Issuu

Where stars descend

Islam in Argentina

Chapter 5 (Multidimensional vision)

Arabic classes, Islam and coffee shops

Do Ahmadis consider Sunni and Shia Muslims as non-Muslims?

Marking a milestone How a live online class with Huzoor was possible from Canada

Page 10

Page 4

Part II Page 6

Page 9

THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 21 August 2020 | Issue CXXVII Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Come what may, the Jamaat moves forward – this is the lesson learned It is clear now that life in the foreseeable future will be a lot different to what we were once accustomed to. For the world, the measures being put in place to stem the rise of a potential second Covid-19 wave are undoubtedly unsettling; however, for members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, whose day to day lives revolve around the mosque, tabligh efforts and community activities, this is indeed something we pray is for a very short period of time. The nucleus of the Jamaat, the focal point for every Ahmadi Muslim, Khilafate-Ahmadiyya, is something that we “hold fast” to. Offering prayers behind Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, meeting with him in what we affectionately have termed “mulaqats” and viewing his weekly engagements on Continued on page 3

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

Best prayer for seeking forgiveness Hazrat Buraidahra relates that the Holy Prophetsa said that whosoever recites this prayer, morning or evening, and dies on that day or that night, he will enter heaven: َ ُ َ ََ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َّ ٰ َ ّ َ ْ َ ّ ٰ ‫ا�� ُ� َّم أنﺖ َر� ِ ْ� لا ِإل َہ ِإلا أنﺖ خلﻘ َت ِ� ْ� َوأنا ع ْﺒدك‬ َ ُ ُ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ََ َ ‫اس َتﻄ ْﻌﺖ أع ْوذ بِک ِم ْن‬ ‫وأنا علی عﻬ ِدك ووع ِدك ما‬ ْ َ ْ َ ُ َُْ َ َ َ ْ ُ َُْ ُ ْ َ َ َ ّ َ ْ�� ْ ِ�‫اغ‬ ‫� ِ� ما ﺻنﻌﺖ أبوء بِ ِنﻌم ِتک وأبوء بِذن ِ�� ﻓ‬ ِ ْ َ ُ َّ ُ ُّ َ ْ َ َّ ‫ِإنہ لا یَﻐ�ِ ُ� الذن ْو َب ِإلا أنﺖ‬ “O Allah, You are my Lord; there is none worthy of worship except You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I am steadfast in Your covenant and Your promise to the best of my capability. I seek refuge in You from the evil effects of my deeds. I acknowledge Your blessings and favours. I confess my sins, so You forgive me, as there is none except You who forgives sins.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Adab)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

The sign of a truthful person and a liar The question was posed that even certain opponents claim to receive revelations, so how can one identify a truthful person and one who is a liar? The Promised Messiahas said: Continued on page 3

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

This Week in History 21 - 27 August

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

21 August 1887: In a letter sent on this date, the Promised Messiahas reminded Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira about purchasing and sending cooking oil to Qadian. Huzooras also asked him to arrange for a suitable housemaid to care for his newborn son, Bashir (Awwal) the first, as Huzooras did not find the local servants of Qadian satisfactory. 21 August 1904: The Promised Messiahas was in Lahore on this date and delivered a public address after offering Zuhr prayer. 22 August 1885: The Promised Messiah expressed his gratitude towards Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira through a letter. Huzooras commended his selfless and continuous contributions to smoothly run Huzoor’s various religious projects. as

22 August 1887: The Promised Messiahas replied to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira educating him regarding destinies and other attributes of Allah. Hazrat Ahmadas summed up that God’s dealing with His men is amongst his hidden secrets. 22 August 1894: The Promised Messiahas replied to a postcard of Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira, asking him to remain engaged in prayers for the general public’s faith as the ﬁnal date for the prophecy regarding Abdullah Atham was fast approaching. Abdullah Atham was in Ferozpur with sound health. This letter records yet another example of Hazrat Ahmad’sas trust in God and his compassionate approach towards the masses that they may not fall prey to any temptation and lack of faith. 22 August 1894: The Promised Messiah informed Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra that 100 rupees were received a day earlier, but as it did not carry any detail with it, Huzooras wanted to conﬁrm receipt of this amount in his own writing. Hazrat Ahmadas also shared with him recent confrontations by his opponents. as

22 August 1898: The Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to his faithful disciple, Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra, informing him that prayers to God for His cause had reached their peak. Hazrat Ahmadas wrote that he could never imagine that these prayers would go unaccepted. 22 August 1901: During litigation in the famous “wall case”, on this day, under court orders, the cousins of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas tore down the wall blocking the entrance of Masjid

Mubarak in Qadian that they had previously erected with their own hands. 23 August 1888: The Promised Messiahas wrote back to Hazrat Munshi Abdullah Sanaurira informing him that news of his wellbeing had made Hazrat Ahmadas very happy. Moreover, Huzooras sent him some announcements to be circulated and informed him that the health of his son, Bashir Awwal was gradually being restored. 23 August 1891: The Promised Messiahas replied to a letter of Hazrat Mian Fateh Muhammadra, assuring him that he must remain steadfast as Huzooras would pray for him. Huzooras added a Persian line, which meant that there is not a single problem that has no solution. 23 August 1897: The court of Captain Douglas, after completing its proceedings, declared the Promised Messiahas not guilty. The judge dismissed the charges of attempted murder as levelled by a prominent Christian missionary, Henry Martyn Clark. Hazrat Ahmadas was present in court when the verdict was announced. 23 August 1898: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Syed Munshi Mazhar Ali of Allahabad that his stance regarding wahdat-ul-wajood (unity of one being) was not true, as this Suﬁ emphasised that “there is no true existence except the Ultimate Truth (God).” Hazrat Ahmadas exposed the fallacy of this philosophy. Huzooras also presented arguments in this short letter to prove true human nature. 24 August 1887: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira reminding him to buy and send to Qadian the required quantity of cooking oil as it was not available locally and was needed desperately in Qadian owing to the rising number of guests visiting Qadian after the birth of Bashir Awwal. 24 August 1892: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra about certain issues. Huzooras asked him to arrange and dispatch pure and natural musk, citing his ongoing fragile medical conditions and his previous experience with musk bought from the market.

24 August 1899: The Promised Messiah’sas book, Sitara-e-Qaisariya (Star of the Empress) was published at Zia-ul-Islam Press, Qadian on this day. It was published under the supervision of Hazrat Hakim Fazl Dinra, proprietor of the press. In the text, we find that the Promised Messiahas highlighted the worldly and materialistic advancements and bounties prevailing during the reign of Queen Victoria. In this manner, he metaphorically guided the eyes and hearts towards the spiritual and Divine developments surfacing on earth. On the title page, Huzooras said: “This auspicious booklet cites the blessings of Her Majesty, the Empress, may her prosperity endure, and mentions that in the time of Her Majesty’s tranquil reign and due to the influence of her resplendent star, countless earthly and heavenly blessings have been manifested. Let it be known that in keeping with these reasons, the following booklet has been entitled: Star of the Empress.” 25 August 1887: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira reminding him of some previously asked items that were needed in Qadian and added that he should also arrange some paan (a combination of betel leaf and areca nut, widely consumed in South Asia) worth 2 annas. 25 August 1889: The Promised Messiahas replied to Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira informing him that Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra had reached Jammu safely. Hazrat Ahmadas guided this fortunate companion, saying that when pure love penetrates one’s heart, it definitely generates a special surge and love for the remembrance of Allah. Hence, until this exceptional bond is not created, some element of lethargy would remain in that person. 25 August 1899: The Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra addressing various matters like his proposed visit to Qadian, drastic changes in climate pattern, which was causing fears and concerns for farmers in Punjab and the growing number of plague cases in Calcutta. In this letter, Hazrat Ahmadas shared an interesting story that was creating hype in newspapers during those days, that planet Earth would see its final destruction on 13 November 1899, as a gigantic meteor (sitara) was approaching to hit the earth. 26 August 1892: The Promised Messiahas wrote

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM Continued from page 1

MTA International and other platforms of the Jamaat is what quenches our spiritual thirst. So this weekend, when Ahmadis all over the world learned about a virtual mulaqat that took place in Toronto, Canada and Huzoor’s office in Islamabad, UK simultaneously, it was a breath of fresh air in this new environment that has panned out before us. On Saturday, 15 August and Sunday, 16 August 2020, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa graced an online mulaqat with Atfal of Canada and amila members of Lajna Imaillah Canada respectively. Since the lockdown started in the UK towards the end of March earlier this year, we have all been uncertain of important calendar events amid the coronavirus situation. With the sudden surge in Covid cases a few months ago, the British Government urged everyone to go into lockdown, with most public places being shut. This included mosques. The very first thought that naturally arose in every Ahmadi’s mind was when we would be fortunate enough to see our beloved Imam, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa again live on our television screens.

However, that same week, Huzooraa graced our screens with a special message live from his office. Every Friday after that, we have been fortunate to listen to Huzoor’s Friday Sermon live, all the while following government regulations. Then followed Ramadan and were inspired to see the rise in online darses, classes and lectures on important topics, something that will always remain on the Internet for people to benefit from. We then listened to Huzoor’s live Eid Sermon. Jalsa Salana UK was also something the entire Jamaat was concerned about. While the average Jalsa duty usually starts in May or June every year, this year, most people had scrapped the idea of anything Jalsa related taking place. However, Huzooraa graciously arranged a small congregation in Masroor Hall, Islamabad where we witnessed a spectacle of Jalsa Salana 2020. What everyone had once thought about mulaqats was also quickly put to rest this weekend when pictures of Huzooraa gracing a mulaqat with Atfal of Canada circulated on social media. During the mulaqat with Atfal, Huzooraa was asked about whether he would travel to Canada after the pandemic was over. Huzooraa beautifully replied: “It is up to all of you and Ahmadi Muslims

around the world to pray that the world is soon rid of the threat of Covid-19. We must all fervently seek the grace and mercy of Allah. Once this period passes, I will, God willing, resume my journeys and travels abroad so I can meet Ahmadi Muslims in different countries. Nevertheless, through the means of this meeting, I feel as though I am in Canada. I can see the mosque and the exact spot where I was interviewed by a Canadian journalist. I can see the hall where many of you are sitting. It is as if I am with you!” In the Markaz, albeit under strict guidelines and measures, work carries on as usual. All over the world, in many countries, the tabligh and tarbiyat engagements of the Jamaat continue. This is all evident in the regular news reports being received on a daily basis and published in Al Hakam. Covid-19 is a term that is now used all too frequently on a daily basis by us all. Perhaps no other such disaster has affected all of mankind instantaneously. Perhaps no other such pandemic has been as oftremembered as this one. And yet, our spirits remain high and we carry on. Why? Because, come what may, the Jamaat moves forward; this is the lesson learned.

<< Continued from previous page

back to Hazrat Hakim Maulvi Nuruddinra expressing his deep sorrow as an expulsion notice was served to Hazrat Maulvi Sahibra from the administration of Kashmir State, where he had been serving as chief physician for many years. Hazrat Ahmadas lamented the sorry state of affairs of this valley that ousted its most revered and considerate person. Huzooras wrote, “I wonder what will happen now with this state” and at the same time, he strengthened the morale of Hazrat Maulvi Sahibra by saying that such hardships and temptations manifest the love God had for this saintly person. In this thorough letter, Hazrat Ahmadas shared some of his latest revelations and visions too. 26 August 1901: On this day, the Promised Messiahas said, “I was writing some verses on the subject of righteousness, which included one revealed line of the verse. The verse is:

� ‫ی‬ � �‫� اِك � � � �ی ا‬

� �‫ا� �ی � ر� � � ر‬ (The root of every good is righteousness; if this root is preserved, everything will survive.) The second line of this verse was revealed.”

Tohfa-e-Baghdad | Ahmadiyya ARC

26 August 1906: The Promised Messiahas wrote to Hazrat Mian Abul Majeed Khanra, who was the official officer for horse carriages in state of Kapurthala. In this letter, Huzooras asked him to arrange for a suitable horse for his sons, as Huzooras was not satisfied with the horse that was being used during those days. This letter paints Hazrat Ahmad’sas profound knowledge and aesthetic sense for horses. Moreover, this letter

delineates Huzoor’s love and care for his son’s safety and health, as Huzooras did not deem appropriate that a horse being ridden by his children should have even a minor fault, although Huzooras wrote many good qualities of that horse, which was okayed by the East India Company, as it had “EI” branded on its back. 27 August 1892: The Promised Messiahas congratulated Hazrat ra Karamat-us-Sadiqin | Ahmadiyya ARC Munshi Rustam Ali through a postcard on his new posting in Waltoha, District Lahore as deputy inspector. Hazrat Ahmadas informed him about the printing of his two new Arabic books, Tohfa-e-Baghdad and Karamat-us-Sadiqin. Huzooras asked him to send a donation of 20 rupees as he had promised earlier to Sialkot, where these books were being printed. 27 August 1897: The Promised Messiahas replied to a letter from Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira regarding some judicial papers and commented on their language. Huzooras also instructed him to retrieve and bring with him related material of a certain legal notice. 27 August 1899: On this day, the Promised Messiahas received a revelation in Urdu:

� � ‫�� ی��ا �م ��وے اور آ�ق ی‬ ‫� ی‬ ‫�ا � ارادہ ی‬ ‫ے �م � �ب‬ � � � ��‫� اُو� ی��ا � � ی‬ � � � ‫� د�وے۔ آ�ن � � � اُ�ے‬ ‫�۔ د�ں � ��ت �� و� �� ی��ى �د �۔‬ �‫ی‬

“God has determined to foster your name and to make it shine in the universe. Many thrones have descended from heaven, but your throne has been set up the highest of all. The angels helped you at the time of meeting your enemies.”

Continued from page 1

This is very straightforward. Any such claimant should come before us and publish the claim that if they are truthful, then the one who opposes them should die in their lifetime. I have been granted unwavering certainty from God Almighty that even if a ten-year-old child, who possesses all the provisions of this world and has their entire life ahead of them, were to make such a claim and stand in opposition to me, Allah the Almighty would cause them to die before me. (15 January 1898)

Doctrines of the Shia faith The Shia doctrine is diametrically opposed to Islam. Firstly, it is a Shia doctrine that Gabriel erred in bringing down revelation. Secondly, they believe that the companions who were gained as a result of the prayers of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were, God forbid, not Muslim. Thirdly, the Noble Quran, is the Holy Book of Allah the Almighty and God himself promised to safeguard it, yet the Shias believe that the Holy Quran is no longer present in its original form. They believe that the original Quran has been taken into hiding by the Imam Mahdi. Fourthly, they believe that sainthood is limited to the twelve Imams and until the Day of Resurrection, all the rest of mankind are as savages and that God Almighty has no love for them. Fifthly, they hold that cursing the companions of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who was the beloved of God, is more worthy of spiritual reward than invoking blessings upon the Holy Prophetsa. Sixthly, they do not consider any of the saints or pious people to be righteous. I have heard from one of my teachers say that Hazrat Syed Abdul Qadir Jilanirh would use foul language. The fact of the matter is that Yazid is most disgraced. As far as his involvement in the martyrdom of Imam Husainra is concerned, he is responsible for this evil, but the Shias of today, even collectively, could not offer the religious services that he rendered. (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 150-151)

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

Marking a milestone How an online mulaqat with Huzoor became possible from Canada Al Hakam asked Ataul Awwal Abbasi Sahib, coordinator of MTA Canada Studios, to recount the experience of participating in a milestone event, the live audio and video link of over 200 Atfal of Canada with their beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Below is his account

Ataul Awwal Abbasi Head of MTA Canada Studios

15 August 2020 marked a historic day in the history of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. It was the first time ever that a Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas held an online virtual class. This is my personal account on leading up to this historical day as a team member of MTA International Canada Studios, who were to facilitate this class technically from Baitul Islam Compounds in Peace Village, Canada. This day would be etched forever in the memory of the fortunate 224 mayar-e-kabir Atfal who took part in this august gathering, but there were also 23 other members of MTA Canada team that will not forget this historical event, I happen to be one of those and here is how it unfolded: In late June 2020, I received a telephone

call from Naib Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Canada, Adnan Rabbani Sahib who excitedly told me that the private secretariat in London had asked Sadr Sahib Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada to submit a proposal for an online class with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. He explained that MTA Canada would potentially facilitate the technical aspect of this stream. I instantly contacted my supervisor in London, Munir Odeh Sahib (Director of Production, MTA International) to seek guidance and see what the possibilities could be. This was a challenging proposal since it was to happen amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, where the world was going through a change and how normal and usual things were being transformed to a new norm. Huzooraa had instructed that a proposal be sent to see how this would be

possible with the Canadian Government and Provincial guidelines being fully met. Further discussions with Zubair Afzal Sahib, Sadr MKAC took place to see what would be feasible and how it could be made possible with the Covid-19 guidelines of government, as well as technical instructions received from Munir Odeh Sahib in London. Sadr Sahib was keen to involve as many Atfal as possible due to this unique opportunity of being in the presence of their beloved Imam, Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Due to technical, security and Covid-19 constraints, the limitations were set that this would only be feasible from one location; hence it was now time to find that suitable site that could accommodate a decent number of Atfal and be technically suitable. After looking at one other location, it was conclusively decided that there would be no

better solution then Aiwan-e-Tahir in Peace Village as that also housed the MTA Canada Studios. This would allow us to use the equipment and control room in the studios, rather than a mobile setup used for outdoor broadcasts. The following six weeks, in which the proposal was sent for approval and then the dates being graciously given by Huzooraa for the class to take place, have been the most challenging time for me that I can recall. The thought of Huzooraa viewing what we are showing him over the internet started daunting me. We had to ensure that technically, there was no risk of failure; however, we all know that this isn’t possible, no matter how advanced systems and technology have become just one slight hiccup in a chain of operations could falter the whole outcome. As Ahmadi Muslims, we are all too aware that the only guarantor for success is prayer. No matter how fragile a system is or how weak the technical capability of the operators are, Allah the Almighty, following sincere prayers, will ensure that the setup becomes as robust as ever. Nevertheless, a weak individual like me still garnished a thought in the back of my mind; “What if something goes wrong and we end up wasting our beloved Huzoor’s precious time?” “What if this historic event ends up becoming historic for all the wrong reasons?” As time drew closer, multiple tests were done with Munir Odeh Sahib in London and at no point was I given any comfort from the tests that there would be no issues. Each test had some small issues that needed ironing out. However, here is another faith inspiring incident for the readers. I began to write to beloved Huzooraa for prayers a couple of days prior to the event as we were facing a technical issue that wasn’t being resolved; however, before that letter was complete, I was told by our technical team – Shahryar Mirza and Bazil Khan – that alhamdolillah, that particular issue was now resolved. Before the letter was even sent to a man of God, his prayers for whatever was being written had already gained acceptance at the divine threshold. I have

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

experienced many times over that whenever I have written to Huzooraa, instantly a source of comfort and calm envelops my mind and at this point, it was no different.

