Maryam Apr-Jun 2021 (English)

APR - JUN 2021 ISSUE 38

“... it is essential for you to witness the second Manifestation also, and its Coming is better for you because it is everlasting...”

(The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him))

m e o competition P Calling All

Waaqifaat-E-Nau! Poetry is a powerful means to express your faith and feelings. So why not put pen to paper and enter the Maryam Magazine poem competition!

Send in your poems in Urdu or English to:

chiefeditor@maryammagazine.org The winning poems will be included in the upcoming issues of Maryam Magazine

From the Editor...

As Ahmadi Muslims, we are fortunate to have accepted the Promised Messiahas, and thereby have accepted Khilafat. Khilafat is the guiding light which keeps us on the right path and enables us to build a relationship with Allah the Almighty.

With regards to how to form a true connection with Khilafat and benefit truly from its blessings, Hazuraba stated in his Friday Sermon on 28th May 2021: “Doing good works and deeds does not mean doing something which one considers in their own minds to be good. Rather, it is to follow the example of the Holy Prophetsaw in letter and spirit, without the blemishes of ostentation, pride or indolence. It is such people who truly have a sincere connection with Khilafat and those who uphold the honour of Khilafat. By doing good deeds in the true essence, these people will be drawing the attention of the Khalifa and his prayers towards themselves. Such people will have a true connection with Khilafat, thereby being those who attain true peace and security as promised by God. Every Ahmadi should be thankful to God for bestowing the bounty of Khilafat. At the same time, every Ahmadi must always reflect upon whether they are fulfilling the conditions mentioned by God.” May Allah enable us all, especially as Waqifeen-e-Nau, to attain a true connection with Khilafat and fulfil our duties as Ahmadi Muslims, Ameen.

In this issue of Maryam Magazine our readers can enjoy articles written by our Waqifeen including ‘Letters Full of Blessings’, ‘The Love of the Khalifa for the Jama’at’, ‘Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra - Personal Anecdotes’, and ‘Waqf in the Field: Medical Engineering’.

Ahmed a n i H

i

ENGLISH EDITOR

CHIEF EDITOR

Zanubia Ahmad ASSISTANT CHIEF EDITORS Dure Jamal Mala Nayla Muzamil

ENGLISH EDITOR Hina Ahmedi

ENGLISH SUB-EDITOR Hamooda Arif

EDITORIAL BOARD

Sabah Un Noor Tahir Hibba-Tul Mussawir Maleeha Mansur Meliha Hayat

Salma Manahil Malik Mashel Chaudhry

Samina Yasmeen Arif

Amatul Wakeel Maha Sameera Mirza Kashifa Qamar

Safina Nabeel Maham COVER DESIGN

Zara Tahir Ahmad PAGE DESIGN&SETTING Soumbal Qureshi Naeema Amjad Atiyya Wasee Naila Fowad

Hina Farooqi

Special thanks to Rasheeqa Samad Khan for her contribution to the design setting in this issue of Maryam Magazine.

Do you have any comments, suggestions or want your article featured in our next edition?

Email us at: chiefeditor@maryammagazine.org

Zara Tahir Ahmad PRINTED UNDER THE CENTRAL OFFICE WAQF-E-NAU MANAGER

Luqman Ahmad Kishwar PRINTERS

Raqeem Press, Tilford UK

CONTENTS APRIL - JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 38

03. The Holy Qur’an

28. The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophetssaw

04. Hadith 05. Writings of the Promised Messiahas

06. Tarbiyyat Page 08. Letters Full of Blessings | HIbbat Mirza

13. Khilafat Quote from Hazrat Mirza

31. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh – quote on his love for the Jama’at

32. The Love of the Khalifa for the Jama'at | Lubna Waheed

36. Safeguarding Progeny from Ills of Society | An extract from the English summary of the Friday Sermon delivered

by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba on 7th May 2021

Nasir Ahmadra

39. Waqf in the Field: Medical 14. Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Muhammad

Engineering | Aalia Rehman

Zafrullah Khanra - Personal Anecdotes | Ambreen Saboor

42. Khilafat quote from Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Nooruddin Sahibra

22. Kids' Spread 26. Jokes

44. An Excerpt from: Launch of ‘The Existence Project’ | A Special Interview with the Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

The Holy

Qur’an ّٰ ۡ ۡ ٰ ۡ َّ َّ ‫الل الرح ِن الر ِح ی ِ�۝‬ ِ ‫س‬ ِ ‫ِب‬ َ ِّ ‫الرح ۡ� ۙ ٰملک َی ۡوم‬ ٰ ۡ ‫ا َّلر‬۱َ �َۙ‫َا ۡ َل ۡم ُد ِل ّٰ ِل َر ِّب ۡال ٰع َ ِل ۡ ی ن‬ ‫الد ۡی ِ ن� ؕ اِ َّ ی� َک ن ۡع ُب ُد‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ح ِن َّ ِ ی‬ َ ۡ َ َّ َ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ ُ ۡ َ َ ِّ َ‫َ َّ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ نُ ۡ ن‬ ۙ ‫صاط ال ِذ ۡی نَ� ان َع ۡم َت َعل ۡی ِھ ۡم‬ ِ ۙ �‫اِو ی� ک نست ِع ی� ؕ اِ ھ ِد� الصاط الست ِق ی‬ ِّ ٓ َّ َ َ ۡ ۡ َ َ ۡ ُ ۡ َ ۡ ۡ َ ‫الضال ۡ ی نَ�۝‬ ‫غ ی ِ� الغضو ِب علی ِھم ول‬ Translation: In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, The Gracious, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us in the right path — The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.

(Surah Al-Fatihah) (English translation by Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali sahibra)

Hadith HADITH (Saying of The Holy Prophet)

(Sayings Theof Holy Prophet) (May Peace andof Blessings Allah Ta’Ala be upon Him) (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him)

HADIT H ‫النبیﷺ‬ ‫حدیث‬ ‫النبیﷺ‬ ‫حدیث‬ (SayThe in g Chapter of T h e H ly Prophet) of Prayers ٰ ‫الصلوۃ‬ ‫ۃ‬o‫سور‬ The Chapter of Prayer

‫ول هي‬ ‫ال( ه‬ ‫لهى ه‬of ‫اَّللُ َع هز‬ ‫له َم يَ ُق‬and ‫يهۃ َو َس‬Blessings ‫الصلوْي‬ ‫ص‬ ‫اَّلل‬ ‫ت َر ُس‬ :‫ال‬ ‫َع ْن أيَِب ُه َريْ َر‬ Allah َMay ُPeace َ Ta’Ala َ َ‫َة ق‬Him) َ‫اَّللُ َعٰل‬ َ‫ ق‬:‫ول‬ ُ ‫ع‬be ْ ‫ َيَس‬upon َ‫سورۃ‬ .‫ص ُف َها لي َع ْب يدي‬ ‫ت ال ه‬ ُ ‫س ْم‬ ْ ‫ص ُف َها يِل َوني‬ ْ ‫ْي َع ْب يدي َشط َْريْ ين فَني‬ َ ْ َ‫ص َ​َل َة بَ ْي يِن َوب‬ َ َ‫ ق‬:‫َو َج هل‬

‫ول هي‬ ‫ َي‬:‫ال‬ ‫صله‬ ‫ه‬Chapter ‫ال‬ ‫ى‬ ‫اَّلل‬ ‫س‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ع‬ ‫َس‬ َ َ‫ ق‬:‫ول‬ ُ ‫ْي يه َوي َسله َم هيَ ُق‬The َ َ َ‫َع ْن أيَِب ُه َريْ َرَة ق‬ َ‫اَّللُ َعل‬ ُ ْ َ ُ َ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ of Prayer ‫ه‬ ‫ول ه‬ ‫صلى ه‬ ‫ال‬ :‫ال‬ ‫(سننيَِبابنُه َريْ َرَة‬ ‫َع ْن أ‬ َ َ‫ ق‬:‫ول‬ َ ‫األدب)ر ُس‬ ُ ‫اَّللُ َعلَْيه َو َسل َم يَ ُق‬ َ َ‫ق‬،‫ماجه‬ ُ ‫كتابَ​َس ْع‬ َ ‫اَّلل‬ َ‫ت‬ ‫ْي َع ْب يدي َشطْريْ ين فَني‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ه‬ ‫َوب‬that‫يِن‬the ‫ةَ بَ ْي‬Holy ‫ص َ​َل‬ ‫ت ال‬ ‫س ْم‬ ‫ِل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ف‬ ‫ص‬ ‫اَّللُ َع هز‬ ‫ ه‬Prophet َ‫ ق‬:‫َو َجل‬Allah ُ ُ ْ ْ َ َ َ Translation: Hazrat Abu Hurairah reports said ‫ه‬that َ َ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ه‬ ‫و‬ ‫ِن‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ة‬ ‫َل‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ت‬ ‫م‬ ‫س‬ ‫ق‬ ‫ْي‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ِل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ف‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ف‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ْر‬ ‫ط‬ ‫ش‬ ‫ي‬ ‫د‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ع‬ : ‫ل‬ ‫ج‬ ‫و‬ ‫ز‬ ‫ع‬ ‫اَّلل‬ ‫ُ َه‬ ‫ ه‬al-Fatihah) َ ْ‘Iَ have َ َSūrah ُ ْ states: َ divided ُ ‫ َ َ ْ ي‬in‫ه‬twoَ َhalves َ the ْ َprayer َ ْ ْ َ the Almighty (i.e., َ َ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ال ه‬ ‫ص لى ه‬ ‫ول ه‬ ‫ز‬between :‫ول‬ ‫ يَ ُق‬servant.’ ‫اَّللُ َعلَْيه َو َسل َم‬ ‫َِبعبُه َيدريْ َر‬ َMeَ‫ ق‬and ُ My َ ‫ت َر ُس‬ َ َ‫ق‬.َ‫ية‬ ‫اَّللُ َع ه‬ ‫ونيصَعُفْنهاأي لي‬ ُ ‫ َ​َس ْع‬:‫ال‬ َ ‫اَّلل‬ َ ‫َ ْوني‬ ْ َ ‫ص ُفها ليعب ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫د‬ . ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬ ْ‫ َ قَ َسَْم‬:Adab) ‫ت ال‬ .‫ص ُف َها ل َع ْبدي‬ ‫َ​َو َج ْهل‬ ‫ه‬Daud َ‫ص َ​َلة‬ ُkitabul ْ ‫ص ُف َها يِل َون‬ ْ ‫ْي َع ْبدي َشط َْريْ ين فَن‬ َ ْ َ‫(بَ ْي يِن َوب‬Abu Ibn Jarir has also cited this ‫ابن‬ same‫(سنن‬ narration on the authority of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah : ‘I )‫األدب‬ ‫كتاب‬ ،‫ماجه‬ )‫األدب‬ ‫ كتاب‬،‫ماجه‬ ‫ابن‬My‫(سنن‬ have divided the prayer (i.e., Surah al-Fatihah) in two halves between Me and )‫األدب‬ ‫ كتاب‬،‫(سنن ابن ماجه‬ servant.’ That is to say, in the first half [of this Chapter], divine attributes are ra

