Al Hakam - 26 August 2022

Afghanistan, the US and Taliban: A story of injustice, terror and vested interests

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Radcliffe line and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – Part II

100 Years Ago ...

Daily diary of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II

The siblings of Prophet Jesus

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s tireless efforts to save millions from displacement Page 10

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 26 August 2022 | Issue CCXXXII Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7388

Love for others what you love for yourself – The key to achieving global peace Hazrat Khalifatul Masih delivers concluding address at Jalsa Salana Germany

As Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany held their Jalsa Salana in Karlsruhe on 19-21 August 2022, Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa graced the convention virtually from Islamabad, UK and delivered the concluding address.

At 14:33 GMT, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived in the Masroor Hall, Islamabad for the concluding session of Jalsa Salana Germany 2022.

Upon arrival, Huzooraa invited Hafiz Owais Ahmad Qamar Sahib to the stage

in Germany to recite a portion of the Holy Quran (Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.103-108).

The Urdu translation of the recited portion, as rendered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, was presented by Syed Hasan Tahir Bukhari Sahib and Adnan Ahmad Raja Sahib was invited to present the German translation.

Murtaza Mannan Sahib was then invited to recite an Urdu nazm written by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas in praise of Islam and its Founder, Prophet Muhammad, may peace and

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

The golden principle of Islam

َ​َ ْ َ َ ّ ٰ َّ َّ َ ‫ ﻋ ِﻦ‬،‫ﺲ‬ ‫اﻟﻨ ِ� ِّ� َﺻﻠﻰ الل ُہ َ�ﻠ ْﻴ ِﻪ‬ ٍ �‫ﻋﻦ أ‬ َ َ ُ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ َّ ‫َو َﺳﻠ َﻢ ﻗال �� ﻳُﺆ ِﻣ ُﻦ أ َﺣﺪ� ْﻢ َﺣ ّﺘﻰ � ِ� ّﺐ‬ َ ْ ُ ُ ‫�� ِﺧﻴ ِﻪ َﻣا � ِ� ّﺐ ﻟ َِﻨﻔ ِﺴ ِﻪ‬ Hazrat Anasra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said: “None of you can be a truly faithful Muslim unless he likes for his brother what he likes for himself.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith 13)

blessings of Allah be upon him.

At 14:55 BST, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa took to the podium to deliver the concluding address of Jalsa Salana Germany.

After conveying “Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu”, Huzooraa recited tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, before saying that it was an immense grace and blessing of Allah that despite the conditions of the world, Jamaate-Ahmadiyya Germany was holding its Jalsa Salana. This year, as compared to the previous year, it was being held on a more extensive scale. Although the Covid threat had not yet ended, the threat of global warfare now loomed and no part of the world appeared to be safe. Until and unless we turn to Allah, we cannot be saved from such destruction.

Initially, the more developed countries were content in thinking that the battleground was thousands of miles away from them. But today, the threat of children being orphaned, women being widowed and children born with disabilities and deformities through nuclear warfare is ever increasing the world over. Now, the world sees that what we all feared is happening.

Due to the conditions in Ukraine, Russia and NATO have come face to face. Only Allah knows who will prove victorious Continued on next page >>

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

The mission of the Promised Messiahas “I am amazed when I think about the tasks that this so-called Messiah of the Muslims will perform. The division of his time, as other Muslims explain, is that one part of his day, he will spend breaking crosses made of wood, iron, brass, gold and silver, and another portion, he will spend killing swine.

Is this all or will he do anything else?”

The Promised Messiahas said: “These people do not stop to think about the actual thing that will establish an argument in favour of the truth against millions of Christians.

For if the sword is all they have, Muslims ought to realise that the sword can never be a tool for establishing the truth. Can the truth ever be instilled into the hearts of people through harsh measures? Can coercion ever move a person to be captivated by Continued on page 2

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Continued from page 1

an argument of Allah? This is all the more objectionable because others will say that such people have no real argument in hand and thus resort to violence.”

The Promised Messiahas said: “People already raise countless allegations unjustly that Islam was spread by the sword, and now the Muslims seek to prove them right.

Furthermore, commonly observed miracles and the like are also insufficient to impress the people of Europe and others from among the Christians. For it is written in their books that many false Prophets will appear and they will manifest signs. Now what other argument, if manifested, could move people to bow their heads? It is the sign that God will manifest at my hand.”

(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 2, pp. 27-28)

<< Continued from previous page

and what the outcome will be, but what we do know is that it will result in utter devastation. The situation in Taiwan is also showing that this may all soon become a reality.

The Promised Messiahas wrote once: “O Europe! You are not safe! And O Asia!

Neither are you secure! And O the dwellers of Islands! No artificial ‘God’ will come to your aid. I see cities falling and habitations in ruin.” (Haqiqatul Wahi [English], p. 328) This is the warning that Khulafa-eAhmadiyyat have, in their respective times, been drawing the attention of the masses to. Huzooraa said that he himself had been warning that eventually, this would all lead to global devastation, therefore nations should reflect. Nations are usually in denial about this, but now, think tanks and analysts are coming to the same conclusion that Huzooraa has been warning about for a long time.

Unfortunately, the world is engrossed in materialism and no nation is willing to heed this call. Some analysts are now saying that the result of global nuclear warfare will be so devastating that 66% of the world’s population will be wiped off the face of the earth.

If there is any ray of hope in this day and age, then it is in the person whom Allah sent as a means of peace and security for mankind; who is dearest to God among every human being ever born; who felt the pain of the world so much that he sacrificed every fibre of his being in this way; who prayed earnestly to God so fervently that Allah said to him:

ُ ُ َّ َ َ ۡ َّ ٌ َ َّ ۡ �َ �‫ل َ َعﻠﻚ ﺑَا ِﺧﻊ �ﻔ َسﻚ ا�� ﻳَﻜوۡنوۡا ُﻣ ۡﺆ ِﻣ ِﻨ‬

“Haply thou wilt grieve thyself to death because they believe not.” (Surah al-Shu‘ara, Ch.26: V.4) This is the individual who was a true sympathiser for every human being; who wished for everyone to protect themselves from the Hellfire in this world and the next. Muslims have unfortunately ceased

to benefit from the blessings within the Islamic teachings and the noble conduct of their beloved Prophetsa – this is all because the Prince of Peace in this day and age has been rejected – nobody is willing to listen to what he has to say as they deem his rejection and the murder of Ahmadis to be a means of defending the honour of the Holy Prophetsa.

May such clerics develop some sense and refrain from such ill thinking.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said that he wished to talk about the apt and beautiful teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa at this time. The Prophet’ssa example was such that it could not be explained in such a short space of time. It is said about Jamaat-eAhmadiyya that the Jamaat dishonours the Prophetsa and preaches this to its followers and beyond; however, the fact is that the Jamaat only teaches love and loyalty to Prophet Muhammadsa. Even non-Muslims feel compelled to say that the only solution to global peace is within the teachings of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.

During Huzoor’s address on the second day of Jalsa Salana UK, while presenting the report of achievements by Jamaat-eAhmadiyya in the past year, Huzooraa said he presented many examples of how many people were being drawn to the true teachings of Islam, that is Jamaat-eAhmadiyya. When we review the annals of history, we find that the Prophetsa brought about peace wherever he went.

The Promised Messiahas once wrote that the Prophetsa brought about such a revolution that he turned beasts into humans and humans into God-fearing humans.

Huzooraa said that the Companions’ every act was for the sake of Allah; in the love for Allah. It is this love that wins the pleasure of Allah.

The Promised Messiahas writes about a true follower of the Prophetsa such a person eventually becomes a beloved of God. This is the standard of the Prophet’ssa example.

When one has love for another, they desire to listen and pay heed to everything they say and aspire to become like them. Thus,

those who love the Prophetsa must become thus. When this is the standard, it will bring about peace and harmony the world over.

The Holy Prophetsa is the individual who showed us the path to win God’s pleasure; it is this path through which we can achieve world peace.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has spoken on this on many occasions, but on one occasion he said that peace is very important; everyone accepts this. Everyone aspires to achieve it, but to desire peace alone is a selfish act as the desire to achieve peace is for one’s own sake.

When one prays, they pray for their immediate dear ones, for example, their wife, children and close ones. When one prays for themselves and their dear ones, they usually do not wish the same for their foes. This is what we see in the world today, whether they are leaders or subjects. Thus, the mere desire for peace can in fact lead to further disharmony as one would not want the same for their enemy. Thus, it can be concluded that the desire for peace will be peace for a select few and not everyone.

True peace can only be achieved when one disregards any national and familial ties and disregards any biases and then works towards achieving global peace.

Thus, the teachings of peace as taught by the Prophetsa say that we must always remember that God is always watching us. We must always remember what the Prophetsa taught, that is to love for another what one loves for themselves. One must ask themselves, “Do I wish to achieve peace in my nation only?” Only when one thinks about everyone unbiasedly and wishes for them what they wish for themselves can global peace be achieved.

The reason as to why there is global disharmony and unrest is because the intentions and aspirations of man are not pure. What one says from their mouths is not what their inner desires are and their inner desires are contrary to what they preach. Today, undoubtedly, the world says that warfare is bad, and this is what every world leader says, but what they actually

mean is, “If someone fights with us, then it is bad”, and, “If we start warfare, then it is not bad.” This is all because they have no fear of their Creator, Who has the power to provide peace to the world.

Such countries think that until and unless they are benefiting, they will raise slogans of world peace, but when things go against their interest, they will stop.

If a nation’s enemy is helped and provided arms, then it is totally unacceptable, but if that nation provides arms to another country, even if they are the perpetrators, then it is considered acceptable. If this is the mentality of today, then how can global peace be achieved?

Until and unless people do not accept that there is a Creator, a God above them Who has the power to provide peace, then everyone will disregard their vested interests and instead, turn to Him. The teachings that were revealed to the Prophetsa said:

َُ َ َۡ َ ُ ّٰ ۡ ُ ‫ﻗد ج‬ �ٌ �‫ﺂء� ۡم ِّﻣ َﻦ الل ِہ نوۡ ٌر ّو� ِٰت ٌﺐ ّﻣ ِﺒ‬ َّ َ ُ ُ ٗ َ َ ۡ َ َ َّ َ ُ ّٰ ۡ ۡ َّ ٰ‫السﻠم‬ ِ ‫ﻳﻬ ِدى ِﺑ ِہ اللہ ﻣ ِﻦ اﺗﺒﻊ رِﺿوانہ ﺳﺒﻞ‬

“There has come to you indeed from Allah a Light and a clear Book. Thereby does Allah guide those who seek His pleasure on the paths of peace”. (Surah al-Maidah, Ch.5: V.16-17) Those who follow these teachings will be the inheritors of true and lasting peace.

Although there are claims that they revere the Prophetsa, such Muslims who act contrary to this ought to take heed.

It is the responsibility of every member of the Jamaat to adopt the teachings of the Holy Quran and Islam in their lives.

The Promised Messiahas said: “Now under heaven, there is only one Prophetsa and only one Book. The Prophet is Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] who is higher and more exalted than all Prophets and is the most perfect of Messengers and is the Khatam-ul-Anbiya, and the best of men by following whom we find God Almighty and all the veils of darkness are lifted and the signs of true salvation are witnessed

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AL HAKAM | Friday 26 August 2022

The true and perfect guidance

“

Now under heaven, there is only one Prophetsa and only one Book. The

Prophet is Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on

him] who is higher and more exalted than all Prophets and is the most perfect

of Messengers and is the Khatam-ul-Anbiya, and the best of men by following whom we find God Almighty and all the veils of darkness are lifted and the signs of true salvation are witnessed in this very life. The Book is the Holy Quran, which comprises true and perfect guidance and effectiveness, through which knowledge and understanding of the Divine are obtained and the heart is purified of human weaknesses; and being delivered from ignorance, heedlessness and doubts, a person arrives at the stage of complete certainty.

(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 1, pp. 557-558, sub-footnote 3)

in this very life. The Book is the Holy Quran, which comprises true and perfect guidance and effectiveness, through which knowledge and understanding of the Divine are obtained and the heart is purified of human weaknesses; and being delivered from ignorance, heedlessness and doubts, a person arrives at the stage of complete certainty.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 1, pp. 557-558, sub-footnote 3) God Almighty did a huge favour upon mankind by sending the Champion of Peace, the Holy Prophetsa to this world. But how unfortunate is it that people still reject him!

This is the message that we must all convey to the world; this is the guarantor of peace. This is what the Prophetsa taught to his Companionsra and thus, manifested an atmosphere of:

َ َ َ ُ َ ُ ۡ ‫ِاذا ﺧاﻃ َﺒ ُﻬ ُم ال ٰﺠ ِﻬﻠوۡ َن ﻗالوۡا َﺳ ٰﻠ ًما‬

“”When the ignorant address them, they

say, ‘Peace!’” (Surah al-Furqan, Ch.25: V.64) When this is adopted, only then can true and lasting peace be established.

A huge responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of every member of the Jamaat, to achieve peace inside our homes and outside. Without accepting a supreme being, i.e. God Almighty, global peace cannot be achieved; this is an undeniable fact. It cannot be achieved until we love for another what we love for ourselves; until true unity is not established; until a true relationship is not forged with our Creator, and this is something that we have been taught through the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Quran teaches us:

ّٰ َۡ ۡ َ ۡ �َ �‫ال َﺤ ۡم ُد لِل ِہ َر ِّب ال ٰعﻠ ِم‬

“All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.” (Surah al-Fatihah, Ch.1: V.2) This teaches us the universality of Islam and mankind, both. When one recites these words, how can one hold animosity for another nation? “Lord of all

the worlds” includes everyone, something which Huzooraa had alluded to in a meeting in the USA. When one truly believes in these words, then it is impossible to hold a grudge against another nation. How can one inwardly hate another and outwardly profess to believe in these words?

True and lasting peace can only be established once one adheres to the Promised Messiahas. When we recite:

ّٰ َۡ ۡ َ ۡ �َ �‫ال َﺤ ۡم ُد لِل ِہ َر ِّب ال ٰعﻠ ِم‬

but do not believe in it wholeheartedly, then we will be part of the problem.

This is a moment of reflection, of introspection. Every Ahmadi has the responsibility to strengthen their faith and develop such love for their Creator in their hearts that is never taken over by any worldly love. This is the means of achieving global peace and this is the way to answer those who raise allegations against the teachings of Islam.

This responsibility lies on the shoulders

of every single person who claims to adhere to the Promised Messiahas. If we do not endeavour to establish peace within our homes and on a national and international scale, then we will not have performed our duty.

Huzooraa said that at the end, we would pray. Huzooraa asked everyone to pray for all those who participated in the Jalsa and to pray that the conditions of the world once again permitted us to hold our Jalsas with the same fervour as we once used to.

Huzooraa then led everyone in dua (silent prayer), after which Huzoor announced that a total of 19,782 members of the Jamaat participated in Jalsa Germany, 9,482 of whom were ladies and 10,300 were men. Those participating virtually exceeded 40,000. Huzooraa then permitted Jamaate-Ahmadiyya Germany to proceed with their plans, which included taraney (choral poems), after which Huzooraa departed at 16:09 GMT. (Report prepared by Al Hakam)

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77th Independence Day

This Wee

of Indonesia celebrated

by Jamaat Indonesia Hafizurrahman Indonesia Correspondent

On 17 August 2022, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Indonesia held an event to commemorate the 77th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia, in which a flag hoisting ceremony took place in front of the Nasr Mosque in Bogor. Amir Jamaat Indonesia, H Abdul Basit Sahib also attended the event.

Amir sahib addressed the gathering and said that every Indonesian Ahmadi should be grateful for the gift of independence.

This event was part of a series of events held by Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Indonesia in August 2022. Previously, on 16 August, a national reflection activity was held at the Baitul Afiyat Complex, Kemang, Bogor.

The event, which Edi Brokoli and Nia

Sjarifudin hosted, was attended by various communities and organisations such as youth organisations, Shias, Hindus, the Indonesian Churches Association (PGI) and others.

The speakers at the event praised the efforts of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community towards the consolidation of Indonesia.

The Director of the Journalists Association for Diversity (Sejuk), Ahmad “Alex” Junaidi explained that from 2021 until now, Sejuk has been monitoring that there is still a lot of discrimination and persecution experienced by vulnerable groups including Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.

“This violence has been contributed a lot by the media”, said Alex.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa at Baitus Subuh, Frankfurt, 2017

26 August 26 August 2017: The 42nd Jalsa Salana Germany began on this day with the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Prior to the sermon, Huzooraa hoisted Liwa-eAhmadiyyat to officially inaugurate the Jalsa.

27 August 2016: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived at Baitus Subuh, Frankfurt (headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Germany) to attend Jalsa Salana Germany.

28 August

During his Friday Sermon, Huzooraa spoke about the spiritual objectives of the Jalsa and the need to establish a living relationship with Allah the Almighty and to serve humanity.

27 August 27 August 2010: During the Ramadan after the Lahore attacks of 28 May 2010, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said during his Friday Sermon that though the opponents of Ahmadiyyat were trying hard to harm the Jamaat and to efface it from the face of the earth, the reality was that divine communities could never be destroyed. Huzooraa prayed that may these hardships which were being afflicted upon the Jamaat, particularly in Pakistan, bring for us the blessings of Lailatul Qadr, and we may be able to witness the scenes of matla’il fajr [the rising of the dawn] in the form of everlasting peace, security and victories.

Maulana Dost Muhammad Shahid Sahib

28 August 2009: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned Maulana Dost Muhammad Shahid Sahib, who had passed away on 26 August.

Huzooraa said that he was a renowned scholar of the Jamaat, who compiled the history of Ahmadiyyat, titled Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat. Huzooraa added that he had an extraordinary memory, and was an “encyclopedia”. He was himself a chapter of the history of Ahmadiyyat, Huzooraa said.

For more details, please visit: https://www.ahmadipedia.org/ content/personality/351/dostmuhammad-shahid 28 August 2016: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa laid the foundation

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AL HAKAM | Friday 26 August 2022

ek in History

25 August - 1 September

stone for the first Ahmadiyya mosque in the small German town of Pfungstadt in the state of Hesse.

29 August 29 August 2008: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned that in recent days, Ahmadi homes were attacked in Saharanpur, UP, India, where Ahmadis were beaten up and injured, their belongings were damaged, and even an attempt was made to put their homes on fire.

Huzooraa added that the Ahmadis who were attacked, were all new converts, however, they had firm faith in Ahmadiyyat.

Huzooraa said that although those Ahmadis were brought to Qadian and the injured ones were being treated in hospitals, they had to face huge losses to their homes and belongings.

Huzooraa said that these acts were done in the name of Islam by so-called Muslims, and Ahmadis were also being persecuted in some other Muslim-majority areas of India.

Huzooraa further said that a new wave of persecution had started in Pakistan as well; the police had removed the kalima from a Jamaat centre in Lahore, and stones were thrown at a mosque in Kunri and at Ahmadi homes as well.

29 August 2008: During his Friday Sermon of this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa spoke of a new pot washing machine for usage during the Jalsa days, which had been designed by three Ahmadi brothers from Germany, and interestingly, none of them is an engineer.