The day of this major event arrived and the call time for MTA crew members was 8am. I could see during the morning debrief some sense of anxiety and nervousness in the team. In all honesty, I wasn’t fairing any better than them. Regardless, they were briefed before being sent on their roles. Another test was agreed with the London team at 11:30am and we assumed our positions for the final test before the live stream to beloved Huzooraa. When we started this test, it was from beloved Huzoor’s office and again, at this point, it hit us all that this is where our Beloved Imamaa would soon be engaging from his offices in Islamabad with Atfal in Peace Village, Toronto. The wonders of Allah the Almighty were being taken into a new era, one where His chosen Khalifa was interactively engaging live across a different continent with his people. Subhanallah! We checked the audio and video quality from both ends in this test and alhamdolillah, by now, it was all satisfactory and we were ready for the class. The class started promptly at 1:30pm Eastern Time and alhamdolillah, it went smoothly without any hiccups. The most comforting words for all of us in the studio were when beloved Huzooraa said: “Through this meeting, I feel as though I am in Canada. I can see the mosque and the exact spot where I was interviewed by a

Canadian journalist. I can see the hall where many of you are sitting. It is as if I am with you!” May Allah the Almighty soon bring the day when we can all be free to meet our Imam in person and we in Canada are again blessed with the physical presence of this beautiful person of Allah the Almighty, our dearest Imam, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa. The following day, 16 August, would also become part of history, where the national amila of Lajna Imaillah Canada became the first amila to be granted an official online virtual meeting with Huzooraa. The national amila were blessed to have this unique opportunity to get direct one on one guidance from their Imamaa on their respective administrative offices. This meeting took place from the Jamia Ahmadiyya auditorium, which is located on the third floor of Aiwan-e-Tahir. A similar MTA setup was used, but this time, with MTA Lajna crew members. At this point, as these were historic events, I would like to mention the names of the people involved from MTA to successfully stream and broadcast this class and amila meeting. All praise belongs to Allah. MTA International UK: Munir Odeh (Director of Productions), Syed Jahangir Shah and Imran Ahmad (technical engineers)

MTA International Canada Studios: Ataul Awwal Abbasi (Markaz representative of MTA International), Shaharyar Mirza (production manager & technical engineer), Ansar (director), Bazil Khan (racking & technical engineer), Raveel (vision mixer), Abdul Hamidi (audio operator), Athar Chattah (IT), Aizaz Khan (missionary and VT/GFX operator), Tahir Nasim (production assistant), Shoaib & Maajid (PA from sami basri team) Aiwan-e-Tahir Crew: Saqib Kahlon (floor manager), Basil Raza Butt (missionary and main mic operator), Shahzaib Mirza, Faateh Malik, Nauman Mian (camera operators), Nadeem Ahmad & Uvaice Nasir (boom mic operators) Baitul Islam Crew: Behzad Ahmad (floor manager), Basil Tishna, Jalees Ahmad, Faraz Ahmad (camera operators), Irfan Ahmad (boom mic operator) Lajna Mulaqat Crew: Munaza Khan (production manager), Fareeha Zafar (floor manager), Sofia Saeed, Imama Majid, Attiya Ghumman (camera operators) and Razia Ahmad (floor audio operator). May Allah the Almighty give our most dearest and beloved Imam, Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa strength to continue giving us guidance; may He give us all the opportunity to continue serving our beloved Imamaa to the best of our abilities; may He accept our efforts in propagating the true teachings of Islam Ahmadiyyat. Amin.

Ahmadi killed in Peshawar due to his faith in Ahmadiyyat Nazarat Umur-e-Aama Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Rabwah

An Ahmadi man, Mairaj Ahmad, was killed in Peshawar in a religiously motivated attack. The murder follows a concerted hate campaign against members of the community throughout Pakistan. On 12 August, at around 9:15pm, Mr Mairaj Ahmad, was shot dead in Peshawar in a religiously motivated attack. He was 61 years old. Mairaj Ahmad was closing up his medical store for the day when unknown assailants shot him at close range. He was laid to rest on Thursday, 13 August in the

public cemetery in Rabwah. In compliance with current government issued Covid-19 SOPs, a large gathering of mourners attended his funeral to pay their final respects. He leaves behind a wife, three sons and a daughter. His family had been the victims of a concerted hate campaign for some time now, including on social media. He had also recently been struggling to hire employees at his shop because of his faith. The Spokesperson of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan, Saleem Ud Din Sahib condemned the murder and called it a religious hate crime. He also noted that the killing of Mairaj Ahmad comes after a significant campaign of hatred and

incitement against Ahmadis which had made members of the community more vulnerable to attack. He also said that the authorities and state institutions were not only failing in their duty to curb hate speech against Ahmadis, but in many instances, they were active participants. This serves only to embolden extremist elements and legitimises hatred against Ahmadis, which in the worst instances, leads to the murder of members of the community. The spokesperson demanded that the government take notice of the murder of Mairaj Ahmad and ensure that justice is swiftly served.

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

Where stars descend Chapter 5 (Multidimensional vision) Part II Asif M Basit

When speaking of time and space, the Khalifa of the time is in a different dimension. Our mindset is trapped in the concept of clocks and calendars, whereas the Khalifa is given another wavelength by his Lord. If the wavelength of the Khalifa and his Jamaat were to be the same, then there would be no Jamaat or Khalifa. Rah-e-Huda began broadcasting live on Saturdays and to this day, it continues to be broadcast on MTA. In May 2009, it began airing live and after a whole year, in May 2010, the callous killing of over 80 Ahmadis occurred in Lahore – an event that will live on in not just the Jamaat’s history, but the history of the world. It was the first time that so many Ahmadis had been martyred on the same day. It was during those days that Rahe-Huda would take on another format – current affairs. Ahmadis from all over the world called in and expressed their emotions. In the days that ensued, ministers, senior officials and think-tanks were approached to express their views. Their interviews were then played during the programme. There was hardly a single political figure who refrained from speaking on our programme. When I would approach them, I realised that they had one of three options; either to speak to us, decline an interview or to become enraged and slam

Rah-e-Huda served as a platform to reach out to high officials of Pakistan after the 2010 Lahore attacks | AhmadiyyaMosque

the phone shut. But in each scenario was the Jamaat’s victory. The reason for this is that either they would express their disgust at that event, or they would accept that a tragic event had occurred, or they would helplessly become enraged. It is interesting to note that those who apologised from speaking to us, did so very reluctantly. For example, the then minister for communications would repeatedly postpone it for another day, until one day, he finally replied, “Brother, forgive me. I cannot participate in this interview. I submitted the matter to the higher authorities and wasn’t given clearance.” I enquired as to whom he was referring to, to which he replied, “You know quite well who stands above a federal minister.” It was all recorded with their permission and during the course of such calls, they would be reminded that the call was being recorded but would not be aired without their consent. Many interviews have been stored away of so-called religious scholars and ministers who used such profane and vulgar language that did not behove an educated person. But, in keeping with our promise, we did not air those interviews, including their use of profanity or their apology, without their permission. What I am trying to say here is that Huzooraa initiated a programme in May 2009 and for a whole year, that programme grew from strength to strength, which ultimately served as a major platform for covering the situation of Ahmadis during those days. With Huzoor’s close attention, a programme was prepared to talk about the current affairs of the time and became a means of talking to external notables. It was this very programme that would later be broadcast live from the home of the Promised Messiahas, Qadian, and to this day, continues to be broadcast very successfully. How God Almighty stands by what the Khalifa has said and strengthens his plans can be understood from the above, which is one example of many. There are so many occasions where God Almighty reinforces the desire of the Khalifa, some of which we witness and others, which exclusively remain between Allah and Huzooraa. In previous articles, I have already

alluded to how I was fortunate enough to research certain topics for Rah-e-Huda. It was only a result of Huzoor’s prayers and the blessings of God that hidden archives concerning Rev Pigott, Henry Martyn Clark and Colonel Douglas were discovered. When those belonging to the East London Mosque started a propaganda of their mosque being the first in London, with Huzoor’s permission, all archives were searched and many clues were found in support of the Fazl Mosque being the first in London. (A research article is available on this topic by the name of London’s First Mosque: A Study in History and Mystery on The Review of Religions’ website; www.reviewofreligions.org/6651/ londons-first-mosque-a-study-in-historyand-mystery-part-1-of-2/) This task was also one the fruits which were borne out of Rah-e-Huda. One day, during a mulaqat with Huzooraa, I presented a similar matter concerning some research that was being conducted. Huzooraa enquired, “Where do you store all this material?” I replied that it was being kept in an allocated storage cabinet in Baitul Futuh. Huzooraa was satisfied on hearing this. Many books would be required for research from London’s universities and those books are in free access to students studying in those universities, but there is a membership fee of approximately £200 per year for external visitors. Huzooraa

would always very lovingly approve this amount and other costs that were required. Many books would need to be purchased either online or from various bookshops. While writing these words, my heart is filled with gratitude for Huzooraa because, out of his sheer love and generosity, he would always accept this unworthy servant’s every request to purchase books. Most of the time, I would not even have mentioned the price and cost involved, when Huzooraa would immediately grant permission. Those who reside in the United Kingdom are already aware, but for those who reside abroad, I should explain that there is a scarcity of space here in London. When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh migrated to London, the centre also needed to shift. Thus, the major part of the Jamaat’s administration needed to be extended to London. A small room became the official office of a wakalat (directorate), a temporary cabin became the offices for publications and distribution and with time, Allah gave the Jamaat spaciousness and expansion. But no matter how large a space is, with time, it will always becomes too small for this progressive Jamaat. Bearing this in mind, I would always be hesitant in asking for extra storage space and continued to gather books in our office at Baitul Futuh. Another reason that caused a hindrance in asking for space were certain

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM incidents that Syed Tahir Ahmad Sahib (Nazir Ishaat for MTA) once narrated. Those incidents related to the time when he had the good fortune of working under Huzoor’saa supervision, before Huzoor’s divine appointment to Khilafat. Once, when he came to Jalsa Salana UK, Syed Tahir Ahmad Sahib explained that he always told his co-workers to never be unreasonably demanding in work-related affairs because the person from whom he had learned the etiquette of Jamaat work never demanded anything. In this regard, he narrated the following incident: “Once, Hazrat Mirza Mansoor Ahmad Sahib assigned some important work to Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah strengthen his hand) and sent him to Lahore. Hazrat Mirza Mansoor Ahmad Sahib provided Huzooraa with the office’s car. When the task was accomplished in Lahore and Huzooraa and I decided to return, the driver informed us that he had been told to run other errands in Lahore and was thus not immediately planning on returning. I requested Hazrat Sahibzada Sahibaa to call Rabwah and request that a car be sent to pick them up. But Huzooraa did not deem it appropriate. Thus, we both made our way to the railway station and began our return journey by railcar. Because we made the decision last-minute, no seats were available and so most of our journey was made on the step of the railcar.” Syed Tahir Ahmad Sahib related other such incidents, which showed that Huzooraa did not like to make unreasonable demands. This was all borne in mind when I deemed it inappropriate to request for space. At times, I felt that it was actually a justifiable request, but would then ask myself, even if it is justifiable, where will this space be provided? Thus, I would drop the thought. Thereafter, shelves were put up from the ceiling of our small office downwards. I began placing books on the shelves. Once, while talking of the books in my office, Huzooraa instructed to name it the “Rah-e-Huda Library”. I then said to Huzooraa that there was a slight problem in that people desired to borrow our books. Some of them would be returned while others remained forgotten. Upon this Huzoor said: “There is an easy solution to this. Call it the ‘Rah-e-Huda Reference Library’. People will understand that they are not to be taken outside the library. If they insist, then you can explain to them.” It was a result of Huzoor’s blessing that I did not need to make such clarifications often. On one occasion, a gentleman desired to take a book, but I had to tell him that the book could not leave the library. I also told him of Huzoor’s instruction that the books were not to be borrowed. After hearing Huzoor’s instruction, he did not mind at all, although he was in need of the book. But then, I realised that I had used Huzoor’s instruction as a hurdle to fulfilling his need (which was for Jamaat

work anyway). I then thought to myself that Huzooraa may not like it if he knew that someone was being stopped from benefitting from the library. Thus, I enquired as to which portion of the book he required and I photocopied all the relevant pages for him. The library has since been growing on a regular basis due to Huzoor’s graciousness. So many shelves were put up to accommodate the number of books that the seemingly large number of books began to look minimal. After his live address to the Bangladesh Jalsa Salana of 2010 in Baitul Futuh, Huzooraa visited the MTA offices. Our office was among those that were fortunate enough to welcome Huzooraa. The moment Huzooraa entered our office, he carefully observed the books in the Rah-e-Huda Reference Library and how they had been set. One of the MTA office-bearers who stood nearby said, “He has established an excellent library”, to which Huzooraa immediately replied, “It is because I made it happen that he was able to. Otherwise, if it was up to you, it would never have been formed.” With that Huzooraa added, “There should be many libraries; you should establish one as well.” So fondly do we observe Western institutes and the way each department possesses its own library, but very rarely is our attention drawn to the fact that our Imamaa has his eyes set on goals far beyond that, that every department should have many libraries within it and knowledge should flourish on a widespread scale. The reason for this is that every department of the Jamaat bears the potential to expand its knowledge and insight. Who can say, after observing Huzoor’s vision, that religion is a hurdle in attaining knowledge? Huzooraa is himself an ocean of knowledge and his concern is to irrigate the barrenness of our minds. Until now, all of this was related to the programmes of MTA, but later, I would begin receiving research-related work from Huzooraa, which was not related to MTA in any way. For example, the Promised Messiahas once wrote in a letter to Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih Ira that an Englishman had accepted Ahmadiyyat who was an appointed judge in the Madras Presidency. His name was written as “Jaan Veit” (in Urdu) and it was written that he would meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira in Kashmir. Huzooraa instructed that I find out who this Englishman was. The moment I received the instruction,

The British Library, the national library of the United Kingdom

The Fazl Mosque, also known as the London Mosque

the search began. There was a clue in the letter that the individual in question was a judge and thus was in the British Indian judicial service. Without any further clue about him, I reached the Indian Office records in the British Library. It is incumbent upon me to mention a difficulty that arose and its solution, because this will prove how Allah the Almighty helps those who set out for research that is exclusively for the Jamaat. As individuals, we are nothing, but when we set out with the intention of fulfilling Huzoor’s desire, God Almighty paves ways for us to complete the assigned task. The difficulty was that although the first name was obvious, the last name was ‫ ی ٹ‬and it became a challenge written as �‫و‬ to search in English. There were many surnames in English which matched the pronunciation of the last name. I could not understand how to take this further. Then, it struck me. I began a search in the judicial staff list of that time and place. There, I was sure to find a matching name. I began the search and found that a certain name repeatedly appeared for many years: Ernest John Somber White. He was an appointed judge. I then noticed that the year he was supposed to have been in Qadian, he had taken leave. According to the Promised Messiah’sas letter, the location he was transferred to was the place I later began to see his name with. Such accomplishments cannot be made until the Khalifa’s approval is not with the task. Thus, every item was submitted to Huzooraa and Huzooraa examined the research material before making a verdict. Thereafter, I began receiving instructions to search for a priest and a senior official in British India. After thorough research, a report would be presented to Huzooraa, to which Huzooraa would instruct me to archive the research material. Then, I began to receive historic documents and relics from Huzooraa that people had sent to him, with instructions like, “Sanbhal kar rakh lein” (Store it securely) or, “Mahfooz karlein” (Archive

it). A robust storage facility was thus acquired, storing all such items. It has been mentioned above that the East London Mosque began a propaganda to prove that their mosque was the first in London. A thoroughly documented research-article was written, in which it was proven that the Fazl Mosque was in fact London’s first mosque. During that time, I needed to meet a certain professor who was considered an authority on the history of Islam in Britain. His name is Prof Ronald Geaves. In those days, he resided in Liverpool. I went to meet him and hear his views on the matter, but to my surprise, he expressed his obliviousness. He said, “I am aware that the Ahmadiyya community has been active in Britain for a long time, but I am unfamiliar with this being the first mosque.” With Huzoor’s permission, he was invited to London. He was shown the Makhzan-e-Tasaweer pictorial exhibition and was surprised to find that the mosques of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat had reached the ends of the earth. That very evening, he was able to meet Huzooraa in his office. He explained that he was aware of the early activities of the Ahmadiyya Community, but was completely unaware of how far the Jamaat had reached. He said that he was familiar with us, mainly due to the Lahori Ahmadiyya faction and the Woking Mosque. He then said, “But today I have seen this mosque and the historical documents related to it. I have come to the realisation that a major part of the history of Islam in Britain has been kept from me”. Upon this, Huzooraa asked, “Does this mean a new chapter in one of your books?” He replied, “No, Your Holiness; that means a whole new book.” With that, Ron began his research on the Ahmadiyya Movement’s role in the history of Islam in Britain. During his research, Ron visited Qadian and Rabwah in accordance with his desire to view the archives kept in both places.