saw

ra

Translation: Hazrat Abu Hurairahra reports that the Holy Prophetsaw said that Allah

mentioned, while the second half consists of prayers for the servant [i.e., the one ‫ہللا‬ ‫رسول‬ ‫نے‬ ‫‘میں‬I have ‫ہیں کہ‬ ‫كہتے‬the‫وہ‬prayer ‫روایت ہے‬ ‫سے‬al-Fatihah) ؓ ‫ابو ہریرہ‬in ‫حضرت‬ :‫ترجمہ‬ the states: divided (i.e., Sūrah two halves whoAlmighty supplicates]. ‫سورۃ ہللا‬ ‫ۃ(یعنیرسول‬ ‫نے‬and ‫میں‬My‫نے‬ ‫کہ‬servant.’ ‫ہیں‬ ‫روایت ہے‬ ‫ہوئے ابو‬ ‫حضرت‬ :‫ترجمہ‬ between Me ‫صلو‬ ‫كہتے میں‬ ‫فرماتاوہہے کہ‬ ‫سے تعالی‬ ‫ہریرہ ؓکہ ہللا‬ ‫سنا ہے‬ ‫فرماتے‬ ‫ﷺکو‬ (Jāmiʿ al-bayān ʿan taʾwīl āy al-Qurʾān (Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muhammad bin ‫سورۃ‬ ‫ۃ(یعنی‬ ‫پسصلو‬ ‫ نے‬،‫میں‬ ‫کے ہللا‬ ‫ہے کہ‬ ‫اپنےسنا‬ ‫اورہوئے‬ ‫فرماتے‬ ‫کو‬ ‫ﷺ‬ ‫میرے‬ ‫نصف‬ ‫کہ ہے‬ ‫ہےدی‬ ‫فرماتاکر‬ ‫تعالی تقسیم‬ ‫درمیان‬ ‫بندے‬ ‫اپنے‬ )‫الفاتحہ‬ (Abu Daud kitabul Adab) Jarīr At-Tabarī, Beirut, Lebanon: Mu’assisatur-Risālah, First Edition (2000), Volume ‫میرے‬ ‫ پس نصف‬،‫درمیان تقسیم کر دی ہے‬ ‫الفاتحہ)اوراپنے‬ ‫کےلئے۔‬ ‫بندےكے‬ ‫اپنے بندے‬ ‫اورمیرے‬ ‫نصف‬ ‫لئے ہے‬ 1, p. 201. [Publishers])1 Ibn Jarir has also cited this same narration on the authority of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah : ‘I ‫ ہے اور نصف میرے بندے كے لئے۔‬ra‫لئے‬ )‫ب‬ ‫األد‬ ‫كتاب‬ ،‫ماجه‬ ‫ابن‬ ‫سنن‬ ( have divided the prayer (i.e., Surah al-Fatihah) in two halves between Me and My )‫األدب‬ ‫ كتاب‬،‫( سنن ابن ماجه‬ servant.’ That is to say, in the first half [of this Chapter], divine attributes are mentioned, while the second half consists of prayers for the servant [i.e., the one who supplicates].

(Jāmiʿ al-bayān ʿan taʾwīl āy al-Qurʾān (Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muhammad bin Jarīr At-Tabarī, Beirut, Lebanon: Mu’assisatur-Risālah, First Edition (2000), Volume 1, p. 201. [Publishers])1

1

https://www.reviewofreligions.org/22378/origins-of-surah-al-fatihah/

Writings of the as Promised Messiah THE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF ISLAM ARE THE HEIRS TO DIVERSE BLESSINGS

“There have been thousands of righteous Muslims who have tasted the fruits of the spiritual paradise in this life, and God has declared the true followers of Islam to be

heirs to the diverse blessings that were given to all the righteous people of the past.

He has also accepted the following prayer which He has taught us in the Holy Qur’an:

َ ۡ َ َّ َ َ َ ُ ۡ ‫الص َاط‬ َ ِّ �َ‫اِ ۡھ ِد ن‬ ۙ ‫صاط ال ِذ ۡی نَ� ان َع ۡم َت َعل ۡی ِھ ۡم‬ ِ ‫ال ۡست ِق ۡی َ� ۙ ۝‬ ِّ ٓ َّ َ َ ۡ ۡ َ َ ۡ ُ ۡ َ ۡ ۡ َ ‫الضال ۡ ی نَ�۝‬ ‫غ ی ِ� الغضو ِب علی ِھم و ل‬ (Surah Al-Fatihah, 1:6-7)

i.e., show us the path of the righteous ones, whom You favoured with every bounty, i.e., those who received every kind of blessing from You, who were honoured with Your converse, whose prayers were accepted, and who were accompanied by

Your help and guidance; and save us from the path of those who incurred Your displeasure and forsook Your path.”

[Lecture Lahore p.20,21, Ruhani Khazain Vol 20, p.160]

Tarbiyyat

Page

Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh on December 1, 1989 at Fazal Mosque, London.

Give your full attention to the Waaqifeen as should be given to a special thing that is being prepared for an especially magnificent purpose: Their parents should prepare them for Allah with a love greater than the love with which a man prepares a goat or ram that he is going to slaughter as a sacrifice to Allah. What is the jewellery for these children?

It is taqwa. They are to be decorated with taqwa. Therefore, it is most important that they should be made muttaqee (righteous) from childhood. Make their environment clean and holy. Do not do anything that will make them dislike religion and become inclined to the world. Give your full attention to them as should be given to a special thing that is being prepared for an especially magnificent purpose.

Fill their hearts with taqwa in such a way that instead of playing in your hands they may begin to play directly in the hands of Allah. Just as one entrusts an object to another person, from the very beginning you can entrust them directly to Allah. But the condition is taqwa. Taqwa does not need any intermediaries or other means. Formally, they will belong to the Jama’at and Tehrik-e-Jadid but, in reality, the children whom you will put in the lap of Allah, will be taken care of by Allah. He will supervise and nurture them in the same way as He did the Promised Messiahas. Heas wrote:

Give your full attention to them as should be given to a special thing that is being prepared for an especially magnificent purpose. ‫ت‬ ‫ی‬ ‫رے دن ےٹک‬ ‫�رے یہ ی‬ ‫اس� م یم ش‬ ‫ادتبا ےس ی ت‬ ‫م ی�ری راہ ی‬ ‫وگد ی‬ ‫م لثم لفط ی�ر وخار‬ From the beginning I was under your care I was nurtured in Your lap like a suckling babe.

He must have said this couplet after studying his past life in depth and detail. He must have realised that as far as he could remember, since his infancy when he was a suckling, he had the love of Allah in his heart. He had a bond with Allah. Allah always protected him and guided him at every step. The Promised Messiahas humbly submits; “O Allah I was always in Your lap.” So put these children in Allah’s Lap. Hand over your Waaqifeen to Allah We have enormous responsibilities and a huge workload. We are much smaller in number as compared to the nations that we have to win over to Islam. Our wisdom, our knowledge, our worldly resources are insignificant compared to the wisdom, knowledge and worldly resources of the nations, we have to win over to Allah. So, there is only one-way and that is the only one: to hand over our Waaqifeen and ourselves to Allah and start playing in His hands.

My fear is that parents may delay the training thinking that these children are very young: …The fact is that children have to be disciplined from the childhood. It is extremely difficult to reform badly brought up children. This (childhood) is the time when these tender sprouts can be directed any way that we want them to. Attend to them now. Keep them under your control.

All over the world the administration of the Jama’at should keep watch on the life of every Waqf-enau child and keep in touch with the parents. They should know that they belong to a living Jama’at through which the Will of Allah is being carried out. This awareness is essential and it will develop if central administration of Tehrik-e-Jadid keeps an active and meaningful contact with the parents and asks them to keep them updated with the progress of the child they have entrusted to Allah. Tell them, you have a big responsibility. You have a guest of Allah in your home. Though we all belong to Allah but you have a special guest with you and you are preparing him for Allah. What are your plans? How are you training him? Tell us. Keep us informed about him, his health, his behaviour and manners. And regularly instruct them to teach him this or that particular kind of work.

Letters Full of Blessings Hibbat Mirza From a young age we are told that we must develop and cultivate a relationship with Khalifa-e-Waqt.

As children, it’s hard to understand what this means. However, it’s only as we grow older that we can truly appreciate this connection and the blessings associated with writing letters to our beloved Hazur-e-Anwaraba. This bond with Khilafat is no ordinary bond and writing a letter is a small effort on our part which allows us to share a brief glimpse of ourselves with Khalifa-e-Waqt and ask for

Hazur’saba blessed prayers in all aspects of our lives. Yet, how does a letter have any effect on our lives?

We must remember that while writing a simple letter is not an obligation, it allows us to create an everlasting relationship with someone who not only is close to Allah but has been chosen

by Allah the Almighty as His Successor. Thus it not only allows us to further strengthen our bond with Allah, it increases the chances of our prayers being accepted – as Hazrat Khalifatul

Masihaba is close to Allah, it is natural to infer that Allah the Almighty listens and is more inclined to accept Hazur’saba prayers. Why wouldn’t we want Hazur-e-Anwar’saba prayers in our corner?

