Al Hakam - 22 March 2024

Guidance amid turmoil: Khalifatul Masih V on prayer, justice, and global peace

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Freemasons: The case of judging a book by its cover

Divine promises and expansion of Prophet Ahmad’s mission to Europe and America

The path to salvation: Insights from ‘The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam’

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THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024 | Issue CCCXIV Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7388

From pledge to perseverance 135 years of Promised Messiah’s mission

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

Lailat-ul-Qadr

َ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ َ َ ‫ أﻧ َﻬﺎ ﻗﺎﻟﺖ ﻳَﺎ َر ُﺳﻮل‬،‫ﻋ ْﻦ َ�ﺎ�ِﺸﺔ‬ ّٰ ّ ّٰ َ َ َ ّ ‫ا�� ِ� ﺻﻠﻰ ا��� �ﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ أ َرأﻳْﺖ‬ َ َ ُ َ ْ َْ َ َ َ ُ َْ ‫ِإ ْن َواﻓﻘﺖ ﻟ ْﻴﻠﺔ اﻟﻘﺪ ِر َﻣﺎ أ ْدﻋﻮ ﻗﺎل‬ ّٰ َ ُ َ ْ ْ ُ ُ ٌ ُ َ َ َّ ‫�� ا�� ُ� َّﻢ ِإﻧﻚ ﻋﻔ ّﻮ � ِ� ّﺐ اﻟ َﻌﻔ َﻮ‬ ِ ‫ﺗﻘﻮﻟ‬ َّ ُ ْ َ ��ِ ‫ﻓﺎﻋﻒﻋ‬ Hazrat Aishara narrated that she asked, Allah’s Messengersa, “What do you think I should say in my supplication if I experience the Night of Destiny [Lailat-ul-Qadr]?”

“He replied, ‘Say, ‘Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbu l-‘afwa, fa‘fu ‘anni [O Allah, You are Most Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me].’” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab ad-du‘a)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Travel [safar] and fasting

This week, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community once again celebrates Masihe-Maud Day; it has been 135 years since Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the

Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias laid the foundation of this Jamaat on 23 March 1889 when he took the pledge of allegiance from 40 individuals, which formed a

nascent Community.

When Hazrat Ahmadas was divinely

“My faith dictates that a person should not impose too many hardships upon oneself. Whatever is commonly regarded as travel, even if it is merely two or three kos, one should observe the rules pertaining to shortening prayers and travel inَ َ ّ ُ ‫اﻧّ َﻤﺎ ا�ْ�َ ْﻋ َﻤ‬ such situations. ‫ﺎت‬ ِ ‫ﺎل ِﺑﺎﻟﻨ ِّﻴ‬ ِ [‘Actions are judged by intentions.’]

At times, we stroll two to three miles alongside our friends without sparing a thought to the fact that we are on a journey. However, when an individual sets off with the intention Continued on next page >>

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of travelling, carrying their pack, they are considered a traveller. The foundation of sharia is not on difficulty. What you perceive as travel in common parlance [‘urf], that is indeed travel. And just as one abides by God’s commands, one should equally abide by His allowances. Both the obligations and the dispensations come from God.” (Al Hakam, 17 February 1901)

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instructed to take bai‘at and start a Jamaat, he published an announcement, stating: “Another message that I wish to convey to the people at large, and to my Muslim brothers in particular, is that I have been commanded to take an oath of allegiance [bai‘at] from seekers of truth who wish to acquire true faith and purity; who yearn to find the path to Allah’s love; who want to give up their foul, slothful and false existence.

“Whosoever finds in themselves the willingness to do this must come to me. I will be their comforter and will do my best to ease their burden. God will bless them through my prayers and my attention, provided they are ready with heart and soul to abide by His conditions. This is a divine command, which I have hereby conveyed.”

(Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 1, p. 205) Many people joined him and gave their lives to this divine call, and thus this Community quickly grew from strength to strength. In contrast, many others tried to slow down or halt its progress. And as some made it their mission to propagate this divine call to the whole world, others made it their mission to rid the world of Ahmadiyyat.

Yet, regardless of how hard they try, the Jamaat is undeterred in its mission.

But what is its mission? The ten conditions of bai‘at [pledge of allegiance], which were born alongside the birth of

this Jamaat tell us in clear terms what our objectives are, and where we seek to go. The Promised Messiahas laid out these conditions two months prior to taking bai‘at, on 12 January 1889.

These conditions were recently elucidated by His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa on the occasion of Jalsa Salana Ghana. They are the lifeline of an Ahmadi Muslim; they are our code of conduct and our path to victory over ourselves and over the evils of this world.

Thus, it should be clear that we do not merely celebrate this day to gather and make merry over our achievements.

Rather, we hold events all over the world in every chapter and remind ourselves of our responsibilities, and seek to better ourselves so that we may meet the expectations with which the Promised Messiahas started this Jamaat and embody the spirit that must come with pledging allegiance to him and his Khalifa.

In this regard, His Holiness Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa states: “Thus, each year, this day ought to serve as a reminder for us that the purpose of the Promised Messiah’sas advent, which is in line with the prophecies of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa, was to revive the faith and to re-establish the true teachings of Islam in the world.

“Furthermore, we are the ones who profess to have pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiahas. Therefore, in order to fulfil this significant mission, we must play our role according to our respective capabilities and ensure that we re-establish the relationship between mankind and God

Almighty, for mankind has lost its way. We must also draw people’s attention towards fulfilling the rights they owe to mankind.

Undoubtedly, in order to achieve this, we must first reform ourselves.” (Friday Sermon, 26 March 2021; Al Hakam 23 April 2021, Issue 162, p. 25) Today, it is the Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas who guides us to our goals.

In an increasingly Godless society, it is Khilafat, a divine promise to the believers that was bestowed upon us as a blessing, that constantly steers us back to God. The Promised Messiahas, in his parting will, gave his followers this glad tiding: “I came from God as a Manifestation of Divine Providence and I am a personification of His Power. And after I am gone there will be some other persons who will be the manifestation of the second Power [of God]. So, while waiting for the second Manifestation of His Power, you all together keep yourselves busy praying. And let a Jamaat of righteous people, one and all, in every country keep themselves busy in prayers so that the second Manifestation may descend from the Heaven and show you that your God is such Mighty God. Consider your death to be close at hand for you never know when that hour will strike.” (The Will, p. 8) Prayers have always been the secret to the success of this Jamaat. Even today, when our opponents are still trying their hardest to eradicate us, it is only our prayers – with the shield of Khilafat before us – that can protect us against the onslaughts of the world.

As we are in the blessed month of Ramadan, it is particularly important,

then, to pray – not just for the success of this Jamaat, but also for our continued reformation. Of course, our prayers can never end there. As Ahmadi Muslims who have pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiahas, we must carry the burden of praying for all our Muslim brethren, so that they may come to accept the message of the servant of the Holy Prophetsa.

As the war rages on in Gaza, our prayers must also extend to the innocent Palestinians. More than that, all innocent people who continue to suffer in this unjust world must be in our prayers.

Thus, Ramadan presents us with a unique opportunity to gather up the countless blessings promised by Allah for His believers during this month. As the first ‘ashrah quickly draws to an end, we must not lose this opportunity granted to us by Allah the Almighty.

Masih-e-Maud Day is also particularly special for Al Hakam, since this newspaper – the oldest in the history of the Jamaat – was relaunched by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa on 23 March 2018 – six years ago. Since its relaunch, Al Hakam has, by the grace of Allah, progressed under the continuous guidance of Khilafat. And while many milestones have been achieved, we will, insha-Allah continue to work towards achieving greater heights. For this, we also humbly request that you, our readers, remember us in your prayers.

May Allah the Almighty enable us all to play our roles and discharge our responsibilities for the continued progress of Islam Ahmadiyyat. Amin.

First Peace Symposium held in Croatia Rana Muhammad Munawwar National President Jamaat Croatia

On 10 February 2024, Jamaat-eAhmadiyya Croatia organised its very first Peace Symposium in the Press House (Novinarski dom) of Zagreb, Croatia. The theme was “Voices for Peace” to support and highlight the international initiative to achieve a ceasefire and peace in the current war in Gaza.

The programme started at 17:35 local time with the recitation from the Holy Quran with its Croatian translation, followed by a welcome speech by Elvedin Bostandžjia Sahib about the Peace

Symposium initiative and its goals.

A brief introduction was also given about the history of Ahmadiyyat, and its establishment by the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. The blessed institution of Khilafat and the peace efforts of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, were also highlighted.

The first speaker was Stanko Perica, president of the Jesuit Service for Refugees in Southeast Europe (JRS). He spoke about “Refugee crises as a result of the absence of peace”.

At the end of his speech, he said that our religious responsibility is to promote

dialogue, education and solidarity, which are the tools of peace.

The second speaker was Dr Mijo Nikić, a pastor, professor of psychology and author. He spoke about the verses from the Bible “Blessed are the peacemakers because they will be called sons of God.” The third speaker was Dr Sead Alić, a prominent philosopher and author living in Zagreb. He spoke about how “double standards increase suffering and hinder the path to peace.”

I had the honour of being the final speaker that evening. The topic of the speech was how to halt warfare and move towards peace according to the

teachings of Islam. Towards the end of the speech, the horrific situation in Gaza was mentioned. Attention was drawn to the fact that justice and equity have to be established with mutual respect and open dialogue for everyone to bring an end to the conflicts and wars in this world.

The event was concluded by Mišel Androić, who thanked the guests for attending the event and drew their attention towards an exhibition that consisted of posters made by year 7 and 8 students about their message of peace to the world. This exhibition was displayed in the main hall, and visible to the audience.

The event ended with a silent prayer.

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Guidance amid turmoil Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V on prayer, justice, and global peace In recent sermons, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, has underscored the importance of prayer in navigating the opposition faced by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the broader global situation. His messages convey deep concern for the welfare of humanity, emphasising the power of supplication in achieving peace and justice.

On 15 March 2024, he underscored the need for Ahmadis worldwide to pray for the Jamaat’s progress and protection against adversities, including governmental and individual malice, and stressed the importance of supplicating for the imprisoned for their faith and the broader Muslim world’s enlightenment and unity.

He said: “All Ahmadis around the world should pray for the progress of the Jamaat and for the removal of all difficulties. May Allah the Exalted protect us from the mischief of governments and every evil person. Supplicate for the release of those imprisoned for the sake of faith; some are in dire straits. And beseech that we hold onto Allah’s rope so firmly that it never slips from our grasp due to any lapse on our part, and may the showers of Allah’s blessings continue to descend upon us perpetually.

“Pray for the Muslim world as well. May Allah the Exalted grant them wisdom and understanding, and may they accept the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi who has arrived. Pray to be saved from the effects of wars. Pray for the innocent civilians being crushed in the wars waged for power in Muslim lands, that Allah the Exalted may have mercy upon them and deliver them from the oppressors.

“Implore for the general state of the world too. May Allah the Exalted shield us from war and its perilous consequences. In the event of war, it is evident that Ahmadis would also be affected; may Allah the Exalted safeguard them. To be spared from it, every Ahmadi must elevate their standards of righteousness [taqwa]; this is what the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, has enjoined. May Allah the Exalted enable everyone to do so.

“Here in the UK as well, it appears that attempts are being made to tighten the noose around Muslims. A law has been enacted to eliminate extremism, but analysts generally opine that this law is intended to target Muslims. Nevertheless, Allah the Exalted knows best what lies behind it and what the intentions of these people are. However, we should pray that Allah the Exalted protects us and the rest of the Muslims here from its harm. [Amin]” (Friday Sermon, 15 March 2024, @AlHakamWeekly on X)

Earlier, on 8 March 2024, his focus was on the distressing situation in Palestine and the escalating conflict between Ukraine and Russia, advocating for humanitarian aid, advocacy for justice, and personal precautionary measures against potential nuclear fallout. He also called for prayers for Ahmadis in Yemen facing false accusations and for global recognition of God amidst the pursuit of so-called ‘progress’. He said: “Pray for the people of Palestine. May Allah Almighty create ease for them. The enemy, with all its vile thoughts and actions, is bent on destroying them. Major powers, instead of stopping the war, are trying to fuel it. The President of the United States initially called for a ceasefire last Monday, and now it is said that there may be a ceasefire before Ramadan, and that too is temporary; only for six weeks. This is merely a tactic to give

Israel a chance to rest and then resume their oppression with renewed vigour. Therefore, only Allah Almighty can restrain their hands, so pray earnestly.

“Similarly, Ahmadis should extend any possible assistance through charities, be it in the form of food, medicines, or any other support. Efforts should also be made within your circles to advocate for their rights and to put an end to oppression. As I have said before, write letters to politicians; keep writing, and do not tire. Explain to the politicians that what you are doing is gravely wrong.

“May Allah Almighty also grant the Palestinians the ability to pray and improve their spiritual conditions.

“The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which is increasingly being reported in the news as potentially involving

direct engagement from Europe and the United States, is also heightening the risks of a global war. For this, while praying that Allah Almighty saves the world from destruction, as a precautionary measure – as I have mentioned before and as was mentioned by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh before me – a homoeopathic remedy to protect against the effects of nuclear fallout has been prescribed. It is well-known within the Jamaat. Our Department of Homoeopathy will also provide guidance on it. Everyone should undergo at least one course of this remedy, consisting of three doses, once again.

“In the same vein, Ahmadis should keep a two to three months’ supply of rations at home, especially in areas where there is a direct threat of war. Even if war does not ensue, there is only a benefit to this practice.

Previously, when people stockpiled rations, it was utilised during various calamities, and it was commonly observed that it resulted in benefit.

“Pray for the Ahmadis in Yemen. May Allah the Almighty swiftly provide for their release and dispel the [false] suspicions held

by Yemeni forces or a certain group who believe that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat is conspiring against the nation, leading to the swift release of the Ahmadis.

“May Allah the Almighty also grant the world the wisdom to recognise Him instead of immersing in filth in the name of ‘progress’. May He enable Muslim nations to unite and stand firmly for justice.

“May Allah the Almighty grant us the ability to convey His message to every individual. [Amin]” (Friday Sermon, 8 March 2024, @AlHakamWeekly on X)

Lajna Imaillah Canada hosts ‘Voices for Peace’ event on Gaza Daniyah Yaqoob Press & Media Department, Lajna Imaillah Canada

On 25 February 2024, Lajna Imaillah Canada hosted a national Voices for Peace event at the Tahir Hall Community Centre, bringing together 171 Ahmadi women for a dialogue on the present humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The event began with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the opening remarks from Sadr Lajna Imaillah Canada, Nadia Mahmood Sahiba. An introduction to the panel, which included Ms SandraLaya Ruch, Ms Anna Lippman, Khulood Odeh Sahiba and Leen Odeh Sahiba. The

moderator for the event was Shazer Ahmad Sahiba.

Before the start of the discussion, guests learned about the background of the ongoing crisis in Gaza through a short documentary situating the current atrocities in a 75-yearold context. The discussion then started with the panellists sharing their first-hand experiences of having lived in Palestine and Israel. They discussed the result of Israeli oppression of Palestinian communities.

Additionally, the panel spoke of the double standards in the coverage and handling of the crisis in Gaza, and how these double standards are deeply rooted in Western complicity towards Israel’s aggressions.

The discussion then led to the guidance

of Khilafat on world peace and achieving absolute justice. A clip of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, speaking about the need for peace during one of his sermons was shared with the guests, who listened to it attentively.

The event concluded with an open mic session, where attendees were invited to share their own personal experiences or ask any questions they had for the panel.

Each guest was given a gift bag that included a copy of the book World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace.

Following the event, many guests expressed their gratitude for finally having a platform to come together to engage in a respectful dialogue.

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

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From The

Archives

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Freemasons: The case of judging a book by its cover

Some critics of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community have questioned why an emblem that resembles the Freemason logo appears on an English translation of the Promised Messiah’s book. Below is an analysis of the query and a response. (—Editor Al Hakam)

Asif M Basit Ahmadiyya Archive and Research Centre

Part I: What’s in the book…

The year 1897 is of great historical importance in the history of modern Islam.

It was the year when the degeneration of the Ottoman Caliphate – a symbol of Muslim political grandeur – started to set in. The only memento of the bygone Muslim glory had met its end game at the hands of the Young Turks and the so-called Caliph was turned into a mere symbolic figurehead.

This degeneration of the Ottoman Empire was preceded by the fall of the Mughal Empire – another Muslim power.

Ever since, Muslims had looked up to Turkey as a representative of the onceupon-a-time Islamic splendour that they had only heard of in tales and bedtime stories.

The scope of this article is not the details of the fall of the Mughal Empire. Thus, without attempting to agree or disagree with historians who locate the marker at the end of Aurangzeb’s reign, or try and trace it in the Durrani and Marattha attacks, we place it at 1857 – the fall of the Red Fort of Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Thus, we have before us, for this study, a period of forty years that lay between the crumbling of two Muslim empires – the Mughal and the Ottoman; and, hence, we are looking at two regions of dense Muslim population – India and Turkey.

Alongside its symbolic value as an Islamic empire and the home of the Islamic Caliphate, the Ottoman Empire had remained the hotbed of civil wars and infighting. Not only was the Armenian genocide an ugly blemish on its record sheet, but the bloody battles fought against its coreligionists for the conquest of the holy shrines of Islam in Mecca and Medina – often through sacrilegious military operations – had left deep scars on the Muslim collective psyche.

Such episodes of infighting and persecution had cemented the impression that Ottoman lands were not favourable for religious freedom.

On the other hand was India, under the British Raj, where religious freedom was showcased as the hallmark of the British

Empire. The Queen’s Proclamation of 1858 had granted native subjects the freedom to proclaim and profess a faith of their choice and practice it in whatever way they liked.

Hindu-Muslim conflicts did muddy the socio-religious waters of British India, but that was a communal matter and not statesponsored.

Whether the British Raj was a beneficiary of these communal tensions or not is, again, not within the scope of this brief study. We know as an historical fact that British rule had granted religious freedom to its subjects in India.

Another historical fact that cannot be denied is that the British Empire was home to 98 million Muslims – almost double its Christian population of 54 million.

It was this religious freedom that had allowed reform movements to emerge and flourish in both Hindu and Muslim sections of natives in British India. Where Hindus saw the Brahmu Samaj, Sanatana Dharam and the Arya Samaj reform movements take birth and progress, Indian Muslims witnessed the emergence of the likes of the Aligarh, Barelvi, Deobandi, Faraizi, Ahrar, and the Ahmadiyya movements of Islamic reform.

All these movements acknowledged the favourable atmosphere provided by the British Raj for their functioning and coexistence, often expressing their gratitude wholeheartedly.

The Aligarh Muslim College and the Madrsa Dar al-Uloom Deoband owed their very existence to British patronage and funding. Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi vehemently issued fatwas in favour of the British Raj and against any resistance towards it.

The founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement would refer to Islamic principles of remaining loyal to the ruler and the law of land, showing gratitude to both through words and action. Believing that Allah alone was the Supreme Sovereign (Malik al-Mulk), and that worldly rulers were entrusted by Allah, Hazrat Ahmadas insisted on and practised devotion towards the ruler of the land – the British in the case of India of his days.

How justified his devotional attachment to the British Crown was, we leave that for some other time. Here we address a question recently raised by the critics of the

Ahmadiyya Community.

