Al Hakam - 12 April 2024

Islamic blueprint for economic coexistence

Page 6

A

‘The recurring earthquakes continue to affirm him’: A glimpse into the Promised Messiah’s prophecies and Kangra earthquake of 1905

The awe of an eclipse: An Islamic perspective

My faith, my field: How Khalifatul Masih’s guidance shaped my life

Page 10

Page 8

Page 14

THE WEEKLY

www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024 | Issue CCCXVII Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7388

True righteousness and the real joy of Eid Huzoor delivers sermon of Eid-ul-Fitr 2024

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

Fasting for six days of Shawwal

َ َ َ َ َ ُّ َ َ ْ َ ّٰ ُ �ِ ��‫ ﻗﺎل ﻗﺎل َر ُﺳﻮل ا‬،‫ﻮب‬ ‫ﻋﻦ أ�ِ� أﻳ‬ ٰ ّ َ ‫ا��ّ� �ﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠّﻢ َﻣ ْﻦ َﺻ‬ ‫ﺎم‬ ‫ﺻﻠﻰ‬ ُ َ َ ْ َ َّ ُ َ َ َ َ َّ َ ‫ّ ﻣ ْﻦ‬ ،‫ال‬ ‫ﻮ‬ ‫ﺷ‬ ‫ﺖ‬ ‫ﺴ‬ � ‫ﻪ‬ ِ ٍ ِ ِ ‫رﻣﻀﺎن ﺛﻢ أﺗﺒﻌ‬ ٍ َ​َ َ ْ َّ ‫ﺎنﻛ َﺼ ْﻮ ِماﻟﺪﻫ ِﺮ‬ � Hazrat Abu Ayyubra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said: “Whoever fasts throughout Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab as-siyam, Hadith 1716)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

Reflections on Ramadan

Islamabad, Tilford, UK, 10 April 2024: At approximately 11 am local time, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper, arrived in the Mubarak Mosque to lead the congregation

in Eid-ul-Fitr prayer and deliver the Eid sermon.

Droves of Ahmadis – men, women, and children – gathered in Islamabad on the joyous occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr 2024 to

perform the Eid prayer behind their beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa and listen to his blessed sermon.

“If God Almighty had wished, He could have refrained from imposing any restrictions on this ummah, as He did with other nations. However, He instituted these restrictions for their welfare. In my view, the crux of the matter is when an individual, with utter sincerity and absolute devotion, implores Allah the Exalted not to be deprived during this month, then God Almighty does not leave him deprived. In such a situation, if a person falls ill during the month of Ramadan, this illness turns into a blessing for him because the value of every deed is dependent on the intention behind it. A believer ought to demonstrate his valour in the path of God Almighty through his very being. Anyone who misses Continued on next page >>

Continued on next page >>

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

2

<< Continued from previous page

fasting but harbours in his heart, with profound sincerity, the desire to fast and is grief-stricken over this, then angels will fast on his behalf. Provided he is not seeking to make frivolous excuses, Allah Almighty will surely not withhold His rewards from him.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 4, p. 259)

<< Continued from previous page

After the Eid prayer, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa recited tashahud, ta‘awuz, Surah al-Fatihah, and said: “Today, we are celebrating Eid, and Allah the Almighty granted us this opportunity to witness another Eid in our lives.”

He said we can experience the true joy of Eid when we tread the path of God Almighty’s pleasure and seek his blessings.

Many Ahmadis wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa during Ramadan to pray that they may attain true blessings of Allah the Almighty. Huzooraa said that a good tree bears persistent fruits, and so we must make our Ramadan an evergreen tree that bears fruits forever.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that during Ramadan, there is an ashra [10-day period] of rahmah (Allah’s mercy), an ashra of maghfirah (forgiveness from Allah), and ashra of protection from the Hellfire.

Hence, we must continue the good deeds that we did during the month of Ramadan.

We must ponder over ways to continue what we have achieved during this blessed month.

God Almighty didn’t open the doors of rahmah (mercy) for only 10 days. In fact, through this, Allah opened doorways to enter into the gates of forgiveness and saving oneself from hellfire. Rahmah is to show mercy and kindness. It is to forgive the mistakes of others.

May Allah forgive us and conceal our shortcomings. This can only happen if we fulfill the commandments of God and continue to do good deeds. We should fulfill the rights of others. We should abstain from every evil deed that Satan incites us to do.

We should repent by means of istighfar and strengthen our faith. A momin (believer) should continue to strengthen their faith and always perform righteous deeds to attain the nearness of Allah the Almighty.

At present, every kind of fire has engulfed the world from all sides. Thus, in order to save oneself from this fire, we should seek to attain the pleasure and love of Allah the Almighty. This is the advice of the Imam of the Age, the Promised Messiahas.

While we are celebrating Eid, we should never forget the people who are under oppression by evildoers and satans of this age. We should pray for them that God may save and protect them. We should also donate and contribute to various charities to provide for the needs and necessities of the oppressed people.

Describing Rabb-ul-Alamin (Lord of all the Worlds) and taqwa (righteousness), Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira said: “Just as Allah the Almighty showers

His mercy upon the creation and looks on them with kindness and love, you too should show true affection and compassion towards them.”

Huzooraa said real happiness is achieved when a person becomes a true reflection of God’s attributes. Thus, as mercy and kindness are manifestly shown by Allah the Almighty in the very beginning of Ramadan, we should continue to prolong

these blessings and seek to fulfill the rights of the Creation.

We should always remember that Eid is not just to eat and be merry, but it is in fact to tread the path of righteousness. Allah the Almighty says:

ٰ ۡ َ َ َ � َ َ ً َ َ َ َ َ َ ٰ ۡ َ َ� َ َ َُ ‫آِء �ال َُح ُّۡس�� � َ​َو َُسَنْقۡوۡ َُل ل َ �ُه‬ ‫َواِّما ِّمۡن اِّمۡن َوَع َِّمَل َصال َِحا ِفِلُه َجِز‬ َ َ ‫ِِّم ۡ​ۡن ا ِّۡمُرِنا ُّیُ ۡ� ً​ًّرا‬

“He who believes and works righteousness will have a good reward in the Hereafter, and We shall also facilitate everything for him by Our command.”

(Surah al-Kahf, Ch.18: V.89) Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said that whoever attains such status of righteousness, what more do they need? When one fulfills the rights of Allah the Almighty and the right owed to His Creation, only then can we attain true righteousness and achieve real joy of Eid. The Promised Messiahas said: “Virtue is a ladder that lifts one towards Islam and God. But remember, what is virtue? On every route, Satan raids the people and leads them away from the path of truth. For example, let us presume that one night more bread is cooked than necessary and the following morning there is some leftover. Just before the first morsel, as one is about to begin their meal and many delicious foods are placed before them, a beggar comes to the door and calls out asking for bread. If the person says: ‘Give the leftover bread to the beggar,’ would this be deemed a good deed? The leftover bread was going to remain unused anyway. Why would an indulgent person eat such bread?

Allah the Exalted states: ‘And they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphan, and the prisoner.’

“It should also be remembered that the Arabic word ta‘am used here refers to desirable food. Stale leftovers are not referred to as ta‘am. Therefore, if at the sound of a beggar, the person were to give away their desirable and delicious food freshly placed in their plate just before they began to eat it, this is what constitutes a good deed.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, p.

72) Huzooraa said if people get true understanding of this commandment, only then they can attain true virtue. In afflicted countries, many are selling their clothes to get food. In Palestine, people are not getting enough the required colorise, and those who are starving and cannot find food are apart from them.

The Promised Messiahas said: “No individual who spends that which is useless and worthless can claim to have

While we are celebrating Eid, we should never forget the people who are under oppression by evildoers and satans of this age. We should pray for them that God may save and protect them.

We should also donate and contribute to various charities to provide for the needs and necessities of the oppressed people.

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024

3

‘World war has already begun’: Huzoor urges fervent prayers in his Friday Sermon During his Friday sermon, delivered on 5 April 2024, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: During his Friday Sermon delivered on 5 April 2024, coinciding with the final Jumuah of Ramadan, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, emphasised the significance of supplications imbued with profound urgency, fervour and anguish (iztirar).

He recited and taught specific prayers from the Holy Quran, ahadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, and the supplications of the Promised Messiahas. Before proceeding further, he also highlighted the importance of invoking salutations [salawat] on the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa as a prerequisite for the acceptance of these prayers. He conveyed a significant message to both the members of the Jamaat and the wider Muslim ummah, emphasising the importance of placing our complete trust in Allah for the resolution of our difficulties.

He also urged Ahmadis: “Pray, especially for the progress of the Jamaat during the prayers of Ramadan. Pray for the release of those imprisoned for believing in the Promised Messiahas, whether they are in Pakistan, Yemen, or elsewhere.

May Allah Almighty arrange for their release and turn the evil of the wicked against themselves. Pray earnestly done a good deed. The door of virtue is narrow, so bear well in mind that no one can enter it by spending things of no value.

There is a clear statement in the Quran as follows:

ُ َ ُ ْ ُ �ٰ َ َ� ْ ُ َ ْ َ ‫لۡن ُتَنالۡوا ال�َِر َح‬ ‫ُتى ُتَن ُِفْقۡوْا ِِّم �َّما ُت َِح �ُْبۡوْ َ​َن‬

“Meaning, until you spend those things which are most beloved to you and most dear, you cannot attain the rank of being loved and held dear by God. If you do not wish to bear hardship and do not seek to adopt true piety how can you succeed and triumph?” (Ibid., pp. 72-73) At another place, the Promised Messiahas said: “Two things are necessary for human beings: to refrain from evil and to hasten towards virtue. Now, there are two further aspects of virtue: to forsake evil and propagate goodness. A person cannot be complete by the mere eschewing of evil; this must be coupled with the propagation of virtue, which means to benefit others.

This demonstrates the degree to which a person has reformed themselves. These ranks are attained when a person develops faith in the attributes of God Almighty and a knowledge of these attributes as well.

Until this becomes the case, one cannot even save themselves from vice, let alone benefit others, which is a far greater quality.

for [Ahmadis] and our next generations to be safe from the fire of wars and the subsequent effects that follow. May Allah Almighty protect us.

“Now, it seems as though war is imminent, and not just imminent; it has already begun; in fact, a world war has commenced. However, the rulers of the world seem unconcerned. They believe they will remain safe while the common people suffer. But this is their folly. They

There are many people who are in awe of kings and even fear the Indian Penal Code to some extent. There are many people who do not break the law, yet they are fearless when it comes to disobeying the law of God, the Best of judges. Can there be any other reason except that people do not believe in Him? This is the sole reason.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 3, p. 132) Huzooraa said there are some people who show great morals with others and spend in the way of Allah the Almighty. However, when it comes to their family and home, they don’t do the same. We must evaluate ourselves in this respect as well.

May Allah grant us power to strengthen our faith and do such good deeds as may bring the blessings and nearness of God Almighty. May Allah shower His mercy upon us. May God forgive us and protect us from Satan.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then conveyed ‘Eid Mubarak’ to Ahmadis across the world.

Huzooraa then urged everyone to pray for Ahmadis all over the world; to pray for all the oppressed people, and especially for the Ahmadis of Burkina Faso; to pray for all those Ahmadis who are in hardships because of Ahmadiyyat; to pray for the ummah of Islam that they may unify and help ensure the rights of Muslims of Palestine and the

are prioritising their egos. They have no regard for the masses. These are the tricks of the Dajjal; they have ensnared the public, claiming, ‘We are doing this and that for you.’ However, voices of dissent are starting to rise among the public here and there. But their schemes have distanced people from Allah Almighty. They themselves are distant from Him. Along with that, indecency and brazenness are at their peak; Allah Almighty does not approve of this. The outcome will

rest of Muslims too. May Allah grant them guidance and may they believe in the Imam of the Age, the Promised Messiah and Mahdias. May Allah bless this world with

inevitably be that these people will face the wrath of Allah Almighty.

“In such times, Ahmadis need to draw closer to Allah Almighty and intensify the iztirar in their prayers to escape the evil of these people. Pray for the good-natured among them as well, that they too may be saved from evil.

“As I have just mentioned, a world war has already begun. The war has now moved beyond the borders of Palestine. The attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria, which they carried out, is a major crime under any law.

And because Israel has committed it, the world remains silent. Now, this will lead to the further spread of war.

Now there is an uproar over the deaths of their [Western] aid workers. Some people have started speaking up, but they were silent over the deaths of innocent Palestinians. Now they feel the pain when their own people have died.

“In any case, we should pray that Allah Almighty saves humanity and grants us the ability to fulfil our duty toward supplications. [Amin.]”

(Friday Sermon, 5 April 2024, @ AlHakamWeekly on X)

rightful and just leaders.

Huzooraa then led the congregation in silent prayer.

Some of the scenes at Islamabad today|Image: Library

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

4

This Week in History

A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat 12 April 1948: Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra delivered a lecture in Rawalpindi as part of a series of lectures titled “Istihkam-ePakistan” (The Consolidation of Pakistan).

13 April 1970: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh met the then head of the state of Nigeria, Yakubu Gowon.

Huzoorrh also addressed the University of Ibadan. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 26, pp. 43-44)

During the lecture, opponents raised slogans against the Jamaat and tried to create disorder and the police had to disperse the mob.

13 April 2014: On this day, the third International Conference of Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International (MTA) reached its conclusion with an address by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. 39 delegates from 20 countries attended the three-day conference, which was held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden. Speaking about the types of programmes MTA should produce, Huzooraa said:

For more details, see “‘Consolidation of Pakistan’: Lectures by Hazrat Musleh-eMaud on how Pakistan can see success” at alhakam.org (6 May 2022, p. 10).

12 April 1966: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh issued a message for Ahmadis regarding Waqf-e-Jadid, in which he instructed members

Yaqubo Gowan, President of Nigeria receives a gift from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh

of the Jamaat to help the Waqfe-Jadid promises to reach at least 600,000 rupees.

For more details, see “A chronology of Waqf-e-Jadid’s early years (1965-1982)”, at alhakam.org (31 December 2021, p. 18).

12 April 14 April 1920: Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra delivered a lecture at the Vande Mataram Hall in Amritsar, titled “Kiya dunya ke amn-oamaan ki bunyad Isa‘iyyat par rakhi ja sakti hay ya Islam par?”

(Can the foundations for world peace be built on Christianity or Islam?). This was in response to the New Year’s message from the British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George.

For further details, see “Response to an appeal of British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s lectures in Lahore and Amritsar, 1920” at alhakam.org (23 June 2023, p. 12).

“Remember, any programmes you produce should be of the highest standards and should be those that fulfil the needs of the time.” (“International Conference of Muslim Television Ahmadiyya takes place in London,” pressahmadiyya.com)

13 April 14 April 1940: The then Chief Justice of the Indian Federal Court, Sir Maurice Gwyer, visited Qadian along with his son, Major John Gwyer.

For more details, see “Coming from every distant track: Chief Justice of India, Sir Maurice Gwyer, meets Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud” at alhakam. org (14 April 2023, p. 16).

15 April 1922: The first Shura of the Jamaat was held in Talim-ulIslam High School, Qadian. Taking part were 52 delegates from various regions of India and 30 delegates from the Markaz.

For more details, see “First Majlise-Shura”, at alhakam.org (29 June 2018, p. 3).

Report Majlis Mushawarat 1922

14 - 15 April

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024

5

12 - 18 April

17 April 1903: Some residents of Qadian, like Buddha Mal, Ghanayya Lal, Bur Singh Narain and Dasawar Singh, complained to the authorities that the white minaret being built by Ahmadis would be used to peer into the houses of neighbours, breaching their privacy.

[now Mumbai], he stayed there for a month, waiting for the ship’s departure. Waiting for a month for a ship was quite normal at that time due to the unpredictability of travel schedules, influenced by factors like weather, mechanical issues, and berth availability, etc.

For more details about this white minaret, see “A brief history of the construction of Minarat-ul-Masih Qadian”, at alhakam.org (6 January 2023, pp. 10-11).

For further details, about his journey and Tabligh efforts, see “100 Years Ago… – Missionaries in West Africa and Mauritius”, at alhakam.org (30 September 2022, p. 14).

17 April 1922: The pioneer Ahmadi missionary, Al-Haj Hakim Fazl-urRahman Sahib, finally reached Lagos, Nigeria, at 4 pm. Many friends welcomed him, including Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra. His photograph was also taken on the ship.

17 April 1949: The first-ever Jalsa Salana in Rabwah concluded, which commenced on 15 April and was attended by 17,000 people.

He left Qadian at 9 am on 23 January 1922, and after reaching Bombay

After the Partition of India, by the time Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had relocated to the underdeveloped new Markaz of Rabwah, the population had reached 1,000. On 23 April, The Civil and Military Gazette published a

photograph of the Jalsa site, with the following caption: “Ahmadiyas Meet at Rabwa “A general view of the huge gathering (more than 17,000) at the annual public meeting of the Ahmadiya community held at their new centre Rabwa, near Chiniot.”

17 - 18 April

For more details about Rabwah, see “From Muhammad bin Qasim to Mirza Mahmud Ahmad r.a.”, at alhakam.org (20 September 2019, pp. 16-18).

18 April 2003: Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh delivered his last Friday Sermon on Allah’s attribute of “Al-Khabeer”, the All-Knowing. That very evening, he held a question-and-answer session. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 913)

16 April 1923: The fourth delegation consisting of 19 missionaries departed from Qadian to prevent the apostasy of Malkana Muslims under the influence of the Shuddhi Movement initiated by the Arya Samaj.

For more details, see “Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s response to the Shuddhi movement and the Jamaat’s relentless services for Islam” at alhakam.org (17 December 2021, p.

18).

16 April 1944: Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra delivered an address in Delhi as part of a series of jalsas wherein he announced on oath that he is the Musleh-e-Maud (i.e., the Promised Reformer) in line with the grand prophecy vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivering speech at the Jalsa in Hoshiarpur, 1944

During the jalsa, Ahraris and other opponents of Ahmadiyyat formed a riot and attacked the gathering with stones and hurled abuse.

For further details, see “‘God has declared me the Promised Son’: Glimpse into Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s speeches of 1944 in Hoshiarpur, Lahore, Ludhiana, and Delhi” at alhakam.org (16 February 2024, p. 12).

16 April

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

6

Islamic blueprint for economic coexistence Iftekhar Ahmed Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre

Introduction The Islamic faith understands itself as the holistic path to a perfect life in every respect. The sources of Islamic teachings, the Holy Quran as the Word of God and the Holy Scripture of Muslims, and the sunnah as the exemplary way of life of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, encompass all aspects of human existence from birth to death and beyond. In this world, they serve as an exemplary guide with the aim of enabling people to live a successful and prosperous life in harmony with their divinely ordained purpose.

One of the most profound aspects of human existence on earth is the economy and economic life. Thus, this article discusses the principles of Islam for economic coexistence.

Before I begin with the actual topic, I would like to make some remarks on the current overall economic situation we find ourselves in and outline some of the fundamental shortcomings and weaknesses of the economic system that still prevails today, namely capitalism, so that what I then derive from the sources of Islamic teachings may be recognised as a solution.

Capitalism’s moral bankruptcy Capitalism is the pursuit of wealth, driven by self-interest, which takes precedence.

Hence, capitalism is geared towards promoting and protecting self-interest.