Huzoor prayed that may Allah the Almighty bless their efforts and

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivering the inaugural address of the 2013 UK Jalsa Salana

anniversary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat UK, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “This year we are celebrating the 100year anniversary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat UK. However, this anniversary can only prove to be a source of true happiness if the 100 years have led to a spiritual revolution amongst us that will continue through our future generations.” (“Thousands converge aa for International Islamic Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V laying the foundation stone of Noor Mosque in Frankenthal, Germany Conference”, www. pressahmadiyya.com) enable them to serve the Jamaat in the future as well, and may each of their success bring about more humbleness in them.

30 August 30 August 2013: The 47th Jalsa Salana UK began on this day, at Hadeeqatul Mahdi.

aa

During his inaugural address, while speaking about the centenary

30 August 2016: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa laid the foundation stone of the “Noor Mosque”, the first Ahmadiyya mosque in the German town of Frankenthal in the state of Rhineland-Pfalz.

31 August 31 August 2007: During his Friday Sermon, on the first day of Jalsa Salana Germany 2007, Hazrat

Khalifatul Masih Vaa prayed that may Allah the Almighty enable members of the Jamaat to be the recipients of the Promised Messiah’s prayers and fulfil his pious wishes for us, and may we and our generations become recipients of those rewards and blessings which have been promised by Allah to the Promised Messiahas.

31 August 2013: During his second day address at the 47th Jalsa Salana UK, while mentioning Allah’s blessings on the Jamaat, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa announced that during the past year, Ahmadiyyat had established in two new countries; Costa Rica and Montenegro.

1 September 1 September 2006: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned Master Munawar Ahmad Sahib, who had been martyred in Gujrat, Pakistan. Huzooraa said that members of the Jamaat should remember the sacrifices of martyrs of Ahmadiyyat, since “any sacrifice for the cause of Ahmadiyyat can never go in vain.”

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Seven days and 5500 km to spread Ahmadiyyat’s message to First Nation peoples in Canada Kalim Ahmed Media Coordinator, Imarat Calgary, Canada

In the fulfilment of the desire of our beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa to make contacts in the smaller communities and with the First Nation peoples, Jamaate-Ahmadiyya Calgary has been actively reaching out to the extreme Northern Canadian communities in Alberta, British Columbia and Northwest Territories since 2008. By the grace of Allah, this has resulted in numerous blessings of Allah the Almighty and several friendships and contacts have been developed in First Nation communities with their Chiefs and Elders.

During the last two years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, there has been a gap in in-person interaction, instead, a couple of virtual events were organised in 2020, which proved to be very beneficial.

As the pandemic restrictions eased in 2022, Calgary Jamaat resumed its efforts to strengthen its ties of friendship with Canadian First Nations based on mutual respect and understanding and extending Islam’s peaceful message. As a result, a twomember delegation consisting of Basheerul Islam Sahib and my humble self was sent to visit these areas in preparation for the Annual Interfaith Events to be held in September 2022 and to reach out to new communities to establish contacts.

This team embarked on a sevenday-5500 km long journey from 4-10 August. During this travel, it has witnessed numerous signs of Allah’s help and support and was able to reach out to five new towns and villages and develop several new contacts and friendships.

Due to high inflation rates and the extraordinary cost of travel by air, the team took up this journey by road and stayed overnight in camping mode.

Grande Prairie, AB The first stop of the team was this major northern Alberta city. The team visited the City Hall to meet the mayor and councillors, but due to conflict in schedules, the inperson meetings could not take place. A gift package containing a few introductory books on Islam Ahmadiyyat and some souvenirs was left for the mayor of the town.

The team had a cordial meeting with Dr Duff Crerar, who is a retired Lecturer of History at Northwestern Polytechnic, Grande Prairie. He has been a supporter of the World Religions Conference and has moderated the events in the past. He is fully motivated to support the 7th Annual World Religions Conference in Grande Prairie to be held at Northwestern Polytechnic and will provide all logistic support to help connect with other local scholars from various local religious and First Nation groups.

Fairview, AB The next stop of the delegation was a small northern Alberta town of about 3000 population. Even though there was no prior meeting requested, the mayor of the town, Gordon MacLeod, took time from his busy

schedule to welcome the travelling team.

The team briefly introduced the purpose of the visit and presented a gift package to the mayor and his wife and invited them to visit the Baitun Nur Mosque in Calgary at a time of their convenience.

Peace River AB Continuing its travel, the team’s next stop was the town of Peace River. Calgary Jamaat has developed contacts in this town since 2009 and has held events since then.

The team was welcomed at the Town Hall by councillor Marc Boychuk. A cordial meeting was held at his office, in which councillor Boychuk assured all possible support for the 7th Annual World Religions Conference, from the Peace River Town Council. He also accepted the invitation on behalf of the town council to visit Baitun Nur Mosque, during the Alberta Municipalities Convention.

Councillor Boychuk offered the visiting team to connect with Isaac LaboucanAvirom, Chief of Woodland Cree First Nation, located 80km from Peace River. He was presented with a copy of the Holy Quran along with other introductory literature on Islam Ahmadiyyat.

Afterwards, the team met with the Jamaat’s long-time friends, former Councillor Wanda Laurin, and Chaplain Herman Friesen. Wanda is a well-respected person in the town and has been a supporter of the World Religions Conference in Peace River since its inception. She assured us to support the event and engage other community leaders as well.

Ms Wanda also offered to connect Jamaat with local school boards to deliver introductory presentations on Islam to the students and staff.

Fort Smith, NT The next day, the team travelled to Fort Smith, at the extreme Southeastern edge of the Northwest Territories. This town is the gateway to the famous Wood Buffalo National Park and is home to two First Nations groups namely, Salt River First Nation and Smith’s Landing First Nation.

Although we had visited the town earlier but were not able to develop contacts. This time by the grace of Allah, despite being there on a weekend, the team was able to make contacts with several prominent personalities including former Chief of Salt River First Nation, Henry Beaver and his wife Eileen Beaver.

Henry and Eileen Beaver are respected Elders who’ve written many books and starred in a film called Three Feathers.

They are eager to share their knowledge of language, culture and spiritual practices.

The team had an introduction with them on the sidelines of the Enterprise Gateway Jamboree 2022.

Similarly, another valuable contact was made with the current Chief of Salt River First Nation, David Poitras. He met with the team on a couple of occasions during the tour. While in Fort Smith, the team also had the pleasure of meeting with Mr Peter

Martselos, a prominent member of the community. Peter’s wife Frieda Martselos is a member of the NWT Legislature. He was very helpful in connecting with other prominent citizens in Fort Smith.

Fort Resolution, NT Fort Resolution is a hamlet of 500 population on the Southern shores of Great Slave Lake, at the end of Highway-6.

It is the headquarters of the Deninu Kųę First Nation. The team visited here for the very first time and did not have any prior connection in the community. Being a very small community, and on a weekend day, moreover, all the businesses were closed due to a power breakdown, no community leader could be contacted. After trying its luck in the community, the team was able to meet a group of Kayakers who had just returned from a 30-day long expedition of the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. They were introduced to the Jamaat and the purpose of this visit. They were presented with some books which they happily accepted.

After not getting the desired breakthrough, the team left the community and found an isolated place on the shoreline to call the azan and offer prayers. Soon after finishing the prayer, a vehicle was seen approaching with two local ladies riding in it. When the purpose of our arrival was shared with the ladies, they happily offered to connect us with the local Chief and called him from their own cellphone. This proved to be miraculous support through which a good introduction with Chief Louis Balsillie (Buffalo) was made. He was not in the community at that moment but promised to meet us in person at another time.

Enterprise, NT Enterprise is a hamlet with a population of 80 residents, most of them seniors. Enterprise is at an important junction of the Mackenzie Highway and the road to Hay River. The team arrived here during a festival attended by hundreds of participants from across the Northwest Territories. This provided an excellent opportunity to connect with some prominent community leaders. One of them was Ms Amy Mercredi, President of the Seniors Society. She was introduced to the objective of the visit and can be helpful in organising events for seniors in the community.

Town of Hag River, NT Hay River is a town of 3000 people, located on the Southern shores of Great Slave Lake, at the mouth of the Hay River. Jamaat Calgary developed contacts in this important town of Northwest Territories in 2016 and has been holding events in the town and the nearby First Nation reserve since then. The Jamaat enjoys cordial relations with the top leadership in the town and the reserve. The team spend the day at the town meeting with various community and church leaders.

The former Chief of Katlodeeche First Nation, Roy Fabian is a good friend of the Jamaat and has attended the Western Canadian Jalsa Salana in the past. During

Covid-19 when his wife got seriously sick due to infection, he requested Huzooraa for prayers. Huzooraa graciously prayed for his wife’s health and wrote a letter. He met with the visiting team over breakfast. Various topics of mutual interest, including the upcoming conference in September 2022, the recent papal visit, and the elections in the KFN Reserve came under discussion. This meeting lasted for over 90 minutes. On this occasion, the team also had the opportunity to meet with Chief David Poitras of the Salt River First Nation, Fort Smith and Shirley Lamalice, councillor at KFN. Next, the team paid a courtesy call to the mayor of the town, Kandis Jameson.

The Jamaat enjoys cordial relations with the mayor, and she’s been a constant proponent of the World Religions Conference. This meeting lasted for over 75 minutes in which the Jamaat expressed its concern over the recent flooding in which the whole town and reserve had to be evacuated. Mayor Kandis shared the details of the losses caused by this unprecedented catastrophe.

Later in the day the team met with various church leaders and conveyed to them the message of peace and mutual respect. The team also accomplished some logistic tasks including visiting possible venues to hold the event.

Yellowknife, NT Yellowknife is the capital city of Northwest Territories with a population of 20,000 people. It is located on the Northern shore of Great Slave Lake, only 400km South of the Arctic Circle. Jamaat Calgary has been visiting here since 2008 and by the grace of Allah has developed long-lasting friendships with prominent leaders of all walks of life.

A few important meetings held during this visit are described below.

Roy Erasmus, a former member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, and a lawyer is a long-time friend of Jamaat. He has attended the Western Canadian Jalsa Salana in the past.

He is a big supporter of the World Religions Conference. The team met with him over dinner and discussed various matters of mutual interest in an informal atmosphere.

Felix Lockhart is an elder and former chief of the Łutsel K’e Dene First Nation for 17 years. He is a good friend of the Jamaat and has attended the Western Canadian Jalsa Salana in the past. He met the team over breakfast and shared his thoughts on various matters including the recent papal visit. He agreed to present the Aboriginal Spiritual perspective at the upcoming World Religions Conference.

The team visited the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre to meet the administration and finalise the arrangements at the auditorium. The auditorium was closed for public events for the last couple of years during the pandemic and is still unavailable due to staff shortage. The administration has made a special exception for the conference citing that the event aligns with the mandate of the organisation to promote education and community spirit.

Later the team paid a courtesy call on the Most Rev Jon Hansen, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of MackenzieFort Smith. The Jamaat enjoys cordial relations with Bishop Jon Hansen and his Continued on page 8

7

AL HAKAM | Friday 26 August 2022

Coming from every distant track

An officer visits Qadian to meet the Promised Messiah A series looking at the high standard of morals of the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa when receiving visitors

Awwab Saad Hayat Al Hakam In 1899, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra was employed as a clerk in the Accountant General Office, Lahore. He would often visit Qadian to meet with Hazrat Ahmadas.

In July 1899, a respectable officer visited Qadian and had the honour of meeting with the Promised Messiahas. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra was present on this occasion. He said that the “discourse was based on such beneficial and useful words that I immediately noted most sentences in my notebook, as was my habit. Afterwards, I thought it would be appropriate to give our friends an opportunity to benefit from this deep and subtle discourse through the AlHakam newspaper.”

The following conversation was originally published in Al Hakam, 24 July 1899, pp. 5-7.

Whilst speaking about the purpose of the establishment of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, Hazrat Ahmadas addressed the honourable guest and said: “‘Whenever you come here to Qadian, do visit my home without any hesitation at all. We are not accustomed to any formality whatsoever. My endeavours are wholly religious and I am completely detached from the world and its relations and affectations. It is as though I am dead to worldly preoccupations. I am devoted to the Faith and my entire mission is religious in nature — as has always been the case with the past saints and holy men of Islam. My mission is no new undertaking; my task is to dispel those beliefs which pose a danger to the people in every respect, and to purge their hearts is our true desire and objective.

For example, some foolish people hold the belief that it is permissible to steal the possessions of people belonging to other nations and usurp the wealth of disbelievers.

Then, in order to support their inner, base desires, they fabricate numerous Hadith as well. These people also hold as a matter of doctrine that Jesusas, who was to reappear in the world, would engage in violence and shed blood — although a religion of compulsion is no religion at all. In short, terrifying doctrines of this sort and false ideologies have taken root in the hearts of people, and it is to dispel and replace them with peaceful doctrines that my community has been established. As has always been the case, people of worldly bent have always opposed divine reformers, saints and those who came to teach virtue. So, too, has been the case with me. My opponents have spread

false information about me purely by way of slander and calumny, to such an extent that in order to cause me grief they even submitted false reports about me to the government, stating that I was a conspirer who harboured intentions of rebellion. It was necessary for the people to act in this manner; for in every era, the ignorant have always behaved as such towards those who wish them well, i.e. the Prophets and their heirs. However, God Almighty has vested man with intelligence and the government officials know the nature of these people very well. […]’” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, pp. 30-31) Alluding to the need and call of the era, Hazrat Ahmadas said: “One ought to observe how people have strayed from true doctrines. Two hundred million books have been published against Islam and many hundreds of thousands have become Christian. All things have a limit, and after the dry season, even animals in the jungle raise their heads to the sky hoping for rain. Today, after thirteen hundred years of sun and drought, rain has descended from heaven and now no one can stop this rain. Who can stop the rain when the monsoon season arrives? This is an era in which the hearts of people have become immensely distanced from the truth, to the extent that they have even begun to doubt God Himself.’” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 32) With regards to the importance of belief in Allah, the Promised Messiahas explained: “‘All actions are directed by one’s belief.

For example, if someone were to mistake arsenic for bamboo, they would consume many grams of it. However, if the individual was certain that the substance before them was a deadly poison, they would not bring it anywhere near their mouth. In order to embody true virtue, a belief in the existence

of God is necessary, for human authorities are not privy to what a person does in their own home or the actions they commit in hiding. Although a person may claim by tongue to be righteous, if they hold contrary beliefs in their heart, they have no fear of being called to account for it by the people. For there is no government on earth whose fear inspires man constantly and equally during the night and day, in darkness and in light, in seclusion and in public, in private and in the open, at home and in the marketplace. Therefore, in order to reform our morals, belief in such a Being is necessary who watches over man in all states and at all times, and who is privy to all the deeds, actions, and secrets of man’s heart. For in actuality, only such a person is truly righteous whose outer and inner state are one, and whose heart accords with his image. Such a per- son walks on earth like an angel. An atheist is not subject to an authority that can move them to attain the best of morals. All outcomes are the result of belief. For example, a person who recognises a snake’s burrow will not put their finger in it. When we know that a certain amount of strychnine is deadly, we firmly hold that it has the power to kill, and it is due to this very belief that we will not consume it so that we may be saved from death.’” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, pp. 32-33) Further expounding upon the proof of the existence of God Almighty, Huzooras said: “‘Decree or the phenomenon whereby all things in the universe move and operate according to a specific measure and under a specific law is evidence of the fact that there must be a determining agent or being that establishes these parameters. If a watch had no conscious inventor, how

could this device function consistently as per a set system so that we are able to reap its benefits? Similarly, the order observed in the heavenly watch, and in its fixed and finetuned system, demonstrates that it has been intelligently designed for a specific purpose and objective, and in order to benefit us all.

In this way, through the created, one can learn of the Creator, and through decree, one can learn of the determining Master behind it. “‘However, more so than this, Allah the Exalted has furnished another means to prove His own existence. Prior to the event, God discloses His decree to His chosen ones and informs them that on such time and on such day He has decreed for such an event to occur. And so, the individual whom God has chosen for this work informs the people in advance and reveals that such and such an incident will occur; and then that occurrence does in fact take place, just as he has foretold. This is such an argument in favour of the existence of God Almighty, which puts any atheist to shame and leaves them speechless. “‘God Almighty has granted me thousands of such signs, which result in a captivating belief in the existence of Allah Almighty. Such a large number of my community is present here today. Who from among them has not witnessed at least a few signs of this nature? If you wish, many hundreds more could testify to the same.

Have not a large number from among the godly and holy and those who are righteous and pious, and who possess intelligence and insight in every respect, and who are wellestablished in terms of employment, been satisfied? Have these people not witnessed such things which could never be within the power of man to achieve? If these people are questioned, each and every one of them will declare themselves to be the first of those who bear witness in this respect. Is it possible for people from all walks of life, which include the erudite, scholars, physicians, doctors, merchants, saints, spiritual leaders, lawyers and respected officials, to proclaim that they have witnessed so many heavenly signs with their own eyes if they were first not fully satisfied themselves? And when such people do actually declare what I have said—and anyone who denies this fact is free to confirm it—then in view of this collective testimony, one ought to reflect over the conclusion that a seeker of truth will arrive upon, if in fact, they are truly a seeker of the truth. At the very least, an uninformed person can appreciate without a shadow of a doubt that if this group of people composed of the well-educated, wise, and well-to-do, and those who do not depend on anyone financially, by the grace of Allah, were not perfectly certain about my claim, and if they were not fully satisfied in respect of me, why would they leave their homes, and bear the separation of their loved ones, to live with me here in straitened circumstances as wayfarers? Why are they forever devoted and fondly ready to support my community financially in accordance with their individual circumstances? “‘All things have an appointed time.

Spring arrives at its appointed time and so does the monsoon season. There is no one who can thwart the plans of God.’” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, pp. 33-34)

Friday 26 August 2022 | AL HAKAM

8

100 Years Ago...

Ahmadiyyat in Egypt and new converts in America Al Fazl, 21 & 28 August 1922

Hazrat Sheikh Mahmud Ahmad Irfanira (1897-1944)

Egypt I came here [to Egypt] four months ago.

During this period, I have been preaching to people in one way or another. Until now, none of the people of Egypt has stood up to oppose me. However, the Indian people are causing disruption in different ways. It is divine providence that God Almighty has strengthened me in the last three months and some people who had become my enemies have now started to like me.

All praise belongs to Allah Who made it possible.

New converts During the aforementioned period in Cairo, [Egypt], Mian Rehmatullah Sahib Khayat, a resident of Amritsar, along with his wife and children, entered into the bai‘at of Khilafat.

He says that he pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiahas, but later on, during the course of time and change of place, they lost connection with the Jamaat.

Another gentleman of Egyptian origin, Hamid Abdul Aziz, who is extremely proficient in his language, and is a poet and also an orator, and while the demonstrations in Egypt were at their peak, was one of Saad Pasha Zaghloul’s orators, entered into the fold of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. Hamid Abdul Aziz holds a lot of passion for Ahmadiyyat.

He is carrying out tabligh himself and consults me when he comes across certain allegations. The friends are requested to pray for the steadfastness of these Ahmadis.

