Maryam Oct-Dec 2021 (English)

October - December 2021 Issue 40

How do Ahmadis Celebrate Milad al-Nabi?

Virtual Meeting of Waaqifaat-e-Nau from Bangladesh with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Murtazara - Father of the Promised Messiahas

A Precious Prayer, One I Wished Would Never End

Waqf in the Field: Becoming a Teacher

The Promised Messiahas states: “I consider it my duty to advise my Jama’at and convey this message to them. Thereafter, it is their choice of whether they pay heed to it or not. Should they desire to seek salvation, and a pure and eternal life, then they should devote their lives for the sake of Allah the Almighty.

Each one of you must strive in this regard and deliberate over this so that one can attain such a status and rank whereby one can say that their life, their death, their sacrifices and their prayers are for the sake of Allah alone and just like Hazrat Ibrahimas, their soul should cry out:

‫ِی‬ َ ْ ‫اَ ْس َل ْم ُت ِل َر ِ ّب ا ْل َع َال‬ ‘I have already submitted to the Lord of the worlds.’ [Sura Al-Baqarah: 132] The Promised Messiahas further states: “Until man does not lose himself in God and does not die whilst he is at one with God, he cannot attain the true [meaning of] life. Thus, those of you who have forged a relationship with me, you are well aware that I consider dedicating my life for the sake of God as the essence and aim of this life. (This is the aim and objective). Thenceforth, analyse yourself that how many from among you would desire this for themselves and how many consider dedicating their lives for God as an honour?”

(Malfuzat volume 2, p.100, 1985 Edition)

[Taken from Friday Sermon, delivered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah be his Helper) on 28th October 2016]

From the Editor...

Rabbi’ al-Awwal is the blessed month in which the Holy ProphetMay the peace was born. Muslims around the world celebrate this occasion in various ways. As Ahmadi Muslims we are blessed to have the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, Hazrat Mirza Masroor AhmadMay Allah be his Helper ; beloved Hazuraba has said that remembering and reminding others of our blessed Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw on this day is an honourable act and in the sight of Allah the best way of remembering the Holy Prophetsaw is by reciting Durood Sharif.

and Blessings of Allah be upon him

In his Friday Sermon on 16th December 2016 beloved Hazuraba said: “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra gave us four or five directives in this regard in which he said that not only on 12 Rabiul Awal, but throughout the year, we should hold conferences on the life and character of the Holy Prophetsaw. So, this is the history of the Jama’at that we do such conferences. Now they are being held in 200+ nations of the world.

Wherever our community is established, such conferences are being held. Inshallah, only Ahmadis are and (will always remain) those who comprehend the real status of the Holy Prophetsaw. They are the ones who are enlightening the world about the real status of the Holy Prophetsaw.

This is because we are informed by the Imam of the time, the Promised Messiahas, that if you want to reach Allah Almighty then you must cling to the Holy Prophet’ssaw teachings. Because only He is the path to redemption.”

May Allah enable us all to truly appreciate the status of the Holy Prophetsaw and follow the true teachings of Islam brought by him in every aspect of our lives. Ameen.

In this issue of Maryam Magazine our readers can enjoy articles written by our Waqifeen including ‘How Do Ahmadis Celebrate Milad al-Nabi?’, ‘Memories with Khilafat’, ‘Waqf in the Field: Becoming a Teacher’ and another interesting article ‘A Precious Prayer, One I Wished Would Never End’.

Ahmed a n i H

i

ENGLISH EDITOR

CHIEF EDITOR

Zanubia Ahmad ASSISTANT CHIEF EDITORS Dure Jamal Mala Nayla Muzamil

ENGLISH EDITOR Hina Ahmedi

ENGLISH SUB-EDITOR Hamooda Arif

EDITORIAL BOARD

Sabah Un Noor Tahir Hibba-Tul Mussawir Maleeha Mansur Meliha Hayat

Salma Manahil Malik Mashel Chaudhry

Samina Yasmeen Arif

Amatul Wakeel Maha Sameera Mirza Kashifa Qamar

Safina Nabeel Maham COVER DESIGN Hina Farooqi

PAGE DESIGN & -SETTING Soumbal Qureshi Naeema Amjad Atiyya Wasee Naila Fowad

Hina Farooqi

Zara Tahir Ahmad PRINTED UNDER THE CENTRAL

Do you have any comments, suggestions or want your article featured in our next edition?

Email us at: chiefeditor@maryammagazine.org

OFFICE WAQF-E-NAU MANAGER

Luqman Ahmad Kishwar PRINTERS

Raqeem Press, Tilford UK 1

CONTENTS OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 40

03. The Holy Qur’an

22. Memories with Khilafat

04. Hadith

24. A Precious Prayer, One I Wished Would Never End | Zanubia Ahmad

05. Writings of the Promised Messiahas 07. Muhammadsaw – The Perfect Man 10. The Promised Messiah’sas Love for

30. Kids' Spread 33. Guidance by Our Beloved Khalifah

The Holy Prophetsaw| Selected verses from

34. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Murtazara -

Durre Sameen

Father of the Promised Messiahas

12. How do Ahmadis Celebrate Milad

42. Arts and Crafts: Quilling

al-Nabi? | Laiqa Ahmad Bhatti

16. Virtual Meeting of Waaqifaat-eNau from Bangladesh with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba

44. Waqf in the Field: Becoming a Teacher | Khola Waheed

48. Guidance by Our Beloved Khalifah

21. Ten Conditions of Bai’at

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The Holy

Qur’an ﷽

THE HOLY QUR’AN

َ ‫ُ ۡ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ ۡ ُ ُّ ۡ َن ہ‬ ُ ‫� َف َّاتب ُع ۡون ۡی ُی ۡحب ۡب ُک ُم ہ‬ ۡؕ ‫� َو َی ۡغف ۡر َل ُک ۡم ُذ ُن ۡو َب ُکم‬ ‫قل ِان کنتم ت ِحبو‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ َ َّ َ ۡ َ َ َ َُ ُ‫َ ہ‬ َ‫ُ ۡ َ ۡ ُ ہ‬ َّ ‫� َو‬ ‫الر ُس ۡو َل ۚ ف ِان ت َول ۡوا ف ِا َّن ہ� َل‬ ‫� غف ۡو ٌر َّر ِح ۡی ٌم ۝ قل ا ِطیعوا‬ ‫و‬ ٰ ۡ ُّ ُ َ ۡ ‫ی ِحب الک ِف ِرین۝‬ (Aal-e-Imran, Verses 32,33)

Translation: Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you and forgive you your faults. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’ Say, ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger;’ but if they turn away, then remember that Allah loves not the disbelievers.

(English translation by Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali sahibra)

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Hadith

(Sayings of The Holy Prophet) (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him)

HADITH (Saying of The Holy Prophet)

saw (MayLove Peaceofand Blessings of Allah be upon The the Prophet isTa’Ala also part of Him) Faith

The Love of the Prophetsaw is also part of Faith

َ​َ ْ َ َّ َ َ َ َ ُ َّ ‫ص َّلى‬ َ ‫النب ُّي‬ ْ‫ َ"َل ُي ْؤم ُن َأ َح ُد ُكم‬:‫� َع َل ْيه َو َس َّل َم‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ قال‬:‫ قال‬،‫س‬ ٍ ‫عن أن‬ َ َّ َ َ َ ُ َ َّ َ َ َ ْ َ َّ َ َ ‫َ َو‬ ْ َ ْ "‫اس أجم ِعين۔‬ ِ ‫حتى أكون أحب ِإلي ِه ِمن و ِال ِد ِه و ل ِد ِه والن‬ )‫ کتاب الیمان‬،‫(صحیح البخاری‬ Translation: Hazrat Anasra narrates that the Holy Prophetsaw said: ‘None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children, and all mankind.

(Sahih al Bukhari, Kitabul Iman, Hadith 15)

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Writings of the as Promised Messiah NEVER ABANDON THE WAY OF THE HOLY PROPHETSAW

I would also like to tell you that there are many people who desire to attain

these excellences by way of their own self-invented incantations and litanies.

But let me tell you that if you adopt a method that was not practiced by the

Holy Prophetsaw then it is futile. Who could be more truly experienced in the

path of those favoured by God than the Holy Prophetsaw? In fact, he was a man in whose person all the excellences of prophethood reached their final limit as well. The path adopted by the Holy Prophetsaw is the most effective and nearest

way to God. To abandon this path and invent another – irrespective of the joy that it may bring – in my opinion, leads to ruin. This is what God has disclosed

to me. By truly following the Holy Prophetsaw one finds God; but one who does

not follow the Holy Prophetsaw – even after an entire life of striving – shall not be able to attain the ultimate objective.

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As such, even Sa’di speaks of the necessity of subservience to the Holy Prophetsaw in the following words:

� � ‫ی ن‬ ‫ب�زدہوورع وکش و دصق و افص‬ ‫ول م�یف�زاےئ ب�ر مصطفٰے‬ Strive to forsake materialism, and to adopt piety, sincerity, and purity; But do not step beyond (the practices taught by) Mustafasaw.

