Tariq Magazine (Volume 17, Issue 5, June 2012)

Vol. 17 I Issue 5

OCTOBER 2012

TARIQ Voice of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NATIONAL IJTEMA 2012 LAWA-E-AHMADIYYAT ENGLISH POETRY BEE KEEPING

“We will only derive the beneficence of being a part of the Ummah when we will try to walk in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). He made it very clear that God’s nearness and love cannot be attained by following steps which he did not practice” Hazurs’s Friday Sermon August 17th 2012

Atta-ul Naseer is a recent graduate from the UK Jamia, now out in the f ield, teaching children in Ghana by torchlight

Tariq Magazine Volume 17 • Issue 5 • October 2012

The official publication of: Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya (UK) Baitul Futuh, 181 London Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 5HF Tel: 020 8687 7843 Fax: 020 8687 7889 Email: info@khuddam.org.uk Registered Charity Number: 1135657 Editorial Fahim Anwer Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK Yousaf Aftab Editor Muzaffar Bhatti Mohtamim Ishaat Editorial Team Mohammad Noman Tayyab Hayyat Mohsin Tahir Design & Typesetting Muhammad Ali Ahmad Muhammad Akram Anjum Daud Hafiz Proofing Hannan Bhatti Safeer Ahmed Ibraheem Khan Packing & Distribution North East Region Yorkshire Regoin

Contents 1 Words of Wisdom The Holy Qur’an Hadith Writings of the Promised Messiah [as]

2 3 4

2 Editorial Editorial

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3 Islam Ahmadiyyat Summary of Friday Sermon The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophets [saw] Jihad in Islam

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4 News & Events National Ijtema 2012 Address Press Release - British Muslims Take Charity To New Heights MKA Sheffield - Charity Collection for Barnardo's Humanity First Report MKA Scotland raise £10,000 for Yorkhill Children's Foundation Activities carried out by MKA UK in 2011 - 2012 New Book Launched at London Book Fair: “A Gift for the QUEEN” Have you seen the Yellow Fish? - MKA Cardiff Report of Majlis Khuddumul Ahmadiyya UK National Ijtema 2012 English Poetry Session at National Ijtema Annual MKA Research Association Conference 2012

18 20 20 21 23 24 26 26 27 28 35

5 Did You Know Types of Items to Stock During Difficult Times Two young researchers first insight into beekeeping Are routine check-ups for men really necessary?

Archaeology and the Qur’an — A brief Introduction Camping Servicing Your Car

37 38 40 41 42 45

6 Articles Lawa-e-Ahmadiyyat

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7 Books of the Promised Messiah [as] Dafi‘ul- Bala’ Wa Mi‘yaro Ahlil-Istifa’

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All correspondence should be forwarded directly to: yousaf.aftab@khuddam.org.uk The Editor, Tariq Magazine Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK, Baitul Futuh, 181 London Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 5PT Tariq Magazine is published by Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya (UK), the youth organisation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK in Islam. Some of the views expressed by contributors may not be the representative views of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya (UK), or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK.

Tariq Magazine October 2012

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1 Words of Wisdom The Holy Qur’an “The months of the Hajj are well known; so whoever determines to perform the Pilgrimage in these months, should remember that there is to be no foul talk, nor any transgression, nor any quarrelling during the Pilgrimage. And whatever good you do, Allah knows it.

And furnish yourselves with necessary provisions, and surely, the best provision is righteousness. And fear Me alone, O men of understanding.”

(The Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah Ch2: V.198) “And those who hearken to their Lord, and observe Prayer, and whose affairs are decided by mutual consultation, and who spend out of what We have provided for them” (The Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Shura Ch42: V.39)

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Words of Wisdom

Hadith Hadhrat Abu Hurairah [ra] relates that the Holy Prophet [saw] was asked: “Which action is best? He answered: Faith in Allah and His Messenger. He was asked: And thereafter? He answered: Faith in Allah and His Messenger. He was asked: And thereafter? He answered: Striving in the cause of Allah. He was asked: and after that?

He answered: Pure Pilgrimage."

(Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim) Hadhrat Abu Hurairah [ra] relates that he heard the Holy Prophet [saw] say: “When someone performs the Pilgrimage for the sake of Allah and does not indulge in foul talk or commit any transgression, he becomes as pure and innocent as the day his mother gave birth to him.”

(Mishkat) Hadhrat Abu Hurairah [ra] says that: “The Holy Prophet [saw] was most solicitous in consulting others in all matters of importance” (Tirmidhi ) Hadhrat Abu Hurairah [ra] relates that the Holy Prophet [saw] said: “When someone consults you for suggestion, always give a good suggestion. It will be an act of dishonesty if you don’t give a good suggestion. ” (Masnad Imam ul Azam, kitabul adab) Hadhrat Ayesha [ra_ha] relates that the Holy Prophet [saw] said: “When Allah desires good for a ruler, He furnishes him with a sincere counsellor who reminds him when he forgets and assists him if he remembers. And when He desires for him something other than good, He furnishes him with an evil counsellor who does not remind him if he forgets and does not assist him if he remembers.”

(Sunan Abu Daud)

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Words of Wisdom

Writings of the Promised Messiah [as]

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad [as] The Promised Messiah

Another form of worship is Hajj—the Pilgrimage; which does not mean that a person should carry but the formality of the Pilgrimage by providing for his journey across the ocean with money lawfully or unlawfully acquired, and having repeated the prayers and formulas according to the directions of the servitors of the Ka‘bah, should come back and boast that he has performed the Pilgrimage. The purpose that God Almighty has appointed for the Pilgrimage is not achieved in this manner. The truth is that the last stage of the seeker’s journey is that withdrawing himself altogether from the demands and desires of self he should be completely engulfed by the love of God and complete devotion to Him. A true lover sacrifices his soul and heart; and the circuit of the House of Allah is a visible sign of such a sacrifice. As there is a House of Allah here below on the earth, so there is one in heaven. Until a person performs the circuit of the House above, his circuit of the House below is not truly performed. One who performs the circuit of the House below puts aside all garments, retaining only one of them to cover his body, but he who performs the circuit of the House above discards all garments altogether and becomes naked for the sake of God. The circuit is a sign of the lovers of God. They go round the Ka'ba as if they have no will of their own left and they are devoted wholly to Him. (Speeches to Jalsah Salana, 1906, pp. 20-21, Essence of Islam Vol 2 Page 317)

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2 Editorial Dear Brothers, [salam] As we approach the Islamic pillar of Hajj many Muslims will be undertaking this journey of a lifetime to fulfil one of the 5 tenants of Islam based on the circumstances outlined by Holy Prophet [saw] and the Holy Qur'an.

The months of the Hajj are well known; so whoever determines to perform the Pilgrimage in these months, should remember that there is to be no foul talk, nor any transgression, nor any quarrelling during the Pilgrimage. And whatever good you do, Allah knows it. And furnish yourselves with necessary provisions, and surely, the best provision is righteousness. And fear Me alone, O men of understanding. (Ch2:V.198) Therefore in order to become recipients of divine favours, blessings and grace Allah has taught us to become his true servant and follow the example of our beloved Master the Holy Prophet [saw].

Allah states in the Holy Qur'an: ‘Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much.’ (Ch33:V.22) ‘Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you and forgive you your faults. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’ (Ch3:V.32)

llah states in the Holy A Qur'an: ‘ Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you and forgive you your faults.

And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’

(The Holy Quran, Aal-e-Imran Ch3:V.32)

During this time one is reminded of the sacrifice of the father of the prophets Hadhrat Abraham [as] and his son Hadhrat Ishmael [as]. All can recollect the service rendered by these two great prophets and the prayers offered during this difficult time as the Holy Qur'an states: And remember the time when We assigned to Abraham the site of the House and said, ‘Associate not anything with Me, and keep My House clean for those who perform the circuits, and those who stand up and those who bow down and fall prostrate in Prayers; (Ch.22:V.27) Therefore as Allah states in the Qur'an: ‘And as for those who strive in Our path — We will surely guide them in Our ways…’ (Ch.29:V.70).

Hence the Holy Prophet [saw] has shown as the perfect way to strive in Allah’s path by observing Salat and sacrificing as shown by Hadhrat Abraham [as] and Hadhrat Ishmael [as] by being grateful to Allah for the countless blessings he has bestowed upon us.

May Allah make us true recipients of his favours and strive to do better in life by following our Holy Prophet [saw] model example. [wasalam] Yousaf Aftab Editor, Tariq Magazine Tariq Magazine October 2012

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3 Islam Ahmadiyyat Summary of Friday Sermon

Summary of Friday Sermon delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad [atba], the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on 10th August 2012.

Note: Alislam team takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in this synopsis of the Friday Sermon

H

adhrat Khalifatul Masih [atba] recited the following Qur'anic verse at the start of his Friday sermon:

'And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way.’(Ch.2:V.187) The first twenty days of Ramadan have already passed, very quickly and imperceptibly. Now, the last ten days begin. Many letters are received by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih [atba] speaking of seeking beneficence of Ramadan, people mention this to him in person as well. Indeed, a believer should be concerned to derive maximum beneficence from Ramadan.

If an Ahmadi is not thus concerned the objective to accept the Promised Messiah [as] is negated. He came to this world to bring a spiritual revolution that was to take man closer to God. His advent came to pass to bring about the following: to steer thoughts and concer6ns towards forging a connection with God, to strengthen faith and take it to higher level, to discharge the rights to mankind alongside developing our spirituality, to draw our attention to bring about pious changes in ourselves and to always self-reflect for this purpose. He came to generate a spiritual revolution that would draw attention to the ways and means to attain the above.

It is God’s grace and favour that time and again He provides us with occasions to attain these pieties and Ramadan is a very great and most blessed opportunity among such opportunities. Certainly, fortunate are those in whom desire to bring about spiritual revolution is

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created during Ramadan and they also make effort for it. However, efforts will only be beneficial when only those ways and means are adopted which God has taught. Self-made ways and means do not avail. It has been mentioned previously that nearness to God cannot be attained by relying on ‘apparent’ Salaat alone although such apparent actions are important and one cannot attain nearness to God without them, for example eating of Sehr and Iftar and other actions are obligatory. However, it is wrong to say that one finds God by arranging a gathering of ‘Dikhr’ (remembrance of God) or that one pays the dues of devotion to God this way. Not at all; in order to attain this one has to practice the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet [saw] which he advised his Ummah to do. In addition to the outward actions, one needs to bring about inward pious changes and to take them to a high level.

This too is an important commandment and one needs to generate an ardour to attain this.

The Qur'anic verse Ch.2:V.187 speaks of the method to attain God’s love and speaks of that status when man becomes a true believer. While God’s love for His servants exudes in this verse, it also gives us further insight into the Hadith that relates that God states: ‘If man comes one span nearer to Me, I go one yard nearer to him, if he comes one hand close to Me, I go two hands closer to him and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’ Such is God’s love for those who try to truly pay the dues of devotion to Him. While the word Ebaadi (My servants) in the verse indicates God’s love for His servantslove for Hus servants, it also shows that He does not say ‘I am near’ to the call of every person. One who does not want to go even a span towards God does not

come in the category of ‘Ebaadi’. In this verse God has not used the word Bashr (man), rather Ebaadi is used signifying the addressee to be one who is inclined towards becoming an Ebd (servant).

How does one pay the dues of being an Ebd? This takes us towards the commandment in which God has drawn our attention to the purpose of our creation and has stated that His servants are those who, having recognised the purpose of their creation, make efforts towards it day and night. As regards our purpose of creation, God states: ‘And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.’ (Ch.51:V.57) Thus God has stated that being an Ebd means having to continually raise the standard of one’s worship. One should not be only mindful of this purpose of creation during Ramadan. Rather, one who wishes to be a true Ebd has to keep it in view all the time. God states that when the blessing of fasting brings about further spiritual progress, tell those who ask about Me that I come closer during Ramadan and tell those who were already drawn to Me that I come even

Islam Ahmadiyyat

closer during Ramadan. God comes down to the lower heaven for those who worship Him during Tahajjud outside of Ramadan. However, in Ramadan His affection grows further still and fortunate are those who take full advantage of it and then promise that they will continue with the efforts for Tahajjud and Nawafil (optional Prayers) through which they have experienced nearness to God that they will continue with their regularity in Salaat and reading the Holy Qur’an.

God Who knows the state of our hearts says to the Holy Prophet [saw] to tell His servants that if they seek from Him with the promise that they will make efforts to continue their dues of devotion for Him, He will remain close to them in Ramadan and also after Ramadan.

The Promised Messiah [as] said: ‘Allah the exalted has created man so that he may acquire His knowledge and nearness; ‘And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.’ One who does not keep this objective in view and is lost day and night in thoughts to attain the world; that how can he purchase such and such land, build such and such house, possess such and such property. What other treatment can be given to such a person other than this that God calls him back after giving him a short respite?’

He also said: ‘Man should have an aching in his heart to attain nearness of God. For this reason, he will be worthy in God’s view. If he does not have this aching in his heart and only aches for the world and all that is in it, then ultimately, he will be finished after given a brief respite.’

This does not mean that one is not to do worldly tasks. The Promised Messiah [as] has also explained elsewhere that one who has land or a business and does not work hard for it, does not pay the dues. Both worldly and spiritual matters should be executed in conjunction. The Promised Messiah [as] has explained to us that we should have an aching to be close to God and it is also important to gain knowledge of God. God states that when effort to attain nearness to God is made with an aching, the desire will manifest into action. This will come to pass when faith will further develop, when one will try and hearken to God at everything with sincerity of intention.

Man is weak and human frailty means that there are ups and downs. However, one should become conscious of mistakes immediately and turn to Taubah (repentance) and Istaghfar (seeking forgiveness from God) and to try and rid of the weakness. It should not be that one practices all virtues during Ramadan but remains involved only in worldly

matters for the rest of the year with the thought to resume the effort to be an Ebd of God the following Ramadan.

With the commandment to fast, God has mentioned the commandment to hearken to Him and this hearkening should continue between one Ramadan and the next. Then alone will it bring spiritual dividends. If we do not think on these lines and we do not make an effort to attain this objective, then we cannot be included in the category of those who are called Ebd. The process of becoming an Ebd is not a process of a few days or a month; it is a continuous process and because a believer is specifically drawn to such matter during Ramadan, that is why attention is drawn to this matter in conjunction with fasting. God has declared how one can spiritually progress and become an Ebd by stating in the Qur’an: ‘Say, ‘We will adopt the religion of Allah; and who is better than Allah in teaching religion, and Him alone do we worship.’ (Ch.2:V.139) Adopting the (religion) colour of God signifies to instil God’s attributes in oneself and this is essential to become a true Ebd. In worldly terms, let alone loving and blood relationships even in a master servant relationship, the servant adopts the master’s preferences. In an anecdote about a king and his courtier the king receives some aubergines (egg Tariq Magazine October 2012

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Islam Ahmadiyyat

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… 'And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: 'I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way.' (Ch.2:V.187) plants) as a gift. The aubergines are highly appreciated and the king starts eating them every day. The courtier starts praising the aubergines in extremely exaggerated terms. Eventually the king falls ill due to eating the vegetable every day. As a result the king criticises the aubergines, and the courtier joins in the criticism. The king asks the courtier how he could criticise the aubergines after praising them so much. The courtier replies, ‘my lord, I am your servant and not servant to the aubergines.’ However, when one adopts/imbues/instils the colour of God one adorns one’s life in this world as well as one’s ending.

By adopting Divine attributes a person gains nearness to God. When a believer imbues God’s colour he or she attain his or her purpose of creation. He or she tries to practice that which God likes and tries and resists what God dislikes. The commandment ‘to adopt the religion/colour of God’ signifies that God has put the capacity in humans to adopt His attributes within their own sphere and to also demonstrate them.

For example, man can adopt the Divine qualities of Malikiyyat (quality of being the Master), Rahmaniyyat (quality of being Gracious), Raheemiyyat (quality of being Merciful) and Rububiyyat (quality of being the Sustainer/ Nurturer) on human level. Man can adopt the quality of being Sattar (One Who covers the faults of others) and of Wahab (the Bestower), in fact these qualities are sometimes demonstrated in the life of an ordinary person. A true believer imbues the colours/qualities of God to attract His love. It is essential to demonstrate these qualities to attract the love of God, to save humanity from

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sin and to attain the purpose of one’s creation. Ultimately, this demonstration becomes a source of merit in God’s sight. The verse commanding to adopt the religion/colour of God goes on to say that believers should announce that ‘…Him alone do we worship…’ because the object is to attain His pleasure and to spend life in accordance to His commandments. This commandment is not for one month; rather every moment of a believer’s life should be spent following it. We should reflect on this matter during this Ramadan as we try to bring pious changes in ourselves, we should reflect on the Divine attributes during this Ramadan and also try and put these attributes in practice during this Ramadan, we should pay the dues of worship of God during this Ramadan and we should pledge and try to link all of this to the next Ramadan. When all this will happen, we will be the recipient of the glad-tiding of ‘I am near’ as well as observe manifestation of ‘I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me.’ The focal point of our prayers should not be just our worldly needs. Rather, having adopted Divine attributes we should be inclined to those virtues to which we have been commanded. By stating ‘they should hearken to Me’ God draws our attention to His commandments and to the fact that a believer should understand his or her responsibilities.