Continued from page 6

predecessor Bishop Mark Hagemoen. Both have presented at the conference in the past. In the informal meeting at his office, various matters of mutual interest were discussed including the Pope’s recent visit and reconciliation with First Nations. The bishop’s staff requested copies of the Holy Quran and prayer mats for the inmates of the local correctional facility.

Paul Andrew, an Elder, former Chief of Tulita, and a former broadcaster at CBC North for 25 years, has been a close friend of the Jamaat. He has presented at the conference multiple times and has been instrumental in connecting with several other prominent community leaders. The team had an informal sitting with him at a local café. The matters discussed included the belief of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in the power of prayer and many similarities between the moral teachings of aboriginal spirituality and Islam. The meeting continued for over an hour.

Coverage on CBC North

Jamaat in Alexandria A jamaat was established in Alexandria, [Egypt], with the efforts of Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib. His services have borne great fruits within Alexandria.

Among those who converted to Ahmadiyyat through him, five friends have passed away. ّٰ ٰ ّٰ

ّ ‫انا للہ و انا الیہ راجعون‬

[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]

However, a very passionate friend, Muhammad Wasfi Sahib, through five years of continuous hard work, has established another jamaat in Alexandria. Its total number is above 20.

“Bey” joined the Jamaat Through Muhammad Wasfi Sahib, a “Bey” Sahib, whose name is Muhammad Bek Ghalib, has entered the Ahmadiyya Jamaat this week and he has sent his letter to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] for bai‘at. This is the first Egyptian “Bey” for whom Allah the Almighty has opened the doors of His grace and granted him the strength to enter the Jamaat.

Muhammad Wasfi

system and form an Anjuman there. For this purpose, Wasfi Sahib has offered a portion of his house to open an Anjuman in it.

A regular chanda set up will also be arranged in Alexandria soon. They have asked me to come to Alexandria. God willing, I will also go to Alexandria for a couple of days in the next month.

Egyptians are completely ignorant of religion The nation [of Egypt] has completely come under the influence of Europe and religion has been almost abandoned. The dress code of women is such that it hurts even to describe it. The state of the scholars is such that one day I went to a coffee shop here as I had to meet someone. When I went there, he was playing billiards with a scholar.

Sheikh Mahmud Ahmad (Ahmadi, Cairo, Egypt). Khairiat Street, House No. 19.

Al Fazl, 28 August 1922 Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra (18721957)

Noah of the age

Muhammad Wasfi Sahib is a righteous young man who spends his time in the service of religion after completing his official duties.

He came from Alexandria to meet me on 22 July 1922 and I had a lot of discussions with him regarding the propagation of the Jamaat. I have advised him that he should immediately bring the new jamaat under a

The oldest [recorded] historical event of deaths by storm is Noah’s Storm which happened 31 hundred years before Islam.

The wrath of God annihilated the people of Noah’s region as a punishment for denying His prophet. Since then, disasters with similar kinds of deaths have been happening more or less in every era. However, these

The host of CBC North’s prime-time radio show “Trail’s End” invited the visiting team as guests to talk about the upcoming 14th Annual World Religions Conference at Yellowknife. Lawrence Nayally is a reputable broadcaster, and his show is listened to all across the North. The team was able to share the historical background, objectives and successes of the conference through this prestigious live show.

Fort Nelson, BC

Corner of the Earth – End of Ingraham Trail Yellowknife is located at the end of the Mackenzie/Yellowknife highway. A smaller highway 4, also known as Ingraham Trail starts from Yellowknife further in the Northeast direction. This highway comes to an end after 70km with a stop sign at Tibbitt Lake. This signifies the symbolic and literal end of the terrestrial connections. To mark the arrival of the team at this “corner of the earth”, azan was called and Maghrib and Isha prayers were offered here.

On the way back, the team made a stop at Fort Nelson, one of the Northernmost towns of BC. The team met the staff and members of the Fort Nelson Aboriginal Friendship Society. The delegation extended the message of peace, universal brotherhood and mutual respect and spent over half an hour in an informal discussion with them.

Some gifts and introductory literature were shared with them and contact information was exchanged.

The team also paid a visit to the headquarters of Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. The Mayor, Gary Foster who was not present in his office, very kindly came over to greet the team and extended a warm welcome. During the brief meeting with the mayor, he expressed his desire to hold similar interfaith events in Fort Nelson as well.

Dawson Creek, BC The last stop of the tour was the town of Dawson Creek, BC. Dawson Creek is a

catastrophes are appearing very frequently in this age, because God Almighty has sent another Noah in this age and commanded him to build an ark. The first Noah’s preaching was limited to a particular place, but the Noah of this age has spread his message to the whole world as a reflection of Muhammadsa, and this is the reason why his signs are being witnessed everywhere.

Almost every country has observed the fulfilment of the Promised Messiah’s prophethood through earthquakes, epidemics and storms. Today, the news had it that three hundred people have died due to a hurricane in the country of Salvador and many others are missing. A condolence letter with the message of Islam has been written on behalf of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat to the President of that country.

Intensity of heat In America, the intensity of the cold is the same as the intensity of the heat. It snows in winters and many people die from freezing cold temperatures. One day last week, the temperature reached 90 degrees and the sun was so intense that ten men fainted and were sent to the hospital, two of whom died. ّ ّٰ ‫نعوذ باللہ نار جھنم‬ [“We seek refuge with Allah from the fire of Hell.”]

Lectures and new converts In the last week, three lectures were delivered, and 6 more individuals converted to Islam, whose American and Islamic names are as follows: 1. Mrs May Zahra of Detroit (Salma) 2. Mr Arthur of Illinois (Khair) 3. Mr Willis Yoakam (Muhammadyar) 4. Mr James of Chicago (Ahmad) 5. Mr Ophelia White of St. Louis (Noor) 6. Mrs Presley Burks of Chicago (Rahima) Muhammad Sadiq. 4448 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, USA (Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 21 and 28 August 1922 issue of Al Fazl)

city of 13000 population in Northeastern British Columbia, close to the Alberta-BC border. Jamaat Calgary has been visiting here since 2011 and has developed good partnerships with local groups. During the recent visit, the team met with friends in Northern Lights College and explored the opportunities of further expanding collaboration with the college. It has also visited a few appropriate venues to move the World Religions Conference to the college campus. The team felt the enormous potential for growth in tabligh and outreach activities at this location.

The team visited the mayor’s office and shared gifts of the Holy Quran and other Jamaat literature with the mayor’s staff. Later the team had a meeting with the media and church leaders to discuss the upcoming event in September 2022.

After spending 6 nights and 7 days, driving 5500 km, and witnessing countless blessings and Allah’s help, the team arrived safely in Calgary on Wednesday evening.

May Allah accept these humble efforts and produce long-lasting results.

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AL HAKAM | Friday 26 August 2022

100 Daily diary of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II: On false claimants of Years prophethood, practices of sufis and Ahmadiyya Jamaat, reward Ago... and punishment in Islam and bai‘ats Al Fazl, 17 August 1922

1 July 1922 Nikah

A friend asked Huzoor[ra], “Why don’t you announce nikah anymore?

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] said: “For now, I have stopped announcing nikah because I have come to know after an incident that it is no longer safe, except that I personally know the individual whose nikah is going to be announced.”

The Promised Messiah and the prophets in the Bible On the mention of a person, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “He wrote to me that he had doubts about the prophethood of the Promised Messiahas, but when he studied the Bible, he realised that if such and such servants [of God] could be prophets, then the prophethood of the Promised Messiahas could not be doubted in any way.”

Huzoor[ra] said: “The people have themselves declared that the prophethood of the Holy Prophetsa is the only prophethood. However, this notion is equal to someone thinking that the meaning of ‘knowledge’ is to have knowledge equal to that of Plato and the one who does not have that much knowledge will not be called a scholar, or [someone thinking] that the meaning of ‘inventor’ is to have invented the same number of things as Edison, otherwise, the person who has ten to fifteen or three to four inventions will not be considered an inventor. The prophethood of the Holy Prophetsa is the most glorious and most perfect prophethood. If the prophethood of other prophets is validated only on the basis of such [perfection], then only the prophethood of the Holy Prophetsa will remain.”

Bai‘at Muhammad Zaid Sahib, a resident of the village of Meraj, Gujranwala, pledged bai‘at [at the hand of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih].

3 July 1922 Dajjalun Qazzabun [antichrists and liars]

Maulvi Muhammad Ahsan Sahib has written a treatise called Khatam al-Nabiyyin, in which he has also mentioned the narration of Dajjalun Qazzabun [antichrists and liars]. Regarding this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “In this narration, a future event has been described that thirty dajjals will appear. How does this prove that anyone who claims to be a prophet will surely be a liar.”

False claimants of prophethood in the ummah of Muhammad Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:

“All those who have [falsely] claimed prophethood before the Promised Messiahas have said that they were law-bearing prophets. Some of them exempted people from prayers, some spared Zakat, some absolved fasting, and some freed people from other things. It is obvious that a liar cannot claim to be an ummati [from amongst the Muslims] prophet because there is no benefit in it. The people will never become ready to accept him unless he brings some ease and relaxation to them. Apart from the exemptions, he has no assistance, support or sign. However, the chosen one [i.e Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas], who was made an ummati prophet by God Almighty, presented his claim and God Almighty assisted and supported him.”

5 July 1922 Missguided dhikr practices of the sufis, and the Ahmadiyya Jamaat A friend asked that the saints, etc., used to do different kinds of dhikr, but there was no such thing in our Jamaat.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “If the walls of a house are weak and the roof is crooked, pillars are built or wooden columns are placed under it. On the contrary, a strong house does not need this kind of support. During the time of the Holy Prophetsa, since the walls of Islam were strong, this type of support was not introduced. Even during the time of the Companionsra and tabi‘een [followers of companions], such dhikr are not found.

There is no saying or practice of this kind. In fact, there are not even mawdu‘ [fabricated] ahadith in which the aforementioned practices were taught. However, there are ahadith that may result in objections against the prophets.

“The fact is that there was no such need

during the time of the Holy Prophetsa. When Islam declined in India and some elders observed that the religion and faith of the people could not be saved, they erected such supports [and introduced such dhikr]. All this happened during the period of spiritual darkness (Faij-e-A‘waj).

“Now, the Promised Messiahas has appeared and it is the time of his prophethood, so there is no need for such practices and dhikr. Now, the one who ّ says ‫‘[ اھدنا الصراط المستقیم‬Guide us in the right path’] with sincere intention finds the [right] path. All the aforesaid practices were invented later. They are not mentioned in the Holy Quran or ahadith. These were invented by the elders when they saw that the people could not uphold their faith and are inclined toward the world. They were taught to stay away from the world to prevent them from becoming worldly.”

Reward and punishment in Islam A friend asked that a child who is born in a Muslim family is taught Islam by Muslims and he considers Islam as the true religion out of all the other religions. On the other hand, a child who is born into a Hindu family, they teach him Hinduism. He falls into polytheism and believes Hinduism to be the truest of all the religions. Both these situations have been created by God, but why will one be rewarded and for what crime the other will be punished?

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said: “Many things have been assumed in this query and the objections have arisen because of these assumptions. For example, in the question, it is assumed that a Muslim will get paradise because he is born in a Muslim household and is called a Muslim.

On the other hand, [it is assumed that] a Hindu will be punished because he is born in a Hindu household. However, both these things are wrong. Neither a Muslim will be

rewarded for being born in a Muslim family nor a Hindu will be punished for being born in a Hindu family. Paradise and hell are the result of the actions and beliefs that a person adopts and carries out after adulthood. The birth into a Hindu or Muslim family is not worthy of punishment or reward. After all, [the present day] Muslims were also born in the families of Muslims, but they rejected the Promised Messiahas despite the fact that they claim to accept all the prophets.

“When the prophets appear, they come to show the error of the wrong ideas or the ancestral ideas that people have fixed themselves on and that they are not on the true ideas. The arguments are presented to both of them, [i.e. Muslims and Hindus], and if the arguments are strong enough that the truth can be known, then if a Hindu abandons these prophets, he deserves punishment [from God]. In this way, there is no room for any kind of objection.

“However, where the truth has not reached, the decision will be made according to the natural inclination as to how far they believe the right and are committed to abandoning falsehood. Obliviously, the punishment will not be given. The punishment and the reward are given by God Almighty. He knows even the smallest actions and is well aware of man’s nature and intentions. He will weigh the deeds as He Himself says that all deeds will be weighed.

Then, the person will get what he deserves.

We cannot know someone’s nature, nor his intention or his state, but nothing is hidden from God Almighty. He told us that there will be an assessment of all the deeds and that no one’s rights will be harmed. For example, we observe that a person is free and comes to the mosque. Then, there is a person who leaves his business and comes [to the mosque] or a person who leaves a patient and comes to the mosque. Then, one of them gets busy in worldly matters, while one sits quietly, and the other one talks about religion and is engaged in the remembrance of God. One prays attentively, but the other goes through the entire prayer without pondering over a single word. He utters the words but does not understand.

Then there is one that his thoughts are elsewhere. We will call all of them namazi [those who offer Salat] because we are not knowers of the unseen. However, nothing is hidden from God Who is the Knower of the Unseen. He knows the various situations.

Therefore, he will decide according to the state of each person.”

Bai‘at Thereafter, [the following] three people pledged bai‘at: 1. Mahtab Kumhar, Qadian 2. Muhammad Ismail, Rajpura 3. Muhammad Inayatullah, Rajpura […]

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu published in the 17 August 1922 issue of Al Fazl)

Friday 26 August 2022 | AL HAKAM

10

Radcliffe line and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – Part II Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s tireless efforts to save millions from displacement Tahmeed Ahmad Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre

Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra. He was instructed by Mr Jinnah to represent the League during the Punjab Boundary Commission.

“As I was getting ready to leave for England, a message was received that the Quaid-e-Azam wanted me to reach Delhi.

As I went to see him he said he wanted me to plead the case of the Muslim League before the Punjab Boundary Commission.”

(Tehdise Nemat or Recollection of Divine Favours [English], p. 522) At the time of this request, Sir Zafrulla Khanra was under the employment of the Nawab of Bhopal and had some work to do in London. Nevertheless, Jinnah had reassured him that, as the dates of the Boundary Commission would be closing in by the time Zafrulla Khanra returned, ample help would be at his disposal by his arrival to Lahore.

The Sikhs of Punjab The Muslims and Hindus were clearly the biggest two parties involved in the partition, but not the only ones. As mentioned before countless parties in Punjab alone had a claim to the land. What you might call the “third” party, were the Sikhs and the key problem with them was exactly that. Their right and claim would often get squashed between the two giants, Muslims and Hindus.

However, it was not all doom and gloom, there was one faction who was quite fond of them and that happened to be the British.

The reason was that the Sikhs had proven themselves quite excellent during the war, and so had the Muslims, whilst the Hindus had generally been a disappointment.

Evident from their lack of participants in the World War. (Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. II (1978), pp. 823831) Nevertheless, this fondness led the British to make an unimaginable mistake which could have led to disastrous consequences for the Boundary Commission’s work.

Arthur Henderson, later Baron Rowley, was the Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma when he spoke to the Parliament on 14 July 1947: “A question has been asked as to what is meant by other factors. It surely waist mean that the primary basis is to be whether the majority of the population is Muslim or non-Muslim, but that in certain cases there may be special factors of a different kind which would justify a departure from this principle.

“The provision that other factors will be taken into account has been made primarily to enable the commission to have regard to the special circumstances of the Sikh community in the Punjab, where considerations such as the location of their religious shrines can reasonably be taken into account up to a point.” (Hansard, HC Deb. 14 July 1947, Vol. 440, https://hansard. parliament.uk) “What the Under-Secretary had failed to see is that the Sikhs were not the only “neglected” party during the partition. There were hundreds of communities, dozens of kingdoms and countless other factions in India. Just look at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for an example. They too boast of huge numbers, their founder’s birthplace was Qadian [...]. The places he visited during his lifetime are also spread throughout Punjab. If we start including the Khulafa, then the list would be never-ending.

“The Sikhs were assisted in their stance

by British ignorance. One of the ‘other factors’ was an assurance that their Holy Places would be respected; it is a safe bet that the Under-Secretary who made this pledge was thinking of Amritsar and a handful of other places, and was not aware that the

Making way to India

Sikhs claimed some 700 of them [...]” (On the margins of history: from the Punjab to Fiji, Oskar Spate, p. 52) One can only imagine the uproar that took place following the Under-Secretary’s statement. In response, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community wrote a letter of protest to the Prime Minister: “A statement was made by Mr Henderson at the Parliament where he states that the words “other factors” used for the terms of reference of the Boundary Commission are for the purpose of taking care of the Sikh’s holy places. This statement is very untimely, totally inappropriate and completely baseless. This statement has, apart from unjustly influencing the work of the commission, opened the door to extreme injustice to Muslims [...]. It is not at all conceivable that when the Viceroy has

already announced the terms of reference by the consensus of the Indian parties and according to these terms of references, the Commission has already started its work, what need had Mr Henderson for this statement? Mr Henderson has also forgotten that the words “other factors” have not only been used for the Punjab Boundary Commission but have also been used for the Bengal Commission, though there are no Sikhs in Bengal. Thus, Mr Henderson’s statement must be immediately corrected.”

(Al Fazl, 22 July 1947, p. 2)

Fighting the Muslim case There was no doubt that the Ahmadiyya Community as a whole was heavily involved in the partition, but there was one other member of the community who had an important role to play; Hazrat

Over in London, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community had successfully hired Oskar Spate. An account of his first interaction with the Community can be found in his book On the margins of history: from the Punjab to Fiji, page 47: “[…] On 30 June, a letter from an unknown, one Mirza Ali, Imam of the London Ahmaddiya Mosque: Could I help them to make sure that their sacred city, Qadian, stayed on the right side when the Punjab was partitioned?”

Thus, we reach the month of July, and months and months of vigorous planning had boiled down to the 30 days, in which the fate of Punjab was to be decided. As Professor Spate was preparing for his travels, Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra still had some day’s work ahead of him before he could return. It was during those days that Sir Cyril Radcliffe made his way to India.

“The Earl of Listowel to Rear-Admiral Viscount Mountbatten of Burma “4 July 1947 “I was glad to get your letter of 27th June covering personal report number 10. It is certainly excellent that you have succeeded in getting Radcliffe as Chairman of the Boundary Commission. He is approaching the whole matter in a most public-spirited manner and will, I have little doubt, fill the role admirably. As you have already been informed by telegram, he is hoping to leave for Delhi on Sunday [6 July] and Lady Radcliffe hopes to join him about 10 days later.” (The Transfer of Power 1942-47, Vol. X, p. 903) On 8 July 1947, Sir Cyril Radcliffe, the Chairman of the Boundary Commission arrives in South East Asia. Meanwhile, Professor Spate was making his final preparations for his journey: “I knew nothing of the Ahmaddiya beyond the name, and had never heard of Qadian, but I had one qualification: I had written what I believe to have been the

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first article on Pakistan by a professional geographer. […] Then on Wednesday, 9 July the Imam rang: I was to meet him tonight, urgently, at India House (luckily, across the road from LSE) for passport affairs. India House was very rude: there was a reception on, I was wearing scruffy corduroys, and they asked me to leave by the back door. And no Imam! On Friday he rang again: I must leave tomorrow, Saturday, and I still hadn’t got the necessary Iraqi transit visa. [...] “Somehow, on Saturday [12 July] morning I got the visa and a couple of books on boundary-making from the Royal Geographic Society, and by 14:05 hours was on the coach for the British Overseas Airways base on Poole Harbour, a lovely sunny drive.” (On the margins of history: from the Punjab to Fiji, Oskar Spate, pp. 48-49) Back in Qadian, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra was calling for local Ahmadis who were knowledgeable in drafting and cartography to gather at Qadian, possibly intended to help Professor Spate or the Ahmadiyya Memorandum.

