Montreuil ruled the opposite.)

One case, in appeal, has been referred to the Lyon administrative court of appeal that ruled in favour of a ban as the parents accompanying the children are in a situation where they might influence children. (Lyon Administrative Court of Appeal, 23 July 2019) Some city councils already mentioned that if a general ban is adopted, children are facing the risk that all the field trips will be cancelled as the only parents volunteering for the field trips are Muslim women wearing the veil.

For these reasons, Philippe Portier was right when he talks about the “French obsession”.

Dr Tariq Shamim Khwaja National President Jamaat South Korea

Chief of Foreign Affairs at Seodaemun Police Station along with fellow officers visited the Seoul mission house of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.

The purpose of this visit was to express their gratitude for cooperation during Covid-19 crisis. They gifted 50 facemasks and informative brochures to the community.

In response, National President of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya South Korea also presented a gift bag containing the book World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace as a gesture of appreciation and to praise the exceptional and benevolent attitude of the Korean authorities during the crisis.

Humanity First and Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Kosovo distribute over a tonne of meat for Eid-ul-Fitr Besmir Yvejsi Secretary Ishaat, Jamaat Kosovo

Every religion in the world has holidays marked on the calendar. Islam has two major celebrations: Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ulAdha. This year, in many countries of the world, including Kosovo, Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated on 24 May 2020.

Kosovo is a state with about 2 million inhabitants and about 955 of them are Muslims, many families due to the difficult economic situation, cannot enjoy the feast of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Prishtina, the capital and largest city in Kosovo, has the highest number of registered cases receiving social assistance.

Earlier this week, the representative of Humanity First Germany, who is also the president Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Kosovo, had a meeting with the Mayor of Prishtina, Mr Shpend Ahmeti, as well as the Director of the Directorate for Social Welfare, Mr Dren Kukaj. His request was that on Eid-ul-Fitr, this directorate needs to provide meat for 350 families in need.

On 20 May 2020, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

Kosovo together with Humanity First Germany, distributed over a tonne of meat with the help of its volunteers. The beneficiaries of this donation were 1,773 people, including children, and each of the

350 families will have 2 to 3 kilograms of meat.

We thank Allah the Almighty for enabling us to help these needy families on this blessed occasion of Eid.

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

10

Establishment of universal unity under the institution of Khilafat Part II

Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Missionary-in-Charge UK

Perseverance of unity during trials It is usual for divine communities to face trials and tribulations. However, their effect on divine communities differs greatly than those on worldly communities. Divine communities stand firm in their faith and resolute in the face of the trials. Allah the Exalted has promised them: َّ َ ً َ ‫َول َ ُي َب ِّد لَن ُہ ْم ِم ْن بَ ْع ِد خوْ فِ ِہ ْم ا ْمنا‬ “And He will surely give them in exchange security [and peace] after their fear.” (Surah al-Nur, Ch.24: V.56) The entire history of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat bears testimony to this divine promise.

During the time of each khilafat, along with grand successes, there arose oppositions of stormy proportions. There were periods of great hardships. However, on all such occasions, the whole Jamaat remained firm and united like an ironclad wall under the umbrella of khilafat, and after each trial, emerged stronger than before.

Each and every chapter of the history of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat bears testimony that every trial came as glad tidings of further strength and progress. All that happened only because the divinely commissioned Jamaat was crowned with the Ahmadiyya Khilafat. The charismatic figure of the khalifa of the time proved to be the unifying force during the hard times.

Under the umbrella of Khilafat, the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is blessed with unity, harmony and progress, while the rest of the world is bereft of that. � ‫ا� �� � ر� � د�پ‬ ‫� � ��ں‬ � � � !�� �� � �‫� �� ��� ٴ ر‬ “A multitude of people are getting burnt without a canopy; thank God for we have this umbrella of mercy.”

Global means of unity – MTA There was a time when the Jamaat had no broadcasting system of its own; it had no radio nor television station. It was even difficult to get a slot for a few minutes on the radio.

Then came the time when Allah the Almighty miraculously granted the great gift of globally broadcasting MTA in a manner that no one expected. The Promised Messiahas said: ‫اسمعو صوت السماء جاءالمسيﺢ جاء المسيﺢ‬ “Listen to the heavenly voice that says, ‘The Messiah has come! The Messiah has come!’”

His statement was about those heavenly signs that manifested repeatedly to announce the truth of his claim. Lo! How the Gracious Lord made it a reality in a literal sense as well.

In the whole Islamic world, it is only the Ahmadiyya Jamaat that has its own independent television network that broadcasts the message of Islam and Ahmadiyyat in 27 languages, 24 hours a day. No other faith group in the world owns such a broadcasting station that can be heard simultaneously on every land of the world, giving the message of unity to the whole world.

Therefore, rise, switch on your television sets and listen to this heavenly voice that has reached your houses and is delivering to you the message of Hazrat Muhammadsa. Indeed, it is the call that originated from Qadian in days gone by; observe how magnificently its fascinating voice is resonating throughout� the world. � � � � � �‫�ش � � �� �ا‬ ِ � � ‫� �ں � �� � ���ں �ا� �د ���ں‬ “If it does not strike a chord with the highest Heaven, why does this voice from Qadian resonate throughout the world?”

MTA works for global unity in two ways. Firstly, we observe its programmes bringing about spiritual, academic and moral unity in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.

The words uttered by the blessed lips of the Khalifa are echoed by the hearts of millions of Ahmadis spread over the corners of the world.

Every Friday, all Ahmadis throughout the world listen attentively to their beloved master. Every Friday sermon comes with a new spiritual goblet that sows seeds of knowledge, faith and certainty. Just see the miracle of this voice that washes away the rust from the hearts of Ahmadis

scattered all over the world and gardens of faith, certainty and obedience start blooming. After listening to the Friday Sermon, Ahmadis the world over adjust their directions in accordance with the sermon. It is impossible to find the like of this miracle of global unity.

Secondly, it is not only Ahmadis who benefit from the speeches of the Khalifa of the time and other programmes, but nonAhmadis and non-Muslims do as well.

A long time ago, a missionary from India told me that a mulla (Muslim cleric) from his region once happened to hear the voice of the sermon of the then Khalifa and that he liked it very much. He did not have enough courage to benefit from the sermons openly. He would shut the windows and doors of his room and listen to the sermon on MTA every Friday. He even started taking notes and based his own sermon the following Friday on those notes.

After a few weeks, one of his followers came to him and said, “Maulana! Your sermons used to be very simple, but now the sermons comprise of spirituality that affects the hearts; how is that so?” The mulla was pleased to hear his comments, but did not have the courage to tell him the real cause.

This is just one example. The fact is that fortunate ones from among non-Ahmadis and non-Muslims are watching MTA and are being enlightened, and thus entering the fold of Ahmadiyyat in large numbers.

This way, Ahmadiyyat is spreading in countries where public preaching is not allowed.

Inspiring scenes Inspiring scenes of global unity and divine support are seen everywhere all the time

under the umbrella of Khilafat. Let us take a look at some examples.

At the very outset of the Fifth Khilafat, Allah the Almighty showed the whole world a fascinating scene of unity.

In compliance with the first command of Huzooraa after being elected as the Khalifa, Ahmadis all over the world, even those overseas, wherever they were, sat down.

Then, during the Khilafat Jubilee Jalsa, Ahmadis all over the world stood up in compliance with Huzoor’s command.

When Huzooraa took the covenant of faithfulness and obedience to sacrifice for Khilafat, it seemed as if the whole of the Ahmadiyya world had contracted into the hand of Huzooraa.

During his visit to Ghana, while Huzooraa was raising the flag of Ahmadiyyat, the president of Ghana was raising the flag of his country. Similarly, at the inauguration of the largest mosque in Canada, Huzooraa hoisted the flag of Ahmadiyyat and the prime minister of Canada hoisted his country’s flag.

There was a time when as missionaries of the Jamaat entered a country for preaching, they would be imprisoned.

Times have changed since; now, when the Khalifa goes on a tour, he is officially welcomed in several countries. The government officials feel honoured as they offer the keys of their cities to the Khalifa.

Various heads of states have an audience with Huzooraa, seek his guidance on state matters and request for his prayers. By the grace of Allah, a new chapter of Divine help and support keeps opening every day.

The frequency with which we are witnessing the inspiring scenes of this acclaim, honour, popularity and global unity is a bounty from the Glorious God, Who is the fountainhead of all honour and greatness.

In the eyes of the world, the Khalifa has no crown, nor throne, nor sovereignty, but lo! With the blessing of Divine support, he rules the hearts of friends and strangers the world over, being a living sign of global unity. Is it not a miracle of divine power that an apparently uncrowned, but spiritual king has become the beloved of millions today? ‫ذالک فﻀل الله يوتﻴﻪ مﻦ �ﺸاء‬ Absolute unity under the umbrella of Khilafat Currently, the Muslim Ummah has unfortunately fallen into a state of disarray and division, intellectually and ideologically. Against this dreadful backdrop, the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is the only group united and organised

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Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM under its leader – a leader who has been commissioned as Khalifa by Allah the Exalted. It is He who helps him and guides him. With the blessing of khilafat, we see absolute unity in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in every respect. I present a few examples briefly.

The Ahmadiyya Jamaat works under the leadership and guidance of the Khalifa. It is a blessing of Khilafat that along with ideological uniformity, there is also uniformity in practical terms within the Jamaat. Whichever way the Khalifa turns his attention or hints at something, all Ahmadis turn their faces towards that.

In this uniformity lies the secret of the greatness and progress of the Jamaat.

To establish ideological unity, there is a comprehensive system in place. There are 13 Jamias established throughout the world for religious teaching and training; they all have the same curriculum, which leads to worldwide unity.

For guidance in religious matters, there is a department of ifta (Islamic rulings) that works under the supervision and guidance of the Khalifa and maintains ideological unity.

The system of auxiliary organisations in the Jamaat also works under the guidance of the Khalifa that prevents any discord.

A system of consultative bodies is established in every country under the umbrella of Khilafat, which also promotes unity and ideological uniformity in the Jamaat.

It has become a routine for Muslims to differ in matters of Ramadan and Eid days. However, there is no controversy in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat as it is guided by the Khalifa. In different countries, due to difference of skylines, the dates may vary, but the decision (about the visibility of moon) is based on agreed principles.

The Friday sermon by the Khalifa is a means of uniformity and timely guidance for the whole Jamaat, which creates an ideological unity in the whole Jamaat. No community other than the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is blessed like that.

The Khalifa is the central axis around whom the whole system of the Jamaat works and follows his instructions; the whole Jamaat moves in one direction like one soul. This conformity and unity leads to extraordinary strength and grandeur.

