Al Hakam - 01 November 2019

Demise in Mecca or Medina: A legacy fulfilled Prophecies of the Promised Messiahas

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Inaugural reception of Baitul Baseer in Nahe, Germany

The Holy Ground of Tilford

100 Years Ago...

The religious setting of Farnham and its surroundings

Mauritius letter

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The Review of Religions, October & November 1919

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 1 November 2019 | Issue LXXXV Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

A successful Europe tour

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

A true Muslim Abdullah bin Amr, Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The true Muslim is he from whose hands and from whose tongue other Muslims are safe. The true emigrant is he who forsakes that which is forbidden by God.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

The need for the Holy Quran after the Torah

O

n the autumn evening of 27 October, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, entered the gates of the Markaz in Islamabad, Tilford. Huzooraa

had just returned from a lengthy, historic and momentous tour of Europe.

For over a month, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa travelled extensively to

preach the true teachings of Islam to the populace of Holland, France and Germany.

Some assert, what has the Quran brought? Nothing more than what is already contained in the Torah.

It is this very misconception which has moved certain Christians to write treatises on the uselessness of the Holy Quran. If only they had partaken of true wisdom and real insight, they would not have gone astray. Such people state that the Torah forbids one to commit adultery and likewise, the Quran too forbids adultery. The Quran teaches the Unity of God and the Torah also teaches a person to worship the One God. So what then is the difference? At face value, this seems like a complicated question. If this question was posed to an uninformed person, he would be flustered. In actual fact, intricate and twisted questions like these can only be resolved by the special grace of Allah Almighty. It is these very Quranic insights, which are revealed at their appropriate time. In reality, there is definitely a similarity between

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Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM

This Week in History 1 - 7 November November 1898: Some elders from Qadian attended the marriage ceremony of Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra in Malerkotla. To name a few, Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra, Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira and Maulvi Ahsan Amrohi Sahibra participated in it. It is reported that the Nikah was announced by Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra.

November 1909: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra commenced practicing essay writing in the English language. Hazrat Maulvi Sher Alira would supervise and recheck this material until August 1911.

November 1913: A group of people within the Jamaat stationed in Lahore who unfortunately could not recognise the true stature of Khilafat, started preparing and circulating some tracts anonymously. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira expressed his disgust at the state of affairs.

Huzoorra instructed the group of Ansarullah to prepare a rebuttal to the points raised by the opponents. The first reprisal was published on 23 November.

November 1916: The biography of the Promised Messiahas, Sirat Masih-e-Maud, written by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra was published.

November 1917: A professor from Liberia requested the Markaz in Qadian to be provided with literature of the Jamaat. Hence, the message reached this part of the world.

November 1923: The Jamaat organised a sports event under the title of Ahmadiyya Tournament. Through this body, sports events and competitions were conducted. This convening body was headed by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra and he was assisted by Maulana Abdur Rahim Dardra in the execution of these healthy opportunities for youth in Qadian.

November 1930: The prudence and enlightenment of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had no match. Even about political matters, his intelligence was taken seriously by all camps.

Huzoorra commented on the Indian Statutory Commission’s Report, which is commonly referred to as the Simon Commission. Huzoor’sra wise words were rendered in English and sent to England to be circulated among the representatives of the Round Table Conference.

This conference was attended by Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafarulla Khanra too.

November 1931: Members of the Jamaat residing in Palestine had their personal information registered as Ahmadi in census returns.

November 1934: An Ahmadiyya printing press was installed in Kababir, in the neighbourhood of Haifa. It was the first ever printing facility in the Arab world by the Jamaat.

November 1936: Readers of the weekly Al Hakam are aware of the name of Sheikh Amri Ubaidi Sahib, who was mentioned in This Week in History a few weeks ago. During this month, he entered the fold of Jamaat.

November 1947: Nusrat Girls’ primary and high schools recommenced their functioning in Lahore after the frightening episode of partition and migration from Qadian. This provides us with an example of the Jamaat’s zeal for the education of women.

November 1955: The central Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya purchased a new folding boat for its humanitarian and rescue operations. Funding for this noble cause was graciously provided by the Washington chapter.

November 1955: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra sent a special message for the members of Jamaat living in Madras (Chennai) and South India, upon the request of Muhammad Karimullah, editor of the weekly Azad Naujawan.

November 1958: Malik Aziz Ahmad Sahib completed the Indonesian translation of the Holy Quran.

1 November 1932: Hazrat Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Baqapurira was appointed as the first local preacher in Qadian by the Jamaat.

1 November 1951: Hazrat Mian Muhammaduddin Balanira passed away in Qadian, while serving as a Darvesh there. He entered the fold of the Jamaat in 1894.

2 November 1924: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra started the next phase of his journey back home to Qadian as he boarded his ship from Venice, in the north eastern end of Italy.

2 November 1931: Hazrat Syed Iradat Hussain Orenvira passed away.

2 November 1935: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra placed the foundation stone of a building block, which was meant to serve as a new guest house.

3 November 1905: Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra delivered a heart-touching speech in Delhi, in the presence of the Promised Messiahas.

3 November 1963: Usman Ghani Sahib was martyred in the eastern part of Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

4 November 1942: The first person from Syria to enter the fold of the Jamaat, Muniruddin al-Hasni Sahib, entered the divine institution of Al-Wasiyyat.

5 November 1905: Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra delivered a lecture in Ludhiana on this date.

5 November 1926: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra formally established the organisation of Ansarullah.

5 November 1943: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, owing to constant poor health and remaining occupied in other duties, declared for members of the Jamaat that he must not be insisted to participate in their wedding receptions.

5 November 1944: The Sindh Government ordered the confiscation of the book, Satyarth Prakash’s chapter 14, which contained the

personal views of Dayanand Saraswati about Islam and the Quran. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra shed light on this whole episode during the course of his question and answer session held on 21 November.

5 November 1954: The central body of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya organised its 14th annual Ijtema, which was blessed by Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra on both the inaugural and concluding sessions with his presence.

5 November 1959: Acharya Vinoba Bhave visited Qadian on this date. He initiated the Bhoodan Movement or Land Gift Movement. This was a voluntary land reform movement in India, which attempted to persuade wealthy landowners to voluntarily give a percentage of their land to those with no land.

6 November 1932: The Jamaat arranged a worldwide series of Jalsas to highlight the highest standards from the life of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam.

6 November 1947: Talim-ul-Islam High School was shifted to Chiniot from Qadian. Initially, it was relocated in the Malik Bhagwandas building by the allotment officials.

7 November 1912: Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra entered the holy land of the Ka‘bah, Mecca, on this date during his Hajj journey.

7 November 1932: Hazrat Jalaluddin Shams Sahib started presenting his statement during a court case in Bahawalpur. This pragmatic piece about the matter discussed during the trial was later published under the title of Muqaddama Bahawalpur.

7 November 1948: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra addressed a press conference in Rabwah, which was attended by prominent journalists and correspondents of leading national Urdu and English newspapers. They had travelled all the way from Lahore to attend this important briefing about the undergoing establishment of Rabwah.

7 November 1948: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra reestablished the committee responsible for issuing edicts and named it Majlis Ifta, which initially had six members.

7 November 1954: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra appointed Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh as president of Majlis Ansarullah. On the final day of this Ijtema of Khuddam, a special reception was arranged in connection with his shift from Khuddam to Ansar. This Ijtema was attended by 1,300 Khuddam. The Khuddam organ, the monthly Khalid, issued a pictorial magazine. A reserve fund was established during this Ijtema that would be used for relief projects by Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya.

7 November 1965: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had been suffering ill health for some time and on this date, his ailment entered into an extremely worrying and critical phase.

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Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM

Inaugural reception of Baitul Baseer in Nahe, Germany

Tahir Bhatti Germany Correspondent

Nahe, Germany, Saturday, 26 October: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, addressed guests at the formal inaugural ceremony of Baitul Baseer, Mahdi Abad, Germany.

The ceremony was initiated with the recitation of the Holy Quran after which Amir Sahib Germany, Abdullah Wagishauser presented a brief history of Mahdi Abad – the geographical location of Baitul Baseer.

A number of guests also addressed the congregation. Lt Colonel, Gustav Lunenborg explained how 30 years ago, he saw the banner of “Love for all, hatred for none” by the Jamaat for the first time. At the time, he thought to himself that the slogan might be deceitful and that those who claim this might not practice it in action. However, today the Jamaat has proved that they also practice what they preach. He said that he was confident that along with the Jamaat, the community can go further to establish human values collectively.

Lt Colonel Lunenborg accepted that they feared and had reservations for Ahmadis but it has now changed for the contrary.

A representative of the Protestant Church, Pastor Susanne Hahn congratulated the Jamaat and Hazrat

Amirul Momineenaa for the new mosque.

She expressed how the community has always been open and accommodative to the wider society. Pastor Hahn said she was glad to attend the inaugural ceremony of “a House of God”. Commenting further she expressed, “We believe in the same God … our ways may be different but our destiny is the same.”

Next, the Lord Mayor, Elke Christina Roder congratulated the Jamaat and Huzooraa for the new mosque. She acknowledged the good character and behaviour of Ahmadi Muslims and said that she believed this mosque would promote tolerance and make the society a more peaceful and pluralistic place.

Member of Provincial Assembly, Tobias von der Heide travelled from Kiel to attend the event. He congratulated the Jamaat and expressed that the Jamaat is our practical partner for the promotion of social peace and that it is open and much integrated into German society.

After this spoke a Member of the German parliament, Gero Storjohann. He noted that many ex-Mayors, Mayors of different cities, and other representatives of federal and provincial institutions were present at the event and this was a good sign of the mosque bringing many people together. He said that all aspects he had observed indicated

a positive social and cultural integration of the Ahmadiyya community.

Thereafter, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa addressed the congregation. After reciting Tashahud and Ta‘awuz, Huzooraa thanked all the guests who had attended the ceremony.

Huzooraa expressed his pleasure to see a great number of local non-Muslim guests attending the event. Huzooraa said that he was glad to know that the locals and guests were well acquainted with Ahmadi Muslims and had interacted with the community.

This showed that Ahmadis have had good relations with neighbours.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa noted that the mosque was situated in a small and pleasant village. Since the environment of villages is clean and people are simple and gentle, Huzooraa expressed his wish that the mosque should be a good addition to the existing values.

History plays an important role and whatever one hears about Islam, a historical fact check should take place. Islam does not believe in wars and attacks in the name of religion. Whatever wars were fought in the early days of Islam were to defend religion as a whole.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa mentioned that Holy Prophetsa had greatly urged and stressed the rights of neighbours to be upheld. Huzooraa said that as common

human values were mentioned by a speaker, Islam and the Prophetsa of Islam have instructed Muslims to adopt good values from any culture.