So, do not abandon the path of the Holy Prophetsaw. I observe that people have

invented a plethora of diverse incantations. They hang themselves upside

down and undertake ascetic practices like yogis, but all of this is useless. It

is not the custom of Prophets, peace be upon them, to hang upside down, or engage in meditative practices of ‘negation and affirmation’ (nafi-o-asbat), or perform the Sufi ‘invocation of the saw’ (dhikr-e-arra). This is why Allah the Exalted has referred to the Holy Prophetsaw as a perfect exemplar:

ّٰ ْ ُ َ ْ ‫َ ُ ْ ف‬ َ‫الل ُا ْس َو ٌۃ َح َسنۃ‬ ِ ‫لک ِ� رسو ِل‬ Verily, you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model.1 Follow in the footsteps of the Holy Prophetsaw and do not try to deviate from his path even an inch.

1

Surah al-Azhab, 33:22

The Promised Messiah (as), Malfuzat-Volume 2 [Tilford, Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2019], 71,72

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Muhammad The Perfect Man saw

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The Holy Prophet ’ssaw Manner of Conversation The Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw never talked unnecessarily, and when he did talk his speech was eloquent and meaningful. Once he would begin, he completed his words. His speech was flawless, free from useless chatter and clear to everyone listening. He would never speak harshly to his companionsra or humiliate them. He would recall even their small favours with gratitude and never debased anyone. He was never angry with anyone in worldly matters, but if anyone transgressed from the truth, his fury was unpreventable and he would even ordain punishment. But he was never angry nor punished anyone for anything concerning his own person. When he was angry, he would turn his face away; when he was pleased, he would look down. When he smiled, his white teeth sparkled like hail falling from the clouds.

(Muhammadsa The Perfect Man, by Hafiz Muzaffar Ahmad, Translated by Bushra ‘Ishrat Sheikh, p.19)

The Holy Prophet ’ssaw Kindness The Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw was very kind to his servants. Hazrat Anasra relates that he served the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw for ten years, but never once did the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw scold him.

When Hazrat Imam Husainra asked Hazrat Alira about the Holy Prophet Muhammad’ssaw treatment of his companions, the latter said, ‘The Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw always had a smile on his face. He possessed the highest of morals and had a kind and tender heart. He was not peevish or ill-tempered. He never used foul language nor shouted. He was neither over-critical nor miserly.

He would ignore that which he disliked and would not respond to it. He had freed himself of three things: quarrelsome behaviour, arrogance and vile talk; and people were safe from him in three things: condemnation, backbiting and exposure of their weaknesses. He would only talk about things which were spiritually rewarding. People would speak only when he had finished speaking and would not talk to one another in his presence. If one of them was speaking, the others would listen in silence until he had finished. The Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw would listen to them attentively, would participate in their humour and would express amazement when something strange happened. Even when some stranger appeared and spoke to him, he would listen to him very attentively.’

(Muhammadsa The Perfect Man, by Hafiz Muzaffar Ahmad, Translated by Bushra ‘Ishrat Sheikh, p.28-29)

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The Excellent Morals of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw One can only wonder at the excellent morals of the one concerning whom the God of heaven Himself testifies: ‘You are indeed established upon the highest morals.

Similarly valuable is the testimony given by Hazrat Khadijahra after fifteen years of marital companionship with the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw. She said that he was kind to his relatives, shared other people’s burdens, revived the lost morals and virtues, was hospitable, and helped people who were suffering in the cause of the truth. She said that God would never destroy a person of such qualities.

Hazrat Aishahra relates that the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw never uttered obscene words, nor did he shout in the market-place. He did not retaliate against evil with evil, he would instead demonstrate forgiveness and forbearance.

The companions relate that the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw was the most beloved of all people.

Whenever he had choice between two things, he would choose the easier one. There was none who possessed greater self-control than him.

His modesty surpassed even that of a virgin.

Hazrat Ibn Abbasra relates that the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw was the most generous of all people.

Whenever the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw was asked for something, he gave it.

He distributed the spoils of war that same day it arrived. Such was his faith in God that he never saved for the next day.

The Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw was the most righteous of people and refrained from the comforts of the world. He said that he was like a traveller who lies down for a while to rest under a tree and then moves on.

He was so brave that he would charge at the enemy all alone and would never retreat. He was the most courageous of all people.

His forgiveness was of such a high quality that he even pardoned his mortal enemies.

In short, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw possessed the highest morals. He was the perfect manifestation of divine attributes. He was such a beautiful and perfect example for mankind that even today we can reach God by following him.

(Muhammadsa The Perfect Man, by Hafiz Muzaffar Ahmad, Translated by Bushra ‘Ishrat Sheikh, p.32-34)

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The Promised Messiah’sas Love for The Holy Prophetsaw The English translation of selected verses from Durre Sameen, written by the Promised Messiahas expressing his love for the Holy Prophetsaw.

LOVE WITH ISLAM AND ITS FOUNDER Islam aur Banie Islam se Ishq Page 30-­31 May Thy peace and blessing be on Mustafa, sans end;; From him we obtained this light, O God Almighty.

My soul has always had affinity with Muhammad’s soul;; We fed that wine-­cup to the heart-­filled to the brim.

God’s Splendour can be seen in thy traits;; Through finding thee we found that Person We are elect of men through thee, O elect of Messengers;; We moved our own step forward with thy stride.

Let alone the humans -­ even Angels all Extol thy praise only what we have sung. _____________________________________ THE GLORY OF ISLAM Shaane Islam Page 69 That guide of ours, with whom everything is illumined, His name is Muhammad -­ he is my beloved.

All prophets are pure -­ one better than the other -­ But, from God Almighty -­ he is the best of creation.

He is better than those before -­ like a moon in his traits;; All eyes are upon him -­ he’s the moon of dark nights That Timeless Dear -­ that Beloved Who is Hidden -­ We saw Him through him -­ he is the only guide. Today, He is the King of Faith;; he is the Crown of Messengers;; He is pure and trustworthy -­ this is his very praise.

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I cherish that light -­ I am enamoured with him – He exists, and I am but naught;; this is the final verdict.

That unique beloved is a treasure trove of knowledge-­ All else is fiction -­ he truly is the infallible one.

We gained it all from him, Thou art Witness, O Lord -­ The one who showed us the truth, he is the handsome one.

We were blind of heart;; a hundred snares therein;; then he Who opened the locks -­ he is the Chosen one. _____________________________________ MISCELLANEOUS VERSES Mutafaraq Ash’ar Page 115 O friends! Some attention is due unto God And for Mustafa -­ the leader of all creation.

Page 116-­117 “The splendour of Ahmad is beyond surmise and estimate, Whose servant, you see, is the Messiah of the times!” _____________________________________ REVEALED LINES Ilhami Misre Page 117 “Pure Muhammad Mustafa -­ the leader of the prophets!”

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How do Ahmadis Celebrate Milad al-Nabi?

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Virtual Meeting of Waaqifaat-e-Nau from Bangladesh with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah be his Helper) Taken from Al Hakam: https://www.alhakam.org/the-rank-of-women-is-extremely-high-and-no-onecan-compete-with-it-waqifaat-e-nau-bangladesh-meet-hazrat-amirul-momineen/ On Sunday, 31st January 2021, waaqifaat-e-nau Lajna and Nasirat from Bangladesh had the opportunity to meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba in a virtual class.

The sitting started with a recitation of the Holy Qur’an followed by the Bangla translation, an Urdu poem written by the Promised Messiahas, a narration of the Holy Prophetsaw and an excerpt of the Promised Messiahas.

A notable aspect was Hazuraba, as always, would confirm with the questioner if they had understood and were content with the answers, before moving onto the next questioner.

The first question was by Asifa Hossain Sahiba who asked Hazuraba what the highest spiritual rank women could reach was, as they could not be prophets. In response, Hazuraba said:

Secretary waaqifaat-e-nau reported to Hazuraba that 134 waaqifaat-e-nau were present in the meeting, 75 of whom were above 15 years of age.

“… They can be siddiq, shaheed, salihaat – this is written in the Qur’an. They can attain other spiritual ranks.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba then gave the waaqifaate-nau the opportunity to ask any questions they had.

Most questions were asked in Bengali and translated for Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba.

“There is a hadith in which a female companion [of the Holy Prophetsaw] said, ‘Men can attain martyrdom, participate in wars and offer lots of other sacrifices, so what is our [women’s] rank who remain at home?’ To

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this, the Holy Prophetsaw said, ‘Look, the supervision you women keep of your homes, bring up your children in the right manner, take care of the next generation and protect your homes, gives you the same reward as that of men.’ So, apart from a prophet … [women] can reach all the other ranks; qanitat, salihat etc.

The waqifa-e-nau replied by saying she was in class three and was studying in an English medium school.

