Al Hakam - 2 June 2023

A glimpse into great services of Khilafat-eAhmadiyya

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Answers to Everyday Issues Part: 55

A call for interfaith harmony and tabligh: Hazrat Muslehe-Maud’s visit to Mussoorie, Dehradun and Delhi, 1931

Jonah: An illustration of God’s mercy and a lesson for mankind

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 | Issue CCLXXII Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7396

Strive to please Allah, everyone else will follow German Ahmadi university graduates blessed with meeting Huzoor On 28 May 2023, 258 university graduates from Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany, who successfully completed their studies between 2020 and 2022 had the privilege of participating in a virtual meeting with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper.

All members were gathered at Bait-usSabah in Frankfurt, Germany. The men and women were seated in the main hall, with arrangements for purdah.

At the opening of the meeting, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa conveyed his salaam and invited Anique Ahmad Shahid Sahib to recite a portion of the Holy Quran and Alim Ahmad Sahib read out the German translation. Following this, Atifa Ahmad Sahiba, who is currently teaching English and mathematics, had the opportunity to deliver a presentation based on her thesis.

Hearing that she taught English and mathematics, Huzooraa said, “Masha-Allah!

Excellent. Yes, what do you say?”

The topic of her presentation was how to reduce social inequality in educational opportunities. During her presentation, she talked about the German educational system and the stages through which children move from grade to grade. Further, in light of various social classes, she elaborated on the probability of getting a recommendation to study at Gymnasia, i.e., state-maintained secondary schools that prepare pupils for higher academic education, keeping in mind the students’ social classes. She also touched on higher education aspirations

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

Holy Prophet’s final will

ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ ‫ َسألت ﻋ ْبد‬:‫ﻃ��َة بْن ُم َ� ّ� ٍف ﻗال‬ َّ ُ َّ َ ْ َ ْ ّٰ ‫الن ِ� ّي َﺻلى‬ ‫ا��� بْن أ�ِي أوﻓى ﻫل �ان‬ ٰ َ َ ْ ‫ا��ّ ُ� َعل َ ْي ِﻪ َو َسلَّﻢ‬ :‫أوﺻى؟ ﻓقال‬ َ َ ُ َ َْ ُ ْ َُ َ ّ ‫اس‬ ِ ‫ كيﻒ ك ِﺘب على الن‬:‫ ﻓقلت‬،«‫»لا‬ ُ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ َ :‫الﻮ ِﺻ ّي ِة؟ ﻗال‬ ‫أو أ ِم ُروا ِب‬ ‫الﻮ ِﺻ ّية‬ ّٰ ْ «�ِ ��‫ﺘاب ا‬ ِ ِ‫»أوﺻى ب‬ ِ ‫ﻜ‬ Talha bin Musarrif narrated, “I asked Abdullah bin Abi ‘Aufa, ‘Did the Prophetsa make a will?’ He replied, ‘No.’ I said, ‘How is it prescribed then for the people to make wills, and they are commanded to do so?’ He replied, ‘He bequeathed Allah’s Book.’” (Sahih alBukhari, Kitab fada’il al-qur’an, Bab al-wasati bi kitabillahi ‘azza wa jalla)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Path to ultimate peace “The path to ultimate peace lies in purifying one’s intentions, becoming devoted solely to God, having an honest relationship with Him and enhancing it further, and striving for His sake. He alone should be one’s Goal and Beloved. One should tread the path of righteousness and perform virtuous deeds. Then, the Divine practice [sunnatullah] will also fulfil its role. and their importance while showing studies to back up her points.

After the presentation, Huzooraa highlighted the key points and remarked that children from educated parents typically excel academically and have a higher likelihood of pursuing further education

compared to those from less educated backgrounds. Huzooraa then enquired whether the presenter had gathered any data within the Jamaat regarding the educational backgrounds of individuals and the number Continued on next page >>

“The focus of such a person should not be upon the outcomes but be fixed solely on this one point. If reaching that point requires the acceptance of Continued on next page >>

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

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the greatest punishment, even then one should proceed towards it – not with the primary aim of [gaining] any rewards or [avoiding any] punishments, but purely with God Almighty as the ultimate goal. When one approaches Him with loyalty and sincerity, attaining closeness to Him, then one will witness all that could never have crossed one’s imagination, so much so that even visions and dreams will be nothing [in comparison to it]. Thus, I wish to guide you towards this path, and this is the true purpose.” (Al Hakam, Vol. 10, 10 December 1906, p. 4)

Photo courtesy of Suhaib Ahmad

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of children in their respective families. In response, she replied that no such data had been collected thus far.

Addressing the research conducted by Atifa Sahiba, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said that she had done good research and further encouraged the Lajna students’ association (AMWSA) members to collect data on individuals who have pursued higher education. Huzooraa emphasised the importance of determining whether these individuals remain connected to the Jamaat and their faith or if they are solely engrossed in their academic pursuits and worldly affairs.

Huzooraa highlighted the presence of talented children within families who have not pursued higher education and suggested the need to develop a plan to encourage such children to pursue further studies. Huzooraa said: “Now, some older [Ahmadi] families have been living in Germany for thirty or forty years after their migration. Even the children of their progeny have reached university-going age. Hence, they are all educated. Thus, the level of education today should be much better than it was ten years ago. However, along with this, it should also be assessed whether these individuals are attached to the Jamaat and the religion or have become engrossed in worldly matters.

After acquiring an education, have they drifted away, or is there an attachment to the Jamaat? And what is the situation among the girls? Therefore, you all need to

collect this data as well.”

Again, addressing Atifa Sahib, Huzooraa said, “You have conducted excellent research!”

Aamir Sahib, who had recently completed his PhD in genetics, was next in line to present his thesis. He stated that he completed his research at the University Hospital Cologne. His thesis focused on retinal degeneration and examined the effects of microglia cells on both healthy and diseased retinas.

After the presentation, Huzooraa asked about the percentage of people who suffer from retinal degeneration. In response, Aamir Sahib said that, as of 2020, 200 million people worldwide had been affected by this. As Aamir Sahib discussed the influence of consuming different vegetables on human eyesight, Huzooraa emphasised, referring to the writings of the Promised Messiahas, the importance of maintaining a balanced diet that includes both vegetables and meat. (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, pp. 9-10) Aamir Sahib emphasised that during their experiments, there were instances when they encountered a point where progress seemed impossible. However, he added that whenever he faced such a challenge, he would write to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, and miraculously, the experiment would regain momentum. He attributed this remarkable turnaround to the grace of Allah and the fervent prayers of Huzooraa.

Thereafter, the graduates had the opportunity to ask Huzooraa various questions on an array of matters.

Sobia Saeed Sahiba, who holds a master’s degree in computer science, asked a question regarding the Islamic perspective on women travelling alone for work or studies. She enquired about the stance Islam takes on this matter.

In response, Huzooraa provided valuable guidance, stating that if the journey consists only of men, it is preferable to avoid such circumstances. However, if there are a few women on the team, then it would be permissible as long as arrangements are made for separate accommodations upon reaching the destination. Huzooraa also highlighted that the permissibility may vary depending on the nature of the study or research they are involved in. Huzooraa

mentioned that certain exceptions could be made for professions aimed at saving human lives or contributing to the welfare of humanity, such as that of a physician.

Furthermore, Huzooraa said that if the research can be conducted remotely from any location, it presents a different scenario altogether. In such cases, the feasibility of conducting the research from anywhere should be taken into consideration.

Huzooraa underlined that it is a matter that should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific conditions and circumstances surrounding the situation.

In Germany, religious education is a regular part of the school curriculum.

Nosheen Ahmad Sahiba, a teacher, enquired about the qualities that a teacher should cultivate in their students to help them understand Allah’s message effectively.

Huzooraa said: “Set and share your example,” and describe one’s personal experiences they have had with Allah the Almighty when having informal conversations with the students. Huzooraa added that one can give specific examples if they are related to a lecture, which may also help the students contemplate the existence of God. Huzooraa asked if she was a teacher in a secondary school, to which she replied affirmatively. Commenting on the latest trends with regard to faith among youth in general and recognising that the students may not take any interest in the teacher’s experiences, Huzooraa said that 60-70% of the students were generally indifferent when it came to matters of religion. Often, their mindset is that they will think about religion later in life. Hence, one can ignite some curiosity by discussing their personal experiences with God. And, to do this, Huzooraa said, it is crucial for the teacher to establish a relationship with God first.

Shahzad Ahmad Syed Sahib, who holds a PhD in pharmacy, enquired whether graduates should venture into their own businesses or first gain experience by working and securing a stable job.

Huzooraa explained that there is no harm in gaining experience through employment.

He stated, “Employment can help regulate life.” There are instances when individuals feel more relaxed when they have their own business. Therefore, it is advisable to

work for one to two years, save up, and then consider starting one’s own pharmacy.

Tahir Inam Sahib, a physician, enquired about healing and treating patients.

Huzooraa explained that Allah the Almighty advises mankind to utilise the available means.

Firstly, Huzooraa emphasised that, as a doctor, one should fervently pray to Allah, seeking His guidance to effectively treat patients and accurately diagnose their illnesses. This is something that a doctor should always pray for. Then one should proceed with treating the patient, keeping in mind that Allah is the ultimate Healer. When writing the prescription, it is beneficial to include “‫ہو‬ ‫( ”الشا�ي‬He is the Healer) on it as a constant reminder that Allah is the ultimate source of healing. Huzooraa also advised that doctors should include prayers for their patients during their prayers, especially during prostration. Huzooraa also suggested that when entering their clinic or practice, doctors can recite Surah al-Fatihah, as it contains healing (shifa’) properties as well.

Next, Hadia Syed Sahiba, a pharmacist, asked if it is permissible to leave one’s children in a daycare or at one’s parents’ home if they get the chance to do work in their field of study. Huzooraa said that if the situation necessitates it and it becomes obligatory, then one would be compelled to make such arrangements. Huzooraa mentioned that many individuals do opt for this option; however, it is important to ensure that the children are made aware that they have not been abandoned.

It is essential to be mindful of the children’s well-being, particularly when they are attending school. Giving them attention and being involved in their lives is crucial.

Next, Bintul Mahdi Ahmad Sahiba, who is completing her master’s degree in education, had the opportunity to ask a question. She asked whether women could engage in politics. Additionally, she enquired about the factors to be considered when joining a political party. She shared that she and her sister were offered an invitation by a female politician to join her political party.

Huzooraa acknowledged that her profession was teaching and expressed that it was indeed a noble and commendable profession. However, Huzooraa advised

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 that if, despite this, she has such an overwhelming desire to enter politics, then she may go ahead, but she should ensure that it aligns with the principles of clean and ethical politics.

Huzooraa emphasised the importance of observing modest dress and wearing the hijab. The attire should be modest, and one’s interactions and socialising should strictly adhere to Islamic teachings. Additionally, Huzooraa encouraged her to consider ways to uphold women’s rights and other human rights, as this would then be of significance and beneficial.

Next, Muhammad Fateh Sahib, who has obtained a master’s degree in industrial engineering and said he is involved in technical innovation management in the automotive industry, had the privilege to converse with Huzooraa. Upon learning about his studies, work, and profession, Huzooraa enquired about his work.

Muhammad Fateh Sahib explained that artificial intelligence has been significantly impacting the industry. He mentioned his involvement in working with automated vehicles and battery cars, as well as their corresponding infrastructure.

With regard to artificial intelligence, Huzooraa said, “If everything were to be accomplished solely through artificial intelligence, what would the human mind be left to do? In such a scenario, the human intellect would experience regression and stagnation.”

Muhammad Fateh Sahib mentioned that there are university students who study and work simultaneously to earn money. He said that it is often observed that their income improves significantly after completing their studies. Muhammad Fateh Sahib sought Huzoor’saa guidance on how university students’ attention can be directed towards financial sacrifices.

Huzooraa said that he had already addressed the answer by mentioning the word “sacrifice” in his question. Huzooraa explained that sacrifice entails burdening oneself and taking on work and tasks. “If everything is achieved easily without any effort, it cannot be considered a sacrifice,” Huzooraa said.

During Eid, when we sacrifice a goat or a cow, we do so after slaughtering it.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa drew attention to the example of Prophet Ismaelas, who was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of Allah. Therefore, Huzooraa emphasised the importance of understanding the true meaning and philosophy of the word “sacrifice”.

On the one hand, people speak of “sacrifice,” while on the other hand, they express their inability to meet their needs and requirements. Huzooraa pointed out that “sacrifice” involves reducing expenses, suppressing personal wants, and making sacrifices for the sake of religion or assisting those in need. Huzooraa said, “The true essence of sacrifice lies in reducing one’s personal expenditures, diminishing one’s desires, and curtailing one’s necessities to spend for the sake of religion, or for the benefit of the poor, or for the betterment of others.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa explained that the Holy Quran provides guidance on giving in different contexts. In one instance, it advises giving an amount that is within one’s means and easy to give. In

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another instance, it emphasises the concept of sacrifice. Furthermore, we have another verse that encourages spending out of what one loves. Huzooraa highlighted that these various teachings address different situations and circumstances.

Huzooraa then quoted the following verse:

ُ َ ُ ۡ ُ ّٰ َ ۡ ُ َ َ ‫ل َ ۡن تنالوا البِ ّر َحتی تن ِفقوۡا ِم ّما ت ِح ُّبوۡ َن‬

[Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love. (Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.93)] Huzooraa also said, “The first thing is salat. Allah the Almighty has first commanded us to establish prayers after having faith in the Unseen. And once this is done and a connection with Allah is established, then offer sacrifice, meaning spend from what Allah has given you. Once you are well nurtured in faith and have established a connection with Allah, you will willingly spend whatever you can, or the desire to do so will emerge.”

Fazeel Ayyaz Sahib expressed that he noticed a significant focus on integration.

He added that it is said that attaining fluency in the German language was seen as a means of integration. He enquired whether there were other factors besides language proficiency that could demonstrate integration.

Huzooraa stated that there is a significant difference between knowing a language and attaining proficiency in it. It is noteworthy that even some native Germans have not achieved proficiency in their own language. Huzooraa further pointed out that the questioner himself did not possess proficiency in Urdu. Nevertheless, it is commonly advised that individuals should strive to acquire at least enough knowledge of a language to effectively express their thoughts and ideas.

There may be individuals who are quick to criticise others for not knowing certain words in German. Huzooraa emphasised the importance of knowing the language of the country in which one resides. However, he clarified that merely knowing the language alone is not sufficient for integration. It is equally important to abide by the laws of the land and actively contribute to the betterment of the country. Huzooraa provided an example of a person who may be fluent in German but fails to adhere to the laws. He emphasised that such an individual, despite being German, does not bring any benefits to the country.

Huzooraa added that true love for one’s nation entails a willingness to contribute to and benefit the country.

Huzooraa then enquired about the questioner’s profession and whether he intended to remain in Germany. In response, the questioner stated that he was a software developer and expressed his intention to continue residing in Germany.

Huzooraa mentioned that if one performs good work and proves to be beneficial for the country, people will naturally embrace and integrate them. Most importantly, Huzooraa emphasised, “Strive to please Allah and everyone else will eventually be pleased.”

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then conveyed his salaam to all members, and the mulaqat came to a successful end.

(Report prepared by Al Hakam)

Guests reception organised by Lajna Imaillah Dietzenbach, Germany Hamda Soosn Chaudhry Sadr Lajna Imaillah Germany

Lajna Imaillah Dietzenbach, Germany, invited female guests to a formal reception at the Baitul Baqi Mosque. The doors opened at 5:30pm and the guests were warmly welcomed by student Lajna members who handed them a complimentary gift and a personal name tag. This reception also served as a chance to get to know each other and to make new contacts.

The guests had the opportunity to explore an Islamic exhibition, which served to inform them about the history of Islam and Ahmadiyyat and about Jamaat’s humanitarian work. Furthermore, they had the opportunity to listen to an audio recording of the recitation from the Holy Quran and its translation, which could be accessed through headphones. The “QuranStation” was provided by a mu‘allimah.

Visitors had the chance to ask their questions and get insight into the Holy Quran and its teachings.

Additionally, various books and pamphlets were offered to take home free of charge. This was highly appreciated by the guests, who praised the generosity of the Jamaat. Eventually, the Baitul Baqi Mosque was filled with many local women from different walks of life: politicians, women of church communities, members of different associations and clubs, schoolteachers,

nursery teachers, neighbours, students, friends, mothers, and grandmothers. The attendance was over 70.

At 6pm, regional Sadr Lajna Dietzenbach, Sumera Raza Sahiba, started the event with a welcome address and a brief overview of the evening’s schedule. The opening ceremony started with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the German translation.

The guests were invited to deliver a personal message, including Andrea Wacker-Hempel, principal city councillor, Johanna Wenninger-Muhr, vice city councillor; and pastor Andrea Schwarze of the protestant Christus-Gemeinde in Dietzenbach.

After these inspiring messages, two Lajna members proceeded by holding a presentation that introduced the audience to the history of Lajna Imaillah and their work all over the world and in Germany.

The speakers shed light on the astounding progress the Lajna Imaillah has made so far by the grace of Allah and emphasised its unique existence in the world. To conclude, four nasirat recited a compilation of German poems by Hadayatullah Hübsch Sahib.

This was followed by refreshments for the guests.

Before leaving, many guests shared their thoughts and feelings by writing them down in a guestbook. Many expressed their admiration for the Jamaat and particularly the Lajna Imaillah. Alhamdulillah.

Lecture delivered at high school in Kingston, Jamaica

Misbah Anmol Tariq Jamaica Correspondent

On 8 May 2023, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Jamaica was invited to deliver a lecture at Clan Carthy High School. The school is a well-known institute across the island, having existed for more than 50 years. It is located in the heart of Kingston, across from Sabina Park Cricket Ground, one of the most iconic landmarks in the Caribbean.

Upon invitation from Ms Danielle Cameron, two missionaries of our Jamaat visited the school. The teacher and students received the missionaries with a warm welcome. First, local mu‘allim, Ghulam Ahmad Sahib delivered a lecture on “Introduction to Islam”. In his presentation, he explained the five pillars of Islam, while

also emphasising the meaning of Islam: peace and submission to God. The students were intrigued and asked several questions to learn more.

Later, Tariq Azeem Sahib, missionaryin-charge in Jamaica, delivered a lecture on “The Story of Creation According to Islam”. In his presentation, he explained the Islamic concept of how the universe came into existence and how Ahmadi Muslims understand it. He also explained how the Holy Quran, a revelation that came down over 1400 years ago, mentions the Big Bang in regard to the creation of the universe.

At the conclusion of the lectures, Ms Aafia, a young student, offered a vote of thanks on behalf of her class. To the delight of the students, the missionaries then shared some snacks with the children.

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

This Week in History

2 - 8 June

A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat 2 - 3 June 2 June 1934: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a lecture at the town hall in Lahore about the need for religion. Surendra Kumar Datta MBE, the then principal of Forman Christian College, Lahore, presided over the session, attended by more than a thousand people.

(Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 6, pp.

181-182)

and last night it was made clear to me after I had prayed to Allah the Almighty with great humility and beseeched Him to give a verdict in this matter and that we

propagation of Islam’s message.

During his Friday Sermon, Huzoorra expressed his gratitude to Allah for His extraordinary support. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat,

2 June 1948: On this day, after the partition of India, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra instructed that books from Qadian’s library should be shifted to Chiniot as soon as possible. Huzoorra gave minute details about this important project to preserve the Jamaat’s literature. Upon this, the concerned officials transferred this treasure to Chiniot before mid-June.

(Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 11, p.

415) 3 June 1946: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra went to the site of the Precision Manufacturing Company in Qadian. Huzoorra laid the foundation stone and led a silent prayer. It was a project of his younger brother, Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 9, p. 620)

4 June 4 May 1978: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh delivered the concluding address at the Deliverance From the Cross Conference in London. (Silsila-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 3, p. 607) 4 June 2005: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa set out on a journey through Western Canada. He travelled from London to Vancouver.

This was Huzoor’saa first visit to this city and province. (Al Fazl International, 17 June 2005, p. 8)

5 June 5 June 1893: On this day, the final paper was read out in the debate between the Promised Messiahas and Abdullah Atham as described in Jange-Muqaddas (The Holy War). In it, the Promised Messiahas announced that a decisive sign would be shown. He wrote: “Nevertheless, I kept praying for this,

one to fulfil the pledge to establish the Faith – which an Ahmadi makes for the establishment of Khilafat – and that is essential for the community’s solidarity and unity. They are obliged to fulfil the pledge to obey Khilafat since they are required to make a united effort, under the leadership of an Imam, to inculcate the Kingdom of God Almighty in people’s hearts.” (“Abide by the words of Khalifatul Masih: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’s advice to Ahmadis”, Al Hakam, 10 February 2023, Issue 256, pp. 1013)

7 June 1897: When the young Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmadra finished his first reading of the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas composed the well-known poem Mahmud ki Amin for this occasion. The poem was published on this day. (Tarikhe-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, pp. 611-612) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh delivering the concluding address at the Deliverance From the Cross Conference in London.

are humble servants and can do nothing without His verdict. So, He gave me this Sign in the form of a glad tiding that in this debate, whichever party from among the two is deliberately adopting falsehood and abandoning the True God and is making a mere mortal into God, will be cast into Hell and utterly disgraced corresponding to the very days of this debate – in other words, taking one month for each day, meaning, within fifteen months – on the condition that he does not return to the Truth; and the one who is on the path of Truth and believes in the True God, his honour will be manifested through this; and at the time this prophecy will come to pass, some of the blind will begin to see, and some of the lame will begin to walk, and some of the deaf will begin to hear..” (The Holy War [Jang-eMuqaddas], pp. 287-288)

5 June 1931: On this day, upon the completion of 40 years since the publication of the Promised Messiah’sas book Fath-e-Islam (Victory of Islam), Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra emphasised that every member of the Jamaat should become regular in Tahajjud prayer and strive for the

Vol. 5, pp. 282-283)

5 June 2000: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh inspected the Ahmadiyya mosque in Wittlich, Germany, which was the first mosque built under the 100-Mosque Scheme of Jamaate-Ahmadiyya Germany. (Silsila-eAhmadiyya, Part 4, p. 902)

6 - 7 June 6 June 2014: During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa shed light on the blessings of Khilafat and the need for obedience.

Huzooraa said: “Let me make it clear to every Ahmadi, every new convert, and all youngsters that there is a huge difference between the leadership of Khilafat and dictatorship.

Khilafat has been established after accepting the Imam of the Age, according to the promises of Allah the Almighty. Moreover, every adherent makes a pledge to preserve the institution of Khilafat.

There is no compulsion in religion.