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria As the entire British Empire celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in the summer of 1897, India was no exception; nor were Indian Muslims. The Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, reported on the “Muhammadan” frenzy: “The Muhammadan deputation for presenting an address of congratulation to Her Most Gracious Majesty on the completion of the 60th year of her reign left Lahore to-day (Friday) for Simla to present the same to the Viceroy. The drum was also beaten through the city, Anarkali Bazaar and Mian Mir summoning all Muhammadans to pray for Her Majesty and all the Royal Family in the Badshahi (King’s) Mosque and all mosques in the localities. It was further enjoined that prayers were again to be offered up on Sunday, and that on that day a feast of polao and zarda be given to the poor at the Badshahi (King’s) mosque.” (C&M Gazette, Lahore, 19 June 1897 [italics as in original

and not by author]) This address, “beautifully illuminated” and placed in a “handsome silver case”, was ready by 14 June, as reported by the Civil and Military Gazette the next day. (Ibid., 15 June 1897) The “Muhammadans of the Punjab”, on 27 February 1897, assembled at the “house of Nawab Fateh Ali Khan, Qazilbash”, to think of ways of celebrating the Queen’s jubilee.

The draft of the address to be presented “contained nothing except congratulations to Her Majesty and thanksgivings to God for the happy occasion”.

(Ibid., 2 March 1897) The Muslim influential men from Punjab to be part of this delegation were unanimously agreed to be Sir Muhammad Hayat Khan CSI, Malik Umar Hayat Khan of Shahpur, and Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Khan of Malerkotla. This delegation was to be part of the main delegation of Indian Muslims to present the address to the Viceroy in Simla. (Ibid.)

This assembly of Muslim leaders and the Muslim public considered ways to give permanence to this celebration, and it was resolved that a student scholarship should serve the purpose well. The address, these Punjabi Muslims wholeheartedly agreed, should contain “prayers to God for the welfare of Her Majesty”. (Ibid.)

Newspapers from the time abundantly reported the jubilant fever that had taken the entire Indian Subcontinent, the crown jewel of the British Empire, in its grip as Muslims; along with natives of other faiths, geared up to celebrate the jubilee of the Queen Empress.

The celebrations, held in India from 21 to 23 June, received even heavier coverage all across the Empire. The press reported on how processions of Muhammadans had marched across their towns and cities, stating that it was “really a gala day for Muhammadans”. (Ibid., 23 June 1897) Amritsar alone saw “20,000 Muhammadans” assemble for “a thanksgiving service on the auspicious occasion

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024 of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.” (Ibid.)

The Muslim public and their leaders in all towns and cities passed resolutions stating: “In the morning prayers be offered to the Almighty God for Her Majesty and her Royal Family.” (Ibid., 7 May 1897) Almost all meetings to commemorate the occasion heard Muslim leaders sing praises of the British Crown and “the various blessings Muhammadans were enjoying under Her Majesty’s most benevolent reign.” (Ibid., 9 April 1897)

Jubilee celebrations in Qadian In line with the Islamic way of thanksgiving – as almost unanimously agreed upon by the Muslim population of India – the Ahmadiyya Community celebrated the Diamond Jubilee from 20 to 22 June 1897 in Qadian; with the exception of band music and the “gala” of singing and dancing, as practised by some Muslim communities of other cities.

The report of the events that took place in Qadian was produced by none else but

by Hazrat Ahmadas himself, in a booklet named “Jalsa-e-Ahbab” (a meeting of friends). (Jalsa-i-Ahbab, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 12) The events reported are as humble as the booklet itself. The celebrations revolved around joining “in prayer and offering gratitude to Allah the Almighty” and the needy and deserving being “provided food.” (Ibid., p. 295) The theme of the thanksgiving remained around the religious freedom provided by the British Crown to its Indian subjects.

A major exception From the abyss of information about the Indian-Muslim celebration of the jubilee, one finds in abundance reports on fanfare as well as displays of pomp, power and joy.

The Qadian celebrations appear to be the only one where the Queen was invited to renounce Christianity and embrace Islam: “For this event, a book on gratitude was compiled for the Empress of India and printed, named Tohfa-i-Qaisariya [Gift to the Empress]. Several copies were printed in decorative binding, one of which was sent to the Empress of India through the Deputy Commissioner, another to the Viceroy.” (Ibid.)

A passage from the aforementioned book, sent to Queen Victoria, reads as follows: “Almighty God! As Thy Wisdom and Providence has been pleased to put us under the rule of our blessed Empress, enabling us to lead lives of peace and prosperity, we pray to Thee that our ruler may in return be saved from all evils and dangers as Thine is the kingdom, glory and power. Believing in Thy unlimited powers we earnestly ask Thee, All-Powerful Lord, to grant us one more prayer that our benefactress the Empress, before leaving this world, may probe her way out of the darkness of manworship with the light of la-ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah. [There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet]. Do Almighty God as we desire, and grant us this humble prayer of ours as Thy will alone governs all minds. Amen!”

(A Gift for the Queen [Tohfa-i-Qaisariya],

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Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Islam International Publications, Surrey, 2018)

Proposal for an interfaith conference Further down the line, Hazrat Ahmadas makes a suggestion for the Queen to arrange an interfaith conference in London, the capital of the Empire, where all faiths could present their beliefs before each other and the British public.

He explained his intention behind the proposal: “[…] It would be necessary that every participant present their faith’s excellence and not malign others. If such a conference takes place, it will be a legendary spiritual event from our Honoured Queen; and England, which has been fed with Islamic matters incorrectly, will be introduced to the true face of Islam.” (Ibid.)

The defence of Islam appears to have been at the core of the celebration of the Jubilee, and not just an expression of gratitude or pledges of loyalty.

Having received no acknowledgement for the invitation to Islam or to the proposal of an interfaith conference, Hazrat Ahmadas wrote another booklet, titled Sitara-i-Qaisra (The Star of the Empress). He explained the need to write this booklet as owing to not having received a reply to his previous book, which contained an invitation to Islam and a proposal for an interfaith conference in the Empire’s capital. He went on in the booklet to reiterate the same.

The book was originally written in the Urdu language, and translated into English under the title “The Star of the Empress” to be sent to the Queen.

The very first line of the text on the title page reads: “Translated from Urdoo”.

The next line reads: “God be praised and glorified […]”

His titles appear, after his name, as “The Promised Messiah” and “Chief of Qadian, Punjab, India.”

Part II: What’s on the book…

The riddle of the Freemasonry emblem What has recently intrigued critics of the Ahmadiyya is the presence of the Freemasonry emblem (or one that resembles it) in the border of the title page, in the middle and right at the top.

This has led them to question whether Hazrat Ahmadas had any connection with the Freemasons.

To analyse the query, we take two routes to resolve the puzzle.

1. Hazrat Ahmad’sas views on Freemasons 2. The Printing Press in 19th Century India

Views on Freemasons The book in question was written and published in 1899. The first mention we find of Freemasons in Hazrat Ahmad’sas recorded works is in 1901: “Sometimes, I feel that I find out the truth behind Freemasonry, but I have never had the chance to look into it. What he [Alexander Dowie] writes about them hints at the greatness of a revelation that I received; the idea of which was that ‘Freemasons will not be appointed for his

murder’.

“It could be that this revelation points to the truth behind Freemasons, like where matters cannot be resolved through law, they exert their influence.

I believe that highranking officials and members of the nobility, even some princes, could be Freemasons […].”

(Al Hakam, Qadian, 17 November 1901) Here, Hazrat Ahmadas appears oblivious to what Freemasonry actually is and how it functions.

Records suggest that six years later, he was more aware of Freemasons and had a very strict aversion towards them. This could be due to the Freemasons being in the news, even in the vernacular press, in the time that had lapsed from 1901 to 1907. The Amir of Kabul, Habibullah Khan, had joined Freemasonry during his visit to India. This had resulted in a great deal of hue and cry among his subjects in Afghanistan, expressing resentment towards this act of their Amir, which they saw as clearly un-Islamic.

The Badr, Qadian, recorded the words of Hazrat Ahmadas on 3 March 1907: “Upon mention of the Amir of Kabul joining Freemasonry and the resentment of his people, Hazrat Ahmadas said: ‘Their resentment is justified because any monotheist and true Muslim cannot join Freemasonry. Its origins are in Christianity and to progress to certain stages, one has to be baptised. Hence, joining it is express apostasy.” (Badr, Qadian, 3 March 1907) Why critics of the Ahmadiyya are so easily inclined to believe that Hazrat Ahmadas, might have had connections with Freemasonry, could possibly be due to the fact that many influential Muslims from his time had become Freemasons.

We have mentioned above Habibullah Khan, the Amir of Kabul. (Henry McMahon, An Account of the Entry of H. M. Habibullah Khan Amir of Afghanistan into Freemasonry, London, Favil Press, 1936) Abd al-Qadir al-Jazairi (1808-1883), the Algerian Amir and a prominent Muslim from the Qadiriya Sufi order, was initiated at the lodge Les Pyramides of Alexandria in Egypt in 1864. (Karim Wissa, Freemasonry in Egypt 1798-1921: A study in cultural and political encounters, in Bulletin British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 16 No. 2) Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, a beloved of many South Asian and Arab Muslims, had joined Freemasonry. In one of his letters, he confirms that “I entered the lodge on April, 7, 1876 […].” Not only was he initiated at the lodge Star of the East, he continued to move up the ladder and became Grand Master of the same lodge. (A Albert KudsiZadeh, Afghani and Freemasonry in Egypt, in Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 92, No. 1) Hence, with an Amir of a Muslim

territory, a leader of a Muslim people and a Muslim stalwart of the resistance movement against foreign rule being on the list, it seems to make it easier for Ahmadiyya critics to jump to conclusions.

Printing Press in British-India As mentioned above, the original Urdu book, Sitara-i-Qaisra was published in 1899. The print line at the bottom of the title page reads: “[…] printed at Zia al-Islam Press Qadian by Hakim Fazl Din, proprietor of the press […].” (Sitara-i-Qaisriyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 15, p. 109) The text of the book as well as the floral borders around the text of the title page show that the book was printed on a lithographic printing machine.

The translation, The Star of the Empress, the one we are concerned with here, was printed on a typographic printing press.

Typographic printing machines would involve compositors placing individual letters, punctuation marks and spaces to reproduce the elements of a manuscript.

This process was an extremely laborious one where every single page would involve hundreds of words and a number of punctuation marks, not to mention spaces that demanded an equal amount of labour and attention.

The words that fitted on the tray of a single page would be laid in the machine, inked, and then the paper would be rolled onto them with a roller. The same would be repeated for every single page, as many times as the number of copies required.

Printing in India was a specialised field in the 19th century and would require a large number of workers, including trimmers, sorters, washers, sponge men, inkers, and compositors.

Since it was the compositors who arranged letters and all other characters to reproduce the text of the manuscript, they were seen as not merely labourers but as Continued on page 9 >>

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

6

This Week in History

A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat 23 March 1935: Hazrat Musleh-

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa addresses Conference of World Religions Held at Guildhall

22 March

e-Maudra visited Gurdaspur on this day, to record the defence witness statement in a case against the Ahrar leader Syed Attaullah Shah Bukhari.

Reporting about Huzoor’sra statement, The Civil and Military Gazette wrote under the heading “Ahmadya Head in Gurdaspur: Arrival by Special Train to Give Evidence in Court”: “Khalifa Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud, head of the Ahmadya community, appeared as a defence witness today in a case against Attaullah Shah Bukhari, the Ahrar leader, who is being tried on a charge of promoting hatred between two communities. The case arose out of a speech delivered by the accused at the Ahrar Conference in last October in Qadian.”

Huzoorra visited Gurdaspur again on 25 March to complete his statement.

23 March

22 March 1897: On this day, the Promised Messiahas wrote a

detailed announcement that bore principle guidelines for the loyalty of citizens towards their government. This piece also carries some basic information about the personality and family of the Promised Messiahas. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat [2019], Vol. 2, pp.

248-256)

22 March 1917: On this day, the family of Nikolai Alexandrovich

Romanov, the Tzar of Russia, and their servants were imprisoned.

They stayed in captivity until their ultimate execution.

For more details, see “A prophecy fulfilled – The Tsar in agony and distress”, at alhakam.org (15 March 2019, pp. 9-10).

22 March 2015: On this day, the foundation stone was laid for the Bait-ul-Ahad Mosque in Bondoukou: this city is called the “city of a thousand mosques” in Ivory Coast.

For more details, see “Historical analysis of Ahrar’s anti-Ahmadiyya agitation – Part 2”, at alhakam.org (13 October 2023, pp. 14-18).

23 March 1983: On this day, a

detailed introduction to the Jamaat was published in the famous central newspaper of Japan, the Japan Times, with pictures of the Promised Messiahas and the Khulafa. (Silsila Ahmadiya, Vol. 4, p. 822)

23 March 1994: On this day, Hazrat

For more details, see “First Ahmadi mosque and Jalsa Salana in Bondoukou, ‘The city of a thousand mosques’, Ivory Coast”, at alhakam.org (14 January 2022, p. 27).

Khalifatul Masih IVrh started delivering his homoeopathy lectures on MTA and after recording 200 classes, this precious material was compiled into

a book, several editions of which have been published and translated.

Huzoor’srh passion for promoting this method of treatment for people around the world was enormous.

(Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 878)

23 March 2018: Al Hakam was the first-ever periodical of the Jamaat, initiated during the time of the Promised Messiahas in 1897 and published in Urdu at that time. It was re-launched on this day from London, in the English language, by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa during his Friday Sermon. (“Al Hakam: A glimpse into its history and relaunch during the blessed era of Khilafat-e-Khamisa”, at alhakam.org (24 March 2023, pp.

12-14)

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024

7 << Continued from page 5

22 - 28 March

24 March 1968: On this day, the sixth

convocation and awards-distribution ceremony of Jamia Nusrat Rabwah, a Jamaat college established for the education of girls, was held, which was graced by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh with his presence and address.

(Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 24, p. 502)

24 March 2004: On this day, during

his tour of Ghana, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa visited Salaga and inspected the Talim-ul-Islam Ahmadiyya Secondary School there. Huzooraa was the principal of this school from 1977 to 1979. (Al Fazl International, 2 April 2004, pp. 10-11)

28 March 1920: On this day, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq’sra ship, by the name of SS Haverford, set sail from Liverpool in the afternoon for America.

25 March 1910: The Jalsa Salana,

For more details, see “100 Years Ago… – Mufti Sahib’s ship to America, Chinese converts and a fervent prayer”, at alhakam.org (24 April 2020, p. 13).

which had been postponed in December 1909, commenced in Qadian and spanned three consecutive days starting on this day. It was attended by 3,000 people. During the Friday sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira on this day, some members were assigned to repeat and echo the words of Huzoorra so that everyone in the large audience could clearly hear his voice. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 3, p. 316)

28 March 1999: On this day, Hazrat

Khalifatul Masih IVrh led the Eid-ulAdha at the proposed site of the Baitul Futuh Mosque, Morden, UK. (Al Fazl International, 16 April 1999, p. 1)

24 - 25 March

26 - 27 March

28 March

skilled workers. They were required to have good proficiency in the language as well as an eye for detail to avoid any mistakes, as the latter could result in the printer not being paid by the client.

This placed compositors at the top of the press labourers’ hierarchy. The most skilled of these would be employed, after thorough scrutiny and testing, by presses that printed government material and, hence, required an even keen eye and a greater level of care.

The other presses that took immense care were those owned by Christian missionary societies that printed evangelical material in huge bulks.

At the tail end of the chain were vernacular presses, which, before lithographic printing took over, would print material in vernacular languages but through typographical printing machines.

Hence, the compositors who were not deemed suitable enough for government or mission work would seek employment in vernacular typographic presses. This should not be generalised to include reputable printing presses like the Munshi Newal Kishore Press. This also should not be generalised to include lithography presses, where most vernacular language material was catered for, owing to the complexity of the vernacular alphabet and characters.

In our inquiry, the press in question is one that printed in moveable type print but was in the weaker range of the industry – one economising on all types of costs, including labour.

In such situations, certain templates were prepared, especially for borders and floral designs to go onto title pages. The variable text would be set by compositors and replaced on the blank part.

From the facts considered above, it appears that the Freemason emblem on the title page of the book in question must have remained as part of a template; reused to save effort, labour and wages.

Conclusion 26 March 1977: On this day, an

exhibition of the Holy Quran and Jamaat literature was organised in Japan. Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib, then serving as a missionary in Japan, reported in the Daily Al Fazl Rabwah of 5 April 1977 that a very successful exhibition of Islamic literature was

organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Japan on 26 March 1977.

This exhibition showcased translations of the Holy Quran in more than 15 languages, along with various other Islamic books, newspapers and magazines. It was the first exhibition of its kind in Japan. Many researchers, professors and journalists from Japan and ambassadors and students from other countries showed great interest.

26 March 2004: On this

Prime Minister of Burkina Faso with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa

day, during his tour of Africa, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa granted separate audiences to the thenprime minister of Burkina Faso, Per Langa Ernest Yonhi, and the then-president, Blaise Compaore. (Al Fazl

International, 9 April 2004, p.

2)

27 March 1923: Maulvi Muhammad Din, BA, former Headmaster of TI High School, Qadian, and editor of The Review of Religions, the missionary designated for America, landed in Boston from England on this day. He reached Chicago on 29 March 1923. He took up his work in earnest under the guidance of Mufti Muhammad Sadiq DD. For more details, see “100 Years Ago… – Second Ahmadi missionary to America with a message of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II”, at alhakam.org (14 April 2023, p. 10).

In reaching the above conclusion, the following facts need to remain in mind: 1. Hazrat Ahmadas was oblivious to what Freemasonry was all about until 1901 – two years after the publication of the book.

2. He vehemently condemned Freemasons in his statement, eight years on from the publication in 1907. He clearly called it apostasy to join them.

3. Had he been a Freemason, he and his Community would not have undergone the level of persecution they faced and still face in Muslim countries.

Also, there remain a few questions for the critics to consider: 1. Do Freemasons wear their affiliation on their sleeve for all to know who they are?

2. If one is a Freemason and wants to let the sovereign know, would their lodge not facilitate communicating the message?

3. If the affiliation of a Freemason to his cause is so overwhelming and the desire for public display so strong, would they not have the logo go on all correspondence or on the title pages of all their books?

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

8

Seeking forgiveness: 5 key lessons from the Promised Messiah Jalees Ahmad Al Hakam

There is a profound reason why Allah introduces Himself as the Gracious and Merciful in the Holy Quran. Likewise, there’s a divine purpose behind sending noble Prophets to demonstrate His boundless compassion. With this in mind, having shared five teachings of the Holy Prophetsa on God’s grace and the essence of seeking forgiveness (Al Hakam, 15 March 2024, p.

9), I now offer some insights and sayings of Hazrat Ahmadas.

1. The key to spiritual progress: Seeking forgiveness As the first 10 days of Ramadan swiftly fade behind us, we are steadfastly committed to amplifying our spiritual growth and maximising the blessings of this month.

In addition to the tahajjud prayer, the five daily prayers, additional nawafil, taraweeh prayers, scholarly discourses via duroos, and earnest supplications, one crucial practice deserves emphasis: seeking forgiveness. The Promised Messiahas has said: “Seeking forgiveness from God is the key to spiritual progress.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 3, p. 99)

2. Allah promises abundance to those who seek forgiveness Seeking forgiveness not only fosters selfawareness of our shortcomings but also guides us toward a path of righteousness, pleasing to Allah. Moreover, it plays a role in helping us in our day-to-day dealings.

“A person submitted that, ‘I am under a great deal of debt. Please pray for me.’

