Al Hakam - 20 September 2019

A sitting with Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib at the 2019 UK Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Ijtema

100 Years Ago...

Responding to Allegations

Nayyar’s Travelogue Qadian to London

Five objections against the Promised Messiahas regarding the plague

From Muhammad bin Qasim to Mirza Mahmud Ahmadra The founding of a great town

Al Fazl, 20 September 1919 Page 7

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Page 6

Page 10

Page 16

THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 20 September 2019 | Issue LXXIX Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Huzoor addresses concluding sessions of UK Lajna and Ansar Ijtemas

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

Every one of you is a guardian Hazrat Abdullah bin Umair, Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Surely, every one of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charges: The imam [ruler] of the people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects; a man is the guardian of his family [household] and is responsible for his subjects; a woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and of his children and is responsible for them; and the slave of a man is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for it.

Surely, every one of you is a guardian and responsible for his charges.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ahkam)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

One virtue begets another

Living as a Muslim woman in modern-day society Hazrat Khalifatul Masih at the concluding session of Lajna Imaillah UK Ijtema 2019 Sunday, 15 September, Bordon, Hampshire: Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul

Masih Vaa arrived in the ladies’ Ijtema Gah at 12:28 BST to conclude the Ijtema of Lajna Imaillah and Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya UK. Upon arrival, Huzooraa invited Amatul Mujeeb Owusu Sahiba to the stage for recitation of the Holy Quran – chapter 59,

verse 23 to 25 – along with its translation.

Huzooraa then instructed all ladies to stand up for the pledge, the wording of which was repeated after Huzooraa by all those present and those watching live on MTA. After the Lajna pledge, Nida Mansur

The fact of the matter is that evil actions result in further evil actions. The natural law of God Almighty in Islam is that one righteous act gives birth to another.

I remember once reading about an old fire-worshipper of ninety years of age in Tadhkiratul-Auliya. It so happened that in a period of extended showers, the man was feeding seeds to the birds on the roof of his house. A noble man approached him and said: “Old man, what are you doing?”

He responded: “Brother, the rain has been falling incessantly for six or seven days now and so I am feeding the birds some grain.” “You do so in vain,” said the noble man, “You are a disbeliever, what reward can you attain for such action?” The old man responded, “I will surely receive my reward.” The noble man relates that he went for Hajj and saw the same old man circuiting the Ka‘bah from a distance. The noble man was astonished to see this and relates that when he approached him, the old man was first to say: “Did my feeding seeds to the birds go in vain or have I received my reward?”

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 71 - 72)

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM Continued from page 1

This Week in History 20 - 26 September

20 September 1924: Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Musleh-e-Maudra graciously permitted to have an audience with two respected guests from Nigeria when he was touring London.

Both of the guests were well educated and known in religious circles; one of them was an Ahmadi Muslim.

20 September 1947: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra initiated a series of meaningful articles about the nationwide situation to do with the partition. This sequence of articles continued to be published until 28 January 1948. Interestingly, this material did not carry Huzoor’sra name, but the author could be ascertained from the style and level of writing.

20 September 1947: Episodes of bloodshed, confrontation, uncertainty and violence were everywhere; the partition of India had many chapters, yet to be explored. But Hazrat Muslehe-Maud’sra farsightedness and wisdom protected people on an extraordinary scale. This man of God did not only plan to safeguard the lives of the masses, but their valuables were also protected.

A separate desk was established to cater for this urgent need because for people, the situation on the ground was changing every hour. On this date, Sheikh Fazal Ahmad Batalvi Sahib reached Lahore with a wide range of valuables, which people had been deposited to the Jamaat officials.

20 September 1948: Rabwah, then the new markaz, was inaugurated.

21 September 1919: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud composed his book titled Future of Turkey and the Responsibilities of Muslims upon the request of the All India Muslim Conference. ra

21 September 1924: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra met Colonel Montagu William Douglas during his England tour.

21 September 1957: Dr Muhammad Rashidi, Ambassador of Indonesia visited Rabwah and expressed his desire to meet Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra, which was fulfilled. Before his return, on 23 September, he also attended a reception organised by the people of Rabwah.

22 September 1903: A baby boy was born in the house of Hazrat Hakim Mualvi Nuruddinra. The boy was named Abdul Quyyum, but he died in infancy.

22 September 1924: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra graced the inaugural session of the Wembley Conference with his presence.

22 September 1946: During riots in Dhaka, the Jamaat’s centre was ransacked and then set on fire by miscreants. Jamaat officials temporarily had to relocate their centre to the Brahmanbaria area.

22 September 1946: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was

engaged in his journey towards Delhi, where he had many meetings with national political leaders to discuss and resolve crucial issues that were causing distress amongst the people of the time. Huzoorra remained there until 14 October.

23 September 1924: Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafarulla Khanra read out an article written by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra at the Wembley Conference. This essay was admired by many people who attended the event.

23 September 1947: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra was called by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra from Qadian to Lahore as Hazrat Mirza Aziz Ahmadra was appointed amir-e-muqami back in Qadian after the partition.

24 September 1945: A delegation of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat met with Muhmmad Ali Jinnah in Quetta.

24 September 1946: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah met in Delhi to discuss topics of mutual interests.

24 September 1947: After the partition, the Jamaat commenced its immense operation to safely shift the staff of central offices along with records, archives, documents and stationary from Qadian to Lahore.

25 September 1955: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra arrived back in Rabwah after his tour of Europe.

Huzoorra covered the last leg of his journey from Karachi to Rabwah via Chenab Express. Residents of the town thronged at the railway station to receive their beloved Imam. The Jamaat’s central newspaper, Al Fazl published a special welcoming issue. From the train station, Huzoorra went straight to Masjid Mubarak and led the people in a long and emotional silent prayer, standing in the mihrab, facing qibla. The next day, people of the town arranged celebratory activities in connection to Huzoor’sra successful tour and safe return.

26 September 1912: Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra departed on his journey of Egypt and Arabia. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira sent him after silent prayer.

26 September 1924: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered his address in the Dutch Hall in London.

Sahiba was called to the stage to recite an Urdu poem written by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh. In her report, Dr Fariha Khan Sahiba, Sadr Lajna Imaillah UK started off by thanking Huzooraa for gracing the Lajna Ijtema with his presence.

The theme of this year’s Ijtema was the Attributes of Allah the Almighty. Many activities were given for young girls, for example workshops and games. AMRA provided activities such as stargazing.

The total attendance of Nasirat and Lajna Imaillah on Saturday was 4,325.

After Sadr Sahiba’s report, Huzooraa distributed prizes to outstanding majalis – regional and local chapters.

After reciting Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that with the conclusion of the Ijtema, it was Allah’s grace that alongside the continued progress of the Jamaat, Lajna Imaillah UK has taken many steps forward during the previous few years, both in terms of members and the scope of its activities.

Huzooraa said that Lajna has progressed and many new schemes and initiatives have been introduced in previous years.

However, with all success, every effort must be made to protect our core Islamic values and our Muslim identity.

More than ever before, for this to be a reality, we must act on all commands of the Holy Quran; we must pay heed to the writings of the Promised Messiahas, who was sent to rectify all misguidance and bring mankind to the right path. It was the Promised Messiahas who was to carry the message of Islam to the corners of the earth by introducing the universal teachings of the Quran to the world. His claim was that his era was for the propagation of the true teachings of the Quran. As his followers, it is our duty to encourage others to come to this path of true prosperity. It is our obligation that we show to the world that Islam’s teachings are the means of attaining true contentment.

People may argue that Islam has already spread globally and may query as to what benefit it has done to the world.

There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, and thousands among them claim to be Islamic scholars, however this has not led to true peace and prosperity. Huzooraa said that the simple and clear reason for this is that there is division and dissent and the teachings of Islam are interpreted in differing ways.

Huzooraa said that in the midst of all this, we are fortunate that we have accepted the Imam of the age, and in order to fulfil this great objective, Allah has not left us bereft or ill equipped. In today’s world, television, radio, print media and social media are just a few ways through which global communication has become instantaneous.

Elaborating further on this, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said: “These are all technologies that we as a Jamaat are utilising to spread the teachings of Islam. However, it is not enough to merely convey the message of Islam to others, rather our objective can never be fulfilled until each and every one of us

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM becomes living and practical examples of the benevolent and noble teachings of Islam. This is why the Promised Messiahas repeatedly spoke of the need for members of his Jamaat to live their lives in accordance with Islamic values and to live and breathe its teachings.

“I should also add that we cannot claim to be unique in utilising these modern technologies, rather worldly people have spared no effort in using the latest means of communication to broadcast programmes and content. Most regretabbly, and worryingly, much of the content being broadcast or streamed in the world today serve only to weaken the moral and spiritual fabric of society and to take people away from what is good and decent.”

Huzooraa carried on by saying that when people living in poverty-stricken areas of the world see people living in rich countries and how they are living, they seek to follow their footsteps which only leads them to further frustration.

Huzooraa then spoke of explicit content available at ease, for instance pornogrpahy and other foul content on social media and how a true Ahmadi Mulsim must steer clear of this. Addressing the Lajna members, Huzooraa said: “You, as members of Lajna Imaillah, must rise to this challenge. Indeed, it is the task of Ahmadi men, women and our youth as members of the community of the Promised Messiahas to use modern day technologies to counter the influence of irreligious and immoral forces and to show that upholding religious values in the contemporary world is not just possible but is absolutely vital.

“First and foremost, we must ourselves avoid the profane and the vulgar. We should view or partake in only those things that encourage piety, strengthen our faith and enable us to gain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.

“As people who have accepted the Promised Messiahas, we should absorb those things that increase our knowledge of his teachings, which are in reality the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa. Consequently, we should take benefit of the positive aspects of modern technology, whilst saving ourselves from the damaging and destructive powers.”

Speaking of an unfortunate truth of a very small minority within the community, Huzooraa said: “Regrettably, the truth is that many of our Jamaat members – both men and women – are ignoring their duty to spiritually and morally reform themselves, despite having taken the Bai‘at of the Promised Messiahas. They are becoming influenced by the materialistic and irreligious forces that darken today’s society. They have fallen prey to the poisonous effects of modern technology and are spending far more time absorbing vain and superficial content than seeking to develop their bond with Allah the Almighty or increasing their spiritual and moral standards.”

Providing an antidote to such immorality and indecency, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “Every one of us knows how much

time we are devoting to watching religious programmes or studying religious texts in comparison to viewing content that promotes materialism and immorality.

In this era, Allah the Almighty has blessed us with MTA, which has many programmes that increase a person’s religious knowledge and so Lajna members must strive to watch it as much as possible and to ensure their family members are also benefiting.

U n q u e s t i o n a b l y, women play an indispensable role in society because the future generations lie in their laps and grow up in their tender care.”

Huzooraa drew their attention to studying religious books and said that this does not mean that light entertainment is also prohibited. However, MTA and religious programmes must be given preference. Huzooraa said that MTA has been seeking feedback of what type of programmes should be produced. As Lajna gives valuable feedback, they should write to MTA after observing it carefully and give their feedback.

There are many Ahmadi women who migrated to Western countries. Such mothers should ensure that they and their families remain firm in their religion and do not steer away from religion.

Huzooraa then reminded Lajna members that integration does not mean to fall prey to wrong and immoral values.

He said that many have been living here for

generations and they have easily integrated by taking and learning the good values from Western countries. Huzooraa said, “Those who fail to protect and preserve their religious values are those who fail to fulfil their pledges.”

With moral values degrading day by day and some Ahmadi women being affected by this negatively, such women should realise that these actions have nothing to do with the success of a nation.

Can it be said that nightclubs, flaunting your body, dancing with men or drinking alcohol can help a country to succeed?

Secular people try to promote such harms and justify them in the name of freedom, however these are considered obscene and immoral by Allah and His Prophetsa.

“Though such things are championed as examples of free and modern societies, the reality is that such impropriety serves only to shatter the foundations upon which a truly thriving and compassionate society is built. To debase and lower a society’s

moral compass in the name of freedom is a means of undermining the strength and unity of civilisation at a collective level as well as individually harming the people within that society.”

Speaking about the realisation the world is having with regard to such moral vices, Huzooraa explained: “Let it be clear that a time will surely come when the people of these developed countries will realise that what they considered to be freedom was actually the means of their destruction. Now we have reached a stage where even some non-Muslim are speaking out to condemn these extreme levels of immodesty and indecency within their societies and they admit that the lowering of moral standards correlates with the rise in frustration and anxiety amongst the general public. As a result, there is absolutely no reason for any of you to bear an inferiority complex or to feel embarrassed upon the practice of your faith.

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

4 “Worldly people may claim that exposing one’s body, dressing suggestively or bringing sexual behaviours into the public arena are signs of progressive society and one in which freedom of expression is valued, however they could not be more wrong.

“All Ahmadis, whether men or women, whether young or old, must understand that from a religious perspective, such behaviour is the height of immorality and cannot be tolerated by religious people who have pledged to prioritise their faith over all worldly matters. Therefore, while living in the Western world, it is of vital importance, that Ahmadi Muslims guard themselves against the ills of society.

“As I said before, you should not just protect yourselves but should strive to save others from moral decay and highlight the importance of virtue and morality. This is how to serve your nation and if you are sincere in this effort, then rest assured, Allah’s help and mercy will be with you every step of the way.”

On the subject of mental health, Huzooraa said: “In today’s world, much is spoken on the importance of mental health and mental wellbeing. In this regard, always remember that real peace of mind is attained through the nearness of Allah the Almighty and not by pursuing the frivolous and futile attractions of the world. This point is made in chapter 13, verse 29 of the Holy Quran where Allah the Almighty has clearly stated, ُ​ُْ ْ َ ّٰ ْ َ ‫الَا ِب ِذ� ِ� الل ِہ تﻄ َم ِ� ُّن القلوْب‬ “Aye, it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find comfort.”

With regard to this verse, Huzooraa said that Allah has clearly shown that through His remembrance, peace can be attained.

“Hence, do not think that the so-called freedom of the modern world or material lifestyles can inspire peace within a person’s heart, rather it is the remembrance of Allah that inspires a person towards a genuine and lasting contentment.

“The reality is that righteous people

feel satisfaction and joy in their hearts whenever they remember Allah the Almighty and reflect on His blessings and the beauty of His creation. For example, they recognise the glory of Allah as they pass by trees and forests; they perceive Him as they observe vast oceans and lakes or glorious mountain ranges; seeing the beauty and perfect harmony of nature leads them to not only praise Allah but also to reflect upon His majesty and consider how He created the heavens and earth and all that encompasses the universe.

“Anyway, the main point I wish to make is that Allah the Almighty has stated that true peace of mind cannot be attained through worldly freedom or by partaking in the meaningless attractions of the world, rather it can only be achieved through the nearness of Allah the Almighty and keeping Him in your heart and mind at all times.”

Huzooraa then instructed that we should remember that Islam is a religon of moderation and balance and it does not say that we should isolate ourselves and forsake all worldly pursuits. There is no harm in pursuing recreational endeavours, however, we should never let them dominate our actual and foremost goal.

We should never consider worldly pursuits to be the means of salvation or success as even seemingly good things can prove to be dangerous. Huzooraa gave the example of salt water, that it will not quench a person’s thirst and will only make a person more thirsty.

Huzooraa also said that if a person disregards Allah and continues performing sins considering it to be their water for life, then that person will be headed for disaster. Prophets are those who bring us to the true spiritual water. If we disregard those prophets, then we will be headed for destruction. As Ahmadi Muslims, we are fortunate that we partake of the spiritual water of Islam given to us in this day and age by the Promised Messiahas.

Addressing a recent mindset that has taken shape in the minds of some,

Huzooraa said: “Another thing I wish to mention is that some Ahmadi men and women, including some of our youth, think that the Jamaat places unnecessary constraints on their lives and are denying them their freedoms. However, if they look carefully and fairly, they will realise that the Jamaat is not denying their rightful freedoms in any shape or form, rather the Jamaat serves only to uphold the teachings of Islam and to morally guide the members of the Jamaat accordingly.

“We strive to encourage all Ahmadis to act upon the true teachings of their religion, which are the means of true freedom and liberation. Regrettably, there have been cases of a few young Ahmadi men or women who became so influenced by the wider society that they left their homes and abandoned their faith. For some time, they may have considered themselves to be free or to have attained the liberties and fun that they sought. Yet, later on, many came to regret their decision and expressed their embarrassment and shame of having left the Jamaat and sought to re-enter its fold.