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

8 Under the instruction of Huzooraa, Chaudhry Hameedullah Sahib, Wakile-Ala formed a committee in Rabwah whose role was to provide Ron with all the required material. There, he would study the material from dawn till dusk and because most of the material was in Urdu, Mirza Usman Ahmad Sahib and Isfandyar Munib Sahib would search for relevant material and provide it to Ron. He brought back copies of all the material he had collected in Rabwah. In Qadian, Muhammad Hameed Kausar Sahib was also of great assistance to Ron. Upon his return to the UK, Ron expressed his desire to meet Huzooraa. When the time for his mulaqat came, Ron sat on a chair in front of Huzooraa while I took a seat behind Ron. He narrated his experiences of his journeys and informed Huzooraa of his research. He sought guidance from Huzooraa in various matters. For instance, he enquired regarding the background of the split of the Lahori Jamaat and other such matters. “I wanted to mention to you that I became rather concerned about the protection of the materials because of the instability of Pakistan. Who knows which direction that country is going! So many of those materials are only in paper-form and they need to become electronic. I became rather worried about them. I think there should be a project to send them here for safety.” Huzooraa carefully listened to what he had to say and then turned to me and said, “Make a note of this.”

In the following mulaqat, Huzooraa instructed me to make a proper plan as regards the matter related to the security of the Jamaat’s archives. Accordingly, I made a plan and proposed it to Huzooraa. The plan was made according to the conditions of that time, bearing in mind how to securely bring the material here and archive it in the UK. Until then, it was sufficient to accommodate expenditures in our MTA financial budget. If anything beyond that was required, then it would be sought from Wakalat-e-Mal as and when required. But the plan Huzooraa instructed me to make included a financial budget also. Huzooraa saw the proposed plan and enquired: “Where will you store all this? You will require storage cabinets, printers and other necessary appliances. Your small office will not be sufficient to accommodate all this.” With that, Huzoor wrote on the letter, “A separate department; a separate office” and marked the letter to Abdul Baqi Arshad Sahib, Chariman Al-Shirkatul Islamiyyah (ASI), who also oversees the management of Tahir House, Deer Park Road. Thus, under Huzoor’s supervision, the department, which would later be called the Ahmadiyya ARC (Ahmadiyya Archives and Research Centre), has been fully functioning in its own office in Tahir House from October 2014. All these happenings that I have written about above show that the Khalifa’s sight is set on the activity of the

entire Jamaat. No one can say that they are more concerned than the Khalifa or that they have more understanding in a matter than the Khalifa. At times, people propose their plans to Huzooraa, but appear anxious as to whether Huzooraa had even received the proposal and read it. I have heard some people say that Huzooraa may have forgotten about it. I have only mentioned two incidents above. But I have witnessed and experienced on countless occasions that Huzooraa never forgets anything. Huzooraa remembers everything, but when to practically bring that proposal to the implementation-phase is up to Huzooraa. In most cases, I have seen that Huzooraa does not like to make abrupt decisions. As is the law of nature, Huzooraa prefers to bring thoughts, plans and decisions through a course of evolution and then to make a firm verdict. When the verdict has been reached, Huzooraa, in exact accordance with what Allah has said in the Quran, manifests the best example of tawakkul ‘alallah (faith in Allah) in making the decision. During the MTA International Forum in the spring of 2011, while addressing the staff, Huzooraa said: “I want to make some changes in the administrative structure of MTA so that work can be done in a more organised and befitting manner.” The entire staff began awaiting the administrative changes. Bearing in mind the conviction Huzooraa had in his words, if it had been an ordinary man who had

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said it, we would have seen a shufflearound within a few days. The MTA staff began thinking that the change would occur within days. But many days passed. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and months turned into two entire years. The restructuring would occur in the spring of 2013, when Huzooraa completely transformed the MTA administrative structure. How can we not accept that our mindset and Huzoor’s wavelength belong to two different worlds? We are those who prefer things to be done quickly, whereas Huzooraa is the dearest one alive to Allah, Who is never hasty in making decisions; Who has taken man through a series of evolution; Who waited for man to reach that stage of mental and perceptive evolution where he could accept the Khatamun-Nabiyyin, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. And when the Ummah of that noble Prophetsa deteriorated, God Almighty waited 14 long centuries to send the awaited Messiah, through whom the Ummah would be restored to its original state. As dwellers of this earthly life, we cannot begin to imagine the world where decisions are made by the verdict of God in a divinely spiritual state, about which the Promised Messiahas said: � ‫�ق � ی��ں‬ � � ‫ ی‬،‫و�ں �رت‬ ِ ��‫�ں در‬ (The difference is plain; He is Omnipotent and we are loaded with powerlessness.)

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

Islam in Argentina Arabic classes, Islam and coffee shops

Marwan Gill Missionary, Argentina

It was during the International Book Fair in Buenos Aires (capital of Argentina) just six months after I had arrived in Argentina as a missionary. At that time, I spoke very little and basic Spanish, so the missionary from Uruguay, Yousuf Khan Sahib came to help me during this two-week period. Having recently graduated from Jamia Ahmadiyya without almost any practical experience in the field and also participating for the very first time in a book fair, I felt myself jumping into cold water without knowing how to swim. I had many doubts and was not sure how the reaction of the Argentinians would be towards our exhibition about Islam. However, in the first few days, I could

see that there was an extraordinary interest and curiosity in people to know more about Islam, but somehow, many would not feel comfortable to enter our stand. My colleague, having noticed the same attitude, suggested that maybe we should introduce an attractive and appealing activity so that they would feel more comfortable to approach us. He suggested that we offer to write down their names in Arabic calligraphy for free. I must confess that at that moment, out of respect for him and also not having any better suggestion, I accepted his proposal, but in my heart, I was skeptical; I thought where the bridge between writing down names in Arabic and having conversations about the teachings of Islam was. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, I realised in the next few days that I was totally mistaken; after starting this activity, long queues started building up and we began to have difficulties attending to everyone. It made it much easier for people to approach us and start having personal conversations about Islam. Writing down the names in Arabic was also a good platform for us to clarify the difference between Islam and the Arabic culture (as many Argentinians had this

misconception). Surprisingly, one very common question was if we would offer any classes about Arabic language and Islam. Initially, keeping in mind that yet we did not have any mission house in Argentina and also, I hardly spoke Spanish, so the answer was a straight forward, “No, not at the moment.” Anyhow, the constant repetition of this question made me think about the story of Prophet Mosesas mentioned in the Holy Quran. After being commanded by God to go and preach to Pharaoh, prophet Mosesas did not consider himself able to fulfil this task due to his personal weakness as a speaker. However, Allah assured him that He would help him and ease his tongue and chest from this burden. (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.25-37) Obviously, I was not comparing myself to Prophet Mosesas, but I started putting more faith in Allah and His promise given to the Promised Messiahas that it is God Himself Who would convey the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat to the corners of the world. I came to the conclusion that despite my personal weaknesses and the lack of a mission house, surely Allah would not abandon me for the sake of His divine community and would help me in the arrangement of these classes. Hence, another sign was added on the wall: “Register yourself for free Arabic and Islam classes.” By the end of the book fair, we had more than 100 people registered for the classes. The next obstacle now was to find a place to hold classes with this amount of people! We did not have a mission house yet, so temporarily, we started those classes in a coffee shop and split up the participants in smaller groups. There are certain memories attached to those classes which even today are very fresh in my mind: Entering the coffee shop with my wife, wearing an Indonesian topi (cap), carrying a white board in one hand, some books and flyers in the other, made many heads turn in our direction. However, whilst I would be setting up the white board, almost everyone in the coffee shop would be staring at us in curiosity. It would sometimes make me nervous how people stopped their conversations and would observe me just to see what I am going to teach. Once, the students arrived and I

started the class with the words “Assalamo Alaikum” somehow all the nervousness would suddenly disappear. I would feel comfortable to explain in Spanish the grammatical rules of Arabic, and even more relaxed when I would talk about Islam. I would even feel more encouraged, when in the corner of my eye I would see some of the waiters or clients also trying to catch up with my talk about Islam. After three months, we had finally our first mission house inaugurated in Argentina and shifted our classes there. The biggest advantage was that now, I could practically teach the participants how we pray and sometimes, after the classes, we would all pray in congregation according to the Islamic way. It was astonishing for me that initially, they seemed to be more interested in Arabic, but with time, the majority of the participants were interested more in the talks about Islam. It would sometimes even happen that the group suggested to shorten the Arabic part so we have more time to talk about Islam. When we started further advertising our classes on social media, to my surprise, the mission house became too small due to the large number of interest and participants. Therefore, we started renting a separate place just for the Arabic and Islam classes and had 50 participants attending our classes every week. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we initially suspended all the classes. However, some of the participants expressed their emotions that the information we share about Islam helps them emotionally and gives them moral and spiritual guidance which they needed now more than ever before, so we decided to continue with the classes on a virtual platform and are still continuing them online. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, in the last two years, just through these classes, eight converts found their way to Islam Ahmadiyyat and hundreds of Argentinians were introduced to the true message of Islam. On the other side, these classes are also an inspiration for me personally and my faith as I have witnessed myself that if one, with utmost sincerity, strives to serve God, then God himself removes all obstacles. I have experienced over the last two years that whenever I jumped into cold water for the sake of God and His divine community, He Himself taught me to swim. I would like to clarify for the readers that what I have experienced is not due to my personal qualities, nor do I consider myself a saint or a holy person, but it is according to the divine promise given to everyone who wishes to strive for the sake of Allah and wishes to serve His divine community, as it is mentioned in the Holy Quran: “And [as for] those who strive in Our path – We will surely guide them in Our ways. And verily Allah is with those who do good.” (Surah al-Ankabut, Ch.29: V.70)

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

Do Ahmadis consider Sunni and Shia Muslims as non-Muslims? be the objects of Divine punishment. The denial would be due to causes altogether beyond their control. It is in accordance with the same principle that Muslims have so long with one accord designated as kuffar all those who have not accepted the faith of Islam, without taking into consideration the question whether or not such failure is occasioned by want of adequate information concerning the Holy Prophetsa.” Thus, he explained that denial of a prophet has two aspects: Those who deny him by virtue of not accepting him, without having heard his claim or appreciated his arguments, and secondly, those who reject him after hearing and appreciating his claim fully. While the latter are accountable before God, the former are not. He argues, however, that both classify as “disbelievers” or “kuffar” in the technical sense of the term, just as rejection of the Prophet Muhammadsa places a person in the category of disbelief, whether one does so actively or simply by not having accepted him, due to a lack of knowledge, for example. From these quotes, non-Ahmadi Muslims allege that Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra declared those who reject the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias as outside the pale of Islam and not Muslim in every sense of the word. They accuse him of takfir on the same lines as they commit takfir against Ahmadi Muslims, and seek to justify their takfir of Ahmadi Muslims by reference to his alleged takfir of non-Ahmadi Muslims. Are they right?

Tahir Nasser UK Sunnis and Shias, as well as all other sects in Islam, claim that as Ahmadis (in their view) do not consider the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa to be the Seal of all Prophets, they are non-Muslim and try to present evidence as “proof ” of their assertion. This is notwithstanding the Ahmadiyya Jamaat requiring profession of belief in the Prophet Muhammadsa being the “Seal of the Prophets” in their Bai‘at. In an attempt to justify that Ahmadis are non-Muslim, non-Ahmadis present quotes from the Jamaat’s literature that claim that all those who deny Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas to be the Promised Messiah are non-Muslims. They utilise a tactic employed by schoolchildren – to throw the criticism back on to the other person, in a childish manner. In support of their claims, they quote various passages from the writings of Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra in particular. In this article, we are going to review those passages and see if their critique holds up to scrutiny.

The allegation In his book, Truth about the Split, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra discusses what the position of his predecessor, Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih Ira was on non-Ahmadis, specifically whether they are Muslim or not. He discusses an article he penned during the lifetime of his predecessor titled, A Muslim Is One Who Believes in All the Messengers of God. He describes the thesis outlined therein and seeks to demonstrate that, since Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira read and approved for publication his article, the thoughts therein should be considered to be the views of his predecessor on the matter. On page 144 of Truth About the Split, he writes that the purpose of the article was to demonstrate that: “...Those who did not believe in the Promised Messiahas were not Muslims.” He goes on to state that: “I wrote that as we believed the Promised Messiahas to be one of the prophets of God, we could not possibly regard his deniers as Muslims. It is true we did not consider them to be kafir billah (deniers of God), but how could we doubt that they were kafir-bil-ma‘mur (deniers of God’s Messenger)?” This explanation follows on from the elucidation of his position vis-a-vis those who reject Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas as the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi. Thus, he writes on page 60:

Refutation Definitions “The man who rejects a prophet thus necessarily becomes a kafir, not because he denies the truth of any particular Prophet X or Y, but such denial will necessarily lead him to reject a revelation of God. To me, the kufr which arises from the denial of any nabi has its basis in this principle and not in any personal quality of the nabi. And inasmuch as the revelation of which the acceptance is obligatory on mankind comes only through prophets, it is the rejection of such recipients of Divine revelation and not of others that leads to unbelief. “Now, as we hold that the revelation which came to the Promised Messiahas are such that their acceptance is obligatory on mankind in general, to us, the man who rejects the Promised Messiahas is a kafir agreeably to the teachings of the Holy

Quran, although he may well be a believer in all the other truths of religion because the presence even of one of the necessary conditions of kufr is sufficient to make a man kafir. “I may, however, add that in my opinion, kufr arises from a denial of one or more of the fundamental articles of religion, not because such a denial makes a man the object of unending punishment, but because the denial makes him guilty of rebellion against God and leads to the extinction of his spiritual life. “Now, as Islam bases its judgments upon what is patent and not upon what is possible, it cannot but class as kafir such as fail to accept any of the prophets, even though such failure may be due to their want of information concerning him. In the latter case, they will not, of course,

The first step necessary is to define our terms. In that vein, let’s take a look at the key important terms relevant to the topic: Muslim: A “Muslim” literally means “one who submits”. There are two senses in which a person may be a “Muslim”. Firstly, there is when one belongs to and identifies with, the category or community of Islam (categorical sense). The second is that a person actually fulfils the definition of the word “Muslim” and thus “submits” to the beliefs and actions God requires of them (definitional sense). Momin: A “momin” means a “believer” and refers to the criteria of belief required of a person who claims to have submitted to Islam, i.e. a “Muslim”. These are: 1. Belief that there is none worthy of worship save Allah 2. Belief in the angels 3. Belief in God’s revealed books

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM 4. Belief in all the messengers of God 5. Belief in the Last Day 6. Belief in the decree of God Kafir: A “kafir” is he who rejects any of the terms of “belief ” that make a person a “momin”. It is related to the conditions of belief but is used colloquially to refer to those who reject Islam and are therefore non-Muslim. However, it should be clear that being a “kafir” and a “non-Muslim” are different things from the lexical perspective, as we shall see.

