Al Hakam - 7 July 2023

Names of Allah: 47-54

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‘L‘Islam: Croyances et Institutions’: Introduction of Ahmadiyyat by Belgian Jesuit in Lebanon

Divine protection and virtuous character: Holy Prophet’s blessed youth Page 10

THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org

AL HAKAM | Friday 7 July 2023 | Issue CCLXXVII

Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7388

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih delivers Eid-ul-Adha sermon

Islamabad, Tilford, 29 June 2023: At approximately 10:30 BST, on Thursday, 29 June 2023, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived at the Mubarak Mosque to lead the congregation in  Eidul-Adha prayer and then deliver the Eid sermon.

After the Eid prayer, Huzooraa recited the tashahud, ta‘awuz, Surah al-Fatihah and

verse 38 of Surah al-Hajj:

“Their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him. Thus has He subjected them to you, that you may glorify Allah for His guiding you. And give glad tidings to those

who do good.”

Huzooraa said Eid-ul-Adha is also named the  Eid of Sacrifice. Ahmadis in Pakistan have to sacrifice their sentiments too – Ahmadis truly know what it means to sacrifice one’s life for Allah’s sake. That’s why spending on animals to sacrifice according to the commandments of Allah and the

Do the French protests have anything to do with Islam?

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

Despite persecution, Ahmadis must focus on the essence of Eid-ul-Adha

Haydan As-soendawy| Pexels

<< Continued from previous page Holy Prophetsa is a huge happiness and honour for Ahmadi Muslims. However, in Pakistan, Ahmadis cannot sacrifice animals on Eid-ul-Adha. The police and other authorities have – for many years – made particular efforts to ensure Ahmadis do not sacrifice any animals on Eid-ul-Adha and ensure intense punishments for any who do. Ahmadis, therefore, have to go through severe fear and persecution. According to the law in Pakistan, Ahmadis are allowed to legally sacrifice animals within the four walls of their homes yet despite this, due to fear of clerics or their own enmity, police officers and others do not even allow this.

Huzooraa said this persecution cannot last for long. Sooner or later they will come under the grip of Allah. However, for Ahmadis, it is essential they convert their pain into  fervent prayers. “Prayer has great power”, Huzooraa emphasised. The heartfelt and fervent prayers of Hazrat Hajirahra and Hazrat Ismaelas and their trust in Allah caused a spring to gush forth from the ground and transformed a barren land into a city that ultimately became the centre of Islam. Therefore, on Eid, we should not just focus on sacrificing an animal. The true essence of this sacrifice is to get Allah’s pleasure and to attain  taqwa. When Hazrat Ibrahimas told Hazrat Ismaelas, “In a dream, I have seen myself sacrificing you”, in return, Hazrat Ismaelas said “O father, do that what you have been commanded” and both father and son were ready for the sacrifice for the sake of Allah. When we sacrifice an animal we should also keep in mind that we are doing so for Allah’s pleasure and to attain  taqwa, as did Hazrat Ibrahimas and Hazrat Ismaelas

The Promised Messiahas has said that Allah wants mankind to sacrifice in His way with all their powers and abilities. To exemplify this, sacrifices of animals have been put in place – however, their meat and blood do not reach Allah, rather, one’s  taqwa or righteousness reaches Him. In other words, fear Allah so much as if you have died in His way. And as one sacrifices an animal with their own hands, in the same way – metaphorically – they should sacrifice

themselves for Allah, meaning they should fear him and excel in taqwa

Huzooraa said vain and extravagant displays of sacrificing expensive animals are shown on TV channels in Pakistan. Huzooraa said that on the one hand, there are economic struggles in Pakistan and on the other there are expensive animals being sacrificed. If these people paid their due taxes with integrity and lived a truthful life then the rise of costs in Pakistan would be curtailed. Without the fear of Allah – taqwa – there is no hope, Huzooraa said.

If Ahmadis want to receive the pleasure of Allah, then they must introspect and see their own levels of  taqwa. If we have a good standard then Allah will reward us. Huzooraa said we should all pray that Allah enables us to carry out the animal sacrifices of Eid and destroys the enemies’ plans and that Allah grants us true  taqwa –the  taqwa  that the Holy Prophetsa preached and that the Companionsra adopted and practised; the very same  taqwa which the Promised Messiahas revived and preached. If we do so, then the persecution and enmity against Ahmadiyyat will be destroyed.

Huzooraa said that by Allah’s grace, with the spread of Ahmadiyyat, Ahmadis also go to Hajj where they can, and fulfil their worship. However, all Ahmadis should also focus on their spirituality. They should inculcate absolute humility before Allah and as a result, they will be able to understand the religion that the Holy Prophetsa brought to this world. Otherwise, their faith will be a mere ritual they would be following from their elders.

Huzooraa said our enemies have no true understanding of Islam, they are engulfed in arrogance and the show of power as a result of which they persecute Ahmadis. They do this in the name of the Holy Prophetsa yet this is all show and has no connection with the Holy Prophetsa. Those who persecute Ahmadi Muslims have no connection with Islam.

On the other hand, Huzooraa urged Ahmadis to bow before Allah and to show utmost humility before Him. It was the result of the humility and prostrations before Allah of Hazrat Ibrahimas and

Hazrat Hajirahra that resulted in the birth of the Holy Prophetsa. Ahmadi Muslims should follow this example as followers of the Promised Messiahas. Whilst traversing the paths of  taqwa, we should try to understand the religion of the Holy Prophet Muhammadas. If Ahmadis do this, they will see the blessings of Allah.

Commentating on verse 38 of Surah alHajj, the Promised Messiahas said that we should focus on our actions and understand that through good deeds our sacrifices are accepted by Allah; good deeds mean those actions that fulfil the rights of Allah and the rights of His creation. One cannot persecute people and at the same time say they believe in Allah. Those who persecute in the name of Allah and His Messengersa should keep in mind that the longer they are able to do this, the stronger Allah’s punishment will be.

“Islam” means to be ready to sacrifice everything for Allah. But this sacrifice requires pure love and pure love requires true and perfect understanding. This is what Allah points towards in Surah al-Hajj verse 38 – that neither the meat nor the blood can reach Allah, rather the spirit in which this sacrifice is done reaches Allah. How blessed is the person who understands Allah’s message.

The way to know if someone has reached the true understanding of Allah and has developed Allah’s love and fear in their heart is that one is saved from every sin. Even if a sin is committed, a believer should immediately carry out  istighfar and turn to Allah. A believer always has Allah’s love in their heart, they always keep in mind that Allah is watching them, that Allah knows the condition of their heart and such a believer desires that no act of theirs displeases Allah. The Promised Messiahas said this condition is the true Islam that one should follow. Once one reaches this stage, they are ready to sacrifice everything for Allah; their every action is for Allah’s sake. This is the true sacrifice of Hazrat Ismaelas. Merely sacrificing animals and eating their meat is not the true essence of Eid-ul-Adha. Huzooraa said if we achieve the true essence of sacrifice, we will witness great blessings in our lives.

Huzooraa said Ahmadis should most definitely carry out animal sacrifices and there are still a few days of Eid left and those who wish to carry out these animal sacrifices can do so by contacting the Jamaat. This animal sacrifice is a  sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa and his Companionsra. In fact, the Holy Prophetsa would even give sacrifices on behalf of poor Muslims. Huzooraa said those living in well-off countries do not realise the happiness of those in poor countries when they receive meat from the sacrifices carried out on Eid. Many have not eaten meat for very long periods of time due to their poverty.

Speaking on the philosophy of sacrificing animals, the Promised Messiahas said that merely performing salat and fasting without their true purpose in mind and their essence brings no blessings and has no benefit. Yogis also carry out physical exercises but these exercises have no effect on their spirituality. This is why Allah said that the meat and blood of the animals do not reach Him. Allah does not desire the shell, he desires the kernel. But why then is there an animal sacrifice in place? In response, the Promised Messiahas said that there needs to be a physical interaction as well, which affects the soul. Both coincide with one another. Both physical and spiritual representations are required. The Promised Messiahas said the body affects the soul and therefore there are physical acts of worship.  The body and the soul affect one another. The Promised Messiahas said if we replicate the condition of crying physically, then we will begin to cry naturally – this is the same with feelings of happiness.

In the end, Huzooraa asked all Ahmadis to pray for their spiritual conditions, and for an end to the persecution against Ahmadis – particularly in Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Algeria and for those in prison for their faith. Also pray for the martyrs of Ahmadiyyat and their families, and that the ummah accepts Islam Ahmadiyyat and that all Ahmadis are ready for any sacrifice that is required from them. Amin

(Report prepared by Al Hakam)

Spirit of sacrifices: Reflecting on Huzoor’s Eid ul-Adha sermon

Rameen Masood Leicester, UK

“Say, ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are [all] for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Surah Al-An’am, Ch.6: V.163)

Celebrated on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, Eid-ul-Adha, ‘the Festival of Sacrifice’, teaches us many lessons. It is a celebration that leads us to imbue the true odyssey of sacrifice and obedience within ourselves, both of which are significant rungs on the ladder of righteousness.

If we ponder deeply, we realise that sacrifice is a trait utilised in every stage and avenue of a person’s life. At times, we adopt it without even realising it. For instance, sacrifice is a vital part of a student’s life. A student makes sacrifices when they prioritise study time instead of leisure activities. A person sacrifices when they seek the fulfilment of long-term goals rather than instant gratification. These sacrifices foster self-discipline and prepare students for the next phase of life.

In a similar vein, our small spiritual sacrifices prepare us for greater sacrifices. Eid-ul-Adha teaches us that even the small sacrifices we make are rewarding. This is a life-long process whereby we begin making efforts to please our Almighty Lord and

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Hazrat Huzaifara bin al-Yaman narrated, “The people used to ask Allah’s Messengersa about good, but I used to ask him about evil for fear that it might overtake me. Once I said, ‘O Allah’s Messengersa! We were in ignorance and in evil and Allah has bestowed upon us the present good; will there be any evil after this good?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘Will there be good after that evil?’

He said, ‘Yes, but it would be tainted with dakhan [i.e., little evil].’ I asked, ‘What will its dakhan be?’ He said, ‘There will be some people who will lead [people] according to principles other than my tradition. You will see their actions and disapprove of them.’ I said, ‘Will there be any evil after that good?’ He said, ‘Yes, there will be some people who will invite others to the doors of Hell, and whoever accepts their invitation to it will be thrown in it [by them].’ I said, ‘O Allah’s Messengersa! Please describe those people to us.’ He said, ‘They will belong to us and speak our language.’ I asked, ‘What do you order me to do if such a thing should take place in my life?’

continuously strive to make these efforts and sacrifices.

We are all familiar with the profound submission exemplified by Prophet Abrahamas at the command of God Almighty, explaining which, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, said during this year’s Eid ul-Adha sermon:

“The sacrifice of animals is a sunnah, a practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and he always upheld this practice. In fact, he even made sacrifices of animals on behalf of the poor. This Abrahamic tradition has particularly been revived within Islam. It is not possible to understand this in developed countries; however, in poorer countries, when they are given meat to eat, their happiness is worth observing. There are many people in those countries who have not had meat for over two years! Thus, the sacrifice of animals is also a way of fulfilling the rights of the people and it results in increasing the love of God Almighty because one is able to serve the creation of God to seek the love of Allah.” (“Head of The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Delivers Eid-Ul-Adha Sermon from Islamabad”, www. pressahmadiyya.com/)

Notwithstanding the importance of animal sacrifice, it is not only its apparent

He said, ‘Adhere to the Jamaat of Muslims and their Imam.’ I asked, ‘If there is neither a Jamaat nor an Imam, [what shall I do]?’ He said, ‘Keep away from all those different sects, even if you had to bite [i.e., eat] the root of a tree, till you meet Allah while you are still in that state.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Manaqib, Bab ‘alamatin n-nubuwwati fi l-islam)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas,

In His Own Words

Persistently being consumed by concerns about one’s family

“The person who holds his children or his parents, or something else so dear to him that he constantly worries about them, is also an idol worshipper. [...] What does progeny amount to? A mother sacrifices her life for them from birth, but it is seen that upon growing up, many sons disobey their mothers and treat them with contempt. And even if they are obedient, at the time of her grief or discomfort, they cannot remove them from her. Even if she suffers a

meaning we should be content with. Rather, we should also seek to understand how this event is a beautiful allegory of spiritual values that we should endeavour to emulate, as Huzooraa also highlighted by saying:

“These physical sacrifices that we make are there in order to shake our spirit, to

little pain in her stomach, everyone becomes helpless – neither the son nor the husband or the mother or any other relative can be of much use. It is only God who proves to be of help. So, what good is so much love and adoration for them that would count as shirk? God Almighty says:

ۃنتف مكدالواو مكلاوما امنا

“‘Verily, your wealth and your children are a trial.’ (Surah atTaghabun, Ch. 64: V. 16)

“Look, suppose God were to tell someone that He would bring back to life all his children who have died, but then he would have no relationship with God – would a wise person even consider opting for his children?

“In conclusion, the good fortune for man is verily in him giving precedence to God over everything. The person who becomes disgruntled over the death of his children is also a miser, as he is reluctant to return what was given to him by God as a trust. For a miser, it is mentioned in a hadith that even if his worship were to equal the rivers in the wilderness, he would not enter Paradise. Thus, worship, prayer, fasting, etc., are of no use to a person if his love for

make it realise that just as this animal was sacrificed for our use, a true believer should be ready to make every sacrifice, following the commandments of God. Prepare both your physical and spiritual selves for making sacrifices and elevate your standards of

Continued on page 5 >>

anything is greater than his love for God.” (Al Hakam, 22 August 1908; Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, pp. 423-425)

Photo courtesy of Suhaib Ahmad

This Week in History

A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

7 July

7 July 1900: On this day, the Promised Messiahas issued an announcement regarding his view about the Islamic concept of Jihad, addressing the Viceroy of India. In the appendix to his book The British Government and Jihad, Huzooras spoke about his noble and educated following in India. After putting forward the logical and balanced teachings of Islam regarding other religions, Hazrat Ahmadas also drew the attention of the Viceroy towards the inappropriate activities and provocative and disturbing publications of Christian priests in the Indian subcontinent. (The British Government and Jihad, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, pp. 23-34)

7 July 1972: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh announced a five-year scheme to publish a million copies of the Holy Quran’s translation. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 28, p. 107)

7 July 1989: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh inaugurated the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Los Angeles, USA. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Part 4, p. 122)

8 - 9 July

8 July 1935: On this day, Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Sharif Ahmadra was attacked by an opponent. Mischievous activities by the Ahrar were on the rise, and the situation was turning tense and gruesome even in Qadian during those days. It was around 6pm, when he set off from his office on his bicycle for his residence, that someone attacked him with a long and

sharp club three times. Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra courageously blocked this sudden assault with sharp reflexes. In his Friday Sermon of 12 July 1935, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra detailed this incident and informed the Jamaat about the conspiracy behind this cruel event. (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 16, pp. 401-421)

9 July 1957: During his Eid-ulAdha sermon on this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra hinted at a new scheme, which was later named “Waqf-e-Jadid”. The primary objective of this scheme was to look after the spiritual upbringing of the Jamaat members living in rural areas. The secondary objective was to propagate the message of Islam to the Hindu population of the country. For more details, see “A chronology of Waqf-e-Jadid’s early years (1957-1965)”, Al Hakam, 25 December 2020, Issue 145, pp. 12-14.

