Al Hakam - 18 October 2019

Prophecies of the Promised Messiahas The prophecy of Ahmad Baig: A great sign

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The Noor Mosque of Frankfurt

This is true integration!

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa at the inaugural reception of Mahdi mosque

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa addresses the inaugural reception of Mubarak mosque

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A green dome and two minarets - Frankfurt's Noor Mosque was inaugurated on 12 September 1959

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 18 October 2019 | Issue LXXXIII Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Huzoor’s tour of Europe enters fourth week

azrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V is on a tour of H Europe, taking the message of Islam to aa

its citizens. Having addressed Jalsa Salana Holland and France, opened mosques in Almere and Strasbourg and spoken at

UNESCO, he is now in Germany. We have reported on the opening Continued on page 2

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

Best of deeds Hazrat Abdullah, Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The best of deeds or deed is the observance of prayer at its proper time and kindness to parents.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al Iman)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

The excellence of a miracle The excellence and grounds for a miracle is that it takes every aspect into consideration. It ought to maintain eloquence and articulacy but preserve truth and wisdom as well. This miracle is specific to the Holy Quran alone, which shines like the sun and which possesses a miraculous power in every sense. The Quran is not composed of mere words and expressions like the Gospel, which states that one ought to turn the cheek after being struck on the first. This does not consider or take into account whether such a teaching brings about wise action and whether it accords with man’s nature. In comparison, if one reads the teachings of the Quran, it becomes clear that the human mind does not have the power to address all issues, and a complete and flawless teaching of such nature can neither be the result of the human intellect, nor the product of the human brain. If there were a thousand people in need before us, and we were to provide for one or two, would this be deemed sufficient? In a similar manner, the Gospel focuses on a single aspect and has not given the least consideration to other situations. For this, we do not blame the Gospel, rather, this was on account of the evil deeds of the Jews. The Gospel was sent down in accordance with their capacity. As the proverb goes: “The soul determines the sort of angels that accompany it.” How can anyone else be blamed? (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 82)

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Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

This Week in History 18 - 24 October 18 October 1947: The main administrative body of the Jamaat in Pakistan (Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Pakistan) officially submitted an application to purchase the land of Rabwah, previously known as Chak Dhagian. On this date, the written request was sent to the deputy commissioner of Jhang. The affirmative reply was received months later in June 1948 after a thorough process. Many devout members of the Jamaat extended their selfless services in different capacities to complete the official registration and purchase of Rabwah. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra commended the efforts of Nawab Muhammad Din Sahib along with many more.

world languages. The proposed languages started with English, Russian, German, French, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese etc. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra also pledged to personally bear the expenses of translating and printing the Holy Quran into Italian. This was due to the fact that the successor of Jesusas was based and resided in Italy. Jamaat members showed great zeal and generosity towards this unique call and submitted their promises.

18 October 1947: Hazrat Sufi Ghulam Muhammad passed away. He served the Jamaat in Mauritius as a missionary for more than a decade.

21 October 1934: An anti-Ahmadiyya group called Ahrar convened its three-day conference in Rajawah near Qadian. On this occasion, government officials behaved unjustly towards Ahmadis and did not desist in revealing their biased conduct. Later, the government admitted its unjust and immoral behaviour.

18 October 1947: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra shared a resolution with Jamaat members that 250 men would remain stationed in Qadian to help guard sacred places and the remaining Ahmadi inhabitants will leave. Later on, this number was raised to 313 men. A faithinspiring aspect of this ordeal is that when Jamaat members were given the choice to decide between remaining in the besieged and dangerous area of Qadian or travel to Pakistan to live with their loved ones. The figure of applicants who wished to be stationed in Qadian was far higher than the required number. Hence, these “Darwesh” were determined through draws. 18 October 1947: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra exerted all efforts to ensure peace and stop the ongoing bloodshed during the partition. On this date, he dispatched a letter to Mahatma Gandhi, urging him to take immediate steps to maintain peace using his political power. Unfortunately, this most important and immediate letter received a cold response as Mr Gandhi replied to it two weeks later on 7 November. 18 October 1956: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra addressed the gathering of the Ahmadiyya International Press Association. 18 October 1964: Talim-ul-Islam College Rabwah convened its first Urdu Conference, which was attended by 25 prolific writers and poets of national prominence. 19 October 1915: Hazrat Amma Jan, may Allah be pleased with her, travelled to Delhi, her ancestral home, to see her relatives and spent time with her extended family members. 19 October 1924: The foundation stone of the Fazl Mosque in London was laid by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra on this date during his historic visit to Great Britain, when he was invited to address the Conference of Religions of the Empire at the Imperial Institute in London. It was 20 Rabi-ul-Awal 1314 according to the Islamic Calendar and this event was attended by around 200 local guests and widely publicised by the press. 19 October 1931: Hazrat Chaudhry Abdus Salamra from KathGarh passed away. 19 October 1945: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra introduced a scheme to inculcate the importance of education within Jamaat members. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra set the target of 100 percent literacy rate to be achieved. He instructed the local chapters of the Jamaat to device schemes to distribute stipends among the students with extraordinary achievements in their respective curriculum fields. 19 October 1947: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra drew the Jamaat’s attention to collect and provide those who had migrated to Pakistan with blankets, quilts, mattresses and warm clothing before the arrival of winter. 19 October 1947: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra powerful article about Kashmir and Hyderabad was published in Al Fazl. 19 October 1962: Khuddam and Lajna convened their threeday annual Ijtema at separate venues in Rabwah. At both sites, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra recorded message was played out. 20 October 1940: The foundation stone of tne Ahmadiyya mosque in Srinagar, Kashmir was laid by Hazrat Maulana Abul Ata on this date. The mosque was built within a year. 20 October 1944: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra initiated the project of translating the Holy Quran and other literature into

20 October 1962: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra laid the foundation stone of Aiwan-e-Mahmud, the main building of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya in Rabwah.

21 October 1956: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra directed Jamaat members to mark a day to be celebrated annually as Khilafat Day. Hence, 27 May was decided for this objective. 21 October 1963: Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khanra was reelected as the judge of International Court of Justice at The Hague. 22 October 1925: For the first time within East Africa, a devout lady, Nawab Begum submitted her forms to be part of the divine institution of Al Wasiyyat. 22 October 1937: The Arya Samaj of Civil Lines in Saharunpur held a religious conference, which was attended by Master Muhammad Hassan Asan Sahib and Mahasha Muhammad Umar Sahib. Both scholars made speeches during the event representing the Jamaat. 22 October 1943: Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Qadian held its 5th annual Ijtema. On the final day, during a match of Kabadi (a contact game played in the Indian subcontinent), some Khuddam and Atfal started to clap to encourage their favourite side. After seeing this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra strongly condemned this way of celebration for men. 22 October 1945: Qaid-e-Azam was worried as the election season was approaching. On 18 October, he published an appeal to Muslim voters for support. After these developments, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra wrote an article for Al Fazl, in which he shared the outline of the Jamaat’s policy for the upcoming elections. Huzoorra permitted Ahmadi voters to support the Muslim League and enable them to win with visible margins. 23 October 1928: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra drew the attention of Ahmadi women to donate generously for the expansion of the Fazl Mosque in London. 23 October 1936: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra summoned the special session of Majlis-e-Shura, which lasted for three days. 23 October 1940: A delegation all the way from Calcutta arrived in Qadian to visit the town’s educational institutes. Members of this Kamal-Yar-Jung Education Committee also had an audience with Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. 23 October 1947: Major-General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya and Husain Shaheed Suhrawardy visited Qadian and held meetings with elders of the Jamaat. They wanted to know about the situation in and around Qadian. They were accompanied by Mr Dr Dinshaw Mehta, the famous associate of Mahatma Gandhi. 23 October 1965: Owing to the tense situation at the eastern borders, the annual Ijtema of Khuddam in Rabwah was postponed and the reserved budget for this purpose was given to the National Defence Fund. 24 October 1902: One of the sermons of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira was recorded through the phonograph. 24 October 1951: A newspaper titled Al Rahmat, published from Lahore, gave an article discussing the idea of the removal of a caliph. On this date, Al Fazl published Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra article that demystified and refuted this false and baseless idea.

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reception of Mubarak Mosque in the German city of Wiesbaden and, moments ago, Huzooraa has delivered his Friday Sermon in Giessen. He is scheduled to visit other parts of Germany where mosqueopenings and addresses to German dignitaries are said to be on agenda. MTA International and its portable live-coverage facilities are accompanying Huzooraa and we have seen most of Huzoor’saa engagements live via satellite and the internet. Huzoor’s message, as always, is crisp and clear: Peace is what the world needs most and Islam stands for peace. We will have more opportunities to listen to Huzoor’saa addresses on various occasions in the coming couple of weeks; all during this blessed tour. One would naturally want to know how this message is received by the German nation. As a specimen, let’s have a look at what Frankfurt based journalist Benjamin Kilb has to say in his award-winning work, A Ray of Hope, Growing in the Shadows: Ahmadiyya in Germany: “Debates on Islam in Germany rarely feature the Ahmadiyya community (AMJ), a reform-oriented movement, but for more than 90 years it has been part of our society. Ahmadis are well-integrated, open-minded, socially-active and lawabiding... “However, the community only appears in the headlines when conservative initiatives want to prevent them constructing a mosque, and to do so equate them with Islamists. Meanwhile, many Muslims on the other side allege that Ahmadis are heretics. In some Muslim countries they face brutal persecution. For my feature, I travelled to several German cities to portray the AMJ and to show that Islam can coexist in symbiosis with German society, belongs to our country and does not pose a danger.” (www.zenith. me) Ahmadiyya media has joined hands to ensure that Ahmadis all around the globe are not missing out on any event of Huzoor’saa tour; this is what every Ahmadi wants the most and this is what Ahmadiyya media is trying to deliver. While MTA International brings all addresses live to the comfort of our sitting rooms, MTA Online is trying to show as much as possible from behind the scenes. Al Hakam and Al Fazl websites have been busy reporting on as many details of the events as possible. Makhzan-e-Tasaweer has had their camera shutters clicking and been putting photographs together for newspapers, journals and websites. The Review of Religions has shared some very interesting angles, and press releases from the Central Press and Media Office have been coming through bringing exclusive information about the events. Stay tuned to the above sources and feel virtually present at the blessed events; whatever part of the world you may be in. (Useful sources: mta.tv, alhakam. org, alfazl.com, makhzan.org, reviewofreligions.org and pressahmadiyya. com)

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Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

From the Archives

Ahmadiyya mosques in Germany How it all started rowsing through the archives of Al Fazl B Rabwah, many headlines tend to catch your attention. For instance, the issue of

8 November 1959 has a headline saying “A space station will soon be established on the Moon”. The story goes on to relate how humans would soon gain access to the Moon and Mars. Turn a few pages and you find yourself struck by another headline: “Our great mosque in Frankfurt, West Germany”

Building mosques in the west has always been a great ambition of the Jamaat. Above is an old announcement asking for financial contributions towards this cause

If one is acquainted with the humble, yet marvellous history of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, this news should be almost as tantalising as the one about the Moon and possibilities of human access. Next to none resources and a mosque in the heart of European mainland! But here we are. As Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah help him at every step, is in Germany inaugurating mosques in different cities, it is faith-inspiring to see how it all started. There existed an Ahmadiyya mosque in Hamburg since 1957, but this new mosque was built in Frankfurt – the heartthrob of the German nation. This was the magnificent Noor Mosque – small in appearance but tall in character; and now, rich in its contribution towards propagation of Islam on the soil of Germany. The report that follows the headline explains how the inaugural reception of the mosque – held on 12 September 1959 – unfolded. Chaudhry Abdul Latif Sahib,

then missionary-in-charge of Germany, reports that the evening started with a message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra being read out, followed by a message from the Wakilut Tabshir (then Mirza Mubarak Ahmad Sahib). Ahmadi delegates from other European countries had travelled to attend the historic event among whom were Hafiz Qudratullah Sahib, Sheikh Nasir Ahmad Sahib, Abdul Hakim Akmal Sahib, Kamal Yusuf Sahib and Bashir Ahmad Rafiq Sahib. Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra – then vice president of the International Court of Justice – had travelled from The Hague to deliver the keynote address that evening. The excitement and happiness of German Ahmadis was evident from the zeal and enthusiasm with which they attended the event; naturally so as they were the actual hosts in every sense of the term. The press, with their cameras and spiral notebooks, showed special interest in covering the event; it made it to the headlines of most newspapers the following morning. A number of officials from Frankfurt authorities were invited and had gladly attended the event. The chief mayor of Frankfurt was unable to attend but had sent Mr Albrecht as his representative. Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khanra in chair, the event started with recitation of the Holy Quran by Hafiz Qudratullah Sahib and followed by a welcome note readout by Chaudhry Abdul Latif Sahib. Abdul Shakoor Kunze – a German Ahmadi Muslim – delivered a speech and explained with great eloquence what it meant to be a Muslim. Mr Albrecht took it to the dais and expressed his pleasure in being present on the important event and that too as the representative of the chief mayor of Frankfurt. He said it was his hope that the mosque would play its role in establishing peace and harmony in the city. He expressed full support from the local authorities for the mosque. Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrullah Khanra then delivered his presidential address, highlighting the global character of the message of Islam. Chaudhry Sahibra led everyone in silent prayers and the event came to its end. But with this end opened a chapter of religious history in the Federal Republic of Germany. Who would have known that the seemingly small Jamaat that had erected this mosque with their humble financial contributions would one day be building mosques in all major cities and towns of Germany? And not only major cities. They aim to do so in every city or town. This achieved, every town and every city will become a major one. Long live the Ahmadiyya Jamaat that strives to establish peace and harmony through mosques!! Frankfurter Allgemeine covered the opening of Noor Mosque in Frankfurt

Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

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Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V at the inaugural reception of Mahdi mosque

Strasbourg, France, Saturday, 12 October: The Mahdi Mosque was inaugurated with the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, in Strasbourg, France. An inaugural reception was held in the premises of the mosque where Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa addressed dignitaries, local residents and guests. After Hazrat Amirul Momineen’saa arrival, the session started with the recitation of the Holy Quran, verses 11, 12 and 14 of Surah al-Hujurat (chapter 49). Ashfaq Rabbani Sahib, Amir Jamaate-Ahmadiyya France then introduced the Jamaat and welcomed the guests. An introduction to Islam Ahmadiyyat and the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, was given. A number of dignitaries that addressed the gathering included Jean Jacques Rusch the Mayor of Hurtigheim, Martine Wonner Member of Parliament for Hurtigheim, Justin Vogel Mayor of Truchtersheim, and

President of the Kochesberg Municipality, Étienne Burger, Vice President of the county council and Mayor of Khuttolsheim. The speakers welcomed the Jamaat’s initiative of building the mosque, appreciating freedom of religion in France. They spoke on various areas of the French society and praised the Jamaat’s motto of “Love for all, hatred for none” and how it fitted in. Justin Vogel, Mayor of Truchtersheim expressed her understanding of Islam as a religion of peace and the Holy Quran as a book that promotes peace. She also desired for the Mahdi Mosque, Strasbourg to be a means of spreading peace and love. After reciting the Tashahud and Ta‘awuz, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa greeted and thanked the guests for attending a function of religious nature. Huzooraa, commenting on the speeches of the respected guests, said it seemed there were some reservations at the start of the mosque project. This was quite natural due to the general and widespread

misconception that a mosque represents unrest and violence. Huzooraa made it clear that this was absolutely wrong and far from the truth. Huzooraa described how Muslim men and women, at the dawn of Islam, were severely persecuted in Mecca. As a result the Holy Prophetsa, along with his community, migrated to Medina. However,

the Meccans followed them and continued their persecution. It was then that Allah permitted to fight in self-defence. Those who opposed and persecuted Islam and its followers were actually against religion altogether. The Holy Quran actually mentions that Churches, Synagogues, and other places of worship would not exist if these people were not apprehended.