Next Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih [atba] expounded the moral responsibilities as well as responsibilities towards people of those who hearken to God. God states: ‘…you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in

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Allah…’ (Ch.3:V.111) Only those will practice this in the true sense who practice virtues and avoid what is bad. It is true that keeping an eye on self-reflection draws one to adopt Divine attributes.

This is a huge responsibility ascribed to believers. Hearts are more inclined to fear and awe of God during Ramadan and reflection on one’s deeds. If one reflects and ponders over the standard God has fixed for one who wishes and prays to be true believer, one will be drawn to bring about pious changes in oneself. One should always keep the following Divine pronouncement in view: ‘Most hateful is it in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.’

(Ch.61:V.4). There is a great need for us to self-reflect during these days. In particular, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih [atba] addressed office-holders of all levels, of central administration as well as of the auxiliaries and Waaqfeen e Zindagi that they need to self-reflect.

This is also applicable to Ahmadis in general that if they counsel something, its influence should also be evident in their own lives. If this commandment to enjoin what is good and forbid evil is for Muslims in general how much more do those who are appointed to the task need to be mindful of its obligation? If the standards of worship of the officeholders only improve during Ramadan, it is tantamount to contradiction in word and deed and it is most disliked by God. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih [atba] often draws the attention of officeholders in meetings that if the officeholders on every level, of every auxiliary enhance their standards of worship, the current attendance at mosques can increase two to three times. Similarly

Islam Ahmadiyyat

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… By adopting Divine attributes a person gains nearness to God. When a believer imbues God's colour he or she attain his or her purpose of creation.

there are other commandments that require attention. There is the commandment to be equitable even if one has to give testimony against oneself or against one’s parents or close relations.

If we analyse, generally speaking, we do not see this standard. On one hand we seek signs of acceptance of prayer, wish to be included in God’s servants but when it is time to give testimony, we find ways to save our own from being found guilty.

Rather, at times effort is made to save oneself and one’s relatives and somehow apportion guilt on another person. At times people write in that such and such office-holders were mentioned or shortcomings at Jalsa etc. are pointed out. Rather than the office-holders or the relevant department reform itself, investigations are launched into who made the complaint. This should not be their concern, it is not their business. If the said shortcoming exists, they should try and remove it and even if it does not exist they should engage in Istaghfar so that God may save from punishment of sin that is not committed and correct report should be submitted. It is up to Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih [atba] how he responds to the person who makes the complaint or whether he responds or not. Anonymous complaints are not worthy of attention any way. It is incumbent on the office-holders to accomplish their pledges and their trusts and to properly fulfil when they have been entrusted with.

(The essence of ) true testimony demands that attention is drawn to correction/ reformation rather than find out the name of the person who complained. If Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih [atba]

wishes to give the name of whoever complained, he would and he often does.

However, it has also been observed that efforts are made to harass that person.This is far-removed from Taqwa and is not the correct way to observe trusts and pledges and is not the right implementation of God’s commandments. If a connection with God is desired, we need to try and practice the commandments in every matter and on every level. This advice is not limited to the office-holders only. In order to become an Ebd of God, every Ahmadi should try and practice every commandment of God. Try and perfect your faith, inculcate humility and crush your inner idols of vanity and arrogance, establish high standards of truth, instil the habit to pardon and forgive, avoid back-biting, try and pay the dues of trusts and abide by justice. Not only ‘abide by justice’ but better than that, ‘treat with grace’ and then ‘give like the giving of kin to kin.’

Be kind and courteous to your acquaintances and neighbours. This is an important teaching of the Qur’an. If we were to understand the definition of neighbour as explained by the Promised Messiah [as] and extend its scope as far as he has defined, our mutual grievances would be removed, its scope would extend to more than one house. Rather, it will extend to a hundred houses, to the next city and beyond to other country.

We will be drawn to each other’s right and will begin to shun finding faults in others. We will be saved from backbiting which God has likened to eating the flesh of one’s dead brother. How abominable back-biting is, but many among us indulge in it without thinking.

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When attention is drawn to them about it they reply that they only mention the drawbacks that are present in a person.

At times families sit and talk about office-holders in negative light. This is also back-biting. The response from such people is that so and so has the shortcomings and that they are not lying.

The Holy Prophet [saw] said that if your brother has some shortcomings and you mention them in his absence, it is indeed back-biting. If he does not have the shortcomings that you mention then that is slander. Therefore, it is our duty to avoid these ills and to adopt virtues, and then alone will we be included in those who enjoin good and forbid evil. It should always be remembered that hearkening to God’s commandments is only true when we also practice all that He commands us to do. We should first reform ourselves and then the world, which is our task. Then alone will we be validation of ‘believe in Me’, otherwise, our faith is not complete. By stating ‘hearken to Me’ followed by ‘believe in Me’, God has declared that practice of every commandment and every kind of high moral alone will complete one’s faith and will make one keen in servitude of God. In these last few days of Ramadan we should promise that having taken our spiritual and moral conditions to a high standard, we will also maintain them, we will try and draw God’s grace and will continue to do so. We will try our utmost to become His Ebd and will make it endure. May God enable us to do so.

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Islam Ahmadiyyat

The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophets [saw]

Sixth part of the English rendering of Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad’s [ra] magnus opus, “Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyin”, an outstanding biography on the life of the Founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad [saw].

Translated from Urdu by Ayyaz Mahmood Khan

By Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad [ra]

— volume ii —

Construction of MasjidunNabawi

Upon arriving in Madinah, the first task was the construction of MasjidunNabawi. The place where the camel of the Holy Prophet [saw] chose to rest, was the property of two children from Madinah named Sahl and Suhail, who lived in the guardianship of Hadhrat As‘ad bin Zurarah [ra]. This was a vacant land, on which a few date palms had been planted in one area. In another area, there were ruins etc. The Holy Prophet [saw] selected this plot to construct the Masjidun-Nabawi, and his own living quarters. This plot of land was purchased for 10 Dinar, or approximately 90 Rupees. The surface was levelled and cleared of trees, after which the construction of Masjidun-Nabawi began.

The Holy Prophet [saw] supplicated to Allah, and laid the foundation stone himself. Just as in the construction of the mosque at Quba’, the Companions [ra_hum] worked as builders and labourers.

The Holy Prophet [saw] would also participate at times. Occasionally, while lifting bricks, the Companions [ra_hum] would recite the following couplet of ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah [ra]: “This burden is not the burden of Khaibar’s commercial goods, which arrive loaded on the backs of animals; Rather, O our Lord!

This is the burden of virtue and purity, which we bear for your pleasure.”

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At times, the Companions [ra_hum] would recite the following couplet of ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah [ra]: “O Our Allah! True reward is merely that of the hereafter. By Your Grace, send down Mercy upon the Ansar and Muhajirin.”

When the Companions [ra_hum] would recite this couplet, at times, the Holy Prophet [saw] would also join in. In this manner, after a long period of hard work, the mosque was completed.1 The structure of the mosque was made from slabs and bricks, which were assembled between wooden pillars. The roof was covered by trunks and branches of date palms. Trunks of date palms were placed inside the mosque to support the roof. Until the building of a pulpit was proposed, the Holy Prophet [saw] would lean upon one of these trunks when delivering his sermon. The floor of the mosque was unpaved, and since the roof would leak after heavy rainfall, the floor of the mosque would become muddy. As such, in light of this difficulty, later on a floor of gravel was paved.

Initially, the direction of the mosque was towards Baitul-Maqdas, but after the alteration of the Qiblah, this orientation was changed. At that time, the height of the mosque was 10 feet, the length was 105 feet, and the width was 90 feet.

Later on, however, this was extended.

One one corner of the mosque, a veranda was built, which was referred to as Suffah. This was for those destitute Muhajirin who were homeless. These people would stay here, and were known as the Ashabus-Suffah. As such, they would remain in the company of the Holy Prophet [saw] day and night, perform worship, and recite the Holy Qur’an. These people possessed no means of permanent subsistence. The Holy Prophet [saw] would take care of them personally and whenever the Holy Prophet [saw] would receive a gift, etc., or there was something available at home, he would especially separate their share. As a matter of fact, at times, the Holy Prophet [saw] would himself starve and send whatever was in his home to the Ashabus-Suffah.

The Ansar would also remain engaged in their hospitality in as much as possible, and would often attach clusters of dates within the mosque.2 However, despite all this, they lived in a state of adversity, and would often reach a state of starvation. This state continued until some found work, due to the expansion of Madinah, and others began receiving support from the National Baitul-Maal (State treasury).

A place of residence was constructed for the Holy Prophet [saw] adjacent to the mosque. His home was a small chamber of merely ten to fifteen feet. A

Islam Ahmadiyyat

single entrance led from this chamber to the mosque, from which the Holy Prophet [saw] would enter the mosque to lead the Salaat, etc. When the number of his wives increased, the Holy Prophet's [saw] additional living quarters were also built alongside the first. The homes of various other Companions [ra_hum] were also built in close proximity of the mosque.

This was the Masjidun-Nabawi, which was constructed in Madinah. In that era, since there was no other public building where tasks of national importance could be performed, the mosque also served as the headquarters of administration. The assembly of the Holy Prophet [saw] would take place here. It was here that all types of consultation took place.

Legal verdicts were passed from here.

It was from here that injunctions would be issued forth. This was the official guesthouse and, if required, it would be used as a confinement for prisoners as well.

Alluding to this mosque, Sir William Muir writes: “But though rude in material, and insignificant in dimensions, the Mosque of Mohammad [saw] is glorious in the history of Islam. Here the Prophet and his Companions [ra_hum] spent most of their time: here the daily service, with its oft-recurring prayers was first publicly established: and here the great congregation assembled every Friday, listening with reference and awe to messages from heaven.

Here the Prophet planned his victories; here he received embassies from vanquished and contrite tribes; and from hence issued edicts which struck terror among the rebellious to the very outskirts of the Peninsula. Hard by, in the apartment of ‘A ’isha, he yielded up the

ghost; and there, side by side with his first two Successors, he lies entombed.”3 This mosque and its adjoining chambers were constructed in a period of seven months, more or less. The Holy Prophet [saw] took up residence in his new home along with his wife Hadhrat Saudah [ra]. Various other Muhajirin also acquired land from the Ansar, and built homes in close proximity to the mosque. Those who could not obtain land near the mosque constructed their homes at a distance from the mosque.

Others were fortunate enough to procure pre-constructed houses from the Ansar.

Commencement of Adhan (Call to Prayer)

Until now there was no arrangement for a call to Salaat (formal Prayer), in other words, Adhan etc. The Companions [ra_hum] would generally congregate in the mosque at the approximate time themselves. These state of affairs, however, were not satisfactory. Upon the construction of Masjidun-Nabawi, the question as to how Muslims should be congregated at the appropriate time was felt even more. One Companion proposed the use of a bell, like the Christians. Someone proposed the use of a trumpet, like the Jews; and others made other suggestions. However, Hadhrat ‘Umar [ra] proposed that an individual be appointed to announce that it is time for Salaat at the appointed time. The Holy Prophet [saw] approved this proposal, and appointed Hadhrat Bilal [ra] to perform this duty.4 As such, after this, when the time for Salaat would arrive, Hadhrat Bilal [ra] would announce in a loud voice (“the Salaat is about to be held

in congregation”)5 and people would congregate for the Salaat. As a matter of fact, the very same call would be made if it was necessary to congregate the Muslims in the mosque for a purpose other than the Salaat as well. Sometime afterwards, the words of the current Adhan (call to Prayer) were taught to a Companion named ‘Abdullah bin Zaid Ansari [ra], in a dream. He presented himself before the Holy Prophet [saw] and mentioned this dream saying, “I saw an individual in my dream call out such and such words as if calling the Adhan.” The Holy Prophet [saw] said, “This dream is from Allah,” and instructed ‘Abdullah [ra] to teach these words to Bilal [ra] . A strange coincidence was that when Bilal [ra] called out the Adhan in these words for the very first time, upon hearing them, Hadhrat ‘Umar [ra] made haste to the Holy Prophet [saw]: he said, “O Messenger of Allah! Today, the words in which Bilal [ra] called out the Adhan were exactly those which I also saw in my dream.”6 In one narration it has also been related that when the Holy Prophet [saw] heard these words of the Adhan, he said, “Revelation has already been sent down as such.”

Therefore, in this manner, the current method of Adhan commenced. The method which commenced in this manner is so blessed and attractive that no other method can compare to it. In other words, the Unity of God, and the Prophethood of Muhammad [saw]—the Messenger of Allah—is proclaimed five times daily from every mosque, in every village, of every city in the Islamic world. A summary of Islamic Tariq Magazine October 2012

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Islam Ahmadiyyat

“

… The Holy Prophet [saw] would state that, "Salaat is the Mi'raj of a believer." Moreover, he would state that Salaat is such a form of worship, in which a servant converses with God and reaches the assembly of Allah, as it were. teachings is conveyed to the people in extremely beautiful and comprehensive words.

Increase in the Rak‘aat of Salaat

It has already been mentioned that the Salaat, which is considered to be the most significant worship in Islam, had already been ordained in Makkah. However, aside from the Maghrib (evening) prayer which consisted of three Rak‘aat (units), all of the other compulsory prayers consisted of two Rak‘aat. Sometime after the migration however, in accordance with Divine command, while the same two Rak‘aat remained for Salaat offered on journey, the number of Rak‘aat for Salaat offered in a state of fixed residence was increased to four Rak‘aat each, except for Fajr (early morning) and Maghrib prayer. In this manner, a distinction was drawn between Salaat offered on a journey, and in a state of fixed residence. A distinct feature of the teaching brought by the Holy Prophet [saw] is that a middle course has been taken in all of its injunctions. All of those practical difficulties have been taken into account, which continue to pose themselves in the life of an individual.

As such, there are many injunctions even in matters of Salaat, which change based on differing circumstances. For example, the distinction between Salaat offered on a journey and in a state of fixed residence has just been mentioned.

In addition to this, it is necessary to maintain the apparent form of Salaat in normal circumstances. However, an individual who cannot offer the Salaat in its prescribed form due to an illness, etc., is permitted to forgo its apparent form and offer his Salaat whilst sitting, or if

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this is difficult as well, even whilst lying down. Similarly, it is compulsory to face the Ka‘bah during Salaat. Despite this however, when a person is on journey and he is unable to ascertain the direction upon his means of conveyance, or if it is difficult to maintain direction, Islam permits such an individual to offer his Salaat in the direction of his conveyance.

Similarly, it is necessary to perform ablution in the prescribed manner for the Salaat. However, an individual who cannot obtain water, or is at a risk of contracting an illness if he performs ablution, is permitted to leave it, etc.

Similarly, whenever a reasonable and practical difficulty presents itself, Islam appropriately alters the form of its injunctions and presents another alternative. This demonstrates that firstly, the message of Islam possesses universal dimensions, which fully takes varying circumstances into account. Secondly, the true essence of the Islamic Shari‘at— the spirit of worship and its physical form—has only been prescribed to sustain and protect the spirit. It is for this reason that whenever it becomes difficult to maintain the physical form due to a change in circumstances, the physical form is abandoned, and the spirit is maintained.

At this occasion, it would not be out of place to mention that of all the Islamic forms of worship, the Holy Prophet [saw] has laid most emphasis on Salaat. The Holy Prophet [saw] would state that, “Salaat is the Mi‘raj of a believer.” Moreover, he would state that Salaat is such a form of worship, in which a servant converses with God and

”

reaches the assembly of Allah, as it were.

The Holy Prophet [saw] possessed such a deep love for Salaat, that in addition to the Five Daily Prayers, which were of course compulsory, the Holy Prophet [saw] would offer voluntary Salaat in great abundance as well. The Holy Prophet [saw] was so fond of the Tahajjud Prayer, i.e. the late night prayer, that the Holy Prophet [saw] would wake up to regularly to offer this prayer without fail. It has been narrated that the Holy Prophet [saw] would stand in the Tahajjud Prayer for so long that at times his feet would become swollen. The Holy Prophet [saw] would often say, “Salaat is the delight of my eyes.” He would exhort his Companions [ra_hum] to offer prayer saying, “If people knew the reward for offering Salaat in congregation, even if they were compelled to crawl to the mosque upon their knees, they would do so.” In his terminal illness, when the Holy Prophet [saw] would repeatedly become unconscious and was in a state of extreme anxiety, one morning he lifted the covering which veiled his entrance, and saw the Companions [ra_hum] offering their morning Salaat in the mosque. Upon witnessing this sight, the countenance of the Holy Prophet [saw] lit up with such immense pleasure, as if a flower which had withered away was once again immediately restored to full bloom. Then, in some narrations it has been related that the last words which were heard upon the tongue of the Holy Prophet [saw] were, “O People of my community! Do not be unmindful of my teaching with respect to Salaat and slaves.”9

First Muslim From Among the

Islam Ahmadiyyat

“

… The Holy Prophet [saw] would often say, "Salaat is the delight of my eyes." He would exhort his Companions [ra_hum] to offer prayer saying, "If people knew the reward for offering Salaat in congregation, even if they were compelled to crawl to the mosque upon their knees, they would do so."