“Apart from this, if women are doing good deeds, then by protecting their homes, they can attain a better spiritual rank. After all, a prophet has a mother … The Holy Prophetsaw said that Heaven is under the feet of mothers.

So, the rank of women is such that if they carry out the correct upbringing [of children], they enable people to enter Heaven; what is greater than this?

“Taqdir is that Allah the Almighty has decreed something for you. However, some people are lazy; they do not work, nor exert any effort and when they don’t receive anything, they say, ‘This was the taqdir [decree] of Allah.’ That is why Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said in a couplet:

“[The Holy Prophetsaw] did not say that Heaven is under the feet of fathers; he said it is under the feet of mothers; the rank of a woman is very high. This is why the rank of a woman is extremely high and this rank is such that no one can compete with it – provided the woman is properly established on faith, takes care of her next generation and protects the home.”

A very young waqifa-e-nau, Rubina Sharif, asked Hazuraba what the first step one should take is for being a good Waqf-e-Nau girl. Hazuraba responded by saying: “The first thing is that when you reach the age of seven, you should start offering the five daily prayers and try to learn how to read the Holy Qur’an and then do tilawat daily. And then, always be humble and obey the instructions of your parents, so your parents are happy and they are always happy when you do good deeds.

Don’t think they are giving you some wrong instructions; whatever instruction they give you, whenever they ask you to do anything, it is for the good of yourself. So, if you do all these things, you will be a good Waqf-e-Nau girl.

“And always remember that you are a waqifa-enau, you have to behave well and always be polite and kind to your fellow girls and fellow students.

Show your example so that any person who sees you always says, ‘These girls are very good girls, well behaved girls’. Then, you can tell them, ‘It is because I am waqifa-e-nau and I have to be wellbehaved and good in all my deeds.’”

The young girl also asked Hazuraba for prayers for her and her family, to which Hazuraba replied, “May Allah the Almighty bless you all. Which class are you in?”

Amatul Shafi Saeed Sahiba asked about the nature of taqdir (decree) and what it meant. Explaining the concept, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba said:

‫تدبیر كے جالوں میں مت پھنس‬

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ ‫كر قبضہ‬ ‫جا كے مقدر پر‬

[Don’t get entangled in the way of planning; go and conquer what has been decreed] “It has been decreed for Ahmadis that they achieve successes … Increase your ambitions and then work hard to achieve them; when you work hard, then Allah the Almighty will bless it. Allah the Almighty has ordained for some things that if someone shows laziness in them, then their taqdir will be that they will not achieve anything from it … Allah the Almighty gives success and fulfils goals if one works hard and prays too.

“There are some decrees that do not alter, for example the decree of death. There will come a time when every human dies – it is a decree for mankind and Allah the Almighty has decreed that they will stay on the earth and then leave at some point. But if someone shows negligence and does not follow the law of nature that Allah the Almighty has made for good health, then they will die early – this decree wasn’t created by Allah; rather, the person, due to their incompetence, imposed it on themself.

“Like the example I gave before, Allah the Almighty has decreed Ahmadiyyat will spread, but if someone is impatient and quits halfway, saying, ‘Look, so many years have passed and we have not witnessed the success of Ahmadiyyat and we are being persecuted’ and then leaves, then such a person’s end will not be good – this decree, of a bad end, he created himself … “… Allah’s decree is that man works hard and ‘I will give him the reward’ – this is Allah’s promise.

And then with hard work, if he prays too, then Allah the Almighty gives the reward, merit and

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success to his work.”

Another waqifa-e-nau, Bushra Rahman Sahiba, asked about the Islamic view of extra-terrestrial life.

Hazuraba said: “Yes, there is extra-terrestrial life; there certainly is. The Promised Messiahas has also written that it is possible there is life on other planets, but we still have not met them. This is also proved from some verses of the Holy Qur’an, that life exists on other planets. And when we meet them, then we will need to give them the message of Islam and deal well with them.

So, it is very possible there is life on other planets, but we have not communicated with them yet.”

A young waqifa-e-nau said that her non-Ahmadi Muslim neighbours invite them to chaliswan rituals following someone’s death. She asked if we, as Ahmadi Muslims, could attend such events.

Hazuraba answered by saying: “These rituals should be avoided. If you are to go just to express your condolences, then do so … but one should not attend such rituals.

You can go before or after these rituals – even if you need to go on that day to offer condolences in order to keep good relations, you can, but it is not necessary to attend that ritual to eat … innovations spread from this and one should show some courage on such occasions.

Pay your sympathies, condolences and visit them, even on normal days, but avoid going there to eat.

“These rituals were neither practiced by the Holy Prophetsaw, nor his Companionsra; people started these innovations later. The Promised Messiahas came to end the innovations that had been created. That is why we should also try to avoid [such things] as much as we can.”

Another young waqifa-e-nau, Sabiha Jamal, asked Hazuraba if he had seen any dream about Khilafat, prior to attending the Khilafat election.

With a smile, Hazuraba said: “No, I did not see any dream; neither before, nor after. Yes, people saw them who voted for me; they had seen dreams, or Allah had impressed on some people’s hearts, or for others, Allah the Almighty put it in their hearts at that occasion. But I saw no dream, nor could I have ever thought of reaching this rank.”

Bareera Nusrat Sahiba asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba what the best way to show gratitude to Allah was.

Hazuraba responded by saying: “The best way to show gratitude to Allah the Almighty is that when you read alhamdulilah, always keep in mind all the blessings Allah has bestowed on you. And if you ever face some difficulties, develop a habit of enduring them because Allah the Almighty has bestowed lots of other blessings. Always remember those blessings. If one ever has to endure some difficulties, then they should always keep in mind that Allah the Almighty has given lots of blessings too.”

Hazuraba then narrated a story of a king who gave some fruit to a courtier. The courtier ate the fruit and praised it highly, even though it was extremely bitter. Seeing this praise, the king tasted the fruit himself and after tasting it, asked how the courtier could praise such a bitter taste! In response, the courtier said to the king, “You have bestowed so much upon me and graced me that if you have given me something bitter today without knowing, then I do not deem it right to show ingratitude thereby overlooking everything you have given to me.”

The courtier said, “My gratitude is that even if I have received something bitter today, I should it eat without complaining.”

Commenting on this story, Hazuraba said: “This should be the spirit of one’s gratitude. When one shows gratitude in this way, recalls the blessings of Allah the Almighty and endures small difficulties and prays to Allah that ‘O Allah, you have given me lots of favours, grant me favours and mercy now too and remove my pain’. But one should not complain that ‘O Allah what trouble have you put me in …’” “… And whatever you receive, accept it in the best manner. That is why it has been mentioned in a hadith that in worldly affairs, you should always look at those who have less than you.”

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba explained in further detail the hadith of the Holy Prophetsa that urges one to look at the less fortunate and less privileged and to remain content with what Allah has given.

Hazuraba said: “Gratitude is that you recognise that Allah the Almighty has given you a better condition than those who are poorer than you. There are lots of people in the world who do not get food – some who get food once a day while others who do not even get food once a day. There are lots of people like this even in Europe

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who – despite an abundance of wealth, money and food here – still die of hunger. There are also lots of people in Bangladesh who sleep at night without having eaten.

“One should show gratitude while eating, that Allah the Almighty has given food to us. In the same way, in worldly affairs, one should look at those who have less and then praise and thank Allah.

“However, regarding religious affairs, the Holy Prophetsaw said to look at those who are higher than you. Look at those who are better than you in their faith, their relationship with Allah and performing good deeds and then try to become like them, or better.”

“So, in religious affairs, look at those who are above you and in worldly affairs, look at those who have less than you – then you will develop the habit of true gratitude.”

Next, Nusrat Jahan Rafa Sahiba asked Hazuraba what one should do if they have performed istikhara prayers and decided accordingly about a matter, but those around them oppose that decision and quarrel.

standing in the position of God. So, the person who thinks himself to be God, is wrong.

“In this way … they are spoiling and destroying the future of their generation. We should try to be kind to children so that they understand what the true teaching of Islam is.

“It needs some time and it’s a long process, but try to bring them closer to yourself.”

Amatul Noor Sahi Sahiba asked Hazuraba about how one could protect themselves from surfing sites like Facebook etc. after their online classes had ended.

In response, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba said: “This comes down to willpower and determination. Why do people go to other websites to waste time after classes?

Yes, if it is a good website, which increases knowledge, there is no harm in visiting such sites … but if it is a waste of time, then it is wrong … It is about willpower; if one wants to, they can do good works. No one is forcefully telling you to do something … you are all mature … bring yourself to do good works and abstain from bad deeds.

Hazuraba said: “If you have done istikhara and are content and after prayer, your heart is content that the action should be taken after this, then even if others raise objections, let them; there is no need to worry.