Islam has also stressed on the rights of women, a prime teaching being that paradise lies under the feet of mothers.

Huzooraa said that along with other values and traditions, purdah and head coverings were also a human value and tradition. Although there can be differences in various faiths and traditions but one ought to see the intention behind them. Purdah is there to enhance a woman’s dignity and respect in the society.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that our religion teaches us to unite on common points rather than just arguing on differences. Holding onto differences is not a uniting principle but finding common grounds can help in establishing durable global peace.

Talking of religious freedom, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa expressed that religion is solely the decision of one’s heart. Whether someone wants to be a Jew, Christian or hold any other creed, they can do so. No coercion should take place in freedom of belief and conscience.

Huzooraa also instructed the local Ahmadis of Baitul Baseer to be diligent in upholding the increased responsibilities that now lay upon them with the mosque.

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The number of Huzoor’s speeches and engagements during this tour had to be carefully counted, as they were so vast.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa spoke at Jalsa Salanas, mosque openings, special events with dignitaries and members of parliament, press conferences and sittings with auxiliary organisations.

Apart from these events, Huzooraa continued to lead daily congregational prayers, delivered Friday Sermons and met with the local Ahmadis and guests.

The live coverage of events was broadcast on MTA International by the grace of Allah. Aside from MTA International, Ahmadis across the world were kept up-to-date with Huzoor’saa engagements through a number of channels, including the Press & Media Office, Al Fazl International, Makhzan-eTasaweer, The Review of Religions and Al Hakam.

The tour saw Huzooraa remind Ahmadi Muslims of their responsibilities and the need for the practical application of what we preach. At Jalsa Salana Holland and France, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa reminded us to grow in spirituality. He spoke about the great success of the Jamaat and the importance of not falling into the temptations of this world.

Ahmadis were not the only ones Huzooraa addressed at these Jalsas, rather special sessions with non-Ahmadi guests were attended by Huzooraa as well.

During these speeches, Huzooraa painted the true picture of Islam, giving an insight into the teachings of the Holy Quran and the great character of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. For example, at Jalsa Holland, Huzooraa proved how religion, “Instead of being the cause of today’s problems, is the answer”. To prove this fact, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa always referred to the Holy Quran and the life of the Holy Prophetsa.

Talking about how religion promotes peace, Huzooraa referred to chapter 10, verse 26 of the Holy Quran, which states, “And Allah calls to the abode of peace, and guides whom He pleases to the straight path.”

Our readers will know that several mosque openings in Holland, France and Germany took place. A total of five mosques were inaugurated by Huzooraa, after which he presented the true purpose of mosques and the responsibilities of worshippers. These teachings were voiced

by Huzooraa before neighbours, religious leaders, mayors, dignitaries, academics and guests.

A recurring theme during these addresses was that mosques are centres of social cohesion and “should not be feared”.

Worshippers should not only carry out their duty towards Allah when attending mosques, but also serve humanity, especially the local proximity. Huzooraa would always address the local Ahmadis and remind them to fulfil their duties as helpful neighbours.

At the opening of the Mahdi Mosque, Huzooraa beautifully condensed the purpose of a mosque in a sentence: “A mosque is built to worship the One God and for worshippers to live in peace together”.

Two very historic addresses were delivered by Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa in France and Germany. In France, members of UNESCO, politicians, dignitaries and a wealth of academics listened to Huzoor’saa extremely insightful and eye-opening address about how the Holy Prophetsa completely transformed society and embedded “the values of mutual respect and tolerance” within humanity. Huzooraa explained how “for the very first time amongst the Arabs, an orderly and civilised society was established” through the advent of Islam.

Attendees were also given an insight into how the Holy Quran and the Prophet of Islamsa “inspired generations of Muslim scientists, inventors and philosophers who transformed the world.” From the outset, Huzooraa explained, “Islam emphasised the immense value of learning and pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.”

The second historical address was before a very similar audience in Germany.

The audience was saturated with members of the Bundestag, academics and religious leaders alike. A magnificent address was delivered by Huzooraa on the topic of “Islam and Europe: A clash of civilisations”.

During the course of his address, Huzooraa

panned out the stark difference between civilisation and culture; civilisation being “technological intellectual advancements of society”, while culture is “rooted in morality and the religious values and traditions of a nation.” Huzooraa proved to the audience that Islamic culture is something positive and not a threat to Western society. He further exhorted the audience to protect the religious Christian culture that is escaping Europe and being replaced with atheism.

The feedback and response of the guests who listened to Hazrat Amirul Momineen’saa words displayed that our Imamaa is carrying out the propagation of Islam in the best possible manner.

Attendees testified to the great example the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat presents to the world through the guidance of their Khalifa.

We urge our readers to refer to the numerous reports and videos of these guests and see for themselves how they appreciated Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa in guiding his community and the world towards a peaceful, tolerant and better society.

At the same time, it is essential for us all to listen and study the addresses Huzooraa delivered so that we may really know what it means to be an Ahmadi Muslim.

May Allah continue the success of this beautiful Jamaat; may Allah help our Imam with divine strength and may the victory of Islam manifest through his leadership!

Majlis-e-Shura MKA UK 2019 Zishan Kahlon Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK

ajlis-e-Shura of Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya UK took place on M Sunday, 20 October 2019.

The Shura started with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by the Khuddam pledge. A welcome address was then delivered by Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya UK, Abdul Quddus Arif Sahib. He highlighted the various activities that had taken place, and the progress that had been made by the Majlis during the course of this year.

Thereafter, the implementation reports for last year’s proposals were presented.

Motamid Sahib reported that 27 proposals had been submitted, three of which had been accepted by the Majlis-e-Amila and sent for approval to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper. Three sub-committees were formed to discuss each of the proposals, each consisting of about 35 representatives.

For the remaining delegates who were not part of the sub-committees, workshops were held throughout the day.

Workshops included Markaz and Our Responsibilities, Ijtema Feedback, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Research Association

and Understanding the System of Shura.

There was also a speech by Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya on the topic of the importance and blessings of Hifazat-eMarkaz (Protection of the Markaz).

Later, the plenary session commenced with sub-committees presenting their reports and the Majlis-e-Shura then deliberating. The recommendations of the sub-committees and any amendments thereon that constituted the final recommendations were formally agreed for submission to Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa for approval and guidance.

A farewell dinner was also held for members entering Majlis Ansarullah.

The attendance at Shura was over 385 Khuddam from across the country.

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Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM 100 Years Ago...

Mauritius letter The Review of Religions, October & November 1919 Hazrat Hafiz Sufi Ghulam Muhammadra

hmadis of Mauritius are under a great A trial. But thank God, they are bearing it patiently and cheerfully. Though the long

protracted case of the Rose Hill Mosque, which is before the Supreme Court of Mauritius is proving very expensive, yet they are glad because it is bringing many things to light. It is not a mere struggle for one mosque, but it is a life and death struggle between two forces. By means of this case, the teachings of Ahmadas, Prophet of our age and the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, are being disseminated throughout the colony. People who disliked even to cast a glance at Ahmadis are spending a lot of money to hear our preaching in the court.

The latest sitting was held on 3 and 4 September. The Pesh Imam of the grand Masjid of Port Louis who, in the words of non-Ahmadis, is the Lord Bishop of the Mauritius non-Ahmadi Hanefites, was in the box. The case will be heard again on 15 and 16 October 1919, with the same witness in the box.

Eid-ul-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) was celebrated here in Mauritius on Saturday, 6 September. Almost all Ahmadis of the colony were present in the Rose Hill Mosque where Ahmadis have celebrated this feast four times successively. It is the only Mosque in Mauritius which has accommodation for both sexes. Two special chambers are attached to the mosque on the right hand side for the use of the females. Both sections

of the mosque were full of devotees and the service was led by the writer of this letter.

Here, there is a custom established by the order of the government that whenever any person dies, they are not buried until 24 hours have passed after their death, hence people pass the night in the house where somebody has passed away. On such occasions, I deliver lectures on Ahmadiyyat.

On 18 September, a daughter of brother Mawla Bhunno, a 1 year old, passed away. I was present on that occasion and delivered a lecture on the truth of Ahmad’sas claims. On this occasion, the uncle of the deceased girl, HK Nandeer, gave me a book entitled A New Life of Jesus by DF Strauss, who has proved beyond the shadow of doubt that Jesusas did not die on the cross but was taken down alive from the cross in a state of a swoon and died afterwards a natural death. I quote here his very words from pages 409 and 410.

“Even as to the resurrection itself they say that the supernatural element exists indeed in the conception of the disciples and the Evangelists but not in the thing itself. It is not to be wondered at, according to them, that excited women took the white linen clothes in the empty sepulcher or strange men in white dresses, for angels. No angel was wanted to roll away the stone, as it might have been done, either accidentally or intentionally, by men’s hands. (According to Schleiermacher, by the work-people of the owner of the garden, who knew nothing of the placing of Jesus in the sepulchre, but only wanted to move the stone to its place

Deputy governor of Ogun, Nigeria hosts the Jamaat Abbas O Iromini General Secretary, Jamaat Nigeria

rs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Deputy M Governor of Ogun State, Nigeria, was at her office on Tuesday, 15 October 2019 to

receive a delegation of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Nigeria.

The delegation consisted of Amir Sahib, along with members of the national Amila, missionaries and members of auxiliary organisations, such as Lajna Imaillah and Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya.

An introduction was given about Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya as a peaceful Jamaat that had existed in Nigeria for over a century. The efforts of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, were mentioned, who has been going around the world, preaching peace to all governments and their presidents. The Jamaat’s efforts in the field of education, medical care, disaster recovery, gift of life etc. were also mentioned.

The governor and the deputy governor were also invited to the forthcoming Jalsa Salana at Ilaro. An invitation was extended to Her Excellency for the seminar being organised by the Ahmadi Muslim Students

Women Association on 2 November 2019 at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.

Deputy governor’s response The Ogun State Deputy Governor, Hajia Noimot Salako-Oyedele thanked the Jamaat for deeming it necessary to pay her a courtesy call. She said the Ahmadiyya Jamaat was not new to her as she had enjoyed a good relationship with the family of one of our former amirs, Alhaj Hussein Sunmonu. She said that she had visited our bookshop at Idumagbo Avenue in Lagos and purchased a Muslim Prayer book back in 1976, which she is still using. She mentioned having participated in Jalsa Salana United Kingdom 1990.

She congratulated the Jamaat for the Jalsa Salana coming up in Ilaro and promised to convey our request of invitation to the governor and that she would also attend the Jalsa Salana if she was able to.

Her Excellency requested for prayers from the Jamaat so that the government may have a successful tenure.