“An urgent need for Ahmadi cartographers “An urgent and immediate matter is in need of Ahmadi draftsmen and cartographers. Thus, whichever Ahmadi draftsman and cartographer sees this announcement should make his way to Qadian at once. This announcement is only targeting those who worked privately or are pensioners.

“Furthermore, this announcement is also for anyone working within these fields as a profession. This work will last till 12th July. This is why you should urgently make your way to Qadian. So that the work might be completed on time.

“In charge, Office of the establishment of peace and conciliation, Qadian.” (Al Fazl, 9 July 1947) Back in London, our last key participant, Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra has finished up with his work and is headed toward India.

“Friday 11 July: Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad Bajwa, Imam Masjid Fazl London reports that Chaudhry Sir Zafrullah Khanra Sahib has left for India.” (Al Fazl, 14 July 1947) It is during these days that the Ahmadiyya Memorandum is somewhat completed, but Huzoorra wanted reassurance that nothing written in there might harm the greater Muslim case that was being fought by the Muslim League. Huzoorra then went with Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Sahib and Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra to the house of Justice Munir, where Justice Din Muhammad was also present.

There, they went through the Ahmadiyya

Memorandum and discussed the political aspects of it. Huzoorra states: “If we had not done so then Radcliffe would not have had to use any sorry excuses, rather he would have presented the Ahrar edict and said that since Ahmadis are not Muslims, they have been taken out.

That would leave the Muslims at only 45%, making them the minority in the face of non-Muslims. Therefore, this district would have had to join Hindustan.” (Al Fazl, 2 January 1951)

Gathering at Lahore After a meeting with Lord Mountbatten, Nehru, Patel, Jinnah and Liaquat Ali, Radcliffe had discovered the intensity of his work. (The last days of the British Raj, p. 196) He first visited Calcutta, sorting out the “easier” one of the Boundary Commissions, then on 14 July, he arrived at Lahore.

“Rear-Admiral Viscount Mountbatten of Burma to Sir John Colville “9 July 1947 “Partition is going ahead very rapidly, and the Defence Services Committee is being particularly successful in its work.

Radcliffe, the Chairman of the Boundary Commission for Bengal and the Punjab, arrived yesterday, and goes to Calcutta tomorrow and to Lahore next Monday. I have urged on him the need to try and finish the job by 14th August.”

On 14 July, Sir Cyril Radcliffe had a meeting with the members of the Punjab Boundary Commission where the various issues of the Commission were decided.

Among which were: • Date of submission for the memorandum

was 18 July • The Commission would be held at Lahore High Court • 20 tickets would be issued to each party to attend the Commission • The Press would not be permitted to publish any unauthorised report • Justice Din Muhammad would preside the Commission in the absence of the Chairman.

That’s right, Sir Cyril Radcliffe, the Chairman of the Boundary Commission would not be present.

When Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra arrived at Lahore on 14 July, he was met by Nawab of Mamdot. He informed him that Radcliffe was already in Lahore and had subsequently called for a meeting the next day 11am.

Thereafter, the lawyers of the Muslims League would meet Sir Zafrulla Khanra at the residence of Nawab of Mamdot at 2:30pm.

At the meeting with Radcliffe, they were told to file their written statement/ memorandum by 18 July and the discussions of the Boundary Commission would start from 21 July. According to Al Fazl, Huzoorra was in Lahore from 13 to 15 July, accompanied by Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh, Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra, Hazrat Malik Ghulam Faridra and Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayalra.

(Al Fazl, 14 and 16 July 1947)

Preparing the case After the meeting with Radcliffe, Sir Zafrulla Khanra made his way to the Mamdot Villa where he was to meet the League lawyers.

When he asked them about the case, they said: “What case?” None of them knew, nor were they there to help him. Sir Zafrulla Khanra soon realised that the help he had been promised by Jinnah had been forgotten and he now had just two days to prepare the League case against parties who have had months to do the same.

There was no point talking or complaining to Jinnah now, he told Nawab of Mamdot to get him two alert and skilful stenographers and equipment for typing by the next morning. As the Nawab went to make the preparations, Sir Zafrulla Khanra began praying: “Alone, humble and helpless and a heavy burden of responsibility”, I begged my maker, “How should I shoulder it alone?

You know I am but a cypher and all power

resides in you. Out of your abundant mercy and grace bestow on me understanding, give me strength and be my Guide and Helper.”

And help came and so did a guide, in ways no one could have imagined. As he finished his prayers, he was approached

by Khawaja Abdur Rahim who had, out of his own interest, collected papers and maps containing the official figures of the populations of each religious community in villages, police stations, tehsil and district of the Punjab province. This was a treasure for someone in Sir Zafrulla Khan’s position.

After Khawaja Sahib, four other lawyers came to join Sir Zafrulla Khanra, giving him all he needed to prepare the case.

However, the greatest help came from Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra. Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra writes: “The Imam [Huzoorra] of the Ahmadiyya community was camping at Lahore in those days. On Wednesday afternoon his emissary, Maulana Abdul Rahim Dard, came inquiring as to when he the Imam could come over and tell me about some important aspects of the partition plan.

When I offered to go over the emissary said that the Imam did not wish to distract my attention from the crucial task at hand, hence he would come. The Imam came and handed me copies of some important references relating to the principles of partition. He had also sent for the original books from England and if received in time he said he would pass them on to me. He also told me that an expert British professor of defence strategy whom he had invited at his own expense had already arrived and was busy preparing maps and other documents.

He would brief me on the defence aspect after I had compiled the written statement.

The books were received just in time and were of great help in the arguments and Prof Spatt [Spate] had also fully explained to me the defence dimensions.

“The council for the Hindus, Mr ML Sitalwad, had forcefully demanded the area up to River Jhelum to meet India’s defence needs. But he could not back the demand with any cogent argument as I presented the maps prepared by Prof Spatt [Spate] and explain their significance. The Imam remained present during the arguments to help me with his prayers.” (Tehdise Nemat or Recollection of Divine Favours [English], pp.

525-532)

Friday 26 August 2022 | AL HAKAM

12

Afghanistan, the US and Taliban: A story of injustice, terror and vested interests Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam

9/11 and its background 11 September 2001, a day that brought a drastic change on the world stage, as it shook the world in an unprecedented manner.

Attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda on the Twin Towers in New York City and the US department of defence headquarters at the Pentagon, resulting in hundreds of deaths and many injuries as well.

But the questions are: What was alQaeda? Who helped in its formation? Why and how did they confront a major power like the US? In 1973, Mohammed Daoud Khan had taken power in Afghanistan by overthrowing the monarchy of King Zahir Shah, with the support of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), and established the Republic of Afghanistan. Later on, in April 1978, the PDPA overthrew Daoud Khan in what is known as the Saur Revolution and a new government was established,

the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. (“World: Analysis Afghanistan: 20 years of bloodshed”, http://news.bbc.co.uk/) This was followed by activities of some scattered rebellion, and while being “well aware of Soviet support for the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, the United States immediately began discussing aid for the incipient rebellion.” (Parenti, Christian.

“America’s Jihad: A History of Origins”, Social Justice 28, no. 3 (85) (2001): 31–38. www.jstor.org/stable/29768089) On 30 March 1979, the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Robert Gates attended a meeting where the Under Secretary of Defence, Walter B Slocombe asked whether “there was value in keeping the Afghan insurgency going, [and] sucking the Soviets into a Vietnamese quagmire.”

And then, America was soon channelling aid to the rebels. In an interview in 1998, with Le Nouvel Observateur [now L’Obs], the former national security advisor to President Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski explained that the US began aiding the tribalist uprisings

as early as six months before the Soviet invasion. (Ibid) “It goes from meddling and funneling and agitating to outright saying, ‘Okay, we need to support the mujahedeen’, and allying themselves with the anti-communist resistance movement.” (“The history of US intervention in Afghanistan, from the Cold War to 9/11”, www.vox.com) The People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan was factionalised. A seemingly pro-Western faction influenced by Hafizullah Amin, usurped the main faction of the group in mid-1979. Fear of US support for Amin’s faction led the Soviet government to order the invasion. The Soviets captured Kabul Airport on 24 December 1979, and the army crossed the border on the same day. (“Defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan”, www.bbc.co.uk) The militant groups – the so-called mujahideen – opposed the Soviet occupation, while the Afghan army supported the Soviet Red Army. The mujahideen were “heavily armed as they were supplied by China and

A second plane crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center Complex in New York City on 9/11 | Wiki Commons

the USA and they received training from the CIA. The mujahideen employed guerrilla tactics against the Red Army. Using hit and run attacks they gained control of the rural and mountainous areas of Afghanistan.”

(Ibid) Mentioning the CIA’s support for the mujahideen, Tim Weiner, an American author stated: “The CIA smuggled billions of dollars in weapons into the hands of the Afghan resistance. That bled the Red Army, leaving at least 15,000 soldiers and commandos dead on the battlefield”, and the White House, CIA and State Department documents show that in 1980, President Carter’s CIA spent close to $100 million shipping weapons to the Afghan resistance. (“History to Trump: CIA was aiding Afghan rebels before the Soviets invaded in ’79”, www.washingtonpost.com) He further states that the documents reveal that the CIA proposed on 28 February 1979 that it could buy “lethal military equipment” for the mujahideen of Afghanistan. Six weeks later, the CIA started a series of black propaganda operations designed to support the tribal revolt in Afghanistan. Carter signed a secret order on 3 July authorising the CIA support to Afghan insurgents, either in the form of cash or non-military supplies. Consequently, the Afghan insurgency grew. (Ibid) The US funding for the mujahideen continued to increase.

“Matthew Erulkar, a lobbyist for the Afghan rebels and director of the ‘Afghan American Educational Fund’, said the US has spent $380 million to $400 million on behalf of the resistance since 1979, most in the last two years. Of that, he estimates, only about $100 million in weapons and other military hardware reached the fighters.”

(Terry Atlas, “US Aid Pipeline to Afghan Rebels Springing Leaks”, Chicago Tribune, 3 February 1985) The ‘mujahideen’ was not a single group, in fact, they were four different kinds of groups that roughly aligned in resisting the new government. The US pressured Egypt to release a group of extremists that it had arrested. One of those arrested was Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The US started to bring in militants from Yemen and Saudi Arabia, who then went on to form al-Qaeda. Once the US and the Soviet Union withdrew their influence from Afghanistan, the country fell into a civil war, giving birth to both al-Qaeda and the

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A map of the political situation in Afghanistan on 1 October 2001, following the 11 September attacks | Wiki Commons

Taliban. (“The history of US intervention in Afghanistan, from the Cold War to 9/11”, www.vox.com) From 1979 to 1989, an estimated one million civilians, 90,000 rebels, 18,000 Afghan troops, and 14,500 Soviet soldiers were killed. (“The Soviet War in Afghanistan, 1979-1989”, www.theatlantic.com) Unfortunately, the US support and upbringing of mujahideen during the last quarter of the twentieth century went on to haunt them a few years later, in the form of the 9/11 attacks.

The Taliban had promised to restore peace and security and enforce what they considered the “Islamic” law. However, they had nothing to do with Islam, they tarnished the image of that peaceful religion, which advocates peace, harmony, love and justice.

The US invasion The Taliban had been ruling over threequarters of Afghanistan since 1996, and on the US demand, they did not hand over the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Thereafter, the US invaded Afghanistan on 7 October 2001, soon the Taliban were removed from power, and a new government came into being.

The US had thought that they could easily overcome the Taliban impact, however, they proved to be wrong.

The new West-backed government in Afghanistan failed to bring any stability to the country, and there were continuous clashes between NATO and the Taliban.

The consequence was that it was the civilian population which suffered the most.

On 1 December 2009, the then US president, Barack Obama announced to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in the coming months, but he vowed to start bringing American forces home in the

middle of 2011. He added that he could “bring this war to a successful conclusion”. (“Obama Adds Troops, but Maps Exit Plan”, www.nytimes.com) In 2010, there were around 150,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan, but the casualties continued to increase. In 2011, Obama announced the plan to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan. Three years later, some 34,000 soldiers were left in the country.

By 2017, the US troops level had declined to about 8,400. The civilian casualties rose as the Taliban expanded their military campaign in different parts of the country.

As a result, the new US president, Donald Trump sent 3,000 US troops to Afghanistan.

The US also stepped up air raids, resulting in a dramatic increase in civilian casualties. (“From the 2001 fall of the Taliban to 2020 Afghan peace talks”, www.aljazeera.com)

(“Afghan conflict: US and Taliban sign deal to end 18-year war”, www.bbc.co.uk)

The withdrawal Despite grave concerns from Afghan officials over the government’s vulnerability to the Taliban without international support, Joe Biden announced in April 2021 that all American forces would leave the country by 11 September.

On 31 August 2021, the US withdrew its last remaining troops and concluded a huge and chaotic airlift that evacuated more than 120,000 civilians but left thousands of others stranded. The US president, Joe Biden said

in a statement, “Now, our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended”. (“US withdraws from Afghanistan, bringing an end to 20-year war”, www.ft.com) Foreign forces were stunned by the speed of the Taliban’s advance and had to accelerate their exit. Many Westernbacked Afghan government leaders fled, while thousands of their compatriots and foreigners fearing Taliban rule scrambled to find room on flights out of the country.

Within weeks, the Taliban were in control of all of Afghanistan - something they had not managed to do in their first stint in power between 1996 and 2001. (“Who are the Taliban?”, www.bbc.co.uk) What did the US achieve in 20 years?

The Wall Street Journal, published a piece on 31 December 2021 titled “Who Won in Afghanistan? Private Contractors”, saying that while the US lost its 20-year campaign to transform Afghanistan, many contractors won big; those who benefitted from the outpouring of government money ranged from major weapons manufacturers to entrepreneurs.

The story read, “Since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, military outsourcing helped push up Pentagon spending to $14 trillion, creating opportunities for profit as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq stretched on […] One-third to half of that sum went to contractors, with five defence companies – Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co., General Dynamics Corp., Raytheon Technologies Corp., and Northrop Grumman Corp. – taking the lion’s share, $2.1 trillion, for weapons, supplies and other services.”

According to a report by UNHCR, since 1979, there were more than 6 million Afghan refugees, which continued to make up one of the largest and most protracted displacement situations under UNHCR’s mandate. (“Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis”, www.unrefugees.org) The US and NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan could have happened in a far better way, than the way it actually happened. They had occupied the country for 20 years and certainly attained various

The US-Taliban talks In October 2018, US officials and Taliban representatives held their first meeting in Doha, and the talks continued into the next year for eight rounds. Despite the talks, violence intensified. In September 2019, Trump abruptly suspended the talks with the Taliban following the killing of a US soldier. The US president also cancelled planned secret meetings at Camp David with the Taliban. Following the suspension of the talks, the Taliban intensified attacks, with the last quarter of 2019 becoming one of the bloodiest since the US invasion in 2001. (Ibid) In February 2020, the US and NATO allies agreed to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the militants upheld the deal, and the militants also agreed not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they controlled.

The NATO’s war against the Taliban | Wiki Commons

Friday 26 August 2022 | AL HAKAM

14 political and geographical advantages as well, however, failed to establish peace.

It was their duty to at least leave the country in a state where the civilians could have a safe place to live in accordance with basic human rights and freedom.

However, the West exhibited selfishness by leaving the Afghans under the Taliban rule, who had a history of violence, oppression, inhumane treatment, unIslamic style of government and that too in the name of Islam which in reality advocates peace, harmony, freedom and human rights.

One year of Taliban rule: Expectations, promises and ground reality Now, a year has been completed since Taliban rule in Afghanistan post-withdrawal.

In the first official press conference after taking over Kabul, a Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that they would not seek revenge against government officials or the Afghan soldiers it had fought for the past two decades. Women would be permitted to work and study and will be very active in society but within the framework of what they considered “Islam”. (“Taliban pledges to respect women’s rights ‘within the framework of Islam’”, www.ft.com) In another statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Taliban had met “all the requirements” for their government to be given diplomatic recognition, however, the world needed to realise that political engagement with the Taliban was in everyone’s interest, as it would allow the world to formally discuss “the grievances” they had with the Taliban. (“Taliban Say US Is ‘Biggest Hurdle’ to Diplomatic Recognition”, www.voanews. com) He added that the US was the biggest obstacle which did not allow other countries to recognise the Taliban government. (Ibid)

On 25 November 2021, Amnesty International reported: “Since taking control of Kabul on 15 August 2021, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on women and girls.

Apart from healthcare workers and a few other isolated exemptions, women have been told they cannot return to work or travel in public without being accompanied by a Mahram (male guardian).” (“Afghanistan: Women call on the international community to support women’s rights amid ongoing Taliban suppression”, www.amnesty.org) Afghanistan had to face a severe economic crisis post-withdrawal, and the population struggled to find enough money to eat and access other essentials.

Afghanistan had reserves of more than $9 billion in the banks in the US and Europe, at the time of US withdrawal.

Whereas, another $500 million belonging to individuals who hold accounts with privately owned Afghan banks is also frozen. The money had been managed by Da Afghanistan Bank, the central bank, and used as reserves to keep the currency stable, finance imports, and provide liquidity to the banking system. (“Afghanistan Still Wants Its Frozen Funds”, https://foreignpolicy.com/) In February 2022, Afghanistan’s central bank “criticised Washington’s plan to use half the bank’s $7 billion in frozen assets on US soil for humanitarian aid and set aside the rest to possibly satisfy lawsuits over the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.” Whereas, the US administration officials said that they would work to ensure access to $3.5 billion of the assets would benefit the Afghan people, amid calls for the money to be used to address a deepening economic crisis since the Taliban seized power last year. “The other half of the funds would remain in the United States, subject to ongoing litigation targeting the Taliban, including by relatives of those who died in the Sept. 11 attacks”, the officials said. (“Afghan central bank says U.S. plan for frozen funds an ‘injustice’”,

www.reuters.com) On 25 April 2022, alarmed by the critical humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, UN human rights experts called on the US government to unblock the foreign assets of Da Afghanistan Bank of more than $7 billion to enable the unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance to cover the basic needs of tens of millions of people in the country. (“Afghanistan: UN experts call on US Government to unblock foreign assets of central bank to ease humanitarian impact”, www.ohchr.org) The report stated: “According to international assessments, Afghanistan has now the highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world, with more than 23 million in need of food assistance, and with approximately 95 per cent of the population having insufficient food consumption. Of particular concern is the vulnerability of more than 4 million internally displaced, including people belonging to minorities and more than 3.5 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.” (Ibid) On 7 May 2022, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) issued a statement of deep concern, in response to an announcement made by the Taliban de facto authorities saying that women should only leave their homes in cases of necessity and then, with their faces covered in public.