Just as we send texts and emails regularly to maintain our connections with friends and family; similarly, these letters allow us to connect with Khalifa-e-Waqt. We can share our happiness, anxieties, and grief with our spiritual father, who will always pray for our betterment and for our pain to be eased. Conversely, it allows us a small share in Hazur-e-Anwar’saba life. Be it

expressing our love and gratitude for Hazur’saba prayers, sending our condolences when a family member passes or expressing our worries over an illness or injury, these letters give us the

ability to show our loyalty, support, and love for Hazuraba during eventful times in Hazur’saba life.

In fact, Hazur-e-Anwaraba has expressed his pleasure at receiving our letters on several occasions, showing us that this relationship is not one way - our beloved Khalifa appreciates our sentiments and welcomes our desire to establish this bond. During a trip to Canada, Hazur-

e-Anwaraba even said: “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh said a great truth that the Jama’at and the Khalifa are two names of the same existence...On May 27, when I gave a sermon about Khilafat, first and foremost, I had received letters from Canada Jama’at, as well as personal letters from members of Canada Jama’at from different places. May it not be a temporary but an everlasting and eternal love and loyalty proclaimed by you! May it continue and sustain in your generations also!” (Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba on 1st July 2005)

Throughout my life, I have witnessed several instances where sending a letter to Hazur-

e-Anwaraba has resulted in problems being resolved, difficulties being removed, and

Hazur’saba blessed guidance providing me a path to continue onwards, Alhamdollilah. It is because of these moments that I firmly believe that writing letters to Hazuraba regularly

provides infinite blessings from Allah, that can be seen throughout one’s life. You might not always see the results instantly, but they manifest themselves when the time is right.

In the early years of my parents’ business; a pharmaceutical laboratory, times were very difficult financially. Anyone who has their own business will understand that the first 5-10 years are tough as one must create connections, network, and market regularly. During this stressful period, I was helping my father. I distinctly remember that one day, we were worried about how bills would be paid if a particular order fell through. My father wrote to Hazure-Anwaraba while I was in the other office. It couldn’t have been more then ten minutes after he had faxed the letter that we got a call, and it was to confirm a larger order, Alhamdolilah.

The relief and amazement at how quickly our prayers had been answered still follows me to this day as an example of how our letters requesting prayers are answered even before they reach our beloved Hazuraba – showing that the prayers begin as soon as we’ve written the letters.

While that is a relatively old example, I have a couple from just these past few months alone that will further illustrate the importance of this connection with Khilafat through our humble letters. Over the last year or so, I started writing two letters where I used to send one every couple of weeks. One letter is for personal matters, while the other devoted to the MTA Canada Subtitling & Translation team. In my opinion, this change in routine has not only sped up the process of those prayers being accepted by Allah but also provided a calm and contentment I didn’t notice before.

As I was completing my final year in Screenwriting, I sent letter after letter requesting prayers for my final scripts and projects alongside prayers for the Subtitling & Translation team. One of the biggest projects I had undertaken was the creation and development of ‘Minaret’ – an Ahmadiyya Muslim film festival – which would have its inaugural online screening in March 2021. I had been working on this project since my third year after an assignment intrigued my professor, leading to an independent study during my fourth and final year with another professor who was well acquainted with film festivals,

developing,

and

programming

them.

Early on, I wrote to Hazur-e-Anwaraba about my plans and the goal of the project. Minaret would introduce the Jama’at in a new manner to a wider academic and non-Muslim community. Due to the shortage of time, it was decided that screening existing documentaries from MTA International would be better than requesting submissions. I knew there would be some difficulties along the way. My professor had even prepared me for the worst, saying that if 20 people attend, that would be a great turnout as these events are difficult to build a following for. However, with each letter

sent to Hazuraba an obstacle would be removed, Alhamdollilah. The documentaries requested were made available, panel members were given permission to participate, my sister’s dedicated help on social media created a small following, and my little brother had time off to help sort out the streaming side of things. The ease in which everything came together was nothing short of miraculous, and I can only attribute the success of Minaret to the prayers of Hazur-e-Anwaraba.

By the Grace of Allah, over 400 people registered and there were about 1000 views on just the first day of the event alone. None of this would have been remotely possible if it wasn’t

for the blessed prayers of Hazur-e-Anwaraba. Without those prayers and the blessings of Allah they provided, I don’t believe Minaret would have had even a fraction of the success it did.

Shortly after Minaret Muslim Film Festival’s online event, I wrote to Hazuraba about the success of the screenings and how I wished to continue working on this project. I hadn’t applied to any graduate school and had thought this would be a worthy endeavour while I continued to hone my skills to become a producer/showrunner. I had also received a few emails from members of the Jama’at around the world who wanted to participate when Minaret was run next year. At this point, I didn’t even know if there would be a next year – though I sincerely hoped so, as it would further my ambition to be a resource for the coming generation of filmmakers of the Jama’at.

A few days later, during my lecture I received an email from my supervising professor. She was offering me a place in the Master’s program for Cinema & Media Studies at York University, tuition would be fully covered, I would be given the opportunity to assist in her research project: Archive/Counter-archive,

and

the most important part for me – I would be allowed to continue to develop Minaret as part of my studies. To say that I was stunned is putting it mildly. I was dumbfounded…it was honestly the last thing I was even expecting.

Considering

I

hadn’t

applied

to any graduate programs, my highest hopes were getting an A in the course and graduating.

No sooner did my lecture end that I rushed to tell my parents. They were surprised

as well. I knew I had to write to Hazur-e-Anwaraba. In the time I had between lectures, I wrote a short, detailed letter regarding the offer and my own interests of further developing Minaret. I sent the letter to my father so it could be faxed immediately.

While I waited for Hazur’saba guidance, I started to work on the application requirements, my research proposal centered around Minaret and researching film festivals; the cultural impact they have on a diversity of communities, sustaining them - especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the admissions process, I couldn’t help but notice how easily everything progressed.

Normally, it is difficult to get into these graduate programs, especially for late applicants.

I sent a few more letters for prayers and eagerly awaited Hazur’saba reply. My formal application had been submitted with the research proposal and I hadn’t heard back about the next steps. I was certain that whatever Hazur-e-Anwaraba wrote back, that would be the result. Whether or not I could accept the offer all depended on Hazur’saba blessed guidance.

Early in the afternoon of April 25th, I checked the status of my application online. I had fulfilled all formalities and still hadn’t heard back from the department. The status said, ‘Application under review – No decision yet’. Words that don’t exactly instill hope. Later that afternoon, my sister checked the mail. Excited, she came over to me, ‘Baji, look’s like you’ve got good news’.

I was perplexed until I saw what she was holding. It was a letter from Hazur-e-Anwaraba. I was nervous opening the letter, but happy to see the beige paper and signature at the bottom. I quickly read through it. Alhamdollilah, I had been given permission to accept the offer! Out of curiosity, I went to check the status of my application again. That too had changed. It now read ‘Decision: Admitted – Accept/Decline Offer’. This further demonstrated to me that it was

only due to Hazur’saba prayers and guidance that I had been given this wonderful opportunity.

These may seem like trivial examples, but I am a firm believer that it’s such occasions, when recounted, we can truly see and be humbled by the power of the prayers of

Hazur-e-Anwaraba, and how our letters allow us to participate in a minute fraction of them. It is because Hazuraba prays on our

behalf to Allah the Almighty that we are able to achieve anything. I don’t believe that any of what I have accomplished thus far could be possible without the prayers of Hazur-e-Anwaraba and the blessings of

Allah that have stemmed from continuously writing and building that relationship with Khalifa-e-Waqt.

Often, we hear that we should write letters to Hazuraba in times of difficulty or when stressed, and while to some it may seem like a pointless exercise, I can say from experience that it has helped a great deal. Be it Minaret, our family’s business, my studies, the health and wellbeing of family members, or even prayers for MTA and our Subtitling & Translation team, there’s never been a

moment where I was feeling stressed and anxious and writing to Hazur-e-Anwaraba made it worse.

It’s always made the tension fade away. Perhaps, a part of it may be that writing has always been therapeutic for me, however; I believe the larger part is knowing for certain that there is that

loving figure of Hazrat Ameerul Mo’mineenaba, who is praying on my behalf to Allah the Almighty.

In the end, I will share a small portion of one of my most treasured responses from Hazur-eAnwaraba. These words have further motivated me to keep giving my all no matter what trials and

tribulations may come, to continue improving myself, and to serve the Jama’at to the best of my abilities, InshAllah. My wish is to not only to be worthy of this letter and more such letters from

Hazur-e-Anwaraba, but to attain that nearness and love of Allah mentioned in them, InshAllah.

[

“May your endeavours lead you to success, peace and prosperity and may your entire being be illuminated by His divine blessings. May Allah be your Guide and Protector throughout in life embracing you with His kindness and love. Amin!”

]

defect in His choice. He selects a weak person of His, a person whom they consider insignificant.

Then having selected him, Allah manifests His Glory and Greatness, and whatever the person was and whatever he had, Allah leaves none of it. In the presence of His Majesty and Greatness, the person becomes totally attired in the mantle of the love of God and selflessness. ra

Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad , Khalifatul Masih III, Al Fazl, 17 March 1967

“

“

God Himself makes a Khalifa and there is no

Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra (1893-1985) Personal Anecdotes

By Ambreen Saboor

Introduction

Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan was a Pakistani politician, diplomat, and international jurist, known particularly for his representation of Pakistan at the United Nations (UN).

The son of the leading attorney of his native city, Zafrullah Khan Sahib studied at Government College in Lahore and received his LL.B. from King’s College, London University, in 1914. He practiced law in Sialkot and Lahore, became a member of the Punjab Legislative Council in 1926, and was a delegate in 1930, 1931, and 1932 to the Round Table Conferences on Indian reforms in London. In 1931-32 he was president of the All-India Muslim League (later the Muslim League), and he sat on the British viceroy’s executive council as its Muslim member from 1935 to 1941. He led the Indian delegation to the League of Nations in 1939, and from 1941 to 1947 he served as a judge of the Federal Court of India.