Hazrat Hafiz Sufi Ghulam Muhammadra, Ahmadi missionary to Mauritius

at a distance from the opening where it had stood before, in order to give air to the newly formed vault. Compare my Treatise Schleiermacher and the Resurrection of Jesus in Hilgenfeld’s journal of Scientific Theology 1863, p. 386 ff.—Note by Do F Strauss). “ “Finally it may be explained quite naturally, after the circumstances that had preceded, how Jesus should have come alive out of the sepulchre when the stone was taken away. Crucifixion, they maintain, even if the feet as well as the hands are supposed to have been nailed, occasions but very little loss of blood. It kills, therefore, only very slowly by convulsions produced by the straining

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the Holy Quran and the Torah – we do not deny this. However, the Torah has only presented a mere text without any argumentation, proof or commentary.

However, the Holy Quran takes a rational approach on all matters. This is because the faculties of the people of that time possessed an uncultivated nature. And so, the Quran adopted the practice of expounding the benefits of worship and morality.

Moreover, it not only puts forth the benefit, but rather presents them with the support of argumentation and proof in a rational manner, so that those who possess a sound intellect are left with no room for denial. As I have just mentioned, in the time of the Quran, faculties were bent towards rationality, whereas in the time of the Torah, a more primitive state existed.

From the time of Adamas, humans continued to develop and when the Quran appeared, this development had reached its completion, in the likeness of a circle. It is related in the

of the limbs or by gradual starvation. So, if Jesus, supposed indeed to be dead, had been taken down from the cross after about six hours, there is every probability of this supposed death having been only a deathlike swoon, from which, after the descent from the cross, Jesus recovered again in the cool cavern. Covered, as he was with healing ointments and strongly scented spices. On this head it is usual to appeal to an account in Josephus (vita, 75) who says that on one occasion, when he was returning from a military recognisance on which he had been sent, he found several Jewish prisoners who had been crucified. He saw among them three acquaintances whom he begged Titus to give to him. They were immediately taken down and carefully attended to. One was really saved but the two others could not be recovered.”

On 26 September, at the request of Madame Dowjee Atchia, all Ahmadis were invited at her house at Cure Pipe. It was the first occasion that was offered to us to give a discourse on the Holy Quran at that town and we took the opportunity by the forelock. About 40 Ahmadis assembled there. Cure Pipe is the chief residence of the white population and is the second capital of the colony. It has not given us, up to now, even a single Ahmadi.

The writer of the letter, Mr Nuruya, and Maulvi Ubaidullah, an Ahmadi Missionary, addressed a well attended meeting in English, French and Urdu respectively.

They spoke about the blessings of Islam, the continuation of divine revelation, the signs of the Promised Messiah and the activities of the Ahmadiyya Movement. The lectures, which lasted for about three hours, produced a very favourable impression on the educated class and many expressed the desire that such lectures should be repeated.

Questions by an Arya Samagist were also answered.

Hadith that the age assumed the form of a “full circle”. Allah the Exalted states: َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ ّٰ ‫ما ک‬ ‫ان ُم َح ّم ٌد أبَا أ َح ٍد ِّم ْن َ ّرِ َﺟال ِك ْم َولٰ ِك ْن ّر ُسوْ َل الل ِہ َوخات َم‬ ّ َ‫النب ّيیْن‬ ِ​ِ “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.”

Necessity is the engine that fuels prophethood, as it were. Dark nights draw in the light that delivers the world from darkness. It was due to this need that the system of prophethood began, and upon reaching the era of the Quran, it attained to completion.

Now every need has been fulfilled.

This establishes that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the Seal of the Prophets.

Indeed, one significant and evident hallmark of this is that the Quran presents reasoned argumentation, while the Torah has not done so even to a minor degree.

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 83 - 84)

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The Holy Ground of Tilford The religious setting of Farnham and its surroundings As Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived back to the Markaz from his successful tour of Europe only a few days ago, we thought we would take a quick look at the history of the blessed place that is Islamabad Asif M Basit

e see the suffix “ham” in names of many English towns and places – W meaning an enclosure. A town enclosed

in the English countryside of Surrey, surrounded by expanses of fern, got to be called Farnham. Among the finds of recent excavations are kilns dating back to the Paleolithic era – the early period of stone age. Further excavations have given archaeologists much material to link to all other ages that followed; from middle stone ages to latter, from the Bronze ages to the days of Iron and from the Romano-British occupation of the land to the centuries that followed.1 Reports of a 1924 excavation revealed sunken structures of a town dating back to the 6th century.2 Farnham is situated by the northern branch of River Wey, only three miles from Islamabad, Tilford. The first mention we find of Farnham in history is in the year 688 CE; about 50 years after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam.

Cadwalla, the King of Wessex (685-688) granted this piece of land, called Farnham, for building a monastery and this was recorded in a charter in the following words: “AD 688… Caedwalla, king of the (West) Saxons, to Cedde Cist and Criswa, grant, for the foundation of a minster, of land at Farnham, Surrey, including land at Binton and Churt, Surrey…”3 So, the first mention of Farnham and its surrounding land occurs when the King donated the town and its surrounding district to the Church and to the diocese of Winchester. By the 8th century, it was administered and run by the Bishop of Winchester. It was given the status of a manor, the lord being the Bishop of Winchester, and remained so for the thousand years that followed.4 Back then, the lord of a manor was entitled to collect taxes from a stretch of parishes surrounding his manor; this stretch of parishes was called a “hundred”.

When William the Conqueror ordered a detailed survey of England to be carried out (1086) – the Domesday Survey – the hundred of Farnham consisted of around 16 parishes, including Waverley, Elstead and Tilford.5 Later, history has religion and politics intertwined just as the rest of England in those times. However, we know that the first spirit of religion was blown in the air of Farnham and its surroundings just a few years after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The Holy Prophetsa had prophesied that the sun of Islam would rise

An old map of Tilford

from the west in the latter days when that the Messiah will counter Christianity in its hubs. Foundations for this big encounter being laid at Farnham coincide with the same time as the early foundations of Islamic eschatology.

Monastery at Waverley Although a very small town, Farnham held an important place in the history of religion in England. It lay almost equidistant between London and Winchester. The Bishop of Winchester was classed among the highest officials of the state and would often be the Chancellor of England. Farnham naturally became a stopover for the bishop of Winchester on his way to London (and back) or on other journeys through the diocese. As bishop of Winchester was the lord of the manor of Farnham, it appears to be a favourite town for Henri of Blois (Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to 1171 and grandson of William the Conqueror) where he started building a castle – now known as the Farnham Castle – in 1138. The garrison and paraphernalia that emerged with the castle brought economic strength to Farnham.6 But before this castle was erected, another grand building had been established only a mile away in the valley of Waverley. This building was the Waverley Monastery that was built in by William Giffard, the then Bishop of Winchester

and the Lord Chancellor of England (1100 to 1129) in 1128.7 That this man of great influence in the state affairs of England chose Farnham to house the monastery indicates the importance of the manor of Farnham in the religious history of England. Historians seem to agree that William Giffard’s decision of giving the 60 acres of land at Waverley to the monastery

could be to uphold the charter of 688 that devoted Farnham for religious activity.8 The White Monks of Waverley St Benedict of Nursia lived from c. 480 to c. 547 CE, dying only 30 years before the birth of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam. He is known as the Patron Saint of Europe for his

The ruins of Waverley Abbey

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Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM

great influence on the shaping of Western Christendom. He wrote his Rule – known as the Rule of St Benedict – in the year 516 CE which gained great following with major Catholic monastical orders taking it as their primary constitution. Monks of the St Benedictine order came to be commonly known as the Black Monks for the colour of their robes.

They were based at the Cluny Abbey in France, which was known as the base and headquarter of Western Monasticism. In the year 1098, some monks of the Cluny Abbey developed a grievance that the Rule of St Benedict was not being followed at Cluny in its strictest sense and, spearheaded

by Abbot Robert of Molesme, left the monastery to establish one of their own – the aim being to establish the supremacy of St Benedict’s rule. They moved out and settled in Dijon in France, later to scatter and establish their monasteries in other parts of Europe.9 The first monastery to be built outside of France was to be in the valley of Waverley – just a mile away from Farnham. They called themselves the White Monks to be distinct from the Black Monks that they had broken away from. The formal name of their offshoot was the Order of Cistercians.10 Close ties with Henri of Blois had earned them this vast stretch of land as a gift from William Giffard, the Bishop of Winchester.11 Even close ties of Henri with William Giffard are evident from the fact that Henri succeeded William as Bishop of Winchester – the level of whose jurisdiction, authority and influence over England has been described above.

Gwen Ware so describes their arrival: “Abbot John and his twelve monks came from Aumone, near Chartres. They probably landed at Pagham Harbour, then a well known port, and walked via Midhurst to Farnham where they arrived on November 24th, 1128; a silent little procession with none of the trappings associated with monks of the day, perhaps just carrying a plain wooden cross before them – forerunners of the great Cistercian invasion of England and filled with missionary fervour.”

Their success can be gauged by the growing numbers and the growing expanse of their land: in 20 years’ time, they had increased in number to 70 monks and 160 lay brothers, and the 60 acres of land had expanded to 571 acres. A beautiful abbey was built to house the religious activity and rituals of the monks as well as dormitories to house them.12 They now had four bridges and had a functional mill added to their territory.

This expansion – bestowed as intermittent gifts by the Bishop of Winchester – had, by 1187, taken in its fold the area that we now know as Tilford. It extended from Elstead to the boundary of Farnham town.

Why did they need so much land? One major reason, according to historians, is the acquisition of grazing fields for the thousands of sheep that they kept. Wellwishers gifted the monks with sheep – adding up to thousands in number – which they kept on the high ground above the woods, where now runs the road called Sheephatch Lane.

Ordinance Survey map of Farnham, 1837 | Wiki Commons

Before being abolished in the time of King Henry VIII, the Waverley Abbey had seen four generations of daughter abbeys, one of them being the Forde Abbey in Somerset; its Abbot, named Baldwin, later rose to the highest rank in Anglican Church as archbishop of Canterbury.13 A short description of the architecture of Waverley Abbey will not be unfitting to close this section. DD Knowles described it as “the austerely beautiful architecture…

Clean and lovely lines, pointed arches and a minimum of decoration with the fine proportions made up the picture”.14 Having stood in the beautiful valley of Waverley in the heart of Surrey for 400 years, the Waverley Abbey was dissolved in 1536 under King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of Monasteries act.15 In the words of Gwen Ware, “peace loving, industrious and philosophical in adversity with a background of practical charity; such was the community that lived and worked in the isolated valley”.

The Ahmadiyya Mission Long gone were the days of the White monks at the Waverley Monastery and so were the days when religion was an integral part of England. Another 400 years had flown past the beautiful valley of Waverley, witnessing the abbey slowly crumble to ruins.