They admitted that what they thought would be a life of freedom had proven to be the opposite and soon realised they had embarked upon a destructive and dangerous path.

“Always remember that basic wisdom and intelligence requires and indeed it is the teaching of God Almighty that a person investigates and researches carefully the pros and cons before taking any step or decision. We who call ourselves Ahmadi Muslims and claim to have accepted the Promised Messiahas must not only weigh up the materialistic pros and cons but should also assess the spiritual and religious benefit or harm before making a decision or adopting a new path.

“No matter the extent of the material benefits, a true Ahmadi should always be ready to give up such things if they do not correspond to their religious teachings.

Priority should always be given to our spiritual and religious values. After all, we proclaim and pledge that we are the people who will forever give precedence to our religion over all worldly matters.”

On the ever important and crucial subject of modesty, Hazrat Amirul aa Momineen said: “Before ending, I also wish to remind you that the Holy Prophetsa said that modesty is an integral part of our faith. Thus, whilst living in the West, Ahmadi women should not follow those fashions and trends that are justified in the name of freedom of choice but are in reality a means of immorality and immodesty. You should not adopt those fashion trends which your body Twitter @LajnaUK expose

rather than preserving your modesty.

“At all times, Ahmadi women and girls should follow those fashions that are within the confines of modesty and through which their chastity is preserved. It should be clear that every Ahmadi woman and girl dresses and acts in a respectable way and according to the principles of modesty.

“Sometimes, some Ahmadi women or girls fail to cover their heads, their hair or even their chest for the sake of fashion and this is completely contrary to the requirement of their faith. Furthermore, some ladies wear burqa coats in the name of purdah, but their coats are so fitted that they resemble a skin-tight shirt. Such coats that expose a person’s physical attributes are not appropriate for Muslim women or girls. The coats you wear should cover your bodies and your scarves should be worn properly over your heads.

“Always be conscious of your dress so that no one can ever question your modesty and be proud of the fact that purdah is the means of guarding the honour and chastity of a Muslim woman. Every Ahmadi man and woman has a circle within which they are dutybound to remain and that circle is simply whatever Islam teaches. Hence, our limits are not decreed by any individual, rather they have been decreed by Allah the Almighty.

“Some people think that Ahmadiyyat is stricter than Islam, but this is wrong because Ahmadiyyat and Islam are one and the same thing. The standard of purdah required by Islam has been very clearly stipulated in the Holy Quran and so you should read the Holy Quran carefully to see what the required standards of modesty are.”

Towards the end, Huzooraa prayed that Allah may enable all to act upon the true teachings of the Holy Quran and Islam.

Huzooraa then led everyone in silent prayer.

After dua, Huzooraa listened to some taraney (choral poems) before saying Salam and departing the Lajna Ijtema Gah. ____________________________ The primary objective for everyone should be attaining Taqwa Hazrat Khalifatul Masih at the UK Ansarullah Ijtema 2019 Sunday, 15 September, Bordon, Hampshire: Soon after addressing Lajna Imaillah and Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya at their final session of the national Ijtema, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa graced the concluding session of Majlis Ansarullah UK’s national Ijtema.

Huzooraa invited Hafiz Tayeb Ahmad Sahib for recitation of the Holy Quran, chapter 3, verse 103 to 105. Dr Azhar Sadiq Sahib was then called to present the English translation of the Quranic verses.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then instructed the congregation to stand for the pledge, the wording of which was repeated after Huzooraa by all those present and those watching live on MTA International.

After the Ansar’s pledge, Muhammad Ishaq Sahib was called to the stage to recite an Urdu poem composed by the Promised Messiahas.

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa invited Sadr Sahib Majlis Ansarullah UK for the Ijtema report. Sadr Sahib thanked Huzooraa for leading the Friday Sermon from the Ijtema Gah for the first time in the history of the UK Jamaat. He also thanked Huzooraa for his constant guidance and kindness towards Majlis Ansarullah UK. This year, various scholarly speeches were delivered by eminent scholars.

Various academic and sports competitions were also held. Several workshops were also conducted, covering topics such as setting up a business, how to protect children from the dangers of the internet, health advice and writing a will.

This year’s Ijtema’s theme was “The blessings of Khilafat”, a theme followed by all local and regional Ijtemas.

Following Sadr Sahib’s report, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa distributed prizes to outstanding majalis – regional and local chapters.

After reciting Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that by the grace of Allah, along with the success of the Jamaat in terms of numbers, Majlis Ansarullah is also expanding. However, despite this success, the real analysis Majlis Ansarullah should do is to ask themselves whether they are following the teachings and desires of the Promised Messiahas.

Huzooraa said that he quotes the Promised Messiahas on various occasions, often quoting the same extracts, which can result in people questioning why this is done. Huzooraa highlighted that certain teachings require constant reminders and those extracts of the Promised Messiahas are thus read out to remind everyone of their responsibilities and roles.

Despite these constant reminders, Huzooraa questioned whether even 40% of people follow the instructions of the Promised Messiahas that are constantly quoted. Huzooraa said that even officebearers are not properly following these instructions, especially the commandment of Salat.

It is our examples that the next generation and the youth will follow, Huzooraa said. Therefore, it is essential that every Nasir and every office-bearer selfreflects and sees where he stands.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then quoted extracts of the Promised Messiahas that highlighted the Promised Messiah’sas desire for his community to follow him practically.

The Promised Messiahas said that once, a Muslim asked a Jew to accept Islam. The Muslim himself was not following the teachings of Islam and acted immorally.

Therefore, the Jew told him to first look at his own state before inviting him to Islam.

The Jew told the Muslim that he had a child whose name was Khalid, meaning the one who lives a long time, however the child passed away the very next day after birth.

Thus, the Jew said, mere names mean nothing – practical examples are needed.

We claim that we will spread Islam in the world, but what efforts and examples are we showing to prove this?

The Promised Messiahas said to first reach righteousness and seek the protection of Allah. He said to develop such faith and purity that one delevops a spiritual awe within themselves. The Promised Messiahas also highlighted that

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those who are Muslim and act immorally defame the name of Islam. They not only cause harm to themselves but also to the name of Islam. It is vital that we do not give others a chance to complain and raise allegations against Islam.

Huzooraa said that the Holy Quran and its commentary are essential for purity and closeness to Allah. The Promised Messiahas said that without action, mere words and desires mean nothing. If we desire to spread the name of Islam we all need to make our actions and words the same.

Then, the Promised Mesiahas said that he gave these exhortations so that those who have a connection with him may heed and enhance in purity while bringing others towards the light of truth as well.

The Holy Quran testifies that help will be with those who follow Prophet Jesusas, and this same promise was also given to the Promised Messiahas. Therefore, can it be that those who want to be recipients of this promise immerse themselves in immoral deeds and not follow the true teachings of

Islam? Certainly not. Only those people will be recipients of this promise who gain closeness to Allah and resist all evil.

We must develop a special connection with Allah. It cannot be that we miss our prayers or due to our work, we shun them.

The Promised Messiahas said, “The path of Taqwa [righteousness] should be followed; Taqwa can be said to be the summary of Shariah.”

How can man desire to achieve righteousness if he misses his prayers? If he does so, he cannot complain if he does not attain closeness to Allah.

The Holy Quran states that those who achieve righteousness are such that they constantly uphold their prayers and in the end, attain closeness or become close to Allah and reach true success.

The Promised Messiahas stated that our Jamaat should be more sorrowful and worrisome over whether they have righteousness or not. This worry should overpower all worldly worries and sorrows.

Huzooraa quoted the Promised Messiahas who said that he did not desire for

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

6 his Jamaat to think of others as lowly or of high rank. Some people show great respect to people with worldly awe, however true greatness is in listening to the poor and weak with humility. According to Allah, the best person is he who is righteous.

True intellect and insight cannot be achieved without the succour of Allah and righteousness. The Promised Messiahas greatly stressed to deeply ponder over the Holy Quran, as a result of which, one will conclude that Allah did not create this world for no reason.

The Promised Messiahas exhorted his Jamaat to think, use their understanding and ponder over what is needed – it is true Taqwa that is needed. One should become like a fertile land that soaks in water and flourishes. In the same manner, one should soak heavenly light and become pure.

Until there is no striving, one cannot gain closeness to Allah.

The Promised Messiahas said that 60,000,000 books were published against Islam and the number of Muslims present in India at the time was also 60,000,000.

This was the intensity of those attacking Islam. Therefore, a need to transform oneself is essential to battle these constant onslaughts against Islam.

Today, it is not only books that are attacking Islam, rather a plethora of avenues have opened that seek to attack Islam.

The Promised Messiahas said that true bravery and strength is the power to reform oneself morally.

Quoting the Promised Messiahas, Huzooraa said that one should seek forgiveness before Allah’s punishment is manifested. For this, one should become constant in Tahajud, anger should be shunned and giving to the poor and needy should increase.

The Promised Messiahas said to rise at night and pray before Allah to achieve Taqwa; he said to leave sin and weaknesses.

If one does so and also prays, then Allah will bless him and he will witness a change within himself.

Then, with great anguish, the Promised Messiahas said: “I say it again and my friends should hearken to my words that they are not taken to be mere tales and fables. I have said all these things with true anguish and pure worry that is naturally in my spirit …

Remember and believe that we will one day go to Allah.” One should remember that the torment of hell will be extremely tough and painful.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then prayed for all to follow the teachings of the Promised Messiahas, fulfil the Bai‘at in its true sense, become true members of Ansarullah, be the ones who leave a good example for our future generations and gain the pleasure of Allah.

Huzooraa then led the congregation in silent prayer.

After dua, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa announced that the attendance was 3,107 Ansar (a 23% increase from the previous year) and 1,515 guests, giving a total of 4,622 attendees, whereas the total Lajna attendance was 5,822.

100 Years Ago...

Nayyar’s Travelogue Qadian to London Al Fazl, 20 September 1919

16 July [1919]: Among the three Indian students going to the UK, two Hindus belong to the family of Diwan Tek Chand Sahib, Deputy Commissioner of Multan.

One is the son of Diwan Sahib and the second is his brother, and their names are Shyam and Ram respectively.

The third gentleman, Abdul Hameed, belongs to Sialkot. All three of them ask various questions about Ahmadiyyat, listen to the replies and express admiration.

They are happy to be with us in their journey to London. They are studying our literature with keen interest. All three are unprejudiced and noble gentlemen. May Allah the Almighty illumine their bosoms with the light of Islam Ahmadiyyat. Amin.

A military official happens to be our travel companion as well. A series of continuous discussions about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat took place with him.

However, he belongs to that group of people who say that they consider Mirza Sahib to be a pious person but still believe that this holy man was (God forbid) a false claimant. In my experience, this group is farthest away from reformation.

Anyhow, as the journey of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat’s tabligh moved onwards, the Mail Train continued to travel through the pleasant atmospheric region at high speeds.

17 July 1919: The train has a dining car as well. Respected Chaudhry Sahib deemed it important to teach me the first lesson of dining like the English. Hence, I have learned that lesson for the ship well in advance and practiced a little with a knife and fork. Having an experienced companion with you is a blessing from the countless blessings of God. Passing through several tunnels and over many bridges, our train entered the Isle of Bombay and stopped at one of the finest railway stations of India, Victoria Terminus.

Ahmadiyya missionary to Bombay [now Mumbai] Maulvi Hakim Khalil Ahmad Sahib, Secretary Anjuman Ahmadiyya Hyderabad Deccan Mir Basharat Ahmad Sahib, Secretary Anjuman

Ahmadiyya Bombay Chaudhry Sardar Ali Sahib, members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat Bombay Muhammad of Malabar, Seith Hassan Ali Sahib, Syed Muhammad Hussain Sahib and Safdar Hussain Sahib were present at the railway station to welcome us. These noblemen found it appropriate to put garlands around the necks of Mahmud’s servants and draw the attention of passengers disembarking the train and onlookers at the station towards the bearers of Islam’s glad tidings, headed to London. May Allah grant them the best of rewards!

We took a ride and reached the Ahmadiyya Association [building] and thanked God that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra had appointed an Ahmadi missionary in the “Gateway to Europe” and consequently saved us from the troubles of searching for hotels. I am thankful to Allah the Almighty that Bombay Jamaat is progressing in its sincerity and the appointment of a missionary in Bombay along with the missionary house is yielding beneficial outcomes.

18 July 1919: Today, Chaudhry Sahib led the Friday prayer and voiced that phrase in the sermon which is the basis of all the efforts of Ahmadi missionaries and the foundation stone for the edifice of future works i.e. “We are certain in the conversion of the English to Islam”. We met Nawab Syed Rizvi Sahib and he acted with love and compassion. He drove us to Apollo Bander [Wellington Pier (Mumbai)] and the shop of Seith Ismail Adam Sahib. Along the entire way, a discussion was held on the dissention within the Ahmadiyya Jamaat by those who had not performed Bai‘at [the Paighamis].

This evening, a dinner was arranged at the house of Seith Abdullah Yusuf Bhai, father-in-law of Khan Sahib Seith Ahmad, brother of Hazrat Seith Abdullah Ilahudin Sahib.

Seith Sahib treated us very amiably and laid continuous emphasis to publish an English Gujrati newspaper in Bombay for the progress of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.

We pray that God Almighty grant Seith Abdullah Yusuf and Seith Ahmad Bhai the strength to accept the truth. Amin.

Victoria Terminus, Mumbai | University of Houston, Wiki Commons

19 July 1919: After purchasing the ticket and getting medically examined, we boarded the ship. The sincere members of Jamaat Bombay left their routine works to bid us farewell. They reached the pier, put garlands around our necks and bore all the expenses of

Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyarra

our journey.

I have witnessed Bombay Jamaat for the third time and by the grace of God, it is blessed in every way and progressing by the day; chairs have taken the place of floor mats in the lecture halls; literature of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is placed in mirrored bookshelves; there is an electric fan and light. Allahumma zid fa zid [O Allah, increase them in what You have granted them].

There are some special instructions for the journey of ship. The content of these [instructions] will be provided to travellers via the office of Nazarat Talif-o-Ishaat [central publications and propagations directorate] as I will write a detailed report to [this office] which shall benefit upcoming missionaries, Insha-allah.

The name of our ship is SS China. It weighs 7,932 tonnes. This ship was taken by the government and utilised as a hospital ship. Now, it has been handed over to the company again. The ship is equipped with the facility of receiving wireless electrical messages. The viceroy’s daughter is aboard the ship as well.

A storm was experienced in the ocean an hour after the ship left the port and I began to suffer from dizziness and sickness.

Chaudhry Sahib is okay. Having an experienced companion is, again, one of the blessings from the very many blessings of God. Chaudhry Sahib brought me up on the deck from below and there I viewed the sight of the Arabian Peninsula and mountain ranges resting on a chair. There are long lines of chairs on the deck. Like me, various sick people with their heads drawn are watching the acrobatic display of the ocean. The colour of the ocean’s water was blue at first, but leaving the shore, it has turned black. Beautiful greens are observed beneath where the foam emerges as a result of force, deposited by the waves.

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

7

A sitting with Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib at 2019 UK Khuddam Ijtema Part I Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib had the opportunity to serve as Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK from 2012 to 2018. During this year’s Ijtema, a special sitting was arranged with him in which Khuddam asked questions, especially about Huzooraa. The result was that Khuddam were able to better understand the honour, grandeur and importance of Khilafat.

For this very purpose, Al Hakam presents the transcript of this conversation so that our readers may also benefit. We are grateful to Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib. Fa-jazahumullah Ahsanal Jazaa.

Question: As Huzooraa is the grandson of Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmadra, we first request you to tell us about Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmadra.

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: I first wish to tell everyone why I have come to this sitting. The Nazim-e-Ala of this Ijtema, Yousuf Aftab Sahib contacted me and asked me to hold this session. Initially, I apologised and said I would not be able come. However, he insisted and said that the Khuddam would find the sitting interesting. In reply, I said that during the last six years, I have had the chance to speak to Khuddam a great deal.

A few days later, I received a message from Yousuf Sahib who said that Sadr Sahib also desired that I attend this sitting.

I thought to myself that as I have a few months left of being a Khadim, after which I will enter Ansarullah, it is best that I enter Ansarullah by showing obedience to Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya.

Now, I will answer the question. Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmadra was the third child out of the promised progeny of the Promised Messiahas. He had two older brothers, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashir Ahmadra.

Younger than him were his two sisters, Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begumra and Hazrat Nawab Amatul Hafeez Begumra.

Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra was the [paternal] grandfather of Huzooraa.