9 July 2010: During his Friday Sermon on this day, upon the completion of a series of sermons dedicated to the Lahore Martyrs, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned them collectively and instructed the Jamaat to remember them in prayers.

10 July

10 July 1885: A very unique heavenly sign was shown to the Promised Messiahas on this day.

Hazrat Ahmadas, in his book Surma Chashm-e-Arya, writes:

“I remember that on one occasion, in a state of vision, I saw that I had written certain divine decrees with my own hand setting out events in the future and then presented the paper to Allah the All-Powerful, Gloried be His name, for His signature. […] To the same Peerless and Self-Sufficient Being – Who manifested His attribute of Beauty to my mind in the state of vision and appeared to be God, the All-Powerful – I presented the document containing divine decrees for attestation. And He, Who was manifesting Himself in the form of a Ruler, dipped His pen in red ink and first flicked it in my direction and with the rest of the red ink which remained at the point of the pen He put His signature to the document.

“Thereupon, the state of vision came to an end and when I opened my eyes to look at the material world around me, I witnessed several red drops falling on my clothes. Two or three of the drops also fell on

the cap of one Abdullah of Sanor (Patiala State) who was, at the time, sitting close to me. Thus, the red ink which was part of the vision materialised externally and became visible. Many other such manifestations have been witnessed, but it would take too long to relate them.” (Surma Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 179-180 footnote)

For more details on this incident, see “The miraculous Sign of Red Drops in Ramadan”, Al Hakam, 22 April 2022, Issue 214, pp. 10-11.

10 July 1931: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra advised the Ahmadi authors to adopt the Promised Messiah’sas style of writing. (“Master writing and speaking for the spread of Islam: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s advice to Ahmadis”, Al Hakam, 3 February 2023, Issue 255, p. 8)

11 July

11 July 1915: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a lecture in Lahore, which was later published as Paigham-e-Masih-eMaud. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 175)

11 July 1967: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh graced with his presence a reception in Zurich, Switzerland, which was attended by ambassadors of seven countries and other dignitaries. The Swiss Radio broadcast Huzoor’srh interview as well, and the television also showed some glimpses of Huzoor’srh interview and the reception on the same evening. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 24, p. 88)

11 July 1989: On this day, during his tour of Fiji, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh granted audiences to the president and prime minister of Fiji. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Part 4, p. 857)

11 July 2015: The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Enele Sopoaga, visited Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa at the Fazl Mosque in London on this day.

Hazrat Sahibzada

Mirza Sharif Ahmad

Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Enele Sopoaga, meeting with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V

During the meeting, the Prime Minister thanked Huzooraa for his continued efforts towards promoting world peace and for sending a humanitarian relief team to Tuvalu following Cyclone Pam earlier that year. (“Prime Minister of Tuvalu visits Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in London”, www.pressahmadiyya. com)

12 - 13 July

12 July 1924: On this day, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra sent Shahzada Abdul Majeed Khan Sahib to Iran with the aim of establishing a mission. He was accompanied by Maulvi Zahur Hussain Sahib and Muhammad Amin Khan Sahib. Both were assigned the task of spreading the message of peace in the Bukhara region.

On the same day, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra also set out for his tour of Europe, the first journey of a Khalifatul Masih outside of the Indian subcontinent.

(Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 432)

13 July 1931: On this day, dozens of Kashmiri Muslims were killed, and many suffered severe injuries as a result of the inhumane treatment by the local police. Upon this, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra sent a telegram to the Viceroy of India, notifying him of the situation and giving him details as to how the Muslims of Kashmir were being oppressed. (“Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad’sra services to the Muslim cause: Guidance for Turkey, peace in the Arab world and the Kashmir Movement”, Al Hakam, 19 February 2021, Issue 153, p. 42)

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righteousness.” (Ibid.)

The Promised Messiahas most eloquently encapsulates the doctrine of true sacrifice in the following words:

“These physical sacrifices are not the essence; they are merely the shell; they are not the spirit; they are merely the body.”

(Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 206 [2019])

In my early childhood, I faintly recall a festive celebration at my elders’ residence in my home country. The excitement of the festival was evident as I spent time in merriment with my siblings and relatives. I suppose the younger me did not comprehend the importance of this occasion and was probably just really excited that it was finally Eid and I could play. However, as the years have passed, the notion of sacrifice has become more conspicuous. I’ve realised that there’s more to sacrifice than just something tangible. Spiritual sacrifice is the crux. This reminds me of the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who said, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

(www.goodreads.com/quotes/1256288-it-isonly-with-the-heart-that-one-can-see) This quote emphasises how virtues and attributes that matter the most are often imperceptible or not recognised by the eye instantly. It requires a constant effort to observe and identify the subtleties of our actions.

Similarly, some of the sacrifices we make may not seem much in our eyes right now, but the indelible marks they leave on our souls will be impactful. The true joy of Eidul-Adha comes with this very realisation that no one is too young or too old to sacrifice. No one is too young or too old to connect with the Creator. While Eid is inevitably an occasion of rejoicing and festivities, it is

also a time of self-reflection and searching within ourselves for the realisation that our souls yearn for the light of righteousness and communion with the Almighty. God has created these moments of joy for us so that we make greater progress, and these days act to revitalise the soul, encouraging it to quell the darkness within. The wicks of our hearts’ candles are kept alive through the struggles and sacrifices we endure, evermore believing that ‘Allah will not forsake us’.

What would be left of life if an abyss of perpetual merrymaking consumed us? How would we make progress? How would we ascend the ladder of righteousness further?

Going back to the Quranic verse at the beginning of this article, I can’t help but notice the eloquent lexical manner in which Allah the Almighty has alluded to the synonymity of prayer with life and sacrifice with a form of death. In the Five Volume Commentary, we read:

“As prayer imparts life to the worshipper, so it has been followed by the words, ‘my life.’ On the contrary, ‘sacrifice’ kills the self of man, so it has been followed by the words, ‘my death.’ These four words, i.e., prayer, sacrifice, life and death, thus cover the entire field of man’s actions, and the Holy Prophetsa has been asked to declare that all phases of his life were devoted to God alone.” (Five Volume Commentary, Surah Al-An’am, Ch.6: V.163) How invaluable is this lesson!

When celebrating Eid-ul-Adha, the Promised Messiahas urges us to contemplate: “This Eid-ul-Adha is greater than the Eid that precedes it, and people generally refer to this as the ‘Greater Eid’ as well, but reflect and do tell me, how many people, as a result of this Eid, are actually moved to purify their soul, cleanse their heart, partake of spirituality, and endeavour to absorb the radiance and light that is present in this duha (time of brightness)?” (Malfuzat, Vol.

2, p. 206 [2019])

These words of the Promised Messiahas empower and motivate us to seek our Creator, whose existence is proclaimed by every ounce of our being. Whether it is the mesmerising beauty of the cherry blossom trees or the rays of the scintillating sun dappling upon the dewy grass, everything points to the splendour of our Creator. In our spiritual conquest, God Almighty is there with us. All along the way. He protects and guides us, for He truly is ar Razzaq and al Hadi.

Eid-ul-Adha further enlightens us about our purpose and teaches how serving humanity is also an integral part of our existence. It urges us to embody selflessness in serving humanity and thus manifesting the purest forms of huquq-ul-‘ibad (the rights of mankind). We will achieve the essence of this Eid when we truly embrace the values of sacrifice, obedience, and service. Not only do these values form the bedrock of a just society, but they also increase our faith and strengthen our relationship with our Creator.

And what could be a greater victory than that?

I would like to conclude this article with these couplets of the Promised Messiahas:

‘Thy blessing on me, my Lord, is most unusual. How can I render thanks to Thee, O my King. Thou hast not done even a tad of injustice to me. Every cell of my body may be sacrificed for Thee.’ (Durr-e-Sameen [English Translation], p. 47)

MKA Ireland hosts 5K charity walk for local causes

Atta-ur-Rahman Khalid Missionary, Ireland

On 18 June 2023, Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya Ireland held its 8th annual 5K Charity Walk along the breathtaking promenade on the scenic Salthill coastline in Galway, the city that is home to the Maryam Mosque. The event was organised to raise funds for three charities: COPE Galway, Croí Heart & Stroke Foundation, and the Galway Simon Community.

Over the past several weeks, the dedicated members had tirelessly raised funds on the streets of Galway and through online platforms. Their hard work paid off, as they successfully raised over €8,000 for this event.

The walk, which commenced at 11:30am, was inaugurated by Galway’s newly-elected Mayor, Cllr Eddie Hoare. His Worship cut the ribbon to mark the beginning of the event and expressed gratitude to the Galway Muslim community for their commitment to charitable causes and their strong sense of community spirit. The event

also saw the presence of longtime friends of the Community, including Cllr Alan Cheevers and TD Eamon O’Cuiv who also enthusiastically participated in the charity walk.

The missionary-in-charge, Ibrahim Ahmad Noonan Sahib, extended his heartfelt appreciation to the dignitaries and all participants for their active involvement. He commended the generous contributions made during the fundraising campaign.

Despite a brief thundershower, the participants’ spirits remained undamped as they persevered towards the finish line. Upon completing the walk, attendees were treated to Asian cuisine and a variety of treats, available for purchase to further contribute to the charitable event. This provided an excellent opportunity for everyone to socialise and continue their enjoyment of the day. There were 114 total participants in the event.

Looking ahead, MKA Ireland has announced another charity event scheduled for 23 July. Cyclists will embark on a remarkable journey, cycling 630 kilometres

from Dublin to Alton, UK, in order to attend Jalsa Salana UK. This will be the 3rd annual cycling event organised by the majlis in support of various charitable causes.

Maulvi Zahur Hussain Sahib

Shahzada Abdul Majeed Khan Sahib

Names of Allah 47-54 ‘Call on Him by these’

Rizwan Khan Missionary, USA

47. Yā Mājid - O Noble! - ﺪجاﻣ اي

48. Yā Majīd - O Ever-Noble!ﺪيج� اي

Meaning

The words mājid and majīd come from the same root, which has the meaning of honour, nobility, glory, and generosity. (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: دجم Entry: دجم) These two words are synonymous, but majīd is in the intensive fa’īl form. This form describes continuous adherence to and permanent possession of the quality in the root meaning.

What is the difference between the fā’il (لعاﻓ) and fa’īl (ليﻌﻓ) forms of a name of Allah?

When contrasted with one another, the names Mājid (دجام) and Majīd (ديجم) have a difference between them that is similar to other pairs of names that are in both the fā’il (لعاف) and fa’īl (ليعف) form. In the Holy Quran, where a name of Allah Almighty is in the emphatic fa’īl (ليعف) form, its application is broader than when the same root is used for Allah in the fā’il (لعاف) form.

For example, in nearly all instances in the Holy Quran, the word Qadīr (ريدق) broadly describes Allah Almighty having power over all things, but instances of the word Qādir (رداق) always describe Allah Almighty specifically possessing the power to do certain things.

When the word Hafīz (ﻆيفح) is used for Allah Almighty, it describes Him broadly being the Preserver of all things or over a people, (Holy Quran, 11:58, 34:22, 42:7) but the word Hāfiz (ﻆفاح) is used to describe Him specifically as The Preserver of the Holy Quran or of certain individuals. (Holy Quran, 12:65, 15:10, 21:83) The word Malīk (کيلم) is used broadly, (Holy Quran, 54:56) but the word Mālik (کلام) is used specifically about the day of judgement or about the kingdom. (Holy Quran, 1:5, 3:27)

In nearly all instances, the word ‘Alīm (ميلع) broadly describes Allah Almighty as being The All-Knowing or having knowledge of all things. However, since anyone can be a knower, or ‘ālim (ملاع), of certain things, wherever Allah Almighty is described with the word ‘Ālim (ملاع), the Holy Quran always specifies Allah Almighty as the ‘Ālim (ملاع) of the unseen.

Considering this context, we come to the names al-Mājid (The Noble) and alMajīd (The Ever-Noble). The word mājid (دجام) brings to mind the respect that noble people belonging to noble families inspire and how people respect their honour. The

al-Mājid, al-Majīd, al-Wahhāb, al-Jalīl, al-Jamīl, Dhul-Jalāli wal-Ikrām, al-‘Azīm, al-Kabīr

concept of honour and glory that we are familiar with is very limited, and the name al-Mājid (دجاملا) reminds us how the honour and glory of Allah Almighty are much greater.

The name al-Majīd (ديجملا) describes the honour and glory of Allah Almighty in a way that is independent of comparison with anyone. It broadly describes honour and glory as qualities only Allah Almighty can truly possess. When contrasted with one

attributes and His essence. (Tafir Ibn Kathir, 11:74)

Use in Prayer

Allah Almighty said, “If […] each person among you were to ask all he could hope for, and I were to give each what he asked for, that would diminish no more from My dominion than if one of you were to pass by an ocean and dip a needle into it and then remove it. That is because I am Generous (Jawād) and Noble (Mājid). I give with a

Similar Names

This name is also mentioned under al-Majīd (The Ever-Noble).

Use in Prayer

Since some of our relationships are inevitably transactional, we can sometimes approach Him similarly. We may hesitate to openly pray because we feel we are asking for a favour that we will not be able to pay back. The name al-Wahhāb (The Bestower) reminds us that Allah Almighty gives as a gift. He does not need to hold it over our heads afterwards. When we say Yā Wahhāb (O Bestower), we ask that He give us freely and for no compensation, as a mother gives to her child.

When we ask Allah Almighty by means of His name, al-Wahhāb (The Bestower), we naturally should try to have this quality in us as is the case with other attributes. Giving someone a gift for any personal gain, whether to be praised or avoid blame, is a transaction, not a gift. (The Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God, al-Ghazali, p. 75) We must try not to be transactional with the people we love because we would also not like to receive a gift as a transaction.

50. Yā Jalīl - O Majestic! - ليﻠج اي Meaning

another, the name al-Mājid (دجاملا) is more specific and implies a comparison or a context, whereas the name al-Majīd (ديجملا) is broad. al-Majīd (ديجملا) describes honour as a continuous quality Allah Almighty possesses that does not need to imply a comparison or a context.

Similar Names

The meanings of honour and generosity in the roots of al-Majīd (The Ever-Noble) and al-Karīm (The Generous) are synonymous. A difference is that, when applied to a person, one who has majd (دجم) must be noble and generous and also have ancestors who were noble and generous. However, while one who has karam (مرك) must be noble and generous, he does not necessarily need to have ancestors who were noble and generous. (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: دجم Entry: دجم) The word Majīd (Ever-Noble) emphasises honour as a characteristic of both one’s essence and actions. (Lisan al‘Arab, Ibn Manzur, Root: دجم, See “فر� نراق اذإ ادجم ��س لاعفلا نسح تاذلا”) When contrasted, the word karīm (generous) is more specifically about honour in one’s actions.