When a person willingly accepts the religion, then it is necessary for

7 June 1915: On this day, Hazrat Maulvi Ghulam Rasul Rajekira announced the nikah of the youngest daughter of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Nawab Amatul Hafeez Begumra with Hazrat Nawab Abdullah Khanra, son of Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra. This nikah was announced at the Aqsa Mosque in Qadian.

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

175)

8 June 8 June 1970: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh returned to Rabwah after his tour of West Africa and Europe. He left Karachi for Lahore at 8:15am and landed at Lahore airport at 9:35am.

Then he left Lahore for Rabwah at 10:15am. On his way back, he stayed in Sheikhupura and reached Rabwah at 1:45pm.

8 June 1989: On this day, the Sierra Leonean government issued a commemorative postage stamp on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Jamaate-Ahmadiyya. This stamp was released as a souvenir to mark the special event. (Silsila-eAhmadiyya, Part 4, p. 856)

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023

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A glimpse into great services of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya Ehtesham A Arif Student Jamia Ahmadiyya UK

Around 130 years ago, the melting pot of discord and disunity threatened to weaken the power of Islam. But it was during this critical moment, that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas was chosen to establish a Community that would embody the spirit of the Holy Prophetsa. Through his leadership and God’s divine mercy, a transformative force was set in motion, one that would bring new life to the spiritual world and reawaken those who had strayed from the true teachings of Islam. It was a pivotal moment in history, marking the beginning of a revolution that would forever change the course of the world.

God Almighty had also ordained a Second Manifestation, one that would carry on the Promised Messiah’sas mission and shake the very foundations of the earth. The impact and service of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya on both the religious and secular worlds are truly remarkable and beyond measure. It has transformed countless lives and brought about a new era of enlightenment and progress.

By the grace of Allah and the blessings of His Noble Messenger Muhamamdsa, the greatest gift bestowed upon the world by the Promised Messiahas and his Khulafa is undeniably the recognition and understanding of the Living God. This invaluable gift has the power to transform lives, restore faith, and instil a profound sense of purpose and connection with the Divine. It is a gift to which the entire world, until the Day of Judgement, is indebted.

Through their sermons, writings, and leadership, the Khulafa have continuously highlighted the signs and miracles of God that are evident in the world.

With regards to the rejuvenation of faith and the profound unveiling of the Living God by the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Hakeem Noor-ud-Din Ira has eloquently stated: “Islam itself pulsates with life, and the Holy Quran breathes as a living Book.

However, the Muslims, […] have come to believe that their community lies dead. [...] Upon hearing such declarations, I am consumed by profound unease and restlessness, yet a glimmer of delight emerges within me, for I am aware that, in fulfilment of Allah’s promise, a renaissance follows this period of dormancy. I firmly believe that now is the appointed time for this revival, and Allah Almighty intends to manifest it through our Imam, the Promised Messiahas. This explains why, with his advent and through his words, we are bestowed with the proclamation of a living Messengersa, a living Religion, a living Book, and indeed, a Living God.” (Suhbat-e-Sadiqin, Khitabat-eNur, address of November 1899, p. 42) It was this living God who helped the Jamaat during the time of Hazrat Khalifatul

Masih IIra. During this era, there was an escalation in the relentless attacks against Islam by the Hindus. The Aryas launched the Shuddhi Movement with a singular objective: to convert as many Muslims as possible to Hinduism in the United Provinces. RK Ghai writes in his work “Shuddhi Movement in India: A Study of its Socio-political Dimensions”, that a census report stated that the number of Aryas of the United Provinces grew from 65,572 in 1901 to 131,638 in 1911. This was all due to the Shuddhi movement. (“Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad’sra response to the Shuddhi movement and the Jamaat’s relentless services for Islam”, Al Hakam, 17 December 2021, Issue 196, p. 18) This heinous assault on Islam struck deep into the souls of the Muslims, inflicting spiritual wounds on the face of the Indian Subcontinent. But who was the one to mend these wounds? Who was this extraordinary soul, destined to bring solace to the hearts

of the suffering? It was none other than Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra swiftly devised a strategic plan to rescue the Muslims who were relentlessly targeted by the Aryas. The urgency of the situation demanded decisive action, and on 9 March 1923, Huzoorra stated: “Remember that the Promised Messiahas is not only the Messiah and Mahdi, but also the [second coming of] Krishanas. This means that he was a reformer for the Hindus as well. […] The Promised Messiahas is the Messiah, so his Jamaat will be victorious over the Christians. He is the Mahdi, so the Muslims will receive guidance from him again. He is [the second coming of] Krishanas, so his Jamaat will be victorious over the Hindus, and will be widely accepted. For us, the avenues are opening for spreading the truth. We will make efforts [to spread Islam] among the Hindus.” (Ibid, p. 19)

And that is exactly what surpassed. On 12 March 1923, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra sent the first delegation of 20 missionaries to Agra. A second, third and fourth delegation were also sent soon after. News outlets across India, regardless of their affiliations, joined in commending the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and their revered Khalifa for their selfless sacrifices and unwavering dedication to the service of Islam. (Ibid., pp.

19-20) A newspaper, by the name of Zamindar, wrote on 8 April 1923: “The Ahmadi brothers have participated in this work [of preaching Islam] with such sincerity […] that every Muslim should take pride in it.”

(Ibid, p. 20) The newspaper, Vakil of Amritsar, stated on 3 May 1923: “The approach of the Ahmadi Jamaat is highly commendable [and…] we declare that the Ahmadi Jamaat of Qadian is doing the best work.” (Ibid.)

Indeed, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra services extended far beyond his actions against the Shuddhi movement. His contributions encompassed a wide array of endeavours, including his literary works, speeches, initiatives, services to the Holy Quran, and the established missions across the world during his Khilafat.

During his address at the Jalsa Salana Qadian in 1944, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated: “God Almighty has commissioned me with the task of spreading the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and the Holy Quran to every corner of the world. Even if the combined strength of the entire world and the unity of Christian rulers, governments, America, Europe, and the wealthiest and most powerful nations were to stand against me in an attempt to hinder my mission, I swear by God Almighty that they will never succeed in their opposition. ” (Al Maud, Anwar-ul Ulum, Vol. 17, p. 614) The profound impact of his efforts continues to echo within the Islamic sphere, leaving an enduring legacy that is felt even in the present day. Towards the end of his time, Huzoorrh stated, “Putting my trust in the grace of God, I say that my name will always remain in the world. And even though I will die, my name will never be erased. This is God’s decision that has been taken in the Heavens. He will keep my name and my work established in the world.”

(Uss Din Ko Qareeb se Qareeb Tar Laney ki Koshish Karo…, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 26, p.

541) In the year 1965, the mantle of Khilafat was bestowed upon Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh, Khalifatul Masih III. The world owes a debt of gratitude to Huzoorrh for his exceptional contributions, particularly in the continent of Africa, where his presence brought profound blessings.

Huzoorrh, the champion of compassion, Continued on page 11 >>

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

Answers Ruqyah, i‘tikaf, voluntary to Everyday Issues fasting, house mortgages, Part 55

Ramadan calendars

Guidance regarding basic Islamic issues – which Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has given on various occasions in his written correspondence and during MTA

programmes – is being officially published below for everyone’s benefit.

Ruqyah and status of the socalled Du‘a Kumayl A lady from Kashmir wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, stating that [in the Shi‘i tradition] a supplication often recited over incurable patients by way of ruqyah is as follows:

ٌ ‫واء َو ِذکْ ُر ُه ِش‬ ٌ ‫اس ُم ُہ َد‬ ْ ‫یَا َمن‬ ‫فاء‬ ِ

[“O He Whose name is a remedy, and Whose remembrance is a cure.”]

She asked about the source of this supplication and its authenticity. Huzoore-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 9 April 2022, provided the following response to her query: “To the best of my knowledge, there is not any supplication [proven from authentic ahadith] that corresponds to what you have written in your letter.

However, in the ahadith, it is mentioned that the Holy Prophetsa himself as well as his Companions, the Sahabahra, would recite Surah al-Fatihah, the mu‘awwizatayn (i.e., Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas), and some other supplications while performing ruqyah over ailments such as fever, various diseases, and bites from snakes and scorpions, among other things.

“For instance, a hadith recounts an episode where a group of Companions embarked on a journey and halted near a tribe. They asked the tribe for some food, but the people of the tribe refused to entertain them. Subsequently, the tribe’s chief was

bitten by a snake or a scorpion, and despite all attempts, he did not recover. Someone suggested consulting the travellers, as they might know of a cure. Upon enquiry, a companion from among the Companions replied that he indeed knew of a method of ruqyah but, due to the tribe’s refusal to provide any hospitality, he would not

administer it. Following the tribe’s pledge to give a flock of sheep [as remuneration] to the Companions, the companion recited Surah al-Fatihah over the tribe’s chief, who recovered so completely due to the blessing of Surah al-Fatihah that it seemed as though he had never been bitten. The Companions took the sheep from the tribe.

One of them proposed to divide the sheep among them. Still, the companion who had performed ruqyah suggested that they should not do so until they had presented the matter to the Holy Prophetsa and learned of his command. When they went to the Holy Prophetsa and related the entire event, he asked, ‘How did you know that Surah al-Fatihah could be used as ruqyah?

You did exactly right. Distribute the sheep among yourselves, and set aside a portion for me.’ Saying this, the Holy Prophetsa smiled. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-tibb, Bab an-nafthi fi r-ruqyah) “Hazrat Aishara narrates that the Holy Prophetsa would recite the following supplication while performing ruqyah:

َّ َّ َ َ ْ ْ ْ َ َ َُ َ ّ َ َ ْ َ َّ ‫اش َﻒ ل َ ُہ ِإلا أن َت‬ ‫اس ِبی ِدك الشف‬ ِ � ‫اء لا‬ ِ ‫أذ ِہﺐ ال َباس رب الن‬

“‘O Lord of the people! Remove the trouble, for the cure is in Your Hands, and there is none except You, who can remove it [the disease] .’ (Sahih Muslim, Kitab assalam, Bab istihbabi ruqyati l-marid) “Similarly, we learn from the ahadith that the Holy Prophetsa would also blow lightly while performing ruqyah. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab at-tibb, Bab an-nafthi fi r-ruqyati) “This exact practice is also found in the lives of the Promised Messiahas and his Companions. As such, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra narrates: “‘Once, this humble one travelled from Lahore to Qadian along with a few other members of the Jamaat from Lahore. The late Sufi Ahmad Din Sahib requested that I make a request on his behalf and ask the Promised Messiahas to perform ruqyah over his chest. As Hazrat Sahibas was passing through the alleyway before entering the interior of the house, I stepped forward to introduce Sufi Sahib and convey his request. Huzooras performed ruqyah by reciting something, (and then blew over) Sufi Sahib’s chest and proceeded to go inside.’ (Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, Zikr-e-Habib, […], p. 137) “Similarly, Hazrat Pir Sirajul Haqq Nu‘manira recounts: “‘There was an instance when I travelled from Sarsawa to the noble hamlet of Qadian to be at the service of the Promised Messiahas. Our leader and guide, Hazrat Noor-ud-Deen, Khalifatul Masih Ira, was also present. He was sitting there after having offered the morning prayer and the Promised Messiahas was also present. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira asked, ‘Pir Sahib! We have observed many pirs performing rituals and charms.

Do you also recall any particular ritual that, upon witnessing, we too might be convinced of its efficacy?’ I responded by saying, ‘Yes, I do remember one’. He said, ‘Show us.’ I requested, ‘Please, wait for the appropriate time, then I will show you.’ The Promised Messiahas remarked, ‘Sahibzadah Sahib must remember them; these rituals have been passed down from his elders.’ After about two hours, a man suffering from pleurisy—which meant he was in severe spinal pain—came in. I said, ‘Please, observe as I perform a ritual on him.’ Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira replied, ‘Yes, perform the ritual.’ The Promised Messiahas also said, ‘Yes, perform the ritual.’

I performed the ruqyah on that person and

God Almighty completely relieved him of his pain and granted him healing. Once he was relieved, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira commented, ‘This may be mesmerism.’

At that time, I had neither heard of mesmerism nor known what it was. The Promised Messiahas asked, ‘Sahibzadah Sahib! What did you recite?’ I replied, ‘Hazrat! (May Allah’s peace be upon Muhammadsa and upon you), I recited alFatihah.’ (Tazkira-tul-Mahdi, 1914, Zia-ulIslam Press, Qadian, p. 186) “Thus, the practice of ruqyah is proven by the Holy Prophetas, the Promised Messiahas and their noble Companions.

In this practice, God Almighty, out of His sheer grace, bestows healing upon the afflicted due to the blessings of the recited Quranic verses, pure invocations, and prayers of the noble individuals.”

I‘tikaf without fasting

Someone from Germany asked Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, whether performing i‘tikaf during Ramadan without fasting is considered an innovation. Furthermore, he asked if there were any traditions or examples from the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa regarding performing i‘tikaf without fasting. Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 10 May 2022, provided the following answer to this question: “From the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa, it is evident that he performed i‘tikaf during Ramadan only while fasting. That is why Hazrat Aishara stated:

َّ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ ‫اف ِإلا �ِي َم ْس ِج ٍد َجا ِم ٍﻊ‬ �‫لا اع ِت�اف ِإلا ِبﺼو ٍم ولا اع ِت‬

“‘[...] There is no i‘tikaf without fasting, and there is no i‘tikaf except in a congregational mosque.’ (Sunan Abu Dawud, Kitab as-sawm, Bab al-mu‘takifi ya‘udu l-marid).

“Hence, regarding the masnun i‘tikaf [i.e., one according to the general practice

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 of the Holy Prophetsa], the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa and scholars of jurisprudence are in agreement that it necessitates fasting. The perpetually observed sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa was also to observe i‘tikaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-i‘tikaf, Bab i‘tikafi l‘ashri l’awakhiri min ramadan).

“As for observing i‘tikaf outside of Ramadan or doing so due to a vowed commitment [nazr], such i‘tikaf can be undertaken without fasting. This i‘tikaf can last for a few days or just a few hours.

Hence, it is narrated from Hazrat Umarra that he said to the Holy Prophetsa, ‘I had vowed during the days of Ignorance [aljahiliyyah] that I would observe i‘tikaf for a night in the Sacred Mosque. When I mentioned this to the Holy Prophetsa, he instructed me to fulfil my vow.’ (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitab an-nuzuri wa l-’ayman, Bab ma ja’a fi wafa’i n-nazr).

“In conclusion, the masnun i‘tikaf during Ramadan can only be observed with fasting during the last ten days of Ramadan in a mosque. However, i‘tikaf outside of Ramadan may be observed without fasting and for a variable duration.”

Voluntary fasting A student from Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, asking, “What is the wisdom behind voluntary fasting on Mondays and Thursdays? Can supererogatory fasts be observed on other days as well?” Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 9 April 2022, provided the following reply to this question: “Various reasons for observing supererogatory fasts on Mondays and Thursdays have been stated in the ahadith.

As such, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘On Mondays and Thursdays, the deeds [of mankind] are presented [before Allah the Exalted], and I wish that my deeds be presented while I am fasting.’ (Sunan atTirmidhi, Kitab as-sawm, Bab ma ja’a fi sawmi yawmi l-ithnayni wa l-khamis) “Similarly, in another hadith, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘The gates of Paradise are opened on Mondays and Thursdays, and every person who does not associate anything with Allah the Exalted is forgiven.’

(Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-birri wa s-silah, Bab ma ja’a fi l-mutahajirayn) “In yet another hadith, when asked about fasting on Mondays, the Holy

7

Prophetsa replied that he was born on this day and it was on this day as well that he started receiving revelation. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab as-siyam, Bab istihbabi siyami thalathati ayyamin min kulli shahrin wa sawmi yawmi ‘arafata wa ‘ashura’a wa l-ithnayni wa l-khamis) “Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays was a common practice of the Holy Prophetsa. (Sunan an-Nasa’i, Kitab assiyam, Bab sawmi n-nabiyyi(sa) bi ’abi huwa wa ummi wa dhikru ikhtilafi n-naqilina li l-khabari fi dhalik) “Likewise, the Holy Prophetsa regularly fasted on Ayyam al-Beed [lit. ‘The White Days’], namely the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each lunar month. (Ibid.)

“Furthermore, the Holy Prophetsa emphasised the merit of fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah (9th of Dhul-Hijjah) and the Day of ‘Ashura’ (10th of Muharram). (Sahih Muslim, Kitab as-siyam, Bab istihbabi siyami thalathati ayyamin min kulli shahrin wa sawmi yawmi ‘arafata wa ‘ashura’a wa l-ithnayni wa l-khamis) However, those present at Hajj are prohibited from fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah. (Sunan ibn Majah, Kitab as-siyam, Bab siyami yawmi ‘arafah) “Thus, apart from the days of both Eids and the Days of Tashreeq (i.e., the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah), which are days of celebration, eating and drinking for Muslims (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitab assawm, Bab ma ja’a fi karahiyati s-sawmi fi ’ayyami t-tashriq), one can observe voluntary fasts on any day. However, singling out Fridays for fasting voluntarily is not permissible. (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitab as-sawm, Bab ma ja’a fi karahiyati s-sawmi yawmi l-jumu‘ati wahdah) Furthermore, a person who is on hajj and has taken advantage of performing ‘umrah along with hajj, but does not have the ability to offer a sacrifice, will fast three days during the days of hajj. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab as-sawm, Bab siyami ’ayyami t-tashriq) “Comprehensive guidance of the Holy Prophetsa regarding voluntary fasts is found in the following hadith: “‘Hazrat Abu Qatadah al-Ansarira reported, ‘Allah’s Messengersa was asked about perpetual fasting [sawmu d-dahr], whereupon he replied, ‘Such a person neither fasted nor did he break it’, [i.e., he did not like it...]. He was then asked about fasting for two days and breaking for one day. He replied, ‘And who has strength enough to do it?’ He was then asked about fasting for a day and breaking for two days,

whereupon he said, ‘May Allah bestow upon us strength to do so.’ He was then asked about fasting for a day and breaking on the other, whereupon he said, ‘That is the fasting of my brother Davidas.’ He was then asked about fasting on Mondays, whereupon he said, ‘It was the day on which I was born, on which I was commissioned with prophethood and revelation [of the Holy Quran] was sent to me.’ He [further] said, ‘Three days’ of fasting every month and the whole of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fast.’ He was asked about fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah [9 Dhu’I-Hijja], whereupon he said, ‘It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year.’

He was then asked about fasting on the day of ‘Ashura’ [10 Muharram], whereupon he said, ‘It expiates the sins of the preceding year.’ (Sahih Muslim, Kitab as-siyam, Bab istihbabi siyami thalathati ayyamin min kulli shahrin wa sawmi yawmi ‘arafata wa ‘ashura’a wa l-ithnayni wa l-khamis)”

House mortgages

A lady from Germany said to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa that it is forbidden to give or take interest.

She further said that in the Western world, when someone wants to buy a house, they have to pay interest on it. She asked if a Muslim was permitted to buy a home in these countries [on interest]. Huzoor-eAnwar, in his letter dated 10 May 2022, provided the following answer to this question: “Houses bought in the Western world through mortgages typically involve a loan acquired from a bank or financial institution. Until the loan is repaid, the property is in fact owned by the bank or financial institution. The bank or financial institution also charges an additional sum on this loan, which they attribute to the devaluation of money.

“Since not everyone in these countries can easily afford to buy a house for their residence, they are left with two options.

They either have to live in a rented house their entire lives, in which case the lifelong paid rent provides them with no benefit other than residing in the house because, despite paying a substantial amount in rent, the house never becomes their property. Alternatively, they are forced by circumstances to utilise the facility of a mortgage to buy a house for their residence.

The mortgage repayments they have to make are almost the same as the rent they would be paying. However, the advantage of a mortgage is that after repaying the instalments, the house becomes their property.

“Therefore, buying a house through a mortgage is a matter of necessity and compulsion [iztirar], from which one may only benefit to the extent of buying a house for personal residence. However, using this method of a mortgage to continuously buy properties for business purposes is by no

means correct, and the Jamaat does not encourage this at all; rather, it prohibits it.”

Ramadan and Eid countdown calendars

The esteemed nazim of Dar-ul-Ifta sought guidance from Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa upon a query he had received regarding the practice of decorating homes and creating Ramadan calendars to count down to the day of Eid, similar to the custom of Christmas.

Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 10 May 2022, provided the following answer to this question: “The essential matter here is that in this regard too, we ought to consider theَ ُ ‫إنّ َما الْ�َ ْع َم‬ directive of the Holy Prophetsa, i.e., ‫ال‬ ِ ّ​ّ ‫ات‬ ِ ‫‘[ ِبالنی‬Deeds are judged by motives.’

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Bad’i l-wahy, Bab kayfa kana bad’u l-wahy ila rasulillah, Hadith 1)]. If the intention in decorating houses during Ramadan and putting up Ramadan calendars is to direct the attention of the household and children towards the significance of Ramadan; to cultivate an environment within the home that encourages family members, particularly children, towards the importance of various kinds of worship and supplications of Ramadan; so that they may engage in prayers and supplications at suhoor [pre-dawn meal] and iftar [meal at sunset] times, influenced by this atmosphere; and so that they can embrace each day of Ramadan with enthusiasm and fervour, benefiting from the blessings bestowed during this time, then there does not seem to be any issue with this action with such intentions.

“However, if the sole purpose is ostentation, and all these efforts are merely for show and display, and each day passes with the thought of, ‘Well, that’s good, so many days have passed, we’re relieved of them, the remaining days will soon pass too, and then we’ll celebrate Eid’, and on Eid, instead of seeking genuine happiness, one’s concern is merely superficial joys, then decorating houses and putting up Ramadan calendars with this intention is unequivocally not permissible.

“In conclusion, if this activity brings about a pure transformation within the family, and it generates attention towards the blessings of Ramadan, providing them with the opportunity to benefit from them, then such decoration and the putting up of such calendars is permissible. However, if the objective is merely to show off and to treat Ramadan as a burden, then such decorations and calendars would be impermissible and would be considered an innovation in religious matters.”

(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London. Translated by The Weekly Al Hakam.)

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

A call for interfaith harmony and tabligh Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s visit to Mussoorie, Dehradun and Delhi, 1931 Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam

On 19 April 1931, Hazrat Musleh-eMaud, Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmadra departed from Qadian for a visit to Mussoorie, also known as Mansuri, which is a town in the Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. (Al Fazl, 19 April 1931, p. 1)

Friday Sermon in Mussoorie During his Friday Sermon on 24 April 1931, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said: “Allah the Almighty granted certain distinctive features to different things, and with respect to those features, they attain a certain status; even in some instances, places and locations also attain superiority and precedence over the others. [...] Today, while coming to this mosque, a thought came to my mind that Mussoorie also holds a special superiority; that is, this is the only mountainous area in India where Ahmadis have their own mosque. The [Ahmadiyya Muslim] Jamaat is established in Shimla, however, it does not have its own mosque.