“A mosque is built to worship the One God and for worshippers to live in peace together”

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Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa stated that this was the first Quranic commandment for Muslims to defend themselves and their religion. Whenever a Muslim army would leave for wars that they were forced to participate in, due to the actions of enemies, the Holy Prophetsa and his Rightly Guided Caliphsra would order the Muslim army not to kill religious leaders, destroy places of worships or kill women and children. A Western commentator has written that only a few hundred or a thousand were killed in the battles of the Holy Prophetsa, whereas World War I and World War II (that the Western world fought in) saw the deaths of hundreds of thousands, with a single bomb. Thus, he said, the blame is not on Muslims in waging wars and causing bloodshed. The two great wars had nothing to do with Islam and were actually geopolitical wars. “Islam is most definitely not a religion of extremism”, Huzooraa said. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa pointed out that some locals may fear this new mosque, but Islam defines many rights of neighbours; neighbourhood spanning to 40 houses and not just to next doors. The rights of neighbours prescribed by Allah are such that the Holy Prophetsa, who received these commandments directly, thought that neighbours might be given a right in a Muslim’s inheritance. “A mosque is built to worship the One God and for worshippers to live in peace together”, Huzooraa explained. Highlighting the peaceable and humanitarian teachings and practices of Islam, Huzooraa mentioned how the Jamaat has built many mosques by the grace of Allah, and at the same time, is also rendering extensive humanitarian services. There are hundreds of schools and hospitals

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa receiving a guard of honour by French WWII veterans at the inauguration reception of the new mosque in Strasbourg

Ghana Statistical Services calls on Jamaat Abass Bin Wilson, Ghana Correspondent

n Tuesday, 1 October 2019, a O delegation from the Ghana Statistical Services (GSS), led by the Acting Deputy

Government Statistician, Mr David Yenukwa Kombat called on the amir and missionary-in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Ghana, at the mission’s national headquarters at Osu in Accra. The visit formed part of the GSS’s engagements with stakeholders on the National Population and Housing Census which is to be conducted in 2020. The visit, according to Mr Kombat, was meant to officially inform the Mission of the exercise and solicit its support for the success of the census. He explained that stakeholder engagement was crucial to the success of the Population and Housing Census, and that it would provide the opportunity for the planners of the exercise not only to solicit ideas, but also to seek guidance and support of all stakeholders for the success of the project. Mr Kombat said the consultations would also enable the GSS identify and collate the requirements of the various stakeholders, such as the religious bodies, who may be interested in the outcomes of the census exercise. He indicated that the Ahmadiyya

Muslim Mission is a major stakeholder and would be expected to play an important role during the exercise, especially in the area of public education. To this end, he said, the mission would be called upon to carry out educational programmes to inform not only Ahmadi Muslims, but the general public on the importance of the census and the need for every Ghanaian to ensure that he/she is counted. He took time to explain some of the processes that had already been put in place to ensure a credible census in 2020. He added that the GSS was determined to ensure that the outcomes of 2020 census would be a reliable database that would be used for all planning and developmental purposes. Mohammed Bin Salih, Amir and Missionary-in-Charge welcomed the delegation and indicated that the Community was committed to the census project and would give off its best in support of the exercise. He pledged his support and cooperation to the Statistical Services and requested them to make time to meet and educate the National Amila on the practical details of the exercise so that they would in turn help educate the generality of the members.

of the Jamaat built in Africa and amenities like water and electricity are also provided to remote areas. Huzooraa said that this is how our claim of “Love for all, hatred for none” is supported by our actions. Huzooraa confirmed that those Ahmadi Muslims who will be attending the new mosque will be law abiding citizens. At the same time, they will serve humanity; this is because the Holy Quran has clearly stated that worship alone and no compassion for humanity results to nought. The Jamaat upholds this standard wherever it goes. Ahmadi Muslims, Insha-Allah, will develop their relations with the neighbours of this new mosque even more so and those who enter the mosque will be a means of peace and comfort. The French government was commended by Huzooraa for allowing Jamaat members to come to France and live. Those Ahmadis who have come here are mostly those who were not given freedom of religion and conscience. Now that Ahmadi Muslims have come here, they have the responsibility of serving this country; this would be true gratitude. Allah desires every believer to be thankful and the Holy Prophetsa has said that those who do not thank fellow-men, do not thank Allah. Huzooraa said that he was confident that local Ahmadis would be a means of peace and comfort for the area. The Ahmadis would be law abiding citizens who serve and would show the true teachings of Islam that the Holy Prophetsa taught. The session ended with silent prayer.

48th National Khuddam Ijtema, Bangladesh Muhammad Golam Rabbi Muhtamim Taleem, Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya, Bangladesh

he 48 National Ijtema 2019 of Majlis T Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Bangladesh was successfully held from 4 to 6 October at th

Bakshibazar, Darul Tablig mosque Dhaka. National Amir, Abdul Awwal Khan Sahib inaugurated the Ijtema with flag hoisting and silent prayers on Friday. Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Bangladesh, Munadil Fahad Sahib was also present. The Ijtema consisted of several educational and sporting events. Educational events included competitions such as recitation of the Holy Quran, Nazm (Urdu & Bengali), Azaan, written exams, quiz and Chinese whispers etc. Several sporting events like football, volleyball, tug-of-war, and strong man competitions took place on the ground adjacent to the mosque. This year’s Ijtema had a special attraction, every Khadim or Tifl who read out the words of Salaat with translation and recited the Quran correctly before judges, received an instant prize. A meeting was held on Saturday evening where National Motamid sahib presented

an annual report. This year, the Ijtema theme was “serving religion”. Muavin Sadr, Muhammad Suleman Sahib delivered a speech on this topic. Several career guideline programs also took place. Chairman and CEO of PRANRFL Group, Ahsan Khan Chowdhury Sahib delivered a speech and presentation on career development. This year, Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya, Chattrogram was awarded the Alam-e-Inami award as the best majlis. Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Tarua awarded Alam-e-Inami. The National Atfal Conference was held on Saturday evening, attended by a total of 450 Atfal. Sadr Sahib, Munadil Fahad was present at the Atfal conference along with Mohtamim Atfal. The total attendance of the Ijtema was 1808, consisting of 1200 Khuddam and 608 Atfal from 78 Majalis. This is the highest ever attendance in the history of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Bangladesh. On Friday evening, Sadr Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya concluded the Ijtema with the prize giving ceremony and silent prayers.

Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

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This is true integration! Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa addresses the inaugural reception of Mubarak mosque Wiesbaden, Germany, Monday, 14 October: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, presided over the inaugural ceremony of Mubarak Mosque, Wiesbaden, Germany. Following the arrival of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, the session started with the recitation of the Holy Quran (chapter 2, verses 128 to 130) by Danial Daud Sahib. This was followed by the German translation of the verses by Nosheerwan Khan Sahib. Abdullah Wagishauser, National Amir Germany then gave an introduction to the city of Wiesbaden and the Jamaat. Amir Sahib explained that more than 1,000 Ahmadi Muslims live in Wiesbaden and since 2002, the Jamaat was having to pray in a room that was allocated by the council for worship. Amir Sahib explained how the city of Wiesbaden and Jamaat-eAhmadiyya have had a long friendship, joining hands in many humanitarian projects. The Jamaat was facing great difficulty in establishing a mosque in Wiesbaden as no location could be found, however through the grace of Allah the Jamaat has been able to establish Mubarak Mosque in the heart

of Wiesbaden. Huzooraa laid its foundation in 2014. Next, Mr Christoph Manjura, Commissioner for Integration, Education Social welfare of Wiesbaden City expressed his memories of the foundation stone of Mubarak Mosque when Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa attended. Mr Manjura detailed the various efforts of Jamaat-eAhmadiyya in Wiesbaden and spoke on the need for religious and cultural diversity and integration. He also expressed his pleasure on how the Mubarak Mosque project was completed without any serious opposition from the wider public. Mr Frank Thilo Becher, Member of the Provincial Parliament of Hessen then addressed the congregation. He started off by congratulating the Jamaat for the new mosque. He said that the new mosque would be a place where we will be able to have religious dialogue. Mr Becher commended the manner in which the Jamaat constructs mosques and how they are very open. He commended the partnership the Jamaat has with the province of Hessen in teaching Islamic studies at schools. Mr Becher prayed for peace and blessings for the whole Jamaat.

AMJ Germany

Next, Mr Gert-Uwe Mende, Oberburgermeister Lord Mayor spoke. He started by praising the mosque and its aesthetics. The Lord Mayor stated that it is a tradition to welcome the mosque with prayers of blessings. Mr Gert-Uwe Mende expressed how he was honoured to welcome the new mosque and desired the mosque to be a place where the populace of Wiesbaden can congregate, meet and have dialogue. The Mayor said that the Jamaat

has played a great role in removing the fears people have with mosques and Islam in general. He commented on how easily all issues in the construction of the mosque were resolved and how smooth the process had been. He also prayed that the Jamaat is given good neighbours. Thereafter, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, addressed the congregation. After reciting Tashahud and Ta‘awuz, Hazrat

AMJ Germany

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Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

National Ijtema held at the base of Mount Fuji Ibrahim Japan Correspondent

he National Ijtema‘at of Majlis T Ansarullah and Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Japan were held on 5-6 October

AMJ Germany

Amirul Momineenaa greeted the guests with the message of peace. Huzooraa expressed his pleasure in seeing the residents of Wiesbaden as very open-minded and welcoming people who attended such a purely religious function of the Jamaat. Huzooraa stated that sometimes people develop apprehensions regarding mosques. However, the true and sole purpose of a mosque is the worship of Allah. Some people, in the West and nonMuslim world, deliberate that mosques might harbour extremism. But the Holy Quran portrays the purpose of a mosque for the worship of the One God. And this worship should also fulfil the rights of humanity as well. For this reason, the Holy Quran has clearly declared that those who do not uphold the rights of humanity and do not serve the poor, their worship results in disgrace. Muslims have been taught to pray for the peace of the whole world. The Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, said that if one wants to introduce Islam, then there is no better way than building mosques. One would only introduce something if good qualities are presented. Therefore, a true Muslim’s mosque will show to the world that the worshippers are those who respect humanity at large. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that as there are more than 1,000 Ahmadi Muslims in Wiesbaden, all residents of Wiesbaden are their neighbours and Islam has instructed Muslims to greatly uphold the rights of their neighbours. Referring to the springs of Wiesbaden, Huzooraa mentioned how around 80% of remote areas in Africa do not have access to water supplies. As a result, children walk miles on end throughout the day, to fetch water inadvertently compromising their education. The Jamaat installs water pumps in such areas and that this service is carried out without discrimination. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said, “It is the special trait of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya that wherever we stay, we will carry out humanitarian works”. The local Jamaat in Wiesbaden will also continue to carry out humanitarian services, Huzooraa reassured the audience. Huzooraa explained that Islam is not a religion of violence and that Allah allowed Muslims to defend themselves in its early days for protecting religion as a whole.

The Holy Prophet’ssa reaction to prisoners of war was such that those prisoners who taught other Muslims to read or write, would be freed. The Prophetsa of Islam did this so that education could spread and the ignorance of people diminish. Huzooraa explained that the Holy Prophetsa was part of a committee to serve the poor even before he claimed prophethood. “Integration can be displayed when the sentiments of others is also taken care of,” Huzooraa explained. Once, a funeral of a Jewish child passed by the Holy Prophetsa and his Companionsra. The Holy Prophetsa immediately stood up in respect of the funeral. To this, his Companions said that the funeral was of a Jewish child. In reply, the Holy Prophetsa said that he had stood to respect human values. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa explained that integration for local Ahmadis is “to apply all abilities to serve for the betterment of the city; through education and service of the nation.” This is why the Jamaat encourages students to excel in science and education and serve their country better. Huzooraa said that Ahmadis owe gratitude to Germany for allowing them to settle here. To express their thankfulness, Ahmadi Muslims should work for the betterment of the country with all of one’s abilities. This will lead to true integration. If this is upheld, the Jamaat will always have a positive reputation. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that the Lord Mayor and others have commented on how well Ahmadi Muslims are integrated. Now, it is the responsibility of Ahmadis living in Wiesbaden to excel in their service of the city and country, proving that we are people who like to live in a peaceful atmosphere. Religion is a personal matter and freedom of religion has been expressed very clearly by the Holy Quran. The true requirement of the age is upholding human values where religion is not a source of dispute. In today’s world, it is essential that Muslims overlook the beliefs of others and serve humanity. If we fail to do so, then love and peace can never be established. The session ended with silent prayers.