The rules and regulations of the Jamaat in the whole world are uniform. That is why we see uniformity of practice everywhere, which is the hallmark of unity.

In short, we observe absolute unity under the umbrella of Khilafat.

The Fifth Khilafat The following statement by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa about the period of the Fifth Khilafat is worth noting carefully: “This era … is an era of progress and victories for Ahmadiyyat, insha-Allah.

I assure you that such avenues of divine support have opened and are opening, that are drawing near the days of victory of the Jamaat all the time. I feel embarrassed when I reflect on myself. I am a humble, worthless, incompetent and sinful person.

I do not know the divine wisdom behind

His commissioning me to this station.

However, I say this with utmost conviction that Allah the Almighty will bless this period with His infinite support and help; He will continue to grant success along the path of progress, insha-Allah. No one can hinder the progress of the Jamaat during this period, nor will this progress ever stop in the future. The succession of Khulafa will continue and Ahmadiyyat will march on and on, insha-Allah.” (Address on 27 May 2008; Al Fazl International, 25 July 2008, p. 11) Concluding remarks Looking at the unity of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and its ever-increasing progress throughout the world, the adversaries are trembling with fear. Aflame with jealousy, storms of opposition and persecution are being raised in different countries. We have full conviction in divine promises.

Allah the Exalted has promised to our beloved Imam: َ ّ ‫اِنِی َم َعک یَا َم ْس ُر ْور‬ “I am with you, O Masroor.” Thus, Divine help is with us and success is predestined for us. All we need to do is put into practice all the promises that we make each time we renew our oaths of loyalty, acting as unique models of obedience and uniformity.

Each one of us says every time, and has been saying it hundreds of times, “O my master, I will lay down my life at every command, every gesture and every wish of yours. I will deem it obligatory to obey you in everything good. I will give preference to faith over worldly affairs. I will show the world that I live according to each and every word of my oath of allegiance.”

It is time that we fulfil our covenants.

Let us relive the traditions of unity and sacrifice by our ancestors to show that we are no less than them in our proclamations of obedience and loyalty.

Look how lovingly our beloved master, the Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas, the great chief of the true Islam in this age and presently the most beloved servant of Allah the Exalted, on whose blessed hands we have pledged to sacrifice everything, is calling for our action.

In the name of loyalty to Khilafat, I say that we should resolve that for the security and stability of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat, we will become an iron-clad wall. Being his right hands and humble servants, we will always respond wholeheartedly to all his calls and will be all ears to our master.

O our beloved Master, we will frantically sacrifice our life, wealth, time and honour for any good cause to which you may call us. We will live and die in total submission to the institution of Khilafat. And with God as our Witness, each and every one of us resolves to take your blessed words to our hearts and put them into practice. We will respond to your directions so ardently that even the embodiments of obedience – the angels – will envy us.

O God! Enable us to fulfil our humble resolve and comply with our promise faithfully till our last breath. Amin.

100 Years Ago...

Ahmadiyyat in America and sincere Ahmadis in the UK Al Fazl, 27 May 1920 Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra

This news has reached respected members of the Jamaat that Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib has finally been allowed to enter America after encountering certain obstructions by the American authorities.

This occasion is not insignificant, but a very important event in the history of Islam and it is a great victory, which the true Islam, i.e. Ahmadiyyat, has achieved in the New World. It is a seed that has been sown by the grace of God Almighty.

It is a foundation, whose stone has been laid with the prayers of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra]. Insha-Allah, indeed in this country, as I saw in a divine vision after biding farewell to Mufti Sahib when he departed from Liverpool, “The tree of Islam will thrive, prosper and spread to the corners of the world.”

As the UK Jamaat has a significant role in the case of Mufti Sahib entering America, therefore, I believe it is pertinent to inform my friends about it.

The esteemed friend, Mr M Rosanthal, who signed the bail papers and travelled from New York to Philadelphia with two respectable ladies, is the brother-in-law of the Faith brothers and the ladies are their sisters. Moreover, other respected associates, especially Mr J Scott, the officer in-charge of the passport department, deserve thanks for the compassionate assistance. Having said that, Allah the Almighty provided the means and the Ahmadiyya Mission has been established in America, for which the Ahmadiyya Community is worthy of congratulation.

Letter of an English Ahmadi Reverend brother Jacques Abdullah Bottomley is one of the noble gentlemen whose hearts have been enlightened by the light of Ahmadiyyat.

The last time brother Abdullah came to meet me, he said, “Governmental documents require the registration of religion. What should I register in place of Christianity? I did not find any better expression than the comprehensive word of ‘Ahmadi’. Thus, I suggested it.”

So, respected Abdullah Sahib registered the word Ahmadi in official documents.

Furthermore, as his wife has converted to Islam by the grace of God Almighty, expressing happiness, brother Abdullah wrote to me: “Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.

“I hope Mrs Bottomley would have

presented the excuse for my absence. I am sorry that I did not come and I humbly apologise for it.

“I have recorded the word ‘Ahmadi’ in the official papers and everything is fine now. I am very grateful for the wonderful kindness you have been showing to Mrs Bottomley and little Bashir. Consequently, you have been rewarded for this because my wife, Omela has written to me that she has sent a request for Bai‘at and by the grace of Allah, she is sincerely praying so that her Bai‘at may be accepted.

“God has filled my goblet of happiness and now we (husband and wife) will live with more unity and love in the future because we both believe that Allah is the true God and Muhammadsa is the Prophet of God. “I am keenly engaged in acquiring knowledge and striving to be a good servant of Allah.

“Your sincere associate, Abdullah Jacques Bottomley” Lectures A lecture of Maulvi Fateh Muhammad Sayal on the subject of agriculture was held at the Society of Philology.

Before addressing this topic, the eminent speaker stated that Muslims have taken beneficial steps for God’s creation in every country they entered. In India, attention was paid to [the construction of] canals etc. and the means of developing agriculture were considered. That was the effect of the teachings of Islam. Thereafter, the speaker read out a very interesting paper on the subject of agriculture in Punjab.

There is a place in the suburbs of London called Bench, where there is a women’s society by name of Cooperative Guild. A lecture on “The era of Muslims in India” was organised in this society through the secretary of British and India Society.

On 22 April, Maulvi Fateh Muhammad Sahib delivered a speech on the said subject for about an hour with great efficiency.

Highlighting the reform movements among the Muslims, he mentioned the coming of the Promised Messiah and his message of harmony. During the interesting exchange of questions and answers, a very remarkable speech on the status of “Women in Islam” was also delivered.

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

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Responding to Allegations

Those who abandon Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya cause no harm Part II

Generally, people accept the true Islam when they comprehend the reasonable and rational explanations of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat about the signs of Judgement day, death of Jesusas, freedom of religion and naskh [abrogation] in the Holy Quran etc.

However, those few who abandon the Jamaat, mostly overlook and knowingly close their eyes to the inspirations which persuaded them to join the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in the first place.

Rather than proving that they were wrong in believing those sound interpretations of the Holy Quran and ahadith, they persist on levelling allegations against the personage of the Messiah and Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas.

Their silence on the primary stimulations of their conversion to Islam Ahmadiyyat give rise to an array of questions. Above all, it indicates that they believe those explanations to be true and deliberately ignore them.

Secondly, if the signs of the Messiah of the latter days present in the Holy Quran and ahadith have come to pass and the apostates believe that the Founderas of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat was not the Promised Messiah, then they should either specify which sect of the Muslim Ummah believes in the true Messiah or fall in the category mentioned in the following saying of the Holy Prophetsaٰ : ّ َُ َُ َ ُ َْ ‫ ّأول َها فِ ْي ِهم َر ُسوْ ُل الل ِه َوآخ ُِر َها فِ ْي ِهم ِع ْي َسى‬،‫خي ُر ٰهذ ِه الْا ّم ِة ّأول َها َوآخ ُِر َها‬ َ ْ ْ ٰ َ َ ٌ ْ َ َ َ ُ ُ َ ْ ‫ْاب ُن َم ْريَ َم َوبَين ذل ِك ث َبج‬ ‫أعوَج ل ْي َس ِمنك َول ْست ِمنه ْم۔‬ “The golden period of this Ummah is the first and the last age. In the first era, the Prophet [Muhammadsa] of Allah is present in it, and in the last age, Isa ibn Maryam [the Promised Messiahas] will be among them. And the middle age will be that of the crooked group, who are not from among you [i.e. the true Ummah of the Holy Prophetsa] and you are not from among them.” (Hilyatul Auliya, Imam Abu Nuaym Ahmad bin Abdullah Al-Shafi) Now that the age of the Holy Prophetsa has passed and according to the deserters of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, it is not the age of the Promised Messiah, then in their view, it is certainly the time of crooked groups.

This means that abandoning the true Islam would leave them no choice but to enter a

group which is crooked according to the Holy Prophetsa and regarding whom the Prophetsa of God said that they are not from the Ummah of Islam.

Then there is a hadith of Sahih alBukhari in which Hazrat Huzayfara asked, “O Messenger of Allah, will the time of evil ever come upon our Ummah again?” The Holy Prophetsa said, “Yes!” He was very upset when he heard the news of discord and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what should we do when the time of evil comes on our Ummah?” The Holy Prophetsa advised them: َ ْ ُْ َ َ َ َ ُ ََْ َ ‫ين َوإ َم‬ ‫ام ُه ْم‬ ِ ‫تلزم جماعة المس ِل ِم‬ “Adhere to the Jamaat of Muslims and their Imam when the time of evil comes.”

He asked again: َ ٌَ َ َ ْ َُ ْ َُ َْ ْ َ ‫اعة َولا إِ َم ٌام‬ ‫ف ِإن لم يكن لهم جم‬ “But if there is neither a Jamaat, nor an Imam [what shall we do]?” The Prophetsa of Allah replied that if there was evil in his

Ummah but there was no Jamaat or Imam, then: َ َ َّ َ َ َ َّ ُ َ ْ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ َ ‫ َول ْو أ ْن ت َعض بِأ ْص ِل شجَ َر ٍة َح ّتى‬،‫فاعت ِزل تِلك الفِ َرق كل َه َا‬ ْ ُ َ ْ ‫يُد ِركك ال َم ْوت‬ “Stay away from all other sects, even if you have to bite [i.e. eat] the root of a tree, till you embrace death.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Fitan) In this hadith, the imam does not mean the imam of Salat or any maulvi because in reply, the Holy Prophetsa said that if the Imam [of the latter days] is not present, then “stay away from all other sects” and these sects already possess imams for Salat and maulvis. So here, imam means an Imam who is appointed by God Almighty.