What does it mean to “be a Muslim”? We have identified above two senses in which a person may be a “Muslim”: the categorical and definitional sense. Is there any evidence in the Quran however that such definitions exist? Belonging to the Ummah The criteria of entering into the fold of those who call themselves “Muslim” as a community has been defined by the Quran and the Prophetsa of Islam and is straightforward and simple. The criteria given is toٰ recite the Kalima: ّ ‫لا الہ الا اللہ محمد رسول اللہ‬ “There is none worthy of worship save Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. No mention of Khatm alNubuwwah! No mention of belief in other Messengers! To recognise another as belonging to this category, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa gave the following criteria: “Whoever prays as we pray, turns to face the same Qiblah as us and eats our slaughtered animals, that is a Muslim.’” (Sunan al-Nasai, Kitab al-Iman wa Shara‘i‘ah, Hadith 4997) This is the straightforward definition by which a person may be recognised as a “Muslim” in the sense of belonging to the community of Islam generally. This does not mean that he is a “Muslim” in the sense that he truly follows the teachings of Islam and has actually submitted to God. Many within this category may be adjudged by Allah as disobedient to Him and rebellious, despite being included in this category. Indeed, in the Quran, God explains this point well. Addressing the Bedouin Arabs, God in the Holy Quran forbids them from calling themselves “believers” but permits them to call themselves “Muslim”: “The Arabs of the desert say, ‘We believe.’ Say, ‘You have not believed [yet]; but rather say, ‘We have accepted Islam [submitted, i.e. are Muslim]’ for the [true] belief has not yet entered into your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not detract anything from your deeds. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful. (Surah al-Hujurat, Ch.49: V.15) In this verse, God draws a clear distinction between calling oneself a “Muslim” and possessing true belief. It is possible, says God, to call oneself a “Muslim”, but not have any belief at all in one’s heart. This is also proven by looking at the hadith. The Prophet Muhammadsa stated:

“Some men from my followers will be brought and taken towards the left side, whereupon I will say, ‘O Lord, [these are] my companions!’ It will be said, ‘You do not know what new things they introduced [into the religion] after you.’ I will then say as the righteous pious servant [Jesus] said, ‘I was a witness over them while I dwelt among them ... (to His Statement) … and You are the Witness to all things.’ (Ch.5: V.118) Then it will be said, ‘(O Muhammad) These people never stopped to apostatize since you left them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, Hadith 4740) Those who call themselves Muslim but do not fulfil the criteria of true belief and are thus Muslim but not momin are described as being at the level of “dun-aliman” or “without (true) faith” by Imam Al-Raghib. They are Muslim by category only. “Muslim” or “momin”? When we look at narrations of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa describing the condition and status of those who fail in their basic religious obligations, we get a deeper understanding of these terms. He described as “kafir” (rejectors) those who deliberately neglect their daily prayers, despite the fact that such would still be categorised formally as “Muslim”: “Between a person and kufr is abandoning the prayer.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Iqamatus-Salah wa al-Sunnah fiha, Hadith 1078) “The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Iqamatus-Salah wa alSunnah fiha, Hadith 1079) Thus, by deliberately abandoning one’s prayers – as many who call themselves “Muslim” do – they have committed an act of “kufr”. This is despite having the right to call themselves “Muslim” and being recognised as “Muslim”. After all, a person may privately abandon their prayers, yet publicly fulfil the criteria set out in the hadith above of Sunan al-Nasai in the manner of Muslims, facing the Qiblah in prayer and eating meat slaughtered by Muslims. One may still therefore call oneself a “Muslim” and also hold the right to be called a “Muslim” while yet committing kufr as regards the conditions of iman, by which one becomes a “momin”. From this, one many draw the erroneous conclusion that the term “Muslim” only refers to the “categorical” sense of belonging to the community or Ummah of Islam. This is incorrect. This is only the most basic meaning of the term “Muslim”. The Quran also speaks of a higher meaning of being a “Muslim”. This second, higher meaning, described as the “definitional” sense, in reality, is no different than the term “momin”, since it refers to an individual who “submits” to the requirements of God, known as iman (beliefs) and a‘maal (actions), and one who fulfils the requirements of iman, in Islam, is none other than a momin (believer). Thus the Quran states: “Say ye: ‘We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and

Isaac, and Jacob and [his] children, and what was given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to [all other] Prophets from their Lord. We make no difference between any of them; and to Him we submit ourselves [are Muslim].’” (Surah alBaqarah, Ch.2: V.137) The verse ends with the term “to Him we submit ourselves” signifying that the “Muslims” (submitters) are truly those who believe in all those sent by Allah. Yet, later in the very same chapter, Allah repeats the same point, this time, ascribing belief in all the messengers to the “believers” – the “momineen”: “This Messenger [of Ours] believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord, and [so do] the believers [momineen]: all [of them] believe in Allah, and in His angels, and in His Books, and in His Messengers, [saying,] ‘We make no distinction between any of His Messengers;’ and they say, ‘We hear, and we obey. [We implore] Thy forgiveness, O our Lord, and to Thee is the returning.’” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.286) Thus, the Quran itself establishes the point that there is a higher stage of being a “Muslim” and that is, to be a “momin”. What did Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra mean? Thus, the question arises as to which of the two definitions of “Muslim” was Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra describing when he wrote and defended his article, titled, A Muslim Is One Who Believes in All the Messengers of God? Before getting to what he himself said about this passage, it is clear even from the title of the article, that he is using the word “Muslim” here in the sense of a “true” Muslim, also known as a “momin”, since he is relating the issue to belief in all the Messengers of God. This is related to the higher sense of the term “Muslim”; the definitional sense. In his own words, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, when directly asked in court what he meant in the passages quoted from Truth About the Split, stated: “When I use the word ‘disbeliever’, what I have in mind is the other kind of disbeliever, about whom I have already provided an explanation, in that I do not exclude them from the Muslim community. When I say that they are outside the pale of Islam, the view in my mind is what is expressed on page 240 of Mufradat Imam Al-Raghib, where two categories of ‘Islam’ have been expounded: Firstly, substandard faith [dun-al-iman] and superior faith [fawq-al-iman]. A ‘substandard faith’ does include those Muslims who possess a lower level of faith, and a ‘superior faith’ refers to those Muslims who are so distinguished in their level of faith that they are far above a lower level of faith. Therefore, when I said that certain people are outside the pale of Islam, I had in mind those Muslims who fall under the category of superior faith. There is also a narration in Mishkat in which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, states, ‘A person who helps an oppressor and supports him is outside the pale of Islam.’” (Mubahathah-e Rawalpindi, pp. 238-239 [Court transcript

following 1953 Punjab disturbances]) Thus, the point that was being made by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra was entirely in line with the Quran, hadith and the true scholars of the history of Islam. As Ahmadis, we have never declared anyone who recites the kalima as outside the categorical definition of Islam. They are still part of the Ummah of Muhammadsa. As such, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra continued in the same book, Truth About the Split, to refer to those who had rejected the Promised Messiahas, as Muslims, in the categorical sense of the term. On page 289, for example, we read the sentence: “But in the meantime, the conversion of a few Englishmen to Islam brought to Khawaja Sahib the support of the general body of non-Ahmadi Muslims …” (Truth about the Split, p. 289) “But these people did not abandon their plans. Khawaja Kamaluddin now asked for permission to offer prayers behind nonAhmadi Muslims, pleading as his ground the special circumstances of England.” (Truth about the Split, p. 317) If he meant, on page 60 and then on pages 144-145, that those who reject Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas are non-Muslim in every sense of the word, then why would he refer to them as “Muslim” on pages 289 and 317 of the very same book! One can see what a lie it is that Ahmadis pronounce those who reject Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas as kafir in the same way that Sunni and Shia Muslims commit takfir against Ahmadis, for while Ahmadis are justified, theologically, in their position, while yet including Sunnis and Shias in the category of “Muslim” broadly, Sunni and Shia Muslims have unilaterally and summarily cast Ahmadis out of the body of Islam in totality, rejecting even their claim to belong to the Ummah of Muhammadsa. Another objection someone might raise is that his words, though technically correct, were unnecessary, and inflammatory, and that he should not have stated this position. But how could it possibly be that one who accepts the Imam Mahdi and Promised Messiahas should have the same status in Allah’s eyes as one who rejects him? If failure to observe one’s prayers is kufr in the eyes of the Prophet Muhammadsa, then how much greater is the kufr of one who rejects a Messenger of God, who was sent to establish the prayers of the whole world? He told the truth. He did so fearlessly. And in doing so, he established, early in the history of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, the importance of recognising the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias in an act reminiscent of the firm stance taken by Hazrat Abu Bakrra on the question of Zakat, in his early Khilafat. And for that and a million other graces from his pen, from his lips and from his prayers, Ahmadis in particular, and the world in general, are indebted to him, forevermore.

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

100 Years Ago...

Ahmadiyya Jamaat endeavours to spread Islam across the globe The Review of Religions (Urdu), July & August 1920 depart immediately after receiving their passports, insha-Allah. The [Baghdad and Iraq] Jamaat has sent 314 rupees for the mosque fund. They are still drawing the attention [of members towards this Chanda]. Nigeria Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib BA BT (headmaster), Chittagong, who has devoted his life for the service of Islam, is preparing to go to Nigeria. He has applied for a passport. He has been granted leave. He will departed from here in August 1920, insha-Allah. Members of the Jamaat may know that no Ahmadi has visited this country before. A great Jamaat has been established there only through books and letters.

Gujranwala Maulvi Ghulam Rasul Sahib Rajeki has gone to Gujranwala district on a [tabligh] tour. Patiala Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Sahib Baqapuri is on a [tabligh] tour in [Patiala] region. (He has been sent to visit various places in the state of Patiala. He has been instructed to especially visit the villages of non-Ahmadis.) Kapurthala Hafiz Jamal Ahmad Sahib and Sheikh Chiragh Din Sahib are going to attend a Jalsa gathering at Sultanpur, in the state of Kapurthala. (Speeches of both the gentlemen were held there and it has been reported that they had a positive impact on the audience.) Kasur The boycott in Kasur is slowing down. All praise belongs to Allah, that the sufferings of the Ahmadis are diminishing day by day. May Allah grant the best of rewards to [Kasur] Jamaat for showing exceptional sincerity and steadfastness, Amin! (Maulvi Jalaluddin Sahib, missionary to Firozpur, is on a [tabligh] tour in Tehsil Kasur.) Shimla Since the classes of missionaries are closed due to summer vacation, Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib, as per the wish of Khan Muhammad Ali Khan Sahib of Malerkotla

(who now resides in Shimla), has gone to Shimla [for tabligh]. Hyderabad Hakim Khalil Ahmad Sahib (missionary to Madras) is currently residing in Hyderabad Deccan. By the grace of God, his wound has now healed. Bengal Maulvi Zillur Rahman Sahib is currently visiting some districts of Bengal. It has been reported that two persons have accepted Ahmadiyyat, alhamdolillah! Maulvi Abdul Wahid Sahib is engaged in tabligh in Brahmanbaria. Baghdad and Iraq Muhammad Khawas Khan Sahib Ahmadi, Secretary Anjuman Ahmadiyya Baghdad and Iraq informs in his recent letters that since Chaudhry Maula Bakhsh Sahib IMDS (station master), has gone to India, Syed Fateh Ali Shah Sahib (former secretary), has been appointed as the president and in his place, Muhammad Khawas Khan Sahib Ahmadi has been appointed as the secretary. Babu Barkat Ali Sahib is performing the duty of muhasib [auditor] as usual. The amount of 1,115 rupees which was collected by the Jamaat there for inviting the missionary has been sent here. For Baghdad, Master Nazir Khan Sahib Munshi Fazil and Maulvi Abu Bakar Sahib Malabari, graduates of Ahmadiyya Madrasa, have been recommended. They have applied for passports. They will

Japan Mian Chirag Din Sahib, who has been pursuing religious studies in Darul Aman, [Qadian], for a long time and has devoted himself to the service of Islam is preparing to go to Japan as per the desire and instructions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. He has applied for a passport.

China Hakim Fazl-ur-Rahman Sahib was also engaged in acquiring knowledge from a long time. He has also devoted his life to religion. Now, he is preparing to go to China under the guidance of Hazrat Khaliftul Masih. He has applied for a passport. The passport will be ready soon, insha-Allah! Greece Chaudhry Abul Asim Khan Sahib, younger brother of Chaudhry Abul Hashim Khan Sahib MA and Mumtaz Ali Khan Sahib, son of Khan Zulfiqar Ali Khan Sahib Rampuri, are preparing to go to Greece. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih wants us to carry out tabligh to the Muslims who have been held under the Christians in Thrace and to persuade them towards Ahmadiyyat. All the said gentlemen, preparing to go to Nigeria, China, Japan and Greece, will go there and make their own living. They will convey the message of truth to the people there. May Allah Almighty help them and bless their work. Amin!

The Islamic situation and a timely advice to Muhammadans The Review of Religions (English), August & September 1920 The Great War has brought about striking changes in this world. Nothing, however, has undergone such a radical change as the Muslim world. The Turkish Empire, which was the strongest of all the Muslim States, whether independent or dependent, has

had a most unfortunate ending and has practically been obliterated from the map after a brilliant and glorious history of above 467 years. Arabia, which is said to have long suffered Continued on next page >>

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

َ‫َو اَ ۡ� َ� َﻗ ِﺖ ا�ۡ�َ ۡر ُض ب ُﻨوۡر َر ّبﻬا‬ ِ ِ ِ And the earth will shine with the light of her Lord The Holy Quran - 39:70

<< Continued from previous page

at the cruel hands of the co-believing Turk, has been recognised as independent by the Great Peace Conference. But it remains to be seen whether the Arabs prove themselves worthy of their trust or degenerate into a lawless congeries of tribes. Persia, a Shiah Kingdom, is already badly off and a single Bolshevik stroke will suffice to despatch her. Afghanistan, notwithstanding the fact that she has acquired freedom in her foreign relations, is within easy reach of the Bolsheviks and is a tempting morsel for the Soviet. Tunis and Morocco have finally passed into the French hands. As a matter of fact, a shadow of death has swept over all the Muslim countries, and for all practical purposes they have all been reduced to mere nothings. Partial was the destruction of the Muslim power, when Baghdad was sacked by the Turks, but how complete is now the ruin, when Turkey has been destroyed. The Muslim power has been rapidly waning during the last 150 years and the Muslim countries have been dropping out one by one, from the list. In fact, so complete is the ruin that a non-believer may well rejoice in the political downfall of Islam. But does Islam consist in politics and political ascendancy? The question is a stiff one. In fact, so close has been the relation for the last thirteen centuries between the political and spiritual sides of Islam that it is well-nigh impossible to separate the one from the other. With the exception of a small period of 13 years, when the newly born faith was still in the cradle, even the

early history of Islam is the history of an Islamic republic established at Medina under the lifelong presidency of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him and his Caliphs. Nor has political power been denied to the Muslim in the Holy Quran and one may find a number of Quranic verses pertaining to the same. Indeed all the rich lands lying to the north, east and west of the desert of Arabia were promised to the Muslim, and the Muslim occupation of them down to our own days, bears witness to the fulfilment of the great promise. But with all this, it must be admitted that Islam is not wholly a political creed and can exist without political power. Worldly power is only an additional gift granted to Mussalmans but not a component factor of the faith itself. We read inُ the Holy Quran: ّٰ َ َ ۡ ۡ ُ ۡ ۡ َ ٰ ۡ َ ٰ ۡ ُ َ َ ۡ َ َ ‫الل ِہ َﻋ َﻠ ۡی ُﻜ ۡﻢ ِا ۡذ َج َع َل فِ ۡی ُﻜ ۡﻢ اَن�ﺒ َی‬ ‫و ِاذ ﻗال موﺳی ل ِﻘو ِم ٖہ �ﻘو ِم اذ��وا �ِعﻤﺔ‬ ‫ﺂء‬ ِ َ ُٰ َ ً ُُ َُ َ ۡ َ ۡ �َ �‫َو َج َعﻠﻜ ۡﻢ ّمﻠوۡ�ا � ّو ٰاﺗﻜ ۡﻢ ّما ل َ ۡﻢ ﻳُ ۡﺆ ِت ا َﺣ ًدا ِّم َﻦ ال ٰعﻠ ِﻤ‬ “When Moses said to his people, O my people! remember the favours of God showered upon you in that he raised prophets among you and made you kings, and gave you what was not given to any in the worlds. ” The greatest blessings God bestows upon a nation in the world is, first, prophethood and then, dominion. And blessed is the nation that enjoys them both. The Almighty God was pleased to bestow both of these blessings upon the children of Israel and in a far greater degree also upon the Muslims. But how regrettable it is that Mussalmans ceasing to remain as such have forfeited the possession of vast empires and their power now consists only in petty States always at the mercy of the Christian nations. Considering, then, the fundamental

principles, political power is a matter of secondary importance in Islam and as such, can well be absent for a time, although it is true that it cannot permanently be denied to the followers of Muhammad, peace be upon him. Islam is a religion of the conscience and establishes the relation between the Creator and His creatures. This was true as well in the beginning, when it had no political power, as it is true now, when little worldly power is left to it. But nevertheless it is making fresh conquests even in the most civilized countries of the world – England and America. In the land of the black man its progress is greater still. Islam having received fresh impetus from Qadian (Punjab, India) has its mission established in different parts of the world and its rapid progress in India, Ceylon, Mauritius, Egypt and England is a hopeful sign of its future ascendancy. It is sure once more to prevail in the world agreeably to the promise held out in the verse: َّ ۡ ّ َ ۡ َّ َ ُ ۡ َ َّ ُ ‫الﺬ� َ� َو ِانا ل َ ٗہ ل َ ٰﺤﻔِﻈوۡ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا نﺤﻦ نﺰلﻨا‬

“Verily, We revealed this remembrancer and We shall be its preserver.” So there is little cause for anxiety. If the Muhammadans have lost their worldly power through their misdeeds, let them not break their hearts over the loss but gather under the leadership of Ahmad of Qadian, who has come for the regeneration of Islam in these days of its trial. Their only hope of salvation lies in their acceptance of him – the messenger of God. Reformed and reformers, they can well aspire to regain the same lofty position held by the companions of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. Vain in their case are

Eid-ul-Adha 2020 in Macedonia Waseem Ahmad Macedonia Correspondent

On 31 July 2020, Eid-ul-Adha was offered in Macedonia. Eid prayer was offered in two centres of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Macedonia, situated in Pehchevo and Berovo. During the Eid sermon, the philosophy of Eid-ul-Adha was explained in light of sayings of the Promised Messiahas and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, that the purpose of celebrating this Eid is in fact the sacrifice of our nafs and not just sacrificing animals, whereas the act of sacrificing animals, serves as a way to attain the true purpose, which is Allah the Almighty. Silent prayer followed the Eid sermon. After that, attendees were served with coffee. On the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, with the collaboration of Humanity First Germany, seven cows were sacrificed. The meat was distributed in six cities of the country, benefitting 735 families. Seven volunteers took part in this distribution, and worked very hard. The local media appreciated these efforts of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Macedonia. Alhamdolillah

associations, conferences and deputations. Let them follow the path chalked out for them by the Holy Quran, rather than wait upon ministers and kings praying for the preservation of their political status, the sanctity of their holy places and the honour of their Caliphate. The Almighty says: َ َ َ َ ۡ َ ّٰ ‫ﻛ َﺘ َﺐ الل ُہ �َ�ﻏﻠِ� َ ّ� انا َو ُر ُﺳﻠ ِۡی‬ It is decreed that I shall be victorious and my prophets. A Prophet has appeared on the earth and the cause he upholds cannot but prove victorious over its rivals. So true wisdom lies in casting our lot with him and his mission. Hearken, therefore, ye Muslims of the world! God has come down upon the earth with mighty signs in support of his servant. The heaven and the earth have borne witness to the truth of His messenger, and the sun and moon were darkened for his sake. Will ye believe and accept him? He called you to God’s true path throughout the whole of his life but you listened not to him. It is high time, now, that you give him your ears. You have had the bitter experience of losing your worldly power of which you were so proud. Does not the Holy Quran teach you the truth that it is always the Prophet and his followers who are victorious and his opponents who are vanquished? Did not Moses, Jesus and our Holy Prophet, peace be upon them all, every one of them ultimately prove victorious over their enemies? Again a Jesus has come to you. Come forward as his helpers and bring not upon yourselves the curse as did the Jews, by refusing to accept him. (Ali Muhammad)