Time had travelled to 1984 and a small, yet flourishing community was looking for a piece of land to settle in. They discovered a land in Tilford that had once been part of the stretch of the Waverley monastery.

They decided to purchase this desolate and abandoned plot of land.

This time, it wasn’t a Christian order going for this land. It wasn’t even a gift from a bishop or a king. It was, in fact, a Muslim sect that believed in the second coming of Jesus Christas in the body of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian. It was the Ahmadiyya Muslims purchasing the piece of land with their very limited resources, generated merely by member subscription.

A religious spirit was returning to this land after four centuries. The wind of spiritualism that had first reached this land around the time of the Holy Founder of Islam had once again returned in the time of the Messiah of the latter days.

With the land purchased and building structures refurbished, the Ahmadiyya community settled in and started using it for prayer, office work and residence of those who devoted their lives for the service of their faith. It was named Islamabad – the home of Islam.

The community was rapidly spreading across the world and followers would assemble in the vast grounds of Islamabad in Tilford. Their zealous slogans of Allaho Akbar (God is Greatest!) echoed across the hills of Surrey announcing the return of religious fervour to the land. Their peaceful propagation of the message of Islam continued from Islamabad in Tilford but turning the eight-decade old wooden structures into a modern settlement took many turns before the local authorities could be satisfied with giving the green signal.

So flew past another 35 years. The Ahmadiyya community was, in 2016, finally given permission by the Waverley Council to build their central headquarters on this piece of land in Tilford. The work lasted three years before there emerged a beautiful colony where settled families of those who have vowed to devote themselves entirely for the service of their faith; to propagate the message of the Messiah of the age. A beautiful mosque where God Almighty is worshipped five times a day is the hallmark of the architecture of the colony.

Describing the architecture, the echo of Dr Knowle’s words can be heard: “The austerely beautiful architecture …

Clean and lovely lines … and a minimum of decoration with the fine proportions [make] up the picture”.

To describe the people living here and associated to it, the words of Gwen Ware echo:

“Peace loving, industrious and philosophical in adversity with a background of practical charity; such [is] the community that [lives] and [works]” in Islamabad.

The head of this worldwide community and Caliph of the Messiah of the Age, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, resides in this colony. From dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn, he is engaged in calling the world to peace. His mission is global, and he runs it from Tilford near Farnham – the land with deep roots of religion in its heart and soul.

From here, he strives to call the world to its Creator.

Islamabad is home to a peace loving Muslim community. It sits on Sheephatch Lane. Only that the sheep that it got its name from are no longer there. However, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa believes that the lost sheep of not only the Israelites and not only of the Waverley monks but of all nations will one day assemble at Sheephatch Lane. All faiths will one day be united at Islamabad.

Endnotes 1 K P Oakley, A Survey of the Prehistory of the Farnham District, Surrey Archeological Collections, 1939 2 Ibid 3 P H Sawyers, Anglo-Saxon Charters: An Annotated List and Bibliography, Offices of the Royal Historical Society, London, 1968 4 M W Thompson, Farnham Castle, Ministry of Works, London, 1961 5 E Robo, Mediaeval Franham: Everyday Life in an Episcopal Manor, EW Langham, 1935 6 H E Malden, The Victoria History of the County History of Surrey, Vol 4, 1912 7 H Brakspear, Waverley Abbey, The Surrey Archaeological Society, Guildford, 1905 8 G Ware, The White Monks of Waverley, The Farnham and District Museum Society, Farnham, 1976 9 H Brakspear, Waverley Abbey 10 Ibid 11 Ware, White Monks 12 Brakspeare, Waverley Abbey 13 Ware, White Monks 14 D D Knowles, The Religious Orders in England, Cambridge University Press, 1950 15 C Kerry, A History of Waverley Abbey, Andrews and Son, Guildford, 1873

A glimpse of Hazrat Khal

european tour 2019 25 September

27 - 29 September

30 September

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrives in the Netherlands

39th Jalsa Salana Holland

Holland Waqifeen-e-Nau, Khuddam and Atfal, spend time in Huzoor’s company

1 October

2 October

2 October

Inaugural reception of Baitul Afiyat Mosque, Almere

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V arrives in France

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V inaugurates Baitul Ata, Trie-Château, France

7 October

8 October

11 October

Members of Waqf-e-Nau France meet with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa speaks at UNESCO

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurates Mahdi Mosque, Strasbourg

14 October

15 October

20 October

Huzoor addresses the inaugural reception of Mubarak mosque

Jamia Ahmadiyya Germany has sitting with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih

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30 Sept

Holland WaqifaatHazrat Khalifa

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Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurates Baitul Hameed Mosque

27 Jalsa Sal th

11 Oc

Hazrat Khalifatul M Friday Sermon fro

20 Oct

Huzoor addresses ceremony of B aa

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1 October

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-e-Nau class with atul Masih Vaa

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurates Baitul AďŹ yat, Almere

6 October

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lana France

Bai‘at ceremony at the 27th Jalsa Salana France

ctober

Masih V delivers om Mahdi Mosque aa

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guests at inaugural Baitul Hameed

12 October

13 October

Huzoor addresses the inaugural reception of Mahdi Mosque

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V arrives in Frankfurt, Germany

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurates Mubarak Mosque, Germany

22 October

25 October

26 October

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa addresses German dignitaries in Berlin

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa inaugurates Baitul Baseer

Baitul Baseer inaugural reception

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14 October aa

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Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM Responding to Allegations

Prophecies of the Promised Messiahas

Demise in Mecca or Medina: A legacy fulfilled

Ataul Fatir Tahir

َ َ َ ‫آخريْ َن ِم ْن ُه ْم ل َ َّما يَ ْل َحقُوا به ْم ۚ َو ُهوَ ال ْ َعزيْ ُز‬ ‫الح ِك ْي ُم‬ ِ ‫و‬ ِ ِ​ِ “And [among] others from among them who have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty, the Wise.” (Surah al-Jumuah, Ch.62: V.4) The Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, received the following revelations on 14 January 1906: “Allah has decreed since eternity that He and His Messengers shall prevail.”

“God, the Merciful, says that there is peace, meaning that ‘you will not die in disappointment or defeat.’” “I shall die in Mecca or in Medina.” (Tadhkirah, 2009, p.

784) Regarding dying in “Mecca or Medina”, the Promised Messiahas, in the footnote of this revelation, wrote: “This sentence ‘I shall die in Mecca or in Medina’ means that before my death I shall be bestowed a victory like that of Mecca.

That is to say that as the Holy Prophetsa had vanquished his enemies through the

manifestation of the majestic Signs of Allah, so will it happen now. The second meaning is that before my death, I shall be bestowed a victory like that of Medina which means that people’s hearts will, on their own, be inclined towards me…”

In reality the Promised Messiahas could not actually travel to Mecca or Medina anyway as it was simply too dangerous for him to do so. Scores of death threats and fatwas declaring his murder to be a virtuous deed had been issued against him.

As one of the conditions to perform Hajj is for the path to be safe, it was not therefore possible for the Promised Messiahas to ever go to Mecca and Medina for Hajj or even just a visit, in spite of his ardent desire to visit the two cities.

A recent article has claimed that the explanation of dying in “Mecca or in Medina” given by the Promised Messiahas was not fulfilled either. In other words, the Promised Messiahas did not receive the success he described.

The person raising the allegation said that the Holy Prophet’s, peace and blessings

be upon him, success was far greater than that of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. He said that people did not follow the Promised Messiahas with the love and obedience like the companions of the Holy Prophetsa.

Firstly, it is vital to understand that the Messiah who was foretold by the Holy Prophetsa was not going to start his own mission, separate to that of the Holy Prophet’ssa. The success of the Messiah would be the success of the Holy Prophetsa and Islam as a whole.

Nowhere has Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas claimed that he was more successful than the Holy Prophetsa or that his success was equal. He merely stated that the success of Islam, through him, would take place in a similar fashion as the Holy Prophet’ssa success in Mecca and Medina.

It was a mere explanation not a direct comparison. He said that like the Holy Prophetsa “vanquished his enemies through the manifestation of the majestic signs of Allah, so will it happen now… I shall be bestowed a victory like that of Medina, which means that people’s hearts will, on

their own, be inclined towards me…” This is quite clear and straightforward.

To say the Promised Messiahas raised himself to the same pedestal as that of the Holy Prophetsa is utterly false and grossly inaccurate. The “manner” of success was merely described.

The success of the Promised Messiahas was never to do with military control or territorial control as the person alluded to, it was a spiritual reformation that the Holy Prophetsa prophesied at the coming of the Messiah. Hazrat Abu Hurairah, Allah be pleased with him, reported: “We were sitting in the company of Allah’s Messenger that Surah al-Jumuah was revealed to him and when he recited [these words]: ‘Others from among them who have not yet joined them’, a person among them [those who were sitting there] said: ‘Allah’s Messenger!’ But Allah’s Messenger made no reply, until he questioned him once, twice or thrice. And there was among us Salman the Persian. The Messenger of Allah placed his hand on Salman and then said: ‘Even if faith were near the Pleiades, a

11

Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM man from among these would surely find it.’” (Sahih Muslim) “Faith” would be restored by the Messiah; this was the promised success.

This prophecy was about the second wind of success Islam would receive at the time of the Messiah. “Others from among them who have not yet joined them” was about the group of devoted believers who would resemble the companions of the Holy Prophetsa.

In his explanation to dying in Mecca or Medina the Promised Messiahas clearly said, “…I shall be bestowed a victory like that of Medina, which means that people’s hearts will, on their own, be inclined towards me…”

Not a single soul can oppose this prophecy. Hundreds of thousands accepted the Promised Messiahas in his very lifetime.

They travelled from across the world just to meet him and perform Bai‘at at his hands.

Scholars, saints, nobles, rich, poor, teachers, academics, labourers, businessmen and people from all walks of life accepted the Promised Messiahas.

Their sincerity and obedience rejuvenated memories of the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa. The Companions of the Promised Messiahas not only grew in their connection with Allah but devoted their lives for the service of Islam and even paid the ultimate price for their faith: Death.

The lives of the Promised Messiah’sas Companions bear testimony that “the victory of Medina” was fulfilled in a magnificent way. The list of his Companions is vast and extensive and their sincerity and obedience towards the Promised Messiahas was like that of the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa.

For anyone in doubt, we urge them to read about the lives of these Companions, who they were, what they did for Islam and their devotion to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. For anyone who would like to read about these great people, a sample list follows: Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad MAra, Hazrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif Shaheedra, Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaqra, Hazrat Maulvi Burhanudin Jehlmira, Hazrat Dr Mir Muhammad Ismailra, Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira, Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra, Hazrat Shaikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira, Hazrat Munshi Zafar Ahmad Kapurthalvira, Hazrat Maulvi Abdullah Sanaurira, Hazrat Pir Siraj-ul-Haq Numanira, Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawabra and many, many more.