The Promised Messiahas said: Keep doing istighfar [seeking forgiveness] and taubah [repentance] as Allah has promised abundance for him who does istighfar.”

(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, p. 138)

3. Do not be deceived: Not all are granted the gift of old age It is often said or thought that one will focus on prayer, worship, Islam, seeking forgiveness, etc., when they grow older.

Perhaps it’s within human nature to be under the illusion that we will be granted the gift of old age and a healthy life. Forget next year; we are not even certain of next month. We are not even certain if we will wake up from our sleep tonight or if we will make it home safely today. What must be firmly understood is that life is uncertain.

The only certainty in life is that it is certainly not eternal. Death is the unchangeable truth

emphasised in the Holy Quran as “yaqeen” (Surah al-Hijr, Ch.15: V.100).

And so, the Promised Messiahas reminds us: “Engage yourselves in seeking forgiveness from God and engross yourselves in prayers; bring about a pure and positive change in your life. This is no time for heedlessness. The inner self will deceive one into thinking that one has a long life to live yet. But consider death to be near.

The being of God exists. One who misplaces the rights that are owed to God, and gives them to others by way of transgression, will die in disgrace.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 3, pp.157-159)

4. Seek forgiveness from your heart When praying, especially when seeking forgiveness, it must come from the heart.

Strong emotions are deeply felt when expressed from the heart, fostering a profound connection.

“A certain individual asked: ‘What invocation should I recite?’ The Promised Messiahas said: ‘You ought to recite the prayer for God’s forgiveness. There are only two states of man: either that he does not sin or that Allah Almighty saves him from the bad outcome of that sin. Hence, when a person invokes the forgiveness of God, they ought to keep both of these concepts in mind. Firstly, one ought to beg God Almighty so that He covers and hides one’s past sins and secondly, one ought to seek from God the ability so that one may be saved from committing sin in the future.

However, seeking forgiveness through

a mere verbal recitation will not suffice; rather, one should seek forgiveness from their heart. One ought to supplicate in the Prayer in their own tongue as well; this too is necessary.’” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 3., pp. 235-236)

5. A means that never fails In life, we often shy away from endeavours where success seems uncertain, whether in professional pursuits or personal challenges.

This hesitation, born from a fear of failure, can limit our potential and stifle our growth. Yet, as we venture into the realm of spirituality with sincerity and the earnest intention to connect with God, success is but a heartfelt prostration away. And so, with

this in mind, remember that the Promised Messiahas said: “Hence, repentance and seeking forgiveness from God is a tried and tested means that never fails.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, pp.18-19) And so, we, as weak humans, are in need of His forgiveness; but God is not in need of punishing us. Therefore, when praying to Allah for forgiveness this Ramadan, seek His mercy, prostrate before Him, and understand that what we are asking for has been granted to many who came before us and will be granted to those who earnestly seek it after us. If we are not among those who seek forgiveness from Him, we cannot expect His grace to descend upon us.

National Volleyball Tournament 2024 held by Lajna Imaillah UK Lubna Sohail Secretary Ishaat, Lajna Imaillah UK

On 17 February 2024, Lajna Imaillah UK held its National Volleyball Tournament.

In previous years, Lajna Imaillah UK has been the host of international and European volleyball tournaments; however, this time the game was brought closer to home.

The competing teams were divided region by region, with a place on the team only being allocated following a chain of trying practices and tryouts. These had been taking place for weeks before the

tournament in halls and spaces local to each region. A total of 11 teams were formed and took part in the tournament; these are as follows: Ayesha, Baitul Futuh, Baitun Noor, East, Islamabad, London, Middlesex, Midlands, North East, North West, and South Region.

The matchday began with all players standing lined up in their respective teams, followed by a recitation from the Holy Quran and the Lajna pledge, conducted by Sadr Lajna Imaillah UK. Following this, the rules and regulations of the game were shared, along with other housekeeping announcements. Finally, Sadr Sahiba led all

members into silent prayer, which initiated the games.

The final took place between the Ayesha Region and the London Region. After a valiant effort from both teams, an astounding display of support from the crowds, and a thoughtful assessment from the referees, the Ayesha Region was declared the winner of the Lajna Imaillah UK National Volleyball Tournament 2024.

A prize ceremony was held at the end of the tournament to celebrate the efforts of all players, duty holders, and spectators who participated in this year’s tournament.

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024

Opinion

9

UK government’s new definition of ‘extremism’ and preserving democratic discourse

Fazal Masood Malik & Farhan Khokhar Canada

The United Kingdom has unveiled an expansive new working definition of extremism in a bid to confront ideologies that breed violence and undermine core democratic principles. It characterises extremism as the “vocal or active opposition” to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and religious pluralism. Further, it frames extremism as “the promotion of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance” aimed at “negating the fundamental rights of others” or “undermining the UK’s liberal parliamentary democracy.” (“New extremism definition unveiled by government”, www.bbc.com) The importance of curbing doctrines explicitly rejecting democratic norms and human rights is understandable, especially when illustrated against the dangers of such destructive ideologies. By codifying a conceptual framework, the intent is to equip law enforcement and society with robust tools for identifying and combating extremist philosophies permitting violence as a means to an end.

However, translating these guidelines into enforceable legislation is where philosophy meets pragmatism. There is a real concern that the new definition could enable overreach, allowing subjective censorship of controversial but nonviolent beliefs and opinions under the pretext of combating “intolerance.”

Without spectacular oversight, the rights of a pluralistic society, such as freedoms of speech, religion, and open governance, will become endangered. (“Why UK’s New Definition of Extremism Draws Critics”, www.bloomberg.com) The global spiritual leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, has provided an authoritative Islamic perspective aligned with democratic norms. Expounding on the Community’s guiding principle of “Love for All, Hatred for None,” He rejects extremist narratives portraying Islam as an ideology of violence and religious compulsion, stating: “It is a great travesty to allege that there is no concept of freedom of faith and conscience in Islam.” (“Freedom of Speech and Tolerance in Islam”, www.alislam.org) A legitimate problem for policymakers will be distinguishing between extremist ideologies explicitly condoning violence and hatred and merely provocative but nonviolent beliefs or religious conservatism.

Nick Kane | Unsplash

However, any overly broad legislation conflating extreme hate-promoting ideologies with merely provocative viewpoints risks unleashing a pandora’s box of subjective overreach. Such imprecise laws could inadvertently curtail free speech protections, religious liberties, and the open ideological discourse crucial for democracies to thrive.

If history has illustrated anything, it is how subjective ideological litmus tests can spiral into persecution. All too often, the initial step towards unthinkable atrocities has involved the dehumanisation of minority communities through malicious stereotyping and accusing them of being the “other.”

The tragic examples litter human history – Prophet Jesusas and his followers were persecuted as heretics and threats to the established order. Leading up to the Rwandan genocide, Tutsi minorities were dehumanised as cockroaches by Hutu extremists to legitimise mass killing.

Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors could only ease their civilised consciences by declaring Native American populations “soulless” to justify their subjugation and land grabs.

In each case, language was used for the vilification and scapegoating of an outgroup as a threat, facilitating stripping them of fundamental human dignity through discriminatory policies. Once dehumanised in the public psyche, persecution became not only permissible but a moral imperative to preserve the prevailing social order.

While UK’s system of checks and balances through an independent judiciary aims to prevent such catastrophic

backslides, concerns persist that new antiextremism laws could disproportionately target Muslim minorities. History provides sobering examples of how judicial systems can become compromised – many German jurists legitimised and actively promoted the Nazis’ racial ideology (“Hitler’s Justice: The Courts of the Third Reich”, www.ojp.gov).

More recently, Pakistan’s courts have faced criticism for judicial overreach in pursuing the state’s ideological agenda through contentious blasphemy prosecutions.

Already facing a bitter climate of Islamophobic rhetoric, the inherent ambiguity in delineating “extremist thought” provides ample cover for unconscious biases and overreach in enforcement application.

Concerningly, the United Nations has documented an increase in accusations labelling Islam and Muslims as inherently extremist - underscoring how charged public discourse can enable stigmatisation of entire faith communities based on subjective perceptions around undefined “radical” ideologies. (Press Release, SG/ SM/22159, press.un.org) There are valid apprehensions that, rather than upholding its philosophical pillars of pluralism, the new policies could precipitate a vicious cycle of alienation, stereotyping and dehumanisation of Muslim minorities. Once persecuted as an ideological fifth column, history’s ugliest chapters suggest how swiftly escalating discrimination can be codified under the permissive “extraordinary circumstances” of perceived existential threats.

One solution to navigate this challenge is to forge an inclusive dialogue between diverse communities and faiths. This

vision of pluralistic coexistence finds clear grounding in core Islamic teachings. The Holy Quran (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.257) upholds “no compulsion in religion,” instructing the Prophet Muhammad to proclaim: “Let him who will believe, and let him who will, disbelieve.” (Surah al-Kahf, Ch.18: V.30).

The actions of the Holy Prophetsa vividly illustrated these principles. Upon migrating to Medina, he drew up an inclusive charter with local Jewish tribes, granting them full autonomy to practice their faith and adjudicate internal affairs according to their own religious laws. Holy Prophetsa even welcomed a Christian delegation to worship in his mosque, in keeping with Islamic injunctions to protect places of worship of other faiths.

Another prudent approach could be fostering a shared sense of common purpose transcending divisions. Uniting diverse segments around an integrated vision for their nation’s mutual progress and prosperity may serve as a centripetal force countering polarising narratives. This aligns with guidance from His Holiness, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, advocating complete patriotic loyalty by immigrants to the societies they join. He stated: “For me, true integration is to love the country in which you live and to be completely loyal to it. Thus, all immigrants should be loyal to their adopted nation; they should truly love it, they should honour it, they should be law-abiding and work for its prosperity and progress. This is integration.” (“‘True Integration is to love the country in which you live’ – Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community”, www.pressahmadiyya.com)

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

10

Divine promises and expansion of Prophet Ahmad’s mission to Europe and America This series, Zikr-e-Habib, explores the life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, and his sayings, shedding light on his noble character and the impact of his teachings on his followers and the world at large.

M Adam Ahmad Al Hakam

Exploring Prophet Ahmad’sas life and works reveals that his fervour to spread the message of God knew no bounds. His strong commitment to humanity’s spiritual enlightenment and divine assurances granted him the required strength and assistance to expand his mission beyond geographical boundaries, as the Promised Messiahas says: “My Lord has revealed to me and has promised me that He shall certainly help me until my mission has spread throughout the east and west. The oceans of truth shall surge forth and onlookers will be astounded by the ferociousness of the foaming waves.” (The Ocean of Light [Lujjatun-Nur], p. 67) Prophet Ahmadsa put his heart and soul into preaching Islam and persistently proclaimed the truth using a variety of means, including writing, correspondence, announcements, and debate. His teachings not only provided profound insight into reviving Islam but also extended invitations to people of other faiths, encouraging them to follow the path that leads to God Almighty. Owing to his all-consuming efforts for the cause of Allah, Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Dardra narrates that God spoke to him in the following words: “Perchance thou wilt destroy thyself in thy anxiety that they should become believers.” (Life of Ahmadas, p. 279)

Broadening horizons of faith Delineating Prophet Ahmad’sas universal vision and utilisation of modern means to reach the West, Iain Adamson explains that Prophet Ahmadas shifted from dealing with personal opposition to taking part in global matters. He observed the significance of contemporary communication techniques and the necessity of reaching millions of people who were not familiar with Islam. Newspapers became an indispensable instrument that allowed people to communicate beyond traditional boundaries and in a variety of languages.

Since English was the language of India’s educated and administrative classes, it provided access to the United States and the British Empire, as well as the entire West. The Promised Messiahas also recognised the potential of English

literature to reach people across continents, and he envisioned it engaging with intellectual audiences globally. This highlights Prophet Ahmad’sas strategic vision and his commitment to reaching a worldwide audience with the message of Islam. (Ahmad[as], The Guided One, p. 256) Revealing a minuscule endeavour pertaining to the execution of his divine task within and beyond frontiers, the Promised Messiahas states: “[…] 20,000 leaflets were printed in English and Urdu. Thereafter, a little over 12,000 of these were sent by name to the leaders of opposition groups through registered mail, leaving not even a single Christian missionary throughout the land of India who was not sent the leaflet by registered mail.

“Moreover, these leaflets were also dispatched to the countries of Europe and America through registered mail, satisfying the duty of fully conveying the argument [of Islam’s truth].” (The Victory of Islam [Fath-e-Islam], p. 22)

Two groups shall join the Messiah Extreme views of aversion and exaggeration had distorted Islam in the time of Prophet Ahmadas. One group moved towards the extreme of rejecting Islamic practices and teachings due to their disbelief. They disregarded the fundamentals of Islam and denied miracles and prophecies. However, another group went against the teachings of the Quran and filled Islam with false stories. They spread false ideas like the physical return of Jesusas, even though evidence from the Quran and hadiths suggested otherwise. The true teachings of Islam were concealed by these extremes, which resulted in misunderstandings. The Promised Messiahas states: “It was to counter both these extremes of aversion and exaggeration that God established this Community upon the earth and it is loved by every man possessive of a compassionate heart, owing to its truth, beauty, and moderation. Thus, this prophecy – that a group of those who were already Muslims would enter this Ahmadiyya Jamaat, and another group of new converts from among the disbelievers of Europe, America, and other nations would also enter this Jamaat – has been fulfilled twenty-five years after it was made.

“Keep in mind that the Arabic words

Christian Lue | Unsplash

of this prophecy that were revealed to me through the revelation from Allah and were published in the previous parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya twenty-five years ago are:

ٌ ُّ ٰ ّ ‫ﺛُ ّﻠ ٌﺔ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ا��وﻟ�� وﺛﻠﺔ ﻣﻦ ا����ﻳﻦ‬

“[There is a group from among the first ones and a group from among the last ones]. This means that two types of people would join my Community. The first are those who were Muslims already, who have been called Awwalin [the first ones] and about 300,000 of whom have already joined the Community, and, secondly, there are new Muslims – people who would enter Islam from among the Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians from Europe and America.

A group of those has also already joined this Community, and they go on joining.”

(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V, p. 133)

Spiritual weapons Explaining how God Almighty supported his messenger and members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat with a divine arsenal of compelling arguments, the Promised Messiahas said: “When Allah bestows dominance upon someone, He also blesses him with weapons. Nowadays, Europe is entirely dominant in the secular sense, but don’t you see that it is Europe indeed that has invented amazing weapons of every kind

to the extent that even if the Sultan of Turkey needs any weapon, he sends the request to them?

“In the same way, the spiritual weapons are now in our hands. How can one dominate without possession of the required weaponry? […] God Almighty has conferred spiritual weapons upon us.

It is a special blessing of God Almighty.

A nation without weapons is bound to be destroyed.

“Bear in mind that weapons mean spiritual powers and irrefutable arguments.

Physical materials are not needed in religious matters. Look, if the weapon of the death of Jesus were not there, you would not stand a chance against them.”

(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, p. 71) Hazrat Abdur Rahim Dardra MA states: “The Christian nations of Europe have indeed traversed the whole earth. They have distorted the simple teachings of Jesusas, and their missionaries have taken the cross, with amazing speed over land, across the seas and in the air to every nook and corner of the world.

“It is, however, gratifying to note that Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah, has now broken the Cross, in accordance with the prophecy [of the Holy Prophetsa], by refuting the doctrine of the crucifixion of Jesusas. He has proved beyond the shadow of doubt that Jesusas did not die on the cross and that he left Palestine and died a natural death in Srinagar (Kashmir), where his tomb still exists.” (Life of Ahmadas, p.

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024 238)

‘Sun shall rise from the West’ Taking maximum advantage of spiritual arms, the Promised Messiahas set out on a quest to defend Islam on every front. Iain Adamson writes: “[Prophet] Ahmad[as] also received the revelation that among his tasks was the conversion of the West. [The Promised Messiahas said]: “‘The rising of the sun from the West means that Western countries, which have for centuries been in the darkness of unbelief and error, shall be illumined by the sun of righteousness, and shall share in the blessings of Islam.’

“In less than a decade, [Prophet] Ahmad[as] was to set about the conversion of the West. However, the confrontation with Christians had already begun. The Church of England’s Church Missionary Society had established a base in India as early as 1799. It was followed by many others and varied missionary organisations including the Church of Scotland, the American United Presbyterian Church, English Baptists, American Methodists and the United Brethren of Germany.”

(Ahmad[as], The Guided One, p. 128) As the Promised Messiahas refused to let any criticism of Islam go unanswered in India, Iain Adamson writes, “[Prophet] Ahmad[as] now refused to let any criticism of Islam go unanswered in the United States or Great Britain.” (Ibid., 259) The two false claimants of Messiahship, one from Great Britain, John Hugh Smyth Pigott, and the other from America, John Alexander Dowie, succumbed to divine wrath when they faced the true Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. The challenges of the Promised Messiahas gained huge publicity in Europe and America, resulting in the spread of God’s message well beyond borders.

God Almighty reversed all the attacks of the opponents upon them, as the Promised Messiahas relates: “I saw (in my dream) a swollen river which wound its way along like a serpent from the west to the east and then while we were looking, it reversed its direction and began to flow from the east to the west.”

(Tadhkirah [English], p. 605) Explaining how the spiritual sun of Islam will rise from the West, Prophet Ahmadas states: “The days are approaching when the sun of truth will rise from the West and Europe will recognise the True God. Thereafter the door of repentance will be closed, for those who wish to enter will have entered eagerly and only those will remain outside whose hearts are by nature sealed, and who are in love, not with light, but with darkness.

“The time is near when all religions will perish except Islam. All weapons will be broken except the heavenly weapon of Islam for it will neither be broken nor will it be blunted till it has broken all Antichrist tendencies to bits. The time is near that the true Unity of God, which is perceived within their nature even by those who dwell in the desert or are completely unaware of any teaching, will spread through all regions. On that day there will remain no artificial atonement nor an artificial god.

A single stroke of God will frustrate all the

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plans of disbelief, not by any sword, nor by any gun, but by bestowing light on eager souls and by illumining the pure hearts.

Then will there be an understanding of all that which I say.” (Tadhkirah [English], pp. 377)

Miraculous expansion The Promised Messiahas recorded a divine vision in his book, Izala-e-Auham, in which he saw himself delivering a wellreasoned speech from a pulpit in London, outlining the truth about Islam in the English language, and thereafter, catching a number of white birds that were perched on little trees. (Ibid., p. 239) Hazrat Abdur Rahim Dardra narrates: “When the vision was published, the Christian religion was so powerful that it overawed Muslims. Not only did European and Christian writers prophesied the complete annihilation of Islam by Christianity in the course of a century, but Muslim writers also had begun indirectly to admit that this might be so. Some Muslims, under the guise of religious reform, started a movement for a mutual understanding between Islam and Christianity on the basis of the assumption that both were true and of the necessity of avoiding collision between them, for these men feared that Islam could not withstand Christianity.” (Life of Ahmadas, p. 285) Expounding on the above-mentioned promise of God Almighty, Prophet Ahmadas states: “I interpreted this vision as meaning that though I would not be able to travel to that country, my writings will be published among them and many righteous English people will be attracted by the truth.”