The names Hamīd (Praiseworthy) and Majīd (Ever-Noble) are said together at the end of durūd. When contrasted, Hamīd means Allah Almighty is Praiseworthy in all His actions and statements, and Majīd means He is praised and glorified in His

word.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab az-zuhd, Bab zikri t-tawbah)

The name al-Mājid (The Noble) brings to mind the glory of the vast dominion of Allah Almighty, the nobility in His being above any need for us, and the generosity with which He gives. When we say Yā Mājid (O Noble), we are reminded that the honour of Allah Almighty is far greater than any ruler, and we pray knowing that He fulfils every desire for whom He pleases with only a word.

The name al-Majīd (The Ever-Noble) brings together the meanings of al-Jalīl (The Majestic), al-Wahhāb (The Bestower), and al-Karīm (The Generous). (Lisan al-‘Arab, Ibn Manzur, Root: دجم, See “ینعم عمجي هنﺄ�ف مير�لاو باهولاو ليلجلا”) When we say Yā Majīd (The Ever-Noble), we pray to the one who is Majestic, who gives generously, and whose honour is above expecting any compensation.

Meaning

The root of wahhāb means to give a thing as a free gift and not for any compensation. AlWahhāb means He who gives freely, without constraint, and for no compensation.

(Friday Sermon, 17 May 2002; Lane’s Lexicon, Root: ﺐهو Entry: ﺐهاو ،ﺐهو)

The root of jalīl means large in size. It also means great in estimation, rank, or dignity. When applied to Allah Almighty, it refers to His supreme greatness. (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: لج Entry: لج ،ليلج)

Similar Names

The opposite of kabīr (large) is the word saghīr (small), whereas the opposite of ‘azīm (great) is the word haqīr (of no weight or worth). (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: مظع Entry: ميظع) The opposite of jalīl (majestic) is the word daqīq (small in size or little in estimation). The word daqīq includes the meaning of both saghīr (small) and haqīr (worthless). (Lisan al-‘Arab, Ibn Manzur, Root: ققد, See “ريﻐصلا ريقﺤلا رم�لا ۃفص نم قيقدلا عقوي دقو ليلجلا هدض نوكيف”) The name al-Jalīl (The Majestic) is synonymous with the names alKabīr (The Most Great) and al-‘Azīm (The Incomparably-Great).

This name is also mentioned under alJamīl (The Beautiful), Dhul-Jalāli wal-Ikrām (Possessor of Majesty and Bounty), and alKabīr (The Most Great).

Use in Prayer

The name al-Jalīl (The Majestic) refers to the majesty that is too great to be perceived by our senses. It also refers to Allah Almighty creating the great things that are indicative of Him. (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: لج Entry: ليلج) We know of many things in the universe that are so large that their size is

49. Yā Wahhāb - O Bestower! -

Utsman Media| Unsplash

difficult to comprehend. For example, when we look down at the Earth from an aeroplane and take in how large it is, we are in awe of its size. However, the Earth is just a fraction of the size of the Sun. It is overwhelming to think of how large the Sun is, but what’s really overwhelming is that there is a black hole that is 40 billion times the mass of the Sun and has a diameter the size of the entire Solar System. There is an awe that overcomes our hearts when we visualise an object so massive; we suddenly realise how small and insignificant we are. These creations of Allah are an indication of His attribute of incomprehensible greatness described in alJalīl (The Majestic). When we say Yā Jalīl (O Majestic!), we realise our nothingness in front of that greatness, and we present our insignificance as a personified prayer to Him.

51. Yā Jamīl - O Beautiful! - ليمج اي Meaning

The root of jamīl means beauty and goodness in one’s person and actions. It also refers to the goodness that one conveys to others. The name al-Jamīl (The Beautiful) describes how Allah Almighty is beautiful in His actions, and that He is an abundant bestower of good things. (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: لمج Entry: ليمج ،لمج)

Similar Names

There are two types of names of Allah. Some emphasise His Majesty (jalālī), and others emphasise His Beauty (jamālī). (Essence of Islam, Vol. 1, pp. 203-4, See “the knowledge of the Greatness of God and of His Unity and of His attributes of Glory (یلالج) and Beauty (یلامج) is basic for everything.”) The names of Majesty (jalālī) relate to His glory and power. The names of Beauty (jamālī) relate to His mercy and benevolence.

Use in Prayer

The names related to Majesty (jalāl) have a different effect on us than those related to Beauty (jamāl).

When Allah Almighty manifests His Majesty (jalāl) on someone, that person is so overwhelmed that his self is erased and disappears. The Majesty (jalāl) of Allah Almighty leaves him so astonished that it brings on him a type of death and selfeffacement. On the other hand, when Allah Almighty manifests His Beauty (jamāl) on someone, that person is brought to a new

life and is awakened. The Beauty (jamāl) of Allah Almighty makes him thirsty to see more of the beauty of Allah Almighty. (Sharh al-Asma’ Allah al-Husna, al-Qushayri, Bab fi ma’na ismihi ta‘ala 40, 41; al-Jalil, al-Jamil, pp. 159-160)

The appropriate reaction to the Majesty (jalāl) of Allah Almighty is sometimes not to pray. To even say a word in front of a manifestation of His Majesty (jalāl) would be inappropriate. The natural reaction is to be dumbfounded into silent submission. That is why specific prayers are not suggested under some names of Allah under the “Use in Prayer” section. Rather, it simply suggests being humbled into silence in front of His Majesty (jalāl).

On the other hand, it is the Beauty (jamāl) of Allah Almighty that permits us to speak and pushes us to ask for more. When we say Yā Jamīl (O Beautiful!), we bring to mind the beauty in Allah Almighty and ask Him to quench our thirst to see more.

52. Yā Dhal-Jalāli wal-Ikrām - O Possessor of Majesty and Bounty!

Meaning

As was covered before, the root of al-Jalīl (The Majestic) means greatness, and the root of al-Karīm (The Generous) means honour and generosity.

Similar Names

The name Dhul-Jalāli wal-Ikrām (Possessor of Majesty and Bounty) brings together the meanings of al-Jalīl (The Majestic) and alKarīm (The Generous).

This name is also mentioned under Dhul Quwwah (Possessor of Strength).

Use in Prayer

The name Dhul-Jalāli wal-Ikrām (Possessor of Majesty and Bounty) describes Allah Almighty as Jalīl (Majestic) in His essence and Karīm (Generous) in His actions. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Surah ar-Rahmān 55:78, See “يذ هلاعفأ

”) The Majesty (jalāl) of His essence is outside our reach, but the Generosity (ikrām) in His actions does reach us.

When we say Yā Dhal-Jalāli wal-Ikrām (O Possessor of Majesty and Bounty!), we prepare our heart for prayer. The Majesty (jalāl) of Allah fills our heart with the respect and awe needed as an etiquette for prayer, and the Generosity (ikrām) of Allah fills our heart with the hope needed to ask of Him unreservedly.

The Holy Prophetsa said, “Recite frequently: Yā Dhal-Jalāli wal-Ikrām (O Possessor of Majesty and Bounty!)” (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Kitab ad-da‘wat ‘an rasulillahsa)

The Holy Prophetsa once heard a man saying, “Yā Dhal-Jalāli wal-Ikrām (O Possessor of Majesty and Bounty!),” and he said, “Your prayer is answered, so ask.” (Ibid.)

53. Yā ‘Azīm - O IncomparablyGreat! - ميظع اي

Meaning

The root of ‘azīm means great or large, or great in estimation, rank or dignity. The word ‘azīm means huge, enormous, or vast. When applied to a person, it means of great magnitude, importance, or gravity.

Similar Names

When the words ‘azīm (great) and kabīr (great) are contrasted, ‘azīm signifies that

which is esteemed great by others, and kabīr signifies great in itself. (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: مظع Entry: ميظع ،مظع) The word ‘azīm describes the greatness of a thing subjectively, whereas kabīr describes the greatness of a thing objectively.

We can more easily understand this with the opposite of each word. The opposite of kabīr is the word saghīr (small), whereas the opposite of ‘azīm is the word haqīr (of no weight or worth). For example, if we say a tafsīr (book of commentary) is kabīr, it means it is large in its size; this is a simple observation. If we say a tafsīr is saghīr (small), it means that it is small in its size. We are not necessarily criticising it; we are just making an observation. If we say that a tafsīr (commentary) is ‘azīm, now we are speaking from our experience and are praising its grandeur; we are saying that it is esteemed as great. If we were to say that a tafsīr is haqīr (of no weight or worth), we would have to be criticising it. The word haqīr (of no weight or worth) is sharper in its criticism, whereas the word saghīr (small) is broader. Similarly, the word ‘azīm is more specific in describing the manifestation of greatness, whereas the word kabīr is broader.

The name al-Kabīr (The Most Great) describes the greatness of Allah Almighty in and of itself, whether we see that greatness or not. It describes it in a matter-of-fact way. However, when we say that Allah Almighty is al-‘Azīm (The Incomparably-Great), we speak more based on our experience of the magnitude of that greatness. We describe how enormous the manifestation of His grandeur is.

When we compare al-‘Azīm (The Incomparably-Great) with the rest of the names of Allah, a unique quality of this name appears. The name al-‘Azīm is the only name that can be applied to all other names. We would generally not say that Allah Almighty is the Gracious (Rahmān) Inflictor of Retribution (Muntaqim) or the Forgiving (Ghafūr) Inflictor of Retribution (Muntaqim). But we can say that Allah is the Incomparably-Great (‘Azīm) Inflictor of Retribution (Muntaqim), or the Incomparably-Great (‘Azīm) Forgiver (Ghafūr), or the Incomparably-Great (‘Azīm) Manifest (Zāhir). This cannot be done in the same way with any other name. The word ‘Azīm manifests each name of Allah in a new glory. We can link every name with al-‘Azīm. (Friday Sermon, 20 December 1985, Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 4, pp. 996-997) Whenever we personally experience the manifestation of any name of Allah, we witness its incomparable greatness. The name al-‘Azīm expresses our living experience with every name of Allah Almighty.

This name is also mentioned under alMutakabbir (The Great in Majesty) and alA‘lā (The Most Exalted).

Use in Prayer

Al-‘Azīm (The Incomparably-Great) is a greatness that must be seen from up close. For example, if we know how high the summit of a mountain is and all of its dimensions, then we objectively know that it is kabīr (great).

However, ‘azīm has an awe and a manifestation in it that is seen from up close. Until we reach the foot of a mountain, we cannot understand what it means for it to be ‘azīm. (Friday Sermon, 26 July 1991, Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 10, pp. 619-624)

Although we know it to be kabīr, we can only feel it to be ‘azīm when we stand in front of it, look up, and are in awe of its tremendous size. The name al-‘Azīm (The IncomparablyGreat) brings to mind the overwhelming awe we felt whenever we experienced an attribute of Allah Almighty in our life.

The name al-‘Azīm (The IncomparablyGreat) is deeply connected with rukū’ (bowing), which is a symbol of obedience. That is why we say this name in the posture that expresses obedience. When we say Yā ‘Azīm (O Incomparably-Great!), the awe of Allah’s greatness makes us bow down to Him and pray that He makes us obedient.

54. Yā Kabīr - O Most Great! -

The word kabīr, when applied physically, means large in body or advanced in years. When not applied physically, it means great in estimation, rank or dignity. (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: ربك Entry: ريبك ،ربك) Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) and Allāhu Kabīr (Allah is the Most Great) are similar in meaning, as Akbar and Kabīr are mostly synonymous. (Friday Sermon, 10 May 2002)

Al-Kabīr means The Most Great.

Similar Names

When their meanings of “greatness” are contrasted, al-Jalīl (The Majestic) refers to the perfection in Allah Almighty’s attributes, and al-Kabīr (The Most Great) refers to the perfection in His essence. (Lisan al-‘Arab, Ibn Manzur, Root: للج, See

Seeing the greatness of the creation of Allah leads us to look for the greatness of His attributes, and seeing the greatness of His attributes leads us to look for the greatness of His essence.

This name is also mentioned under alMutakabbir (The Great in Majesty) and alMuta‘āl (The Supremely Exalted).

Use in Prayer

While the name al-‘Azīm (The Incomparably-Great) focuses more on our experience of the manifestations of His greatness, the name al-Kabīr (The Most Great) describes His greatness in such an objective and matter-of-fact way that it makes our experience of it feel irrelevant. For example, our appreciation of the Sun neither adds nor detracts anything from its greatness. It would still have shone with all its magnificence if we had never seen it. It was great (kabīr) before we ever saw it, and it will continue to be so, long after we are gone. The name al-Kabīr (The Most Great) reminds us that we are not the centre of the universe and our perspective is insignificant. The majesty of Allah Almighty is a reality far greater than the small part of His grandeur that we observe from our perspective. When we say Yā Kabīr (O Most Great!), we let go of all our perspectives and pray that He shows His greatness to us.

At each change of posture in salat, we restlessly search for Allah Almighty and say, “Allah is the Greatest” (Allāhu Akbar). This is a reminder that He is still greater than what we have understood of Him so far. It reminds us that we have not reached our destination in salat yet, but that the grandeur of His essence is greater still. When we say Yā Kabīr (O Most Great!), we ask Allah Almighty to show us that greatness.

Ayse Bek | Unsplash

Divine protection and virtuous character: Holy Prophet’s blessed youth

Sabahuddin Aleem Student Jamia Ahmadiyya UK

One of the biggest challenges faced by society today is the upbringing of children. Amidst a new wave of immorality and unnatural ideologies, parents often find it difficult to navigate the pitfalls of modern society and ensure their children receive a proper upbringing. A recent survey by PEW found that children’s mental health tops the list of parental concerns, with four in ten parents being either extremely or very worried that their children might struggle with anxiety or depression at some point. ( www.pewresearch.org/socialtrends/2023/01/24/parenting-in-americatoday/)

The prevailing source of this concern must be attributed to the growing exposure of children to various societal ills from a young age.

Much like today’s society, the environment in Arabia before the commission of the Holy Prophetsa was one of corruption and depravity. This is why, in Islam, this era is commonly referred to as “jāhiliyyah” (the age of ignorance).

As the Holy Quran has so eloquently put it:

رحبلاو ربلا یف داسفلا رہظ

“Corruption has appeared on land and sea.” (Surah ar-Rum, Ch.30: V.42)

Karen Armstrong, a specialist in comparative religions, describes that in Mecca, “there seems to have been widespread dissatisfaction and spiritual restlessness.” (History of God, p. 156) Syed Ameer Ali has painted a vivid picture of Meccan society in his book, “The Spirit of Islam”:

“The beginning of the seventh century, as has been rightly said, was an epoch of disintegration – national, social, and religious […].” (The Spirit of Islam (2010), Cosimo Classics, New York, p. xviii) “Every trace of religious life was extinct among the people; the masses were ground down by the worst of all evils, a degenerate priesthood and a licentious oligarchy.” (Ibid., p. 217)

The Holy Prophetsa was born into this society; a society in which countless obstacles stood between him and God Almighty. He had to face these obstacles without a father, who passed away before his birth. Even after his birth, he faced a number of challenges in his childhood. His mother passed away in his early childhood, shortly followed by the sad demise of his paternal grandfather just a few years later. As a parent, bringing up children amidst all these social ills is a tall order, let alone facing them as orphans.