2019, in the town of Gotenba, an hour’s drive from Tokyo. The town is situated at the base of Mount Fuji and Suicide Forest. The Ijtema weekend marked the 14th Ansarullah and 37th Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Ijtema. They were attended by 23 Ansar and 27 Khuddam and Atfal members. Nestled amidst mountains and streams, the Ijtema began on Saturday at 10am with tilawat and nazm and then the opening address by Japan’s National President and Missionary-in-charge, Anees Nadeem Sahib. Both the Khuddam and Atfal Ijtema commenced with academic competitions ranging from tilawat and nazm, to memorisation of the Quran and Azaan. The contests were both competitive and intellectually stimulating in that both the Khuddam and Atfal were able to enhance their religious and secular knowledge through the competitions. Following the academic competitions, the anticipated sports events were held. The spirited competitiveness between the two Jamaats in Japan introduced an essence of friendly rivalry throughout. All three top positions were taken by Nagoya in the 100m race! However, Tokyo then came back strong during the football match. Tokyo won the match with a solid 2-0 score.

Traditional Japanese buffets were served throughout the Ijtema, ranging from delectable dumplings and miso soup, to salmon rice and traditionally fried chicken. The spirits were high and so was the energy. On the other side, the Ansar Ijtema competitions also commenced with academic competitions. Subsequently, the Ansar held their sports events in the sports grounds looking up at Mount Fuji. Following the competitions, the Ansar held their Shura. The Ijtema concluded with a closing speech delivered by the National President. Although the Ijtema was comparatively small compared to European Ijtemas, there were five nationalities present, including: Japanese, Indonesian, Indian, Pakistani and Nigerian members. The Ijtema weekend concluded with bonds of brotherhood renewed, and a moment of tranquillity and self-reflection during the congregational dua at the base of one of the highest mountains of the world.

Introduction to Jamia Ahmadiyya at Al-Wahid High School, Indonesia Hafizurahman Indonesia Correspondent

n 3 October 2019, there was a special O program in Al-Wahid Senior High School, Indonesia to encourage students

to attend Jamia Ahmadiyya. About 274 students, both waqifeen and non-waqifeen attended. The event was initiated by National waqf-e-nau secretary, together with Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia. The realisation of which was encouraged and motivated by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’s, may Allah be his Helper, instructions that we should prepare at least 40 waqifeen to enter Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia every year. The program started with recitation of the Holy Quran, a poem and the Khuddam and Lajna Pledge. Next, national Waqf-e-

Nau secretary, Mr Abdurrahman pointed out that Al-Wahid Senior High School was inaugurated by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV, may Allah have mercy on his soul, during his tour of Indonesia in 2000. Since then, it has graduated many students, about 25 of whom have been Ahmadiyya missionaries and 33 of whom are still studying in Jamia Indonesia. He reminded all waqifeen of Hazrat Amirul Momineen’saa instruction that at least 40 waqifeen should enter Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia every year. After, a speech on Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia was delivered by a Jamia lecturer, Ataul Ghalib Sahib, who was also an alumni from this very high school. Two presentations were then given by Jamia students, Jamaluddin Victory (6th year) and Raden Riazi Arifin (3rd year). They were purposely invited to give their experiences of Jamia Ahmadiyya. An interactive dialogue with the students was also held after the presentation. The events ended with silent prayers.

Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

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100-Mosque Scheme in Germany T

here are now more than 50 Ahmadi mosques in Germany and every fifth mosque now being built is by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Germany. These mosques are part of the 100-Mosque Scheme launched by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh as part of the Ahmadiyya centenary celebrations in 1989. “I announced yesterday that to commemorate the hundred years of the Jamaat, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany should plan a scheme to build a hundred mosques”, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh said in his address to the Jalsa Salana Germany in 1989. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany feels fortunate to have been picked by the Khalifa of the time for this blessed cause. Setting off in 1989, one mosque after the other was built with the financial sacrifice and dedication of the German Jamaat. The majority of these members are those that had fled the infamous constitution and the subsequent persecution in Pakistan to settle in Germany as refugees. They had arrived with little or no money at all. With the scheme came a revolutionary change and these families that contributed towards making mosques – houses of Allah – eventually became capable of acquiring homes for themselves. Their children got the opportunities of the best education and have been able to prosper in all walks of life as German Ahmadi citizens of the country. The scheme had been working in full swing and had started to bear fruits. Then started the era of Khilafat-e-Khamisa – the fifith Caliphate of the Promised Messiahas. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa encouraged the German Jamaat in their pursuits in every way, especially by personally visiting Germany whenever a mosque or few mosques were ready to be inaugurated or even to lay foundation stones of mosques that had gone through the planning permission stage and its paraphernalia. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa advised the Jamaat in Germany to raise their goals and now aim for at least one mosque in every city of Germany. Members of the Jamaat took it upon themselves readily and the scheme entered a phase where it was to see new heights. The history of mosques in Germany

goes a long way when Noor Mosque was built in Frankfurt. With its very humble, yet prestigious character, this mosque always stood tall in the cultural and religious skyline of the country. “There was a time when Masud Jhelmi Sahib [then Ahmadiyya missionary in Germany] would lead more than one congregational prayer on Eid,” recalls Dr Abdul Ghaffar Sahib who now serves as missionary in Germany. “This was so because this was the only mosque in Frankfurt and a huge number of Muslims, regardless of sect or denomination, would assemble at Noor Mosque. Humble as it is in its size, it could only hold a small number of worshippers at a time. People would wait outside the mosque for one congregational prayer of Eid to end before another congregation could be led.” The Ahmadiyya mosques have carried this message of peace and harmony to this day and continue to do so. Missionaries posted at various mosques still have interesting stories to tell of how a Muslim person or family, driving past the mosque, felt compelled to stop and offer prayers. They find it fascinating to be able to pull over at a German roadside and be able to offer prayers in congregation. “The doors of our mosques are open for all,” says Abdullah Wagishauser Sahib, the national president of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany. “We feel happy in inviting Muslims and non-Muslims to our mosques. Our mosques have become a great source of introduction to the Jamaat, working as tabligh centres.” Now that Ahmadiyya Muslim mosques have been built in a great number of German cities, schools and colleges are becoming more and more interested in visiting these mosques and rectifying their fears that are based on false propaganda against Islam. “It is heartwarming to hear mayors of various cities referring to Ahmadiyya mosques as ‘our mosques’. It shows the acceptance of the German nation towards Islam,” Amir Sahib continued. “Our mosques have given us identity and we have become an integral part of the German society.” The German Jamaat is proud to be steadily progressing in this project and attribute this success to the prayers and

guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa. It is not that Huzooraa only comes in the picture when a foundation stone is to be laid or an inaugural plaque is to be unveiled; every step of every phase of every mosque receives thorough and detailed guidance and blessings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa. Huzoor’s physical presence however is the greatest blessing that these mosques have been able to obtain. Every new mosque gets blessed with Huzoor’s physical presence at least twice – when the foundation is laid and when it is inaugurated. Receptions held on such occasions attract dignitaries, members of local authorities, neighbours and local residents. Those attending have always gone back with a clear mind, rather feeling delighted to have heard the message of the mosque directly from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. It is faith-inspiring to hear Ahmadis of the German Jamaat how they had never imagined having a mosque in their town and how this dream miraculously materialised and how it has led to their collective and personal wellbeing. They are delighted to have an abode of faith in their own town where they have felt their connection with the Jamaat grow stronger. In a society that is rapidly growing irreligious in its character, what could be better to have a lighthouse of faith at every few miles. Whilst launching the scheme, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh had acknowledged the financial burden that it could entail on German Ahmadis. He said: “I am aware that you are already offering great financial sacrifices and also that most of you struggle to make ends meet already … but I also know that our tasks have always been fulfilled by Allah the Almighty. He only makes us just touch [the surface], and He carries the whole burden Himself, just as a parent asks their child to lift a heavy object but then very cleverly assists in a way that the child still takes credit for lifting the whole weight. Similarly, if you make a firm decision to bear this burden in the way of Allah, then He who is far more loving and caring than a parent will take it upon Himself to carry this burden while you will still continue to consider it your effort.” With this, the German Ahmadis came forward and contributed whatever they

possibly could to make this desire of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih come true. If you speak to the organisers of the 100-mosque scheme, they fail to hold back their astonishment about how men, women and children have leapt forward to offer sacrifices. They have stories to tell; a woman, not too wealthy, pledged 20,000 euros not even knowing where it would come from; some women presented all their jewellry; children saved up their pocket money to help build mosques in their areas. There are some individuals who, in their mulaqats with Huzooraa, offered to pay the whole amount required for building a mosque. A young boy of 15 told his local missionary that he wished to contribute 5,000 euros to the scheme. “Where will this come from?”, the missionary naturally asked. “You don’t worry. I will do it somehow!” was the boy’s reply. The boy was soon seen delivering newspapers door to door to generate the amount he had promised. Isn’t it incredible that he actually managed to save up and offer the whole amount towards the mosque funds! A gentleman had only just saved up to buy his dream car that he heard a speech about the mosque scheme. He pledged 5,000 euros immediately for the scheme and in a day or two, had handed in the money to his local Jamaat. The dream of buying his favourite car had to be put aside. In less than a month’s time, the organisers relate, he came back to them, his face glowing with delight and joy. He couldn’t wait to tell them how, weeks after he had donated the funds, he got promoted to a post at work and the company had given him the same car that he had always desired to own. The stories go on, and so does the amazing scheme of building mosques all over Germany; so do we continue to witness the awe-inspiring fruits of these sacrifices. Isn’t it unbelievable that you are travelling on a German autobahn and your host asks you, “It’s almost time for Asr Salat. Shall we get off at this exit to get to the closest mosque? Or shall we carry on as there is another mosque near the next junction. And if we carry on another couple of junctions, we will still be in time to make it to another mosque which is near that junction. Or actually, shall we wait and Masjid Noor is also a few junctions away?” Before you answer the question, you hear yourself say: “Masha-Allah! Alhamdolillah!”

Wiki Commons

Fazle-Omar Mosque, Hamburg

Baitul Aziz Mosque, Riedstadt

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Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

The Noor Mosque of Frankfurt

rupp.de | Wiki Commons

A green dome and two minarets – Frankfurt’s Nuur Mosque was inaugurated on 12 September 1959. This mosque of the Ahmadiyya community on the Babenhäuser Landstraße was the second mosque in Germany. Correspondingly large in 1959, it was the delight of the faithful. Frankfurt am Main was happy. At that time, in 1959, the opening of the Nuur Mosque on Babenhäuser Landstrasse was a sensation for the citizens. “People came in droves to look at this new, exotic building. They were curious and wanted to know what a Muslim place of worship looks like from within and who goes there to pray together,” said Abdullah Uwe Wagishauser, chairman (Amir) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat (AMJ) in Germany. He himself knows the euphoria of the first years only from newspaper reports and the accounts of contemporary witnesses, because the 59-year-old was then still a child and grew up in a Christian civil servant’s family. Only in 1976 did Wagishauser convert to Islam. The first mosque in southern Germany There is only one other mosque in Germany which is older than this one; in Hamburg, built in 1957. The Frankfurt mosque - whose

name “Nuur” incidentally means “light”, meaning the light of God - was at that time the only one of its kind in southern Germany and the influx, therefore, large. “The faithful travelled to prayer with buses,” said Wagishauser. And also, a lot of celebrities knelt here for Friday prayers. Sir Zafrullah Khan, then President of the European Court of Justice in The Hague, opened the sacred building to the public. Prominent prayer: Muhammad Ali Wagishauser has a wealth of black-andwhite images that illustrate the history of his community. Time and again, men with beards, flowing shirts, and white turbans on their heads indulged in animated conversation. Even the youthful face of today’s chairman can be seen below [see image of inauguration]. The impression that dialogue and not dogma is maintained here, immediately adjusts itself to the viewer. A photo is particularly spectacular, even at first glance. In the midst of a crowd in front of the mosque’s portal, you suddenly recognise features of one of the twentieth century’s most famous [people]: Muhammed Ali. The best boxer of his time came to Frankfurt in 1967 to compete in the Waldstadion against Karl Mildenberger – he needed a tedious 12

Wiki Commons

Ehsaan Mosque, Mannheim

Wiki Commons

rounds to victory, which did not happen to him so often back then. As a devout Muslim, who Ali had become then, he also visited the local mosque for Friday prayers. A Muslim place of worship in the middle of a Christian neighborhood These pictures almost seem like relics from a time bygone. Back then, the members of the Ahmadiyya community were not afraid to build a mosque with all its typical features right in the middle of a Christian neighborhood, and that neighborhood did not respond with fear and defense. It was, as Wagishauser soberly and without consideration of political correctness formulated, the epoch before hundreds of thousands of “guest workers” were to arrive in the Federal Republic and were to shape the image of Muslims in the minds of their German fellow citizens for the coming decades. At that time, people probably did not think about Islamism, terror and the socalled holy wars either.

had only recently arrived in Frankfurt to lead the annual assembly of his community because in the Frankfurt district of Bonames has been the headquarters for around 30 years… Woman designs residential house for women on the mosque grounds On the grounds of the Nuur Mosque is currently a guest and residential house for women and children from the community, who are in need, are in transit or for other reasons need a short-term accommodation. It was designed by a woman, the Frankfurt architect Mubashra Ilyas. The 30-year-old may be considered typical of the younger generation within the AMJ; her parents still came as unskilled workers from Pakistan to Germany, they and her siblings, all of whom were born here, completed a university degree. In three cities – Bremen, Offenbach and Berlin-Heinersdorf – mosques have been