Jews

Among those who had become Muslim until now, there were perhaps a few Christians who had converted, but there were no Jewish converts yet. Nonetheless, after the migration, this course of events also began, and although very few people from among the Jews accepted the Holy Prophet [saw] in his lifetime, this nation did not remain entirely deprived.

The very first Jew who was honoured by accepting Islam was Husain bin salam [ra]. This individual was a resident of Madinah, and possessed great influence among the Jews on account of his knowledge and wisdom. The Holy Prophet [saw] was still in Madinah when this individual heard of his claim, and began to feel inclined towards Islam.

Until now however, he had not revealed his inner state to anyone. When the Holy Prophet [saw] arrived in Madinah, this individual presented himself before the Holy Prophet [saw] in secret, and since he possessed a virtuous disposition, became Muslim in his very first meeting.

After becoming Muslim, he felt a deep longing that the people of his tribe should not remain deprived of the light which illuminated his own heart. Therefore, he requested the Holy Prophet [saw] to invite the eminent leaders from among the Jews and convey the message of Islam to them. He further requested the Holy Prophet [saw] to inquire of them as to what opinion they held of him, and how they perceived him, so that if they expressed a positive opinion with respect to him, perhaps his acceptance of Islam would become a source of guidance for them. As such, Husain bin salam hid to one side, and the Holy Prophet [saw] invited the leaders from among the Jews,

and conveyed the message of Islam to them. They did not accept. Then, the Holy Prophet [saw] inquired of their opinion with regards to Husain bin salam, upon which they greatly praised his knowledge and wisdom, and said that he was their chief, and the son of a chief, etc. The Holy Prophet [saw] said, “Look here, if he becomes a Muslim, would you be prepared to accept Islam?”

They responded, “We seek refuge with Allah! It can never happen that Husain becomes a Muslim.” The Holy Prophet [saw] summoned Husain, and he came out of hiding. He addressed the Jewish leaders saying, “O my people!

Fear God and do not invite the punishment of Allah upon yourselves.

You are well aware that Muhammad [saw] has been mentioned in your Book and he is the same Prophet who was promised to you. So fear God, and do not step towards rejection.” At first these Jewish people were extraordinarily confounded. Then they began to say, “We do not believe Husain. He is a fabricator and a great liar.” Thereafter, they left the assembly of the Holy Prophet [saw], cursing Husain bin salam.

After Husain became a Muslim, the Holy Prophet [saw] changed his name to ‘Abdullah, and this is the name that he is known by in accounts of history and Ahadith. In actuality, it was the custom of the Holy Prophet [saw] that when an individual would become Muslim, he would generally leave that person’s name unchanged. However, if a person’s name was polytheistic, the Holy Prophet [saw] would change it. The name of Husain bin salam was not polytheistic, but perhaps the Holy Prophet [saw]

”

thought it was appropriate to change his name to a purely Muslim one, since this individual was the first Muslim convert from among the Jews.

First Muslim From Among the People of Persia

It was approximately in this era that Salman [ra] the Persian, became Muslim. Salman was a resident of the country of Persia, and was originally a follower of the Zoroastrian religion. His inherent virtue, however, did not allow him to feel satisfied with the current state of that religion. He left his country in search of a better religion, and eventually reached Syria, where he became a Christian. It was in this era that he was made a slave during a plunder, but this very slavery became the means of his accepting Islam. After an exchange of numerous masters, finally an individual of Madinah purchased him and kept him. As such, when the Holy Prophet [saw] arrived in Madinah, Salman [ra] presented himself before the Holy Prophet [saw], and became a Muslim.

Thereafter, he gradually arranged for the money, and obtained freedom from his master. The very first time he participated in Jihad, was in the Battle of the Ditch.

It was upon his proposal that a ditch was dug. Salman [ra] was an extremely pure and virtuous man, and lived a very ascetic lifestyle. Once a person inquired as to the name of his father, to which he responded with great simplicity, “I am the son of Islam.” On one occasion, the Holy Prophet [saw] said10, “Salman is from among us, that is, the Ahlul-Bait.11” On one occasion, when the Qur’anic verse was revealed that an era would come when a community Tariq Magazine October 2012

13

Islam Ahmadiyyat like the Companions [ra_hum] would be born, who would be the true bearers of their teaching, the Companions [ra_hum] inquired, “O Messenger of Allah! Who are these people?” Upon this, the Holy Prophet [saw] placed his hand on the shoulder of Salman [ra] the Persian and said, “Even if faith ascends to the distant star of the Palaidies, an individual from among the people of Persia would establish it in the world once again.”12

Non-Muslim Leaders of the Aus and Khazraj

It has already been mentioned that until now, there were many people from among the Aus and Khazraj in Madinah, who had not yet become Muslim. Rather, they were firm upon their religion just as before. Two people from among them were considered to be especially distinct and revered. ‘Abdullah bin Ubaiyy bin Sulul, chieftain of the Khazraj tribe, has already been mentioned before, as to how he initially remained disassociated with Islam. However, he later apparently become a Muslim, but remained a secret enemy of Islam, and became the chieftain of the hypocrites of Madinah.

The second individual was Abu ‘Amir, who was chieftain of the Aus tribe. He had been a traveller in the early period of his life, after visiting many countries, he became a recluse, and was referred to as a monk. Abu ‘Amir was somewhat inclined towards Christianity and claimed to be an independent religious teacher.

Upon the arrival of the Holy Prophet [saw], he began to oppose him, and eventually left Madinah for Makkah, burning in his malice and envy. Those few people who were under his influence also left Madinah along with him. At the Battle of Uhud, Abu ‘Amir entered the field of battle on behalf of the Makkans.

An astonishing manifestation of Divine power is that in this very war, his son Hanzalah, who was an extremely sincere Muslim, was martyred fighting on behalf of the Muslims. Abu ‘Amir remained in Makkah until the Victory of Makkah.

After the Victory of Makkah he moved to Ta’if. When Ta’if was conquered at the hands of the Companions [ra_hum] as well, he went to Syria with the intent of conspiring against the Muslims with the Roman Empire. However, he could not succeed in his plan. When Abu ‘Amir was in Madinah, he would refer to the Holy Prophet [saw] as Tarid and Wahid (i.e., a man who has been exiled from his homeland and left alone), in an attempt to disgrace and degrade him. However,

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ultimately, it was he who suffered the fate of dying in a state of exile, weakness and helplessness, whilst wandering about in Syria.13

Brotherhood of the Ansar and Muhajirin

In that era, the Muslims of Madinah were divided into two groups. One was of those who were not residents of Madinah; rather, they had migrated from Makkah or another place and settled in Madinah. On account of their migration, these people were referred to as Muhajirin. The second group was of those who were residents of Madinah.

Since these people had afforded protection to the Holy Prophet [saw] as well as to other Muhajirin, and since they had taken it upon themselves to assist them, for this reason they were referred to as the Ansar. The Muhajirin in Madinah were generally in a state of complete destitution, because the indigent were of course in a difficult state, but even the wealthy Muhajirin generally migrated, leaving all of their wealth and property behind. The Ansar treated them with even greater kindness than blood brothers. Nevertheless, in order to further strengthen this relationship of brotherhood, the Holy Prophet [saw] proposed that all of the Ansar and Muhajirin gather at the home of Anas bin Malik [ra].

Taking mutual suitability in to account, the Holy Prophet [saw] established a formal bond of brotherhood between ninety people, more or less. The love, sincerity and loyalty with which both parties acted upon this brotherhood puts to shame even the blood brotherhood of today. What to talk of brotherhood, these Ansar and Muhajirin were as if two figures of the same being. Presenting themselves before the Holy Prophet [saw], the first request made by these Ansar after this relationship of brotherhood was formed, was that: “The Holy Prophet [saw] should divide our orchards between our brothers and us.”

However, the Muhajirin were generally merchants by profession, and they were completely inexperienced in agriculture.

As a matter of fact, the people of Makkah did not even like this work. Therefore, the Ansar themselves proposed that, “We will manage and work on these orchards, but the Muhajirin will receive a portion of its profit.”14

As such, this continued until the businesses of the Muhajirin which they had taken up in Madinah, began to flourish, and they also developed their own properties, and so the assistance of the Ansar was no longer required.15 It is written that when the Muhajirin witnessed this extraordinary kindness and affection of the Ansar, they greatly praised this treatment before the Holy Prophet [saw] and said, “O Messenger of Allah! upon witnessing this virtue of the Ansar, we fear that they may take all of our reward.” “Nay! Nay!” said the Holy Prophet [saw], “Until you remain grateful of this virtue of the Ansar and supplicate before God in their favour, you cannot remain deprived of reward.”16 Hadhrat ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Auf [ra] was made a brother to Sa‘d bin Ar-Rabi‘ Ansari [ra]. Sa‘d [ra] calculated all of his wealth and property and presented it to ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Auf [ra]. In the fervour of his love, he even said that, “I have two wives. I shall divorce one, and when she completes her prescribed period, you can marry her.”

This was the fervour of love expressed uncontrollably by Sa‘d [ra], for both knew that this was not possible.

Hence, ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Auf [ra] thanked him and prayed for him saying, “May Allah make all of this blessed for you, just tell me the way to the marketplace.” As such, ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Auf [ra] began to do business and since he was a remarkably intelligent and prudent man, slowly his business prospered, and ultimately he became a very rich and wealthy man. His business was still in its initial stage, and much time had not passed since his arrival in Madinah, when he married a young Ansari lady from Madinah. When the Holy Prophet [saw] saw the colour of saffron on his clothes, which in the Arab tradition was a sign of marriage, he smiled and said, “Ibni ‘Auf, what is this?” “O Messenger of Allah!” responded Sa‘d [ra], “I have married a young lady.” The Holy Prophet [saw] asked, “What have you given as a dowry.” ‘Abdur-Rahman [ra] responded, “O Messenger of Allah! I have given gold equivalent to the size of a datestone.” The Holy Prophet [saw] said: “Now it is necessary to offer a wedding feast, even if it is limited to the meat of a single goat.”

That is to say, now your financial status

Islam Ahmadiyyat is no longer such that you merely invite one or two friends, and consider that you have performed your duty in holding a wedding feast. Rather, at least the meat of one goat should be prepared in the feast.17 This system of brotherhood even affected inheritance.

Therefore, it was decided that if an Ansari passed away, his Muhajir brother would also receive a portion of the inheritance according to his share. This mutual understanding remained until the Battle of Badr, after which this form of inheritance was prohibited by Allah in accordance with Divine revelation, and only biological relations were deemed to be inheritors.18 In this brotherhood, Hadhrat Abu Bakr [ra] became the brother of Kharijah bin Zaid [ra], Hadhrat ‘Umar [ra] of ‘Utban bin Malik [ra] , Hadhrat ‘Uthman [ra] of ‘Aus bin Thabit [ra], Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah [ra] of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh [ra], Sa‘id bin Zaid [ra] of Ubaiyy bin Ka‘b [ra], Salman [ra], the Persian to Abu Darda’[ra], Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair [ra] of Abu Ayyub Ansari [ra], ‘Ammar bin Yasir [ra] of Hudhaifah bin Yaman [ra], and the list goes on.

This system of brotherhood proved to be beneficial and blessed in manay respects: Firstly: The concern and anxiety which could have developed in the hearts of the Muhajirin, due to their state of being destitute in a foreign land, was prevented to a great extent.

Secondly: The possibility of distress on account of being separated from relatives and loved ones was prevented by the attainment of these new spiritual relatives, who were ones to exhibit more love and loyalty than even biological relations.

Thirdly: The love and unity which was required in those days between the Ansar and Muhajirin from a religious, political, and civil perspective was strengthened.

Fourthly: A means of support and sustenance was made available to indigent and unemployed Muhajirin.

Endnotes 1.

* Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabu Manaqibil-Ansari, Babu Hijratin-Nabiyyi [saw] wa Ashabihi ilal-Madinah, Hadith No. 3906

* Sharhul-‘Allamatiz-Zarqani alal-Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, Vol. 2, pp. 175180, Dhikru Bina’il-Masjidin-Nabawi wa ‘Amalil-Minbar….., DarulKutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 2.

Sunanut-Tirmidhi, Kitabu Tafsiril-Qur’an, Babu Wa min SuratilBaqarah, Hadith No. 2987

3.

Life of Mahomet, By Sir William Muir, Chapter VIII, The Mosque, how used, p. 186, Smith, Elder & Co., London, 1878 Edition

4.

Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabul-Adhan, Babu Bad’il-Adhan, Hadith No. 604

5.

Meaning, ‘The Salaat is about to be held in congregation.’ (Publishers)

6.

A detailed account can be found in:

* Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitabus-Salah, Babu Bad’il-Adhan, Hadith No. 498 * Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Kitabus-Salah, Babu Ma Ja’a fi Bad’il-Adhan, Hadith No. 189

* Sunan Ibni Majah, Kitabul-Adhan, Babu Bad’il-Adhan, Hadith No. 706 A brief account can be found in: Al-Muwatta, By Imam Malik bin Anas, Kitabus-Salah, Babu Ma Ja’a fin-Nida’I lis-Salaati, Hadith No. 149 7.

Sharhul-‘Allamatiz-Zarqani alal-Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, Vol. 2, p. 201, Babu Bad’il-Adhan, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)

8.

The word literally means, ‘ascension’ but in this context, refers to the spiritual apex of a believer. That is to say that Salaat is the means by which a believer attains the highest point of his spiritual perfection. (Publishers)

9.

All of these references are derived from authentic books of Hadith:

* Mafatihul-Ghaib (At-Tafsirul-Kabir), By Imam Fakhruddin Muhammad bin ‘Umar Ar-Razi, Vol. 1, p. 214, Al-Kalamu fi Tafsiri Majmu‘I hadhisSurah, Al-Faslul-Awwal, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2004) * Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabus-Salah, Babu Hakkil-Buzaqi bil-Yadi minalMasjid, Hadith No. 405 * Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabut-Tahajjud, Babu Qiyamin-Nabiyyi [saw] bilLaili hatta Tarima Qadamahu, Hadith No. 1130 * Sunan An-Nasa’i, Kitabu ‘Ishratin-Nisa’I, Babu Hubbin-Nisa’I, Hadith No. 3940 * Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabul-Adhan, Babul-Istihami fil-Adhan, Hadith No. 615 * Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabul-Adhan, Babu Ahlil-‘Ilmi wal-Fadli Ahaqqu bilImamati, Hadith No. 680 * Sunan Ibni Majah, Kitabul-Jana’iz, Babu Ma Ja’a fi Dhikri Maradi Rasulillahi [saw], Hadith No. 1625 10. At-Tabaqatul-Kubra’, By Muhammad bin Sa‘d, Vol. 4, p. 360, AtTabaqatuth-Thaniyatu minal-Muhajirina wal-Ansar and Salman AlFarisi, Daru Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 11. Literally means ‘People of the House.’ A term used for the house-folk of the Holy Prophet [saw].

12. Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabut-Tafsir, Suratul-Jumu‘ati, Babu Qaulihi Wa Akharina minhum Lamma Yalhaqubihim, Hadith No. 4897 13. * Sharhul-‘Allamatiz-Zarqani alal-Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, Vol. 2, pp.

407-408, Ghazwatu Uhud, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Tarikhul-Khamis fi Ahwali Anfasi Nafis, By Husain bin Muhammad bin Hasan, Vol. 1, p. 29,Dhikru Khabari Abi ‘Amir Ar-Rahib, Mu’assasatu Sha‘ban, Beirut * Life of Mahomet, By William Muir, Chapter IX, Abu Aamir and followers go off to Mecca, p. 189, Smith, Elder & Co., London, 1878 Edition * Mohammed and The Rise of Islam, By David Samuel Margoliouth, The Migration, p. 233, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York & London, 1905 Edition 14. * Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabu Manaqibil-Ansari, Babu Kaifa AkhanNabiyyu [saw] baina Ashabihi, Hadith No. 3937 * Sahihul-Muslim, Kitabul-Jihadi was-Siyar, Babu Raddil-Muhajirina ilalAnsari, Hadith No. 4603 15. Sahihul-Muslim, Kitabul-Jihadi was-Siyar, Babu Raddil-Muhajirina ilalAnsari, Hadith No. 4603 16. Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitabul-Adabi, Babu Fi Shukril-Ma‘ruf, Hadith No. 4812 17. Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabul-Manaqib, Babu Ikha’in-Nabiyyi [saw] bainal-Muhajirina wal-Ansar, Hadith No. 3781 18. Sharhul-‘Allamatiz-Zarqani alal-Mawahibil-Ladunniyyah, Vol. 2, p.

193, Dhikrul-Mu’akhati bainas-Sahabati….., Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) Tariq Magazine October 2012

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Islam Ahmadiyyat

Jihad in Islam

By Muhammad Jeryullah Khan, Jamia UK

I

slam is a religion which always had to confront thousands of allegations, even since its very beginning. Basing on hearsay and by the influence of various cults, people oppose not only its Holy Founder [saw] but also attack the Holy Book of this very Religion. But after all, the most common allegation which is raised by Non-Muslims is that Islam was spread by the sword. They allege that the Holy Qur’an teaches terror and Muslims force people to convert to their religion.

But if they turn away, then thou art responsible only for the plain delivery of the Message.

It must be mentioned that Non-Muslims do not only declare the Islamic teachings as cruel but through the media they propagate this false claim very effectively.