According to various studies, fatherless households put children in greater danger on many fronts. One study states that such

children account for the majority of suicide rates, runaways, behavioural disorders, high school dropouts, juvenile detention rates, substance abuse, and aggression among children. (www.liveabout.com/fatherlesschildren-in-america-statistics-1270392)

All the odds were seemingly against the Holy Prophetsa, yet what do we observe? Rather than fall into the pitfalls of his society, the Holy Prophetsa was the one who revolutionised it. He may have lost his parents, yet it was Allah the Almighty who provided his upbringing.

God Almighty has mentioned that a sign of the truthfulness of His chosen prophets is their life before prophethood. For a prophet to be true, they must have lived pure, pious lives without blemish, and there must be a clear distinction between them and the rest of the people. نولقعت

“I have indeed lived among you a [whole] lifetime before this. Will you not then understand?” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.17)

In line with this, it was necessary for the Holy Prophetsa of Islam, the Seal of the Prophets, to have lived an exemplary life from the day he was born to the day he was commissioned as a prophet of God. Allah the Almighty took this task upon Himself and imbued the Holy Prophetsa’s youth and upbringing with Divine guidance and protection. The youth of the Holy Prophetsa is filled with such incidents, and Allah the Almighty has testified to this in the Holy Quran. Regarding the life of the Prophetsa

before prophethood, Allah the Almighty states:

“Did He not find thee an orphan and give  thee shelter? And He found thee wandering in search  for Him and guided thee unto Himself.” (Surah ad-Duha, Ch. 93: V.7-8)

It was common practice for the children of noble families of Mecca to be sent outside the city and entrusted to Bedouin wet nurses. Accordingly, The Holy Prophetsa spent much of his early childhood among the Banu Sa’d tribe under the care of Hazrat Halimahra. Apart from the obvious health benefits of growing up in a rural area, this sheltered the Holy Prophetsa from the negative influences of the city, especially in his crucial formative years.

During this period, the well-known incident known as “Shaqq-e-Sadr” (incision of the chest) occurred. This incident is narrated as such,

“At one occasion the Holy Prophetsa was playing with some children. Angel Gabrielsa came to him and laid the Holy Prophetsa on the ground; thereafter, he made an incision into his chest. Then he took the heart out of his chest, extracted something from its core, and threw it away. At the same time, Gabrielas said, ‘This was the filth of weakness that has now been separated from you.’ After this, Gabrielas cleansed the heart of the Holy Prophetsa with pure water and placed it back into his chest, and once again it was joined together. When the children saw Gabrielas laying the Holy Prophetsa on the ground

and making an incision into his chest, they were greatly frightened and ran to the wet nurse of the Prophetsa and said, ‘Someone has murdered Muhammadsa.’ When these people reached the Holy Prophetsa the Angel had vanished, and the Prophetsa was standing alone in a state of fear.” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 1, p. 133)

The Holy Prophetsa was approximately four years old at the time of this occurrence. Through this vision, Allah the Almighty made it clear that this was no ordinary boy, but rather someone who had been completely purified and destined for greatness. The blessed life of the Holy Prophetsa is a testament to this.

Idol worship was rife in Mecca at the time. It is reported that they kept 360 idols in the Holy Ka’bah – one for every day of the year. However, the Holy Prophetsa was never inclined towards these idols; rather, he was focused on the worship of one God. On one occasion, the Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said, “I have never eaten from the sacrificial offerings made to idols.” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 1, p. 161) At another place, he said that he never worshipped any idol or consumed alcohol and that, “I have always detested these things.” (Ibid.)

On another occasion, it is narrated that the Quraish used to hold a special festival in honour of one of their idols at Buwanah. When the Holy Prophetsa was invited to attend, he declined the offer. At Continued on next page >>

Ayşenur Sağlam | Pexels

this, he was told, “We are afraid a calamity will befall you for your lack of respect for our idols”. Ultimately, the Holy Prophetsa accepted the offer and made his way to the festival. However, when they were in the presence of this idol, he disappeared and returned, frightened. When asked about what happened, the Holy Prophetsa said, “As soon as I went close to the idol, a person of white complexion and high stature appeared before me, crying, “O Muhammad! Do not touch it.” It is narrated that the Holy Prophetsa never attended such a gathering after this. (Ibn Sa‘d, Kitab at-Tabaqat alKabir (2001), Vol. 1, Cairo: Maktabat alKhanji, pp. 132-133)

When the Holy Prophetsa was twelve years old, he used to look after sheep. One night, he requested a companion to tend to his flock so he could go into Mecca and spend the night at one of their gatherings. Hence, he set out to join in, however, Allah the Almighty protected him from this evil, and it so happened that he fell asleep until dawn. This happened on a second occasion, and the same thing happened. The Holy Prophetsa said, “I intended only twice, in the entirety of my life, to observe such a gathering, but I was restrained both times.”

(The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 1, p. 143)

These are just a few examples of how the youth of the Holy Prophetsa was Divinely protected. This Divine protection had a direct impact on the character of the Holy Prophetsa which is evident from the testimonies of the people who witnessed his early life. When the heavy mantle of prophethood was placed on the shoulders of the Holy Prophetsa, his wife Khadijara attested to his lofty status and qualities. She said:

“By God, Allah shall never disgrace you. You treat your kith and kin with love. You are truthful, assist others in discharging their responsibilities, and have gathered within yourself lost virtues. You are hospitable and a helper to others in the way of truth.” (Ibid., p. 168-169)

The people of Mecca understood that this was no ordinary man, but rather someone imbued with outstanding morals. Commenting on this, Hazrat Ch Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra states:

“Enough is known of the youth and early manhood of Muhammad to indicate that he was gentle, patient, and obedient, respectful towards his elders, affectionate with his companions, and full of compassion for those who, on account of age, infirmity, or adversity, stood in need of help. As he grew into manhood, his good qualities were recognised by his contemporaries. They were impressed by his complete integrity, in word and deed, and he became generally known among them as “El-Ameen,” meaning “the Trusty,” or “the Faithful.”” (Islam, It’s Meaning for Modern Man (1962), p. 20)

From a quick glance at the early years of the Holy Prophetsa life, it becomes apparent that Allah Almighty had a major role to play. He protected his chosen Prophetsa from the ills of society and ensured that he lived a life without blemish, furnishing his eventual claim to prophethood with undeniable proof for the ages to come.

100 Years Ago...

Tabligh in Berlin and London, Hungarian Professor’s intent to visit Qadian

Al Fazl, 6 July 1923

Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra (1883-1948)

Maulvi Mubarak Ali

Regarding the second coming of the Messiah, it was said that he “will gather together his elect”. Hence, we observe that fortunate people are enthusiastically gathering under the banner of the messenger of Allah the Almighty, Prophet Ahmadas of Qadian. They are participating in the purpose for which the coming of the Promised Messiah was destined.

Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib is also one of the aforementioned blessed people. He came [into the Jamaat] after many others, and I cannot say on behalf of anyone else, but as far as I know, he has made significant strides. He is wholly devoted and full of kindness. What he did in London is very admirable, and what he is doing now in Berlin deserves tribute. May Allah the Almighty give him the best rewards.

A British new convert, regarding Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib, said to me:

“Maulvi Mubarak Ali is the personification of Islam, and the qualities that a human being should have are present in him.”

Brother Mubarak Ali Sahib himself mentions his impact on a non-Ahmadi in a letter and writes:

“As compared to the free Lahori [those who did not take bai‘at of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra], (such and such) scholar was influenced more by the servant of [Hazrat Mirza] Mahmud[ra], [i.e., Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib].”

We request our friends to pray a lot for this sincere and devoted worker of the Jamaat.

Berlin Mission

By the grace and blessings of Allah the Almighty, good work is being carried out

in Berlin, Germany. Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib is engaged in tabligh [preaching] with full sincerity, devotion, and hard work. The Promised Messiah’sas book, [The Philosophy of the Teaching of Islam], i.e., the lecture at the Conference Of Great Religions, has been translated into German and is now being proofread. The friends’ circle of Maulvi Sahib is expanding, and thus the scope of his work is also growing. People are getting more interested in finding out about the teachings of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. In addition to the German translation of the lecture at the conference of great religions, the English translation, which is known as [The Philosophy of the] Teaching of Islam, is also being printed for publication.

Hungarian professor intends to visit Qadian

A professor from Hungary, who was the head of theology at a famous university and was dismissed for denying the divinity of Jesus, came to visit Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib and was deeply influenced by the teaching of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. It had such a great impact on him that deep down, he accepted Islam, and now he intends to visit Qadian to meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih [IIra] and desires to stay in Darul Aman [Abode of Peace] to personally observe the values of Islam.

Preaching in London

Weekly gatherings are held at the Ahmadiyya Darul Tabligh [Mission House] located in London and lectures are delivered on various subjects. Hence, in the last four weeks, this humble one [Hazrat Abdur Rahim Nayyarra] gave three speeches, and last week, Maulvi Muhammad Din Sahib delivered a lecture on the topic of The Promised Messiah which was very well received. Babu Azizuddin gives speeches in Hyde Park in his spare time. The seekers of truth personally meet the missionaries of

Islam and clear their doubts.

Professor Riuska’s faith

Professor Sahib said to Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib that after returning from Qadian, I would say to the people:

“I am well acquainted with the teachings of Islam and have studied Islamic life. And now, I have accepted Islam because this religion is practically following the teachings of Jesusas, which were presented to the world by the greatest of all the prophets, [Hazrat Muhammadsa].”

The professor further said:

“I never believed in the divinity of Jesusas, and I was fired from my job only because I objected to the insincere behaviour of Christian people. I was hoping for a light from the East and I think my hope [has come before me] in the form of Islam.”

Preaching to leaders of Europe

Maulvi Mubarak Ali Sahib writes:

“Now, I am anxious to convey the message of the Promised Messiahas to the leaders and rulers of Europe. By translating the address, [A Present to the] Prince of Wales, into Urdu and Central European languages, I intend to meet some leaders in person and send a letter to the rest of the rulers. I want to personally meet the rulers because a personal introduction and meeting have more impact than a letter. Professor Fertenary will accompany me on this journey. He speaks German, French, Hungarian, and English. He is in favour of my intentions and desires to go on this tour. When we meet these leaders, the newspapers will surely publish and mention these meetings because they are famous people. Consequently, the message of Ahmadiyyat will spread. I have high hopes in Allah the Almighty.”

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu, published in the 6 July 1923 issue of Al Fazl)

‘L‘Islam: Croyances et Institutions’: Introduction of Ahmadiyyat by Belgian Jesuit in Lebanon

Ata-ul-Haye Nasir

Al Hakam

Who was Henri Lammens?

Henri Lammens was born in Ghent, Belgium, on 1 July 1862. He was a member of the “Society of Jesus” (The Jesuits) – a Roman Catholic order of religious men founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1540 and approved by Pope Paul III.

Henri Lammens joined the Society in Beirut, Lebanon, at the age of 15, and settled permanently there. He mastered Arabic as well as Latin and Greek, and studied philosophy at the Jesuit-run Saint Joseph University, Beirut. He served as a lecturer in the Arabic language at the same university between 1886 and 1891. He served as the editor-inchief of Saint-Joseph University’s Arabic periodical, Al-Bashir, until 1903. In 1927, he inherited the direction of the Al-Mashreq academic journal. He passed away in 1937. (Franck Salameh (2018) A Man for Others: The life and times of Lebanese Jesuit Henri Lammens (1862–1937), The Journal of the Middle East and Africa, 9:2, 213-236, DOI: 10.1080/21520844.2018.1500240)

‘L‘Islam: Croyances et Institutions’

in which he also mentioned the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the claims of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian, and the worldwide missionary efforts of the Jamaat. (L‘Islam: Croyances et Institutions, Beirut, 1926, pp. 205-207)

English translation of ‘L‘Islam: Croyances et Institutions’

Henri Lammens wrote various books on Islam and its history, one of them being “L‘Islam: Croyances et Institutions” (1926),

Its English translation was rendered in 1929, titled “Islam: Beliefs and Institutions”, by Sir Edward Denison Ross (1871-1940), an orientalist and linguist, and the first Director of the School of Oriental Studies (now SOAS), London.

Sir Denison Ross also chaired the Executive Committee of the “Conference on Some Living Religions within the Empire”, held at the Imperial Institute in London, from 22 September to 3 October 1924, which was graced with the presence of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, Mirza Bashir-udDin Mahmud Ahmadra

Reviews of this book

Many academics have written reviews on this book. A review by SD Goitein was published in Kirjath Sepher – a quarterly bibliography review of the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem – in its June-September 1928 issue. Another review by L Rigoulet was published in Mélanges de l‘Université Saint-Joseph, in its 11th volume (1926).

Introduction of Ahmadiyyat by Henri Lammens

In his book, Henri Lammens has included an introduction to various movements within Islam, and thus, he has also given a detailed introduction to Ahmadiyyat and its worldwide missionary efforts.

It is worth acknowledging that the author incorporates particular perspectives pertaining to Ahmadiyyat, which seemingly stem from his individual comprehension or convictions. Consequently, such interpretations should not be misconstrued as a comprehensive or accurate representation of the viewpoints or beliefs espoused by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

While mentioning the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Henri Lammens

states:

“[Translation from French by Sir E Denison Ross]

“AHMADIYYA: A more recent reformist movement in Islam, dating from 1880 [the year when the first two parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya were published], has resulted in the creation of a new sect, that of the ‘Ahmadiyya’. The founder from whom it takes its name, Mirza Gholam Ahmad[as] (d. 1908), a native of Qadian in the Punjab (India), claimed to have discovered the veritable tomb of [Jesusas] Christ, who,” he claimed, “had found refuge in India and died there. This find served as the startingpoint of Ahmadiyya. Its three chief novelties are its Christology, its theory of the Mahdi and that of the jehad. It is this last which gives it an appearance of Islamic reform.”

(Islam: Beliefs and Institutions [L‘Islam:

Henri Lammens

| Wiki Commons

Title page of L‘Islam: Croyances et Institutions, 1926

Title page of Islam: Beliefs and Institutions, 1929

out as this reformer, appearing on the eve of the fourteenth century of the Hijra (1880 A.D. = 1299 A.H.). He combined the double mission of the Messiah and the Mahdi, whom he declared to be one and not two persons, as the Sunnis suppose (v. p. 149). The Mahdi of the Ahmadiyya has a horror

of bloodshed. The Holy War must therefore be waged chiefly with spiritual weapons.”