Huzooeraa completed his first reading of the Holy Quran under Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmad Sahib’sra supervision.

He was a very technical minded person and the paternal side of our family has inherited this characteristic. In fact, most of his progeny have a deep understanding

MKA UK

of technical matters.

Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra was a very quiet and soft-spoken person; he spoke very little. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra once said that of the three brothers, Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra resembled the Promised Messiahas in terms of looks and personality the most.

He had two other brothers as well who were from the first wife of the Promised Messiahas. From them, Hazrat Mirza Fazl Ahmad passed away before accepting the Promised Messiahas while Hazrat Mirza Sultan Ahmad did Bai‘at during the time of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.

Of the promised sons the Promised Messiahas was blessed with from Hazrat Amma Janra, the first to pass away was Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra. Then Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra passed away and the last son to survive was Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra.

Question: Please can you narrate an incident from the life of Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmad’sra life.

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: There are lots of incidents that I have heard. I’ll narrate one that Huzooraa narrated during an interview.

Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmadra had an immense amount of respect and reverance for Khilafat. He was the grandfather of Huzooraa, so once he took Huzooraa along with him to meet Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. At the time Huzooraa was a young boy and so Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra told Huzooraa to “go upstairs and seek permission for me to enter. Say that I have come, and I request permission to meet [with Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra].”

Huzooraa went upstairs and Hazrat Maryam Siddiqa, the wife of Hazrat

Musleh-e-Maudra was present. She sought permission from Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and then instructed Huzooraa to tell Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra to come up.

Huzoorra narrated that Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra went up to meet Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in his room. He did not sit next to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra on his bed, nor did he sit in front of him on a chair.

Rather Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra stood with great respect and conversed whilst standing with Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.

It is also narrated that he sat on the floor.

Nevertheless, he did not sit beside Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra out of respect. He then sought permission and took leave.

Huzooraa says that this incident was the first lesson of his childhood about the respect and honour of Khilafat. The reason for this is because Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra was the brother of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, but still did not sit beside him. He first took permission to enter, then when he was present before Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, he stood with great respect and spoke in a very respectable manner. So, Huzooraa says that practically this was his first lesson on respect for Khilafat.

Question: You were Sadr Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya UK for six years; how was the experience?

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: It was a rich experience in every way. Holistically, it was a very good experience. When I was initially given this responsibility, I worried a great deal. Even though it had been nine years since I had come to the UK, I was still worried whether, due to a difference in culture or language, Khuddam might feel a distance from me. However, with

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

8 the special grace and blessing of Allah, everything panned out to be fine. I really enjoyed the experience. All Khuddam cooperated with great love and affection.

They listened to my instructions with great love. So my experience was very good.

What happened was that immediately after I was given this opportunity, I did not even know what was happening. There was pressure from everywhere. Everyone was calling, messaging and emailing me, presenting various problems and tasks that needed to be attended to. There were constant messages being sent to me.

Nonetheless, what I will say is that Khuddam really cooperated with me in every respect. Everyone listened to my instructions with love and work also went all very well. So, Alhamdolillah, it was a great experience.

Question: How did Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa guide you with regard to this responsibility?

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: The truth is that everything happened as a result of Huzoor’saa prayers and guidance. When I was given the responsibility of sadr, the first task was to create my amila [working committee]. At the time, I did not know many people, so I just picked up the list of the last national amila and presented it before Huzooraa for approval. Huzooraa saw the list and enquired about every person in the list; their names and professional backgrounds. Huzooraa went so far as to enquire about even the regional qaideen and their backgrounds.

I would tell Huzooraa about those whom I knew and where I did not know someone, I simply said I did not know much about them. Upon this, Huzooraa said, “You should personally know every member of the [national] amila and every regional and local qaid; who they are, what they do and their backgrounds etc. You should know them personally.”

I not only strived for this personally but also instructed the qaideen at the qaideen forum to personally get to know all their Khuddam. In a similar way, during one of the forums, I went across the room and asked each person’s name and told them that I would try my best to remember their names.

After some time, during the days of Jalsa Salana, where the heavy responsibility of Afsar Khidmat-e-Khalq and Sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya was upon me and when one’s mind is buried in countless tasks, a youngster suddenly approached me and asked, “What is my name?” Still in shock, I said, “I do not know your name”.

He then said, “Okay, then at least tell me who I am?”. I replied by saying, “I do not even know who you are!”. He said, “Okay, then tell me what qiadat I am from?”. I sincerely apologised and said, “Please forgive me! I do not even know this.” He then introduced himself to me and in this manner, I was able to remember his name. Now, Masha-Allah he is part of the national amila, Samar Malik Sahib.

The point here is that it is very important to know each person at a personal level.

Huzoor’saa guidance emphasised this point and I tried to act upon it.

Question: With regard to the national

Ijtema, do you have any special memories?

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: I will say regarding the Ijtema that our elders say that if one wants to know how well an auxiliary organisation is working, then there is no better way than to observe their national Ijtema. My observation is that the Ijtema of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK is improving every year.

I was just speaking to Sadr Sahib about how well the Ijtema is running and how good the site setup is this year. The Ijtema is always reaching new milestones.

Look at the attendance and the general organisation; by the grace of Allah, we are witnessing continuous improvements. The Ijtema has developed a great deal.

Some time ago, the barbeque at national Ijtema would be greatly enjoyed. The reason the barbeque started was because the attendance at Ijtema was not much at the time and there were very few activities that would interest the Khuddam.

This was a long time ago. At that time, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh suggested to hold a barbeque in which regions could compete with one another. And in this manner, the Khuddam took great interest in this and the initiative was openly welcomed by them. In its time, the barbeque brought with it many benefits.

The attendance improved and Khuddam also developed an interest in the Ijtema.

However, when the national Ijtema matured in its organisation and various activities were also on offer, the barbeque was not really needed. What would happen is that the whole of Friday would be spent in purchasing meat etc. and Saturday would be spent in setting up grills and gazebos and organising everything. In this way, two of the three days of Ijtema would go into the barbeque alone.

For this reason, the barbeque was stopped and, in its place, a collective dinner would take place on Saturday.

When this collective dinner started, Huzooraa predicted that it would not last a long time. The reason for this was because now, the three days of Ijtema are packed with interesting activities, beneficial events, exhibitions and competitions and there is no time for anything else.

For example, look at this year’s Atfal Gah; there are very interesting activities for even those who are younger than seven. Parents are very happy that their young children can also benefit from the Ijtema. So, through the grace of Allah, improvements are taking place every year. Those who love the Jamaat will most definitely be happy by observing these improvements.

Organisers come and go. It is important that we play our part in the best possible manner and pray for those who are to come. This is how nations reform.

Another lesson that Huzooraa emphasised a lot was, “The leader of a nation is their servant.” In other words, those who lead nations are there to serve their nations. Huzooraa reminded me of this lesson on several occasions.

The reason I have mentioned this point is because here, in one capacity or another, everyone is in a leading role. Future leaders are also present here and we should all remember this advice given by Huzooraa.

I have seen this spirit developing within Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya. Every generation before leaving tells the next generation that now, this is their responsibility. They tell them not to become complacent but to stay occupied in service; to exert maximum effort in serving during one’s time.

Today, I have also witnessed that Sadr Sahib and all his amila are working tirelessly. This is a great sign. Therefore, acting upon this hadith [a leader of a nation is its servant], that Huzooraa instructed to follow, will ensure the progress of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya.

Leaders of nations that do not work themselves and merely sit on stages will in turn halt the progress of their nation. How can they ever progress?

Last night, I came to the Ijtema site and saw today as well that everyone was working, irrespective of whether they were office-bearers of “higher” or “lower” levels.

Seeing this, I was very pleased, that we are all bearing in mind this instruction of Huzooraa. Alhamdolillah.

Question: The theme of this year’s Ijtema is “The Existence of God”. Considering your personal experience, what would you say to Khuddam with regard to this theme?

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: With regard to narrating personal experiences, Sadr

Sahib mentioned some experiences of Khuddam in his speech today. It is better to narrate incidents and experiences of others rather than your own. One begins to deviate towards an undesirable path by constantly narrating one’s personal experiences.

Every Ahmadi has personal experiences and with regard to Huzooraa, they are countless. For a connection with Allah, it is imperative that one constantly strives and never halters. This journey is continuous, and it cannot ever reach a level of complacency.

Huzooraa has continuously reminded us at home about the importance of Namaz.

And so Namaz is a huge way to achieve nearness to and a connection with Allah.

In fact, it is probably the only way. If one offers their Namaz in its proper manner, then slowly, a connection is established with Allah the Almighty.

The Promised Messiahas has stated that by listening to the experiences of others, one can reach the conclusion that there should be a God. However, the existence of God cannot be known with certainty without personal experience.

In an article for Al Hakam, I mentioned that Huzooraa never allowed us to show any laziness with regard to offering Namaz. If we were, or are, ever lazy, then Huzooraa

9

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM does say one thing and that is, “Look, I am carrying out my responsibility by waking you up for Namaz.”

Along with this advice of Huzooraa, I would also like to say that practical examples hold great importance. By observing the attention and importance parents give to Namaz, children automatically learn [the importance] themselves.

In our household, we had the practical example of Huzooraa and our mother as well. So, we saw Huzooraa offering Namaz, we observed the acceptance of his prayers and still do so today. In very testing circumstances, we have seen the prayers of Huzooraa being accepted. By observing this, the importance of Namaz was established within our heart.

Anyhow, I will repeat what the Promised Messiahas said, and that is, to establish a personal relationship with Allah, personal effort is required.

Question: You lived with Huzooraa in Ghana and it was a time of difficulty. Tell us more about your experience there.

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: I was only six years old when we returned from Ghana to Pakistan. How would a six-year-old know of the difficulties present? This too is a sacrifice of parents, that they endure difficulties in such a manner that children are not affected.

Huzooraa lived there for seven to eight years and during that time, West Africa was passing through an extremely harsh drought. Food was scarce and would be located with great difficulty.

Recently, Al Hakam published an article in which my [maternal] uncle, Qasim Shah Sahib related that Huzooraa did not endure those harsh conditions by simply accepting them and doing nothing, rather both my parents used all their means in the best possible manner. My mother would bake bread herself at home, grow vegetables and keep chickens. There was also an avocado tree in front of the house and at the time, we were not aware of its value. In the UK, it is very expensive.

We saw it as an average and tasteless local fruit, but still ate it.

Our mother tells us that it was a very difficult time. However, with patience and gratitude, Huzooraa spent his time in a good manner with whatever means were available. So, Qasim Shah Sahib’s article is very good in this manner. Being children, we spent that period in play and did not really feel any difficulty. Children are not aware of how food and clothing are being acquired. This article paints a picture of the conditions and how Huzooraa and my mother endured those circumstances readily, without ever complaining.

Our mother told us that once, milk had run out at home. She told Huzooraa – not by way of complaint, but to bring it to his knowledge – that there was no milk for us children. Upon this, Huzooraa said, “Don’t worry. To date, we have been able to acquire [milk] and we will also acquire it in the future.”

There was a town 150 miles away from where we lived. A missionary who lived there came to know that a delivery of milk had come at a shop. Fresh milk was not readily available and was hard to

find. Long-life milk, also known as UHT milk had been delivered to the shop. The missionary intuitively thought that he should buy a carton of milk and deliver it to our house. Therefore, he took the bus, gave us the milk and then returned.

Thus, Allah’s blessings were experienced throughout that period.

Jamia Ahmadiyya International, Ghana organises a language camp and refresher course

Question: You have just spoken about parents and children. Please tell us how the tarbiyat [upbringing] of children should be done?

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: I also have children and just a few days ago, I was thinking to myself whether I should do the tarbiyat of my children or my own. I think that before doing the tarbiyat of another, one should first do their own tarbiyat. In the same manner, before doing the tarbiyat of your children, you should look at your own self.

We want our children to develop attributes like that of saints whereas we ourselves stay the same. The Promised Messiahas has also mentioned that he would advise his children and then pray for them. Then, according to their capacity, they will take heed.

Usually we stay in a world of dreams and desires and think of various ways of how to do tarbiyat of our children. If we reform ourselves first, better results will manifest.

Question: How is the manner of tarbiyat [upbringing] by Huzooraa?

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib: I will tell you this; Huzoor’saa manner of taribiyat is very practical. Huzooraa does not give lengthy advice, nor can I recall hearing Huzooraa ever do this. Huzooraa acts himself first and then advises in a short sentence. This has always been his way and it is very effective.

A gentleman got married and was worried about how he would turn his wife’s attention more towards religion.

Huzooraa advised him by saying that the Promised Messiahas said that a man’s piety and spirituality impacts his wife. And so Huzooraa told the gentleman to focus on his own piety and spirituality rather than giving lengthy exhortations to his wife.

Both the wife and children are affected by the husband’s piety and spirituality.

I remember that Huzooraa never gave long and lengthy exhortations or advice.

He would certainly narrate stories with morals behind them. For example, when we were children, Huzooraa would narrate how Hazrat Bilalra accepted Islam and as a result, the hardships he had to endure and his display of patience during those testing times. This incident is very close to Huzoor’saa heart.

At the time, we were also in Africa and Huzooraa was sent there to help African people. Huzooraa served in Africa at the educational departments and in agriculture. And so, in the sacrifice of Hazrat Bilalra, Huzooraa would see the sacrifice of that nation. Nonetheless, in terms of giving advice, Huzooraa would be very brief and then show his own practical example.

[To be continued]

o enhance the academic capabilities T and increase the knowledge of Jamia students, different techniques of education

and studies are adopted in Jamia Ahmadiyya International, Ghana.

The new academic year was accompanied with a refresher course and a language camp prior to the commencement of regular classes. This took place from 18 August to 1 September 2019. For maximum benefit, the students were divided into three groups.

The first section comprised of Mumahida (year one) students for an Urdu language camp. The books of the Promised Messiahas in Urdu were integral and selected portions of his writings were memorised by the students.

The students were also taught Urdu conversation, everyday use of Urdu and dialect. Tests were conducted on dictation to help the students avoid spelling mistakes.

Another segment of this section was focused on Urdu literature where various topics were discussed. Analysing the Al Fazl newspaper was also made part of the exercises.

At night, interesting Urdu programmes were shown that were aimed to assist students to adopt the accent of native speakers. Time was also allocated for personal studies.

An Arabic camp was organised for Ula (second year) students. Biographies and works of some famous Arabic writers and poets were taught to the students. Arabic conversations were placed to bring fluency

in speech.

In the same vein, each student was made to deliver a five-minute speech on a specific topic after which other students asked questions, creating an atmosphere for conversation.

Emphasis was also made on teaching Arabic grammar and word usage in Arabic newspapers and magazines. At night, students were also shown videos on Islamic history.

During the morning assembly, darses were delivered in both Arabic and Urdu.

The Friday Sermon was also delivered in both Arabic and Urdu.

The third section comprised of students of Sania (third year), Salisa (fourth year), Rabia (fifth year) and Khamisa (sixth year).

During this period, a detailed introduction of 13 Surahs of the Holy Quran were presented. Each presentation aimed at establishing the Surah’s relation with the previous Surah, its time of revelation, subject matter of the chapter and prophesies mentioned within.

That aside, a detailed introduction was made of 20 companions of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Eleven companions of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, were also studied.

The history of Islam, history of the Jamaat and the background of historical events were also made part of the session.

There was also a question and answer session everyday where students were given an opportunity to ask questions.

The third section comprised of the Shahid students. They were instructed mainly about field work and also assisted with guidance on how to go about with their theses. Alhamdolillah!

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM Responding to Allegations

Five objections against the Promised Messiahas regarding the plague Opponents of the Promised Messiahas, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian suggest five reasons as to why, in their view, the Promised Messiahas stopped his community from taking the inoculation for plague.

They include the following: 1. The founder of Ahmadiyya Jamaat was not satisfied that the inoculation possessed any benefit.

2. According to him, the disadvantages of plague vaccine were far greater than its benefits and that the effect of the inoculation did not last more than two months.

3. He believed that taking the inoculation and being cured from it was mere assumption and speculation.

4. He considered repeating the vaccine after two months as unreasonable and that refraining from it was the real remedy.

5. He believed that the vaccine had not been tried and tested to the extent of making it suitable for use.

Referring to the first reason, the opponents assert that the Promised Messiahas was not satisfied with the inoculation for plague because he was unaware of how a vaccine works. They refer to an extract of the Promised Messiahas in which he disagreed with injecting oneself with the inoculation, as the inoculation contained traces of the plague vaccine.