After briefly examining the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, it is of utmost importance to take a historical look on the life of The Holy Prophet Muhammad [saw] to understand the philosophy of Jihad.

It is also very sad to mention that by misunderstanding the true teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet Muhammad [saw], there really are various Muslim sects which do not only try to convert mankind by force but also see it as a good deed to harm Non-Muslims. They refer to this act as “Jihad”. These Muslims give the opponents of Islam the opportunity to attack its pure and peaceful teachings because, by fulfilling their inner desires, they falsely practice all these acts in the Name of Allah and Islam. And the orientalists propagate the wrongly understood teachings of Islam in their own favor.

In this brief essay the misconception of Jihad should be discussed. This essay will prove that by presenting peaceful teachings Islam is indeed a peaceful religion which is far away from terror and cruelty.

The very first proof of the above mentioned claim is that The Holy Qur’an teaches no compulsion in religious matters. Allah the Almighty says in Chapter 2, Verse 257:

There should be no compulsion in religion.

We read again and again in the Holy Qur’an that no human being should be forced to join Islam and people should be given free choice of their will. Allah says in Chapter 18, Verse 30:

And say, ‘It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let him who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve.

We also read in several places in the Holy Qur’an that The Holy Prophet [saw] himself was ordered by Allah only to convey the message of Islam. For example in Chapter 16, Verse 83 Allah says:

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All these verses of the Holy Qur’an prove that there is no compulsion in Islam. The verses also prove that every human being has been given the freedom to choose his own religion and that the mission of the Holy Prophet [saw] was only to invite mankind to Islam and to convey the Message of his Lord.

The Holy Founder [saw] of Islam lived for 13 Years in Makkah after his claim of Prophethood. After his claim, the Meccans did not only oppose the Muslims verbally but went to the extent of physically punishing them for their belief. We even find numerous examples of brutally killing the innocent Muslims. But the Holy Prophet [saw] and the Muslims did not take any kind of revenge. They always remained calm but steadfast to their faith.

There is a narration that once, the Holy Prophet [saw] was reclining near the Ka‘bah, when Khabbab bin Al-Arat and various other Companions [ra_hum] presented themselves before the Holy Prophet [saw] and said: “O Messenger of Allah! The Muslims are receiving countless grievances from the Quraish, why does the Holy Prophet [saw] not pray against them?” Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet [saw] immediately sat up, his face turned red, and he said: “Look here! There were a people before you, whose flesh was stripped of their bones, with iron prongs, but they did not waver in their faith. And such a people have passed, who were cut into two pieces by saws run upon their heads but their steps faltered not. Look here, God shall indeed fulfill this mission, such as one shall travel on the back of a camel from Sana (in Syria) to Hadar Maut, and shall fear none save God. But you are being impatient.”(Sahih Bukhari) The Muslims had to go through every kind of hardship. They were opposed verbally, they were physically harmed, they were brutally murdered and they got boycotted by their own people for several years. By Divine guidance, after 13 years of this hardship, instead of fighting against their opponents, most of the Muslims migrated to Medina. But even there they could not worship their Lord in peace. With the intention of attacking the Muslims, the Quraish followed them to Medina.

Finally, after The Holy Prophet [saw] and the Muslims had tried their level best to avoid any kind of confrontation with the Meccans, after 13 years of hardship Allah the Almighty gave them the permission to defend themself. We find this permission in Chapter 22, Verse 40:

Islam Ahmadiyyat

Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged—and Allah indeed has power to help them.

The permission for the Muslims to fight against their enemy was granted only to defend themself. And it was bound with many conditions. They were for example not allowed to kill any women or children or elderly men nor did they have the permission to destroy any place of worship.

After this conditional permission was granted, the Muslims had many battles with their enemy. The Holy Qur’an states that in actuality the Muslims did not want to fight. The only thing they wanted was to worship their Lord in peace. In Chapter 4, Verse 78 we read:

And they say, Our Lord, why hast Thou prescribed fighting for us?

These defensive wars were called Jihad in the way of Allah.

By briefly examining the history of the early Muslims, the misconception which is raised by numerous orientalists that Islam was spread by the Sword has been denied. It has been cleared that Muslims were forced to draw out the sword to defend themselves from their enemies.

These fights were called Jihad. But it is only one kind of Jihad.

The other and actual kind of Jihad has also been mentioned several times in the Holy Qur’an. It is reported that once returning from a battle, the Holy Prophet [saw] said:

We are returning from the lesser Jihad to the greater Jihad.

To understand the real Islamic meaning of Jihad, it is very important to examine the word Jihad first. The word Jihad means to strive or to struggle in the cause of Allah and Islam.

In the above mentioned quotation of the Holy Prophet [saw] we read that he declared the battles with enemies only as a minor kind of Jihad. The actual Jihad is to struggle with our inner self and to convey the message of Islam. This is why he said that now we have returned to our actual Jihad. He meant that now the Muslims can again perform their prayers and worship their Lord in peace and harmony and spread the message of their Master.

To support the above mentioned claim, a few verses from the Holy Qur’an should be presented. Allah the Almighty said in Chapter 29 Verse 70: And as for those who strive in Our path—We will surely guide them in Our ways. And verily Allah is with those who do good In this verse the root Jihad has been mentioned in

Islam and to invite people to the true religion by presenting the pure and peaceful teachings of it. In Chapter 53, Verse 25 Allah says: So obey not the disbelievers and fight against them by means of it (the Qur’an) a great fight.

In Chapter 16, Verse 126 Allah says: Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in a way that is best.

In the above two verses Allah the Almighty orders to do Jihad with the Holy Qur’an and to invite people towards Islam with wisdom. It is mentioned nowhere in the Holy Qur’an to draw out the Sword and to force people to Islam. The only way of inviting mankind to Islam is by presenting its teachings in front of them and by giving them the freedom of choice.

The Promised Messiah [as] said: The Holy Qur'an clearly forbids the use of force for the spread of the faith and directs its propagation through its inherent qualities and the good example of the Muslims. Do not be misled by the notion that in the beginning the Muslims were commanded to take up the sword. That sword was not taken up for the spread of the faith, but in self-defense against the enemies of Islam and for the purpose of establishing peace and security. It was no part of the purpose of taking it up to have recourse to coercion in the matter of faith.

(Sitarah Qaisariyyah, p. 16) Now the reader can conclude himself that Islam is a peaceful religion. But unfortunately a few Muslim sects have misunderstood the actual teachings of Islam themselves.

At the time of the Holy Prophet [saw] Islam was attacked with the sword. This is why after a good decade Allah the Almighty gave the Muslims of the time the permission to defend themselves by the same weapon they got attacked with, with the Sword. But today Islam is being attacked verbally.

Orientalists and other Non-Muslim Intellectuals are attacking Islam with the pen. Thousands of books are being published to attack Islam. Many newspapers and magazines have been printed to offend Islam.

Today, it is our responsibility to defend Islam, not with the sword but by the same weapon we are getting attacked with, with the Pen. It is our duty to do Jihad with the pen.

May Allah enable us to understand and convey the true teachings of Islam. And may Allah open the eyes of those Muslims who have misunderstood the pure and peaceful teachings of Islam. And may Allah lead all Non-Muslims to the right path. [ameen]

the meaning of striving and struggling. The root Jihad has also been mentioned in the meaning of conveying the message of Tariq Magazine October 2012

17

4 News & Events National Ijtema 2012 Address

By Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK, Fahim Anwer My Dear Brothers [salam] Last year at the Ijtema I spoke about the inherent strength that we all carry as Ahmadi Muslims, where we have gained inspiration from the plight of those that have had to forbear much for the sake of the Jama'at.

Earlier this year one of our brothers in Pakistan became immortalised through his deeds. Master Abdul Qudoos Shaheed became the latter day Hadhrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif [ra].

Almost 110 years ago Hadhrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif [ra] was made to suffer in such appalling ways. His account can be read in full on the inspirationalstories.org.uk website but in short Hadhrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif [ra] was a renowned scholar in Afghanistan, very much respected by his people and peers. Upon hearing about the Promised Messiah [as] he had to see for himself the truth of his message and travelled to Qadian. Needless to say Hadhrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif [ra] accepted Ahmadiyyat with an open heart. However upon his return to Afghanistan, as it became known that he had accepted Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad [as] as the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, he was arrested. A heavy chain weighing 32kgs was placed around his neck. He had his hands and feet manacled with heavy chains, and he was taken to the palace dungeon where he was kept for the following four months in horrendous conditions. When all attempts by the Amir of Afghanistan and its senior ranking people failed to dissuade him from Ahmadiyyat he was finally taken to his place of execution, led there by a rope that had been inserted through a piercing in his nose and dragged through the streets. When one last chance was offered to Hadhrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif [as] to renounce , he calmly replied : “I seek the protection of Allah. How can I deny the truth? Life has no significance for me. How can I abandon my faith for the sake of my wife and my children? I will not do that; I will die for the truth” The rest, as they say, is history. He was buried up to his waist in the ground with his arms tied behind his back and was subsequently stoned to death by a baying crowd, his body ending up covered in a mound of stones.

Now let's leap forward 110 years.

Just 4 months ago Hadhrat Abdul Qudoos, a local Jama'at

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Tariq Magazine October 2012

Sadr in Rabwah was subjected to torture one would not expect in such a civilised age. Police officers in charge of the Rabwah police station arrested Abdul Qudoos Sahib and held him in their prison for a month without bringing any charge against him. He was then taken to another location where they subjected him to extreme torture for up to ten days. He was told that such and such people from the Jama'at were involved in a murder and if he signed papers that testified to this then he would be set free. Abdul Qudoos Sahib refused saying it was not his statement and it was also not true. When he did not comply did not comply his captors threw him to the floor and started hitting him and continually demanded him to give in. This included beating him whilst hung upside down by his ankles, striking him with dozens of blows at a time. They would pin him to the ground as someone would roll a large, heavy wooden roller weighing over 40kg, up and down his body. He was also subjected to psychological torture through severe sleep deprivation. He would be allowed to periodically doze off at which point his captors would immediately beat him again.

When his body could take little more beating they would treat his wounds only who immediately took him to a local hospital.

He had lost a great deal of blood during his ordeal and it was clear that his kidneys and other internal organs had been severely damaged. It was during this period that Abdul Qudoos Sahib was able to give a full account of what had happened to him. He was asked in hospital by a representative of the Jama'at if, under the severe torture, he had understandably given in to

News & Events

even some small demand of his captors?

In an emotional and charged response, Abdul Qudoos Sahib stated that his captors could not even make him write a dot let alone anything of any worth to them. His injuries however had taken their toll and a few days later he left this world and was received by his Maker.

So the question that may now arise is what progress are we actually making if our people have to suffer so much? Could it be that we are on the wrong path? Is it possible that we are misguided and hence the reason for our mistreatment?

Every Khadim should ask this question to himself and then go out of their way to find the answer to it. I will, however, put it to you that if you come across something you know is the absolute truth and your heart confirms it as such yet a 100 people tell you otherwise does it then make it untrue?, that is what the likes of Hadhrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif and Hadhrat Abdul Qudoos had to contend with.

Such intense pressure, such lavish promises, such extreme torturing. Yet throughout their ordeal they held their resolve, just like the slaves of early Islam when burning hot sand was poured over their naked backs, they remained resolute to the end whilst saying Ahad, Ahad, meaning the One, the One, referring to Allah the Almighty.

These instances are amongst the highest examples of strength, courage and willpower that you will find anywhere in world history.

Nowadays we look at the likes of Bear Grylls and marvel at his exploits.

Jumping into subzero temperature rivers, traversing across barren deserts with no supplies. I admit he is brave and courageous. But what is his motivation?

I am sure the million pound salary may have something to do with it.

But what is our motivation? You should seriously ask the question to yourself.

Why do we do the things we do for the Jama'at?

There are Khuddam here who have not slept since yesterday as they have been up on duty all night. There are others present that have come straight from work, will attend the Ijtema and then go back to work without seeing their family for the whole weekend. At the other end of the spectrum there are Khuddam present here who for the sake of the Jama'at have been beaten to within an inch of their life, or have seen their houses and property destroyed or saw their parents disgracefully mistreated and even killed in front of their eyes.

These are the unknown Khuddam, the unknown servants that would put up with anything for the sake of the Jama'at, not for applause or a trophy or even a pat on the back.

Why do they do it, why have they not left the Jama'at for a more peaceful life?

‘Let me tell you a little more’ has an extraneous space in front of ‘Let’ This is a person who loves Allah so much that he fears not being within the fold of His Creator's love. It is someone who knows that there was no greater person to grace this earth than the Holy Prophet of Islam [saw] and that he brought the complete teaching and guidance for humanity from Allah. It is someone who has read or heard the proofs about the revival of Islam given by the Promised Messiah [as] and fully accepts them without any hesitation. It is someone who would willingly obey every instruction of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih [atba] and would sit or stand at his word. It is someone whose love for his fellow Khuddam brothers is the same as, if not greater than, that for his own bloodkin. He is someone who will stand in the blistering afternoon heat to help park cars, he is someone who will clean

the showers and toilets all weekend and then go back to his professional day job, he is someone who would go out on foot to collect chanda and charity in the pouring rain and the biting cold, he is someone who will over the whole day peel vegetables, cook and then clean up, missing the entire event that people came for, he is someone who will stay up all night guarding the property of the Jama'at and then go to work in the morning. He is someone that will work till he is physically and mentally exhausted, he puts the needs of others before himself, he prays in congregation, he gives from his savings, he leads from the front, he obeys his seniors. He is, quite simply, a Khadim who has seen the truth and unequivocally believes.

It is the unknown Khadim that plays a huge role in the continuing success of Jama'at Ahmadiyya and is part of the collective bond under one Khalifa, the Khalifa of Islam, where he finds his strength to persevere.

Even in these relatively first few years of the second century of Islam Ahmadiyyat where our numbers have reached the tens of millions, there is still a long way to go, but the unknown Khadim is not daunted by what lies ahead. For he knows that if not him then his children, if not his children then his grandchildren, and if not his grandchildren then it is his great grandchildren that will see the victory of Islam Ahmadiyyat. Insha'Allah.

And these children will ask 'What did our forefathers do to contribute to this magnificent victory?'

I urge all of you to find your place in this historic victory, for your names may become forgotten but your deeds will not be. [wasalam]

Tariq Magazine October 2012

19

News & Events

British Muslims Take Charity To New Heights Taken from www.muslimsforhumanity.org.uk

Note: Muslims for Humanity team takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in this synopsis.

3

4 young British Muslim volunteers will spend five days trekking across the French Alps this June to raise thousands of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support and in commemoration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The volunteers will embark on a five day hike during which they will both camp and cook their own food. The hike is organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) who are teaming up with Specsavers which has kindly donated £15,000.

Participants have already raised in excess of £20,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support who provide essential practical, medical, and financial support for the one in three Brits who suffer from cancer during their lives. The hikers have also raised a further £10,000 for other charities, pushing the total amount raised well above £30,000!

The hike is part of a wider year long effort by AMYA which has already seen

£150,000 raised for various charities and the organising of dozens of community orientated initiatives which have included a Charity walk at the Tower of London, tree planting, and blood donation sessions.

The event’s co-ordinator, and National Chairman of the AMYA Hiking Club, Dr. Aziz Hafiz said: AMYA is underpinned by the slogan ‘Love for all, hatred for none,’ and so we are always seeking new and meaningful ways to help those in need and to alleviate suffering, regardless of a person’s age, gender, race or faith. It is for this reason that we are absolutely delighted that 34 young and enthusiastic members of AMYA and British society will take out five days from their busy lives to raise thousands of pounds for those suffering from cancer.

“The spirit of the hike is embodied by the fact that its participants are meeting all of the costs of the trip, enabling us to donate 100% of the money raised by the

hikers to Macmillan.

“The event is made all the more special by the fact that Specsavers have very generously agreed to become the official sponsor of the event and share in our absolute commitment to helping those suffering from cancer and their families.”

Judy Spence, Area Fundraising Manager for Macmillan said “We are really grateful for the amazing support of AMYA across the country and wish the volunteers all the best for their hike across the Alps”.

“More than 300,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer every year.

Macmillan Cancer Support is there to support them and their families every step of the way. Cancer is the toughest fight most of us will ever face and currently Macmillan is only able to support three in four people living with cancer in the UK. The money AMYA raises from the hike will help us make sure no one goes through cancer alone”.

MKA Sheffield - Charity Collection for Barnardo's

By Dr Salman A Karim

B

arnardo’s is a UK charity for children. It strives to improve the lives of vulnerable children across the UK through various projects and campaigns. Their aim is to bring out the best in every child whether the issue is child poverty, sexual exploitation, disability or domestic violence.

By the Grace of Allah, seven Khuddam from Sheffield Qiadat participated in collecting charity for Barnardo’s on 8th and 9th

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Tariq Magazine October 2012

of June. A rota was prepared and Khuddam arrived at the store for their allocated shifts. Charity was collected through bag packing and bucket collection. [alhamd] people donated generously to this worthy cause and we collected £340 in total over the course of two days. May Allah enable us to continue to participate in the service of our communities.

News & Events

Humanity First Report — IT Centre Network+ Training and Provinces Model Village Work

By Adam Spittles

B

y the Grace of Allah I was able to visit The Gambia for two weeks at the beginning of June 2012 with my wife, Faiza Ginai Spittles on behalf of Humanity First.