(Tadhkirah [English], p. 239; Izala-eAuham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 377) Allah the Almighty’s words were fulfilled to the letter. Hazrat Abdur Rahim Dardra states: “No doubt in the vision it was he [the Promised Messiahas] himself who was delivering the speech, but as a Prophet is represented by his followers, particularly by his successors (Khulafa), the vision meant that he or one of his representatives or successors would proceed to England to call men to Islam, and indicated that Islam and Ahmadiyyat would be preached from a pulpit or a stage and that men would accept it and be blessed. All this has happened according to the vision. His own son and successor, [Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din, Khalifatul Masih IIra] visited London in 1924.” (Life of Ahmadas, p. 285) Mentioning another promise of God Almighty about the expansion of his mission, the Promised Messiahas writes: “The […] prophecy is in English, a language with which I am not acquainted.

And the fact that I received a revelation in this language is in itself a miracle. It is: ‘I love you. I will give you a large party of Islam.’

“The first party would be from among those who were already Muslims, and the second would be of those who came from outside Islam, such as Hindus, European Christians, and American Christians, or from other peoples. […]

“Similarly, for some time my Jamaat has been gaining acceptance among the traditional Christians of Europe and

America. Only recently a respectable English gentleman of 200–202, Worth Street, New York, in the United States of America, whose earlier name was FL Anderson, but who has been named Hasan after he became a Muslim, wrote to me by his own hand to ask that his name be entered into my Jamaat. He reads my books that have been translated into English. He can read the Holy Quran in Arabic and can also write in Arabic.

“There are many more Westerners who are full of praise for this Jamaat, and express their agreement with it.

For instance, Dr A George Baker of 404 Susquehanna Avenue, Philadelphia, USA, read about me in the Review of Religions, and wrote that he totally agrees with the views of this Imam, who has presented Islam to the world in exactly the same form as the Holy Prophetsa had done. And a woman from America wrote about me in her letter, ‘I love to look at his picture all the time; it appears to me to be exactly the picture of the Messiah.’

“Similarly, an English lady, whose earlier name was Elizabeth and who is the wife of a friend of ours, has also entered this Jamaat.

“Moreover, I constantly receive letters from America, England, Russia, and other countries, all of which I preserve in order to silence my bigoted critics. Not a single

one of them has been discarded and day by day there seems to be a growing zeal among the people of these countries to establish contact with me.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V, pp. 131-132) Unfolding how the people of Europe and America thronged towards Ahmadiyyat, Prophet Ahmadas states: “The wonder is that they learn about our Jamaat on their own and the Gracious and Merciful Lord is infusing their hearts with love and devotion and inspiring a good opinion to surge within them which shows that the people of Europe and America are preparing to enter our Jamaat. They hold it in great esteem and are as happy to learn about it as one who – nearing death from hunger and thirst –suddenly discovers food and water.” (Ibid.)

Conclusion By the Grace of Allah, the Jamaat of Prophet Ahmadas has now become a powerful religious force in the world. Every Ahmadi, regardless of age or position, views himself as a missionary prepared to respond to the call of the Promised Messiahas, as “The time is not far – nay, it is very near – when you will witness armies of angels descending from the Heaven upon the hearts of Asia, Europe, and America.” (The Victory of Islam, pp. 56-57)

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

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The path to salvation Insights from ‘The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam’ Iftekhar Ahmed Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre

Three stages of spiritual progression In 1896, the Promised Messiahas unveiled his seminal work, The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, at a multi-faith conference, expounding a grand vision for the human soul’s attainment of transcendence and union with the Divine.

Central to the Promised Messiah’sas philosophy was the concept of three progressive stages that the soul must traverse to reach its ultimate, highest point.

“The third grade of progress is that a person should become wholly devoted to the love of his True Creator and to the winning of His pleasure. The whole of his being should be committed to God.” It is a lofty ideal of complete self-annihilation in the love of God. “To remind Muslims constantly of this grade their religion has been named Islam, which means to devote oneself wholly to God and to keep nothing back.”

(The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, p.

15f)

Natural state Before this ultimate stage of enlightenment can be attained, the Promised Messiahas described two preliminary stages the soul must graduate through. The first he termed the physical or natural state, characterised by the Quranic term an-nafs al-ammara – the commanding self that incites towards evil desires and animalistic tendencies.

“This is man’s natural state, so long as he is not guided by reason and understanding but follows his natural bent in eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, anger and provocation, like the animals.” (Ibid., p. 4) It is a primal state of being enslaved to one’s carnal appetites and baser impulses, devoid of any higher spiritual awareness.

For the souls mired in this condition, the Promised Messiahas prescribed a remedy rooted in the Islamic mystical tradition of Sufism – the cleansing of the self.

Moral state The next phase that emerges is the moral state, arising from the Quranic conception of an-nafs al-lawwama – the reproaching

conscience that censures man’s misdeeds.

This stage is the product of the reproaching self, and here man’s condition is such that although he cannot altogether suppress his sensual inclinations, yet he does not persist in them but feels repentant after committing them.

It is a state of inner turmoil, where the soul cannot fully free itself from the clutches of temptation, but is endowed with the ability to feel remorse over its transgressions. The Promised Messiahas saw in this phase the development of two key moral capacities – the ability to refrain from evil actions, and the ability to perform virtuous deeds. The to-and-fro between sin and repentance is a crucial step in the soul’s evolution towards ultimate purity.

Spiritual state Yet it is the third and final stage, termed annafs al-mutma’inna or the soul at perfect peace, that represents the pinnacle of spiritual realisation. “This is the stage when the soul of a person being delivered from all weaknesses is filled with spiritual powers and establishes a relationship with God Almighty without Whose support it cannot exist.” (Ibid., p. 7) For the Promised Messiahas, this is the ultimate goal – a state of complete surrender and submersion into the Divine Essence, where the seeker is utterly annihilated in the love and remembrance of the Beloved.

All impurities are burned away, all doubts extinguished in the brilliance of experiential knowledge of Divine Reality. The soul exists in a constant state of ecstatic communion with its Creator, clinging to the Infinite as a moth consumed in the flame.

Achieving transcendence in this life But what was truly profound about the Promised Messiah’sas vision was his insistence that this paradisiacal state of unity with the Divine was achievable in this very earthly existence, and not just some abstract ideal reserved for the afterlife. The soul can literally experience heaven here and now through the inward transformation of fana’ or annihilation of the self.

“The method of establishing perfect spiritual relationship with God that the Holy Quran teaches us is Islam,” the Promised Messiahas elaborated, “meaning devoting one’s whole life to the cause

of God and being occupied with the supplications which we have been taught in Surah al-Fatihah. This is the essence of Islam. Complete surrender to God and the supplication taught in Surah al-Fatihah are the only methods of meeting God and drinking the water of true salvation.” (Ibid., p. 128f) It was a departure from conventional Islamic orthodoxy, which tended to relegate such mystical experiences to the next world alone. For the Promised Messiahas, the realisation of God-consciousness is the entire purpose and summit of the spiritual journey in this life itself. The assumption of

a sanctified existence is the ultimate destiny of the true believer.

Sufi roots and the Prophet’ssa example In espousing this mystical worldview, the Promised Messiahas was tapping into the venerable Sufi traditions that had long flourished within Islam. Like the Sufis of ages past, he envisioned the spiritual wayfarer as an ardent lover consumed in longing for union with the Beloved – the nafs, or self, battling against the divine spark of ruh, or soul, planted within.

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024 Yet the Promised Messiahas also took care to root his metaphysics firmly within the teachings of the Quran and the exemplary life of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.

The Arab world into which the Holy Prophetsa was born in the 7th century CE was, according to Promised Messiahas, a cesspool of moral depravity and ignorance desperately in need of renewal: “At such time and for the reform of such people, our lord and master, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, appeared in Mecca. This was the time that called for the three types of reform that we have just mentioned,” the Promised Messiahas proclaimed. “That is why the Holy Quran claims to be more complete and more perfect than all other books of guidance […]. The purpose of the Holy Quran was to elevate savages into men, and then to equip them with moral qualities, and finally raise them to the level of godly persons.” (Ibid., p. 23)

Morality and creation intertwined At the heart of the Promised Messiah’sas teachings was a profound metaphysics that intrinsically linked the inward domain of morality (khulq) to the outward plane of physical creation (khalq). He argued that just as each soul’s birth into this terrestrial realm was but a prelude to an inner, spiritual rebirth, every external action performed by a human being had an innate, corresponding quality embedded within their spiritual essence.

“For instance, a person sheds tears through the eyes and corresponding to that action there is an inner quality which is called tenderness,” he illustrated. “In the same way, a person defends himself against the attack of an enemy with his hands, and corresponding to this action there is an inner quality which is called bravery. When this quality is exercised at its proper place and on its proper occasion, it is called a moral quality.” (Ibid., p. 28f) It is only through the light of reason and self-discipline that these latent virtues can be actualised and integrated into one’s character. The very goal of the moral and spiritual struggle is to fully manifest and harmonise these interpenetrating realities of spirit and form, body and soul, zahir and batin.

Attributes and Oneness of God Yet critically, while proclaiming mystical teachings, the Promised Messiahas was unwavering in his adherence to the foundational principles of Islamic monotheism. He rejected in the strongest terms any notions of divine pluralism or a triune conception of God – beliefs he regarded as insidious deviations from the uncompromising Oneness (Tawhid) which is at the core of the faith.

God’s attributes are indeed innumerable and each exhibits itself in its full glory at the appropriate occasion. But He has no associate or companion, as is blasphemously attributed to Him by those who adhere to the doctrine of Trinity.

For the Holy Quran, and thus for Islam, ascribing partners to the Supreme Being is the gravest of sins (shirk) – an unforgivable breach of the Quranic injunction to pure, strict monotheism. Even as the scripture

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refers to God by the multiple attributes of ar-Rahman (The Gracious), ar-Rahim (The Merciful) and more, these are but diverse expressions of His singular Essence.

The Promised Messiahas was careful to distinguish the distinct metaphysical implications of God being referred to by these specific names. When the Quran terms God as ar-Rahman, it signifies His all-encompassing grace and unconditional bestowal of myriad blessings upon creation, prior to any deeds meriting such favour.

When the Promised Messiahas says, “before the coming into being of animates and before any action proceeding from them, out of His pure grace and not for any other purpose, nor as a reward for any action, He makes due provision for everyone,” this is not about the relationship between grace and redemption, but about the relationship between grace and creation. “He brought into being the sun and the earth and all other things for our benefit before we came into being and before any action had proceeded from us,” the Promised Messiahas went on to expound. “This Divine bounty is designated rahmaniyyah in the Book of God, and on account of it God Almighty is called ar-Rahman.” (Ibid., p. 95) In contrast, when God is called arRahim, it denotes His attribute of divinely recompensing and abundantly rewarding human beings for their virtuous actions and endeavours – a pointed reaffirmation of the Islamic ethos of individual moral responsibility.

“He rewards righteous action richly and does not let go waste anyone’s effort,” the Promised Messiahas elaborated. “[O] n account of this attribute He is called arRahim, and the attribute is designated as rahimiyyah.” (Ibid.)

Far from the Judeo-Christian conception of salvation through God’s unearned grace alone, the Promised Messiah’sas perspective placed the onus squarely on the human spiritual wayfarer to actively perfect their own soul through righteousness and tireless effort.

Afterlife unveiled This same ethical accent coloured the Promised Messiah’sas refreshing and rational exposition of the Quranic teachings on the afterlife and the soul’s ultimate journey beyond this mortal realm. He discerned three distinct phases outlined in the Islamic revelation: First, the earthly realm, which he termed “the first creation and […] the state of effort,” where “man works good or evil.”

(Ibid., p. 142) This worldly realm serves as the starting point – the fundamental arena where each person’s actions, both virtuous and sinful, are first manifested and accumulated. It acts as the crucial testing ground that sets the stage for the consequential unfolding of the human spiritual journey that is yet to come.

Upon death and separation from the physical body, the soul then enters the barzakh – an interim or transitional state between this earthly life and the final resurrection, where it assumes a transitory, subtle form reflecting the hue of its earthly record. “That body is not like this physical body, but is prepared from light or from darkness, according to the quality of the person’s actions in this life”. (Ibid., p. 145)

Alexander Psiuk | Unsplash

Here, the separation into two realms first occurs. The righteous are described by the Holy Quran as the living, the sinners and those who have gone astray as the dead. “[T]he functions of the lives of those who die in a state of neglect of God, for instance, eating and drinking and indulgence of their passions are cut off,” the Promised Messiahas solemnly affirmed. Thus, having “no share of spiritual sustenance. They are truly dead and will be revived only for punishment.”

(Ibid., p. 147) Yet this is merely the prelude to the grandest, final universal revelation awaiting – the Day of Resurrection, when every soul will be “bestowed a visible body” to experience the fullness of recompense and God’s infinite glory. “That day has been appointed for the perfect manifestations of God, when every person will get to know the Being of his Lord fully,” the Promised Messiahas divined, “and everyone will arrive at the climax of his recompense.” (Ibid., p.

148) Rather than a culmination, however, this Day ushers in a new beginning – the next sublime stage in the endless evolutionary unfoldment of the human soul seeking ever-greater transcendence and perfection through successive revelations and unveilings to higher planes of celestial realities.

Universalist imperative Through his profound synthesis of Islamic spirituality, Sufi mysticism, and rationalist theology, the Promised Messiahas emerged as Islam’s most visionary thinker of our time.

His teachings compellingly underscored the universalist imperative at the heart of the Quranic revelation – the idea that Islam’s spiritual message was intended as a cosmic blueprint for the entire human race, not just the Arabs or Asians among whom it was first revealed.

“That is why the Holy Quran claims to be more complete and more perfect than

all other books of guidance,” (Ibid., p. 23) the Promised Messiahas asserted. It was a powerful, forthright pronouncement – that the sacred scripture represented not just another parochial religious tradition, but a cosmic clarity designed to raise the “savages” (Ibid.) from their state of moral decadence and elevate them to the loftiest pinnacles of ethical and spiritual realisation.

In the Promised Messiah’sas vision, the Quran’s universalist essence flowed directly from its being the final capstone of all divinely-revealed teachings, infusing them with a renewed vitality and relevance for the modern age. Just as the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa had been sent as a mercy for all the worlds, so too did the Promised Messiahas stand as his latter-day echo, revivifying the faith’s spiritually liberating message for a world increasingly mired in soulless materialism.

His teachings were a divinely-guided revitalisation of the pristine Islamic spiritual tradition. Harmonising the ecstatic outpourings of Sufism with rationality and metaphysical insight, his core tenet was that complete annihilation of the self and union with the Divine is attainable in this very life.

This was no abstract afterlife concept, but the very purpose of our existence – to taste the ineffable bliss of fana’ and experience heaven on earth by shattering the veil between the temporal and eternal realms. Rooted in the mystic’s passionate love for the Beloved, his vision nonetheless embraced this physical world as the arena for that love’s blossoming through righteous deeds. Crucially, the Promised Messiahas upheld the Quranic message as a universal guidance for all humanity to attain the loftiest stations of spiritual realisation, following the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. In this era of globalisation, his revitalising call for recognition of the soul’s timeless potential rings out resoundingly.

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

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Life in Qadian: A 1970s snapshot Sahibzada Mirza Wasim Ahmad (1927-2007)

The 1974 publication “Popular Religion in the Punjab Today”, edited by John C. B. Webster, features a segment on the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Qadian. Commissioned by the Christian Institute of Sikh Studies, Batala, and published by I.S.P.C.K., Delhi, this concise volume provides a window into the religious landscape of Punjab.

Its contents offer insights into various Sikh denominations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar, both Nirankari and Sant Nirankari sects, the Kukas, the emergent Namdhari Sect, and the Nihang Singhs, among others.

Beyond Sikhism, the book delves into Arya Samaj, Jainism, and Catholicism, thus casting a wide net over the religious diversity within Punjab’s rural and urban contexts. Essentially, it compiles papers from a seminar titled “Popular Religion in the Punjab Today,” held from 7-9 December 1973, at Baring Union Christian College, Batala, sponsored by the Christian Institute of Sikh Studies, and includes three additional contributions post-seminar. This seminar aimed to capture the essence of Punjab’s religious dynamics in the 1970s.

Following is the complete text of Sahibzada Mirza Wasim Ahmad’s article, which presents a vivid portrayal of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s life in Qadian. (— Awwab Saad Hayat, Al Hakam)

“THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE AHMADIYYA COMMUNITY IN QADIAN “Qadian is the centre of the Ahmadiyya Community. Because there are now Ahmadis in many parts of the world, this holy place is of international importance.

Each and every Ahmadi, no matter what his nationality, loves and reveres this holy settlement greatly. After the partition of the country in 1947, 313 men stayed in Qadian to look after its holy places; now, as the wives of these men returned, as the bachelors among them married girls from other parts of India, and as some more families have arrived over the years, the Ahmadi population of Qadian has increased to about 1500 people. In this paper, I shall describe the religious life of the Ahmadis from morning until late at night. I shall then describe some of our festivals, special occasions and religious activities.

“At dawn, an hour and a half before sunrise, a melodious voice calls out from the tall, white minaret at Qadian, ‘Allah is Great’ and is heard for miles around.

This call marks the beginning of the day for the Ahmadis. They wake up, perform the washing rituals (ablution), and walk

towards the mosques with the name of God upon their lips. Soon, all three mosques in the Ahmadiyya settlement are filled.

All the worshippers join in the morning prayers together under the leadership of an imam (the person who leads the prayer); there is no distinction between the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the dark and the light-complexioned. After the prayers are over, the worshippers remain to hear some portions, either from the Holy Quran or from other religious books, which will increase their yearning for God and desire for good living. At the same time, the women and young girls say their prayers in their respective homes. When this is completed, all the members of the household recite from the Holy Quran in their own individual ways. This is a time full of divine love and ecstasy; the songs of the cinema or never heard at this or any time in Qadian. (Ahmadis, particularly in Qadian, are most emphatic about the cinema being one of the great curses of modern life.)

“After breakfast, the Ahmadis go about their daily work. Some tend their fields, some work in the shops and stores of the Ahmadiyya bazaar, and some carry out religious responsibilities in the offices of the community. All of them come to the mosques at the time of prayer and join in mass worship. In fact the major part of the religious life of the Ahmadis in Qadian is their saying the prayers five times a day. For these, the men come to the mosque while the women say their prayers at home. Since women have household responsibilities,

Islam has exempted them from having to come to mosques to say their prayers. This does not mean that they are forbidden to come; they can and do come, provided there is a curtain separating them from the men. On Fridays after noon, when special prayers are said, the women do come and participate with the men. A curtain is drawn inside the mosque so that the women can say their prayers undisturbed and listen to the Friday sermon of the imam.

“Every year we observe fasts for the whole month of Ramadan. Before dawn the young children pass through the streets reciting spiritual verses in melodious tunes in order to [wake up] the Ahmadis and get them ready for the fast. The fast continues till sunset. During the day those observing the fast are strictly forbidden from eating or drinking anything. During Ramadan, lectures and lessons on the holy tradition (Hadith) are given in the mosques after the morning prayers to both men and women.

Similarly, after the prayers which are performed in the afternoon, the scholars of the community read by turn from the Holy Quran, explaining and elaborating on its meanings. In this way, the whole Quran is read through the month of Ramadan. At night a special prayer is held at which the imam recites portions of the Holy Quran from memory until, in twenty-nine days, the whole of the Holy Quran is completed in this way. Ahmadis participating in the prayers listen in silence. In the last ten days of Ramadan, a devotion in seclusion is held; whoever wants to participate in it has to stay in the mosque for ten days. This

is considered to be a very important act of worship. Every year, scores of people get the opportunity to do it.