The Jamaat is present in Darjeeling, however, there too, the Jamaat does not have any mosques. The members of our Jamaat visit Dalhousie as well, but Ahmadis have no mosque there either. However, there is a mosque at this place [Mussoorie], and for this reason, the responsibilities of this jamaat have also increased, since populating the mosque is also essential. The responsibility of this jamaat to populate the mosque and carry out tabligh is greater than in other mountainous areas. The House of Allah the Almighty always expands. The Promised Messiahas would often say that the House of God always expands.

“I believe that if the members of our Jamaat make efforts to populate the Ahmadiyya Mosque of Mussoorie, then the perfect reflections [azlal] of this mosque would be established in the surrounding areas as well, [i.e., that some other mosques will also be built]. [...] It is quite possible that Allah the Almighty blesses the sincerity of the [Ahmadi] people here and as a perfect reflection of this mosque, Ahmadi mosques may be established in the surrounding places. [...] I find that whichever jamaats have built mosques in their cities with sincerity, have made progress as well.

However, it is essential that the mosques should not be [built] in order to show off.

The remembrance of Allah the Almighty with utmost humility and meekness is far better than their apparent beauty. [...]

“The sincerity with which the [Ahmadi] people here have built this mosque, will certainly be a source of blessings, and if they

carry out tabligh with the intention that Allah the Almighty may fill this mosque with worshippers, then I hope that their tabligh with this intention will be even more blessed. [...] Thus, I hope that if the members here make a resolve to populate this mosque, occupy in prayers [du‘a], and carry out tabligh with great passion, keeping in mind [the need for] populating this mosque, then it is very possible that Allah the Almighty may bless their sincerity and make this place superior to the other places.

“The mountains are a means for the firmness of the earth, and from this very aspect, prophets have also been called ‘mountains’, and jibaal (pl.) also denotes the religious scholars. Hence, mountains hold a connection with the prophets and scholars. Along with this spiritual connection, the mountains now hold a physical connection with the divine communities as well. Now, our way of life has become such that a great number of well-known members of the Indian population gather at these mountains during the summer.

“If our jamaats strengthen in such mountainous areas, then we can carry out tabligh to certain people of India. It is very difficult for us to visit the whole of Bengal; however, certain people of Bengal could be preached to in Darjeeling. Tabligh can be carried out in the whole of Punjab province by strengthening the jamaats in Shimla, Murree, and Dalhousie. In the same way, if the system of tabligh is strong enough in Kashmir, then we can carry out tabligh to the whole of India since people from all over India visit there. In short, by strengthening the jamaats at some of the mountainous places, avenues could open for the tabligh in

and nation are requested, without any discrimination of religion or community, to come to the town hall on 26 April 1931 and benefit from the lecture of Mirza Sahib.” (Al Fazl, 2 May 1931, p. 1) The venue was filled with attendees at the fixed time, and the session was presided over by Kanwar Haji Ismail Ali Khan Sahib, a member of the Legislative Assembly.

During his lecture, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra said that there are three important factors that cause HinduMuslim unrest and halt any chance of conciliation: religious differences, cultural differences between various communities, and political differences.

In regards to the religious differences, Huzoorra said: “The meaning of tolerance has never been understood correctly. For this reason, various disputes occur on the occasion of religious festivals. For the whole of India. instance, disputes arise on the occasion “I pray that Allah the Almighty may of Eid, Dussehra, and Muharram.” (Ibid., p. increase the level of sincerity of our 2) members here. If, due to any weakness or Huzoorra continued by saying that the shortcoming, the tabligh is not effectively followers of a certain religion hold no right being carried out, then may He remove the to compel the people of other faiths to hurdles. Moreover, may He create means at refrain from anything that is prohibited in such other places where the tabligh could be their own religion. He said: effective for a certain province or the whole “Adopting such measures fuels country.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 13, pp. communal unrest, and we find hundreds of 146-149) examples where the unrest intensifies [due to such acts]. [...] In religious disputes, people A lecture at Mussoorie’s town hall often ignore the moral obligations that are, in fact, naturally incumbent upon all, and hence, they do not respect the religious leaders and national heroes of each other, but rather, they disrespect them. In this way, they [attempt to] portray the past of a community as dark and tarnish their future. We ought to provide space to each other to let them build the foundations for national stature, as to enable all communities to build up their national stature on those foundations. And for a certain An old view of Mussoorie, circa 1900 community, that foundation is its past. The Hindus disrespect Aurangzeb On 26 April 1931, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra [Alamgir] and the Muslims disrespect the delivered a lecture at Mussoorie’s town hall. famous national heroes of the Hindus, Prior to this event, various non-Ahmadi which flames the hatred. [The attempt] Muslim and non-Muslim dignitaries had to portray a certain community’s past as published pamphlets in Urdu, English and dark, darkens its future as well, and that Hindi that stated: community is unable to progress.

“It is our good fortune that Hazrat “The third point in this relation is that Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad people severely dislike the tabligh [preaching] Sahib, Imam Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Qadian, of others, and consider it to be a huge attack. is currently on a visit to Mussoorie. He Whereas our behaviour should be to listen will deliver an insightful speech on India’s to each other’s views, and a community progress and the essential means for that should invite another community to get progress, namely Hindu-Muslim unity. to know about their views. However, it is All of the well-wishers of the country necessary for that community to narrate the

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 distinctive features of its religion, instead of pointing out the flaws of the other, because there is no benefit in narrating the flaws of a community and it cannot prove their own religion to be perfect. In short, it should be a mutual agreement to listen to each other’s views, which will help in establishing peace.

“Keeping in mind the same point, I had initiated the scheme of ‘All Prophets Day’ in the shape of the Seerat-un-Nabi Jalsas [in June 1928]. It has been acknowledged that the only way to foster love between the communities is for them to respect each other’s holy personages.

“One of the biggest cultural reasons that cause disputes between Hindus and Muslims is ‘untouchability’ [discrimination against people belonging to certain social groups]. [...]

“In relation to the political differences, I wish to give one piece of advice to both my Muslim and Hindu brethren. I would advise the Hindus that you hold a majority in this country, so if you give some concession [in terms of rights] to the Muslims, it will not have any impact on your majority.

Moreover, I would advise the Muslims to assure this matter, and alleviate the doubts of Hindu people in this regard, that in case of any foreign attack [on India] – no matter if it is from their Muslim brethren – you will strive shoulder-to-shoulder along with the Hindus for the country’s freedom.” (Ibid.)

Towards the end, Huzoorra said that after a thorough contemplation, he had concluded that the conciliation between Hindus and Muslims was still possible, provided they all realised their duties and responsibilities. (Ibid.)

A lecture at the Islamia School in Mussoorie

A map of Mussoorie, 1903 | Picryl

On 1 May 1931, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a lecture at a public jalsa, presided over by Khan Bahadur Zill-e-Hussain Sahib, Honourary Magistrate, and the event was attended by people from various religions.

During his lecture, Huzoorra shed light on Hindu-Muslim relations, the need for conciliation, and the reasons behind their disputes. The lecture lasted for around two hours. (Al Fazl, 5 May 1931, p. 1)

Visit to Dehradun and Delhi On the same day, Huzoorra departed from Mussoorie for a visit to Dehradun, and from there, Huzoorra proceeded to Delhi, which he reached on the evening of 2 May. (Al Fazl, 5 and 7 May 1931)

Address to Ahmadis in Delhi In Delhi, Huzoorra addressed a gathering held by the local jamaat. During his speech in Delhi, Huzoorra said: “The jamaat of Delhi is among those

9

jamaats who make their utmost efforts to utilise all those means through which the Jamaat can leap towards progress. The one who strives in the way of Allah the Almighty with sincerity, achieves the desired result for sure. It is not possible for one to not see the result of their efforts despite offering sacrifices of wealth, time, and comfort for the sake of Allah the Almighty. The Holy Prophetsa has stated that Allah the Almighty says that ‘I treat a person in accordance with the relationship that he maintains with Me.’ Thus, though their endeavours might seem insignificant to the eyes of the worldly people, they do not go to waste in the sight of God. However, it is essential for one to keep trust in God, and along with their efforts, they are required to put complete trust in God. Then, Allah the Almighty also manifests His Powers in an unprecedented manner. [...] The fact is that the one who puts trust in God, can never presume for the divine works to be fruitless. “[In 1905], I was a child when the Promised Messiahas visited Delhi (Tarikhe-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, pp. 422-428).] He visited there the tombs of auliya-Allah [saints], performed very lengthy prayers [du‘a], and said that ‘The reason why I prayed here is that the souls of these saints may rejuvenate, for fear that their progenies may not be deprived of recognising that nur [divine light] which has been sent by Allah the Almighty for their guidance.’ He further said that ‘Surely, a time will come when Allah the Almighty will open up their hearts and they will accept the truth.’ Though I was young at the time, the impression of this saying of the Promised Messiahas is still firm in my heart. Thus, if this jamaat [of Delhi] desires to see a pious outcome of its endeavours, it is required to put trust in God. Certainly, a time will come when that will surely happen, which God desires to establish.” (Al Fazl, 4 June 1931, p. 6) Huzoorra then mentioned the following kashf [divine vision] of the Promised Messiahas which he saw in 1874, about which Huzooras himself said: “In a dream, I was shown a long ditch running for miles, on the edge of which thousands of sheep were laid out with their heads hanging over the edge of the ditch, so that when they were slaughtered their blood would flow into the ditch. The rest of their bodies were outside the ditch. The ditch ran East to West and the sheep had been laid on the edge of the ditch from the South.

Each sheep was attended by a butcher and every butcher had a knife in his hand, which was placed at the neck of the sheep.

The butchers were looking towards the sky as if awaiting the divine command. I found myself walking in the plain to the North and felt that the butchers were angels who were ready to slaughter the sheep as soon as they received the command from above. I approached them and recited the following verse of the Holy Quran:

ُ ُ ُ َََّۡۡ ۡ ُ ُ َ َۡ َ ۡ ُ ‫‬د َعآؤك ۡم‬ ‫قل‬ما‬يعبؤا ِ‬بكم‬رب ِي‬لولا‬

“Meaning that ‘Say to the disbelievers: “But for your prayer to Him my Lord would not care for you.”’ [Surah al-Furqan, Ch. 25: V. 78] “The moment I said this, the angels understood that they had been granted permission, as if the words of my mouth were a divine command. Thereupon the angels ran their knives through the necks

of the sheep and the sheep began to flutter in a painful manner. The angels severed all the arteries of the necks of the sheep saying: What are you: nothing but refuse-eating sheep.” (Tadhkirah [English], pp. 24-25) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra continued: “Thus, if one does not pay heed [to God], then why would God care about them? His works cannot stop, they will surely occur.

Who could have thought at the time of the Holy Prophet’ssa advent that he would achieve such progress? Christianity attained progress 300 years after the Messiahas of Nazareth, however, seeing our situation, we find that Ahmadiyyat will achieve progress way earlier than the [time taken by the followers of the] Messiahas of Nazareth.”

(Ibid.)

Mentioning the efforts of those Muslims who spread the message of Islam in different parts of the world, Huzoorra said: “They reached Iran, went to China, in short, they reached the corners of the world and wherever they went, they overcame the scholars [of other faiths] there. It was the nur [divine light] that was granted to them

by God, and wherever they went carrying this nur, God granted them success. [...]

“I advise you that until every one of you becomes a ‘muballigh’ [preacher], no other muballigh can ever be of your avail. [...] So, every one of you is required to become a ‘muballigh’, and to foster a connection with God Almighty. [...] Thus, you ought to instil such pious reformation within you that the world should feel it. Your situation should be such that witnessing your righteousness, purity, acceptance of prayers, and connection with Allah, people may incline towards it [Islam Ahmadiyyat]. Remember, the progress of Ahmadiyyat will take place through these very people.” (Ibid.)

Visit to the tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliyarh On 5 May 1931, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra visited the tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliyarh. (Al Fazl, 9 May 1931, p. 1)

Khawaja Hassan Nizami meets with Huzoorra During this visit, a renowned Muslim scholar, Khawaja Hassan Nizami Sahib, the then editor of the newspaper Munadi, also had the opportunity to meet with Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 5, p. 274) In regards to this meeting, Khawaja Sahib said: “Wahidi Sahib was also present when I met with the Imam of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, respected Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad Sahib. He is 42 years of age. When I met him for the first time, he had no beard, and had come along with his father [the Promised Messiahas] to visit the dargah [tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliyarh]. […] He is 12 years younger than me. […]

His simplicity had greatly impressed me, and my heart felt a sense of respect for him.

The discussion revolved around current affairs. He supports the separate electorates.”

(Saalnama Munadi 1936, pp. 169-170)

Return to Qadian Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra returned to Qadian on 14 May 1931. (Al Fazl, 16 May 1931, p. 1)

Lajna Imaillah Ireland raises funds for charity at 12th National Meena Bazar Najia Nusrat Acting Sadr Lajna Imaillah Ireland

Lajna Imaillah Ireland held its 12th National Meena Bazar on 14 May 2023, at a community hall in Dublin. The event drew a turnout of approximately 200 women and children, including esteemed guests such as the Deputy Mayor of South Dublin, the TD for Dublin Mid-West, a charity representative, and local councillors.

The community hall was adorned with flags, banners, and posters displaying the message of “Love for All, Hatred for None.”

Lajna Imaillah prepared and sold a variety of homemade food, which was well-liked by the attendees. Various stalls, including henna, Asian clothing, scarves, and traditional and handmade jewellery, added to the vibrant atmosphere.

The Meena Bazar raised funds for Barretstown Children’s Charity and helped spread awareness about women’s status in Islam. The event raised €1000 for the charity. A tabligh stall was also set up, which introduced the community to the charitable and integration efforts of Lajna Imaillah. Banners with excerpts from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa regarding women’s status in Islam and universal compassion were displayed.

Deputy Mayor, Joanna Tuffy expressed her appreciation for the Meena Bazar, stating that she attends annually to support the charitable work of Lajna Imaillah.

She described the event as important and successful.

TD Emer Higgins expressed her delight in attending the event. Together with her colleague, Cllr Shirley O’Hara, she shared her excitement and positive sentiment about being present at the event: “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is an important and really active part of our local community here in Dublin Mid-West and each year the ladies of the AMA give their time and effort to raise money for local charities, with Barretstown being the welldeserving beneficiaries this year.”

Councillor Lyn Hagin Meade remarked: “I always look forward to the annual Meena Bazar in Newcastle. Today, I met women who travelled from Galway and Cork to support the event. It is a wonderful demonstration of community and sisterhood. With beautiful crafts, stunning clothing, artful henna designs and delicious food, there are smiling faces and a warm welcome for every visitor. I have learnt much about the generous charity work carried out by the women of the Meena Bazar and celebrate their continued support of Barretstown. Congratulations to all those involved in organising this special event.”

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

ََْ َ ْ َ َ​َ ‫ﻭﻟﻘﺪ ﺑﻌﺜﻨﺎ ﻓِﻰ‬ ً ُ ‫ُ ﱢ ُ ﱠ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺔ ﺭﺳﻮﻻ‬ ٍ ‫ﻛﻞ ﺃﻣ‬

Prophets of

Allah

Jonah: An illustration of God’s mercy and a lesson for mankind “And We did raise among every people a Messenger”

Jalees Ahmed Al Hakam

ُ Jonahas, known as Yunus [‫ ]یُونس‬in the Holy Quran, was a Prophet of Allah. The Bible states that he was a Prophet sent to the people of Nineveh (2 Kings 14:25).

When we study the Holy Quran and the mention of Prophet Jonahas, we see that his story is truly an illustration of Divine mercy. Jonahas has been mentioned in the Holy Quran in various places. He is known as Dhun-Nun (the man of the fish) (21:88) and has been called “Sahib alHut” (Companion of the Fish) in the Holy Quran (68:49).

Jonahas, the son of Amittai, was born in Gath-hepher, in the tribe of Zebulun. He lived during the reign of either Jeroboam II or Jehoahaz around 850 BC. Jonahas was a prophet with a significant mission to the people of Nineveh. (Five Volume Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 892) At first, the people of Nineveh did not believe in his call. Like all Prophets, Jonahas was opposed by his people, and he prophesied that a divine punishment would befall them. However, they were saved after sincerely repenting before Allah.

The Holy Prophetsa remembers Jonahas Most, if not all Muslims, are aware of the story of the Holy Prophet’ssa journey to Taif, which is located forty miles southeast of Mecca. The Holy Prophetsa spent ten days preaching there; however, the city’s leaders ignored his message and asked him to leave. In fact, the people of the city attacked the Holy Prophetsa with rocks to force him away. Seeking refuge in an orchard three miles away from Taif, a Christian slave named Addas presented a tray of grapes to the Holy Prophet. When the Holy Prophet asked him about his origin, Addas replied that he was from Nineveh. In response, the Holy Prophetsa mentioned that Jonah, the son of Amittai, also belonged to Nineveh, emphasising that he was a revered and prophetic figure, much like himself. (Sirat Ibn Hisham Biography of the Prophet, AlFalah Foundation, p. 80) The Holy Prophetsa and Jonahas bore a great resemblance. The people of Nineveh, at first, opposed Jonahas and rejected his call. However, after facing the threat of Divine punishment, they repented and were ultimately saved. The Holy Quran also makes mention of this in Surah Yunus (10:99). In a somewhat similar manner, the disbelievers of Mecca resisted and opposed

the Holy Prophetsa; however, upon the fall of Mecca, they submitted. Eventually, they all embraced the Prophet’s mission and received Divine grace.

Surah Yunus

‫ﻳُﻮﻧُﺲ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﯿﮫ ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻡ‬

Chapter ten of the Holy Quran is named Surah Yunus. It is named after the Prophet Jonahas, Yunus, as it revolves around a specific incident from his life. The naming of Surahs after Prophets or objects is purposeful, indicating that the contents of those Surahs are relevant to the individuals or subjects they are named after. (Five Volume Commentary, Vol.3, p. 1209) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh has stated: “Surah Yunus talks about a people who were entirely saved from a punishment whose threat they had received. And the following Surah Hud talks about such peoples who were totally destroyed because of their disbelief.” (The Holy Quran, Urdu translation by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, p. 331) “Sura X [10] is named after Yunus, and tells of a town which came to believe in the one God and therefore its fate of ‘chastisement and degradation in the present life’ was averted.” (The Encyclopedia of Islam, New Edition, Leiden E.J. Brill, 1986, Vol. 11, pp. 347-348)

Jonah was sent to 100,000 people Jonahas has been mentioned by name in various places in the Holy Quran.

The Holy Quran states that he was sent as a messenger to 100,000 people or more and that his people believed in his divine message and mission:

ٰ َّ َ ُ ٰ َ ٰۡ َ َ َۡ َ ‫َوا ۡر َسلن ُہ ِالٰی ِماﺋ ِۃ ال ٍﻒ ا ۡو یَ ِزیۡ ُد ۡو َن فا َمنوۡا ف َمت ۡعن ُہ ۡم ِالٰی‬ ۡ ‫ِحی ٍن‬

“And We sent him as a Messenger to a hundred thousand people or more, And they believed; so We gave them provision for a while.” (Surah al-Saffat, Ch.37: V. 148149) The people of Jonah’sas time greatly benefitted from the warning of Divine punishment. They promptly repented and believed in Jonahas, avoiding the threatened punishment. Their case is highlighted in the Holy Quran as an example for disbelievers of all prophets.

‘And the fish swallowed him’ A sign often narrated when remembering the people of Nineveh, is the sign of Jonahas and the whale.

The Bible states that Jonahas prophesied the destruction of his people within a period of 40 days: “And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” (Jonah, 3:4) The people to whom Jonahas preached repented, humbled themselves before God, and were consequently saved from the impending punishment.

The Holy Quran records that Prophet Jonahas attempted to travel on a boat. The boat faced a storm and was, as a result, thrown overboard, after which a fish swallowed him.

“When he fled to the laden ship; And he cast lots [with the crew of the ship] and was of the losers. And the fish swallowed him while he was blaming [himself]. And had he not been of those who glorify [God], He would have surely tarried in its belly till the Day of Resurrection. Then We cast him on a bare tract of land, and he was sick; And We caused a gourd plant to grow over him.”

(Surah al-Saffat, Ch.37: V. 141-147) It was at this moment that Prophet Jonahas prayed to Allah:

ۡ َ ۤ َّ ۤ َّ ُۡ ّ َ َ ۡ ّٰ ‫لا ِالٰ َہ ِالا ان َت ُس ۡب ٰحنﻚ � ِانِ ۡی ﻛن ُت ِم َن الظ ِل ِمی َن‬

“‘There is no God but Thou, Holy art Thou. I have indeed been of the wrongdoers.’” (Surah Al-Anbiya’, Ch.21: V.88) In light of this prayer, the Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said that the supplication of Dhun-Nun, Prophet Jonahas, while in the belly of the whale, was: “There is no God but Thou, Holy art Thou.

I have indeed been of the wrongdoers.”

Therefore, whenever a Muslim supplicates with this prayer, Allah responds to him without fail. (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3505)

Prophet Jonahas remained in the belly of the whale before being ejected from it after his supplication.

It was this sign Jesusas referred to, as recorded in the Bible: “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Mathew, 12: 38-40) Explaining the incident of Prophet Jonahas, the Promised Messiahas writes: “Why was the punishment which was about to visit his people averted? It is written in Durr-e-Manthur as well as in other books, and in the Book of Jonahas, that divine punishment was destined to overtake them, but, having seen signs of the approaching doom, they repented and turned to their Creator Who forgave them and their punishment was averted. Jonahas, for his part, awaited the chastisement to visit on the appointed day, and went about asking people for the news. He enquired of a farmer about Nineveh. The man replied that all was well. At this Jonah was rather deeply dismayed and said:

‫لن ارجﻊ الی قومی ﻛذابا‬ “‘I shall never return to my people as a liar.’ In the presence of this precedent, and a very strong Qur’anic testimony, it is against the spirit of righteousness to raise objections against any of my prophecies which were basically conditional. It is not the wont of a righteous person to blurt out opinions without forethought and be ever ready to reject.

“The story of Prophet Jonahas is indeed painful and piteous, and, at the same time, has a moral to convey. It is recorded in the books, read it carefully. It goes on to tell us that Jonahas was thrown into the river and ended up in the belly of a fish. Only then was penitence accepted.” (Lecture Ludhiana, p. 42)

Jonah’sas story: an illustration of Divine mercy When we delve into the history of religion and explore the stories of different prophets sent to their respective people, the incident of Jonahas emerges as a powerful reminder of Continued on next page >>

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 << Continued from page 5

recognised the grave injustices faced by individuals in Africa, where Christian schools often denied admission to nonChristian students and hospitals turned away those who held different religious beliefs. In response, he established the Nusrat Jehan Scheme. Huzoorrh championed the cause of education and healthcare for all, recognising the value of every human being and their right to access these fundamental services.