After months of working with Faez Ahmad Sahib, and Fazal Ahmed Sahib from Humanity First UK, we were sent a detailed itinerary which helped us prepare materials in the UK to take with us to Gambia. Working with our local Jama’ats we were also able to raise £700 and many packs of colouring pencils, pads, pens and children’s toys, some of which were shipped out on the Humanity First container and some of which we took with us in our luggage.

Armed with malaria tablets, sprays, nets and plenty of Imodium, we took our 8 hour overnight flight to Gambia.

We were met at the airport by Chairman Humanity First Kawsuh Kinteh, Yankuba Sinayoko, Co-ordinator Feed a Village and Baboucarr Sowe, Secretary Humanity First at 4.30am Friday 1st June 2012. They informed us that they had arrived at the airport two hours earlier to ensure they were able to pick us up as soon as we touched down! Which we were very appreciative of.

We were promptly taken to the Jama’at guest house, and told to rest for a few hours. After waking from a very comfortable sleep we were taken to a small Greek café where we were given bottled water and chicken burgers, probably the last “English” meal we would see for two weeks! We proceeded to go over the very packed programme and sensing everyone’s enthusiasm in the room, we knew this was going to be a very challenging, yet enthralling two weeks.

My first weeks’ work was to teach part of a CompTIA Network+ IT course to see whether the students would be interested in doing a full Cisco CCNA official qualification.

The N+ course is a direct progression of the A+ course that the majority of them had achieved already. The day started at 9am, with a break for lunch and Salaat at 1pm, then restart at 3pm until 5pm.

The IT Centre classrooms are quite small and hot (approx 35 degrees Celsius) and as there was no air conditioning, we had to have the fan on and the window open, which, due to the cars, buses and lorries going passed beeping every minute, it made teaching quite difficult and a strain on the voice, but [alhamd]

we were able to overcome these obstacles.

The course was taught from Monday 4th June to Thursday 7th June as a short 4-day course.

My wife had a responsibility to investigate the science lab, the library and sports field of the Masroor Senior Secondary school in Serekunda, to see what was required to improve them and to establish the budget and timeline required to do so.

She worked very hard, long hours and Masha’Allah was able to speak to the relevant staff to get their input and recommendations, speak to contractors to establish costs and materials and was personally able to assist in the build of the science lab by moving bricks, tiles, concrete etc.

On the Friday, we started our weekend trip to the provinces, starting off at 5am to be able to get onto the first ferry across the mouth of the river from the South to the North side where we would follow the single, main road to our first checkpoint which was a Jama’at mosque in Bara. We were greeted here by the local Amir with a very filling breakfast of eggs, baguettes, tea, and enough mangoes to fill us for the year!

After breakfast, we left on the road again and visited a Jama’at funded school which had excellent, brightly coloured murals on the walls to stimulate the local children. The facilities at the school were of a great standard with children playing with tennis balls, bats and skipping ropes. We presented them with books that had been collected from the Lajna of our local Tariq Magazine October 2012

21

News & Events Jama’at in the UK which they were pleased to receive.

#

Items

Amount (D) Dates

2

Sports

1,500

We then moved on to a village called “Ndungu Charren”.

1

We met with the local people which included the local Amir (a non-Ahmadi) and the tribal chief (who was an Ahmadi). They told us that they had contacted Humanity First as they have 2 or 3 water pumps, but that none of them supply clean water.

3

They went on to explain that of the wells, two of them gave their locals cataracts if they drank the water for too long. The water was also identified as being “hard” so the water not only is it dangerous, but is also not very good for crops.

The third pump, we were told, had “worms” in it. When we looked, we could not see worms as such, but concluded that they were mostly likely mosquito larvae, as we were told they were more observable in the early hours.

After making notes and speaking further to both Secretary Humanity First, a doctor in training, and the locals, we then journeyed on to see the local LBS (Lower Basic School, i.e. primary school) and meet the children, some teachers and the headmaster.

This school was the only place in our trip that I was really taken aback with. The poverty and lack of facilities at this particular school shocked us all. This school was not a Humanity First or any other charity supported school.

Mr Chor, the headmaster of the school, showed us around, also taking us to the school’s only source of water—a hand pump.

He explained that the handle had cracked and he estimated it would only last another 6 months or so. He also explained that the water was stored in a large bucket in one of the classrooms, which also only had one drinking cup for all the children to use as they could not afford more. The simplicity of being able to afford another drinking cup, so that more than one child at a time could have a drink was something we began to realise how much we take for granted.

Mr Chor also showed us the classrooms, which were split in half to be able to accommodate different ages of students, where one age group faced one chalk board and another age group faced the other, as there just wasn’t the funding to build separate classrooms. Furthermore, in one of these classrooms there was a huge ant hill which had eaten away part of the foundation of the wall. If removed the wall would collapse, so the ant hill and the infestation of ants had to be left there.

Mr Chor went on to explain that the school could not afford enough school books for the children, and that they had to be reused every year. Compared to the school we had seen earlier we also noted that the children had no sports equipment at all.

No football or tennis balls for the children to play with.

At the end of the tour, we sat with the head teacher who had personally written a list of the projects and funding required to improve the school, which both myself and the others in our group were particularly impressed by as this was posted on his wall, and was something he was determined to focus on. (see below what was included as I took a photo before we left)

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Tariq Magazine October 2012

4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12

Stationary Office Equipment Hand Pump

Cooking Utensils Roofing Toilets Furniture

School Gardens

School Farm Work

3,000

By July 2012

1,500

By July 2012

300

1,000 900 500 800

2,000

Feeding Condiments 14,025 Fundraising

2,500

Total

28,525 D

National Exams

500

By April 2012

By Jan 2012

By Oct 2011

By April 2012

By April 2012

By Dec 2011

By June 2012

By July 2012

By Feb 2012

There are two things I’d like you to note, all of this, 28,525D, is approximately £600, and to fix the hand pump was only £6, but due to the lack of finances in these types of areas, they could not even afford this £6.

By the grace of Allah, and with the permission of the Humanity first team I was able to contribute to this. [insh] I will be going back to Gambia over the coming years to spend more time with these amazing individuals and contribute as much as I can, and I invite you all to contribute not only financially, but to contribute your time and efforts to Humanity First and the amazing local people of places such as The Gambia.

If you are interested, please contact Humanity First at faez. ahmed@humanityfirst.org.uk and fazal.ahmad@humanityfirst. org.uk with your name, your highest education details, what you do for a job if you are working and what you would like to do. There is a great need there for doctors, dentists, teachers, project managers, and mostly hard working individuals who are willing to give some time. [jazak] for reading my story and [insh] I will meet you in person one day. [salam] Adam

News & Events

MKA Scotland raise £10,000 for Yorkhill Children's Foundation

By Rizwan Ahmad

B

y the grace of Allah, Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya (MKA) Scotland was once again able to hold a successful 5K Fun Run/Walk to raise money for charity to spend on worthy causes.

The event took place on 30th June, 2012 in the Kelvingrove Park and attracted around 200 participants.

The Run raised approximately £10,000 for the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation, a charity which aims to support and enhance the care of sick babies and children at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill).

The hospital treats over 157,000 young patients every year and they all benefit from the services and equipment funded by the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation.

After the run, everyone gathered at the Jama’at centre where a session was held in which various dignitaries spoke about the event.

The local MSP, Mrs. Sandra White, commenting on this event said that: “In recent years, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation has made enormous efforts to collect money for the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation and the Run raised £10,000 alone which is a fantastic success. The Fun Run was great! After cutting the ribbon I thoroughly enjoyed the walk

and had the opportunity to chat to constituents. Supporting local groups and charities is very important and I always try to go along to these events.”

The Regional Qaid of MKA Scotland, Mr. Ahmed Owusu Konadu said that: "As Ahmadi Muslims we've been thought by our Holy founder Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad [as] who was the same Imam Mahdi and Promised Messiah as prophesied by the Holy Prophet Muhammad [saw] that the worship of Allah is of two folds; 1.Service to Allah and 2.Service to his Creation. So by doing these types of charitable events for the benefit of the needy in the society whom we might never even meet or see in our life is simply a way of expressing our sincere love for our Almighty Allah, which is shown in our unconditional love through our services to the needy and poor in the society who are all His loved creation".

The Session ended with a silent prayer. May Allah bless the efforts of all the participants and give them further opportunities to help humanity.

Tariq Magazine October 2012

23

Activities carried out by MKA UK in 2011 - 2012

National Ijtema - Sports

National Ijtema - Sports

Newcastle Holy Qur'an Exhibition

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Tariq Magazine October 2012

Waqar-e-Amal on Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebration

Volunteering Yellow Fish Project

National Ijtema - Horse Riding

Khuddam from Masroor Region attending National Ijtema

Baitun Noor's Regional Aftari and Dars

North East Regional Atfal Tarbiyyati Class

Birmingham Central Scotland Trip

National Ijtema - Sports

National Ijtema - Prize Giving Ceremony Tariq Magazine October 2012

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News & Events

New Book Launched at London Book Fair: “A Gift for the QUEEN” Taken from www.muslimsforhumanity.org.uk

Note: Muslims for Humanity team takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in this synopsis.

S

outhfields Fazl Mosque (London Mosque) launches New Book at London Book Fair: A GIFT FOR THE QUEEN. A unique book is being launched at The London Book Fair by Southfields Fazl Mosque.

To mark the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II the book Tofah-e-Qaisariyyah, meaning a Gift for the Queen, written in 1897 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad [as] , is being launched translated in English.

Imam Ataul Mujeeb Rashed, Imam of

The London Mosque—the first mosque built in London in 1924—will speak on the visionary qualities of the author who founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, emphasised the Islamic duty of Muslim to be loyal subjects, and invited the Queen to study the true teachings of Islam. This message, first sent out by the author at the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, is being revived by his present day Caliph, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad [as], for the Diamond Jubilee this year.

Imam Rashed said: “Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad [as] was a profound scholar and his books provide a vibrant analysis of Islamic teachings.

It is particularly appropriate that, at this moment in time, when we mark the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II, we also have the opportunity to read in English a book that marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

It provides a fascinating insight into a bygone era, but is also a testament to the living faith of Islam that places service to one’s country as one of its tenets.”

Have you seen the Yellow Fish? - MKA Cardiff

By Saleh Baqi

T

he Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association joined Environment Agency Wales and Keep Wales Tidy’s ‘Yellow Fish’ campaign to raise awareness about sources of water pollution and the quality of water in local streams, rivers, lakes and ponds.

Yellow Fish aims to highlight the damage caused by pouring oils, paints, solvents, chemicals or dirty water down highway gullies or surface drains.

These drains will ultimately enter watercourses and pouring waste liquids down drains can seriously affect your local environment. Yellow fish is very simple. Volunteers mark drains with a Yellow Fish. Awareness is raised locally by distributing leaflets and putting up posters.

The Ahamadiyya Muslim Youth Association volunteers based in Newport and Cardiff were directed to areas in Newport and Caldicot by the Environment Agency because of

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Tariq Magazine October 2012

problems in local watercourses. They met up in Caldicot with local councillors and Police for a morning to combat poor water quality in the Nedern Brook.

They split into three teams to stencil the yellow fish symbol on drains and distribute hundreds of leaflets in the industrial estate, town centre and nearby residential streets.

Mayor Jim Higginson and Councillors, Ron Stewart, Alan Davies, Pauline Watts and CSO 139 Ruth James joined to support the volunteers.

Mayor Jim Higginson said the volunteers had done a great job and highlighted the awareness raising aspect, “People were asking what it was about and that’s the best thing about it. We could explain that there is too much oil and effluent going into the storm drains that shouldn’t be. They say, ‘Oh!’. They never thought of that.”

Volunteer group leader S. Baqi was very

happy with progress on the day saying, ‘We are grateful for the help from Keep Wales Tidy and the Environment Agency in helping us to do work according to our Islamic edict which is the very basic fact that we need to look after our neighbourhood and environment’.

Cllr Davies said, ‘Its been excellent. We had really good conversations about all sorts of things. It was a very worthwhile activity.’

It was felt by all that it had been very valuable for the community to work together to improve their local environment.

May Allah reward Khuddam, Atfal and their parents in the best possible manner, who have sacrificed their time and very kind efforts for two consecutive days. [ameen]

News & Events

Report of Majlis Khuddumul Ahmadiyya UK National Ijtema 2012

By Tauseef Ahmad Khan, Ijtema Secretary Pre Ijtema

The work for the National Ijtema started in late 2011 with the assignment of Dr Aziz Hafiz Naib Sadr Majlis Khuddumul Ahmadiyya UK as the Nazim-e-Ala Ijtema.

This year the theme of the Ijtema was ‘vie with one another in good works’, Surah al-Baqarah (Ch.2:V.149). To incorporate this theme and to gauge what the Khuddam wanted from the Ijtema, the Nazim-e-Ala initiated an Ijtema Roadshow early in the year.

In this roadshow the Nazim-e-Ala visited sixteen regions to talk to the Khuddam on the ground in a very frank and open way (The sixteenth region was visited by Sadr Majlis for the purpose of the roadshow so all regions were covered) Nazim-e-Ala Ijtema, Dr Aziz Hafiz, along with his team discussed the following with the Khuddam.

1. What we are having at the Ijtema 2. Exciting new events at Ijtema 3. How the Ijtema budget is spent 4. How do we incorporate Khuddam feedback at etcetera This roadshow was a great success and Khuddam appreciated the fact that Nazim-e-Ala decided to meet Khuddam on the ground. Numerous good ideas were received at the roadshow, many of which were incorporated for the National Ijtema.

For the first time a dedicated Ijtema website was created this year which was very well received by the Khuddam. This website was continuously updated with updated programme, photos, and messages from Nazim-e-Ala. Twitter was extensively used at the Ijtema with the hashtag of ijtema2012.

Posters for the Ijtema were put up in all 33 Jama'at mission houses in the UK in an extensive publicity campaign in the run-up to the Ijtema.

The Majlis Khuddumul Ahmadiyya UK National Ijtema was held on 6th, 7th, and 8th of July 2012 at Islamabad, Tilford.

First Day of the Ijtema Khuddam started arriving on the 5th July and registration commenced at 9 am on 6th July 2012. This year the Tajneed

department introduced a new innovation—a weblink connected to a dedicated wireless network that provided provide real time attendance figures, split by Tanzeem and Qiadat. This was accessible by Sadr Majlis and the Ijtema administration.

At 1 pm the Friday Sermon was held in the main Ijtema Gah followed by Salatul Jumu’ah, Asr Salaat and Lunch.

The opening session started at 6pm with Tilawat and Translation. This was followed by the Khuddam pledge and a Nazm with English translation of the poem. Sadr Majlis provided the opening address after which the Friday Sermon was relayed live from Canada by our beloved Hudur Aqdas (ayyadahu Allah ta’ala bi-nasrihi al-’aziz). From 7:30pm onwards a rolling Dinner was served in the dining marquee. At the same time Tilawat, Nazm and Paigham Rasani events took place as well as Cricket.

Between 8pm and 9pm an English poetry session was held which was immensely inspiring and enjoyed by the attendees.

Such an event was held for the first time during Ijtema, this was an open session with around 10 poets taking part. The topics of the poems were; Sacrifice, Personal relationship with God, Love of Khilafat, and Bond of brotherhood between Khuddam.

Maghrib and Ishaa Salaat were offered at 9:30pm followed by Tariq Magazine October 2012

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News & Events a Question and Answer session with Imam B.A Rafiq Sahib which was very well attended. The final event of the day was a discussion forum at 11pm. The topic of the forum was Marriage with 70 Khuddam in attendance.

For the first time a large TV screen i.e. Ijtema TV was set up at the Ijtema. It showed various inspiring clips, live sermon, updated programme, and results throughout the Ijtema.

The final registered attendance for the first day was 1,066 including 172 Atfal. This is the highest ever attendance on a Friday of the Ijtema. A total of 575 Khuddam and Atfal stayed overnight in Islamabad.

Second Day of the Ijtema The day started at 2:45am with Tahajjud followed by Fajr prayers at 3:45am. Around 400 people attended Tahajjud and 700 were present at the Fajr prayer. Breakfast was served at 7:30am onwards with registration starting at 8:00am.

The following academic competitions were held on the day; Paigham Risani, Prepared Speeches (English & Urdu), Hifz-eQur'an, Hifz-e-Hadith and Hifz-e-Adiya. Sports competitions were also held simultaneously along with Academics. The following sports competitions were held; Football, Cricket, Shot Put, 100m Sprint, long jump and weight lifting.

Lunch was served at 12:00pm and was followed by combined Zuhr and Asr Salaat at 2:00pm. Afterwards Sadr Majlis delivered an most inspiring speech on the topic of sacrifice which the Khuddam listened to with great attention. The speech is also available on MKA YouTube Channel.

At 3:15pm Beacon of Truth with MTA was held.

Simultaneously a horse riding session was also held. There was also a Woodlands skills exhibition for the Atfal. Following this at 6:00pm Hudur's [atba] address to Ladies was relayed live from Canada. The election for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association (AMSA) President was also held at the Ijtema Gah which was attended by University Students. Tahir Nasser of University College London received the highest votes and was subsequently approved by Sadr Majlis.

