July -August 2015 al akseer

Volume-IX-Issue V- July-August 2015

Al-Akseer Magazine The official publication of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya New Zealand

Contents:

Postal Address:

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The Holy Quran

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Hadith

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Writings of the Promised Messiah(as)

Ph: +64 9 267 0570

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Summary of Friday Sermon

Fax: +64 9 267 0577

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Importance of Khilafat

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New Zealand Flag - Changing!

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A snapshot of recent activities

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Photo gallery

PO Box 97617, Auckland 2104, New Zealand.

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Editorial Board: Azeem Zafarullah Sadr Khuddamul Ahmadiyya NZ Mubarak Ahmad Minhas Mohtamim Isha’at For feedback contact: mobaric@hotmail.com

Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Pledge

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[9:119] O ye who believe! fear Allah and be with the truthful.

[25:28-30] Remember the day when the wrongdoer will bite his hands; he will say, ‘O, would that I had taken the same way with the Messenger! ‘Ah, woe is me! Would that I had never taken such a one for a friend! ‘He led me astray from the Reminder after it had come to me.’ And Satan is man’s great deserter.

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Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (ra) reported: I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "The similitude of good company and that of bad company is that of the owner of musk and of the one blowing the bellows. The owner of musk would either offer you some free of charge, or you would buy it from him, or you smell its pleasant fragrance; and as for the one who blows the bellows (i.e., the blacksmith), he either burns your clothes or you smell a repugnant smell". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (ra) reported: I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "Man follows his friend's religion, you should be careful who you take for friends". [At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].

The members of my Jama‘at, wherever they might be, should listen with attention. The purpose of their joining this Movement and establishing the mutual relationship of spiritual preceptor and disciple with me is that they should achieve a high degree of good conduct, good behaviour and righteousness… They should join the five daily Prayer services without fail. They should refrain from every kind of wrong, transgression, dishonesty, bribery, trespass, and partiality. They should not participate in any evil company. If it should be proved that one who frequents their company does not obey God’s commandments… or is not mindful of the rights of people, or is cruel or mischievous, or is ill-behaved, or is seeking to deceive the servants of God Almighty by speaking ill or abusively of them, or is guilty of imposture towards the persons with whom they have entered into a covenant of bai‘at, it should be their duty to repel him and to keep away from such a dangerous one. They should not design harm against the followers of any religion or the members of any tribe or group. Be true well-wishers of everyone, and take care that no mischievous, vicious, disorderly, or ill-behaved person, should be ever of your company, or should dwell among you; for such a person could at any time be the cause of your stumbling.… Do not attack anyone improperly, and keep your passions under complete control. If you take part in a discussion, or in an exchange of views on a religious subject, express yourself gently and be courteous. If anyone misbehaves towards you, withdraw from such company with a greeting of peace… Hasten to exclude everyone from your company who sets an example of evil, mischief, provocation and ill-behaviour.

(Ishtihar (The Announcement), May 29, 1898. Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 3, pp. 46–48)

In 10th July 2015 Hazrat Khalīfatul-Masīh V (May Allāh be his Helper) delivered the Friday Sermon in Bait ul Futuh. 

With the grace of Allah today we are going through the twenty second day of fasting and are in the third ashra (ten days) of Ramadan. According to a saying of the Holy Prophet(saw) we have passed Ramadan's ten days of God's mercy and then ten days of God's forgiveness and are now going through ten days of salvation from the fire of Hell. It is God's favour on us that He has granted us the opportunity to experience this.

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Indeed, God is Gracious but when man violates His law and is guilty of chastisement God's attribute of justice comes into play. Generally God's mercy encompasses everything but in places violation of Divine law requires punishment, yet God can have mercy and forgive. Such a situation is not becoming for a Muslim. A true believer has special status and his belief demands to keep his spiritual state in check and abide by God's commandments to the best of his abilities. However, if owing to human frailties he happens to commit sin, God's mercy covers him.

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Drawing attention to Divine mercy during Ramadan signifies that God's favours and grace specifically come into play during this month and during the ten days of mercy His special beneficence which is specific to forgiveness is dispensed. During this time one should seek power to do good and seek light from God's light so that one does not turn to darkness again. Man is inherently weak and thus in order to safeguard against this weak state and to take power from God's power, Istighfar is necessary.

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The Islamic concept of Heaven and Hell is not limited to the Hereafter. There is also heaven and hell in this world. As the hadith of the Holy Prophet(saw) explained if we think that we can see God or that God is seeing us at all times, it will stop us from going astray. Those who do wrong are always in fear of being caught and this in itself puts them in a hellish state. One who fears God attains paradise in this world and the Hereafter and one who is embroiled in evil selfish and base desires is embroiled in hell in this world and the Hereafter.

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We, the followers of the true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet(saw), the Promised Messiah(as) need to bring about a revolutionary change in ourselves and elevate our state of faith to the level where our each word and deed is to attain pleasure of God and where we spend our lives holding ourselves accountable. May the blessings of Ramadan always remain with us!