The statement said: “This decision contradicts numerous assurances regarding respect for and protection of all Afghans’ human rights, including those of women and girls, that had been provided to the international community by Taliban representatives during discussions and negotiations over the past decade”. (“Afghanistan: Taliban orders women to stay home; cover up in public”, https://news.un.org/) On 14 May 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi announced the first annual national budget since the Taliban

Afghan soldiers from 215 Corps take aim at Taliban insurgents | Wiki Commons

took over. He said that the government foresaw spending of 231.4 billion Afghanis and domestic revenue of 186.7 billion. The authorities said that Afghanistan had to face a budget deficit of 44 billion Afghanis ($501 million). (“Taliban’s first annual Afghan budget foresees $501 million deficit”, www. reuters.com) In an exclusive interview, senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani told Al Jazeera how he saw the Taliban’s achievements and failures since 15 August 2021. He said: “Over the past one year, we have brought huge and numerous … developments, chiefly among them is the freedom and independence as we rid our country of foreign occupation, injustice and oppression.

This is what any people or country under occupation aspires to. It is a source of pride for us, it is also a blessing.” (“Q&A: Anas Haqqani on one year of Taliban rule”, www. aljazeera.com) He further said that the Taliban had honoured the Doha Agreement, however, he said that numerous violations were committed by the US forces and the former Kabul government. He added that the sudden vacuum in Kabul was the reason for us to step in. (Ibid) On the issue of women’s rights, he said: “Now, you can see girls joining universities and schools up to grade 12. [...]

There are many measures still to be taken in all our ministries and other state institutions.

Don’t expect us to achieve what others failed to achieve over the past 20 years amid the challenges we are faced with.”

In regards to the natural resources and economy of the country, Haqqani said: “Now you see minerals and natural resources are being extracted using local and foreign companies”, and through these projects, “we are now able to generate revenues for the functioning of our ministries and other institutions”. Another source of revenue comes through customs duties. All these revenues used to fall in the wrong hands in the past. All the state revenues are now channelled into the central government’s treasury, central bank and Ministry of Finance. These were the most prominent examples of the progress we have made, Haqqani added. (Ibid) In regards to world relations, he said: “We aspire to enjoy good and friendly relations with all the countries”, and “it is also our duty to provide a dignified and comfortable way of life for our people. We are here to serve our people.” (Ibid) On 15 August 2022, Amnesty International issued a report and stated that reports of various human rights violations from Afghanistan kept coming in and it was impossible to cover the full scope of those violations. However, the briefing aimed to document some of those serious violations. (“Afghanistan: The Rule of Taliban: A year of violence, impunity and false promises”, www.amnesty.org) The report stated that despite the announcement of a “general amnesty” by the Taliban on 17 August 2021 for those who had worked with the US-led coalition and the previous government, hundreds of former security force personnel and government officials have been subjected to extrajudicial killings, over 80 journalists have been arrested, and there were ceaseless violations of women’s and girls’ rights. (Ibid) On 24 August 2021 – just 10 days after

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their seizure of Kabul, the Taliban issued instructions to women and girls to stay at home. Then on 17 September 2021, the sign outside the “Ministry for Women Affairs” was taken down and replaced with that of the Taliban’s “Ministry for the Preaching and Guidance and the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice”. (Ibid) According to the survey of “Save the Children”, around 80% of secondary school girls are currently denied the right to education in Afghanistan; the organisation estimates that approximately 850,000 out of 1.1 million girls in this age group are currently forced to stay at home. (Ibid) In regards to freedom of speech, the report states that the Taliban takeover has crushed progressive media, and Afghanistan has moved to stifle freedom of expression and dissent through harassment, intimidation, and detentions. A survey by Reporters Without Borders found that 43% of media outlets had disappeared within three months of the Taliban’s rule; 84% of female journalists and 52% of male media workers lost their jobs during this period.

In regards to the ethnic persecution, the report mentioned that “non-Pashtun Afghans being forcibly evicted from their homes and farms, so that the victorious Taliban could reward their followers with land taken from other groups, particularly Hazaras, Turkmen and Uzbeks. Evictions were reported across the country, including in Balkh, Helmand, Daikundi, Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces. Some Pashtuns were also targeted with land confiscation.”

(Ibid) There has been a sharp increase in IS attacks against Hazara people, a minority. IS attacks on minorities ensued, including one on a Sikh place of worship in Kabul in July 2022. (“Taliban rule in Afghanistan, one year on: ‘Women don’t want to stay here’ – photo essay”, www.theguardian.com) While refuting the allegations that the Taliban were persecuting various ethnic groups, Taliban leader Anas Haqqani said in an interview: “There is no truth to the allegations of the oppression of the Hazaras by the current government.” (“DER SPIEGEL Interview

with Taliban Leader Anas Haqqani”, www. spiegel.de)

Who is to blame for Afghanistan’s current situation?

A major cause for the post-withdrawal economic crisis in Afghanistan is the freezing of billions of Afghan assets abroad, and the termination of foreign aid, on which the country was dependent during the past two decades.

In this regard, Human Rights Watch stated: “The abrupt cuts of World Bank programs caused a massive drop in purchasing power across the country and had major impacts on both household and macroeconomic levels. Even if humanitarian groups are able in the future to increase food and cash distributions, they cannot make up for the impact of these cuts. At the World Bank, the US government used its dominant position on the board to revoke the Central Bank’s credentials, blocking the bank from receiving any World Bank assets, grants, or assistance.” (“Economic Causes of Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis”, www. hrw.org) According to the latest statements, the Biden administration does not plan to release billions of dollars of Afghan government assets held by the country’s central bank anytime soon. (“Biden administration does not plan to release frozen Afghan assets soon over concerns they may be diverted to terror groups”, https://edition.cnn.com/) The question is, if the US could fund mujahideen – later to be known as al-Qaeda and Taliban – against the Soviets, then why can’t they grant aid or unfreeze the Afghan assets for the well-being of the people of Afghanistan who are waiting for the world to help them in this crisis.

The West had a huge responsibility, considering the fact that they themselves had played a big role in bringing Afghanistan to this point.

The ground reality is that the Afghan budget is in deficit, assets are frozen abroad, the world is unwilling to recognize the new Taliban government, and foreign aid has also been terminated since the change of

power. Whereas, the West is expecting the Taliban government to run the country in a satisfactory manner. But how?

“The Biden administration did not end the war, but continued it by other means, which are turning out to be more violent and destabilising. The economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies are causing widespread, severe hunger in this desperately poor country.

“Unless those sanctions are soon reversed, it is estimated that more people will die from the economic impact of sanctions over the next year than the number who died in 20 years of war.” (“Biden’s sanctions on Afghanistan threaten to kill more civilians than two decades of war”, https:// eu.usatoday.com) Shah Mehrabi, member of the Supreme Council of the Central Bank of Afghanistan expressed: The Taliban government “will blame the US for the country’s economic woes – and so long as they can point to the assets held frozen under US control, the people will believe them. The choice for the US government is simple: continue down the path that would lead to total economic devastation for millions of people or do what is needed to help the Afghan people. [...]

“Afghans deserve to be safe and prosper in their land. But right now, US policy is holding them back. The US must allow the Afghan people access to their own reserves in a monitored, common-sense way, or the country will collapse. We have the power to lift the Afghan people out of this crisis.” (“Afghanistan’s economy is collapsing, the US can help stop it”, www.aljazeera.com) No doubt, the Taliban must abstain from any inhumane policy, however, it is a fact that without a proper budget or a smooth economy, a country cannot run properly.

Rather than solely blame the Taliban for the current situation, the Western powers will have to reckon how much responsibility lies with all of them for their involvement in Afghanistan’s decades-old conflict.

A continuous call for peace On 6 October 2015, during his address at a

special session of the Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs at the Netherlands National Parliament, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “Even in a state of war, justice and fairness are of paramount importance and when a war concludes, the victor must continue to be just and never resort to undue cruelty.

However, in today’s world we do not find such high moral standards and levels of integrity; rather, after a war is finished, countries impose sanctions and restrictions that limit the progress of the defeated parties and prevent their nations from attaining true freedom or independence. Such policies are harming international relations and can only ever increase frustrations and have a negative impact.” (World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace, p. 179) On 2 May 2022, during his Eid-ul-Fitr Sermon, Huzooraa said: “The world is gradually heading towards destruction, and this is all because man is not paying heed to the rights of others and the requirements of justice. Had this been the case, then we would not have seen the destruction of Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and now Ukraine. To inform the world of all this is our responsibility.” (Al Hakam, 6 May 2022, Issue 216, p. 2) During a virtual meeting, while answering a question in regards to Afghanistan’s situation, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said that for every nation, where there was progress, there was also a point of decline. When it reached a certain stage of decline, then Allah the Almighty could change its condition. It was possible, Huzooraa said, that when Afghanistan reached a further point of decline and fell close to destruction, then perhaps there might be someone among them who takes over again and establishes religious freedom, enabling Ahmadiyyat to be well established and with a prosperous future. Until then, there was no viable future. As the questioner was of Afghani origin, therefore, Huzooraa instructed him to keep praying as he was a native of that country and possessed true sympathy for his homeland. (Al Hakam, 17 June 2022, Issue 222, p. 2) On 21 August 2022, during his concluding address at the Jalsa Salana Germany 2022, Huzooraa said that the reason as to why there is global disharmony and unrest is because the intentions and aspirations of man are not pure.

Huzooraa added that today, undoubtedly, the world says that warfare is bad, and this is what every world leader says, but what they actually mean is, “If someone fights with us, then it is bad”, and, “If we start warfare, then it is not bad.” This is all because they have no fear of their Creator, Who has the power to provide peace to the world.

Huzooraa elaborated that if a nation’s enemy is helped and provided arms, then it is considered unacceptable, however, if that nation provides arms to another country, even if they are the perpetrators, then it is considered acceptable.

Huzooraa raised a pertinent question if this is the mentality of today, then how can global peace be achieved? (www.alhakam. org/jalsa-salana-germany-2022/) May Allah enable all world leaders and rulers to act with justice, and may He enable those who call themselves Muslims to act upon the true teachings of Islam. Amin.

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The siblings of Prophet Jesus Awwab Saad Hayat Al Hakam Hazrat Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, has given several arguments proving the demise of Prophet Jesusas and his being a man and a prophet of God instead of God. Among the many arguments proving that Prophet Jesus was a man of God, one argument presented by Hazrat Ahmadas was that Hazrat Maryamas had children besides Jesusas. The Promised Messiahas stated this argument in many places in his writings.

Some Muslims object to this fact, incite others against Hazrat Ahmadas and write vile things against him. They say that since the Holy Quran has not mentioned and named the other children of Hazrat Maryam, therefore Prophet Jesusas cannot have other siblings. They further add that if Hazrat Ahmadas provides evidence from any other book besides the Holy Quran, then it will be an insult to the Holy Quran.

The Holy Quran is “a perfect Book” and “a guidance for the righteous” it is not a book of history where events are continuously narrated, nor does the Holy Quran record the genealogy of the mentioned persons and personalities mentioned in it. The Holy Quran is a book of advice from Allah, the Lord of Knowledge and Wisdom. If required to meet the purpose of its revelation, the Holy Quran mentions certain subjects in detail but it is not an encyclopaedia.

In this age, one of the various missions that Allah the Almighty has assigned to the Promised Messiahas – which was also prophesied by the Holy Prophetsa of Islam - is the breaking of the cross. The breaking of the cross, as explained by Hazrat Allama ibn Hajarrh, means that the religion of Christianity would become ineffective.

(Fath-ul-Bari, Sharah Sahih al-Bukhari) Thus, Hazrat Ahmadas revealed to the world the correct position and status of Jesusas, the son of Maryas and a prophet of God, so that the wrong and misleading beliefs spread by the enemies of the truth could be remedied.

Shedding light on various beliefs different religions have about Prophet Jesusas, Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Dardra writes: “The Jews as a body still persist in their false belief that Jesusas was an impostor and so died on the cross as a criminal. The Christian churches continue to believe that he died an accursed death on the cross and rose up from the dead because he was the only begotten son of God. The Muslims cling to their dying belief that Jesusas is still alive in the heavens with his physical body.”

(Life of Ahmad, p. 314) The Promised Messiahas showed Christians the reality of Jesusas through their Gospels and mentioned the powers of the real and powerful God Who is the Lord of all the worlds. For example, whilst writing on this very matter, in one place, Hazrat Ahmadas says: “How then is it permissible to attribute such a calumny to the All-Powerful God, who is Eternal and Everlasting, that having been eternally Perfect in His Being, Self-

Ruins of the fishing village, Bethsaida (also known as Julias) mentioned in the New Testament. | Wiki Commons

Sufficient, and All-Powerful, He, in the end, became dependent upon such a defective son and lost His Glory and Greatness altogether? I most certainly do not believe that any wise person would permit such ignominies to be imagined concerning the Perfect Being who combines in Himself all perfect attributes.

“It is clear that if the events [in the life] of Ibn-e-Maryam [the Son of Mary] are shorn of absurd and futile praises, the gist of the real facts of his life according to the Gospel is that he was, like other human beings, a humble, weak, and imperfect man and was one of the follower-Prophets of Hazrat Musaas [Moses].” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, pp. 205-206) In Qadian, open-air speeches and the raising allegations was a daily occurrence.

In such a situation, Hazrat Ahmadas replied eloquently and with reason. For example, in the above-mentioned reference, while giving other logical and simple arguments, Huzooras mentioned the siblings of Jesusas and argued: “Moreover, is it possible that of the five children born to the same mother— that is, Maryam [Mary] — one became the son of God, and even God Himself, while the remaining four poor ones were not bestowed any part of the Godhead?

The dictate of reason is that if God can be born of a created being — unlike a human being born of a human and a donkey being born of a donkey — then whenever a god is created out of a woman’s womb, no created being should be born from the same womb; rather, all the children born from it should be gods so that that holy womb should remain unblemished from the association of creatures and should be a mine exclusively for the birth of gods. According

to the above-mentioned speculation, it was necessary that the brothers and sisters of Hazrat Masih [Jesus] should have partaken somewhat of the Godhead, and the mother of the five should have been honoured as nothing but the ‘God of Gods’, because all these five personalities were graced with their spiritual and physical faculties from her.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, pp. 206207) Opponents of Hazrat Ahmadas say that here the Promised Messiahas has openly slandered Hazrat Maryam not only do such opponents resort to foul, vile language but also incite others with their falsehood and futile understanding. The Promised Messiahas responds to such allegations: “Anyone who asserts that I do not revere the Messiah son of Mary is mischievous and a liar.

“I honour not only the Messiah, but also

his four brothers, as all five of them were sons of the same mother. I also regard his two biological sisters as pious, for they are all from the womb of the Holy Virgin Mary.”

(Noah’s Ark, p. 31) In the footnote of the above-produced extract, Huzooras writes: “Christ the Messiah had four brothers and two sisters who were related to Christ by blood and were the children of Joseph and Mary. The names of his four brothers are Judas, James, Simon and Joseph. The names of his two sisters are Assia and Lydia.

See Apostolic Records by Father John Allen Giles, London, 1886, pp. 159, 166.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 31) Since most opponents of the Promised Messiahas – it is evident from their arguments – have very little to do with knowledge, research, and historical books, they are not ashamed to slander and raise arguments on

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a whim. For example, by listing the abovementioned passage, opponents allege that Hazrat Ahmadas slandered Jesusas and his mother, Maryas by saying she later married and bore children; even though Yusuf

Najjar, referred to as Joseph, the husband of Mary, is also mentioned in the Bible.

Hazrat Ahmadas also mentions James, the brother of Jesus of Nazareth, who became the overseer of his mission after

Jesusas, but Paul did not let him succeed and cleverly rejected the mission of Jesusas to turn people against the Holy Temple. Hazrat Ahmadas writes: “Jesus’as brother James, son of Maryas, was a righteous man. He followed the Torah in everything, believed God to be One without any partner, considered the flesh of swine to be unlawful, faced the Holy Temple while praying—as was the custom of the Jews—and considered himself a Jew in everything, with the exception of his belief in the Prophethood of Jesusas.” (Fountain of Christianity, p. 54) The brothers of Jesusas have been mentioned by Hazrat Ahmadas on various occasions. Huzooras writes that Jesusas was a humble man and was subject to all human weaknesses. Huzooras added that he had four brothers and two sisters. (Tazkira-tushShahadatain, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, p.

25) Clerics who incite common people against the Promised Messiahas do not know that a simple reading of the Bible will reveal how many siblings Prophet Jesusas had.

Many verses of the Bible mention the brothers of Jesus. Matthew 12:46, Luke 8:19 and Mark 3:31 state that Prophet Jesus’ mother and brothers come to meet him. The Bible tells us that “James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas were the four brothers of Jesus.”

(Mathew 13:55) The Bible also tells us about Prophet Jesus’ sisters but does not mention their number or names. (Mathew 13:56) Galatians 1:19 states that James was the brother of Prophet Jesusas. A summary of these references affirms that Prophet Jesusas had real siblings through Joseph and Mary.

Some Roman Catholics claim that these brothers of Prophet Jesusas were actually his cousins. However, in each passage, a specific Greek word for “brother” is used. Although the word can also indicate other relatives, its traditional and literal meaning is “true, biological brother”. There is another specific Greek word for “cousin”, but that word is not used when talking about Jesus’ brothers.

Moreover, if they were cousins of Jesusas, why are they often mentioned with Maryas, the mother of Jesus? When Jesus’ mother and his brothers come to visit him, there is nothing in the context of this account to indicate that these people were other than Jesus’ true brothers.

There is no biblical evidence to confirm that these siblings of Jesusas were any other than the real children of Joseph and Maryas.

Those who oppose the idea that Jesusas had no siblings are not correct as per the Bible.

Some opponents of Hazrat Ahmadas deny that Prophet Jesusas had siblings.

They argue that the Holy Quran states that no man has touched Maryas. They simply oppose this fact because of the concept of Mary being “a virgin”. Their theory of Mary’s “eternal virginity” is also not correct in the light of the teachings of the Holy Quran as the verse that states “no man has touched” is referring only to the miraculous birth of Jesusas.

The book Apolitical Records, which was also mentioned by the Promised Messiahas to state the names of the siblings of Jesusas, is available for people to read. It was published in London in 1886.

28th Majlis-e-Shura and 35th Ijtema of Ansarullah Canada Syed Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent

On 12 August 2022, Majlis Ansarullah Canada held its 28th National Majlis-e-Shura and on 13-14 August held its 35th annual Ijtema at Baitul Islam Mosque complex, Ontario, where hundreds of ansar arrived from all over Canada, reported Waseem Abdullah Sahib.

Shura On the day of Majlis-e-Shura, ansar offered Tahajud and Fajr prayer at the Bait-ul-Islam mosque, followed by a dars of hadith. The members also listened to the live Friday Sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa which commenced at 8am local time.