On this basis, capitalism adopts a purely materialistic attitude in which man, detached from any origin or destiny, confines himself exclusively to the aspects of his material life fed by considerations of utility. Driven by self-interest, capitalism is nevertheless supposed to miraculously promote the common good, without striving for it in any way. Now, self-interest can either be compatible with the common good or detrimental to it. Since self-interest that is not compatible with the common good not only threatens other legitimate interests but also the common good itself as the prerequisite for the success of interests per se, people in pure capitalism must constantly be on guard against such a threat to the common good by the pressure of self-interest. Bluntly speaking, one could say that the capitalist maxim of egoistic self-interest in its purest form basically makes it impossible to build mutual trust, selflessness and true compassion in economic matters. On the contrary, one constantly senses the danger of interests that could collide with one’s self-interest

everywhere, and life becomes a neverending, almost social Darwinist struggle for survival.

Furthermore, capitalism as practised as an economic system has largely given free rein to certain exploitative institutions and their activities based on the philosophy of the free market and has even granted them legal protection. Such institutions are largely responsible for much of the injustice in the distribution of wealth in today’s world.

The end of history postulated by political scientist Francis Fukuyama after the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to which capitalism, inextricably linked in his view with liberal democracy, had now definitively prevailed as the most sustainable and successful system and would spread to all nations, proved to be an illusion in the further course of history.

Rather, the negative effects of the ethical emptiness of capitalism, the unbridled pursuit of self-interest in production and consumption, the interest-based financial and monetary system, and the indifference to collective responsibility became more apparent than ever in the subsequent economic and financial crises, and continue to be the greatest obstacles to justice.

The prevailing economic worldview since the late 19th century, the neoclassical school of economics, forms the backbone of modern capitalism. It assumes that self-interest would determine economic behaviour. Therefore, the individual would take precedence and private property would be inviolable. The ownership of property would be based on the notion that one is the owner of oneself, which is why every individual would have a natural right to one’s own labour and thus also a right to the property that one acquires or produces in exchange for this labour. A person’s wellbeing could best be maximised by allowing them to act freely in their own interest, according to this view. Pleasure and pain would be the ultimate objects of economic calculation. The aim and purpose of economics would be to satisfy one’s needs with the least effort as much as possible, or, in other words, to maximise pleasure.

The usefulness of something would be measured by the extent to which it increases a person’s well-being and pleasure.

This view is based on three unrealistic assumptions about human beings, namely that human beings would have unlimited reason, unlimited willpower and be infinitely selfish. The foundations and assumptions underlying this view not only differ from the Islamic economic view but are diametrically opposed to it.

A look into the Quran and the sunnah shows that financial matters were given great importance by Allah and

Christine Roy|Unsplash

His Prophetsa. The scope of guidance in financial matters, however, is not limited to legal provisions on permissible and impermissible transactions.

Rather, the Quran and sunnah focus strongly on human experiences and behaviours regarding wealth and assets, which are the prerequisites for sound economic decisions. By concentrating on human experience and behaviour regarding wealth and assets, and reformulating important economic concepts, the Islamic teachings also attempt to overcome cognitive and spiritual distortions regarding wealth and assets that lead to inappropriate and often harmful economic decisions.

Redefining ownership: Allah as true Owner From an Islamic perspective, it is neither the satisfaction of needs and desires nor the maximisation of pleasure that constitutes the ultimate goal of economic activity. The Islamic conception of property itself is entirely different since Allah Himself owns us and thus also our assets. Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Surely, Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their property [in return] for the [heavenly] Garden they shall have”. (Surah at-Taubah, Ch.9: V.111) Nevertheless, the Islamic system of divine law grants man the right to private property. It allows him to strive for personal wealth, and to acquire worldly goods, and establishes the legal framework to protect this property.

Zakat: Antidote to interest and economic individualism Furthermore, economic individualism is far removed from Islamic conceptions of the common good and community rights.

The fact that zakat entitles others to a part of our wealth and that withholding it is considered reprehensible and a cause of our downfall negates the compatibility between Islam and economic individualism. Allah says: “And spend in the cause of Allah, and cast not yourselves into ruin with your own hands, and do good; surely, Allah loves those who do good.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.196) It should be noted, however, that the Islamic perspective is just as incompatible with the counterpart to economic individualism, namely economic collectivism, but rather represents a middle way between these two extremes.

In numerous places in the Quran, Allah points out that man has a strong desire for material goods.

For example, it says: “And you love wealth with exceeding love.” (Surah al-Fajr, Ch.89: V.21) Or: “And, surely, he is passionate in his love for wealth.” (Surah al-‘Adiyat, Ch.100: V.9) The Messengersa of Allah illustrates this insatiable thirst for wealth as follows: “If the son of Adam had a valley full of gold, he would love to have two valleys.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab ar-Riqaq, Bab Ma yuttaqa min fitnati l-mal, no. 6439) He also warned of the possible dangers of the obsessive pursuit of wealth, saying: “By Allah, I do not fear poverty for you, but I fear that the wealth of the world may be given to you as it was given to those before you. Then you will vie for it as they vied for it, and it will ruin you as it ruined them.”

(Ibid., Bab Ma yuhdharu min zahrati d-dunya wa-t-tanafus fiha, no. 6425) What the warning that the pursuit of wealth can destroy a person aims to foster is a conscious and vigilant attitude towards such a pursuit. But instead of

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024 merely warning against the possible perils of mammon, the Islamic teachings attempt to reshape man’s relationship to wealth in such a way that he spends it appropriately according to Allah’s directives, that is, in His service.

In Islam, Allah is the true owner of everything, including all wealth, and the individual is merely a trustee or custodian.

Man’s task is to deal with wealth and assets in a way that pleases their Owner, that is, God. The Quran states: “Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend [in the way of Allah] out of that to which He has made you heirs. And those of you who believe and spend will have a great reward.” (Surah al-Hadid, Ch.57: V.8) The fact that wealth ultimately belongs to Allah alone and that man is only a trustee has a significant impact on how wealth is spent and invested. Once one has internalised one’s role as a trustee, one is responsible for upholding the trust and understanding the conditions of the trust in order to know who has a right to assets and then distribute those assets to those who have a claim to them.

The conditions of the trusteeship are clearly formulated in the Quran and the sunnah. These include the rules of inheritance, the regulations on zakat, the prohibition of hoarding capital, the incentive to be generous and redistribute wealth in society, the incentive to be moderate in spending, and the principles of investment.

The scourge of interest Another important pillar of the Islamic economic system is the absolute prohibition of interest, which is very clearly and unequivocally established in the Quran and the sunnah. Interest is the mother of all economic injustices.

Interest-based lending as an instrument for the distribution of resources secures a fixed return for one party and a variable or uncertain return for the other. This dichotomy in returns increases the concentration of wealth and impedes entrepreneurship since the interest-based system guarantees the wealthy capitalist a fixed return. Regardless of the initial distribution of wealth in society, interestbased lending eventually leads to a concentration of wealth in every society.

In fact, the inequality of wealth is not only a problem in the Third World, but a fact in every country where a sophisticated interest-based financial system is at work.

The lack of willingness on the part of capitalists to risk capital while having the opportunity to earn a fixed-interest income prevents them from engaging in entrepreneurial activities themselves, leading to a decline in investment in the economy. The decline in potential investment in productive activities slows economic growth, keeps unemployment high, burdens public budgets through transfer payments, and reduces competitiveness in markets, which can lead to welfare losses and other problems associated with market imperfections.

In the case of productive loans, it may happen that the borrower incurs losses, but in the case of interest-based loans, he will still be obliged to repay the capital plus interest. In some cases, it may happen that

7

the borrower makes large profits while the lender receives only the agreed interest rate, which is typically only a fraction of the actual profit. Interest thus leads to an inefficient allocation of societal resources overall and contributes to systemic instability. It also exacerbates inequality in the distribution of income and wealth, as it guarantees a continuous increase in the funds lent, especially by the wealthy, and shifts the burden of losses onto entrepreneurs and – through the loss of jobs – onto workers.

Now I would like to briefly dispel a myth related to the prohibition of interest.

It is claimed that interest is the price of risk. However, it is simply wrong to claim that lending money involves such a risk that would not be present in business ventures. In today’s interest system, the lender receives interest in any case, while businesses, after taking an operational risk, either make profits or incur losses. With every entrepreneurial investment, the entire process of economic activity must be gone through, which involves risk at every stage, and any compensation for an investment strictly depends on the outcome of the entrepreneurial activity. The time value of money is a problem for the investor who wants to avoid leaving his money unused and forgoing the use of money that could bring a positive value to his investment.

This does not mean, however, that the investor can demand or receive an arbitrary increase in the cost of using the money without taking the entrepreneurial risk.

Distributive justice: Uplifting the underprivileged On the subject of distributive justice, it should also be said that Muslims have their own system of welfare to address the problem of poverty alleviation. There are three verses in the Quran that are particularly important for Muslim thinking on issues of distributive justice. These verses specify who the legitimate beneficiaries of public revenues are. The first of these three verses is Surah at-Tawbah, Ch.9: V.60, which specifies who the legitimate recipients of sadaqat – also known as zakat, the third pillar of Islam – are. Zakat forms the antithesis of interest. The verse limits those who can receive these funds to eight categories: the poor, the needy, those in charge of administering zakat, those whose hearts are to be reconciled to Islam, the freeing of slaves, debtors, those who work for the cause of Allah, and travellers.

Zakat is sometimes understood as alms, but in Islamic law, it is an obligatory payment that those who have means owe to the state, which then has the duty to distribute it to those who are entitled to it. In the Quran, the payment is described as a right of the poor against the rich, with the state being able to enforce its obligation towards those who refuse to pay it. It is levied on savings exceeding a certain minimum amount, on basic staples exceeding a certain minimum amount, and on herds of a certain minimum size.

The alleviation of poverty is a crucial objective of this Quranic legislation. The same concern for poverty alleviation is also found in the other two Quranic verses dealing with the distribution of public assets, Surah al-Hashr, Ch.59: V.8, and

Markus Winkler|Unsplash

Surah al-Anfal, Ch.8: V.42, in which the poor and other marginalised groups are named as legitimate recipients of public property.

In general, one can point to Islamic principles of distributive justice that promote the transfer of public resources to the least advantaged members of society.

The Islamic principles of distributive justice are clearly in line with a policy aimed at mitigating the disadvantages for the individual resulting from poverty.

Islamic law makes receiving public support contingent solely on the objective neediness of the applicant and nothing else. Moreover, the definition of poor is quite broad. The Maliki school of law, for example, which is predominant in Muslim North Africa, Spain, and sub-Saharan Africa, defines anyone who does not have enough property to live on for a year as poor. This means that poverty is defined not only as a function of income but also includes savings: anyone whose savings are not sufficient to survive for a year is entitled to public support.

The Islamic concept of zakat is only intended to serve as a kind of income insurance and is not so generous as to deter the average person from improving their lot in life according to their God-given abilities. But what it does is change the decision-making basis facing individuals who sell their labour to survive.

On the subject of zakat, it should also be said that as a reflection of human behaviour, it strengthens human relationships with other members of society by dealing with the misery of the poor and the excess of the rich. Far more important than its legal implications is its role in an ethical economy. Zakat is the embodiment of several economic principles, such as the right to regulate property, the idea of using property for the greater good, the idea of supporting the needy while ensuring their integration into society, and the principle of purifying one’s own wealth in order to establish an economic and, more broadly, even an ecological balance. The institution of zakat is specifically reserved for the weak in order to balance out prosperity and increase social welfare among the population. In this context, zakat has not only legal but also socio-economic and, above all, moral aspects. Zakat is mentioned 82 times in the Quran in connection with the Islamic prayer, salat, which shows the significance and interrelationship between

financial charity and spiritual efforts. Zakat is a clear indication that poverty in the Islamic tradition is both a social problem and a spiritual phenomenon. Conceptually, zakat as an obligatory levy on surplus wealth is no less than a milestone in the provision of social services and security.

Zakat must also be given more importance because calls from prominent politicians and economists for a wealth tax are becoming louder by the day. Zakat is indeed a wealth tax – albeit on idle wealth – those who hoard and do not invest in society are made to pay. Zakat is fairer and more equitable than current forms of wealth tax as formulated by its left-wing proponents, which seem more like a blind attack on the wealthy.

The Islamic system of divine law condemns the hoarding of capital and demands that capital must always be kept in circulation. Since capital is to remain in circulation on the one hand and cannot be invested in conventional interest-bearing transactions on the other, the principle of profit and loss sharing is applied.

Accordingly, capital – if not invested as equity capital – may only be provided as equity capital. In such investment-related agreements, both the capital provider and the active partner participate in the profit achieved as well as in the risk. It should be noted that, from an Islamic perspective, capital generally has the function of continuously circulating within the national economy. This consideration underlies the general notion of property rights in the Islamic system of divine law.

Ethical entrepreneurship: An Islamic imperative Ethical entrepreneurship as a development strategy and business style is also a concept rooted in Islamic economic teachings. A number of verses in the Quran promote entrepreneurship and call for business ethics, citing the example of the Prophetsa himself, who was a successful entrepreneur.

In the following, I will outline the Islamic ethical principles that should regulate businesses and enterprises: • This includes the commandment of honesty and reliability.

• Then, as mentioned before, the treatment of all company resources as a trust from God that must be managed with full Continued on page 9 >>

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

8

My faith, my field: How Khalifatul Masih’s guidance shaped my life

Iatezaz Ahmad USA

Iatezaz Ahmad Tariq, a 33-year-old member of the USA Jamaat, has a decade of law enforcement experience, beginning as a patrol officer with the Metropolitan Police Department in 2014 and evolving through specialized units to address violent crimes, illegal firearms, and gang activities in Washington, D.C. With a BS in Criminology and minors in Homeland Security and Intelligence Analysis, his innovative methods in social media investigations have significantly contributed to law enforcement efforts, leading to his recent appointment as a Special Agent at the Office of Inspector General, focusing on healthcare fraud investigations. - Editor What can I say? I’m a 90s baby. I grew up in America during a time when pop culture dominated much of what people would socialise about. You had explosive popularity for Hip Hop spread throughout the country. The film industry and television played large roles in the lives of Americans as blockbuster hits such as Jurassic Park and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air played in movie theatres and across television sets everywhere.

In terms of other aspects of the 90s, it did not hold back either, as America experienced a range of societal issues, including, but not limited to, gun violence, consumerism and debt, adolescent shootings, racial tensions, internet and technological advancements, economic changes, and the run of the mill

politics and foreign relations.

The crack epidemic crushed many major cities across the country. Federal funding for the “War on Drugs” reached $17.1 billion dollars. This came with disproportionate sentencing guidelines for men and women of colour as compared to white Americans. The Federal government passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and at the time, this was the largest crime bill in the history of the country. It included 100,000 new police officers, $9.7 billion in funding for prisons and $6.1 billion in funding for prevention programmes. (“How the ‘90s changed the future of law enforcement”, www.police1.com) In 1992, four Los Angeles policemen, three of them white, were acquitted of the barbaric beating of Rodney King, an African American man. The attack was broadcast across the nation and resulted in five days straight of rioting in Los Angeles. Residents set fires, and looted and destroyed liquor stores, grocery stores, retail shops and fastfood restaurants. Ultimately, following the riots, there were more than 50 riot-related deaths, which included 10 people who were shot and killed by the LAPD and National Guardsmen. More than 2,000 people were injured and nearly 6,000 alleged looters and arsonists were arrested. Out of the people arrested, 36% were African Americans and 51% were Latinos. (“When LA Erupted In Anger: A Look Back At The Rodney King Riots”, www.npr.org) Gun violence, and in particular

surrounding adolescents, wreaked havoc across the country. The Columbine High School massacre happened on 20 April 1999, and the continued relevance of that tragic event is felt to the present day.

The sad reality is that this brief snapshot of America during the 90s is not too far from the America that exists today.

Minorities, including the African American community, have continued to experience disproportionate treatment from the American legal system. This has caused continued racial tensions and mistrust towards law enforcement across the nation.

That brings us to the death of Michael Brown in 2014, which led to the Ferguson riots in Missouri due to a white police officer killing Brown, who was unarmed at the time.

So, why is this harsh illustration needed?

The answer is that this is the America that I was raised in and these events mentioned are but a brief microcosm of the societal issues that I have been exposed to. Being born into Islam Ahmadiyyat has been a blessing that I still cannot thank Allah enough for. You don’t realise how lucky you truly are until you become older, and that wisdom and awakening occurs. Growing up in America, I knew my brothers and I were different from our peers. From not eating pork at school to attending Sunday class to increase our religious knowledge, or to the simple aspects of treating everyone with absolute justice, kindness, and kinship. In my particular case, my parents decided before my birth that they would dedicate my life to the service of Islam and Ahmadiyyat under the Waqfe-Nau scheme in America. I grew up with even more pressure on my shoulders to truly grasp the concept of sacrifice. At a young age, this was increasingly difficult, as I was just trying to be a kid like my friends.

Whether it was having fun playing tackle football with the neighbourhood kids or playing Donkey Kong on Super Nintendo with my older brother, I was just trying to be a regular American kid.

My parents, especially my mother, would pack us brothers in the car and drive an excess of an hour to the masjid to ensure we did not lose sight of who we really were: the blessed members of the Promised Messiah’sas community. I remember one summer, I attended a Tarbiyyat camp at the masjid. I was probably 15 years old and there was a special session for waqifeen-enau so I was told I had to attend while the other atfal got to go outside and play. I spent the first moments of the session feeling

bad for myself, but eventually snapped out of it and locked in. It was the first step in re-dedicating my parents’ pledge of me serving Islam and Ahmadiyyat as a waqife-nau. I signed the form and truthfully, I understood what I was signing, but the urge to run outside and play basketball was so powerful and distracting.

Fast forward to the age of 18, and I was approached again to re-dedicate. Now I had a bit more consciousness of the form and its gravity. I knew that this truly was what I wanted to do with my life. I remember having a blessed mulaqat with beloved Huzooraa, and I had built the courage to announce in front of my family that I wanted to attend Jamia in Canada. When it came to my turn to speak, I said with my chin raised, “I want to attend Jamia Huzooraa!” Before beloved Huzooraa could respond, my mother inserted, “He should first attend university.” Ultimately, beloved Huzooraa advised me to go into the medical field. I gave it my best shot and after two semesters, I wrote to Huzooraa and informed him that I was truly struggling in this field of education and desired further direction, to which Huzooraa responded to do what I had an interest in.

Something came over me and I thought to myself that I wanted to serve Islam and Ahmadiyyat by physically protecting the institution of Khilafat and serving with Amla Hifazat. I resumed my studies and at the end of my education, I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Criminology in 2014. Now that I had finished, before my graduation I decided to present myself before Huzooraa and offer my services to the Community. I informed Huzooraa that I had completed my studies and wanted to serve within Amla Hifazat, but was ready to do whatever he directed me to do.

Huzooraa looked at me and directed me to go into law enforcement as a police officer for 2 years and then report back. I was struck by an immense flow of emotions and feelings and spent the entire journey home thinking about law enforcement in America. This was right around the time of the Ferguson riots and the racial tensions between the police and the community were at an all-time high. To enter the field of law enforcement during this time in history was not a popular opinion by any means. I looked within myself and accepted the task, and I knew that if Huzooraa had given me such a specific direction, there would be no way my efforts would be wasted.