Prior to the partition of India in 1947, Zafrullah Khan Sahib presented the Muslim League’s view of the future boundaries of Pakistan to Sir Cyril Radcliffe, the man designated to decide the boundaries between India and Pakistan. Upon the independence of Pakistan, Zafrullah Khan became the new country’s minister of foreign affairs and served concurrently as leader of Pakistan’s delegation to the UN (1947-54). From 1954 to 1961 he served as a member of the International Court of Justice at The Hague. He again represented Pakistan at the UN in 1961-64 and served as president of the UN General Assembly in 1962-63. Returning to the International Court of Justice in 1964, he served as the court’s president from 1970 to 1973. He was knighted in 1935.1 He was a companion of the Promised Messiahas and a devout servant of Islam Ahmadiyyat; incorporating faith within his work, translating the Holy Qur’an, books of the Promised Messiahas and many others, whilst also compiling several books of his own including a biography on The Holy Prophetsaw 2.

His life was a record glorious in every respect, his equation with God being the most envious. The success and accomplishments of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra are remarkably endless and instead of going into depth about the extraordinary successes and life events, this article will focus on personal anecdotes and narrations of those who knew him personally, providing us with inspiration and motivation to excel in both aspects of life; deen and duniya (religion and worldly matters).

Personal Anecdotes

Professor Dr Abdus Salam Sahib (Physicist and Nobel Laureate)

3

It may not be widely known, but Dr Professor Abdus Salam Sahib had met Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra on several occasions, and at a young age received invaluable advice regarding his future career. Selected extracts from this article are presented below.

Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khan was one of the greatest human beings I have had the privilege and good fortune of knowing in my life.

I saw Chaudhry Sahib first in December 1933 on the occasion of the annual gathering. I was then around eight years old. I can still see him in my mind’s eye as very handsome figure with a most impressive bearing. I believe the first occasion when he knew of me was when my father wrote to him in 1940 seeking his advice about my future career. He wrote in reply that he would pray for me and he offered three pieces of advice. First, that I should look after my health; health was the basis of all achievement. Second, in respect

of studies, he advised that whatever lectures in the classroom were due for tomorrow, I should prepare for them the day before. And whatever I learned today; I should revise the same day so that it became forever part of me.

Third, I should broaden my mind; in particular, whenever I got the opportunity to make an educational journey — or even a journey for pleasure —I should take it, for journeying to new places was conducive to a broadening of one’s range of interests. …I really got to know him after 1973 when he came to live at the London Mosque after his retirement from the Presidentship of the International Court of Justice. He was gracious enough to accept to come to my house at Campion Road, nearby, for Sunday breakfasts whenever I was in London. It could be breakfast only because his day, which he spent working on his translation of the Holy Book or Books of the Hadith and the like, started regularly at 9 a.m. every day including Sundays and could not be interrupted.

I have earlier said that he was generous — almost to a fault — to those in need. The story may not be well known, but after retirement, he dedicated all his life’s savings to charitable purposes. A large part was spent in rebuilding the living quarters for the Imam next to the London Mosque as well as towards building the Mahmud Hall. The rest — of the order of half a million dollars — he spent in setting up a charitable Foundation, the Southfields Trust, to help the needy and for educational purposes.

One Sunday when he honoured us with coming for breakfast, my brother protested with him on his generally neglecting own personal needs. He said he had asked his yearly pension (of around $32,000 a year) to be deposited straight into the bank account of the Foundation he had created — the Southfields Trust. He did not keep any part of his pension. But he had an agreement with the Trust that it would pay him seven pounds a week for life’s

necessities and once a year the Trust would permit him an economy fare to Pakistan to attend the annual gathering. He then added, “I know, through Allah’s grace, I am a good advocate, but one judicial case I always lose. That is, whenever I plead to myself for myself.

Respected Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib (Missionary In-charge, UK)

5

After arriving in London as a missionary and deputy imam in September 1970, respected Ataul Mubeeb Rashed Sahib had the opportunity to meet Sir Zafrullah Khan Sahibra regularly and wrote an article presenting anecdotes of which selected ones are detailed below.

Remarkable Memory Along with his unlimited scholarly capabilities, Allah the Exalted had blessed him with a remarkable memory. I never saw him with a diary. He used to save his engagements and appointments in his mind and never had any problem with that. He knew the phone numbers of his friends and contacts by heart.

During his stay in London, he used to come to my office by about 10 or 11 o’clock very often and asked me to dial a phone number for such and such person. As I went for the directory, he would say that he would tell me the number off-hand. That happened every time he came.

To my amazement, he told me that when in Britain, the telephone numbers of British friends were highlighted in his mind and when in America, the American numbers were highlighted and the British numbers faded away.

Another amazing thing of the kind was that he could tell the days of different dates of the year off-hand. We look at the calendar to plan any event, but Chaudhry Sahibra would calculate and tell the day immediately.

Once I asked him the secret. He said, “When the new year starts, I download the days of a few important and fundamental dates in my mind and use that data to calculate the day on the required date.”

A Memorable Dinner

Once, an Ahmadi friend who resided in the suburbs of London, invited Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra to his place for dinner. Chaudhry Sahibra usually did not

like late night dinners as it affected his routine of sleeping and getting up.

However, on his sincere insistence, Chaudhry Sahibra agreed. During those

days, the Jamaat was campaigning for inviting one or two tabligh contacts to such dinners to fulfil the obligation of tabligh. Accordingly, the host had

invited a young English friend. He was seated next to Chaudhry Sahibra and

throughout that time, the two were engaged in conversation centred around

Islam Ahmadiyyat. Following the dua, when it was time to go after dinner, the

host requested to have a group photograph with Chaudhry Sahibra.

Chaudhry Sahibra was not fond of being photographed. Whenever someone

wished to have a photograph with him, he usually suggested, “You may photograph me as I am, seated or standing; I am not for formalities.”

That night it was getting quite late and we had to get back to London. Therefore,

he wanted to leave as soon as possible. He agreed to the photograph on the

insistence of the host but was in a hurry. Everyone gathered around Chaudhry Sahibra. Everyone except an English guest was wearing a cap.

After the photograph, the young English gentleman realised that he was the only one without the cap and wanted to have another photograph taken, this time wearing a cap. Chaudhry Sahibra could not refuse out of respect for the guest. Then the search for a suitable cap started. He tried one, looked in the mirror, asked the host if it was good. You can well imagine how the time would have appeared to drag on for Chaudhry Sahibra. Finally, when the young man got his cap sorted out and was ready for the photograph, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra advised him in one comprehensive sentence. Very affectionately he said, “Look young man! Don’t worry about your cap. It is what is under the cap that matters!” Everyone was amused by that spontaneous advice and the guest also took it well.

Regularity One salient feature of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahib’s life was the regularity of his habits. He did everything in a methodical and precise manner. His style of putting his signature was also unique; he did it slowly and nicely; observing that one could guess that his life followed the same pattern.

Coming to London from Holland over the weekend, he used to give me a

brief telephone call from his office in the International Court of Justice saying, “Rashed Sahib, I am about to set out, you should get going too.” Immediately, or a few minutes after the phone call, I would set out for the airport.

As I reached the airport, Chaudhry Sahibra would come out of the airport with his compact brief case. Sometimes, he would be waiting for me before my arrival. His favourite route to or from the airport was via Richmond Park, a beautiful park in the natural environment not too far from the Fazl Mosque.

Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra liked going through the park because of the fresh air and scene of thousands of deer and stags roaming freely in the park. “A leisurely walk to complete the journey”, he would say.

Previously Undocumented Personal Accounts

1. Respected Mateen Bhatti Sahiba (Serving as National Nasirat Secretary UK)

My memories of Sir Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan Sahibra (while I was newly married and had the opportunity to serve him in some small tasks) during the years 1979 to 1980 When I was in my teens, I read Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan Sahibs book “My Mother” and was extremely fascinated by the fact that the vast sacrifices and utter steadfastness of a mother had resulted in a son of such magnitude.

Subsequently, I would write to him for prayers and he would respond at many occasions; he once replied, “I pray for you three times daily in my prayers”.

How was I to know that one day I would be blessed enough to be in his presence, and even be talking to him!

During the time Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan Sahib was residing in the flat at 16 Gressenhall Road, our family had the task to offer him homemade yakhni

(chicken soup) for the sake of his weakening health. At first this offer was point blank refused, but upon insistence from my father-in-law, Sheikh Mubarak Ahmad Sahib (who was then the Imam and missionary in charge UK) he kindly accepted.

I sometimes had the opportunity to bring him the yakhni, but it was always a terrifying ordeal climbing up the stairs to knock on his door. We would try to get away with it by giving this prestigious task to somebody else! This was only because of his high status and his habit of absolute punctuality. As I recall, we had to reach his door, to the minute of 12.55pm and no later! He would also say that the bowl, spoon and saucer in which the yakhni came in should be the same every time. We had been using a different spoon and bowl and consequently listened to a few stern words, which were enough to buckle our knees; we learned the hard way! This was an example of his meticulousness which was a quality of his that surely contributed to his highly successful life.

After I had my first-born son, I went upstairs to Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra to show him the baby, upon which he smiled and caressed his head softly. I requested him to pray that my son also becomes like him, but his response left me astounded! His spontaneous response was: “may Allah make him better than me!” Being young, I couldn’t have expected such an answer. It was much later when I understood his utter humility.

Of course, one would never be brazening enough to initiate the gesture to stay and chat for a while; It was Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra himself who would be kind enough to suggest for me to be seated at times. I would be fortunate to listen to some of his accounts and noticed that I had never once found him not working on his table!

Sometimes I tidied his bedroom while he’d be working. His drawers held lots of gifted pairs of socks and I could also see new suits hung on the rail. We got to

know that Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was not a man of waste and would not use new clothing unless he absolutely needed to. Excessive water usage, food and clothes are some of the things he despised going to waste. His kitchen was sparse of food and only essential items to be consumed would be available.

His zero-waste attitude and immense consideration for minimal wastefulness would make him the perfect role model for today’s environmental mindset.

As he was a diabetic, he was a stickler about his diet; not taking a morsel more than needed. Once someone offered him another pakora , but he refused it by saying; “I’ve already had two and that was the maximum!” He once said that due to my well controlled diet, I no longer have diabetes. In those days it was understood that once you have diabetes it was for life, whereas now it is believed, that through diet and exercise, it can be beaten.