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

“Imam Mahdi has arrived” campaign in different cities of Niger

Muhammad Jamal Niger Correspondent

Under the guidance of Hazrat Amirul Momineen, may Allah be his Helper, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is growing rapidly in the continent of Africa and the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas, “I shall cause thy message to reach the corners of the earth” is, once again, being manifested in

this part of the world. By the sheer blessings of Allah the Almighty, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Niger had the opportunity to convey the message of the Promised Messiahas in this country and to launch a campaign of “Imam Mahdias has arrived” in major cities of Niger. Prior to the campaign, a meeting of missionaries was initially held by Amir

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Niger, Asad Majeeb Sahib and a formal programme was formulated. In the first phase, permission was sought from the mayors of all the proposed cities to designate these tablighi book stalls. Photo banners featuring the Promised Messiahas were printed and the words “Imam Mahdias has arrived” were inscribed in national and local languages. It was decided to hold book stalls at least once a week. The campaign began in the month of July 2020 and is still ongoing. Tabligh book stalls were held in the major cities of Niger like the capital Niamey, Dosso, Gaya, Doutchi, Konni, Madaoua, Bouza, Guidan Roumdji, Maradi, Zinder and Tahoua. Each venue of a tablighi book stall was decorated with the banner featuring the photo of Promised Messiahas. Because of

these banners, thousands of people got to see the picture of the Promised Messiahas. Healthy discussions were held with guests, who also had an opportunity to ask questions. The event was actively promoted on social media. In some cities, this campaign was welcomed, while in a few cities, it was seen with mixed gestures of amazement and delight. It was opposed in some cities as well, but overall, this campaign is running very successfully and people are showing interest. New contacts are being made in every city. In general, it was felt that this new campaign is getting an impressive response. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Niger aims to continue this campaign and gradually expand it to other cities as well, inshaAllah

Designs in the living cell: AMRA Research Café Mussawar Ahmad AMRA

Bacteria are of the most primitive forms of life on the planet. However, even the fundamental tasks of growing and surviving requires the precise orchestration of what is a complex network of chemical reactions. How is this orchestration conducted? How does it enable the cell to adapt and survive? On 8 August 2020, Dr Ahmad Mannan Sahib, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Warwick’s Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre and School of Engineering led an AMRA Research Café addressing precisely these questions. He described some examples of control systems in bacteria, including from his own work, and discussed how the design of those systems encoded in the DNA beautifully solve the problem bacteria face, when adapting to survive in an ever changing environment. The talk started with a description of a control system, reflecting on a thermostat example to enable the audience of almost 30 to get to grips with the concept of what a control system is. It then went on to discuss a number of example control systems in bacteria, and how they solve problems at different scales, starting at the molecular level, then cellular level and then at the level of the population and even interspecies. It

was fascinating, not only to gain an insight on how the control system works, but also learn about the control strategies adopted by nature and how their design optimally solved the problem faced. One of my favourite examples was that of the population level. To ensure longterm survival, bacteria populations need to increase genetic diversity. The question is when should that genetic diversity be increased? Let’s first think about the problem. We all understand that increasing genetic diversity is important for the long-term survival of populations. When there is a drastic change of environment, most of the population may not be able to survive in it, but a subgroup of them with slightly different genetic makeup may be better adapted to survive in the new environment. If the population is all identical and precisely suited to a very specific environment, there is a risk it may not survive a sudden change. Investing in some genetic diversity is therefore advantageous to ensuring continuity of the species in the long-term. This is however not without some cost. Since not all the population is perfectly suited to the current environment, a subpopulation may not grow as well. Too much genetic diversity and growth of the overall population suffers, putting at risk it’s continuity. How is this genetic diversity controlled? Well, one of the control’s components is a

protein molecule called Ada. This protects DNA from damage during a process called methylation. Interestingly, the cells have only one molecule per cell, on average. So, when cells are growing rapidly under the best conditions, some cells may not have any Ada while others do. In turn, this means that some cells will be more susceptible to DNA damage, resulting in more mutations and so greater genetic diversity! So what does this mean? A component of the control system involved in facilitating genetic diversity is in play only when the population is growing fast and can therefore “afford” to diversify and accept unfit members of the population, a beautifully simple and elegant solution to the question of when to invest in diversification. After describing the designs in nature, Dr Ahmad Mannan Sahib then went on to discuss how these controls can be engineered and repurposed in application for the service of mankind. Examples included bioremediation, where bacteria could be used for pollution control, as well as therapeutic applications with experiments on using engineering bacteria to break down cancer tissue. However, he then went on to discuss the challenges that need to be addressed in order to meet these visions of application, namely that human-centric objectives often oppose those in nature. To conclude the talk, Dr Ahmad Mannan Sahib suggested that we should

learn from nature, distil design principles, and repurpose them for human needs. He also reflected on the following verse from the Holy Quran: َ َ َّ َ َ َ ۡ َّ ّٰ َ َ ۡ ً ۡ َ ۡ ّ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ َ �َ� � ‫اس َﻋﻠ ۡی َﻬا‬ ��ِ‫ِﻠدﻳﻦ ﺣﻨِیﻔا � ف‬ ِ ‫فاﻗِﻢ وجﻬﻚ ل‬ َّ ‫ت ّ ُالل ِہ َال ٰﺘ َِّی فَ ۡ� َ� َالﻨ‬ َ َ ۡ ُ ۡ ّ َ ٰ ِ ّٰ ۡ َ َ ۡ ۡ َ َ ‫اس �َ� � ۡعﻠ ُﻤوۡ َن‬ ِ ‫ﺗﺒ ِدﻳل ل ِﺨﻠ ِﻖ الل ِہ � ذل ِﻚ‬ ِ ‫الدﻳﻦ الﻘ ِیﻢ � و ل ِﻜﻦ ا�� الﻨ‬ “So set thy face to the service of religion as one devoted to God. And follow the nature made by Allah – the nature in which He has created mankind. There is no altering the creation of Allah. That is the right religion. But most men know not.” (Surah al-Rum, Ch.30: V.31) He commented on his understanding of this verse, in which Allah advises mankind to learn from nature in order to harness it, and not to go against it as there is “no altering the creation of Allah”. Further, he reflected on the importance of seeking knowledge around creation and nature by referring to, “But most men know not”. After the talk there was a question and answer session that delivered engaging conversation and may lead to collaborations in the future, inshaAllah. To listen to the full talk, please visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L37-SoQr9c The next AMRA Cafe will be held at the end of September and details will be circulated to the AMRA membership. To get involved, please email: research@khuddam.co.uk

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

Eid-ul-Adha 2020 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Shahid Mehmood Khan Missionary Democratic Republic of the Congo

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) celebrated Eid-ulAdha on 31 July 2020 with zeal and fervor. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the government of the DRC banned all religious gatherings. So, every Ahmadi home became a mosque and people offered the Eid prayer at home. In collaboration with Humanity First Germany, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya DRC sacrificed animals on all three days of Eid with individuals also contributing their share on this blessed occasion. In nine regions of the DRC, a total of 17 cows and bulls and 372 goats were sacrificed. These offerings took place in more than 284 different locations benefitting about 5,984 families and 33,279 people comprising Muslims and non-Muslims alike. As always, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya DRC distributed food items among the prisoners this year as well. The detail of these activities is as follows: The prisoners along with the jail staff were served with the delicious food items. As required by the authorities, permission was taken from the provincial director of prisons Mr Bikoko Mwenga Joseph. A well-trained team of Khuddam under the leadership of Fareed Ahmad Bhatti Sahib, prepared food on the evening of 31 July, in

the central mission house Bandundu region. A delegation of the Jamaat took the food items to the prison. The menu contained beef curry, fufu, fruit juice and water. The jail administration happily called the delegation to distribute the food. More than 300 prisoners were served. During the distribution the prisoners kept on expressing their gratitude to Jamaat members. The jail administration thanked the delegation, especially Mr Bikoko Mwenga Joseph, the provincial director for prisons, who said that the Jamaat distributed the joy among the prisoners every year and remained on the front line whenever there was a question of helping the prisoners. He also wrote a letter of appreciation to thank Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya for its services. In the Inongo region, Jamaat-eAhmadiyya started a central mission in 2018. Muhammad Zaki Khan Sahib was appointed as a central Missionary. On Eidul-Adha 2020, the prisoners in the central jail and military camp were served. As the law requires, a formal permission was taken before the jail visit. All the necessary items were bought on 1 August, and a team of Khuddam arrived at the mission house. They burned their midnight oil to get the food ready by noon the next day. A menu of beef curry, Shikwang, fruit juice and water was served. The delegation which distributed food consisted of Muhammad Zaki Khan Sahib, Central Missionary Inongo region, Qaid

Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Inongo, Nazim-e-Aala Majlis Ansarullah Inongo and some local Khuddam. The director of the jail gathered all the prisoners in an auditorium and a brief ceremony about the introduction of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya took place. Verses of Surah al-Dahr were recited and the French translation was presented. After this, Muhammad Zaki Khan Sahib spoke briefly about the introduction of the Jamaat. As the ceremony concluded, jail authorities welcomed the delegation to distribute food. About 120 prisoners, guards and staff members were served. A prisoner, Mr Mbo Endelele said that it was an unprecedented event in the jail’s history that a religious organisation distributed such delicious food and also in sufficient quantity. Another captive, Mr Djongolis Alias Adjedje said that may God protect Jamaate-Ahmadiyya; they were never served such a delicious food before. The director of the prison also thanked the delegation for their services. In the Kikwit region, a central mission was opened in 2018 and Ata ul Qayyum Sahib was appointed as the central missionary. Last year, the prisoners in the central jail were also served on the occasion of Eid-ulAdha. This year, however, the distribution took place at a larger scale owing to the efforts of Humanity First Germany. Here also, formal permission was taken before the ceremony of food distribution. Beef Curry and boiled rice were served to the prisoners. The delegation of the Jamaat comprised of Ata ul Qayyum Sahib, central missionary, Haruna Kongolo Sahib, local missionary, Idris Mupati Sahib, president of Kibengi Jamaat and some Khuddam. About 350 prisoners were served and with the permission of jail authorities, a brochure about Jamaat’s introduction was also distributed among them. On 3 August 2020, a delegation of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Mbanza-Ngungu region visited the central jail Mbanzangungu. Maulana Rizwan Ahmad Majoka Sahib, central missionary, led the delegation and distributed food items among 400 prisoners. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Kananga region of the DRC, also contributed to the activities of Eid-ul-Adha. The Jamaat delegation led by Ramiz Ahmad Mahmood Sahib, central missionary, distributed food items in 3 prisons, situated in the region. In Matadi region of the DRC Jamaat, there is a small town named KinzaoMvuete. The central missionary of Matadi region, Farhad Ahmad Kahlon Sahib, along with the local muallim, Abu Bakr Niyyat Sahib visited the Kinzao-Mvuete Jail on Eidul-Adha and distributed food items among 50 prisoners and the jail staff. In the Kananga region, an orphanage and an old age home were also visited by the Jamaat delegation, led by Ramiz Ahmad Sahib. Food was served to 126 persons on the whole. In the Kinshasa region, a Jamaat delegation led by the local muallim, Moosa Lele Sahib, visited an orphanage and distributed Eid Gifts among the orphans. This year saw unprecedented media

coverage of the Jamaat’s activities on Eidul-Adha. Many renowned newspapers of the country published news items about the Jamaat’s efforts, including Congolese Press Agency (ACP), Le Potential, Africa News, Le Courrier de Kinshasa and Forum des As. Electronic media mainly comprising of the regional radio stations, also broadcast reports about the Jamaat’s activities. These radios included, FM Sadm, Congo 24, Rtvs1(their TV channel also showed a news item), Radio Liberte, Radio Okapi. Radio Okapi is a United Nations run radio. For the first time in the Jamaat’s history, this radio station published an article about the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya DRC on their website and social media app. Apart from the above, many local websites also shared news items about the humanitarian services rendered in the DRC by the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and Humanity First. A few excerpts from the media sources are as follows: Le Potential wrote in the issue of 3 August 2020: “The members of Ahmadiyya Community sacrificed a lot of animals in the Bandundu region. The distribution of meat was not limited to the Muslims alone, but according to the principles of the Holy Quran, it was distributed to the poor and needy without discrimination of race, colour or religion, only to acquire Allah’s pleasure. Moreover, the Jamaat also distributed the meat in the distant villages of the Pygmies. In the province, more than 6,000 people benefitted from the services of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in collaboration with Humanity First.” ADIAC Congo wrote under the heading of “Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s Humanitarian Services in Bandundu” on their website: “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community celebrated Eid by distributing food items among the poor and the needy. All this is the manifestation of the teachings of the founder of Islam, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who taught us to take care of the poor and the needy.” Congo Profond published an article on website which states: “This year, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community celebrated Eid with the needy. In Kananga, about 60 orphans and more than 200 prisoners were served food on this occasion.” Radio Okapi published an article on 3 August 2020, which states: “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Inongo distributed food items among the prisoners at the occasion of Eid.” Africa News wrote in the edition of 9 August 2020: “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who believes in the Promised Messiah, celebrated Eid-ul-Adha in Kinshasa with 1,800 people. The Ahmadiyya Community in Kinshasa sacrificed 30 goats and six cows on this occasion and distributed their meat among the people … All these celebrations were made possible by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in collaboration with Humanity First Germany.” May Allah the Almighty accept these humble efforts and make them a source of propagation of the message of the true Islam, Ahmadiyyat. Amin

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

Responding to Allegations

How did Hazrat Mirza as Ghulam Ahmad revive Islam? Part IV (Belief in the prophets of God) The fourth article of faith in Islam is belief in prophets. This doctrine had also been distorted before the appearance of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. Muslims had undermined their faith in prophets owing to a lack of rational and spiritual insight and gradually, strange views and ideas crept into their writings. They altered this belief to such an extent that it was rendered unacceptable and repulsive not only to Muslims but to other people as well. The abusive and terrible assaults that have been made on the character of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were the consequences of such unreasonable perspectives, which Muslims of that age had come to hold about prophets and especially the Holy Prophetsa. Christians and various opponents of Islam raise more allegations by calling those false traditions into question which are narrated by the Muslims themselves and very few objections are made on the basis of their own research. A great number of Muslims accepted such objectionable and fictitious narrations and the pseudoreligious scholars openly expressed them in their sermons, gatherings and seminars. Adversaries of Islam are seen assaulting the personal character of the Holy Prophetsa by weapons manufactured sadly by Muslims themselves and resultantly, the heart of every rational and self-respecting believer is shattered apart. The attacks of opponents certainly expose the hypocrisy of those individuals who deceitfully spread fabricated narrations among the Muslims but on the other hand, non-Muslims get a chance to raise questions against the blessed and pure life of the Holy Prophetsa. Allah the Almighty sends His prophets in this world to guide mankind and help them advance in devotion and virtue. Muslims, during the time of their decline, began attributing such moral shortcomings to prophets that even an ordinary person feels anxious and concerned to hear or study them. Every prophet of God, from Adamas to the Holy Prophetsa, has been accused of sins and wrongdoing. God forbid, Prophet Noahas is considered sinful because he prayed to God for his child when he had been forbidden

to do so. Prophet Abrahamas is believed to have lied on three different occasions. Prophet Jacobas is accused of cheating his father on the deathbed and receiving his blessings by taking on the appearance of his elder brother. God forbid, Prophet Josephas is said to have intended to commit adultery with the spouse of Aziz. It is said that (God forbid), Josephas was about to do it when he saw the image of his father, Jacobas, and became embarrassed and stopped himself. It is further said that Josephas committed theft in his childhood and that on one occasion, he fraudulently managed to let his brother stay with him. God forbid, Prophet Mosesas is blamed for killing an innocent person and running away with his belongings and in this way, committing a great sin. Prophet Davidas is said to have killed a man in order to marry his wife and later, he was punished by God for that sin. Prophet Solomonas is considered guilty of falling in love with an idolatress and it is believed that he was possessed by Satan who began to rule his empire while he was under his influence. Moreover, it is said that excessive love for riches and horses got him distracted of his obligation to God

and he forgot the time of prayer and did not recall until after nightfall. The Holy Prophetsa is the greatest messenger of Allah, to whom the entire humanity owes so much that everyone must bow down their heads in sheer gratitude for the blessings and mercies which were granted to mankind through him. Unfortunately, the worst of faults were attributed to him and consequently, various aspects of his life were rendered objectionable. Some people have said that (God forbid) the Holy Prophetsa desired to hand over his succession to Hazrat Alira, but the fear of people did not let him do so. Some say that (God forbid) the Holy Prophetsa became infatuated with the love of his cousin, Zainab and ultimately, God let him marry her when she was divorced by Hazrat Zaidra due to divine providence. Certain people were of the view that (God forbid) he had an unlawful relation with a slave girl working under one of his wives and when his wife come to know about it, he was full of regret and swore to her that he would never do it again and also made his wife to promise not to tell anyone. Some say that the Holy Prophetsa wished the teachings of Islam could somehow

be relaxed and softened and wanted such doctrines to be revealed by God for the sake of pagan Arabs that they could have happily accepted them and their emotions would have remained unhurt. Such are the beliefs of a large number of Muslims about prophets, even in this age. Modern thinkers among Muslims have gone one step ahead of religious scholars of the past and apart from their personal character, they have called the religious side of prophets into question. According to them, prophets were patriots and loyal to the citizens of their countries. They realised that people can never advance morally and politically unless they are connected with beliefs relating to the Hereafter, the Day of Judgment, Heaven and Hell, etc. Thus, in view of modernists, the teaching of these doctrines was essential not on the grounds that they were valid, but only due to the fact that individuals could not have followed the restrictions required for progress without them. According to them, prophets falsely claimed to be the recipient of divine revelation, but still, they are worthy of respect and honour because they somehow provided such knowledge and guidance to mankind, which elevated their moral standard. Although Islam has no room for the above mentioned beliefs, the people who hold these beliefs are still considered Muslims. The Promised Messiahas not only refuted such shameful and humiliating misconceptions about prophets, but also guided both Muslims and non-Muslims towards the true teachings of Islam on these matters. The Promised Messiahas highlighted that prophets appear in this world to establish righteousness and goodness. They are an epitome of moral qualities and attributes for mankind. If they are not sent by God to set an example for humanity then there is no need for their appearance and only a book of beliefs and laws could have been sent. The primary purpose of the appearance of prophets is that people may witness the practical implementation of God Almightyâ€™s revelation and know its real meanings through their actions and ultimately, gain the strength to progress Continued on next page >>

