EXCLUSIVE Unveiling the story behind the great challenge
100 Years Ago...
Coming from every distant track: Introduction
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s insightful replies to essential questions
A series looking at the high standard of morals of the Promised Messiahas when receiving visitors in Qadian
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A
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Defending Islam: The hallmark of Ahmadiyyat
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THE WEEKLY
www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 1 January 2021 | Issue CXLVI Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673
2021: Will humanity finally recognise its Creator?
2020 was an eventful year, for all the wrong reasons. The question is, does 2021 bring hope? As the new year begins, commentators, stories and opinion pieces speak of the endless suffering 2020 brought – a year quite hard to forget. The pandemic has pulled families apart and spread unprecedented pain and death worldwide. It brought (and continues to bring) soaring economic damage too high to handle and other frightening knockon effects on public health, global politics and business; the novel virus exposed the fragility of nations. We witnessed racism still deeply-rooted in America – “I can’t breathe” sparking the Black Lives Matter protests. Assassinations of high-profile Iranian military figures have spiked tensions between Iran and the US; albeit the world. Concerns with wealth distribution were also seen, as
during Covid-19, Big Tech – the largest IT companies of the US – got richer, growing over 500%. There is, however, room to celebrate the year: scientists developed a vaccine within months – an unheard-of feat – greenhouse gases were hugely reduced and modernday technology united isolated friends and family through video conference calls, an aspect Ahmadis across the world were especially grateful for as they were able to meet their beloved Khalifa virtually, even during a pandemic. Amidst the noise, a new existential search for a deeper and more meaningful life has also emerged. The Nietzschean perspective of materialism and a life without God is being questioned and challenged, albeit slowly. Atheism continues to rise but questions about existence, purpose, religion and God are also growing and will certainly continue
to – we hope – during 2021. A recent piece by The Times detailed a YouGov poll carried out in November which “found that those aged over 60 were most religious, with 36 per cent saying that they believed in God. This fell to 26 per cent of 40 to 59-year-olds and fell again to 19 per cent of 25 to 39-year-olds.” (www.thetimes. co.uk/article/teenagers-turn-to-god-duringpandemic-clndd3b5t) Religiosity increased, however, for the youngest age group, to 23% of 16 to 24-yearolds: “This was a rise from 21 per cent in January, when the question was asked of 18 to 24-year-olds.” Interestingly, “the past three times YouGov has asked the question, in August and January 2020 and August 2019, the youngest age group was the least religious.” Commenting on the findings, Dr Lois Lee, a fellow of the University of Kent’s Continued on page 9
Hadith-e-Rasul – Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
Even if faith ascended to the Pleiades
ُ َ ُ َ َ ُ َ ّٰ َ ُ َ َ َ َر ِض َى الل ُه ع ْنه قال ك ّنا ُجل ْو ًسا ِع ْند،ع ْن أبِي ه َريْ َرة ْ ُ َ ُ ْ َ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ّ ٰ َّ َ ّ َّ ورة الجُ ُم َع ِة الن ِب ِي صلى الله علي ِه وسلم فأن ِزلت علي ِه س
ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ين ِمن ُه ْم ل َ ّما يَل َحقوْا بهم }{وآخر
ِ ِِ َ َ َ َّ َ ُ ْ َ ُ ْ َ َ ّ ٰ َ ْ ُ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ اجعه حتى سأل قال قلت من هم يا رسول الل ِه فلم ير َّ َ ّ ٰ ُ ْ ُ ِ َ َ َ َ ُ َْ ُ َْ َ َ ْ َ ًَ َ وضع رسول الل ِه صلى،ان الفا ِر ِس ّي و ِفينا سلم،ثلاثا َ َ َّ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ّ ٰ الله علي ِه وسلم يده على سلمان ثم قال ٌ َ ُ َ َ َ َّ َ ُّ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ْال ـ أ َ ْو َر ُج ٌل ـ ِمن لو كان ال ِإيمان ِعند الثريا لناله ِرج ََُ هؤلا ِء
Hazrat Abu Hurairahra, narrates,“When Surah al-Jumuah of the Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, we happened to be there in his company. When he recited the verse, ‘Wa akharina minhum lamma yalhaqu bihim’, that is, ‘And others from among them who have not yet joined them’, one of those present asked, ‘Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?’ The Holy Prophetsa did not pay attention. The man repeated the question thrice. At that time, Salmanra the Persian was also sitting among us. The Holy Prophetsa turned to him, placed his hand on him and said, ‘Even if faith ascended to the Pleiades [completely disappearing from the earth], there would be some from his people [in another version, “one man” is mentioned instead of “some people”] who would restore faith [back] to earth.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, Hadith 4897)
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words
Atonement The very first brick of religion is to recognise God. Until that foundation is well-placed, how can other deeds be pure? The Christians raise countless allegations against the inner-purity of others and they raise these objections Continued on page 9