Today, there is no person in any country of the world save the Founderas of Jamaate-Ahmadiyya, who says, “O people, God has appointed me as your Imam in this time of evil, so join me in accordance with

this prophetic advice.” Moreover, no sect or group on the face of the earth says, “O people, in this time of evil, God Almighty has appointed such and such person as an Imam among us in such and such city, so be associated with him.”

Subsequently, there are only two options: either accept the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, which has an Imam appointed by God and become associated with it, or if someone’s heart is not satisfied, then live by eating the roots of trees. On the other hand, if anyone joins any other sect, they will be considered disobedient to the command of the Holy Prophetsa.

On another occasion, the Holy Prophetsa said: “My Ummah will go through the same stages as did the Bani [children of] Israel.

The similarities will be very striking, like one shoe of a pair has to the other, so much

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Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM so that if a person from among the Bani Israel committed an offence against his mother, a similar unfortunate one would also be found in my Ummah. Bani Israel split into 72 sects; my people will split into 73 sects; with the exception of one sect, all others will be bound for Hell.’ It was asked, ‘O prophet of Allah, who will be these righteous people?’ [The Holy Prophetsa] replied, ‘They will be the people who truly follow me and my Companions.’” (Jami‘ alTirmidhi, Kitab al-Iman) Now pondering over the sunnah of the Prophetsa and his Companionsra, we find that in the life of the Holy Prophetsa, the head of the Companionsra was the Prophetsa of God and they lived their lives under the leadership of that Prophet. After the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, the leader of those Companionsra was the Khalifa of the Prophet of God and they lived their lives under his command.

Another hadith of the Holy Prophetsa says: ‫وھی الجماعۃ‬ “[The rightful sect of the latter days] will be a jamaat.” (Sunan Abu Dawood, Kitab usSunnah) The existence of a jamaat is impossible without an imam. For instance, a jamaat of worshippers even in the smallest of mosques cannot perform congregational prayers without an imam. Currently, no sect, except for Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, proclaims that they are subordinate to an imam and their leader is a khalifa for the Muslims.

The Promised Messiahas claimed that God informed him through revelation that the Messiah, who was to appear in the latter days was him.

Now, only two cases are possible; either God informed him through revelation or God did not inform him and he made false claims in the name of God. We look at the Holy Quran and see what it says about those whom God informs through divine revelation and how God deals with them, and on other hand, how does God deal with those who falsely claim to be recipient of divine revelation.

For example, the Holy Prophetsa claimed that God spoke to him and He granted him the status of prophethood, so people should accept him; Allah the Almighty commanded him to announce that claim. He climbed the hill of Safa and called everyone there and asked whether they would believe him if he said that there was an army hidden behind the hill. They replied that they would believe him. Then the Holy Prophetsa said that he had been commissioned as the prophet of God. Every step of the Holy Prophetsa was taken in light of the Holy Quran and God Almighty commanded him to present the first proof of the truth of his claim that as he had never lied to anyone in the past and so, how could he forge a lie against Allah now.

Hence, this argument is stated in the Holy Quran as follows: ُ ۡ َ​َ ُ َ َ​َ َ ‫فق ۡد ل َ ِبث ُت فِ ۡیک ۡم ُع ُم ًرا ِّم ۡن ق ۡبل ِٖہ ؕ افلَا ت ۡعقِلوۡ َن‬ “I have indeed lived among you a whole lifetime before this. Will you not then understand?” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.17) After the Holy Prophetsa claimed to be the Messenger of God, the same people who used to call the Holy Prophetsa sadiq [truthful] and amin [trustworthy] started abusing him. The Holy Quran refers to them as:

َ ‫ال الْكَاف ُِر‬ ٌ ‫ون َه َذا َساح ٌِر َك َّذ‬ َ ‫َو َق‬ ‫اب‬ “The disbelievers say, ‘This is a magician, a great liar.’” (Surah Saad, Ch.38: V.5) The Promised Messiahas also presented this argument and said: “People regard and have faith in the exhortations of men according to the measure of their piety and righteousness.

Now ponder over how God has furnished thousands of signs in support of my claim so that you may determine and judge the truth and the calibre of he who is inviting you to this Jamaat and that you may weigh his spiritual worth and weigh his arguments.

“You cannot point out any moral slips and weakness in my life, nor have I ever indulged in fraud or deceit so that you may have cause to suspect my integrity. Is there anyone among you who can point out shortcomings and weaknesses in my life?

It was the blessing of God that made me tread the path of righteousness from the very beginning. This is a sign for those who contemplate.” (Tadhkira-tul-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, p. 64) After Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas claim of being the Promised Messiah, those people who considered him the helper of Islam started issuing fatwas of kufr [disbelief] against him. For instance, prior to the Promised Messiah’sas claim, Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi wrote a review on his book, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and stated: “In our view, this book [Barahin-eAhmadiyya], at this time and considering the present circumstances, is such that so far, the like of it cannot be found in [the history of] Islam. Nothing can be said of the future: ُ ّٰ َ َ ٰ ‫ل َ َع َّل الل َہ یُ ۡح ِدث بَ ۡع َد ذل ِک ا ۡم ًرا‬ “[‘It may be that thereafter, Allah will bring something new to pass.’ (Surah alTalaq, Ch.65: V.2)] “The author has also been so persistent in the service of Islam, with his money, life, writings, speeches and personal actions, that very few parallels can be drawn among Muslims.” (Ishaat-us-Sunnah, Vol. 7, pp.

169-170) However, soon after the claim of the Promised Messiahas, Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi was the first to issue a fatwa of disbelief against him.

The second argument that was frequently presented by the Promised Messiahas to prove his truthfulness is mentioned in the following verses of the Holy Quran: َ​َ َ َ َ َ​َ ْ َ َ​َ َُ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ​َ ‫ين ۔ ث ّم لَقط ْعنا ِمن ُه‬ ‫َولَوْ تق ّوَ َل َعل ْينا بَ ْعض الْأقا ِو‬ ِ ‫يل ۔ لأخذنا ِمنه ِبال َي ِم‬ ِ ْ َ ‫الوَت‬ ‫ِين‬ “And if he had falsely [attributed] even a trivial statement to Us, We would surely have seized him by the right hand, and then surely We would have severed his jugular vein.” (Surah al-Haqqah, Ch.69: V.45-47) God Almighty commanded the Holy Prophetsa to present the above argument to the people of Mecca. These verses show that the proof of the Holy Prophet’ssa revelations being from God was the fact that had they not been from God and had he fabricated them, God would not have given such ample time for him to spread his message far and wide.

Regarding the revelation of the aforementioned verses, Hazrat Umarra said: “These verses had been revealed before my accepting Islam. Once, the thought crossed my mind that the Holy Prophetsa would go to the Ka‘bah at night to worship,

so I should go and kill him. Thus, I went there and hid in the dark. After some time had elapsed, the Prophetsa arrived and began offering Tahajud prayers. At first I intended to immediately attack him, but then I thought to listen to what he was saying. Upon hearing this, I found that he was reciting these very verses of Surah alHaqqah. These verses had such an impact on me that it kept me from attacking him.”

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Umar bin alKhattabra) Hazrat Umarra accepted the Holy Prophetsa in the sixth year of prophethood.

In other words, these verses were revealed six years after being commissioned as a prophet, and the five- to six-year period that had elapsed was proof of the truthfulness of his prophethood and his claim of being a recipient of divine revelation. The Holy Prophetsa claimed to be the Prophet of God at the age of 40 and passed away at 63.

Hence, Allah blessed him with 23 years of life to propagate his claim and message.

The Promised Messiahas presented this argument in support of his claim saying that if God had bestowed upon him so much time to propagate his mission as He had done to the Holy Prophetsa, then how could his claim be false?

The Promised Messiahas stated: “The Holy Quran repeatedly proclaims that God Almighty does not spare one who fabricates a lie against Allah. He punishes such a one in this very life and destroys him; Allah the Exalted refers to it in the verse: َْ َ ‫َو َق ْد َخ‬ ‫اب َم ِن افت َر ٰى‬ “That is, ‘He who fabricates a lie shall perish.’ [Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.62] “At another place it is said: َّ َ َ َ ّٰ َ َْ َ َ َْ ‫َو َم ْن أظل ُم ِم ّم ِن افت َر ٰى َعلى الل ِه ك ِذ ًبا أ ْو كذ َب ِبآيَا ِت ِه‬ ‘Who is guilty of greater wrong than one who fabricates a lie against God or gives the lie to His signs?’ [Surah al-Anaam, Ch.6: V.22] “It is thus clear that those who gave the lie to the word of God on the occasion of the advent of God’s Prophets were not spared

by God and were destroyed by diverse types of torments. Observe the end of the people of Noah and of ‘Ad and Thamud and the people of Lot and of Pharaoh and the Meccan enemies of the Holy Prophetsa.

“Thus when those who rejected the truth were chastised in this world, how can such a one escape, who fabricates a lie against Allah and who is mentioned in the first place in the verse just cited. Would God treat the righteous and the false alike and is there no punishment in this life from God Almighty for impostors? َ ‫َما ل َ ُك ْم َك ْي َف تَ ْح ُك ُم‬ ‫ون‬ [‘What is the matter with you? How judge ye!’ (Surah al-Qalam, Ch.68: V.37)] “At another place, God Almighty has said: ُ َ َّ ُ ُ ُ ً َ َ َ َ ُ َ ُ َ ؕ ‫َو ِا ۡن ّیک کا ِذ ًبا ف َعل ۡی ِہ ک ٰ ِذبُ ٗہ ۚ َو ِا ۡن ّیک َصا ِدقا ّی ِص ۡبک َ ۡم بَ ۡعض ال ِذ ۡی یع ُِدک ۡم‬ ّ َ ّ ُ َ ٌ ٌ ‫ِا َّن الل َہ لا یَ ۡہد ۡی َم ۡن ہوَ ُم ۡسرف کذ‬ ‫اب‬ ِ ِ “‘If this Prophet is an impostor, he will perish because of his imposture, but if he is truthful, then it is a must that you too will taste some punishment, because the transgressors, whether they are guilty of imposture or rejection, shall receive no help from Allah.’ [Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.29] “What could be more explicit than the fact that in the Holy Quran God Almighty warns again and again that an impostor is bound to perish in this very world.” (Essence

of Islam, Vol. 2, pp. 375-376; Arba‘in, No. 4, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, pp. 433-434]) Clarifying that the same argument can be used for anyone who claims to be a Prophet of God or the recipient of divine revelation, the Promised Messiahas said: “Although this verse has been revealed regarding the Holy Prophetsa, it is of general application, quite like the idiom of the entire Holy Quran, where most of the commands and prohibitions are apparently addressed to the Holy Prophetsa, but others are also addressed in these commandments, or such commandments are exclusively meant for others …

“After this short digression, let me turn to the main subject. God says about the Holy Prophetsa that had he lied against Him, He would have destroyed him. This does not mean that God has expressed His jealousy only with reference to the Holy Prophetsa in that were he an impostor, God would have destroyed him, but His jealousy is not roused in the case of others, no matter how much they lie against God or concoct false revelations and ascribe them to God. Such a concept is as irrational as it is against all of God’s scriptures.