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

First convocation of Jamia Ahmadiyya International Indonesia Haﬁzurrahman Indonesia Correspondent

Mubarak Mushlikhuddin Sahib reports that Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia International held its Convocation Ceremony for Shahid and Mubashir classes on 10 August 2020 in Nasr Mosque. This event was a historic moment for Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Indonesia, as it was the first time that students completed the full Shahid course -a seven year course. Due to the pandemic, the ceremony was held with strict health and safety protocols. Only a few parents of graduates could attend the event, while others were able to watch live online. On this occasion, Amir Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Indonesia, Abdul Basit Shahid Sahib said that plans had been made to improve our Jamia from Mubashir to Shahid for a long time. Alhamdolillah, we were blessed to implement Shahid programme and to graduate the students today. In the meanwhile, the Missionary-inCharge, Mirajuddin Shahid Sahib advised the graduates to become a reflection of the attributes of Allah the Almighty as described by the Promised Messiahas, in his book Haqiqatul Wahi (The Philosophy

<< Continued from previous page

in the way of righteousness and overcome their shortcomings and faults. The Promised Messiahas explained that people have formed wrong concepts about prophets due to lack of true knowledge of God’s revelation and their own ignorance. They do not perform genuine research and spread unjust conclusions from generation to generation. The prophets of Allah are innocent, pure and models of truth, love and loyalty. They are a reflection of God’s attributes and their chaste and spotless lives point towards the purity and holiness of the Almighty Allah. In fact, they are crystal clear mirrors in which a wicked person may see their own evil image and mistakenly impute it to their blessed character. Prophet Adamas never broke the divine law and Prophet Noahas was not a sinner. Prophet Abrahamas never lied and Prophet Jacobas never deceived anyone. Prophet Josephas neither intended to commit adultery, nor did he steal or fabricate anything. Prophet Mosesas did not murder an innocent person and Prophet Davidas did not entrap anybody’s wife unlawfully. Prophet Solomonas did not overlook his responsibilities for the love of an idolatress or forget the time of prayer for the sake of his horses. The Holy Prophetsa did not commit any sin, great or small. His personage was

of Divine Revelation). Furthermore, Principal Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia, Ma‘sum Ahmad Shahid Sahib explained the history of the founding of Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia until the formation of the Shahid class: “The foundation of Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia had started in the 1980s. At that moment, it was called ‘Missionary Preparation Class’ for a year course. After a couple of years, it was then

improved gradually to be a three-yearcourse and five-year-course. In 2017, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa mentioned in his blessed Friday Sermon that Jamia Ahmadiyya Indonesia is a Jamia Ahmadiyya International, like Jamia Ahmadiyya Qadian, Rabwah, Ghana, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Bangladesh”, said Ma‘sum Ahmad Shahid Sahib. There are 4 Shahid Degree graduates:

Ahmad Salam Sahib, Ammar Ahmad Sahib, Ferdy Athaaul Islam Sahib and Nu‘man Ahmad Sahib; while there are 6 Mubashir Degree graduates: Abdul Basyid Sahib, Arsalanullah Muhammad Ahmad Arasy Sahib, Hadid Muhammad Talha Sahib, Mubarak Mushlikhuddin Sahib, Rafi Zafir Ahmad Sahib and Rahdian Ahmad Nugroho Sahib.

free from all defects. Anyone who finds faults in his life or character exposes their own faults and shortcomings. All those stories which call his conduct into question were invented by hypocrites to tarnish his blessed and pure reputation. These madeup tales are not substantiated by historical evidence. Moreover, they are in conflict with the blessed life, thoughts and character of the Holy Prophetsa. All these lies about the personage of the Holy Prophetsa or any other prophet were either deceitfully spread by the hypocrites among the Muslims or resulted from sheer misunderstanding of the meanings of the Holy Quran. Even if they are quoted as being sahih (authentic) in hadith, they cannot be accepted. Ahadith never trump the Holy Quran and blessed Sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa. The Promised Messiahas said: “The Holy Prophetsa combines the names of all the prophets in himself because he possessed all their diverse excellences. Hence, he is Moses, Jesus, Adam, Abraham, Joseph and Jacob. Allah the Almighty points towards this [in the verse]: ۡ َ ‫ف ِﺒ ُﻬ ٰد ُﻫ ُﻢ اﻗ َﺘ ِد ۡه‬ “Meaning, ‘O Prophetsa of God, combine in yourself all the diverse guidance which every other prophet had brought respectively.’ This shows that the dignity of all prophets was united in the personage of the Holy Prophetsa and his

name, Muhammadsa, also points to this, for it means greatly praised, and great praise can only be considered when all the varied excellences and special qualities of the different prophets are unified in the Holy Prophetsa.” (Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 343) The Promised Messiahas proved through convincing arguments of the Holy Quran that the mistaken beliefs about prophets are not at all related to Islam. These ideas and concepts crept into Muslims through Christians because their plan was to falsely highlight the faults of every other prophet and prove that Prophet Jesusas was the only sinless prophet. By showing that Jesus Christ possessed extraordinary purity and God-like powers, Christians wanted to convince people, including Muslims, about his divinity. This appears to be the reason that even among Muslims, faults and errors are falsely attributed to all prophets including the Holy Prophetsa but Jesusas is considered absolutely sinless and flawless. Not only Jesusas, but also his mother, Maryas, is regarded as an epitome of chastity. This distinctive approach in the case of Jesusas clearly indicates that fabricated and repulsive tales about all other prophets found their way into Muslims narrations through Christians. It is quite possible that Muslims were unconsciously influenced by such stories during their day to day

interaction with Christians or some mischievous Christians apparently accepted Islam and spread them among Muslims. Muslim historians and hadith scholars regarded every narration as historical material and honestly collected and compiled each one of them for the coming generations. The distinction between true and false traditions was maintained for a time, but gradually, those who were devoid of the light of the Holy Prophetsa lost sight and accepted tales that were contrary to the spirit and standards of Islam and rejected such narrations that highlighted the purity and chastity of prophets. All praise belongs to Allah the Almighty Who sent His chosen one, the Promised Messiahas of the age to remove all the impurities from Islam and establish the true status of prophets, especially the honour of the Holy Prophetsa. The following couplet of the Promised Messiahas is a complete answer to all the misconceptions and false beliefs held about the prophets: �� ‫� �ك � ی� ی�� اِك ُدو�ے‬ � ‫ی‬ ‫ ی� از �ا� �� ی‬ � �� ‫ا�رى‬ ٰ �� “All prophets are pure – one better than the other. But, from God Almighty – he [the Holy Prophetsa] is the best of creation.” (Qadian ke Arya aur hum, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 20, p. 456)

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

Friday Sermon 24 July 2020 Men of Excellence After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:

I was previously narrating accounts in the life of Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas. Hazrat Saadra participated in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa, including the Battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, the Battle of Khaybar and the Conquest of Mecca. He was one of the most skilled archers from among the companions of the Holy Prophetsa. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 105, Saadra bin Abi Waqas Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1990) Regarding Hazrat Saadra, it is mentioned in a narration that at one point during one of the battles in which the Messengersa of Allah was also present, nobody was left with the Messengersa of Allah except Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Saadra. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fazail AlSahaba, Hadith no. 2415) Whilst describing the circumstances of departing for military campaigns with the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Saadra states, “We would leave for a battle together with the Holy Prophetsa and our condition would be such that we would not have anything available to eat except leaves of trees. Our condition was such that our passing of stool resembled the droppings of a camel or goat.” In other words, it was very dry and not soft at all. In another narration it is mentioned that he said, “Our food in those days used to be the branches of a Babul tree.” Babul is a type tree that has many thorny branches. (Sahih alBukhari, Kitab-ul-Fazail Al-Sahaba AlNabi, Hadith no. 3728), (Jami’ Tirmidhi, Abwaab-ul-Zuhd, Hadith no. 2366) Hazrat Saadra was the first person who shed blood in the way of Allah. He was also the first person to shoot an arrow in

the cause of Allah. This incident is from the Battle of Hazrat ‘Ubaidah bin Haris. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab-ul-Sunnah, Hadith no. 131), (Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 2, p. 607, Dar-ul-Jeel, Beirut) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 453, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2003) Its details are as follows: An expedition took place during Rabi-ul-Awwal of 2 AH, which is called the Battle of Hazrat Ubaidah bin Haris. I have previously narrated parts of this incident or perhaps have narrated the entire account; however, I will present it again with reference to what Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has written in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin: “In the beginning of the month of Rabiul-Awwal, the Holy Prophetsa dispatched a company of the Muhajireen, comprising of 60 men mounted on horses or camels, in the leadership of a close relative,

Ubaidah bin Al-Harith Muttalibi. The objective of this campaign was to forestall the attacks of the Quraish of Mecca. As such, when Ubaidah bin Al-Harith and his companions covered some ground and arrived close to Thaniyyatul-Murrah (Thaniyyatul-Murrah is the name of a place situated between Mecca and Medina which the Holy Prophetsa passed through during his migration), they suddenly noticed that 200 armed young men had set up camp in the command of Ikramah bin Abi Jahl. The two parties encountered one another and a few arrows were exchanged in a confrontation. However, this group of idolaters then stood down from further conflict due to the fear that the Muslims probably had hidden reinforcements at their disposal and consequently, the Muslims did not pursue them. Although, two individuals from the army of the idolaters named Miqdad

bin Amrra and Utbah bin Ghazwanra fled from the command of Ikramah bin Abi Jahl and joined the Muslims. It is written that they set out with the Quraish for this very purpose, so that they could find an opportunity to join the Muslims. The reason being, that they were Muslims at heart, but could not migrate out of fear of the Quraish due to their weakness.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 328), (Mu‘jamul Buldan, Vol. 2, pp. 99-100, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut) In Jumadi-ul-Ula 2 AH, the Holy Prophetsa assembled a party of eight Muhajireen under the command of Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas and sent them to Kharrar to obtain intelligence about the Quraish. Kharrar is an area in the Hijaz, located near Ju‘fah. They reached there but did not confront the enemy. (Mu‘jamul Buldan, Vol. 2, pp. 400, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut) (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, pp. 329-330) Then there is mention of the Sariyyah Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahsh, which took place in the end of Jumadi-al-Akhir 2 AH. Hazrat Saadra also took part in this battle. I have mentioned this incident before, nevertheless, I shall narrate it briefly with reference to Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin: “Upon observing these very threats, the Holy Prophetsa decided that the movements of the Quraish should be surveyed from a closer distance, so that all the necessary intelligence with respect to them may be available on time and Medina was safeguarded from all kinds of sudden attacks. Hence, for this purpose, the Holy Prophetsa assembled a party of eight Muhajireen. As an act of wisdom, the

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM Holy Prophetsa selected such men for this party who were from the various tribes of the Quraish, so that it was easier to obtain intelligence with regard to the hidden conspiracies of the Quraish. The Holy Prophetsa appointed his paternal cousin, Abdullah bin Jahshra as the commander of this party … upon ordering this sariyyah, the Holy Prophetsa did not even inform the commander of this party as to where he was being sent and for what purpose. Rather, upon their departure, the Holy Prophetsa handed him a sealed letter and said, ‘This letter contains necessary instructions for you. When you cover a distance of two days travel from Medina, open the letter and act in accordance with the stipulated instructions.’ “When they had journeyed a distance of two days from Medina, Abdullahra opened the instructions of the Holy Prophetsa, which were as follows: ‘Go forth to the Valley of Nakhlah between Mecca and Ta‘if and obtain information on the Quraish and return with news therefrom.’ “At the bottom of this letter, the Holy Prophetsa had written that after the objective of this mission became known, if anyone from among his companions was hesitant in accompanying this party and desired to return, then permission would be granted to do so. Abdullahra read out this guidance to his companions who unanimously affirmed, ‘We happily present ourselves for this service, none of us shall return.’ Then, this party proceeded to Nakhlah. Saadra bin Abi Waqas and Utbahra bin Ghazwan lost their camels en-route and were separated from their companions. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to relocate their companions. The party of eight was now left with only six people.” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has mentioned an orientalist, Mr Margoliouth who has stated this narration and attempted to create doubt by claiming that they intentionally let their camels loose and used this as an excuse to remain behind. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra writes with regard to Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas and his companion:

“Each and every life event of these devotees of Islam who were ready to sacrifice their lives is a testimony to their valour and devotion. One of them was martyred at the hands of the disbelievers in the campaign of B‘ir-e-Ma‘unah, while the other distinctly participated in many dangerous battles and ultimately became the victor of Iraq. “Therefore, to doubt the sincerity of such people, especially when that doubt is founded on self-concocted notions, is the work of Mr Margoliouth alone. It is ironic that in his book, Mr Margoliouth claims that he has written this book being completely free from prejudice. “In any case, this small community reached Nakhlah and became engaged in their work. With the thought of concealing their classified mission, some of them shaved their heads, so that travellers etc. would not be alarmed in any way and so that they would consider them as being such people who had come with the intention of Umrah. However, they had only just arrived there, when suddenly a small caravan of the Quraish also happened to arrive, which was travelling from Ta‘if to Mecca and both parties encountered each other.” The situation was such that despite their desire not to and even though it was against their own will and the instructions of the Holy Prophetsa”, the Muslims finally decided that the caravan should be attacked and the people of the caravan should either be taken captive or killed. Therefore, they launched an attack in the name of Allah and as a result, one man from the disbelievers was killed and two were taken captive. However, the fourth individual unfortunately escaped and the Muslims were unable to apprehend him”, and in this way, their decision proved unsuccessful. “Thereafter, the Muslims seized the goods of the caravan and swiftly returned to Medina with the captives and the spoils … However, when the Holy Prophetsa found out that the Companions had attacked the caravan, he was extremely displeased and said: َ ْ ُ ُ ََْ َ َ ْ ْ َّ ‫ام‬ ِ ‫ال ِﻓی الﺸھ ِر ا�ح َر‬ ٍ ‫ماا��تکم بِ ِﻘت‬

“‘I have not given you permission to fight in the sacred month.’ The Holy Prophetsa refused to accept the spoils … On the other hand, the Quraish also raised a huge hue and cry that the Muslims had violated the sanctity of the Sacred Month, since the person who had been killed, Amar bin Al-Hadhrami, was a chieftain himself.” All the while, the disbelievers came to Medina to secure the release of their captives. “However, until now, Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas and Hazrat Utbahra bin Ghazwan had not returned. On their account, the Holy Prophetsa greatly feared that if the Quraish happened to seize them, they would not release them alive. Hence, for this reason, the Holy Prophetsa refused to release the captives until they returned and said, ‘When my men safely reach Medina, I will release yours.’ Therefore, when they both reached Medina, the Holy Prophetsa released both captives ... However, from among these two captives, one individual was so deeply impressed during his stay at Medina, that he became a Muslim and was later martyred at Bi‘r-e-Ma‘unah.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, pp. 330-334) Whilst describing the circumstances prior to the commencement of the conflict on the occasion of the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra writes in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin: “The Holy Prophetsa began to swiftly advance towards Badr and when he neared Badr, motivated by some feeling, which narrations have not disclosed, the Holy Prophetsa seated Hazrat Abu Bakrra behind himself and proceeded ahead of the Muslim army. At that time, the Holy Prophetsa encountered an old bedouin, from whom the Holy Prophetsa gathered during the course of conversation that the army of the Quraish had reached very close to Badr. Upon hearing this news, the Holy Prophetsa returned and dispatched Hazrat Alira, Zubair bin Al-Awwamra and Saadra bin Abi Waqas to gather information. When these people arrived at the Valley of Badr, suddenly they noticed that a few Meccans were collecting water from a spring. These Companions attacked this party, taking captive an Abyssinian slave and brought him to the Holy Prophetsa … Then, the Holy Prophetsa gently enquired himself, ‘At this time, where is the army positioned?’ He responded, ‘On the opposite side of the hillock before you.’