He would oft advise those who he would come across to fervently do Zikre Ilahi (remembrance of Allah). Once, he stood up and told me that he had a regular routine of invoking blessings on the Holy Prophetsaw by reciting Durood Sharif.

He told me that he would recite durood sharif at least 300 times every day

and If he wasn’t busy, he was known to recite it a thousand times! He would explain, gesturing, how he would pace the room he worked in, back and forth while invoking durood.

2. Respected Fahim Bhatti Sahib (Volunteer PS Office) I had the opportunity to spend time and get to know Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra on a very personal level. He was always very affectionate toward me and his humble, god-fearing and highly spiritual attributes have inspired me deeply.

During the years of 1978 and 1979, Chaudhry Sahib was carrying out translation work of the books of the Promised Messiahas. In the morning, he would get dressed in his suit, and work fervently throughout the day, for a minimum of 12 hours! He would read the sentences of the book he would be working on and effortlessly write the translation at the same time. He was very fluent in this work and managed to translate many books of the Promised Messiahas.

I would like to narrate a “sweet” incident. Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was in very good health generally, despite being diabetic, as he had a strict diet and would not have anything sweet. But he could not refuse a genuine Italian ice cream specifically from a shop in Clapham, not too far from Fazl Mosque. He liked this ice cream so much that he could not refuse a bowl when offered!

Sometimes Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra would buy eggs, some of which would have two yolks in them. Instead of cooking the whole egg and eating it in one go he would save one yolk and have it the next day. He was very particular about not letting anything go to waste!

While cleaning and sorting the living area of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra, I would notice that he always had some clothing, carefully and intentionally folded in a certain way, under his pillow and bedding. This was a means to iron his clothes while saving electricity! He never ironed a single piece of clothing in his

lifetime, and even met Kennedy in clothes ironed in this simple yet ingenious way!

An example of his humility was such that after Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra would come out of Fazl Mosque, having prayed Namaz, people would run to try and give him his shoes out of respect. Upon seeing this, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra would always tell them to leave the shoes and to not do too much for him.

When Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV would walking outside Fazl Mosque in London, Chaudhry Sahib would accompany him, walking behind with his hands clasped gently at his back. The reason why Hazrat Chaudhry Sahib had his hands tied back was because when people would say salaam and meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, they would also come toward the legendary Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra out of awe and respect, but Chaudhry Sahib would very sternly sign people away from him and sign that when Hazur is there it is only Hazur and not me. This had a profound effect on me as it showed the utmost respect Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra had for Khilafat.

Chaudhry Sahibra was leaving for Pakistan in 1983 and out of my love for him, I asked him not to go, to which he replied that “I do not want to go back to Pakistan in a coffin”.

An example of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra time management and punctuality were such that when he used to take Tarbiyyat classes at Fazl Mosque, he would tell his students to be there before 5pm sharp. To make sure they would all arrive on time, he would shut all the doors at 5pm and anybody who was late would not be allowed to enter. Throughout his life Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was extremely disciplined and taught others the importance of punctuality too.

He once said: “I have been to so many parts of the world, I have done so much and have faced so many hardships and problems but have found that there was only one thing which would solve them every time…

Durood Shareef”. In periods of trials and tribulations he would fervently recite durood shareef and always come to find some sort of blessing from Allah the Almighty. This incident had a very profound effect on me, and I believe this advice to be invaluable for all of us to try to follow.

To conclude…

To end this article, it deems appropriate to quote an extract of a Friday Sermon,

by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih VIrh, upon the demise of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra.

These are words of wisdom which summarise the spiritually wholesome and successful character of Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra, which we should strive to adopt and deeply ingrain into our lives.

“The Promised Messiahas has been given abundant and repeated glad tidings of incredible followers who will forever continue to come forth and when one departs another will step forward to take his place. You should raise your morale and strengthen your resolve. Adopt those paths of righteousness that Chaudhry Sahib continually adopted. Adorn yourselves with the quality of loyalty in the way he was so richly adorned. Develop that steadfastness and courageous resolve that was a distinguished part of his character. Lose yourself in the love and affection of Allah the Almighty and become the recipients of the special aspects of His love as Chaudhry Sahib had—nay strive to achieve even more than that! As for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at, no avenues of advancement can ever be closed for it.” 6

References 1. Personalities, n.d. Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (ra). [Online] Available at: alislam.org 2. Sahib, M. D. M. S., n.d. Brief Life Sketch of Chaudhry Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan. [Online] Available at: aslislam.org 3. Salam, D. A., 1986. Chaudhri Muhammad Zafrulla Khan. Review of Religions, 24 February, pp. 25-30.

4. Rashed, A. M., 2019. Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan r.a.. Alhakam, 19 April.

5. (rta), H. M. T. A., 1985. A Sign of Allah (Friday Sermon). s.l.:s.n.

Kid’s Spread Why is it so Important to Write to Hazuraba?

When we write to Hazuraba, we develop a personal bond with him and it increases the love of our Khalifa in our hearts.

Hazuraba is very near to Allah and Allah to him, thus when Hazuraba prays for us, Allah readily accepts his prayers! Thus, when we write to Hazuraba and Hazuraba prayers for us, it increases the acceptance of our prayers!

We are so lucky that Hazuraba dedicates so much time every single day to read and reply to our letters, and it is a great privilege that he is always there to guide us when we need help.

Hazuraba always specially prays for all those who write to him.

How do I get my letter to Hazuraba?

You can post or fax your letter.

Islamabad, Sheephatch Lane, Tilford GU10 2AQ, U.K. Fax: +44 (203) 988 3922 / +44 (208) 870 5234 What do I say to Hazuraba in my letter?

Remember, you can write to Hazuraba about anything. You can ask a question or for advice. You can also tell Hazuraba about achievements and milestones in your life such as passing your exams, gaining an award at Ijtema or when you have learnt something new.

You can also humbly request for prayers: • • • • • • • •

Guidance for education Guidance on decisions regarding marriage At the start of the school year Before school exams Before Ijtema Before travelling When you are feeling unwell For your parents and siblings

• • • • •

For your grandparents For your friends For the Jama’at For your country For people around the world e.g., if you hear about a natural disaster in any part of the world

How often should I write to Hazuraba?

You can write to Hazuraba weekly at the very least or ideally even more.

You do not have to write a long letter each time, even a short update is sufficient. You can also write to Hazuraba on certain occasions e.g.

• • • • •

New Year Beginning of Ramadhan Eid-ul-Fitr Eid-ul-Adha Jalsa Salana

Remember: 1. Always start your letter written with Bismillah (preferably written in Arabic) 2. Always include Salam written in either Arabic or English 3. Always include your age or your school year 4. Keep the letter short and concise 5. Preferably handwrite your letters to add that personalisation and special effort.

Task: Use this image as your guide and practice writing Bismilliah to add to the beginning of your letter.

WORDSEARCH Find the words in the puzzle. Words can go in any direction. Words can share letters as they cross over each other.

BLESSINGS BOND CONNECTION GUIDANCE HUZOOR KHILAFAT LETTER PRAYERS QUESTIONS

J OKE S Amanwal k si nt oal i br ar y ,appr oac hest he l i br ar i anands ay s ,“I ’ l lhav eac hees ebur ger andf r i es ,pl eas e. ” Thel i br ar i ans ay s ,“Si r ,y ouk nowy ou’ r ei na l i br ar y ,r i ght ? ” “Sor r y , ”hewhi s per s .“I ’ l lhav eac hees ebur ger andf r i es ,pl eas e. ”

Amanwasdr i v i ngdownt her oadwhenapol i c emans t oppedhi m.Theof f i c er

l ook edi nt he bac koft heman’ st r uc kands ai d,“Whyar et hes epengui nsi n y ourt r uc k ? ” Themanr epl i ed,“Thes ear emypengui ns .Theybel ongt ome. ” “Y ouneedt ot ak et hem t ot hez oo, ”t hepol i c emans ai d.

Thenex tday ,t heof f i c ers awt hes ameguydr i v i ngdownt her oad.Hepul l ed hi m ov er agai n.Hes awt hepengui nswer es t i l li nt het r uc k ,butt heywer e wear i ngs ungl as s est hi s t i me.“It houghtIt ol dy out ot ak et hes e pengui nst ot hez oo! ”t heof f i c ers ai d.

“Idi d, ”t hemanr epl i ed.“Andt oday

I ’ mt ak i ngt hem t ot hebeac h. "

Abus i nes s manwenti nt ot heof f i c eandf ound ani nex per i enc edpai nt erpai nt i ngt hewal l s .

Thehandy manwaswear i ngt woheav yc oat son ahots ummerday .

Thi nk i ngt hi swasal i t t l es t r ange,t he bus i nes s manas k edt hepai nt erwhyhewas wear i ngt hec oat sons uc hahotday .

Thepai nt ers howedhi mt hei ns t r uc t i onsont he c anofpai nt .Theyr ead:“Forbes tr es ul t s ,put ont woc oat s . ”

Aboyr eadar es t aur ants i gnt hatadv er t i s edf at f r eec hi ps .

“Soundsgr eat , ”s ai dt heheal t hc ons c i ousboy .Heor der eds ome.

Hewat c hedast hec ookpul l edabas k etofc hi psf r om t hef r y er .Thepot at oes wer edr i ppi ngwi t hoi lwhent hec ookputt hem i nt ot hec ont ai ner .

“Wai tami nut e, ”t heboys ai d.“Thos edon’ tl ookf at f r ee. ”

“Sur et heyar e, ”t hec ooks ai d.“Wec har geonl yf ort hepot at oes .Thef ati s f r ee! ”

Thr eemenar ei nt hemi ddl eofades er twhent hei rc arbr eak sdown.

Fort hei rhi k et ot own,t heyeac hdec i det ot ak eonet hi ngwi t ht hem.

Onemant ak esaj ugofwat er .Thes ec ondmant ak esas andwi c h.Thel as tmant ak es oneoft hec ardoor s .

