Tribute to Queen Elizabeth Regina II

QUEEN ELIZABETH REGINA II

Meliha Hayat

The world was witness as Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longestserving monarch, passed away on 8th September 2022. She passed peacefully at her Balmoral estate at the age of 96, after reigning for 70 years. The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change. Her tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK’s entry into - and withdrawal from - the European Union. Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Ms Truss, born 101 years later in 1975. She also ruled over the British Commonwealth which included 54 countries and states across the globe. She has left an incredible legacy; her reign was marked by her strong sense of duty and her determination to dedicate her life to her throne and to her people. On the solemn occasion of her passing, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba c h i of the Ahmadiyya Jama’at regarding the demise of Her Majesty.

‘The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a truly great loss for the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. Ahmadi Muslims will remain forever grateful for the way Her Majesty served her people with immense dignity grace and unwavering dedication throughout her long reign On behalf of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community I wish to express our most sincere condolences to His Majesty King Charles III, the members of the Royal family and to the nation. May God Almighty grant them all the patience and strength to deal with is tremendous loss’1

The Ahmadiyya Jama’at has shared a great history with the Monarchs of this nation. This dates back to the Founder of our Jama’at, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. In 1897 the Promised Messiahas penned a pamphlet addressed to Queen Victoria of England (1819-1901) on the occasion of her sixty years on the throne. It was titled Tohfa-e-Qaisiriyyah (Gift to the Queen). Two years later in 1899 he wrote another pamphlet entitled Sitara-e-Qaisiriyyah (The Star of the ). Both pamphlets contained brilliant expositions of Islamic teachings. He also invited her to enter into the fold of Islam. In Tohfa-e-Qaisiriyyah Hazuras wrote many prayers for Queen Victoria in several languages including Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Pushto, Punjabi and English. An extract from the English prayer is as follows:

e o er o r heartfe t tha s to o ho o t of is s e ia i ess has ee ease to place us under this sovereign rule, protecting thereby our life, property and honour from the hands of tyranny and persecution and enabling us to live a life of peace and freedom. e ha e a so to te er o r tha s to o r ra io s ress a this e o y o r rayers for er a esty s e fare ay o rote t o r e e e t so erei fro a e i s a hardships as Her Majesty’s rule has protected us from the mischief of evil doers. May our blessed ruler be graced with glory and success and be saved at the same time from the evil consequences of believing in the divinity of a man and his worship.”2

1 https://www.reviewofreligions.org/39827/a-truly-great-loss-the-5th-caliph-hazrat-mirza-masroor-ahmad-o ers-condolences-onthe-passing-of-queen-elizabeth-ii/ 2 https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Gi -for-Queen.pdf (page 48)

This created the foundation of the Jama’at’s relationship with the British Monarchy. The Jama’at strengthened their bond with the monarchy following the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II; in 1977 a copy of the Holy Qur’an was presented to the Queen on her Silver Jubilee. This connection grew immensely when the Jama’at established their headquarters in the UK following the migration of Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad h the Fourth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Jama’at in 1984. During her reign the Jama’at was able to create a strong network, which included the inauguration of several mosques including Baitul Futuh Mosque, the largest mosque in Western Europe.

As the Queen celebrated each great milestone, the Jama’at h h c i ci contributions towards her designated charities. On the occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Hazuraba followed the tradition established by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas and presented the reigning monarch with a copy of Tohfa-e-Qaisiriyyah. This was accompanied by a letter which stated the following: “Just as Her Majesty is loved and respected by all her subjects, old and young, it is our prayer that Her Majesty comes to be loved by the Angels of God. May the All-Powerful and Mighty God shower Her Majesty generously with His countless spiritual bounties and blessings, just as He has granted her with worldly blessings in abundance […]

“In this context, on the auspicious occasion of the Diamond Jubilee, I would also humbly request Her Majesty to give the world the message that the followers of any religion, and even those who do not believe in God, should always respect the sentiments of the people of any other faith. Today, misconceptions regarding Islam are prevalent in the world. This on the one hand wounds the

sentiments of peace-loving Muslims, whilst on the other, develops contempt and mistrust against Islam in the hearts of non-Muslims. Thus, it will be an act of great kindness and a favour to the followers of all religions, and indeed the entire world, if Her Majesty counsels all people to be respectful to religions and their followers. May the Noble Lord provide His Help and Succour to our i h hi c i

As we enter a new era with King Charles III, as a Jama’at we look forward to a new relationship with the British Monarch built on peace and humanity. During his address at the 2022 Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Ijtema Hazuraba stated the following:

“As Ahmadi Muslims, we should be particularly appreciative of the fact that we were given the opportunity to establish our Community’s international headquarters ar a after the i ratio of the o rth a i h of the h a iyya s i Community, in the UK during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and have been able to practice and propagate our religion freely. In this regard, we will always be grateful to Q ee i a eth the ritish o er e t a this atio rther ore e ray that our new Head of State, King Charles III, continues to ensure that religious freedom and sti e for a eo e re ai s a ha ar of this atio a that the ri hts of the eo e are a ays f e 3

As we embark on this new chapter, we hope and pray that Allah continues to strengthen the Jama’ats hand and enable its growth under the reign of the new monarch. May this bring us closer to the h h i h h h i i h four corners of the globe, with the one intention of Love for All Hatred for None.

3 https://www.pressahmadiyya.com/press-releases/2022/09/head-of-ahmadiyya-muslim-community-concludes-majlis-khuddamul-ahmadiyya-ijtema-with-faith-inspiring-address-2/