The Holy Prophetsa enquired, ‘How many men are there in the army?’ He responded, ‘A multitude, but I am unaware of the exact figure.’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Alright, then tell me how many camels are slaughtered daily for consumption?’ ‘Ten’, he responded. The Holy Prophetsa turned to the Companions and said, ‘It seems as if they are a force of 1,000 men.’ This estimate actually turned out to be correct.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, pp. 355-356) I have mentioned this in detail previously. With regard to the bravery of Hazrat Saadra during the Battle of Badr, there is a narration that despite being on foot, Hazrat Saadra was fighting with the same valour as the cavaliers. (AlTabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 104, Saadra bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon 1990) This is why Hazrat Saadra was given the title “Faris-ul-Islam”, i.e. the Cavalier of Islam. (Umdatul Qari Sharah Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, p. 305, Dar-ul-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) During the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Saadra was among those few companions who remained steadfast alongside the Holy Prophetsa in the moment of confusion. (Khutbat-e-Tahir [Jalsa Salana speech prior to his Khilafat in 1979], p.337) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh mentioned the following incident during the Battle of Uhud of Utbah bin Abi Waqas, the brother of Saadra bin Abi Waqas who was fighting on the side of the idolaters and who launched an assault on the Holy Prophetsa: “Utbah was that wretched person who launched a fierce attack upon the Holy Prophetsa and broke two of his lower teeth and greatly wounded his blessed countenance. When ‘Utbah’s brother, Saadra bin Abi Waqas who was fighting for the Muslims heard of this malicious act of Utbah, he was filled with the desire to exact revenge. He said, ‘The eagerness I had to kill my brother was perhaps greater than any other desire I had in my life. Whilst breaking through ranks of the enemies, twice I went out in search of this evildoer to make him perish at my own hands and thus satisfy my heart’s desire. But every time he saw me, he would avoid me similar to the evasion of a fox. The third time I wished to advance through, the Holy Prophetsa very graciously said

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

20 to me, “O servant of Allah, do you desire to lay down your life?” and thus I ended my pursuit in accordance with the wish of the Holy Prophetsa.’” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, [Jalsa Salana speech prior to his Khilafat in 1979] p. 346) Whilst describing the moment when there only remained a few steadfast companions near the Holy Prophetsa on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has written: “The Holy Prophetsa would hand arrows to Saadra himself and Saadra would continue to shower the enemy with arrow upon arrow. At one instance, the Holy Prophetsa addressed Saadra saying, ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed upon you – go on shooting arrows!’ Even to the very end of his life, Saadra would recall these words of the Holy Prophetsa with great pride.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 495) In one of the narrations, it is mentioned that Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas relates, “On the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa took out arrows from his quiver, scattered them out for me and said, ‘Shoot the arrows! May my parents be sacrificed for you!’” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 4055) Hazrat Alira relates, “I never heard the Holy Prophetsa offer this prayer of his parents being sacrificed for anyone but Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas.” On the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa said to Hazrat Saadra, “May my parents be sacrificed for you! Continue to fire arrows O mighty youth! Continue to fire arrows!” (Jami‘ alTirmidhi, Kitab-ul-Manaqib, Hadith no. 3753) Here, it is also worth mentioning that a note has been added that in history, aside from Hazrat Saadra, the name of Hazrat Zubairra bin Al-Awam is also found regarding whom the Holy Prophetsa said: ُ ََ ‫فِ َداک ا ِب ْی َوا ِّم ْی‬ “May my parents be sacrificed for you!” This is a narration from Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Fazail AlSahaba Al-Nabi, Hadith no. 3720) Mentioning the incident of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Saadra relates that on the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa made reference to both of his own parents, saying may they be sacrificed for Hazrat Saadra. Hazrat Saadra relates that there was a man from among the idolaters who had caused trouble for the Muslims. The Holy Prophetsa said to him, i.e. to Hazrat Saadra, “Shoot arrows! May my parents be sacrificed for you!” Hazrat Saadra says, “I shot one arrow that did not have an arrowhead, into his side [of the idolater], as a result of which he died and he was left exposed from his lower region. I saw that the Holy Prophetsa expressed happiness. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fazail Al-Sahaba, Hadith no. 2412) In another narration, this incident has been recorded in the following manner that this idolater, whose name is mentioned as Hibban in the books of history, shot an arrow that struck Hazrat Umm-e-Ayman in the lower region of her body, whilst she was occupied in providing water for the wounded. Upon

this, Hibban began to laugh. The Holy Prophetsa gave an arrow to Hazrat Saadra, which struck the throat of Hibban. He fell backwards leaving him exposed, as result of which the Holy Prophetsa smiled. (AlIsaba, Vol. 3, p. 64, Saad bin Malik, Darul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995) Regarding this hadith [saying of the Holy Prophetsa], which is from Sahih Muslim, the Noor Foundation has translated it and added an explanatory note, which is very adequate and appropriate. It states that this joy of the Holy Prophetsa was as a result of the favour of Allah in that He removed a dangerous enemy from the path with an arrow that did not even have an arrowhead. (Sahih Muslim, Vol. 13, p. 41, Noor Foundation) In one narration, it is mentioned that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Saadra fired one thousand arrows. (Roshan Sitari, Ghulam Bari Saif, Vol. 2, p. 71) Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas was among those companions, who on the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah also signed on the treaty. (Sirat KhatamunNabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, p. 769) On the occasion of the conquest of Mecca, Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas held one of the three flags of the Muhajireen. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 105, Saadra bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ulKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) Hazrat Saadra fell ill on the occasion of Hajjat-ul-Wada [the farewell pilgrimage]. Mentioning this, Hazrat Saadra relates: “I fell ill in Mecca and was close to death. The Holy Prophetsa came to visit me. I said to him, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! I have a great abundance of wealth and only one daughter as the inheritor. Am I permitted to give two-thirds away as charity? The Holy Prophetsa replied in the negative. I asked may I give half as charity? The Holy Prophetsa answered in the negative. I asked if I may give one-third as charity? The Holy Prophetsa agreed to this, but said that even this was too much. Following this, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Leaving your offspring in an affluent state is better than leaving them in poverty and for them to have to beg from people. You will be rewarded for whatever you spend, so much so that you will be rewarded even for the morsel of food you give to your wife to eat.’ I said, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! Will I be left behind in my migration?’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Even if you are left behind, your status and rank will be elevated by the deeds you will perform to seek the pleasure of Allah. I am certain that you will remain alive after my passing.’ He further said, ‘So much so that some nations will benefit from you and some people will suffer loss.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Faraidh, Hadith no. 6733) In another narration, it is mentioned that after this, the Holy Prophetsa prayed in the following words: “O Allah! Enable my companions to fulfil the purpose of their migration and do not permit them to return unsuccessful.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul-Janaiz, Hadith no. 1295) There is a narration in which Hazrat Saadra relates, “When I fell ill, the Holy

Prophetsa came to visit me and asked, ‘Have you left a will?’ I replied, ‘Yes’. The Holy Prophetsa asked, ‘How much [have you left]?’ I replied, ‘All my wealth has been left in the way of Allah.’ The Holy Prophetsa asked, ‘What have you left for your children?’ I replied, ‘They are in a state of affluence.’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Then pledge one tenth as your will.’ Hazrat Saadra narrates that he continued saying this and the Holy Prophetsa continued replying in the same manner.” In other words, Hazrat Saadra wished to give a greater amount in charity, while the Holy Prophetsa was advising to give less, to the extent that he permitted him to give one-third and even that was a substantial amount. (Sunan al-Nisai, Kitab-ul-Wasaiyyah, Hadith no. 3661) In any case, those who have knowledge of this and those in the field of jurisprudence [fiqh] have deduced from this narration that no more than a third of one’s wealth can be given away as part of one’s will. (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Abwaab-ulWasaiyyah, Hadith no. 2116) Regarding this matter, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra states: “Ahadith also support that after one has taken out their expenses, giving away the remaining wealth in its entirety is not an Islamic injunction. Thus, the Holy Prophetَ saَ said: َّ ُ ّ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ ُ َّ َ َ َ ّ ُ َ ْ ُ ُ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ ‫الن‬ ‫اس‬ ‫ی ِجیء احدکم بِمالَ ِ ٖہ ک ِل ٖہ یتص ُدق بِ ٖہ ویجلِس یتکفف‬ َ َ َ َ َّ َ ّ ‫اِنما‬ ‫الصد قۃ ع ْن ظ ْھ ِر ِغ ًنی‬ “‘Some of you bring all their wealth and donate it for charity [sadaqah], but then go around begging from others. Charity ought to be given on surplus wealth.’

“Similarly, the Holy Prophetsa said: َ ََ َ َ ََْ ْ َ‫اء َخیْ ٌر ِم ْن أ َ ْن ت َ َذ َرہ ُ ْم َعال َ ًۃ ی َ َت َک َّف ُف ْون‬ َ ‫ک أ َ ْغ ِن َی‬ ‫ِإن تذر ورثت‬ َّ َ ‫الن‬ ‫اس‬ “‘It is better for you to leave your heirs in an affluent state rather than leaving them destitute so they are not left having to seek wealth from others.’ “Similarly, it is narrated in the hadith that Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas sought permission to distribute two-thirds of his wealth but the Holy Prophetsa forbade him. He sought to distribute half but the Holy Prophetsa stopped him from that as well. Then he sought permission to distribute a third of his wealth upon which the Holy Prophetsa granted permission, saying, ‘You can give a third, though even a third is a large amount: ْ َ ُ ُ ُّ ُ ُ ُّ َ ‫الثلث َوالثلث ک ِثی ٌر‬ “Thus, the notion that Islam commands any wealth which exceeds one’s needs ought to be distributed [as part of their will], is completely against Islam and is contrary to the practice of the Companionsra. This is because according to the practice of the Companionsra, there were some who, at the time of their demise, bequeathed a wealth amounting to hundreds of thousands to their heirs as part of their inheritance.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 2, p. 494) It is stated in one narration that Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas relates, “When I fell ill in Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa came to visit me. When he placed his hand on my chest, I felt the coolness of his hand upon my heart. Placing his hand, he said, ‘You have an ailment of the heart. Go to Harith

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

bin Kaladah, brother of Banu Thaqif; he is a physician. Tell him to take seven Ajwa dates from Medina and crush them along with their pits and give it to you to drink as a medicine.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 108, Saadra bin Abi Waqas, Darul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) It is stated in one narration that the Holy Prophetsa appointed a specific person in Mecca to tend to Hazrat Saadra and stressed the fact that if Hazrat Saadra passed away in Mecca, he should not be buried there, but instead he should be brought to Medina to be buried. (AlTabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 108, Saad bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra relates an incident of Hazrat Saadra regarding hunting: “The Holy Prophetsa would not hunt himself, rather it is proven through a hadith that he would have others hunt for him. Thus, during one expedition, he called Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas and said, ‘Look, there is a deer, shoot it with an arrow.’ When he was about to shoot the arrow, the Holy Prophetsa lovingly placed his chin on Hazrat Saad’sra shoulder and said ‘O Allah! Make him attain his target

successfully.’” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, p. 124) Allah the Almighty enabled Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas the honour of conquering Iraq. Once, during the Battle of Khandaq, the Companionsra went to the Holy Prophetsa and said that there was a boulder in the ditch which would not break. The Holy Prophetsa went and struck the boulder thrice with a pickaxe and with every blow, the boulder crumbled slightly; the Holy Prophetsa proclaimed “Allahu Akbar” [Allah is the greatest] in a loud voice and the Companionsra also followed in raising the slogan. During this incident, while striking one of the blows, the Holy Prophetsa said, “I have been shown the white palaces of Midian falling.” What he saw was fulfilled at the hands of Hazrat Saadra. (Roshan Sitarey, Ghulam Bari Saif, Vol. 2, p. 79) There were two great powers in the surroundings of Arabia; the Persian and the Byzantine empires. Much of Iraq was under the control of the Chosroes and his royal palaces were situated in Midian. The famous battles of Midian, Qadisiyyah, Nahawand, and Jalula were fought under the leadership of Hazrat Saadra bin Abi

Waqas. The background to Midian is that it is located by the Tigris River, a little south of Baghdad in Iraq. Since many cities were established here one after the other, the Arabs gave it the name of Midian, meaning a cluster of cities. Qadisiyyah was also a city in Iraq where a famous battle was fought between the Muslims and the Persians, known as the Battle of Qadisiyyah. Present day Qadisiyyah is located 15 farsakh [approximately 50 miles] from Kufa. Nahawand is a city located in present day Iran and is seventy kilometres south of Hamadan, the capital of the region. Jalula is a city in present day Iraq which is located near the eastern corner of the Tigris River. A battle between the Muslims and the Persians was fought here. It was named Jalula because the city became filled with the corpses of Iranians. In Iraq, during the Caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Musannara bin Haritha sought permission to attack, as the Persians constantly caused trouble on the border. Hazrat Abu Bakrra granted permission and sent a large army with Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid to assist. When Hazrat Abu Ubaidara submitted to Hazrat Abu Bakrra for reinforcements in Syria, Hazrat Abu Bakrra sent Hazrat Khalidra to help him and Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid appointed Hazrat Musannara to deputise in Iraq. However as soon as Hazrat Khalidra left Iraq the campaign lost momentum. When Hazrat Umarra became the Caliph, he returned attention towards the campaign in Iraq. Hazrat Musannara had consecutively rendered defeat to enemies in Buwaib and other battles and taken hold of a large expanse of land in Iraq. At that time, Iraq was under the control of the Chosroes. When the Persians saw the strength of Muslims in battle and their consecutive victories, it opened their eyes. They replaced their queen, Buran Dukht, with Yazdegerd, the true heir of Chosroes. Upon ascending the throne, he immediately united all the powers of the Iranian empire and kindled a fire of fury and revenge in the entire nation against Muslims. Under these circumstances, Hazrat Musannara was forced to retreat from the Arabian border. When Hazrat Umarra came to know of these incidents, he sent emissaries throughout Arabia, who delivered passionate addresses calling on the Muslims to take a stand against Chosroes. The result was that it stirred emotions in Arabia and resulted in people hearkening from all directions, ready to present themselves for the sake of Islam with their lives in the palms of their hands, [as it were]; flocking to the royal court of the Caliphate. Hazrat Umarra sought counsel as to who should be appointed to lead this expedition. Upon the suggestions of the people, Hazrat Umarra prepared to lead it himself, however Hazrat Alira and other prominent companions were against this. Subsequently, Hazrat Saeed bin Zaid’s name was proposed but in that very instance, Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf stood up and said, “O Leader of the Faithful! I know just the individual for this expedition.” Hazrat Umarra enquired

who it was and Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf proposed the name of Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas. Upon this, everyone agreed with the proposal of Hazrat Saadra. Regarding Hazrat Saadra, Hazrat Umarra stated: ٌ ‫ِانَّ ٗہ َر ُج ٌل ُش َج‬ ‫اع َر ٍام‬ “He is a brave and fearless man; and an excellent archer.” Hazrat Musannara was waiting for Hazrat Saadra along with 8,000 brave soldiers at Zi Qar, which is a place situated between Kufa and Wasit, but during this, he passed away. [Prior to his demise] he had appointed his brother Hazrat Muanara as the commander of the army. According to the instructions he had received, Hazrat Muanara met Hazrat Saadra and conveyed to him the message of Hazrat Musannara. Hazrat Saadra took an assessment of the strength of his army which consisted of approximately 30,000 soldiers. Hazrat Saadra organised the army by dividing them under each flank and also appointed an officer for both. They then proceeded ahead and besieged Qadisiyyah. The Battle of Qadisiyyah took place towards the end of 16 AH. The disbelievers numbered approximately 280,000 and also had 30 elephants and the Iranian army was under the command of Rustam. Hazrat Saadra invited the disbelievers to Islam and for this he sent Hazrat Mughirahra bin Shu‘ba. In response, Rustam stated that the Muslims were enduring hardship and they were only doing this in order to alleviate their condition. Therefore, he said he would grant them provisions in such abundance that it will be plentiful for them. Hazrat Mughirahra replied that they had answered the call of God’s Messengersa and were inviting them to profess belief in the One God and His Prophetsa. If they were to accept this invitation, then it would be better for them, otherwise the matter between them would settled by the sword, i.e. a battle. It was they [Iranians] who instigated the battle; the Muslims on the other hand did not want to fight and in fact called them towards Islam, but since they insisted on fighting, hence the Muslims said in that case the matter would be settled by the sword. Upon hearing this, Rustam became enraged and since he was an idolater, he said, “I swear by the sun and the moon, before the light of day, we shall begin the battle and will destroy all of you.” ra Hazrat Mughriah replied: ّ ٰ َّ َ َّ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ‫لاحول ولا قوۃ اِلا بِالل ِہ‬ “Allah alone is the source of all power.” After saying this, he mounted on his horse. Hazrat Saadra had received instructions from Hazrat Umarra that they were to first invite them to Islam. Therefore, Hazrat Saadra sent a delegation which included the famous poet and cavalier, Hazrat Amrra bin Ma‘di Karib and Hazrat Asha‘thra bin Qais Kindi. When they saw Rustam, he enquired where they were going, to which they replied that they were going to meet with his King [Wali]. Thereafter, this detailed conversation took place between the two. The members of this delegation stated that the Holy Prophetsa had promised them that they would be granted control of his