Thef i r s tmans ay st ot hel as tman:"I ' m br i ngi ngt hewat erbec aus ei fIgett hi r s t y ,Ic an t ak eadr i nk .Andi tmak ess ens et obr i ngas andwi c hi nc as ewegethungr y ,butwhy br i ngac ardoor ? " Thel as tmanr epl i es ,

"I fIgethot ,Ic anj us tr ol ldownt hewi ndow. "

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER of the Seal of Prophets (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)

Conditions for the Appointment of a Successor In summary, the true Islamic teaching and real Islamic practice is that Khilafat and leadership should be established with the consultation of the people, as was done in the case of the first Khalifah of Islam after the demise of the Holy Prophetsaw.1 Nonetheless, if a Khalifah feels the need to appoint a successor himself, in certain circumstances, such a practice has been permitted. However, as proven in light of the Islamic teaching and the practice of the Four Khulafa’, there are five conditions. Firstly, such special circumstances should be prevalent at the time as would make such a practice more appropriate instead of the general practice.

Secondly, the successor should be appointed with the consultation of the people. Thirdly, the appointment should remain limited to the next Khalifah or Amir alone. It is not permitted that a Khalifah should order that after him such and such person would be the Amir, then so and so, and so forth, because this practice is equivalent to snatching the right of election from future generations. Fourthly, the successor should not be a near relative of the Khalifah. Fifthly, the Khalifah who is appointing a successor should be an elected Khalifah himself.2 ‫واہلل املع‬ (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon him)’, Volume II, By Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad M.A., p.543-544)

The Difference between Religious and Secular Rulers Religious rulers infer those leaders who possess religious government or a mixture of both religious and secular government.

Secular rulers imply such leaders who merely administer a secular government. With regards to the first category of rulers, Allah the

Exalted states in the Holy Qur’an: “O ye who believe! Allah has promised to those among you who instil within them a high level of faith, and perform good works of a high order, that He will surely appoint them as Successors in the earth, as he made Successors from among those who were before them; and that Allah will grant strength and power to the religion He has chosen for the Khulafa through their persons; and that He will give them in exchange security and peace after their fear.

These people shall always worship me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Those who do not obey these Khulifas, shall be among the treacherous and rebellious.”3 It is ascertained from this verse of the Holy Qur’an that the Khilafat of religious Khulafa is established by the special Power and Will of God the Exalted. They receive special succour from Allah the Exalted and their purpose is to grant power and strength to the religious system of government. It is for this reason that a person who does not render obedience to such people is considered to be among the disobedient and rebellious. A practical example of this is narrated in a Ḥadith: “Ḥazrat ‘A’ishahra relates that in the start of his terminal illness, the Holy Prophetsaw said to me, ‘I had intended to call upon your father and brother, and leave behind a will with regards to the Khilafat of Abu Bakr, so that someone else does not stand up in the desire for Khilafat and does not claim that he is more worthy of Khilafat than Abu Bakr. However, then I abandoned this intention with the thought that the community of the believers would never agree upon the Khilafat of another person, nor would God allow for the Khilafat of another person to be established.”4 This Ḥadith evidently establishes that although the election of religious Khulafa apparently

takes place through the consultation of people, in actuality, it is the hidden hand of God that guides the election process, and this is the true philosophy of the Islamic Khilafat.

Apparently, the believers hold an election, but in truth, it is the Power of God which manifests itself. In other words, just as in the case of a Messenger or divinely appointed individual, although God does not physically reveal Himself, His hidden cords pull the hearts of people to the individual who is most worthy of Khilafat.5 In these circumstances, with relation to religious Khulafa’, even though their election apparently takes place through a system of consultation, an appointment for a fixed term, or deposition after an election is absolutely out of the question. It is for this reason that Allah has declared those people who do not render obedience to such Khulafa or disobey them after having sworn allegiance to them as being rebellious. Even if a person contemplates in terms of rationality, the appointment of a religious Khalifa cannot be limited to a fixed-term, nor should the question of his deposition arise after an election, because the foundation of a religious relationship is based on faith and loyalty.

A religious Khalifa holds the position of an Imam, and though he is bound by the commandments of the Shari‘at, and is not entitled to the right of alteration in any respect, but the task of its elaboration and implementation is entrusted to him. The task of religious governance is solely in his hand, and as far as actions are concerned, he is considered to be an example for the community. Therefore, to declare this spiritual relationship as being limited to a fixed term or to make it lawful for people to severe a relationship of this nature is completely in contradiction with the spirit of religion. As a

result of this, the fundamental purpose of spiritual relation, and the Bai‘at and company of righteous saints is lost completely. In this manner, the door to unreasonable freedom in religion is opened, the final result of which is nothing other than disbelief and irreligion.

However, in contrast to this, the issue of secular rulers is completely different. The basis of one’s relation to them is not on faith and sincerity; rather, it is based merely on political wisdoms, and nor do any religious disorders arise directly as a result of their election to a term in office or deposition. Therefore, with respect to merely political leaders, Islam has not prescribed any restriction in particular.

Instead, people have been left free to limit the elections of their political leaders to a fixedterm if they deem it necessary, or strive to dismiss them in an appropriate manner if they feel it is necessary in extreme circumstances.

(The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon him)’, Volume II, By Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad M.A., p.545-548)

References 1 * Ṣaḥiḥul-Bukhari, Kitabul-Aḥkam, Babul-Istikhlaf, Ḥadith No. 7218 * Ṣaḥiḥu Muslim, Kitabul-Imarati, Babul-Istikhlafi Wa Tarkihi, Ḥadith No. 4713-4714 2 And Allah knows best [Publishers] 3 An-Nur (24:56) 4 * Ṣaḥiḥul-Bukhari, Kitabul-Aḥkam, Babul-Istikhlaf, Ḥadith No. 7217 * Ṣaḥiḥu Muslim, Kitabu Faḍa’iliṣṢaḥabati Raḍiyallahu Ta‘ala ‘Anhum, Babu Min Faḍa’ili Abi BakriṣṢiddiqra, Ḥadith No. 6181 5 In light of the political terminology of this day and age, it may be said that in this system, God the Exalted plays the role of a ‘wire puller.’

A day before migrating to London in 1984, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh, Khalifatul Masih IV, told members of the Jama’at in Masjid Mubarak, Rabwah:

“I have not gathered you to address you with a formal speech. I simply wished to see you, for my eyes are cooled and my heart is comforted by seeing you. By Allah, I love you more than a mother could love her own child.”

(Monthly Khalid, Syedna Tahir Number 2004, p. 36)

THE LOVE OF THE

Khalifa for the Jama’at

By Lubna Waheed

The love between a Khalifa and the people of his community may be confusing to an onlooker or an external observer. It may seem comparable to the love worldly leaders or celebrities have for their fans and followers. However, it must be understood that the love of a Khalifa is no ordinary love. As Ahmadi Muslims, the pull that we feel towards our Khalifa is extremely unique. But what makes it different?

Love is a common aspiration that everyone desires in the world, but the degree of love between a Khalifa and his Jama’at is a more deep-rooted connection. For example, celebrities or worldly leaders can give credit to their fans and supporters for their success. Their work was appreciated and so they gained a following, making them people of influence However, this is not the case for the Khalifa, for he is appointed by God Almighty. His love and sincerity come from God too. He worries about you and prays for your wellbeing. It is a spiritual connection and so cannot be compared to a worldly one. It is the Khalifa who is constantly reminding us to be better in every way to please our Lord.

In a Friday Sermon, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaba said: “Ahmadis are the fortunate ones, for whom the Khalifa of the time constantly worries. There is no difficulty – be it individual or communal – that Ahmadis across the world face and the Khalifa of the time does not address; and to solve it, does not – besides exerting [practical] effort – bow before God Almighty and pray to Him.” (Friday Sermon, 6 June 2014) Allah the Almighty has blessed Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya with the ability and gift to love all beings, whether they are part of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at or not. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba is the world’s leading Muslim figu e who promotes peace and inter-religious harmony. As a spiritual leader, by tirelessly speaking to the world about the efforts towards peace that we can make as human beings in general and as world leaders in particular, Hazuraba proves his true desire for love, kindness and harmony between all people.

When people pledge allegiance at the hand of the Khalifa and promise to live by the conditions of Bai’at - for the sake of Allah - then naturally, the love of the Khalifa for these people will be magnified There is a mutual desire between both the Khalifa and his people to want to build a relationship.

“And He bound the believers’ hearts to one another in affection [to the point that they were prepared to sacrifice their blood in place of your sweat, O Prophet]. If you had spent all that which is in the earth, even then you would not be able to bind their hearts in such a manner. But Allah has placed mutual affection between them [and deep love for you]. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Wise.”

(Ch.8: V.64, Tafsir-e-Saghir translation by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra) It is the Khalifa’s desire to want to see members of his Jama’at successful in the true purpose of life just as any parent desires for their child. Hazuraba addresses these millions of people, all around the world in his regular speeches; inspiring, motivating and pushing them towards religious and spiritual progress as well as guiding them to be better people even in the most basic of morals.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra once said:

“You have someone who has true sympathy for you; who truly loves you; who considers your pain and sufferings to be his own; and who is always praying to Allah for you.”

A day before migrating to London in 1984, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh told members of the Jama’at in Masjid Mubarak, Rabwah: “I have not gathered you to address you with a formal speech. I simply wished to see you, for my eyes are cooled and my heart is comforted by seeing you. By Allah, I love you more than a mother could love her

“You have someone who has true sympathy own child.” (Monthly Khalid, Syedna Tahir for you; who truly loves you; who considers Number 2004, p.36) your pain and sufferings to be his own; and who is always praying to Allah for you.”

These are but some examples of the Khulafa (Blessings of Khilafat, p.6) of the Ahmadiyya Jama’at expressing love for their followers.

Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh once said: The current Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor “I often pray during the sajda [prostration], Ahmadaba receives thousands of letters ‘O God, in respect of those who have written from Jama’at members from all around to me, please relieve them of their anxiety, the world. Alongside taking the time to sickness or worries about their examinations. read each and every one of these letters In respect of those who wanted to write to and sending replies, Hazuraba holds regular me but could not, please shower Thy Mercy personal meetings with these members. on them as well. And please show Mercy on He shows a keen interest in every step of those who become averse or lazy.’ I say this every Ahmadi’s life, guiding them in their prayer because I have a relationship with future aspirations and responsibilities. With everyone and deep in my heart lies love honesty and clarity Hazuraba helps members and affection for all.” (A Glimpse into the navigate through their lives, giving direction Life of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh), by BA and guidance in matters that members Rafiq p.10) confide in Hazuraba with and questions that

they have about religion or other aspects of life.