“The Torah still contains the sentence that whoever lied against God and makes a false claim to prophethood would be destroyed. Besides, Muslim scholars have َ َ َ​َ long been quoting the verse ‫[‘ َو لَوْ تق ّوَ َل َعل ْينا‬and if he had falsely attributed to us …’] before the Christians and the Jews as evidence of the veracity of the Holy Prophetsa. It is obvious that an argument is of no use unless it has a general application.

“How can this be an argument that had the Holy Prophetsa fabricated [against God], he would have been destroyed and the whole undertaking would have come to naught, but God is not offended if someone else fabricates [against Him]; rather, He loves such a person and grants him respite more than He did to the Holy Prophetsa and even helps and supports him! This should not be called an argument, rather it is a claim which itself stands in need of an argument.

“Alas! In opposing me, they have stooped so low as to attack even the Signs of the veracity of the Holy Prophetsa. Since these people know that more than 25 years have elapsed since my claim of being a recipient of divine revelation and inspiration, which exceeds even the tenure of ministry of the Holy Prophetsa as that was 23 years; while, in my case, it is close to 30 years and I do not know how long the extent of my period of call is in the knowledge of God. “This is why these people, despite being hailed as maulvis, assert that one who lies against God and is a false claimant of revelation can even survive for as long as 30 years from the beginning of his fabrication and that God can help and support him, and yet they do not produce any precedent for it.” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation, pp.

259-261 [Translation of Haqiqatul Wahi]) Hence, the handful of individuals who abandon Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya can cause no harm to the mission of the Promised Messiahas of Muhammadsa, which was established by God Almighty Himself!

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community continues to soar in spreading the message of Islam to the corners of earth under the blessed guidance of Khilafat. No worldly power has the strength to stop the works of the Omnipotent God!

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

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100 Years Ago...

The plight of Muslims in Gonda district and the need for an Ahmadiyya missionary Akhbar Faruq, 27 May 1920 Over a hundred miles from Lucknow, there comes a region called Gonda District. It is a junction. Railway lines to Gorakhpur, Nepalgunj, Bahraich and Tulsi Vanorka Tabarampur pass from here.

It is a very fertile land which is located below the curve of Nepal and the shadow of the Himalayas. In other words, it is called a valley. It is densely populated. The Muslims in this area are only nominal Muslims.

There is a forest in this area, which starts from the Himalayas and goes many miles downhill. This forest is very dense. Some of its parts fall in Tabarampur, Piagpur and Kapurthala state. There is a river in this forest known by the name of “Kwane”. Its sight reminds man about the supremacy of God. In some places, the forest is about three miles and in others, it is two miles wide. The river is in the middle and its water is crystal clear. Even the grains of sand are visible under the water.

As Allah Almighty has placed this river in the forest, He has also placed an attribute in its water. Drinking its water after eating any heavy food helps to digest it. For the sake of wild animals which survive only on meat etc., Allah Almighty acted mercifully and gave them water to drink from this river.

The condition of Muslims and Hindus in this area is such that Hindus observe Muharram with much more passion than the Muslims. Hindus are looked upon with great respect.

Only so-called Muslims are present here and there is not a single attribute of Muslims in them. Taking a look at their apparent condition, we find that the Muslims are called by the names of Pechen, Sehrat, Gole and Bhoondu. It is a very sad situation.

Where the names of the Muslims are such, their state of knowledge can be assessed

automatically.

Most likely, 20 percent of Muslims might be familiar with Namaz and there may be five per thousand who offer Namaz. The Muslims there are so ignorant of religion that when they are asked what they recite when slaughtering an animal, they have no idea. If the butchers are asked, they answer that the knife had read it in the name of their ancestors. That is, their forefathers had the knowledge of slaughtering, they read it and breathed it on the knives. Now, there is no need to recite it again at the time of slaughter.

There are some Muslims who do not know how to recite the Kalima. I even met a Muslim myself and during our conversation, I asked him if he knew the Kalima or not, to which he casually answered that he did not know it. Then I told him to learn the Kalima from me and that if he had love for Namaz, he could also learn it from me, but this fellow had no time for all that.

As a matter of fact, eyes are welled with tears when we look at the condition of the Muslims. The situation in this area is such that when I went there a year ago, I saw a woman living in a man’s house. When I happened to go there the second year, it was found out that the woman had left that man’s house and was living with another man ... In the villages at the outskirts, I have observed that there are no graveyards at all.

In fact, no one knows how to dig a grave. A pit is dug and the dead body is placed inside.

One can imagine how they might offer the funeral. However, these people are very friendly, they highly regard the Maulvis. If there is someone to guide these people, they immediately incline towards them.

Indeed, there is definitely a distinctiveness between the Hindus and

Muslims in this country. That is, Muslims will have beards and Hindus will not. This means that they think only beards separate Hindus from Muslims. On the day of Friday prayer, Muslims gather in numbers more than usual and offer Friday prayer. But alas, seeing their precarious condition makes one cry that they have a book which has a written sermon in Arabic. It is read out and considered to be enough. No one can read this written sermon correctly in Arabic, nor can one understand its meaning. Arabic, Persian or English are all the same for them if [the Friday sermon] is not explained to them after reading and unless they are not warned about good and evil. Imagine, what progress Muslims can make if there are such kind of Muslims with such a level of knowledge.

I wish that an ardent Ahmadi comes here by sacrificing his life and guides Muslims towards [the true teachings of] Islam. The Ahmadi should take every step for the sake of God and consider it an honour if he has to wander in forests for the religion of God. He should be hardworking. He should feel relief in the path of suffering. Then that would be great.

(Malik Bashir Ali) Christ, son of God and a jaat [a class of Punjab’s landlords] A friend once related to me that probably a priest was preaching in Gujrat, who would say that Christ is the son of God. Mian Sahib i.e. a mullah, also came, and the Christian preacher and he began to talk.

Mulla Sahib was proud of his talent and the priest had a great passion for preaching.

Meanwhile, a modest jaat also arrived and said to Mulla Sahib, “Mian Ji, what is the matter?”

Mian Ji: Brother, Babu Sahib [Christian preachers are usually called Babu] says that Christ was the son of God. Jaat: Then what?

Mian Ji: I say that even the faithful are called sons of the living God. See Hosea 1:10 and Romans 9:6. “Son of God” means “Christ,” see John 6:69. Moreover, the exegetists also consider that Christ means the son of God. Then the priest said that Christ was the spirit of God, that is why he became the son of God, but I say that in the Gospel the spirit of God also refers to mean the power of God, see Matthew 12:28. Moreover, the spirit in the sense of knowledge and wisdom has also come [in Bible], see Exodus 31:3. So at most, Christ was the spirit of God means that Christ was given the knowledge and wisdom by God. The jaat continued to listen their discussion for five to seven minutes. The priest would present a claim and Mulla Sahib would immediately show something else from the Gospel.

The jaat got annoyed at this and in the straightforward manner of jaats, asked the priest, “Listen Babu Sahib, what do you say?”

Priest: I say that Christ was ibnullah [son of God].

Jaat: I do not know the meaning of ibnullah. Speak in simple words. Do you mean Christ was the puttar [son] of God. Priest: Yes! Jaat: Well, answer me this. I do not have any knowledge, but in our country there are three types of sons: Poot, kapoot and sapoot.

Poot is the one who does not progress more than the father. Kapoot is the one who, instead of exceeding his father’s work or even maintaining it to the same degree, destroys his father’s work. Sapoot is the one who increases his father’s estate and advances the works of his father. Now tell me, which of the said nations does Christ belong to. If he is poot, then as God has made one heaven and earth, he should also have created one heaven and earth. If he were sapoot, then he should have advanced the work of God to the next level and must have made the same earth and sky somewhere else as well. If he were a kapoot, he should have destroyed the works of God. Now tell me, what did Christ do?

The priest fell silent and by God, he did not utter a single word.

(Fazlur Rehman)

Covid-19 pandemic and Scotland’s humanitarian services Arshad Mehmood Khan Scotland

Located in the north of the UK, Scotland is rich in natural beauty and resources, where millions of tourists from all over the world come every year in search of its beauty, mountain walks and magnificent lakes.

Unfortunately, the valleys and its cities are very quiet, nowadays, due to the coronavirus and lockdown.

The Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Scotland has worked hard to help the local Scottish people in this difficult time.

In April and May 2020, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee Jamaats have made

tireless efforts to serve the people in their respective cities. More than 700 food packets and water were distributed to charities set up for the homeless. Food and medicine were supplied to more than 50 Scottish households. More than 1500 of food, fruit

and water items were deposited in various food banks across the region.

Volunteers visited local hospitals in Edinburgh, Dundee and Fife and donated fruit and other supplies to medical staff serving coronavirus patients during this

difficult time.

A weekly campaign on social media called “Pray for Heroes” was launched and a great tribute was paid to the NHS staff which was greatly appreciated by the local community, print media and the Scottish government to the ongoing services of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya for humanity. Lajna Imaillah Glasgow made 2,000 masks in their homes for charities.

It should be noted that in all these charitable works, the Ansar, Khuddam and Lajna auxiliaries of the Scottish region, as well as individual Ahmadi families are joining the campaign with cash and other donated items.

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Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

Humanitarian services in Greece

Atta-ul-Naseer Missionary and National President Jamaat Greece

In March 2020, Greece was one of the very first of the EU countries which decided to enforce a social lockdown. People were asked to stay at home except for 7 important matters for which police permission was needed prior to leaving home. Mosques, Churches and all other religious places were closed until further notice. The country’s 10 to 11 million population started a new way of life and stayed at home.

This caused many workers to lose jobs as their employers had to close their businesses and they were only employed on daily wages. Those who were part of the legal employment system were given a limited relief by the government and those who are forced into illegal labour had no other support. Both these groups need attention

and support.

As far as members of Jamaat-eAhmadiyya are concerned, alhamdolillah, due to the kind-hearted and dynamic leadership of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, they had someone to take care of them.

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Greece stayed in constant contact with all the members with the help of auxiliary organisations and on a personal basis. Those who were in need were provided relief with food items or financial aid. However, the humanitarian services of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya are not only limited to its members. I had personally contacted nearly all my local friends and contacts to ensure them that they could approach me if they face any difficulty in this time or if they see anyone else facing any difficulty.