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

22 land. In reply, Rustam asked for a basket full of dirt and said, “Here you go, you can place our land on top of your head.” Hazrat Amrra bin Ma‘di Karib quickly stood up and placed the basket of dirt in his sack and stated that this was to serve as a sign to indicate that they would indeed take control of their land. Thereafter, they went to the royal court of the King of Iran and conveyed to him the message of Islam. The king became enraged and ordered them to leave his royal court and also stated that had they not come as emissaries, he would have had them killed. He then ordered Rustam to teach them a lesson they would never forget. It was a Thursday, after the Asr prayer when the battle commenced. Hazrat Saadra raised the slogan of “Allahu Akbar” [Allah is the greatest] three times and upon reciting this for the fourth time, the battle began. Hazrat Saadra was unwell at the time and sat on an elevated secure post in the fortress of Udhaib, directing his forces. (Roshan Sitarey, Ghulam Bari Saif, Vol. 2, pp. 79-82) (Atlas Fatuhat-e-Islamiyyah, p. 81, p. 100, p. 188, p. 126) (Mu‘jam-ulBuldan, Vol. 4, p. 333, Dar-ul-Kutub AlIlmiyyah, Beirut) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has also narrated this incident as follows: “During the time of Hazrat Umarra, Yazdegerd, the grandson of Khosrow Parviz ascended to the throne and began to make extensive preparations to fight against the Muslims. In response to this, Hazrat Umarra sent an army under the command of Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas. Hazrat Saadra chose Qadisiyyah as the location for battle and also sent a map of the area to Hazrat Umarra. Hazrat Umarra expressed his approval of the location but along with this instructed that it was his duty to first send a delegation to the King of Iran and invite him to accept Islam. And so, upon receiving this instruction, he sent a delegation to meet Yazdegerd. When this delegation arrived at the royal court of the King of Iran, he asked his translator to enquire why they had come. When he asked them this question, Hazrat Numanra bin Muqarrin, who was the leader of the delegation, stood up and after mentioning about the advent of the Holy Prophetsa, said, ‘The Holy Prophetsa has commanded us to spread the message of Islam and invite the entire world to the true faith. In accordance to this commandment, we are here before you and invite you to Islam.’ Yazdegerd became infuriated at this reply of his and said, ‘You are a nation that are like wild beasts and who eat carrion. If it is owing to hunger and scarcity of provisions that has compelled you to fight then I am willing to grant all of you with enough provisions of food and drink that you will be able to comfortably live for the rest of your lives.’ Even though he was the one to instigate the fighting, but yet was levelling the accusation against the Muslims. In any case, he further stated, ‘I shall also provide you with clothes and you can take all of these provisions and return to your country. Furthermore, withdraw your men who are protecting your borders and allow me to continue expanding my territory as I please. Why would you want

to endanger your lives by engaging in a battle with us?’ “When he finished saying what he had to say, Hazrat Mughirahra bin Zurrarah stood up on behalf of the Muslim delegation and said, ‘Whatever you have said about us is absolutely true. Indeed, we were a nation like wild beasts and would eat carrion. We would even eat snakes, scorpions, locusts and lizards. However, Allah the Almighty bestowed His blessings upon us and sent His Messengersa to guide us. We accepted him and acted in accordance to what he said and as a result, a revolutionary change has taken place within us. Thus, those ills which you have spoken of no longer remain in us and we are not going to be tempted by anything you offer. The battle between you and us has now commenced and the matter will be settled in the battlefield. The temptation of offering worldly wealth and material cannot deter us from our objective.’ “When Yazdegerd heard this, he became extremely angry and told one of his servants to go and bring a sack of soil. When the sack of soil arrived, he called the leader of the Muslim delegation to step forward and said that since they had rejected his offer, therefore they would receive nothing except for a sack of soil. The companion earnestly stepped forward and lowered his head and had the sack of soil placed on his back. He then sharply stood up and they all swiftly made their way out from the royal court. Whilst departing from there, he loudly said to the fellow members of the delegation, ‘Today, the king of Iran has handed us the soil of his land with his own hands.’ They then mounted their horses and raced off. When the king heard this, he was shocked and ordered the servants of his royal court to go after them and bring back the sack of soil because by giving them the soil of his land with his own hands was a bad omen. However, by then they had travelled far off into the distance. “In the end, it turned out exactly as they had said and within a few years, Iran

came under Muslim rule. How did this extraordinary change come about within the Muslims? This is because the Quranic teachings brought about a revolutionary change in their morals and conduct. It brought an end to their lowly way of life and instead, elevated them to possess the most excellent morals and character. As a result of this they were able to spread the message of Islam to the world and by following the teachings of Islam, they were able to convert others as well to become true Muslims. They were never overawed by any kind of fear, danger or power.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6, pp. 204-205) There are some accounts from the life of Hazrat Saadra bin Abi Waqas, which I will insha-Allah narrate in the future sermon. I will lead some funeral prayers in absentia today as well. The first funeral is of respected Bushra Akram Sahiba, wife of Muhammad Akram Bajwah Sahib, who is serving as the Nazir Talim-ul-Quran and Waqf-eArzi in Pakistan. She passed away on 25 March 2020 at the age َ of 66: َ ْ َ ّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا لِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” Due to the current circumstances, I was not able to lead the funeral prayer at the time. The deceased was a musia [part of the scheme of Al-Wasiyyat]. She leaves behind two sons and one daughter. Bushra Akram Sahiba spent 15 years in Liberia with her husband, respected Muhammad Akram Bajwah Sahib. During this time, she had the opportunity to serve as the Sadr Lajna Imaillah Liberia. During the civil war in Liberia, she stayed with her husband and children for 15 days in the army barracks whilst under detention. Muhammad Akram Bajwah Sahib writes: “Bushra Sahiba spent 37 years with a life-devotee”, i.e. Akram Sahib, “whilst demonstrating utmost sincerity, patience and loyalty. Particularly, when I was appointed in Liberia as a missionary and was serving as the Amir [National

President]. For a period of 23 years of our stay there, she assisted me in works of tabligh and tarbiyat. She would also help serve the guests and also assist me in other Jamaat matters as well and also had the opportunity to serve as the Sadr Lajna Imaillah of Liberia. During the 15 years she spent Liberia, she suffered from malaria and typhoid on numerous occasions, but despite this, she exhibited utmost patience and proved to be a faithful companion. She provided her children with excellent moral training based on the principles of faith.” By the grace of Allah, her children are very loyally attached to the Jamaat. Mansoor Nasir Sahib, who is a lifedevotee and is perhaps serving as the principal of high school writes: “Continuously, for three years, while I was serving in Liberia on my own, I was accommodated in their own home and afforded with great hospitality and she took care of me like one of her own children or a younger brother.” May Allah the Almighty enable her children to become the recipient of her prayers and also enable them to continue her good deeds. May He grant her His forgiveness and mercy. The second funeral is of Iqbal Ahmad Nasir Sahib Pirkoti of Karaundi, district Khairpur. He passed away on 14 July 2020 at the age of 82: َ ْ َ َّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا لِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” His son, Akbar Ahmad Tahir Sahib, is currently serving as a missionary in Burkina Faso. He writes, “Iqbal Ahmad Nasir Sahib was the son of respected Mia Noor Muhammad Rafiqra, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. He was the paternal grandson of Mian Imam Din Sahib, who was also a companion of the Promised Messiahas and he was the nephew of Mian Pir Muhammad Sahib and Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq Sahib, who were also companions of the Promised Messiahas. He would always actively take part in all Jamaat activities and for a long

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM time served as the finance secretary. He also had the opportunity to serve as the zaim for Ansarullah, imam-ul-Salat [leading prayers], murabbi-e-Atfal [moral training of children], etc.” He further writes, “Right from my childhood, I observed that he would put some money aside in a box. When he was asked about this, he said that he puts his Chanda money aside separately so that he can present his Chanda on time. He would carry out tabligh with great passion and enthusiasm and he became the means of many blessed souls joining the Jamaat. He was devoted to prayers, regular in his Salat and fasting and in offering the Tahajud prayer. Upon me continuously insisting him, he came to Burkina Faso in 2016 and during his time here, he attended all the various Jalsas and gatherings of the Jamaat. He would passionately raise slogans in order to motivate the attendees and also to seek the contentment of his heart because for a long time there have been no Jalsas of the Jamaat in Pakistan, thus this was a desire that always remained in his heart.” He leaves behind his wife, Bashira Beghum Sahiba, three daughters and three sons. The amir and missionary in-charge of Burkina Faso writes: “Although in the beginning when he came here, he had difficulty with the language” as French is spoken in Burkina Faso; “however, people were able to understand him owing to the love he showed everyone. He would greet people with so much love that whoever met him would hold him in high regard. Even the local people here spoke very highly of him at his demise.” He further writes: “After the deceased passed away, Bapina Sahib, our national secretary ishaat [publications] shared his picture and wrote that he met him during his stay in Burkina Faso and found him to be a truly amazing Ahmadi.” May Allah the Almighty shower His forgiveness and mercy on him and enable his children to become the recipients of his prayers. His son who is a missionary serving there was unable to attend the funeral. The third funeral is of Ghulam Fatima Fahmida Sahiba, who was the wife of Muhammad Ibrahim Sahib, of Dollian Jattan in the district of Kotli, Azad Kashmir. She passed away at the age of 72 on 18 July 2020 after aَ lengthy illness. َ ْ َ ّ َ ّٰ َّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا لِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” In 1944, her father performed the Bai‘at. His name was Naik Muhammad, but was commonly known as Kaleh Khan. Prior to performing the Bai‘at, he saw in a dream that he was going to meet a saintly gentleman. When he saw the saintly man, he ran to him and embraced him. The saintly man said to him, “Kaleh Khan! When are you coming over to us?” Kaleh Khan sahib replied, “I am already here.” When later he saw the picture of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, he recognised him and said that he was the man he had seen

in his dream. Subsequently, he wrote a letter in order to perform the Bai‘at. After performing the Bai‘at, his wife said that she also wished to perform the Bai‘at and thereafter, she too performed the Bai‘at. Both husband and wife were very sincere and the character of the late Fahmida Fatima Sahiba had a deep impact on the moral training of their children as well. She was regular in her five daily prayers, offering the Tahajud prayers and reciting the Holy Quran. Her children often saw her awake in the nights, offering fervent supplications before God Almighty. When women were permitted [owing to the circumstances] to attend the Friday prayers, she would go to the mosque one hour before the Friday prayers in order to offer her voluntary prayers and offer supplications. She was very courageous and patient. Her husband was imprisoned on two occasions in 1965 and 1971 war [between Pakistan and India]. On the first instance, for a long time, there was no news whether her husband was alive. It was thought that he had been martyred and his funeral prayer in absentia was also offered. Despite this, she was convinced that he was alive and that he would certainly return. Subsequently, Allah the Almighty bestowed His grace and her husband returned after being freed. Aside from her husband, respected Muhammad Ibrahim sahib, the deceased, is survived by four sons and two daughters. Three sons are life devotees [Waqf-e-Zindagi]. Muhammad Javed Sahib is serving as a missionary in Zambia and was unable to go to Pakistan on his mother’s demise. May Allah the Almighty grant her His forgiveness and mercy and may He enable her children to continue her virtuous deeds. The next funeral is of respected Muhammad Ahmad Anwar Sahib Hyderabadi, who passed away on 22 May [2020] at the age of 94:َ ٰ َ َ َْ ّ َ ّ ّ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ِ ‫ِانا لِل ِہ و ِانا ِالی ِہ ر‬ “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” Ahmadiyyat entered his family through his grandfather, Sheikh Daud Ahmad Sahib. In their early years, Muhammad Ahmad Anwar Sahib’s father sent him and his brother, Majeed Ahmad Sahib, for studies to Qadian. He also had the good fortune of giving the Azan from the Minaratul Masih in Qadian. From the outset, Muhammad Ahmad Sahib remained in the company of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. After the partition [of India], he came to Rabwah with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. He also served as the driver for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. He later completed his education, first attaining a diploma in physical education and then an MA in Urdu and Islamiat [Islamic studies]. After completing his graduation, he served in Talim-ul-Islam College for a long time. From 1973 to 1976, he dedicated himself and went to The Gambia. From 1978 to 1986, he taught Islamic studies in a girls college in Nigeria. In 1988, he migrated from Pakistan to Germany and in 2009, he moved to the UK and settled here. The deceased has four

sons and two daughters, all of whom are married. He served as the Naib Sadr of the qaza board in Germany and also served as naib auditor for Germany Jamaat. His daughter, Amatul Majeed Sahiba says, “My father was highly devoted to his prayers. He considered Salat, Quran, fasting and serving Khilafat as the sole purpose of his life and would advise us of the same.” May Allah the Almighty grant him His mercy and forgiveness. The last funeral is of respected Saleem Hasan Al-Jabi Sahib of Syria. He passed away on 30 June [2020]َ atٰ the age of 92. َ ‫ِانَّا ل ِ ّل ِہ َو ِانّا ِال َ ْی ِہ‬ ‫اج ُعوْ َن‬ ‫ر‬ ِ “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” His daughter, Lubna Al-Jabi and granddaughter, Hiba Al-Jabi, who is the wife of Dr Bilal Tahir Sahib, both reside here in the UK. She writes, “Saleem Al-Jabi Sahib was born in the suburbs of Damascus in 1928. Saleem Al-Jabi sahib was introduced to Ahmadiyyat at the age of 18 through respected Abu Dhahab Sahib, a modest Ahmadi farmer. Upon this, Al-Jabi Sahib performed the Istikhara prayer and in a dream, he saw that he was performing the Bai‘at of the Promised Messiahas. Subsequently Abu Dhahab Sahib gave him the Arabic translation of The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam. Seeing the picture of the Promised Messiahas, he went to the amir [national president] of Syria Jamaat at the time, Munir Al-Husni Sahib and performed Bai‘at. He faced severe opposition from his father and relatives, yet Al-Jabi Sahib remained steadfast. He then had the opportunity to go to Pakistan during the Khilafat of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. He spent six years in Rabwah in the company of Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra. He gained religious knowledge and also learned the Urdu language. Upon the instructions of Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra, he married in Pakistan and Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra led his Nikah. His wife was Pakistani. His granddaughter, Hiba Al-Jabi Sahiba writes, “Our grandfather would always advise us and take time out for our education and moral upbringing. He would emphasise the importance of spiritual advancement and remaining attached to Khilafat.” His wife passed away a few years ago. He has six children; one of the children, Dr Naeem Al-Jabi Sahib was kidnapped a few years ago and until now, there is no information of his whereabouts. Waseem Al-Jabi, the father of Hiba Al-Jabi, is a member of the Jamaat and lives in Poland. Similarly, two daughters and two sons are in Syria. Hiba Al-Jabi Sahiba also serves the Jamaat here [in the UK] and particularly gives good advice in relation to the translation of books. She also helps her husband, Bilal Tahir in his translation work. May Allah the Almighty increase her in her sincerity and loyalty and also increase her knowledge. The daughter of the deceased, Lubna Abdul Khabir Al-Jabi writes, “[Our father] would stop us from following wrongful customs and innovations. He

would advise us to forge a connection with Allah the Almighty and to perform tabligh [propagating the message of Islam]. He would spend generously on the poor. Many families in Lebanon and Syria performed the Bai‘at owing to Al-Jabi sahib, including some Christians as well.” She further writes, “The last advice he gave to us was to always remain firmly attached to Khilafat and always act on the advice imparted by the Khalifa of the time. [He advised] not to show negligence in matters of tabligh, offer supplications for everything and never worry about any injustice received in the way of the truth.” Umar Alaam Sahib, National President of Lebanon Jamaat, writes: “Prior to accepting Ahmadiyyat, we would read the books of Saleem Al-Jabi Sahib which contained signs of the advent of the Imam of the Age [i.e. the Promised Messiahas] and his blessed Jamaat. When we had read these books, he would then further explain to us in detail about the Promised Messiahas and about his Jamaat. He would then instruct us that we must perform the Bai‘at.” This was his own unique style; it is not necessary that this would be applicable in every situation. Nonetheless, he performed tabligh in this manner and owing to his preaching endeavours, many people accepted Ahmadiyyat. He would then advise us to leave his books and instead, read the books of the Promised Messiahas, Khulafa and books of the Jamaat.” He further writes: “As the first Ahmadis in Lebanon, we performed the Bai‘at due to Al-Jabi Sahib. We acknowledge this favour upon us and are thankful to him and offer prayers for him.” Mu‘taz Al-Qazaq Sahib, who is Syrian but is currently residing in Canada writes: “When I was the local president of a Jamaat in Syria, I had the opportunity to meet Al-Jabi Sahib on many occasions. Whenever Khilafat was being discussed, he would always say that he would like to depart this world in the company of Khilafat.” Mir Anjum Parvez Sahib, who is a missionary and serving here in the Arabic desk, writes: “Whenever he would receive a directive from the Khalifa, he would demonstrate complete obedience. He would openly say that he would obey every command issued by the Nizam-e-Jamaat.” In 2011, he came to the UK from Syria to attend Jalsa Salana. He would say that there was no greater honour for him than to depart this world in the company of Khilafat. Many people accepted Ahmadiyyat due to Al-Jabi Sahib and the majority of them were loyal to the Jamaat and Khilafat. Many people have written letters to me stating that they learned a lot from Al-Jabi Sahib and accepted Ahmadiyyat because of him. Al-Jabi sahib would say, “Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasool Rajeiki Sahibra said to me that I ought to translate his book, Hayat-e-Qudsi so that the Arab people would become acquainted about the lives of the Companions of the

Friday 21 August 2020 | AL HAKAM

24 Promised Messiahas.” Thus, he translated Hayat-e-Qudsi in Arabic. Arabic was his mother tongue, but aside from this, he spoke Urdu to a good level and also Persian. He could also speak English to a basic level. In 2005, when I went to Qadian, he met me in a mulaqat,

which was very brief, but he met me with great humility. He then met me at the UK Jalsa Salana and said with great humility, “I have complete conviction in the truthfulness of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyat. I am fully obedient to Khilafat and have the utmost regard for it. Please pray for me

that I always remain firmly attached to the Nizam-e-Jamaat.” May Allah the Almighty enable his children and his progeny to remain ever loyal to Khilafat and remain attached to it. May Allah grant him His mercy and forgiveness.

After the Friday prayers, as mentioned before (or perhaps I did not mention it earlier), I will lead the funeral prayer in absentia of all the deceased members. (Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 14 August 2020, pp. 5-10.Translated by The Review of Religions)

Read about the tragic happenings at Karbala that took place in Muharram

This article is a humble attempt to encapsulate the events leading up to the battle of Karbala and how Khilafat, the immense blessing of God, was taken away from Muslims for over a thousand years To read the full article, visit: https://www.alhakam.org/the-happenings-at-karbala-part-i/

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