He continues:

“The sect numbers adherents chiefly in the Punjab, variously estimated at seventyfive thousand to half a million. The latter figure is furnished by the Ahmadiyya. They possess a few mosques in Europe (England, Germany). They edit periodicals and propagandist tracts. The sect aspires to become, as it were, a universal religion ‘not only for the reform of Islam, but for the regeneration of the Hindus, Muhammadans and the Christians.’ The Ahmadiyya have

Ijtemas of auxiliaries held in Jamiaca

Misbah Anmol Tariq Jamaica Correspondent

Ijtemas of khuddam and ansar

On 11 June 2023, Majlis Khuddam-ulAhmadiyya and Majlis Ansarullah Jamaica held their first annual ijtemas

The event began with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Ansarullah pledge. After the brief opening remarks by missionary-in-charge Tariq Azeem Sahib, khuddam and ansar watched the address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa which he delivered at the Ijtima of Majlis Ansarullah UK in 2021.

After this, academic and sports competitions began separately for both auxiliary organisations.

The concluding session began with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya pledge.

After concluding remarks about

how such events strengthen the bond of brotherhood, missionary-in-charge Tariq Azeem Sahib distributed prizes to the winners of various competitions. The event ended with a silent prayer, followed by lunch.

Ijtema of Lajna Imaillah

Lajna Imaillah Jamaica held its second annual ijtema on 18 June 2023. The theme for this year’s ijtema was “How to gain nearness to Allah?”

The ijtema commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Lajna Imaillah pledge. At the beginning of the ijtema, the Lajna watched the address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, which he delivered at the ijtema of Lajna Imaillah UK in 2021.

After this, academic and sports competitions began.

In the concluding session, after the tilawat and pledge, a prize distribution ceremony was held. Then, Sister Janet South, Sadr Lajna Imaillah Jamaica, expressed gratitude to all participants and emphasised the responsibilities of the members of Lajna and nasirat in light of the sayings of Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat. She spoke about sisterhood and the importance of educating women about the teachings of Islam.

The event concluded with a silent prayer.

met with no success in Muslim centres, which have excommunicated them.

“After the death of the Founder, they divided into two distinctly opposite factions. The older, that of the Qadian, remains under the conduct of his son [Hazrat Mirza Bashirud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra] and continues his teaching. The second, whose centre is at Lahore, seeks to draw near to Sunni Islam without renouncing its activity amongst the Hindu sects.” (Ibid., p. 189)

In regards to the missionary efforts of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, he states:

“It has set on foot a missionary organisation such as none of the other Muslim communities has ever possessed. This propagandism operates chiefly in the African colonies; we are indebted to it for the translations of the Qoran into English (condemned by order of the ‘ulema of the Cairene University of Al-Azhar) and other languages: Urdu, Malay, etc. The chief of the primitive Ahmadiyya, in his character of Mahdi, Messiah, Jesus returned to earth, aspires to the title of Caliph, while professing himself the loyal subject of His Britannic Majesty. The adversaries of Ahmadism accuse him of being in the service of English politics.” (Ibid.)

Revised edition with some further details

In 1943, a revised edition of this book was published from Beirut, with some further details. It also referenced a letter, dated 18 April 1927, from Sheikh Yousuf Ali Sahib, the then Private Secretary to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. The following quotation from that letter was included in the revised edition:

“God raised him [Hazrat Ahmadas] up for the regeneration of mankind in our time, in accordance with the predictions of all the great prophets of the world: Muhammad[sa], Jesus[as] Christ, Daniel[as], Isaiah[as] and other prophets of the Bible, as well as the great prophets of the East, such as Krishna[as], Zoroaster[as], Buddha[as] and others.” (L‘Islam: Croyances et Institutions, Beirut, 1943, p. 244)

Majlis Ansarullah Scotland holds regional ijtema

Arshad Mehmood Khan Scotland Correspondent

Majlis Ansarullah Scotland held its regional ijtema on 18 June 2023. The theme of the ijtema was “The Aim and Objectives of the Advent of the Promised Messiahas”. Over 60 ansar and 10 guests attended the ijtema

An ijtema committee was formed well before the ijtema and a promotional campaign was carried out in all the majalis of the Scotland Region.

The sports competitions were held before the ijtema day.

After the registration and breakfast, the opening session started with the recitation from the Holy Quran with its English and Urdu translations, followed by the Ansarullah pledge, a poem, and a speech

by Fakhar Ahmad Aftab Sahib, a regional missionary. The session was chaired by Daud Ahmad Qureshi Sahib, a regional missionary. The session ended with a silent prayer.

This was followed by academic competitions.

The closing session started at 1 pm, chaired by Ataul Momin Zahid Sahib, Qaid Tarbiyat Majlis Ansarullah UK, with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a pledge, poem, and ijtema report by Nazim-e-A’la. This was followed by a prize distribution ceremony.

Dr Abdul Hayee Sahib, Regional Amir of Scotland Jamaat, led everyone in silent prayer to conclude the session, followed by Zuhr and Asr prayers.

Photo courtesy AMJ Scotland

Photo courtesy AMJ Jamiaca

Campaign for ethical use of artificial intelligence surges

Ali Fatty Student Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana

It is quite difficult to find a global consensus on the definition of artificial intelligence (AI). Yet ‘AI’ is a broad term that covers a wide range of disciplines that simulate behaviours that are exclusively found in living beings, especially humans. Thus, AI covers areas such as computer vision, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and speech recognition. (www.reviewofreligions. org/36863/will-artificial-intelligencetransform-religion/)

Just recently, the EU Parliament took a bold step towards passing a landmark bill into law on the regulations of artificial intelligence in the bloc. If passed, the bill will see to the responsible and regulatory use of artificial intelligence by giant tech companies or how other people operate it independently. (www.washingtonpost. com/technology/2023/06/14/eu-parliamentapproves-ai-act/)

According to EU lawmakers, the AI Act will also aim at protecting fundamental civil rights and safeguarding against AI threats to health and safety while simultaneously fostering innovation in the technology. (www.dw.com/en/innovation/t-50781180)

Furthermore, according to the bill, any AI firm found violating the AI Act will be fined a hefty £60 million, or 6% of the company’s annual global revenue, depending on their crimes.

Importance of AI in the modern age

In truth, it is still open to interpretation whether AI technologies have unreservedly ushered in substantial convenience for humankind. While they are thought to have simplified complex tasks that were once almost insurmountable for humans, it is crucial to note that the extent of these improvements can vary widely. For instance, while AI technology might theoretically make information retrieval from various internet sources easier, the reliability and precision of these processes can often be called into question.

Humans may naturally struggle with large-scale repetitive tasks, leading to the potential for serious mistakes due to fatigue and forgetfulness. The claim is that AI technologies can automate these repetitive tasks with a higher level of accuracy and efficiency, but this assertion warrants careful scrutiny as errors and limitations can still exist.

Regarding the recent ChatGPT AI technology, while it is postulated that it can

generate articles on a variety of topics and provide responses to diverse questions, it is important to approach these claims with a degree of scepticism, given the ongoing evolution and unpredictability of AI. It is, for instance, widely known to “hallucinate”, i.e., generate false references and quotes.

In the business world, AI is presented as a tool for collecting vast amounts of data and predicting customer behaviour. Yet, the accuracy of these predictions and the quality of the collected data can be suspect. Similarly, the effectiveness and reliability of AI devices in homes that remind people of important appointments need to be proven over time.

AI supposedly has the capability to quickly provide a wealth of facts and process substantial amounts of data. If these AI tools are handled with careful thought and scepticism, they might bring about some level of convenience for human work. However, it is essential to bear in mind that the real-world effectiveness and reliability of AI technology are still areas that require ongoing and meticulous investigation.

Concerns about AI and calls for regulations

Recently, the heightened anxieties of many people regarding the fleeting advancement of complicated AI machines and their adverse impacts on people and societies have cut across all continents.

People are genuinely concerned, uncertain, and fearful about a technology that most do not fully understand how it will impact their lives.

Most people want AI systems that are transparent, non-discriminatory and environmentally friendly. These people lament that they desire an AI system that

should be overseen by people, rather than by automation, to prevent harmful outcomes.

Lawmaker Tudorache told DW during an interview that AI technology has brought a lot of good things to the global digital economy, but he argues that it must be regulated for the greater good:

“At the same time, we see more and more risks. What we’re doing with this legislation is to try and curtail these risks, mitigate them and put very clear rules in place that will ensure transparency and trust.” (“EU lawmakers lay groundwork for ‘historic’ AI regulation”, www.dw.com/)

Even tech company owners and some politicians have expressed the same concerns about the risk AI could pose to human beings in the future. For example, Brando Benifei, also a member of the European Parliament working on the EU AI Act, told journalists that:

“While Big Tech companies are sounding the alarm over their own creations, Europe has gone ahead and proposed a concrete response to the risks AI is starting to table.” (“MEPs ready to negotiate first-ever rules for safe and transparent AI”, www.europarl. europa.eu/ )

Several research papers and AI scientists around the world, including the president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, and the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, have called for tougher regulations on AI, fearing that it has the potential to pose a threat to the very existence of humanity. (https://edition. cnn.com/2023/05/25/tech/microsoft-airegulation-calls/index.html)

Irresponsible use of AI tools

As much as AI tools have advantages, they also have many disadvantages. Although, its actions are dependent on the input data it

processes. In certain circumstances, if the input information of the AI is inaccurate; it can potentially influence and manipulate the behaviour of people negatively.

This week during the Yale CEO virtual summit, the majority of the business leaders in the summit including Walmart Chief Doug McMillion and Coca-Cola (KO) CEO James Quincy (https://money.cnn.com/ quote/quote.html?symb=KO&source=story_ quote_link) — said AI had the potential to destroy humanity five to 10 years from now. (https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/14/ business/artificial-intelligence-ceos-warning/ index.html)

There are some AI-operated weapons that have the capability of instigating mass destruction around the world, especially during wartime. For example, now there are drones that are used to carry out bombing, spying, and airstrikes on other countries. ( https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/04/11/aiarms-race-artificial-intelligence-chatgptmilitary-technology/)

A statement signed by top business leaders, AI industry executives, academics, and celebrities warned of the “extinction” risk from AI. The statement says:

“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” (www.safe.ai/statementon-ai-risk#open-letter)

Geoffrey Hinton, who is also the co-developer of the technology, announced his resignation from Google on Twitter, expressing concerns about the dangers of AI technology. ( https://twitter.com/geoffreyhinton/ status/1652993570721210372)

“I left so that I could talk about the dangers of AI without considering how this impacts Google,” Hinton said in a tweet. (www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/technology/ ai-google-chatbot-engineer-quits-hinton. html)

Hinton further told CNN reporters that “I’m just a scientist who suddenly realized that these things are getting smarter than us.”

“I want to sort of blow the whistle and say we should worry seriously about how we stop these things getting control over us.” ( https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/02/tech/ hinton-tapper-wozniak-ai-fears/index.html)

Hinton told CNN that if AI “gets to be much smarter than us, it will be very good at manipulation,” including “getting around restrictions we put on it.” (https://edition. cnn.com/2023/06/14/business/artificialintelligence-ceos-warning/index.html)

Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple, expressed his worries that AI could be used by “bad actors” to spread misinformation:

Mojahid Mottakin | Unsplash

“AI is so intelligent, it’s open to the bad players, the ones that want to trick you about who they are.” (“Apple co-founder warns AI could make it harder to spot scams”, www. theguardian.com/)

Recently, Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause in the development of AI technologies due to their profound risk to society. (www. nytimes.com/2023/03/29/technology/aiartificial-intelligence-musk-risks.html)

Mr Musk also raised the same alarm in 2014 during an aerospace event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, saying he was uncertain about developing AI himself. “I think we need to be very careful about artificial intelligence,” he said while answering audience questions. “With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon.” (“Elon Musk Ramps Up A.I. Efforts, Even as He Warns of Dangers”, www.nytimes. com/ )

Learning from past AI tech reputation

Colonel Tucker Hamilton, chief of AI test and operations in the US Air Force, was speaking at a conference organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society when he revealed that an AI drone attacked its operator and destroyed the communication tower for stopping it or being an obstacle in the accomplishment of its objective. (www. aerosociety.com/news/highlights-from-theraes-future-combat-air-space-capabilitiessummit/)

Mr Hamilton said:

“We were training it in simulation to identify and target a SAM [surface-toair missile] threat. And then the operator would say, yes, kill that threat.” (“AI drone ‘kills’ human operator during ‘simulation’”, https://news.sky.com/)

“The system started realising that while they did identify the threat, at times the human operator would tell it not to kill that threat, but it got its points by killing that threat. So what did it do? It killed the operator. It killed the operator because that person was keeping it from accomplishing its objective.” (Ibid.)

He continued:

“We trained the system: ‘Hey, don’t kill the operator – that’s bad. You’re going to lose points if you do that.’ So what does it start doing? It starts destroying the communication tower that the operator uses to communicate with the drone to stop it from killing the target.” (www.theguardian. com/us-news/2023/jun/01/us-militarydrone-ai-killed-operator-simulated-test)

Mr Hamilton ended by saying that there needs to be an ethical use of AI tools. “You can’t have a conversation about artificial intelligence, intelligence, machine learning, and autonomy if you’re not going to talk about ethics and AI.” (“AI drone ‘kills’ human operator during ‘simulation’”, https:// news.sky.com/)

What should be done to prevent the negative output of AI?

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has been calling on world leaders for a long time about the urgent need to curb the reckless use of weaponry. Today, this plea takes on renewed significance in the face of rapid technological advancements. The emergence of lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs) and the escalating rise of artificial intelligence have imbued his calls for caution with a heightened sense of urgency and relevance.

On 28th October 2016, during his keynote address at a Peace Symposium of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Canada, Huzooraa said:

“Today, the world around us is constantly evolving and advancing. Unquestionably, in the past few decades, the world has moved forward in leaps and bounds in terms of technological development. Every day, new forms of modern technology and scientific advancements are being developed.” (www. reviewofreligions.org/12839/justice-in-anunjust-world-2/)

Huzooraa added that

“Where modern technology has been a force for good, it has also been used as a force for evil and destruction. Such technology has been developed that has the capability of wiping nations off the map with the press of a button. Of course, I am referring to the development of weapons

of mass destruction that are capable of inflicting the most unimaginable horrors, devastation, and destruction. Such weapons are being produced that have the potential to destroy not only civilisation today, but to also leave behind a legacy of misery for generations to come”. (Ibid.)

In a recent meeting with the Alislam website team, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, underlined the importance of attention and responsibility when using AI tools. Huzooraa advised that all pertinent AI-processed output related to Islam Ahmadiyyat should be confirmed for precision by professionals and intellectuals of the Jamaat.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa also highlighted how AI tools might not produce an objective output for their master. Huzooraa said:

“If you’re going to write about the positive and negative aspects of something, AI may unduly emphasise the negative aspects. If you are preaching to someone, or even an Ahmadi, they may not be able to analyse information properly as to what is correct and what is incorrect.” (www.

reviewofreligions.org/42375/artificialintelligence-a-great-servant-a-bad-master/)

In addition, Huzooraa emphasised the importance of watchfulness, security, and preparedness for the misuse of AI and to avoid others taking advantage of such unfortunate situations. Huzooraa elaborated:

“We need to come up with a way of securing it. So that others should not be able to present our information in the wrong way. Therefore, you will need to investigate this from now on and plan accordingly that if such and such situation occurred, then how would we counter this.” (www. reviewofreligions.org/42375/artificialintelligence-a-great-servant-a-bad-master/)

During a meeting of the German Ahmadi University graduates with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, in response to a question, Huzooraa said that if everything is left for the artificial intelligence to do, humans would not have anything to do; thus, that will cause regression and stagnation in the human intellect. (“German Ahmadi university graduates blessed with meeting Huzoor”, Al Hakam, 2 June 2023, Issue 272, p. 3)

Mohamed Nohassi | Unsplash

Do the French protests have anything to do with Islam?