A day or two later, the Chairman of Humanity First Germany contacted me, although he did not mention it to me, but I have no doubt that he was following the general directives given to him by our beloved Huzooraa. He asked if we could assist the public and refugees with hygiene items by public distributions. I spoke to the liaison officer from the Ministry of Public Order who told me that we are not allowed to distribute anything in public. As this could not be done, I proposed to Humanity First Germany that if the budget allows, we can assist the Ivorian community, whose president had sent me an email requesting assistance for his 125 community members including vulnerable women and children.

This project was very kindly approved.

As there was restriction in Greece for only two people being allowed to travel in a car at a time, I asked Sadr Sahiba Lajna (my wife Khalida Ahmad Sahiba) to assist me in preparing the initial food and hygiene pack.

As every community has their own choices when it comes to food, so it was important to get the opinion of the president of the Ivorian Community, Mr Moussa Sangare. I requested him to meet us at a supermarket.

All three of us were able to prepare the initial packs for families and single individuals.

On the same day, Sadr Sahib Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Greece, Aqeel Ahmed Sahib joined me for assistance in purchasing and transporting the food and hygiene items. As the community’s Nissan Micra could not carry over 1000kgs of items at once, we divided this task over

a few days. All the items were brought to the Salaat center where along with two other Khuddam volunteers, Raheel Ahmed Sahib and Daud Ahmed Sahib, 75 food and hygiene packs were prepared. As some items could not be delivered due to them being non-dry, we decided to provide a voucher for a local supermarket.

Once everything was ready, on 3 May 2020, we loaded the family packs weighing 22-23kg each in two cars and delivered them to the families. The next day, on 4 May, we invited all the single individuals to come to the Ivorian Community’s office where they could collect their packs. The volunteers sacrificed 410 man-hours in total to complete this task. May Allah accept the donations and sacrifices of everyone who assisted in this project.

Learning gratitude in hard times

Tahira Chaudhry Regional President Lajna Imaillah Peace Village, Canada On 12 May 2020, Lajna and Nasirat of Peace Village region appreciated waste collectors of the area. A week before, Lajna and Nasirat were motivated to create colourful posters with appreciative messages for our essential workers. Signs and posters were up in front of

each house of peace village. This was to show gratitude for those who were risking their lives for keeping us safe.

Sacrificing for others in society to keep it moving and taking favours with gratitude is the spirit that is needed for a healthy flourishing society. Mothers made most of this opportunity by instilling a spirit of gratitude in their young children, alhamdulillah, while kids learned a lesson that will keep their souls nourished forever.

Children enthusiastically drafted, coloured and painted messages for the waste collectors.

Some of the posters were up at night and some were put up right after Fajr prayer, and then all were anxiously waiting to see waste collector trucks coming on the street.

It was great satisfaction and pure happiness, when all of them got to see the smiles on the Essential Workers’ faces when they entered Peace Village and saw colourful thankful messages greeting them at every door. Another lesson learned was that pure happiness comes with giving and sharing.

Doing something for others as appreciation lights up the day beautifully.

May Allah keep everyone safe through these hard times and may we keep uplifting our souls through humble efforts.

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

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Friday Sermon 1 May 2020 Exemplary Men After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:

At present, I wish to talk about some members who recently passed away.

All of them adopted different professions and pursuits and had different educational qualifications. However, one thing common between them was that they honoured their Bai‘at [pledge of allegiance] of giving precedence to their faith over worldly pursuits according to their respective capacities. They did justice to the pledge of Bai‘at they made with the Promised Messiahas and had a very loyal and sincere bond with Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya.

They also fulfilled the rights owed to God’s creation. In reality, they personified the beautiful teachings of Islam, for which the ardent devotee of the Holy Prophetsa was sent by Allah the Almighty in this age.

I mentioned that this was a quality found common among them, but in fact they possessed many shared qualities.

After listening to the accounts from their lives, one becomes certain that in this era indeed it is only by attaching ourselves to the Promised Messiahas that we are able to adopt the true means of establishing a relationship with God. Through this, one attains complete certainty that God Almighty is a Living God and one attains the highest standards of acting in accordance to His divine pleasure.

One of the deceased members whom I shall mention is Zulfikar Ahmad Damanik Sahib, who was serving as a regional missionary in Indonesia. He passed away on 21 April at the age of 42. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا ل ِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ [‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]

He was born in North Sumatra on 24

May 1978. His father’s name is Shahrol Damanik. His paternal grandfather’s name is Shahnoor Damanik. Ahmadiyyat was established in his family through his paternal grandfather, who performed Bai‘at in 1944 through Maulana Zaini Dahlan Sahib.

The late missionary, Zulfikar Sahib studied at Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia from 1997 to 2002. In those days, there used to be a short course of a few years.

He then had the opportunity to serve as a missionary of the Jamaat in various places for 18 years. He leaves behind his wife, respected Maryam Siddiqah Sahiba and four children – Jazib, Aisha Khaula, Khairah Fatimah and Khaitharah Naseerah. His son is 15 years old, while the youngest daughter is aged eight months. All of them are part of the Waqf-e-Nau Scheme.

Mi‘raj Din Sahib, one of our missionaries

there [in Indonesia], states, “Zulfikar Sahib was a very successful and hardworking missionary. Wherever he would be assigned to, he would do tarbiyat [moral training], establish contacts and perform the various tasks of tabligh [preaching] most diligently. He would speak in a soft tone to everyone and maintain a friendly relationship with all. Whenever he met someone, he would greet them with a smile. He would never make any demands, instead he would advise people to pray.”

This is the essence of the life of a Waqfe-Zindagi [life-devotee] and they should try to adopt this practise. Whenever they need something, they should ask God Almighty and never make demands. This is an extremely important quality, which every life-devotee should try to inculcate.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the deceased was among those missionaries

who had the honour of achieving a large number of Bai‘ats. Hence, he was also able to attend the Jalsa Salana [annual convention] here in 2018 as part of the Jamaat delegation.

The deceased always carried out his work in the practical field with excellent planning, as a result of which he attained success wherever he went. Asif Muin Sahib who is a missionary, whilst mentioning his qualities, writes: “He possessed many good qualities.

He was an extremely righteous person. He was sincere and obedient. He had been ill for some time, but even during the days of his ailment, he gave precedence to serving the Jamaat. The deceased was serving as the regional missionary in the province of Riao.”

Asif Sahib further says: “I went to visit him.” As a matter of fact, Asif Sahib had the opportunity to work under him and he would entrust duties to him with an excellent sense of leadership.

“He had established strong ties with various organisations of the government and the province, due to which he had the opportunity to deliver lectures in various universities on numerous occasions. Aside from this, he had established contact with a great number of the ‘lost generation’ in the province and introduced them to the Jamaat.

“He continued these efforts across the entire province. He was able to re-establish a local Jamaat, Senggigi after approximately 20 years. In order to establish contact with the ‘lost generation’, as it is known there, they had to travel to small islands by boat. The journey between one island and the other was approximately 1.5-2

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Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM hours. Despite being ill, he made the effort and used to say, ‘For as long as I have the strength to serve within me, I will continue to serve until my last breath.’

“As a result of these journeys, four families entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat by the grace of Allah the Almighty.

The deceased was undergoing dialysis in hospital. Even in this condition, he attended a local meeting. When a Khadim [youth] asked him why he put himself in so much trouble, he replied, ‘As long as I have life within me, I will try to attend all programmes of the Jamaat. Even if I am ill, it is my desire to always remain engaged in service of the faith.’”

This is the passion and dedication that ought to be adopted by every life-devotee. It should not be the case that over the slightest of difficulties, one begins to express their concerns and worries.

Muzaffar Ahmad Sahib, who is a missionary there, writes: “I had the opportunity to study alongside him in Jamia. The last time I met him was in Qadian.” He went to Qadian with him. In fact, they may have gone this year. “Before travelling to Qadian, when the deceased was very ill, he would pray, ‘O Allah! Grant me an opportunity to visit Qadian in my lifetime.’ He used to say, ‘Allah the Almighty has enabled me to perform Umrah at the House of Allah; I have had the opportunity to meet the Khalifa of the time and now, my only desire is to visit Qadian.’”

Hence, owing to the grace of God Almighty, he was able to fulfil this desire of his by being granted him the opportunity to visit Qadian. The Jalsa [annual gathering] was not held on this occasion. However, they had already reached there before the prohibition. As such, they had the opportunity to worship there freely.

Muzaffar Sahib writes: “Due to the severe weather and extreme cold in Qadian, the deceased became very ill, as a result of which he had to return to Indonesia soon after. However, even in this weakened condition, his virtuous intention was fulfilled. Hence, the deceased was blessed with the opportunity to offer prayers and supplications in Bait-ud-Dua and in Masjid Mubarak.”

He further says: “I even took him to Bahishti Maqbarah [the heavenly graveyard] on a wheelchair and he also offered supplications there.

The deceased was an extremely diligent missionary. Despite being severely ill, he never gave up and whatever tasks relating to the Jamaat were entrusted to him, he would render them in an excellent manner.”

Similarly, Sajid Sahib, who is a missionary, writes: “Even though he was our senior, he never hesitated to accept the views of his juniors in matters related to preaching.

He had a modest and humble nature. The deceased was very strong-willed. He fell ill last year, but as soon as he recovered, he undertook a long journey in order to attend the Ijtema [gathering] of Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya [auxiliary organisation for men between the ages of 15 and 40 years old].”

Basuki Sahib writes: “In the last three years, I had the opportunity to serve [in the office of] missionary-in-charge. When I was assigned to serve in the office of the mission house

and I met with field missionaries in relation to their preaching programmes, I observed that the deceased worked with great diligence in shaping the programme for preaching activities. In order to make the preaching programmes successful, he managed the arrangements of the da‘iyan [those assigned with the duty of carrying out tabligh] and the local muballigheen [missionaries] meticulously and with great expertise. He always used to say to me that I should regularly update the number of Bai‘ats so that the da‘iyan working in the region may be encouraged.”

This indeed is correct and the number of Bai‘ats should be monitored. The da‘iyan should also be informed about these and regularly consulted. In this manner, the da‘iyan remain active and the new converts can be integrated into the system [of the Jamaat] as well.

Sarmad Sahib, who is a missionary, says: “He possessed a particular passion for preaching activities. When we were planning and forming a campaign to find new ways for preaching in the northern region of Sumatra, from Bantu Pane to Sosa, which is on the border of the state, he prepared various programmes and initiatives with great diligence and optimism.

“By the grace of Allah, this initiative continued for quite some time. Later on, due to a shortage of funds, there were some difficulties. However, this initiative of his was fruitful as the majority of new converts belonged to this area. He always used to say that one should never despair, as our responsibility is to preach and sow the seed.