Respected Amir Jama'at UK, Rafiq Ahmad Hayat, performed the Flag hoisting after the live address from Canada. A Barbecue dinner was held in which many distinguished Jama'at guests were invited. All sixteen regions also had their own barbeque area and Khuddam enjoyed the food immensely.

Amir Sahib also had a separate meeting with Sadr Majlis, and regional Qaideen discussing the issues facing Khuddam and how best to resolve them.

Due to the popularity of the English Poetry session on Friday another session was held at 8:00 pm which was attended by almost 30 people. Maghrib and Ishaa Salaat were offered at 9:30 pm. Following this at 10:00 pm a discussion forum was held on general Islamic issues and was attended by about 40 people. The final event of the day was Introduction to the Night Sky at 11:00 pm that was attended by about 20 people.

The final registered attendance for the second day was 3070

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News & Events including 887 Atfal.

Third Day of the Ijtema The day started at 2:45 am with Tahajjud followed by Fajr prayer at 3:45 am. Around 400 people attended Tahajjud and 800 were present at the Fajr prayer. Dars on Nizam-e-Jama'at followed the prayers. Breakfast was served at 7:30 am onwards with registration starting at 8:00 am.

The following academic competitions were held on the day: Paigham Risani, Quiz, Adhan and Bait Baazi. Sports competitions were also held simultaneously along with Academics. The following sports competitions were held; Football, Cricket, Tug of War and Volley Ball.

Lunch was served at 12:00 pm and was followed by presentations made by various exhibitions in the main Gah including Review of Religions, Humanity First, MKA Research Association and IAAAE. Additionally throughout the three days of the Ijtema there were exhibits that engaged the Khuddam and Atfal— these included MKA Hiking Club, Ambulance service, MTA, Khuddam Mobile Apps, and exhibits by the regions. There was also a Maal desk which managed to highlight the importance of Khuddam and Ijtema chanda to all those who registered.

Combined Zuhr and Asr Salaat were offered at 2:00 pm which was followed by the closing session that was chaired by respected Amir Jama'at UK Rafiq Ahmad Hayat. The session opened with Tilawat & Translation followed by Khuddamul Ahmadiyya pledge and Nazm.

Sadr Majlis presented a brief report of the Ijtema which was followed by the prize ceremony. Winners of various academic and sport competitions as well as Khuddam and Atfal Alm-eInami winners were also given prizes. The Qiadat Alm-e-Inami was won by West Hill Qiadat followed by Mosque Qiadat.

And the anticipated wait was over when Muqami region was announced as the regional Alm-e-Inami. The second placed region was Tahir region. At the end of the closing session, Amir Jama'at UK delivered a speech before marking the end of the Ijtema with Dua. The closing registered attendance by 1 pm on Sunday was 3444 Khuddam and Atfal. Additionally the Ijtema hosted approximately 500 guests and under 7's.

By the Grace of Allah, the total attendance over three days at the Ijtema was, for the first time very near the 4,000 people mark. This year the increase in percentage attendance of Atfal and Khuddam was 3% to a total of 46.7% of the tajneed.

Severe bad weather was a challenge throughout the Ijtema but Alhamdolillah this did not hamper the work at all and with sheer grace of Allah, Huzur's [atba] prayers and the hard work put in by all Khuddam and Atfal, the Ijtema was immensely successful. The feedback from the Ijtema has been overwhelmingly positive.

I pray that next year we are able to improve and deliver another successful Ijtema for the Khuddam and Atfal of the UK.

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News & Events

English Poetry Session at National Ijtema Love for all, Hatred for none Rejoice, the Promised Messiah has come, With love for all, hatred for none, A sign from our Lord of the moon and sun, Chant love for all, hatred for none.

Recall as Elijah returned before, The spirit of Jesus he did bore He from those who joined us then, To revive the true Islam again.

Rejoice, the Promised Messiah has come, With love for all, hatred for none, A sign from our Lord of the moon and sun, Chant love for all, hatred for none.

He rose from the east fighting shadows of the west, The light of truth did he use in his quest, The greed of swine was blinded upon sight, The lies of the cross eroded by his might.

Rejoice, the Promised Messiah has come, With love for all, hatred for none, A sign from our Lord of the moon and sun, Chant love for all, hatred for none.

The might of his hand when armed with a pen, That pierced the hearts of kindred and ken, The love that flowed from every stroke, Its source the words our Holy Prophet spoke.

Rejoice, the Promised Messiah has come, With love for all, hatred for none, A sign from our Lord of the moon and sun, Chant love for all, hatred for none.

By Andreas Abdur Rahman Kafizas, Tahir Region

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News & Events

Thee alone do we worship & Thee alone do we beseech for help So this is the story of the acceptance of prayer, Often fictionalised by those who take no care.

We must stand and humble, our weak selves, Sitting or lying we must annihilate our selves.

Death is required in order to live, A life for a life is what we must give.

Open our hearts and just let things go!

Approaching the threshold is our ultimate goal.

"Quell the fire with your tears" is what Ahmad said, Water is the saviour for those who are dead.

Crying and weeping is a sign for things to come, More than that, Sincerity is what we must become!

The Greater Jihad is to focus in prayer, Stop thinking of others when our Beloved is here!

Draw down the favours of the heavenly light , With Darud Sharif you can often see His magical Might.

The signs that He is here are Wahi and ilham, Perhaps he’ll bring our hearts into tranquil calm?

These are personal, signs for those who can see, Cures us of the blindnesses and leprosy.

Certainty of faith, is lacking often, Yet we withdraw our hands at the hint of a python!

Become a Believer, take a taste of heaven, How can it be unless we go to the tavern?

Intoxicate ourselves with pure fermented wine, Become like Romeo to our Master, my Divine.

I pray that I can follow, You around righteously, So I become acceptable, in the realms of piety.

To wander this earth. Lost, thinking of You, Be prepared to shred my skin, if it pleases You. My life worthless! unless my will becomes Your Will, Be glad to wear the hangman’s noose for my Lover’s fill.

To know You as my treasure, what’s mine is Yours certainly, So that I give away my clothes to Your creatures happily.

To endure sleepless nights, serenading Your name, To only eat that on which I pronounce Your name.

Honour, is ours for a fleeting moment, The cause of so much pain and so much torment May it perish in the dust!

To be like gold we must melt in the fire, Purifying Kindler, YOU are my desire, my desire!

Do not give up, never ever tire, Keep on supplicating if you want to go higher.

Iyyaaka na'budu wa iyyaaka nasta-een This is the mantra of those with deen!

By Usman Khan, Tahir Region

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News & Events

God’s Favours are Plentiful You grew up in a society that was liberal and free Yet was taught from childhood the best rules to live by This held you in good stead for the rest of your life Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

Your beginnings were modest and your outlook was simple The lack of self-confidence made you appear quiet and shy Yet now all qualms and misgivings have completely disappeared Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

The world outside beckoned but it seemed too far and distant The landscapes in magazines were viewed with a sigh Yet now you have seen a good deal of this great Earth Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

The poverties in life and the plights of many people Where made plain to you in your travels and brought tears to the eye What little you had were such luxuries compared to others Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

When it came to life’s major decisions of career and marriage The doubts crept in on how to provide a financial supply The paths opened up and now you look back and marvel Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

The young lives of your children are a treasure to behold You watch them in wonder as time quietly slips by How perfectly formed they seem in your eyes Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

Where before it was difficult to even speak to a stranger However now you attend functions in suit and black tie The knot from your tongue has been eased and unloosed Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

Your fellow brothers have no less led eventful lives Experiences shared in the warm month of July You listen in awe at what good things have come from bad Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

Your Companions [ra_hum] are also likeminded and focused There are thousands of fellow brothers who would be your ally Your passions and ideas are shared by many others Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

The oath of allegiance holds you strongly together When the dark clouds gather it is raised like a battle cry An unshakeable bond through to your very being Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

Your whole life belongs to Him and so does all else From the moment you drew breath till when the sands of your time run dry Not one of your achievements has been made without His Hand Which then of the favours of your Lord will you now deny?

By Fahim Anwer, Baitul Noor Region

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News & Events

The Plight the Path I Chose Influenced by varying degrees of social structures.

My mind is infiltrated, soul becomes poisoned and heart begins to rupture.

As time goes by I am drawn into this network.

We stand together and our loved ones hurt.

Family become strangers, yet I'm unconcerned with these inevitable dangers.

When will I wake, and realise the difference between what is real and fake.

I have become governed by the evil that incites within, which has debated, reasoned, and rationalised the committing of sin?

I attempt to contemplate but from where do I begin.

So I ignore it and sleep. Tomorrow is another day, and this shall end in the same way.

The harsh reality is, I cheat myself and to my loved ones I lie.

Their concern and affection is insignificant, what matters is my high.

This is my reality and the norm is strange, but at the back of my mind lurks the idea of change.

Why is this so? Ah! To this the answer I know.

I chose the path I walk, engaged in idle talk.

This was my reality and it became my priority.

From this I never wanted to flee, as this made me, me.

But who was I before now, I think long and hard wiping the sweat from my brow.

That person is in the distant past and time has flown so, so fast.

How long can I allow this reality to last?

I have become lost in my own wonderland like Alice, and I continue to drink from this poisoned chalice.

Who is this man standing before me gazing into my soul, I see no love, no emotion, and no focus.

Slowly I become hopeless and soulless.

Controlled by the evil that incites within, I ponder how reformation begins.

I must break this mould; follow the rules that have been foretold.

Only through focus and discipline, can I eradicate sin.

To address this situation, I have gone through a process of self realisation.

The truth is embedded in my heart and the idea is conceived.

It has forced my mind to perceive.

The intention is pure so the action the body can achieve, This in turn enables the soul to become relieved!

Thus I must believe, every day I must fight to change my plight and this is now the path I chose.

By Omar Syed, North East Region

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News & Events

Silent and Smiling

Silent there he sat staring at the tiles, broken cold and bare... like the children and their smiles.

Silent he looked up to see a bright white light.

He saw the sun deep in his mind...

He was tied and couldnt make things right.

With each kick, his soul just shook.

A feeling he thought he'd never know... a prisoner holding to an oath he took, reciting through each blow.

Silent he lay trying not to swallow his own blood. remembering his mother who held him as long as she could.

Struggling to breath not wanting to go, without saying good bye, or seeing his baby grow.

Silent he took another boot in his side.

His soul now loose but bursting with pride.

Then he looked up only to see...

A gun to his head that would set him free.

He smiled and took a moment to say.

La Illaha Illa Allah Muhammed Arasullullah.

He closed his eyes and slept at ease...

Still smiling, still silent, with heavens keys.

By Nadeem Ahmad, Yorkshire Region

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News & Events

Annual MKA Research Association Conference 2012

By Tauseef Ahmad Khan Mohtamim Amoor-e-Tuluba Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK

T

he Annual MKA Research Association Conference 2012 was held at Darul Amaan Mosque, Manchester on Friday 24th, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th August 2012.

A total of 31 young enthusiastic Khuddam and 1 Tifl attended the conference. Eighteen Khuddam and one Tifl travelled from London to attend the conference. One Khadim came from The Netherlands to take part in this conference.

The conference started after Jumu’ah Salaat with a trip to Manchester University. The main academic part of the conference was inaugurated later in the evening at Darul Amaan Mosque with Tilawat of the Holy Qur’an by Ghalib Khan. Mohtamim Amoor-e-Tuluba Dr Tauseef Ahmad Khan welcomed all the attendees and said that everyone attending has come to sincerely serve the Holy Qur’an and therefore success is within their grasp.

The first talk was on ‘Dr Abdus Salam and Muslim Science’ by Umar Nasser, an Imperial College Medical student.

Afterwards the Chairman MKA Research Association Dr Naveed Malik gave a very thoughtful presentation on ‘How to Succeed in research and Higher Education’. After Dinner and Ishaa Salaat there was a light presentation where attendees were quizzed on science errors from various books and movies.

All the attendees stayed in the mosque and attended all the congregational prayers.

On Saturday after Fajr and breakfast there were two talks by distinguished guests Dr Jalil Miyan, Senior Lecturer at University of Manchester and Dr Ata Khalid, Senior Lecturer at University of Glasgow.

Tauseef Khan, post-doc at University College London, gave a talk on Honeybees and discussed the importance of this amazing insect from the Holy Qur’an and Ahadith. There were so many questions from the attendees that the presentation had to be continued after Zuhr Salaat.

Rizwan Safir, a student of Archaeology from Reading University, gave a talk on ‘Archaeology and Holy Qur’an’ which was enjoyed by all and many were very impressed by the potential for research in this field. Rizwan said that the discovery of the Noah’s Ark can potentially be the most important in the field of Archaeology and the Holy Qur’an has already given us signs that it is most probably in the Dead Sea. After lunch a discussion session on Evolution was led by Dr Adeel Bajwa. This session was more than 2 hours long in which

many aspects of Evolutionary theory that Richard Dawkins presents to refute God was discussed in great detail. Even after the time finished, many small groups formed and the attendees kept on discussing various aspects of Natural selection, survival of the fittest and how the Holy Qur’an supports evolution but Tariq Magazine October 2012

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News & Events which is not blind but guided. Many attendees afterwards said that they learnt a lot in this session and many such sessions should be held in the future.

After Asr Salaat and A barbecue, which was kindly arranged by the North West region, a plane making session was held.

Foaad Tahir, a Cambridge Engineering graduate, presented the physics behind gliders and planes and then explained how the project would work. Four teams were given packaging foam, two balloons, a water bottle, and some pins to make a flying plane. This was a most exciting session with all teams making various designs and testing their make-shift aerodynamic planes. One team named its plane the ‘Honey Bee’. At the end of the 3 hour session the planes were flown in controlled conditions and the team won which flew the furthest but with most weight. The ‘Honey Bee’ plane, while the best in test runs, failed miserably in the final flight as it came crashing down after two feet. One team tried to pass off a crude plastic bottle with a balloon attached as the latest and greatest in fighter jet technology. While this ‘bottle plane’ did fly the furthest, the team was disqualified for not playing in the spirit of the contest. In this session many learnt team building skills and the importance of Engineering in making planes.

After Ishaa a 3 hour marathon session was held to discuss atheists’ arguments against the Existence of God and how to refute them. Anas Rana, a PhD student from the The Netherlands, led this session. The discussion was very helpful and many attendees gave their personal experiences and then the whole group discussed how to answer the questions. The concept of ‘Argument from Design, ‘God of the Gaps’, ‘Physical laws and Miracles’, ‘Rationality and logic’ were discussed in detail. Many attendees felt that they now understood these concepts much better and were more ready to face the atheists.

On Sunday, the whole group went outside Manchester to do abseiling and ghyll scrambling. The whole day outdoor activity was invigorating after two days of very heavy academic discussions. The most exciting bits were front abseiling and climbing up a very tall waterfall through the water (with safety harness of course).

By the grace of Allah, the MKA Research Association Annual Conference 2012 was a great success and the Khuddam truly felt that they worked towards fulfilling the words of the Holy Qur’an: “Indeed in the creation of the Heavens and of the earth, and in the alternation of the night and of the day, are there signs for men of understanding. They who, standing, sitting or reclining, bear Allah in mind and reflect on the creation of the Heavens and of the earth, saying: ‘O our Lord! You have not created this in vain; nay, Holy art Thou; save us, then, from the punishment of the Fire.’” Surah al-Imran (Ch.3:V.191-192.”

May Allah accept our humble efforts. [ameen].

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5 Did You Know Types of Items to Stock During Difficult Times • Wheat flour • Rice • Different types of grains including pulses (daal) • Dried fruits and Nuts like Dates, raisins, peanuts and almonds • Cooking Oil, Salt & Spices • Canned food like Vegetables, Tuna Fish, cheese etc.

• Camping stove - Kerosene cooking stove and 180 litres of fuel.

• Dry batteries • First Aid Kit • Personal Hygiene Items • Supply of Medicines & Vitamins • Flashlights/Light sticks & Torches, • Batteries (all sizes) • Charcoal, Lig33hter Fluid • Candles • Matches "Strike Anywhere" preferred • Seasoned Firewood.

• Kitchen Supply • Water Containers filled with water (One month supply) • Water Filters/Purifiers • Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks) • Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.

• Walkie Talkies (Ham Radio) • Plastic Tapes, Ropes and ties.

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Did You Know

Two young researchers first insight into beekeeping

By Azhaar Ashraf and Tauseef Khan Introduction

Two young Ahmadi researchers, Tauseef Khan (MBBS, PHD) and Azhaar Ahmad Ashraf (BSC, MRES) went on an exciting beekeeping course that took place in the Morden Hall Park on 9th and 10th June, 2012. The course comprised of lectures on basic bee keeping in the mornings followed by a visit to the Apiary with hands on activities at the beehives. This fascinating course involved the examination of a beehive and its structure, health and safety with particular emphasis on personal protective equipment for example using a bee suit, smoker and hive tools, handson experience of opening a beehive under supervision and removing frames for inspection, identifying the casts of honey bees and recognising brood and stores (e.g. honey, nectar, pollen, queen, drones).

Our interest in honeybees stemmed from the Holy Qur'an, a source of complete guidance for mankind.