With guidance from Huzooraa, I joined the police department in Washington DC and began my journey in law enforcement at the end of 2014. As is often time seen in films, the rookie treatment did exist to a certain extent. After passing the police academy and the field training portion of being an officer, I was placed on the overnight shift in one of the most violent quadrants of the city. I remember, when they announced where I was going to be assigned, my parents were very afraid knowing that I would be working in an area where gun violence was so high.

I did not hesitate, as I had the guidance of my beloved Huzooraa and I knew that his prayers would protect me from the physical and psychological harm of the profession. I experienced such pain and suffering from the eyes of the community that I would

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024

9

carry a part of that trauma with me wherever I went. I knew that being a policeman would be difficult and I knew that I would be in the profession during a time when I would need to go on the offensive to gain the trust of the community with each individual interaction I had. This is not to say that I was always successful with this approach.

Some pain and trauma displayed by people through violence cannot be solved through one interaction with an Ahmadi Muslim policeman.

The crushing pressure of socio-economic issues is often felt by minorities and other vulnerable parts of society, especially as it relates to inner cities such as Washington DC. As an officer, I quickly realised that the communities that I served had a sense of desperation and frustration and these factors only compounded the overall violence and narcotic issues that existed.

These were large lessons I learned within two years of working in this profession and I eventually returned to Huzooraa to report back. I was then directed to do another two years and repeat this process that I had just done.

I had thought that I would serve for two years and that I would be serving near beloved Huzooraa. As any young man in his twenties, I felt some feelings that is there something lacking within me that I had not been allowed to stay with beloved Huzooraa?

It was only then that after doing some research I started to enlighten myself on the concept of true, unquestionable obedience to the institution of Khilafat.

In the Holy Quran, Allah says: “O ye who believe, obey Allah and obey His Messenger and those who are in authority among you.” (Surah an-Nisa’, Ch.4: V.60) This verse struck me because, the reality is, beloved Huzooraa had directed me and I could not waiver in my acceptance of the guidance and full resolve to see it through.

I continued my work and by carrying

myself with the values of Islam and Ahmadiyyat, I began to develop skills that would prove my value to various specialised policing teams. Within the next two years, I experienced even more in terms of handling life-or-death situations and providing true support regardless of one’s race, class, creed, or colour of their skin when these individuals needed help the most. I returned to update Huzooraa, and Huzooraa directed me to continue in my profession and return after two more years.

Now I was invigorated and returned with even more drive to enhance my abilities in law enforcement and in treating the community with absolute justice, kindness, and kinship. Upon returning to America, I was selected to be a part of the police department’s specialised team with the task of removing illegal weapons from Washington DC. This level of work was highly demanding and required a great deal of skill and tact to complete the job and keep everyone, including the community, safe.

By the grace of Allah, I received many accolades during this two-year window and was able to work to remove over 569 illegal weapons from the city within my first year. During this time, there were no police-involved shootings during these interactions with the public. I can only attribute such staggering statistics to the prayers of Huzooraa.

Even up to this point, many people within my sphere of influence would recommend that perhaps I should change my profession due to the danger and other factors involved, including the increasing number of viral negative interactions with the community, perpetrated by law enforcement across the nation. People would go to the lengths of having discourse with me, where they would compare me to officers who had abused their authority and acted unjustly with the communities they served. They would express their concern, comparing my position to being submerged

in a sea of moral dilemmas, fearing that one could not emerge untouched by the systemic issues prevalent within law enforcement.

They worried about the potential for even the most well-intentioned officers to be influenced by the negative aspects of the system.

My reaction would be the same to such critical views: my Khalifa has spoken, and I will, God-willing, follow that directive until I meet my death. The divine light behind Huzooraa can shine in the darkest and most unsettling environments, providing oneself with unwavering protection. I am in my tenth year of following Huzoor’saa guidance, and Allah has only enabled me to increase my obedience to the directives I have received, Alhamdulillah. Throughout these past ten years, I have often looked within my faith to find things to motivate me and drive me to work to become the best law enforcement officer that I can achieve to become. One of the most profound statements that I have come across is the necessity in Islam for complete obedience to the Will of Allah the Almighty. The Promised Messiahas has stated: “Obedience to the Creator means that in order to make manifest His Honour, Glory and Unity, one should be ready to endure every dishonour and humiliation, and one should be eager to undergo a thousand deaths in order to uphold His Unity. One hand should be ready to cut off the other with pleasure in obedience to Him, and the love of the grandeur of His commandments and the thirst for seeking His pleasure should make sin so hateful as if it were a consuming fire, or a fatal poison, or an obliterating lightning, from which one must run away with all one’s power. To seek His pleasure, one must surrender all the desires of one’s ego, and to establish a relationship with Him, one should be ready to endure all kinds of injuries, and to prove such a relationship, one must break off all other relationships.

<< Continued from page 7

• There must be transparency in hiring employees, with equal opportunities offered to all, looking primarily at abilities and credibility instead of favouritism based on ethnicity, etc.

• A personnel management system that ensures an appropriate work environment, proper remuneration, reasonable working hours, etc.

• Accountability of entrepreneurs.

• Protection of the environment, prevention of environmental pollution and destruction of nature.

• Fair distribution of wealth.

• Payment of zakat.

• And adherence to the prohibition of interest.

will consume interest” It was asked: “All people?” The Prophetsa said: “Whoever does not consume it will still be affected by its dust.” (Musnad Ahmad, Musnad alMukthirin min as-sahabah, Musnad Abi Hurayrahra, no. 10410) That is, a time should come when people would no longer care whether they earned their livelihood through permissible or forbidden means, and even those who would do everything to avoid consuming interest would be affected and permeated by this evil.

These prophecies have been fulfilled in our present time. The Promised Messiahas said about this: “Now in this country, most jurisprudential issues have been turned upside down. There is some element of interest (riba) in almost all trades.

Therefore, there is a need for new independent reasoning (ijtihad) at this time.” (Malfuzat, [2022], Vol. 7, p. 3) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said about this statement of the Promised Messiahas: “In light of this guidance of the Promised Messiahas, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat continues to investigate and research into various issues in this regard whenever they arise and even currently, further research is

responsibility.

• Furthermore, justice, which also includes fair dealings in business.

• Businesses should be conducted with humility and devotion as part of the worship of God, without harming others.

• This includes the pursuit of brotherhood and cooperation in order to achieve the well-being of humanity and not just personal advantage.

• Moreover, Islam calls upon businesses to pursue other ethical strategies as well, such as ethical considerations in choosing a line of business that does not harm others – hence some businesses are not permissible, such as alcohol, gambling, weapons, etc.

• Contracts must be honoured and complied with.

• Advertising must never be misleading or even untrue.

• To protect customers, any negligence in measurements is unacceptable.

• Surplus products must not be destroyed in order to secure high prices in the market, but must be released for use in order to increase the prosperity of society as a whole.

Prophecies fulfilled: A call to reform In conclusion, it should be said that the Holy Prophetsa prophesied about our time: “A time will come when people will not care how they earn money, whether lawfully or unlawfully.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab alBuyu‘, Bab Man lam yubal min hayth kasab al-mal, no. 2059) The Messengersa of Allah also made a prophecy regarding interest: “A time will come upon people when they

Wim van ‘t Einde|Unsplash

“The service of one’s fellow beings means to strive for their benefit purely for the sake of God in all their needs, and in all the relationships of mutual dependence which God has established out of true and selfless sympathy for them. All in need of help should be helped out of one’s Godgiven capacity and one must do his best for their betterment both in this world and in the hereafter.” (A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, pp. 59-62) My faith and obedience to Khilafat continue to drive my efforts within law enforcement. I can only pray that I am given the ability to serve in this capacity as the years move on. Amin.

being conducted on this matter.” (“Answers to everyday issues – Part VII”, Al Hakam, 22 January 2021, p. 10) He said elsewhere: “Up until now, a clear and accurate concept of Islamic banking has not come to the surface.”

He said that these days, so-called Islamic banking was based on interest, disguised in various ways. “Do research on this and if you come across some research, then I have an interest too; do send it to me and I will review it. Up until now, I have read and reviewed the research of people and it all seems like misplaced theories; there’s no reality to them.” (“I have seen that your khuddam have patience and determination...”, Al Hakam, 27 August 2021, p. 6) The Islamic tradition has grappled with the interpretation of the relevant texts on economics in the Quran and sunnah over the centuries as economic conditions evolved, and a modern Islamic economic and financial system still requires contributions, foremost from us Ahmadis.

May Allah enable us to implement the Islamic principles of economic coexistence both at the individual and societal level.

Amin.

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

10

The awe of an eclipse An Islamic perspective

Jazib Mehmood Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana

Today, on 8 April 2024, North America will experience a total solar eclipse, which will also be visible in some parts of Europe. The moon will glide over the surface of the sun, casting a shadow over a strip of the Earth below. Along this path, the world will turn dark as night. As the eclipse approaches its maximum phase, the air will get cooler, the sky will grow dimmer, and shadows will sharpen. (“A Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming April 8. Here’s What to Know.”, www. nytimes.com)

What happens to nature during an eclipse?

Plants and animals react in significant ways during a solar eclipse. According to research, bees stop buzzing the very second a total eclipse occurs in their location. (“The Moon Eclipsed the Sun. Then the Bees Stopped Buzzing.”, www.nytimes.com) Birds also stop whistling and crickets begin chirping. Plants have diminished rates of photosynthesis and water loss similar to what happens at night, though not at the same rate. (“Hydraulic and photosynthetic responses of big sagebrush to the 2017 total solar eclipse”, www.nature.com)

The awe of an eclipse So much for nature, but what happens to humans during the eclipse? Well, for one thing, everyone stops short. Although we usually take the power and necessity of the sun for granted, when it gets covered by the moon for even a few minutes, it inspires something akin to fear and awe within us, reminding us of our mortality.

During the solar eclipse of 14 October 2023, Dr Kate Russo, an author and psychologist, led the first-ever study that sought to capture physical reactions to eclipses by measuring the physiological responses of people during the eclipse.

Among other things, one unexpected finding was the occurrence of awe at various stages throughout the eclipse. According to their paper, immediately after the eclipse, heightened introspection was indicated by high-amplitude, low-frequency brain waves, which is commonly seen in other profound or thought-provoking experiences. (“Deeper Insights into the Solar Eclipse Experience”, baas.aas.org) The National Geographic spoke to Dr Russo and her unique findings. Their report says: “Awe reminds us we’re not alone. We

share our greatest moments of awe with others in ‘collective effervescence,’ says Russo. ‘Just as a starling murmuration in the sky moves as one, during totality, the crowd behaves as one.’

“Fans chanting during sports games or singing along during music concerts are other examples of this collective energy, adds Russo. ‘The crowd is one; you are part of the moment.’” (“Some people have extreme psychological reactions to total eclipse— here’s why”, www.nationalgeographic.com) Similarly, the report also states that “those who stand in the path of totality, where the moon completely obscures the sun, regularly report strong bursts of emotion and a lingering sense of awe. This heightened emotional state has the power to do more than open us to wonders of the universe—scientists say it can make us feel more curious and connected to others in it.” (Ibid.)

Since the April 8 eclipse is generating a lot of interest, particularly about how best to view the eclipse, it might be pertinent to wonder: what does Islam say about eclipses? What should a Muslim do during such unique events?

stating: “The sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse upon the death or life [i.e., birth] of anyone. So, when you see [an eclipse], remember Allah, extol his greatness, observe the salat and give charity.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab alkusuf, Bab as-sadaqati fil-kusufi, Hadith 1044)

Islam and eclipses

Why the awe and fear?

As a Muslim, it is utterly fascinating to learn what Dr Russo proved during October 2023’s eclipse about “awe”, the Holy Prophetsa stated in one sentence over a thousand years ago in this way: “The sun and the moon are two signs amongst the signs of Allah and they do not eclipse because of the death of someone, but Allah awes His servants with them.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-kusuf, Bab qawli n-nabiyyisa yukhawwifullahu ‘ibadahu bi l-kusuf, Hadith 1048) Not just that, but Dr Russo’s statement that “the crowd is one” also reflects the Islamic commandment to offer congregational prayers in unity during the occurrence of an eclipse. Such feelings of awe are not for nothing; Islam asks us to pray during such times, for such events are a means of reminding the believers what they stand to lose should the light of the sun flicker out.

A Companion of the Holy Prophetsa relates that when the solar eclipse occurred, the Holy Prophetsa was fearful that the Day of Judgment was near. He went to the mosque and led congregational prayers with the longest standing [qiyam], bowing [ruku‘] and prostration [sajdah] that he (i.e., the companion) had ever seen him doing.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-kusuf, Bab azzikri fi l-kusuf, Hadith 1059) After the prayer, the Holy Prophetsa also delivered a sermon to the congregation,

Some might wonder why we should do all this, when we know that – taking appropriate precautions, like not looking directly at the eclipse – there is nothing to fear from such events, which occur predictably and are completely explainable by science.

There are several reasons why believers in Islam fear such celestial events, some of which are explained below. Of course, just because science can explain a natural event does not mean that such an event is not to be feared. The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs millions of years ago is said to be the “worst day in the history of life on earth” – despite the fact that it was an event completely evidenced by science. (“The Worst Day in Earth’s History Contains a Warning”, www.theatlantic.com) Had such an event occurred in modern times, it would have been predicted well ahead of time. Other natural phenomena, like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, are also predicted by science but are still harmful to humans. Even everyday events like rain, wind or lightning can be harmful to us under certain conditions. And even though an eclipse’s impact might be dismissed as minimal, there is no doubt that it is a unique event that reminds us of our complete lack of control over our fates.

Again, it is perfectly possible that eclipses have impacts that are not yet

Justin Dickey |Unsplash

clear to us. It is pertinent to consider the statement of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra, who wrote: “Although day and night are expressions of celestial bodies, there are also other effects of the moon, the sun and other stars. […] Moreover, there are many other effects that science is discovering on a daily basis and many that it may never discover at all.”

(Tafsir-e-Kabir [2023], Vol. 6, p. 32) Above all, the true essence of fear of celestial events in Islam does not stem from the fear of death or physical harm.

Rather, the believer always harbours a sense of awe and love for Allah, maintaining a cautious stance towards such events, considering them potentially indicative of Allah’s displeasure or precursors to divine punishment. This mindset is akin to the Holy Prophet’ssa reaction to the sounds of thunder and lightning bolts, where he would supplicate:

َ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ْ َ َ َ �ٰ ‫الّٰل ُ​ُه �َّم لَا َتْق ُ​ُتْلَنا ِبَِغَض ِ​ِبَك َ​َولَا ُت ْ​ْه ِ​ِلْكَنا ِبِ َ​َعَذ ِاِبَك َ​َو َ​َعاِفَِنا َق ْ​ْب َ​َل‬ َ َ ‫َذِل َِك‬

“O Allah, do not kill us with Your wrath, nor destroy us with Your punishment, and pardon us before that.” (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Kitab ad-da‘wat, Hadith 3450) This prayer reflects a profound reverence and fear of Divine wrath rather than the phenomena themselves, serving as a reminder to remain vigilant and pious, considering such events as opportunities to reflect on one’s relationship with the Creator and the universe.

Eclipse prayer and sermon at the Fazl Mosque in 2015 On 20 March 2015, a total solar eclipse Continued on page 15 >>

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024

Opinion

11

The Telegraph’s Islamophobic report conceals British public’s distrust of Israel Is it anti-Semitic that one-third of Brits don’t trust Israel’s narratives?

Atif Rashid and Ataul Fatir Tahir London

Trust The Telegraph to publish a Muslimbashing article titled: Just one in four British Muslims believe Hamas committed murder and rape in Israel.

The article’s source? A recent poll, commissioned by the infamous antiMuslim think tank Henry Jackson Society and carried out by market research firm JL Partners.

Notably, The Telegraph left out key details from the survey concerning British public opinion about Israel and October 7, while highlighting those that would make for an outrageous Islamophobic hit-piece.

The Telegraph piece, published just as Israel loses global support after its killing of seven international aid workers in Gaza, is a distraction from the global attention and sympathy Palestinians are getting.

It is a clear Islamophobic hit-piece, designed to label British Muslims as Jew-hating extremists. There’s nothing groundbreaking to see here. The piece tries to make it seem that a majority of British Muslims hold anti-Semitic views and are intolerant. But if The Telegraph accuses Muslims of that based on this survey, the same could be said about the wider population.

What the article failed to mention, was the level of public distrust of Jewish leaders in the UK, the Israeli military, and of Israel itself during the current war.

Asked how much the general public trusted Jewish community leaders in the UK, 39% said “not very much,” while 17% said “not at all.” Distrust of Hamas and the IDF was closer than you’d think. While 83% of the general public said it doesn’t trust Hamas, 69% said it does not trust the IDF. And two-thirds of the general public don’t trust Israel in the current conflict.

What’s more – more than a third of the British public says it doesn’t trust Israel’s narratives about 7 October. Asked, “How much do you trust, if at all, the information Israel has published about Hamas’ attacks on October 7th?” 33% of respondents said “not very much,” while 14% said “not at all.”

The original The Telegraph article goes on tangents unrelated to the Israel-Hamas war. It talks about “Shariah law” and how many Muslims disagree with showing pictures of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Apart

from an Islamophobic hit piece, what else could this article be?

Another important question is why the public – or Muslims – should trust Israeli reports when they have been exposed as false propaganda by Israel’s government?

Remember the “tunnel” networks and control centres under al-Shifa? The decapitated babies? All reports have been proven to be false.

Much of the 7 October reporting has left questions of whether reports are true or false. This has led to The Oct7factcheck project, which has “published the results of independent investigations into a dozen or so of the most dramatic Israeli accusations and reports about the Hamas attack, which were uncritically repeated by most of the Western media, debunking most of them as untrue and lacking evidence,” wrote former senior fellow at the Middle East Initiative, Belfer Center, Rami G Khouri in Al Jazeera this year.

“They show, for example, that some of the evidence Israel submitted to the ICJ hearing – evidence republished by mainstream Western media without question – was false,” he said.

The Oct7factcheck project noted: “Over the last four months, claims about 7 October have influenced the public narrative… stories of atrocity, sometimes cobbled together from unreliable eyewitnesses, sometimes fabricated entirely, have made their way to heads of state and been used to justify Israel’s military violence.” (www. aljazeera.com) HJS shoots itself in the foot The think tank that commissioned the report that was then cherry-picked by The Telegraph has been known to spread antiMuslim narratives.

Its co-founder Matthew Jamison, who distanced himself from the think tank, said the following: “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that the Henry Jackson Society, when it was founded, would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist organisation, run in the most dictatorial, corrupt and undemocratic fashion and utilized as a propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups. […] The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam.” (www.linkedin.com) Even the funding of the HJS is shrouded in secrecy. Jamison said: “Then there was the fact that despite

Image: Telegraph/X

campaigning for democracy, the HJS does not like to be democratic and transparent itself about how it operates and is funded, even though it is a registered “charity”. As a charity that campaigns for democratic good governance abroad, you would expect they would start at home by demonstrating a good example of democratic transparency regarding their funders. […]

“What does the Henry Jackson Society have to hide? The secrecy over its funders could be in part because other foreign governments are using it as front to conduct propaganda smear campaigns.” (www.linkedin.com) It’s telling that The Telegraph chose only to create a piece that would show Muslims as anti-Semitic but left out key details about what the report showed about the views of the wider British public.