The shura session started in the morning to which 304 delegates representing 108 majalis across Canada discussed the shura proposals. The day came to an end with dinner and Maghrib and Isha prayers.

The ijtema day started with Tahajud and Fajr Prayers, followed by dars-e-hadith at Bait-ul-Islam mosque. This was followed by breakfast. The flag hoisting took place at 9:30 am. Sadr Majlis Ansarullah Canada Abdul Hameed Warraich Sahib raised Canada’s flag, while naib amir and missionary-incharge Canada Maulana Abdul Rashid Anwar Sahib raised the Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat and led the silent prayer.

Ijtema The opening session started with the recitation from the Holy Quran with its Urdu and English translations, followed by the ansar pledge and a poem.

After this Naib Amir and Missionaryin-charge Canada, Abdul Rasheed Anwar Sahib delivered the opening address on the topic “Status of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya”.

Academic competitions were held with regional prize-winners from across Canada participating. This was followed by two separate interactive sessions on tarbiyat and physical and mental health issues. The members had their questions answered on these topics. The sessions were very beneficial and appreciated by attendees.

A special session was held with Sadr Majlis Ansarullah Canada, Abdul Hameed Warraich Sahib, which commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran and a poem.

Sadr sahib delivered his address on the topic of obedience to Khilafat. The session concluded with silent prayer.

This was followed by sports competitions, dinner, a question and answer session and congregational Maghrib and Isha prayers.

The second day started with the Tahajjud and Fajr prayers.

During the day, the finals for various sports and academic competitions were held.

A question and answer session with nau-mubai’een and Arab Ahmadis was held,

which started with the recitation from the Holy Quran. Sadr sahib Ansarullah then welcomed all present.

An interactive discussion on the topic “I shall exhort my children to remain dedicated and devoted to Khilafat” led by a panel was organised.

The concluding session started with the recitation from the Holy Quran, an Urdu poem and an Arabic tarana, followed by the Ijtema report and prize distribution ceremony.

Sohail Ahmad Sharma Sahib, Naib Amir Jamaat Canada addressed the session. The

topic covered was related to the favours of Allah on the Jamaat in Canada and our responsibilities.

Sadr Majlis Ansarullah Canada then reminded ansar about the Group of Five initiative of the refugee desk, which is helping Ahmadi refugee families stranded in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, etc.

The ijtema concluded with a silent prayer led by Sohail Ahmad Sharma Sahib.

The proceedings were shown live online, with an estimated 2,800 views. The total attendance was 2,390 from across Canada.

Friday 26 August 2022 | AL HAKAM

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100 Years Ago...

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s impact on African culture Al Fazl, 17 August 1922 Eid-ul-Fitr.

Individual tabligh

Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra

Weekly lectures Every Sunday, I deliver lectures on different aspects of the truth of the mission of the Promised Messiahas at the Ahmadiyya Hall. Topics such as The Signs of the Day of Judgment, Anti-Christ, Gog-Magog and Dabatul Arz, have been dealt with.

Moreover, I have delivered lectures on The Signs and Miracles of the Promised Messiahas as well as The Brief History of the Promised Messiah’s Life. Among the audience, there is a fair sprinkling of educated non-Ahmadi gentlemen. The lectures are proving to be a source of knowledge and much spiritual edification to the faithful.

Ahmadiyyat has reached every household The outdoor lectures are delivered twice a week and big audiences listen to them with great attention. By the grace of Allah, I say with the openness of my heart that the message of Ahmadiyyat has reached every single household in Lagos. Ahmadiyyat has become the general topic of conversation among men and women. Some scholars ask questions through the medium of certain people after the lectures. The educated class stop others from opposing the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in their respective constituencies.

Lessons of the Holy Quran for women Regular dars of the Holy Quran for ladies is held thrice a week. I deliver dars once a week and imam Qasim Ajose addresses them twice a week. As it is a big city, it is difficult for the women to gather every day of the week.

Dars of the book, Bulugh al-Maram is being delivered and the chapter of Zakat has already been completed. The Holy Quran has also been taught till the first half of the second part. Moreover, the Yoruba Quran classes are regularly held in different parts of the city under the supervision of imam Qasim Ajose, alfa Joshua, alfa MB Lual and imam Luan.

New mosques – Laying the first bamboo At Epetado, we have withdrawn from a mosque without any confrontation with our opponents, and instead of it, we have built a new mosque which will also serve as a madrasa [school]. At the opening ceremony, this humble one laid the foundation of the mosque and placed the first bamboo after a proper speech and prayers. This is a bamboo mosque with corrugated tin sheets as the roof. For our congregational purposes and other social gatherings, it is quite small.

However, we trust God Who in due time will give our brethren plenty of space. We have also built two mosques in two other places. The small jamaats of those regions perform prayers over there. A noble-hearted Christian gentleman has been generous enough to allot land to our people for the construction of a mosque.

If Muslims rise again, it will be through Ahmadiyyat A special platform granted by Allah the Almighty, i.e. the press is being utilised in the furtherance of the divine message. A small pamphlet –What is the Ahmadiyya Movement? – was published and distributed.

Moreover, The Address to the Prince of Wales was also reprinted and extensively circulated. There are many misconceptions about the Muslims here and their pitiable condition is the same everywhere. The diplomatic Christians take advantage of their ignorance on the one hand and on the other spread mistrust in the government about them. Therefore, it was necessary to circulate this address so that the good may not be veiled under the bad.

Apart from the local press, two famous newspapers of standing and weight are publishing appreciatory articles about the movement. Among the Christian editors, this belief is gaining ground that if ever Muslims are to rise again, it will be through and in the form of Ahmadiyyat.

The West Africa, a well-known magazine in London, has published an excellent article about the Jamaat on the occasion of

The elders of the Jamaat are visited at their homes to renew their faith and the chiefs of the city come to meet us. The series of discussions about Ahmadiyyat is being carried out on a regular basis. Some educated Christians are under tabligh. Alas!

Many well-educated children of Muslims have converted to Christianity. A famous barrister once remarked to our brother that his grandmother was a Muslim, while another, a merchant, said that his father was a Muslim. They say, “Your sermon is correct and teaching is good, but where can we go and place ourselves? The alfas [maulvis] have misguided us about the teachings of the Holy Quran by telling us stories. Now as you have come, we will decide.”

Saltpond Brother Maulvi Fazl Rahman is meeting Gold Coast Jamaat and is engaged in the tabligh tour. He faces great difficulties during preaching and some of the words he writes in various letters are as follows: “I had to travel eight miles on foot and on reaching the destination, I did not get anything to eat. Thus, I had to sleep on an empty stomach by putting my trust in Allah.

“The difficulty of [not finding] interpreters is great and the journeys are painful. I am experiencing more than what I read in your [Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyar’s] writings.

“As soon as I sat in the Steam Launch [boat], I felt sick and started feeling nauseous. I go to Firsena in the morning.

I have a cold and a fever. I am writing this letter in that state of illness.

“The people here are so oblivious, they don’t even know who is George V.” Please pray for the health and success of this brother. He is as far from me as Bombay [now Mumbai] is from Mauritius. Nigeria and Gold Coast are two separate countries with separate governments. The authorities of Gold Coast also cause a lot of trouble.

Results of tabligh Apart from countless souls who benefited from the speeches of the missionaries and felt a change in their hearts, the result of our meagre efforts is that 19 people have converted to Ahmadiyyat during the days of this report and five people have converted to Islam through Fazl Rahman Sahib.

Great hope in Allah the Almighty Currently, we are facing a lot of difficulties and problems. A large part of the Jamaat is illiterate. They are not regular in contributing to the cause of God. The expenses here are three times more compared to London and everyone tries to trick you and charge more when they see a non-native person. Thus, on the one hand, we are facing the prejudiced

government officials of Gold Coast, hidden mischiefs of priests, extreme expenditures, difficulty in procuring food provisions, etc., and on the other, the diplomatic Black Englishmen of Nigeria do not want that the foundations of Ahmadiyyat be established over here. In their view, a strongly established Ahmadiyya Jamaat will hinder their onslaughts on the innocent Muslims and harm their growing profitable trade carried out through ignorant Muslims.

Some officials also do not want that the Muslims become enlightened. However, we are greatly hopeful from Allah the Almighty, and according to the words of Mr Martin, general secretary of Lagos Jamaat, we have great hope in God that insha-Allah, “Nigeria will not only bear its own expenses but the expenses of the England [mission] as well.”

We are quite hopeful that the government will soon allot a piece of land to us for a school. His honour, lieutenant governor has given us his word. It is estimated that the construction of the school will cost five thousand pounds. We strongly hope that by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the entire country will convert to Ahmadiyyat.

Prayer request Owing to the opposition of certain people, the case of Jami‘ masjid [central mosque] has been filed in the High Court of Nigeria and its hearing is due in October [1922], so the friends are requested to pray in this regard.

Honourary missionaries Imam Muhammad Ismail Sheta is engaged in tabligh in the areas of French Dahomey.

He writes, “I go far away from the coast into the interior of the country where in addition to the trade, I engage in the work of spreading the message of Islam.”

Mrs Mary Martin writes, “I am busy preaching Islam Ahmadiyyat.”

Similarly, brother Nooruddin in Port Harcourt, brother Saeed Nooruddin in Abeokuta and Mr Abdur Rahim Smith are busy doing God’s work in Oshogbo. It is far more difficult to bring Muslims into the fold of true Islam than to convert disbelievers to Islam.

Impact of Ahmadiyya Jamaat on the culture of Africa If you see a young man riding a bicycle wearing a high-quality roman cap, or a woman wearing an English dress with a headscarf, then you should know that they are Ahmadis. Before my arrival, Muslim women would not often properly cover themselves, and wearing a long gown was considered part of Christianity, but by the grace of Allah, the good example of Ahmadi women has had such an impact that […] even the non-Ahmadi women have started to wear shirts and some wear gowns.

Moreover, they cover their heads. However, a lot needs to be done and the dress code of Ahmadi women is very important. The capabilities of African women are far more than that of men.

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu published in the 17 August 1922 issue of Al Fazl, with assistance from the translation published in The Review of Religions, October and November 1922)

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Friday Sermon 29 July 2022 Men of Excellence: Hazrat Abu Bakrra After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:

Accounts relating to the expeditions during the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra were being narrated. Today, I will speak about the remaining military expeditions which were led by Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. In order to complete the accounts relating to the battles, it is possible that today’s Friday sermon may be slightly longer.

The Battle of Hirah was fought in RabI‘ al-Awwal, at the beginning of 12 AH, when Hazrat Khalidra set off from Amgheshiyah and headed towards Hirah.

(Umar Abu al-Nasr, Sirat Sayyiduna Siddique Akbarra – Translated, [Lahore,

Pakistan: Mushtaq Book Corner, 2020], p.

672) In relation to this, it is said that Hazrat Khalidra set off from Amgheshiyah and headed towards Hirah. Hirah is located near the Euphrates River and it served as an old Christian centre. Its ruler at the time was a Persian and he assumed that Hazrat Khalid’sra armies would now turn towards him. As such, he started preparations to counter Hazrat Khalidra. He also assumed that Hazrat Khalidra would come by sea on boats. He instructed his son to stop the flow of the Euphrates River so that Hazrat

Khalid’sra ships would get stuck in the swamp. He personally followed him and set up camps for his army on the outskirts of Hirah. When Hazrat Khalidra had set off from Amgheshiyah and when the army had boarded the ships and set off along with their provisions and the spoils of war, Hazrat Khalidra became rather anxious as the ships were hitting the ground due to the lack of water. The sailors said, “The Persians have opened the canals in order to stop the water of the Euphrates flowing in this direction.

The water is flowing in other directions.

Until the canals are closed, the water will

not flow towards us.”

Upon this, Hazrat Khalidra immediately took a group of the cavalry with him and headed towards where the governor’s son was. On the way, Hazrat Khalidra fought the army that was stationed at the bank of the Ateeq River. Hazrat Khalidra ambushed them when they were completely unaware of it and he killed all of them. He then advanced and saw that the son of the ruler of Hirah was supervising the task of diverting the flow of the river. Hazrat Khalidra ambushed him, killed him and his army and allowed the river to flow by breaking the dam. He

Friday 26 August 2022 | AL HAKAM

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then remained standing there personally and oversaw this task until the ships set off on their journey once again. Following this, Hazrat Khalidra gathered all of his commanders and reached Khawarnaq, a fort near Hirah. However, when the governor came to know of the passing of Ardashir and after his own son had also been killed during battle, he crossed the Euphrates River and fled without putting up a fight. Nevertheless, despite the fleeing of the governor, the people of Hirah did not lose courage and fortified themselves. There were four fortresses. They closed themselves off in each of these fortresses and started preparing for battle.

It is recorded that Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid surrounded the fortresses in the following manner; Dhirar bin Azghar was appointed to surround the white fortress, in which Iyas bin Qubaisah al-Ta’i had sought refuge. Dhirar bin Khattab was appointed to surround the fortress of Adsiyyin, in which Adi bin Adi had sought refuge. Dhirar bin Muqarrin was appointed to surround the fortress of Bani Ma‘zin, in which Ibn Akkal had sought refuge and Muthanna bin Haritha was appointed to surround the fortress of Ibn Mukaila, wherein Amr bin Abdil-Masih had sought refuge.

Hazrat Khalidra instructed his commanders to first extend an invitation of Islam to these people. If they were to accept Islam then their conversion to Islam should be accepted. However, if they refused, then they should be given a day’s respite. He also instructed them to not grant the opponents any opportunity; rather, they should fight them and they should not prevent the Muslims from fighting the enemy. They chose to fight and started to throw stones at the Muslims. In turn, the Muslims showered them with arrows, attacked them with all their might and conquered the fortresses.

Upon this, the priests that were present exclaimed, “O people of the fortresses! None but you shall kill us.” This was an attempt to motivate and encourage them. The people in the fortresses replied, “O Arabs! We have accepted one of your three conditions. As such, you should stop now.”

When they saw that the Arabs, i.e. the Muslims, were gaining the upper hand, they expressed their intention of opening

the fortresses under certain conditions. The leaders in those fortresses came out and Hazrat Khalidra met the people in those fortresses separately. Reprimanding them on their actions. (Ali Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname - Translated [Khan Garh, Pakistan: Al-Furqan Trust], p. 410) (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique – Translated [Lahore, Pakistan: Islami Kutub Khanah], p. 315) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah], p. 315) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], p. 459) And whilst reprimanding them, Hazrat Khalidra said: “Woe be unto you! What were you thinking of yourselves by trying to confront us? If you are Arabs then why were you willing to fight your fellow nation?

And if you are non-Arabs then did you believe that you could win against a nation that is unmatched in its justice and equity?”

Following this, the chiefs agreed to pay the Jizya. Hazrat Khalidra was hopeful that these Iraqi Arabs would most certainly accept Islam as they belonged to the same nation. However, he was rather astonished when they insisted on remaining Christian.

Nevertheless, Hazrat Khalidra penned the agreement between the people of Hirah and the Muslims, which was as follows, “In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. This is the covenant Khalid bin Walid has made with Adi bin Adi, Amr bin Adi, Amr bin Abdul Masih, Iyas bin Qabaisah, Hiri bin Akkal. These are the chieftains of Hirah, and the people of Hirah have agreed to this covenant and accepted the condition to pay 190,000 dirhams annually in compensation for their security and protection (in other words, the Jizya will be collected for the protection of the local people). This [Jizya] is mandatory for all who have wealth and worldly material possessions, even if they are monks or priests, except for those who possess nothing and have disassociated with the material world; this covenant will protect all such people. If the rulers are unable to protect them, they are not liable to pay the Jizya (that is, it is the responsibility of the ruler to protect them). If the people, through their words

or actions, express sentiments of rebellion, then this covenant will be dissolved. This treaty is being written on 12 Rabi‘ al-Awwal in the year 12 AH.” This document was given to the people of Hirah; however, after the demise of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, the people of Sawad became apostates and disregarded this treaty. They ceased to comply with the covenant and joined others in disbelief, after which the Persians took control. During the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra when Hazrat Muthanna conquered Hirah once again, the people cited the same covenant; however, Hazrat Muthanna did not accept it and added another clause. Following this, when Hazrat Muthanna faced pushback in some battles – where he was forced to retreat – the people [of Hirah] fell into disbelief once again. They supported the rebels, broke the covenant, and did not comply with its conditions. In time, when Hazrat Saadra conquered Hirah once more, the people desired to come to a settlement based on the prior covenant. Hazrat Saadra asked them to present any past covenants they had made, but they were unable to do so. Owing to this, Hazrat Saadra reinstated a tax for them. After having evaluated their financial means, they were to pay 400,000 [dirhams] in addition to precious gems.

Following the conquest of Hirah, Hazrat Khalidra performed the Prayer of Victory, which consists of eight rak‘aat [unit of prayer] and one salaam [salutation to conclude the prayer]. He prayed the eight rak‘aat together, after which he said, “During the Battle of Mu‘tah, I used and broke nine swords. Never have I fought against a nation like the Persians and among the people of Persia, never have I fought against a people so severely than the people of Ullais.” (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah], pp. 316-319) It is further recorded that the people sent gifts for Hazrat Khalidra, but Hazrat Khalidra sent those gifts to Hazrat Abu Bakrra along with the glad tidings of victory. Hazrat Abu Bakrra exemplified the highest order of fairness and justice and accepted the gifts only as Jizya. He then wrote to Hazrat Khalidra stating, “If you have included these gifts in the Jizya, they will be retained. If

not, deduct the value of these gifts from the amount that is due and collect what remains of the sum”; in other words, he did not accept those valuables as gifts, but as Jizya.

The Muslims treated the people of Hirah very open-heartedly. Witnessing this kind treatment, the landowners and nobles from the surrounding areas also agreed to pay Jizya and submitted to Muslim rule. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique – Translated [Lahore, Pakistan: Islami Kutub Khanah], pp. 318-319) The conquest of Hirah proved to be an important military feat. As a result of this conquest, the Muslims became more hopeful for a successful conquest of Persia because the city [of Hirah] was of great importance to Iraq and the Persian Empire, both geographically and culturally. The great commander of the Muslim army made this city his centre of command and headquarters wherefrom the Muslim armies would receive orders to move on the [pre-emptive] offensive or defensive, or orders pertaining to military structure and reinforcements.

Hirah was also made the central place for the planning and policymaking of matters in dealing with prisoners. Hazrat Khalidra appointed governors in different regions to collect the Jizya and tax, he also appointed leaders along the border so as to protect against the enemy. He stayed there himself to maintain the system of peace and stability. News about Hazrat Khalidra spread to nobles and chieftains alike, and they came to him for negotiations. It was upon witnessing that the Muslims were victorious that they resorted to negotiations. No one was left in Sawad [region] in Iraq and its surrounding areas that had not come into negotiations or made a covenant with the Muslims. (Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname - Translated [Mazhar Garh, Pakistan: Maktabah al-Furqan], p. 412) Hazrat Khalidra remained in Hirah for one year where, before departing for Syria, he conducted tours in the upper and lower regions of the area, all the while the Persians were occupied with appointing and deposing new kings. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah], p. 321) In other words, the Persians did nothing to combat the Muslims. In Persia, they were occupied with appointing and deposing their king. The circumstances in Iraq became favourable as the Persian government lost its grip on the Arab territory between Hirah and the Tigris River, reducing the risk of an attack from the rear. Upon this, Hazrat Khalidra decided to attack Persia directly.