It is possible that its harvest and fruit [as it were] lie in someone else’s share.”

Nevertheless, he was very determined and fulfilled his waqf with sincerity.

May Allah the Almighty elevate his rank. He did justice to his pledge of allegiance and fulfilled his devotion in an excellent manner. May Allah the Almighty elevate him in rank. May Allah keep his wife and children under His protection and take care of them.

The second deceased member I shall speak about is Dr Pir Muhammad Naqiyyudin Sahib of Islamabad, Pakistan, who passed away on 18 April. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا ل ِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ [Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return].

A week or so prior to his demise, he developed symptoms of coronavirus, which is widespread at the moment, and subsequently was taken to hospital. Initially, his health became stable, but on 18 April it deteriorated and he was transferred to the ICU, however, the same evening, he passed away and returned to his Creator. He leaves behind his wife, a son and four daughters, all of whom are married and settled in their own homes.

“Both sides of Pir Muhammad Naqiyyudin Sahib’s family [i.e. mother and father’s side] were decendants of the Promised Messiah’sas Companions. His family traces back to Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahibra. His paternal grandfather, Hazrat Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq Sahibra, and his maternal grandfather, Master Nazeer Hussain Sahibra, had the honour of being among the esteemed Companions of the

Promised Messiahas.

Hazrat Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq Sahibra also had the honour of being in the same class as Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in Madrasa Ahmadiyya in Qadian. He moved from Ludhiana to Qadian in his childhood and for approximately six months, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq Sahib and the others had the blessing of staying at the home of the Promised Messiahas. Dr Sahib’s mother was the granddaughter of Hakeem Muhammad Hussain Sahibra, Marham-e-Isa. Dr Pir Muhammad Naqiyyudin Sahib was approximately one year old at the time of the partition of India in 1947, i.e. he was born in 1946 and therefore was 74 years of age [at the time of his demise]. He migrated with the family [of the Promised Messiahas] from Qadian, firstly to Lahore and then settling in Mailsi, in the Vehari district.

In 1970, he completed his MBBS from the Nisthar Medical College. In 1975-76, he moved to Islamabad and started working there in a government polyclinic hospital.

After many years of service there, he left his job and went to Iran where he worked for 2-3 years, then returned to Pakistan. He opened a clinic in Islamabad which he had been running for the past 25-30 years. By the grace of Allah, it was very successful and he rendered great service to the poor.

Dr Abdul Bari Sahib, Amir of the Islamabad Jamaat writes: “Dr Pir Muhammad Naqiyyudin Sahib had been serving as the qazi [overseeing jurisprudential matters] of the Islamabad Jamaat for the past 12 years or so. His decisions were always in line with the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah [practice of the Holy Prophetsa], which would prove to be a great comfort to both parties. He was extremely polite, kind, loving and caring. He took care of the poor and was very popular. He would greet everyone with a smile.

“By profession he was a doctor and so, he spent day and night in serving mankind.

His clinic was always open to the less well-off members of the Jamaat and he would often treat them free of charge. His treatment was not limited to members of the Jamaat, in fact his heart and his clinic were always open to others as well and he would support them greatly. His circle of friends was vast, among whom were many non-Ahmadis. God Almighty had also gifted him with eloquence and so he would not let slip any occasion to preach the message to non-Ahmadis. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he would even convey the message in the current circumstances.”

Dr Abdul Bari Sahib says that the late Dr Pir Muhammad Naqiyyudin Sahib told him: “When he passed his MBBS exams in 1970, he went to Rabwah to his paternal grandfather, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq Sahibra to give him the good news that he was the first person in the family to become a doctor. His grandfather was very pleased and among the advice he gave him, he also advised that he should not only prescribe medicine for his patients, but should also pray for them, because the Promised Messiahas would always state that doctors who do not pray for their patients and only rely on the treatment they administer, are in fact committing shirk [associating partners with God]. Dr Naqiyyudin Sahib would say,

‘50 years have passed since working in the medical profession and in these 50 years, I have been acting upon the advice of my grandfather by not only providing low-cost treatment for my patients and empathising with them, but without fail, I offer two voluntary prayers each day and pray for them.’”

This is a practice which each and every doctor should adopt. They should not just rely on their expertise and in the medication, rather they should sympathise with the patients they treat and also pray for them and if they do so by offering voluntary prayers, then indeed this is commendable.

His wife, Uzma Naqiyy Sahiba says: “My husband was an extremely sincere and devout Ahmadi. He had utmost passion for preaching and during his lifetime he brought a number of people into the fold of Ahmadiyyat, and also convinced many more of the truthfulness of Ahmadiyyat.”

There are many who, out of fear or for whatever reason, cannot [openly] accept Ahmadiyyat, but at the very least, he was able to convince them of the truthfulness of Ahmadiyyat, silence them and maintain good relations with them thereafter.

His wife has also mentioned this trait of his whereby, as a result of the love he had for his patients, he would offer two voluntary prayers for them. She says: “He would continue going to his clinic even during this pandemic, lest his patients became worried. He only took leave when he developed a fever.”

Then, describing his attributes, including looking after and caring for his patients and praying for them, she writes: “He was also an extremely obedient son, an exemplary husband, an extremely loving and affectionate father and was someone who took great care of his siblings. He had a deep connection with the Living God. He would always pray to God Almighty and in return, God Almighty would answer his prayers.”

She writes: “After a few years of marriage, one of our daughters was unable to have children and so, he would pray a lot for this. One day, we spent the night at her home and in the morning, when he came out of the washroom” after performing his ablutions at the time of the Tahajud prayers or perhaps at the Fajr prayer, “he bowed down slightly. After enquiring, he told us that he saw that there was a child laying there next to the bed. In another account, it is also mentioned that he saw in a vision that there was a child on the bed. He said that he thought the child was about to fall, which was why he knelt down to catch him.”

A short time after this incident, God Almighty showered His grace and his daughter was granted a son, despite the fact that the doctors were not hopeful. May Allah the Almighty make this child pious and a servant of faith.

His son-in-law and maternal nephew, Arshad Ijaz Sahib says: “The deceased was related to me as my eldest maternal uncle. Since reaching adolescence, I had observed and heard much from him. He was very devoted to prayers, sympathetic towards the poor, selfless, sophisticated and one who even in difficult times acted upon the commands of Allah and His Messengersa. Without

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

18 hesitation, we would think of consulting with him first whenever we needed advice on any matter pertaining to the Jamaat, our domestic life or in worldly matters.”

With regard to his uncle Dr Naqiyyudin Sahib, he states: “My uncle saw another vision, which perhaps others may not be aware of and which relates to MTA. It was perhaps in 2010 when the touch screen phones of today were not common back then, at least in Pakistan. I was sitting next to my uncle listening to him talk, when he said, ‘A short while ago, I saw in a vision that an announcement was being made like an azan [call to prayer] which causes people to take something out of their pocket and place it near their ears. I learnt in the vision that it was the time for the sermon of the Khailfatul Maish of the time and all the people were listening to it live.’” He then says, “Today we witness this being fulfilled on a weekly basis.”

He then writes: “He would consider being from the family of Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib as not only a personal honour, but would also remind his family that to simply be related to a saint or elder of the community was no achievement, rather what really mattered was developing a relationship with Allah the Almighty. He was always very enthusiastic to try to invite people towards religion, in fact this was something he was incredibly passionate about.”

Many people have written on similar lines that he was extremely passionate to propagate religion.

He further writes: “He would preach in an excellent fashion, using arguments from the Holy Quran. At the time of Jalsa Salana [annual convention] he would specially invite nonAhmadi guests and informally host and prepare food for them. He would have them listen to the Jalsa Salana and thus, this opened up avenues of tabligh.

“When the coronavirus pandemic struck, my uncle did not close his clinic. I phoned him many times to try and reason with him to discontinue going there, but he would reply that if doctors stayed at home, then what would come of all the patients?

He would argue his case further in a way that rendered me speechless. Even when he was very ill, he continued to attend his clinic. He would say that he was attending his clinic as he considered it his duty; making monetary gain was not his aim.”

His daughter, Ayesha Nooruddeen writes: “He was a very loving and caring father, who was very devoted to his prayers. He always advised us to focus on prayers and establish a connection with Allah the Almighty. Whenever we asked him to pray for any matter his reply would be, ‘I will pray but you also should pray.’ Then after praying, he would receive guidance from Allah the Almighty and tell us that he had seen a dream or that Allah the Almighty had informed him in such and such manner. Owing to his profession, he treated thousands of patients and treated many more free of charge. His fees were nominal as most of his patients were poor.’

She writes further: “My father was an embodiment of the Holy Quran. For any matter, he would look

to the Holy Quran for guidance; he would first recite the relevant verse by memory, then give its translation and then provide an explanation. His love for Khilafat was so great that as soon as the one-hour sermons began airing on MTA, he immediately arranged for a satellite dish so that people could come to our home to watch it. He would invite many non-Ahmadis over to watch the concluding session of the Jalsa Salana. He would have them watch the entire proceedings of the international Bai‘at ceremony and with it, made arrangements for good food, saying that these were the guests of the Promised Messiahas.”

His daughter, Warda says: “He instilled in us from childhood the habit of offering prayers, reading the Holy Quran, observing fasts, giving Chanda on time and contributing Sadaqah and alms or charity. When arranging suitors for marriage of his children, he only considered faith and spirituality and nothing else. He had no regard for worldly things. He taught us from an early age that every desire could not be immediately fulfilled and thus, we should recourse to showing patience and praying.”

His son-in-law, Abdul Quddous Sahib says: “My relationship with my father-inlaw was like that of a father. I was always eager to meet him as he would teach me something new, explain an interpretation of a verse or give a new perspective on an issue of debate.”

He further writes: “During the early days of my marriage I was not informal amongst my in-laws and was hesitant. However, he showed such affection that it alleviated my hesitation. He had no interest in worldly issues like politics, fashion and other popular worldly topics, rather his topics of interest were worship, the Holy Quran, religious education and morals. He was unwavering against harmful innovations like an unmovable rock. He would strictly prohibit inappropriate customs taking place at weddings and other functions. If the girls sung any song which contained even a hint of shirk [associating partners with God] he would bring it to an abrupt halt.”

His daughter, Qurat-ul-Ain Hadiya says: “He advised me to never hold anything in my heart against anyone else. He said that I should consider my in-laws as my own and never hurt anyone else with my actions or words.”

He also told his daughter that “to be good towards someone who is good is nothing special. What really matters is being good towards someone who is unpleasant towards you.”

Indeed, this is the teaching of Islam, which the Promised Messiahas explained to us in this age. These are the high moral standards that can incline others towards you.