Will the Henry Jackson Society now poll Jews in Britain and ask if they believe the IDF has sexually abused and raped

Palestinian women who were in detention, as some UN experts believe?

They said: “We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention, have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers.

At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped, while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.” (www.theguardian.com) Of course, HJS wouldn’t commission such a survey, nor would The Telegraph report on it, as it would undermine its narrative of demonising Muslims and showing unsolicited support for Israel.

As global support increases for Palestinians – who are being brutally bombed and killed by the IDF – antiMuslim media coverage in Britain continues to keep the sinking ship of Israeli propaganda afloat.

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

12

Prophet Ahmad’s love and affection for God Almighty 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

Prophets are those chosen few of God Almighty who are distinguished by their unshakeable faith in the Creator. They manifest absolute love for Allah the Almighty and are blessed with an unbreakable divine bond that shapes every aspect of their life.

The unparalleled commitment and profound admiration demonstrated by the messengers of God surpasses all earthly affections and compulsions. Their Maker is the object of their highest commitment, leading them to carry out their holy task with complete devotion and selflessness.

No one excelled Prophet Muhammadsa in manifesting love and affection for God Almighty. The entire life of the Holy Prophetsa is an epitome of perfect obedience and submission to God’s will, making it a testament to divine love. The very foundation of Prophet Muhammad’ssa mission was established on his close relationship with Allah the Almighty, guiding every word and action of his. Consequently, the disbelieving Quraish and the idol worshipers of Mecca were compelled to say:

َ َ َ ‫َِأ �َن ُِّم َ​َح �َّم ًٍدا َ​َع ِﺸ َِق ََّر �ِب �ُه‬

“Surely, Muhammad[sa] is passionately in love with his Lord.” (Al-Munqidh min alDalal by Imam Al-Ghazali, p. 265) The Holy Prophetsa, through the teachings of the Holy Quran and the examples of his blessed sunnah, demonstrated the significance of expressing one’s love for the Supreme Being of Allah, ultimately satiating many parched souls and inspiring all the more to follow his deep admiration for God Almighty. Prophet Muhammad’ssa absolute trust in God is a timeless model of spiritual greatness, serving as a reminder to humanity of the beauty of a life lived in service to Allah as well as the transformational power of divine love. The following prayer of the Holy Prophetsa is a reflection of his profound reverence to God Almighty:

َ� ُ� َ ُ َ َ َ ُ َ َ � َ �ٰ َ �ْ ِ�‫الِل ُْه �َّم ِا� ِ ْی َٰأ ُْسﺄلَك َُح �َْبَك َ​َو َُح �َب َِّم ْۡن �ُّی َِح �ُْبَك َ​َو َ​َع ََّم َ​َل ال َِذ َْي ُّیُ َْب ِ​ِلَغ‬ ْ َ َْ َ َ َ َ ْ ‫اَ �لِل ُْه �َ​َّم‬،‫َُح �َْب َ​َك‬ ‫اَج َ​َع َْل َُح �َْبَك ا َ​َح �َب ِا� �یَ ِِّم ْۡن ۡنُف ِ�� َ​َوا ُْه ِٰل ْی َ​َو ِِّم َۡن ال ََّما ِ​ِء‬ ْ ‫ال َْباَّرِ ْ​ْد‬

“O Allah! Bestow upon me Thy divine love, along with the love of those who love Thee, and the love of those deeds which may enable me to attain Thy love. O Allah!

Make Thy love dearer to me than my life, my family, and the most refreshing cold water.”

(Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3490) Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, followed Hazrat Muhammadsa like a never-departing shadow and carried on his legacy to the people of this age.

A community to establish the love of God Providing insight into the purpose of founding the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Dardra narrates: “In March 1889, [Prophet] Ahmadas went to Ludhiana, and there issued a leaflet on the fourth of that month. In it, he said that he would stay in the town up to 25 March at a house near that of Munshi Ahmad Jan of Muhalla Jadid. Those who wished to become his followers should for this purpose reach Ludhiana after 20 March. After 25 March, such people should come to Qadian [to take bai‘at]. He also explained the meaning, the necessity and the importance of bai‘at. He also proposed to keep a regular record of the name and address of every follower. He said further: “‘God wishes to found a Community of the Faithful, to manifest His Glory and Power. He will make the Community grow and prosper to establish the Love of God, righteousness, purity, piety, peace and goodwill among men. This shall be a group of men devoted to God. He shall strengthen them with His own Spirit, and bless them and purify them. […]’” (Life of Ahmadas, p.

203) The present head of Ahmadiyya Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa said: “In fact, Allah the Almighty has vouchsafed His promise to the Promised Messiahas that He shall grant him and his Jamaat victories either very soon or after some time.

“Indeed, if we bring about a revolutionary change within ourselves; worship Allah the Almighty alone and make Him our sole objective and our beloved whilst �ٰ َ� understanding the true spirit of ‫ ;لَ� ِالٰ َُه ِالَا الّٰل ُِہ‬if we give precedence to our love for God Almighty and to attaining Him over our love for the world, then we can bring about this revolutionary change sooner. Allah the Almighty is not dependent on anything and has certain conditions in His promises [that

Image: Library

need to be fulfilled]. Thus, we will need to pledge to instil a permanent change within ourselves.” (Friday Sermon, 14 April 2023; Al Hakam, 12 May 2023, Vol. 6, Issue 269) Advising his Community to truly revere God Almighty, the Promised Messiahas says: “Anyone can claim to love God, but only those love Him, whose devotion is testified to by heaven. Everyone claims that their religion is true, but only the religion of such a one is true who is bestowed heavenly light in this very life. Everyone claims that they will attain salvation, but only such a person is true in their word who sees the heavenly light of salvation in this very world. Strive, therefore, to become the beloved of God so that you may be saved from every affliction.”

(Noah’s Ark, p. 133)

such person has made so and so comments about him. I could always see, quite clearly, that he was a mountain; feeble, cowardly mice simply do not have the capacity to make burrows in this mountain. On one occasion, His Holinessas said in Jalandhar: “‘At a time of trial, it is the weak-hearted from among my Community for whom I worry. My state of affairs is such that even if I were to hear a clear voice saying, “You are forsaken and not a single one of your desires will be fulfilled,” I swear by God’s Being that there would be no decrease in my passion and love for God or in my service to the Faith, because I have already seen God.’ “Then, he recited the following verse:

Never forsake God

“‘Dost thou know any equal of His?’ [Surah Maryam, Ch.19: V.66]” (Life of the Promised Messiahas, p. 90) One should be sincere in the love of God Almighty and bear all hardships with patience. In this regard, the Promised Messiahas said: “Those people who are impatient fall into the clutches of Satan. A righteous person must battle with impatience as well.

In Bustan, there is mention of a worshipper.

Whenever this individual stood for worship, he would hear an angel’s voice from the unseen saying: ‘You have been rejected

Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karimra Sialkoti narrates: “Whether it was the ungrateful and impetuous people of Delhi, or whether in the face of the collective, novel, hurtful efforts of opponents in Patiala, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Lahore and Sialkot, the astonishing patience, forbearance and steadfastness of His Holiness, [the Promised Messiahas] is such that he has never, either in seclusion or in public, even slightly mentioned that so and so person or community has committed such and such impropriety against him or that such and

َ َ ‫َُه َْل َت َْعِل َُّم ل َ �ُه َُس َِّم �ًيا‬

Continued on next page >>

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024 << Continued from previous page

and forsaken.’ On a certain occasion, one of his disciples heard this voice from the unseen and said: ‘Now the verdict has been passed. What then is the use of futile action?’

The man wept profusely and said: ‘If I am to leave God, where else should I go? If accursed I am, then so be it. At least I am fortunate enough to be called accursed.’

These discussions were still underway with his disciple, when a voice was heard saying: ‘You have been accepted.’ So all this was the result of sincerity and patience, which is a condition for one who is righteous.”

(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, p. 23) Prophet Ahmadas further said: “It gives me great pain to observe that in this day and age, there is no love for worship, virtue and piety. The reason for this is the poisonous, widespread effect of evil custom. It is for this reason that the love of Allah Almighty is falling cold and people do not experience the pleasure they ought to in worship. There is nothing (in the world) which according to the design of Allah Almighty does not give pleasure or satisfaction in some form. […]

“Allah the Exalted has created man so that he may worship Him. Why then would there be no pleasure and delight in this worship? There is definitely pleasure and delight in worship, if only there were those who would take it.” (Ibid., p. 156)

Wake-up call Prophet Ahmadas encouraged many to develop a close spiritual bond with Allah the Almighty and manifested in his words and actions the immense love he possessed for the Eternal Lord. In one of his writings, the Promised Messiahas states: “How unfortunate is the man, who even now, is unaware that there is a God who has power over all things. Our paradise lies in our God. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and found every beauty in << Continued from page 12

occurred in the North Pole and some parts of Europe. London experienced a nearly 87% partial solar eclipse, and as such, following the practice of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa led the salat-ulkusuf [eclipse prayer] and, following this, delivered a short sermon. (Solar Eclipse 2015: Address delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad”, www.youtube.com; “Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community leads Special Prayers during Solar Eclipse”, www.pressahmadiyya.com) During his sermon, Huzooraa stated that once, during the time of the Promised Messiahas in 1907, a solar eclipse occurred.

At that time, Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Noor-ud-Din, Khalifatul Masih Ira led the congregational prayer and delivered a sermon.

Presenting a part of that sermon, Huzooraa, quoting Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, stated: “When the Holy Prophetsa saw that the sun had been eclipsed by the moon, i.e., such circumstances presented where the people of earth could not benefit from the light of the sun, his heart was greatly agitated that

13

Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one’s life to procure it. This ruby is worth purchasing though one may have to lose oneself to acquire it. O ye, who are deprived! Hasten to this fountain as it will satiate you. It is this fountain of life that will save you. What am I to do? How shall I impress the hearts with this good news? What sort of a drum am I to beat in the streets in order to make the announcement that this is your God, so that people might hear? What remedy shall I apply to the ears of the people so that they should listen?” (Noah’s Ark, p. 35) Prophet Ahmadas said: “Islam is a truly blessed faith that guides man to the God who is neither born from the womb of a woman like the god of Christians, nor is He so powerless that He cannot grant salvation like the god of the Aryas. […]

The Almighty God of Islam is so Holy and Powerful that it would be impossible for anyone on the face of the Earth to find any flaw in Him. Our God is the Creator of all the worlds. He is free from all imperfections and defects, as the one who possesses any imperfection cannot be considered God.” (Al Hakam, 6 January 1908, pp. 2-3)

God: Our highest delight The Promised Messiahas lacked interest in worldly affairs, and his father, despite all his efforts, could not convince him to chase material pursuits. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra MA relates that a Sikh landlord, whose estate neighboured Qadian, once recounted an incident that a government official enquired of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Murtaza Sahib regarding Hazrat Ahmad’sas whereabouts. With a smile on his face, the Promised Messiah’sas father replied: “Yes, I have a younger son. But he is very shy like newlywed brides, and he is seldom seen about. If anyone desires to see him, he is only to be found in some corner of the mosque for he is a maseetar [i.e., devoted to prayer].” (Sirat-e-Tayyibah, pp. 6-7) perhaps such heavenly obstacles could also present themselves before his message, barring its reach from the world.

“This is why the Holy Prophetsa did not stop giving charity, praying, seeking forgiveness, until the light of the sun once again reached the earth. Every believer, due to the power of obedience to the Holy Prophetsa, also possesses light, like a father and son affect each other. Thus, Allah states:

ُ ّ َ َ �ٰ َۤ َ َ َ ‫َ​َما َک‬ ‫اَن ُ​ُم َ​َح �َّم ٌٌّد َاَبَۤا َا َ​َح ٍ​ٍد �ّ​ِّم ۡ​ۡن �ِّرّ َ​َجاِل ُِک ۡ​ۡم َ​َوٰلٰ ِ​ِک ۡ​ۡن �َّر ُ​ُسۡوۡ َ​َل الّٰل ِ​ِہ َ​َوَخاَت َ​َم‬ � � ‫الَّن ِِّب ٖ​ّٖی َ​َن‬

“[Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. (Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.41)] “That is, the Holy Prophetsa has no physical son, but he has countless spiritual sons. This is why every believer fears such events and should fear that such means are not created that would hinder his light from getting to others. This is why he uses such methods as are used to alleviate suffering, i.e., he gives charity, seeks forgiveness, and stands for prayer, just as the Holy Prophetsa stood for prayer during hard times.

“Then does the sea of the mercy of Allah the Almighty overflow, and just as

Consequently, Prophet Ahmadas, from a very early age, possessed such profound attraction to God Almighty that was second to none in his time. Huzooras says: “My father gave up all hope for me and regarded me as little better than a guest who ate his bread and did nothing for him. Like a kind father he painted before me worldly greatness in very vivid colours, but in this matter found me quite deaf and blind. For me these pleasures had no attraction because I was attracted to the source of all enjoyment - the love of God.” (Ahmad[as], The Guided One, p. 30) Iain Adamson relates, “[Prophet] Ahmad[as] was interested in a different life. He recalled that when he was ‘Quite young, I [the Promised Messiahas] found myself powerfully attracted towards my Lord and there dawned upon me the dim consciousness of a future when God would use me as His instrument in carrying out one of His great plans. I was like gold hidden in dust which, at some time in the future, was to display its brightness.’” (Ibid.)

Servant of the Highest Ruler An old Hindu, after mentioning his father’s tireless efforts to persuade young Ahmadas into securing some worldly profession, relates: “All he [the Promised Messiahas] had to say to his father’s repeated requests was, ‘Father, let me know whether one who is the servant of the Ruler of the Rulers, should care a bit for these worldly services. All the same, father, you will always find me amenable to the least of your wishes.’” (The Review of Religions [English], January & February 1922; Al Hakam, 14 January 2022, Vol. 5, Issue 200)

Adoring God’s nature Prophet Ahmadas visited the hill station Dalhousie several times throughout his early years. Discussing his impressions of these those hindrances are removed through movement and effort that causes the light of the sun to reach the earth, similarly, those hindrances that prevent the light of the believer from reaching others are removed through prayer and istighfar.

“Putting ink on glass or hurting your eyes by looking directly at this event as a means of entertainment is far from the dignity of the believer. You are the sons of the Siraj-e-Munir [Bright Lamp, i.e., the Holy Prophetsa], therefore employ all appropriate means to spread your light to others.”

Guidance for an Ahmadi Muslim Explaining this last statement of the first Khalifara, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated: “Since there was no arrangement for spectacles at the time, the eclipse was seen by putting ink on glass. He [i.e., Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira] states that these are amusements; they do not befit the believer.”

These amusements have taken on new meanings in modern times. According to the Time, for the April 8 eclipse this year, several airlines are offering flights expected to have a high-level view of the eclipse.

excursions, the Promised Messiahas used to say: “Whenever I would go to Dalhousie, upon seeing the lush green hills and flowing waters, a spontaneous fervour to praise Allah the Almighty would arise within me, and the worship of God would become a sheer delight for me.” (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, p. 76) Describing Prophet Ahmad’sas visits to Dalhousie, Hazrat Abdur Rahim Dardra narrates: “Not only did Ahmadas come in contact with the outside world [in Dalhousie], but the majestic mountain scenery with its beautiful verdure and running water filled his pure heart with the infinite beauty and glory of God. He loved the solitude of the mountains and felt that there he was nearer to his Creator.” (Life of Ahmadas, p. 45)

Conclusion The entire life of Prophet Ahmadas radiated with love for God Almighty, motivating his followers through his words and actions to follow suit, and hence, the Promised Messiahas says, “If you become one with God, rest assured that God too will be yours.

God Almighty shall remain awake for you as you sleep. God shall watch over your enemy and frustrate their designs, while you are unmindful of him. You still do not know the extent of God’s powers. Had you known, not a single day would you have grieved over the world. Does he who owns a treasure weep, cry and become sorrowful unto death over the loss of a single coin? Had you been aware of this treasure and knew that at every time of need, God is able to fulfil your requirements, why would you look to the world so restlessly? God is a precious treasure; appreciate Him accordingly, for He is your Helper at every step. You are nothing without Him, nor do your resources and your schemes amount to anything.” (Noah’s Ark, pp. 35-36)

Delta is specifically marketing its flights for people who want to spend as much time as possible in the path of totality, with tickets costing over a thousand dollars, which are already sold out. (“Why These Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse”, www.time.com) Not only that, but all over America, musicians and artists are also holding concerts; festivals are also being held; and some places are even holding events all weekend just because of the eclipse. (“A list of solar eclipse events across the nation from Texas to Maine”, www.usatoday.com) Speaking of the 2015 eclipse, Huzooraa stated: “There was a report that the eclipse would be best viewed in some areas of Scotland, so many people went to Scotland and all their hotels are booked. So, for worldly people, this is a sport. But, for a believer, this eclipse becomes a means for prayer and istighfar. Thus, an Ahmadi must always pay attention to this.”

Hence today, on April 8, when many people travel great distances and spend a great deal of money to view the eclipse and make merry, a true Muslim should be occupied in worship and remembrance of Allah.

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

14

‘The recurring earthquakes continue to affirm him’ A glimpse into the Promised Messiah’s prophecies and Kangra earthquake of 1905 Ata-ul-Haye Nasir Al Hakam

Earthquake in Kangra and its devastation 119 years ago, a strong earthquake struck the Indian subcontinent, in accordance with a series of divine revelations vouchsafed by Allah the Almighty to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdias.

The modern-day Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, Kangra, and its surrounding areas saw great destruction. The Promised Messiahas had received a series of revelations prior to this earthquake, warning of its occurrence. A glimpse of these revelations will be presented later in this article.

The earthquake measured 7.8 on the rector scale and killed more than 20,000 people. As many as 100,000 buildings were reported to have been demolished by the earthquake. There was also major damage to the network of hillside watercourses that had provided water to the inhabitants.

A Hindu survivor narrated that “at 6 o’clock on Tuesday morning, after a cold and boisterous night, the mountain on which Dharmsala is built, and which has an altitude of 6,500 ft., rattled ominously, and soon afterwards the whole place heaved up and subsided. The Hindoo inhabitants fled from their huts to the open fields and fell on their knees in prayer.

“A deafening and continuous roar, like the discharge of heavy guns, culminated in a terrible crash. The Hindoo saw a great gap open and swallow two houses. Then the barracks rose with the soil a distance of about 2 ft., and a second later fell in ruins. There were terrible cries from amid the wreckage, but these soon ceased. Many natives were killed by the falling bricks and stonework.” (The Advertiser of Adelaide, 10 April 1905, p. 5) Another news report stated: “The news from Dharmsala as to the loss of life and the extent of the damage done there becomes more and more terrible every hour. The most shocking item of news is that no fewer than 400 men of the 7th Gurkha Regiment, and 20 men of the 1st Batt., and 50 men of the 2nd Batt. of the 1st Gurkha Regiment were buried alive, with no possible chance of their being rescued. [...]

Note Book of Revelations | © ARC | These images may not be reproduced except with prior written permission.

“Kangra Valley Devastated “The Kangra Valley is believed to have been devastated. The town of Kangra is reported to have reduced to ruins, and the loss of life there to have been enormous.

No confirmation of this is obtainable as the telegraph stations have been wrecked, and the consequent uncertainty is very distressing. [...]