Yes, one should continue to pray to Allah the Almighty even after [istikhara] …”

“Allah the Almighty has said this too; to abstain from vain things. It is the responsibility of a believer to protect oneself from such things and pass by …

It is the same with unsuitable websites; one should protect themselves from them.”

The next question was asked by Amatul Shafi Sahiba.

She wanted to know how to engage with those who, as children, experienced harassment from fanatic religious clerics and as a result, distanced themselves from religion.

A young waqifa-e-nau, Naila Solaiman, asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba how he would study as a student, what his aspirations were and asked what Hazur’saba instruction were for them.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba gave the following reply: “You can tell them that ‘whatever the maulvis or fanatics have told you is wrong. The Islamic teaching is a peaceful teaching and Allah is Ever Merciful and very kind to people. This is why the Holy Prophetsaw says that you should not behave harshly towards your children’ … You should bring them close to you … [and say] ‘This is not the Islamic teaching; Islam is a very kind religion, Allah is Ever Merciful and if you pray to Allah, He forgives you …’

With a warm smile, Hazuraba said: “I was not a good student, but the instruction for you is that you become a good student. In current times, you cannot survive without an education. You are Waqf-e-Nau; you have done waqf since childhood, therefore you should try to become a good asset for the Jama’at.

“… The Holy Prophetsaw said they [children] should be kindly treated; even the Promised Messiahas has said that if a person does not treat their children in a kind manner, he thinks he is

“By studying and gaining knowledge, you should try to improve your life as much as you can so you are able to carry out the correct tarbiyyat and protection of the future generations.

“I had different aims … then in the end, because I had an interest in agriculture, I attained a degree in it. And after that, I did waqf too – Allah the Almighty gave me

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the opportunity to. Yes, in childhood, I did have the desire to do waqf and when I grew up, I did waqf …

After this, Allah the Almighty took me to this position too.

Another waqifa-e-nau asked Hazuraba if it was permissible to say “Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji‘un” (Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return) when a non-Muslim dies.

“For all of you, the instruction is that because you have done waqf, you should work as hard as you can and study and reach a high level in studies.

And even if you do not pursue a job, [your] education will help the next generation.”

Hazuraba said: “Yes, it means that we are from Allah and everybody has to go to Allah.”

Another waqifa-e-nau Lajna member, Dr Humda Yasmin Sahiba, said to Hazuraba that her three-anda-half-year-old daughter was rather mischievous and naughty, something she enjoyed, but sometimes her patience is tested with her child. She wanted guidance on how to handle the situation.

Hazur said: “It’s a good thing, let her be naughty – [children] who are naughty are intelligent … Whether you enjoy it or not, you must not show anger… [When your patience is tested] Tell her that you are tired and to let you rest for some time and that you will talk and play later. Children are intelligent, they do understand…do her tarbiyyat but do not show anger, do not tell her off and do not say anything negative to her.” aba

Dr Humda Sahiba confirmed she would act on Hazur’saba advice and asked if there was any prayer she could recite. Hazuraba advised to recite durood sharif.

A young waqifa-e-nau, Sadia Mahboob Sahiba, asked Hazuraba when he would visit Bangladesh. With a smile, Hazuraba said that he would visit when the conditions permitted and that currently, the clerics of Bangladesh had created adverse conditions. Hazuraba said, “Pray that the condition improves quickly for me to visit Bangladesh and I can meet you in Bangladesh.”

Amatun Noor Ruhi Sahiba asked Hazuraba who else supported and helped him, apart from Allah, during his Khilafat.

With a smile, Hazuraba immediately said: “There is no one else; it is only Allah the Almighty. Only Allah helps me and no one else has the strength to help me.”

Hazuraba explained that we could say this Qur’anic verse even if that person was from the wrong religion as their affair was now with Allah. “When we say ‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji‘un’, it means that was a loss for that person’s family, but at the same time, we are also thankful that Allah the Almighty has saved us from the wrong religion and we are blessed that Allah has made us accept the true religion.

“There is no harm in saying ‘Inna lillah’… that is just a prayer, for yourself as well …”

Upon this, the time had ended, and the questions also ended.

Hazrat Amirul Momineenaba ended the meeting by giving the following prayer to all the waqifeen-e-nau: “May Allah the Almighty protect you and keep you safe and as waaqifaat-e-nau, may you all come to fulfil the true purpose and objectives of the dedication of your lives for the sake of your faith and be those who protect and nurture the future generation in the best way.

“May a pious Ahmadi Muslim generation be born and raised through you and may they become those who carry forth the propagation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at and spread its message in Bangladesh.

“I also pray that may you soon be relieved from the evil clutches of the fanatical religious clerics in your country and may Allah the Almighty always be your Helper and Protector.”

May Allah fulfil all of Hazur’saba prayers in favour of Waqfe-Nau Bangladesh and each and every one of us. Amin.

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Ten conditions of Bai’at I The initiate shall solemnly promise that he/she shall abstain from shirk [associating any partner with God] right up to the day of his/her death.

II That he/she shall keep away from falsehood, fornication/adultery, trespasses of the eye, debauchery, dissipation, cruelty, dishonesty, mischief and rebellion; and that he/she will not permit himself/herself to be carried away by passions, however strong they might be.

III That he/she shall regularly offer the five daily Prayers in accordance with the commandments of God and the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw and shall try his/her best to be regular in offering the tahajjud and invoking durud on the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw. That he/she shall make it his/her daily routine to ask forgiveness for his/her sins, to remember the bounties of God and to praise and glorify Him. IV That under the impulse of any passions, he/she shall cause no harm whatsoever to the creatures of God in general and Muslims in particular, neither by his/her tongue, hands, nor any other means.

V That he/she shall remain faithful to God in all circumstances of life, in sorrow and in happiness, in adversity and in prosperity, in felicity and in trial; and that he/she shall in all conditions remain resigned to the decree of God and keep himself/ herself ready to face all kinds of indignities and sufferings in His way and shall never turn away from Him at the onslaught of any misfortune; on the contrary, he/she shall march forward.

VI That he/she shall refrain from following unIslamic customs and lustful inclinations and shall completely submit himself/herself to the authority of the Holy Qur’an; and that he/she shall make the Word of God and the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw his/her guiding principles in every walk of his/her life.

VII That he/she shall entirely give up pride and vanity and shall pass all his/her life in humbleness, cheerfulness, forbearance and meekness.

VIII That he/she shall hold faith, the honour of faith and the cause of Islam dearer than his/her life, wealth, honour, children, and all loved ones.

IX That he/she shall keep himself/herself occupied in the service of God’s creatures for His sake only and shall endeavour towards the beneficence of mankind to the best of his/her God-given abilities and powers.

X That he/she shall enter into a bond of brotherhood with this humble servant of God, pledging obedience to me in everything good for the sake of God, and remain faithful to it until the day of his/her death. That he/she shall exert such a high devotion in the observance of this bond as is not to be found in any other worldly relationship and connection that demand devoted dutifulness.

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Memories with Khilafat

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A Precious Prayer, One I Wished Would Never End Jalsa Salana 2021: An experience like no other experience before

By Zanubia Ahmad

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Since March 2020 our lives have been affected greatly by the Covid-19

pandemic globally. Who could have imagined the sort of impact this pandemic would have on us? No one for sure. Only All-Knowing God Almighty knew what was to come ahead.

Being an Ahmadi, we all know that our social life revolves around our visits to

the mosques, where we can see our beloved Hazur, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah

be his Helper). In fact, I can say that our hearts lie at the feet of our beloved Hazuraba and only a glimpse of our Khalifa lifts our spirits to the core of our souls.

Covid-19 struck and time stopped, our lives stopped socially because of the

safety restrictions in place. We were unable to see our spiritual leader and visits to mosques stopped. Summer came and went without any changes and with disappointment we came to know that our Jalsa Salana could not be held, which was not a surprise, though very disappointing as the situation was not getting any better and for us the safety of our Beloved Hazuraba and Jama’at members was foremost.

Time passed and a new year started. My heart gave a flicker

of hope that the pandemic may end soon, but my mind was not so sure about the future as I

could see the cases rising and a high death toll all over the world. So, I prayed and prayed to Allah, our only Refuge against all ills and evils, to end the trial and to lead us through this safely.

In Spring 2021, we started to hear the news that Jalsa Salana UK will be held

though it would not be an international convention. Hope rose but there were still feelings of apprehension and we awaited further confirmation. Later, Jalsa was confirmed but with a very limited number of attendees and with all safety restrictions and also depending on how and when the Government would ease the restrictions. Every single Ahmadi was excited to hear the good news yet everyone was thinking the same, whether they would be able to attend or not.

Our hearts could not simply accept the fact that we may not

be present at the Gardens of Mehdi for Jalsa. My son, though he is 20 years old is a person of SEND and is always very zealous about Nazms and Taranas. He was so excited, that it pained me a lot to explain to him he may not be able to attend, as he had started preparing for Tarana. My husband and I started to mentally prepare him for the possibility of not attending Jalsa this year, explaining the importance of respecting Nizam-e-Jama’at and following the instructions of Khalifa-e-Waqt. We encouraged him to pray instead for the situation to improve.