In April 1974, Huzoorrh stated that many schools and hospitals had been established and that there was a huge revolution in African countries, which was all due to the blessings of the Nusrat Jehan Scheme. (“Nusrat Jehan Scheme: Khilafat’s impetus for ‘Africa to Leap Forward’ – A glimpse into the early years (1970-1982)”, Al Hakam, 27 May 2022, Issue 219, p. 17) As of 2021, under the Nusrat Jahan Scheme, 37 hospitals and clinics are operating in 12 countries, and 593 schools have been established in 11 countries. (Ibid, p. 18) It was in the face of profound injustices and amidst a world filled with animosity and hatred between faiths, that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh stood up and proclaimed: “Love for All, Hatred for None.”

These words became a powerful motto, and served as a reminder that true strength lies not in harbouring animosity towards others, but in fostering a spirit of goodwill and empathy towards all humanity. This message transcended religious, cultural, and national boundaries, appealing to the innate goodness within every human being.

After his tour of Africa, Huzoorrh journeyed through Europe, which included a visit to Spain. Spain, once devoid of the vibrant essence of Islam, stood as a barren landscape yearning for spiritual rejuvenation. However, through Huzoor’srh unwavering prayers and divine qualities,

<< Continued from previous page

Allah’s great mercy. The sincere repentance of the people of Nineveh brought immense pleasure to Allah, leading to the reversal of their impending punishment.

“Why was there no [other] people, save the people of Jonah, who should have believed so that their belief would have profited them? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in the present life, and We gave them provision for a while.” (Surah Yunus,

11

a new dawn of Islam unfolded across the land. His fervent supplications re-ignited a dormant flame of faith, and the walls of Cordoba once again echoed with the sound of the azan. Huzoorrh stated: “I can hear the resounding echoes of Tariq’s galloping horses that reverberate through the lands of Spain. Islam shall not only take root here but flourish exponentially. Every obstacle and hindrance will be removed.”

However, it was Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh who emerged as the torchbearer, upholding the legacy of his predecessor.

In 1984, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh, inaugurated the completed mosque. In the Friday sermon that led to the inaugural session, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, stated: “For all Ahmadis all over the world, and specifically those present in this ceremony, this is a very joyous day, and our hearts are filled with the praise of God Almighty […] yet a memory has been troubling me – a memory of that being who is not with us today. The one who had the most right to lead this Friday sermon and commence this ceremony. His restless prayers, the fruits of which we are partaking today, are those prayers that have changed the destiny of Spain.” (Friday Sermon, 10 September 1982) A few years later, in 1987, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh initiated the Waqf-eNau scheme. In the present day, the number of Waqf-e-Nau surpasses a staggering count of more than 78,000 individuals. The Waqf-e-Nau scheme, indeed, emerges as a profound service to the world, guaranteeing the continuous propagation and flourishing of Islam until the very end of time.

Under the esteemed Khilafat of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, the profound prophecy revealed to the Promised Messiahas found renewed fulfilment. God Almighty had ordained, “I shall carry thy message to the ends of the earth.” (Tadhkirah [English], p. 184)

The journey of MTA, from its modest origins to its present stature, stands as a profound testament to the divine support bestowed upon the Jamaat. The remarkable growth and progress of MTA and its influence on the world transcend boundaries, as it serves as an unparalleled platform for tabligh, touching the lives of millions across the globe.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh states: “We have witnessed the grand fulfilment of the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas. […] There is no one except God who could carry out this task. He is the One Being who has brought about such circumstances that have enabled this humble servant of the Promised Messiahas, that the speech he is delivering […] is being transmitted to all corners of the world.’ (MTA Documentary on the 25th Anniversary of MTA International) While acknowledging the significant impact of MTA, it is equally important to recognise and commend the literary contributions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh. Among his notable works, the magnum opus titled Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth stands out as an extraordinary treatise.

In December 1907, the Promised Messiahas received glad tidings from God Almighty, in which God revealed to him that “Surely, I am with you, O Masroor!”

Almost a century later, the world was once again reminded of this prophecy, in which َ the heavens proclaimed: ‫ُرْوُرْسَم اَي كَعَم ْي ِّنِا‬ (Tadhkirah [English], p. 1016). (“‘Surely, I am with you, O Masroor’”, Al Hakam, 25 May 2018, Issue 10, p. 3) The Khilafat of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has witnessed victories upon victories over the last two decades. Every dawn of every day is a testament to this blessed era that we are so fortunate to live in. Huzooraa spends every waking moment in the service of Islam. He has travelled the globe

and spread the message of Islam and peace through his divine wisdom to every corner of the world.

Under his divine guidance, mosques have risen in majestic splendour across the continents, MTA has expanded with the inauguration of several new channels, and branches of Jamia Ahmadiyya have blossomed in various corners of the world.

As well as this, Huzooraa’s contributions to the world of peace studies have transcended borders. An example of this is The Great Western Revival which encapsulates some of Huzoor’saa enlightening addresses.

The remarkable journey of Huzooraa has encompassed captivating expeditions to diverse nations across the globe, igniting the torch of Islam in every corner visited.

From the serene landscapes of Japan to the captivating shores of New Zealand, from the vast expanse of Australia to the vibrant spirit of Guatemala, Huzooraa’s footsteps have graced countless lands, carrying the timeless message of Islam and peace. Most recently, we saw Huzoor’saa historic tour to the US, in which he became a testament to truth over falsehood and inaugurated the Fath-e-Azeem Mosque in Zion, Illinois.

The impact of the service of Khilafat-eAhmadiyya is evident in various facets of our lives. Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya stands as a unique beacon, serving the world in ways unparalleled by any other religious leader or community.

The Promised Messiahas has stated: “Behold! That era is coming, rather it is near, when God will spread great acceptance for this establishment in the world. And this establishment will spread in the east and west, and in the north and south, and the entire world would recognise this establishment as Islam. These words are not of man; rather, they are the divine revelation of God, free from any elements of impossibility.” (Tohfah-e-Golarwiyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, p. 182)

Ch.10: V.99) This verse offers a glimpse into the mercy of Allah. God Almighty emphasises the exceptional nature of the people of Jonahas, who, by turning to God, were saved from divine punishment. The verse highlights the absence of any other people comparable to them in their sincere repentance and deliverance.

Alluding to the nature of God’s mercy, the Promised Messiahas said: “The varying manifestation of God’s nature is also a mercy. In the case of the people of Jonah, on whom be peace, God sent down the categorical revelation, but when they began to weep and wail, their punishment was averted and God turned to them with mercy. Hence, there is a distinct delight that is experienced in the varying manifestations of God’s nature, but only those people can enjoy it who weep before Him and beseech Him with humility and meekness. I am often astounded to see that people will flatter other human beings like themselves but do not turn to God in the same way.” (Malfuzat [2022], Vol. 1, pp.

218-219) Further, Hazrat Ahmadas states: “Prayer is a powerful shield that leads to success. The people of Jonah, on whom be peace, were saved from impending punishment on account of their weeping and prayers. In my understanding, the word muhawatat means ‘anger’. The Arabic word hoot means ‘fish’ and the word noon in Arabic is used for both ‘anger’ and ‘fish’.

In short, Jonahas was overwhelmed by a state of anger. The fact of the matter is that when the punishment had been averted, thoughts of objection and complaint arose

in his mind in that the prophecy made by him and his prayer had gone to waste. He was also upset that what he had foretold did not come to pass. All these thoughts constituted his state of anger. The lesson we learn from this is that Allah can alter the decree of fate, and that weeping and wailing and charity can reduce a verdict of punishment to nothing; hence the principle of giving charity. These are the ways to please Allah. In the science of the interpretation of dreams, wealth is represented by one’s liver. This is why giving alms is equivalent to giving away one’s life, as it were. When a person gives charity, they exhibit an immense degree of sincerity and steadfastness. However, the fact of the matter is that mere words are of no use until they are supported by practice.

The reason charity is called ‘sadaqah’ in Arabic is because it is the hallmark of the Truthful (Sadiqin). In the life account of Jonahas, Durr-e-Manthur has recorded that Jonahas said to Allah Almighty: ‘I always knew that if anyone came before You, You would have mercy.’ As God states:

The Messiah and Mahdi on Prophet Jonahas, prayer and God’s mercy

‫�ب� خ ش‬ � ‫ںیا� تشم اخک را رگ ہن م ہچ منک‬

“If I do not forgive this handful of dust then what am I to do?” (Malfuzat [English], Vol.1, pp. 243-244)

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

Exploring the ascension of Elijah: A critical analysis of Jewish literature Michael LaPine USA

Introduction Hazrat Ilyas, peace be upon him, is commonly referred to as “Elijah” in Western Jewish and Christian traditions.

Both Jews and Christians believe that Elijah the Prophet serves as a precursor to the Messiah. However, there are differences in how these two religions interpret this belief. Christianity has traditionally understood the prophecy about Elijah metaphorically and disagreed about the identity of the Messiah.

The exalted status of Elijah in Jewish tradition In Judaism, there has been a longstanding belief that Elijah did not die a physical death and would literally descend from heaven to announce the messianic era. The belief among Jews that Elijah never died has hindered Jews from understanding Malachi’s prophecy (Malachi 4:5) that speaks of Elijah’s coming. Furthermore, the belief that Elijah did not die has also influenced some Muslims to hold the false belief that Jesus is still alive in heaven. How did these extraordinary beliefs associated with Elijah come about?

Why is such an exalted status attributed to Eliyahu Ha Navi (Elijah the Prophet)? The Bible records Elijah conducting miracles more powerfully than any other prophet, with the exception of Prophet Moses (Exodus 19:19). According to the Bible, Elijah “the Tishbite” was able to prove the truth of Monotheism against the idol worshippers through a sacrificial contest. (1 Kings 18) He also proved, as stated in the Bible, his status by bringing down fire from heaven. (2 Kings 1:10) The Bible mentions that Elijah also revived someone from the dead (1 Kings 17), something, not even Prophet Moses did. The Bible states that Elijah also managed to part the Jordan River and walk across it. (2 Kings 2:8) It is not a miracle as great as parting the Red Sea, but certainly comparable!

Disagreement with the Jewish Principles of Faith Orthodox Judaism holds that there are 13 Principles of Faith that define Jewish belief. These principles are based on the teachings of Maimonides, the great 12thcentury theologian and philosopher. The 7th principle mandates the primacy of Moses over all other prophets: “I believe by complete faith that the prophecy of Moses, our teacher, may peace rest upon him, was true and that he was the father of all prophets that preceded him as well as all that came after him.” (“Maimonides’

13 Principles of Jewish Faith”, web.oru.edu) Yet it seems Elijah was able to upstage even Moses?

There is, however, a more powerful reason why the 7th Jewish Principle of Faith is jeopardised. Judaism holds that Elijah never died (see Talmud Bavli; Baba Batra 121b, and Mo’ed Katan 26a) but that Moses certainly met his demise (Deuteronomy 34:7).

Jewish belief in the continual survival of Elijah is based on the teachings of the Talmudic sages. (“Elijah’s Ascent to Heaven”, Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld, www.aish.com) The consensus has been that Elijah continues to live and will return to announce the Messiah. (See, e.g., Aharon Wiener, The Prophet Elijah in the Development of Judaism, Routledge & K. Paul, 1978, p. 50) In fact, Elijah was the only prophet believed to have never died. (While there is some controversy about the fate of Enoch, Orthodox Judaism believed he died a natural

death. See Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 5:24; www.chabad.org)

The basis for the belief in Elijah’s supposed physical ascension What is the basis for the belief that Elijah is alive in heaven? According to the second book of Kings, Elijah was taken up to heaven “by a whirlwind” (2 Kings 2). This event occurs right before Elijah initiates Elisha, his successor, with a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, the Holy Spirit. (2 Kings 2:9) Soon after, a fiery chariot came down from heaven and Elijah went up in the whirlwind. (2 Kings 2:11) An apparent reading of the text justifies traditional beliefs about Elijah’s alleged ascension.

It could easily be assumed that this fiery chariot carried Elijah upwards and that the destination was a place called “heaven” which we could also assume is the spiritual

realm of God and the righteous souls.

But a closer analysis of the text does not lead us in this direction. In the first place, the text does not actually say the chariot carried Elijah up to heaven. The only role of the chariot was to separate (‫)ּוד ִ֖רְפַּיַו‬ Elijah from Elisha. The whirlwind was the only thing that brought Elijah up. We also cannot assume that the text wants us to believe that the ‘heaven’ Elijah went to in 2 Kings was the afterlife. The Bible uses the word ‘heaven’ often to denote the sky or the place above the earth (Genesis 1:20; Deuteronomy 4:19) After the whirlwind came, the disciples speculated about what happened to Elijah. Second Kings records the disciples telling Elisha, “Lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.” (2 Kings 2:16) If Elijah was taken miraculously into heaven, then why did the disciples speculate

that Elijah was thrown onto a mountain?

The fact that the disciples formed a search party (2 Kings 2:17) shows that they did not believe Elijah had ascended to another realm but was possibly alive on Earth. The spectacular departure of Elijah in 2 Kings has led many people to believe that Elijah left the planet Earth. The evidence appears justified because 2 Kings does not mention the Tashbite prophet again. But it is an unwarranted mistake to assume Elijah met his fate in 2 Kings! The Bible provides evidence that Elijah survived the ordeal of the tempest, not by ascending into heaven, but by going elsewhere. Furthermore, the idea that Elijah descended to heaven contradicts what Jesus taught in the New Testament. “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man.” (John 3:11) A clear reading of the biblical chronol-

ogy proves Elijah survived the ordeal in 2 Kings 2. At a later time, we see Elijah writing a letter to King Jehoram. (2 Chronicles 21:12) In the letter Jehoram is chastised for his unrighteous behaviour and warned of divine wrath. (2 Chronicles 21:12-15) The timing of the letter had to be years after Elijah’s alleged ascension because Jehoram was not yet a king at the time of the tempest; his father Jehoshaphat was still the reigning monarch. Immediately after the ‘ascension’ Elisha pays a visit to King Jehosaphat, who was informed by his officers that Elisha was serving in Elijah’s prophetic occupancy. (2 Kings 3:11) Jehoram was not yet a king. 2 Kings 21:1 tells us that Jehoram did not become king until after his father passed away. (2 Chronicles 21:1; 2 Kings 8:16-17) So if Jehoram received a letter from Elijah while he was king, then Elijah could have only communicated with him after the ‘ascension’ which took place during the reign of his father Jehosaphat.

On pain of cutting up biblical chronology, we can safely conclude Elijah survived the tempest.

The disappearance of Elijah from the Bible should be no more mysterious than the account of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Both prophets left the scene abruptly but were found to be alive after their departures. Jesus Christ was alleged to have died on the cross, but he was found by his disciples to be intact later. Elijah was said to have ascended alive to heaven (as Jesus did later after his supposed resurrection), but there is no evidence of this in the Bible. In any case, the missing details of Elijah’s life after the tempest should not cause us to believe in Elijah’s ascension any more than the missing details of Jesus’ life.

Belief that Elijah did not die and ascended to heaven contradicts Jewish theology Although Elijah survived the tempest, we have no reason to conclude that he did not die a natural death at a future time.

It could be argued that the Bible nowhere mentions “death” in reference to Elijah; however, the mainstream understanding of Enoch’s fate would make that argument problematic. Genesis says that Enoch walked with God and was no more because God “took him”. (Genesis 5:24) The text never says that Enoch literally died but only that God “took him”. Indeed, certain groups during the Second Temple era believed Enoch never died and that he was taken up to heaven and transformed into an angel (The Enoch-Metatron Tradition, Andrei A. Orlov, p. 9; Text and Studies in Ancient Jewish Mysticism, Mohr Siebeck, 2005; www.catholic.com) Elijah’s being alive is ironically a prob-

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 lem for Jewish law (Halacha) as well. It is obligatory, according to Halacha, for a Jew to tear their garments when a loved one passes away; the tear in the clothing must be worn for seven days. This law is based on the verse; “neither rend your clothes; lest ye die.” (Leviticus 10:6) Moses clearly stated here that we should not tear our garments for someone living, only the dead.

The Talmud elaborates on which people we can mourn for by tearing garments. (Tractate Mo’ed Katan, 26A; www.sefaria.org) Rabbis derive the laws on who to mourn for from 2 Kings 2, the same chapter of Elisha’s fiery chariot vision. (2 Kings 2:11) The Gemora proclaims we mourn for our immediate family based on the fact Elisha cries out “My father, my father” (2 Kings 2:11) when he sees Elijah being taken up to heaven. However, Jewish law also says you must mourn the passing of a teacher and a Torah sage. (Mo’ed Katan 26A) Where do the rabbis derive this law from? Rav Yosef states that it is derived from the mention of “chariots of fire” and “horsemen’’ mentioned in the same verse. (Mo’ed Katan, 26a) Jewish law derives the fact that we mourn for our parents and teachers based on Elijah’s ‘transition’ to heaven. If the rabbis believed Elijah died, this would make sense. But in the same paragraph in Mo’ed Katan 26A, the rabbis question this derivation of law based on the fact that Elijah is alive: “But isn’t Elijah alive?” (Mo’ed Katan, No. 26; www.sefaria.org/Moed_Katan.26a.5?lang=bi) In fact, the biblical text in question says that after Elijah left the planet, Elisha, “took hold of his garment and tore it in two.” (2 Kings 2:12) The Gemara answers itself with the vague words from the text: “And he saw him [Elijah] no more.” (2 Kings 2:12) However, if Elijah is alive in heaven, then why did the sages derive a law that we must mourn a dead teacher? Perhaps there is an exception made where we could cry for an alive person, such as a child going off to college.

However, Jewish law contains no exceptions for this. So, how is Elijah made an ex-

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ception here? Was not Elisha violating Jewish law by morning for someone still alive?

There are more problems for Jewish law with the supposed notion of Elijah’s survival. Elijah knew his time on earth was coming to a close, so he asked Elisha what he wanted. Elisha responded: “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” (2 Kings 2:9) Elisha asks Elijah to inherit spiritual authority. The “double portion” request was referenced from the Torah, where the oldest son inherits the double portion of wealth from the father.

(Deuteronomy 21:15-17) The metaphorical nature of the text is obvious, as Elisha was not the biological son of Elijah but only his spiritual son. Why would Elijah offer an inheritance if he was not going to die?

A bigger problem for Jewish law in our Elijah-Elisha discussion is that Halacha states that a prophet is not allowed to add legislation to the Torah law or abrogate any of the Mosaic legislation (Mishna Torah: Yesodei haTorah 9:1; www.chabad.org) (It is also the 9th Principle of Faith.) A prophet is not allowed to violate Torah law. Jewish law mandates that a prophet who violates Torah law must be put to death by means of strangulation. (Mishna Torah: Yesodei haTorah 9:1) If Elisha the prophet violated the Torah law by tearing his clothes for an alive person or Elijah the prophet violated the Torah law by giving inheritance while alive, then would that not mean that, in such a case, both these prophets would be subject to death at the hands of a Jewish court?

How does someone go to heaven in bodily form? On 2 Kings 2, Meir Leibush Wisser, a 19th-century bible commentator known as the Malbim, shares a popular view that Elijah was transformed into an angel and that the four elements of the prophet’s body were burned up in a fire.

(Malbim on 2:11; www.sefaria.org) Is this not an admission that Elijah passed away like anyone else? If there is no one, there is no life.

The belief in Elijah’s heavenly ascent is vivid in tradition. At each circumcision, an

empty seat is placed in the room designated for Elijah. The belief derives from a rabbinical commentary on the Bible found in the midrash (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1:6).

Elijah complains to God about Israel’s infidelity to Him. Elijah believed Israel broke the Covenant God made with Israel. (1 Kings 19:10) The Midrash states that God responded to Elijah’s statement that Israel violated God’s law, but Elijah himself did not. (For a further read, see: www.chabad. org/library/article_cdo/aid/3819109/jewish/Why-Is-There-a-Chair-for-Elijah-at-aBrit-Milah-Circumcision.htm). God then rebukes Elijah and orders him to witness the covenant ceremony – the circumcision – for every Jew born into the world. This is why an empty chair is placed in the room during the brit milah (circumcision ceremony). (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:6) It is also believed that Elijah comes down to earth at other times too. Every year, at the end of the Passover meal, Jews set an extra cup of wine by the entrance to the home. It is believed that Elijah comes down from heaven to partake of the wine.

Children learn about Elijah’s role in the Passover ceremony at a young age. There are many stories of famous rabbis meet-

ing with the prophet (“Stories of Elijah the Prophet from the Talmud and Midrash”; www.betheldurham.org).

Moses has a high status in Judaism because he alone is believed to have talked to God directly. But how could even Moses compete with a man who raised the dead to life (1 Kings, 17:21–22) and ascended to heaven? How could Moses keep his prestige against a prophet who is supposed to physically descend on earth to herald the Messianic era? (Malachi 4:6)

Muslims and the false belief in Jesus’ physical ascension Unfortunately, today, certain Muslims copied these stories and made them their own, as it is clear that the belief in Elijah’s survival became mistakenly attributed to Jesus.

I end this piece with the powerful and profound words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, who said: “When religion is interpreted without rationality, when faith is divorced of reason, all that they give birth to are myths without legitimacy and legends without substance.” (Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth, p. 699)

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

On ‘blind faith’, certainty, science and Islam Hazeem Ahmad Arif Student Jamia Ahmadiyya UK

“Blind faith” versus “empiricism” and “evidence” are the terms engaged in a back-and-forth debate by atheists like Christopher Hitchens as they strive to dismantle the foundations of religion and belief in God. However, upon examination, we find that Hitchens’ comprehension of the concept of faith within religion and his assertion of the absence of evidence have caused his arguments to falter due to a lack of foundational support. In his book, God is Not Great, Hitchens writes: “If one must have faith in order to believe something or believe in something, then the likelihood of that something having any truth or value is considerably diminished.

The harder work of inquiry, proof, and demonstration is infinitely more rewarding, and has confronted us with findings far more ‘ulous’ and ‘transcendent’ than any theology.” (God is Not Great, p. 71) His argument here is filled with flaws.