The opponents should bear in mind that the Promised Messiahas claimed to be a messenger of Allah Almighty. He was sent in this world for spiritual and moral reformation of mankind. He was not sent as a scientist or someone with mere worldly knowledge. We can easily understand this fact from an incident mentioned in and hadith.

Hazrat Musa ibn Talhara narrates that, “The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and I passed by some people who were at the top of date palms. The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘What are these people doing?” They replied that they were pollinating them and putting the male with the female so that it would bear fruit. The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘I do not think that it is of any use.’

[The narrator states that] the people were told about it, so they stopped doing it. As a result, the trees did not bear any fruit.

When the Holy Prophetsa was told about this he said, ‘If it had benefited them, they should have continued their practice. I only expressed a thought. Do not blame me for what I say based on my own thoughts [i.e. do not follow an assumption]. But if I

express something to you from Allah, then follow it, for I never tell lies about Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted.’” (Sahih Muslim, kitab-ul-fazail) Hence, the Holy Prophetsa expressed his own opinion about the pollination which proved unproductive because he was not an agriculturist. The hadith explains that only divine commandments are free from imperfection. Likewise, the Promised Messiahas commented on the plague vaccine with his own knowledge and view, it was not revelation from God. Thereore raising such an allegation is very shallow.

Referring to the second reason, the opponents suggest that according to the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat the plague vaccine did more harm than good, and its effect lasted for only one or two months.

The above allegations are baseless because there is not a single statement of the Promised Messiahas which supports these assertions. In fact, we find the exact opposite to what the opponents indicate.

The Promised Messiahas states in his book Dafi‘-ul-Bala, published in April 1902: “People hold diverse opinions about the dreadful disease, which continues to spread throughout the country. Medical doctors, whose opinions are limited merely to physical remedies, stress that it is due merely to natural causes in the land that such bacteria have been born. They believe that these bacteria first lay their adverse effect on rats, resulting in a chain of death among humans; and that this disease has no relation whatsoever to religion. Instead, it is advisable for people to keep their dwellings and drains clean, free from all sorts of filth and rotten matter, and regularly clean them with phenol and the like. They ought to keep their homes warm with fire, and allow for the cross-ventilation of fresh air, and exposure to sunlight. Further, no dwelling should be overly congested lest excessive amounts of bacteria be born from the breath and waste of those who live there. People should not eat unwholesome food. And the best treatment is inoculation. Additionally, if dead rats are found in their homes, such dwellings ought to be abandoned. It is also preferable to reside outside in open areas.

Soiled and dirty clothing is to be avoided.

Should any person from an affected or contaminated place come to their town or village, he should not be allowed to enter, and if anyone from such a village or town is infected by the disease, he should be expelled, and should not be permitted to mix with society. So, in their view, these are

Old image of Minarat-ul-Masih, Qadian

the only measures that may be employed to counter the plague.

Such is the view of the learned doctors and physicians. I do not consider it to be a sufficient and permanent solution, nor do I regard it as completely devoid of benefit. I do not consider it a sufficient and permanent solution because experience tells us that some people died even though they moved out into the open, while others departed this world despite paying particular attention to their hygiene. Others yet, who had themselves inoculated with great hope, still ended up in the grave. So, who can suggest or assure us that all of these measures are a sufficient treatment. Rather, one is forced to concede that although these measures are beneficial to a certain extent, they cannot be deemed a completely successful remedy to rid the country of the plague.

These measures are not completely useless either, because wherever God’s will has decreed it, their benefits are being felt; however, this benefit does not excite a great amount of joy. To illustrate, it is true that if, for example, 100 people get inoculated, and another number of as many people do not, the number of deaths among those who did not get inoculated will be observed to be higher— and among those inoculated, fewer.

However, because the effects of the

inoculation last at the most for two to three months, even an inoculated person will become vulnerable again and again, until he departs this world. The only difference is that those who are not inoculated are as if riding upon a horse that can deliver them to the world of death within, say, twentyfour hours, whereas those who receive the inoculation are conceivably riding a slow mule that will carry its riders to the same destination in twenty-four days. In any event, all of the measures taken from a medical perspective are neither sufficient and comforting nor are they utterly useless and without benefit. So, since the plague is rapidly devouring the country, human compassion calls for the consideration of an alternative remedy that can guard against this destruction.”(Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God, pp. 5-7 [English Translation of Dafi-ul-Bala]) These extracts of the Promised Messiahas speak for themselves and elucidate the fact that he found the inoculation of plague to be a good remedy, but he did not find it to be the only or actual cure. Moreover, he never stated that there was no benefit in taking the inoculation for plague because it only lasts for one or two months. Rather, he pointed out that it is not a complete cure as a person has to repeat the vaccine after one or two months and still, he remains in danger of

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM contacting the plague.

The inference deduced by the Promised Messiahas was not against the ground realities. As it is stated in Encyclopedia Britannica: “The results in India obtained by British and various foreign observers were uniformly unfavourable, and the verdict of the Research Committee (1900) was that the serum had ‘failed to influence favourably the mortality among those attacked.’ Success was somewhat noisily claimed for an improved method tried in Oporto, but the evidence is of little or no value. Of 142 cases treated, 21 died; while of 72 cases not treated, 46 died; but the former were all hospital patients, and included several convalescents and many cases of extreme mildness, whereas the non-serum cases were treated at home or not at all, some being only discovered when death had made further concealment impossible.

Later observations have, however, established that the Yersin-Roux serum is of undoubted benefit when used early in the case, in fact during the First twentyfour hours. Very large doses, so much as 150 cc. may be injected subcutaneously or preferably intravenously, and it is stated to modify the whole course of the disease.”

(Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 21, pp. 702703, under word ‘plague’) The third reason pointed out by opponents is that the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat considered taking the inoculation and being cured from it to be mere assumptions and speculations.

It is absolutely clear from the extracts of the book Dafi-ul-Bala that the Promised Messiahas did not hold such views about the plague vaccine. However, the Promised Messiahas did not consider the inoculation of plague to be a complete remedy.

Highlighting the real cause of the plague and its perfect remedy, the Promised Messiahas states in his book, Dafi-ul-Bala: “This plague, which is spreading throughout the country, has no other cause except that the people have refused to accept this Promised One of God, who, in accordance with the prophecies of all the Prophets, has appeared in the seventh millennium of the world. Not only did the people deny this Messiah but they used abusive language towards him. They called him a disbeliever, and conspired to kill him—and they treated him as they pleased.

Thus God, out of His jealousy, desired to issue a warning on account of this insolence and disrespect. God had given news in previous holy scriptures that He would send a severe plague at the time of the advent of the Messiah because of the denial of the people. Therefore, it was necessary that the plague should break out.

The plague has been named ta‘un because it is a response to those who engage in ta‘n [taunting]. Among the Bani Israel [Children of Israel] it would always break out when they engaged in ta‘n. In the Arabic language, the word ta‘un means ‘one who indulges in excessive mockery’. This is an indication towards the fact that the plague is not sent in response to minor acts of taunt and ridicule; rather, it breaks out only when abuse of the one commissioned and sent

by God exceeds all bounds, and efforts are made to humiliate him.

O dear ones! Your only recourse is to accept this Messiah with a true heart and

sincerity. This is a definite cure. However, a lesser remedy is to refrain from openly denying him, and to desist from using abusive language, and to foster a sense of respect for him in your hearts.” (Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God, pp. 20-21 [English Translation of Dafi-ul-Bala]) The fourth factor highlighted by the opponents is that the Promised Messiahaa considered that repeating the vaccine after two months was unreasonable and that refraining from it is the real remedy.

The opponents point out a statement of the Promised Messiahas that once when he heard Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Sahib saying, “How long can this vaccination last for?”, the founder of Ahmadiyya Jamaat quoted an example from Masnavi [a Persian poem written by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi also known as Rumi] in which a person killed his mother because she was an adulteress. People criticised him and said that he should have killed the adulterers and not his mother. He replied that it was not possible to kill countless individuals, therefore he found killing her to be the most suitable thing. The opponents suggest that the founder of Ahmadiyya Jamaat compared the plague vaccine with the adulteress.

The opponents have failed to understand the analogy. The Promised Messiahas gave this example to highlight that killing bad deeds and refraining from evil practices could only save them from the catastrophe of plague.

According to the opponents, the fifth reason behind the prohibition of plague inoculation by the founder of Ahmadiyya Jamaat was that he believed that the vaccine of plague had not been tried and tested to the extent of making it suitable for use.

As it has already been mentioned that the Promised Messiahas never denied the efficacy of the plague vaccine to a certain extent. The fact of the matter is that the Promised Messiahas was granted a divine remedy and a heavenly cure from Allah Almighty. Therefore, it was impossible for him to depend or rely on a worldly vaccine.

MKA Makeni region, Sierra Leone holds regional Ijtema

Abdul Hadi Qurashi Sierra Leone Correspondent

he syllabus of Majlis Khuddam-ulT Ahmadiyya is prepared every year and is sent to all the regions. With the

announcement of the dates of the national Ijtema, regions start preparing with their own regional Ijtema so that they can take part in the national event with maximum preparation.

The regional Ijtema of Makeni region was held on 14 to 15 September 2019.

Regional Imam, Tahir Ahmed Farrukh Sahib and local missionaries, along with the Khuddam office-bearers arranged classes for the Khuddam to prepare them for the Ijtema. May Allah bless them all.

As is the tradition of our Jamaat, congregational Tahajud was observed on both days. The inaugural session started with the recitation and translation of the

Holy Quran, which was presented by Mr Minkailu Tholly. National Sadr Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya, Maulvi Munir Abu Bakr led the Khuddam and Atfal in their pledge.

Regional Imam Tahir Ahmed Farrukh Sahib addressed the Khuddam and read excerpts from the address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa that he delivered at the Khuddam national Ijtema UK. During the Ijtema, the following academic competitions were held among the Khuddam and Atfal: tilawat, memorisation of the Holy Quran, Azan, poems, speeches, religious knowledge, memorisation of prayers etc. Alhamdolillah, many Khuddam and Atfal took part in these competitions.

At the concluding ceremony of the Ijtema, sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya addressed the participants, distributed prizes and led everyone in silent prayer.

The attendance was 63 Atfal and 190 Khuddam from 29 Majalis.

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

Lajna Imaillah & Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya UK Ijtema 2019 Qanita Qureshi Nazima Reporting

his year, the annual Lajna Imaillah UK T Ijtema was held over three days, 13, 14 and 15 September 2019.

This is a culmination of a year of hard work and endeavour shown by thousands of Lajna and Nasirat throughout the UK. It is a bringing together of all our Lajna and Nasirat members in a show of unity in the quest for knowledge and spirituality. Instead of our habitual donning of wellington boots and raincoats, Alhamdolillah we were blessed with sunshine for our 2019 UK Lajna Ijtema.

On 19 November 2006, at the national UK Ijtema, Huzooraa explained what the purpose of the Ijtema was: “The purpose of these Ijtemas is to enable members to benefit from the educational and spiritual programmes and speeches and to rid themselves of any shortcomings they may have. Also, the younger and older girls may participate in various educational competition to improve their knowledge and sharpen their spiritual capabilities.

These gatherings provide an atmosphere that promotes discussion and identification of ways and means of self-improvement.

“Any society whose young girls and ladies gather in one place with the intention of spending their time in a purely spiritual atmosphere and engage in activities for self-improvement, the future generations of that society are safeguarded, also it does not suffer from a decline. And today, if there are any women who get together purely for the sake of Allah, they are Ahmadi women.

“Therefore, always keep your status in mind. Make the most of the spiritual food that you have enjoyed in this gathering, for your life depends on it. The life of your future generations depends on it. The life and honour of your families depends on it.”

Upon reading these words, we are

reminded of the greater purpose of attending the Ijtema; we realise how important it is that we leave worldly matters aside and attend the Ijtema with the zeal and fervour that our Khilafaaa expects from us.

A lot of planning goes into organising the Ijtema. Preparations began in February/ March and the responsibilities were divided between eleven teams, including cleanliness, press and media, audio-visual, the bazaar and many more.

The Ijtema serves to train our dutyholders as it helps them build upon their skills, learn from their shortcomings and improve their planning and organisation of events every year. It promotes a sense of unity and camaraderie amongst not only the duty-holders but also the attendees; it fills the heart with joy to see so many people smiling and helping one another, even when they were queueing in the sweltering sun, waiting to buy ice-cream!

Attending the Ijtema, in itself, helps those present to develop a sense of civic spirit and etiquette by being in the public.

They learn patience and tolerance, as well as nurturing a sense of community and attachment to the jamaat.

The theme of this year’s Ijtema was “The Attributes of Allah the Almighty”. This was also the focus at local and regional Ijtemas, as well as other Jamaat activities throughout the year. Understanding the attributes of Allah is key to building a firm faith in Allah.

The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Follow the attributes of Allah.”

There are some attributes of Allah, like the Merciful and the Pardoner etc., that one can adopt in a limited fashion. By following these attributes, they will operate in one’s favour.

According to the Holy Quran (Ch.51: V.57), the purpose of creation is to worship Allah, our Creator. The philosophy of Islamic worship is to establish a relationship

of love between Allah and his creatures which is not possible unless one knows and understands the attributes of Allah.

This was the first time our Lajna Ijtema was held over three days. We were incredibly fortunate to commence the Ijtema proceedings with the offering of Friday prayers behind our beloved Imamaa.

Alhamdolillah, 1,100 Lajna and Nasirat members offered the Friday prayers at the Country Market.

The Ijtema then commenced at 4pm with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by presentations. These presentations are a very popular feature of the Ijtema and attract a wide audience. Teams from each region around the country prepare research-based academic audio-visual presentations based on the theme of the Ijtema.

These presentations continued throughout Saturday and Sunday. Nazm competitions were held at regular intervals between the presentations, which were delivered in both Urdu and English. The girls were also questioned on their presentations to assess wider knowledge on their chosen subjects.

AMRA Exhibition It is awe-inspiring to see how talented our Lajna members are. They have excelled in every field of education and have truly taken on board the following words of our beloved Huzooraa: “Excel others in hard work. Excel others in education. That should be the hallmark of an Ahmadi. Allah told the Promised Messiahas that the people of his sect, the Jamaat, will progress in knowledge.

Therefore, I advise the youth: immerse yourself in studies to the exclusion of everything else. Advance so much in every field of education that your minimum target is the Nobel Prize. That requires hard work over a long period. When nations want to develop and progress, they make plans on long-term bases. I pray that Allah may grant you the strength to do so.” (Opening address at 78th Jalsa Salana Ghana 2008 by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, 17 April 2008) AMRA is an organisation seeking to support and encourage aspiring researchers and refine the skills of established researchers towards research endeavours inspired by Quranic knowledge.

A Lajna representative of AMRA outlined their vision for the Ijtema this year: “At this year’s exhibition, we have focused on the manifestations of the attributes of

Allah in the physical universe. We have displays, including light polarisation experiments, which depicts the attributes of Allah, and we have an experiment using a chladni plate, which creates visual patterns of sound waves with sand on a plate.

Other displays included sustainability and conscious consumerism, and the “Lajna in bloom” display about how to grow your own vegetable sustainability. The interactive zone was very popular with the Nasirat where we organised problem solving and group building activities with the Nasirat.

We also had a calligraphy stand and a demonstration of saltwater powered cars.

As part of the theme of sustainability, AMRA had also set up a stand centred around beauty products. They emphasised the importance of reducing waste in accordance with Quranic teachings, and this proved to be a very popular display.

Here, people were able to build their own moisturiser in a natural, sustainable and ecologically friendly way. Each moisturiser catered to their own skin type using ingredients such as coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax and others.

The bike smoothies were also a big hit – especially with the Nasirat! Girls chose ingredients for a smoothie, then had to peddle at speed to power the blenders. This was a simple and effective demonstration of how energy can be created and used in a sustainable manner.

One Nasirat member said: “It was really fun and [although] I got a bit tired, but my smoothie was really yummy!”

Alhamdolillah, the exhibition proved to be very successful with both the Nasirat and Lajna.

Lecture Marquee Speeches and interactive talks were also held in the Lecture Marquee. The topics ranged from natural sciences to social sciences, women’s health, and social issues.

Alhamdolillah, the lectures also proved to be very popular with the Lajna.