Separation of church and state, equal rights for men and women The many events that the Ahmadiyya community is now planning on the occasion of the … anniversary of the Frankfurt Mosque may help to paint the image of Islam a bit more colourfully and differently. For the members of this religious movement see themselves as liberal reformists who advocate a strict separation of state and religion and the equality of men and women; to whom, above all, integration into the mainstream society is a primary motive. “We are not a nationality, but a pure religious community,” explains the chairman of the German section ... “Our Friday sermons are also in German.” In addition, the mosque serves only for religious practice. The reigning caliph has just chaired the annual assembly Ahmadiyya communities exist in 190 countries [now more than 200] around the world, yet 80 percent of their multimillion members or their ancestors are from Pakistan. There, however, they are regarded by many orthodox scholars as non-believers, as far as they have moved away from Islam in their eyes, and are therefore not recognized and are discriminated against by the state. For the AMJ, the Messiah has already appeared, in the form of its founder Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908). Since his death, a successor (caliph) is chosen as the spiritual head of the community. The current 5th caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad,

Inauguration of Noor mosque covered by The Daily Frankfurter Rundschau. Hazrat Sir Zafarulla Khanra is seen delivering his inaugural address, on 12 September 1959

built according to the designs of Mubashra Ilyas. “I am German,” says the young woman confidently, wearing her headscarf with a self-evident pride. (Special thanks to www.frankfurt.de, the official website of the City of Frankfurt, for permission to include this article)

Wiki Commons

Baitul Aman, Nidda

Baitul Hadi, Seligenstadt

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Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM Responding to Allegations

Prophecies of the Promised Messiahas

The prophecy of Ahmad Baig: A great sign Ataul Fatir Tahir

However he was able to interpret it after it was manifest. Yet another example is that of Prophet Noahas who was told by Allah that his family would be saved from the storm (Ch.11: V.43). However, Prophet Noah’sas son drowned. Observing this, in great humility, Prophet Noahas pleaded to Allah and reminded Him of His promise to save his family: َ َ ٌ ُ ‫ادى ن‬ َ َ‫وح َّر ّبَ ُه َفق‬ َ َ ‫َون‬ ‫ال َر ِّب إِ ّن ْابنِي ِم ْن أ ْه ِلي‬

Hrejection, objection and persecution. Hazrat istory has proven that all prophets face

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas and Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, was no different. People instantly rejected him and raised allegations, even to this day. A plethora of videos online have raised such objections. There has been another recent video uploaded on YouTube which has attempted to present “one argument” to disprove Islam Ahmadiyyat. The video presented some prophecies of the Promised Messiahas and tried to prove that they were false. The gentleman in the video also attested that prophecies were a perfect touchstone to see whether the Promised Messiahas was a true prophet. Before we present the truth and reality about the prophecies the video endeavoured to conceal, we want our readers to understand the factual nature of prophecies made by prophets. This, of course, will be from the Holy Quran and examples of previous prophets. We also desire, in this issue, to display how the Ahmad Begum prophecy was fulfilled and proved as a great sign for the existence of God and truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas. Firstly, prophecies consist of those clear-cut and decisive predictions that come true, word for word. For example, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, through Surah al-Lahab (Chapter 111), told his uncle, a staunch enemy of Islam, that he would die due to his opposition. This came true only two years after the Hijrah. Secondly, there are those prophecies that unfold when manifested or require some interpretation. For example, the Holy Quran states: َ ُّ ّ َ َ ُ َ ْ ُ ّ َ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ ُ ‫ين ك ِل ِه َولَوْ ك ِر َه‬ ِ ‫ين ال ُح ِق ل ِيظ ِهره على‬ ِ ‫الد‬ ِ ‫هو ال ِذي أرسل رسوله ِبالهدى و ِد‬ َ‫ال ْ ُم ْشركون‬ ِ

“He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, even if those who associate partners with God hate it.” (Surah al-Saff, Ch.61: V.10) A direct reading of this prophecy indicates that Islam was to “prevail over all religions” through “His Messenger” (the Holy Prophetsa). This was certainly not the case as the majority of the world was not Muslim at the time of the Holy Prophet’ssa demise. In reality, Christian and Jewish opposition was at its peak. Therefore, an interpretation of this would be needed. Another factor is that prophets do not always understand the true interpretation of a sign or a prophecy. Sometimes, it is after they pass that their reality becomes manifest. It is for this reason that Allah says: ُ ُ ّٰ َ ُ َ ْ ُ ‫َوق ِل ال َح ْم ُد ل ِل ِه َسيرِيْك ْم آيَا ِت ِه ف َت ْعرِفوْن َها‬ “And say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah; He will soon show you His Signs, and then you will recognise them’…” (Surah al-Naml, Ch.27: V.94) The Holy Prophetsa said, “I saw in a dream that I was migrating from Mecca to a land where there were date palm trees. I thought that it might be the land of Yamama or Hajar, but behold, it turned out to be Yathrib [i.e. Medina]…” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ta‘bir) Here, the Holy Prophetsa unintentionally misunderstood a prophecy Allah had given to him. Previous prophets also made such human errors.

“And Noah cried unto his Lord and said: ‘My Lord, verily, my son is of my family…” (Surah Hud, Ch.11: V.46) In reply, Allah said: َّ َ َ َّ ُ ُ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َْ ْ َ َ َ َْ ‫قال يا ن‬ ‫وح ِإن ُه ل َ ْي َس ِم ْن أ ْهل َِك ۖ ِإن ُه َ َع َم ٌل غي ُر َصال ٍِح ۖ فلا تسأل ِن ما ليس لك ِب ِه‬ َ‫ون م َن ال ْ َجاهلِين‬ َ ‫ع ْل ٌم ۖ إن ّي أع ُظ َك أن تَ ُك‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ​ِ ِ “‘O Noah, he is surely not of thy family; he is indeed a man of unrighteous conduct. So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge. I advise thee lest thou become one of the ignorant.’” (Surah Hud, Ch.11: V.47) Prophet Mosesas was told by God that he would possess and enter the Promised Land: “And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.” (Exodus 6:8) Prophet Mosesas passed away without this prophecy being fulfilled in his lifetime. Rather, 40 years after his demise the Israelites entered the Promised Land. This has been referred to in the Holy Quran as well. Therefore, the manifestation of a prophecy surfaces its reality. This law applies to the prophecies of the Promised Messiahas. There are scores of clear prophecies that simply cannot be argued against and also those few that have an element of interpretation or understanding. In the Holy Quran, Allah has even pointed towards Quranic verses that are decisive and clear (muhkamat) and those that are unclear and subject to understanding (mutashabihat). However, the Holy Quran declares: َ َ ‫ين في ُق ُلوبه ْم َزيْ ٌغ َف َي َّتب ُع‬ َ‫اء الْف ِْت َن ِة َو ْابت َِغاء‬ َ ‫ون َما تَ َشابَ َه ِم ْن ُه ْابت َِغ‬ َ َّ َّ َ ِ ِ ِ ‫فأما ال ِذ‬ َْ ِ ۗ ‫تأ ِوي ِل ِه‬

The Treaty of Hudaibiyah is another clear example of this notion. The Holy Prophetsa was certain, after seeing a dream, that he and his companions would enter Mecca and perform Umrah the very year he saw the dream (628 AD). Accordingly, the Holy Prophetsa took 1,400 companions to perform tawaf of the Ka‘bah but were stopped by the Quraish. The Muslims were not allowed to perform tawaf or enter Mecca and thus, the Holy Prophet’ssa understanding of the dream was not entirely accurate. In fact, Hazrat Umarra cried out, “Are you not the prophet of Allah?”, after the Holy Prophetsa agreed to the conditions laid out by the Quraish and agreed not to enter Mecca. It was a very delicate time in the history of Islam as it seemed the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa did not come to pass that year, as the Holy Prophetsa and his companions had imagined. The companions were so shocked that when the Holy Prophetsa asked them to slaughter their animals, after agreeing to the Meccans, the

companions did not do so, out of shock. It was only when the Holy Prophetsa stepped forward and slaughtered his animal that the companions followed. In modern times, this incident is still cited by opponents of Islam who use it against the Holy Prophetsa. Another case from the life of the Holy Prophetsa is a dream about Abu Jahl, a fierce opponent, entering heaven. In As-Sirat-ulHalabiya (volume 3, Battles and the Conquest of Mecca), it is written: “The Holy Prophetsa saw in a dream that he entered heaven and saw a date palm full of fruits. This surprised him. He asked, ‘Who is this for?’ It was said, ‘For Abu Jahl’. This was difficult to bear for the Holy Prophetsa. He said, ‘None will enter heaven except a believer.’ So when Ikrimah, son of Abu Jahl came to him as a Muslim, he become joyful, and interpreted the fruit as being for Ikrimah.” Here, the Holy Prophetsa himself could not understand a dream, which was also a prophecy.

“… Those in whose hearts is perversity, pursue such thereof as are susceptible of different interpretations, seeking discord and seeking wrong interpretation of it…” (Surah Ale-Imran, Ch.3: V.8) A fair-minded person will therefore accept and attest to the clear and decisive prophecies of the Promised Messiahas and not merely cling onto prophecies that contain some ambiguity. We now address the allegations raised on prophecies of the Promised Messiahas in a recent video: The prophecy regarding Ahmad Baig (Note: For ease in terms of reference, we have included the prophecy wordings mostly from the English Tadhkirah, published in 2009.) A decisive background The Promised Messiahas had a side of his family who bitterly opposed religion and Islam as a whole; in reality, they had become ardent atheists. Describing their condition, the Promised Messiahas wrote: “They had published a document in which they abused the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and have abused

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Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM the Word of Allah and have denied the existence of God…” (Tadhkirah, p.199) These family members also desired a sign for the existence of God from the Promised Messiahas: “They rebelled and mockingly demanded signs and said, ‘We have no knowledge of any God Who speaks to anyone … so let him produce a sign if he is truthful…’” (Tadhkirah, pp.198-199) Describing this further, the Promised Messiahas said: “Of these signs is one which my Lord has promised in respect to my near relations. They rejected and mocked the signs of Allah and denied God and His Messenger and said, ‘We shall not accept any sign unless we are shown a sign in our own lives. We do not believe in the Quran and we do not know what Prophethood is and what faith is and we deny all that’. Then I called on my Lord in humility and in earnestness and stretched out my hand to Him in supplication and He vouchsafed to me the revelation: [Arabic] I shall show them a sign from their own selves. “And God informed me and said: [Arabic] I shall make one of their daughters a sign for them.” (Tadhkirah p.204) Allah also revealed the following: [Arabic] “I have observed their disobedience and their transgression. I shall soon afflict them with various types of misfortunes and shall wipe them from under the heavens … But I shall not destroy them suddenly at one swoop, but stage by stage, so that they might have a chance of turning back and repenting … All of them will be accursed except those who believe and act righteously and cut off their relations with them and keep off their gatherings. Those will be the recipients of My mercy.” (Tadhkirah, p.200) A point to note here is, “We shall not accept any sign unless we are shown a sign in our own lives”. The family wanted to see a sign in order to believe. Two other points to note are “So that they might have a chance of turning back and repenting” and “Those will be the recipients of My mercy.” Clearly, Allah set a condition and desired the family to revert and save themselves from punishment through seeking forgiveness. This is much like Prophet Jonah’sas case who was extremely shocked to see his nation was not punished as God had promised. Prophet Jonahas did not know that prophecies that entail punishments are attached with the condition of repentance. Allah directs this in the Quran: ّٰ َ َ َ َ َ ‫الل ُه ُم َع ّذبَ ُه ْم َو ُه ْم يَ ْس َت ْغف ُر‬ ‫وما كان‬ ‫ون‬ ِ ِ “…And Allah would not punish them while they sought forgiveness.” (Surah al-Anfal, Ch.8: V.34) Allah gave a sign for the family in the shape of a prophecy. The Promised Messiahas said that Allah desired for the elder daughter (Muhammadi Begum) of Ahmad Baig to marry the Promised Messiahas. Ahmad Baig was from the opposing family and also wanted some land that belonged to the Promised Messiahas to be given to him. The marriage would bring “blessings” to the family, however if he opposed this marriage there would be punishment, the Promised Messiahas described this: “But if they should refuse to do so, the end of the girl shall be very sad, and the man who shall marry her shall die within two and a half years, and her father within three years from the date of marriage… God the Most High will remove every obstacle and in the end bring her into marriage with me, and turn the irreligious people into Muslims and bring to guidance those who have lost the right path.” (Aina-e-Kamalate-Islam, Ruhani Khazain volume 5, p. 286) There are three points to keep in mind here: 1. The prophecy detailed that if Ahmad Baig had Muhammadi Begum (his daughter) marry another man, then Ahmad Baig would die within three years of the marriage