In the meantime, the Persian government faced great tumult at the death of Ardashir, the Persian king; they were torn between who to elect as his successor. Hazrat Khalidra took advantage of the situation and wrote a letter to the kings, nobles and to the affluent people. To the kings, he wrote, “This letter is from Khalid bin Walid, to the kings of Persia. All praise belongs to Allah, Who has brought down your government; He rendered your plans useless, planted discord amongst you, took you from strength to weakness, snatched your wealth away and reduced your power and respect to dust.

Thus, when you receive this letter, accept Islam and you will remain safe and be given peace, or make a covenant and agree to pay

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AL HAKAM | Friday 26 August 2022 Jizya. (If you do not wish to accept Islam, then make a covenant for peace and accept the terms of paying Jizya;) if you do so, we will leave your land and go in the opposite direction. Otherwise, by Allah, aside from Whom there is none worthy of worship, I will bring upon you such an army of men who desire death as ardently as you desire to live, and who desire the afterlife just as much as you desire the life of this world.”

In his letter to the leaders and governors of Persia, Hazrat Khalidra wrote: “This letter is from Khalid bin Walid, addressed to the governors and leaders of Persia. Accept Islam and you will be safe or pay the Jizya and we will take up the responsibility of your protection. If not, then remember, I will overcome you with a people who crave death just as much as you crave wine.” Hazrat Abu Bakr’sra desire to conquer Iraq by virtue of the conquest of Hirah and to bring it under Islamic rule was partially fulfilled; this was just the beginning of attacks directed towards Persia. Hazrat Khalidra discharged his duties in an excellent manner and within a short span of time, he was able to conquer Hirah; his expedition to Iraq started in Muharram in 12 AH at the Battle of Kazimah, and in Rabi‘ al-Awwal of the same year, Hirah was conquered.

After this, there is also the Battle of Anbar, also known as Dhat al-Uyun, which took place in the year 12 AH. The Persian forces had already set up camp in Anbar and Ain al-Tamr, which was very close to Hirah. Anbar is also a city near Baghdad.

It is written here that the reason Anbar was given its name is that in the Arabic language, Anbar means a cabin where harvests and provisions are stored. Thus, this city was named Anbar for its abundance of food and drink. Ain al-Tamr is a city close to Anbar, to the West of Kufa. It is recorded that the Muslim Army was in grave danger due to the Persian forces occupying these two locations. In such circumstances, if Hazrat Khalidra was to remain stationary in Hirah and not go out to fight against the Persian forces, there was a great risk for the Muslims to lose hold of that area, namely Hirah, which they had acquired after great difficulty. Thus, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid commanded the army to make preparations for battle. (Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname - Translated [Mazhar Garh, Pakistan: Maktabah al-Furqan], p. 413) (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Abu Bakr Siddiq Akbar – Translated by Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Pani Piti [Lahore, Pakistan: Ilm-o-Irfan Publishers, 2004], p. 287) (Ibn Athir, AlKamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], p. 245) (Munjid Dictionary, under na-ba-ra) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam alBuldan, Vol. 1 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], p. 305) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 4 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath alArabi], p. 199) After the circumstances were under control in and around Hirah and peace was established, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid appointed Hazrat Qa‘qa bin Amr al-Tamimira in his place and he, himself, set out to help Hazrat Iyad bin Ghanam.

Hazrat Iyad bin Ghanam was sent by Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra to conquer Iraq from the North and then to join with Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid. (Muhammad al-Salabi,

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname - Translated [Mazhar Garh, Pakistan: Maktabah al-Furqan], p. 416) The commander of the army in Anbar was the chieftain of Sabat, Shirzad. During his time, he was a very intelligent, respected and popular individual among the Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

Sabat is also a very well-known place in Mada’in [Ctesiphon]. Nonetheless, it is recorded that the people of Anbar took to their forts and dug trenches right outside the fort walls and filled them with water.

This trench was very close to the wall of the fort. Any Muslim who would come near the trenches would be forced to retreat by the enemy archers in the fort walls. In the meantime, Hazrat Khalidra arrived there with the vanguard of his army. He went all around the trenches to evaluate the fort’s defences, and with his God-given insight, devised a plan. Hazrat Khalidra went to his archers and chose 1,000 experienced archers who had the best aim. He told them, “I have observed that these people are oblivious to the principles of war. Take aim of your arrows at their eyes and shoot only at their eyes.” Therefore, the archers took aim and did what they were told. As a result, on that day, approximately 1,000 eyes were pierced.

For this reason, this battle is also called Dhat al-Uyun, “The Battle of the Eyes.”

Panic spread amongst the enemy that the people of Anbar had lost their eyes, but despite this, the commander of Anbar was reluctant to surrender without any conditions. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid took some of the army’s weakest and injured camels to where the trenches were most narrow. He slaughtered the camels and put them in the trenches, thereby forming a bridge. Now, the Muslims and idolaters came face to face in the trenches. Upon witnessing this, the enemy retreated into their fort. Shirzad, the commander of Anbar, began correspondence with Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid to surrender, and requested that he be allowed to go to his home escorted by a small battalion with no carriage or provisions. Hazrat Khalidra accepted this.

It is important to note here, especially in reference to those historians and biographers who accuse Hazrat Khalidra of being violent and barbaric and accuse him of going on a killing spree, that despite fighting in a severe battle and despite the enemy refusing to accept a treaty of peace, he was still able to overcome the enemy. After all of this, when [Shirzad] requested to be allowed to leave from there, he was given provisions for a journey of three days without any sort of resistance.

Hence, this proves that saying he was cruel is nothing more than an allegation.

When Shirzad fled to save his life and reached Bahman Jazviyah and informed him of what happened, he rebuked Shirzad, upon which he said, “I was among a people who were unintelligent and who hailed from Arab progenies.” He was not referring to Muslims but to the people of Anbar who were from Arab tribes and were ignorant.

Shirzad said, “I heard that the Muslims were attacking us without any regard for their own lives, and whenever a people does something without any regard for their own lives, they are bound to be victorious.

And so, when our army came face to face with theirs, they perforated the eyes of a thousand of our soldiers in the fortress and

on the ground. This led me to believe that the best course of action was to establish a truce.”

When Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid and the Muslims became content with the state of Anbar and when the people of Anbar’s fear dissipated and they came out, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid realised that they were literate in the Arabic language. Hazrat Khalidra asked them who they were, to which they said, “We are a people from among the Arabs and we came to live with the Arabs who had settled here before us in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, when he allowed Arabs to settle and then they remained here.” Hazrat Khalidra asked them who had taught them to write, to which they replied, “We were taught how to write by the Arab tribe Banu Iyad.” Afterwards, Hazrat Khalidra also established peace with the people in the surrounding areas of Anbar.

(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah], p. 322-323) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], p. 209) Then, there is also mention of the Battle of Ain al-Tamr which also took place in 12 AH. After the conquest of Anbar, and upon it being entirely under the control of Hazrat Khalidra, he set his sights upon a nearby area called Ain al-Tamr which is located at the edge of the desert between Iraq and the Syrian desert. It took three days to travel from Anbar to Ain al-Tamr. The governor appointed there by the Persians was Mehran bin Bahram who was present there with a large army comprising of non-Arabs. Aside from the Persian forces, various auxiliary Arab tribes were also present there who were led by Aqqah bin Abi Aqqah. When they heard about Hazrat Khalidra, Aqqah said to Mehran, “Arabs know how to best fight against Arabs. Leave Khalid to us.”

He thought that they [the Arabs] would fight against them because they knew how to. Mehran replied, “You are right; you are experts in fighting against Arabs just as we are experts in fighting against non-Arabs.”

In this way, he deceived Aqqah and ensured his own survival and then said, “You should fight against them, and if you require our assistance then we will certainly help you.”

When Aqqah set out to fight Hazrat Khalidra, the Persian used very strong language for Aqqah and said to Mehran, “What made you say this to him?” He said, “Leave me be. I only desired what was best for you and worst for the Muslims.

Certainly, that man”, in reference to Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid, “is coming towards you who has killed even your kings. He is a mighty warrior who has stifled your grandeur and majesty. Therefore I have merely used Aqqah as a shield against him.

If he proves victorious against Khalid, then this victory will be yours and if the opposite occurs then when you face the Muslims they will have been weakened. Then we will fight them while we are stronger and they will be weaker.” Upon hearing this, they accepted that what Mehran had done was best.

Mehran remained in Ain al-Tamr while Aqqa set up camp along the way to combat Hazrat Khalidra. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq – Translated [Lahore, Pakistan: Islami Kutub Khanah], pp. 288-289) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir alTabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2, Khabr Ain

al-Tamr, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah], p. 324) Aqqah had only just begun arranging his troops when Hazrat Khalidra himself attacked and imprisoned him and without a fight, his army fled in defeat and most of them were captured. When this news reached Mehran, he took his army and fled and they abandoned their fortress. When those who had been defeated reached the fortress and took refuge, Hazrat Khalidra lay siege to it upon which they sought protection from Hazrat Khalidra, but he refused. They accepted his decision and lay down their arms, upon which he captured them and killed Aqqah, along with all those who fought against the Muslims and kept those inside the fortress as prisoners, seizing everything inside the fortress as spoils of war. Inside their monastery, he found 40 boys who the Christians had been using as collateral. Most of these boys were of Arab heritage and they are regarded with prominence in Islamic history because many great people were born from their progenies who left deep-rooted and indelible legacies both in that era and in later eras as well.

Among those boys was Sirin, father of Muhammad ibn Sirin, Nusayr, father of Musa ibn Nusayr and Humran, the freed slave of Hazrat Uthmanra.

Sirin was originally from Iraq and was imprisoned in the events of Ain al-Tamr and was made the slave of Hazrat Anasra bin Malik. He was a great orator and obtained freedom from Hazrat Anasra by way of mukatibat [mutual contract]. His son’s name was Muhammad ibn Sirin, a prominent tabi‘i [someone who has met a companion of the Holy Prophetsa] and an imam in the sciences of commentary of the Holy Quran, hadith, jurisprudence and the interpretation of dreams. Muhammad ibn Sirin was the son of the person who was imprisoned in that battle and was later freed. Then there was Nusayr, who was the father of Musa ibn Nusayr; he was among the prisoners from Banu Umayyah and was later freed by another person from the Banu Umayyah.

He is renowned because of his son Musa ibn Nusayr, who became widely known in North Africa and also played a huge role along with Tariq bin Ziyad in establishing the Muslim rule in Spain.

Then Humran bin Aban was also among the prisoners of Ain al-Tamr. He was a Jewish man who later accepted Islam. He was freed by Hazrat Uthmanra and was able to remain close to him. He was made the governor of Basra for some time in 41 AH and then garnered recognition for his role in the rule of Banu Umayyah. Hazrat Khalidra conveyed news of his victory along with the khums to Hazrat Abu Bakrra. (Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Dhikr Fath Ain al-Tamr, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2006], p. 246) (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar alSahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaat, 2004], pp. 277-278) (Imam Abu al-Hasan Ahmad bin Yahya al-Buladhari, Futuh al-Buldan – Translated [Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2000], pp. 325326) (Mirat al-Zaman Fi Tawarikh al-Ayan, Part. 6 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah], p. 228) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 3, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah], p. 169, 524) After the conquests of Anbar and Ain al-

Friday 26 August 2022 | AL HAKAM

22 Tamr, Hazrat Khalidra entrusted the khums to Walid bin Uqbah and sent him to Hazrat Abu Bakrra bearing the news of their victory.

Upon reaching Medina, he informed him of all the events that had transpired and told him that despite his instructions, Hazrat Khalidra left Hirah and attacked Anbar and Ain al-Tamr because he had spent an entire year in Hirah. Hazrat Abu Bakrra had instructed him to wait in Hirah; however, he took this course of action thinking it to be best according to the prevailing circumstances. There was also no telling when Iyad would leave Dumat al-Jandal and go to help Hazrat Khalidra in Hirah. Quite some time had already passed and Iyadra had still not reached there. Hazrat Abu Bakrra had also grown weary of Iyad’sra slackness and felt as if he was impeding upon the confidence of the Muslims. Had the enemy continued to hear news of the great feats which Hazrat Khalidra had achieved in Iraq, then they would surely have taken advantage of Iyad’s weakness and would have caused the Muslims great shame. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq – Translated [Lahore, Pakistan: Islami Kutub Khanah], p. 325) Then there was the Battle of Dumat al-Jandal which also took place in 12 AH. Dumat al-Jandal is a city at the distance of a five-night journey from Damascus and a fifteen-night journey from Medina, according to the means of transport available at that time. This is the closest Syrian city to Medina.

Hazrat Abu Bakrra had sent Hazrat Iyad bin Ghanamra to Dumah and he was made to face great difficulties by the enemy for a long time, which was why he was unable to join Hazrat Khalidra. When Hazrat Khalidra sent Walid bin Uqbah to Hazrat Abu Bakrra with the news of their victory at Ain alTamr, Hazrat Abu Bakrra grew worried about Iyad. Hence he sent Walid bin Uqbah to help Iyadra. (Muhammad Raza, Abu Bakr al-Siddique Awwalu al-Khulafa al-Rashidin, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Kutub alArabiyah, 1950], p. 124) When Walid bin Uqbah reached Hazrat Iyadra, he found that Hazrat Iyadra had surrounded the enemy while the enemy had also surrounded him and blocked his path. Walid bin Uqbah said to Hazrat Iyadra, “Sometimes when battling a large army, intelligence proves more useful. You should send a messenger to Hazrat Khalidra and seek help from him.” Hazrat Iyadra had no option but to accept Walid’s advice because it had already been a year since he arrived at Dumat al-Jandal and victory was nowhere in sight. Hence Hazrat Iyadra did just that, and when his messenger reached Hazrat Khalidra, the conquest of Ain al-Tamr had already taken place. He wrote a short letter addressed to Hazrat Iyadra which he gave to the messenger and immediately sent him back in hopes of lessening his worry. The letter read, “Wait just a bit, horses being ridden by lions are on their way. Swords will be glistening and ranks upon ranks of the army will arrive.”

It is recorded with regards to Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid’s own journey to Dumat al-Jandal that after the conquest of Ain alTamr he appointed Awaim bin Kahil Aslami as the custodian and took the army which was with him at Ain al-Tamr and set out towards Dumat al-Jandal. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid traversed 300 kilometres in less

than 10 days. When the people of Dumah learned of Hazrat Khalid’sra imminent arrival, they sought help from their allied tribes. These tribes joined forces with various other tribes and arrived at Dumat al-Jandal and their numbers were far greater than the army faced by Hazrat Iyadra when he had arrived there a year earlier. The army of Dumatul Jandal comprised two large factions. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique – Translated [Lahore, Pakistan: Islami Kutub Khanah], pp. 290-291) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir alTabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987], pp. 324-325) (Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname – Translated [Muzaffar Garh, Pakistan: Al-Furqan Trust], p. 418) They were led by two leaders; one was Ukaider bin Abd al-Malik and the other was Judi bin Rabi‘ah. When they learned of Hazrat Khalid’sra arrival, a dispute arose between the two; Ukaider said, “I am very well acquainted with Khalid and there is no one more successful than him nor is there anyone sharper in battle. Any nation which battles Khalid, whether less in number or more, certainly suffers defeat. You should heed my advice and make peace with them.”

However, they rejected this idea upon which Ukaider said, “I cannot accompany you in fighting against Khalid. Do as you please, I will have no part in it.” After saying this, he left. Hazrat Khalidra received news of this and he sent Asim bin Amr to intercept him along the way. Since they did not agree to make peace, he left and headed back toward his home. Asim intercepted Ukaider who demanded, “Take me to your leader, Khalid!”

When Ukaidar came before Hazrat Khalidra, he had Ukaider killed and seized all his possessions. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 325) The question arises is that, having made him a prisoner, why was he killed?

The reason mentioned is that during the Battle of Tabuk, the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Khalidra to Ukaider. Hazrat Khalidra imprisoned him and brought him to the Holy Prophetsa. As an act of kindness, the Holy Prophetsa set him free but also took a covenant from him [that he would not do it again]. However, he broke this covenant and rebelled against the rule of Medina.

(Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique – Translated [Lahore, Pakistan: Islami Kutub Khanah], p. 327-328) When Ukaider learnt of Hazrat Khalid’sra arrival in Dumat al-Jandal, Ukaider left his people and ran away. As mentioned before, while on route to Dumat al-Jandal, Hazrat Khalidra learnt of this development and he ordered Asim bin Amr to go and arrest him.

He managed to capture him and owing to his treachery, Hazrat Khalidra ordered for him to be killed and thus he was killed. Hence, Allah the Almighty destroyed him owing to his treachery and rebellion. (Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname – Translated [Muzaffar Garh, Pakistan: Al-Furqan Trust], p. 419) According to some narrations it is mentioned that he was captured and sent to Medina, and he was released in the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra, after which he moved to

Iraq from Medina. There he settled in Ain al-Tamr in Dumah and remained there until his demise. (Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname – Translated [Muzaffar Garh, Pakistan: Al-Furqan Trust], p. 328) These are the two [varying] narrations.

With regard to the battle with the people of Dumah, it is mentioned that Hazrat Khalidra advanced ahead and reached Dumah. Hazrat Khalidra surrounded the people of Dumah whereby his army was on one side and Hazrat Iyad’sra army was on the other. Since there was not enough space inside the fort, the Christian Arabs who came to assist the people of Dumah were positioned around the fort towards the outer side. When Hazrat Khalidra had calmly arranged the rows of his army, the chiefs of Dumah came out of the fort and attacked Hazrat Khalidra. A fierce battle ensued between the two armies and eventually, Hazrat Khalidra and Hazrat Iyadra defeated their opponents. Hazrat Khalidra captured one chief named Judi and Hazrat Aqra bin Habisra captured another chief named Wadiyah, who was the chief of the Kalb tribe.

The rest of the people retreated and locked themselves inside the fort. However, there was not enough space inside the fort [for everyone]; when the fort was full, the people inside locked the door despite the fact that there were still lots of people outside, as a result of which the people became worried and ran around in this state.

Asim bin Amr said, “O Banu Tamim!

Help the Banu Kalb, your confederates, because you will not have an opportunity to help them in this manner again.” Upon hearing this, the Banu Tamim came to their aid. Owing to this protection issued by Asim, the Banu Kalb were spared. Hazrat Khalidra chased after those who retreated to the fort and killed so many of them that the mound of bodies obstructed the door of the fort. He then killed Judi and those captives with him. Only the captives of the Banu Kalb tribe survived because Asim and Aqrara as well as the Banu Tamim all granted them protection.