“Three Church Missionary Society representatives at Kangra Valley, namely, the Rev. H. F. Rowland, Mrs. Daeuble, and Miss M. Lorbeer, are reported to have been buried by the fall of the Kangra mission house. [...]

“A private telegram received in Lahore reports that the whole of the town of Palampur has been levelled to the ground.

Not a single house or Government building has been left standing. [...]

“There is scarcely a single building in Mussoorie that is quite intact. Many houses have been abandoned, and the native population have deserted the bazaar. In Sialkot, not a single house escaped damage, and in Dalhousie several houses were wrecked..” (Portsmouth Evening News, 7 April 1905, p. 5) A Christian newspaper, Nur Afshan [English] of Ludhiana, wrote under the heading “The Earthquake”: “Simla, April. 17.

“From information received this morning it appears that all the Government buildings and the majority of private buildings in Kulu have been severely

damaged by the earthquake of the 4th instast. The town is in ruins, and it is estimated that more than two hundred lives have been lost. The roads also are said to be broken; telegraph communication is at a standstill, owing to the wires, etc., having been broken. It is also very difficult to get any information by post. A letter written on the 6th, and bearing the Kulu postmark of the 8th instant, was only delivered in Simla this morning, the 17th, after eight days. No news has been heard from the Banjar side as to what damage has been done there.

“The valley, from Dal Donher to Dharmsala and Mundi, is said to be in a state of rain. It is also reported that the course of the Beas river has been diverted.”

(Nur Afshan [English], No. 16, Vol. IX, 21 April 1905, p. 1) It further wrote: “What does this panorama of deadly calamity in India mean? First, millions died in the famine. Then the plague came and is now sweeping off thousands daily.

And now earthquake, with its terrible mortality. Is not God using these agencies to arouse India from its lethargy of apathy and irreligion? May we not believe that He has been breaking up the follow-ground and that soon we shall receive the showers of divine grace to revive and to bring in the harvest of Life Eternal?” (Ibid., p. 2) The Advertiser of Adelaide wrote: “A force of ghurkas had lately moved into the newly-completed British-built stone-barracks at Dharmsala. The building

collapsed bodily, involving almost all the inmates in the ruins. The casualties were 138 killed and 186 injured persons are missing. [...] The viceregal lodge at Simla has been declared unsafe, and Lady Curzon and her children have removed to houses within the grounds. Lady Curzon’s bedroom was badly damaged by the earthquake.” (The Advertiser, 10 April 1905, p. 5)

Promised Messiah’sas revelations prior to Kangra earthquake Following is a glimpse into the many revelations received by the Promised

The Nur Afshan of Ludhiana, Vol.9, No. 16, 21 April 1905

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024

15

Al Hakam, 10-17 June 1904

Al Hakam, 24 March 1905

Messiahas prior to the Kangra earthquake.

In December 1903, Al Hakam published the following words of the Promised Messiahas, in regards to the latest revelation received on 19 December 1903: “I saw in my dream that someone said:

“Then I woke up, but again went into a light slumber and I saw that someone was holding two closed envelopes which contained letters or some news, of which he handed over one to me. Thereafter, I received the revelation:

�‫ززلہل�ا�د‬

�‫��د�واِیل‬

“Meaning, ‘A shock of earthquake,’ but I did not perceive any earthquake. Neither the wall nor the house was shaking. Thereafter the revelation came:

“[A shocking piece of news.]

“This was the morning time. It was 5am, and some minutes past that as well.”

(Notebook of Revelations, p. 34; Al Hakam, 31 January 1905, p. 8; Tadhkirah [English], p. 715) On 27 February 1905, the Promised Messiahas had another revelation, about which he stated: “I saw in a vision that a large number of grievous deaths had created an impression as if the Judgment Day had arrived and meanwhile I received the revelation:

َ� َ َ� َ� َ َ َ� ُ� ُ َ َ َ َ� ُ ُ ‫ّٰلِہ َِّمَع ال َِذُّیْ َۡن اَتْقۡوْا َ​َوال َِذُّیْ َۡن ُ​ُه َّْم �ِّم َْح ُِّسَنۡوْ َ​َن۔‬ ‫ِاَن الّٰلِہ لَا ۡی�ًّر۔ ِاَن ال‬ ْ َ َ َ ‫ُت ُٰرَي ن ْ� ً​ًّرا �ِّم ْۡن َِعَن ٍِد الّٰل ِ​ِہ َ​َو ُ​ُه َّْم ۡی َْع ََّم ُْهۡوْ َ​َن۔‬

“[Allah will cause no damage. Allah is with those who are righteous and who do their duty to the utmost. You will see help from Allah and they will continue to flounder.]” (Al Hakam, 17-24 December 1903, p. 15; Tadhkirah [English], p. 681) of In the Promised Messiah’sas Notebook َ َ� Revelations, the words are ‫َو ِان ُْه َّْم ۡی َْع ََّم ُْهۡوْ َ​َن‬,َ instead َ of ‫َو ُ​ُه َّْم ۡی َْع ََّم ُْهۡوْ َ​َن‬.َ Then, on 8 June 1904, the Promised Messiahas received an Arabic revelation:

َ� ُ ُ ُ � � َ ُ َ‫الٍدُّیَا َُّر َِّم َ​َح �ُِل َْها َ​َو ُِّمْق‬ ‫الٍداَّرِ۔‬ ‫اِّم َْها۔ ِا�ِی ا َ​َحاِفِﻆ َک �َ​َل َِّم ْۡن �ِی‬ ِ ‫َ​َعُف ِۡت‬ َ � ُ َ َ َ ‫ا َْعِط ْي ُ​ُتَك َک �َ​َل الَن َِع ْي َِّم۔‬

“Temporary residences and permanent ones will be wiped out. I shall safeguard all those who are in this house. I have bestowed upon you all bounties.” (Al Hakam, 10-17 June 1904, p. 10; Tadhkirah [English] p.

703) On 18 January 1905, the Promised Messiahas received another revelation. He himself states: “Towards morning, I first saw [in my dream] that someone placed in my hand as much money as hand could hold and then I received the revelation:

َُ � َ َ ْ� ‫الُرَ ُ​ُسۡوْ َِل اَقۡوْ ٍِم‬ ‫ِا�ِی ِّمَع‬

“[I shall stand with My Messenger.]

‫َ�و� َ�و��ریہےہ۔‬ “[There is death everywhere.]” (Al Hakam, 24 March 1905, p. 2; Tadhkirah [English], p. 720) On the same day, the Promised Messiahas published an ishtihar (announcement), and said: “Friends! Arise and be ready for a time of great distress has come for this generation. There is no other ark, but that of taqwa that can help you reach the shore. In times of trouble, the faithful one inclines to God, for besides Him there is no other security. Atone now for your sins by making yourselves truly humble and give a sacrifice of your own selves by annihilating yourselves in truth. […] Walk fast towards God with all your strength; and if you cannot do it, take yourselves to the gate of His will, though you do it limping and halting like a sick person; and even if this is not in your power, let charitable deeds bear you to that place like a corpse.

“These are days of great distress and the wrath of God has been kindled in the

heavens. This is not the time when you can be saved by mere words of mouth and boasting of the tongue. Let such a transformation be wrought within you, and let your footsteps fall in such a path that your gracious and compassionate Master may be pleased with you. Make your corner of solitude a place for the remembrance of God. Remove the rust of impurities from your hearts and shun rancour, niggardliness and abuse. Before the time should come, which would make you mad, make yourselves like madmen with untiring and restless prayers.” (Majmu‘ahe-Ishtiharat [2019], Vol. 3, pp. 344) Then, on 19 March 1905, Huzooras received another revelation in Arabic, about which Huzooras said: “I had an Arabic revelation, but I do not remember the exact words, however, its gist is: �‫��ںوکاشننداھک�اجو‬ “[The deniers would be shown a sign.]”

(Al Hakam, 24 March 1905, p. 2; Tadhkirah [English], p. 724) Then, on 3 April 1905, just a day before the Kangra earthquake, Huzooras received the following revelation: ‫�تدروازے��یےہ۔‬ Meaning, “Death is standing at the door.” (Al Hakam, 10 April 1905, p. 12; Tadhkirah [English], p. 727)

Promised Messiah’sas ishtihar on 5 April 1905 On 5 April 1905, the Promised Messiahas issued another ishtihar, titled “Ad-Da’wat” – The invitation, and wrote: “O friends! Now ponder over the fact that is not this earthquake which took place in this country on the morning of 4 April 1905, the same sign which had already been foretold by God. Look, it was written in the books that solar and lunar eclipses would occur during the time of the

Al Hakam, 10 April 1905

Promised Mahdi. Moreover, in the Gospel of Christians itself, it was written in relation to the Promised Messiah that in the time of the Messiah there would be an epidemic, i.e., plague, kings would attack one another, and severe earthquakes would occur.

Hence, you have witnessed these signs with your own eyes. So now, when all signs have been fulfilled and I am the claimant of both of these titles, who has been present among you for the last 25 years, so now who are you waiting for after me? The recipient of all these signs is the one who is present at the time of the fulfilment of thesis signs.”

(Majmu‘ah-e-Ishtiharat [2019], Vol. 3, p.

349)

Al Hakam article and the “Indian Newspaper Reports” Al Hakam published an article in its 10 April 1905 issue, which mentioned two ishtiharat of the Promised Messiahas, including the one being quoted above, and stated the details of this great sign manifested by God Almighty in favour of the Promised Messiahas, in light of the multiple revelations received by him. The Al Hakam article mentioned many of those revelations and shed light on the magnificence of this prophecy and its fulfilment.

The Indian Newspaper Reports consist of abstracts taken from Anglo-Indian and Vernacular newspapers for the various different regions of India. The reports were completed weekly and consist of typewritten abstracts of the contents of Indian newspapers, with some extracts.

The “Indian Newspaper Reports” mentioned the above-referenced issue of Al Hakam and wrote under the heading “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and the Recent Earthquake”: “The Al Hakam (Qadian), of the 10th April 1905, endeavours to prove that the recent earthquake was a great sign in support of the claims of the Promised Messiah and Mehdi, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad[as]. The indignities heaped on him

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

16

“And stated: ‫د�ںیما���ٓا��د�ےناُسوک�لہنایک۔�دخاا��لرکے‬ ‫�اور�ےزورٓاور�ں�اُسیک���َرہرکدے�۔ںیم�ا�ر‬ ‫��دو�ہکابداشِہریتے�وں���ڈ����۔‬ “[A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults. I shall bless thee, so much so that kings shall seek blessings from thy garments.]

“And God informed me of another impending earthquake which would be of utmost severity and said:

Paisa Akhbar of Lahore, 31 March 1906

have incensed God and the Angels, and people had better cease their opposition to him (Mirza Ghulam Ahmad).

“The same paper publishes two communications from Mirza Ghulam Ahmad[as], who refers to the havoc wrought by the earthquake, and states that on the night of the 7th instant, he received a revelation to the effect that God would manifest yet another sign and raise a fearful commotion. He has not been told whether this commotion refers to an earthquake or some other calamity, nor can he say when the catastrophe is to overtake mankind.

But whether it happens soon or a long time hence, it will be more terrible than that which was witnessed on the 4th instant, and which was foretold by him more than once. The object with which God is about to manifest the sign is to make mankind give up their evil ways and accept his messenger, i.e., the writer.” (Indian Newspaper Reports, c1868-1942, Part 8, Vol. 18, No. 15, pp. 9697) The revelation which was received on the night of 7 April 1905, has been mentioned by the Promised Messiahas in his ishtihar (announcement) dated 8 April 1905, titled “Al-Inzaar”. (Majmu‘ah-eIshtiharat [2019], Vol. 3, pp. 352)

Paisa Akhbar’s articles The Indian News Reports quoted an issue of the Paisa Akhbar of Lahore, dated 11 April 1905, which mocked the Promised Messiah’sas prophecies and claims — as has been the case with the prophecies of all prophets of Allah — and wrote indecent comments. It commented that the recent earthquake and the prevalent plague in the country had no connection with the Promised Messiah’sas prophecies. (Indian Newspaper Reports, c1868-1942, Part 8, p.

96) Al Hakam published an article on 10 May 1905, titled “Zalzala ki Peshgoie aur Paisa Akhbar” – the prophecy regarding earthquake and the Paisa Akhbar — and gave a detailed response to a note published by the Paisa Akhbar on 1 May 1905 wherein it demanded that “The act of making prophecies about earthquakes should be declared a crime.” (Al Hakam, 10 May 1905, pp. 6-7)

Promised Messiah’sas poem in Paisa Akhbar Interestingly, about a year later, the same Paisa Akhbar, dated 31 March 1906, published a fresh poem of the Promised Messiahas in which he prophesied about more calamities and earthquakes that were to befall this world due to the rejection and opposition to the God’s appointee, i.e., Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the

Promised Messiah and Mahdias. The Paisa Akhbar published this poem along with a photograph of the Promised Messiahas and wrote the following note under the heading “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib Qadiani ki Zalzala ki Peshangoie” — Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib Qadiani’s prophecy about the earthquake: “Mirza Sahib, who is a claimant of being the Promised Messiah, has written a new poem concerning the prophecy about the earthquake, which has not yet been published. The Paisa Akhbar does not agree with Mirza Sahib’s prophecy about the earthquake. Mirza Sahib’s photograph and his signatures are also being published.

— Editor Paisa Akhbar Lahore.” (Paisa Akhbar, 31 March 1906, p. 16) The first couplet of the poem is as follows:

�‫رھپ�رٓا�دخایکابترھپ�ریوہ‬

Al Hakam, 10 May 1905

Prophecies about earthquakes mentioned in The Will In his book, Al-Wasiyyat (The Will), the Promised Messiahas stated: “The knowledge that I have been granted about the calamities is none other than that death will run rampant on all sides, that earthquakes of such severity

“[Again the spring came and again the Word of God was fulfilled.]

“Thus another massive earthquake is bound to occur, but the righteous are safe from it. Be righteous, therefore, and fear God so that you may be saved. Fear God today that you may remain safe from the fear of that Day. It is inevitable for the heaven to show some sign and for the earth to do likewise. But those who fear God shall be saved.” (The Will [Al-Wasiyyat], pp. 3-4)

The Spring On 1 February 1906, the Promised Messiahas

‫رھپ�ٓا�ںیہ�روززلہلٓاےنےکدن‬ ‫ززلہلایکاس�ں�وکچرکاجےنےکدن‬ “The days of quakes, O friends, are upon us again; Not only of quakes, but also of departing from this world.”

(Durr-e-Sameen [with glossary], p. 112)

An article by Nuri-Afshan [Urdu] of Ludhiana On 26 May 1905, the Nur-iAfshan [Urdu] of Ludhiana published an article, titled “Plague, Zalzala, Anti-Christ” – Plague, earthquake, Antichrist.

The author used vile language against the Promised Messiahas, however, he acknowledged the fact that all these calamities were the signs of the Latter Days and divine means for a lesson and warning to mankind.

This is what the Promised Messiahas had been telling the world for a long time and calling them to the One God. The article of Nur-i-Afshan stated: “God Almighty has set various means to warn and caution mankind, which includes war, famine, epidemic, earthquake, etc., In this era, all these happenings seem to be under the command of the Jealous God. How huge was the destruction through famine, war is devastating two countries at the moment, Russia and Japan are under the wrath of God’s ‘sword’, plague has been carrying out its devastation in the country for many years now. Who is there who could hold the Hand of God and say, ‘What are you doing?’ These signs have been destined by God for the Latter-Days.” (Nuri-Afshan [Urdu], 26 May 1905, p. 9)

Risala Al-Wasiyyat, pp. 3-4

will occur as will provide a foretaste of the Day of Judgement. The earth will be turned upside down and the lives of many will become agonizingly distressing. Then, those who repent and forsake sin, to them Allah will show mercy. As all the Prophetsas had prophesied about this age, it was inevitable that all this should have come to pass. But those who set their hearts aright and follow the ways favoured by God shall have no fear or grief.

“Addressing me God Almighty said: ��‫وتریمی�ف���ےہںیمےن����م��روں�ا‬ �‫اج‬ “[You are a warner on my behalf. I have sent you so that the guilty ones be separated from the righteous.]

received the following revelation:

َُ � َََُْ ‫الُرا ِْدِفًة‬ ‫ُتُتْبَعْها‬

�‫رھپ�رٓا�دخایکابترھپ�ریوہ‬ “It will be followed by that which follows.”

“Again the spring came and again the Word of God was fulfilled.” (Notebook of Revelations, p. 56; Tadhkirah [English], p.

818) On the same day, Huzooras received the following revelation: �‫ےک�اج�وہ‬١٩٠٦‫رفوری‬٢٥ “The going will be after 25 February 1906.” (Ibid.)

‘Earthquake Prophecies’

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024

17

the world shall see an unparalleled scene of devastation. Not only will great earthquakes come, but other calamities from heaven and earth will also visit the earth. […] Thou, O Europe! Art not safe, nor thou, O Asia! And ye that dwell in islands! No self-made deity will assist you on that day. I see cities falling down and I find inhabited places in ruin.”

(Haqiqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, pp. 268-269) It further wrote: “Ahmad[as] added that ‘had I not come, these calamities would have been put off for a while, but with my appearance, the secret designs of the wrath of God have been made manifest.’ [Ibid., p. 268].” (The Millom Gazette, 20 November 1914, p. 6)

Recent earthquakes in Taiwan and the USA During the past century, the world has witnessed several devastating earthquakes, and just recently, Taiwan and the USA were also hit with significantly strong earthquakes on 3 and 5 April 2024, respectively.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, in one of his poems about the Promised Messiahas and signs manifested for him, states: ‫ُاُیسیکدصتقیرکراہےہ‬،‫ہیززلہلابرابرٓاےک‬

Ishtihar dated 5 April 1905

On 28 February 1906, a strong earthquake struck India once again. The Civil and Military Gazette published a letter of a Muhammad Sharif from Amritsar, under the heading “Earthquake Prophecies”, which stated: “I happened to come across a short note in your paper of the 13th instant in which it was written that the recent earthquake of 28th February [1906] was equal in force to that of 4th April 1905. Reading that, I have been stirred up by the true Moslem spirit of philanthropy to say a few lines concerning it, which I hope will find a place in your columns.

“Nearly one month before the earthquake of 4th April, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib[as] of Qadian notified in a handbill that after a short time, the houses and buildings were destined to fall down in ruin and that death was to play a havoc in the lives of men. The terrible disaster of 4th April justified the prediction. Shortly after this calamitous event, the Mirza Sahib foretold about many other grand earthquakes that were to visit the world, as he published, in the next spring time. The extraordinary destruction and loss of lives and properties in Italy, Columbia and Ecuador, is sufficient to prove the truth of his foretellings. But it was published in the Badr of 2nd February that the Mirza Sahib saw in a vision a severe earthquake but not doing any damage and along with that he was given a revealed order by God in the words ‘You shall have to go out after the 25th of February,’ [Tadhkirah (English), p. 817] so this order resulted in the earthquake of 28th February by which he was compelled to go out in some safe cottage or tent. Again, in the last week, he has been repeatedly revealed, as he says, that an earthquake stronger in force than the previous one would visit the land. Considering these points I request to my readers that one who has been tested

many times,, must be trusted in even now and that everyone should manage in time to leave lofty buildings for some peaceful onestoried katcha houses or tents.” (The Civil and Military Gazette, 22 March 1906, p. 6) Later on, the Promised Messiahas mentioned this earthquake in his ishtihar, dated 2 March 1906, titled “Zalzala ki Peshgoie” — Prophecy about an earthquake.