Lectures were scheduled throughout all three days on various topics. These included: •

Demystifying Religion: A Social Historical Perspective

•

Anxiety and Depression

•

The Origin of Life

•

LGBTQ+

Twitter @LajnaUK

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM •

Miracles: Facts and Fiction

•

Our Health after 40

•

Social inclusion and Special Needs and Disabilities

•

My Hacked Brain (tailored for both Lajna and Nasirat)

•

Diabetes, Discrimination and Disability Umur-e-Talibat also held a meet and greet for students so that they could exchange ideas and get career advice. A positivity wall was also displayed with quotes pertaining to the maintenance of a healthy mindset, despite the pressures and stresses of studying. This year, a book exchange area was set up so that the students could access free textbooks and study resources.

Another attraction of the Ijtema was an interactive exhibition hosted by the national tabligh department called, “Are You a Lajna Mastermind?” Participants answered a series of questions in a twominute timed test. Another display featured building blocks on which participants could write their ideas on means and methods of tabligh.

Bazaar The Bazaar at the ijtema was only open during lunch and at the end of the sessions.

Some very delicious food was on the menu, such as chips, kebabs, pakorey, chaney chaats etc. Mango milkshakes and candy floss were especially popular with the Nasirat. An added attraction at the Bazaar was the ice cream van and in the scorching heat, it was a very welcome treat.

Throughout the three days, the Ziafat teams provided hearty meals as well as fruits. The tea stall not only provided tea and coffee but also breakfast, hot chocolate, and pineapple and blackcurrant juice.

In the afternoon session on Saturday, Dr Fariha Khan Sahiba, Sadr Lajna Imaillah UK addressed members of Lajna.

Nasirat Alongside the Lajna competitions, the Nasirat were taking part in their own competitions in the Nasirat marquee.

The Ijtema provides a unique space and platform for Nasirat of all ages, from all over the country, to come together to learn, pray and eat as one community. This encourages a sense of unity and allows them to explore and develop their identities and core beliefs as Ahmadi girls. By nurturing the Nasirat and providing them with these

spaces and opportunities, we are setting the foundations of our future generations.

Nasirat split their time between three activities: 1. Participating and listening to tilawat, nazm, English and Urdu speech competitions. Prizes were distributed throughout the day and Nasirat learnt from listening to each other 2. Attending workshops run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Research Association in the Exhibition Marquee, where girls learnt about a range of plants and how to make lotion using natural ingredients. They also tried their hand at calligraphy and attended a question and answer session 3. The Game Zone, where Nasirat participated in a range of activities including arts and crafts, sports such as football, badminton and archery, as well as a range of circus games, including hoops and juggling Throughout the days, girls were provided with a variety of snacks, which they thoroughly enjoyed. The Nasirat marquee was decorated with the top 20 winning photographs from the Nasirat Photo Competition which was held over the past few months.

One of the Nasirat duty-holders said: “I was helping out with the Nasirat Ijtema this year. The Nasirat were thoroughly engaged and there was not a moment when they were bored. They had a nice addition this year called The Game Zone. They really enjoyed that. It was also amazing to see the amount of effort the Nasirat girls had put into the academic competitions this year.

Jazakallah to all the organisers for their efforts.”

The most anticipated part of the Ijtema was the concluding address of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. Huzooraa delivered a faith-inspiring address to the members of the Lajna, the summary of which has been published separately in this issue.

After this faith-inspiring address, Huzooraa also visited various parts of the site, including the exhibitions.

By the grace of Allah, the total attendance was 1,100 on Friday, 4,325 on Saturday and 5,822 on Sunday. 133 majalis were represented at this year’s Ijtema.

To conclude, here are some reflections from some of the attendees of the Lajna UK Ijtema: “Lajna Ijtema is such a blessed event

Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa inspecting the AMRA exhibition at Lajna UK Ijtema 2019

where we are able to reap many benefits; from sisterhood, to improving our spiritual and moral selves.”

“Alhamdolillah, I feel extremely blessed as we have witnessed another successful Lajna UK Ijtema. I am overwhelmed with emotion, as we get to experience His Holiness, Huzoor’saa holy presence and listen to his divinely guided discourse live!

Alhamdolillah thumma alhamdolillah. May Allah enable us to become excellent role models for our children and may He enable us to become the ‘qanitaat’ that Huzooraa expects us to be. Amin thumma amin.”

“This weekend’s Lajna & Nasirat Ijtema was a spiritual and educational tonic for the mind, body and soul. A cornucopia of interesting and uplifting lectures, exhibitions and presentations, the highlight of which was not one, but two addresses from our beloved Khalifa. Alhamdolillah!”

“It was a very spiritually uplifting event and it always feels nice to be around your own community. I particularly enjoyed the AMRA talks which were both enlightening and thought-provoking and this year, we even had an ice-cream truck which was a lovely touch!”

Twitter @LajnaUK

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

37 Ijtema Majlis Ansarullah UK 2019 th

Zia Rehman Nazim Reporting

he national Ijtema of Majlis Ansarullah UK was held on 13, 14 T and 15 September 2019 in the peaceful

Hampshire surroundings at the Kingsley Country Market in Bordon. The main purpose of the Ijtema is for Ansar to gather in a spiritual atmosphere, gain religious knowledge, strengthen in unity and increase in righteousness.

This year’s Ijtema, by the grace of Allah, was very special as Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa not only presided the final ceremony, but also delivered his Friday Sermon from the Ijtema Gah. This was a unique opportunity for the Majlis to benefit from the presence

of Khalifatul Masih.

The theme of this year’s Ijtema was “The Blessings of Khilafat”. Ijtemas at local and regional levels were held throughout the year following the same theme and activities during the event were also planned to highlight this theme.

The national Ijtema for Lajna Imaillah UK was simultaneously held on the same site, and a week earlier, Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya UK also used the same site for their national Ijtema.

Preparations for the Ijtema began months ago. An organising committee was formed, chaired by the Nazim-e-Ala, Faheem Anwar Sahib. This organising committee had been eagerly working to

organise the upcoming 37th annual Ijtema to make it a memorable experience for all Ansar. Various Ijtema committee meetings were held regularly. In the days prior to the start of the Ijtema, over 200 Ansar worked tirelessly to set up the site.

On 13 September, the day began with congregational Tahajud and Fajr prayers followed by Dars. The Friday Sermon, as mentioned above, was delivered by beloved Huzooraa at Ijtema Gah, which was broadcast live on MTA International from the Ijtema site followed by Jumuah and Asr prayers.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then graciously hoisted the Majlis Ansarullah flag and led congregational silent prayer inaugurating the Ijtema.

After lunch, the first session was chaired by Amir Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya UK, Rafiq Ahmad Hayat Sahib. Amir Sahib narrated some of his personal experiences with different Khulafa and highlighted the progress of the UK jamaat under the guidance of Khilafat in his inaugural address. At the end, Amir Sahib reminded everyone of the pledge taken by Khalifatul Masih Vaa at the occasion of 100 years of Khilafat.

The next session was also presided by Amir Sahib UK. After recitation of the Holy Quran and its translation, Tommy Kallon Sahib, President PAAMA UK delivered a passionate speech in English on Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya: A Source of Unity Through Trials & Tribulations.

This was followed by an Urdu Speech

by Waseem Ahmad Fazl Sahib, Lecturer Jamia Ahmadiyya UK on Zikr-e-Habib (Remembering a Beloved). Ansar academic competitions were then held, which included paigham risani (Chinese whispers) and talim quiz.

Throughout the three days of Ijtema, Ansar had the opportunity to visit exhibitions, which showcased the activities of the various majalis. Moreover, central departments such as Humanity First and Al Fazl International presented exhibitions.

Arrangements for medical check-ups and workshops on “How to start a business”, “Mental health”, “Introduction to astronomy”, “Writing a will” and “Social media and children” were also arranged for those who were interested, in a

separate marquee.

This year’s exhibition also showcased two key projects that Majlis Ansarullah UK has had the honour to Fund and deliver: • Masroor Eye Institute – Currently under construction in Burkina Faso. With the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa this state-of-the-art ophthalmology teaching hospital is in its construction phase. Members were able to see the site plans and the progress of the project in this exhibition • Cardiff Mosque – The second project is the construction of a purpose-built mosque in Cardiff. The exhibition provided the opportunity to showcase the plan and progress of this blessed project by the Majlis All these events were followed and attended by the Ansar with great interest.

It is worth mentioning that not only were the Ansar present at the Ijtema benefitting from these programmes, but also many hundreds had the opportunity to follow this Ijtema through social media and MTA. The second day started with congregational Tahajud and Fajr prayers followed by dars. Continental breakfast and channa nan (chickpea soup and traditional Indian bread) were served.

The second session started with recitation of the Holy Quran followed by academics and sports competitions. The academic competitions included recitation of the Holy Quran, prepared speech in English and Urdu, nazm, extempore speech in English and Urdu and Hifz-eQuran [memorisation of the Quran].

At this year’s Ijtema, among other competitions, the following sports competitions for Ansar also took place: cricket, football, volleyball, tug-of-war, arm wrestling, shot put, weightlifting and other athletic competitions. Many

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM Ansar, along with guests, were present to support the players who participated with enthusiasm.

After lunch and the Zuhr and Asr prayers, the third session was held in which Ibrahim Ikhlaf Sahib, Secretary Tabligh Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK delivered an address on The Blessings of Khilafat and Our Responsibilities. This session was chaired by Mubarak Zafar Sahib, Additional Wakil-ul-Mal. Two personal accounts of persecution endured by members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan were also presented. The first talk was by Abdul Shakoor Sahib, also known as Shakoor Bhai, who was arrested by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department for stocking religious books on peace published by the community, including copies of the Holy Quran. The second talk was by Tahir Mehdi Sahib, Manager Al Fazl, who was also arrested and imprisoned on false grounds.

This was followed by a tabligh presentation of Ansar experiences in tabligh hosted by Shakil Butt Sahib, Qaid Tabligh.

The fourth session began at around 5pm and this was chaired by Abdul Majid Tahir Sahib, Additional Wakil-ul-Tabshir.

Zaheer Ahmad Sahib, Chairman Charity Walk for Peace gave a brief update on the charity walk. He stated that the Charity Walk for Peace project had become an annual event in Majlis Ansarullah UK’s calendar for many years.

This year, the event was held on Sunday, 30 June 2019 in Milton Keynes. In addition to a number of regional charity receptions and charity walks, this year, the Majlis aimed to raise £1 million for various humanitarian causes. He further highlighted how the blessings of Khalifatul Masih had made this project flourish year by year.

The prize distribution ceremony was also held in this session where Abdul Majid Tahir Sahib gave prizes for first, second and third position holders of academic and sport competitions. Thereafter, Abdul Majid Sahib delivered a very motivational speech on The Blessings of Khilafat; Personal Experiences.

Mubarik Siddiqi Sahib shared poetic couplets and some inspirational thoughts related to Khilafat. The session ended with Maghrib and Isha prayers.

A question and answer session was also organised for those who were interested.

The panellist included Waseem Ahmad Fazl Sahib, Ataul Momin Zahid Sahib and Mansoor Zia Sahib. This was thoroughly enjoyed by all present and it concluded at around 10pm.

The third and final day started again with congregational Tahajud and Fajr prayers followed by dars. The fifth session was talim quiz and began on Sunday at 10am.

The sixth session was chaired by Munir-ud-Din Shams Sahib, Additional Wakil-ul-Tasnif. Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib, Missionary-in-Charge UK and Imam of the Fazl Mosque, London delivered a speech on Istehkam-e-Khilafat and Responsibilities of Ansar.

15

This was followed with a prize distribution ceremony for local (qiadat) positions presented by Munir-ud-Din Shams Sahib.

Sadr Majlis Ansarullah, Dr Chaudhry Ijaz Ur Rehman Sahib then delivered his Ijtema Address. He emphasised that the real purpose for a believer is to attain the pleasure and reward of Allah the Almighty and holding onto the rope of Allah requires obedience. The only source of unity and salvation today in this world is Khilafate-Ahmadiyya. Sadr Sahib prayed, “May Allah enable us to fulfil our obligations to the best of our abilities and continue to benefit from the blessings of Khilafat till the day of judgement as prophesised.

Amin.”

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then addressed the Lajna ImaiIllah UK Ijtema which was relayed live from the Lajna Ijtema Gah to the Ansar Ijtema Gah. After Huzooraa led the members in silent prayer, a lunch break took place.

The highlight of the Ijtema was the concluding session on Sunday, which was graced with the presence of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa.

After Zuhr and Asr prayers, Huzooraa graciously chaired the concluding session.

During this session (the report of which is presented in this issue), Huzooraa presented the following prizes: • Best region in attendance at Ijtema 2019: Fazl Region (72%) • Best majlis in attendance at Ijtema 2019: Islamabad Majlis (98%) • Best region in overall activities during 2019: Fazl Region • Best small majlis in overall activities during 2019: Liverpool Majlis • Best large Majlis in overall activities during 2019 and Alam-e-Inami: Balham Majlis Afterwards, Huzooraa delivered his concluding address, the details of which have been covered separately in this issue.

Huzooraa concluded his address at the Ijtema by praying for all to follow the teachings of the Promised Messiahas, fulfil the Bai‘at in its truest sense, become true members of Ansarullah, be the ones who leave a good example for our future generations and gain the pleasure of Allah.

Huzooraa then led a congregational silent prayer.

There is no doubt that the highlight of the Ijtema was Huzoor’saa presence and the attention that he gave to the wellbeing of the Ansar. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa graced the Ijtema both on Friday and Sunday. Jumuah and Asr prayers were led by Huzooraa on Friday and Huzooraa also led Zuhr and Asr prayers on Sunday.

The Ijtema concluded on Sunday with the final session in which Huzooraa not only graciously awarded prizes, but also delivered the concluding address.

By the grace of Allah, the total Ansar attendance this year was 3,107, which is 23% more than last year. The overall total attendance including guests was 4,622.

Majlis Ansarullah UK

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

From Muhammad bin Qasim to ra Mirza Mahmud Ahmad The founding of a great town

This day marks the 71st anniversary of the founding of Rabwah. Rabwah served as the home of Khalifatul Masih from 1948 to 1984

H

azrat Musleh-e-Maudra established the remarkable town of Rabwah, which served as the new markaz and residence of Khilafat after Qadian, exactly 71 years ago, on 20 September 1948.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra moved from his temporary residence situated in Lahore to this permanent markaz in Rabwah on 19 September 1949.

Since then, this humble town was blessed with the presence of Khilafat until the final days of April 1984. It was during this month when Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh had to migrate to London owing to the promulgation of anti-Ahmadiyya laws in Pakistan. Ordinance XX issued by the then dictator was the primary reason behind this move.

The Fifth Khalifa of the Promised

Messiahas, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, may Allah be his Helper, was born on 15 September 1950 in this town of Rabwah.

Huzooraa attended and graduated from Talim-ul-Islam High School and obtained his BA degree from Talim-ul-Islam College, both located in Rabwah.

In 1976, he enrolled into the University of Agriculture, situated in Faisalabad.

Interestingly, it was not very far from his hometown and he earned his Masters of Science degree in agricultural economics.

After serving in Ghana for eight years, Huzooraa returned to Pakistan and was given the responsibility of finance on 17 March 1985. He also served as nazir talim (director of education) within the community in Pakistan.

Later, on 10 December 1997, he was

appointed as nazir-e-ala and amir-emuqami by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh until his election as Khalifatul Masih. Since then, he has been residing in the United Kingdom.

While residing and serving in Rabwah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa braved state sponsored persecution and other hardships perpetuated by both local and provincial authorities and politicians alike.

For instance, in 1999, he was detained in his own town and sent to prison in a case woven on baseless allegations. Huzooraa was imprisoned for 11 days without bail, however, by the grace of Allah, he was released without charge on 10 May 1999.

“Rabwah” is an Arabic word meaning an “elevated place”. Today, information about Rabwah can easily be obtained with the

help of the internet. This lush green, everexpanding city is striving to provide quality education and healthcare to the poor and needy.

In this article, we will share glimpses of its early days and how this town developed from extremely humble beginnings.

Soon after the partition, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra managed to lease some land from the government to build the future world headquarters of the movement. Before the establishment of Rabwah, the area was barren and was known as Chak Dhigiyan.

It is well known that every effort before him to transform this place into an inhabitable area or any cultivation attempts had proven fruitless, despite heavy investments. Hence, this was indeed one of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra remarkable

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM achievements.

Under his dynamic leadership, most of the movement’s institutions were re-established in Rabwah in a relatively short period of time.

From a historical perspective, some sources suggest that Rabwah is the place from where Muhammad bin Qasim, after conquering Sindh and Multan, crossed the Chenab River and moved towards Kashmir.