Then, she says: “He used to say that disorder is a bigger sin than killing. Thus, to prevent disorder, you should show humility by accepting being in the wrong, even if you are in the right.”

This is the lofty guidance given by the Promised Messiahas. When parents advise children of this guidance, it can help

establish a beautiful society.

His son, Pir Mohiuddin Sahib says: “I saw in a dream that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh was delivering a dars [religious sermon] in the lounge of our home. I was sitting there and he was addressing me, saying, ‘This is not a house; this is a gate through which you will gain blessings, and thus never let go of it. He then said to me: ‘your father is a Wali Ullah (friend of Allah).’ And then he said: ‘Be certain, your father is a Friend of Allah’.

He writes, “He held deep agony for those who were impoverished. He provided resources for many families on a monthly basis, including provisions and food, education for their children, medicines and also took responsibility for their treatment. He offered service to over 50% of the patients he saw daily free of charge.”

His son-in-law, Abdus Samad Sahib says: “He had great love for the Holy Quran.

When giving reference to it, he would always recite the verse and then its translation.

When in discussions with non-Ahmadis who asked him to show a sign or miracle of the Promised Messiahas, he would reply that he himself was a miracle.

“He was a complete Ahmadi. He was the personification of the expectations the Promised Messiahas had for his Jamaat.

He possessed in him such characteristic that when people met him, they would become intrinsically inclined towards righteousness.” The distinctive quality of a righteous person is that those who spend time in their company are influenced towards righteousness. “Moroever, he did not simply say that he was a sign, rather as non-Ahmadis often ridiculed this response” that he was a miracle, “he would reply that he was not saying this in jest, rather this was a reality. He would convince others with his arguments that he and many other Ahmadis were properly implementing the true teachings and thus were living signs and miracles of truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas.”

In short, these are the standards that every Ahmadi should strive to adopt.

Instead of searching for signs from a bygone era, become signs in your own person.

Naib Amir Islamabad, Abdur Rauf Sahib says: “Many people lamented what they would now do as they knew no other doctor except him. Numerous Ahmadis from impoverished backgrounds never faced problems getting treatment. Without having to give too much thought and with no hesitation would they attend Dr Naqi’s clinic and receive treatment. Many nonAhmadis mentioned that he was like an elder of their household. They never took any steps without first seeking his advice.”

Not only Ahmadis but even non-Ahmadis would consult with him. “Dr Sahib would resolve many family disputes and issues of non-Ahmadis. This was because his clinic had been established for around 40 years.

A father would attend the clinic and then later his children would continue to attend in this way. Dr Sahib related many accounts of people to me. Some non-Ahmadis told their children before passing away to ensure they visited Dr Naqi for advice when facing any dispute or quarrel.”

Then he writes: “Last year, on the last Friday of 2019, Dr Sahib came to my office after the prayers and closed the door behind him. He said: “‘I wish to inform you of something, which only my wife is aware of. Four days ago, I saw in a dream that I was in a battlefield which was scattered with corpses.

I was standing amongst the martyrs but was not yet counted as one of them. I heard the voice of the Promised Messiahas, who said, ‘Whoever has been inflicted with five wounds will be a martyr.’ I turned around and saw the Promised Messiahas standing on an elevated place like the commander of an army. I started counting my injuries and three were very deep and I had one very light scratch on my leg. I profusely offered istighfar [begged forgiveness] for my sins from Allah the Almighty and then I woke up and thought to myself what the dream signified. The thought was emphatically instilled into my heart to update the record for my Chanda [monetary contribution].

However, I had been slack in this regard, but the next day, when I woke up for the morning prayer, the thought was made to very forcefully resonate in my heart that I had not yet given the outstanding amount of Chanda. In the morning, I assessed my contributions and realised that I did indeed have some outstanding Chanda.’ He then said, ‘On that day, I gave one million (rupees) by cheque to the finance secretary and I am praying to Allah for forgiveness since that day.’”

His nephew, Aziz-ur-Rahman Sahib, who is the son of [late] Mujeeb-ur-Rahman Sahib Advocate, writes: “On many occasions, we heard him narrate accounts from his life and also of his childhood years. Despite having to endure extremely difficult circumstances, he became a doctor by the grace of God and through the prayers of his parents.

He would tell us that there were also times when he would have no money even to purchase any paper on which he could do his work. Therefore, he would collect used envelopes and open them up and use them to write his notes. Similarly, when he was studying at a school in his village, they did not have a mathematics teacher and so, he would travel to the neighbouring village and learn from its school’s mathematics teacher. He would then return to his village and teach his fellow students.

“He once narrated an incident in relation to how he adopted the habit of regularly offering prayers. Once, during his childhood years, he and his sister were playing and fell asleep without having offered their Isha prayer.” This is a very interesting account in regard to how the habit of regularly offering the prayers was instilled in him. “He stated that when their mother enquired if they had offered their prayer as they had fallen asleep, he replied, whilst in a state of sleep as he was still only a child that he had prayed. However, he states that in the middle of the night, their mother woke them up and was crying and said, ‘You have lied to me about having offered your prayer.’ God Almighty had informed her through a vision that they had not offered their prayers. He used to say that ever since that day, they never neglected their prayers.”

Thus, this is the standard which every

19

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM Ahmadi mother should acquire. Such was the deep concern she had for her children’s upbringing and their observance of Salat that she would pray with such heartfelt emotion. As a result, Allah the Almighty also showed her a vision to inform her that her children in fact had not prayed that night and therefore, she should wake them up. Hence, she woke up her children and was crying and they said that this had such an impact upon them that they never missed their prayers after that.

“He would often present the reference of the Holy Quran to support anything he would say. He would also say that until one had not established a living connection with God Almighty, they had failed to do justice to their Bai‘at with the Promised Messaihas because the very objective of the Promised Messiah’sas advent was to establish a living relationship with God Almighty.”

Similarly, another nephew, Dr Ataur Rahman Sahib writes: “He would always carefully ponder over the Holy Quran and possessed very deep knowledge of it and had memorised many lengthy verses of the Holy Quran. Despite the current circumstances in Pakistan, he would invite those who opposed the Jamaat to his home to listen to the proceedings of the Jalsa Salana and the addresses. Many people were influenced by his tabligh [preaching] efforts and by the grace of Allah, many people had the opportunity to perform the Bai‘at through him.”

May Allah the Almighty elevate the station of the deceased.

The next mention is of respected Ghulam Mustafa Sahib, who initially resided in London and had now moved to Tilford. He was serving as a volunteer in the private secretary’s office here in the UK. He passed away on 25 April at the age of 69. َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا ل ِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ [“Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]

He did the Bai’at in 1983 during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and came to London in 1986. He resided at the mosque when he initially came and immediately submitted a request to become a waqf [lifedevotee].

Since his education was quite basic, therefore perhaps this was the reason why his waqf was not approved, however he continued to serve like a Waqif-e-Zindagi [life-devotee]. He first served in the kitchen and then in the office. Allah the Almighty had greatly blessed him in his business.

He initially endured very straitened circumstances, but then God Almighty blessed him immensely and he was able to acquire some properties and then further develop them. From his wealth, he spent on the poor and needy and in the service of the Jamaat. However, I was mentioning that in terms of his passion to serve like a waqf, it was always his habit that if he ever had to travel to another country for the purpose of his business or wanted to take an extended leave, he would always seek official permission from me, stating his reason and why he wanted to go and it is very likely that this was his practise during the era of Khilafatul Masih IVrh as well.

He served like a Waqif-e-Zindagi and would often say that although he was not a waqf, however he considered himself as a waqf. Thus, he served the pledge that he

had made with Allah to be a waqf with great loyalty, irrespective of whether or not he was officially assigned as a waqf.

During the time when he was residing in the mosque, someone once sent him to work in a hotel as a waiter. However, he did not like the job and resigned the next day and said that he had decided that since he was receiving money anyway without having to work, therefore he would rather wash the dishes in the Langar [kitchen] of the Promised Messiahas. And so, he began to work along with Wali Shah Sahib in the kitchen of the Fazl Mosque.

Later, he also offered his services in doing duties for Hifazat-e-Khas [security] and in 1993, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh appointed him to serve in the private secretary’s office. As I mentioned, since then, he had been fulfilling this duty of his in an excellent manner. The deceased was a musi [part of the Al-Wasiyyat scheme] and is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

His wife, Mahmooda Mustafa Sahiba writes: “Mustafa Sahib and I spent almost 34 years together and I can testify that in all these years, his every action was for the sake of Allah the Almighty. He possessed many qualities and was a very sincere husband, father and friend. He would always fulfil the rights of his relations. He was a very wise individual and always came to the aid of others, served with a selfless spirit and was very courageous and brave. He was wholly devoted to the institution of Khilafat and was ready and willing to offer his life for it.

“He would say that when he did the Bai‘at in Pakistan, he promised himself that he would always remain close to Khilafat.

At the time, he did not have any means for this, but through the grace of Allah the Almighty, he fulfilled this promise of his and Allah the Almighty granted him the means for its fulfilment. He had a great passion for offering financial sacrifice. I recall that when my son was born, I told him that I had decided to donate half of my jewellery to the Jamaat, but he immediately responded, ‘Why half? You should have given all of it.’”

His wife further narrates: “In the very early days [of our marriage], a scheme was launched to generate funds for building mosques in Africa. At the time, we did not even own a house and whatever savings he had, he would donate it towards the construction of the mosques.

He would spend extremely little money on his own self but would not think twice when it came to spending for the sake of others. He always gave precedence to his faith and like a true believer, served his faith well and also earned worldly wealth as well.

He always kept me involved and informed in all his works and would place great trust and confidence in me.”

She further relates: “Mustafa Sahib was the only Ahmadi in his family. When he did Bai‘at, he promised himself at the time that he would not take anything from his father’s inheritance. He prayed, ‘O Allah! Verily, Your Messiah is true and I have taken his Bai‘at by believing him to be true, thus You grant me provisions from Yourself and never allow me to be dependent upon others.’

“Allah the Almighty accepted this desire

of his and thus proved that his decision to take the Bai‘at was indeed the right one.

Thereafter, Allah the Almighty provided him with help through various means. He later also built a large mosque in his village and would say that after all, they would one day accept Ahmadiyyat. Apart from this, he would help his siblings and relatives through various means.”

His wife has also stated that he had very strong faith in the acceptance of his prayers and has written numerous accounts in relation to this.

His daughter, Sabeeha Mustafa writes: “To love Allah and the institution of Khilafat established by Him was the sole objective of my father’s life. He had great trust in Allah the Almighty and he would always relate to us accounts of how such and such prayer was fulfilled on such and such occasion. It was always his desire to acquire the tabarruk [sacred items] of Khalifatul Maish and if ever he did receive any, he would save a little portion of it for himself and would then distribute the rest to others so that they could also receive its blessings. Even at home, he would collect the tabarruk so that he could share it with the guests of the Jalsa Salana.”