(Majmu‘ah-e-Ishtiharat [2019], Vol. 3, pp.

378-380)

Another ishtihar comprising a poem On 9 March 1906, Hazrat Ahmadas published another ishtihar, comprising a poem — warning of the more devastating calamities which were to befall the world due to the people going away from their Creator. The poem began as follows: ‫دووتساجوگہکابرھپززلہلٓاےنوکےہ‬ ‫رھپدخادقرتوکاینپدلجدالھکےنوکےہ‬ ‫وہوجامِہِرفوریںیممتےنداھکیززلہل‬ ‫متںیقیوھجمسہکوہِاِکزرجاھجمسےنوکےہ‬ “Rouse yourselves friends, for another earthquake is in sight; God is again going to manifest His power and His might. Be sure that the earthquake you witnessed in February was a mere jolt to warn and to make you wary.” (Ibid., p. 381; Fountain of Christianity [Chashma-e-Masihi], p. 1)

‘Secret designs of the wrath of God’ The Register of Adelaide, Australia, wrote under the title “A Mohammedan Prophet”: “Ahmad[as] puts other prophecies to his credit – punishment by earthquake and

Ishtihar dated 8 April 1905

plague. ‘Thou, O Europe, are not safe, nor thou, O Asia! And ye that dwell in islands; no self-made deity will assist you in that day. I see cities falling down, and I find inhabited places in ruin.’ Ahmad[as] asserts that the result of his predictions are such as to ‘distinguish the true messenger of God from a false claimant.’” (The Register, 3 June 1907, p. 6) The Millom Gazette of England wrote under the title “From the Mysterious East”: “The latest claim is on behalf of a Moslem prophet named Ghulam Mirza Ahmad[as], who (we gather from some mysterious literature forwarded to us from India, says ‘The Star,’ by the gentleman’s son and successor, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad[ra]) flourished about 25 years ago. (At least, we hope he flourished; he was an exceptional prophet if he didn’t). He called himself the Promised Messiah, founded the Ahmadiyya M o v e m e n t , Quadian.”

The newspaper then quoted the following excerpt from the writings of the Promised Messiahas: “The days are near, nay, they are at the door, when

“The recurring earthquakes continue to affirm him.”

He further states: ‫ہنرھپیھباامینولگالےئ‬،‫دخاےنالوھکںاشنںداھکےئ‬ ‫ںیہنوجدبیتخبہیوتایکےہ‬،‫ذعابےکرظتنمںیہاہےئ‬ “God has manifested hundreds of thousands signs, but even then the people did not accept him; They are awaiting the wrath, if it is not unfortunate, then what else is it?” (Kalam-e-Mahmud [with glossary], p.

28)

Ishtihar dated 9 March 1906

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

18

Opinion

A dangerous precipice: The Israeli assault on Iranian sovereignty

Fazal Masood Malik & Farhan Khokhar Canada

The recent Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus (apnews. com), which killed several high-ranking Iranian officials, represents a dangerous escalation in the long-simmering shadow war between Israel and Iran. This brazen attack on defacto Iranian soil, targeting the country’s diplomatic personnel, cannot be dismissed as just another salvo in this conflict. It crosses a red line and threatens to provoke a major Iranian retaliation that could engulf the entire region in a disastrous conflagration.

For too long, Israel has operated with impunity, repeatedly violating the sanctity of Iranian territory and assets.

From the industrial sabotage of Iranian nuclear facilities (www.nytimes.com and www.bbc.com) to the assassinations of top Iranian scientists (www.nytimes.com and www.timesofisrael.com), a clear pattern has emerged of Israel brazenly flouting international norms to target Iran’s vital interests. These actions have now culminated in the assault on the Iranian embassy - an unambiguous attack on Iranian sovereignty itself.

The inviolability of diplomatic missions is a foundational principle of international law, rooted in centuries of tradition and practice. By striking at the heart of Iran’s diplomatic presence in Syria, Israel has shattered this norm with impunity. No nation would tolerate such a flagrant violation of its territorial integrity and the immunity of its representatives abroad. Iran, which sees itself as engaged in an existential struggle against Western aggression dating back to the 1953 coup, will almost certainly feel compelled to respond in kind.

The potential Iranian options are grim. Tehran could activate its regional proxies like Hezbollah to intensify rocket attacks on northern Israel, risking a wider conflagration. It could unleash its militia forces in Iraq and Syria against American troops still stationed there. Or it could accelerate its nuclear programme, putting it closer to the bomb that Israel was trying to prevent in the first place. None of these paths is predictable or desirable.

Compounding these concerns, Israel’s recent airstrikes killing World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza have drawn global censure for violating the protections afforded to humanitarian personnel, akin to the exalted status of diplomats. UN Secretary-General Guterres condemned the “unconscionable” killings, which bring the total humanitarian personnel deaths

in Gaza to 196. WCK founder José Andrés decried the “deliberate targeting” of a coordinated aid convoy, calling it an assault on humanitarian efforts.

From an external observer’s viewpoint, the attack reflects an Israeli policy of ethnic cleansing, targeting anyone obstructing the elimination of Palestinians from Gaza.

Amid calls for restraint and respect for civilian protection, the incident highlights the vulnerability of aid workers in conflict zones and raises serious questions about whether the rules meant to protect them are actually effective.

Ultimately, Israel’s relentless campaign against Iran, often as a proxy for broader Western interests, is stoking the flames of a regional war that could engulf the entire Middle East and beyond. The leadership in Jerusalem, as well as their allies in Washington, London, and elsewhere, must recognise that they are playing with fire. A measured, diplomatic approach focused on de-escalation is urgently needed before this conflict spirals out of control, with catastrophic consequences for all.

The world cannot afford another

Daniel Klein|Unsplash

regional war, let alone one that risks going nuclear. The present generation of leaders has a moral obligation to find a peaceful resolution, lest future generations condemn them for their short-sightedness and recklessness. Preserving the sanctity of

diplomatic missions and respecting national sovereignty are not mere abstractions - they are the foundation of a stable international order. Israel’s brazen attack has put that order at grave risk.

‘Coffee and Islam’ event held in Regina, Canada Syed Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Regina held a stall called “Coffee and Islam” on 6-7 February, and from 27 February to 1 March 2024, at the University of Regina (UoR), and on 26 February at the Luther College. Six khuddam and five ansar spend about 4-5 hours each

day to convey the message of the Promised Messiahas.

180 students visited the stall, 70 books were ordered by the students, and they also requested copies of the Holy Quran. Around 250 Jamaat flyers were distributed. Oneon-one discussions were held on various topics, such as the death of Prophet Jesusas, Khatam-e-Nabuwwat, women in Islam, purdah, Jihad, and basic tenets of Islam.

Praveen Kumar Nandagiri|Unsplash

‘Voices for Peace’ walk held by the Ahmadiyya school in Calgary, Canada Kalim Ahmed Naib Local Amir, Calgary

Students at the Ahmadiyya Muslim School Calgary (AMS) organised a “Voices for Peace” walk on 25 January 2024, attended by approximately 165 students and school staff.

The walk took place around Prairie Winds Park. Students carried placards displaying

messages of peace and the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza. The walk aimed to foster understanding and tolerance in response to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

The students wrote letters to their members of parliament, emphasising the urgent need for a ceasefire. Furthermore, a ribbon sale held at the school successfully

raised over $1000 for the Humanity First Middle East Crisis Fund.

The positive impact of this initiative was further amplified by extensive media coverage from mainstream channels such as CTV and Global News, highlighting the students’ commitment to addressing the conflict as an integral part of their education and advocating for peace.

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024

19

Beyond Ramadan

Embracing lessons for a lifetime Muhammad Abdul Hayee Nasir & Hafiz Thabit Balogun Students, Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana

Today, Muslims all around the globe celebrate this day to glorify and express our gratitude to Allah the Almighty for giving us the opportunity to witness the holy month of Ramadan once again in our lives. Amidst the anticipation of celebration, we must not overlook the valuable lessons gleaned from this blessed month. It is imperative that we persevere with the beautiful habits we have cultivated within ourselves, even beyond Ramadan.

The Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said:

َ ْ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ ُ َْ َ ‫وَن َف ِ​ِإ �َّن َخْي َ​َر اْل َ​َع َ​َم ِ​ِل َأ ْ​ْد َ​َو ُ​ُم ُ​ُه َ​َو ِ​ِإ ْ​ْن َق �َ​َّل‬ ‫اْكَلُفوا ِ​ِمَن اْلَعَم ِ​ِل َما ُت ِ​ِطيُق‬

“Take on only as much as you can do of good deeds, for the best of deeds is that which is done consistently, even if it is little.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab az-zuhd, bab al-mudawamati ‘ala amal, Hadith 4240) From this hadith, it is clear that persistence is an act of virtue that ought to be carried out throughout one’s lifetime. This is exactly what we need now that Ramadan is over: persistence. On one occasion, while elucidating on the virtues of Ramadan, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra stated: “Out of twelve months, people consider Ramadan, i.e., fasting, to be limited to only one month, but for us [Ahmadis] the entire year should be Ramadan and our whole life should be spent like this.” (Khutbat-eMahmood, Vol. 25, p. 531) Similarly, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa states: “Even though the month of the obligatory fasts is coming to an end, the time to elevate the standard of our other obligations and striving to excel in them is now upon us. After the month of Ramadan, if we forget this reality of how one should maintain the [high] standards of our responsibilities and obligations, then we have not observed the month of Ramadan in accordance with the guidance of the Holy Prophetsa.” (Friday Sermon 29th April 2022; Al Hakam, 27 May 2022, Issue 219, p. 23) In this piece, let us explore just some of the invaluable lessons imparted to us by this blessed month.

Recitation of the Holy Quran During the month of Ramadan, Muslims diligently strive to engage with the Holy Quran, devoting themselves to its recitation and earnestly seeking to comprehend its teachings to the fullest extent of their abilities. Allah states in the Holy Quran:

َ� � ً ُ ُ ُ ْ َ َ ُ َ َ� َ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ ‫اٍت‬ ٍ ‫اِس َ​َوَبَ �ِ​ِّيَن‬ ِ ‫َشْهُر َرَمَضاَن اَّل ِ​ِذَي ُأ ِنِزَل ِفِي ِ​ِه اْلُق ْ​ْرآُن ُهًدى ِّل ِلَّن‬

َ ُْ َ ُْ � ‫اِن‬ ِ ‫ِ​ِّم َ​َن اْلُهَدى َ​َواْلُف ْ​ْرَق‬ “The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was sent down as a guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.186) This month’s relationship with the Quran is such that it is narrated that the archangel Gabrielas used to repeat the recitation of the Quran with the Holy Prophetsa once a year, but he repeated it twice with him in the year he died. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab fada’ili l-qur’an, Bab kana jibrilu yaridu l-qur’an ‘ala n-nabiyyisa, Hadith 4998) With regards to the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas states: “Studying it with attention and sincerity purifies the heart, dispels layers of darkness, and expands the mind, and, drawing a seeker after truth towards the Holy One, invests him with such light and manifest signs that are characteristic of those who have attained nearness to the Holy One, and which cannot be acquired by man through any other device or plan.” (Barahin-eAhmadiyya [English], Part 4, p. 175) Similarly, advising Ahmadi Muslims, Khalifatul Masih Vaa states: “Then, after focusing on offering prayer once its philosophy is understood, it is the duty of a believer to recite and understand the Holy Quran and give due attention to it. Often, during Ramadan, special attention is given to this. You should ponder over the commentary [of the Holy Quran], and this is also a means to connect one Ramadan to the next. Great attention should be given to the Holy Quran.” (Friday Sermon 29th April 2022; Al Hakam, 27 May 2022, Issue 219, p. 25) Thus, it remains our responsibility to uphold the honourable practice of reading the Holy Quran daily even after Ramadan concludes.

Voluntary prayers and rights of creation During the month of Ramadan, we strive earnestly to perform tahajjud prayers, seeking to draw closer to the Almighty Allah. Allah states in the Holy Quran:

َ َ� َ� ُ َ ۡ ُ َ ُۡ َۤ َ � َ َ ۡ ‫ۤ​ٰۤیَا �ُّی َ​َہا اۡل ُ​ُم �َّز �ِ​ِّم ُ​ُل ُق ِ​ِم اَّل ۡ​ۡی َ​َل ِ​ِاَّلا َق ِ​ِل ۡ​ۡیًلًا ِّنّ ۡ​ۡصَف �ۤٗہ َا ِ​ِو اۡنُق ۡ​ۡص ِ​ِمۡن ُ​ُہ َق ِ​ِل ۡ​ۡیًلًا َا ۡ​ۡو‬ َ َ ُۡ � ‫ِزِ ۡ​ۡد َ​َعَل ۡ​ۡی ِ​ِہ َ​َو َ​َر ِ​ِّت ِ​ِل اۡلُق ۡ​ۡر ٰ​ٰا َ​َن َت ۡ​ۡر ِ​ِت ۡ​ۡیًلًا‬

“O thou who art bearing [a heavy responsibility], stand up [in Prayer] at night except a small portion thereof—half of it, or make it a little less than that or make it a little more than that—and recite the Quran slowly and thoughtfully.” (Surah alMuzzammil, Ch.73: V.2-5) Similarly, Hazrat Abu Hurairara narrates that he heard the Holy Prophetsa saying regarding Ramadan that, ‘Whoever prayed at night in [the month of Ramadan] out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will

Abdullah Arif|Unsplash

َ� َ ْ َ� ُ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ُ َ َ� be forgiven.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab fadli ‫الَّن َ​َهاِرِ ِ​ِس � ً​ًّرا َ​َو َ​َعلَاَِنِ َ​َي ً​ًة َ​َف َ​َل ُ​ُه ْ​ْم‬ ‫نِفُقوَن َأْمَواَلُهم ِ​ِبالَّلْي ِ​ِل َو‬ ِ ‫اَّل ِ​ِذيَن ُي‬ laylati l-qadr, Bab fadli laylati l-qadr, Hadith َ ُ ‫نَد َ​َر �ِّبِه ْ​ْم َ​َولَاَ َ​َخْوْ ٌ​ٌف َ​َع َ​َل ْ​ْيِه ْ​ْم َ​َولَاَ ُ​ُه ْ​ْم َيَ ْ​ْح َ​َزُن‬ َ ‫َأَ ْ​ْجُرُ ُ​ُه ْ​ْم ِع‬ ‫وَن‬ ِ ِ​ِ ِ 2014) Speaking of our responsibilities in this regard, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa states: “The month of fasting has ended. It was a month in which we focused upon our voluntary prayers. However, we must now seek to continue fulfilling the rights owed to God and the rights owed to the creation of God. We must continue offering the voluntary prayers and promptly offering our obligatory prayers.

“If we paid attention during Ramadan towards controlling our ego and desires, then we must continue this practice. If we became compassionate towards the creation of God, then we must maintain this compassion and seek to improve in our good deeds.” (Eid Sermon 16 June 2018; “Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Delivers Eid Sermon in London”, www. pressahmadiyya.com) Huzooraa has similarly spoken about treating one another well with great emphasis. He states: “[…] the method which the Promised Messiah has told us in order to continue to garner the blessings of Ramadan is to keep practising the high morals we show one another, which we learnt in the month of Ramadan. And to increase our love for one another and the spirit of brotherhood and to fulfil the rights of others.” (Friday Sermon 29th April 2022; Al Hakam, 27 May 2022, Issue 219, p. 25)

Charity Speaking of brotherhood and treating others well, amidst the sacred aura of Ramadan, another virtuous habit we diligently nurture within ourselves is the noble act of charity.

In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty declares regarding those who give charity:

“Those who spend their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, have their reward with their Lord; on them [shall come] no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.275) In this regard, Huzooraa said: “[…] it is certainly true that children around the world are suffering from severe hunger. However, those madly seeking wars do not care at all about the suffering of innocent children who are being deprived of their parents and are living a life of misery. In such a state, those of us able to fill our stomachs and eat well on Eid, we should increase in our realisation of the suffering of others.” (Eid Sermon 16 June 2018; “Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Delivers Eid Sermon in London”, www. pressahmadiyya.com) Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to persist in this honourable deed beyond Ramadan, seeking further blessings from Allah.

Moderating speech and refraining from bad deeds On ordinary days, it is expected that we treat others with respect, but during Ramadan, this expectation elevates significantly. While fasting, we are obliged to abstain from using foul language and engaging in indecent behavior.

The Holy Quran states:

ً ‫آَم ُ​ُنواا �َّتَُقُواال �َّلَ َ​َه َ​َو ُ​ُقوُلُوا َ​َقْوًْلًا َ​َسِد‬ َ ‫يَن‬ َ ‫َيَاَأَ �ُّيُ َ​َهااَّل�َ ِ​ِذ‬ ‫يًدا‬ ِ

“O ye who believe! fear Allah, and say the right word.” (Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.71) Thus, this should be a constant affair in our lives. Then, during Ramadan, we also strive diligently to avoid wrongdoing to the Continued on next page >>

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

20

100 Revealing the truth to Lord Headley and Years lecture on “Peace and Harmony”

Ago...

Al Fazl, 4 April 1924

was explained as well. After listening to our views, our honourable guest, [Lord Headley] said: “I agree with everything that I have heard.”

In my humble opinion, this distinguished person, who loves Islam, is now as much ours as anyone else can claim to be theirs.

Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra (1883-1948)

Guests Returning from Hajj, the Right Honourable Lord Headley’s religious zeal has progressed significantly. He possesses a deep love for Islam. I also attended one of his lectures in a [literary] society and observed that he sincerely admired the religion of Islam.

Witnessing Lord Headley’s considerable efforts to successfully guide Sir Archibald Hamilton [5th Baronet] to convert to Islam and discovering that all the works of (the Woking Mission) rested on his shoulders, this humble one invited him. He confirmed his arrival time on the telephone and came to meet us. He stayed with us for almost 3 hours and listened to the claims of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, with great attention. Moreover, I read before him a Persian poem by Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib, which he penned [before he parted ways with the] Ahmadiyya Jamaat under Khilafat. [Hearing] the words, ‫اال اے رکنم از اشن احیسم‬, Lord Headley enquired, “Ah! Has this been written by Khawaja [Kamaluddin]?” I turned his attention to Khawaja Sahib’s son, and also recited the original Persian text [of the poem].

[The complete Persian poem by Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib with its English translation has already been published in << Continued from previous page

best of our ability, as it is a sacred time when God restricts Satan’s influence.

It is narrated that the Holy Prophetsa said: “The five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer, and from Ramadan to Ramadan are expiations for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab at-taharah, Bab salawatil khams wa l-jumu‘ah…, Hadith 233a) Modern research, as exemplified by the works of James Clear and Charles Duhigg, sheds light on the mechanisms required to develop new habits, reinforce them, and break free from negative ones. The month of Ramadan provides an optimal opportunity to relinquish negative behaviours and redirect our focus towards positive ones.

Hence, we should try our utmost to never indulge in the bad habits that we were able to leave in this month of Ramadan.