Speaking from an Islamic theological standpoint, God does not require anyone to begin their spiritual journey of recognition and cognition of His existence without the prior use of evidence. We are told many times in the Quran to focus, ponder and learn about the deep metaphysical and cosmological questions in relation to the perfection we see in the creation around us. When we delve into the complexity of the human eye, for instance, one becomes astounded at how intricate and minute each detail must be for the eye to function properly. And how each tiny functional property is in itself a thing depended on for other functions of the eye to fulfil their purpose; a fact that has long confused me with the Darwinian theory of chance mutation and natural selection. The number of chance mutations that need to happen for an effective and useful addition to the physiology of an animal is unimaginably high. The case intelligent design posits is that of irreducible complexity, a term coined

by Michael Behe in 1992 that essentially states, in Behe’s own words: “Irreducible complexity is just a fancy phrase I use to mean a single system that is composed of several interacting parts, and where the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to cease functioning.” (‘Evidence for Intelligent Design from Biochemistry, from a speech delivered at Discovery Institute’s God & Culture Conference: Behe, Michael’ [Arn. org, 2023] www.arn.org/docs/behe/mb_ idfrombiochemistry.htm, accessed 15 March 2023) This perfection and the improbability of success in the world around us serve as evidence that can be utilised to build faith in God.

can say that God certainly ‘does’ exist, it cannot come through staring down a telescope in a futile attempt to quantify a being who, by definition, is unquantifiable.

If quantified and confined to the limited scope of the lenses of the James Webb or Hubble telescopes, then He ceases to be God. If I were able to drink soup with a fork, the soup would cease to remain a soup, because the defining attribute for which it has earned the mighty name of soup is its virtue of being a liquid. We observe the complexities as described above, but this only takes our certainty of His existence to a level that’s only achievable by the perception of the signs around us, i.e., knowledge. To truly gain certainty in His existence, one must be able to experience Him.

Does Islam require blind faith from its followers?

What is certainty?

If we define belief as accepting a thing without proof, i.e., blind belief, then that is something that has no place in my life as a theist, and the Quran does not allow blind belief. If belief means accepting something as true without having the ability to directly observe it, then that is something that atheists and theists hold in common.

Thus, Islam does not require blind faith from its followers and, on many occasions, has urged us to think about matters such as the creation of the eye and brain function and the vastness and complexity of the universe.

These created things with a clear purpose and an inscribed code of movements clearly give credence to a being that ought to have created them. The key word here is ‘ought to’. The utility provided to us by our physical senses and the physical apparatus we use to discern physical scientific proofs can only go so far as to ascertain the fact that God ‘ought’ to exist in light of the evidence before us. Thus, through our reasoning and logic, we can infer that there should be an intelligent God that has given birth to beings of reason and intelligence, seeing as intelligence can only beget intelligence.

However, to reach the stage where we

The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, wrote extensively on this philosophy of gaining certainty in the existence of God. He wrote, in his book, The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, that there are three stages to certainty. First, one enters the preliminary stage of certainty in a particular matter through inference that has been derived from certain signs. Hazrat Ahmadas uses the brilliant example of a fire to describe the three stages. The first stage is reached when one sees smoke rising in the distance, so through his reasoning, one can comfortably infer that the smoke is coming from a fire. Though his knowledge is incomplete, there is an element of faith in that original inferred hypothesis derived from the rising smoke in the distance. And it is through that element of faith that the individual begins to discern further the cause of the smoke. They walk closer to the place where the smoke was rising, and they indeed come across a fire. This brings one to the second stage of certainty, which is certainty through sight. The person can see the fire with his own eyes, but his sight is still limited, and this level of knowledge is not enough to declare categorical certainty about the fire. For that, one must be able to feel the heat of the fire and gain certainty through experience; the third stage of certainty. (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, pp. 182-187) The point I want to draw from this is that there is an element of faith in everything, whether it is in an experiment to show the rate of gas production after the reaction between two elements or travelling on a plane. Both things require faith, either in the original hypothesis, which was based on expected or observed knowledge, or faith in the experience the pilot has accumulated throughout his career. Faith cannot be escaped in any realm, physical or spiritual, and is a key element for progress. Thus, when it comes to reaching certainty in God, it baffles me as to how, at this moment,

Hitchens and his troops of neo-atheists, having no understanding of what faith is, blow the trumpet of academic superiority at the theists who have utilised the very same academic avenues as stipulated by proper scientific methodology. His misunderstanding shines through loud and clear when he writes, in the same book: “If one must have faith in order to believe something or believe in something, then the likelihood of that something having any truth or value is considerably diminished.

The harder work of inquiry, proof, and demonstration is infinitely more rewarding, and has confronted us with findings far more ‘ulous’ and ‘transcendent’ than any theology.” (God is Not Great, p. 71) Here, he dismisses the very fact that there exists a repeatable experiment that has been testified to by droves of followers of all faiths since the revelation of the first religion. That pathway or experiment is a hard, strenuous spiritual struggle of self-sacrifice, doing good, and worshipping the Being in which you have placed your faith, after accepting the compelling evidence observed in nature.

And the outcome of that experiment has also been testified to be the same, that after the completion of this experiment under the correct conditions, one does indeed attain a categorical certainty of God’s existence by way of experience. Anyone can tell you how God accepts prayers in circumstances that are against all odds. And the flag bearers of the overused coincidence argument can rest assured that these prayers are answered in such an abundant way that, for some very holy people, the discourse between man and God becomes an everyday occurrence.

But, of course, this is all subjective, and the average atheist would not be convinced from the testimony of his friend that he got the car he was praying for despite the lack of funds, or that his son was cured completely of cancer when the ‘evidence’, ‘science’ and doctors gave him only a few months to live.

This not only accentuates for us the point I made earlier that even science has uncertainty and thus an element of faith in the readings given by tools and telescopes owing to the margin of uncertainty that is given, but also that prayer is an important aspect that has been proven time and time again, but even still, atheists bare the banner of ignorance to observed facts. Though theists who understand that God is alive and still speaks to His creation as He has since the beginning still have a trick up their sleeve, God is a living God; His signs cannot only be seen through the testimony of each individual who has had their prayers accepted but also through the abundance of scriptural prophecies and miracles shown at the hands of prophets and saints. Hitchens bleats for empirical and hard evidence for God’s existence but can’t even provide us with a solid scientific methodology for mapping the Darwinian theory of evolution.

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023

How religion also offers empirical evidence In my opinion, religion offers the empirical evidence that atheists so often crave to satisfy their minds. More specifically, the Holy Prophetsa of Islam prophesied a lunar and solar eclipse from the desert of Arabia some 1400 years ago. He set a remarkable condition that these two successive eclipses would only take place after the person who claimed to be the Mahdi had made his claim. Further testification of the divine source of this prophecy is that the exact dates were recorded on which the lunar and then solar eclipses would occur within the month of Ramadan. I will reproduce the English translation of the wording of this prophecy, recorded in the book of ahadith called Sunan al-Daraqutni: “For our Mahdi, there are two signs that have never appeared before since the creation of the heavens and the earth, namely that the moon will be eclipsed on the first night in Ramadan [i.e., on the first of the nights on which a lunar eclipse can occur] and the sun will be eclipsed on the middle day [i.e., on the middle one of the days on which a solar eclipse can occur].

And these signs have not appeared since God created the heavens and the earth.”

(Sunan al-Daraqutni, Kitab al-Eidain) The month of Ramadan in 1894, which was between 9 March and 7 April 1894, saw the lunar and solar eclipses, as prophesied over a thousand years earlier, take place on the exact same dates stipulated and

according to the exact conditions. Just a few years after the claim of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be the Mahdi, the moon was fully eclipsed on the 21st March 1894, at exactly 14:20:27. (‘Catalog of Lunar Eclipses: 1801 to 1900’ (Nasa.gov, 2019), https:// eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEcat5/LE1801-1900. html, accessed 16 March 2023) in the Eastern Hemisphere and again on the 11th March 1895 at exactly 03:39:10 (‘Catalog of Lunar Eclipses: 1801 to 1900’ (Nasa.gov, 2019), https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEcat5/LE18011900.html, accessed 16 March 2023). The Solar eclipses happened also according to the dates given in the Hadith, the times can be easily accessed in the records of NASA (‘Catalog of Solar Eclipses: 1801 to 1900’, (Nasa.gov, 2018), https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa. gov/SEcat5/SE1801-1900.html, accessed 16 March 2023) and even be viewed in the local newspapers of both the Eastern Hemisphere and the West on those dates.

When atheists like Hitchens insist on empirical evidence, nothing gets more empirical than this. The condition was stated, the dates were given, and now it has been fulfilled for everyone to witness and comprehend. There is no longer any room for speculation. If this does not serve as proof that the prophecy originated from an Intelligent Being revealed to the Holy

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Prophetsa, then I believe I would direct all sceptics to verse 6:110 of the Holy Quran.

َ ُ َّ ٌ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ ّٰ ۡ ُ َ ۡ َ َ ُ ‫ٓاءت ُہ ۡم ٰایَۃ ل ُی ۡؤ ِمن ّن ِب َہا ؕ ق ۡل‬ ‫واقسموا ِبالل ِہ جہد ایمانِ ِہم لئن ج‬ َ ۤ َ َّ َ ۡ ُ ُ ِ ۡ ُ َ َ ّٰ َ ۡ ُ ٰ ٰ ۡ َ َّ َ‫ٓاء ۡت لَا یُ ۡؤم ُنوۡن‬ َ َ ‫ِانما الایت ِعند الل ِہ وما یش ِعرکم ۙ انہا ِاذا ج‬ ِ

“And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if there came to them a Sign, they would surely believe therein. Say, ‘Surely, Signs are with Allah. But what should make you understand that when the Signs come, they will not believe?’” (Surah al-An‘am, Ch.6: V.110)

Science also requires ‘faith’ Today’s atheists persistently demand physical evidence, disregarding the repeated experimentation that has consistently led to the same conclusion of discovering God since the inception of religion. Furthermore, when solid and empirical evidence is presented, it seems to be perceived as an insult to their self-proclaimed academic prowess. This attitude speaks more to their ignorance of the facts and the scientific approach embraced by theists than to the strength of their arguments.

These signs and prophecies serve as substantial evidence for the existence of God. Even from a subjective perspective, the discourse of blind faith becomes irrelevant when one’s belief is rooted in evidence.

However, belief in God does entail an element of faith. It necessitates placing trust in the Being of God despite the limited knowledge available in the world. This is a basic philosophy that can be applied even to real-world situations.

Science is an ever-evolving field where truths are continuously questioned, and new evidence is constantly scrutinised.

Therefore, the scientific conclusions taught in schools heavily rely on the trust that we have arrived at accurate conclusions based on the available evidence. Tania Lombrozo, an American psychologist and professor at Princeton University, argues in an opinion piece published on National Public Radio’s website: “[S]cience involves drawing inferences from premises to conclusion, where the premises can affect the probability of the conclusions but don’t establish them with certainty.

“When you put these pieces together, the alternative to an evolving body of scientific knowledge is a non-starter. To embrace a static body of scientific knowledge is to reject the potential relevance of new information. It’s a commitment to the idea that a conclusion based on all the evidence available is no better than a conclusion based on the subset of evidence we happened to obtain first. If a changing body of scientific knowledge is unsettling, this alternative is untenable.” (Lombrozo T, ‘What Makes Science Science?’ (NPR30 January 2017), https://www.npr.org/ sections/13.7/2017/01/30/512402110/whatmakes-science-science, accessed 16 March 2023) She further says: “A second feature of science is that scientific methods are continually evolving.

Many of us learned ‘the’ scientific method in grade school, a step-by-step procedure for doing science. But this recipe-book approach to science is oversimplified and misleading.” (Ibid.)

This proves nothing except that the

Lajna Imaillah Farim, GuineaBissau, holds regional ijtema Zahid Ahmad Bhatti Missionary, Guinea-Bissau

Lajna Imaillah Farim, Guinea-Bissau held its regional ijtema on 14 May 2023. The ijtema was organised extending over two sessions.

The first session, dedicated to Nasirat, commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Nasirat-ulAhmadiyya pledge, Arabic qaseeda, and speeches highlighting the importance of reciting the Holy Quran and the exemplary life of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.

Subsequently, academic competitions were conducted for the nasirat.

level of uncertainty one experiences when reaching conclusions based on uncertain knowledge in a world where our perceptions are constantly changing with the discovery of new evidence is comparable to the faith one has in God after evaluating the evidence at hand.

It is the nature of man, who is inherently weak and limited in specific functions, to never attain certain knowledge through one’s own physical senses. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that certainty can only be derived from the Being, who is the source of all creation and possesses comprehensive knowledge of all things. Man lacks the ability to achieve perfection in any field, whether it be economics, politics, business, or trade.

There is almost always a shortcoming, a failure, or room for improvement.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, states: “An intelligent person can appreciate this problem in this way also, that the purpose of everything is to be determined by its highest performance beyond which its faculties cannot operate. For instance, the highest function of a bullock is ploughing, irrigation, or transportation. Its faculties are not adapted to anything else. Therefore, the purpose of a bullock’s life are just these three things. It has no power to do anything else. But when we look into the faculties of man and try to discover what is their highest reach, we find that he seeks after God, the Exalted. He desires to become so devoted to God that he should keep nothing as his own and all that is his should become God’s. He shares with the other animals his natural urge towards eating, sleeping etc.

In industry, some animals are far ahead of him. Indeed, the bees extracting the essence of different types of flowers produce such excellent honey that man has not yet been able to match them. It is obvious, therefore, that the highest reach of man’s faculties is to meet God, the Exalted. Thus the true purpose of his life is that the window of his heart should open towards God.” (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, pp.160161) This clearly indicates that the only realm in which man can potentially achieve true perfection is in seeking or encountering the Being Who has created him. Placing

The session of Lajna Imaillah began with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Lajna pledge and Arabic qaseeda. Speeches were delivered on the significance of prayer and the life of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh. This was followed by academic competitions for Lajna.

After this, a prize distribution ceremony was held. Sadr Lajna Imaillah expressed gratitude to all participants and emphasised the responsibilities of Lajna members and nasirat in light of the sayings of Khulafa-eAhmadiyyat. The event was also attended by non-Ahmadi women.

The total attendance for the event exceeded 135 individuals. The programme concluded with a silent prayer. unwavering trust in the infallibility of science itself is an unscientific approach, as our understanding of the world is constantly evolving, demonstrating that, as a species, we are unable to attain perfect knowledge through our physical senses. Thus, faith becomes an essential component in reaching conclusions.

Placing faith and trust in the inherent limitations of our bound knowledge is a product of inquiry and substantiation, based on the evidence we observe. The confirmation of this conviction arises from the undeniable certainty we acquire through answered prayers, the fulfilment of prophecies, and the occurrence of miracles that we continue to witness even in the present era. So when Hitchens says that it is “infinitely more rewarding” to follow inquiry, proof, and demonstration and that this has provided findings more transcendent than any theology, it is rather ironic.

Science has provided us with explanations of how the world works, but it falls short of explaining the origin of life itself. How can these explanations, which scientists have only scratched the surface of, be considered more profound than the Infinite and All-Knowing Being who created these natural laws? Scientists are limited by their human faculties and the risk of their life’s work being overturned, while the Creator’s knowledge surpasses all. Faith in God is the natural response after carefully and diligently considering the observed evidence. However, endlessly questioning and delving into minute details won’t yield positive outcomes since facts are always subject to change.

But faith is such a thing that can reward one with the most “ulous” and “transcendent”, simply because it is a path that leads one to the ultimate Fountainhead of knowledge. It is an acceptance of the fact that man should remain humble on account of his physically limited and mortal nature, which will one day, like all things, come to an end. This is a type of humility that no atheist can ever bring himself to, as they have such faith and trust in their physical ability, which leads them to believe that they can, through this ability, procure categorical knowledge of all things.

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

100 How to unite Indian nations amidst their Years great diversity

Ago...

The Review of Religions [English], May & June 1923

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra MA (1893-1963)

India is sometimes truly spoken of as a continent rather than a country. In terms of physical features, climate, produce, language, social customs and habits, and above all, religion, one province is in some cases as different from the other as two distinct and separate countries. This heterogeneous character of the land has proved a great hindrance to its advancement.

The requirements and needs of one part of the country, its hopes and fears, and its aspirations are often opposed to those of the others, and this results in confusion of the worst sort. Many a time, India has striven hard to stand on her feet, shoulder to shoulder with the other countries of the world, but has always staggered to the ground, being weighed down with her own encumbrances. By far the most stubborn obstacle and one that has persistently baffled the attempts of all true lovers of India is the religious prejudice blindly displayed by the different communities towards one another. It is a well-known fact that India is preeminently a religious country, and its people, whether Hindu, Sikh, or Musalman [Muslims], have a marked tendency towards taking up a most unreasonable position when some communal question is involved.

As a matter of fact, an average Indian will not hesitate to stoop to the use of any means in his power in order to harm the interests of a member of another community when they happen to clash with those of someone belonging to his own community. Such a state of affairs is highly detrimental to the healthy progress of the country. Indeed, no country can make any permanent progress unless there is mutual love, sympathy, goodwill and cooperation between the different communities that inhabit it.

Religious prejudice is particularly keen among Hindus throughout India, notably in the Punjab and the UP. As they are more advanced in education and are financially much better off than the Musalmans, they have succeeded in securing a majority of the government posts. Even in the Punjab, where the Hindus are not more than 35 per cent of the total population while the Musalmans are more than 55 per cent, almost all the civil departments under the government are crowded with the Hindus, while the Musalmans, in many cases, do not occupy more than 30 per cent of the government posts. In addition to this, there is the deplorable fact, which is a very frequent occurrence, that where a Hindu gains power in any of the government offices, that office becomes thenceforward almost closed to the followers of Islam.

This state of affairs is weighing heavily on the Musalman community in India. Under these circumstances, it is vain to expect unity

between the Hindus and the Musalmans. No sane person, however broadminded he may be, can spread his arms to embrace the man whom he knows to be concealing a dagger to kill him.

But that is not all. There is yet another cause of disunion, which, like a deadly poison, kills outright any seedlings of union that may happen to germinate. This is the unwarrantable belief of the Aryas that except for the primitive rishis to whom the Vedas were revealed at the beginning of the universe, all the other pious men who have ever claimed to be the recipients of Divine favour were (God forbid) so many impostors who intentionally deceived the people to gain their own personal ends.

Abraham, they say, was an impostor, Moses was an impostor, Christ was an

should believe in our Prophet[sa] and look upon him as a true reformer from God. In short, the Musalmans can never [become reconciled] with the Hindus unless they cease from making attacks against the Holy Prophet[sa] of Islam and begin to regard him as a true prophet of God. [They could do so by remaining Hindus.] Peace based on any other ground can never succeed in a country like India, where religious enthusiasm runs high.

[Hazrat Mirza Ghulam] Ahmad[as], the Promised Messiah and Mahdi and Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, saw this state of affairs and was grieved to find India thus badly handicapped in the race of countries. Consequently, he wrote a special article in 1908, the year of his death, and called it “A Message of Peace”. In that treatise,

Map of BEIC 1837-1857 | Wiki Commons

impostor, Mohammad was an impostor, and Confucius, Zoroaster, Buddha and Baba Nanak, peace be with them all, were all impostors. Who can reconcile himself to this most unreasonable and most painful doctrine? For us, the Musalmans, it is possible to make peace with the snakes of the deserts and the wolves of the forests, but it is impossible to be at one with those who make vile attacks against our Holy Prophet[sa] whom we hold dearer than our fathers and mothers and our own selves. We do not pain anybody’s heart and we have a right to expect that no one should pain ours.

We believe in the old rishis of the Hindus, and in Rama and Krishna and regard them as the favoured ones; we believe in Abraham, Moses and Christ; we believe in Confucius and Zoroaster; we believe in Buddha and Baba Nanak, and we believe in Muhammad, peace be with him and with them all. Under these circumstances, it is natural that we should expect that other communities

which has since been translated into English and widely published, and has also appeared in the pages of The Review of Religions, Vol. VII, Ahmad[as] made a strong appeal to the leaders of the Hindu community in India to give up those beliefs that created discord and disunion and become united with the Musalmans. In his unusually lucid and forcible style, Ahmad[as] explained the great advantages of peace between the two communities inhabiting the same country and pointed out that Hindus and Musalmans being neighbours in India, must try to find out the root cause of their disunion and then search for its cure. The question, he said, was of immense importance and hence could not be disposed of indifferently. Superficial observations were dangerous inasmuch as they tended to make people neglect the real causes of disunion. Ahmad[as] wrote: “[...] I now draw your attention to the following: notwithstanding the hundreds of differences between us, Muslims and

Hindus alike share one thing in common, i.e., we all believe in God, the Creator and Master of the Universe. Also, we belong to the same denomination of God’s species and are referred to as humans. Furthermore, as inhabitants of the same country, we are mutual neighbours. This requires that we become friends to each other, with purity of heart and sincerity of intentions. We should dispose kindly to each other and be mutually helpful. In the difficulties pertaining to religious and worldly matters, we should exercise such sympathy towards each other as if we have become limbs of the same body.

“My countrymen, a religion which does not inculcate universal compassion is no religion at all. Similarly, a human being without the faculty of compassion is no human at all. Our God has never discriminated between one people and another. This is illustrated by the fact that all the potentials and capabilities which have been granted to the Aryans have also been granted to the races inhabiting Arabia, Persia, Syria, China, Japan, Europe and America. The earth created by God provides a common floor for all people alike, and His sun and moon and many stars are a source of radiance and provide many other benefits to all alike. Likewise, all peoples benefit from the elements created by Him, such as air, water, fire and earth, and similarly from other products created by Him like grain, fruit, and healing agents, etc. These attributes of God teach us the lesson that we, too, should behave magnanimously and kindly towards our fellow human beings and should not be petty of heart and illiberal. [...]

“God commences the Holy Quran with the following verse, which is contained in Surah al-Fatihah:

ّٰ َۡ ۡ َ ۡ ‫ال َح ۡم ُد لِل ِہ َر ّب ال ٰعل ِمی َن‬

“That is, all perfect and holy attributes belong exclusively to Allah, Who is the Lord of all the worlds. “[...] The commencement of the Holy Quran with this verse was designed to counter the views of such people as attempted to monopolise God’s unlimited providence for their own nation and imagined that the other nations did not belong to God or that having created these other people, God discarded them as being of no consequence, or else perhaps they were shelved to oblivion by Him, or (God forbid) they were not even created by Him. “To illustrate this further, we refer to the view of the Jews and the Christians, still commonly held by them, that all the Prophets and Messengers of God belonged only to the House of Israel, and that God completely ignored the religious and spiritual requirements of other people, as though He were displeased with them and that, despite finding them in manifest error

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 and ignorance, He showed least concern for their spiritual welfare. As is also written in the Gospels that Jesus Christ, peace be on him, observed that he had been sent only for the lost sheep of Israel.

“Impossible as it is, yet by way of argument, let us assume that Jesusas did claim to be God. In that case, for him to confine his beneficence to such a small circle as the House of Israel does not behove the magnanimity of God. Had he been God, was he God only for the House of Israel to the exclusion of all other nations? [...]