Jazib Mehmood

Student Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana

On Tuesday morning 27 June, Nahel Merzouk, who was of Arab descent, was shot in the head by the French police in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. There is video evidence of what occurred that seems to contradict the initial narrative of the police regarding what occurred.

In any case, the incident has caused protests and riots, feeding longstanding complaints of police violence and systemic racism inside law enforcement agencies. The protests have also turned violent and criminal at times.

In the wake of these protests and riots, there are many who have insisted that this violence is the work of Muslim immigrants and refugees and that it should be taken as evidence that Muslims would riot and loot since that is what their religion teaches, God forbid. Videos on social media of protesters chanting “Allahu Akbar” seem to further fuel those voices that say that Islam teaches Muslims to resort to violence to make their voices heard.

Therefore, let us address an important question here: does the backlash have anything to do with the teachings of Islam? What does Islam teach Muslims about public remonstration?

Are Muslims allowed to riot and loot?

Since the shooting, police and firefighters have struggled to contain protesters and extinguish numerous blazes through the night that damaged schools, police stations, town halls, or other public buildings, according to a spokesperson for the national police.

The national police have reported fires or skirmishes in multiple cities, and more than 200 officers were injured in the unrest on Thursday night. More than 6,000 fires were attended by the fire brigade and the police, and nearly 500 buildings had been affected. (www.independent.co.uk/news/ world/europe/paris-france-protests-riotsreason-map-b2367022.html)

Despite what many would have us believe, damaging public property to affect social and perhaps moral change is completely forbidden in Islam. Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

“O ye who believe! obey Allah, and obey [His] Messenger and those who are in authority among you.” (Surah an-Nisa’, Ch.4: V.60)

Similarly, the Holy Prophetsa stated:

“Whoever notices something that he

dislikes done by his ruler, then he should be patient, for whoever becomes separated from the company of the Muslims even for a span and then dies, he will die as those who died in the pre-Islamic period of Ignorance (as rebellious sinners).”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Fitan, Bab qawli n-nabiyyi satarawna ba‘di umuran tunkirunaha, Hadith 7054)

Speaking of this Islamic teaching of loyalty to one’s nation, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

“A true Muslim can never raise his voice in hatred against his fellow citizens, nor for that matter against the ruling authority or government of the time. It is the responsibility of a true Muslim that he should remain loyal and fully abide by the laws of the land of which he is a subject.”

(Baitul Futuh Inauguration Reception, 11 Oct 2003, www.alislam.org/articles/ opening-of-baitul-futuh-mosque-mordenlondon/)

This is in line with a clear commandment of the Holy Quran:

“And commit not iniquity in the earth, causing disorder.” (Surah al-A‘raf, Ch.7: V.75)

The protests in France also have people destroying the property of those who have nothing to do with the ongoing problem. This also goes against the teachings of Islam, which uphold the rights of the innocent.

Concerning this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa states:

“It should be remembered that even where protests or strikes are conducted peacefully, without recourse to criminal damage or violence, they can still have a very negative effect. This is because even peaceful protests often result in the loss of millions to the nation’s economy.

“Under no circumstances can such behaviour be considered to be an example of loyalty to the nation. A golden principle taught by the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat was that, under all circumstances, we must always remain obedient to Allah, to the Prophets, and to the rulers of our nation.

“This is the same teaching given in the Holy Quran. Hence, even where a country permits strikes or protests to take place, they should only be conducted to the extent where they do not harm or cause damage to the nation or to the economy.”

(True Loyalty to One’s Nation, Address at

the Military Headquarters in Koblenz, Germany, 30 May 2012, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace (2016), p. 35)

How should a Muslim deal with unjust rulers?

Obedience to authority is given paramount importance in Islam. But to what extent must we obey our rulers, especially if they are acting unjustly? Building on the teachings of the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophetsa has issued detailed guidance for us in this regard. He once stated to his companions:

“The best of your rulers are those whom you love and they love you, who pray for you and you pray for them. The worst of your rulers are those whom you hate and they hate you, whom you curse and they curse you.”

Upon this, someone asked the Holy Prophetsa, “Shall we confront them with swords?” To this, the Holy Prophetsa, replied:

“No, as long as they establish prayer among you. If you find something hateful from them, you should hate their actions but not withdraw your hand from obedience.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-imarah, Bab khiyari l-ummati w shirarihim, Hadith 1855)

Similarly, the companions of the Holy Prophetsa asked him:

“O Prophet of Allah, what do we do if we have rulers over us who demand their rights yet withhold our rights?” He replied: “Listen to them and obey them [regardless]. Upon them is their burden and on you will be your burden.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab alimarah, Bab al-Amri bi luzumi l-jama‘ati ‘inda zuhuri l-fitani wa tahdhiri l-du‘ati ila l-kufr, Hadith 1847)

Similarly, he once stated:

“It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-imarah, Bab wujubi ta‘ati l-umara’i fi ghayri ma‘siyatin wa tahrimiha fi l-ma‘siyah, Hadith 1836)

Some people also attack Islam and state that it does not find compatibility in Western societies. This is also a misunderstanding. The teachings of Islam in this regard are best explained in the words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa today:

“We consider all forms of extremism and terrorism to be inherently evil and against the teachings of Islam. Where

peaceful protests or events take place to condemn extremism or where vigils are held to remember the victims of attacks, we Ahmadi Muslims consider it necessary to take part.

“For us, this is an expression of our solidarity with the society in which we live. It is our duty to stand up and reject all extremism and this is actually what integration into society means.” (Diary of Abid Khan, Germany Jalsa 2017, Part 2, pp. 13–14)

So how should we reform such rulers?

The Holy Prophetsa stated:

“Whoever intends to advise someone with authority should not do so publicly. Rather, he should take him by the hand and advise him in seclusion. If he accepts the advice, then all is well. If he does not accept it, then he has fulfilled his duty.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 14909)

Similarly, he stated:

“Verily, among the greatest acts of jihad is a word of justice in front of a tyrannical ruler.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-fitan ‘an rasulillahsa, Hadith 2174)

Therefore, seeking justice within the confines of the law is not just logical and appropriate; it is the Islamic way. Otherwise, causing anarchy is completely against the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa

The responsibilities of the government

The French government also bears some blame for the current situation, according to many. Several people have died or sustained injuries at the hands of French police in recent years, prompting demands for more accountability.

It is obvious that the government also has certain responsibilities towards its people. Islam teaches rulers in the Holy Quran:

with equity, and defraud not people of their things and commit not iniquity in the earth, causing disorder.” (Surah Hud, Ch.11: V.86)

Explaining what Islam expects of governments, Hazrat Khaliatul Masih Vaa, in his Friday Sermon on 5 June 2020, stated:

“The government should also understand the situation that simply using force to respond to this is not the answer, nor is using force the solution to solving problems. In fact, governments can only function when all citizens are given their due rights.

“It is only through this that peace and prosperity can prevail and not without this. Irrespective of how powerful a government may be, if there is unrest amongst the people, the government cannot remain established. (Al Hakam, 20 July 2020, Issue 120, p. 20)

Lastly, perhaps it would be pertinent to end with a letter to French President, Emmanual Macron, which Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa wrote back in 2020. His words carry just as much weight today as they did then. He wrote to the president:

“In light of the prevailing circumstances, it is my sincere and humble request that where your government is forming and enacting policies to stop the spread of the coronavirus, as the leader of your nation, you should also encourage the citizens of your country to fulfil the rights of one another and to be ready to make personal sacrifices in the cause of humanity.

“Similarly, your government should strive to ensure the peace and security of society, both within your country and at a broader, international level. I sincerely request that you uphold the demands of justice and integrity by seeking to fulfil the rights of your own people and of all other nations.” (Letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, The Review of Religions, January 2021)

100 Years Ago...

Islam’s perspective on teachings of Mormonism

The Review of Religions [English], July 1923

The following article by the correspondent of the Review of Religions in North America (1923) explores the teachings of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint (LDS) movement, regarding the “eternal nature of elements” in light of the Holy Quran and the Bible. This piece was initially published as a response to an address by Brigham Henry Roberts (1857–1933), a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was featured in the Liahona, the Elders’ Journal of 8 May 1923.

LDS was founded in the early 19th century by Joseph Smith. Mormons consider Joseph Smith to be a “prophet of God”. However, many of the prophecies of Joseph Smith did not come to pass, and he was also unsuccessful in his mission of establishing the “Kingdom of God” and building Zion City in Jackson County, Missouri, USA. Joseph Smith was murdered on 27 June 1844.

Mormons believe in the eternal nature of the elements. In their view, matter and other elements are uncreated, have always existed, and will always exist in different forms. According to Mormons, God only created or organised the pre-existing elements. Our readers can also study a detailed discussion on soul and matter, whether they are uncreated and eternal or created by God Almighty, in the books of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, Surmah Chashm-e-Aryah (Guidance for the Aryas) and Purani Tahrirein (Early Writings) among others. —Editor, Al Hakam

In the Liahona, the Elders’ Journal, under the date of 8 May 1923, there is an address by Elder Brigham H Roberts. I admire his sincerity of tone and courage of conviction. And I believe there is much truth and force in what he says. I feel proud to declare that here in his address I find another instance of the illustration of the truth that I have been taught by my own religion, which is that there is no system or faith that is all devoid of truth; it is only the degree of unfoldment that distinguishes one system from the other. But there is one thing in that otherwise admirable address that has prompted me to write these few lines. It is the challenge that the Elder has thrown down to all to match his point of view. Had it not been for that challenge, I would not have cared to say anything. But in the present case, there is a grave danger of misunderstanding and misrepresentation, as well as a sheer disservice to the cause of truth. So here I am.

I must say, however, at the very outset that I am neither a Mormon, nor a Christian, nor a Jew. I am a Muslim; I do not accept the so-called scriptures as the very truth; nor do I regard Jesusas as God, though I take him as a good man and a righteous servant of God. It would not be advisable for me to enter into the details here, but my position is clear.

For the sake of easy reference, I take the

address subject-wise. We are to see whether Joseph Smith’s teachings are in accord with the general teachings of the Bible; secondly, whether they are original; and thirdly, whether they are reasonable. I shall try to be brief, confining myself only to what Elder Brigham H Roberts has said in his address.

(1) Is he consistent with the Bible?

According to our Elder, Joseph Smith says that the “elements are eternal” and uncreated, while the Bible says that they are created (vide Genesis and St. John). Again, according to the Book of Mormon, “Adam fell that Man might be; and men are that they might have joy”; yet if the Bible account is to be relied upon, we know that Man fell “to die,” and it troubled God to make Man a creator of mischief, and to undo this creation, God had to die himself to expiate for his own mistake committed unwittingly and unintentionally. It is true, again, that blessings from God can be obtained by obedience to the Law: yet this is opposed to the Pauline doctrine of salvation through grace alone without the necessity of works and the accursedness of the Law. That is by way of specimen only.

(2) Are they original?

I do not mean to be misunderstood here. It has happened many a time, that thinkers living poles apart have arrived at similar conclusions quite independently of each other. I shall only indicate here that there were teachers who taught the same things long centuries before Joseph Smith was born. Elder Brigham says that one of the Mormon “revelations” is that “the elements are eternal” and that the things acting and the things re-acting have always existed without being created. He calls it the special announcement of Joseph Smith. Without offering any criticism of the doctrine itself, I would say that some of the advanced thinkers of the past, such as Pythagoras and the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain thinkers all living in the centuries antedating Jesus hundreds of years, have been teaching the same. Let the Elder take up any Indian book of philosophy and study it for himself. Some of these men have been propounding that God, matter, and the soul are co-eternal, co-existing, and uncreated.

As to the doctrine that “the glory of God is intelligence and that Man cannot be saved through ignorance”, my Elder would please note that all the Indian Schools of thought together with Islam have been teaching the same long centuries ahead of Mormon “revelation”. Confucius taught it about one thousand years before the birth of Jesus. Sa‘di, a great Muslim teacher, teaches to the same effect in his well-known quatrains, which have become the stock phrases of the East.

It is no new thing to be told that “whatever principle of intelligence we

attain to in this life, will rise with us in the resurrection.” It is taught by all the religions of the East, including those that hold to the theory of metempsychosis. It is a commonplace idea; maybe it is new to the West.

The Elder is right in maintaining that the Christian scriptures are silent on the purpose of creation, and I agree with him that the “pleasure of God” is the sole purpose of creation in so far as God created Man “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of Man, yet Islam anticipates Mormonism here too. Moreover, Islamic teachings on this point are more explicit, full, and free from ambiguity, and their ideal is higher. Islam says that Man has been created in the “best of forms,” and the purpose of creation is the worship of God and the fulfilling of His will, as evidenced in the work as well as the word of God.

(3) Are these Mormon teachings reasonable?

To say that the “elements are eternal” is tantamount to dealing a death blow to any system posing itself as religion or faith. If elements are eternal, their properties are eternal too. It is inconceivable to think of a property existing apart from the thing itself. Taking them as they are, why should it be impossible for them to mix together and create different forms? If not, we shall have to suppose that forms and properties as created out of nothing. Such a doctrine dispenses with the need of God, and with His elimination disappears all necessity of ministering to His will and “pleasure.” All talk of eternal progression is consigned to the limbo of oblivion, and there is nothing more to be said about gradual unfoldment and illimitable development. There can be nothing new, and therefore no progress at all. Moreover, if God is not our creator, why should we worship Him at all? To say that the elements are eternal and, in the same breath, to call God the Creator is a contradiction in terms. Such a creator would be no better than a potter, and here even the need for a potter vanishes.

Then again, to call “intelligence” the

glory of God is opposed to the doctrine of the eternity of elements. If God is AllIntelligent and All-Powerful, why would He not be able to create elements? All knowledge of a thing implies creation. Man, with his limited knowledge and very imperfect intellect, can, after knowing a few of the properties of matter, invent new things. Does my Elder think that God’s intelligence is less than Man’s? If matter co-existed with God, it necessarily follows that God does not possess the quality of allintelligence or that matter is all intelligent. Moreover, such a view is against the Unity of God, which predicates that there should be a time when there should be no plurality. How does he reconcile them? Then again, our daily experience shows that annihilation and new creation are going on side by side. My Elder Brigham is not what he was ten years ago. That is dead and gone. He is a changed man. That change is visible in all forms of matter. The old forms and combinations are broken up, never to be seen again.