She further relates: “Many of my father’s friends have phoned us and told us that it seems like they have become an orphan once again.

He would greatly help the poor and needy.”

She further writes: “When we were in London and had moved from Tooting to Gressenhall Road, it was my father’s desire to purchase a larger house so that he could entertain the guests of the Promised Messiahas in the best manner possible. He would always say that if they were ever going to get a house, then it would have to be near Khilafat and not away from it.”

She further writes: “My father would help others with great sincerity. If ever anyone was experiencing any sorrow or difficulty, he would try his utmost to help and assist them.

“Prior to when he fell ill, his final advice to me was that I should always remain firmly attached to the Jamaat, offer the prayers and regularly recite the Holy Quran and Allah the Almighty would always be with us.”

His elder daughter, Madeeha Mustafa – the earlier account was of the younger daughter – writes: “Although my father had come from a village and had very basic education, however his ideas, foresightedness and the principles of his life had enabled him to excel even further than many well-educated and intellectual people. In this present day and age, there are very few who truly give an equal status to men and women. He never considered his daughters as a burden, in fact he would say that whoever was granted a daughter had succeeded and his days of work had finished and his days of comfort and rest had begun.”

She further writes: “He fulfilled the obligation of granting equal opportunities for education to one’s daughters and sons in a most excellent manner. He left no stone unturned in this regard, but despite the love for his children, he never neglected fulfilling the rights of God Almighty and His creation. Whether it

be Eid, his daughter’s wedding or anything for that matter, he never missed his prayer.

He had great trust in God and he always had belief that his works would never go unfulfilled, but his only concern was to not incur the displeasure of God Almighty owing to any shortcoming in his worship.”

His son, Surfaraz Mahmood states: “Even whilst living in Tooting, he would regularly go to the Fazl Mosque to offer his prayers. If ever there was a prayer that could not be offered in the mosque, he would ensure that we offered it in congregation at home.” He further writes, “He would say to me that whatever I wished to achieve in life, it was only God Almighty Who could enable me to achieve it. When it was time for prayers, he would leave everything aside and offer the prayers.”

His son then further states: “Until the age of 15, my father would regularly take me with him to Fajr [dawn] prayers.” He then states, “The blessings we are receiving today are a result of his prayers. When he would return home after the Fajr prayers, he would always check to see whether or not I had gone to the mosque for prayers. If ever I had missed a prayer, he would say that by being unfaithful to God, one only causes harm to themselves as Allah does not need our prayers, in fact one prays for their own sake.”

He further writes: “Owing to his condition, when we called the ambulance, he was breathing heavily, yet even then, instead of praying whilst sitting or lying down, he performed his prayers as normal. As he was descending from the stairs on his way to the hospital, he kept reiterating that we should always offer prayers on time and in congregation. With respect to hospitality of the guests of the Promised Messiahas, during the days of Jalsa Salana, as it was a large house, there would be approximately 40 guests staying at our house. When we moved near the mosque, although the house was smaller, we would still have 25 guests staying with us.”

To accommodate 25 guests in that house was a difficult task, yet he would do so happily. I also asked him on a number of occasions [about his hospitality], but he would say that he had made arrangements for himself and left the house for the guests.

“He would say that one ought to progress in both their faith and also worldly endeavours, but would always remind us that this was not an easy matter. He would advise his children that whenever a worldly issue arose, we should give precedence to our faith over it.” He further writes, “He would always say to me that all that we owned belonged to Allah’s Jamaat and it was our job to safeguard it and increase it in a manner whereby it may be of use to the Jamaat.

“He would advise that we should never delay paying our Chanda. He would pay his Chanda on the first day of each month. He would advise us by saying that we should never think that the Jamaat is in need of our Chanda, rather it is something that we require to attain the blessings of Allah the Almighty.”

He further says: “During the last days of his illness, when he was placed on a ventilator, just before he went into a coma, his last words to me were, ‘Surfaraz, I know the first day of

Friday 29 May 2020 | AL HAKAM

20 the month has passed. Go to my cupboard and you will find my folder with all of the information regarding my Chanda. Pay my Chanda and always remember my advice to pay all your Chanda on the first of each month without fail.’”

His father-in-law, Karamatullah Sahib states: “Mustafa cared for all of the relatives of his wife with sincerity. He showed me the same respect and honour like his own father.

Mustafa spent his entire life in the worship of Allah the Almighty and remaining in the company of Khilafat.”

His son-in-law, Bilal says: “He would acquire photocopies of various prayers from the Holy Quran and sayings of the Promised Messiahas and would give them to me, his children, friends and relatives and would advise them to read them and learn the prayers of the Quran.” He further says, “I saw that he would obtain the copy of any dars [lecture] delivered in the Fazl Mosque and when he returned home, he would read it again and would give it to everyone to read. He would then take a picture of it on his mobile phone and send to his non-Ahmadi brothers and sisters and their children. He would then call them to ask whether they had read it or not and in this manner, he would perform tabligh.

“He was very hospitable. On almost a daily basis, he would bring a guest home, but during the days of Jalsa Salana [annual convention] guests would constantly come and go 24 hours a day. He would say to each guest that there was no need to ask beforehand as they ought to treat his home like their own and come whenever they please.

“He would take special care for the guests of the Promised Messiahas and would say that his doors were always open for them. If a guest would stay with him one year and the following year he would stay elsewhere, Mustafa Sahib would become worried lest that guest did not return owing to a shortcoming on the part of his hospitality. If he found an opportunity, he would insist on bringing that guest home.

He would manage all his worldly matters and businesses in a manner that they would not clash with prayer times. He would leave all his dealings and go to the mosque for prayers.”

His brother-in-law, Sohail Ahmad Chaudhry Sahib writes: “He had a deep love and passion for three things: firstly, worship, secondly, Khilafat and thirdly, the hospitality of guests. During the days of Jalsa Salana, the house of Mustafa Sahib was akin to a guesthouse filled with the guests of the Promised Messiahas.”

Aslam Khalid Sahib, who works in the PS office, writes: “In the office I worked with him on a daily basis. He possessed many qualities.

He was courageous, he would try to excel others in performing good deeds, he would look after the poor, was hospitable and was exemplary in offering Chanda [monetary contributions]. He would always look for an opportunity to perform a good deed and his desire for work was such that he would strive to excel others in work. He would say

that this was like his income and that this was real work and it would please him to carry it out. “ Fahim Bhatti Sahib, who works as a volunteer in the Private Secretary’s office, writes: “I believe he began working in the private secretary’s office in 1992. In those days, there was a shortage of staff and he would work very diligently. He was a very loyal and devoted worker. He possessed many qualities, among which the most prominent and delightful trait was his deep love and obedience to Khilafat. He would seek guidance on even the smallest of matters.

God Almighty granted him affluence and whenever this was mentioned, he would say that he attained everything due to his services in this office and from the blessings of working in the proximity of the Khalifa.”

Dr Tariq Bajwa Sahib writes: “We had been friends from 1980/81 and from the time he accepted Ahmadiyyat until his demise, I had the opportunity to observe him closely. He possessed countless qualities; he had great trust in God Almighty and a deep love for Khilafat.

He began to live in Sindh [a province of Pakistan] with one of his distant relatives as cases had been filed against him over some plots of land in Punjab. Avoiding the police, he came to settle in Sindh. Nonetheless, he was then introduced to Ahmadiyyat and for approximately three years, he learnt about Ahmadiyyat.

“Even during this time, he would call the azan [call to prayer] in the Ahmadi mosque and right from the outset, this was his passion. He later saw a dream as a result of which he performed the Bai‘at [pledge of allegiance]. In the dream, he saw Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh who was smiling and said, ‘I require two volunteers’ and then pointing to Saleem Sahib and himself ” i.e.

Mustafa Sahib “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh then said for both of them to step forward. Subsequently, he performed the Bai‘at.

“Prior to his Bai‘at, he would attend functions and gatherings of the Jamaat.

After performing the Bai‘at, he excelled greatly in his sincerity. After listening to sermons and question & answer sessions, he was filled with such confidence that he would say that he alone was enough to deal with the non-Ahmadi clerics.

“He had the opportunity to perform Umrah [voluntary pilgrimage] several times and in 2010, he also had the good fortune of performing Hajj. He had great love for Qadian and would frequently travel there. He had a desire to have a house in the headquarters and thus, he built a house and thereafter presented it to the Jamaat.”

Dr Ibrahim Nasir Bhatti Sahib, who was treating him, states: “I did not know Ghulam Mustafa Sahib for very long. I had the opportunity to treat him in my capacity as a consultant during his last illness.” By chance, he was the doctor in the hospital Mustafa Sahib was in and he was also one of his patients.

He further writes: “In this short period of time, I observed certain aspects about him that were remarkable.” He states, “Despite his severe condition owing to the coronavirus, he was

completely content with the will of Allah the Almighty. I remember that when I saw him, I informed him that owing to the severity of his condition, it is possible that he may not recover from this illness. Upon hearing this, Mustafa Sahib fell silent for a short while and then said that he was content with the will of God. No sign of worry or anxiety was visible in his expression and in fact, he was completely content.”

Dr Sahib then says: “The second aspect which had an impact on me was his love for Khilafat.

Owing to the severity of his illness, we had to deliver CPAP, which is a machine that supplies oxygen and is very strenuous on the body, so much so that at times, the patient becomes restless and suffers great discomfort. When he would feel discomfort owing to the machine, his family members would tell him that the Khalifa” – i.e. they would deliver my message to him – “has said to follow all advice of the doctors.

When he would receive this message, he would become relaxed instantly and endure the effects of the machine calmly. I could see that his resolve would be reinvigorated and his body would become strengthened.”

He also writes that he would take homeopathic medicines not only for the

sake of treatment but also because I had recommended it. Dr Sahib states that Mustafa Sahib’s love and sincerity towards Khilafat was unique and it had left a great impression upon him.

May Allah the Almighty elevate the status of all of these deceased members.

[In return to] the loyalty that they have shown to God Almighty and His faith and the manner in which they have strived to fulfil their pledge of allegiance, may Allah the Almighty in turn bestow His love upon them in a greater manner.

As the Promised Messiahas has stated, such people are counted among the martyrs.

May Allah the Almighty safeguard their children and grant them the opportunity to carry on their good deeds; may they establish a relationship with Allah the Almighty and always demonstrate loyalty towards the Jamaat and Khilafat. May the prayers of the parents continue to receive acceptance in their favour.

(Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International on 22 May 2020, pp. 5-10.

Translated by The Review of Religions.)

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