“Unfortunately, the Hindus of the Arya sect also entertain a similar belief. Like the Jews and Christians, who restrict the institution of Prophethood and Divine revelation exclusively to their people and deny the honour of Divine revelation to others, the Aryas also, unfortunately for the human race, have adopted the same doctrine. They too believe that the blessing of Divine communication was never bestowed to any people outside the domain of the Aryan race. Again, it is India alone which, according to them, is exclusively blessed by God for the selection of the four ‘Rishis’ from its soil; it is Sanskrit alone, the language of the Vedas, which has always been the medium of instruction chosen by God. “One can safely conclude from this, that both these nations do not consider God to be the Lord [Provident] of all the worlds.

Notwithstanding this, He is still proclaimed to be Lord of the Universe and not that of the Israelites or the Aryans alone. Moreover, this strange behaviour of God, as presented by them, draws an image of God which is so partial that He appears unmindful of the rest of His creation. Thus, it is for the refutation of such erroneous views, that God commences the Holy Quran with the verse:

ّٰ َۡ ۡ َ ۡ ‫ال َح ۡم ُد لِل ِہ َر ِّب ال ٰعل ِمی َن‬

[‘All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.’ (Surah al-Fatihah, Ch.1: V.2)] “[...] Allah says in the Holy Quran:

َ َّ َ ُ َ ‫َو ِا ۡن ّم ۡن ا ّم ٍۃ ِالا خلَا فِ ۡی َہا ن ِذیۡ ٌر‬

“Meaning that there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent. [Surah al-Fatir, Ch.35: V.25] “Therefore there is no question that the True and Perfect God, to believe in Whom is essential for every person, is the Lord of all the worlds. Furthermore, His providence is not confined to any particular people, age or country. In fact, He is the Lord of all peoples, the Lord of time and space, and He is the Sovereign of all the countries. He alone is the Fountainhead of all beneficence and the Source of every physical and spiritual strength. All that exists is sustained by Him. He is the Support for every creature.

“So, when such are the attributes of our Lord, it is but befitting for us to acquire them ourselves. So, O compatriots! This short epistle entitled ‘A Message of Peace’ is being presented to you with all due respects and with a sincere heartfelt prayer that Almighty God may Himself inspire you and fill your hearts with trust in my sincerity, lest you misread this friendly gesture and consider it to be an attempt to gain some ulterior motive. [...]

“It is a common experience that calamities which cannot be averted by ordinary measures, and the difficulties

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which seem insurmountable, very often respond to the power of unanimity. Hence it would be against the dictates of wisdom for one to not benefit from the blessings of unanimity. The Hindus and the Muslims are two great nations inhabiting this country. It is hard to believe that either of the two, for instance, the Hindus, would one day gain total domination over the Muslims, and turn them out of this country altogether.

Likewise, it is not possible for Muslims to expel the Hindus from their homeland.

“It should always be borne in mind that Hindus and Muslims are indispensable to each other in this country. If one is beset with a calamity, the other will inescapably share it. If either one intends to humiliate the other, out of egoistic pride or vanity, then it will not escape the consequent disgrace itself. And if anyone among them falls short of showing concern for his neighbour, then he too will suffer the ill effect of his callousness. Anyone who contemplates the annihilation of the other is like one who saws off the branch on which he is sitting.

“With the Grace of Allah, you have also got a measure of education; it behoves you now to eschew grudge and promote mutual love. [...]

“So take heed my countrymen, before such evil days confront you. It is highly essential that Hindus and the Muslims should come to terms with each other and if either of the two parties is guilty of such excesses as obstruct the path of peace, they are better advised to desist from pursuing that course. Otherwise, the entire blame for the sin of mutual enmity will be borne by the faulting party.

“If someone questions the possibility of reaching reconciliation while religious differences are playing such a negative role, throwing hearts further apart, then my answer would be to say that difference in matters of religion can only play a negative role when it disregards the dictates of justice, wisdom and the well-tested human values. It is to avoid this danger that Man has been fully fortified with a clear sense of judgement and common sense. He should thus always carve a path for himself which never deviates from the path of justice and good sense. Again it should not violate the commonly experienced human sensibilities.

Also, it should be remembered that dayto-day petty differences cannot obstruct the course of reconciliation. Only those differences can destroy the process of reconciliation which result in insulting and blasphemous attitudes by one towards the revered Messengers and revealed holy books of the other. [...]

“As for us [Muslims], we never use indecent language with regard to the Prophets of other peoples. In fact, we believe that for all the Prophets who have come to different peoples of the world and have been accepted by millions of people in all parts of the world, and love for them and their greatness has been firmly established in any one part of the world, and further that this state of devotion and love for them has endured the test of time, is evidence enough of their truthfulness. Had they not been from God, they could not have been accepted on such a wide scale by millions upon millions of hearts. God does not bestow such honour upon those whom He favours not. If an imposter aspires to occupy their position, he is soon brought to ruin.

“By virtue of the same logic, we believe the Vedas to be divine in origin and we consider their saints to be venerable and holy.

“We do so despite our observation that Vedic teaching has not succeeded, nor could it ever succeed, in turning any section of its followers into true worshippers of God. [...]

However, in accordance with what we are taught by God, we believe that the original Vedas were not man’s fabrication. A human fabrication lacks the power to establish a lasting order. “[...] The teaching of nyog, which is attributed to the Vedas, is abhorrent to human dignity and the human sense of honour. As I have already stated, we cannot accept that it is a genuine Vedic teaching.

In fact, our well-meaning intentions make us strongly inclined to believe that such teachings must have been introduced later out of sensual motives. [...]

“So when we, despite all these obstacles, purely out of fear of God, accept the Vedas to be divine revelation in its origin and assume all the false teachings to be the work of scribes, what justification can there be for the Holy Quran to be made the target of such brutal attacks? It is full of injunctions from cover to cover, speaking only of the worship of one God. Nowhere does it require Man to worship the sun, the moon etc. In fact, there are clear statements to the contrary:

َّ ۡ ُ ُ ۡ َ َ َ َ َ َ َّ ّٰ ۡ ‫ِلش ۡمس َولَا ل ِۡلقَ َمر َو‬ ‫لا تسجدوا ل‬ ‫اس ُج ُد ۡوا لِل ِہ ال ِذ ۡی خلق ُہ ّن‬ ِ ِ

“In other words, do not worship the sun, the moon, or any work of creation, but worship only Him, Who has created you [(Ha Mim al-Sajdah, Ch.41: V.38].

Apart from this, the Holy Quran is itself a testimony to God through its old and new signs. It is a mirror which shows God’s existence. Why should it be made the target of such ferocious attacks? Why are we not treated in the same spirit as we treat the Aryas? And why is the seed of enmity and hatred sown in the soil of this country? Do they really expect that the outcome of such behaviour will be good? Is it decent to hurl stones at one who offers flowers or to splash urine on one who offers milk?

“If Hindus and those belonging to the Arya faith were prepared to make a complete truce whereby they accept our Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to be a true Prophet of God and in future agree to refrain from contempt and slander, then I am ready to be the first to sign the following treaty: “We, the members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, will testify to the truth of the origin of the Vedas, and will speak of the Vedas and their Rishis with respect and love, and if we do not honour our part of the contract, we will be liable to pay a fine of not less than three hundred thousand rupees to the Hindu community.

“If the Hindus genuinely desire to effect a compromise with us, then they should also write it as a declaration and sign it [...]. “[...] The majority of people who are outside the fold of our Jamaat are disunited in their views and are diverse in their nature.

They do not follow a leader, obedience to whom they would consider incumbent.

This is why I cannot undertake anything on their behalf [...]. But I trust that when the Hindus enter into an agreement with me, they [the other Muslims] will also not be so daring as to abuse the Book and the

Rishis of such a civilised people and thereby invite the abuse of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in retaliation. [...]

“My dear ones, there is nothing like peace and compromise. Let us unite with the blessing of this treaty and be one nation.

You know full well that denial [of each other’s holy personages] on both sides has thrown us apart and that our country is suffering greatly. Visualise how blessed it could prove to testify to each other’s truth.

Come, give this a try now. This is the best course for achieving peace.

“Pursuing any other course would be like ignoring a dangerous abscess merely because it looks clear and shiny, while, in reality, it contains rotten and putrid matter.

“I need not elaborate on the everincreasing, mutually hypocritical, attitude and discord between the Hindus and Muslims. This is rooted not in religious differences alone, but has also secondary causes which pertain to worldly ambitions. [...]

“I admit that such factors contributed to furthering the enmity which had already existed. But I cannot accept them to be the real reason. I beg to differ with those who believe that religious disputes are not at the root of Hindu-Muslim enmity and discord, and that the disputes are in fact political in nature. [...]

“Dear Friends! I reassert that the underlying factor responsible for this behaviour is religion, and nothing else.

If today the same Hindus embrace the Muslims while pronouncing the Kalimah Tayyibah:

ّ ّ ّٰ ّٰ ّ ‫لَآ ِالٰ َہ ِال َا الل ُہ ُم َح َم ٌد َر ُسوْ ُل اللہ‬

“‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,’ then Muslims would cease to oppose them forthwith. Conversely, if Muslims renounce Islam and embrace Hinduism and start worshipping fire, air, etc., in accordance with the Vedic injunctions [i.e., its current distorted injunctions], then those differences which are labelled as political will suddenly vanish as if they had never existed.

“It is thus evident that the underlying factors in all enmities and grudges are the religious differences. It is such religious differences which, since times immemorial, reach a climax and then invariably give way to extensive bloodshed.

“Muslims, I say: If Hindus treat you as a different nation merely because of religious differences and you respond to them in the same manner, the matter will not end here. How can you achieve a sound, healthy relationship unless you take appropriate remedial measures against this root cause?

It is possible that you may temporarily enjoy a friendship, but only superficially. The ultimate sincerity of heart, worthy of being called sincerity, can only be achieved if you genuinely change your attitude towards the Vedas and the Vedic Rishis by accepting them to be from God. Likewise, the Hindus should also change their niggardly attitude by testifying to the truth of our beloved Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Remember, and remember it well, that this is the only principle which can establish a genuine truce between you and Continued on next page >>

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM << Continued from previous page

the Hindus and this is the only water which can wash away all malice embittering your relationship. [...]

“It is essential however that you treat Hindus with sincerity and kindness and let decent behaviour be your second nature.

Refrain from all such measures as would cause them pain, except those that are essential or obligatory according to our faith.

Consequently if the Hindus sincerely accept the proposition of testifying to the truth of our Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and of having faith in his truth, then what remains regarding the split on the issue of cows can be done away with. Remember if we are permitted to eat something, it does not follow that we have to eat it. Everything permissible is not obligatory. There are many things which we know to be lawful yet we do not necessarily practice them. To treat Hindus with decency and kindness is one of the important Islamic injunctions. If for the sake of achieving a higher goal one forgoes a right, it will not be against the spirit of the Divine law.

To consider something to be lawful is one thing, to utilise it is another. The spirit of piety requires that you abstain from whatever God has forbidden. To actually pursue the path of gaining His favour and to have the welfare of His creation at heart and to treat others with goodness and sympathy and to respect all the holy Prophets and Messengers from God, and to accept them as reformers and to not discriminate between them and to serve all mankind irrespective of denominations. This is the essential requirement of our faith. How can we ever be at peace with such people who – without justification and without regard for the fear of Allah – speak of our Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, with disrespect, and abuse him and refrain not from the use of foul language? In truth, I declare that it is possible for us to make peace with the serpents fed on brackish soil and the wolves of the wilderness, but not with those who make wanton attacks on our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who is dearer to us than our lives, our mothers and our fathers. May Allah cause us to die as Muslims. We are not willing to do anything at the cost of our faith.” (A Message of Peace, pp. 5-31) These, in brief, were the ideas expressed

by Ahmad[as] in 1908 and these were his last words to his countrymen. “A Message of Peace,” from which the above is only an extract, was read out, after the demise of its holy author, to a large gathering of educated Hindus and Musalmans in the Town Hall of Lahore. The paper was very much appreciated by some of the more enlightened members of both the communities, but unfortunately, no practical step was taken by the Hindus and the matter was allowed to drop due to a lack of proper care and attention. HinduMuslim relations practically continued as before. Meanwhile, however, the political situation in India was becoming graver day by day and the people were awakening to a growing sense of responsibility to their motherland. Then came the Great War of Nations, which let loose elements that gave new life to the political problem in India and ushered in an era of great political agitation. Hindus, Musalmans and Sikhs

all rose to drive out the British from India, or at least to get complete autonomy under British suzerainty. For the time being, all differences were forgotten and everyone talked of union and brotherhood. The people of India, they said, were Indians first and Hindu, Musalman or Sikh afterwards.

In the heat of the moment, however, no one stopped to think that peace based on the passing and transitory whims of the masses could not last long unless the parties decided after due deliberation to establish it on some permanent basis. It was at this stage of events that Hazrat Mirza Mahmud Ahmad[ra], the second successor of Ahmad[as], the Promised Messiah, wrote a special article entitled “Non-Cooperation” and therein warned the Musalmans not to be satisfied with the then existing state of affairs. His Holiness told the Musalmans that if they really wanted peace with their Hindu neighbours – and that was indeed a noble object – they should look for some firmer ground and not suffer themselves to be swept away by the temporary current of events. This advice was unfortunately disregarded and the result was sadly disastrous.

As soon as the first ebullition of the new political movement subsided, Hindus and Musalmans actually flew at one another’s throats like two wild bulls who keep their horns united when facing a tiger, but plunge them into each other’s bellies as soon as the tiger turns its back upon them. The later history of Hindu-Muslim unity in India draws tears of blood from the eyes of every true well-wisher of the country. The stories of Kartarpur, Multan, Amritsar and Lahore, etc., are too sad and too well-known to be repeated here. Not only has the great and pleasant dream of peace and union vanished, but Hindu-Musalman relations have grown even worse than before. Nay, it is hard to find in the earlier history of India a period of greater tension than the present between the two communities. Recently, at Lahore, all the Hindu members of the Municipal Committee have resigned in protest against the decision of the government to the effect that the Musalman members should have seats on the committee in proportion to their numerical strength. One cannot

conceive of a more unreasonable attitude. It is certainly about such people that the Holy Quran says:

َۡ َۡ ُ َ ۡ َۡ َ َ ۡ َ ُۡ ‫ٓاء ِم ۡن افوَا ِہ ِہ ۡم ۖۚ َو َما تخ ِف ۡی ُص ُد ۡو ُر ُہ ۡم اکب َ ُر‬ ‫قد بد ِت البغض‬

I.e., “Verily, great enmity has found vent from their lips, but what their bosoms conceal is even greater.” [Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.119] The recent Shuddhi movement, so vigorously started by the Hindus in the UP and the other parts of the country, is yet another indication of what turn the affairs are taking in India. The Shuddhi movement, though ostensibly a purely religious affair, and as such not in the least objectionable, is really nothing but a political movement that has been started by the Hindus to wipe out Islam from the Indian soil so that they may independently play the political game in India.

Such is the story of the Hindu-Muslim Unity in India – a very sad record indeed.

It is high time that all well-wishers of India should deeply ponder over the situation, which is certainly becoming more serious day by day and is threatening to permanently retard the progress of the country. It is vain to expect that one community will, or can at any time, turn out the other from its home by the use of force. India is as much the home of the Indian Musalmans as it is of the Hindus, and it is most unreasonable to say that the Musalmans are a foreign people in India. If the Musalmans are to be called a foreign people on account of the fact that their ancestors came here from outside, so are the Hindus also. There is not the least difference between the two except that the Hindus came over to India some centuries earlier than the Musalmans. If the rights of citizenship are to be based on such grounds, both the communities should make ready to leave India and search for another home, for in that case, India would belong to the aborigines, such as Bhils, Gonds, Santals, Chamars and Chuhras to the entire exclusion of either the Hindus or the Musalmans. The Musalmans will be ready to leave India to the Hindus when the Hindus would be prepared to leave it to the Chuhras and Chamars, etc. Till then, all must remain co-sharers in the interests of the country. In short, it is wrong to say that India belongs to a particular community, to the exclusion of others.

When such is the case, it is time to think about how these different communities can be united, and after being united, how they can remain united. It is evident that the present state of affairs must not continue, or we must say farewell to all thoughts of progress in India. If we want to see India progress and successfully compete in the race of countries, we must unite. But we cannot unite unless we are prepared to make sacrifices for it. Indeed, the grander the object to be gained, the greater must be the sacrifices to be made. It is idle to talk of a grand object without being prepared to make proportionate sacrifices for it. On the other hand, it is most essential to search for a way in which we can gain our object with the least possible sacrifices, for if it is unwise to shrink from sacrifices, it is the more so to make more sacrifices than is absolutely necessary. He would be a madman indeed who would slaughter a goat to entertain a single guest when he can easily buy a fowl for the purpose. So we must decide, firstly,

to be prepared to make sacrifices, and secondly, to make only such sacrifices as are absolutely necessary, neither more nor less.

Having decided on this course of action, we must now look at the practical side of the question. All of us, whether Hindu, Musalman, or Sikh, are sincerely desirous of seeing India progress, and of being reckoned among the first-class countries of the world.

This position, it can attain only when there is a complete union among the different peoples inhabiting it. So we all agree that there must be a union. Now the best way to bring about the union is that all the different communities in India should decide to become one nation with one object in view.

If this could be accomplished, India would soon be on the shortest and the surest way to advancement. What seems now impossible would then become possible, and nothing would stand in the way of India’s speedy progress. But how to become one nation?

The question deserves the most careful thinking on the part of every son of the Indian soil. For ourselves, we have given our best hours to the solution of this problem and have come to the conclusion that as long as there are different religions in India, it is vain to talk of having one nation in the country. The past history of India as well as the present state of affairs in the country are ample proofs of the truth of our statement.

If we want to have one nation in India we must have one religion. There is no other alternative.

The question now arises how is it possible to have only one religion in India? Will the Hindus be willing to become Musalmans, or will the Musalmans be prepared to turn Hindu? Again will the Sikhs agree to be converted to Hinduism or Islam, or will the Hindus and the Musalmans embrace Sikhism? It is evident that a Musalman professes Islam because he believes Islam to be the true religion. Similarly, Hindus and Sikhs believe only Hinduism and Sikhism respectively to contain the truth. Now, if it could be conclusively proved that Islam is the only true religion, and that Hinduism and Sikhism, though originally true, have left the path of truth, would not the Hindus and the Sikhs willingly embrace Islam? Surely they will. Similarly, we, the Muslims, are ever ready to turn Hindu or Sikh if Hinduism or Sikhism could be proven to be a truer religion than Islam. Is it not then within the limit of practical politics to hold a grand religious conference at some central place in India and there to make a comparative study of religions and decide what religion contains the greatest element of truth? If the leaders of the different communities could make it a point and sincerely work for a solution there is certainly good hope of an amicable settlement.

If this, however, be regarded beyond the limit of practical politics, we suggest a simpler method of solving the problem. We have agreed that we must be prepared to make sacrifices. We have also agreed that we should not make more sacrifices than it is absolutely necessary to make. Our common object is “union and one religion.” Now let us see which religion opens the way for the fewest possible sacrifices. There are three great religions in India, viz., Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam. Suppose all decide to become Hindus. Now what are the sacrifices Continued on next page >>

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023

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How Satan uses discord to destroy marriages: A warning from Holy Prophet Reem Shraiky Translation and Research Office, UK

Islam, as a complete religion valid for every time and place, does not fail to provide a solution to every problem. As well as guiding people to attain the pinnacle state of self-awareness and a unique bond with their Creator, it warns believers about the seriousness of certain matters to prevent them from falling into an endless cycle of problems.

Among the matters that Islam has addressed with great accuracy is marital life. Both the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa – who was the complete embodiment of the Quranic teachings, emphasise that the foundation of a successful marriage should be built upon affection, love, togetherness, and mercy.

(Surah ar-Rum, Ch.30: V.22) Moreover, Islam clarifies the duties and rights of both husband and wife. If one of them falls short in a matter, the other party should overlook it and turn a blind eye.

Spouses must focus on the positive attributes of each other instead of only checking the negatives. The Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said:

for women. In fact, this revolution served as the foundation for women to obtain their rights across the world throughout the ages.

Now, let us turn our attention to a dangerous matter that both men and women may fall into. Islam warns against this matter robustly, and it is known in

<< Continued from previous page

that the Sikhs and the Muslims shall have to make? The Sikhs, who take their religion from Baba Nanak and cherish his memory with the fondest of love and affection, shall have not only to sever their connection with the Baba Sahib but shall have to regard him, God forbid, as a false and worldly-minded man (vide Satyarath Parkash). Again, the Musalmans who love their Prophet[sa] more than their fathers and mothers, their sons and brothers, nay, more than themselves and look upon him as a paragon of perfection, shall have not only to cut them asunder from him but shall, God forbid, also be required to call and look upon him as an impostor.

Then suppose all decide to become Sikhs. In this case, the Hindus, who so fondly cherish the memory of their old rishis and of Rama and Krishna, shall have to consign these holy personages to total oblivion and begin their story of love and affection from the much more recent days of Baba Nanak. The

َ َّ َ َّ ‫زوجها‬ ِ ‫ليس منا من خبب امرأةعلى‬

“Anyone who instigates the wife of a man against him, is not from us.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 2175) Further, we read that Allah’s Messengersa said:

َ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ ٌ َ​َ ٌ ّ َ​َ َ ‫ان َولا ب ِخيل‬ ‫لا يَدخل الجَ ّنة ِخب ولا من‬

a scenario where a mischief-maker incites a wife against her husband. (see Lane, Vol. 2, p. 691) Undoubtedly, such corruption or instigation can happen to the husband against his wife as well. However, due to women’s more emotional disposition, they are more susceptible to falling into such a trap.

“The swindler, the stingy person, and the Mannan shall not enter Paradise.” (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1963).

So, the khibb, who destroys relationships between people through deception, will not be admitted to Heaven. This is because the person who ruins others’ marriages by deceiving them or causing the wife to ask for a divorce is committing a grave sin.

Regrettably, it is seen in a society that some women encourage their friends to leave their husbands when seeking advice on even the slightest disagreement with them. This behaviour not only constitutes the sin of Takhbib, but also contributes to the breakdown of marital relationships.

In accordance with most schools of thought, a woman who has been divorced is not barred from marrying the individual who previously committed takhbib. In such a scenario, their union would be considered valid, but they would both be held accountable and receive discretionary punishment in accordance with what the Imam deems appropriate. (Mausua Fiqhiya Kuwaitiya, 11/20).