“When the month of Ramadan is over and the new moon of the next Islamic month is visible, all the Ahmadis celebrate Id-ul-Fitr. Men, women and children put on new or neat and clean clothes and go to idgah (an open place where mass worship is said on the day of Id) to say the Id-day prayers. On this day the prayers are usually said in a beautiful park adjoining the Bahishti Maqbara (blessed graveyard). First of all, prayers are said along with the imam and after this, the imam delivers a sermon in which he explains the significance of Muslim festivals and exhorts the people to serve humanity and other such things.

Thereafter the people greet each other and embrace On this happy occasion special food is prepared and either this food or something else is sent as a gift to relations and friends. This gift is not compulsory.

However, as the giving of gifts enhances mutual love, gifts cannot be refused. Those who are incapable of giving are not looked down upon by others.

“A second Id is celebrated two months and ten days after Idul Fitr. At this time the devout and solvent go to Mecca for pilgrimage or Hajj. This Haji takes place on the ninth day of the Islamic month (Zol Hajj). Those who cannot go on pilgrimage observe Id-ul-Azhia the next day, that is, on the tenth day, in their own towns.

Idul Azhia means the festival of sacrifices and is celebrated in commemoration of Prophet Abraham’s offering up his son,

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024 Prophet Ishmael. In commemoration of this sacrifice, Muslims all over the world sacrifice animals after special Id prayers, sermons, etc., as we do in Qadian. We give each other and non-Muslim friends gifts from this sacrificial meat. Qadian becomes a festive place during this Id. “In Qadian, the community runs, from its own funds and without government grants, two separate high schools–one for boys and one for girls–in which students (irrespective of caste and creed) acquire a modern education. It also has a purely theological school in which Arabic scholars are trained. All the students and teachers of this school have dedicated their lives to the service of their faith. The community also runs a hospital through which they serve the general public, spending on it a lot of money, as such, social service is an integral part of our religion. The community gives aid and allowances to deserving and needy students, orphans, widows and invalids from its charity funds. In 1955, when much of the surrounding area was flooded, the community provided medical aid as well as help in repairing homes for people in need. This made a great impression upon the people of the area.

“The white minaret of Qadian is a holy tower for the Ahmadis built by the Founder of the Community in order to fulfil publicly a prophecy of the Holy Prophet of Islam (May God bless him and grant him peace) that the Promised Messiah will descend near a minaret east of Damascus. Because so many visitors come to see this minaret, the Mubarak and Aqsa mosques, and the Bahishti Maqbara, (Blessed Graveyard), the community has opened an office to show all these to them and provide information about them as well as about the teachings and activities of the community. NonMuslims come in large groups every day.

If there is a wedding or special guests visit Qadian, almost invariably these people come to visit these holy places. Moreover, the Ahmadi Muslims of Qadian have become a kind of wonder for youth and children born after the partition of the country. Therefore, they visit us in order to learn about and understand our way of life.

Should a visiting party arrive two hours before sunset while we are saying our prayers in the mosque, it gives them much pleasure to see us pray, even as it gives us who are performing Islamic worship, spiritual joy and ecstasy.

“As has already been stated, Qadian is the centre of the Ahmadiyya Community, of which there are close to two hundred branches in India, all of whom receive instructions from Qadian. A properly registered body under the title Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Qadian with its own bye-laws is functioning at Qadian. This society collects subscriptions from the members of the community both in and beyond Qadian itself. These collections or subscriptions include a general contribution (to which each member gives one-sixteenth to one-third of his income), a share of inheritance (which runs from one-tenth to as high as one-third of an inheritance), special subscriptions for the annual conference held at Qadian, for the publication of literature, for preaching, Waqf-i-Jadeed (The Modern Dedication), Tahrik-i-Jadid (The Modern Movement), Fazle Umar Foundation

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(for the advancement of the campaigns launched by the late Second Caliph), Nusrat Jahan Fund (for the assistance of the world). The Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya has separate departments such as the departments of Education, Preaching, Publication of Literature, Finance (Income and Expenditure separate), General Affairs, the Treasury, the Auditor, etc.

Each department has a secretary or Nazir and over them is a President or Nazir Ala. From amongst the darveshes (religious devotees) and other Ahmadis deserving candidates are chosen and employed in these different departments. Besides their salaries, certain payments are fixed for the families of the darveshes. But these salaries and allowances are minimal and only people with missionary zeal can live on them. The lives of our darveshes are extremely humble; somehow they live on what they receive.

“Our second religious leader, the late Hazrat Khalifatul Masih us Sani[ra] (the Second Successor to the Promised Messiah) has divided the men of the community into three groups according to their age.

Children below 15 years are included in Atfal, youth above 15 but below 40 years of age are known as Khuddam (Servants) and elderly as Ansar (Helpers). Each group has a separate set of activities and is given lessons in accordance with these activities, and is inspired to act according to the teachings of Islam. Ahmadi women similarly participate in religious activities, just as do the men. They are divided into two groups: Lajna Ima-Ullah (the maidservants of Allah), which includes girls and women above the age of 15 years and Nasirat (The Helpers), which includes girls below the age of 15 years. They hold weekly meetings at which religious books are read and are trained to become good citizens, good daughters, and mothers. Therefore, if one were to visit the Ahmadiyya settlement at Qadian, one would at once feel that this is a Muslim area. Whenever Ahmadis meet each other, they exchange greetings invoking God’s blessings – ‘As-Salam-oAlaikum’ and the reply, ‘Walaikum-usSalam’ which means ‘May God grant you grace, peace and blessings’ “In Qadian, we celebrate two special days in the year besides the two Ids and Ramadan already described. One is called Milad-un-Nabi by Muslims in general and is the day on which the Holy Prophet

Image: Library

Muhammad (Peace & blessings of Allah be on him!) was born. The Ahmadis, instead of celebrating it with qawalis (a particular type of singing) or like the Urs (Observance of the memory of the saints), hold a big meeting at which speeches are made on the different aspects of the innate nature and virtues of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (May God confer the blessings of peace upon him). We ask not only our own scholars but also people of other faiths to present their ideas on this subject so that mutual love may be strengthened.

The other special day is known as the day of Peshwayan-i-Mazahib, i.e., Religious Founders Day. On this day, the lives and innate virtues of the outstanding leaders and founders of all religions are described with love and reverence at the same time by members of the community. People of other faiths are especially invited to speak on this occasion. Such gatherings have always borne good fruit as followers of different faiths sit together; many have expressed their appreciation of this practice.

“Finally, mention should be made of the community’s annual conferences.

These conferences are purely religious in nature, the speeches being based entirely on spiritual and religious subjects. The conference is generally held towards the end of the second week of December for three days. People from all parts of the country without distinction of caste and creed are invited to it; the community makes all necessary arrangements for lodging and boarding of the invitees. This kind of conference was actually begun in 1891 AD by the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Ever since then,

this tradition has been maintained. Years ago, when the Holy Founder[as] of the Ahmadiyya Community was unknown to the world and probably no more than three or four people had associated themselves with him, God Almighty told him that people from far and near would come unto him and come in large multitudes.

And that is precisely what happens when large multitudes visit Qadian and Rabwah, the other centre of the community, at conference time. Although, since the partition of the country, the conference at Qadian is not up to its former magnificence, delegations from all over the country and abroad do come.

“Scores of Ahmadis from abroad [undertake a journey] to Qadian, spending their time in special prayers and worship and away from worldly pleasures. Their sole objective is to please God. When these friends from abroad return to their own countries, they tell others that they have seen Ahmadis performing their religious duties in India with complete freedom.

Their reports about the well-being of the Ahmadis of Oadian make the Ahmadis of foreign lands happy. The Punjab Government in particular and India in general get credit for granting the Ahmadis of Qadian freedom in the conduct of their religious life.

“These are some of the highlights of the religious life of the Ahmadiyya Community of Qadian, as its members practice their faith from one day to the next throughout the year, spreading over the twentysix years since the independence of our country.” (Popular Religion in the Punjab Today, Edited by John C B Webster, pp.

67-73)

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

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God’s existence, need for religion and the Promised Messiah’s prophecies Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s address to college students in Lahore, 1921 Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam

On 5 March 1921, a group of college students in Lahore had the opportunity to meet Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, Mirza Bashirud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra. They requested Huzoor’sra opinion on their point of view that: There is neither any need for religion nor is there any benefit of it; however, there is no harm if people adopt it to attain certain superficial benefits.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra response Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra provided a detailed response, explaining the need for religion, God’s existence, and magnificence of the Promised Messiah’sas prophecies: “In my view, the reason behind negligence towards religion is that one ponders over religion with a very limited perspective. People often perform tasks that seem to them to be a means to attain wealth.

However, people of this era do not find such characteristics in religion, and though they accept it, they do so only because they have learnt about it from their parents. Moreover, in some instances, they are required to sacrifice their wealth for the religion as well.

For this reason, the people’s hearts in this era are inclined towards materialism, [and] they part ways with religion.

“However, it does not prove that there is no benefit to religion. In fact, the truth is that they do not utilise religion [for their betterment], or even if they did so, it was in the wrong manner. Thus, how can one attain benefit if they do not even utilise religion [in its true essence] and abandon it due to their own unacquaintance and ignorance?

The wisdom is to utilise everything whose benefit is proven.

“Look, there were many things which had been abandoned by people, but when science proved their benefits, people adopted them. For instance, we see in medicine that ispaghol [Psyllium Husk] was used by Greek doctors for a long time and they told it to be beneficial to cure diarrhoea; however, the [contemporary] doctors denied such of its benefits, but upon knowing its benefits, they began to use it [for cure]. There are people who follow a certain religion but are unable to attain any good results; the reason being that their method of doing so is incorrect. [...]

“Therefore, one needs to ensure that the method of using a certain thing is not incorrect. If there is an unfavourable outcome despite utilising the correct method, it means the thing is bad itself; however, if the outcome is unfavourable due to the usage of an incorrect method, it indicates that a certain thing is not bad in itself [instead, the method utilised is inappropriate]. Look, quinacrine is beneficial in curing seasonal fever [malaria]. However, if someone denies its benefits by using it for typhoid fever, then they are wrong in doing so. We witness in our country that there are many things that are deemed useless and thus wasted away, but Europe has taken benefits from such things. For instance, the jungles of bamboo are found in India, which would mostly go to waste, but Europeans manufactured paper from it and benefited by utilising it in a very nice manner. [...]

The discipline of the universe requires a Muntazim “When we ponder over mankind, its creation does not seem to be purposeless, and then the means that have been created for them, are immensely perfect and eloquent. Just recently, an American astronomer published that a meteorite would hit the earth, destroying it into pieces. Influenced by this fear, many people from European countries committed suicide. Some said, ‘Though it will not hit, it will produce such gases which will cause suffocation.’ However, the [predicted] day came and passed. It was later known that they were such tiny particles that they had no real impact on the Earth. It is believed about some other stars as well that when they come near the Earth, they instantly change direction.” (Al Fazl, 14 March 1921, p. 3)

Ponder over the method of usage of a certain thing The Screnton Truth | 18 May 1910

Image: Library

Halley’s Comet of 1910 The incident that Huzoorra has mentioned here, is about the rumours created in regard to Halley’s Comet in 1910. As per the comet’s calculated close passage to Earth, it turned to concern when astronomers realised that the Earth would pass through the comet’s 25-millionkilometre-long tail. On 7 February 1910, the Yerkes Observatory announced the discovery of cyanogen, a deadly poison, in the comet’s tail. The New York Times reported that the French astronomer and author Camille Flammarion believed that the cyanogen “would impregnate the atmosphere and possibly snuff out all life on the planet.” Concern among the public grew in the weeks leading to the Earth’s passage through the comet’s tail on May 19, 1910.

Churches held all-night prayer vigils, and doomsayers wrote to the Royal Greenwich Observatory, England, to say that the comet would cause massive tides across the Americas as the Pacific emptied itself into the Atlantic. As dawn arrived on 20 May 1910, the world had not ended. Oceans had not emptied, and people had not choked, though tragically, 16-year-old Amy Hopkins lost her life falling from a roof, while watching for the comet with friends. (“Apocalypse postponed: how Earth survived Halley’s Comet in 1910”, www.theguardian. com, 20 December 2012)

Testimony to the existence of an All-Powerful Being Huzoorra continued: “Therefore, these happenings testify that it is not an accident, but rather, there is a Being Who makes such happenings.

Suppose, there is a brick on the ground, one can say that it fell down as an accident or by the force of wind, however, one cannot say that a building was constructed as an accident. Or if the ink spills down, it is possible that an eye-like shape might appear, but it is impossible for it to create an eye itself. If the spillage of ink creates the nose, face, and complete human complexion, and then manifests the human impressions of sorrow or happiness, then, in the presence of such a human creation, one ought to testify that it is an act of a very intelligent creator.

“Now, look, in addition to the creation of the eye, [God] has also created the sun at a distance of millions of miles. Similarly, in addition to the creation of the stomach, certain things have also been created that can fill it. These arrangements testify that this system is functioning under the guidance of a Wise and Omnipotent Being.

And that it is not an accident. Therefore, the system of this universe testifies that it has a Creator, and He has a purpose behind its creation. It is not as if He abandoned it after creation. An accident is a happening without any sequence; however, anything that holds a sequence cannot be called an

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024 accident.

How can one feel the need for religion?

“In short, the creation of mankind has a purpose, and religion is for the betterment of mankind. However, there are many benefits, that one does not often realise. For instance, when the rail was not yet invented, we did not feel its need, but when the rail has now been invented, [the country whose] government does not have rail, is objected to as to why they did not facilitate [their public] with such a need. Moreover, when the system of post was not yet introduced, one did not even feel the need for it, but when it came into existence, those places faced objections where its facility was not provided. In the same way, unless one attains [the true understanding of] God, they do not feel its need, but upon attaining it, they cannot deny His Being, and cannot spend their lives in true essence without Him. Thus, the question about the need for religion is linked to the Existence of God. If there is a God, then religion is also needed.

Proof of God’s existence “Now, the question emerges as to what is the proof for [the existence of] God, and if there is, what impact does He have on us? Since it is an established fact that everything has an impact, thus, God should have an impact as well. [...] If there is a God and He has created us, we should find its proof as well, otherwise, if He has no connection with us, then His worship would be meaningless.

However, it is a reality, and as I have already made clear, there is a God, and that God Who rewards those who make a connection with Him, and retributes those who disobey Him. He manifests His attributes. He does not remain silent, in fact, He guides His servants to the paths that lead them to His nearness.

“All the religions tell us that their founders had communion with God. The Sikhs present their Gurus, and the followers of various other religions present their holy personages; however, all of them present [the example of] their holy personages of the past. The Muslims also believe that the Holy Prophetsa had communion with God and they have had the belief that God speaks to His beloved ones. But after some time, they got mistaken and began to assert that ‘God has ceased to speak [to His servants].’

Islam’s superiority over all other religions “At the outset of all religions, their followers had a belief that God did speak, and now their denial indicates that those religions are not in their true form.

However, Islam still presents this fact, which is the essence of religion, and has been the distinctive feature of all religions, i.e., the Divine Communion. Therefore, in this era, God conveyed His Word through the Promised Messiahas, and it has not ceased after him, but rather, it continues, by the grace of God.” (Al Fazl, 14 March 1921, pp. 3-4) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then presented his own example in proof of the fact that God Almighty speaks to His servants in this era as well.

The Promised Messiah’sas prophecies are the proof of God’s existence

17

Huzoorra continued: “When the Promised Messiahas claimed that he has been appointed by God and He spoke to him, everyone — friends and foes — began to oppose him. In this very Lahore, he was attacked with stones, and once in Amritsar, the public threw stones at him. The Christian clergy initiated lawsuits against him, alleging him for murder attempt, and all of them joined together in his opposition. However, God had foretold him in regard to those hardships and said that all of them would be alleviated and he would be saved from being harmed.

Therefore, it was fulfilled with the grace of God. The world desired to efface his Jamaat, but could not succeed, and his Jamaat continued to flourish. He said that he is a humble person and does not hold any worldly glory, fame, power or strength, but his God has told him that he will be granted honour and his followers will spread all over the world. Now look, how amazingly this is being fulfilled.

“In the same way, he was foretold about the spread of plague within the country, and that it will enter even in Qadian, but his house will be safeguarded. Therefore, the plague had come into the surroundings of his house, but it was protected by God at all times.

“These are the benefits of this world that one attains through religion. Moreover, the benefits of the Hereafter are in abundance, which cannot be counted, and are granted after this life, just like you attain education now for the future’s benefit. It is not the case that your study is a waste of time. Thus, it is evident that there is a need for religion, and if one acts upon it in a correct manner, as taught by Islam, one certainly attains [the true understanding of] God. Moreover, the one who makes a connection with God in this world, ultimately attains its benefits, and will be granted its reward in the future [Hereafter] as well.

“The second point in regards to a certain matter is the distinctive features it holds.

Our claim is that Islam comprises such distinctive features that are not found in any other religion. Currently, the negative outcomes that are manifesting due to the actions of contemporary Muslims, cannot be used to object to Islam, since they are happening due to acting contradictory to the pathway taught by Islam.” (Al Fazl, 14 March 1921, pp. 4-5) After this, the following questions were presented: 1) In other religions as well, such people are found who make prophecies, in this case, it is not Islam’s distinctive feature.

2) The spread of Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s Community does not prove his truthfulness, since Lenin has also attained great success in Russia.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra granted the following response:

Distinctive status of the Promised Messiah’sas prophecies “The answer to the first question is that though the followers of some religions are against making prophecies, they publish their predictions in some instances.

However, they do not claim that it is the teaching and characteristic of their religion; rather, they say that ‘our knowledge suggests this.’ All astrologers say, ‘We make

The Graphic | 23 December 1911

predictions on the basis of our knowledge, not [through any knowledge] from God.’ The Europeans, who are specialists in this field, do not call themselves the representatives of any religion, but rather, declare their predictions to be a result of their knowledge, and say that whoever will practise and learn it – regardless of their background or religion – will be able to make predictions.

“Moreover, the predictions that are made by such people and are fulfilled as well, are of such nature that their means have already been created beforehand. For instance, a student studies every day and is very intelligent. One of his close ones says, ‘He will pass the exams’, and then it happens in reality. It is not a big deal; rather, it is a guess. And sometimes, guesses also come true. However, such a matter whose means are not yet created, rather, the prevailing situation opposes it – for instance, about such a boy who does not go to school and someone says, ‘He will pass the exams’ – it will be a prophecy. Then, if a matter has two, three, or four aspects, and one certain aspect is predicted [to happen], and it comes true, then it will be called a prophecy. [...]

“The predictions that are made by the astrologers, do not hold multiple aspects, and they cannot even predict their own fate in case their specific prediction is fulfilled.

Sometimes they predict an earthquake or an epidemic, but they themselves become its victims as well. However, this is not the case in the prophecies of prophets; they are made amidst unfavourable circumstances, which

hold multiple aspects, glory, and might.

Partition of Bengal and its reversal “For instance, look at the Promised Messiah’sas prophecy about Bengal. When the [British] Parliament had decided to carry on with the Partition of Bengal [sanctioned in June 1905 and came into force in the following October], and the Bengalis had become disappointed, at that time, the Promised Messiahas made a prophecy [on 11 February 1906] in accordance with the knowledge from God Almighty: ‫ےلہپاگنبہلیکتبسنوجھچکمکحاجریایکایگاھتابُاُنیکدوجلیئوہیگ۔‬ “‘Concerning the order that had been issued with regard to Bengal, they will now be consoled.’ (Tadhkirah [English], pp. 821822) “This news was received by the Bengalis with such amazement and wonder that a Bengali newspaper [Prakash of Dhaka, 6 March 1906] wrote that the government had declared repeatedly that they had decided to carry on with the law which had been passed and their could be no amendment of any kind, but a man from Punjab says that the Bengalis ‘will now be consoled.’” (Al Fazl, 14 March 1921, p. 5) The Indian Daily News wrote under the heading “Partition of Bengal: Gazette Extraordinary”: “A Gazette Extraordinary contains a long resolution on the Bengal Partition scheme.