The list of those who were “inclined” to the Promised Messiahas continued to increase at an extraordinary rate after his demise. To this date, every year, hundreds of thousands of people join Islam Ahmadiyya from across the globe.

In fact, the Promised Messiahas prophesied that within 300 years, the majority of the world would accept Islam Ahmadiyyat.

Thus, dying in “Medina” was fulfilled in an undeniable manner.

With regard to dying in Meccca, the Promised Messiahas said:

Signatures of Muslim clerics in Ishaatus-Sunnah

“‘I shall die in Mecca or in Medina’ means that before my death I shall be bestowed a victory like that of Mecca.

That is to say that as the Holy Prophetsa had vanquished his enemies through the manifestation of the majestic Signs of Allah, so will it happen now.”

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas faced opponents on multiple fronts. The Muslims rejected him and labelled him as, God forbid, the “dajjal” for saying that Jesusas would not return physically etc.

His refutation of false Christian doctrines gave birth to Christian opposition. And his defence of the false insinuations made

by Aryas led to Hindu opposition. The opposition the Promised Messiahas received led to deaths of his companions and a dark legacy of continuous persecution, to this day.

It is ironic that the whole Muslim Ummah joined forces, despite their hate for one another, to label Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas as a “kafir”. During the life of the Promised Messiahas, a declaration published in Ishaatus-Sunnah contained the names and signatures of some 200 famous “scholars” of Islam who declared the Promised Messiahas, God forbid, a “Dajjal”, “liar” and “kafir” (see image).

The opposition was not only through debate and discourse, rather, people attempted to end Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas life and murder him. However, the Promised Messiah’sas great triumphs in debates and the failure of his opposition to “end his movement” are prime examples of a success like “Medina”. Allah promised him that “you will not die in disappointment or defeat” (Tadhkirah). This came true in letter and spirit.

In truth, the purpose of the Promised Messiahas was the revival of faith and Islam across the world. The Holy Prophetsa said that the true teachings of Islam would be abandoned and Allah would send a reformer to revive Islam (Sahih Muslim).

The Promised Messiahas foretold that he would fulfil this main purpose. He said: “The Muslims of today have forgotten the

essence and true teachings of Islam … but I have been tasked with its reestablishment.

This alone is the magnificent purpose of my advent.” (Ahmadi Aur Ghair Ahmadi Mein Kya Farq Hai?, p. 48) Thus for a prophet’s truthfulness and success, we need to know if his purpose was fulfilled.

In British India, Muslims were being ideologically attacked by Christian missionaries with no effective response from Muslim scholars. Not only Christians, but Hindus partook in attacks on Islam as well. As a result, Christian missionaries began converting thousands of Muslims to Christianity.

The spectacular service that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian carried out in pushing back at Christian, Hindu and other ideological onslaughts of Islam are on clear record and bear testimony for the fulfilment of the Promised Messiah’sas prophecy that he would fulfil the prophecy of dying in “Mecca or Medina”.

Muhammad Hussain Batalwi, a prominent Ahl-e-Hadith leader and an opponent of the Promised Messiahas, said that a book like Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya (magnum opus of the Promised Messiahas) could not be found in the history of Islam. He said that if anyone thought he was exaggerating, then “at least present before me a book that defends against the opponents of Islam in such a manner…”

(Ishaatus-Sunnah, Vol. 7, pp. 169-170 [1884]) Despite enemies from within the Muslim, Christian and Hindu communities trying to stamp out the cause of the Promised Messiahas, Allah established a body of unified Ahmadi Muslims who, under the guidance of the Promised Messiahas, began to worship Allah, serve humanity and act on true Islamic principles once again. In Al-Wasiyyat (The Will) the Promised Messiahas prophesied about his Khilafat that it would continue to revive faith. The last 111 years bear testimony to how Khilafat has been a remarkable prophecy made by the Promised Messiahas.

When Qadian was an insignificant village of India with no attraction or even nearby railway station and the Promised Messiahas was not even known, he said that Allah had revealed: َ َّ ُّ ْ َ ْ َْ ‫يق‬ ٍ ‫يأتِیک ِمن ك ِل ف ٍج ع ِم‬ [Arabic] “People will flock to you from distant lands.” (Tadhkirah, 2009, p.57) The fulfilment of this prophecy is as clear as sunlight; it need not even be discussed.

Other two prophecies, that seemed impossible, were: “My lord had revealed to me and promised me that He will help me till my message reaches the Easts and Wests of the earth. The oceans of truth will be stirred till the people look with wonder on the bubbles riding up its waves.” (Tadhkirah, p.405) The second promised: ‫ت �ت غ‬ ‫ی ن‬ ‫ی‬ ‫وکزم ےک انکروں کت اچنہپٔوںاگ‬ �‫م ی�ری �بل�ی‬ [Urdu] “I shall cause thy message to reach the corners of the earth” (Tadhkirah, p.405) Again, there is simply no legitimate objection that can confront the truth of these clear prophesies.

The success of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas is clear before the world. Islam Ahmadiyyat continues to flourish through the Khilafat of the Promised Messiahas, which in reality is the continuation of the Holy Prophet’ssa Khilafat. The very fact that, to this day, people are trying to end Islam Ahmadiyyat with no success is a testament to the truthfulness of this community and its significance.

When opponents start comparing numbers, well, then Islam has never triumphed in front of Christianity. The point is not numbers but success as an ideology and the spiritual reformation it brings. Nevertheless, the prophecy of the world accepting the teachings of Islam Ahmadiyyat within 300 hundred years is still on the table for those who merely use numbers as a criterion for “success”.

Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM

12

14th World Religions Conference, Canada

Syed Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent

n 2004, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya British IReligions Columbia (BC) hosted their first World Conference outside of the Greater

Vancouver area.

This conference was held in Prince

George BC, known as the capital of northern British Columbia. This was the first such conference of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada in a city where no Ahmadi members lived permanently or had an official Jamaat established.

Planning the 14th World Religions

Former president of Malta attends third Jalsa Salana Laiq Ahmad Atif Malta Correspondent

amaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta successfully JOctober organised its 3 Jalsa Salana on Sunday, 13 2019 at Centru Familja Mqaddsa. rd

The theme of this year’s Jalsa was “Serving Humanity”.

The first session of the Jalsa was chaired

by Imam Abdul Basit Tariq Sahib from Germany. The session started with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by a poem written by the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him. Laiq Ahmad Sahib, President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta then read out a special message sent from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, for Jalsa Salana Malta.

Speakers included Abdullah Wally Sahib Secretary Tabligh Malta, Attaul Wasih Tariq Sahib Missionary in Italy, Haroon Khan Sahib, Laiq Ahmad Atif, Yusuf Mohammad Bala Sahib Secretary Tarbiyyat and Abdul Basit Tariq Sahib.

The topics that were covered were about the existence of God, the great qualities of the Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa, the institution of Khilafat, the Holy Prophet’ssa devotion to worship, what it means to be an Ahmadi Muslim and the ills of our age and ways of attaining a pure life.

The second session of Jalsa Salana Malta invited non-Muslim guests. These included religious and political leaders, neighbours and members of the public.

Her Excellency, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the former President of Malta (2014-

2019), was the special guest of this session.

Her Excellency delivered a keynote speech and congratulated the Jamaat for holding this convention, she said: “Such an occasion is evidence of respect, love and harmony. Promoting these values, of respect, love and harmony, in a world where unfortunately mistrust has become the order of the day, is truly encouraging. It is heartening to note that such an initiative as this convention counters the waves of discord and confusion that seem to unfortunately dominate our human family nowadays. I truly appreciate such initiatives because they create a balance to the sad mentality that seems to be taking over the minds of some of us. Such a convention gives us hope and lifts our morale over the tragic events of conflict between nations, violence carried out in the name of religion and other forms of violence against humanity.”

Highlighting the beauty and effectiveness of the motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Her Excellency said, “I must acknowledge the fundamental belief of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community that emphasises the value of ‘Love for all, hatred for none’. I believe that this value should be a guiding light for all of us. This convention attests to this value as it creates an opportunity for us, to come together, irrespective of our diverse faith traditions, in respectful dialogue.”

Her Excellency also acknowledged the vision of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and stated, “I would like to reiterate my thanks to your Imam for your vision and for your

Conference started last year in October.

Inviting speakers from various faiths and confirming a moderator were the first steps. Next was the publicity of the event.

For this, 100 posters were put up at various billboards in Prince George. These included local churches, coffee shops, libraries, public notice boards, university notice boards and college notice boards. 2,000 invitations were sent to emails collected since 2004 from WRC events in Prince George, BC. Conference advertisement was run on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The conference was well advertised in local newspapers and radio. Multiple Prince George organisations including school boards, community organisations, Prince George tourism and Prince George Chamber of Commerce were contacted via telephone and invited to be part of the conference.

The conference was held on 28 September 2019 in Prince George. The theme of the conference this year was “The object of man’s creation” and the event moderator was Dr Yasar Ahmad, President of Immigration and Multicultural Society Services of Prince George. The Acting

Mayor, Councillor Susan Scott was the guest of honour.

A large number of local residents attended the event. They were able to listen to representatives of nine faiths and spiritual groups including: 1. Indigenous representative: Elder Darlene Macintosh 2. Christianity representative: Brock Campbell, Latter Day Saints Church 3. Hinduism representative: Dr. Pranesh Kumar 4. Christianity representative: Dr. Hey Marie, Anglican Church of Canada 5. Islam representative: Umair Khan, missionary Vancouver 6. Sikhism representative: Dr. Balbinder Deo 7. Christianity representative: Pastor Danny Lagualt 8. Spirituality representative: Mr. James Miller 9. Mrs. Charlotte Wenninger The event was covered in the local newspaper and the FM radio station. The total attendance was 145 guests.

genuine endeavours for common good, in the best interest of our communities and of our one human family”.

Next, a number of dignitaries spoke before the convention. These included, Hon Ivan Bartolo Member of Parliament, Ms Margaret Baldacchino Cefai Mayor of Msida, Rev John Anthony Berry Secretary of the Diocesan Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, Rev Ioan Iftimia from the Romanian Orthodox Church, Mr Anthony Gatt Director of Caritas Malta. All the speakers highlighted the importance of serving humanity and the need to build bridges between communities through the basic values of compassion, love and respect.

Hon Ivan Bartolo highlighted that together we can achieve everything and emphasised on the need of harmonious collaboration between all, and said, “Together we can make it.”

Ms Margaret Baldacchino Cefai, Mayor of Msida, stated: “It is indeed an honour and a pleasure to be once again addressing this annual convention of the Ahmadiyya – an organisation that has garnered a reputation, which is second to none for demonstrating its generosity towards those that need assistance and through its universal message of ‘Love for all, hatred for none’. The Ahmadiyya is indeed a religious community that reflects values of peace and empathy.”