However, the Maliki (Ibid.) and Hanbali traditions reject the validity of such a marriage and advocate for punishment for the parties involved due to the severity of their offence. (Imam al-Hajjawi, Al-Iqna‘ li

Musalmans shall have to forget all about the Holy Prophet[sa] of Arabia and centre their affection around the personages of Baba Sahib and the subsequent Sikh Gurus. Now suppose the Hindus and the Sikhs decided to embrace Islam, will they be required to make any such sacrifice? The answer is in the negative. A Hindu will become a Muslim and still revere and love his old rishis and Rama and Krishna. A Sikh will turn Muslim and still cherish the memory of the Baba Sahib with love and affection. Islam regards the spiritual founders of all the established religions of the world as true reformers from God and spurns the idea of calling any of them as an impostor. So if Islam becomes the religion of the whole of India, there will be the least, if any, disturbance in the cherished traditions of the different communities, and with the least possible sacrifices, Hindus, Sikhs and Musalmans will become one nation, and India will set her foot on the shortest and the surest way to the realisation of her long and cherished

hopes of centuries.

Failing this also, we suggest as a substitute the scheme contained in “A Message of Peace”, an extract from which has been given above.

The sum and substance of this scheme is that the Hindus and the Musalmans should bind themselves by means of a formal agreement to the effect that the members of both the communities should abstain from speaking disrespectfully about the spiritual founders of each other, and every community should look upon the prophets of the other as true reformers from God. This means that the Hindus should believe in Muhammad, peace be with him, as a true prophet of God, just as the Musalmans believe in Krishna as a prophet. The Musalmans do not, of course, become Hindus when they profess belief in the truth of Krishna and the rishis.

Similarly, the Hindus can believe in the truth of the Prophet of Islam by remaining Hindus. The scheme further mentioned that both the communities should abstain from doing anything that is painful to any of

Islamic terminology as takhbib. Takhbib ًُ ُ ْ ْ ْ ْ َ َ ً ‫ لا يَف َرك ُمؤ ِم ٌن ُمؤ ِم َنة ِإ ْن ك ِره ِم ْن َها خلقا َر ِض َي‬means to corrupt someone to render them َ disaffected or to alienate them, especially in ‫ِم ْن َها آخ َر‬ “A believer must not hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another.” (Mishkat al-Masabih, Hadith 3240) Islam emerged at a time when women had limited or no rights, and it brought about a revolution that established countless rights

The Holy Prophetsa explained:

Talibi l-Intifa‘, 182/3) Consequently, several Muslim countries have instituted specific laws addressing this crime. (e.g., Article No. 23 of the Kuwaiti Personal Status Law, No. (51) of (1984)).

We have to remember that the Holy Prophetsa warned women against seeking a divorce without a valid reason, he stated:

ْ َّ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ُّ َ َ ‫ت َز ْو َج‬ َ ‫الطلاَ َق في َغيْر َما ب‬ ‫س‬ ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ه‬ ‫أيما امرأ ٍة سأل‬ ٍ ِ َ ِْ ُ َ َ ٌ َ َ​َ َ َ ّ َ َ ْ ‫فحرام عليها رائِحة الجن ِة‬

“Any woman who asks her husband for a divorce when it is not absolutely necessary, the fragrance of Paradise will be forbidden to her.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 2055).

The Holy Prophetsa also indicated that causing the separation between a man and his wife is a purely satanic act. The Holy Prophetsa warned that Satan sits on a throne of water and sends his helpers to create dissension among people. The most notorious among them is closest to Satan in rank. One of these helpers may boast of his actions, but Satan dismisses them as insignificant; however, if someone says that they caused discord between a husband and wife, Satan praises them and considers their actions successful. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2813b) Lastly, Hazrat Ahmadas advised his community to constantly pray for their spouses and strive to avoid divorce. He emphasised that those who rush into divorce are considered wicked and greatly detested in the eyes of Allah. We should refrain from hastily breaking apart, like a filthy and impure vessel, the sacred union that Allah has blessed and joined together.

(Tohfa-e-Golarwea, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17. p. 75).

them, provided of course it is not enjoined by any of the two religions. Thus, the gulf between the two communities due to the slaughtering of cows by the Musalmans was also proposed to be spanned over.

This is the least possible scheme that can be practicable in bringing about the desired union in India. If this also be not acceptable to our Hindu brethren, let the world bear witness that we have done our duty, and that the entire responsibility of all this disunion and discord lies on the shoulders of the Hindus and not the Musalmans.

India is bleeding from the wounds received through the rash fighting of her sons among themselves, and he is not a true son of the soil who does not give up fighting now and come to the help of the motherland.

Adieu.

(Transcribed and edited by Al Hakam from the original, published in The Review of Religions [English], May & June 1923, pp.

177-192)

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

Friday Sermon Mubarak Mosque, Islamabad, Tilford, UK

5 May 2023 Justice, kindness and kinship Scaling the three levels of goodness After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated: ُۡ ۡ ّٰ َّ ٔ ‫الل َہ یَاۡ ُمرُ بال ۡ َع ۡدل َوالۡاِ ۡح َسان َو ِایۡ َت‬ ‫ِان‬ ‫ٓای‬ ‫ی الق ۡر ٰب َّی َویَن ٰہی‬ ‫ذ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َ‫یَ ِع ُظ ُک ۡم ل َ َع َّل ُک ۡم تَ َذک ُر ۡون‬ ۚ‫َعن ال ۡ َف ۡح َشٓا ِء َوال ۡ ُم ۡن َکر َوال ۡ َب ۡغی‬ ِ ِ ِ

this, you should detach yourself from your personal desires and ulterior motives and worship God and serve His creation […]”

That is, you should selflessly worship God and not present yourself before Him with an ulterior motive. Similarly, you should also serve Allah’s creation selflessly, “[…] just as someone would do due to his close relationship with another.” (Shahna-e-

Haqq, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 361-362) Then, elaborating on this verse and drawing our attention towards fulfilling the rights of Allah the Almighty and how to fulfil the rights of mankind, the Promised Messiahas further states: “First and foremost, the meaning of this verse is that you should be just in your obedience towards your Creator. You

Photo courtesy of Suhaib Ahmad

“Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids indecency and manifest evil and transgression. He admonishes you that you may take heed.”

[Surah an-Nahl, Ch. 16: V. 91] Huzooraa then said: This verse is recited every Friday in the khutbah-e-thaniah [second part of the sermon] as well as the khutbah-e-thaniah of the two Eid prayers. Certain virtues have been mentioned therein, which Allah the Almighty commands us to perform, as well as the evil deeds against which Allah the Almighty admonishes us. The very sign of a true believer is that they act in accordance with the commandments and guidelines of Allah the Almighty in order to strengthen their faith. Otherwise, they will not attain the standard that transforms a Muslim into a true believer.

I will present the teachings of the Promised Messiahas in relation to the virtues that have been mentioned in this verse, i.e., enjoining justice, doing good to others and giving like kindred, which he has penned in various books and stated during various gatherings. Although each instruction revolves around the same subject-matter, there are various forms of instructions that guide us towards living in accordance with the commandments of Allah the Almighty. He has not only mentioned these characteristics and virtues with regard to our relationship with mankind; rather, he has also spoken of how we can maintain a relationship of enjoining justice, doing good to others and giving like kindred in relation to God Almighty. He has presented a commentary on this in such an insightful manner that it truly gives us

an understanding of the relationship with God Almighty, which elevates a believer to new avenues of faith and conviction.

Nevertheless, I will now present some extracts. One should contemplate over these and try to make them a part of their life. Through these, we find such a guiding principle that connects us with God Almighty and also draws our attention towards fulfilling the rights of one another.

As such, this creates such a beautiful society that fulfils the rights due to Allah and those due to mankind. Furthermore, this is the very principle that will guarantee the peace of society as well as that of the world. However, it is unfortunate that most of the world is bent on usurping the rights of one another, whether it is the Muslim world or the non-Muslim world. Muslims utter the name of Allah the Almighty, but they have also exceeded all bounds in terms of committing injustices in the name of Allah the Almighty. As such, it is the duty and responsibility of the followers of the Promised Messiahas to remain mindful of the commandments of Allah the Almighty, transform themselves and also try to reform the world.

The Promised Messiahas states: “God commands you to be just towards Him as well as His creation. That is, you should fulfil the rights of Allah and the rights of mankind and if you are able to go beyond that, then you should not only enjoin justice but also do good to others.

That is, you should go beyond what is obligatory and worship God with such sincerity as if you were able to see Him.” First, the Promised Messiahas mentioned the rights due to mankind and then he said that you should worship God as if you were seeing him. [He further states:] “You should treat people with kindness beyond their due right. And if you can go beyond

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 should not be unjust.” You should always remain mindful of this and be just in your obedience towards Allah the Almighty. [The Promised Messiahas further stated:] “Hence, there is, in fact, no one worthy of worship, worthy of love or worthy of being trusted besides Him, because due to His attributes of creation, sustenance and providence, every right belongs to Him alone.”

What is justice toward God? Upholding a relationship of obedience with Allah the Almighty and doing so because He is our Creator and the Self-Subsisting and AllSustaining. Providence rests in His hands, as He is the Provider, Nurturer and Fulfiller of every need of ours. As such, it is His right alone to be trusted and loved. [The Promised Messiahas further stated:] “Similarly, you should not associate a partner with Him in terms of His worship, love and providence.

If you follow this principle, then this is the justice that was made obligatory upon you.” This is justice in relation to Allah the Almighty and which is necessary to uphold.

“Then, if you wish to progress from that,” and take the next step, “you will reach the stage of ‘ihsan’ [doing good]. This means to praise His greatness, to become so well-versed in your worship of Him, and to lose yourself in His love in a way whereby it is as if you have witnessed His grandeur, majesty, and His infinite beauty.”

The next step is of doing good, however, one cannot confer any kind of favour upon God Almighty, so the true purport of this is to lose oneself in His worship, reverence and love, as if they are witnessing His grandeur, His glory, His attributes, and His infinite beauty.

The Promised Messiahas then states: “Then there is the stage of ‘ita’i dhil qurba’ [giving like kindred] and that means to completely remove any superficiality and ostentation from your worship, love and obedience. (It is possible that in the previous stage when one acts or makes efforts out of ‘ihsan’ that there be a slight aspect of artificiality or pretentiousness and to make an effort, however, one should then strive to attain the stage where this artificiality and pretentiousness is completely eradicated.)

One should worship Allah the Almighty with heartfelt joy and emotion, recognise His grandeur and remember Him out of such an intimate relationship just as they remember their fathers and one’s love for Him should be like the love a child has for their dear mother.”

The Promised Messiahas states with regards to showing sympathy in light of the rights owed to God’s creation and which relate to mankind: “This verse means to do justice to your brothers and to mankind, and do not make any undue demands for your rights and remain firmly established in equity.

(Observe justice within one’s rights. One can, of course, seek their rights, provided they remain established upon justice. There should not be any undue requests.) If one desires to progress from this to the stage of ‘ihsan’ [doing good], which means to do good in response to a brother’s evil. (If one treats you badly, you should do good to them – this is ‘ihsan’.) In exchange for the hurt he gives, one should afford them comfort. (If they cause you harm, you should strive to give them ease and happiness) and to help them with benevolence and favour.

“Thereafter, there is the stage of ‘ita’i

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dhil qurba’ [giving like kindred], which is to carry out whatever good is possible for one’s brothers and wish well for mankind, without any desire for recompense. (One should not have the aim of receiving any favour in return); rather, it should emanate naturally, without any desire for recompense. (One should act in a completely natural manner), just as, out of a strong passion for kinship, a person does good to their relatives (just as a family member does good to another family member. There is no ulterior motive, rather, it is out of heartfelt joy). It is the ultimate perfection of moral progress when one has no personal desires or motives when showing sympathy to mankind, rather, a fervour of brotherhood and kinship should sprout from this highest stage, whereby this virtue emanates automatically and instinctively, without any pretentiousness, and without any desire for recompense, gratitude, prayer or reward.” (Izala-eAuham, Part 2, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, pp.

550-552) At this stage, there should not be any kind of desire whatsoever for someone to thank you, pray for you, or do good to you in return. Instead, it should be carried out purely due to the tie of kinship. Hence, this is the manner in which we should treat one another amongst ourselves, and then, whilst increasing the scope of this, we should extend it to others as well.

Then, whilst further explaining this principle in relation to the rights owed to Allah, the Promised Messiahas states: “The meaning of this verse in relation to the rights owed to Allah is that one should adhere to justice whilst obeying God Almighty, for it is His right that you obey the One Who created you, nurtured you and does so at all times. (Allah created you, nurtured you, and continues to nurture you and provide you with worldly means, so it is His right that you obey Him.) If you possess greater perception, then you should not obey Him just out of the realisation that it is His right [to be worshipped], but rather, out of ‘ihsan’ [doing good]. (Firstly, there is the stage of ‘adl’ [justice], meaning we should obey Him bearing in mind that He has created us and fulfils our needs.

Then, in addition to this, one should obey Him out of ‘ihsan’) as He is the Benefactor, and His favours are so vast that they are innumerable. (Begin to recount the favours of Allah Almighty and obey Him for His favours – this is the stage of ‘ihsan’.) It is evident that this is greater than the stage of ‘adl’, for one keeps in consideration the aspect of ‘ihsan’ [His Divine favours] when obeying, and because they always observe, analyse and keep in mind the countenance and attributes of the Benefactor of Mankind, it, therefore, enters the realm of ‘ihsan’, for when they worship, it is as if they are observing God Almighty.”

Thus, this is when there is the hue of ‘ihsan’ [doing good]. No one can do good to Allah the Almighty, in fact, it is remembering the favours of Allah the Almighty that transforms one into one who does good. The Promised Messiahas stated that the way to remember the favours of Allah the Almighty is that when a person confers a favour upon you, you should bear in mind their countenance and qualities.

When these are kept in mind, you develop a close relationship with them. When this relationship is developed with Allah

Almighty, you will sincerely worship Him; such worship whereby you are mindful of the fact that you are seeing God Almighty.

The Promised Messiahas further states: “Those who submit to God are, in fact, of three types. First, those who, on account of the obstruction of worldly means, are not able to see God’s beneficence clearly, (there is a covering over their senses or they overly rely on worldly means, hence they are unable to truly comprehend the beneficence of Allah the Almighty) and are not inspired by that eagerness (since they do not comprehend the divine beneficence, therefore there is no passion generated within them) which is generated by an appreciation of the grandeur of divine beneficence; nor are they moved by the love which is inspired by a concept of the greatness of the Benefactor’s favours.”

If they do not instil the true concept of Allah the Almighty within them; His divine countenance does not appear before them; they do not have any consideration of His divine beneficence; they do not truly reflect upon the divine providence of Allah the Almighty, then they cannot generate a passion within them. The Promised Messiahas further states: “[They are not moved by the love] which is inspired by a concept of the greatness of the Benefactor’s favours. (Such a condition in the heart will not develop as it ought to upon witnessing the beneficence of a benefactor.) They casually acknowledge God Almighty as the Creator, (such people just superficially acknowledge God as the Creator and the One Who has created them. However, they do not have a deeper understanding of this). They do not contemplate the details of divine beneficence, which would impress a true concept of the Divine Benefactor upon their minds, (They do not deeply ponder over the due rights they owe to Allah the Almighty owing to Him being the Creator.

They do not deeply ponder) as the dust of exaggerated regard for material means creates a veil that prevents them from observing the full countenance of the Creator of the means. (The dust of the worldly means has covered them which is why they cannot observe the true countenance of Allah the Almighty.) They are thus unable to appreciate the full beauty of the Bountiful. (They are unable to witness the beauty of the One Who is the true Benefactor.) Their defective comprehension is confused by their regard for the means (i.e., whatever little knowledge they have about Allah the Almighty – due to which, at times, they offer their prayers and fulfil its due rights, and at other times, fail to do so – is in fact because their knowledge is tainted by the worldly means and material aspirations, which is why they cannot properly witness the true countenance of Allah the Almighty) and, as they are not able to estimate duly the bounties of God, they do not pay as much attention to Him as would be generated in their minds by a proper appreciation of His favours. (They do not pay full attention which would allow them to observe the true countenance of the Benefactor.) Thus, their comprehension is somewhat hazy, (they are not able to properly witness the countenance of Allah the Almighty) because they put their trust in their own efforts and in the means that are available to them. They also acknowledge

formally their obligation to God on account of His being the Creator and the Provider.

(They do not have clear knowledge of this; rather, they believe that it was owing to their efforts and knowledge that their works were completed. At the same time, they also have some impact from their religious surroundings, and so they are mindful of the fact that Allah the Almighty is the Creator Who created them, nourished them, and provided for them. Thus, it is a mix of two states; however, one cannot witness the true countenance of God Almighty in such an amalgamated state.)

As God Almighty does not require of anyone that which is beyond the limits of his intellectual capacity, He only requires of them an expression of gratitude for His ۡ ّٰ َ ۡ favours. In the verse: ‫‘[ ِا ّن الل َہ یَا ُمرُ ِبال َع ۡد ِل‬Verily, Allah enjoins justice.’ (16:91)], ‘justice’ implies only this kind of obedience.”

Allah the Almighty’s attribute of being the Gracious manifests in such an instance. Allah the Almighty manifests His graciousness upon even those who cannot properly observe the countenance of Allah the Almighty and grants acceptance to even this condition of theirs. This, however, is the basic stage and the minimum standard for a Muslim. The Promised Messiahas further continues: “But above this, there is another stage of comprehension, which we mentioned earlier and that is reached when a person, disregarding the means, clearly observes God’s gracious and beneficent hand and emerges completely out of the veils of material means. (At this stage, one does not wholly rely on worldly means; in fact, one is able to personally witness the beneficence of Allah the Almighty and progresses to the next stage. One has complete trust in Allah the Almighty and acquires cognisance of the Divine. At this stage, one completely comes out of the veils of material means.

One no longer places their trust on worldly means, and in fact, places their complete trust in Allah the Almighty.) At that stage, he realises the futility and falsity of expressions like: ‘I obtained this success through proper irrigation of my fields;’ or ‘I obtained this success through my own efforts;’ or ‘I achieved my purpose through the favour of X;’ or ‘I was saved from ruin by the care of Y.’ (Neither does one place any trust in any quality or effort of their own nor in the help or quality of another person.

Everything becomes an ordinary matter.)

Rather, he beholds only one Being and one Power and one Benefactor and one Hand.

Then he views the favours of God Almighty clearly without the least obstruction resulting from associating means with the Benefactor. (When one begins to witness Allah the Almighty in this manner, it is then that one witnesses the divine favours of Allah the Almighty.) This view is so clear and certain that in his worship of the true Benefactor, he does not contemplate Him as being absent but conceives Him as being present. (When a person is engaged in worship and is offering prayer in such a state, he considers Allah the Almighty to be before him.) Such worship is designated by the Holy Quran as ‘ihsan’ (that is, to prostrate before Allah the Almighty as if He is in front of them and this has been termed as ‘ihsan’ in the Holy Quran in relation to Allah the Almighty). The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

has himself attributed this meaning to ihsan, as reported in Bukhari and Muslim.”

However, it does not just end here, in fact, the Promised Messiahas continues: “There is yet another stage above this, which is:

filled with delight like a true lover. All of his inner desires cease to exist and a personal love is instilled in him and this is the stage that God Almighty has designated to be like beneficence between kindred, and this is the stage which is indicated in the verse:

“[‘Giving like to the next of kin.’ (16:91)] “It means that when a person continues to view divine favours without the association of material means, (that is, one continues to witness the divine favours of Allah the Almighty without any worldly means or any association with the Divine and one has complete trust in Allah the Almighty alone) and worships God, conceiving Him to be present and to be the direct Benefactor, he begins to have personal love for God, which is the ultimate stage. (One begins to form a personal bond with Allah the Almighty and there is no ulterior motive. One does not supplicate owing to any personal need, rather it is owing to his personal love.) The continuous contemplation of beneficence necessarily generates in the heart of the beneficiary love for the Benefactor, Whose unlimited favours surround him on all sides. (When one realises this and develops true insight and cognisance of the fact that Allah the Almighty has bestowed continuous favours upon him and he personally witnesses them, then this results in one forming a bond of personal love with Allah the Almighty. It is a matter of principle that when one forges such a bond, then one’s heart becomes filled with a personal love for the one who has bestowed countless favours upon them.) In such a situation, he does not worship the Benefactor merely out of an appreciation of His bounties, but out of personal love for Him. (Initially one worships Allah the Almighty due to a need of theirs, then one worships Allah the Almighty because they consider Him to be everything which is referred to as ‘ihsan’ and then there is a stage even beyond that which is that one does not worship because he needs something, rather he does so owing to his personal love which he has for Allah the Almighty.) Just like the love of an infant for its mother. At this stage, he not only views God at the time of his worship but is also

That is, “Celebrate the praises of Allah as you celebrated the praises of your fathers, or even more than that. [2:201].” Thus, this is the stage wherein one has pure love for Allah the Almighty.

The Promised Messiahas further states: “This throws light on the verse:

ُۡ ٔ ‫ِایۡ َت‬ ‫آی ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ

ۡ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ ٰ ۡ ُ ۡ َ َ ّٰ ُ ُ ۡ َ ‫آءك ۡم ا ۡو اش ّد ِذک ًرا‬ ‫فاذکروا اللہ ﻛ ِذک ِركم اب‬

ُۡ ّٰ َّ ٔ ‫الل َہ یَاۡ ُمرُ بال ۡ َع ۡدل َوالۡاِ ۡح َسان َو ِایۡ َت‬ ‫ِان‬ ‫آی ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

“[‘Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others and giving like kindred.’ (16:91)].

“Here God Almighty sets out the three stages of comprehension of the Divine. The third stage is that of personal love, at which all personal desires are consumed, and the heart becomes so filled with love as a crystal vial is filled with perfume. This stage is also referred to in the verse:

َ َ َ ۡ ُ َ ۡ َ ۡ ۡ َّ ۡ َ َّ َ َ ّٰ ‫اس من ی ٰ� ِری �ف ۢسہ اب ِتغ‬ ِؕ‫ات اللہ‬ ِ ‫آء َم ۡرﺿ‬ ِ ‫و ِمن الن‬ ّ ۡ ‫َوالل ُہ َر ُء ۡو ٌف ِبال ِع َبا ِد‬

“This means that: ‘Of the believers there are some who sell their lives in return for the pleasure of Allah. These are the ones upon whom Allah is Most Compassionate.’