To acquire a suitable piece of land for the Markaz was a huge task. God Almighty enabled a devout Ahmadi, Chaudhry Aziz Ahmad Bajwa Sahib, who was serving as a session judge in Sargodha at the time, to complete the initial process of acquiring such a place.

Many options were thoroughly examined and discussed for the new markaz.

Even the land that was to be Rabwah was initially discussed and its advantages and disadvantages were presented to Huzoorra.

On 18 October 1947, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra travelled to visit this newly proposed land and gathered first hand information.

The land was situated on the bank of the Chenab River, overlooking a series of rocky hills. It resembled a place Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra was shown in a vision some time ago. Huzooraa tasted the water from a hand pump installed near the main road and conversed with some neighboring villagers about flooding and water levels etc.

The official process of purchasing this land was to be long and tiresome. However, it was completed in a remarkably short period of time with the help of Nawab Muhammad Din Sahib, Mirza Aziz Ahmad Sahib, Maulana Abdur Rahim Dard Sahib, Raja Ali Muhammad Sahib and Malik Umar Ali Sahib to mention a few names. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra supervised each phase himself and deemed every minute delayed in establishing the markaz to possibly be causing harm.

When the process of purchasing the land for the new markaz was completed and a sum of 12,000 rupees was deposited at the national exchequer, a sudden wave of false propaganda was started by the press. The propaganda and allegations were duly refuted by Jamaat officials. Even government officials of West Punjab had to issue a detailed statement concerning the allegation. In the end, the Jamaat was able to

officially have possession of the purchased land consisting of 1,034 acres.

Beside initial planning works, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra instructed shifting the Jamaat’s educational institutes near the proposed land, in Chiniot and Ahmad Nagar. On 2 June 1948, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra directed that a huge collection of books from Qadian’s Library should be shifted to Chiniot as soon as possible.

Upon this, concerned Jamaat officials transferred this literary treasure to Chiniot before mid-June. During the same time frame, the Jamaat’s main accounts’ department was also relocated to Chiniot and Jamaat members were guided to send their Chanda to the new office address.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra set up Jamaat offices and even a school in and around Rabwah.

While delivering his Friday Sermon on 10 September 1948, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra informed the Jamaat of the establishment of the new markaz and instructed those who wished to buy some land in it, to do so and start living there. Upon this, the members of the Jamaat responded with great zeal and obedience.

On 16 September 1948, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra presided over the joint session of Sadr Anjuman and Tahrik-e-Jadid, held in Lahore. The agenda discussed during this sitting was the new markaz; its name and inaugural date. The name “Rabwah” was accepted unanimously and the date of its inaugural ceremony was set to be 20 September 1948.

The formal inauguration of Rabwah took place on 20 September 1948 after prayers.

The sacrifice of five goats was carried out at each corner of Rabwah and at its centre.

For preparation and timely arrangements of the inaugural ceremony, two convoys were dispatched from Lahore.

The first comprised of two officials and some laborers who reached Rabwah in the evening of 19 September. Two waqifeen, Chaudhry Abdus Salam Akhtar Sahib and Maulvi Muhammad Sideeq Sahib spent the very first night in this barren land alone.

They were there to keep an eye on the supply that had come from Lahore and was being stored in Rabwah.

Before midnight, from the Jamaat’s

school in Chiniot, three students reached Chaudhry Abdus Salam Akhtar Sahib and Maulvi Muhammad Sideeq Sahib and provided them with lanterns as it was dark.

Their meal was provided by the principal of Jamia Ahmadiyya, from Ahmad Nagar – adjacent to Rabwah.

The second convoy consisted of 34 workers from the main Jamaat offices.

They departed from Lahore in the evening and reached Chiniot around midnight.

They spent their night beside the road and reached Rabwah the following morning. A small tent site was erected to live in.

On 20 September, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra commenced his journey from Lahore at 9:20am and arrived at 1:20pm.

Huzoorra was accompanied by some elders and members of his family. Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh was severely ill at the time and was almost bedridden. Hence, owing to his condition, he could not travel to attend this event.

Shortly after his arrival, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra led Zuhr prayer at half past one, it included almost 250 worshippers. This was the first ever prayer led by the Khalifa at the new Markaz. The place where Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra led this prayer became the first ever mosque in Rabwah – the Yadgar (Memorial) Mosque. This mosque is still standing.

After Zuhr, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra

stood to deliver his address on this blessed and historic occasion. Huzoorra spoke in detail of the events during the partition, the establishment of the new markaz, its future and responsibilities of its future inhabitants.

Huzoorra, in a raised voice, led the congregation in reciting the prayers of Hazrat Abrahamas and Hazrat Ishmaelas as mentioned in Holy Quran, which they offered on re-building the walls of Ka‘bah in Mecca.

After this thorough address, Huzoorra led a long and emotional silent prayer. The Darvesh of Qadian were also informed through telephone and telegram about the time of the silent prayer so that they could also join this extraordinary moment.

Witnesses narrate that the site was filled with mixed feelings, joy for the new markaz and also memories of Qadian.

Hazrat Maulana Abul Ata Jalandhari Sahib composed a list of 618 names who were present on the occasion of the inauguration.

Other recorded figures show that one bus, five cars, 24 horse carriages and 32 bicycles were also stationed at the site on the day.

As mentioned earlier, five goats were sacrificed. The goat slaughtered at the centre of Rabwah was done by Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra himself. Those who slaughtered the other four goats were Maulvi Abdul Rahim Dard Sahib, Maulvi Muhammad Abdullah Botalvi Sahib, Chaudhry Barkat Ali Khan Sahib and Maulvi Muhammad Sideeq Sahib.

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After these sacrifices, a young man attending the event requested to join the Jamaat. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra accepted his Bai‘at. Muhammad Afzal Sahib of Turkish origin is considered the first convert

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

in Rabwah.

After these emotional events, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra led the Asr prayer, which was attended by around 600 men and women.

Food arranged by members of the Jamaat from Chiniot was served and Huzoorra departed for Lahore at 4:40pm.

This concluded the inaugural ceremony of the new markaz, Rabwah.

The first settlements were in camps, which were later replaced by buildings constructed of mud. Basic amenities for survival, like portable water, lanterns, modes of communication, protection from the weather and wild animals were inadequate.

Even first aid and medical help was not properly available. Strong dust storms were a daily norm. Despite such difficulties, Rabwah continued to develop under the leadership of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. The first ever building constructed using concrete in Rabwah was the Mahmood Mosque. Electricity was supplied to the city for the first time in 1954.

By the time Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had relocated to this underdeveloped new markaz, the population had reached 1,000.

The first ever Jalsa Salana in Rabwah took place from 15 to 17 April 1949 and was attended by 17,000 people.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra exerted every fibre of his soul during the establishment of Rabwah. To relocate a single plant is easy, but he had the enormous mission of relocating the entire garden from one place to another. Everyone witnessed that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra every word, promise and ambition concerning Rabwah was fulfilled.

This town hosted dignitaries, ambassadors and high officials from various countries. Sports and literary festivals started convening here. Debates and conferences held here were being attended by people from almost all districts and parts of Pakistan.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had clearly stated that Rabwah would always remain because it was established with passionate prayers carried out in the name of God.

Present day Rabwah

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

Lajna Imaillah Sierra Leone holds Quran tarbiyati class

France Ansarullah Ijtema 2019 Mansoor Ahmad Mubashir France Correspondent

M

Abdul Hadi Qurashi Sierra Leone Correspondent

J

amaat-e-Ahmadiyya Sierra Leone and its auxiliary organisations are constantly busy in the religious, moral and spiritual upbringing of the community.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, Lajna Imaillah Sierra Leone arranged a tarbiyati class from 1 to 3 September 2019 at Baitul Subuh Central Mosque, Freetown.

The focus of the class was to prepare such teachers who can not only teach the Holy Quran to children but also train them in morals. And teach them the true message of Islam Ahmadiyyat so that they may go out and preach the true Islam.

The class was a great success, by the grace of Allah, with participation of 207 Lajna members from 12 different regions of Sierra Leone.

During the three-day course, the classes were split and covered different areas, for example, correct pronunciation, grammar and the true teachings of Holy Quran. Salat

with translation was also taught during these classes.

Lectures were delivered on the following topics: importance of learning the Holy Quran, khatm-e-nubuwwat [finality of prophethood], precedence to faith over worldly matters, obedience to the authorities, Islamic purdah, blessings of Khilafat, safeguarding against evil traditions and cultures, death of Jesusas, disadvantages of social media and benefits of early marriage. Quranic subjects were revised after Isha prayer on a daily basis.

Saeed-ur-Rahman Sahib, Amir and Missionary-in-Charge addressed the Lajna about the evil traditions and cultures of society and advised them about how to safeguard themselves and their children from such evil practices.

By the grace of Allah, all participants made full use of their time during these three days and learnt a great deal.

May Allah enable us all to discharge our duties with full responsibility. Amin.

ajlis Ansarullah France held its 25th national Ijtema on 7 and 8 September 2019 in Mubarak Mosque, Île-de-France.

On 6 September, after listening to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’saa Friday Sermon, which was available in both Urdu and French, the set-up for the Ijtema began.

Within a couple of hours, the Ijtema banners were displayed.

The following day, 7 September, the Ijtema officially commenced at 10:30am with the flag hoisting. In the opening session, after the recitation of the Holy Quran, Ansar pledge and nazm, Sadr Sahib Majlis Ansarullah France delivered the opening speech, advising the Jamaat on various things.

Thereafter, Waseem Ahmad Fazl Sahib, Markaz representative delivered a speech on Khilafat and the true essence of “Nahnu Ansarullah”.

After the opening session, the competitions commenced. In sports, the

Ansar took part in volleyball, tug of war, shot-put, sprint, badminton and archery.

For academics, competitions such as tilawat, nazm, hifz-e-Quran, translation of the Quran, Azan, Urdu speech, French speech and extempore speech took place.

On 8 September, the second day of the Ijtema started with the Tahajud prayer, followed by Fajr prayer. On this day, a question and answer session was held with Waseem Ahmad Fazl Sahib, which was very beneficial for all members present.

During the final session, after tilawat, Ansar pledge and nazm, prizes were awarded to the position holders in their respective competitions.

Following this, Amir Sahib France, Sadr Sahib and Waseem Ahmad Fazl Sahib all delivered inspiring speeches respectively.

This concluded a very successful Ijtema.

In attendance this year were a total of 103 Ansar, 23 Khuddam and 7 Atfal.

At the end, all readers of Al Hakam are requested to remember all members of the Jamaat in their prayers and all those who worked tirelessly for the success of this Ijtema.

Inauguration of Pakistan sports festival Haseeb Ahmad Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Pakistan

n accordance with the saying of Hazrat Ireformed Musleh-e-Maud , “Nations cannot be without the reformation of its ra

youth”, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya frequently arranges events for the spiritual, physical and moral upbringing of Khuddam.

MKA Pakistan Muqami Rabwah, under the supervision of Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya Pakistan, is currently undergoing a month-long youth festival.

The month will host a total of 52 sports events and a wide-range of competitions, comprising of marathons, swimming, javelin throw, martial arts, weightlifting, archery, badminton, table tennis, cricket,

squash, rock climbing, tug of war, body building, snooker and volley ball, to name a few.

The opening ceremony of the youth festival was chaired by Syed Khalid Ahmad Shah Sahib, Nazir-e-Ala and Amir-eMuqami. Khuddam from 72 different regions within Rabwah partook in the event and entered the ground, holding Pakistani flags in their hand.

This was followed by another march from the students who came from special education centres and demonstrated exceptional capabilities in commemoration of the ceremony.

Khuddam members of Khail-urRahman club, a horse-riding club situated in Rabwah, also walked past the spectators.

This parade was preceded by a group of Khuddam cyclists from a renowned club in Rabwah.

Later, the flag hoisting ceremony took place.

Khuddam then presented an anthem to demonstrate their love and devotion for the country. The official ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Hafiz Waqas bin Raees Sahib. Following this, Sadr Sahib Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Pakistan led the Khuddam pledge.

Shams Iqbal Sahib, Nazim Sports Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Muqami Rabwah, presented the initial report and agenda of the festival.

In his opening address, the chairperson, Syed Khalid Ahmad Sahib emphasised

on observing patience and displaying sportsman spirit. He said that the foremost duty of Khadim was to demonstrate high morals even in the face of defeat and the decision of the referee should be accepted whole-heartedly, even if one felt that it was wrong. With this, he formally inaugurated the festival.

The festival aims to instill within Khuddam a spirit of promoting a healthy lifestyle, fitness, well-being, character development and discipline.

May Allah enable Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Pakistan to achieve this goal and continue to succeed under the spiritual guidance of our beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM

Friday Sermon Men of Excellence 23 August 2019 After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

I

will continue to narrate the accounts from the lives of the Badri Companions.

The name of the companion that I will mention today is Hazrat Asimra bin Adiyy.

Hazrat Asim’s father’s name was Adiyy and he belonged to the tribe of Banu Ajlaan bin Harithah who were confederates of the tribe of Banu Zaid bin Maalik. Hazrat Asimra was the leader of the Banu Ajlaan and was the brother of Hazrat Ma‘anra bin Adiyy. The title of Hazrat Asimra is reported as Abu Bakr, while according to some other narrations, he was also known by the titles of Abu Abdullah, Abu Umar and Abu Amr. Hazrat Asimra was of average height and he used to apply henna to his hair. Hazrat Asim’sra son’s name was Abul Baddaah. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, pp. 354-355, Asim bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 111, Asim bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) Hazrat Asim’sra daughter’s name was Sahlaa, who was married to Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf and they had four children; three sons, Ma‘an, Umar and Zaid and one daughter, Amatur Rahman Sughra. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 94, Asim bin Adiyy, Darul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) When the Holy Prophetsa was about to depart for the Battle of Badr, he appointed Hazrat Asimra bin Adiyy as the Amir over Aliyah, which is situated on a terrain above Quba and Medina. According to one narration, the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Asimra back from a place called Rauha, and appointed him as the Amir of Aliyah. The Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Asimra back but he counted him among the Companions of Badr and fixed a portion of the spoils of war for him. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 355, Asim bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, p. 463, Asim bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)

In Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra, the details of this incident are recorded as follows: “Upon departing from Medina, the Holy Prophetsa appointed Abdullahra bin Ummi Maktum as the Amir of Medina in his absence. However, when the Holy Prophetsa reached close to Rauha, which is situated at a distance of 36 miles from Medina, perhaps in the consideration that Abdullahra was a blind man, and news of the imminent arrival of the army of the Quraish demanded that in his own absence the administration of Medina should remain strong, the Holy Prophetsa appointed Abu Lubabahra bin Mundhir as the Amir of Medina and sent him back.

It was ordered that Abdullahra bin Ummi Maktum would only remain to be the Imamus-Salat, while Abu Lubabah would oversee matters of administration. Asim bin Adiyy was appointed as a separate Amir to oversee the additional population of Medina, i.e., Quba.” (Sirat KhatamunNabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 354) Hazrat Asimra participated in all of

the battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa including the Battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq [the Ditch]. Hazrat Asimra passed away in 45 AH in Medina during the rule of Hazrat Muawiyahra. He was 115 years old at the time, whereas according to some he passed away at the age of 120.

When the time of the demise of Hazrat Asimra drew closer, the members of his household started to cry. Upon this, he said, “Do not cry for me as I have lived a long life.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 355, Asim bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, p. 464, Asim bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 1995) When the Holy Prophetsa ordered the Companions to prepare for the Battle of Tabuk, he also advised the affluent Companions to offer wealth and mounts in the way of Allah. Upon this, various people offered sacrifices according to their means.

On this occasion, Hazrat Abu Bakrra brought all of his wealth, which amounted to 4,000 Dirhams. The Holy Prophetsa

asked Hazrat Abu Bakrra whether he had left anything for the members of his household, to which he replied that he had left Allah and his Messengersa for them.

Hazrat Umarra brought half of the wealth of his home. The Holy Prophetsa enquired of Hazrat Umarra, “Did you leave anything behind for your family as well?” Upon this, he replied: “I left half of it behind.”

On this occasion, Hazrat Abdur-Rahman bin Auf gave one hundred auqiyah. One auqiyah is equivalent to 40 Dirham.

Following this, the Holy Prophetsa said that Uthmanra bin Affan and Abd-urRahmanra bin Auf are from among the treasures of Allah the Almighty on earth, who spend for the sake of Allah’s pleasure.