2. The future husband of Muhammadi Begum would die within two and a half years of his marriage with her 3. Then, after these “obstacles” have been removed, the Promised Messiahas would, in the end, marry Muhammadi Begum Ahmad Baig arrogantly rejected this prophecy and had his daughter married on 7 April 1892 to Sultan Muhammad. Consequently, according to the prophecy, Ahmad Baig died within a matter of months on 30 September 1892 in Hoshiarpur. In this way, the first “obstacle” was removed. This fulfils the first part of the prophecy and was actually enough for the family to accept the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas, fulfilling, “We shall not accept any sign unless we are shown a sign in our own lives.” Observing Ahmad Baig’s death, Muhammad Hussain Batalwi, a bitter opponent of the Promised Messiahas said that though the prophecy was fulfilled, it was due to astrology (Ishaat-usSunnah, Vol. 15, 1892 pp. 22-23). This is very significant as Batalwi was a very staunch enemy of the Promised Messiahas. Ahmad Baig’s death sent a wave of fear, horror and repentance within his family. This was because Ahmad Baig was still healthy and well, full of years. His death came as a complete shock. The family began to write letters to the Promised Messiahas seeking forgiveness and showed remorse. As the law of divine prophecies go, those who sincerely repent have their punishment halted or forgiven. Although letters were sent, it is not necessary for people to see the “repentance”; it is for Allah to completely know who has repented or not their heart. The (Arabic) prophecy and wording clearly indicated that if the family sought forgiveness, the punishment would be averted and inadvertently, the marriage. Allah warned Muhammadi Begum and told her how to avoid the punishment, saying “O Woman, repent, repent, for misfortune is pursuing you.” (Tadhkirah, p. 206) The Arabic wording regarding Muhammadi Begum in a particular revelation was‫ویردھاالیک‬ meaning “And He will return her to you”. (Tadhkirah, p. 203) So, as the family repented, including Muhammadi Begum and Sultan Muhammad, Allah did not cause Sultan Muhammad to die who was the “obstacle” in the way of the marriage to the Promsied Messiahas. The allegation The gentleman raised allegations from two extracts of the Promised Messiahas regarding Muhammadi Begum. He focused on the fact that the Promised Messiahas said that the marriage could not been averted. A simple and careful reading of the extracts clearly shows the reality. The first extract was from an announcement by the Promised Messiahas in 1894 about the prophecy of Muhammadi Begum. This was two years after the marriage of Muhammadi Begum with Sultan Muhammad. One must note here that the original time frame of the prophecy had not yet finished. The gentleman presented the following quote from this lengthy announcement: “But the death of Ahmad Baig broke their backs, and this was why they sent me letters of apology and regret. As they were struck by fear and terror in their hearts, it was essential that God the Most High, according to His ancient way, postpone the date of punishment to some later time, that is, to the time when those people again turn back fully to their state of audacity, arrogance and neglect, because the date of punishment is an avertable fate which is moved to another time if fear and turning to God is displayed, as is proved by the whole of the Quran.” “… But the essence of the prophecy, that this woman will enter into marriage with me, is an absolute fate which cannot at all be averted … So after these days, when God the Most High sees that these people’s hearts have hardened, and they have not valued the few days of respite and

relaxation given to them, then He will turn to the fulfilment of the prophecy of His holy word.” The point of contention raised by the gentleman is that the Promised Messiahas said the marriage “cannot at all be averted [taqdeere-mubram]” and this was after the family had already sought forgiveness. In reality, the family could have reverted to their old ways within the time frame or even after, as Allah gave them respite. The very next line explains this, “When God the Most High sees that these people’s hearts have hardened and they have not valued the few days of respite and relaxation given to them”. In other words, the Promised Messiahas attached a clear condition to “cannot at all be averted”; that is to say, if the family once again revert to their mischievous ways then the marriage would most certainly take place and not be “averted”. For arguments sake, if the Promised Messiahas had thought that the family was most definitely going to revert and in reality they did not, then this lays absolutely no blame on the Promised Messiahas as a prophet will only follow what Allah reveals and can misinterpret a prophecy. This has happened with previous prophets. 20 years after the prophecy and just 40 days prior to his demise in 1908, the Promised Messiahas spoke of this prophecy in Badr and noted how Ahmad Baig’s death caused the second part of the prophecy (the marriage) to stop: “… The fear of Ahmad Baig’s death overcame them, which resulted in him nullifying one part of the prophecy.” (Badr, 23 April 1908, p.4) Therefore, the element of the marriage being a decree that “cannot be averted” becomes absolutely clear as the Promised Messiahas had also written that if and when the family lapsed to their old ways, Allah would cause Sultan Muhammad to die and the marriage would take place. The second extract the gentleman quoted was from Izala-e-Auham. The reference quoted was from page 198, however the quote is actually on page 396 of the original book. The extract is: “By way of prophecy, the Exalted God revealed it to this humble one that ultimately the elder daughter of Mirza Ahmad Baig, son of Mirza Gama Baig of Hoshiarpur would be married to me. These people would resort to great hostility and would place obstacles in the way, but in the end, it would surely take place. The Exalted God would, by all possible means, bring her to me, whether as a virgin or a widow and would remove all impediments, and would, of necessity, fulfil this task, and none would be able to prevent it …” The point of contention for the gentleman is that God would marry her to the Promised Messiahas “whether as a virgin or a widow”. We do not see any point of dispute in this quote, at all. The Promised Messiahas was simply just requoting the prophecy he made. The time frame of this quote will give a clear picture of the reality. Izala-e-Auham was written in 1891. This was the middle period when the Promised Messiahas had already given the Ahmad Baig prophecy (1888), however the family had not yet had Muhammadi Begum married. Therefore, this quote is a simple reiteration of the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas. If, in the future, the father married Muhammadi Begum with the Promised Messiahas straight away, then she would be a “virgin”. However, if the marriage took place to someone else and the family did not repent and reverted to their old ways, then Allah would cause the father and ultimately the husband of Muhammadi Begum, Sultan Muhammad (the last obstacle) to die and thus bring Muhammadi Begum as a “widow”. This allegation is baseless as it tries to deceive, but when read in context, all is clear. The prophecy of Muhammadi Begum was a prophecy for a particular family. In the end, this family accepted the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas, the existence of God and the truth of Islam – fulfilling the purpose of the prophecy. Muhammadi Begum’s own son and daughter,

Isaac Baig Sahib and Hafeez Begum Sahiba accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat. Imagine! If the children, whose mother was addressed and warned in the prophecy accepted the Promised Messiahas, then what greater proof is required? Greater still, Ahmad Baig’s wife (Muhammadi Begum’s mother) also accepted Islam Ahmadiyyat and is buried in Bahishti Maqbarah. Muhammadi Begum’s sisters, Inayat Begum and Mahmuda Begum also took Bai‘at. What more proof for the fulfilment of this prophecy is needed? Apart from these immediate relations of Muhammadi Begum Sahiba, the following sample are those who also took Bai‘at from the family: 1. Mirza Gul Muhammad Sahib (maternal cousin of Muhammadi Begum Sahiba) 2. Khurshid Begum Sahiba (maternal cousin) 3. Mirza Arshad Baig Sahib (brother-in-law) 4. Mirza Abdus Salam Baig Sahib (maternal grandson) 5. Mirza Mahmud Baig Sahib (nephew) 6. Mirza Ajmal Baig Sahib (nephew) 7. Mirza Amjad Baig Sahib (nephew) 8. Mirza Ahsan Baig Sahib (maternal) 9. Mirza Ziaullah Baig Sahib (son-in-law) (Al Fazl, 11 March 1938) In this way the prophecy wording of ‫“( ویردھاالیک‬And He will return her to you”) was also fulfilled, in that Muhammadi Begum and her family returned to the Promised Messiah’sas truth. Sultan Muhammad even wrote a statement praising the Promised Messiahas that was published in Tasheez-ul-Azhan. He also gave a lengthy interview in Al Fazl in the 9-13 June 1921 issue, wherein he said that during the days of the prophecy, Aryas and Christians offered him hundreds of thousands of rupees to speak against the Promised Messiahas. He said that if he accepted the money, he would have become very wealthy, but his belief in the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas stopped him to take up this offer.

(Original letter of Sultan Muhammad praising the Promised Messiahas) [Translation] “I have always, and still consider the late Mirza Sahib, a righteous and respected person who was a servant of Islam; who had a noble spirit and who was constant in his remembrance of God. I entertain no opposition to his followers and regret that for certain reasons, I was not able to have the honour of meeting him during his lifetime.” (Tasheez-ulAzhan, May 1913, p. 227) Opponents of the Jamaat arrogantly hold onto all possible mutashabihat (ambiguities) they can lay their hands on with regard to the prophecies of the Promised Messiahas. This is no surprise as all previous prophets were treated the same.

Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

12 100 Years Ago...

London letter Al Fazl, 7 October 1919 Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Rahim Nayyarra

Praise of Allah Observing the lifestyle of Europe, the impact of Christianity, materialism and the dominancy of atheism, then witnessing the sunrise of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in the heart of London, which is [one of the] world’s largest cities and the capital city of the most powerful empire in the West, my heart and mouth release an exuberant “Alhamdolliah” [all praise belongs to Allah] and I extol the glory of Allah.

(Samples of Sultan Muhammad’s interview, Al Fazl, 1921 pp. 10-11)

ya iy d a t m en h A m e ve Th Mo

ya iy ad t m en Ah m e ve Th Mo

The Ahmad Baig prophecy was fulfilled with all the conditions mentioned and those who were addressed in the prophecy confessed to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas. While talking about the Ahmad Baig prophecy, the Promised Messiahas said: “The truth is that Allah the Almighty sometimes shows a thousand signs, but at the same time keeps some hidden, so that disbelievers can be distinguished from the believers. Hazrat Syed Abdul Qadir Jilanirh mentions in one of his books that Allah the Almighty, at times, tends to make promises with His prophet or loved ones, which He then takes back so that He can give an even better sign in return. Muhkamat verses are as important as mutashabihat verses. This is done so that it can show the depth of their belief in Allah the Almighty and as a result, the ones with weak beliefs reveal their weaknesses and leave the group of pious people.” (Badr, 23 April 1908, p.4) The sign of marrying Muhammadi Begum was kept “hidden” in the end by Allah as the family did not revert to their old ways. Allah did this to distinguish between the believers and disbelievers. To end, the following saying of the Promised Messiahas about prophecies will suffice: “Mentioning such doubts that can be applied to all the prophets of God is basically denying Allah the Almighty and the system of prophethood entirely. Encouraging such doubts eventually leads to disbelief, which I am fearful of.” (Badr, 23 April 1908, p.4) In the following weeks we will, Insha-Allah, address other prophecies that the video has raised allegations upon while showing prophecies of the Promised Messiahsa that none can argue against.

Our house from the outside From almost every station, be it the major railway station of Charring Cross, Waterloo, Victoria or Liverpool Street, you can easily reach Edgware Station through the metropolitan railway or underground tube. You will arrive at Star Street in a matter of two minutes and leaving three houses on the right hand side, you will find a shining brass plaque on the door of the fourth triple storey house with “Ahmadiyya Movement” written on it. Behind a glass wall adjacent to the plaque, you will see a pasted sample of the Quran – Surah al-Fatihah, published from Qadian. Along with it, you will find small periodicals of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya placed beautifully on the inner side of the glass. Moreover, you will observe a new magazine by the name of A Call to Truth published recently, drawing every passing lady and gentleman towards the truth with all its pages open. Slightly above it, you will see in bold letters, “The Ahmadiyya Library” written in a straight line, manifesting the inner condition of the room. I am certain that though the noise from the heavy traffic consisting of buses and motor cars running on Edgeware Road will draw your attention towards itself, but the sight of this house will make you forget for a while as to where you are. [You will wonder] if you are in Qadian or in London. In the midst of this happiness, if you focus ahead on the front wall, you will see a delightful and comforting beautiful curtain before you, written on it,ٰ the glory of God: ّٰ ّ ‫لا الہ الا اللہ محمد ٰرسول اللہ‬ ّ ّ ‫ان الدین عند اللہ السلام‬ [There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His messenger. Surely, the true religion with Allah is Islam (complete submission)] In the same pleasant mood, if you look slightly further above, you may observe a triangular board on the third storey of the house placed on a lower level. You can read it if you know the English language or else I will translate it for you:

Our house from the inside As soon as you knock on the door, a new convert lady will come out and walk you in or the house maid will answer or a familiar face from Qadian will come to meet you at the door. You will find a library and an office of the servant of the Promised Messiahas on the left hand side of the ground floor who is famous by the name of Sadiq and is wellknown for the successful religious challenge with Bishop Lefroy in Lahore. It is quite possible that you meet a new convert lady or gentleman in this room (who is there to pay a visit to Hazrat Mufti Sahib). You will find the books of the Promised Messiahas, a map of London, an English and Arabic calendar, a thermometer, a weighing scale for the letters, stamps and various reference books in this room. On the table, you will see letters with different colours and stamps sent from various parts of the world. After observing this room, you come straight up through the stairs (because from the two adjoining rooms [on the ground], one is occupied by Mrs Florence Abbasi on rent and the other one undergoing repair). There is also a kitchen below as well which does not require a visit. The central room of the first floor is the “mosque”. You will find “Prayer timings” written on door of this room. Inside, the rug and the prayer mat spread in the middle with the Quran hanging in front will indicate the purpose this room serves. Chairs placed along the four sides of the wall with three tables, a typewriter, a small press and an English book shelf will suggest to you that owing to the lack of space, this room is being used as a lecture hall as well. In one corner of the room is the office of Nayyar. In the adjacent room, Sadiq and Nayyar spend their nights. On the uppermost floor, you will find one side occupied by Qazi and Sayal, and the residence of the maid and her family in the other room. In the middle of the ground and first floor, there is a toilet and bathroom on one side. Keeping in mind the conditions of London, you will agree with me in saying that a house with seven rooms at such an excellent location, with all the necessary facilities, is very beneficial for the work of tabligh. Our missionaries found this house with great effort and an agreement has been signed off which is effective until 1921. Mufti Sahib Qazi Sahib is out of London owing to his ill health and is residing at Hastings near the sea shore and is occupied in tabligh activity over there. Therefore, the honourable occupant of the London residence, “Mr Mufti” (in England, Mr is used to express respect), all alone, with his white beard in the same Qadiani appearance and green attire, is commanding the Muslim spiritual army against the forces of Satan. Relying on my personal knowledge, I can say that the mission of overpowering the dissidents assigned to this general was well executed

and is still being done. The matter [of mentioning the name of the Promised Messiahas], which was considered a deadly poison, has become the source of bestowing life to the dead. Mission in London Tabligh efforts here consist of: 1. Meetings 2. Correspondence 3. Lectures 4. Distribution of literature 5. Alleviating grieved hearts I can certainly say that Ahmadi missionaries are masterly utilising all these methods with great success. People come to meet on a daily basis and listen to the sermon expressing the truth about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. Meetings During the last week, 20 ladies and gentlemen of both English and Indian origin came to meet us. Below is the list of British Ahmadis among them: 1. Mr Saeed Wilson from Minster, who stayed as a guest with us for three days. He regularly offered prayers with us. He is an intelligent and noble person. He shows affection towards the Jamaat and spent his time in tabligh to Indian students 2. Mrs Halima Best Khan, who is a wise and a very noble lady. She, along with her husband, shows fondness towards the Jamaat. They are always willing to help according to their wisdom and intuition. She has two adorable children; one is a girl and the other one, in her lap, is a boy by the name of Abdul Hameed 3. Miss Best Majeedah is a young modest noble Ahmadi girl. She already knew Bismillah, but now she has also learned Alhamdolillah and Jazakallah in Arabic. She has spared time to understand religion like her sister 4. Mrs Muhammad Fatima is a noble, virtuous natured and cheerful lady. She knows Surah al-Fatihah in Arabic and reads it very fluently. She knows some Arabic as well. She has a small baby in her lap 5. Mrs Shah is a young modest natured new convert Muslim lady. She cleaned the room of the mosque with great love and devotion, arranged everything in an order and engaged in writing letters for Mufti Sahib Apart from them, I happened to meet two other new lady converts: Miss Azizah and Miss Inayat. Moreover, in the current week, Shams-ul-Ulema Maulana Kamaluddin MA of Chittagong has payed a visit twice. A Christian lady by the name of Miss Berry, who is an educated and very sensible girl, is studying Yassarnal Quran [an exercise book to learn the correct pronunciation for reading the Holy Quran] from Hazrat Mufti Sahib.

Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM

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Friday Sermon Men of Excellence 20 September 2019 After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

I

n this series of the accounts of the lives of the Badri companions, I will begin today with the account of Hazrat Yazidra bin Ruqaish. Hazrat Yazidra belonged to the Banu Asad bin Khuzaimah tribe of the Quraish. Hazrat Yazidra was a confederate of the Banu Abd ash-Shams (Al-Sirat alNabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, p. 460, Dar-ulKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001). Some have also reported his name as Arbad, however, this is incorrect. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 5, p. 452, Yazidra bin Ruqaish, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2008) Hazrat Yazid’sra father’s name was Ruqaish bin Riyab and his title was Abu Khalid. Hazrat Yazidra participated in all of the battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa, including the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. Hazrat Yazidra killed Amr bin Sufyan during the Battle of Badr, who was a member of the Tay tribe. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 50, Yazidra bin Ruqaish, Dare-Ihyaa Al-Turath Al-Arabiy, 1996) (Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, p. 480, Darul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) One of Hazrat Yazid’sra brother’s name was Hazrat Saeedra bin Ruqaish, who migrated from Mecca to Medina along with his family and is counted among the foremost Muhajireen [those Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Medina]. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 475, Saeed bin Ruqaish, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008) One of Hazrat Yazid’sra brother’s name was Hazrat Abd ar-Rahmanra bin Ruqaish, who participated in the Battle of Uhud. (AlTabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 4, p. 370, Yazidra bin Ruqaish, Dar-e-Ihyaa Al-Turath Al-Arabiy, 1996) One of Hazrat Yazid’sra sister’s name was Hazrat Aminahra bint Ruqaish, who accepted Islam early on in Mecca. She also migrated to Medina along with her family. (Al-Tabaqaatul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 371, Yazidra bin Ruqaish, Dar-e-Ihyaa Al-Turath Al-Arabiy, 1996) Hazrat Yazidra passed away on the occasion of the Battle of Yamama in 12 AH. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 50, Yazidra bin Ruqaish, Dar-e-Ihyaa AlTurath Al-Arabiy, 1996) Although I have previously given brief details of this battle, but some further details are as follows: The Battle of Yamama took place in 11 AH during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. According to some historians, it took place in 12 AH. This battle was fought against Musailamah Kazzab at a place called

Yamama. Hazrat Abu Bakrra sent an army under the leadership of Hazrat Ikramahra bin Abi Jahl to fight Musailamah. He also sent another army under the leadership of Hazrat Shurahbeelra bin Hasanah in order to assist him. Hazrat Ikrimahra entered into battle before the arrival of Hazrat Shurabeelra so that victory could be attributed to him, however, he was defeated by Musailamah. When Hazrat Shurahbeelra came to know of this defeat, he set up camp on the way. Hazrat Ikramahra wrote to Hazrat Abu Bkarra and informed him of the incident. Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied: “We should not meet one another under these circumstances and you should also not return to Medina in this current state lest it

spread cowardice among the people, rather you should take your army to fight against the rebels from among the people of Oman and Mahra. After that, you should go and fight against the rebels of Yemen and Hadramaut.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra wrote to Hazrat Shurahbeelra saying, “You should remain where you are until Hazrat Khalidra bin Waleed arrives.” Hazrat Abu Bakrra deployed Hazrat Khalidra in order to fight Musailamah Kazzab and sent a large party of Muhajireen and Ansar with him. The leader of the party of the Ansar was Hazrat Sabitra bin Qais while the leader of the party of the Muhajireen was Hazrat Abu Huzaifahra and Hazrat Zaidra bin Khattab. Hazrat Shurahbeelra started to fight Musailamah before the arrival of Hazrat

Khalidra and was defeated. Hazrat Abu Bakrra sent further reinforcement under the leadership of Hazrat Saleetra to assist Hazrat Khalidra to prevent any attack from behind the armies. Hazrat Abu Bakrra used to say: “I do not wish to utilise the Badri companions. I want to leave them in a state that they meet Allah the Almighty while peacefully observing righteous deeds. Allah the Almighty can remove far greater difficulties and hardships than even this simply due to their blessings and the blessings of other pious individuals, and as a result they do not physically need to help.” Nevertheless, they also participated due to the compelling circumstances at the time. However, the opinion of Hazrat Umarra was in contrast to this and he would utilise the Badri companions for the army etc. In any case, the size of the Muslim army in this battle was 13,000, whereas the size of Musailamah’s army is stated as 40,000. A man by the name Nahaar-ur-Rijaal bin Unfuwa was with Musailamah Kazzab. He once came to the Holy Prophetsa and learnt the Holy Quran and religious matters. The Holy Prophetsa sent him to the people of Yamama as a religious teacher in order to refute Musailamah Kazzab’s claim to prophethood. When he went there, he became an apostate and bore testimony to the fact that he had heard the Holy Prophetsa say; (which was a false testimony) that Musailamah had, God forbid, been made a prophet alongside him. Nonetheless, when people abandon religion even today, it is their custom to level such false and incorrect allegations. In any case, the apostasy of this individual had much more negative impact on Musailamah’s tribe of Banu Hanifa in comparison to Musailamah’s claim to prophethood. The reason for this was that he had been sent for their moral training and people were also influenced by him. At the time when he said such things, Musailamah’s claim to prophethood was not very impactful. However, people began to be influenced after he made these statements. Everyone accepted his testimony and subsequently began to obey Musailamah. Furthermore, they said to him that he should write a letter to the Holy Prophetsa stating that if he did not obey him, they would support him in opposing the Holy Prophetsa. This treacherous claim of theirs was in fact the fundamental reason for war. In the incident that is being mentioned, Hazrat Abu Bakrra sent Hazrat Khalidra to

14 fight Musailamah. It is stated that when Musailamah became aware of the fact that Hazrat Khalidra was approaching, he set up his camp in the area of Uqraba and called people for his support. People started coming to him in great numbers. In the meantime, Muja’a bin Murara set out with a party, which was captured by the Muslims. Hazrat Khalidra killed Muja‘a’s companions and kept Muja‘a alive. He had set out for war as he was a reputable individual among the tribe of Banu Hanifa. Their leader was not killed, but instead he was made a prisoner. When he was captured, Musailamah’s son, Shurahbeel, incited their tribe and said: “If you are defeated today, your women will be made into bondswomen and they will be taken advantage of without entering into marriage. Therefore, today, you must show absolute courage for the sake of your honour and dignity and you must protect your women.” Nevertheless, the war broke out; the flag of the Muhajireen was carried by Hazrat Salimra, the freed slave of Huzaifahra, but before him taking the flag, it was with Abdullah bin Hafs, who was martyred. The flag of the Ansar was carried by Hazrat Sabitra bin Qais. A fierce battle ensued, the likes of which the Muslims had not experienced before. The Muslims retreated during this battle and the people of Banu Hanifa advanced in order to free Muja‘a, who had been imprisoned by Hazrat Khalidra. Subsequently, they marched and advanced towards the camp of Hazrat Khalidra bin Waleed. At that time, the wife of Hazrat Khalidra was inside the camp. These people intended to kill Hazrat Khalid’sra wife, upon which Muja‘a said that he had granted her protection and he prevented them from killing her. Muja‘a then told them to attack the men, upon which they advanced ahead. The battle intensified once again and all of the tribes of Banu Hanifa launched a ferocious attack. During this battle, at times the Muslims had the upper hand, but then at other times, the disbelievers would gain ascendency in the battle. Honourable companions such as Hazrat Salimra, Hazrat Abu Huzaifahra and Hazrat Zaidra bin Khattab were martyred during this battle. When Hazrat Khalidra observed this state of the Muslims, he ordered each tribe to group together, in order to assess the situation and gauge where the Muslims were being attacked from. Similarly, they re-arranged the army rows for battle upon which the Muslims began to say to one another that on this day, they feel ashamed to retreat. In other words, they felt humiliated upon witnessing their condition. Muslims had not faced a greater difficulty than this day. Musailamah was still in his place and was the central figure for the disbelievers. Hazrat Khalidra realised that until Musailamah had not been not killed, the war would not come to an end. Subsequently, Hazrat Khalidra advanced forward and requested to fight in the form of duels by raising the slogan of “Ya Muhammada” which was the tradition during the battle in those days. Subsequently, whoever accepted the challenge and stepped into the battlefield was killed, which became a catalyst for the Muslims. Following this, Hazrat Khalidra called out for Musailamah, however, he did not step forward and ran away. He was compelled to seek refuge in his orchard along with his companions and he sealed the doors of this orchard. The Muslims encircled the orchard and Hazrat

Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM Barara bin Malik said, “O Muslims! Lift me over the wall and into the orchard.” He was a very brave and courageous individual. The Muslims replied that they were unable to do so. However, Hazrat Barara did not accept this and insisted that they ought to get him into this orchard. Hence, the Muslims helped him in climbing the wall of the garden to enter it, and he opened the gate from inside. The Muslims entered the orchard, and another fierce battle took place. Wahshi killed Musailamah. Wahshi is the same person who had martyred Hazrat Hamzahra, the uncle of the Holy Prophetsa. Nevertheless, according to one narration, Wahshi and another Ansari killed Musailamah together. Wahshi launched his spear towards Musailamah, and the Ansari advanced towards Musailamah with his sword. Both of them attacked Musailamah at the same time, and for this reason, Wahshi used to say later, “Only God knows whose attack caused Musailamah’s death.” Hazrat Abdullah bin Umarra narrates that someone announced in a loud voice, “An African slave has killed Musailamah.” Therefore, it is very likely that Wahshi killed him. Hazrat Khalidra found out about the location of Musailamah’s body through Muja‘a. Muja‘a said to Hazrat Khalidra: “The people who came to fight with the Muslims were impetuous and inexperienced. However, currently the fort is full of skilful soldiers. You should agree to a treaty with me on their behalf. The Muslims would incur a greater loss if a battle was to ensue now.” He sought to deceive them and Hazrat Khalidra entered a treaty with Muja‘a on the condition that the Muslims would spare their lives and nothing will be said to them, and they would not be taken as prisoners. However, the Muslims would gain all of their possessions. Muja‘a, who was a shrewd individual, stated, “I will go to the people of the fort and will return after seeking their opinion on this matter.” Musailamah had already been killed, which had weakened the strength of the opposition, however, Muja‘a’s shrewdness benefited the disbelievers. Upon entering the fort, he found no one other than women, children, elderly and the weak. He planned a deceptive move by making the women put on amour and instructed them to stand on the castle walls and raise the slogans for battle until his return. He returned to Hazrat Khalidra and stated: “The people of the fort did not agree to the condition on which you based our treaty (which was that their lives would be spared but the Muslims would take all their possessions). Some of them are expressing their disagreement visibly on the castle walls. I cannot take responsibility for their actions as they are not in my control.” When Hazrat Khalidra looked towards the castle, he observed that its walls were lined with soldiers. These in fact were women who were dressed as soldiers as a part of his scheme. The Muslims had suffered great losses during this battle which had become prolonged. The Muslims desired to swiftly return after their victory. Hence, Hazrat Khalidra agreed to a treaty on the condition that the possession of all the gold, silver, livestock and half of the female and male slaves would be given to them. According to one narration, he agreed to the treaty on the condition of a quarter of the prisoners. In this battle, 360 Muhajireen and Ansar

from Medina were martyred. Aside from those from Medina, 300 Muhajreen were martyred. From the Banu Hanifa tribe, 7,000 disbelievers were killed in the plains of Aqraba, 7,000 were killed in the orchard and 7,000 people who ran away from the orchard were killed in the chase after them. When this army returned to Medina, Hazrat Umarra enquired from his son, Hazrat Abdullahra, “Why did you not attain martyrdom before Zaidra? Zaidra has been martyred and you are still alive. Why did you not hide your face from me?” Hazrat Abdullahra replied, “Hazrat Zaidra prayed for martyrdom from Allah the Almighty and He bestowed it upon him. I also sought after it but was not successful.” In the same year, after a large number of Companions were martyred in the battle of Yamama, Hazrat Abu Bakrra ordered for the Holy Quran to be collated at one place, in order to preserve it. These were the details regarding the Battle of Yamama. (Al-Kamil Fi Al-Tarikh, Vol. 2, pp. 218-223, Dar-ulKutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2006), (Tarikh Al-Tabari, Vol. 2, pp. 300-310, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2002), (Tarikh ibn Khuldoon, Vol. 3, pt. 1, p. 231, Dar-ul-Ishaat, Karachi, 2003) Now I shall speak about a companion named Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama. His title was Abu Muhammad, and he belonged to the Banu Aamir bin Lui tribe. He was also called Abdullah Akbar as well. He was one of the companions who accepted Islam early on. His father’s name was Makhrama bin Abdul Uzza and his mother’s name was Bahnana bint Safwan. In regard to his children, it is mentioned that one of his son, Masahik who was the son of Zainab bint Suraqa, the wife of Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama. Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama was among those companions who accepted Islam in its early days. He had the honour of migrating twice, one migration was towards Abyssinia and the second one towards Medina. Ibn-e-Ishaaq has mentioned Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama among those companions who migrated to Abyssinia with Hazrat Jafarra. Yunus bin Bukair, Salma and Bukai have recorded this saying of Ibn-eIshaaq in which there is mention of Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama’s migration to Abyssinia. After migrating to Medina, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama resided in the house of Hazrat Khulthumra bin Hidam. The Holy Prophetsa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama and Hazrat Farwahra bin Amr Ansari. Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama participated in the Battle of Badr as well as all the battles that took place after. He was 30 years old at the time of the Battle of Badr. When he was martyred at the Battle of Yamama, during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, at that time he was 41 years old. (AlTabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, pp. 308-309, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990), (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, pp. 377-388, Atiyyah bin Nuwairahra, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2008) Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama had an extraordinary level of passion to attain the status of martyrdom. He would pray to God Almighty that he remain alive until he had witnessed a wound on every joint of his body in the way of God Almighty. Subsequently, during the Battle of Yamamah, he suffered injuries on many of his joints as a result of which he attained the status of martyrdom.

(Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 4, p. 193, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2001) Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama was extremely devoted to worship and would fervently pray even in his youth. Hazrat Ibn Umarra relates: “In the year in which the Battle of Yamamah took place, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama, Hazrat Salimra, who was the freed slave of Hazrat Abu Hudhaifahra, and I were all together. All three of us would take turns to graze the goats and we also had to stand guard for protection of the provisions for the army. It was my turn to graze the goats on the day the Battle of Yamamah began. When I returned from grazing the goats, I saw Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama wounded and lying on the ground of the battlefield. I stood by him and he said, ‘O Abdullah bin Umarra! Have those who are fasting ended their fast?’ (it was evening). I replied in the affirmative upon which he asked for some water to be poured into his shield, so that he could break his fast.’” Thus, even during the battle, he was observing the fast. Hazrat Abdullahra bin Umar states that he went to fetch some water but when he returned, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Makhrama had passed away. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 377, Abdullahra bin Makhrama, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008), (Sair Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 570, Abdullahra bin Makhrama, Dar-Isha’at, Karachi) The next companion I will mention is Hazrat Amrra bin Ma‘bad. Hazrat Amrra bin Ma‘bad’s name is also reported as Umairra bin Ma‘bad. His father’s name was Ma‘bad bin Az‘ar. Hazrat Amrra bin Ma‘bad belonged to the Banu Zubaya branch of the Aus tribe of the Ansar. (Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, p. 465, Baab Al-Ansar wa man ma’ahum, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) Hazrat Amrra bin Ma‘bad participated in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa, including the Battle of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. Hazrat Amrra bin Ma‘bad was among the 100 companions who stood their ground during the Battle of Hunain and valiantly fought and as a result of which God Almighty Himself became responsible for their provisions (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 353, Umairra bin Ma’bad Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012). This is because they stood by with the Holy Prophetsa. According to one narration, Hazrat Abdullah bin Umarra states, “On the day of Hunain, our condition was such that two of the parties among the Muslims retreated and there were not even as much as a hundred people who remained with the Holy Prophetsa.” (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Abwab-ulJihad, Hadith no. 1689) There are varying opinions in relation to the number of companions who remained firmly stood alongside the Holy Prophetsa. Some estimate that it was between 80 and a 100. (Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishaad, Vol. 5, p. 484, Dar-e-Ihyaa Al-Turath, Cairo, 1992) However, others state 100, but nonetheless they were very few in number. The next companion I will mention is Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik. Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik’s name has also been mentioned as Nauman bin Qauqal. Imam Bukhari has recorded his name as Ibn Qauqal. Allama Badr-ul-Din Aini, who is a scholar, writes in the commentary of Bukhari that the complete name of Ibn Qauqal was Naumanra bin Malik bin Thalaba bin Asram

Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM and Qauqal was the title of Thalaba or Asram. Since Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik was known by his grandfather, hence he was called Nauman bin Qauqal. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabun Nikah, Kitab-ul-Jihad Wa Al-Sair, Bab Al-Kafir Yaqtulu Al-Muslim, Hadith no. 2827), (Umdatul Qari, Vol. 14, pp. 182-183, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 2003) Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik walked with a slight limp. (Marifat-ul-Sahaba Li Ibn Naeem, Vol. 4, p. 317, Dar-ul-Kutub AlIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik’s father was Malik bin Thalaba and his mother was Amrah bint Ziyad and she was the sister of Hazrat Mujazirra bin Ziyad. Hazrat Naumanra belonged to the Banu Ghanam branch of the Khazraj tribe from among the Ansar. This tribe was popularly known as Quaqal. According to Ibn Hisham, Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik was more commonly known by the name, Nauman Qauqal. Moreover, Ibn Hisham has mentioned that he belonged to the Banu Da‘ad tribe. Why were they referred to as Qauqal? I explained this in one of the previous sermons that whenever someone sought protection from a leader in Medina, he would be told that he was free to ascend the mountain as he wished – in other words, he had now been granted peace and he was free to live as he wished and could return in a state of comfort and security without any fear or adversity. The individuals who would grant protection were known as Qawaqilah. Ibn Hisham, a historian, states that when these leaders granted refuge to someone, they would hand them an arrow and say they were free to go wherever they desired with the arrow. Hazrat Nauman’s grandfather, Thalaba bin Da‘ad, was referred to as Qauqal as he was from among those who would grant security and protection. Similarly, Ghanam bin Auf, who was the leader of the Khazraj tribe was also referred to as Qauqal and Hazrat Ubadahra bin Samit was also known by the title of Qauqal. Banu Salim, Banu Ghanam and Banu Auf bin Khazraj were all known as Qawaqilah. The leader of the Banu Auf tribe was Hazrat Ubadahra bin Samit. Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik participated in the Battle of Badr and Uhud and was martyred during the Battle of Uhad by Safwan bin Umaiyyah. According to another narration, Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik was martyred by Aabaan bin Saeed. On the day of Uhad, Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik, Hazrat Mujazzarra bin Ziad and Hazrat Ubadahra bin Hishaas were all buried in one grave. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 414, Al-Numan bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2012) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, pp. 158-159, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008) (Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, p. 560 & p. 468 , Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) (Umdatul Qari, Vol. 14, p. 182, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 2003) When the Holy Prophetsa left for the Battle of Uhud and had conferred with Abdullah bin Abi Salool, Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik said, “O Prophetsa Allah! By God, I will certainly enter paradise.” The Holy Prophetsa asked how? Hazrat Naumanra replied, “Because I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and you are the messengersa of Allah. I will certainly never turn away from the battle.” Upon this the Holy Prophetsa stated that indeed what he said was the truth. Subsequently, Hazrat Naumanra bin Malik attained martyrdom

15 that same day. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 5, p. 322, Al-Nauman bin Malik Al-Khazraji, Dar-ulKutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008) Khalid bin Abu Malik Jadi relates that he found the following narration in his father’s book that Hazrat Naumanra bin Qauqal Ansari supplicated, “My Lord, I swear by Your name that I will be walking with my limp in the lush green gardens of paradise before the sun will have set.” Subsequently, he was martyred that very day. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa stated, “God Almighty accepted his prayer for I have seen him walking in heaven without any sort of limp or hindrance.” God Almighty informed the Holy Prophetsa about him through a vision. (Marifat-ul-Sahaba Li Ibn Naeem, Vol. 4, p. 317, Naumanra bin Qauqal, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) Hazrat Abu Hurairahra relates that he went to the Holy Prophetsa while he was in Khaibar and the Companionsra had already conquered it. He requested the Holy Prophetsa to also grant him some share [from the spoils of the battle]. One of the sons of Saeed bin Aas said, “O Prophetsa of Allah! Do not give him any share from it.” Hazrat Abu Hurrairahra replied that ibn Saeed bin Aas was the one who was responsible for martyring Naumanra bin Qauqal. Ibn Saeed bin Aas replied, “I am astounded that he shows such arrogance towards us yet he himself has just come from grazing his sheep from the mount Zaan.” (Mount Zaan was situated in Tahaamah and was one of the mountains situated where the tribe Dos lived, which was Hazrat Abu Hurrairahra’s tribe. They were stood on the top of this mountain.) Ibn Saeed bin Aas further said with great astuteness, “He has come while grazing his sheep and now levels an allegation against me that I killed a Muslim, whom Allah the Almighty granted honour through my hands and did not allow me to perish by his hands.” Sufyan states that he is not aware whether or not the Holy Prophetsa granted him a share. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul-Jihad Wa Al-Sair, Bab Al-Kafir Yaqtulu Al-Muslim, Hadith 2827), (Mu’jamul Buldan, Vol. 2, p. 223) Hazrat Jabirra relates that Hazrat Naumanra bin Qauqal came to the Holy Prophetsa and asked, “O Prophetsa of Allah! If I observe the obligatory prayers; observe the fasts in the month of Ramadan; declare all that which is unlawful as unlawful and all that which is lawful as lawful and do nothing more than this, will I enter paradise?” The Holy Prophetsa replied, “Yes”. Upon this he said, “By God, I will not do anything more than this.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 23, p. 78, Musnad Jabir bin Abdullah, Muasisat-ul-Risala, 2008) Hazrat Jabirra relates that Naumanra bin Qauqal entered the mosque on Friday and the Holy Prophetsa was delivering his sermon. The Holy Prophetsa stated to him, “O Nauman! Offer two Rakats of prayer.” The concept of offering Sunnah on Friday has also been explained here. Hazrat Naumanra entered the mosque while the Holy Prophetsa was delivering his sermon and told him to offer two Rakats of prayer and to not prolong them. Since the Friday Sermon had already started, therefore he told him to offer them but to keep them short. Thereafter, the Holy Prophetsa stated, “If any of you arrive [at the mosque] and the Imam is delivering the sermon, you should offer two Rakats of prayer and keep them brief.” (Marifat Al-Sahaba li ibn Naeem, Vol.

4, p. 317, Nauman bin Qauqal Al-Ansari, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) The next companion to be mentioned is Hazrat Khubaibra bin Adi Ansari. Hazrat Khubaibra bin Adi Ansari belonged to the Banu Jahjabah of the Aus tribe from among the Ansar. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, p. 681, Khubaibra bin Adi, Dar-ul-Fikr, 2003) When Hazrat Umairra bin Abu Waqas migrated from Mecca to Medina, the Holy Prophetsa established a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat Khubaibra bin Adi. (Ayoon Al-Asar, Vol. 1, p. 232, Zikr-ulMawakhaat, Dar-ul-Qalam, Beirut, 1993) Hazrat Khubaibra bin Adi took part in the Battle of Badr and killed Harith bin Aamir during the battle. During the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Khubaibra bin Adi was appointed to supervise over the army’s possessions. (Sair Al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, pt. 4, p. 309, Iadaara Islamiyaat, Lahore) Hazrat Khubaibra bin Adi was among the delegation involved in the incident of Raji in 4 AH. Hazrat Khubaibra bin Adi and Hazrat Zaidra bin Dasna were captured by the idolaters, who took them along with them to Mecca and upon reaching, sold both of the companions. Hazrat Khubaibra bin Adi was bought by the sons of Harith bin Aamir, so that they could avenge for their father’s death who was killed by Khubaibra on the day of Badr. According to Ibn Ishaaq, Hujair bin Abu Ihaab Tameemi, who was a confederate of the children of Harith, bought Hazrat Khubaibra. Uqbah, the son of Harith, bought him from Abu Ihaab, so that he could avenge for his father’s death. It is also reported that Uqbah bin Harith bought Hazrat Khubaibra from the Banu Najjar. According to yet another source Abu Ihaab, Ikramah bin Abu Jahl, Akhnath bin Shuraiq, Ubaidah bin Hakeem, the sons of Umaiyyah bin Abu Uthbah Hazarmi and Safwan bin Umaiyyah all bought Hazrat Khubaibra. These are all the individuals whose fathers were killed during the Battle of Badr. They all bought Hazrat Khubaibra and gave him to Uqbah bin Harith, who then imprisoned him in his home. (Al-Isti‘ab fi Marifat Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, pp. 23-25, Khubaibra bin Adi, Dar-ul-Kutb Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Sirat KhatamunNabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 513) The following details have been mentioned in Bukhari regarding the incident of Raji: Hazrat Abu Hurrairahra relates that the Holy Prophetsa sent a delegation comprising of ten companions to gather some intelligence and appointed Asimra bin Thabit Ansari, who was the maternal grandfather of Asim bin Umar bin Khattab, as the Amir of the delegation. The delegation set off and when they reached Hada‘ah, which is situated between Usfaan and Mecca, someone informed the Banu Lahyan about them, who were part of the Huzail tribe. Upon learning of this news, around two hundred men, who were all archers, set off and began to follow their trail. They pursued them until they reached the place where the delegation had eaten some dates. The delegation of ten people stopped at a location and ate some dates which they brought with them as provisions for the journey from Medina. They ate the dates and threw away the date seeds. The army pursuing them recognised that these dates were from Yathrib, i.e. Medina, and thereafter began to follow their trail.