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Finally, we were informed that we were able to attend one day of the Jalsa,

Alhamdolillah. Of course, being a Lajna member I wanted to attend on Saturday for the address of Hazur-e-Anwaraba at the Lajna Jalsa Gah. Hearing about the worsening weather and parking conditions, I decided that I did not want to drive to the Jalsa site, so I asked my husband if he could take me. But we were also thinking about my son being a participant in Tarana on day three of Jalsa, if we all attended on Saturday and my husband took my son on Sunday, then he would be attending two days of Jalsa. We contacted the organisers and told them about this to which we were told that as my son was a participant in the Tarana he would certainly be allowed to come on Sunday accompanied by his father. But even though we were given permission to go on Sunday, me and my husband, who is a Waqfe Zindagi and serves in a Markazi office had an uneasy feeling in our hearts that kept telling us that the actual permission for attending is only for one day. We kept asking ourselves if this would be disobedience?

Friday came, the first day of

Jalsa and all 3 of us decided to attend at Baitul Futuh Mosque to experience the Jalsa feeling while sitting with other Ahmadis. After listening to the Friday Sermon, I decided that I would make some arrangements for myself or would brave the mud and drive to the Jalsa Gah myself and my husband and son should only go on Sunday, as we should obey the instructions of our beloved Imam to the letter.

My husband called after Friday prayers and before I could tell him anything he said I have decided that we will be going on Sunday Insh’Allah and that he was able to arrange for me to go with someone else on Saturday.

Saturday morning, at Fajr

prayer, I heard the sound of rain coming from outside. I knew it was not a mere drizzle, as I could hear the water pouring down from the sky. As we all know that it had already rained a lot and more rain meant more disruptions and more logistical issues. But I did not let the

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rain overcome me and told myself that this is a blessed day and blessed rain is being showered

by God Almighty. I kept listening to these words of Hazuraba that no matter how difficult the weather is, those who are invited should attend and the weather should not be made as an excuse for not attending Jalsa. So, I started to get ready for the day. It was not an ordinary day, especially due to the bad weather, but I knew this day and this experience would be very special, one which I would remember my entire life.

Not being very fond of wellies, I had no other choice but to

prepare myself to wear them. One may laugh but I have always been scared to wear wellies as they are not very convenient and taking them off is very difficult too. But no such issues, small or big, were going to come in my way that day and I stopped thinking of how I would take them off. With all my checklist done, AIMS card, vaccination card, Covid test results for that day and some other necessary items, I left home. Well not with all the checklist; when I got to my brother’s house, he mentioned the invitation card. Yes, I had forgotten the invitation card, these are unusual circumstances and who could have imagined we would be needing an invitation pass to attend our Jalsa? So, when I picked up my Aims card, it simply did not occur to me that I needed one more important pass and forgot to take it with me and had to go back to get it.

And at that moment I prayed with a heavy heart thinking of all Ahmadis in the UK and other countries, that next year the situation gets better and we are all able to attend without any restrictions and gain the Blessings of God Almighty.

Our journey began to Country Market, where we would park our car and take a shuttle bus to Hadeeqatul Mahdi. Rain kept pouring all the way and stopped only just 10 minutes before we got there. After all the process and checks, which ran very smoothly, we got on the bus. Entering the gate of Hadeeqatul Mahdi, I was filled with a sense of gratitude and a familiar sight made me think this is home and that how homesick I have been not being able to come here for two years. As the bus made its way to the corner of the kitchen a familiar smell of Aloo Gosht welcomed us bringing back all the memories.

Walking to the entrance I felt excitement and joy. At the entrance I was

greeted by many familiar faces and when I passed through the security and entered the Ladies Jalsa Gah, it felt different and beautiful at the same time. The sun had come out of the clouds and was shining on the rainy puddles. A beautiful enchanting scene, yet I felt happy and sad at the same time and then I realized why. I did not see children talking, running around or shouting at each other with joy and excitement after seeing a familiar face. I did not see any mother with a heavily loaded pushchair and with more than one child walking towards the crèche or asking for the way. I did not see toddlers or younger girls wearing shalwar qameez and dupatas which

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they had saved for this day, neither did I see younger baby boys wearing small topis. I also did not see any of the elderly ladies who, with whatever health issues they had, would want to come to Jalsa and who would stop you on your tracks and meet you with such love and prayers that would make your day. Usually, as I would normally always be running around for my duty, many familiar or unfamiliar elderly ladies would stop me and put their hands over my head and whispered a lovely prayer. I missed that too. But I knew this was for their own safety that they were not present at Jalsa this year. And so, I prayed for all children and for all elders that may the situation get better and may Allah enable them to attend next year and many years ahead, Ameen. May God bring back the ronaq and joy back to our Jalsas, Ameen.

I entered the main Ladies Jalsa Gah and though it was scaled down a lot, a known nostalgia welcomed me with great gratitude in my heart, thinking how fortunate I was to be there attending this historic Jalsa. I listened to the Lajna session very attentively but my excitement for that big moment when Hazuraba will be gracing us with his presence was getting higher and higher. A long 18 months had passed since I had seen our beloved Khalifah with my own eyes and since I had offered Salat in Hazur’saba Imamat. My heart was pounding fast and I was praying deeply. It was such a beautiful blessed sight when Hazuraba entered the marquee. With pin-drop silence, all eyes watched our leader with a love greater than any other love in this world. Here I would like to mention a very noticeable thing. When Hazuraba is present at Ladies Jalsa Gah, generally all are quiet and listen attentively but due to sitting for a long time or warm weather, there does seem to be slight movement, either due

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to changing their sitting positions or waving small fans to ease the heat which is all but natural.

This year due to social distancing measures all were sitting on chairs. And sitting on these hard, plastic, foldable chairs for long periods of time is very uncomfortable. I am fortunate to have attended Jalsas in UK since 2003 and also have served by giving duties since then. I have always seen people sitting on the chairs changing positions constantly or stretching their legs in order to avoid pain and discomfort. During duties constantly either standing or walking around, I myself preferred sitting on the floor and this always eased my fatigue. But what I noticed was that no one moved or changed their positions. It was like all were mesmerized by the moment and did not want to create a disturbance at all. I spoke to a few Lajna members about this asking about their experience and they all agreed and said that even though their backs did hurt a lot when they stood up after the address, they did not move or change their position. It was though as if nothing mattered but to indulge in those spiritual moments.

When Hazuraba left for Namaz from the Lajna marquee, all eyes

followed until they were unable to see him with teary eyes praying for our beloved Khalifa and praying that this pandemic ends soon and we see him again. All of us were thinking the same, when would that be? And I am sure all were filled with prayers for it to be soon. Insha’Allah.

I heard the sound of Adhan (call of prayers) and I travelled back to the

days in the early pandemic when at a Friday Sermon, there were only two people in the mosque.

One, our spiritual leader and the other, the Mu’azzan. That scene left a huge impact on me and I still remember the sorrow and fear inside me thinking when the dwellers of the mosque would be back for prayers.

And now after one and a half years I was standing in qayam,

waiting to offer prayers again behind Hazuraba. I heard Hazur’saba voice saying ‘Allah u Akbar’ and overwhelming emotions flooded me and tears came out of my eyes with such flow that I was unable to control myself. It was as if a dam that was barricading the water flow had broken. I was crying and praying for the health and safety of Hazuraba. I also prayed for the Jama’at of the Promised Messiahas and I was praying for those who due to persecution or for not having means to travel and see the Khalifa of the time, attend Jalsa or offer prayers behind our dearest Imam. I was thinking when will I have this blessed opportunity again? And how greatly I have missed this.

Takbeer for Asr prayers started and a huge cloud of sorrow

engulfed me that these precious moments will end soon and I thought: these are very precious prayers, ones I wished would never end.

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Kids’ Spread Quiz – The Holy Prophetsaw

1. Where was the Holy Prophetsaw when he received his first revelation from Allah?

A. B.

C.

Madinah

Qadian Mecca

2. When was the Holy Prophetsaw born?

A. B.

C.

August 570 BC

August 570 AD

August 230 AD

3. What does the Holy Prophet’ssaw name ‘Muhammad’ mean?

A. B.

C.

The truthful one

The pious one

The praised one

4. What was the Holy Prophet’ssaw father’s name?

A. B.

C.

Abdullah

Abdul Muttalib Abu Talib

5. What was the Holy Prophet’ssaw mother’s name?

A. B.

C.

Aminah

Fatima

Ruqayya

6. What was the Holy Prophet’ssaw grandfather’s name?

A. B.

C.

Abdullah

Abdul Muttalib Abu Talib

7. What was the name of the clan of the Quraish tribe that the Holy Prophetsaw was born into?

A. B.

C.