I am grieved to find Elder Brigham associating himself with that long-exploded theory of the love of God manifesting itself through Jesus. The whole superstructure is built on sand: God is neither just, nor merciful, nor loving, nor all-knowing. He condemns the future generations of Man through no fault, but this, that Adam, his great progenitor, fell from the high pedestal of purity. He has neither love nor mercy for the intervening generations between Adam and Jesus, whom He unmercifully, unlovingly, and unjustly forces to undergo punishment for others for no fault of their own. The man prays and prays that the cup be turned away from him, but when he finds the Father inexorable, he resigns, though not very willingly, and finally gives up his ghost in despair, not knowing what he was saying. “Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?” is indeed too much for any human heart.

It is really very unedifying for an otherwise very reasonable person like our Elder Brigham to admire this suicidal or homicidal act on the part of the Deity and to hold it up as a supreme instance of love. That a man should sometimes offer himself as a sacrifice for his son cannot at all be applicable to God since the man-father knows that, as Man, the son-man, has the potential of becoming greater than the father himself and therefore more useful to the world at large. Here, that motive is altogether missing. The son can never be greater than the father, nor can man be comparable to the son if he is the real son. And after all, what is the upshot of this whole affair? The world is none the better for it, and if we look closer, we find that the salvation of Man again veers back to the old doctrine of unqualified grace, which is more in consonance with divine wisdom, providence, and fatherhood. A religion that presents a twisted and distorted view of God can never claim the allegiance of a true soul, and its universality is foredoomed to failure. If you want me to accept your religion, give me a perfect God, or I will have nothing to do with Him.

“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord” is the test that I would apply to every system of faith.

(Transcribed and edited by Al Hakam from the original in The Review of Religions [English], July 1923)

Michael Hart | Unsplash

Friday Sermon

Mubarak Mosque, Islamabad, Tilford, UK

9 June 2023

Muhammadsa: The great exemplar

After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

The initial events that took place following the migration, the factors that led to the Battle of Badr and the actions taken by the Holy Prophetsa to counter the schemes and ploys of the disbelievers of Mecca had briefly been mentioned. There were some expeditions and ghazwat [expeditions accompanied by the Holy Prophetsa] that took place prior to the Battle of Badr as well. I will mention these briefly and then also mention some details in regard to the preparations made by the disbelievers of Mecca for battle, insha-Allah [God willing].

The expedition of Hazrat Hamzahra was the first expedition that took place during Ramadan in the first year after the migration to Medina. This expedition was sent by the Holy Prophetsa, and it is also known as the expedition of Saif al-Bahr. The flag for this expedition was white and it was carried by Abu Marsad Ghanawira. The Holy Prophetsa sent this expedition during Ramadan 1 AH and he appointed his paternal uncle, Hazrat Hamzahra bin Abd al-Muttalib, as its leader. 30 Muhajirun [migrants] accompanied them. These individuals reached the coast of the Red Sea by passing through Ais and encountered a caravan led by Abu Jahl that was returning from Syria. Ais is the name of a place, located approximately 30 kilometres to the north of Rabigh, which is in the surroundings of Thaniyyah alMarah and at a distance of approximately 240 kilometres from Medina. There was a well by the name of Zunabah al-Ais, which was densely surrounded by acacia trees and other greenery. For this reason, the area was called Ais. This was home to Banu Sulaim. The trading caravans of the Quraish en route to Syria passed through this area. In any case, both parties formed their rows for battle and faced each other. It was very possible that a battle would break out, but a chief of their tribe settled the matter and both parties returned. (Atlas Sirat Nabawi, pp. 193-194, Dar al-Islam Riyad, 1424 AH)

Then, there is the Expedition of ‘Ubaidah bin Harithra. During Shawwal 1 AH, the Holy

Prophetsa sent Hazrat ‘Ubaidah bin Harithra towards Thaniyyah al-Marah, near Rabigh, along with 60 Muhajirun. There, they encountered Abu Sufyan and his cavalry of 200 men. Both parties fired some arrows, but a formal battle did not ensue. Hazrat Sa‘dra bin Abi Waqas was the first individual to fire an arrow that day. Prior to this, an exchange of arrows between Muslims and disbelievers had never occurred. As such, this was the first arrow shot in Islamic history, which Hazrat Sa‘dra was rightfully proud of. Following this, both parties returned to their dwellings. Thaniyyah alMarah is located to the northeast of the city of Rabigh, at a distance of approximately 55 kilometres and at a distance of 200 kilometres from Medina.

Following this is the Expedition of Hazrat Sa‘dra bin Abi Waqqas. This took place in 1 AH and according to some opinions, it took place in 2 AH. The Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Sa‘dra bin Abi Waqqas as the leader of 20 individuals and sent them with the instruction not to cross the valley of Kharrar. They set off on foot. They remained hidden during the day and travelled at night until they reached Kharrar. Their objective was to stop the trade caravan of the Quraish. However, when this group reached Kharrar, they came to know that the caravan had already passed through the previous day. As such, they returned without any confrontation. In relation to Kharrar, it is written that the name means water that flows whilst producing a loud sound. Kharrar is the name of a place near Juhfa, in the region of Hijaz. (Atlas Sirat Nabawi, p. 199)

Then there is the Ghazwah Waddan, or Ghazwa Abwa which took place in Safar 2 AH. In Safar 2 AH, the Holy Prophetsa set out towards Abwa, or Waddan with 60 to 70 Muhajirun. According to the historian Ibn Sa‘d, this was the first expedition in which the Holy Prophetsa took part himself. The Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Sa‘d bin Ubadahra as the leader of Medina in

his absence. The Holy Prophetsa reached Abwa with the intention of stopping a trade caravan of the Quraish; however, it had already left by the time he got there. Whilst there, the Holy Prophetsa established a peace treaty with Makhshi bin Amr Zamri, chief of the Banu Zamrah. The treaty set out that the Holy Prophetsa would not attack the Banu Zamrah, nor would the Banu Zamrah take any action in opposition to him or join in any opposition to him. Furthermore, they would not assist any enemy against him. During this journey, the Holy Prophetsa remained outside of Medina for 15 days. Regarding Waddan, it is recorded that this is a place between Mecca and Medina and is at a distance of 13 kilometres from Abwa, where the blessed mother of the Holy Prophetsa is buried. It is also about 100 kilometres from Juhfa. (Atlas Sirat Nabawi p. 202)

I mention the names of these places along with some details because some Ahmadis who travel to that region for Umrah wish to visit these places upon learning of their history. In this way, they become acquainted with these areas.

Ghazwah Buwat took place in Rabi‘ al-Awwal 2 AH and the Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Sa‘d bin Mu‘azra as the leader of Medina and, along with two companions, set out to stop a caravan belonging to the Quraish. This caravan consisted of Umayyah bin Khalaf along with a hundred other people from the Quraish and 2,500 camels. The Holy Prophetsa reached Buwat, near Razwa; however, they did not come face to face with anyone there, and following this, the Holy Prophetsa returned to Medina. The colour of the flag for this expedition was white and the flag bearer was Hazrat Sa‘dra bin Abi Waqqas. Regarding Buwat, it is recorded that it comprised two mountains belonging to the Juhainah tribe located along the route between Mecca and Syria and beside them is the famous mountain Razwa. Buwat is located about 100 kilometres from Medina.

Ghazwah Ushairah: The Holy Prophetsa received intelligence that a trade caravan belonging to the Quraish had departed from Mecca and the Meccans had invested all of their wealth into this caravan. They intended to use the profits in order to battle against the Muslims. Hence, in Jumadi alUla, or according to another narration in Jumadi al-Thani, 2 AH, the Holy Prophetsa departed Medina with 150 to 200 people. When the Holy Prophetsa reached Ushairah, he learned that the trading caravan had already departed from there a few days before. Ushairah was the name of an area between Mecca and Medina near the area of Yanbu, which belonged to the Banu Mudlij. The Holy Prophetsa remained there for a few days, formed peace treaties with the allies of Banu Mudlij and Banu Zamrah and then returned to Medina. This caravan belonging to the Quraish was the same one that the Holy Prophetsa pursued a second time upon its return from Syria, which ultimately resulted in the Battle of Badr. (Subul al-Huda, Vol. 4, p. 17, Dar al-Kutub alIlimiyyah, Beirut, 1993); (Farhang-e-Sirat, p. 201, Zawar Academy, Karachi, 2003)

Ghazwah Badr al-Ula: Within ten days of the Holy Prophetsa returning to Medina after the Ghazwah Ushairah, Kurz bin Jabir attacked a grazing ground in Medina. The Holy Prophetsa set out after him and appointed Hazrat Zaid bin Harithahra as leader [of Medina] in his stead. The Holy Prophetsa reached a valley near Badr called Safawan. Safawan is a valley located in the area surrounding Badr. However, Kurz bin Jabir was quick to get ahead, and the Holy Prophetsa could not reach him. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 412, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah Beirut 2001); (Atlas Sirat Nabawi, p. 206, Dar al-Islam Riyad, 1424 AH)

This expedition is also called Badr alUla. The Holy Prophetsa then returned to Medina. This is called Badr al-Ula because the Muslim army reached Safawan, which is near Badr. (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol.

(Atlas Sirat Nabawi p. 204)

2, p.177, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

This is what has been stated in Sirat al-Halabiyyah. Regarding Kurz bin Jabir, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra has written the following details:

“This raid of Kurz bin Jabir was not a minor Bedouin act of plunder, rather, it is definite that he had set out against the Muslims on behalf of the Quraish, with a particular motive. As a matter of fact, it is very likely that he had specifically come with the intention of inflicting injury upon the very person of the Holy Prophetsa, but upon finding the Muslims vigilant, he settled upon the robbery of their camels and ran off. This also demonstrates that the Quraish of Mecca had planned to raid Medina so as to utterly destroy the Muslims. It should also be remembered that the Muslims had already been given permission for Jihad by the sword prior to this, and in a sense of self-defence, they had begun to employ an initial plan of action in this regard as well. However, until now, they had not practically suffered any loss in terms of wealth or lives. However, the raid of Kurz bin Jabir was one that practically inflicted harm upon the Muslims. In other words, even after the acceptance of the challenge of the Quraish, it was the disbelievers who practically initiated the battle.” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 2, p. 102)

Then there was the Expedition of Abdullahra bin Jahash. This expedition took place towards a valley near Mecca called Nakhlah. Regarding this expedition, it is recorded that in the month of Rajab, the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahashra along with eight Muhajirun; no one from the Ansar [natives of Medina] was among them. The Holy Prophetsa gave them a letter and instructed that it should only be opened after two days of travelling and that the instructions within it should be followed; however, no one would be compelled to continue the journey. After completing two days of travel, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jahash opened the letter containing their orders and read it. The letter stated, “When you open and read my letter, you should continue your journey and go to Nakhlah, which is between Ta’if and Mecca and observe the Quraish’s movements and then inform us about them.” When Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jahash read this letter, he said, “I must hear and obey.” Then he told those accompanying him, “The Holy Prophetsa has instructed me to continue towards Nakhlah and observe the movements of the Quraish so that I may be able to inform the Holy Prophetsa about what they are doing. He forbade me from compelling any of you to join me. Those of you who desire martyrdom can accompany me and whoever wishes to return may go.” However, none of them left and they all set out towards Hijaz. Along the way, Hazrat Sa‘dra bin Abi Waqqas and Hazrat ‘Utbahra bin Ghazwan lost their camel and both were left behind as they searched for it while Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jahsh and the rest of those accompanying him continued until they reached Nakhlah. While there, they happened to pass by a caravan carrying raisins, leather, and other trading merchandise of the Quraish. This caravan also included Amr bin Hazrami. When the Quraish of Mecca saw the Muslims, they became fearful. Hazrat Ukashah bin Mihsanra, who had a shaved head,

came before them. Upon seeing him, the disbelievers became content, saying there was nothing to fear because these people were simply going for Umrah. Then, the Muslims consulted with one another about the fact that it was the last day of the month of Rajab.

They considered that if they fought and killed them, they would be doing so during a sacred month. Alternatively, if they were to wait, the enemy would enter the sacred boundary by night and become unreachable. Ultimately, everyone unanimously agreed that the caravan should be attacked. The details of this incident have already been mentioned before in reference to the Companions. Hazrat Waqidra bin Abdullah Tamimi shot an arrow at ‘Amr bin Hazrami, which killed him. The Muslims also captured two individuals, while a third was successful in escaping. Thereafter, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jahash brought the camels and two prisoners before the Holy Prophetsa in Medina. When Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jahash entered Medina, the Holy Prophetsa addressed him and said, “I did not command you to take up arms during the sacred month.” The Holy Prophetsa gave the camels and captives a place to stay and refused to accept any spoils. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, pp. 412-414, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Some claim that the objective of this expedition was to loot and plunder. This was not the objective. If it were so, the Holy Prophetsa would commend their actions. Instead, the Holy Prophetsa deemed their actions wrong.

“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, ‘Amr bin Al-Hadrami, was a chieftain, and was also a confederate of ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘ah, a chieftain of Mecca, this occurrence greatly enraged the Quraish’s fire of fury. They began to prepare for an attack upon Medina with even greater zeal and uproar. Hence, the Battle of Badr […] was primarily a result of this very preparation and vehement enmity. Therefore, upon this occurrence, there was murmuring both among the Muslims and disbelievers, and finally, the following Quranic verse was revealed, which provided a means of relief for the Muslims (“I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed”, Allah the Almighty states):

their enmity towards you that they will not cease fighting you at any time and at any place, until they turn you back from your faith, if they find the power to do so.’” [Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.218]

In any case, Allah the Almighty knew that the disbelievers would persist in their attempts to turn the Muslims away from their faith. For this reason, Allah the Almighty did not express any displeasure over the incident that had occurred.

“Therefore, history establishes that the chieftains of the Quraish would spread their bloody propaganda even in the Sacred Months. As a matter of fact, they became even more active in their evil designs during these months, taking benefit of the gatherings and journeys which would take place in the Sacred Months. Furthermore, with great shamelessness, in order to gratify themselves with false satisfaction, they would re-arrange the order of the Sacred Months, which was known as nas’i […]. Hence, it was only natural for the Muslims to find comfort in this response, but the Quraish were also brought to a level. (They came to know that a revelation had been sent down.) During this time, two of their men arrived in Medina in order to have their two captives released. However, until now, Sa‘dra bin Abi Waqqas and ‘Utbahra 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 for a ransom.” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 2, pp. 106-108)

Ghazwah Badr al-Kubra: The Holy Quran has referred to this expedition as Yaum al-Furqan [The Day of Distinction]. The First Caliphra states “The Furqan [distinction] of the Holy Prophetsa occurred on the day of Badr, when the staunch and powerful leaders of the enemy perished, and the Muslims attained victory.” (Haqaiqul Furqan Vol. 3, p. 235)

At another instance, while defining the word Furqan, The First Caliphra states, “I have learned from the Quran that Furqan is the name of such a victory that results in breaking the spine and strength of the enemy.” (Haqaiqul Furqan Vol. 1, p. 306)

out in Jumadi al-Ula or Jumadi al-Akhir in 2 AH. Upon learning about this caravan’s return, the Holy Prophetsa invited the Muslims to go forth with him and said, “This is a trading caravan of the Quraish carrying much of their wealth. Go forth, for it may be that Allah grants you spoils of war.” (Subul al-Huda Vol. 4, p. 30, Translated by Maulana Ubaidur Rahman, Maktabah Rahmaniyyah, Lahore; Al-Rahiq al-Makhtum (Urdu), p. 272, Al-Maktabah al-Salafiyyah, Lahore, 2000)

Some people who are accustomed to seeking out opportunities to raise allegations, or perhaps those who lack knowledge, claim that Muslims began to loot and plunder after going to Medina. As an example, they cite the incident of the pursuit of this caravan. Such claims arise from utter ignorance, lack of knowledge and unfamiliarity with the conditions of war at that time. The act of intercepting the Quraish’s trading caravan was not blameworthy at all. The details of this incident have been mentioned by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra in his book The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets. He writes:

‘People ask thee about fighting in the Sacred Month. Tell them: “Undoubtedly, fighting in the Sacred Month is a great transgression, but to forcefully hinder men from the religion of God in the Sacred Month; rather, to disbelieve in relation to the Sacred Month and the Sacred Mosque, i.e., to violate their sanctity, and then to turn out by coercion, the inhabitants of the Haram, as you are guilty of doing, O ye idolaters, is a greater sin with Allah than fighting in the Sacred Month; and verily, to persecute in the land during the Sacred Month is worse than such fighting, which is for the purpose of preventing persecution.