Mr Anthony Gatt, Director of Caritas Malta, thanked the Jamaat and said, “Thank you for this invitation, I too feel very privileged to receive this invitation and to share this culture of peace and love for humanity”. He spoke about the role and services being offered by the Caritas Malta and shared the experience of collaboration with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.

Rev Ioan Iftimia from the Romanian Orthodox Church thanked the community for the invitation and acknowledged the services of the Jamaat and spoke about his

mission in Malta.

Rev John Anthony Berry defined “service” in two words: “Readiness and attentiveness”. He said, “When dealing with humanity, with human lives, we need to spread love wherever we go”. He concluded with a quotation, “Service is the key to everything in life.”

The President of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta then highlighted the point that the world has become like a global village, as every nation is now interconnected. As a result, more than ever before, it is the duty of all humankind to foster a spirit of brotherhood and mutual love among the people of all nations and of all beliefs. He said, “Serving humanity is a hallmark of Islam. The entire Islamic teachings are based upon two fundamental principles of rights of God and rights of humanity. Thus, we are taught that the worship of God and kindness to His creation cannot be separated from each other.”

He presented references from the Holy Quran that highlight the qualities of virtuous and the true servants of God. For example, “And they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphan, and the prisoner, saying, ‘We feed you for Allah’s pleasure only. We desire no reward, nor thanks from you.” (Ch. 76: V. 9-10) Keeping in view the theme of the Jalsa, “Serving Humanity”, the Jamaat was pleased to present five wheelchairs to Her Excellency, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, for the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, to which Her Excellency is the Chairperson. Other donations included food vouchers for the poor, 50 plants to Msida Primary School, 100 books to the Caritas Malta, citrus and olive trees for the Gzira school and a podium for the Ċentru Familja Mqaddsa’ Msida.

More than 100 people from different walks of life attended Jalsa Salana Malta.

Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM

13

Wives of the Holy Prophetsa

Hazrat Saudah bint Zam‘ahra Hazrat Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated: “The wives of the Prophetsa gathered around him and asked, ‘Which of us will be the first to following you [in death]?’ He replied, ‘The one of you who has the longest arms.’ They took a stick and started to measure their arms. But Saudah was the first one to follow him; she was the one who had the longest arms because she used to give a great deal in charity.”

(Sunan al-Nisai, Kitab al-Zakat)

Awais Rabbani Missionary, Pakistan

“I have never wished that I was like any other woman except for Hazrat Saudahra. I would like to have her simple and unpretentious ways and I wish I could be like her and that I could have a heart as pure and clean as hers and her simple ways.” (Hazrat Aishara) Full name: Saudah bint Zam‘ah Father’s name: Zam‘ah bin Qais First marriage: Hazrat Sakran bin Amr Al-Qarshirara Marriage to the Holy Prophetsa: Tenth year of prophethood Hazrat Saudah bint Zam‘ahra was an early convert to Islam. Her first marriage was to the companion of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Sakran bin Amr. They migrated to Abyssinia to escape the torture and hardships the Quraish had inflicted upon the Muslims.

Hazrat Sakranra passed away on their return from Abyssinia. It is reported that Hazrat Saudahra saw a moon fall on her in one of her dreams. When she disclosed it to her husband, Hazrat Sakran interpreted her dream to mean that after his demise, she would marry the Holy Prophetsa.

Marriage Hazrat Saudahra holds the distinction of being the first wife of the Holy Prophetsa after the demise of Hazrat Khadijara. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra narrates the incident of her marriage in the following words: “… [Hazrat] Khaulah bint Hakimra, the wife of Uthman bin Maz‘unra presented herself before the Holy Prophetsa and said, “O Messenger of Allah, why do you not marry?” “Whom shall I marry?” responded the Holy Prophetsa. She responded, “If you wish there is an unmarried girl and a widow as well.” The Holy Prophetsa enquired, “Who?” Khaulahra responded, “The unmarried girl is the daughter of your friend Abu Bakr named Aishara, and the widow is Saudah bint Zam‘ahra, who was married to your late servant Sakran bin Amrra.” The Holy Prophetsa responded, “Alright, make a proposal to the both of them.”

After this, Khaulahra approached Hazrat Saudah bint Zam‘ahra and her relatives were also at consent. (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 1, pp. 241-242) Consequently, the Messenger of Allahsa married Hazrat Saudahra in Shawwal 10 Nabawi.

An obedient wife Hazrat Saudahra knew the responsibilities that came with marrying the Messengersa of Islam and immediately resumed her role as the caretaker of his household and children. She was extremely dedicated to his cause and was renowned for her sense of obedience.

Once, upon hearing from the Holy Prophetsa on his pilgrimage to Mecca that this might be the last pilgrimage and obstacles would refrain him from carrying out another pilgrimage in the future, she vowed to never set out for this purpose again.

Relationship with wives of the Holy Prophetsa Due to her humble nature and spirited disposition, she soon developed a strong bond with the daughters and wives of the Holy Prophetsa. She was very close to Hazrat Aishara, Hazrat Hafsara and Hazrat Safiyara. The Holy Prophetsa cherished her buoyant nature and was often amused by her anecdotes.

Once, Hazrat Saudahra visited the Holy Prophetsa at Hazrat Aisha’sra home. She offered her a sweet dish she had cooked earlier. Despite Hazrat Saudah’sra refusal, Hazrat Aishara insisted and told her that she would smear the dish on her face if she left without tasting it; thus, she followed through with it. When the Holy Prophetsa saw Hazrat Saudahra in her current predicament, he could not hold back his laughter. However, he asked her to do the same to Hazrat Aishara as it would only be fair. Hazrat Saudahra then smeared Aisha’s face with it.

The aforementioned incident reflects the relaxed and entertaining atmosphere in which the family of the Holy Prophetsa thrived.

Observance of prayers Hazrat Saudahra led a simple and pious life. She was punctual in her prayers, both obligatory and voluntary. Once the Prophetsa woke up to offer Tahajud and she got up to pray behind him. Later, she related to him that she was in ruku for so long that she feared her nose would bleed out from the posture and held onto it. The Holy Prophetsa was surprised and extremely pleased to hear her devotion.

A wish The wives of the Holy Prophetsa held great respect and love for him. For them, not only was he the Messenger of Allahsa, but they

also viewed him as the great exemplar who introduced the rights of women and their status in the society. They loved him dearly and had vowed to serve and perform their household duties. The Holy Prophetsa too revered their gestures of devotion and had divided his time for each one of them.

When Hazrat Saudahra was older, she realised that her old age might hinder her from carrying out her conjugal duties.

She knew about the love the Prophetsa had for Hazrat Aishara and gave up her turn in favour of her for the sake of the Prophetsa of Islam. She told him that her only wish was to be resurrected among the wives of the Holy Prophetsa on the Day of Judgement.

Demise It is widely believed that she died in the 22nd year of the Hijrah towards the end of the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra. She was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi.

Hazrat Aishara, who was extremely close to her and treasured her companionship, summarised her traits in the following words: “I have never wished that I was like any other woman except for Hazrat Saudahra.

I would like to have her simple and unpretentious ways and I wish I could be like her and that I could have a heart as pure and clean as hers and her simple ways.”

Ahmadiyya Basketball Camp, Paraguay Aishnah Mishaal Baten Paraguay Correspondent

n Saturday 19 October 2019, Jamaat-eO Ahmadiyya Paraguay held a basketball camp in the humble neighbourhood of

Asuncion, Paraguay. This was a camp for youths between the ages of 7 and 15.

The basketball camp was attended by 60 students and 30 parents. Two professional basketball players also came to support the activity as well as a journalist from ABC COLOR. The event started with an introduction to Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya by Imam Abdun Nur Baten Sahib. Following the introduction, jerseys with the Ahmadiyya Basketball logo were presented to the participants of the camp.

Thereafter, the coach led the youth

through several training drills followed by a few exhibition games. The youth were very happy to come and train in an organised basketball camp.

The parents voiced the importance of the league as a vital activity to keep children away from screens, drugs and a life on the streets.

The purpose of this league was to teach children the importance of team work, discipline and community service. Another purpose was to build a positive relationship between the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and local communities The largest newspaper in Paraguay, ABC Color, wrote a positive article about the Jamaat’s role in starting this basketball camp. Many parents also showed interest in visiting the mosque and learning more about Islam, following the event.

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Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM

Friday Sermon Jalsa Salana France 2019 4 October 2019 After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

oday, by the grace of Allah the T Almighty, your Jalsa Salana [annual convention] is going to commence. The

Promised Messiahas has described the Jalsa as “a purely religious gathering”. Thus, it should be clear to every participant of the Jalsa that we have gathered here today to make progress and advancement in terms of religion, knowledge and spirituality. We have gathered here today, and shall remain here over the next three days, reflecting and deeply pondering as to how we can improve our conditions in terms of faith, knowledge and spirituality. If one does not adopt this mindset, then there is no benefit in coming here.

In today’s age, where the world is becoming unmindful of God Almighty, followers of all religions are moving away from their religions. The figures that come out annually indicate that a large number of people express disbelief in the existence of God Almighty. Even the condition of the Muslims indicates that they are Muslims in name only and that materialism has taken over. We claim to believe in the Imam of the Age, sent by Allah the Almighty in this era in accordance with the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa to revive the faith and while having made this covenant that we will also help fulfil the mission of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. Therefore, in light of this if we do not pay attention to improving our conditions, then our claim to have come into the Bai‘at of the Promised Messiahas is just a hollow expression. It will be empty of any spirit and our covenant of Bai‘at is merely a covenant in name and we are failing to fulfil it and our attending this Jalsa equals to attending a worldly festival.

Thus, every Ahmadi should greatly reflect upon this. There is a need to pay attention towards assessing your conditions with great concern for if we are guilty of having such a mindset, then [all of this] is of no benefit.

If we analyse ourselves, while keeping in view the objectives of Jalsa Salana that the Promised Messiahas has stipulated for us, then we will not only be fulfilling the purpose of these three days, but we will also become recipients of the prayers of the Promised Messiahas that he offered in favour of the attendees of Jalsa; we will beautify our life in this world and the Hereafter by making [those objectives] a permanent part of our lives; we will not only be improving our own conditions, but our effort to seek

good deeds and our acting upon them will also make our next generations firm in faith, bring them closer to God Almighty and make them recipients of the blessings of Allah the Almighty. In an age where the world is distancing itself from God Almighty and religion, our progeny will come closer to God Almighty and will become a means to bring the world closer to God Almighty.

Thus, if we wish to fulfil the covenant of Bai‘at and save our progeny, then we need to be ever mindful of the objectives of the Jalsa. We need to observe these three days with the firm resolve that these objectives will now continue to be part of our lives.