Women also presented their jewellery on this occasion. Hazrat Asim bin Adiyy, the companion whose account is currently being mentioned, presented seventy wasq of dates. One wasq consists of sixty saa and one saa is equivalent to two and a half seir or kilograms. Hence, according to this, the total weight of the dates was two hundred and sixty-two mann. One mann is approximately forty seir, which is a measuring unit in Pakistan, and is equivalent to thirty-eight or thirty-nine kilograms. (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, pp. 183-184, Ghazwah Tabuk, Dar-ulKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Lughaatul-Hadith, Vol. 1, p. 82, Awqiyah, Vol. 4, p. 487, Wasq, Vol. 2, p. 648, Saa’, Nashir Nu’mani Kutub Khana, Lahore, 2002) In any case, Hazrat Asimra also contributed dates in a large quantity.

Hazrat Asimra bin Adiyy was among those Companions, who were commanded by the Holy Prophetsa to destroy Masjid Dhirar. The details of this have been mentioned in the following manner: Hazrat Ibn Abbasra narrates that Banu Amr bin Auf built the Quba Mosque and sent a message to the Holy Prophetsa requesting him to come to the mosque and offer prayers. When some individuals from Banu Ghanam bin Auf saw this

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Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM mosque, they said that they would also construct a mosque just like the Banu Amr. Abu Amr Fasiq, who was a bitter opponent and a mischievous person, said that they should also build a mosque and store therein as many weapons as possible.

His intention was to make it a centre for spreading mischief. He said, “I am going to see the Caesar – the Byzantine King – and will return with an army and exile the Holy Prophet[sa] and his Companions from here.”

Once the mosque was completed, these individuals went to the Holy Prophetsa and said that they had constructed a mosque for the convenience of the elderly and the physically impaired as they were not able to travel far in order to offer their prayers. Along with this, they also requested the Holy Prophetsa to come and lead the prayers in this mosque. The Holy Prophetsa replied: “At present I am occupied in preparations to embark on a journey.” He was preparing to go on a journey. “Once we return, I will InshaAllah [God willing] lead prayers there.”

This was the journey for the Battle of Tabuk. After returning from the Battle of Tabuk, the Holy Prophetsa stayed in a place called Dhi Awan which was approximately an hour’s distance from Medina. There, he received a revelation about Masjid Dhirar, which is mentioned in Surah al-Taubah in the Holy Quran as follows: ۢ ً َ ۡ َ َ ۡ ۡ ُ ۡ َ ۡ َ ً ۡ ۡ َ َّ ً ۡ ُ َّ ً َ ً ۡ َ ۡ ُ َ َّ َ ۡ َّ َ ‫ادا‬ ُٰ ّ ‫ّ َو ۡال ِذَی َن َاتخ ّٰذَو َا َم ُ ۡس َ ِجٗدا ۡ ِض َر ۡارا ُو کَ َف َرا ۡو ت ُف َِّریق ۡا بَ َی ۡن َ ۤال ّمَؤ ِم ۡ ِن ُی ۡنٰ و ِار َص‬ ‫ل ِمن حارب اللہ و رسولہ ِمن قبل و َلیح ِلفن ِان اردنا ِالا الحسنی ؕ و اللہ‬ ٰ ّ ۡ ‫یَش َہ ُد ِان ُہ ۡم لَک ِذبُوۡ َن‬ “And among the hypocrites are those who have built a mosque in order to injure Islam and help disbelief and cause a division among the believers, and prepare an ambush for him who warred against Allah and His Messenger before this. And they will surely swear: ‘We meant nothing but good;’ but Allah bears witness that they are certainly liars.” (Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.107) Following this, the Holy Prophetsa called Malikra bin Dukhsham and Ma‘anra bin Adi and ordered them to destroy Masjid Dhirar. In some narrations it is mentioned that the Holy Prophetsa also sent Hazrat Asimra bin Adiyy, Amr bin Sakan, Wahshi – who martyred Hazrat Hamzara, and Suwayd bin Abbas for this purpose. In Sharah Zarqani it is written that it is possible that the Holy Prophetsa initially sent two individuals and then sent another four individuals in order to help them. The Holy Prophetsa told them to go to Masjid Dhirar and to destroy it by burning it to the ground.

He narrates further that all of them quickly reached the tribe of Banu Saalim, which was the tribe of Hazrat Malikra bin Dukhsham. Hazrat Malik said to Hazrat Ma‘anra to wait so that he could bring some fire from his house. Hence, he lit a dry date branch and brought it from his home. Following this, they reached Masjid Dhirar between Maghrib and Isha, set it on fire and it burnt to the ground. I have previously mentioned some of aspects of this incident in relation to Hazrat Malikra bin Dukhsham as well.

Nevertheless, those who had constructed the mosque were present at

that time. However, after it had been set on fire, they ran away. When the Holy Prophetsa returned to Medina, he wished to give the plot of the mosque to Asimra bin Adiyy – the companion who is being mentioned – so that he may build his house there. However, Asimra bin Adiyy apologised and said that he would not take the plot as Allah the Exalted had already revealed His verdict regarding this place, that is, it had become a place for which Allah the Almighty had expressed His displeasure. Therefore, he did not wish to take it. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa gave it to Thabit bin Aqram, who did not have a home. In fact, Asimra bin Adiyy said that since he already had a home and was also reluctant, therefore, he apologised and said it would be better if it was given to Thabit bin Aqram and as he did not have a home and could build one there. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa gave the mosque, i.e. the plot of the Masjid Dhirar, to Thabit bin Aqram.

According to Ibn-e-Ishaaq, the names of the hypocrites who constructed Masjid Dhirar are as follows: Khaizam bin Khalid, Muatib bin Qushair, Abu Habiba bin Az‘ar, Ibaad bin Hunaif, Jariya bin Aamir and both his sons, Mujamma bin Jariya and Zaid bin Jariya, Nufail bin Harth, Bakhzaj bin Usman Wadiyya. These were the people who were with Abu Aamir Rahab whom the Holy Prophetsa had labelled “Fasiq” [an evil transgressor].

(Subul-ul-Huda Wal Irshaad, Vol. 5, pp.

470-472, Ghazwah Tabuk, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993) (Sharh Zurqani Alaa al-Mawahib al-Deeniyyah, Vol. 4, pp.

97-98, Thumma Ghazwah Tabuk, Darul Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1996) Once, the Promised Messiahas was travelling, and when he saw the Jami‘ Masjid in Delhi, he stated that it was a beautiful mosque and further stated, “True beauty of mosques is not in their construction, rather it is with those people who offer prayers sincerely.” He also said, “Otherwise, all these mosques remain deserted.” At the time, many mosques had been abandoned. The Promised Messiahas states, “The Prophet’ssa mosque was very small. The roof was made of leaves of date palm trees. In the beginning, rainwater would pour in from the top during rainstorms. The true beauty of a mosque is connected with those who offer prayers within it. During the time of the Holy Prophetsa certain worldly people also constructed a mosque which was demolished as per God’s instructions. The name of this mosque was Masjid Dhirar, meaning a mosque that causes harm and was subsequently demolished.” He further states: “With regard to the construction of mosques, the commandment is that they should be constructed with righteousness in the hearts.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, p. 170) Hence, this is the real essence of mosques. Nowadays, among the Muslims, there are some who are inclined towards the construction of more mosques and it is a strange occurrence that they became motivated towards this after the advent of the Promised Messiahas. Moreover, the opportunity for them to do this, or to have gathered the courage to do undertake this,

or perhaps they became inclined towards worshipping God or even towards the outward aspects of worship, all of this took place after the Promised Messiah’sas claim. They build very beautiful mosques but despite this, nowadays, especially in countries like Pakistan etc. some of them, have called for paying more attention to populating mosques, however their mosques are devoid of righteousness. The verses of the Holy Quran that mention about God’s commandment to demolish Masjid Dhirar are followed with verses containing clear guidance that a true mosque is one where the foundations of it are based on righteousness. However, non-Ahmadi scholars have understood righteousness to be the act of speaking ill of the Promised Messiahas in their mosques or to use foul and vulgar language against him and verbally abuse the Jamaat.

It does not end here, in fact every so often there are incidents of people abusing each other verbally due to internal discords about who will lead prayers due to differences between sects.

Nowadays it common that such events in mosques about disturbance, chaos and abuse go viral. Hence, all these things point towards the fact that they lack in righteousness and they are not fulfilling the due rights of their mosques. As Ahmadis we should learn from their actions, and we should strive to ensure that our mosques are based on righteousness. We ought to enter our mosques to populate them while giving precedence to righteousness and this is in fact the true essence. If this is established and as long as this is kept in mind, we will continue to receive the bounties of Allah the Almighty, God Willing.

In relation to this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira states: ّٰ َ َ ْ َ ‫ار َب اللہ‬ ‫ل ِمن ح‬ He expounds on this further by stating, “This refers to Abu Aamir who was a Christian. One of his plans was to have the Holy Prophetsa offer prayers in that mosque and in this way some Muslims would also follow and thereby he planned to cause a rift between the Muslims. Abu Aamir had a dream which he related to others in which he said, ً َ ً َ ً ‫َو ِح ْیدا ط ِریْدا ش ِریْدا‬ ‘I saw the Holy Prophetsa passed away in a state of having been rejected and all alone’ God forbid. When the Holy Prophetsa heard of this, he stated, ‘This is a true dream and he is right.’ Meaning that his dream was true in that he had seen his own state and that is exactly what transpired.

The Holy Prophetsa did not mention his name.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira writes, “There was something deeply profound in not mentioning his name in that in the future if anyone repeated the same action, then they would face similar consequences.” (Haqa’iqul Furqan, Vol. 2, p. 310, Zair Ayat Walladhinattakhadhu Masjidan Diraran) Thus, we are witnessing, even today, a similar fate of the opponents.

The second companion who will be mentioned is Hazrat Amrra bin Auf.

His name is also recorded as Umair. His father’s name was Auf and Hazrat Amrra bin Auf ’s title was Abu Amr. He was born in Mecca, and according to Ibn Sa’d, he was from Yemen. (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez AlSahaba, Vol. 4, pp. 552-553, Amr bin Auf, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 254, Amr bin Auf, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2012) Historians, authors, and narrators of Ahadith have provided different viewpoints about his actual name and there is a lot of discrepancy in the narrations regarding this. Imam Bukhari, Ibn-e-Ishaaq, Ibn Saad, Alamah Ibn Abdil Bar, Alamah Ibn Aseer Jazri etc. all have mentioned his name as Amr, whereas, Ibn Hisham, Musa bin Uqba, Abu Ma‘shar Muhammad bin Umar Waqadi etc. mentioned his name as Umair. Alamah Badrruddin Aini and Alama Ibn Hajar Asqalaani – both of whom have written commentaries of Sahih Bukhari – state that Amr bin Auf and Umair bin Auf are both names of the same person. (Al-Tabaqaatul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 310, Vol. 4, p. 269, Umair bin Auf, Dar-ul-Kutub-alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Al-Istiab, Vol. 3, p. 274, Amr bin Auf al-Ansari, Dar-ul-Jeel, Beirut, 2002) (Umdatul Qari, Vol. 15, p.

121, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 4, pp. 552-553, Amr bin Auf, Dar-ulKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 246, Amr bin Auf, Darul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)(Ibn Hisham, p. 463, Wa min Bani Aamir, Darul-Kutub-al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) According to Imam Bukhari, Hazrat Amrra bin Auf Ansari was a confederate of the Quraish tribe called Banu Amir bin Loi. Whereas, Ibn-e-Hisham and Ibn Saad have mentioned him to be from the family of Banu Amir bin Loi. In view of these two differing narrations, Alama Badruddin Aini, a commentator of Bukhari, has inferred, “In actuality, Hazrat Amrra bin Auf was from the Ansari tribe of Aus or Khazraj. He visited Mecca and stayed there as well and became an ally of some of the people living there. Hence in this regard he was an Ansari [Native of Medina] as well as a Muhajir [Those Muslims who migrated from Mecca].”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Jizya, Bab AlJizyati wal Mawa‘adati Ma‘a Ahlil Harb, Hadith 3158) (Umdatul Qari, Vol. 15, p.

121, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 2003) (Ibn Hisham, p. 463, Wa min Bani Aamir, Dar-ul-Kutub-al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 310, Umair bin Auf, Dar-ulKutub-al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) Hazrat Amrra bin Auf was one of the early converts to Islam. (Al-Tabaqaat-ulKubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 254, Amr bin Auf, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2012) Hazrat Amrra bin Auf stayed in the home of Hazrat Kulthumra bin Al-Hidam in Quba during the migration from Mecca to Medina. He participated in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa, including the Battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sad, Vol. 3, p. 217, Umair bin Auf, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

22 (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 4, p.

553, Sa’d bin Khaithama, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 1995) He passed away during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra, who led his funeral prayer.

(Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 4, p. 553, Amr bin Auf, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2005) The next companion to be mentioned is Hazrat Ma‘anra bin Adi. Hazrat Ma‘anra was a confederate of the Banu Amr bin Auf tribe of the Ansar. (Ibn Hisham, p. 29, Man Shahida al-Aqabah, Dar Ibn Hazm, Beirut, 2009) Hazrat Ma‘anra was the brother of Hazrat Asimra bin Adiyy. Hazrat Ma‘anra has previously been mentioned in reference to his brother. Hazrat Ma‘anra took part in the Bai‘at-e-Aqabah along with 70 Ansar. Hazrat Ma‘anra was able to write in Arabic prior to his acceptance of Islam – this was at a time when very few people could write in Arabic. Hazrat Ma‘anra took part in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa, including the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. When Hazrat Zaidra bin Khattab migrated from Mecca to Medina, the Holy Prophetsa established a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat Ma‘anra bin Adiyy. (Al-Tabaqaatul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, pp. 244-245, Ma‘anra bin Adiyy, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath alArabi, Beirut, 1996) Hazrat Umarra relates, “Upon the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, I went to Hazrat Abu Bakrra and asked him to come with me to meet our Ansar brothers. Thus, we both went and two pious individuals from among them met us, who had participated in the Battle of Badr. I related this to Urwah bin Zubair and he said that these two individuals were Hazrat Uwaimra bin Saidah and Hazrat Ma‘anra bin Adiyy.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Maghazi, Bab Shuhoodul Mala’ikah Badran, Hadith 4021) This narration of Hazrat Umarra which I have just quoted has been explained in further detail in a narration in Bukhari. I will present a part of that narration here: Hazrat Ibn Abbasra relates, “I used to teach the Holy Quran to some individuals from among the Muhajireen and one of them was Abdur Rahman bin Auf. Once I was at his house in Mina while he had gone to see Umarra bin Khattab.” This incident occurred on the occasion of the last Hajj performed by Hazrat Umarra.

“When Abdur Rahman returned, he said to me that he wished that I was also present today to witness the individual, who came to Amir-ul-Momineen [Leader of the Faithful] and said, ‘O Amir-ul-Momineen!

Have you heard what a certain individual has said, who claims that if Umarra passes away, he will do the Bai‘at of so and so?’”

In other words, this person was making the claim during Hazrat Umar’sra Khilafat wherein he said that after him, he would do the Bai‘at of such and such individual. “‘He also said that he swears by Allah that the Bai‘at of Abu Bakrra was done in a hastily manner.’” Moreover, he stated that, God forbid, Hazrat Abu Bakr’sra Bai‘at was done in a hastily manner and in fact he was mistakenly granted the status of Khilafat.

“Upon hearing this, Hazrat Umarra

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM became greatly aggrieved and said, ‘If Allah wills, I shall stand among the people today and will warn them of those who seek to forcefully take other’s affairs into their own hands.’ Abdur Rahmanra then stated, ‘O Amir-ul-Momineen! Please do not do this because many ignorant and mischievous people have also gathered here at the Hajj. And so, when you stand amongst the people, these people will also gather around you and I fear that they may completely distort what you say and propagate something that is untrue and people will neither be able to properly comprehend your message and nor properly adhere to it in accordance to the situation.’ Abdur Rahmanra then presented his suggestion to Hazrat Umarra that he should wait until he reached Medina – as it was the days of Hajj – and since Medina was the place where the Holy Prophetsa migrated to and established many of his Sunnah, therefore he w be able to take the learned and noble people separate and say whatever he desired to say to them.

He further said that the learned and wise people would indeed listen to him and also act upon what he said according to the appropriate conditions and circumstances (and instead, they will not offer their own interpretations). Hazrat Umarra then stated, ‘Very well, by God! If Allah wills, I will mention this in my very first sermon that I will stand to deliver upon my return.’”