Banu Hashim

Banu Zuhrah

Banu Umayya

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8. Growing up, the Holy Prophetsaw was universally respected and often referred to as ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’, which mean:

A. B.

C.

Truthful and Trustworthy

Caring and Kind

Pious and Humble

9. Hazrat Khadijah was a well-respected widow who married the Holy Prophetsaw after

hearing about his virtuous, honest nature. How old was the Holy Prophetsaw when he first married?

A. B.

C.

30 years old

25 years old

40 years old

10. The Holy Prophetsaw would often go to a cave for 5-6 days at a time to meditate and pray to Allah. What was the name of this cave?

A. B.

C.

Hira

Qasqwa

Marwah

11. Whilst meditating in this cave one day, the Holy Prophetsaw received his first revelation

from an angel. What was the name of this angel?

A. B.

C.

Jibraeel

Mikail

Israfil

12. The first words revealed to the Holy Prophetsaw by this angel were ‘Recite thou in the

name of thy Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood’. Which Surah is this verse in?

A. B.

C.

Surah Alaq

Surah Baqarah Surah Fatiha

13. How old was the Holy Prophetsaw when he received his first revelation from Allah?

A. B.

C.

25 years old

40 years old

60 years old

References:

https://www.alislam.org/holyprophet/Our-Beloved-Master.pdf

https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Life-of-Muhammad.pdf

Answers: 1C, 2B, 3C, 4A , 5A, 6B, 7A, 8A, 9B, 10A, 11A, 12A, 13B 31

Match these Ahadith from your syllabus to their translations: Match these Ahadith from your syllabus to their translations: Abuse by (or of) a Muslim is anAbuse evil by (or of) a Muslim is an evil

َّ ‫َا ْلغ ٰنی غ َن‬ ‫فس‬ ‫الن‬ ِ ِ ِ Al Ghina Ghinan-nafsi

The best provision for the

Thejourney best (to provision for the the hereafter) is journey (to the hereafter) is through the fear of God through the fear of God

ُْ ُ ٰ َُْ ‫اْل ْس ِل ُم ِم ْراۃاْل ْس ِل ِم‬ Almuslimu miratul muslimi

True wealth is wealth of the True wealth heart is wealth of the

heart

ْ َ َ ْ َ َْ ‫س الخ َب ُرکاْل َع َای َن ِۃ‬ ‫لی‬ Laysal Khabaru kal muayanah

Deeds are judged by motives

Deeds are judged by motives

َّ ‫الزاد‬ َّ ْ َ ‫الت ْق ٰوی‬ ِ ‫خی ُر‬ Khairuzzadit-taqwa

Modesty is all virtue

Modesty is all virtue Hearsay is not like seeing

Hearsay is not like seeing A Muslim is a mirror of another Muslim

A Muslim is a mirror of another Muslim

ْ ُ َ ُ ‫اب اْلُ ْس ِل ِم ف ُس ْوق‬ ‫ِسب‬ Sibabul muslimi fusuq

َ ْ َ َّ ْ ‫ااْل‬ َ َّ ُ ‫ات‬ ‫ی‬ ‫الن‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ال‬ ‫م‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ِانم‬ ِ ِ ِ Inna mal amaalu binniyyaat

ُّ ُ ْ َ ُ َ َ ْ َ ‫الحیاءخیرکلہ‬ Alhaya’u khairun kulluhu

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Guidance

BY OUR BELOVED KHALIFA (MAY ALLAH BE HIS HELPER)

One of the Waqf-e-Nau asked beloved Hazur, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba how he can develop kindness in his heart like the Holy Prophetsaw. Hazuraba said: “The same feeling of sympathy you have for your siblings, you should have for others. Whatever action the Holy Prophetsaw used to take, or anything he did, it was for the sake of Allah. He had the love of Allah. So, develop the love of Allah in your heart and when you develop the love of Allah in your heart, you will develop the love of Allah’s creation in your heart. Also, develop the love of the Holy Prophetsaw who taught us how to develop the love of Allah. For this, you must read the life history of the Holy Prophetsaw. This way you will create love of the Holy Prophetsaw in your heart and resultantly, you will develop the love of human beings and your fellow beings.” https://www.pressahmadiyya.com/press-releases/2021/10/atfal-members-of-waqf-e-nau-fromcanada-have-honour-of-a-virtual-meeting-with-the-head-of-the-ahmadiyya-muslim-community/

A mother mentioned the challenges she faced raising her young child. She said that having a small child often left her exhausted and she sought the guidance of His Holiness in this regard. In response, Hazuraba said: “Even if you find it difficult, you should not express your anger at your child or take out your frustration upon her. Rather, you should explain to the child that you are tired and you are going to rest and reassure her that you will play with her afterwards. Children are naturally intelligent and they do understand.

You can even tell her that you are tired and so she should press your legs or massage your head and the child will begin to enjoy that too. In this way you can guide and train her but do not show anger, do not shout and do not say anything negative to them.”

The mother who asked this question also enquired what prayer she should recite in order to best control her emotions, upon which Hazuraba said she should recite Durood Shareef – invoking blessings upon the Holy Prophet Muhammadsaw. https://www.pressahmadiyya.com/press-releases/2021/02/waqf-e-nau-girls-and-women-frombangladesh-have-honour-of-a-virtual-meeting-with-the-head-of-the-ahmadiyya-muslim-community/

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Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Murtazara Father Of The Promised Messiahas The Family The Promised Messiahas belonged to a very distinguished family. He was a descendant of Haji Barlas, who was the uncle of Amir Timur. It is an established fact that Timur belonged to the famous tribe of Barlas, which had lived and ruled in Kish for 200 years. This part of the world was known in ancient times as Sogdiana, of which Samarkand was the capital. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says that the Sogdians...were a tribe of Iranians. The word ‘Samarkand’ itself is of Iranian origin. The word ‘Barlas’ is also Iranian and means ‘a brave man of noble stock’.

Hence the Promised Messiahas was originally Iranian by race, though he and his family were all known as Mughals in India.

Mirza Hadi Baig A member of the family, Mirza Hadi Baig, came to India from Samarkand with Babar, the first Mughal Emperor of India, or perhaps slightly later, on account of domestic dissensions or an affliction. He brought with him his followers and servants, the party consisting of about 200 persons. He was treated by Babar with great respect. He settled in a place about 70 miles from Lahore, and founded a village on a flat piece of ground below which, at a distance of nine miles to the north-east, flows the river Beas. The village was named Islampur.

As he belonged to the ruling family, a jagir consisting of several hundred villages was immediately granted to him by the Emperor, and he was also appointed Qazi of the surrounding district. The name of the village, therefore, became Islampur Qazi, signifying that it was the seat of the Qazi.

Gradually Islampur was dropped and it was known only as Qazi. The letter ‘‫ ’ض‬is often popularly pronounced as ‘d’ and Qazi in the course of time was converted into the present form, Qadian. The village continued to be the seat of the family; and, though they lived far from the imperial capital (Delhi), members of the family filled important offices during the rule of the Mughals.

Mirza Faiz Muhammad During the time leading to the decline of the Mughal rule, Mirza Faiz Muhammad, the great-grandfather of the Promised Messiahas, took measures to suppress the anarchy that prevailed in the Punjab,

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whereupon, in the year 1716 AD, the Emperor Farrukhsiyar bestowed upon him the rank of Haft Hazari, thereby authorising him to keep a regular force of 7,000 soldiers. This rank, till the reign of Farrukhsiyar, was reserved mainly for members of the royal family. In addition, the Emperor also conferred on him the title of Azadud Daula, i.e. ‘Strong Arm of the Government’.

After the death of Mirza Faiz Muhammad, his son, Mirza Gul Muhammad engaged in a desperate struggle against the forces of anarchy, in the Punjab. This happened during the reigns of Muhammad Shah, Shah Alam and Alamgir II, and from the imperial despatches which were addressed to him, it appears that he continually warned the Emperors at Delhi of the coming dangers. He, however, received no actual support from Delhi beyond verbal promises of help; and, unaided by the central government, he continued his struggle for the consolidation of imperial authority. When the power of the Mughals declined and the Punjab was torn up by petty chiefs, the family remained in quasi-independent possession of Qadian and its surrounding country, about 60 square miles in area.

Mirza Gul Muhammad Mirza Gul Muhammad was a very able man and he became the independent chief of Qadian.

His army, consisting of infantry and cavalry, numbered 1,000. He had three guns. He ruled over 85 villages. He was a very righteous and generous man. Hundreds of people ate at his table. He patronised learning and paid stipends to about 500 persons. He was a holy man and loved the company of the righteous. Attracted by his righteousness and the encouragement he gave to learning, about 400 men who were in the pursuit of knowledge and virtue would remain in his company. His purity and piety, his courage and determination, his sympathy and generosity are still well-known in the neighbourhood. It is said that he fought single-handedly against 1,000, and overcame them all. He was a brave soldier in the day, and a pious devotee in the night.