Conclusion As we bid farewell to Ramadan, let us remember that its departure heralds not

Woking

Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra

the 8 March 2024 issue of Al Hakam.]

Lord Headley was misinformed that, God forbid, we consider the Promised Messiahas to be superior to the Holy Prophetsa and that the [then] Khalifa, [Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra] calls himself a Prophet. Many other misconceptions of a similar kind were also dispelled. Moreover, the difference between an Ahmadi and a non-Ahmadi an end but a continuation of our spiritual journey. Let us embrace its teachings with open hearts and unwavering commitment, knowing that in their practice lies the fulfilment of our purpose and the attainment of Divine grace.

Truly, Ramadan serves not only as a month of fasting and reflection but as a lifelong beacon guiding us towards

At present, the non-Ahmadi son of Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib, [Khwaja Nazir Ahmad] is discharging the duties of the imam in Woking.

Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib edits the monthly, [Islamic Review], which is a completely non-Ahmadi magazine.

Meanwhile, his son considers attacking the character and life of God’s chosen Messiah as the core part of his efforts, and through his endeavours, he is increasing the medals of his father. I have reason to believe that Lord Headley is by far a better believer than the Lahoris, [i.e., those who did not take bai‘at of the second Khalifa].

Baha‘is and Ahmadis

comprised of all kinds of participants from the East and the West, including secular and religious people.

After the completion of the first speech, the audience began to voice their opinions.

Thereafter, Lord Headley made a short speech and then requested this humble one to say a few words. As per the occasion, I delivered a brief speech, highlighting to those present that the principles of “Peace and Harmony” have been described in the Holy Quran. These pearls of wisdom were resting at the depths of the ocean, waiting for a skilled diver to unearth them, so he appeared in the blessed personage of the Promised Messiahas and enlightened the world with the deep insights and verities of the Holy Quran.

I explained that the Holy Quran is the last book and the final sharia [Divine Law].

No other scriptures are required after this Holy Book. A reformer, who is appointed

by God Almighty, comes either to complete the sharia or to complete the spread of religion. There is no need for any revelation to complete the sharia [as it has already been completed with Islam]. The Promised Messiahas is reforming people through various means

There was a lecture on the Baha’i Faith at a society in London and a large number of Christian and non-Christian women gathered to proclaim peace and harmony in the name of Baha’ullah. The audience

(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu, published in the 4 April 1924 issue of Al Fazl)

righteousness and inner peace. We conclude with the blessed words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa: “If we continue the good deeds we practised during Ramadan into the rest of our lives, in that case, we will truly be celebrating Eid and the joy we feel today will encompass the rest of our coming year. This is the true purpose of Eid. Otherwise, merely

dressing up, having nice food and meeting with friends and making plans for the day are meaningless without understanding Eid’s real purpose.” (Eid Sermon 16 June 2018; “Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Delivers Eid Sermon in London”, www. pressahmadiyya.com)

Ahmadi missionaries meet with Secretary General of OAS Marwan Gill Missionary, Argentina

On 5 February 2024, Yahya Luqman Sahib and this humble one had a meeting with Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS). The OAS is an international and intergovernmental body which integrates

35 countries from North, Central and South America. It was established in 1948 with its headquarters in Washington with an aim to foster peace, security and prosperity at a regional level amongst its members.

During our meeting, which took place in Washington, we introduced the work undertaken by our Community to promote interfaith harmony and brotherhood throughout the hemisphere. Hereby, we also

discussed in detail our campaign “Voices for Peace” in order to guarantee a ceasefire in Gaza, and peace in the larger society as well.

The Secretary General acknowledged our efforts and a joint statement was released in which all member countries were urged to ensure religious freedom and respect in their policies. The joint press release and the details of the meeting were also published by several media outlets in the region.

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024

21

Friday Sermon Mubarak Mosque, Islamabad, Tilford, UK

15 March 2024 Ramadan: Striving to achieve taqwa After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited verses 184-185 of Surah al-Baqarah and stated:

“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard against evil. The prescribed fasting is for a fixed number of days, but whoso among you is sick or is on a journey shall fast the same number of other days; and for those who are able to fast only with great difficulty is an expiation— the feeding of a poor man. And whoso does good of his own accord it is better for him.

And fasting is good for you, if you only knew.”

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the month of Ramadan has commenced. The Holy Prophetsa has stated that this is the most magnificent month and one with immense blessings. (Sunan al-Nasa’i, Kitab as-sawm, Bab dhikri l-Ikhtilafi ‘ala mu‘ammari fih, Hadith 2108) During this month, Allah the Almighty’s graciousness is ever more prevalent so that He can bestow favours upon His servants.

Even during ordinary days, Allah the Almighty blesses His servants in ways one cannot imagine. During this month, He shackles Satan and makes special provisions for us to escape his clutches and one cannot express such an example. Whenever we advance towards Allah the Almighty, we find the doors to His favours opened wider than before. Hence, Allah the Almighty has appointed this month to shower us with His favours. Whatever slackness we have shown recently in the worship of Allah the Almighty, in offering voluntary prayers, in reciting and understanding the Holy Quran and in acting upon its teachings, He has made special provisions for us during this month in order to make up for these shortcomings, since a particular atmosphere is created during this month to fulfil obligatory and also voluntary acts of worship. As such, one ought to take advantage of this. There are arrangements for dars [religious lectures] in the mosques and similar arrangements are made on MTA as well. One should derive

benefit from them, seek the nearness of Allah the Almighty and allow the impact of this atmosphere to become a permanent part of our lives so that we continuously receive the blessings and favours of Allah the Almighty.

Thus, Allah the Almighty says that whilst trying to take full advantage of this atmosphere, one should advance towards

That is to say that those who do not fulfil the rights due to Allah and those due to His creation, or do not fulfil them as they ought to and are negligent in fulfilling them, when they truly start fulfilling these rights, then there is no end to the happiness felt

by Allah the Almighty. Furthermore, Allah the Almighty is that Being, Who blesses His servants to an immeasurable extent when

Him. The joy that Allah the Almighty receives from His servants who draw closer towards Him can be gauged by the following statement of the Holy Prophetsa: “Allah the Almighty is even more pleased when His servants turn to Him than the joy a mother feels upon finding her lost child.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-adab, Bab rahmati alwalad…, Hadith 5999; Kitab al-da‘wat, Bab at-tawbah, Hadith 6308)

He is pleased with them.

Hence, we will be extremely fortunate if we truly become the recipients of Allah the Almighty’s bounties, whilst deriving benefit from this atmosphere during Ramadan.

In the verses I have recited, where Allah the Almighty has instructed us to follow His commandments whilst adopting righteousness, He has also mentioned certain commandments regarding fasting.

Therefore, we are very fortunate that Allah the Almighty has granted us a book full of wisdom through the Holy Prophetsa so that we are able to attain His nearness and to become those who tread the paths of His closeness.

In the very first commandment of the verse, Allah has drawn our attention towards treading the path of humility and instructed us to adopt humbleness by saying that by fasting, you are not doing something exclusive; rather, fasting was also prescribed to those before you. Indeed, there are differences in their method of fasting, but fasting was prescribed for them nonetheless.

The objective was to tread the path of righteousness, and so this is the very same purpose for you as well, so that you become righteous, i.e., refrain from all immoral things and adopt all that is good. You must safeguard yourselves from sin and vice, just like a soldier tries to protect himself behind a shield. Furthermore, the soldier who places the shield before him not only protects himself but is also able to attack the enemy. Hence, if you tread the path of righteousness, you will not only safeguard yourselves but also slay Satan by attacking him and all satanic thoughts. This is the way one can adopt righteousness and do justice to their fasting. Otherwise, the Holy Prophetsa has stated Allah the Almighty is in no need for you to go hungry. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab as-sawm, Bab mun lum yada‘ qawla az-zur, Hadith 1903) The real objective is to develop righteousness. If this is not the case, then the purpose of fasting is nullified.

Nowadays, for a large number of Muslims, the case is not even about going hungry, especially among the rich. They eat with great diligence at the time of sehri [eating before sunrise to start the fast] and iftari [breaking the fast at sunset]. Indeed, there are the poor who only find food for sehri and iftari with great difficulty, but even

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

22

for them, it will only be acceptable in the sight of Allah to go hungry and thirsty when they also seek the paths of righteousness and strive to adorn their modes of worship.

I shall also mention here that, especially during Ramadan, the rich should be mindful of the poor people in their respective areas.

They should not merely enjoy their iftar meals by inviting the rich, rather, they should organise iftar’s for the less well-off.

Besides, I am not in favour of these grand and lavish iftar parties that take place. They have now become a form of pretentiousness and innovation. During Ramadan, greater attention should be given to reading, teaching, listening to, and reciting the Holy Quran. Greater attention should be given to the remembrance of Allah. Greater attention should be given to worship. However, what actually happens in place of this is that people of different professions come from their jobs and occupy themselves with eating at iftar gatherings. And as for those who give out the iftari invitations, instead of giving attention to reading the Quran, hadith, the remembrance of Allah and worship, they remain engaged in efforts to make the best arrangements, to have everything for iftar, and in making the best iftar meals, in order for them to be praised for making such excellent iftar arrangement. Hence, all these things are not the purpose of Ramadan, and they only take one away from righteousness.

Therefore, in order to benefit from a shield, one must utilise it in the correct manner. Otherwise, how will they protect themselves if Satan attacks them from the front, rear, right and left? On top of this, Satan can severely wound a person and leave them in an injured state. Hence, we must strive to do justice to the fasting of Ramadan and to attain righteousness, which is the true objective. For the sake of Allah, if we abstain from those things which are otherwise lawful, then surely Allah the Almighty will look upon us with His mercy and will put our Satan in chains.

We shall continue to cross the vast field of virtues without any kind of obstacle, and by the grace of Allah, the fort of worship and remembrance of God shall continue to shield us from satanic onslaughts. One should not consider Satan to be something insignificant. He issued a great challenge that the majority of Allah’s servants would fall prey to his deception and follow him.

Therefore, we must contest this challenge during Ramadan and then strive forever to combat Satan with the weapons of worship and acting upon the Quranic injunctions.

With regards to the essence of fasting, the Promised Messiahas stated on one occasion: “People are unaware of the essence of fasting. The truth of the matter is, how can one explain the condition of a country

they have not travelled to, or a world they are heedless of? Fasting is not merely that a person remains hungry and thirsty; rather, there is a realisation and change that is only gained by experiencing fasting. It is within human nature that the less one eats, the more one’s soul is purified and their ability to see visions increases.” However, it is unfortunate that nowadays, fasting is just the name of lavishly eating and drinking.

Nonetheless, the Promised Messiahas further states: “From fasting, God Almighty desires that you lessen one type of nourishment and increase the other. The person who fasts should always keep in mind that he is not meant to simply remain hungry, rather he should remain busy in the remembrance of Allah, so that one attains tabattul and inqita‘, (i.e., becoming immersed in God Almighty and detached from worldly allures.) Thus, to fast means that you must leave the food which nourishes your body and acquire the food that grants your soul peace, and satiates it. And those who fast only for the sake of God Almighty, rather than out of a mere custom, should remain occupied in the praise of God, glorifying Him, and recitation of the Islamic creed [there is no God but Allah], so that they attain the other form of nourishment [for the soul].”

(Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 9, pp. 122-123) Thus, alongside reciting and understanding the Holy Quran in Ramadan, worship and remembrance of Allah is also vital. The heart ought to remain occupied in the praise of Allah the Almighty. You should glorify Allah; and for this, the Promised Messiahas has told us about a prayer, that was revealed to him, that is:

َ �ٰ َ َ ْ ُ َ �ٰ ْ �ٰ َ َ ْ ُ ‫ُسْبَح‬ ‫ ُسْبَح‬، ‫اَن الّٰل ِ​ِه َ​َو ِ​ِب َ​َح ْ​ْم ِ​ِد ِ​ِه‬ ‫ الّٰل ُ​ُه �َّم َ​َص ِ �ِّل َ​َعَلى‬،‫اَن الّٰل ِ​ِه اْل َ​َع ِ​ِظ ْ​ْي ِ​ِم‬ َ َ� َ� َ ُ ‫آِل ُ​ُم َ​َح �َّم ٍ​ٍد‬ ‫َّو‬ ‫ٍد‬ ‫َّم‬ ‫َح‬ ‫ُم‬ ِ ٍ

[Holy is Allah and worthy of all praise, holy is Allah the Great; O Allah, bestow Your blessings on Muhammadsa and the people of Muhammadsa.] (Tiryaq-ul-Qulub, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 15, p. 208) This is a very important prayer. For the acceptance of prayer, it is important to supplicate by sending salutations upon the Holy Prophetsa. This is the command of Allah the Almighty. Similarly, there is Tahlil, which is to proclaim the Oneness of Allah the Almighty. This is also vital.

So, these are the means which help increase righteousness, and are also important for the acceptance of prayer.

Thus, we should pay special attention to these matters.

Allah the Almighty instructs us to adopt the path of righteousness countless times in the Holy Quran. To attain any good deed, the condition for it is righteousness. Thus, it is necessary to pay special attention to this.

In nearly every gathering and on various occasions, the Promised Messiahas reminded us of this. There is a poetic verse [hemistich] written by the Promised Messiahas: “The root of every good is righteousness.”

Allah the Almighty revealed the next line to him: “If this root is preserved, everything will survive.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 4, p. 48) Thus, it is only righteousness that Allah the Almighty loves. It is only righteousness which leads you to every good deed. It is only righteousness which frees you from the impurity of the world. It is only righteousness

through which every kind of need, whether it is physical or spiritual, is fulfilled. Thus, the acquisition of righteousness should be the foremost duty of a believer. As I have said, in various places, the Promised Messiahas has spoken about the topic of righteousness in different ways. I will present some of his sayings in this regard.

The Promised Messiahas states: “The Holy Quran has stated right at the beginning:

ۡ َ� ۡ � ‫ُ​ُہ ً​ًدی ِّل ِۡل ُ​ُمَّت ِ​ِقۡی َ​َن‬

“[‘It is a guidance for the righteous.’ (Ch. 2: V.3)] “Thus, to understand the Holy Quran, and to attain guidance in accordance with it, righteousness is necessary.

“Similarly, in another place it states:

َ َ ۡ َ� ۤ ُ َ� ‫َّلا َیَ َ​َم �ُّس �ۤٗہ ِ​ِاَّلا اۡل ُ​ُمَط �َّہُرُ ۡ​ۡو َ​َن‬

“[None can touch it except those who are pure.’ (Ch. 56: V. 80)] “This stipulation is not for attaining other disciplines; such as mathematics, engineering, astronomy, and other subjects.

There is no condition that the student of these subjects should be righteous or one who abstains from evil; rather, even if they are evil and wicked, they can learn it.”

In reality, nowadays, these types of people are very successful in these fields.

The Promised Messiahas continues, “But in the study of faith, those people who adhere purely to dry logic and philosophy cannot progress, and those verities and understandings cannot be opened to those whose hearts are polluted and do not possess any semblance of righteousness.

Despite this, if they say that the knowledge of faith and spiritual verities is uttered from their tongue, they forge a lie. Verily, they do not receive a portion of the verities and understanding of faith; rather, to acquire the subtleties and deeper wisdom of faith, righteousness is a prerequisite, just as is explained in the following Persian couplet: � ِ ‫رضحِترقآں �اَقَنابآہکنرَب َ​َدا َ​َرد‬ ‫�رَعروس‬ � ‫ن‬ � � ‫م‬ � �‫ع‬ ‫ہک َ​َدا ُ​ُراکلمل ےرا �دَنُکد �اَخاِیلِ ِزَِرہَ وَغواغ‬

“‘The Quran raises its veil as if a bride, only when the realm of (one’s) inner self is purged of all noise and clamour.’”

The Promised Messiahas further states, “Until this is not borne in mind, and the seat of governance is not empty” – meaning, until the realms of your heart are cleansed of all worldly filth. If they are not free of this filth, then there is no point.

The Promised Messiahas further states, “What is the meaning of ‘clamour’?” (What is meant by noise and commotion?) “It is evil and wickedness–” all this clamour is simply evil and wickedness. “It is love for the world.

Indeed, it is a separate point that if they say something, they will do so like thieves,” Meaning if such a person ever manages to say something good, then they are words that he has stolen from other people and are not his own words. “But those who speak with the Holy Spirit, do not speak except without righteousness. Always remember that righteousness is the key to unlocking all religious knowledge. A person cannot learn it except through righteousness. Just as Allah the Almighty states:

ۡ َ ٰٓ ٓ ۡ َ� ۡ � ‫آل �ـّٓم ٰذِل َِک اۡل ِ​ِک ٰ​ٰت ُ​ُب َلَا َ​َرۡیۡ َ​َب� ِفِ ۡ​ۡی ِ​ِہ� ُ​ُہ ً​ًدی ِّل ِۡل ُ​ُمَّت ِ​ِقۡی َ​َن‬ “[I am Allah, the All-Knowing. This is a perfect book, there is no doubt in it. It is a guidance for the righteous.’ (Ch.2: V.2-3] “This book provides guidance to those who are righteous, and who are such people?

َ� َۡ ُ ‫اَّل ِ​ِذۡیۡ َ​َن ُیُ ۡ​ۡؤ ِ​ِمُنۡوۡ َ​َن ِ​ِباۡلَغ ۡ​ۡی ِ​ِب‬

“‘Those who believe in the unseen.’ (Ch. 2: V. 4) “In other words, they are unable to see God Almighty, yet they still believe in Him; they believe that God exists even without experiencing Him thus far. Furthermore, they are those who establish prayer. That is to say, they have not yet achieved true delight and pleasure in prayer, however, they continue to sustain their prayers devoid of any pleasure, delight and are distracted.

Moreover, they spend out of which He has provided them, and they believe in that which was revealed before [i.e., Prophet Muhammadsa] and what was revealed to him.”

The Promised Messiahas continues, “These are the initial stages and attributes of a righteous person; these are characteristics of faith [in its juvenile stages].” To believe in the unseen and establish prayer are among the initial stages of faith. The Promised Messiahas continues, “Here, people raise an allegation: if there are those who believe in God, offer prayers, spend [in the cause of God], and also believe in the revealed books of God, then what further guidance is required? If they are already observing such acts of goodness, what do they need to improve on? This is obtaining what was already present.” (I.e., they gain what they already have achieved.)

The Promised Messiahas states, “The answer to this query is that the aforementioned words and passages have not communicated the highest level of conduct and perfect cognisance that humans can achieve. (Although these passages and the commandments of Allah the Almighty therein are true, however, this is not the ultimate outcome and final objective.) On the contrary, to believe in Allah the Almighty and the unseen; to observe prayer; to re-establish prayer when it falters; to spend a little [in the cause of God]; these are all basic tenets to steer us toward virtue.” The Promised Messiahas continues, “If the pinnacle of this guidance َۡ َ ُ ُۡ was ‫وَن ِ​ِباۡلَغ ۡ​ۡي ِ​ِب‬ ‫[ ُيۡؤ ِ​ِمُن‬i.e., to believe in the unseen], then what is the definition of true cognisance? (If believing in the unseen is all it takes to be guided, then what is true cognisance of God? How do we truly recognise Allah the Almighty?) Thus, those who abide by the guidance found in the Holy Quran will achieve the highest ranks of cognisance. (If you aspire to attain true cognisance, study the guidance in the Holy Quran and act upon it. As a result, you will attain true cognisance.) A person will transcend believing in the unseen and progress towards first-hand experience.