The Holy Qur'an says:

And thy Lord has inspired the bee, saying, 'Make thou houses in the hills and the trees and in the trellises which they build.’ ‘Then eat of every kind of fruit, and follow the ways of thy Lord that have been made easy for thee.’ There comes forth from their bellies a drink of varying hues. Therein is cure for men. Surely, in that is a Sign for a people who reflect. (Ch.16:V.69-70) The design of God’s nature is truly immaculate in that of all insects that pervade the world, the Almighty God has chosen the honeybee, an insect fly, to be the recipient of his revelation.

Due to this exalted status, the honeybee becomes supreme in the entire world of insects and becomes a source of healing and cure, unlike other insects which carry and transmit disease.

Therefore, a close study of this amazing creature to understand its behaviour is

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warranted. The present article will briefly review the workings of a beehive and the role of honeybees in maintaining its proper functioning.

The Queen

Honeybees create elaborate nests known as hives containing around 20,000 honeybees during the summer period whilst domestic hives may accommodate upto 80,000 bees. Honeybees work together in a strikingly structured social order and can be divided into three types; the Queen, female workers and male drones. There is only one queen per hive and her main purpose is to lay eggs throughout her lifetime of upto five years. The queen is the only fertile female in the colony and can lay around 1,500 eggs a day. She lays two different sorts of eggs, fertilised eggs which usually end up as female workers but can end up as queens dependent on the diet they are fed, and unfertilised eggs which end up as drones. Specifically, the drone eggs are laid in drone cells that are slightly larger compared to the worker cells.

Supposedly, before the queen lays eggs into the cells, she measures the size of them with her feelers and decides which type she should lay. The second function of the queen is to produce ‘queen substance’ on the surface of her body. The worker bees licks this substance off in the grooming process, and in the normal food sharing the substance is passed from one bee to another. The quantities that each bee receives are minute but of paramount importance in maintaining cohesion of the colony in that it appears to inhibit the impulse to swarm (an urge to leave one colony and settle as a new one). As we discovered at the beehive in the Apiary, the queens can be difficult to spot despite being considerably larger than the workers. Most beekeepers once they spot the queen amidst some thirty thousand or more honeybees mark the queen with a dot of quick drying paint on her thorax to enable her to be found easily on later occasions.

Workers

The worker bees are the predominant honeybees in the hive and are present throughout of the year, although their numbers wax and wane. Workers are in essence incomplete females that have lost their ability to lay eggs, and instead have developed other specialized functions. Depending on their age, workers clean and remove debris from the hive, feed the brood (the young bees), feed and groom the queen, produce wax, build comb, collect and store nectar, pollen and propolis, guard the hive, fetch and distribute water and regulate the temperature of the hive.

Drones

Drones are the only males in the hive who virtually do no work at all yet play a vital role for expanding of the hive.

The drones are exclusively looked after completely by workers, even being fed by them. The sole function of the males is to mate with a virgin queen and as soon as it fulfils its purpose, it dies shortly afterwards. The eyes of the drone are noticeably bigger than other types of bees and this helps them to spot the queens. Interestingly, drones left at the end of the season are considered nonessential and are kicked out of the hive resulting in their demise.

Bee hive

Although many bee hives are in existence, the most commonly used model today is the Langstroth Hive. The function of hives is to provide shelter and living space for bees whilst making it easier to harvest honey. With the discovery of hives, it is possible to influence how bees built their combs by adjusting the amount of space between building surface, this area is referred to as the bee space. This space allows bees to move around, care for the young, build new honey combs and produce honey. The recommended amount of space between the honey comb layers is between ¼ inch and 5/16 inch. The hives on general

Did You Know

utilize a multi-layered structure and removable frames to encourage bees to build their hives in a specific, orderly fashion and also to make it easier to harvest honey. From the bottom up, the layers are as follows: • The bottom board on which the rest of the hive rests • The hive body, made from a box called super, where the queen lays her eggs and the workers are involved with upbringing of the brood.

• A queen excluder, a mesh that the queen cannot fit through, which prevents the queen from laying eggs in the honey cells • Shallow supers, which are about half of the depth of the hive body, in which the bees store their honey Briefly, to harvest the honey, a beekeeper removes the framed combs from the shallow supers and centrifuges (spin them) in the honey extractor. This removes the honey from the comb while leaving the structure intact. It takes approximately 20 pounds of honey to

make a pound of honey of beeswax for the hive, reusing combs effectively allows beekeepers to harvest more honey.

From a scientific perspective, the most important quality of bees is their ability to produce honey along with other products they utilize e.g. propolis, royal jelly et cetera in making of the hive, and these have been demonstrated to possess curative properties. This is consistent with the Holy Qur’an where it was revealed to mankind that in honey is a cure for mankind.

Some interesting Honeybee Facts There are more than 20,000 species of bees in the world, but only four of them produce honey. Honeybee is the only insect that produces food eaten by man.

A single honeybee worker produces about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.

A hive of bees will fly 90,000 miles, the equivalent of three orbits around the earth to collect 1 kg of honey.

It takes one ounce of honey to fuel a

bee's flight around the world.

A honey bee visits 50 to 100 flowers during a collection trip.

Honeybees have 6 legs, 2 compound eyes made up of thousands of tiny lenses (one on each side of the head), 3 simple eyes on the top of the head, 2 pairs of wings, a nectar pouch, and a stomach.

Honeybees have 170 odorant receptors, compared with only 62 in fruit flies and 79 in mosquitoes. Their sense of smell was so precise that it could differentiate hundreds of different floral varieties and tell whether a flower carried pollen or nectar from metres away.

A honeybee can fly for up to six miles, and as fast as 15 miles per hour.

When flying, a honeybee will beat its wings about 180 times per second According to fossil records, bees first appeared on earth about 150 million years ago Honeybees never sleep

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39

Did You Know

Are routine check-ups for men really necessary?

by DiscoveryHealth.com writers

O

ne of the many questions being asked about medical care these days is whether the routine check-up really keeps you healthy.

The value of check-ups and their frequency depends mainly on your age and gender. Your personal and family medical history are also important.

roid, lymph nodes, prostate and rectum) • Dental exam

Every 1-2 Years • Height/weight measurements • Blood Pressure check

The following exams, measurements and lab tests help identify treatable problems early. For many medical conditions, early treatment can help prevent more serious problems.

• Stool sample check for blood

If you have any ongoing health problems you will probably need to see your provider more often. These schedules should be used for "well care."

• Cholesterol check

In addition to seeing the health care provider regularly, you should try to maintain your weight at a comfortable, health level and do frequent physical activity or get regular exercise.

The recommendations listed below are based on guidelines developed by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the U.S. Preventative Health Task Force. They are guidelines for how often you should get routine check-ups by your health care provider:

MEN 18-39 YEARS OLD: Every Year

• Dental exam

Every 2-3 Years

• Blood pressure, height and weight measurements, and brief physical

Every 5 Years

• Vision and glaucoma check

Every 3-5 Years • Blood sugar check • Sigmoidoscopy after age 50 for colon cancer

MEN OVER 65 YEARS OLD: Every Year

• Sigmoidoscopy for colon cancer

• Blood pressure check

What Immunizations Do You Need?

• Physical exam for cancers (skin, thyroid, lymph nodes, prostate and rectum) • Stool sample check for blood

As an adult you should have the following shots: • Influenza every year

• Dental exam

• Tetanus booster at least every 10 years for lockjaw

Every 1-3 Years • Thyroid hormone check

Pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine at age 65

• Blood count

Should You Have a PSA Test?

• Cholesterol check • Blood sugar check

MEN 40-65 YEARS OLD:

• Hearing check

Every Year • Physical exam for cancer (skin, thy-

• Vision and Glaucoma check

Tariq Magazine October 2012

Every 3-5 Years

• Height/weight measurements

• Cholesterol check

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• Lab tests or urine sample

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a blood test that can be helpful in detecting prostate cancer. There is some controversy, however, about the value of the PSA test and whether is should be done routinely for men over a certain age. Ask your health care provider whether he/she recommends a PSA in your specific situation.

Did You Know

Archaeology and the Qur’an — A brief Introduction

By Rizwan Safir

T

he field of archaeology exists to understand human development and history through our material remains. At times the archaeologist resembles the role of a detective, piecing together the story, the motive, the purpose behind why a particular piece of pottery or stone or bone or whatever it may be was found where it was, when it was, how it was etc. I recall once participating in an excavation in the remote island of Islay in western Scotland, ploughing my way through layer after layer of thick, sludgy, slimy silt in freezing temperatures with my knee deep in mud, increasingly torrential rainfall and rapidly losing the will to live, only to seemingly find nothing. It turned out the post-excavation process of flotation, sieving and sorting had unearthed a microscopic charred seed remain which, when radiocarbon dated, brought back the date of this particular site to over 1,000 years than had previously been estimated, consequently causing a re-evaluation of the entire site. The clues are often subtle, but nonetheless they remain evident.

The Qur’an, as with many other religious scriptures, lays claim to several events pertaining to human history. These are more often than not events or episodes in which the insurmountable power of God has been manifest upon a particular civilisation as a sign of punishment for their wrongdoings. Some of these episodes are explicitly mentioned, others are subtly mentioned but nonetheless evident. The archaeological ‘detective’ is therefore required to decipher and decode the wonderful treasures which rest within. Archaeology—particularly over the past century where the subject has evolved into a profession in its own right—has supported in substantiating the frequent historical episodes which are mentioned in the Qur’an. No doubt it will continue to do so, as the remit of an archaeologist is to explore the entirety of the human past.

One such example which finds itself

repeatedly mentioned in the Qur’an is the destruction of ‘Ad and Thamud’.

It is written, (Ch.41:V.14) ‘But if they turn away, then say: ‘I warn you of a destructive punishment like the punishment which overtook ‘Ad and Thamud.’ The city of Ad as mentioned in the Qur’an (Ch.89:V.8) is referred to as Iram Dhat Al-'Imad (Iram of the columns) “the like of whom have not been created in these parts”. The city was a powerful one, excelling over their contemporary nations in material means and resources. Whilst some schools of thought regard Iram as a city either identified with Damascus or Alexandria, the prevailing assumption had settled on its geographic location to be in the southern Arabian Peninsula, within Yemen. Nonetheless, in 1992, NASA agreed to undertake satellite imagery of the region only to unveil a remarkable series of photographs which uncovered the remains of an entire city like plan, complete with extensive trading routes, all of which were almost entirely invisible to the naked eye and had very little by way of material remains. What had before been dismissed by western scholars as ‘Bedouin legend’, had now thrust itself very much to the forefront of archaeological debate. The Qur’an had made the entire account abundantly clear, it required the investigation and persistence of the archaeologist to finally unveil the inevitable.

This is but one example. There remains a limitless supply of investigation which the Qur’an has left for us to explore.

The evidence is there, it is simply a matter of time before further examples come to light. Nonetheless a thorough examination and backing from the field of archaeology is necessary to accelerate the speed of discovery. It is rather unfortunate that despite some of the world’s first civilisations and world’s most famous monuments residing within countries which have predominately Muslim populations, it is the foreign intervention from Western academic institutions that has brought the archaeology of the

Middle East into much greater standing and acclaim. Muslim archaeologists remain in worryingly short supply.

Dramatic improvements have been made over the past 50 or so years with dedicated archaeological courses being taught in universities in the Middle East (universities in Jordan and Egypt provide excellent facilities and courses).

Nonetheless, this shortfall is evident.

Personally, I have yet to meet a single Muslim archaeology student from the UK, despite taking part in numerous excavations with various universities around the world. What makes things worse is that historical accounts within religious scriptures, more or less, are dismissed by the archaeological community as pseudo-archaeological pursuits or seen as religious delusion.

That aside, what is clear is that the events detailed in the Qur'an will, no doubt, surface at some point or another, reinforcing the sanctity of the Qur'an and reiterating its validity. The gardens of Eden, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra and the discovery of Noah’s Ark are all awaiting unveiling. These are but some amongst countless examples of which the Qur'an has mentioned in detail. It would be fitting, therefore, if it were Muslim archaeologists, or rather Ahmadi archaeologists, that led this campaign.

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41

Did You Know

Camping

A

s you approach the campsite entrance, the excitement begins and your heart beats a little faster. Don't get too excited yet, there's still the matter of checking in, picking out a site, and setting up camp.

Checking In

When you first arrive at the campsite you'll want to stop at the campsite office and check in. Identify yourself to the campsite hosts, and tell them whether you have a reservation or not. They'll have you fill out a registration form and state the number of campers, how long you intend to stay. While registering, ask to drive through the campsite to pick out a site. Tell them this is your first time here, and you want to see what's available. The office may have a map so that you can see the different areas of the campsite.

If you have any location preferences, like close to the bathroom and showers, or next to the lake, or away from RVs, ask the attendants. This is also a good time to ask some questions about campsite rules, quiet hours, garbage disposal areas, emergency contacts, ranger patrols (good to know if you're camping alone), or whatever else comes to mind.

Preparing Your Campsite

You've finally arrived at the campsite, and you're scoping out the area to see which spot looks best for setting up your campsite. What should you be looking for?

Look for relatively high, level ground

There is some truth to the saying "high and dry." Pick a spot to set up your tent where it is elevated from the ground around it. In a storm, rain will flow away from your tent, rather than under it.

You should never set up your tent on a slope, or you'll find yourself rolling out of your sleeping bag all night. So avoid campsites in low areas.

Check for a water source nearby

Water is essential for camping. You'll need it for all your drinking, cooking, and cleaning up. When choosing a campsite, check to see how far it is to the nearest

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water source. You don't want to have to walk far with a five-gallon container.

Find an adequate area for cooking

Don't ever cook in your tent. Most campsites have a grill and picnic table.

For cook stoves, locate a flat area away from any leaves, twigs, or brush that may catch fire. And never leave an unattended campfire burning.

Pick another area for cleaning

campsites typically have cleaning stations and water faucets. Please don't use bathrooms or drinking fountains to do your dishes. Don't kill the flora with hot, soapy water. Use bio-degradable soap, and only gray water in designated areas or where it will do no harm.

Find the garbage cans

Always keep a clean campsite. Collect all litter and keep it gathered away from your tent in a location out of reach of any of the local critters or pests. It's a good idea to bring plenty of plastic garbage bags and change them daily.

Pick a campsite with some shade

It's nice to have a shady spot to relax in during the heat of the day or while hanging out at the campsite. But as a word of caution, don't set your tent up under trees when it's likely to rain. Not only are you a target for lightning strikes, but you'll also get rained on long after the storm has stopped.

Time for Recreation

After setting up the campsite it's time to go do what you came here to do, go play.

Now is the time to enjoy doing whatever it is that you like to do. Too many campers, I included, seeing the campsite set up and smelling the country air is a refreshing change from all of the confines of the city. I like to take this time to just sit down, get something cold to drink, and relax a spell. It's usually around this time too that the thought goes through my mind, "what did I forget to bring?"

It never fails, there's always something useful that gets left behind, like a bottle

opener, or the clothes line, or something.

More Campsite Tips Keep a checklist Itemise your gear and all the essentials that you use while camping. Depending on when and where you like to camp and what you like to do, the list will be ever changing. But most importantly use it.

Plan meal times Whether it's just two of you or the whole family, let everyone know when it’s meal time before they run off to play.

Meals take more time to prepare at the campsite, but it's also one of the chores that everyone seems to want to help out with.

Keep a clean campsite After meals do a thorough job of cleaning the dishes and the eating area, and put all trash in appropriate containers. Never leave food unattended at the campsite because critters will make quick use of it and usually leave quite a mess in the process.

Observe campsite rules campsite rules, which are usually posted near the campsite entrance, were made so that everyone can enjoy the campsite.

It only takes one camper from hell to ruin it for everyone else. Be a good neighbour.

Take a late night walk Check out the stars, listen to the silence, smell the fresh air. It doesn't get any better than this. All good things sooner or later come to an end, and the same goes for camping. This is a short but important lesson. There are two important things to learn: don't leave anything behind, and don't leave a messy campsite.

Breaking Camp

When it comes to the time to pack it up and head back to our other lives, consider these tips before departing:

Stow your gear

Use a whisk broom and/or rags to wipe off gear as you stow it. Try to pack your gear as you had it when you came to the

Did You Know

campsite. It's also a good idea to separate dirty clothes so that they will be ready to be washed when you arrive home.

Shelter and Bedding (optional)

Books, Cot ,Comforter, Throw rug and Pillow

Check the cooler

Cooking and Dining Dispose of any food wastes, empty out (essentials) excess water, and replenish the ice, as needed, for the trip home.

Water, Food, Cooler, Camp stove, Mess kit, Can opener and Charcoal

Dowse the campfire

Cooking and Dining (extras)

Make sure the campfire is out. Dowse the area with the excess water from your cooler or another source.

Gather all trash

To state it simply, leave no trace.

Police the area

A broom and a leaf rake come in handy for grooming the campsite and gathering up the last of any litter. Always leave your campsite cleaner than you found it.

Take a potty break

Before leaving, take advantage of this opportunity to take a final bathroom break and to wash up a bit.

Take a final walk around

Time for one last check. Walk around your vehicle and look around the campsite to see if anything was missed.

Below is a camping checklist of essential and optional camping gear to consider packing for your next camping trip.