When Asimra and his companions saw them coming after them, they ascended a hillock for protection. The pursuing army surrounded them and asked them to come down, assuring them that if they surrendered themselves over to them, they would not kill any of them. Asimra bin Thabit, who was the leader of this delegation, said that if he came down from the mountain then that would mean he came under the protection of a disbeliever and he was not willing to do that. Thereafter, he prayed, “O Allah! Inform Your Prophetsa of this incident.” The enemy then began to launch arrows and martyred Asimra bin Thabit, along with seven others of his companions. Upon witnessing this, the other three, placing their trust in them, came down. Among these three was Khubaibra Ansari, Ibn Dasnara and one other person. When they came down, the disbelievers captured them and tied them with the strings of their bows. The third individual among them said that this was their first act of deception and said, “By God, I will not go with you. I find comfort and assurance in the example of those who were martyred before us. I will remain here and so martyr me if you so wish.” They tried to drag him along but he resisted and eventually they martyred him. They then grabbed hold of Khubaibra and ibn Dasnara and took them away to Mecca where they then sold them. This incident took place after the Battle of Badr. Khubaib was bought by Banu Harith bin Aamir bin Naufal bin Abd Manaf. Khubaibra was the one who killed Harith bin Aamir during the Battle of Badr. Khubaib remained as a prisoner with him. Ibn-e-Shihaab writes, “Ubaidullah bin Ayyadh said to me that the daughter of Harith informed him that once the captors, who had bought Khubaibra, decided that they would kill him (i.e. he would be martyred), during that time Khubaibra asked for a razor for his personal use.” This is a very famous incident and is often quoted. The daughter of Harith further states: “During a moment of inattentiveness, one of my children went to Khubaibra and he sat the child on his lap. Seeing my child sitting on Khubaib’s lap and the razor in his hand, I became petrified to such an extent that Khubaibra realised my fear from my facial expression and said, ‘Do you think that I will kill this child? Do not think this. GodWilling, I shall never commit such an act.’” The daughter of Harith would often say, “I have never seen a prisoner as good as Khubaibra.” She would also say, “By God, on one occasion, I saw a bunch of grapes in the hand of Khubaibra and he was picking grapes one by one and eating them, although there was no sign of grapes in Mecca during those days and Khubaibra was shackled in strong iron chains.” She says, “I believe that these were heavenly provisions which were granted to Khubaibra.” When the captors took Khubaibra to a place outside of the Haram [vicinity of the Ka‘bah] in order to kill him, Khubaibra sought permission from them to offer two rakats [unit of prayer] of Salat, to which they agreed. When he had offered his two rakats of prayer, he said: “I desired to prolong my Salat even more, but then I thought that you may assume that I am prolonging my Salat with the intention of deferring death.” Then he prayed to God Almighty saying: “O Allah! Destroy each and every one of them.”

16 Just before they were about to martyr him, he prayed saying: “O Allah! Destroy each and every one of them.” Hazrat Khubaibra then recited the following couplet: ُ ُْ ْ ُ ُ َ ‫َول ْست ابَال ِْی ِحی َن اق َتل ُم ْس ِل ًما‬ ٰ َ ّ ّ ْ َ ْ َ َ ‫َ ٰ َ ّ شق‬ ْ ‫ع َلی ا َ ِی ِ ٍَ کانْ لِل ٰ ِہ مص ْر َ ّ ِع َی‬ ‫ات ال ِال ِہ َواِن یشأ‬ ِ ‫َوذال ِک ِف ْی ذ‬ َّ َ ُ ْ َ َْ ٰ َ ْ َُ ‫ال ِشل ٍو ممز ِع‬ ِ ‫یبا ِرک علی اوص‬ “When I am being martyred in the cause of Islam as a Muslim, I care not as to which flank I fall upon after being martyred; all of this is for the sake of God; and if my God so wills, He shall bless my every severed limb.” Allama Hajar Asqalani, who has written a commentary of Sahih Bukhari, writes the following commentary under a Hadith regarding Ghazwah Raji: “At the time of his martyrdom, Hazrat Khubaibra prayed the following: َ ّٰ َ َ َ ‫الل ُه َّم أ ْح ِصهِ ْم عد ًدا‬ ‘O Allah! Take note of each one of these enemies of mine, so that You may deal with them.’” In another narration it is recorded that he also said: ُ َ َ ُْ ْ ً َ ُ ‫َواق ُتله ْم بَد ًدا َولا ت ْب ِق ِم ْنھ ْم ا َحدا‬ “Kill every single one of them and do not spare anyone from among them.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 3045) (Fath-ul-Bari, Sahrah Sahih Bukhari Li Imam ibn Hajjar Asqalani, Vol. 7, p. 488, Qadeemi Kutub Khana Maqabil Araam Baagh, Karachi) Nonetheless, after Hazrat Khubaibra had finished offering his prayers, Uqbah, the son of Harith, killed Khubaibra and thus he became a martyr. In another narration of Bukhari it is written that Abu Sarawa‘ah killed Hazrat Khubaibra. Hazrat Khubaibra was the one who established the tradition of offering two rakats of prayer for every Muslim who is killed in captivity. God Almighty accepted the prayer of Asimra bin Thabit which he supplicated on the day he was martyred and subsequently the Holy Prophetsa then informed his companions about it. As it has already been mentioned, Asimra bin Thabit, who was the leader of the party, among whom Hazrat Khubaibra was also a part, he prayed to God Almighty to inform the Holy Prophetsa about their situation. The Holy Prophetsa informed his companions about the entire incident and the difficulties they had to endure. When the Quraish were informed that Asimra had been killed, they sent a group of men to the place where Asimra was killed in order to bring back a part of his body whereby he could be recognised. Asimra had slain a principal chieftain of the Quraish during the Battle of Badr. However, God Almighty made such provisions that a swarm of hornets acted as a shield over his body and the disbelievers were unable to harm him. God Almighty saved him and they were unable to take back any part of his body. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith 4086-4087) When Hazrat Khubaibra was about to be martyred, it is stated that he prayed, “O Allah, I have no means by which to convey my greetings to the Holy Prophetsa. You alone can convey my greetings to him.” When Hazrat Khubaibra stood on the plank he prayed to God Almighty. It is said that when an idolater heard the following prayer ra : of Hazrat Khubaib َ ّٰ َ َ ُْ ْ َ َ ‫الل ُه َ ّم أ ْح ِصهِ ْم عد ًدا َواق ُتله ْم بَد ًدا‬ “O Allah! Take note of every single one of them and then kill each and every one of them”, he jumped to the floor out of fear. It

Friday 18 October 2019 | AL HAKAM is written that within one year, aside from the person who laid down out of fear, every single one of those who were involved in the killing of Hazrat Khubaibra were dead and none of them survived. Hazrat Muawiyyahra bin Abi Sufyan stated, “I was present with my father at that time. When my father heard the prayer of Hazrat Khubaibra, he immediately pushed me to the ground.” Urwah has stated this and there are also similar narrations. Another narration of his is that the idlators that were present at that time included: Abu Ihaab, Akhnath bin Shuraiq, Ubaidah bin Hakeem and Umayyah bin Utbah. He further narrates that Angel Gabriel came to the Holy Prophetsa and informed him about the entire incident, and the Holy Prophetsa in turn informed the Companionsra. The Companionsra said that on that day, the Holy Prophetsa was seated in a gathering when he said: ُ ُ َ َّ َ ْ َ َ َ ‫ام یَا خ َب ْی ُب‬ ‫وعلیک السل‬ “O Khubaibra! May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.” He also informed the companions that the Quraish had killed Khubaibra. (Fath-ulBari, Sahrah Sahih Bukhari Li Imam ibn Hajjar Asqalani, Vol. 7, p. 488, Qadeemi Kutub Khana Maqabil Araam Baagh, Karachi. Hadith no. 4086) Thus, God Almighty ensured that Khubaib’s greetings of peace were conveyed to the Holy Prophetsa. This is all mentioned in the commentary of Sahih Bukhari. When the idolators martyred Hazrat Khubaibra, they turned his face away from the direction of the Qibla [towards the Ka‘bah in Mecca]. However, after a short while later, the idolaters saw that his face had turned towards the Qibla again. They would constantly try to turn his face away from the Qibla but they did not succeed and eventually left him the way he was. (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 277, Khubaibra bin Adi, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2005) In another narration it is related that the Quraish hung Khubaibra to the branch of a tree and then killed him by repeatedly piercing him with lances. An individual by the name of Saeed bin Aamir was also among the crowd. Afterwards, he became a Muslim and even until the era of Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra, whenever he would remember the incident of Khubaibra, (he was among the perpetrators, but later accepted Islam) he would be overtaken by a state of swoon. (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, pp. 515-516) There are some other accounts relating to him, but I will mention them another time. At this time, I would like to make an announcement that the Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat department have made a website which is in the Urdu and English language. It contains information about the history of Ahmadiyyat, biographies and events in the lives of those personalities about whom the Jamaat has published literature, for example: The Promised Messiahas, the Khulafa of Ahmadiyyat, the Companions of the Promised Messiahas, the martyrs of Ahmadiyyat, the Darvesh of Qadian, and missionaries of the Jamaat as well as other notable personalities in the Jamaat. There are biographies as well as dissertations, articles, memorable photos, all of the volumes of Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat that have been

published so far, history about the auxiliary organisations as well as history related to various countries and cities, personal memoirs of notable personalities, there are photos of certain tabarrukat [sacred relics] important clippings from newspapers and magazines. There are researched articles and also history related articles, photos from functions of the Jamaat and also Jamaat properties such as: mosques, mission houses, educational institutes, hospitals and dispensaries etc. and as far as possible, a brief introduction to each one has been given. Through a YouTube channel, there are certain rare documentaries of MTA, also on the website there is a timeline of all the important incidents in the history of the Jamaat from its inception up until now. GodWilling, I will launch this website after the Friday prayers. There is some unfortunate news in that one of our senior missionaries, Saffi-urRahman Khurshid Sahib – who was the son of Hakeem Fazal-ur-Rahman Sahib and served as a missionary in Africa as well as in other places and also as manager of Nusrat Art press – passed away on 16 September at the age of 75, owing to aَ heart attack. َ ْ َ ّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا ل ِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ “To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” I will lead his funeral in absentia. He was the maternal grandson of Hazrat Maulvi Qudratullah Sanauri Sahibra, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. Saffiur-Rahman Khurshid Sahib’s father had also devoted his life and was a life devotee. On the instructions of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, his father oversaw the land in Sindh. Saffi-ur-Rahman Sahib received his initial education from Rabwah, after which he joined Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah in 1961 owing to a dream that his mother saw. He attained the Shahid Degree in 1970. He had two wives, from the first wife he has one daughter and he does not have any children from his second wife. Saffi-ur-Rahman Sahib’s daughter, Roshan Araa, resides here and is the wife of Jameel Ahmad Sahib. After graduating from Jamia Ahmadiyya, for a short while Saffi-ur-Rahman Sahib served in the Central offices in Rabwah, after which he had the opportunity to serve as the missionary for Chakwal for one year alongside Hazrat Hakeem Abdullah Sahibra, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. In 1972 he was sent to Sierra Leone. He stated that when he was leaving for Africa, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh advised him by saying, “Always show love to the African people.” He said that he always kept this instruction in mind. He also narrated an incident of how God Almighty assisted them. He said that once they travelled to a distant part of Sierra Leone by foot and then by boat, eventually reaching a settlement in the evening. An elderly African gentlemen was also travelling with him. When they reached the settlement they discovered that the chief of the town was not present, therefore, as is the custom over there, they went to visit the chief imam. The chief imam refused to listen to them and told them to leave the village. As night had fallen and they had no place to stay, they began the journey back. He states, “After a short distance from the village we reached a jungle and the terrain was such that the waves of the sea or river would swamp the area.” He further said, “We

were walking along and were very anxious when all of a sudden a man who was on high ground called out to us. He gave us shelter in his shack. After a while we heard people calling out for us; when they came closer we heard them calling out for us to come back as the chief imam had called us back. The reason was that the minute we had left the village; he began suffering from a severe migraine and said to call them as perhaps it is due to removing them from the village he was suffering the pain.” Nonetheless, they went back to the village, where the chief imam had gathered the entire members of the village. He says they performed tabligh all night and approximately ten or twelve people accepted Ahmadiyyat. As for the migraine of the chief imam, he says they recited Surah al-Fatihah as dum [reciting a prayer over something for the purpose to heal or cure] and by the grace of Allah, his migraine was cured. In this manner, not only did God Almighty ensure for their stay, but He also granted them Bai‘ats. Saffi-ur-Rahman Sahib had the opportunity to establish a printing press in Sierra Leone. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh sent special machines which were installed there. In those days there were difficulties in setting up a printing press, however he established it with great success and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh would often praise him for this success. He was then sent to Nigeria where he also established a printing press and it ran successfully. It was during this time when an accident took place and Saffiur-Rahman Sahib’s finger was dismembered after it was caught in a machine. Despite a lot of treatment, it would not heal. When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh came to know of it, he instructed for Saffi Sahib to travel to London for treatment. By the grace of Allah, it then later healed. When the Raqeem Press was being established here, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh instructed him to help with the installation and he was placed on the committee alongside Mustafa Sabit Sahib and Mubarak Saqi Sahib. By the grace of Allah, the press has been established and is running from that time. He had the opportunity to serve in Africa for 17 years, in Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Then during a tour of Africa in 1988, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh instructed him to travel to Cameroon and establish the Jamaat there. He obtained a visa with great difficulty and he spent one month in Cameroon. He was involved in tabligh [propagating the message of Islam] activities his interviews were also broadcast on the radio. During this visit, by the grace of Allah, an entire family converted to Ahmadiyyat. In 1988 he returned to Pakistan and served as a missionary in Lahore. He came to the UK to attend the Jalsa Salana on several occasions and he would serve in the private secretary’s office. From 1991, he served as the manager of Nusrat Art Press, but he suffered a stroke and had been ill for a while, and he also took retirement. May God Almighty shower His mercy and forgiveness on him; he has one daughter, may God Almighty grant patience and steadfastness to her and also his wife. (Originally published in Al-Fazl International 11 October 2019, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)

Editor: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Design & Layout: Jalees Ahmad | News: Ata-ul-Haye Nasir | © Al Hakam 2019