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Importance of Khilafat (The following question was asked from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV during the MTA program Liqa'a Ma'al Arab) Question: In this age, the world, especially the Muslim world direly needs the Institution of Khilafat. What is its importance?

Answer: The Muslims who should have been united and be in harmony, are divided in countless sects and divisions. It is not only in religious matters but in politics too. When there is schism, they can achieve nothing in the world, which united and harmonious people can do. By discord and disharmony the power of the Muslim world has not only disintegrated, but also they are using this broken strength against one another. When such are the conditions, the aggregate will be below zero.

The groups may be very powerful, but if they will oppose and counteract each other in minor and major issues and remain busy in fighting, their power will be scattered and strength broken.

This is happening in every Muslim country. Unfortunately it is being named as Jihad. What will they gain from all this? What resources will remain for their own nation building, defense of Islam or fighting the enemy?

Therefore, it is incumbent that Muslims should unite on the hand of One Imam. There should be one Imam of the Muslims of the whole world. But without Khilafat, it is just impossible. Khilafat is the successor after the prophet in the form of a person who is representing the deceased prophet and Khalifa is the vicegerent and his subordinate. He is the central authority. This is the basic principle of Khilafat.

Muslims do understand its need as well as importance. This need was felt after the sad demise of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) also. In Islam this is quite clear like broad daylight and is a part of Islamic teaching that without unity and harmony you cannot rightly work on the teachings of Islam.

When you go to the mosque for Namaz five times a day, there must be an Imam. Standing behind an Imam is a demonstration of unity among people. That is why the Holy Quran especially emphasizes the need of congregational prayer. Imam is given so much importance that if the Imam falters, the entire congregation must follow his mistake even if they know that a mistake has been committed. What better instance can be presented for the need of an Imam and unity in his following? If an Imam is mandatory in a small mosque, then how can the whole Muslim Ummah survive without an Imam.

As far as the Ummah is concerned, there is a commandment in the Holy Quran to turn their faces towards Qiblah. For the Muslims throughout the world, there is one and only one Qiblah. You may go anywhere in the world, the Qiblah remains the same. This is a pointer that it is incumbent for the Muslim Ummah that they should be united under one Imam. Had this not been the sole purpose, there would have been no Khilafat at all because the spiritual condition of Muslims in the days of the Holy Prophet was a thousand times better than the Muslims of today. If they needed to follow an Imam, how can we live without an Imam today when the condition of Muslims is crying for it. This is the answer why Khilafat is needed.

The issue is that once Khilafat is terminated, it is not within the power of the people to introduce it again themselves. This is a dilemma, which the Muslim world is facing today. Khilafat starts after the passing

away of the prophet and if unfortunately once it is destroyed, it is impossible that it restarts without a prophet. As far as Muslims are concerned, they are victims of dual issues. According to a large number of Muslims, the chain of Khilafat ended with the Khilafat of Hazrat Ali. After him, there was no Khilafat-eRashida. It was monarchy in the name of Khilafat and majority of Muslims agree that Khilafat-e-Rashida ended after Hazrat Ali. So how can you start this Khilafat once again?

As far as Shia Imams are concerned, there is no problem for them because majority of them believe that Imamate continued till the twelfth Imam. Some believe it up to the sixth Imam. Some think that it is continuing till today. But majority of Muslims are deprived of the blessings of Khilafat. Even if we accept the continuity of Imamate till today, they are unable to unite the whole Ummah on one hand. We are discussing the issue of uniting the whole Ummah on one hand and it cannot be achieved by partial or regional Khilafat. It can be achieved only by universal or global Khilafat, which will unite the whole Ummah.

Muslims believe that no prophet, of whatever category, can come now. This means that the single avenue to open the way of Khilafat has been barred. This is the big issue, which the Muslim Ummah is facing today.

The non-Ahmadi Ulema present the only solution of this problem and say that they also believe in the coming of a prophet. No doubt, he will be an old prophet, but they say that when he will come, he will be a prophet. Thus the lost Islamic Khilafat will once again be revived by Jesus Christ of Nazareth when he will descend with his old form and body. But the problem is that fourteen hundred years have passed, and there is no trace of a second coming of that Jesus. There is no sign visible of his descent. World conditions have totally changed. Muslims have passed and are still passing through their worst phase of decline. But no Jesus has descended from the sky so far.

Now, the majority of Muslims are so frustrated that they say that he has died or is living they are least interested. The scholars of al-Azhar University have repeatedly expressed their well thought and considered opinion that according to the Holy Quran, Jesus Christ has died and his second advent is absolutely impossible. It may be in their fancies, but practically, they have completely closed this door.

No one will ever descend from the skies, and this is the big and difficult problem, which the Muslim world is facing today. With this they have not only destroyed the most important institution like Khilafat but they have also blocked the entrance of the beginning of Khilafat. (http://www.alislam.org/library/khilafat_importance.html)

Have you listened to Huzur’s Friday Sermon?

“When the voice of the Khalifatul Massih reaches the Ahmadis around the world through MTA then we must follow his advice, otherwise we will fall short of our pledge of bai’at.”