The effect of the proposals thus agreed Continued on page 19 >>

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

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100 Khan Bahadur Sher Jang testifies

Years Ago...

to the spread of Ahmadiyyat Al Fazl, 14 March 1924

Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra mentioned a letter of a non-Ahmadi British official in his Friday Sermon of 29 February 1924, as published in the 15 March 2024 issue of Al Hakam.

This letter was sent by a soldier-surveyor in the British Indian Army, Khan Bahadur Sher Jang Khan. He narrated some of his personal accounts about the global spread of Ahmadiyyat to Syed Abdul Haye Sahib.

Sometime later, Maulvi Rahim Bakhsh Sahib went to Mansoori, Iran, and Syed Abdul Haye Sahib shared the testimony of Sher Jang Khan with him. Hearing those profound chronicles, Rahim Baksh Sahib suggested to Syed Abdul Haye Sahib that Sher Jang Khan put in writing the incidents he had spoken about.

Upon the request of Syed Abdul Haye Sahib, Khan Bahadur Sher Jang Khan, stationed at Masjed Soleyman, Iran, wrote some of his first-hand narratives about the progress of Ahmadiyyat in foreign countries.

The summary of this letter is presented below for the information of our readers. — (Editor, Al Hakam)

Iran During the years 1900–1902, Khan Bahadur Sher Jang Khan travelled to Iran and visited towns Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, Shiraz, etc.

He came across Shia and Babi adherents. He also encountered followers of Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jama‘ah. By then, he was unaware of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. Later on, he learned about Ahmadiyyat but did not convert.

Sher Jang Khan regretted hearing exaggerated religious tales and learning that certain Babis abandoned the Holy Quran.

He also observed that the Iranian Shiites, as well as many other Muslims worldwide, were oblivious to the fundamental principles of Islam.

Khan Bahadur Sher Jang went to Iran again in 1906-07. He journeyed to Sistan, Kerman, Shahrebabak, Shiraz, etc. During this trip, the people of Shiraz enquired a lot about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, but unfortunately, as he was not well-acquainted with the Jamaat by then, he could not give a comprehensive answer.

Abyssinia In 1902, Sher Jang Khan journeyed to Abyssinia and met a king there, who was curious about his origin. The people there were largely of the ancient Christian faith, with few Muslims, completely unaware of their religion. During his journey through the jungles of Abyssinia, Sher Jang and his team were assisted by the brother of a king

In the year 1905 and later part of 1906, Sher Jang travelled to Iraq, Muscat, Oman, and a part of Najd. He disembarked in Bushehr and went to Kuwait. Sher Jang travelled from Kuwait to Bahrain, then Muscat. The Sultan of Muscat granted him permission to see the interior of Oman.

Scholar of Arabic

there, who professed admiration for him. A conversation with him shifted to a lost book, handed to them by their late spiritual leader, but devoured by a cow. Sher Jang Khan was also informed about a prophecy of their saint regarding the discovery of their lost teachings in a distant city named “Qudi”, situated to the northeast. Sher Jang assessed that India was located to the northeast of where he was positioned. Later, he understood that “Qudi” alluded to Qadian.

China Towards the end of 1903 and through the year 1904, Khan Bahadur Sher Jang journeyed to Tibet. He visited Gyantse, Paryang, and Lhasa. There were few Muslims in that region, but the majority of the people were Buddhists, and there were a lot of idolaters as well. In Lhasa, Sher Jang met some Muslims; they were merchants by profession, who traded goods in China and Kashmir.

Some Chinese Muslims also met Sher Jang Khan. One day, they enquired of him about Hazrat Ahmadas. On another occasion, a captain of the Chinese [ship] asked him about Hazrat Ahmad’sas age, wisdom, lineage and claims. Sher Jang replied with annoyance, expressing why they kept mentioning Hazrat Ahmad[as] when the clerics criticised him and called him a disbeliever. The Chinese captain accused Sher Jang Khan of being prejudiced and enquired whether their Imam Mahdi would be human or take on another shape upon arrival, clarifying the nature of the Promised Messiah’s claim. Soon after, their conversation came to an end.

Arab states

One day, a person of saintly appearance came to Sher Jang Khan and asked him through an interpreter, “Where are you from?” Sher Jang replied that he was a resident of Afghanistan. The said person had a small magazine in his hand, and he said, “Have you seen Mirza Ahmad[as]? How far does he live from you?” Sher Jang said he had not seen him and that he lived far away from him. Then, the noble elder said, “I am a scholar of Arabic, but it is not within the power of a human being to write such words as Mirza Ahmad[as] has written in this magazine. Rather, it has been written with special help and succour from God. I have read the words of great Arab scholars, but I have not witnessed such an impactful writing. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough wealth and don’t know the Hindi language, and my feeble mother will not allow me to go. Otherwise, I would surely have visited Mirza Ahmad[as]. If Allah the Almighty grants me the opportunity, I intend to visit him.” Sher Jang Khan narrates that the people kept talking to this saintly man about Hazrat Ahmad[as] for a long time.

Khan Bahadur Sher Jang suggested that it would be better for the people there if Arabic literature of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat was distributed among them, and he regretted that only a few scholars of the Arabic language were left in that region.

Shimla In 1907, Sher Jang Khan received an order to reach the military office in Shimla. After leaving his luggage at the company lodges, he proceeded to the office and enquired if any Indians lived there. Sher Khan was informed about Maulvi Khuda Baksh Sahib.

He met Maulvi Sahib, who welcomed him cordially and asked him, “How are you, Sher Jang?” He was curious as to how Maulvi Sahib knew his name. He later learned that before his arrival, Allah the Almighty had shown him Sher Jang’s face in a dream, and Khuda Baksh Sahib had already told people about his arrival. Sher Jang Khan narrates that he felt welcomed in their company and they showed great hospitality. By then, he was unaware that he was in the company of Ahmadis. Later on, some Muslims cautioned him to stay away from Ahmadis, but his

regard for Ahmadis grew even stronger after their warning.

Afghanistan In 1909-10, Khan Bahadur Sher Jang travelled to the Kurram Valley in Afghanistan. One day, he camped in a village of the Mangal tribe, close to the Afghan border. An ignorant Mangal came to him at night and enquired if he was an Ahmadi. Sher Khan became worried that if they found out he was an Ahmadi, they could hurt him. However, the Mangal relieved him of his worry, telling him not to worry as Ahmadis made up the majority of his village’s population. However, a large number of them were ignorant of how to pray, and they were also reluctant to make the call for prayer, fearing that the said practice might spread diseases to their animals.

When asked how they converted to Ahmadiyyat, he told Sher Khan that a Syed, who was stoned to death, preached to them and convinced them to become Ahmadis.

Sher Jang Khan narrated that the Mangal also told him the Syed’s name; “Maybe it was ‘Latif ’.”

Third visit to Iran From 1913 to 1915, Khan Bahadur Sher Jang Khan travelled across several countries, including Iran. After travelling through several cities, including Urmia, Lahijan, etc., Sher Jang finally crossed Mount Qaf and reached Mount Ararat.

During the religious discussions he had with Arabs, Iranians and Turks on this trip, Sher Jang Khan was frequently asked about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. However, he was unable to offer specific details since he did not have a thorough knowledge and insight on the teaching of Ahmadiyyat.

Turkey In the city of Beyazid, the head jurist and other locals expressed interest in learning about Indian Muslims, particularly regarding Hazrat Ahmad’s[as] claims. They wanted to know if Ahmadis followed the Islamic sharia and how they offered prayers.

Sher Khan clarified misunderstandings over Ahmadis being classified as non-believers.

Then, the qazi of the city asked for a book of Ahmad[as], but Sher Jang Khan expressed regret for not being able to present any.

Russian General In Baku, Khan Bahadur Sher Jang met a Russian Muslim who was a colonel. He was

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024 << Continued from page 17

19

The progress

upon and now about to be introduced will be as follows:—A new province will be created with the status of a LieutenantGovernorship, consisting of the Chittagong, Dacca and Rajshahi Divisions of Bengal, the district of Malda, the State of Hill Tipperah, and the present Chief Commissionership of Assam. Darjeeling will remain with Bengal in order to maintain the associations which are highly valued in both areas. The province will be entitled Eastern Bengal and Assam.

Its capital will be at Dacca, with a subsidiary headquarters at Chittagong.” (Indian Daily News, 20 July 1905, p. 50) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra continued: “However, despite those decisions, God’s decree was fulfilled and an amendment was made within the verdict to ‘console’ the Bengalis.” (Al Fazl, 14 March 1921, p. 5) King George V announced at Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911, that Eastern Bengal would be assimilated into the Bengal Presidency.

A news report wrote: “Lord Curzon presented a somewhat painful spectacle when, without any warning, without a hint or a whisper, Lord Morley threw in his face in the House of Lords the crashing news that the partition of Bengal was revoked. Thus, at a stroke, Lord Curzon saw his policy, his pride, and his reputation lying in ruins around him; a collapse so sudden, devastating, and complete as though he were a tree which was hit with lightning or a boom which the earthquake had torn down.” (Reynolds’s Newspaper, 24 December 1911, p. 7)

After mentioning the grand fulfilment of several other prophecies of the Promised Messiahas, Huzoorra said: “It is wrong to imply that ‘since a certain other person has also progressed, the progress of Hazrat Mirza Sahibas cannot be a sign of his truthfulness’, because if anyone else has progressed, they had not made a claim prior to their progress, as to ‘I will attain progress.’ […] However, Hazrat Mirza Sahibas had announced his claim beforehand, and achieved progress accordingly.” (Al Fazl, 14 March 1921, p. 5)

a resident of the Caucasus. The Russian colonel started speaking via an interpreter and wanted to know all the details about Hazrat Ahmad[as]. He enquired of Sher Jang if he knew Ahmad[as] or not. He was of the view that the entire Afghanistan and India had joined the Jamaat of Ahmad[as]. When Sher Khan expressed obliviousness, the Colonel was surprised and stated it was odd that someone from a nation where a spiritual leader of Islam appeared was so illinformed. Sher Jang questioned him about the source of his knowledge. He belonged to the Caucasus state of Dagestan. Some Bukharan traders came there and imparted Hazrat Ahmad’s[as] teachings to him.

Second meeting with Silat Pasha

Kurdistan Sher Jang Khan then met [a Turk, Arsalan] Silat Pasha, who was a very charismatic person and considered as the leader of Kurdistan. Silat Pasha exchanged views, manifesting great knowledge and profound acquaintance with Ahmadiyyat. Silat Pasha also enquired keenly about Hazrat Ahamd[as]. Sher Jang expressed his ignorance on the subject, but Pasha Sahib asked a lot of questions and showed strong interest. Silat Pasha also shared that he was imprisoned by the Turks at an early age and then by the Russians later on.

Soon after the meeting with Sher Khan, rumours circulated that Silat Pasha had been brought to Moscow and placed under arrest by the Russians once again.

The Supreme Paper Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further said: “Hazrat Sahib’sas Paper [The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam] was read out at the Conference of Great Religions at Lahore, about which he had announced in advance through an ishtihar [tract] that his Paper would stand supreme over all.” (Al Fazl, 14 March 1921, p. 5) This tract was published on 21 December 1896, titled “Sacha‘ie ke taalibon ke liay aik azeem-ush-shaan khushkhabri” — A glorious glad tiding for the seekers of Truth: “A Paper written by me on the qualities and miracles of the Holy Quran will be read in the Great Conference of Religions to be held in Lahore Town Hall on 26, 27, and 28 December 1896. This Paper is above the reach of human faculties and is a divine Sign having been prepared with His special support. [...] God the All Knowing, has informed me by revelation that this Paper

Khan Bahadur Sher Jang then travelled extensively before returning to India. He was ordered to proceed to Mosul and subsequently, Urmia to meet Silat Pasha, who had just been freed from Russian custody.

At first, Sher Jang Khan was unable to recognise Silat Pasha due to the impact of hardships he faced during imprisonment.

Upon confirmation, the two had a great time sitting and conversing all evening.

Sher Khan spent a month with him, and Silat Pasha brought up the subject of Ahmadiyyat multiple times, and he even reprimanded him for not bringing any book [of the Promised Messiahas]. Sher Jang Khan replied, “I had not the slightest idea that I would meet you again.” He had some distinguished elders sitting in his company one day, including religious jurists. On this occasion, Silat Pasha gave a speech in praise of Hazrat Ahmadas.

Visits to various cities After that, Khan Bahadur Sher Jang went to Baghdad and made his way to Aman.

He then crossed the border and travelled to Taweelah Sharif to visit Syed Hussam alDin’s sacred court. Syed Hussam asked Sher Jang about the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.

After some days, Sher Jang was ordered to survey the Iranian border. He travelled with a well-respected official who had been

Official report of Jalsa-e-Azam Mazahib

will tower above all others. It contains such nur [divine light] of truth, wisdom and insight as shall confound the followers of other faiths, provided they be present and listen to it from beginning to end. They will not be able to match its qualities from their own books whether they are Christians, Aryas, Sanatan Dharmists or any others, for God has decreed that the light of His Holy Book be manifested that day.” (Majmu‘ah-eIshtiharat [2019], Vol. 2, pp. 171-172) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra continued:

“Therefore, his Paper stood supreme over all other papers that were read out during that Jalsa, and the opponents too acknowledged this fact.

“Is it in the hands of anyone to make an announcement in such a manner? [Without the help of God,] how can a human being suggest that the advocates of all other religions would be unable to do anything against him?” (Al Fazl, 14 March 1921, p. 5)

assigned by the Iranian government. During their work, they stopped at a number of locations, including, Basra, Qasreshirin, Sendal, etc., and the distinguished officer frequently talked about Hazrat Ahmad[as].

Finally, they travelled to Tehran. Sher Khan told him that though he was not an Ahmadi, he respected their devotion to the teachings of Islam and that, Ahmadis were humble Muslims without an iota of arrogance.

The official was delighted to hear that and expressed that he knew some Iranian merchants who visited India often, and he got information about Hazrat Ahmad[as] from them.

Later, on his way back, Sher Jang Khan made another visit to the honourable Syed Hussam al-Din’s sacred place. There, he had the privilege of meeting a great elder, Syed Ahmad Afghani. Syed Ahmad also enquired of him about Hazrat Ahmadas.

Third meeting with Silat Pasha

Turk revenue officer Sher Jang Khan travelled to Panjwai and stayed at the residence of a revenue officer, who was an ex-Major of Turkey. He frequently enquired of Sher Khan about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.

Khan Bahadur Sher Jang then went to Sardasht and met a person named Humayun Mirza at the residence of a customs officer.

On more than one occasion, Humayun Mirza asked Sher Khan about Hazrat Ahmad[as] but he could not give much information because of his busy schedule.

Khan Bahadur Sher Jang Khan received a letter from the leader of Kurdistan, Silat Pasha, requesting that he visit his place. Silat Pasha expressed his eagerness to meet him.

Sher Khan went there and met him. After the formal greetings, Silat Pasha asked, “What have you brought for me?” Sher Khan’s response was, “I have brought musk [fragrance] for you.” “Have you brought any books of Hazrat Ahmad[as] or not?” Silat Pasha asked. Sher Jang Khan became silent, and then Silat Pasha went on to enquire of him if he went to the markaz [centre] of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in India.

Rajputana Sher Jang Khan was ordered to visit Rajputana in 1922 and 1923; he travelled to places where no British surveyor had gone before and there was little chance that they could visit such places.

Khan Bahadur Sher Jang reached Jaisalmer and travelled across the desert.

He stopped at different water reservoirs and met people who knew nothing about Islam but called themselves Muslims. Most of the people there sought information and enquired of him about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.

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What does the word ‘Ramadan’ mean?

Jazib Mehmood Student Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana

The word “Ramadan” is a familiar one. Even if you are not a Muslim, you know what it means to Muslims – the month of fasting and worship. And as Ramadan starts this year, you will see the word everywhere – online and all around you. But what does it mean?

In this short piece, some interesting meanings of the word are discussed. You will find that many of the meanings mentioned here have a direct connection to the month itself, and can teach us something about the philosophy of fasting during the month of Ramadan.

The word Ramadan is from ramadun, which means scorching heat, usually from the sun. (Lisan Al-Arab [Arabic], 1993, Dare-Saadir, Vol. 7, p. 160) Before Islam, it was called by many names, the most popular being Natiq. It is said that the name Ramadan came into use about 150 years before the advent of the Holy Prophetsa. It was during the time of Kilab Bin Marrah, an ancestor of the Holy Prophetsa, that the name Ramadan was permanently adopted as the name for the ninth month of the lunar calendar. (Global Arabic Encyclopaedia [Arabic], 1999, Vol. 11, p. 285) Many scholars say that Islamic fasting falls during Ramadan because of what it means: hot and scorching weather. (AsSahah Taj-ul-Lughat Wa Sahah-ul-Arabiya [Arabic], Darul ‘Ilm Lil Malayeen, Vol. 3, p.

1081; Jumharat-ul-Lughat [Arabic], Darul ‘Ilm Lil Malayeen, 1st ed., Vol. 2, p. 751) However, Ramadan being in the lunar calendar, this theory does not seem to hold – as it falls at different times annually.

Furthermore, the Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said that this month of fasting is called Ramadan, or it is observed during Ramadan, because worship and devotion in this month ‘burn’ away the traces of sin in man. The word is therefore significant. (Fath Al-Qadeer [Arabic], 1993, Vol. 1) The Promised Messiahas has also explained the meaning of the word. On one occasion, he said: “The Arabic word ramadun refers to the heat of the sun. In Ramadan, a person restrains themselves from food and drink, and all other physical pleasures. Further, an individual develops within themselves a burning passion and fervour to fulfil the commandments of Allah Almighty.

Therefore, spiritual and physical warmth and heat constitute the Arabic word known in dual form as ramadan.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, p. 217) Incidentally, there is also a deep wisdom behind following a lunar calendar for

fasting. Some people are unable to fast in extreme weather conditions, while others are constrained by specific schedules, which might prevent them from fasting. Therefore, by using the lunar calendar, Ramadan can fall in all seasons throughout one’s life.

This wisdom also applies to other major celebrations in Islam, like Hajj [pilgrimage to Mecca]. (Tafsir-e-Kabir [Urdu], 2023, Vol. 3, p. 501) Explaining this deep philosophy, Khalifatul Masih IVrh states: “There is one full month in every year in which fasting is prescribed for Muslims all over the world. As the month is a lunar month, so it keeps changing around the year in relation to the solar months. This creates a universal balance for the worshippers.

“Sometimes the fasting in the winter months is easy as far as the days go, in comparison to the long winter nights, while during the summer months, the days become long and exacting. As the lunar months keep rotating around the year, so Muslims in all parts of the world have some periods of easy fasting and some of arduous fasting.” (An Elementary Study of Islam, p.