Use the print version to tailor your own camping checklist.

Shelter and Bedding (essentials)

Tent, Tarp, Sleeping bag, Sleeping pad and Headrest

Charcoal chimney, Smoker, Dutch oven, Hot dog sticks, Pie irons, Folding chairs, Folding table, Table cloth, Butane lighter, Screen room and chuck box

Chuck Box Items

Salt, Pepper, Herbs, Spices, Cooking oil, Pot holders, Paper towels, Napkins, Plastic trash bags, Tongs, Spatula, Aluminium foil, Measuring cups, Plastic silverware, Paper plates/bowls, Plastic cups, Zip lock bags, Knives, Cutting board, Cork screw, Personal medication, Bandages, Aspirin, Tylenol, Medical tape, Sterile gauze, Elastic wrap, Antibiotic wipes, Antiseptic cream, Burn ointment, Sunburn lotion and Hydrogen peroxide

Personal Hygiene

Tooth brush, Tooth paste, Wash rag(s) Towel(s), Soap, Comb/brush, Nail clippers, Razor and Toilet paper

Cleaning Items

Broom, Dust pan, Whisk broom, Lawn rake, Dish pan, Detergent, Dish rags and Pot scrubber

Clothes

T-shirts, Shorts, Jeans/pants, Socks, Shoes/boots, Camp shoes, Hat/cap,

Sweater, Rain poncho, Underwear, Swim suit and Laundry bag

Miscellaneous Items

Binoculars, Bird guide, Bug spray, bungee cords, Camera, Candles, Cards, games, Cell phone, Clothes pins, Compass, Duct tape, Fishing gear, Flashlight, Frisbee, GPS, kites, knife, Lantern,Matches, Pen, Paper, Rope, Shower bag, Sun block Tools, Water filters, Whistle

First Aid Camping Kit

You've arrived at the campsite and sent the kids off to the playground while you set up camp. It's during these early moments at the campsite that we tend to get excited and somewhat prone to those little mishaps, like scrapes and minor cuts, while moving all the gear and setting up equipment. So be prepared for camping accidents with a well-stocked first aid kit.

The well-stocked first aid kit contains: Bandages, Gauze of various sizes, Antiseptic creams and ointments, Sterile wipes and rinse solutions, Pain medicine, Tweezers, Scissors, knife, Sunburn relief spray, Anti- diarrhoea medicine So what kind of accidents should one anticipate while camping? Well, there are always the occasional cuts, scrapes, and scratches. We're playing outdoors now, and common camping chores can be hazardous. Hiking through brush, thorn bushes, or cactus; cooking outdoors or around campfires; and exposing ourselves to the elements and insects are just some examples of the outdoor activities that require our attention. Be prepared!

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Did You Know

To remedy cuts, scrapes, and scratches, include a variety of bandages, and also have some antiseptic swipes and antibiotic cream on hand. Hydrogen peroxide comes in handy for washing out cuts, and a saline solution is a great relief for washing out eyes should you happen to sit too close to a campfire and get ashes or cinders in them. Q-tips and liquid pain relief solution come in handy for bug bites or small cuts and scratches. Tweezers come in handy for removing thorns and splinters, and scissors or a knife will help to cut tape and bindings. Don't forget Tylenol and aspirin for headaches and internal pain relief, and for intestinal problems include some Imodium or other anti-diarrhoea medicine. Other items to consider might be sunburn relief spray, preferably an Aloe Vera solution, Chapstick for the lips, zinc oxide for skin protection, burn cream, and where appropriate, a snakebite kit.

As a final tip, be sure to check your first aid kit annually and replenish any exhausted or outdated medicines and supplies. And don't forget to always take a well-stocked first aid kit whenever you go camping.

Camping Gear

What 10 items of camping gear would you put on your checklist? Based on over 2000 survey results, here are what fellow campers consider essential camping gear - food, sleeping bag, tent, water, first aid kit, flashlight, knife, clothes, lantern, and stove.

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1. Food

You got to eat, right? Choose from hundreds of great outdoor recipes that have been submitted by fellow campers.

2. Sleeping Bag

To make a bed at the campsite, you'll need a sleeping bag. They come in various shapes and use different materials for insulation. The type of camping you do will determine what type of sleeping bag you'll need.

3. Tent

When camping, a tent is your shelter from the weather. Tents come in many shapes, sizes, and styles, so be sure to shop around to find one that suits your needs.

4. Water

We need water for everything, but most importantly we need it to live. So be sure to have plenty of drinking water available.

If you're getting water from a campsite source, you may need to sterilize it first.

Boiling works, but you may prefer to also use a portable water filter.

5. First Aid Kit

Don't go camping without it!

6. Flashlight

If you need to get up and go to the bathroom during the night, you'll probably need a flashlight to see your way. There are plenty made specifically for outdoor use. Shop around.

7. Knife

Of all the tools you could use at the campsite, a good pocket or utility knife will likely be the most versatile. Here are some tips on knife handling safety.

8. Rain Gear

Unless you are going to a clothing optional campsite, remember to bring along adequate clothing for any weather that you're likely to encounter. That means a complete change of clothes, should the ones you're wearing get wet.

One item that always comes in handy is a rain jacket.

9. Lantern

Don't stumble around the campsite in the dark. Get a lantern. They're not expensive, and lantern fuel is readily available.

10. Camp Stove

This is another inexpensive item that uses the same fuels as lanterns. Unless you're adept at cooking over a wood fire, or you just like eating cold foods, you'll need a stove to cook.

Did You Know

Servicing Your Car service checklist is often provided within the vehicle’s servicing and guarantee documents. Use it as a guide but be prepared to make your own version, should you decide to service your car at home. Maintenance is required either after a certain mileage or time period has elapsed, whichever occurs first.

A

and, possibly, the water pump. Some car makers were over-ambitious about the replacement intervals and may have revised their schedules.

Certain maintenance procedures in the official service checklist, such as engine oil changes, can be carried out more regularly and can be beneficial to the car.

Many motor engineers recommend that earlier servicing intervals can be more appropriate.

Antifreeze / Coolant’s anti-corrosion properties diminish with time, necessitating replacement every two years. Some long-life coolants (which should, generally, not be used on pre1985 cars) extend this period to five years.

On top of the regular safety inspections, which all motorists should carry out to items such as lamps, tyres and windscreen-wipers, most carmakers stipulate that the following operations be carried out during a routine service:

Fuel Filters often need replacing at least once a year, although many manufacturers recommend a much longer interval.

• Engine oil and oil filter replacement

Brake Fluid absorbs water, which can reduce braking efficiency. Unless synthetic brake fluid is used, it should be renewed every two years.

Spark Plugs - Use good-quality long-life replacements and inspect the condition of the ignition coil(s) and leads (if fitted).

• Engine coolant strength check

Sensors, such as engine electrical sensors, air-mass sensors or oxygen/Lambda sensors, are not considered to be service items but they do degrade with time and often need replacing after 5-10 years.

• Brake fluid check

Preparing to service your car

• Air conditioning pollen filter replacement

• Visual inspection of the suspension components, including wheels

Servicing operations and intervals vary greatly between makes and model of car, so you are advised to consult the manufacturer’s service checklist carefully.

For advice on specific procedures, invest in a good-quality workshop manual.

• Check for the condition and tension of driving belts (except timing belt)

Should you elect to DIY service your car, take the following precautions:

• Check battery fluid level (in the case of non-sealed batteries)

Drain engine oil, when it is warm.

Obtain a new filter and seal, plus a new washer for the sump plug. Wear latex gloves, when handling engine oil, and dispose of it at an approved household waste site.

• Visual inspection of the braking system

Add the following items to your service checklist, too.

They may not require annual attention but they will need either inspection or replacement during the car’s life.

Timing/cam belts require routine replacement, including their tensioners

Animals and children are attracted by antifreeze’s sweet aroma and accidental ingestion can cause rapid kidney failure, so store it safely.

Should you service your car at home and venture beneath it, ensure that it is supported with axle stands.

Brake fluid is an effective paint-stripper, so keep it away from your car’s bodywork.

Buying spare parts

Should you decide to service your car, buy good quality spare parts; to do otherwise is false economy. Stick to the viscosity and quality of oil that is recommended in the service checklist. The technical jargon on the rear of an oil can is more important than any fancy labelling.

Never presume that the most modern oil is better for an elderly vehicle; it could cause expensive harm.

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6 Articles Lawa-e-Ahmadiyyat

By, Dr Tauseef Khan, Mohtamim Amoor-e-Tulabah MKA UK

T

he history of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya is a long and glorious chapter in the history of Islam. One of the glorious chapters pertains to Lawa-e-Ahmadiyyat, otherwise known as the standard (flag) of Ahmadiyyat.

Lawa-e-Ahmadiyyat was first hoisted by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] on 28th December 1939 on the occasion of 25 years (Silver Jubilee) of the Khilafat of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra]. The seeds for the cotton used for its cloth were sowed, harvested and made into cloth by Companions [ra_hum] of the Promised Messiah [as].

The colour of the flag is black, its length 18 feet and width 9 feet. On the centre of the flag is the Minaratul Masih and on either side are the Badr (Full Moon) and Hilal (Crescent Moon).

Hadhrat Musleh Maud [ra] stated during the address at this Jalsa that a flag is supported by traditions of the Holy Prophet [saw] and during battles it was considered an important part. Therefore if a flag can be made essential for Muslims at the time of Holy Prophet [saw] why can it not be made essential for Muslims fighting for the cause of Islam through the powerful arguments of the Holy Qur’an. And rather than a flag be created by a future king it is important that it is founded by the Companions [ra_hum] and Promised Khilafat of the Promised Messiah [as].

During the same address at the Silver Jubilee Jalsa Salana, Huzur [ra] asked everyone present to repeat a pledge. The last words of the pledge read: “I pledge with the help of Allah...I shall be prepared to offer any sacrifice to uphold the dignity of this flag and to ensure it remains hoisted above all other flags” The specific instructions of guarding the Lawa-e-Ahmadiyyat were also given. These were: Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya should provide 12 individuals for its security whilst it is hoisted.

And when in storage it should be kept under lock and key.

Just before the Lawa-e-Ahmadiyyat was being hoisted for the very first time Huzur [ra] asked everyone to recite ‘Rabana takabal minna innaka anta samee-ul aleem’ Obviously now, many Lawa-e-Ahmadiyyat, replicating the original, have spread all over the world and at the beginning of every Jalsa, this flag is hoisted.

In March 2006 Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V [atba] issued precise instructions to Amirs (Umara) and again later in

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February 2008 when Huzur [atba] made the following further clarifications: 1) In future please note that whenever and wherever the flag of Ahmadiyyat is raised there should be a minimum 12 Khuddam present on duty and where this number is not available, 5 Khuddam would be considered adequate.

2) There should not be a single moment when it is left unprotected and nor should it ever be allowed to fall. [alhamd] in keeping to the traditions of Jama’at, Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK during its Jalsa Salana has been continuing to ensure these guidelines have been fully adhered. In 2010 a separate Nizamat Flags was created within the Office of Khidmat-e-Khalq whose only responsibility was to ensure the safe guarding of Lawa-e-Ahmadiyyat.

Sources 1. Tarikh Ahmadiyyat. Vol 7. Pages 581 - 586 2. Ishaat Department, Majlis Khuddumul Ahmadiyya UK

7 Books of the Promised Messiah [as] In every issue of Tariq Magazine, we reproduce introductions to some of the Books of the Promised Messiah [as] from “An Introduction to the Hidden Treasures of Islam” compiled by Syed Hasanat Ahmad.

Books of the Promised Messiah [as] in English and Urdu as well as audio and print format are available from:

www.alislam.org/ books Dafi‘ul- Bala’ Wa Mi‘yaro Ahlil-Istifa’ (Defence Against The Plague And A Criterion For The Elect Of God) Background The Promised Messiah [as] wrote this book on April 1902, at a time when Punjab was in grip of severe plague. He mentioned many of his revelations that he had about plague. The Promised Messiah [as] writes: It is my sign that any opponent of mine, whether he lives in Amroh, or in Amrtitsar, Delhi or Calcutta, Lahore, Golra or Batala, if he swears that his own place will remain safe from plaque, then this very place would be hit by plague, as he had been rude to God. (Dafi‘ul-Bala’ Wa Mi‘yaro Ahlil-Istifa’, p. 18, Ruhani Khaza’in, v. 18, p. 238). The plague broke out in the Punjab in its full fury in 1902. How intensely the plague had entrenched itself in the Punjab , the Promised Messiah [as] gave a pen-picture of the calamity in his letter to Seth ‘Abdur Rahman that he wrote on April 3, 1902. The plague was taking a heavy toll. About 20,000 people were dying of plague every week. All areas outside the radius of two miles around Qadian were contaminated with this calamitous disease. Qadian stood like a boat in the whole region.

Quick Facts Title: Daaafi‘ul-Balaaa’ Wa Mi‘yaaaro Ahlil-Istifa’ Title (English): Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God Pages: 18 Volume: 14 Book Number: 3 Progressive Number: 67 Language: Urdu Year written: 1902 Year printed: 1902 Press: Diya’ul-Islam Press, Qadian

The Book It was against this background that the Promised Messiah [as] undertook to write this famous book, Dafi‘ul-Bala’ Wa Mi‘yaro Ahlil-Istifa’. In the book, the Promised Messiah [as] Tariq Magazine October 2012

47

Books of the Promised Messiah [as] recalled the revelations that he had received about its spread at a time when the disease first broke out in Bombay. The Promised Messiah [as] was frank and candid. He declared that it was a Divine punishment. The plague had broken out because the people condemned and abused the Messiah sent by God as a reformer. The Messiah’s opponents had left no stone unturned in harassing him and went to the extent of conspiring to murder him. It has been foretold in the old scriptures that at the time of advent of the Messiah, a plague would break out. The only effective defence against 307 the plague was to accept the Promised Messiah [as] with a pure and honest heart and bring a change in their lives. The Promised Messiah [as] declared with a conviction of a prophet that this plague however long it might linger on, even for 70 years, Qadian would remain safe from the vagaries of its ravages. The Promised Messiah [as] issued a daring challenge to the heads of all faiths, stating with a majesty that comes only to a Divine reformer that Qadian would stand out as a place untouched by plague, he invited the leaders of all faiths to a similar assertion.

The Promised Messiah [as] writes: Let the followers of the Vedas pray to their Parmeshwar to seek a similar protection for Benaras—the birth place of the teachings of the Vedas. Let the followers of Sanatan Dharam seek protection for their city where cows are in great number. Let the Christians make a prophecy about Calcutta that plague would not contaminate it because the Bishop of India lives in Calcutta and let Shamsud-Din and the members of the Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam make a prophecy about Lahore that it would remain safe from the plague and let Munshi Ilahi Bakhsh, who claims to be a recipient of revelations, make a revelation, and what could be a better opportunity to help the Anjuman Himayat-eIslam that Lahore would remain safe from plague. Let ‘Abdul Jabbar and Khaliq make a prophecy about Amritsar and let Muhammad Nadhir Hussain and Maulavi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi make a prophecy about Delhi, as it is the seat of Wahhabia faction, that Delhi would stand out as a place protected against plague.” (Dafi‘ul-Bala’ Wa Mi‘yaro AhlilIstifa’, pp.10-11, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, pp. 230-231). The Promised Messiah [as] then concluded this challenge with great force: Every one of my opponents whether he lives in Amroha in Amritsar or Delhi or Calcutta, Lahore or Golrah or Batala, if he makes an assertion with an oath that his place would remain protected against plague, then let him know that that place would certainly be hit by An Introduction to the hidden Treasures of Islam plague, for he would be the one who had affronted God. (Dafi‘ul-Bala’ Wa Mi‘yaro Ahlil-Istifa’, p.

18, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 238)

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad [as] The Promised Messiah know we would be dubbed with various derogatory titles. And we know, and we can guarantee that it would happen. But we have placed the goodness of the mankind above all these considerations. Knowing full well that we would be tormented with insults and cheekiness. Notwithstanding, it is possible that out of thousands of people who would abuse me, there may be someone who would read this brochure with all the seriousness, and does not get annoyed with his kind counselor, specially at a time when sky is unleashing a fire. (Dafi‘ul-Bala’ Wa Mi‘yaro Ahlil-Istifa’, p. 2, section – “warning”, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 18, p. 218)

Specimen of Writing We know that the message that we intend to convey at this time to our brethren through this brochure will not be accepted.

And we are sure, specially, keeping in view the age old tradition of how the prophets are ignored, and we know very well that no one would value and appreciate our sympathetic approach, and instead we would be target of abuses of Muslim clerics, Padrees of Christian religion, and Pundits of Hindu religion. And we

www.whyahmadi.org/ 48

Tariq Magazine October 2012

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A NATION CANNOT BE REFORMED WITHOUT FIRST REFORMING ITS YOUTH

Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra]

MY PURPOSE, YEARNING, AND HEARTFELT DESIRE IS TO SERVE HUMANITY

The Promised Messiah [as]

O YOUNG MAN, GIVE NOT YOUR HEART TO THIS LOWLY WORLD ITS FANFARE WILL DISAPPEAR ALL OF A SUDDEN The Promised Messiah [as]

Vol. 17 I Issue 5

OCTOBER 2012

TARIQ

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