O Ye Muslims! The state of the disbelievers is such that they have become so blinded in

This was demonstrated on the occasion of the Battle of Badr. This battle is also referred to as Badr al-Thani, Badr al-Kubra, Badr al-‘Uzma and Badr al-Qital. (AlSirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 197, Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah Beirut 2002) (Tarikh Ibn Khaldun Vol. 2, p. 426, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, 2000)

The Holy Prophetsa learned that Abu Sufyan was returning from Syria with the Quraish’s trading caravan, comprising 1,000 camels. This caravan possessed a large amount of wealth from the Quraish. If a person possessed even a small amount of gold, then they had contributed to funding this caravan; It is said that a vast amount of wealth was invested in it. This caravan comprised 30 to 40 men, or, according to one narration, 70 men. This was the same caravan that the Holy Prophetsa set out in pursuit of and reached ‘Ushairah, however, the caravan was already on its way to Syria. For this expedition, the Holy Prophetsa set

“To set out in order to intercept the caravan is not at all objectionable. The reason being that, firstly, this particular caravan that the Muslims had set out to pursue was not an ordinary caravan. Every man and woman from among the Quraish held shares in it. This demonstrates that, with regard to this caravan, the intention of the chieftains of the Quraish was that this profit would be used in order to wage war against the Muslims; history proves that this very profit was used to prepare for the Battle of Uhud. As such, the interception of this caravan was a necessary part of the tactics of war. Secondly, it was also necessary in general to intercept these caravans of the Quraish because they were armed and would pass by very close to Medina. The Muslims remained in constant danger of them and it was necessary to put an end to this. Thirdly, wherever these caravans would travel, they would heavily incite the tribes of Arabia against the Muslims, due to which the state of the Muslims was becoming more and more vulnerable; as such, blocking their passage was a part of their protection and self-defense programme. Fourthly, the Quraish’s livelihood primarily depended on trade, and for this reason, the interception of these caravans was an excellent means by which to bring the Quraish to their senses, stop them from their acts of war, and to press them towards reconciliation and the establishment of peace.”

To prevent such wars, nowadays, some nations impose sanctions, yet these too are imposed wrongfully and in an unjust manner. As it were, this was an action similar to imposing a sanction. “Furthermore, the purpose of intercepting these caravans was not to pillage and plunder. On the contrary, as the Holy Quran clearly states, in this specific campaign, the Muslims were not interested in the caravan due to its wealth; rather, it was because there was a lesser concern of difficulty and hardship in fighting it.” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 2, pp. 120-121)

In any case, the Holy Prophetsa sent forth two of his Companions, Hazrat Talhahra bin Ubaidullah and Hazrat Sa’idra bin Zaid, to obtain intelligence about this caravan. These two Companions departed from Medina,

and after gathering information about the caravan and returning to Medina, they came to learn that the Holy Prophetsa had already left. Therefore, both of them set out towards Badr, but they only met the Holy Prophetsa en route when he was already returning after the Battle of Badr had concluded, and this is why these two Companions were unable to take part in the Battle of Badr. However, the Holy Prophetsa still assigned a portion of the spoils of war to them. (Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 203, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

On the other hand, Abu Sufyan received word from his spies that the Holy Prophetsa had departed with his Companions to attack his trade caravan. It is also stated that Abu Sufyan met someone who informed him that the Holy Prophetsa wanted to stop this caravan in its tracks from the very beginning, and that the Holy Prophetsa was waiting for the caravan to return. Hearing this news, Abu Sufyan became frightened, and paid a man named Zamzam bin Amr Ghiffari to head towards Mecca, telling him to inform the Meccans that Muhammadsa and his Companions had set forth to attack their caravan. Hence, Zamzam set off rapidly. (Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 197, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002.)

“When this emissary of Abu Sufyan reached Mecca, according to the Arab custom, he made himself appear extremely terrified and began to scream loudly, saying, ‘O ye people of Mecca! Muhammadsa and his Companions have set out to attack your caravan. Go forth and save it!’” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophetsa, Vol. 2, p. 132)

At the same time, Abu Sufyan continued to cleverly obtain information, and carried on his journey whilst avoiding the Muslim army. Upon arriving at the spring of Badr, he asked someone if they had seen anyone else arrive there. He replied that two people came here, sat their camels near a hill and went to get water. Abu Sufyan went to where the camels had been. There, he found camel droppings. He picked one up, split it and found a datestone in it. Seeing this, he said that this was the food of Yathrib [Medina], and understood that these people from Medina were close by. Therefore, he swiftly returned to his caravan, diverted from the regular path, and took them via the shoreline. Thus, he left Badr from one side and went forth in haste. (Al-Rahiq al-Makhtum [translated], pp. 282-283, Maktabah al-Salafiyyah, Lahore, 2000)

Regarding this, there is an extraordinary dream of Atikah bint Abdul Muttalib, and it proved to be a true dream. The dream is as follows: Atika bint Abdul Muttalib was the paternal aunt of the Holy Prophetsa and the mother of Umm al-Momineen, Hazrat Umm Salamahra. There are two opinions regarding her acceptance of Islam: according to some, she accepted Islam, however, the majority are of the opinion that she did not accept Islam. Nonetheless, three days before Abu Sufyan’s messenger, Zamzam, reached Mecca, she saw a dream that frightened her. She called for her brother, Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, and said: “My dear brother! By God, last night I saw a dream that has left me petrified. I fear that a calamity or trial will most certainly befall your people. Keep what I am about to tell you a secret.”

According to one narration, Atika said:

“Unless you give me a solemn promise that you will not tell this to anyone, I will not tell you the dream, because if the Quraish of Mecca find out about this dream, they will cause us trouble and curse us.” Thus, Hazrat Abbasra promised her and then he asked her what she had seen in the dream. Atikah said, “I saw in a dream that a man came riding on a camel and stood in the plains of Abtah (Mecca and Mina were both known as Abtah and it is closer to Mina.) Then, at the top of his voice, he screamed: ‘O People! Go to the place of your slaughter within three days.’” Atikah further says:

“I then saw that people had gathered around him as he entered the mosque, i.e., the Ka’bah and people were walking behind him. I then saw that, while people were still gathered around him, his camel had taken him onto the roof of the Ka’bah. He then screamed again: ‘O People! Go to the place of your slaughter within three days.’

I then saw that his camel took him to the peak of Mount Abu Qubais. (It is written that Mount Abu Qubais was a prominent mountain peak to the east of Mecca.) From there, he again bellowed at the top of his voice. He then took a rock and rolled it down the mountain. As soon as it reached the bottom, the rock broke into smaller fragments. There was not a single house or abode in Mecca upon which a rock fragment did not fall.” After hearing this, Hazrat Abbasra said to Atikah: “By God! This is a very significant dream! Keep this a secret and do not tell a soul.”

After this, Hazrat Abbasra left the house of Atikah and along the way, he met Walid bin ‘Utbah, who was his friend. Although he had told his sister, Atikah, not to tell anyone, he mentioned the dream to Walid and told him not to tell anyone, however, once something is revealed, it cannot be kept hidden. Walid in turn told his father, ‘Utbah, and like this, the news of the dream spread throughout Mecca. If two people met each other, they would speak about the dream. Abbasra says: “The next morning, when I went to perform circuits of the Ka’bah, Abu Jahl was sitting with a few people of the Quraish. Upon seeing me, he said: ‘O Abu Al-Fazl! (This was the filial appellation of Hazrat Abbasra.) After completing your circuit, come to see me.’” Hazrat Abbasra further says: “After finishing my circuits, I went to see Abu Jahl. He said: ‘O Banu Abdul Muttalib! Since when have female prophets started appearing among you?’ I asked him what he meant. He replied: ‘Men from among you have claimed prophethood (referring to the Holy Prophetsa). Now your women have also started claiming to be prophets. What is this dream which Atikah has seen?’” Hazrat Abbasra asked, “What dream?” Upon this, Abu Jahl said, “She says that she saw someone coming on a camel, who then cried out at the top of his voice, and thereafter, rolled a rock down from the mountain.” He then went on to narrate the entire dream. Abu Jahl then said, “We shall wait for three days and see whether the events unfold as mentioned in the dream; if it is fulfilled, then that is fine, and if this is not the case, then we shall place a written declaration on the Ka’bah wherein it would state that you people are the greatest liars in the Arab land.” Abbas further narrates, “By God, I had to deny the dream and I told him that Atikah did not see any such

dream. Thereafter, we all left the gathering. In the evening, when I returned home, all of the women of the Banu Abdul Muttalib came to me and said, ‘That wretched and evil man first levelled all kinds of allegations against our men and you did not take any action. Now, he has started to speak ill of your women and you are silently listening to him and not refuting him. Where is your sense of honour?’” In this way, the women of his tribe impassioned him. Abbas further narrates, “Upon this, I said, ‘By God, this is exactly what I did and I believe that there is no greater wrongdoing than this, thus, by Allah, I shall go to him and if he says anything like this again, I shall put an end to him in order to avenge you.’” Hazrat Abbasra further narrates, “On the third day following the dream Atikah had seen, I left my home in the morning and I was in a state of great anger and intended to seek revenge for the wrong I had done that day. As I entered the mosque, I saw Abu Jahl, who had a slim build and a sharp tongue. By God, I went towards him so that he could say something again, as he had done previously and as a result, I would take revenge. However, I saw Abu Jahl running towards the door of the mosque, i.e., the Ka’bah. I thought to myself at the time, ‘What is the matter with him, may Allah the Almighty’s curse be upon him, what has happened to him; is he running in fear lest I say something ill to him?’ However, the fact was that he had heard the loud cry of Zamzam bin Amr Ghiffari, which I had not heard, and Zamzam was loudly calling out whilst he was mounted on the camel in the middle of the valley. He had cut the nose and ears of his camel and had turned over his saddle and torn his upper garment, crying, ‘Caravan, caravan! (In other words, he was asking for their caravan to be saved.) ‘This caravan, under the lead of Abu Sufyan, is carrying your trade goods and Muhammadsa and his Companions have attacked it. Reach them as quickly as you can, however, I do not think you will be able to reach in time to aid them.’” Abbasra further narrates, “We both became so occupied with this new incident that had unfolded that we were unable to pay attention to the earlier matter.”

(Al-Seerah al-Nabawiyya li Ibn Hisham, pp. 216-217, Ghazwah Badr al-Kubra/Zikr Ru’ya Atikah bint Abdul Muttalib, Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001; Al-Sirah al-Halabiyya, Vol. 2, p. 198, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut, Lebanon, 2002; Kitab al-Maghazi li al-Waqidi, Vol. 1, p. 30, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1984; Al-Asabah, Vol. 8, p. 229, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995; Usd al-Ghabah, Vol. 7, p. 183, Dar alKutub al-Ilimiyyah, Beirut, 2016; Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol.1, p. 95, Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut; Farhang-e-Sirat, p. 230, Zawar Academy, Karachi, 2003)

It is written that when the Quraish heard the cry of Zamzam, they became enraged and began to prepare their people for battle. They said, “Do Muhammadsa and his Companions think that this caravan is like that of Ibn Hazrami’s trade caravan? This is certainly not the case. By God, they shall soon find out that is not the case.”

The caravan of Amr bin Hazrami and him being killed by the Muslims has been mentioned earlier in relation to the expedition of Abdullah bin Jahash, in which the Muslims were easily able to kill

Ibn Hazrami and seize his possessions and wealth. In any case, now the Quraish of Mecca began to make preparations for battle and its people were either going personally for battle or sending someone on their behalf and paying for their expenses. One of their chieftains said, “Will you allow Muhammadsa, his Companions who have turned away from our faith and the people of Yathrib to seize our wealth? My wealth and food provisions are available to whoever is in need of them!” Similarly, some people gave 200 dinars and others 300 dinars, 500 dinars, etc. and said they could spend it however and wherever they desired. Some offered 20 camels for the battle and others took on the entire household expenses of those who were leaving for battle. Those who could not personally take part in the battle supported someone else to go for battle by paying for all their expenses. In this way, within two or three days, their preparations for battle were complete. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, p. 21, Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

It should be noted here that although he had announced for them to reach there immediately, they spent two or three days making full preparation for battle. Their efforts to make preparations prove that the disbelievers of Mecca were, in fact, searching for an excuse to engage in a full-fledged battle with the Muslims. If their intention was to simply protect the caravan, then they would have immediately reached there upon hearing the news; whatever weapon they could have gotten hold of, they would have taken it and arrived there. However, this was not the case, and instead of protecting the caravan, they were preparing for a battle.

In relation to the chiefs of the Quraish, it is written that five chiefs; Umaiyyah bin Khalaf, ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘ah, Shaibah bin Rabi‘ah, Zam’ah bin Aswad and Hakim bin Hizam drew lots by throwing their arrows to determine whether they ought to go for battle or not. They drew the arrow that signified that they should not go forth for battle, in other words, the arrow they selected was the one upon which it was written that they should not go forth for battle. And so, they all unanimously decided that they should not proceed for battle, however, Abu Jahl came to them and insisted that they should go. Uqbah bin Abu Mu‘ait and Nazar bin Harith supported Abu Jahl and insisted on taking everyone along with them. Upon this, the slave of ‘Utbah and Shaibah said, “By God, you are not going forth for battle; rather, you both are heading towards the places where you shall be killed.” Subsequently, they both decided not to go to battle, but Abu Jahl insisted so much that in the end, they both decided to go along with the others and then they would later turn back during the journey.

(Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2 pp. 200-201, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2002)

Further details in relation to the preparations made by the disbelievers for the battle, their departure and various incidents in relation to this shall, Godwilling, be mentioned in the future, as there are quite a lot of details in this regard.

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 30 June 2023, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)

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