43) Therefore, it was when Islam came that this month and the word Ramadan took on many beautiful, subtle meanings. Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIIrh has explained several meanings of the word in his Friday Sermons. In one instance,

Huzoorrh gave two meanings of the word ramada; “he burnt it”, and “he hurt him.” He states: “When we consider these two meanings, we come to know that they are related to the month of Ramadan. Those who deny Islam or enter Islam but have spiritual weakness within them consider this month to be a month of sorrow and pain, hunger and thirst, and insomnia. They do not see any benefit in it nor do they take any part in its blessings. However, the pious and faithful servants of God Almighty do not consider this month’s privation a hardship.” (Khutbate-Nasir [Urdu], Vol. 1, pp. 54–55) Giving another meaning, Huzoorrh states that the word also contains within it the meaning of a hunter searching for prey in extreme heat. As such, Huzoorrh states: “A believing servant of Allah Almighty goes out in search of what he wants, regardless of hunger and thirst and other hardships. Intensity of heat or pain, or hunger and thirst, or insomnia, etc., cannot stand in his way. And the meaning of what he seeks can be understood from the very word itself. […]

“Therefore, another meaning of Ramadan in Arabic is […] the rain that comes down from the sky after the intensity of heat and before autumn. When it descends, the earth is completely heated and scorched, but when it rains, it removes that heat, eliminates this discomfort and creates a

Artur Kornakov| Unsplash

state of calm. From this, it became clear that in the month of Ramadan, what a believing servant of Allah goes out in search of, like a fanatical hunter, without caring about hunger and thirst and other afflictions, is the rain of Allah’s mercy.” (Ibid.)

Keeping all these meanings in mind, the objectives of this blessed month also become clearer. May Allah make this month a source of blessings for us all. Amin.

Majlis Ansarullah Canada sponsors water project in Belize Syed Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent

Belize faces a pressing challenge: the accessibility of pure, clean drinking water.

This is particularly true in rural areas, due to contamination, inadequate infrastructure, and climate change. To address this, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Belize proposed and established the “Water for Life” initiative at the Baitun Nur Mosque in Belize City.

Majlis Ansarullah Canada stepped forward and had the blessing of sponsoring this project with an initial donation of $15,000, supplemented by $7,500 for additional needs.

Construction of the water purification plant was initiated in February 2023, with production starting in July 2023. The project was officially inaugurated during Jalsa Salana Belize 2024 by the missionary-incharge Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada, Abdul

Rashid Anwar Sahib.

The plant has a maximum production capacity of 400 gallons daily or 146,000 gallons annually. This is enough for the needs of 70,000 people. Presently, it produces 95 gallons daily, filling 19 five-gallon bottles.

A nominal fee of $3.00 is charged for each 5-gallon water bottle.

The implementation of the Water for Life project has not only addressed the critical issue of water scarcity in Belize City but also played a pivotal role in stimulating the local economy by creating employment opportunities.

image courtesy of

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024

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Friday Sermon Mubarak Mosque, Islamabad, Tilford, UK

23 February 2024 Musleh Maud: The Prophecy and The Man After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

Today, I will mention various aspects of the prophecy of Musleh-e-Maud [the Promised Reformer]. As Every Ahmadi is aware of this that every year, gatherings are held commemorating the fulfilment of this prophecy. This prophecy was made on 20 February 1886, in which the Promised Messiahas was foretold of the birth of a son who would possess various qualities.

However, before mentioning this, I would like to answer some children as well as some youths, which I have done numerous times in the past as well, who say that since we do not celebrate birthdays, why do we celebrate the birthday of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra?

In relation to this, as I have mentioned on numerous occasions before that it should be clear that we do not celebrate the birthday of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-udDin Mahmud Ahmadra. Rather, gatherings are held to commemorate the fulfilment of this prophecy. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra was born on 12 January 1889. Secondly, in such homes where this is not addressed, the parents should personally read up on this and explain to their children what the prophecy of Musleh-e-Maud is. This is a magnificent prophecy that, according to earlier scriptures, previous prophets foretold as well. Moreover, in accordance with the statement and prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa, Allah the Almighty instructed the Promised Messiahas to make this announcement. This is a lengthy prophecy.

I will mention the first part of the prophecy.

The Promised Messiahas states: “God, the Merciful and Noble, the Magnificent and High, Who has power to do all that He wills (glory be to Him and exalted be His name) addressed me in a revelation and said ‘I confer upon you a Sign of My mercy according to what you begged of me. So I have heard your entreaties and have honoured your prayers with My acceptance through My mercy and made your journey, (i.e., the journey

to Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana), a source of blessings for you. Therefore, a Sign of power, mercy, nearness is bestowed on you, a Sign of grace and beneficence is awarded to you and you are granted the key of success and victory. Peace on you, O victorious one.

Thus did God speak so that those who desire life may be rescued from the grip of death and those who are buried in the graves may come out of them and so that the superiority of Islam and the dignity of God’s Word may become manifest unto the people and so that truth may arrive with all its blessings and falsehood may flee with all its ills, and so that people may understand that I am the Lord of Power (i.e., God says He is AllPowerful) – I do whatever I will – and so that they may believe that I am with you, and so that those who do not believe in God and deny and reject His religion and His Book and His Holy Messenger Muhammadsa, the Chosen One may be confronted with a clear Sign and the way of the guilty ones may become manifest.

“Rejoice, therefore, that a handsome and pure boy will be bestowed on you; you will receive an unblemished youth who will be of your seed and will be of your progeny.”

“Following this, the qualities of this boy have been mentioned in the prophecy, out of which I will mention one or two.

It is stated in the prophecy: “He will be extremely intelligent and perceptive […] and will be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge.” It then states: “He will be the means of procuring the release of those held in bondage.” (Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 647) These are some aspects of this lengthy prophecy. Following this, we saw that within this period, which he set after being informed by Allah the Almighty, this son was born and he fulfilled each and every aspect of this prophecy, which amount to 50 or 52 different qualities. Nevertheless, as I mentioned, I have only taken two, or

three aspects of this prophecy. Every day of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra 52-year Khilafat manifests the glory of the fulfilment of this prophecy. An opponent of ours, or someone who does not believe, could say that Ahmadis will undoubtedly give proof of the fulfilment of this prophecy, and they will continue to say that the prophecy was fulfilled and that we should present some strong arguments.

This is [merely] the stubbornness of these critics. Otherwise, as I mentioned, every day of the progress of the Community during the era of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra is clear proof. Nevertheless, in relation to the aspects of the prophecy that I mentioned, I will present the testimonies of some fairminded individuals who were not part of the Community and were well-known personalities in the subcontinent.

Maulana Ghulam Rasul Sahib Mehr was a renowned personality. He, i.e., Maulana Ghulam Rasul Sahib, was born in 1885 in Jalandhar. He was a researcher, writer, author, journalist and historian. He was affiliated with the daily newspaper “Zamindar”. Later, he established the “Inqilab” newspaper in Lahore alongside Maulana Abdul Majeed Salik. Sheikh Abdul Majid of Lahore came to Maulana Sahib on 20 and 25 December 1966. During the conversation, Maulana Ghulam Rasul Sahib Mehr said in relation to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra: “One cannot find a complete overview of all of the achievements of this great individual in any of your books. I have witnessed him up close, met him on several occasions and exchanged ideas with him in private. He dedicated himself entirely to the Muslim nation.” He then said, “Once, I had to travel to Qadian in the middle of the night to seek Hazrat Sahib’s consultation.

I see this journey before my eyes, even to this day. He had great sympathy in his heart for mankind (i.e., Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had great sympathy for mankind in his heart), and wherever a matter concerning

the betterment and welfare of the Muslims arose, his feasible suggestions proved a means of increasing our determination.

On such occasions, his passion for his nation would surge from his very core. I did not witness any sectarianism in him.

Mirza Sahib was extremely intelligent.” The words of the prophecy are that “He will be extremely intelligent and perceptive.” Here, a non-Ahmadi is also testifying to this.

Then, during the conversation, he said: “I have never seen a political or religious leader in the subcontinent whose mind works in practical politics in the way Mirza Sahib’s mind works. His distinct qualities were his selfless advice, clear suggestions, and guidelines in the right direction. His demise pained me tremendously.” He then said, “I wrote my condolences to Ismail Sahib Panipati. In that letter, I also wrote that the words of condolences for Hazrat Sahib can be published.” He continued, “It is a shame that the Muslims have not valued Mirza Sahib. Despite all the opposition, I never saw Mirza Sahib down or bleak. The light in Mirza Sahib’s heart was always shining bright. We would go to him in despair and dejected, but when we would come out, it would feel as if the clouds of hopelessness were gone, and we could see success in our objectives before us. He would give us substantial proofs, and speak in practical terms. He would not stop there, rather, he would make every kind of sacrifice and offer his cooperation, which would instil courage and determination within us.” (Monthly Khalid, Syeduna Musleh-e-Maud Number, June/July 2008, pp. 325-326) Then there are the words expressed

by Lala Kanwar Sain Sahib, former chief judge of Kashmir. Lala Kanwar Sain Sahib was the son of Lala Bhim Sain Sahib. After listening to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’sra address on the status of Arabic among world languages, and after thanking the chairman, he expressed particular gratitude whilst

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

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delivering an English speech, the gist of which is (after listening to a lecture of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra), “Today, I was extremely happy to listen to the worthy lecturer who delivered an interesting and magnificent speech on the superiority of the Arabic language. I was also pleased because I know him personally. My father learnt Arabic from his revered father. (Lala Sahib’s father learnt Arabic from the Promised Messiahas.) When I came to listen to the address, I thought that the topic would be presented in the same traditional way that people speak. It is well known that an Arab was once asked about the superiority of the Arabic language, and he answered, ‘There are three reasons for its excellence: Firstly, because I live in an Arab country (this is a superiority of Arabic).

Secondly, it is the language of the Quran (yes, this is acceptable). Thirdly, Arabic is the language that will be spoken in paradise.’

I felt that such points would be presented to prove the superiority of Arabic. However, the address was extremely intellectual and philosophical. I assure Mirza Sahib that I listened to each and every word with complete attention and concentration and I enjoyed it very much and benefitted from it.

I am sure that this address continues to have a profound effect on my heart for a long time.” (Tarikh-e-Amadiyyat, Vol. 6, p. 181) In terms of worldly education, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had not even passed his primary education. Allah the Almighty was the One Who filled him with this knowledge, as Allah the Almighty had promised, and others couldn’t help but praise him.

Listen to the impressions of an American priest. Sheikh Ismail Panipati Sahib has related that Maulwi Umar Din Sahib Shimalwi once narrated an incident. He said, “A few months after his Holiness became the Khalifa (i.e., when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra was elected to the station of Khilafat in 1914), a prominent American priest visited Qadian, who was very learned but proud about his knowledge. Upon reaching Qadian, he asked a few religious questions that were very significant and important and, at the same time, said, ‘I have come here from America, and I have repeated the same questions in every Muslim gathering, but none of the greatest scholars amongst the Muslims have been able to provide me with satisfactory answers to this day. I have come here especially to pose these questions to your Khalifa and see what kind of answer your Khalifa gives to them.’” The narrator says, “The questions were so complex and strange that when I heard them, I was certain that because His Holiness was still very young, and had not received any formal education in the subject of divinity, (he was young in age and had little experience), he would never be able to answer these questions. This would bring disrepute and dishonour to the Community around the whole world because when His Holiness is unable to answer the questions, this American priest will return and publicise to the entire world that the Khalifa of the Ahmadis knows nothing, could not stand in the face of Christianity, and is only a Khalifa by name, without any ounce of knowledge.

With these circumstances in mind, I was very worried. I tried to impede the American priest from meeting His Holiness, causing him to just return, but I was unsuccessful in doing so. The American was insistent that he would only return after meeting the

Khalifa. Helplessly, I went and said to His Holiness, ‘An American priest has come and wishes to ask you some questions, so what shall we do?’ Upon this, His Holiness said without any hesitation, ‘Call him in.’

Dispirited, I brought him there before His Holiness.” He says, “I was the translator between the two of them. He would ask in English, and (His Holiness) would answer in Urdu ([the narrator of this account] was translating at the time). After some initial exchange of words, the American priest posed his questions to His Holiness, which I translated for him. His Holiness listened to all the questions with great composure, and then immediately answered all of them in such a satisfactory manner that it left me astounded to have heard them. I could never have imagined that His Holiness would give such insightful and unparalleled answers.

When I gave these answers to the American priest in English, he too was astonished and said, ‘To this day, I have not heard such rational and well-grounded answers from the mouth of any Muslim. It seems as though your Khalifais a great scholar, and that he has a deep understanding of world religions.’ Saying this, he embraced the hand of His Holiness with utmost reverence and kissed the hand and then departed.” (Tarikhe-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, pp. 163-164) This was the grandeur of the fulfilment of the prophecy. Even a priest who deemed himself an expert in his field of knowledge, left while convinced of the superiority of Islam.

“The Nehru Report and the rights of the Muslims” is a book of Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra. A person has expressed their view on this and written, “The highest ranks of the Muslims are grateful to His Holiness for this timely guidance and it has been extremely appreciated among the Muslim political spheres. The most esteemed Muslim leaders have praised it with words of acclamation and expressed their gratitude to the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Community for having supported the Muslims at such a critical time.”

Likewise, many companions said to Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib, “It is your Community alone that is carrying out actual and practical work, and the organisation of your Community is not to be found anywhere else.” A sincere Ahmadi of Kolkata, Mr Dowlat Ahmad Khan Sahib BA LLB., joint editor of the ‘Sultan’ newspaper, translated the review into Bengali and published it, having edited it into the form of a small, beautiful book, and this proved to be very popular among the people of Bengal. After studying the review of the Nehru Report, a very renowned and learned non-Ahmadi was so impressed that he wrote a letter to the secretary of the advancement of Islam, saying, “I really wish to see the Khalifa and to visit him, because I have great reverence for him in my heart. Please convey the greetings of this humble one to His Holiness and say to him congratulations from a humble servant that you are saving Islam so excellently in a time when Islam is passing through such perilous circumstances. Not only are you looking after it on a religious level, but you are also providing guidance to the Muslims on a political level. I have read your thoughts on the Nehru Report, which has only increased your esteem further in my eyes. I not only regard you as an excellent religious scholar,

but I have also come to learn that you have exceptional political acumen.” (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 5, pp. 71-72) The “Siyasat” newspaper was printed in Lahore; on 2 December 1930, it wrote, “Putting religious difference aside, as far as writing and publications are concerned, the work done by respectedBashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad in terms of volume and benefit must be commended in every way.

The success achieved under his leadership in the political sphere in aligning his groups with Muslims earns the praise of every fairminded Muslim and every person in search of the truth. An entire era attests to his political perception. He has done exceptional work in uniting the Muslims who were opposed to the Nehru Report, presenting the perspective of Muslims to the Simon Commission, speaking on current affairs from the Islamic perspective and publishing books full of sound argumentation on the rights of Muslims. The book under discussion contains his criticisms regarding the Simon report, which have been penned in English. Reading this grants insight into the vast scope of his knowledge. His style is effective and persuasive and he is very fluent in speech.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 5, p.

219) There is an opinion regarding a speech delivered by [Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra] on the All India Radio Station on the conditions of Iraq. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a speech about the conditions of Iraq which was relayed on the All India Radio Station Lahore on 25 May 1941. The catalyst for this speech was Germany’s and Italy’s attack on Iraq during the Second World War. A renowned Sikh newspaper in India called “Riyasat” gave the following comments on 2 June 1941. It states: “The weakest aspect of a subjugated nation or country’s character is that its people are bereft of moral standing and fortitude. They welcome sycophancy, falsehood, flattery and a spirit of cowardice is evident among them.” As an example, it states, “Whether Rashid Ali from Iraq is in the wrong according to the British government or the British public, or whether it is unreasonable for him to go to war with Britain, what cannot be denied is that he is fighting for his country’s political freedom and it can never be said he is disloyal to his country or that he is a traitor. But look at the character of the rulers and leaders of our subjugated country who give speeches about the situation of Iraq, labels Rashid Ali as a traitor. Moreover, any leader who speaks about war begins by calling Rashid Ali a traitor and only then begins their statement. Due to the subjugated mindset , the character of these rulers and leaders (certain Muslims and the leaders of India) has become so depraved that they consider false praises and sycophancy to be service to the nation or to the government. While this ignorant flattery by our rulers and leaders exists, the moral courage, great character, and honesty of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat’s leader in Qadian will be evident, as expressed last week when he delivered a speech over the radio.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 8, pp.

239-244) This is all part of his attempt to save the nation from bondage.

Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar Sahib was born in 1878 and he passed away in 1931. He was born in Rampur. He started

a weekly newspaper from Calcutta called “Comrade”. He also initiated an Urdu newspaper in Delhi called “Humdard”. In 1923, he was appointed chair of the All India Conference. He also went to London to take part in the Roundtable Conference, which was where he passed away on 4 January 1931. (Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar [Hiyat o Khidmat], Dr. Nadim Shafiq Malik, pp. 15, 30-33, 41-45, 48) Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra services in the creation, establishment, development, and progress of Pakistan at every stage were instrumental. Today they ask what Ahmadis have done, whereas non-Ahmadis themselves attest that we played a pivotal role. In this regard, Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar shared his views in his newspaper “Humdard” on 26 September 1927. He writes: “It would be ungratefulness to go without mentioning Mr Mirza Bashir-udDin Mahmud Ahmad and his organised community, who, irrespective of differences in beliefs, have dedicated all their attention towards the betterment of all Muslims. On the one hand, these people are currently taking an interest in the politics of Muslims (meaning Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Ahmadra and his Community), on the other hand, they are striving in regard to the Muslims’ systematic propagation and business. (This is the role being played

by Ahmadis) and it won’t be long before the ways of this organised community in Islam (listen to what he says) will prove to be a guide for the general Islamic world and specifically those clerics who sit in large mosques making loud proclamations, whereas in reality they are accustomed to making completely futile claims.” (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 622) They appear as great religious scholars and sit upon their large pulpits making tall claims; whereas in reality “they are mere futile claims. And these people will serve as a guide for them. You will be witnesses to this day coming.” This was the view of fair-minded scholars. These days, those scholars who label Ahmadis to be enemies of Pakistan and Islam should look in the mirror and see whether it is Ahmadis who are truly concerned for Islam, or these socalled scholars.

Syed Habib is another personality; he was born in 1891. He was a renowned and distinguished journalist for Urdu newspapers. He was appointed as the editor of the “Phool aur Tahzeeb-e-Niswan” magazine. He then initiated the “Nuqush” newspaper, then “Siyasat” and also the “Daily Ghazi”. He was a bold and fearless journalist. He passed away in 1951. (Yaarane Kahn, Abdul Mujeed Salik, pp. 199-200) When the All India Kashmir Committee was established on 25 July 1931, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra excused himself from being its president. Initially, when the committee was formed, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra was unanimously made its president on behalf of all Muslims. In any case, a time came when Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra excused himself from the presidency and Syed Habib wrote in his newspaper “Siyasat” published in Lahore on 18 May 1933: “In my opinion, despite his great capabilities, Dr Iqbal (referring to Dr Allama Iqbal) will not be able to carry out this work, nor will Malik Barkat Ali. Thus, it will become apparent to the world that at

AL HAKAM | Friday 22 March 2024 a time when Kashmir was in a fragile state, those who set their differing views aside and elected Mirza Sahib as the president made the best selection for the sake of seeing to the success of their endeavours. At that time, had Mirza Sahib not been elected on account of differing views, then this scheme would have completely failed and a lifeless nation would have endured great loss. In my opinion, the departure of Mirza Sahib is akin to the demise of this committee.