While elucidating the objectives of Jalsa, the Promised Messiahas said that the attendees of the Jalsa should be concerned about their [wellbeing in the] Hereafter. This Jalsa is being held so that the attendees, being in this environment, should develop a concern about their Hereafter, they should inculcate the fear of Allah, righteousness, kindheartedness, an atmosphere of mutual love and brotherhood, humbleness, humility and that they should establish themselves upon truthfulness and become active in the service of faith. (Shahadatul Quran, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 6, p. 394) Thus, this is the purpose of our gathering here today. In relation to the words of the Promised Messiahas, every follower, whether a man or a woman, old or young, should be worried about their Hereafter to the extent that worldly things should amount to nothing compared to it. While living in this material world, this is a monumental

task and a huge challenge, and in order to accomplish this, we need to undertake a great Jihad. One can only be concerned about one’s Hereafter if one truly believes in the existence of God Almighty and has firm faith that this world is only for a few years.

One can, at most, live for 80 years or 90 years or a maximum of around 100 years, but most do not even reach such an age and pass away much earlier. However, what happens is that we tend to sacrifice the permanent life for the sake of this temporary life and yet, despite this, worldly people consider themselves to be great and wise. Thus, a believer ought to not act in this manner. Only then can he be considered a true believer.

One should instil the fear of God Almighty in their hearts and the love of Allah the Almighty should supersede all other worldly affections. One should not fear Allah the Almighty because they will be punished in the next life, rather they do so because they do not wish for their beloved God to be displeased with them. Only when these sentiments of love develop does a person strive to act in accordance with the commandments of God the Almighty.

Every deed of such a person is performed in consideration of the Hereafter.

A person is certain that it is God Alone Who grants him the means for his provisions. It is only God Who blesses him with His rewards. This includes all forms of rewards, worldly as well as spiritual. He believes that if he continues to fulfil the rights of His worship, if he continues to submit

himself before God, whilst considering Him to be the Possessor of all powers, he will continue to receive His rewards, InshaAllah [God willing]. If he continues to live in accordance with His commandments and prohibitions, then he will continue to become the recipient of His blessings. If he continues to fulfil the rights of Allah the Almighty as well as those of His creation, whilst showing complete obedience to Him and whilst maintaining righteousness, God Almighty will be pleased with him. Hence, this mind-set and acting in accordance with it will certainly enable a person to become the recipient of the rewards and blessings of Allah the Almighty in accordance with His promise.

Furthermore, these very people, who have such a mindset, are referred to as those who tread the path of righteousness, that is, those who act in accordance with all of the commandments of Allah the Almighty and whose hearts have softened as God is found within their hearts in each and every moment of their lives. These are the very people, who hold sentiments of love for one another for the sake of God Almighty, that is, their love and brotherhood are not for personal interests, but purely for the sake of God Almighty. Similarly, these are the very people, who tread the path of righteousness and develop modesty. Furthermore, they are not merely modest in front of those, who are higher in status in terms of worldly wealth and stature, rather, they are also modest in front of the poor and the needy. These are the very people, who uphold truthfulness at all times and who believe that saying the right word leads a person to God Almighty and that falsehood leads to Shirk [associating partners with God].

Hence, when a person is mindful of the Hereafter, is fearful of God Almighty, comprehends the reality of righteousness, then how can such a person speak falsehood after having become a believer.

Furthermore, those who attain these qualities and comprehend the true spirit of virtues are in fact the ones who are truly active in the service of religion. Otherwise, this service also becomes a superficial means of acquiring personal interests. We observe that there are hundreds of scholars among the Muslims, who seem to be very active for the service of their faith, however in reality they are committing cruelties in the name of religion. They lack righteousness, the fear of God cannot be seen in them and

Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM worldly interests are dearer to them than the Hereafter, yet, they speak about the importance of God and the Hereafter.

Therefore, it is integral to understand the true spirit of these guidelines which the Promised Messiahas wanted us to develop within us, that is, we should not simply perform these superficially, rather we should understand the true spirit and essence of these teachings. We must assess ourselves whilst being mindful of this, that is, are we attending this convention with this intention? Do we have the heartfelt passion to attain these objectives?

If, due to human weaknesses, we have erred in the past while striving towards these objectives, then are we ready now with a renewed sense of passion to endeavour towards this with the best of our capabilities to exhibit and establish these righteous deeds? Are we going to adopt this practice?

Today, do we pledge that we will become those who are more concerned about the life in the Hereafter than the life of this world?

Do we pledge to give preference to the fear and love of God over everything else? Will we endeavour as much as possible to tread the subtle paths of righteousness and will we establish kindness in our hearts towards others? Will we increase our mutual love and brotherhood to the extent that it becomes an example for others to follow? Will we become those who progress in humility and politeness? Will honesty and virtue become our distinctive feature to the extent that everyone will say, “Ahmadis always remain firm on the truth and they speak the truth at any cost, even if they have to endure great losses in doing so”? Will we be ever ready to render exemplary services for our faith?

In order for this to be achieved, we must endeavour to propagate the message of God’s religion more than ever before to every individual in our society. We must inform them about the true image of Islam.

If we can fulfil this pledge and we spend our lives accordingly, then we have indeed accomplished our pledge of allegiance.

Thus, let us establish our course of action to attain these goals. A person who is worried about the Hereafter and fears Allah Almighty, directs their attention towards safeguarding their worship. Such a person seeks to enquire the primary objective of their life which God Almighty has established for them. In relation to this, Allah Almighty states: َّ ْ ْ َْ​َ ‫َو َما خلق ُت ال ِج َّن َوالْاِن َس ِالا ل َِی ْع ُب ُد ْو ِن‬ The Promised Messiahas has translated this verse in the following manner: “‘The Jinn and man have been created so that they may recognise Me and worship Me [Surah al-Dhariyat, Ch.51: V.57].’” He further states, “Hence, in light of this, the real objective of one’s life is to worship God Almighty and to become devoted to God and to attain the cognisance of God.” The Promised Messiahas further states: “It is obvious that a human being does not possess the status to decide the purpose of his or her life.” Although, a human being does try to decide that, however, they do not have the ability to do so. “Neither do they come to this world by their own choice, nor do they leave on their own accord.

They are merely a creation. The One Who created them and granted them excellent and superior faculties when compared to other animals, He has established a purpose

for their life, whether someone understands this or not. The purpose of the creation of humanity, without a doubt, is to worship God and to wholly devote oneself in seeking the cognisance of God and to immerse oneself in Him.” (Islami Usul Ki Philosophy, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 10, p. 414) However, what is the method of this worship which God Almighty has taught us in order to attain this objective? It is to establish prayer. Allah the Almighty states: ً ُ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َّ َّ ْ ‫الص ٰلوۃ کان ْت َعلى ال ُم ْؤ ِمنِی َن کِ ٰت ًبا ّموْقوْتا‬ ‫ِان‬ “Verily prayer is enjoined on the believers to be performed at fixed hours.”

[Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.104] The Promised Messiahas states, “Offering prayers at the fixed hours is something that I hold very dear to me.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, p. 63) This means that it is vital to offer prayers at its prescribed time. However, we see in this day and age that prayers are not offered on time due to very trivial reasons and people show negligence in this regard. In fact, there are some people who do not offer prayers altogether. They offer three or four prayers instead of the five daily prayers and show indolence in this regard, whereas Allah Almighty has commanded the believers to protect their prayers. He states: ْ َّ َ ٰ َ َّ َ َ ْ ُ ٰ ‫الص ٰلو ِۃ الوُ ْس ٰطى‬ ‫حفِظوا على الصلو ِت و‬ “Watch over Prayers and the middle Prayer.” [Surah al-Baqrah, Ch.2: V.239] This means that we should watch over our prayers, particularly the middle prayer.

However, due to worldly endeavours and employment, some people miss their Zuhr and Asr prayers and because of television programmes or other personal plans in the evening, they miss their Maghrib and Isha prayers. Some miss Fajr and use sleep as an excuse. Hence, every one of us must evaluate ourselves and see whether or not we are acting on the commandment of Allah Almighty.

There are some people who offer prayers in congregation during special Jamaat programmes or in the month of Ramadan and consider this as following the commandments of Allah Almighty, and it does not matter whether or not they adhere to these commandments during the rest of the year. However, one must pay heed to what Allah the Almighty and His Messengersa have said about the importance of observing prayer. Allah Almighty states: ٰ ّٰ ْ ّٰ َ َّ ‫ِان َما ی ْع ُمرُ َم ٰس ِج َد الل ِہ َم ْن ٰا َم َن ِبالل ِہ َوال َیوْ ِم الْا ِخ ِر‬ “He alone can keep the Mosques of Allah in a good and flourishing condition who believes in Allah, and the Last Day [Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.18] ” The Holy Prophetsa stated, “When you see someone come to the mosque to offer prayers, then you should testify that such an individual is a believer. This is because Allah the Almighty states that only those individuals populate the mosque who believe in God and the Last Day.” (Sunan ibn Majah, Kitab-ul-Masajid Wa Al-Jamaat) Although we all call ourselves believers, but only those people are believers in the sight of God and His Messengersa who populate His house, and this is because they believe in Allah the Almighty and the Last Day. Thus, it is also made clear here that simply coming to the mosque is not enough; rather, it is vital to attend the mosque with a

15 firm belief in Allah and the Hereafter.

Whosoever adopts this mindset will fear God and such an individual will not come to the mosque to create disorder and will not be one of those worshippers whose prayers become a means of their ruin. Instead of attaining Allah’s pleasure, such worshippers incur the wrath of God. However, those who are truly righteous are concerned about the Hereafter and instil the fear of God in their hearts.

Their hearts are tender and filled with love, affection and brotherhood. They are humble and remain established on truthfulness. They propagate the peaceful message of Islam. Their mosques are places which one does not fear and nor are they places where evil ploys are hatched. It is for this reason that God Almighty states that only stand in those mosques whose foundations have been established on Taqwa [righteousness] and not to spread evil and disorder. Thus, those who populate the mosques while remaining firm on Taqwa, they also fulfil the due rights of God and also the rights of His creation. It is regarding these very people the Holy Prophetsa has given the glad-tiding that on the Day of Judgment, the first question that His servants will be asked about is the observance of prayer. God Almighty will ask the angels whether or not they offered their obligatory prayers; those who have offered all their prayers, their account in this regard will be complete and will declare that they have observed all their prayers. However, those who have some deficiencies in their obligatory prayers, God Almighty will ask about their nawafil prayers [voluntary prayers]; if there is any shortcoming in the observance of obligatory prayers, it can be fulfilled from their nawafil prayers. (Sunan Abi Daud, Kitab-ul-Salat, Hadith no. 864) Thus, God Almighty stating “His servants” signifies that these people strive in the servitude of God Almighty and seek to fulfil His due rights. At times, in certain extreme cases and owing to one’s natural weaknesses, there can be shortcomings or one can forget, however God Almighty, granting His mercy and forgiveness, fulfils the deficiencies of one’s obligatory prayers by accepting their nawafil in its place and thus forgives His servant and increases his deeds in this way. However, those who offer the nawafil prayers are ones who instil the fear of God Almighty in their hearts.