Then, regarding the existence of God, they will reach the stage of ‘ain al-yaqin [Certainty of sight].”

Only if one carries out deeds will they reach the stage of Certainty of Sight. Thus, َۡ َ ُ ُۡ in order to progress from: ‫وَن ِ​ِباۡلَغ ۡ​ۡي ِ​ِب‬ ‫[ ُيۡؤ ِ​ِمُن‬belief in the unseen], one must abide by the commandments of the Holy Quran. People

AL HAKAM | Friday 12 April 2024 often wonder why it is necessary to believe in the unseen. The question of ‘why’ is raised frequently by youth and children. Why should we believe in something we are unaware of? Allah the Almighty states that believing in the unseen is faith in its juvenile state. After you have established your faith in this book given to you, it is incumbent to follow its commandments, which will enable you to truly recognise Allah the Almighty.

As a result, you will progress from [believing in] the unseen to first-hand experience. One will not only be left to believe in the unseen; rather, he will truly witness Who God is.

This is also a law of the material world; scientists and researchers also accept that before their experiments, they form a hypothesis, which becomes the foundation of their research. Whether the hypothesis is confirmed or not, yet it is still used as a basis for something plausible and further research. Similarly, Allah the Almighty says that you should premise your efforts to ponder over and abide by the commandments of the Holy Quran with belief in the unseen, and then you will witness [God]. Scientists only conduct research as a personal endeavour, and after attaining this, they inform the general public. However, in this case, once you form a hypothesis and follow it up with research, every person can derive benefit. This is the splendour of Islam. This is what it means to believe in the unseen.

Similarly, with respect to prayer, the Promised Messiahas states, “The initial stages of prayer are those which have been mentioned [in the above verses], which is to ‘establish prayer’. It is as though your state of prayer falters. For prayer to fall or falter means to be devoid of pleasure and satisfaction, or to offer prayer in a state of absentmindedness. For this reason, one does not run towards such a prayer with the same passion, absorption, and restlessness that one would run towards food and water in a state of hunger and thirst. However, after having found guidance, one does not remain in the same state. Rather, one begins to experience pleasure in prayer. The distracted and absent mind will be replaced with satisfaction and pleasure.”

The Promised Messiahas further states, “A person once lost something and said: ‘Wait a minute, bring the prayer mat. I will recall where it is while I am occupied in prayer’. Such a prayer, in which Satan causes distractions, cannot be offered by those who have reached their pinnacle.”

In other words, when this person lost something and could not remember where he put it, he thought to pray because his thoughts wandered while occupied in prayer, and as a result, he may remember where he put it. Such a prayer cannot be of those who have reached their pinnacle stage, these are satanic thoughts. “Because after having reached their pinnacle, these people always remain in a state of prayer. They constantly remember Allah the Almighty.

Even thousands of rupees in profits cannot become a distraction. They will partake in their secular work, however, they will always be fearful and mindful of God Almighty.”

The Promised Messiahas further states, “Similarly, all other stages should not be reduced to mere verbal claims, but should translate to first-hand experiences; they should evolve from a state of being unseen to testimonial accounts. (These ranks that

23

I have mentioned are not only meant to be shared verbally, like stories.) “Which are being told to you to momentarily please you.

Not at all. This, in fact, is a treasure which you needn’t abandon. Instead, unearth it.

It is already [hidden] in your own home, and with a little effort and struggle, you can attain it.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 9, pp. 151154) Thus, today, it is our responsibility to take advantage of this atmosphere, make every effort, and strive to unearth this treasure so that we, too, can attain Allah the Almighty’s nearness.

The Promised Messiahas then states, “Remember, your prayers will not be accepted until you become righteous and demonstrate righteousness. Righteousness is of two kinds: the first pertains to knowledge, and the second pertains to deeds. With respect to our knowledge, it has been explained that one cannot attain religious knowledge, truths and verities until one adopts righteousness. Secondly, regarding our deeds, prayer, fasting and other acts of worship remain incomplete until one becomes righteous. Remember this well; God Almighty has two kinds of commandments: firstly, you must not associate partners with Him, neither in His being, nor in His attributes, and nor in your worship of Him. Secondly, you must be compassionate towards humankind. Fulfil the rights of Allah and those of fellow man.”

(Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 9, p. 164) The Promised Messiahas continues, “Allah the Almighty says:

ۡ ُ َ ۡ َ� ُ �ٰ َ� َ ‫َ​َو َ​َم ۡ​ۡن �َّیَّت ِ​ِق الّٰل َ​َہ َیَ ۡ​ۡج َ​َع ۡ​ۡل َّلٗہٗ َ​َمۡخ َ​َر ً​ًجا �َّوَیَ ۡ​ۡرُزۡق ُ​ُہ ِ​ِم ۡ​ۡن َ​َح ۡ​ۡیُث َلَا َیَ ۡ​ۡح َ​َت ِ​ِس ُ​ُب‬

“[‘And he who fears Allah – He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he expects not.’] Righteousness is such that when one attains it, it is as if one attains the bounties of the entire world. By adopting righteousness, Allah the Almighty will create such means and will provide from such places that one could never have thought of.”

The Promised Messiahas continues, “Remember, a righteous person is never in need of others, rather, he reaches a standard whereby God grants whatever he desires even before his asking. Allah the Almighty has promised that He also provides worldly provisions to the righteous.” The Promised Messiahas states, “Once in a vision, I saw God Almighty personified as a human being. He put His arm around my neck and said: ‫ےجوتںریماوہرںیہبسگجریتاوہ‬ “‘If you will be devoted to Me, the whole world will be yours.’”

The Promised Messiahas continues, “This is the same formula which all the prophets, saints and pious people have all tested; you should try it as well.” The Promised Messiahas says, “[...] Our Jamaat should tread upon the paths of righteousness, and should not become unnecessarily pleased with the destruction of the enemy. In the Torah, it is recorded that Allah the Almighty said about the enemy of the Children of Israel that ‘I destroyed them because of their evil, not because you are righteous’ (It was not on account of your virtue that they were destroyed but it was because of their own wrongdoings that they were destroyed.) Therefore, strive to be virtuous.”

The Promised Messiahas continues: “One of my couplets is: �� ‫رہِاِکیکینیکڑجہیِا ِ �اقِّتاےہ‬

‘‫’ارگہیڑجریہبسھچکراہےہ‬ “‘The root of every good is righteousness; if this root is preserved, everything will survive.’

He then states, “[…] Righteousness is an antidote; one who uses it is saved from every type of poison. However, it must be complete righteousness. To act in accordance with only a single branch of righteousness is akin to eating a single grain when one is hungry.

Clearly eating it and not eating it would be one in the same. Similarly, thirst cannot be quenched by a single drop. The same applies to righteousness; implementing only a branch of righteousness cannot become the cause for satisfaction. Hence, righteousness is defined by:

َ� َ �ٰ َ َ َ� ‫ِ​ِا �َّن الّٰل َ​َہ َ​َمَع اَّل ِ​ِذۡیۡ َ​َن اَّتَقۡوۡا‬

“[‘Verily Allah is with those who are righteous’] Allah’s support indicates whether one is righteous.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 9, pp. 260-262) In other words, if one is truly righteous, then God Almighty expresses it Himself through the bestowal of His favours and those favours also become manifest.

Hence, this is the righteousness that we must strive to achieve. Then, the Promised Messiahas says: “This has been repeatedly stated (the same concepts are being mentioned over and over), however, it is because people have become heedless. On the one hand, people listen to advice and guidance and develop a zeal to adopt righteousness, but then again they become heedless. This is why our Jamaat should remember very well that they must never forget Allah the Almighty under any circumstances. They should always seek help from Him. Without Him, man is nothing. Remember well that He can end you in an instant. There are all kinds of pain and difficulties; we are in no position to be without worry or fear. Hell can exist in this world as well, and there can be great calamities. Remember this well.”

These days, there are talks of an atomic war, which would also create a sort of hell.

Other bombs are also balls of fire, as it were. The Promised Messiahas continues, “You should remember well that no one can help another in times of difficulty nor can another show sympathy until God Himself lends a helping hand and through His grace removes the difficulty Himself.

For this reason, everyone should have a hidden connection with God Almighty. A person who becomes bold in sin, indecency, and disobedience finds themselves in a dangerous state. God Almighty’s wrath lies in wait for them. If you constantly desire the mercy of Allah, the Generous, then you must adopt righteousness and abandon all those things which incur the displeasure of God Almighty. Until one develops the fear of God, (this is a very important point, as the Promised Messiahas states), one cannot develop true righteousness. Strive to become righteous. When the ruin begins of those who do not adopt righteousness, only those who do adopt righteousness are saved. At such times, people’s disobedience destroys them and people’s righteousness saves them.

If one wishes to be saved by depending on their cunning, mischief, and treachery, then they cannot be saved. No one can protect their own life, wealth, or progeny, nor can they achieve any other success without the grace of Allah the Almighty. You must certainly establish a hidden connection with God Almighty.”

This hidden connection can be established through worship, the remembrance of God, and by acting according to the commandments of God.” The Promised Messiahas further states: “You must certainly establish a hidden connection with God and then you should protect that connection. (It should remain constant.) A wise person is one who safeguards this connection; one who does not safeguard this connection is foolish.

One who takes pride in his own cunningness will be ruined and will never achieve his objectives or become successful. Observe the earth and the heavens and all that can be seen within; could this vast world have been created by any other than the hidden hand of God Almighty? Absolutely not!

Remember one who fears in a time of peace is saved in times of fear and it is nothing extraordinary for one to become scared at times of fear. Even disbelievers, polytheists, and atheists show fear at such times. It was on such an occasion that the Pharaoh َ​َ ُۤ َ ۡ ۡ fearfully said, ‫‘ ٰ​ٰا َ​َمَن ۡ​ۡت ِ​ِب ٖ​ٖہ َبَُنۤۡو�ا ِ​ِا ۡ​ۡس َ​َرٓا ِ​ِءۡیۡ َ​َل َ​َوَاَنا ِ​ِم َ​َن اۡل ُ​ُم ۡ​ۡس ِ​ِل ِ​ِمۡی َ​َن‬I believe that there is no God but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who submit to Him.’” The Promised Messiahas continues, “The only benefit Pharaoh received was that God Almighty said that he would preserve his body but not his life. Ultimately, God Almighty placed his body to one side. He was a man of short stature. Thus, when one increases towards sin and disobedience, then it becomes a case ۡ َ ًَ َ َ ُۡ َۡ ۡ َ َ of ‫اَعًۃ �َّوَلَا َیَ ۡ​ۡس َ​َتۡق ِ​ِد ُ​ُمۡوۡ َ​َن‬ ‫ َلا َیۡسَتۡاِخُِرۡوَن َس‬meaning ‘they cannot remain behind a single moment, nor can they get ahead of it.’ Hence when death comes, it cannot be halted or delayed. One should strive to have a connection with Allah the Almighty from before.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 9, pp. 369-370) Hence, those among us will be counted among the fortunate ones who truly derive benefit from this month of Ramadan in order to increase their level of righteousness and to raise it to a level that Allah wishes to see in us.

The next verse is in relation to fasting, wherein Allah the Almighty has mentioned some fundamental commandments. It states that despite the fact Allah the Almighty has prescribed fasting for a fixed number of days, He has created ease for His servants, thus those who are sick or on a journey should not unnecessarily burden themselves and complete the prescribed fasts upon recovering or completing their journey.

Thus, one has to fulfil the prescribed injunction but also not to place unnecessary burden upon themselves. Allah the Almighty has taken into account health factors and exceptional circumstances that can occur.

Allah the Almighty shows regard for one’s righteousness since one abstains from what is lawful purely for the sake of God Almighty and so He grants ease at a time when one is in a state of difficulty. Therefore, those who claim that God Almighty has placed great burden upon them as He has given such commandments which are difficult to fulfil, they should know that there is, in fact,

24

“

no commandment of Allah the Almighty which is too difficult to fulfil and there is ease granted with each one of them. [Or they claim] religion has placed a great burden on them or the atheists and those who oppose religion seek to create ill thoughts amongst religious people by alleging that they are trapped in restrictions and that it violates their human rights. There is a reply to such people in this verse as well in that although fasting is mandatory and fasting enables one to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, but despite this, Allah the Almighty has taken into account the natural needs and requirements of man and grants ease. And so, one can complete their fasts through the course of the year and those who possess the means should also give fidya [charity] in addition to [completing the fixed number of fasts] as an expiation for their missed fasts.

This fidya is not incumbent upon everyone, but only those who have the means to do this and thereby they will earn a twofold reward and it would be counted as an additional good deed. This is the manner in which Allah the Almighty grants His favours. Moreover, those mothers who are breastfeeding or those who have long-term illnesses, they have been instructed to pay fidya in accordance with their respective means. This is because Allah the Almighty is the Knower of the unseen and is aware of the intentions of the people. That is why He has stated that their fidya is an expiation for fasting, provided they are giving it with pure intentions. Fidya is a means of helping the poor and once again, the reward for fulfilling the rights of God’s creation has been stated as the same as the act of worship itself. The poor are the ones who benefit from the fidya, yet the reward for this is the same as the reward for worship. This is the God of Islam, Who is nothing but Merciful and despite this if one fails to attain His mercy, then he is most unfortunate.

Further elaborating on this subject, the Promised Messiahas states: “On one occasion, a thought crossed my mind as to why Fidya has been prescribed, I discovered that it was ordained so one is granted the ability to fast. It is Allah the Almighty alone Who can grant one the ability and everything ought to be sought from God Almighty. God is Omnipotent, if He so desires, He can grant even the one suffering from Tuberculosis the ability to fast. Thus, the purpose of fidya is to be granted the strength and ability [to fast] and this can only occur with the grace of God. In my opinion, it is excellent that a person should pray: ‘My Lord, You have decreed this holy month, and I am deprived of it. Who knows whether I will live to see next year, whether I will be able to make up the fasts that have been missed or not.’

Subsequently, a person should seek the ability [to fast] from Him. I am convinced that God Almighty will grant such a heart the power [to fast].” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 9, pp. 258-259) Thus, one should try their utmost to fast and give fidya with the intention that may Allah the Almighty accept it and also give one the ability to fast. Nonetheless, where Allah the Almighty has outlined exemptions, it is essential to act according to them. This is true righteousness. True righteousness

Friday 12 April 2024 | AL HAKAM

Also, pray to be safeguarded from the ill effects of war. Pray for those Muslim nations where innocent people are being tormented by injustices due to the wars being fought for the sake of gaining power.

May Allah have mercy on them and save them from such oppressors.

is when one obeys the command of God Almighty. Further elaborating upon this point, on one occasion, the Promised Messiahas states: “In reality, acting on the exemptions God Almighty has stipulated in the Holy Quran is righteousness. Allah the Almighty has exempted those who are travelling or who are unwell that they can fast on other days.

Therefore, one ought to act in accordance with this injunction. I have read that many noble saints have gone to the extent of saying that if a person fasts while on a journey or when they are unwell, then this is a sin, because the real purpose is to attain the pleasure of Allah rather than for one to do as they please. It is through obedience that one can attain the pleasure of Allah, i.e., to obey an order given by Him as opposed to making one’s own interpretations.”

One should not make their own inferences, just like the scholars of today, who do so out of arrogance of their knowledge. And these days, through the platform given to them by social media, they are issuing jurisprudential decrees which are completely absurd and bizarre.

Nonetheless, the Promised Messiahas states: “Allah the Almighty has commanded:

َ ُ َ� َ ۡ � ٌ َ� َ َ َ ٰ َ ۡ َ ً ۡ َ� ۡ ُ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ ‫اٍم ُاَخ َ​َر‬ ٍ ‫َمۡن َکاَن ِ​ِمۡنُکۡم َّمِرِۡیًضا َاۡو َعٰلی َسَف ٍ​ٍر َف ِ​ِعَّدٌۃ ِ​ِّمۡن َاَّی‬

[‘But whoso among you is sick or is on a journey shall fast the same number of other days.’]

“And there is no specific qualification that the travel or sickness should be to such and such degree or extent.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 9, pp. 72-73) The Promised Messiahas further states, “A person who fasts in the month of Ramadan while in a state of sickness or travel, disobeys a clear commandment of God. God Almighty has clearly articulated that one who is sick or on a journey should not fast. Rather. He should make up the missed

fasts once he has recovered, or has returned from his journey. One should carry out this divine commandment, for true salvation, lies in obedience to divine will and not forcefully acting on one’s own will […].

If a traveller or a sick person still chooses to fast, they will fall under the category of disobedience.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 9, p.

431) Once, a person asked the Holy Prophetsa about fasting and the obligatory prayers whilst travelling. The Messengersa of Allah replied, “ if you are travelling during the month of Ramadan, do not fast in those days.” The man replied, “O Messengersa of Allah, I have the strength to fast [even while travelling].” The Messengersa of Allah replied, “Are you stronger or is Allah?

Verily, Allah the Almighty has granted those in the ummah who are travelling or are unwell in this month leave from fasting as a concession. Would any of you like that when you give a gift to someone it is returned to you?” (Kanz al-‘Ummal, Vol. 8, p. 611, Hadith 24384, Mu’assisah al-Risalah, Beirut, 1985) Thus, righteousness lies in the fact that we act upon the commandments of God, to carry out a virtue at the time it has been prescribed, and to abstain from that when He prohibits it.

May Allah the Almighty enable us to go through Ramadan whilst attaining His pleasure and treading upon the paths of righteousness. May He enable us to elevate our standards of righteousness. May we not search for excuses not to fast and may we not impose undue difficulties upon ourselves.

May we always act according to the beautiful teachings of Islam. This Ramadan, may we attain the countless blessings of Allah the Almighty, May every day be full of blessings and mercy. May we truly benefit from Ramadan. May this Ramadan be a means for us to draw as close as possible to God. May we be granted the ability to offer prayers that are granted acceptance.

Ahmadis around the world should also pray for the continued success of the Jamaat and for all difficulties to be removed. May Allah the Almighty protect us from all [unjust] governments and the evil of every person. Pray for the release of those who have been [unlawfully] imprisoned. Some of them are facing great hardships. Also pray, that we may hold fast to Allah the Almighty in a way whereby no error on our part severs our tie with Him and may the shower of His blessings always rain down upon us.

Pray for the Muslim world; may Allah grant them wisdom and understanding, and may they accept the Promised Messiah and Mahdias.

Also, pray to be safeguarded from the ill effects of war. Pray for those Muslim nations where innocent people are being tormented by injustices due to the wars being fought for the sake of gaining power. May Allah have mercy on them and save them from such oppressors.

Also, pray for the general state of the world; may Allah save us from war and its dangerous effects. In the case of a war, Ahmadis would also be impacted – may Allah protect them. One way of safeguarding against this is for every Ahmadi to raise the standard of their righteousness. This is what the Promised Messiahas has stated. May Allah the Almighty enable everyone to do so.

In the UK, it seems that attempts are being made to create difficulties for Muslims. New laws are being proposed to counter extremism; however, commentators generally think that this change in the law targets Muslims. Allah knows best the intentions behind this; however, we should pray that Allah the Almighty protects us and other Muslims living here from the ill effects of this.

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 5 April 2024, pp. 2-7. 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