In short, the accuracy of our appointment will now become apparent to the world.”

(Monthly Khalid, Syedna Musleh-e-Maud Number, June/July 2008, pp. 323-324) In other words, the work that Mirza Sahib had done would now become apparent and the work of Dr Allama Sahib remained to be seen and what his committee would do without him [Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra].

Then the world saw what happened; it is out in the open. Why did he do this? Because he held a pain for the release of those held in bondage and he was to become a means for this to happen. He did leave the presidency but he went on to do a great deal of work in the committee, and he stayed back and made every possible effort he could because of this pain, and history bears testament to this fact.

Then there was Abdul Majid Daryabadi.

He was born in 1892. He was one of India’s Urdu writers, calligraphers and researchers, and he was also a commentator of the Holy Quran. Upon the demise of the Second Khalifara, Maulana Abdul Majid wrote in his newspaper “Sidq-e-Jadid Lucknow”, published on 18 November 1965: “No matter his other views, may Allah reward him for the worldwide publication of his knowledge of the Holy Quran, and his efforts in spreading it throughout the world, which he actively and determinedly continued throughout his long life. (He himself is a commentator of the Holy Quran and he is stating this regarding Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.) On account of these services, may bestow His forgiveness upon in his general affairs.” He goes on to write, “From an academic standpoint, the realities and verities of the Quran which he explained and brought to light and the way in which he expounded upon it is of a lofty and distinguished rank.” (Monthly Ansarullah, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra Number, May/ June/July, 2009, p. 879) A Muslim commentator himself is attesting that the realities and verities of the Quran, which he explained and brought to light, and the way in which he expounded upon it is of a lofty and distinguished rank.

Despite a difference in views, in which he certainly would have considered himself to be correct, he could not help but compliment Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra services for the Quran and Islam.

When Allah the Almighty promised to fill him with secular and spiritual knowledge, then who else in his time could impart such knowledge and understanding? In fact, even those who come after will benefit from his knowledge, for it is only this way that they can tread upon the right path.

Much is said against the Community in regard to Dr Allamah Iqbal, however, the following statements of his are also on record: On 24 March 1927, a convention was held in Lahore, which was presided over

by Allamah Iqbal. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a speech there. Afterwards,

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Allamah Iqbal said, “It has been a while since hearing a speech in Lahore full of such knowledge. Especially the points that were derived by Mirza Sahib from Quranic verses are excellent. I will not speak for long so as not to lose the enjoyment I am feeling in lieu of this speech (by Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra).” (Al Fazl, 15 February 1999, p. 6) Syed Abdul Qadir, MA, was a history professor and the principal of Islamiah College, Lahore. In 1919, Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra delivered a lecture in Lahore on the outset of dissension in Islam. It was a truly extraordinary lecture and [Syed Abdul Qadir] was presiding over the session. In his address as the session’s chairperson, he said, “The celebrated name of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, an eminent scholar like his father, is sufficient to affirm that this lecture was truly scholarly.

I am – to an extent – acquainted with Islamic history. Therefore, I can confidently say that there are very few Muslim and nonMuslim historians who have been able to reach the depths of the dissension that took place during the Khilafatof Hazrat Uthman and who were successful in unravelling the cause of the first insurgence. Hazrat Mirza Sahib not only identified the reasons for the dissension and strife, but he was also able to clearly elucidate the succession of events that were the reason for the Khilafat remaining in a plundered state. In my view, those who take an interest in Islamic history will not have come across a more robust and well-argued exposition.” (Al Fazl, 15 February 2002, p. 13) The Ambassador of India, Edwin Samuel Montague, was the State Secretary in the British Parliament, dealing with all of India’s affairs on its behalf. When India and Pakistan – rather, the entire subcontinent – were under the rule of the British government, he was serving as the Secretary of State in the British Parliament and was overseeing the affairs of India. He served in this role in 1917 and 1918. In those days, he visited India in order to assess the condition there. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra sent a detailed and exhaustive resolution for the problems in India to him – as he was also the Ambassador of India – in the form of an address. This address was presented to him in Lahore and was delivered by Hazrat Sir Zafarulla Khan Sahibra. Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra also met with the ambassador himself and imparted guidance to him.

Montague made a note of this address and its impression on him in his diary, which was published after his demise as “An Indian Diary”. Under the date 15 November 1917, he wrote: “The fourth deputation was from a sect called the Ahmadiyyah, which is a modern sect mainly of Mohammedans (i.e., Muslims) which believes in the brotherhood of all creeds and the authenticity of all prophets. They read us a very long document drawn up by the man they call His Holiness […] which was by far the ablest document we have yet seen. It argues against the idea of electing some members of the Executive Council, and it argues very conclusively against the suggestion of all the other deputations.”

At the conclusion of his note, his original words were: “He has a good mind and had carefully thought out his constitutional scheme.” (Al Fazl International, 18-27 February 2020,

Special Edition for Musleh-e-Maudra Day, p. 54) This was a well-educated, cardinal politician who was speaking about an individual who did not have a formal secular education. And why wouldn’t it be so? After all, the prophecy states that Allah the Almighty will grant him a plethora of secular knowledge.

Chaudhry Muhammad Akbar Khan Bhatti, Advocate High Court, once said, “I wish to narrate an incident that is not at all out of context. The editor of the weekly magazine “Paaras”, Lala Karam Chand, accompanied a delegation of journalists to Qadian to attend the annual convention.

When he returned from there, he wrote articles one after the other on the leadership and deep insight of Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud in a manner that severely agitated the opponents [of the Community]. He himself said to me, ‘I used to think of Zafarulla Khan as an impressive individual.

(In those days, Sir Zafarulla Khan Sahibra was a member of the Executive Council of the Viceroy.) However, he is a student in comparison to the person of Mirza Bashirud-Din Mahmud Ahmad. He has a superior perspective on all matters. (In other words, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra has a superior perspective in all matters and presents better arguments than Zafarulla Khanra.) He possesses untold administrative capabilities. Such a person can easily lead any nation to the pinnacle of success.

After the partition [of India and Pakistan], Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad delivered a few speeches in the Law College Lahore on the opportunities for the country to progress. In these speeches, he elucidated some points with the use of diagrams and graphs on a blackboard, like a scholarly university lecturer. I remember one point; he said that it was a pity that no attention was given to the islands off the coast of India before the partition had taken place. These include Lakadeep, Sarandeep, Baladeep and so forth. The population of these coastal islands is predominantly Muslim, and these islands hold great defensive significance.

After hearing his dissertation, it appeared that the audience was regretful that there had not been any collaboration with the Khalifaof the time during the partition process. Inconsequential bias and self-deceit caused the whole nation to be deprived of taking benefit of the God-given abilities of Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad. In a confidential meeting, a judge admitted that, despite his own excellence and expertise, he was completely oblivious to these hidden, imperceptible matters. It was after listening to the elucidations of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad that he became cognisant and properly acquainted with the true Islamic perspective.” (Al Fazl International, 16-22 February 2018, p. 3) Thus, it is the Promised Reformerra who – since before and after the partition – presented the loftiest proposals for the establishment of Pakistan. He illuminated even the minds of those who were educated.

These people had lost their senses and had forgotten everything, remarking that they were completely unaware of these matters as though they were young students.

The Damascus newspaper “Al-Imran”, in its edition of 10 August 1924, published an article titled “The Mahdi in Damascus”

upon Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’sra tour there.

It wrote, “Immediately after the news of his arrival in the capital was published, many scholars and intellectuals from Syria came to him in order to speak to him and debate him on the substance of his claims. Then, what happened as a result? They all found him to be a thoroughly researched scholar, well-versed in the history and philosophy of all faiths, and deeply acquainted with the wisdom and philosophy of Divine Law.” (The Daily Al Fazl, 17 February 1972, p. 10) This is a testimony from an Arab newspaper.

Furthermore, [Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra] also spoke on the issues regarding the creation of Israel, and also spoke on this issue at time it was created and after as well. It was for this reason that he wrote the paper “Al-Kufr Millatun Wahidah”. This was translated into Arabic and sent to the Arab world and Muslims in order to alert them. Many Arab newspapers published this paper and praised it. In it, he expressed his reservations and the dangers he felt. The outcome that he wrote about is the same outcome we are witnessing today in this war. Alas! If only the Muslims had taken heed then, and also take heed now.

The details of this were published in the “Al-Shura” a newspaper of Baghdad on 18 June 1948. There is another newspaper in Damascus by the name of “Aliph Baa” which also praised this paper. This is a paper that Ahmadis should also read; they will learn a great deal from it. (Tarikh-e-Amadiyyat, Vol. 12, p, 391, 393) Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan Sahib was a leading personality in the efforts for India’s independence. In his book “The Nation that Lost its Soul”, he writes, “One day, I received a message from Qaid-e-Azam.

His message stated, ‘Shaukat! I heard that you are going to Batala, which is located five miles away from Qadian. Go there [to Qadian] and request His Holiness on my behalf to support the acquisition of Pakistan with his lofty prayers.’” He says, “After the conclusion of the convention, I reached Qadian at about midnight. His Holiness was resting when I submitted that I had brought a message from Qaid-e-Azam.

He came down immediately and inquired about what Qaid-e-Azam had requested.

I said that he was asking for your prayers and support. (Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra) replied, ‘I have been praying in favour of his mission since the very beginning, and as far as my followers (i.e., the Ahmadis) are concerned, not a single Ahmadi will stand in opposition to the Muslim League. Even if someone did stand in opposition, the Community would not favour or support such a person, even if they were an Ahmadi.

The Muslim League Candidate has our full support.’” As a result of this interaction, Mumtaz Dolatanah severely defeated Nawab Muhammad Din, an Ahmadi, in the Sialkot locality in the elections. Shaukat Hayat Khan Sahib further says, “In obedience to their leader, the Ahmadis voted for Mumtaz over Muhammad Din, and the very same Mumtaz Dolatanah who later opposed the Ahmadis in 1953.” No matter how much the Ahmadis provide support to such people, they do not cease to betray us. Shaukat Hayat Sahib further writes, “When I reached Pathankot, Qaid-e-Azam also instructed me to meet with Maulana Maududi. He was residing in the orchards next to the village

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of Chaudhary Nayaz. When I conveyed the message of Qaid-e-Azam to him to pray for and support Pakistan, he replied, ‘How can I pray in support of Na-Pakistan (i.e., an impure place).’ He further said, ‘Pakistan cannot be established until every resident of India becomes a Muslim. This is what the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami has foreseen, that Pakistan cannot be established.’” (Gum Gashta Qaum, Sardar Shaukat Hayat, First Edition, December 1995, Jang Publishers, p.

195) According to his point of view, [Pakistan] should not have been established today.

Sardar Shaukat Hayat Sahib writes that, “This was the vision and viewpoint of the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, but on the other hand, look at the viewpoint of Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad.”

Today, Ahmadis are the enemies of the nation, according to these politicians who are ignorant of history and these so-called scholars – those [same Ahmadis] who were ready to make every sacrifice during its establishment and are still ready today.

And now, these people who were against the creation of this nation are now in charge of it. May Allah the Almighty quickly free the nation of these oppressors.”

Then, due to the pain in his heart for the Muslims, there is another achievement of his. In 1923, he announced Jihad against the Shudhi Movement, which refers to the movement that desired to convert people to Hinduism. This movement was initiated by a Hindu leader in India named Shudh Anand, to convert those Muslims back to Hinduism, whose forefathers were Hindu. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra sent groups of honorary missionaries, one after another, near the area of Malkana. In reference to this, the newspaper “Mashriq Ghaurakpur” wrote on the 29th of March, 1923, that “the consistent speeches and writings of the Imam and leader of the Ahmadiyya Community have left a deep impression on his followers, and this sect seems to be ahead of the rest in this Jihad. And although the Ahmadiyya Sect did not need to help this new group of Muslims (because they have no connection with them), the name of Islam was attached to them; thus, out of shame” – meaning, out of consideration for the name of Islam, the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Community became passionate, – “and after viewing some of his speeches, true awe descends upon the heart that there are still those who are willing to give their lives in the path of God. And if our scholars are troubled by the fact that the Ahmadiyya Community will teach their own beliefs, then they should create such sincerity in a united Community and should come forth.”

That is, if the other Muslims are scared that the Ahmadiyya Community expresses their beliefs, then all the Muslims should gather together, make one Community, and march forth out of true sincerity.

[He continues], “that they should consume Sattu [a drink made of coarsely ground grain].” That they should do just as the Ahmadis have done.

“That they should consume Sattu, chew on chickpeas and should save Islam.”

Those people who went there would make do in this way, they could not find

cooked food. They would eat chickpeas and drink Sattu.

He says, “We find such sincerity ubiquitous in the members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. [We find] Integrity, fulfilling oaths, obedience to their Imam.

Thus, this Jamaat is unique. Through Mirza Sahib and his Community’s great courage and sacrifice, they encourage the Muslims to act with such sacrifice.”

In other words, they have become one, and they encourage Muslims to sacrifice – and they should also unite and make such sacrifices.

“Integrity and trustworthiness, which were the hallmark qualities of the Muslims, today it is prominent in them. Alongside the generosity and sacrifice of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, their integrity, as well as their proper and regular monetary sacrifice, is their most worthy commendation. And this is the reason why, despite a lack of funds, these people are accomplishing big things.”

(Masih Maudas Aur Jamaat Ahmadiyya Insaf Pasand Ashab Ki Nazr Mein, Maulvi Abdul Manan Shahid, pp. 261, 262) Non-Ahmadis are admitting this. This was the pain in his [Hazrat Musleh-eMaud’sra] heart, due to which he initiated a special scheme in the Jamaat, activating and putting every member of the Jamaat to work in some way, shape, or form, to which even those outside the Jamaat are confessing.

Meem Sheen Sahib was a famous journalist and politician. His pen name was “Meem Sheen”. His real name was Mian Muhammad Shafee. Upon the death of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, he wrote in the “Lahore Diary” that: “After Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad became the Khalifa in 1914, the way in which he organised his Jamaat and made the Sadr Anjuman an active and strong body, from this we understand his boundless organisational capability. Though he did not hold any university degree, through his personal study he truly made himself worthy of being called a scholar. He once told me in an interview that ‘I became proficient in English from studying the Civil and Military Gazette.’ According to his statement, until this magazine wasn’t shut down during the rule of Khawaja Nazeer Ahmad, he would regularly study it. Mirza Sahib was a very sensible speaker and experienced essayist, and would utilise every moment without excuse, due to which the pathways of progress for the Jamaat would open. In terms of the Community, one of his major accomplishments was that, after the splitting of the subcontinent, when Qadian was taken from them, he set up another headquarters in Rabwah. (The Daily Al-Fazl, 11 December 1965, p. 5) Then “The Light”, which is the official newspaper of those who didn’t pledge allegiance to Khilafat [The Lahori Movement], wrote a piece upon the demise of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, entitled “A Great Nation Builder”. In their 16th November 1965 newspaper, they wrote: “The death of Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Head of the Ahmadiyya Movement (Rabwah), rang the curtain down on a most eventful career, packed with a multitude of far-reaching enterprises.

“

Friday 22 March 2024 | AL HAKAM

Pray also for the Palestinians.

May Allah the Almighty bestow His mercy upon them and deliver them from the injustices inflicted upon them by powerful nations. [Amin.]

A man of versatile genius and dynamic personality, there was hardly any sphere of contemporary thought and life during the past half-century, from religious scholarship to missionary organisation to even political leadership, on which the deceased did not leave a deep imprint. A whole network of Islamic missions and mosques scattered over the whole world, the deep penetration of Islamic preaching in Africa transplanting the long-entrenched Christian missions, are a standing monument to the deceased’s imaginative planning, organisational capacity and unflagging drive. There has hardly been a leader of men in recent times who commanded such deep devotion from followers, not only when alive, but after death, when 60,000 people rushed from all parts of the country to pay their last homage to their departed leader. In the story of the Ahmadiyya Movement the Mirza Sahib’s name will go down as a great Nation Builder, who built up a well-knit community in the face of heavy odds, making it a force to be counted with.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 23, p. 182; [The Light, Tuesday, 16 November, 1965, p. 3]) Despite the difference of belief, the newspaper of the ghayr mubai’in” [The Lahori Movement] could not help but to express this sort of sentiment, that he was a great leader. Nonetheless, this is the openhearted sentiment of these people.

There are countless comments from non-Ahmadis about him that are similar to this. Aside from this, he has guided and given advice to the Jamaat and all Muslims in general on diverse topics. Thus, there are many essays and books that are found in many large volumes [of his works]. Some have been published, and some are about to be published. Just the volume of speeches has reached 35 or 36. The [volumes] of Friday Sermons have reached 26, 27, or 28. Thus, he has given us a lot of guidance.

Above all, despite not studying at any school, madrasa, college or university, the knowledge of the Holy Quran that Allah the Almighty bestowed upon him is such that we do not find its comparison. Regarding this, countless people have expressed their opinions, which I have stated in previous years. And now, the commentaries of the Holy Quran that we are finding in the unpublished notes, sermons and speeches in the old records, have yet to be published.

They are not in “Tafsir-e-Kabir”, they are more than two times the size of the 10 volumes of “Tafsir-e-Kabir”. They will also

be published soon, insha-Allah. Allah the Almighty bestowed all of this upon him.

He caused this prophecy to be fulfilled, and this prophecy of Musleh-e-Maud is one of the greatest prophecies in testament to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas and is a means to increase our faith. Many books have also been published in English now. Those who do not know Urdu should seek to benefit from this treasure trove of knowledge, and I have mentioned this before as well. May Allah the Almighty enable us all to benefit from this treasure trove of knowledge.

A renewed wave of opposition against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is unfolding in Pakistan. A significant number of politicians and clerics, who have suffered defeat in the elections or who have not achieved their desired results, are once again targeting Ahmadis to spread discord. This has always been their approach: when they face failure, they initiate campaigns against Ahmadis to gain cheap popularity. This is exactly what they are engaging in at present.

They will go to any lengths for their selfish motives, as is currently evident. Therefore, Ahmadis must not only be vigilant but also fervently engage in prayers and almsgiving.

May Allah the Almighty safeguard all Ahmadis.

Pray earnestly for the Ahmadis in Yemen as well. May Allah the Almighty ease their circumstances. Many of them are enduring life in captivity [for the sake of their faith].

May Allah the Almighty grant them a swift release.

Pray also for the Palestinians. May Allah the Almighty bestow His mercy upon them and deliver them from the injustices inflicted upon them by powerful nations.

[Amin.]

The annual convention of [the Ahmadiyya Community in] Ghana commenced yesterday. Tomorrow, Saturday, marks its concluding day. Pray for the success of this event in every aspect. This is their centenary Jalsa, celebrating 100 years since the establishment of the Community [in Ghana]. Tomorrow, Insha-Allah, I will also address [the gathering] directly from here [Islamabad, UK], and my address will be relayed live there. May Allah the Almighty bless this occasion in every way.

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al-Fazl International, 15 March 2024, pp. 2-8. Translated by The Review of Religions)

Editor-in-Chief: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Executive Editors: Ataul Fatir Tahir, Aqeel Ahmed Kang | Research: Awwab Saad Hayat, Iftekhar Ahmed | Associate Editors: Jalees Ahmad, Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Translations: M Adam Ahmad | Design: Tahmeed Ahmad | Social Media: Romaan Basit | © Al Hakam 2024