In his Khilafat, Hazuraba has brought up an entire generation of individuals of all ages and in particular the younger generation.

From the outset of his Khilafat, Hazuraba continued the classes that were held with the youth by his predecessor, and also commenced Waqf-e-Nau classes. Since the very beginning, Hazuraba has paid so much attention to the children and young adults in these classes that many of them are now succeeding in life in their respective fields, all the while serving the cause of the Promised Messiahas.

In 2003, Hazuraba was handed over a generation of young children by his predecessor, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh, in the form of Waqifeen and Waqifaat-e-Nau. Since the first day of his Khilafat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba has held the hand of each and every Waqf-e-nau and brought them up in a most excellent fashion. Many of those Waqifeen-e-nau who were young children at the time are now serving the Jama’at as missionaries, doctors, engineers or in various offices of the Jama’at. Those very children who Hazuraba taught basic Islamic lessons in the early Waqf-e-Nau classes now teach their own children those very lessons and pass on the great wisdom that was imparted to them by Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaba.

all look good, Masha’Allah, but I cannot recognise your faces – maybe if I look at some childhood pictures of you all, I will recognise you.” (Al-hakam, 05 March 2021) The love and affection Hazuraba has for Waqifeen-e-nau becomes manifest from this remark. Since their childhood, Hazuraba has been graciously giving them advice at every step of their upbringing and education. Indeed, this remark by Hazuraba is in need of no further comment, but prayers only.

Another aspect that this love can be confused with by an outsider is a form of dictatorship. The Khalifa is a leader who advises his followers in many aspects of religion and everyday life, but those who look upon this relationship from the outside and in the current modern age may not be able to initially fathom the idea that this religious leadership is far from a dictatorship.

To this allegation Hazuraba said:

Due to the pandemic, these classes are now being held virtually and in a recent mulaqat, Hazuraba said to one of the members:

“What dictator has a connection with his subjects? The Khalifa, on the other hand, has a personal relation with every Ahmadi of every nation and every ethnicity. They write to me in person and state their personal issues. If one sees the volume of such letters that I receive daily, they would find it incredible. It is only Khilafat that is concerned for the problems of every Ahmadi living in all parts of the world; the Khalifa personally prays for them.

“You have all grown up and now have beautiful beards, maybe that is why I cannot recognise you all. And it has been a long time too, right? Since a [waqf-e-nau] class … I was not able to meet you either [due to the widespread pandemic]. I am looking at your faces and you have grown, maybe some have even married. Anyhow, you

“What worldly leader is there who prays for the ill? What worldly leader remains restless for matrimonial matches of his youth?

What worldly leader remains concerned for the education of the children of his nation? Governments do provide schools and health facilities, but the concern for the education and health of people spread

“There is no country in the world where my imagination does not take me, praying for the Ahmadis living there, while awake or even when asleep. I am not mentioning this as a favour. It is my duty and I pray that Allah enables me to fulfil this duty even better than ever before.” across the globe is only in the heart of the Khalifa-e-Waqt. There is no problem that afflicts Ahmadis – of personal nature or to do with the Jama’at – that does not leave the Khalifa-eWaqt concerned; he not only takes practical measures to alleviate these problems but also prays for them.

The Khulafa before me and I too have always done so. There is no country in the world where my imagination does not take me, praying for the Ahmadis living there, while awake or even when asleep. I am not mentioning this as a favour. It is my duty and I pray that Allah enables me to fulfil this duty even better than ever before […]” (Friday Sermon delivered

by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaba, 6 June 2014) One can try to explain to the world what the love that the Khalifa has for his people is and how pure and true it is, but the truth is that it is something that we feel in our hearts because of all the effort and interest that our Hazuraba gives us. We see his love in the amount of attention and guidance we receive from him, and we are able to feel that love radiate towards us in our mulaqats and letters from our beloved Imam. The conviction in wanting us to progress in our faith and relationship with Allah, is what also convinces us of his love and his reassurance and prayers during our desperate times of need.

Where someone may feel that this is all theoretical or not reality, I can say that on a personal level, I have been blessed with this love since the age of 10 from our beloved Imam.

He has constantly been guiding me in my waqf, my interest of singing nazms, religious knowledge, my education, career choices, how to be a good daughter and person, my marriage and now, children. A huge blessing is that this does not end here. The guidance, love and attention from Hazuraba continues, and just like my continuing story with Khilafat, this is the case for millions of Ahmadis around the world.

Being recipients of the Khalifa’s love, it is our responsibility to also portray our love to our beloved Imam, not by merely saying “I love you”, but to tirelessly work on ourselves and become better Muslims, better human beings, spreading the message of Ahmadiyyat and being good, noble examples of an Ahmadi Muslim, so that we may create ease for Hazuraba in his work and responsibilities. May Allah enable us to achieve this way of life. Ameen.

Safeguarding Progeny from Ills of Society

An extract from the English summary of the Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaba on 7th May 2021.

His Holinessaba said that in today’s day and age where worldliness is rampant and our children are vulnerable to these satanic forces, we must pray now more than ever. We must establish a strong bond with our children and also educate them regarding God and faith and enable them to attain complete certainty. We should attach them to faith to such a degree, that none of their actions or even thoughts go against the will and pleasure of God. This is the best manner of saving our future generations. However, this can only happen when we attain complete certainty ourselves. It will only be possible when we establish a strong connection with God ourselves, and are exemplary in our worship as a true believer should be. We must understand the true reason behind why we have accepted the Promised Messiahas.

His Holinessaba said that vanities and indecencies are rampant now more than ever; and through means such as television and the internet, the ills that were once only found outside the home are available inside the homes. Hence, we must be very careful and take great care, especially of the children.

His Holinessaba said that we should always remember the sacrifices made by the elders who gave precedence to faith and went through great hardships for the sake of their faith. It is not enough to be from the progeny of a very pious person, rather, we must establish our own virtuous deeds and must rectify our weaknesses. We pray a great deal for our children’s worldly success, but we should pray even more for their spiritual success. It is then that not only will we be saved, but so too will our future generations.

His Holinessaba said that in these last few days of Ramadan, we should pray that our faith, and the faith of our children be safeguarded, we should pray to be safeguarded from the satanic forces of today, and we must always stay true to our faith and worship, and do justice in our prayers.

His Holinessaba said that we should pray for God’s mercy upon the world which is falling prey to the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

His Holinessaba said that we should also remember those Ahmadis all around the world who are facing hardships on account of their faith. The Ahmadis in Pakistan in particular should also focus on presenting financial sacrifices. If we do this, then all plots of the opponents will be foiled.

His Holinessaba said that we should recite the following prayers: ‘O my Lord! Everything is dedicated to Your service! My Lord, protect me, help me and have mercy on me.’

‘O Allah! We make You a shield against the enemy and we seek Your protection against their evil designs.’

His Holinessaba said that it is not enough to merely repeat these prayers, rather we must also take care of our prayers and pay special attention to them. Only then will such prayers benefit us. We should strive to continue the standard of our prayers which we have established during Ramadan throughout the year.

His Holinessaba said that we should pray to be able to continue these virtues past Ramadan. We should also remember that by extending the scope of our prayers to include others as well, we will receive even more blessing from God. This will increase our bonds of love and brotherhood as well.

His Holinessaba said that we must also pray for the Muslim Ummah (nation), which is leading itself to ruin by not accepting the Imam of this age. We should pray for the world in general as well, that they may be guided and saved from God’s wrath.

His Holinessaba said that it is our duty to continuously pray, now during Ramadan and after Ramadan as well. His Holinessaba prayed that may everyone be granted the ability to do so.

(Summary prepared by The Review of Religions)

https://www.reviewofreligions.org/30918/friday-sermon-summary-7th-april-2021-rightly-guided-caliphs-hazrat-umar-ra-guidance-from-his-holinessaba-regarding-ramadan-safeguarding-progeny-from-ills-of-society/

WAQF IN THE FIELD: MEDICAL ENGINEERING

AALIA REHMAN

As Waqifeen-e-Nau, we are constantly reminded that every decision we make in all aspects of our life, should be done to help the Jama’at. This particularly applies to education, where Hazur(May Allah be his Helper) has given us so much guidance in classes, at Ijtemas, and during conferences. In his Friday Sermon delivered on 28th October 2016, titled ‘The Essence of Waqfe Nau’, Hazuraba said “I will advise the students that they should go into research, in different disciplines of science… If, in various departments of science, our best scientists are produced, then, in the future, whereas the Ahmadis will give the religious education and the world will depend on us to learn about faith; there will be Ahmadis who will be imparting the secular knowledge as well.”i Of all the careers that Hazuraba has recommended to Waqfe Nau in his Sermons, I felt research was my strong suit. Although I did not get the chance to have a mulaqat with Hazuraba, I wrote to him asking for guidance. At the end of Year 12, I attended a university lecture at UCL on medical physics where they discussed the possibilities of combining medicine with physics to provide a broadened perspective on remedies. Thus, I began researching on similar topics, and with Hazur’saba guidance and prayers, I applied to study Medical Engineering at the University of Surrey.

Medical engineering, also known as biomedical engineering, or bioengineering, is essentially the application of mechanics to biology. It combines mechanical engineering and different aspects of biology to understand human anatomy and movement. This provides a huge spectrum of possibilities including designing FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) machines, culturing artificial organs, developing prosthetics, and coding machinery to understand brain signals, just to name a few.

For bioengineering, most UK universities require A Level subjects to include maths and physics. There are a few that allow chemistry in place of physics although this can make it difficult to understand some concepts. Having not studied physics since year 10, I really struggled with some topics that my peers had been studying all through A Levels. I wrote regularly to Hazuraba for prayers and by the grace of Allah, even when it felt impossible, I managed to pass all my exams.