(Friday sermon 22 June 2012)

New Zealand Flag - Changing!

The current flag was legally adopted in 1902. At times New Zealanders have talked about change. Designs have been put forward but there has never been an official public discussion about the future of our flag.

By law, our flag can be changed by a simple majority of Parliament, however Government has decided that a flag that unites New Zealanders should be selected by all New Zealanders. A legitimate process that gives everyone the chance to have their say is important, so after careful consideration the decision was made to have two referendums. The two referendums ensure that New Zealanders know what the alternative flag looks like before they decide on their preferred flag.

The estimated cost is $25.7m over two years, or around $5.60 for each New Zealander. Most of the cost is in holding two postal referendums ($17.3m) and public consultation ($6.7m).

There are arguments for and against changing the flag. Taking the time to consider what you think is important in our flag and seeing flag designs that are a possible alternative means you’ll be ready to make a decision when it’s time to vote.

If New Zealand decides on a new flag Whatever New Zealand decides in the second referendum, our current flag will remain an important symbol of our history.

If New Zealand votes for a new flag, within 6 months of the change it will be flown on days of national commemoration and on government buildings as detailed in the Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act 1981. Outside of these rules, New Zealanders will continue to fly the flag of their choice (including the current or previous flags).

In 2009, the Government recognised the Tino Rangatiratanga flag as the preferred national Māori flag, and noted that it will complement New Zealand's national flag. A change to the New Zealand flag will not affect the status of the national Māori flag.

Other symbols of our nationhood like the New Zealand Coat of Arms will continue to be valid and used as they are, even if they include the current New Zealand flag in their design.

This is the first time in history that all New Zealanders will have a say in the design of the NZ flag.

Between 5 May and 16 July 2015, the Flag Consideration Panel asked NZers to share their views and values as well as suggest alternative flag designs.

The nationwide engagement programme included:  a national road show with 25 workshops and hui across the country  visits to busy shopping malls, libraries and markets  over 700,000 visits to our websites, and  More than 1,000,000 people reached via social media.

Find out more about how New Zealanders participated All New Zealanders enrolled to vote will be asked to take part in two referendums.

Referendum One 20 November – 11 December 2015

You’ll be asked to rank the four flag alternatives selected by the Panel. Rather than picking one favourite, you’ll be ranking the flag options from your most preferred to your least preferred.

Referendum Two 3 March – 24 March 2016 You’ll be asked to choose between the current New Zealand Flag and the preferred alternative design selected in the first referendum. The results of both referendums are binding. This means the flag with the most votes in the second referendum will be the official flag of New Zealand. There will be full instructions in your voting pack for both referendums, so you’ll get all the information you need to help you complete your voting papers.

To take part you must be correctly enrolled before voting starts. You're eligible to enrol and vote in the referendums if you:  will be 18 years or older when voting begins, and  are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and  have lived in New Zealand for more than one year continuously at some time in your life.

These will be postal referendums, so your voting papers will be sent in the mail. Enrol, check or update your details now to make sure that you're correctly enrolled and your papers will go to the right address. You can do this online or by calling 0800 36 76 56. (https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/the-nz-flag-your-chance-to-decide/)

A snapshot of recent activities Delivering the message of peace to the corners of New Zealand On Saturday 13th June 2015, a group of eleven Khuddam and Ansar members took part in a peace message distribution in Tauranga. The message of peace, true Islam and Ahmadiyyat was delivered to approximately 1800 houses. May Allah enable us to deliver the message of peace to all corners of New Zealand, Insha Allah.

Education and mutual respect for various faiths A group of Khuddam were invited to join an event organised by UPF (Universal Peace Federation) on June 28th 2015 where we visited various places of worship to learn more about other faiths. As part of this visit, we hosted over 40 guests at Masjid Baitul Muqeet to educate our guests about Islam.

Ramadan Table Tennis Singles Competition Yet another year has passed since the first Table Tennis competition was held last Ramadan. This year, the Singles competition kicked off on the 20th of June 2015 attracting over 25 Khuddam and Ansar and the calibre of competition was entertaining to watch. The semi-finals and finals were held on Tuesday the 7th of July 2015 where Moulana Mustenser Qamar sahib emerged as the winner of the competition.

Intellectual discussion on the existence of God ‘Can you really prove the existence of God?’ – A presentation followed by an interactive workshop by Moulana Mustenser Qamar sahib was held on July 12th 2015. Intellectual arguments were put forward to the audience of Khuddam on how to logically deduce the existence of God. This was followed by Quloo Jamia Iftar and dinner before Taraveeh prayers.

A fun day out A game of paintball was organised on 26th July 2015 where Khuddam were divided into two groups and went head to head on the battlefield. It was a fun day out with our fellow brothers. The purpose of holding such events is so that we can bond and strengthen our ties of friendship and brotherhood.

Photo gallery Ramadan Table Tennis Singles Competition

Interactive workshop and Quloo Jamia Iftar

Visit to various places of worship

Memorization of new Surahs - Ramadan 2015

Paintball