Following this, Hazrat Khalidra began circling around the door and only rested when he had broken it down as a result of which the Muslims entered the fort, they killed all the fighters and imprisoned those who were young. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], p. 325) After gaining victory, Hazrat Khalidra instructed Aqra bin Habisra to return to Anbar and he himself remained in Dumat al-Jandal. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique – Translated [Lahore, Pakistan: Islami Kutub Khanah], p. 293) The conquest of Dumat al-Jandal greatly strengthened the Muslims militarily, because along three sides of Dumat al-Jandal, various important routes passed from there; in the south was the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq was to the East and Syria was to the northwest. Naturally, this city was a worthy focal point for Hazrat Abu Bakrra and his army, who were engaged in fighting in Iraq and were reaching the borders of Syria. It was for this reason that Hazrat Iyadra did not advance from Dumat al-Jandal and instead remained resolute until the arrival of Hazrat Khalidra. Had Dumat al-Jandal not been

captured by the Muslims, then the Muslim forces in Iraq would have been in grave danger. (Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname [Khan Garh, Pakistan: Al-Furqan Trust], pp. 419-420) Then there were the Battles of Husaid and Khanafis. Husaid is a small valley between Kufa and Syria and Khanafis was an area near to Anbar towards Iraq. It is written that Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid was stationed in Dumat al-Jandal and as was their habit, the non-Arabs were plotting against him, i.e. against Hazrat Khalidra and the Muslims.

Out of zeal and wanting to gain revenge for the killing of Aqqah, the Arabs made schemes with the non-Arabs. Hence, Zarmahr set off from Baghdad and along with him, Ruzbah set off towards Anbar.

Both of them promised to meet in Husaid and Khanafis. When Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid’s deputy in Hirah, Hazrat Qa‘qara bin Amr, heard of this development, he instructed A‘bad bin Fadaki to depart for Husaid and also sent Urwah bin Ga’ad towards Khanafis. When Hazrat Khalidra returned to Hirah from Dumah, he also heard of this development. Hazrat Khalidra had intended to attack Mada’in [Ctesiphon], but when he reached there [Hirah] and learnt of the latest developments, he sent Hazrat Qa‘qara bin Amr and Abu Lailah to confront Ruzbah and Zarmahr. Hazrat Khalidra received the letter from Umra alQais Kalbi, who was the governor of the Quda‘ah and Kalb tribes appointed by the Holy Prophetsa. During the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakrra he remained steadfast upon Islam. In the letter he mentioned that Huzail bin Imran had gathered forces in Musayyakh; Rabi‘ah bin Bajir had gathered forces in Saniyy and Bishr.

Driven by their rage to seek revenge for Aqqah, they were going to join forces with Ruzbah and Zarmahr. As soon as he learnt about this, he appointed Hazrat Iyadra bin Ghanam as his deputy in Hirah and departed from there. In order to reach Khanafis, Hazrat Khalidra used the same route taken

by Qa‘qa and Abu Lailah. Hazrat Khalidra met with both of them in Ain al-Tamr.

From here he appointed Hazrat Qa‘qara as the commander of the army and sent him to Usaid, and also sent Abu Lailah to Khanafis; he instructed both of them to surround the enemy and those that were inciting the enemy in one place and if they were not together in one place then to fight them as they were. When Hazrat Qa‘qara saw that Zarmahr and Ruzbah were not advancing, he made his way toward Husaid. The leader of the army of both Arabs and non-Arabs was Ruzbah. When Rubzah found out that Hazrat Qa‘qara was heading in his direction, he asked for help from Zarmahr. Zarmahr appointed a deputy in his place and himself departed to assist Ruzbah. Both armies clashed fiercely in Husaid and Allah assisted the Muslims in killing a large part of the non-Arab [enemies]. Qa‘qara killed Zarmahr and Ruzbah was also killed. The Muslims acquired a large part of the spoils from this battle. The defeated army that ran away from Husaid gathered together in Khanafis.

With regard to the Battle of Khanafis, it is written that Abu Lailah headed towards Khanafis with his army and also the contingent of reinforcements. The defeated army at Husaid joined with the deputy of Zarmahr. Upon learning of the arrival of the

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AL HAKAM | Friday 26 August 2022 Muslims, he left Khanafis and ran towards Musayyakh. The commander in Musayyakh was Huzail. Abu Lailah did not run into any difficulty in his conquest of Khanafis. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid was informed about all these victories. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir alTabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], pp. 325-326) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah alHamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], p.

307, 446) (Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 2003], p. 205) The Battle of Musayyakh. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid learnt that the people of Husaid and Khanafis had run away. Hazrat Khalidra wrote letters to Hazrat Qa‘qara, Abu Lailah, A‘wad and Urwah in which he designated a time in the night to meet in Musayyakh.

Musayyakh was situated between Khoran and Qald. Khoran was a large area near Damascus which comprised of many settlements and fields. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid departed from Ain al-Tamr towards Musayyakh and arrived at the appointed night. Hazrat Khalidra and his commanders attacked Musayyakh in unison; Huzail and those that had taken refuge with him were under attack from three sides. Huzail managed to escape with a handful of people.

(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar alKutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], p. 326) (Sayyid Fadl al-Rahman, Farhang-e-Sirat [Karachi, Pakistan: Zawwar Academy Publications, 2003], p. 109) During this battle, two Muslims, who had received an assurance of peace from Hazrat Abu Bakrra, were killed by the Islamic army.

When Hazrat Abu Bakrra was informed of their killing, he paid blood money for them.

Hazrat Umarra insisted that Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid should be punished for this action.

Hazrat Umarra was impassioned on account of why Muslims had been killed, but Hazrat Abu Bakrra said, “If such a situation arises for such Muslims who take refuge in enemy lands and take refuge with the enemy, then for something like this to happen to them is not a significant matter, as this can easily happen [in such circumstances].” However, Hazrat Abu Bakrra left a will instructing to take care of the children of the deceased Muslims. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique – Translated [Lahore, Pakistan: Islami Kutub Khanah], p. 311) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], p. 327) The incidents of Saniyy and Zumeil; Zumeil is the name of a place and its name is also recorded as Bishr. It is situated close to Saniyy. Due to their rage to get revenge for the killing of Aqqah, who died in the battle of Ain al-Tamr, Rabi‘ah bin Bujair had gathered with his army in Saniyy and Bishr. Having gained victory in the Battle of Musayyakh, Hazrat Khalidra sent Qa‘qara and Abu Lailah ahead of him and it was decided again that on a particular night, all of them would attack in unison from three directions as they did in Musayyakh.

Subsequently, Hazrat Khalidra departed from Musayyakh and reached Zumeil, passing through various places on the way. Hazrat Khalidra began [the attack] from Saniyy and both of his commanders joined him. All three of them launched a night attack from three directions against Rabi‘ah and those

who were eager to fight against them. With swords drawn, they attacked them in such a manner that not a single person was able to escape to warn anyone. Their women were taken as prisoners and the khums was sent to Hazrat Abu Bakrra for the bait-ul-mal.

The rest of the spoils of war were distributed amongst the Muslim army.

According to the agreement, Huzail, who was defeated in the Battle of Musayyakh and had run away, joined the army of Rabi‘ah bin Bujair. Once again he fled and sought shelter with Zumail bin Atab. Atab was stationed in Bishr with a formidable army. Even before Atab could learn about the defeat of Rabiah’s army, Hazrat Khalidra attacked him as well from all three sides. In this battle, many people were killed and the Muslims gained a significant amount of spoils of war. Hazrat Khalidra distributed the spoils of war among the Muslims and sent the khums to Hazrat Abu Bakrra.

Hazrat Khalidra then advanced towards a place near Bishr called Rauzab. The commander in that area was Hilal bin Aqqah. When his army learnt that Hazrat Khalidra was advancing towards them, the army deserted him. Because of this, Hilal was forced to flee and the Muslims occupied Rauzab without any difficulty. (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], pp. 327-328) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah alHamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], p.

307, 170) Then there is mention of the Battle of Firaz. Firaz was the name of a place between Basra and Yamama. This is where the routes from Syria, Iraq and Arabia would converge.

This battle was fought between the Muslims and the Byzantines during Dhu Al-Qa‘dah, 12 AH at Firaz. For this reason, this battle was known as the Battle of Firaz. After occupying Rauzab, Hazrat Khalidra arrived for Firaz.

During this campaign, Hazrat Khalidra faced many battles. He was not even able to fast during Ramadan. News of Khalid’sra sudden attacks and his defeating of various tribes had spread throughout Iraq and all the tribes dwelling in the desserts became fearful. They thought that in the interest of their safety, it was best to throw down their weapons and accept the rule of the Muslims.

Hazrat Khalidra and his army made their way north along the Euphrates River. Wherever they would come across any settlements, its people would enter into a peace treaty and accept their rule. Eventually, Hazrat Khalidra reached Firaz, which was on the border of Iraq, Syria and Al-Jazira [region]. Firaz was the northernmost area of Iraq and Syria.

If fortune favoured Iyadra bin Ghanam and he conquered Daumatul Jandal, then perhaps Khalidra would not have reached this far. This is because Hazrat Abu Bakrra did not want to conquer the entire land of Iraq and Syria. He only desired to establish peace at the borders with both countries and so that the Persians and Byzantines would not attack the Arab lands from this direction. However, it was the will of Allah that both empires were to come under the control of Muslims, and so He established such means whereby Khalidra travelled to the extreme north of the country in order to bring the tribes in Iraq under the authority of the Muslims and in this way it opened a path for the Muslims to attack Syria from

its north. To attack the Byzantines from the border of Iran was such a miraculous development which even Hazrat Abu Bakrra could not have thought of and this extraordinary feat was carried out by such an individual the like of which could not ever be produced by any Arab or non-Arab woman – just as it was mentioned on one occasion by Hazrat Abu Bakrra.

Khalidra remained in Firaz for an entire month and displayed a peerless example of strength, resolve and determination.

He was surrounded by the enemy from all four directions. To the East were the Persians who were thirsty for his blood and the Byzantines were in the West and they were of the view that if Khalid’sra forces were not destroyed straight away, then it would prove difficult to stop them. It was only the Euphrates River which separated the Byzantines and the Muslims, but apart from that, the Bedouin tribes dwelled all around them, whose prominent chiefs had been killed by Khalidra and therefore their hearts were kindled with an unrelenting desire to seek revenge. However, Khalidra was not oblivious to this extremely sensitive situation.

If Khalidra wanted he could have gone back to Hirah and strengthened his forces and then set out again for the Byzantines.

However, Khalidra did not do this because his nature was such that upon seeing the enemy, it would be difficult for him to hold back.

And indeed this was the case as this was part of his disposition. In his eyes, the Persians and Bedouins alike held no worth. He never paid any regard to their extraordinary army before, nor was he prepared to do it in the future and thus occupied himself with preparing the army in a very calm manner.

The Byzantines had not come up against Khalidra before and were unaware of the intensity of his attack. When the Islamic forces gathered at Firaz and remained encamped for an entire month, the Byzantines became impassioned and sought help from the nearby Persian military posts. The Persians happily came to the help of the Byzantines as the Muslims had humiliated them and completely destroyed their grandeur and glory and shattered their pride. Apart from the Persians, the Arab tribes of Taghlib, Iyad and Namir tribes also fully extended their support to the Byzantines because they had not forgotten the killing of their chiefs and leaders.

Subsequently, a very large army comprising of the Byzantines, Persians and the Arab tribes departed in order to fight against the Muslims.

Upon reaching the Euphrates River, they sent a message to the Muslims asking whether they would cross the river, or whether should they do so. Hazrat Khalidra replied that since they had come to fight therefore they should cross over the bridge.

Following this, the enemy began to cross the river. Meanwhile, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid arranged his army rows and prepared them to fight against the enemy. When the time for the battle approached, the commanderin-chief of the Byzantines instructed that their army should separate and stand with their respective tribes so that it could be determined as to who achieved the greater feats. And so, the entire army separated under their respective chiefs. When the battle commenced, Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid instructed his army to surround the

enemy from all directions and to gather them in one place and to repeatedly launch attacks so that the enemy could not have the opportunity to gather themselves again.

And so, this is precisely what happened; the Islamic forces surrounded the Byzantines and gathered them in one place and then attacked them with great force. The Byzantines and their allies thought that by separately sending the tribes to attack the Muslims they would be able to prolong the battle and when the Muslims would get tired and exhausted then they would launch one mighty attack and completely defeat them. However, their idea failed and their plan went against them. When the Muslims gathered them in once place and began to attack them, they were unable to withstand it and very quickly suffered defeat and fled from the battlefield. The Muslims were not going to let them get away and so they pursued them and continued to kill them over a long distance [as they fled].

All the historians unanimously agree that 100,000 people from among the enemy were either killed on the battlefield or upon being pursued. After the victory, Khalidra stayed in Firaz for ten days and on 25 Dhul-Qa‘dah 12 AH, he ordered his army to return to Hirah. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique – Translated [Jhelum, Pakistan: Book Corner Showroom] pp. 312-315) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir alTabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2012], p. 328) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 4 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], p. 276) Whilst expressing his views on this battle, an author writes: “It was the first time in the era of Hazrat Abu Bakrra that the Muslims fought the Byzantines and the Persians, who were both superpowers and also against the Arab armies that dwelled near them. But despite this, the Muslims attained an emphatic victory and without a shadow of a doubt, this battle proved to be a truly historic and decisive one. Though it did not get as much recognition as the other battles, in any case, through this battle the internal strength of the disbelievers came to an end, irrespective of whether they belonged to the Persian Empire, the Roman Empire, Arabia or Iraq.

The battle fought by Khalid Saifullah [i.e.

The Sword of Allah], in Iraq marked the final phase [of the Persian rule]. After this battle, the grandeur and glory of the Persians was completely destroyed. After this, they never again possessed the military might which could cause the Muslims to become fearful.”

(Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiqra Shakhsiyyat aur Karname [Muzaffar Garh, Pakistan: Al-Furqan Trust], p. 423) Another historian has mentioned the significance of the battle of Firaz as follows: “After the victory of the Muslims in Ullais, the strength of the Persian forces was completely broken. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid continued to march ahead and attained victory in the following order Amgheshya, Hirah, Anbar, Ain al-Tamr and Daumatul Jandal and eventually reached Firaz. Firaz was a city situated near the Euphrates River and was very close to the border of the Byzantines. A joint army consisting of the Byzantines, Persians and Christian tribes came up against the Muslims here; however, Hazrat Khalidra defeated this large army of the disbelievers. Syedna Khalidra bin Walid,

Friday 26 August 2022 | AL HAKAM

24 “the Conqueror of Arabia”, conquered Iraq in just one year and two months. He had a total of 10,000 soldiers and the other Islamic commanders-in-chief had also approximately the same number of soldiers under them as well. The extraordinary achievements of this extremely small army are indeed unparalleled in history. Hazrat Khalidra bin Walid took part in every battle and never suffered defeat. Hazrat Khalidra was given the title of ‘Saifullah’, i.e. ‘the Sword of Allah’ by the Holy Prophetsa and he truly did justice to this title. Moreover, he made such excellent arrangements in the lands he conquered that the locals preferred the Arab rule as opposed to the Persian government.”

Nevertheless, the last conquest in the Arab land was in Firaz. Hazrat Khalidra remained in Firaz for 10 days and then took half of his army and left for the battlefront in Syria.

With regard to the conquest in Iraq, it is written that the victory in Iraq was a sign of great success. The Muslims inflicted continuous destructive defeats upon the Persian army there, who were greater than them in both number and weapons. One must remember that at the time, the Persian army was one of the most formidable armies of its time. This is such an extraordinary achievement in the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra which is matchless in history.

There is no doubt that the success in the battles was owing to the efforts of Hazrat

Khalidra bin Walid and his companions and commanders-in-chief. However, one cannot deny the fact that these victories and successes were achieved under the command of a greater leader, Hazrat Abu Bakrra. History bears testimony that no matter how superior and talented an officer of the army may be, they cannot display such trust, unity, loyalty and sincerity unless they are influenced by the personal qualities and lofty morals of the leader of the land.

In all the various stages; from the battles against the disbelievers, apostates and rebels to the conquest of Iraq, the excellent organisation and firm resolve displayed by Hazrat Abu Bakrra inspired the hearts of the Muslim ummah to offer great sacrifices.

His instructions and guidance was not only comprehensive and filled with great wisdom but his own personal example was far more impressive.

What other proof can there be for a leader’s firm resolve and determination, who right from the beginning till the end, did not change a single instruction or guidance of his for the sake of his own honour or owing to the pressure of any other individual?

And not just that, but one cannot find an example the like of which Hazrat Abu Bakrra presented with regard to always thinking well of his able subordinates and placing his trust in them so that they would continue to discharge their responsibilities to the highest of standards and to elevate their spirit of sacrifice.

Can any subordinate leave any stone unturned in order to practically implement the instructions of such a leader like Hazrat Abu Bakrra, who himself was a living example of having immense passion to show loyalty and offer sacrifices for the sake of fulfilling his leader’s instructions, guidance and to honour his authority?

The military prowess of Syedna Khalidra places him amongst the great military commanders. The Arab principles of warfare which Syedna Khalidra adopted against the opponents, rather one ought to say that the principles which Syedna Khalidra introduced, is a golden phase in military history. In order to make the challenging strategies of Syedna Khalidra a success, the military skills of the Muslim army and their continuous movements were a major factor. Through both these aspects, Syedna Khalidra was able to go to the most extreme lengths of enduring hardship and this was only possible because he never placed any of his soldiers in a difficulty that he himself did not endure. The first Khalifa [Hazrat Abu Bakrra] holds a unique position in the history of Islam and Syedna Khalidra is the foremost amongst the commanders who conquered the lands outside of Arabia and was a close associate in helping Hazrat Abu Bakrra change the world’s religious and political landscape. Just as the Muslims were able to conquer the entire land of Iraq like a raging storm under the political and spiritual leadership of Hazrat Abu Bakr

Siddiqra and under the military leadership of Syedna Khalidra, they were also now about to take over the other empire, which was Eastern Roman empire.” (Umar Abu al-Nasr, Sirat Sayyiduna Siddique Akbarra – Translated, [Lahore, Pakistan: Mushtaq Book Corner, 2020], pp. 679-681) There are still some accounts which remain from the life of Hazrat Abu Bakrra and, insha-Allah, will be mentioned in the future. As I mentioned earlier, this would take some extra time to cover but this now brings the accounts related to the military expeditions to a conclusion.

Insha-Allah, next Friday, the United Kingdom’s Jalsa Salana will commence. Pray that may Allah the Almighty bless it in every respect. May all the attendees have a safe journey. Pray for those who will perform duties that may Allah the Almighty enable them to duly fulfil their responsibilities. This is because the Jalsa is taking place after three years on such a large scale. Although the Jalsa took place last year, it was on a much smaller scale. The Jalsa now is once again taking place on a much larger scale, therefore there may be some challenges. May Allah the Almighty remove all such difficulties which could arise from an administrative perspective or any other challenges.

(Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 19 August 2022, pp. 5-11.

Translated by The Review of Religions.)

“

My heart bursts with grief for the people due to the plague; nay, this is no plague, it is a raging storm.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdias

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