Perhaps the only things that I have remained consistent with while being a student, from my time in GCSEs, is writing letters to Hazuraba. At least once a week I wrote to request prayers for my education and for my friends and siblings. I wrote very openly about anything I was struggling with and what I hoped to achieve. In all his replies, Hazuraba always concludes his letters with advice explaining that reciting Darood frequently, Zikre Elahi, and punctuality in Namaz and Tilawat is the key to success. This consistently emphasised the importance of gaining religious knowledge and building a close connection with Allah the Almighty.

At most universities, the degree is a BEng but can also be completed as a separate MSc or even an integrated MEng. The benefit of studying this degree to or at a master’s level is that you are introduced to more niche subjects and have the chance to partake in more projects. The first year is common with other engineering disciplines covering general modules in maths, mechanics, statics, and electronic instrumentation. In the second year, we were introduced to Biomechanics - analysis of human movement and energy transfer and also designed a prosthetic hand to fit a design specification. By the third year the material was more specialised, my two main projects included designing an electrical stimulated cycle for a paraplegic patient and developing a filter to analyse brain signals to better understand epilepsy. In my final year, we were given a broad choice for our individual projects and I had the chance to complete my dissertation on tissue engineering.

My favourite aspect of this degree is how versatile it is and how broad your career paths are once you graduate. The most researched and well-known area for bioengineering is prosthetic limb design, and gait analysis. The standard design for mechanical limbs is well known and researched. Where it currently stands, it can be said that an optimum design has been achieved. However, electrical prosthetics, specifically those that can be controlled using brain signals, still require a lot of understanding.

The central nervous system is an incredibly complex system of the body and the signals for even simple movements are not easy to replicate.

Furthermore, the technology that is available is incredibly pricey and not accessible to the average person. Thus, despite being possibly the best understood area of bioengineering, there is so much research to be done to achieve natural limb movement in amputees.

There are of course a number of industrial positions available with this career pathway.

Most of these go into artificial intelligence, medical equipment such as MRI equipment and medical devices, like pacemakers. Medical

engineers can also work in hospitals, working to maintain and fix medical equipment to ensure it is fit for use. Alternatively, another common pathway taken, is training in clinical engineering and working in gait analysis and rehabilitation.

The more fascinating side of this degree is the numerous research topics it includes. Being less than 50 years old, the area of research remains incredibly broad which allows huge possibilities for understanding new areas of science. The seemingly industrial aspects of the degree in fact can also be pushed into research. If we consider EEG equipment for example, there are many improvements needed and better data extraction methods required, to understand neurological disorders.

As Waqifeen-e-Nau, we are often reminded that our purpose is to serve Jama’at in any way Hazuraba asks of us to. One way to do this whilst pursuing secular knowledge is to relate our work to prove the existence of Allah the Almighty. At the AMRA conference held in 2019, Hazuraba said, “All Ahmadi researchers or academics should continually keep in view the Oneness of God Almighty before, during and after conducting any research or study. They should seek to conduct their investigations with the firm intention of eliciting evidence that will enable them to prove the existence of the One God…. The research of a secular person is based on a purely worldly approach and they use their intellect for the sake of material progress. Their efforts lead to scientific advancement, but the research of a believer has a far greater potential impact... to offer proof of the existence of God Almighty.” Hence, bioengineering is a possible research area that can help build further scientific proof, as described by Hazuraba, to showcase the existence of Allah the Almighty.

The research topic that interested me most was tissue engineering. I pursued this for my final year individual project, focusing on designing artificial skin. Tissue engineering, as its name suggests, is lab engineered biological tissue.

It involves culturing cells then seeding them into a scaffold, or 3D structure, to encourage

organ/ tissue growth. Tissue engineering includes replacement, repair and regeneration of tissues and organs. There are two main applications- to study diseases and to grow human organs. In theory, tissue engineering could be used to grow healthy organs for those in need of a transplant.

The possibility of growing a replacement organ, from the patient’s own cells, could dramatically improve their quality of life. Alternatively, we could take infected/ diseased cells and culture different organs to allow us to understand how a disease evolves and to study the effects of possible drugs.

The traditional method for testing a new drug would be to test it on cells grown on a petri dish, then on rodents or other animals, and finally human testing takes place. However, if we are to grow a human organ in the lab, as theorised in tissue engineering, it could replace many of these steps and speed up this process, while providing reliable results. Furthermore, using cells extracted from the patients allows us to produce patient-specific results, resulting in better personalised medicine. This research is still in its early phases but shows incredibly promising data- skin models currently in research are both biologically and structurally relevant, showing high mechanical stability and reduced cell degradation, compared to 2D analysis.

With my project in skin tissue engineering, I researched into current available skin models and their similarities with native human skin. Despite being the most accessible and arguably the most understood organ, the differences between Allah’s creation and our human attempts were staggering. The top layers of skin are only a few millimetres deep, yet the complexity in attempting to replicate just this structure is incredibly difficult. This is just one way that shows how Allah is AlKhaliq, The Great Creator, Al-Musawwir, The Designer, and Aziz, The All-Powerful. In his address at the first international AMRA conference, while speaking about righteous believers, Hazuraba said, “When they pray to Allah for guidance, He grants them clarity of thought, He enlightens their minds and washes away the haze of incomprehension that previously existed. He grants them an understanding of the universe and planets and they recognise with certainty, that such a perfect and precise natural order could never have come about by chance or on its own; rather, it is a reflection and indicator of a Great Creator.”ii InshAllah, as per Hazur’saba wishes, we can use science and research to prove the existence of Allah and the truth foretold in the Holy Qur’an.

References: i https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2016-10-28.html ii https://www.reviewofreligions.org/19379/ahmadi-muslim-researchers-restoring-islams-golden-age/

“

“

I say it with all the emphasis at my command that I

shall not discard the robe bestowed upon me by God. I could not care less if you become my opponents and the rest of the world honed you too. There is a promise from

God’s Appointee and we have witnessed the fulfilment that He shall not cast aside this community as worthless.

Strange are His mighty ways and all-prevailing is His surveillance. You fulfil your part of the covenant and then

witness the progress you make and the success you achieve Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Nooruddin Sahib, Khalifatul Masih Ira, Badr, 21st October 1909

Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Nooruddin Sahib, Khalifatul Masih Ira

!N %XChPT &R

Launch of ʻ‘The Existence Project’ ! 3PECIAL )NThVIEW WITH THE 7tLDWIDE (EAD OF THE !HMADIYYA -USLIM # MUNITY

Amer Safir: Your Holiness, in terms of communica on with God and experiencing God, is this limited to humankind, or can animals also communicate with God? Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaba: Animals have been given ins ncts relevant to their needs and ac ons they need to perform. Some mes animals have been given par cular heightened senses. Dogs for example have an excellent sense of smell. They can use it to hunt prey effec vely and also sniffer dogs are used for this reason in narco cs for detec on. Other animals possess other types of a ributes and characteris cs for their needs. They can neither go beyond nor reduce the conferred character which they have been granted by Allah the Almighty.

Indeed, one can train an animal to be er use their quali es. However, the characteris cs they are endowed with cannot be reduced nor exceeded, and a er some training they cannot surpass that. Animals have all been given unique traits. In some environments, wild animals will form a herd to protect themselves. Thus, God has granted animals ins ncts to perform their roles.

Humans, however, have been given intellect as well. In terms of an outer form all animals including humans have been given one; however, humans have also been given the ability to worship and also intellect. Animals are limited in their purpose in terms of the func ons their bodies can form, whereas humans in addi on to their basic purpose, also have been given an addi onal purpose, which is referred to in the Holy Qur’an as:

‘And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.’ (Holy Qur’an, Ch.51, vs.57) Therefore, humans and jinns have a purpose which is not found amongst other animals. Humans have a higher purpose and thus naturally the soul will encounter more communica on with God as a result.

Spiritual progress and the concept of heaven and hell only relate to human souls because they have been given a purpose in life, whereas animals have a specific func on in life within nature and have been given a role which they enact in their life and they are unable to do anything outside of that sphere.

Amer Safir: afir: Your Holiness, I had a ques on in terms of communica on with God, which is how does a prophet or khalifa [caliph or successor to a prophet] know when they have been informed of something directly by God, as opposed to it being their own thought?

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaba: First of all, there is a difference in the status and rank of prophets and the khalifas. We have to understand the degrees of ranks. A khalifa cannot possess all the quali es of a prophet. Hazrat Musleh Mau`udra has explained in great detail that prophets have a unique status, and a khalifa cannot possess all the quali es of a prophet. All the khalifas from the Promised Messiahas un l me, have reflected some of the character and colour of the Promised Messiahas, and some emphasised certain teachings or a ributes more. However, none of us khalifas can reflect all the a ributes of the Promised Messiahas. Hazrat Musleh Mau`udra, through his special quali es, was as close to a prophet as possible, but even he did not encompass all of the Promised Messiah’sas quali es and neither have any of the khalifas a er him. So firstly, it is important to understand the difference between prophets and khalifas.

Regarding the khalifas, through special prayer, Allah places in our heart a profound sa sfac on that such-­‐and-­‐such should occur and this is how we know it will be beneficial and is the right course. If a khalifa decides something himself (which he has not been directly informed of by Allah) – as we do not say a khalifa cannot make mistakes – if the decision of the khalifa relates to the Jama’at [Ahmadiyya Muslim Community] and is for its benefit, Allah the Almighty grants protec on from any nega ve effects manifes ng, even if the khalifa makes an error.

This is something I have explained before as well.

Amer Safir: afir: Your Holiness, if I may ask, can you kindly enlighten on how you personally communicate with God? Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaba: Through prayers or a dream, or in some way or the other, Allah places in my heart what should happen. This informs me that this is from Allah the Almighty and is the best ac on to take. Some mes it is in prayers, some mes it is a feeling in the heart and some mes I see a dream and I come to know this is from Allah.

Some mes it is a feeling that is so empha cally ingrained in my heart from Allah or which emerges repeatedly, again and again during prayer that gives me the firm realisa on that it is God’s will. I do not say that I receive revela on, but some mes Allah informs me by way of a Qur’anic verse, and I know the ma er is from Allah through its meaning and interpreta on.

Amer Safir: Your Holiness, do you experience kashf (visions)?

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba: Some mes when I am praying for a person, their face appears before me during the prayers. I cannot say that this necessarily is a kashf or that I have seen a kashf, but some special state develops in prayers.

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