[2:208] Again it is said:

َ َ ۡ ّٰ َۤ َ​َ ‫بَ ٰلی � َم ۡن ا ۡسل َم َو ۡج َہ ٗہ لِل ِہ َو ُہوَ ُم ۡح ِس ٌن فل ٗہ ا ۡجرُ ٗه ِعن َد َر ِّب ٖہ� َولَا‬ َ ُ ۡ َ ‫خوۡ ٌف َعل ۡی ِہ ۡم َولَا ُہ ۡم یَ� َ�نوۡ َن‬

“That is: ‘The truly delivered are those who commit themselves wholly to God and, recalling His favours, worship Him as if they behold Him. Such have their reward with God and they have no fear, nor do they grieve.’ [2:113] “That is to say, God and His love become their whole purpose, and their reward is divine favours. In another place, it is said:

َّ َ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ َ َ َ ً ۡ َ​َ َ ‫الﻄ َع‬ ‫ام َع ٰلی ُح ِّب ٖہ ِم ۡس ِك ۡینا ّویَ ِت ۡی ًما ّوا ِسی ًرا۔ ِا ّن‬ ‫ویﻄ ِعمون‬ ّٰ ۡ َ ۡ ُ ُ ۡ ُ َ ً‫ٓاء َّولَا ُش ُكوۡرا‬ ً ‫الل ِہ لَا نُریۡ ُد ِم ۡن ُك ۡم َج َز‬ ‫ما نﻄ ِعمكم ل ِوج ِہ‬ ِ

“That is: ‘Believers are those who, out of their love for God, feed the needy, the

orphans and the captives saying: We feed you in order to win the pleasure of Allah; we do not desire anything in return or any expression of gratitude from you.’ [76:910]. (Their only objective is that they please Allah the Almighty and they are able to witness the divine countenance of Allah the Almighty even more than before.)

“Thus, one ought to ponder that these verses show clearly that the Holy Quran has described the highest stage of divine worship and righteous action as that which is inspired by true love of God and sincere seeking of His pleasure.” (Nur-ul-Quran, No. 2, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 9, pp. 437-441) In order to attain true love for Allah the Almighty, which has also been explained in the verses of the Holy Quran, one also has to show compassion and form a bond with His creation as well. Only a true believer, who loves Allah the Almighty can truly fulfil the rights of his fellow beings.

The Promised Messiahas states: “What does God desire from you? [...] (he mentioned this whilst imparting advice to us in his book “Noah’s Ark”) […] that you deal equitably with all people and show kindness even to those who have not done you any good. More importantly, you ought to love God’s creation as if it were your kith and kin, in the same manner, that mothers treat their children. In acts of goodness, there resides a concealed element of vanity.

And every so often people tend to boast of their favours to others. But such a person who performs goodness out of spontaneous desire, in the likeness of a mother, can never be concerned for vanity. Thus, the highest level of virtue originates from one’s natural yearning, like that of a mother.

Moreover, this verse not only relates to God’s creation but also to God Himself.

Justice [‘adl] towards God means to remember His blessings and show obedience to Him. Goodness [ihsan] towards God means to be so firmly convinced of His existence as though one ُۡ ٔ ‫[ ِایۡ َت‬to give like can see Him. And ‫آی ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ the giving of kindred] before God can be defined as worship that is not adulterated by the greed of paradise or the fear of hell.

For even if it was supposed that neither paradise nor hell existed, this would not affect your zeal, love and obedience toward

Him.” (Noah’s Ark, pp. 49-50 [English Translation of Kishti-e-Nuh] This is the essence of how to develop personal love for God Almighty, which has been mentioned in great detail. The Promised Messiahas explained this to us in “Noah’s Ark”. Then, while drawing our attention towards fulfilling the rights of others, the Promised Messiahas says: “Allah the Almighty commands that you observe justice, and greater than justice is that—despite having dispensed justice— you go beyond and show kindness, and even greater than kindness is that you show such consideration to others as if they are your loved ones and, indeed, as if they are your kindred. It is worth remembering that there are just these three levels. Firstly, man observes justice; that is to say, he asks for rights in lieu of granting rights.

Then, if he advances further, comes the stage of showing kindness to others. And if he advances yet further, then he leaves behind even the stage of showing kindness to others and displays sympathy for others with the same love with which a mother shows sympathy to her child; that is to say, with a natural passion and not with the intention of being kind to others.” (The Holy War [Jang-e-Muqaddas], pp. 66-67) This is the essence of fulfilling the rights of others.

The Promised Messiahas explained the beautiful teachings of Islam to nonMuslims. He also advised the Jamaat on various occasions. On one occasion, he advised the Jamaat as follows: “Deal with others as if they are your close relatives. This is the highest stage, because in the stage of ihsan, there is some element of vanity and if a person forgets the favour conferred upon them, the other would instantly remind them that they had conferred such and such a favour upon them. However, the natural love a mother has for her child is completely devoid of any form of vanity. (If a person does a favour for another person, at times they remind them of it, but a mother never reminds the child of her favours.) In fact, if a king told a mother that were she to kill her child, she would face no punishment, she would never listen to the king and instead, she would reproach the king.

This is despite the fact that the mother knows she will pass away before the child reaches adolescence, but owing to her innate love for the child, she would never forsake taking care of the child. It often happens that when parents grow old and have children, they look after them and love them. They did not do this in return for benefitting from them in their old age even. This becomes a natural phenomenon owing to reaching the ultimate stage of love. This is what has been indicated in the ُ َ words ‫يٰبۡرقۡلا يِذ ِٔيٓاتۡيِا‬. This is the kind of love one should develop for God Almighty.

It should not be for attaining any reward nor for fear of humiliation.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 6, pp. 181-182) The Promised Messiahas says: “The lowest stage is ‘adl [justice], meaning whatever you take from someone, you give the same in return. (‘adl means to give back as much as one takes) meaning this is the lowest stage of justice. If one progresses on from this, they reach the stage of ihsan, meaning to give back at least what one takes and even more than that. This is

AL HAKAM | Friday 2 June 2023 called ‘ihsan’ (i.e., not only to return the favour in kind, but to give back more than that). Then the stage beyond this is called ُۡ ٔ ‫ ِایۡ َت‬i.e., for one to deal with others ‫ٓای ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ in the same way a mother deals with her own child, out of the innate love she has and without expecting any favour in return.

“From the Holy Quran we come to learn that the people of God can progress and reach this stage of love (if one wishes to progress, one can develop this love for Allah.) The resolve of man is not insignificant. Through the grace of God, one can attain all this; in fact, it is necessary for expanding one’s morals. I believe that the people of God can progress to such a stage that they can have love for their fellow human beings that is even greater than the love a mother has for her child. In order to fulfil the rights of others, they love people even more than a mother loves her child.”

(Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 7, p. 375) The Promised Messiahas further says: “The state of ‘adl is that of a righteous person in the state of nafs-e-ammarah [the soul that incites evil]. In order to reform from this condition, Allah the Almighty has ordered for one to show ‘adl. (If one is to rid oneself of evils, they have to adopt ‘adl, because one has to constantly battle against one’s baser self.) To combat one’s inner self in order to abstain from evil is one form of ‘adl. For example; if one has to pay an outstanding debt, one’s inner self tries to stop repaying it and wishes for the timeframe for repayment to pass. In such a case the inner self becomes even more bold and brazen in that even the law will now not be able to take back the loan. However, this is incorrect, the dictates of ‘adl state that one must pay back a debt that is due upon a person.”

One must pay back a debt that is due; one cannot avoid paying it through some excuse or ploy. Some people devour the debt they owe others and do not pay it back on time. In fact, sometimes, if there is no documented proof [of the agreement], they even deny having to pay back anything.

Nonetheless, they should know that Allah the Almighty is watching their every move. In connection with this, I would like to mention that at times, disputes arise in borrowing and lending money when people place undue trust and faith in others. Whereas, in matters of borrowing and lending money, Allah the Almighty has ordered that they be recorded in the written form. It does not mention that because such and such is my close relative, or a good friend, therefore there is no need to write it down. This often becomes the reason for disputes and through this, one’s nafs-e-ammarah [the soul that incites evil] entices one to commit evil deeds.

Nonetheless, it is the duty of a believer to avoid all this and adopt ‘adl.

The Promised Messiahas continues: “It is regrettable that I have to say that some people do not show diligence in these matters and there are some people in our Jamaat also who show no regard in paying back their debt. This is against ‘adl. The Holy Prophetsa did not lead the funeral prayers of such people. Therefore, every one of you must remember that you should not show any form of indolence in regard to paying back a debt. Avoid all forms of dishonesty and deceitfulness, because this

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is against the divine command that has been mentioned in this verse.”

The Promised Messiahas then further states: “The next stage is ihsan. The one who practises ‘adl and upholds its boundaries, Allah the Almighty grants such an individual the opportunity and power to excel in virtue. To the extent that one does not stop at ‘adl alone, rather, in return for a small favour, one reciprocates the favour done to him in greater terms. However, even at the stage of ihsan, there is a deficiency and that is that at one point or another, the person reminds the other of the favour conferred upon them. For example, a person feeds another for some ten years, and that person refuses to listen to the former in one small matter, the former would say to him: ‘You are indebted to me as I fed you for ten years’, in an instance, he wastes the kindness he extended over the ten-year period. Hence, even within the one who reaches the stage of ihsan there is a hidden form of vanity.

(There is a hidden element of vanity in the one who does ihsan.) However, the third stage is whereby one becomes free from all forms of impurities and uncleanliness and ُۡ ٔ ‫ ِایۡ َت‬.” this stage is known as ‫ٓای ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ as The Promised Messiah further says: ُۡ ٔ ‫ ِایۡ َت‬is a stage “The stage of ‫ٓای ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ which becomes ingrained in one’s nature.

I.e., in this stage, one performs virtues in a way that it becomes part of their very being. The example is like that of a mother who feeds and looks after her child. Never does the mother think that when the child grows up, he or she will earn a livelihood and in return serve the mother. To the extent whereby even if a king orders a mother to stop feeding the child and the child dies as a result, she will not be held accountable, even then a mother could never follow such a command and she would hurl abuse at the king instead. The reason for this is that nurturing a child is a natural impulse of the mother. It is not based on any hope [of reward] or fear. In the same way man can excel in virtue to the extent where they reach this stage, i.e., virtue becomes a natural impulse for them.

This stage is what is known as ‘the soul at rest’ [nafs-e-mutma’innah].” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 8, pp. 312-314) The Promised Messiahas states: “A mother bears hardship herself but tries to provide comfort for her child. She lies down on the soggy area if the bed gets wet but places her child on the dry part. If the child gets sick, she remains awake all night and bears all kinds of hardships. Is there any element of artificiality or pretence in what a mother does for her child?”

She does it solely out of her earnest love and it is this love that a believer should have when discharging their rights owed to Allah and His creation.

The Promised Messiahas states: “Thus, Allah the Exalted says: ‘Strive to go beyond even the stage of ihsan [benevolence] and rise to the stage of ُۡ ٔ ‫ ِایۡ َت‬. Do good to the creation of ‫ٓای ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ God with a natural and innate urge, without the expectation of any reward or benefit or service [from them]. Your service to the creation of God should not have any pretentiousness or artificiality about it.’ In another place, it is said like this:

ُ ُ َ ً َ​َ ُۡۡ ُۡ ُ َ ‫ٓاء ّولَا شکوۡ ًرا‬ ‫لا نرِید ِمنکم جز‬

“Meaning that, it is the hallmark of a person who is godly and who has achieved lofty ranks that his good deeds are purely for the sake of Allah. He does not even have the thought cross his mind that someone would pray for him or express gratitude to him for the good he has done.

He does virtuous deeds purely out of the urge that has been placed in his heart to have sympathy for mankind. I have not seen such a pure teaching—neither in the Torah nor in the New Testament. I have read them page by page but have not found therein any trace or sign of such a pure and perfect teaching.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, pp. 532-533) Then, the Promised Messiahas states: “This means that we are commanded to return good for good, and to exercise benevolence when it is called for, and to do good with natural eagerness as between kindred, when that should be appropriate.

God Almighty forbids transgression or that you should exercise benevolence out of place (there must be a balance in exercising these virtues) or should refrain from exercising it when it is called for. (One must act with intelligence and exercise these virtues appropriately. Benevolence should not be demonstrated where it is not necessary, nor should one refuse to show benevolence where it is required.

Reason and a beneficial outcome must be factored in); or that you should fall short of exercising graciousness as between kindred on its proper occasion, or should extend it beyond its appropriate limit. This verse sets forth three gradations of doing good.”

Where we have been commanded to demonstrate these virtues, we have also

been advised to exercise reason, balance and strive for a good and positive outcome.

Essentially, the commandment for these acts of goodness is predicated upon benefitting society, not creating chaos. A mother, despite loving her child dearly, never fulfils the child’s plea to place his hand in the fire. Thus, the ultimate objective of demonstrating these three virtues is to achieve benefit and betterment.

The Promised Messiahas continues: “The first is the doing of good in return for good. This is the lowest gradation and even an average person can easily acquire this quality that he should do good to those who do good to him. (Any respectable person can achieve this level of goodness for it is fundamental; it is not a lofty virtue, but stems from mere courtesy.) The second gradation is a little more difficult than the first, and that is to take the initiative in doing good out of pure benevolence.

This is the middle grade. (This means to demonstrate benevolence, and to benefit others irrespective of whether they are deserving of it. This is the intermediate level of goodness.) Most people act benevolently towards the poor, but there is a hidden deficiency in benevolence, that the person exercising benevolence is conscious of it and desires gratitude or prayer in return for his benevolence. If on any occasion the other person should turn against him, he considers him ungrateful. On occasion, he reminds him of his benevolence or puts some heavy burden upon him. (One who is benevolent reminds others of their benevolence and how they have been benefitted for a period of time, thereby placing a burden on them that is beyond their strength to bear.) The benevolent ones have been admonished by

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Friday 2 June 2023 | AL HAKAM

God Almighty:

ُ ُ َٰ ۡ ُ ٰ ‫لَا ت ۡب ِﻄلوۡا َص َدق ِتك ۡم ِبال َم ِ ّن َوالۡاذی‬

“That is, O those who do good to others – good that should be based on sincerity – do not render it vain by reminding them what favours you have done them or by inflicting injury on them. [2:265] (Allah the Almighty has warned such people that their goodness will be of no benefit.

If they are charitable, they should know that charity is founded on sincerity. If one is to remind them of their favours, then all of their good deeds shall go in vain.) The Arabic word for alms (sadaqah) is derived from a root (sidq) that means sincerity.

If the heart is not inspired by sincerity in bestowing alms, the almsgiving ceases to be alms and becomes mere display. That is why those who exercise benevolence have been admonished by God Almighty not to render vain their benevolence by reproaches or injury. The third grade of doing good is graciousness as between kindred. God Almighty directs that in this grade there should be no idea of benevolence or any desire for gratitude, but good should be done out of such eager sympathy as, for instance, a mother does good to her child. This is the highest grade of doing good which cannot be exceeded.

But God Almighty has conditioned all these grades of doing good with their appropriate time and place. The verse cited above clearly indicates that if these virtues are not exercised in their proper places they would become vices. (This is also a warning; if these virtues are not exercised at their appropriate time and place and are a means of chaos in the world, then they become vices.) For instance, if equity exceeds its limits it would take on an unwholesome aspect and would become indecent. (The next part of the verse, in respect to safeguarding against evils, is also mentioned here.) In the same way, misuse of benevolence would take on a form which would be repelled by reason and conscience; and in the same way graciousness between kindred would become transgression. The Arabic word for transgression is baghy, which connotes excessive rain which ruins

crops. A deficiency in the discharge of an obligation or an excess in its discharge are both baghy. (Whether there is a deficiency in what is due or excess, in both cases it becomes baghy.) In short, whichever of these three qualities is exercised out of place becomes tainted. That is why they are all three qualities conditioned by the due observance of place and occasion. It should be remembered that equity or benevolence or graciousness between kindred are not in themselves moral qualities. They are man’s natural conditions and faculties that are exhibited even by children before they develop their reason. Reason is a condition of the exercise of a moral quality and there is also a condition that every moral quality should be exercised in its proper place and on its proper occasion. There are several other directions set out in the Holy Quran concerning benevolence which are all made subject to the condition of place and time.” (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam [Islami Usool Ki Falasafi], pp. 62-65) In other words, these virtues have been mentioned with specificity to what is required for them. Thus, the Promised Messiahas has inculcated these virtues within us through various means and examples. In respect to exercising goodness and benevolence, the Promised Messiahas also narrates a personal incident. He states: “Benevolence is an extraordinary force that can empower one to conquer their greatest foes. There was a man in Sialkot who had a dispute with everyone.

There was not a single person he was at peace with, to the extent that his family and friends had grown weary of him. I treated him with simple acts of kindness and in return, he never behaved in an ill manner towards me. In fact, whenever he met me, he spoke respectfully. Similarly, an Arab came to my home who was severely opposed to Wahhabis. Even when Wahhabis were mentioned in his presence, he would break out in slander against them. He began to slander Wahhabis when he came here, too. I did not pay heed to him and served him well. I even prepared a good meal for him. Then, one day while he was slandering and maligning Wahhabis in his rage, a man came to him and said that the person hosting him was also a Wahhabi. (He was referring to the Promised Messiahas.) Thereupon, the man became silent.” The Promised Messiahas states: “The man who called me a Wahhabi was not wrong, because I, too, believe in adhering to the Sahih Hadith after the Holy Quran. Nevertheless, that Arab departed a few days later. Thereafter, I met him once again in Lahore. Despite being absolutely averse to even laying eyes on a Wahhabi in the past, because he was shown great hospitality, his old rage and hatred subsided, and he greeted me with kindness and love. He insisted that I accompany him to a small mosque where he was appointed as the imam. He seated me there and fanned me as a servant would. He was very welcoming and desired for me to have tea with him before departing. Thus, observe the potency of kindness to bring about a change of heart.”(Malfuzat, Vol. 9, p. 302, [1984 Edition])

The Promised Messiahas then states: “Morals are of two kinds; firstly, there are morals described by those who have been educated in this modern era. They are apologetic and speak with adulation, yet their hearts are full of hypocrisy and malice. Such morals are opposed to the Holy Quran. The second kind of morals originate from true compassion and are free of hypocrisy and words of adulation, as God Almighty states:

ُۡ ّٰ َّ ٔ ‫الل َہ یَاۡ ُمرُ بال ۡ َع ۡدل َوالۡاِ ۡح َسان َو ِایۡ َت‬ ‫ِان‬ ‫آی ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

“This is a complete and perfect method, and every perfect method and guidance is contained in the Word of God. Those who turn away from this cannot find guidance elsewhere. A good teaching is impactful and purifies the heart; if you closely observe those who are far removed from such a teaching, you will surely find impurities within them. One can never be certain about life. Thus, you must progress in prayer, sincerity and purity.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 6, p. 200) This is advice for us from the Promised Messiahas; to advance in our worship, honesty and purity.

The Promised Messiahas further states: “I advise you repeatedly to never ever restrict the scope of your compassion.

Furthermore, in order to exercise compassion correctly, follow this commandment of Allah the Almighty:

ُۡ ّٰ َّ ٔ ‫الل َہ یَاۡ ُمرُ بال ۡ َع ۡدل َوالۡاِ ۡح َسان َو ِایۡ َت‬ ‫ِان‬ ‫آی ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

“That is, be mindful of justice when exercising goodness. Show kindness in return to those who show you kindness.

Thereafter, the second stage is to show even greater kindness than you are shown by others. This stage is known as ihsan [benevolence]. Although benevolence is a significant virtue and is above the stage of justice, it is possible that a benevolent one flaunts their act of benevolence. However, there is a stage above all in which a person exercises goodness purely out of love.

At such a stage, there is no exhibition of benevolence, similar to how a mother raises her child. A mother does not expect a reward or recompense in return for her child’s upbringing, rather, a natural love for her child drives her to sacrifice all her peace and comfort and its sake.”

The Promised Messiahas continues: “Even if a king were to command her to stop feeding her child, a mother would reproach the king. Thus, goodness should excel to a stage where it becomes natural.

When a thing ceases to become artificial and becomes natural, it reaches a state of perfection.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 7, p.

382-383) The Promised Messiahas states: “Allah the Almighty has ordained for you to exercise justice for the whole world.

In other words, take what you deserve and treat humankind with justice. Above this, you are ordained to show kindness to humankind. That is, do not simply show kindness out of obligation, but also out of benevolence. Even at the stage of kindness, there lies a hidden fault, for a person who shows kindness may boast of their benevolence in a state of discontent. It is

for this reason that at the end of this verse, it states that goodness at its perfection is when it resembles the kindness shown to a child by its mother. Such goodness originates from love that is inherent and is not motivated by any reward. A mother does not even consider that the child will return the favour of her benevolence. Thus, this is the third and perfect stage of goodness that can be shown to humankind, ُۡ ٔ ‫[ ِایۡ َت‬i.e., giving like known as ‫آی ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ kindred].” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, p. 388) Thus, we are commanded not only to exercise goodness towards our own people, but towards humanity at large, without any expectation of reward. It is at this stage that one can find God Almighty, as has been mentioned in context with forming a relationship with Him. In his books and gatherings, the Promised Messiahas has put great emphasis on this. Out of the many qualities of Islam, the Promised Messiahas has imparted this teaching as one of its greatest features. It is our duty to act in accordance with these teachings in order to climb the ranks in our relationship with Allah the Almighty and so that we can fulfil the rights of humanity. May Allah the Almighty enable us to spend our lives in accordance with these teachings. May we raise the standards of our worship in an excellent manner and fulfil the rights of humanity. In particular, may we foster mutual love and compassion to the degree that we become an example for the rest of the world.

May Allah the Almighty enable us to act upon this, thereby enabling us to fulfil the rights of our pledge of allegiance. A condition of pledging allegiance to the Promised Messiahas is to show compassion to humanity. May every Friday serve as a reminder to us to progress in goodness and reform ourselves when we hear these words of Allah the Almighty. If not, we will have no distinction from others. May Allah the Almighty manifest a clear distinction between us and others, just as the Promised Messiahas has mentioned with great pain in one instance.

Continue to pray for the situation in Pakistan. In order to spread piety, we will continue in our efforts, and those who have an evil nature will continue in their injustices. We cannot reciprocate them in their evil ways. All we can do is adhere to the commandments of Allah the Almighty.

Always pray that may Allah the Almighty safeguard our faith and never allow it to wane. May we establish a bond with Allah ُۡ ٔ ‫َو ِایۡ َت‬ the Almighty like that of ‫آی ِذی الق ۡر ٰبی‬ ِ [‘and giving like kindred’]. In such an instance, we will witness the blessings of Allah the Almighty even more than before, God-willing. And may Allah the Almighty destroy those who, in the sight of Allah the Almighty, are the enemies and are no longer able to be reformed. When we establish a bond with Allah the Almighty, then God-willing, we shall witness the destruction of the enemy.

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 26 May 2023, pp.

2-7. Translated by The Review of Religions.)

Editor-in-chief: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Executive editors: Ataul Fatir Tahir, Aqeel Ahmed Kang | Research coordinator: Awwab Saad Hayat | Associate editors: Jalees Ahmad, Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Translations: M Adam Ahmad | Design: Tahmeed Ahmad | © Al Hakam 2023