Hazrat ibn Abbasra further relates, “We arrived in Medina towards the end of Dhul Hijjah and on the Friday as soon as the Sun set a little from its zenith, we quickly proceeded to the mosque for the Friday Prayer. Upon arriving, I saw Saeedra bin Zaid sat near the pulpit and I went and sat next to him. My knee was touching his knee.” Hazrat ibn Abbasra is narrating this account in detail here. “After a short while, Hazrat Umarra bin Khattab came out and as I saw him coming, I said to Saeedra bin Zaid that today Hazrat Umarra would say something which he had never said before since he had become Khalifa. Saeedra bin Zaid – the companion who was sat next to him – deemed what I said him to be very strange and said that he did not expect Hazrat Umarra to say something which he had never said previously. Hazrat Umarra took his seat on the pulpit and when the person calling the Azan finished, he stood up and offered praise to Allah as is befitting to His Honour. Thereafter, he said, ‘I am about to say something which was ordained for me to say. I know not whether the time of my demise is near as I say this, therefore whosever among you is able to clearly comprehend what I say and is able to remember it well should convey this as far as one’s camel can take them in other words, one should accurately convey this as widely as possible to others).

However, whosoever among you fears that he has perhaps not fully understood this, then I do not deem it permissible for such a person to utter falsehood in relation to me (i.e. they should not convey anything that is incorrect).’ Thereafter, Hazrat Umarra stated, ‘Allah the Almighty sent Muhammadsa with the truth and revealed to him the laws of the Shariah…’”

Hazrat Umarra then mentioned some of commandments relating to the Shariah.

This is a very lengthy hadith and I shall leave out some of the details.

“Hazrat Umarra then stated, ‘Listen carefully! The Holy Prophetsa also stated to not excessively praise him just as people have done so in the case of Jesus, son of Maryas. The Holy Prophetsa stated that regarding him they should say that he is a servant of Allah and His Messengersa.’

Hazrat Umarra then said, ‘I have been informed that there is someone from among you who states that Hazrat Abu Bakrra was granted the mantle of Khilafat by mere chance.’ Hazrat Umarra continued, ‘This individual also stated that by God, if Umar were to die, he would do the Bai‘at of such and such person.’” Hazrat Umarra then first addressed the statement made in regards to Hazrat Abu Bakrra. “He stated, ‘let me make it clear that no one should remain in any doubt that Hazrat Abu Bakrra was mistakenly elected to Khilafat in a hastily manner. Listen carefully, his Bai‘at was indeed carried out in similar conditions i.e. in a hastily manner, but God Almighty granted protection from any evil outcome of it.’” Perhaps the incident took place in a hastily manner, but God Almighty safeguarded them from any evil outcome. “Moreover, there is none among you the like of Abu Bakrra, for whom people would travel long distances on camels in order to meet him” i.e. there is no one who can match to his scholarly excellence, sincerity and righteousness.

Then there are some further details in relation to this incident which have been mentioned in this narration.

“Hazrat Umarra then stated, ‘Anyone who takes the Bai‘at without having done mutual consultation with the Muslims, such an individual’s Bai‘at should not be taken.’” In other words, the Bai‘at of Hazrat Abu Bakrra was done after much consultation. “‘Also, not only should one not do the Bai‘at of such a person but also of the person who pledges his Bai‘at at such a person’s hand for one will ultimately perish in the case of both instances.’ Hazrat Umarra then narrated the actual account and said, ‘When Allah the Almighty caused the Holy Prophetsa to pass away, the Ansar began to oppose us.

We all gathered at Thaqifa Banu Saidah, including the Muhajireen, Alira, Zubairra and also those who were against us. We all went to Hazrat Abu Bakrra and I said to him to let us go to our Ansar brothers. We were discussing about them whilst on our way to them and when we reached nearby, we met two pious men from among them.’”

In the earlier narration that I mentioned it stated that Hazrat Ma‘anra bin Adiyy was one of the two pious men. In any case, Hazrat Umarra continues to further relate the incident. “These two individuals we met informed us of the decision regarding which all the Ansar had unanimously agreed upon. They said, ‘O Muhajireen!

Where do you wish to go?’ We told them that we wished to see our Ansar brothers, however these two individuals – one of whom was Hazrat Ma‘anra bin Adiyy – said, ‘Do not go there! It would be better for you to not meet them and whatever it

was that you wished to discuss with them, just consult it amongst yourselves.’ Hazrat Umarra states, ‘I said that by Allah! We will certainly go to them and having said this, we continued on and went straight into one of the large canopies of the Banu Saidah.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Hudood, Bab Rajmil Hubla min al-Zinaa Idhaa Ahsanat, Hadith 6830) Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Hazrat Umarra then had a lengthy discussion with the Ansar on the subject of the election of Khilafat. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has mentioned this incident in some detail, which I will quote. With regard to the Ansar who were sat at Thaqifa Banu Saidah, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states: “Upon the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, three groups formed among the Companionsra. One of the groups was of the opinion that after the Holy Prophetsa, there should be someone to establish the Islamic system. However, who could understand this better than the members from the family of the Holy Prophetsa, therefore someone should be appointed from among them. They believed that someone from among the progeny of the Holy Prophetsa should be appointed and not from any other family. In their view, they thought that if someone was appointed who was not from the family of the Holy Prophetsa, then perhaps the people would not obey him and in this way, it would cause disorder within the system.”

“Progeny” also meant anyone close from his relatives as well, such as his sons-in-law, etc. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra continues: “Since people were already accustomed to demonstrating obedience to the family of the Holy Prophetsa, therefore they believed that if someone was appointed from the Holy Prophet’ssa family, they would happily obey him as well. Just like people obey the king, but when he passes away and his son ascends to the throne, they also happily show obedience to him.

“However, the second group was of the opinion that it was not necessary for this person to be appointed from the family of the Holy Prophetsa. What was essential was that there should be someone who was appointed as a representative of the Holy Prophetsa. Therefore, whosoever was most worthy of this should be appointed.

This particular group was then divided into a further two groups. Although both groups agreed on the fact that there should be a representative of the Holy Prophetsa, however they disagreed as to which group of people this representative be appointed from. One party believed that it should be someone from among those who remained in the company of the Holy Prophetsa the longest and benefitted from his teachings i.e. the Muhajireen and even among them it should be the Quraish as the whole of Arabia would be willing to listen to them.

On the other hand, the other party believed that since the Holy Prophetsa passed away in Medina and the Ansar had a much stronger influence in Medina, therefore they would be able to discharge this duty more effectively. Nonetheless, there was a disagreement between the Ansar and

23

Friday 20 September 2019 | AL HAKAM the Muhajireen. The Ansar thought that since the Holy Prophetsa spent most of his life in an administrative capacity among them in Medina – since there was no administrative structure in place in Mecca – as a result the Ansar thought they better understood how to run a government and therefore they had the rights to Khilafat over everyone else.

“The second argument presented by the Ansar was that since the area belonged to them, therefore naturally they would have an influence over the people, whereas the Muhajireen would not be able to have the same effect over the people.

That is why they thought that a successor of the Holy Prophetsa ought to be from among the Ansar as opposed to being among the Muhajireen. On the contrary, the Muhajireen thought that they had spent the longest time in the company of the Holy Prophetsa, whereas the Ansar had not spent as much time with the Holy Prophetsa. Therefore, their level of understanding of the faith was more than the Ansar.”

With regard to this, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra writes: “The other people were still pondering over this disagreement and had not yet reached any conclusion, when the final group of the Ansar gathered in the courtyard of the Banu Sa‘ida and began discussing the matter. They concluded that Saadra bin Ubadah, who was from among the leaders of the Khazraj tribe, should be made the Khalifa. Thus, the Ansar conferred among themselves saying, ‘Since the land as well as all the properties belongs to us, therefore it would be best for Islam if the Khalifa is chosen from among us.’ Hence, they decided that there was no one more worthy for this task than Saadra bin Ubadah.

“Whilst they were still discussing the matter, some people from among them asked that if the Muhajireen rejected this proposal, then what would happen in such a case? One person from among them said, ‘Then we will tell them: ْ َ ُ ْ َ َ ‫ِم ّنا ا ِمی ٌر َو ِم ْنک ْم ا ِمی ٌر‬ i.e. one leader should be elected from among us and one leader should be elected from among you.’ Saadra, who was a very wise man, said ‘This would be the first sign of weakness on our part.’” The person they wished to appoint as the Khalifa from among the Ansar said that this would be the first sign of weakness and that the Khalifa should either be from among the Ansar or the Muhajireen. “‘To say that there will be a leader elected from each group demonstrates that one has not understood the concept of Khilafat. This is equivalent to causing a division within Islam.’ Subsequently, when the Muhajireen became aware of this discussion taking place, they went there swiftly. Hazrat Umarra stated – and this has been mentioned previously – that he along with Hazrat Abu Bakrra and a few Muhajireen went there. They believed that if the Khalifa was not from among the Muhajireen, then the Arabs would not obey him. This would not be the case of only Medina, but in fact the whole of Arabia. Undoubtedly, the Ansar

were dominant in Medina, however, all of Arabia honoured the nobility and the greatness of the Meccans. Thus, the Muhajireen knew that in such a time, if the elected Khalifa was from among the Ansar, then it would pose a major issue for all the Arabs and it could be that most of them are unable to succeed in this trial.

“Therefore, all of the Muhajireen gathered there and among them were Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra. Hazrat Umarra says, ‘I had prepared an eloquent speech and it was my intention to deliver this speech. Subsequently the Ansar would understand my arguments and would be compelled to elect a Khalifa from among the Muhajireen as opposed to the Ansar.

However, when we reached there, Hazrat Abu Bakrra stood up to address them. I thought to myself as to how he would manage to speak about anything. By God! Hazrat Abu Bakrra mentioned everything that I had thought of saying. In fact, he even presented further arguments [in favour of the Muhajireen]. It was at that point I realised that I could never compare myself to Abu Bakrra.’

“Thus, the Muhajireen stated that given the situation it was vital for the Khalifa to be from among the Muhajireen and also presented the Hadith of the Holy Prophetsa: ْ َ ُ ْ ُ َّ َ ْ َ ‫ش‬ ٍ ‫الائِمۃ ِمن قری‬ that ‘Your leaders ought to be from among the Quraish.’ He also mentioned the fact that the Muhajireen accepted Islam first and mentioned many of the sacrifices they undertook for the faith. Hubbab bin Munzir Khazraji opposed this and said, ‘We do not accept that the Khalifa should be from among Muhajireen. But if you do not agree to this and insist upon it then there is no option but to elect one leader from us and for you to elect one leader from among yourselves. One Khalifa would be from among us and one Khalifa would be from among you and in this way, we can resolve the issue.’ Hazrat Umarra said, ‘Ponder again over what you are saying! Are you not aware that the Holy Prophetsa said that it is not permissible to have two leaders appointed at one time?’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes, “From the Ahadith, it seems that the Holy Prophetsa had made interpretations that indicated the institution of Khilafat.

However, during the lifetime of the Holy Prophetsa, it never occurred to the Companions.”

The reason for this is the Divine wisdom that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra mentioned in the earlier part of the narration. Nonetheless, Hazrat Umarra said that the demand for there to be one leader elected from among the Ansar and one to be elected among the Muhajireen was irrational as well as unlawful from the perspective of the Islamic Shariah.

How then was Hazrat Abu Bakrra elected?

“After a brief discussion, Hazrat Ubaidahra stood up and reminded the Ansar that they were the first people to accept Islam outside of Mecca, and now after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, they should not be the first people to make

changes within the faith. This is said to have had such a profound impact on the people that Bashir bin Saad Khazraji stood up and addressed his tribe by saying, ‘They are speaking the truth. When we pledged to support and assist the Holy Prophetsa, it was not for any material gain, nor did we follow him so we could attain sovereignty after him. On the contrary, we followed him for the sake of God Almighty. Therefore, it is not a question of whose right it is to be leader or a Khalifa, rather it is a question of what Islam requires. The Khalifa should therefore be from among the Muhajireen because they have spent a long time in the company of the Holy Prophetsa.’ There was further discussion on this for a short while and after approximately 30 to 45 minutes, the opinion of the people slowly changed, and they accepted that the Khalifa ought to be from among the Muhajireen.

“Hazrat Abu Bakrra then suggested the names of Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra for Khalifa.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra himself suggested the two names that they ought to perform the Bai‘at at the hands of either Hazrat Umarra or Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra. “However, both of them refused and said that they would perform the Bai‘at of the one whom the Holy Prophetsa appointed as Imam during his days of illness and the one who is the best among all of the Muhajireen. With regard to Hazrat Abu Bakrra presenting the names of Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra for the position of Khalifa, Hazrat Umarra himself narrates that there was an excellent sequence to the speech delivered by Hazrat Abu Bakrra. He states that everything in the speech was commanding and he did not disagree with anything except that Hazrat Abu Bakrra presented his name and the name of Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra to become Khalifa.

Hazrat Umarra says, “I swear by God that when Hazrat Abu Bakrra presented my name, it would have pleased me more to have my neck severed and die in this manner, than to be a leader of a group of people in which Hazrat Abu Bakrra was present among them.”

Meaning that the status of Hazrat Abu Bakrra was such that it was not possible for him to be appointed as the Khalifa whilst Hazrat Abu Bakrra was present, but aside from this, the rest of the speech was articulate.

Nonetheless, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says: “Hazrat Umarra then said that they would pledge allegiance to the best among the Muhajireen. This meant that there was no person worthier than Hazrat Abu Bakrra for the position of Khalifa. Thus, after this everyone began to pledge allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakrra; the first person to pledge allegiance was Hazrat Umarra, then Hazrat Abu Ubaidahra, then Bashirra bin Saad Khazraji, followed by the tribes of Aus and Khazraj. The people were so enthusiastic, that in their eagerness, they nearly trampled Saadra, who was ill at the time and unable to get up. Soon after, with the exception of Saad and Hazrat Alira, everyone had pledged allegiance; even Saad’s own son had pledged allegiance.

Hazrat Alira pledged allegiance after a

few days; according to some narrations, he pledged allegiance after three days, whereas according to other narrations it is written that he pledged allegiance after six months. In the narrations where it is mentioned that Hazrat Alira pledged allegiance after six months, it is also written that he was unable to do so due to looking after Hazrat Fatimahra who was ill at the time. When Hazrat Alira came to pledge allegiance, he offered an apology that due to Hazrat Fatimah’sra illness, he was unable to pledge allegiance earlier. Thus, at the time, everyone pledged allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakrra.” (Khilafat-e-Rashida, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 15, pp. 39-42) Hazrat Urwah bin Zubairra narrates that at the time of the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, people were in an emotional state and would say that if only they had passed away before the Holy Prophetsa and that they feared of a dissent after his demise. Hazrat Ma‘anra – the companion who is being mentioned – said, “By God! I never wished for this.” The people in general desired that they ought to have passed away before the Holy Prophetsa, but Hazrat Ma‘anra said that he did not wish for this and said, “I did not wish to die before the Holy Prophetsa, because I wished to profess belief in the Holy Prophetsa after his demise in the same manner as I did so during his lifetime.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ulKubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, pp. 244-245, Ma’an bin Adiyy, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath alArabi, Beirut, 1996) “Just as I accepted the Holy Prophetsa as a prophet, I wished to profess belief for that system that was prophesied by him that would come into existence after his demise, i.e to protect Khilafat-e-Rashidah that has come into existence and safeguard myself from falling into the trap laid out by the hypocrites and the apostates.”

Thus, this is the level of faith which every Ahmadi should strive to inculcate within themselves. According to one narration, Hazrat Ma‘anra was with Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid in the army that was sent to supress the rebellion of those that had left Islam after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid sent Hazrat Ma‘anra to Yamama ahead of the army alongside 200 soldiers on horseback.

(Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 6, p.

151, Ma’an bin Adiyy, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2005) The Holy Prophetsa had established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Ma‘anra and Hazrat Zaidra bin Khattab.

Both of these Companions were martyred in the Battle of Yamama in 12 AH, during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. (AlTabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p.

244, Ma’an bin Adiyy, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996) May God Almighty enable every Ahmadi to understand the rank and honour of prophethood and enable them to demonstrate loyalty and sincerity in their relationship with Khilafat.

(Translated by The Review of Religions.

Originally published in Al Fazl International, pp. 5-9, 13 September 2019)

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