Nawafil is a prayer which one does not even have to leave their home to offer, rather it is offered in seclusion and in privacy, thus one who offers the nawafil prayers truly fears God Almighty. These are the very people regarding whom God Almighty states that they are “My servants”. Indeed, His servants can err, but they do not persistently go on committing them, in fact they seek to expiate those sins. Thus, this is the mercy of God Almighty whereby on the one hand, God Almighty has stated that prayer is not an ordinary matter and that is the very first thing which one will be asked, therefore one must pay attention to this, but on the other hand God Almighty has also stated that if one enters the servitude of God and fulfils the rights of His worship whilst adopting Taqwa [righteousness], then the nawafil will be of the same rank in virtue as the obligatory prayers and will cover His servants in the mantle of His forgiveness.

Therefore, on the one hand, whilst

God Almighty has given glad tidings of His forgiveness, He has also directed our attention towards offering the nawafil prayers in order to become the recipient of His grace. Hence, a believer is one who whilst adopting the fear of God Almighty, not only directs his/her attention towards observing the obligatory prayers, but also observes the nawafil, so that they can fulfil any shortcomings in the obligatory prayers.

These are the people who truly fear Allah the Almighty and adopt Taqwa – and it is owing to Taqwa that their attention is then directed towards fulfilling other virtuous deeds as well. Their hearts become tender for one another and instead of seeking revenge, they forgive one another.

In order to attain the love of God Almighty, they treat one another with love and affection and their hearts are filled with humility. They develop a spirit of sacrificing for the sake of others. Therefore, in this regard, everyone should assess their own condition as to whether they have these characteristics. A true believer is one who strives to adopt every form of virtue. If a person does not show love towards his fellow brother, then he does not have true Taqwa within him. Similarly, one should be concerned if they are not kind-hearted.

One whose wife and children are deeply annoyed at him over his conduct, lacks in Taqwa. Similarly, those wives who fail to fulfil the rights of their husbands and children and make unjust demands, their hearts are also devoid of Taqwa. Those who treat one another with love and kindness for the sake of God Almighty, they are the ones who truly adopt Taqwa. The Holy Prophetsa stated that on the Day of Judgment, God Almighty will declare: “Where are those who love each other for the sake of My glory? Today, I will shelter them in My shade on a day when there is no shade but Mine.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ulBirr, Hadith no. 2566) Thus, those who love one another whilst adhering to the commandments of God Almighty purely for His sake, they are the ones who become the recipients of His grace.

On the other hand, those who do not do this can incur the displeasure of God Almighty.

Therefore, each and every one of you must instil this spirit within them. We proclaim the slogan of “Love for all, hatred for none”, however we must practise this within our own homes and in our societies so that this message can spread in the world in the true sense. Moreover, through just a small effort on our part, we can enter the shade of God Almighty’s mercy. On numerous occasions, the Holy Prophetsa has granted advice on how one can establish peace and tranquillity in society and to increase love, affection and brotherhood for one another. In regard to this, the Holy Prophetsa once stated: “Muslims are brothers of one another, he does not treat his brother unjustly and nor abandons him.”

The Holy Prophetsa also stated: “One who remains occupied in helping his fellow brother, God Almighty Himself fulfils his needs. Whosoever alleviates his brother’s affliction, God Almighty shall lessen one affliction from him on the Day of Judgment. One who covers the fault of his fellow brother, God Almighty shall also cover his fault on the Day of Judgment.”

(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Mazalim, Hadith no. 2442)

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Friday 1 November 2019 | AL HAKAM

Thus, God Almighty bestows His mercy and benevolence through different means and provides means of our forgiveness, but despite this if one incurs the displeasure of God Almighty, then it is owing to his own inefficiencies, ego and stubbornness incurs the displeasure of God Almighty.

Thus, one should be greatly concerned and deeply ponder over this matter. During these days while everyone’s attention and emotions are directed towards virtue and you have also gathered here with the view that you are to take part in a gathering where you will listen to talks of virtue and piety, you should asses your conditions and focus towards fulfilling the rights of God Almighty and His creation. You should seek to recognise the true essence of developing kindness and love for one another and also humility.

This is also important for us to achieve because the pledge of Bai‘at that we have taken with the Promised Messiahas is on the conditions of abstaining from Shirk, observing prayers – both obligatory and voluntary prayers – but also in addition to these conditions is that under the impulse of any passions, he/she shall cause no harm whatsoever to the creatures of God in general and Muslims in particular.

This is not only limited towards fellow Muslims or members of the Jamaat; indeed we must begin from our own home, then in our dealings with other Muslims, but then ultimately, this should apply to the whole of mankind and we should have love and affection in our hearts for every single person. We must become free from our inner passions and we should also treat our subordinates with kindness. Our conduct should be such that if anyone wishes to assess and determine whether our standard is according to what we claim, they may do so. Moreover, when others assess our standard and it is truly according to what we claim, only then can we say that indeed we are true believers and are fulfilling the due rights of our Bai‘at.

Another condition of our Bai‘at is that he/she shall entirely give up pride and vanity and adopt humility and meekness. (Izala Auham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 564) To adopt humility and meekness is not just one of the objectives for which the Promised Messiahas established the Jalsa [annual convention], in fact to adopt

meekness and humility is also amongst the conditions of the Bai‘at that we have pledged with the Promised Messiahas. Thus, it is our responsibility to fulfil this pledge and this in fact is the very first step towards the truthfulness that is to fulfil the pledge we have made. Therefore, we should regularly read the conditions of our Bai‘at and assess whether we are holding true to these conditions and striving to lead our lives according to them. If this is not the case, then our claim of wanting to reform the world is wrong, therefore we should first seek to reform ourselves, otherwise we would be counted amongst those whose actions are not in harmony with their words and God Almighty has expressed His displeasure at such people. Moreover, in such an instance, instead of testifying to the truth, our actions would be testifying to falsehood. When there is incongruity between our words and deeds, then our claim to serve faith and all our efforts towards this will also be false. Indeed, the Promised Messiahas is true, his claims are true, there is no doubt that God Almighty has vouchsafed His promises of granting him victory; indeed, God Almighty has promised to grant him a Jamaat of sincere devotees, but if our condition remains the same, then we will not be counted amongst those who are the true helpers of the Promised Messiah’sas Jamaat.

Therefore, in order to receive the blessings of our Bai‘at, we must assess our conditions and also ponder over the objectives of the Jalsa. We are very fortunate that we have been granted three days of the Jalsa to reflect over this. Thus, each and every one of you should assess their condition and instead of engaging in idle conversations, you should spend your time in supplications, seeking forgiveness and sending salutations upon the Holy Prophetsa [Durood], it is only then that we can truly benefit from the Jalsa. The Promised Messiahas states: “The members of my Jamaat, wherever they might be, should listen with attention.

The purpose of their joining this Movement and establishing the mutual relationship of spiritual preceptor and disciple with me is that they should achieve a high degree of good conduct, good behaviour and righteousness. No wrongdoing, mischief or misconduct should even approach them.”

This is the standard of true Taqwa, in

that they should be free of such ills. The Promised Messiahas states: “They should perform the five daily prayers regularly in congregation, should not utter falsehood and should not hurt anyone by their tongues. They should be guilty of no vice and should not let even a thought of any mischief, wrong, disorderliness or turmoil pass through their minds. They should shun every type of sin, offence, undesirable action, passion and unmannerly behaviour. They should become pure-hearted and meek servants of God Almighty (they should become such individuals whose hearts are pure and free from all ills). And no poisonous germ should flourish in their beings.

“Sympathy with mankind should be their principle and they should fear God Almighty. They should safeguard their tongues and their hands and their thoughts against every kind of impurity, disorderliness and dishonesty. They should observe the five daily prayer services without fail. They should refrain from every kind of wrong, transgression, dishonesty, bribery, trespass, and partiality.”

One should refrain from usurping the rights of others, showing unlawful bias and causing harm to others.

The Promised Messiahas further states: “They should not participate in any evil company.”

The youth should be mindful of ensuring to abstain from keeping bad company and the parents should also be mindful of this and ensure that their children are not keeping bad company, otherwise they will take their influence and become like them.

The Promised Messiahas further states: “If it should be proved that one who frequents the company of such a one who does not obey God’s commandments … or is not mindful of the rights of people, or is cruel or mischievous, or is ill-behaved then it should be their duty to repel him and to keep away from such a dangerous one.”

Thus, an Ahmadi should always keep good company.

The Promised Messiahas further states: “They should not design harm against the followers of any religion or the members of any tribe or group. Be true well-wishers of everyone.”

If one wishes to advise others, they should do so in a sincere manner, in other

words, one’s speech and actions should be such that the words of advice should have an impact and one should not show bias towards anyone. The Promised Messiahas states: “And take care that no mischievous or vicious person, or disorderly one or ill-behaved one should ever be of your company or should dwell among you for such a person could, at any time, be the cause of your stumbling.”

The Promised Messiahas states: “It is the duty of every member of my Jamaat to act upon these instructions. You should indulge in no impurity, mockery or derision. Walk upon the earth with good hearts, pure tempers, and pure thoughts. Do not attack anyone improperly and keep your passions under complete control. If you take part in a discussion or in an exchange of views on a religious subject, express yourself gently and be courteous. If anyone misbehaves towards you, withdraw from such company with a greeting of peace.

God Almighty desires that you should become a Jamaat that should set an example of goodness and truthfulness for the whole world. Therefore, be alert, and be truly goodhearted, gentle and righteous. You will be known by your regular attendance at prayer services and your high moral qualities.”

Thus, you will be recognised by your observance of the five daily prayers and high morals. If you can develop these traits, then consider that you have fulfilled the rights of your Bai‘at.

The Promised Messiahas further states: “He who has the seed of evil embedded in him will not be able to conform to this admonition.” (Majmua Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, pp.

46-48, Ishtihar no. 188) May God Almighty grant us all the ability to fulfil the rights of our Bai‘at with the Promised Messiahas and may we adhere to his instructions and fulfil his expectation from us.

May we also avail as much benefit as possible from this Jalsa and thereby improve our religious, spiritual and intellectual conditions, and then may we continue to remain established upon these virtuous deeds.

(Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International, 25 October 2019, pp. 5-8.Translated by The Review of Religions.)

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