In those days Qadian, because of its religious atmosphere, was often spoken of as ‘Mecca’. It is said that Ghiyathud Daula, a minister of the Imperial Government, once visited Qadian and, seeing the dignity of Mirza Gul Muhammad and his little court, was deeply impressed and remarked, with tears in his eyes, that if he had known that such a great and noble member of the Mughal dynasty was living in this jungle, he would have tried to save the Muslim Empire by putting him on the throne at Delhi. This would have been by no means impossible in those days.

At first Ranjit Singh owned only nine villages, but in a very short time he actually became the ruler of the whole of the Punjab. Muslims, however, were passing through turbulent times, and their empire could not be saved. During the last illness of Mirza Gul Muhammad, a physician prescribed brandy as a medicine, but he resolutely refused it and preferred to die rather than find himself placed in a situation where he might appear to violate the Qur’anic injunction against alcohol. He died in about 1800 AD. Mirza Ata Muhammad Mirza Gul Muhammad was succeeded by his son Mirza ‘Ata Muhammad. By this time the Sikhs had risen to power and those of Ramgarh entered into a league with some of the neighbouring families. The state became so crippled that out of 84 villages of the Ta‘alluqa of Qadian yielding an annual income of Rs. eight lacs, only the capital was left. Qadian was then like a fortress, being surrounded by a wall 22 feet high and about 18 feet wide. There were four towers in which was lodged the army with a few guns. At last, possibly in 1802, the Sikhs of Ramgarh, Jassa Singh or his followers, found their way into Qadian through treachery, and the members of the family were all made prisoners. Everything was looted. Mosques and buildings were pulled down, and one of the mosques was turned into a Gurdawara (a Sikh temple), which still stands to this day.

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A number of people were killed, but the members of the family were spared and on a cold wintry night they were all expelled from Qadian. They had to leave the town by night. They resolved, shuddering and exhausted, to a village called Begowal, where, though they begged no shelter, Sardar Fateh Singh Ahluvalia, an ancestor of the Maharaja of Kapurthala, treated them with kindness, and offered them sympathy that they had neither solicited nor expected. In consideration of their sad plight, he granted them an allowance for their maintenance, which was, however, by no means adequate for their needs. The family remained there for about 16 years.

Jassa Singh died in 1803, and was succeeded by his nephew, Divan Singh, who ruled over Qadian for about 15 years.

Mirza ‘Ata Muhammad was poisoned in 1814 by his enemies. His son Mirza Ghulam Murtaza was quite young at that time, but he brought his father’s body to Qadian, so that he might be buried in the family cemetery and thus the ancestral connection with Qadian and the claim over the estate might remain intact. The Sikhs opposed this; but the local population, consisting of humble people, were very much excited and the Sikhs, fearing open rebellion, had to give in.

Mirza Ghulam Murtazara Then followed the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who gradually brought all the petty chiefs of the country under his sway. In around 1818, he allowed Mirza Ghulam Murtaza, the son of Mirza ‘Ata Muhammad, to return to Qadian. Mirza Ghulam Murtaza and his brothers thereupon joined the Sikh army and rendered excellent services in several places, including the frontier of Kashmir, which was annexed by Ranjit Singh in 1819. He took Peshawar in 1823. During this period of military service under Ranjit Singh, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza’s burden of affliction and adversity was to some extent lightened, but the Sikhs were still in power and the family remained in strained circumstances. Mirza Ghulam Murtaza was much worried.

It is said that he travelled far and wide but no ray of hope was yet visible. In moments of distress and disappointment he even thought of going to Kashmir and settling there; for he had already served there in the capacity of a Suba; a kind of Governor. He devoted his time to study and prayer. He tried his luck at the court of Ranjit Singh, but the court was dissolute, and nothing availed. Ranjit Singh was, however, so impressed with Mirza Ghulam Murtaza’s goodness and nobility that in the latter period of his reign, sometime in 1834-35, he restored to him five villages out of his lost ancestral estate. This was about the time of the birth of the future prophet.

Thus, the very birth of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the promised reformer of the world, blessed his parents and his family in a wonderful manner. Light came and darkness vanished. The days of adversity were turned into peace and prosperity. They had a twofold reason for gratification: they were restored to peace, and they came to enjoy religious freedom. The whole family felt the change in its fortunes and attributed it to the happy birth of their blessed son. And it proved to be a blessing for the whole country, as better days were in store for all. The Sikhs lost power a few years later. Ranjit Singh died in 1839. During the next ten years British rule was extended to the whole of the country, ushering in the most peaceful and prosperous era in the history of India.

The Sikhs made, in their last days, an abortive effort to kill Mirza Ghulam Murtaza and his brother, Mirza Ghulam Muhyuddin, who were confined by them in Basrawan, near Qadian; but they were soon rescued by their younger brother, Mirza Ghulam Haidar.

It should be noted here that in their early days the Qadian family could not be expected to show any sympathy towards the British Government. The reason for this was that they belonged to the ruling family at Delhi. When they saw, however, that the Mughal rule had lost its usefulness to the country and that India now needed a new power to regain its former glory, they set themselves whole-heartedly to support the British Government to the best of their ability, even at the sacrifice of their private sentiments and ambitions.

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A Great Physician Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib was a great physician. He had studied medicine at Baghbanpura, under Ruhullah and at Delhi, under the Sharif Khan family. He treated people free of charge, expecting nothing in return. He attended to rich and poor alike.

Raja Teja Singh of Batala, once offered him a large amount of money and a Khilat with two villages, Shitabkot and Hasanpur, in return for his medical services. The two villages had once belonged to his ancestral estate, but he declined them, saying that it would be derogatory for him and his children to accept any fee.

Maharaja Shair Singh once came to Kahnuwan on a hunting trip. Mirza Ghulam Murtaza was also with him. An attendant of the Maharaja caught a severe chill. Mirza Sahib cured him with an ordinary inexpensive prescription. Then, Shair Singh himself caught a similar chill. Mirza Sahib prescribed for him a very expensive medicine, upon which the Maharaja asked his reason for this differential treatment. Mirza Sahib answered that he did not think the attendant was equal in status to the Maharaja. Shair Singh was greatly pleased with this reply.

Mirza Sahib was magnanimous towards his enemies. A Brahmin named Joti, who had gone to court against him, was treated most sympathetically by him in his illness. A man once congratulated him on the death of one of his enemies. Mirza Sahib was most displeased, and turned him out of his company.

A Keen sense of Self-Respect Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib had a keen sense of selfrespect. Once he went to see Mr Robert Cust, Commissioner of Lahore, on some business. In the course of conversation, Mr Cust asked him, with an official air, the distance between Srigobindpur and Qadian. Mirza Sahib said he was not there as a peon to answer such questions and rose to leave. The Commissioner realised his mistake and was much impressed by this display of independence and dignity.

One of Mirza Sahib’s sons, Mirza Ghulam Qadir, was a subinspector in the police force, and Mr Nisbet, the Deputy Commissioner (D.C.), once suspended him. The D.C. spoke of it to Mirza Sahib when he came to Qadian, whereupon Mirza Sahib said that if his son was really guilty, he should be punished in such a manner that his punishment should serve as an example to the sons of all respectable families. The D.C. was much pleased and pardoned Mirza Ghulam Qadir, saying that the son of such a father needed no punishment.

People were filled with awe at the sight of Mirza Sahib. He had an imposing appearance and nobody dared look him in the face.

Mirza Imam Din, a nephew of his, once procured Sochet Singh of Bhaini to kill Mirza Sahib. He has stated that he went on several occasions over a wall with the intention of killing him, but whenever he looked at him he felt afraid and dared not approach him.

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As a Poet Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib was also a poet. His Takhallus was Tahsin. Presented below are a few verses composed by him: ‫ن‬

‫ی‬ ‫اے واےئ امہب امہچ ی‬ ‫رکد� ن ا� ی‬ ‫رکد� ہمہ ن رمع‬ �‫رکد‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ی ت‬ � ‫درد رس نم وشم ط� یب��ب�ا یا� درد دل اس درد رس‬ ‫ب ت‬ ‫رک� وہں وت رھپ ی‬ ‫� ی‬ ‫ہک ج ب‬ ‫دقت�ر یتسنہ ےہ‬ ‫دت�ر ا‬

Mirza Sultan Ahmad sahib has said that once he collected all of Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib’s poems and sent them to Hafiz Umar Daraz, Editor of the Punjabi Akhbar, but unfortunately, the latter died soon after and the poems were all lost.

Masjid Aqsa Qadian Masjid Aqsa was built by Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib. The piece of land on which it stands belonged at that time to the Sikhs, and he bought it at an auction at the then very high cost of Rs. 700. He had made up his mind to buy it at any cost, as he wanted to make amends for the worldly pursuits in which he had spent his life. People taunted him for building such a big mosque while there were no worshippers for it. Little did they know that it was to be crowded

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with devotees, and that the sincerity with which it was built, was to be reflected in the necessity to extend it again and again. He also tried to regain possession of a mosque, which had been converted into a temple, but the legal proceedings he instituted failed.

Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib tried all his life to regain possession of his ancestral estate. He spent about Rs. 70,000 on litigation on this but did not gain much. No one in the family helped him in these efforts, which they knew would prove vain, but whatever little he succeeded in gaining was shared by his collaterals. This was because, through the carelessness of his agent, the names of his collaterals were, along with that of Mirza Sahib, entered in the papers as proprietors of the estate.

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Once in a dream Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib saw the Holy Prophetsaw coming in state to his house. He ran to receive the Holy Prophetsaw and thought of offering Nadhar—an Eastern form of homage similar to the oblation of gold, frankincense and myrrh offered to Jesusas by the Wise Men of the East. When, however, he put his hand into his pocket, he found that he had only one rupee and that it was a counterfeit coin. This brought tears to his eyes. At this point he awoke. This, he interpreted to mean, that the love of God and His Prophetsaw, mixed with the love of this world, is nothing better than a false coin. His disappointment with regard to his worldly affairs was very keen and he often regretted that he had not served God with all his means and power. He directed in his will that he should be buried in a corner of the mosque he had built in the centre of the town so that, perchance, God would have mercy on him. He fixed as the site for his tomb the spot where it stands in accordance with his wishes. He died of dysentery in June 1876, at the age of 85, when the mosque was nearing completion.

Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib was married to Charagh Bibi, the sister of Mirza Jami‘at Baig of Aima, a village in Hoshiarpur district. Charagh Bibi was a generous, hospitable, cheerful and good-hearted lady of exemplary piety. She looked after the poor while they lived and, when they died, provided them with decent burial. Through prosperity and adversity, she remained a devoted wife and an excellent companion to Mirza Ghulam Murtaza sahib, who had deep respect for her. He always sought her advice on account of her prudence, sagacity and virtue.

She was a most loving mother. She lavished her most tender care upon her children. The worldly members of the family perhaps looked upon the holy-minded Ahmadas as a worthless young man, but his unworldliness appealed most of all to his mother. She died in 1868 and was buried in the family cemetery (known as Shah Abdullah Ghazi) in the west of Qadian. The Promised Messiahas had loved her deeply and whenever he spoke of her his eyes used to fill with tears. He used to go to her grave and pray for her. May she rest in peace for ever and ever! Ameen.

(Life of Ahmadas, Chapter 2, pages 8-24, by Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Dardra)

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/#ň#(!

Quilling is a form of art that involves the use of strips of papers to be rolled, pinched, shaped and glued to create decorative designs. There are many techniques used to manipulate strips of different types of paper into 3D designs. It is thought that birds’ feathers, or quills, were used to coil strips of paper, hence the name ‘quilling’.

Although the origins of quilling are unclear, it is thought that this art form may have originated in Ancient Egypt, where forms of filigree art inspired more modern quilling years later.

Quilling was practiced as an art form in Renaissance France and Italy, where nuns and monks would use quilling to adorn book covers and religious items. Quilling often imitated ironwork of the time. In the 18th Century, quilling became a popular leisure activity for affluent women.

Today, quilling is regaining popularity, as an accessible and affordable hobby for all ages.

It can be seen used on greeting cards, wedding invitations, gift boxes/bags, jewellery boxes, coasters, picture frames, etc.

Quilling is an easy-­to-­learn art form, which requires basic techniques and a few tools.

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Ň&-> • Paper Strips – varying in weight and thickness • Slotted Tool – used to insert paper strips and twist into tight coils • Needle Tool – used to apply glue • Tweezers – used to hold shaped pieces and to relax tight coils • Crimper – used to add texture to paper strips • Glue

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Waq f in the Field : Becoming a Teacher Khola Waheed

What would you like to be when you’re older?

This pivotal question is asked to nearly (if not) all children at some point in their childhood. The significance of the answer to this question is imperative to each child. Whilst being a Waqfe Nau however, the cruciality is even more evident, as we are reminded time and time again, that every decision we take should be based on the sole purpose to serve the Khalifa-e-Waqt and the Jama’at.

As a child I recall my parents and local Waqfe Nau Secretary reminding me of the importance of seeking guidance from beloved Hazuraba through writing regular letters, asking questions during Mulaqats and listening attentively in classes and Friday Sermons. I remember writing countless letters to beloved Hazuraba requesting for prayers for my studies, especially during my GCSE exams. Following the release of my GCSE exam results, we were blessed to have the opportunity to attend a Waqifaat-e-Nau class with Hazur-e-Aqdasaba in which beloved Hazuraba enquired about every Waqfe Nau’s exam grades. When it was my turn, I stated that I had received 5 A*’s, 4 A’s and 2 B’s Alhamdolillah. Beloved Hazuraba then asked me what I would like to do further. In reply to this, I suggested that I would like to study law and requested for Hazur’saba opinion on the matter. Beloved Hazuraba swiftly replied that it might be difficult to do law practically. In that instance, I was certain that I would not pursue a career in law and so I started thinking of the various other possibilities of careers I could do. This thought was immediate, as obeying beloved Hazuraba was (and is) my top priority.

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Coincidentally, the following day we had a personal family Mulaqat with Hazur-e-Aqdasaba in which I took the blessed opportunity to follow up with Hazuraba about which alternative route I should take, if he did not think that law was a suitable career option for me. Hazuraba then graciously guided me to choose teaching as my new career path. I was instantly filled with optimism to pursue my career as a teacher.

As Waqf-e-Nau, it is our first and foremost responsibility to say ‘Labaik’ (I hear, and I obey) to every order of the Khalifa-e-Waqt. In fact, I remember I was even more happy with this career path because Hazuraba himself had guided me to become a teacher.

After my GCSEs, I then did my A-Levels in English Literature, Business Studies, History and Urdu. During this time, I decided to personally undertake work experience in my local primary schools to gain a further understanding of this vast field. It is vital to gain some sort of insight into whichever field you wish to pursue by doing work experience or volunteering as this will also further support your application. Regarding teaching, work or volunteering should be done in a school. If there is uncertainty regarding which age group or subject you would further like to teach and what is best suited to you, contacting schools in the area and asking for opportunities to observe in a classroom will be advantageous. Further, speaking to the staff about the challenges and rewards of teaching will help to get a further idea of the job. To become a qualified teacher in a state-maintained school in the UK, you need to undertake Initial Teacher Training (ITT) or Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Entry is generally competitive, but less so for shortage subjects such as Maths, Physics, and Languages. Completion of ITT leads to the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England and Wales, and respectively the Teaching Qualification (TQ) in Scotland.

By the grace of Allah and with the prayers of our beloved Khalifaaba , I was accepted into my chosen course at university – Education BA (Hons). This news brought a lot of emotions; while I was very happy and excited, I was also nervous as teaching was not my first choice, hence I started doubting my ability to succeed. However, by the grace of Allah, after successfully completing my three years at university, I achieved a FirstClass Honours. During this course I learnt many skills such as communication with adults and children, creativity, organisation,

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conflict resolution, leadership, and adaptability in different settings. These skills were not only essential in a classroom, but also highly important in my day-to-day life too.

I then went on to further pursuing a one year Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course to become a qualified Primary School teacher. This is a popular postgraduate academic qualification which leads to a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This one-year course is focused on developing teaching skills underpinned with the essential knowledge required. Hence, my PGCE involved not only the core curriculum at university but also attending school placements. I recall attending these placements around 3 to 4 days a week and further writing assignments based on the practical tasks set in the classrooms.

The PGCE is available for primary and secondary school, hence it is important to have a good understanding of the age range and/or chosen subject before the start of the training. As well as this, a degree in a national curriculum subject is preferred but not essential. With this degree, you’re able to teach the specific chosen subject at hand.

In England and Wales, PGCEs are offered on all university-led courses and most school-led courses too. However, to become a qualified teacher in England, you only need a QTS, but having a PGCE may be advantageous if you’re considering teaching in Scotland or overseas.

Graduate teacher programmes include the following:

• 120 days of practical classroom experience in two schools or more.

• Academic study, giving you the knowledge and understanding to teach successfully.

• Experienced professional mentoring and tutoring in classroom management.

• Ongoing assessment of your teaching skills.

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After my PGCE, I decided to further enhance my knowledge in education and so committed in doing a Masters (MSc) in Education Research. This allowed me to further understand the subject in depth and enabled me to familiarise myself with research and policies that take place ‘behind the scenes.’ Throughout my studies, I continued seeking help from Allah the Almighty and wrote letters to beloved Hazuraba for his prayers. I was also in constant contact with the Waqf-e-Nau Department and asked for any help when needed.

As a Waqfe Nau, it is also important to always be an active member of the Jama’at by participating in local Majalis activities and making yourself available to volunteer and serve whenever there is a need.

To conclude, I would like to offer some advice, that no matter what you decide to do in your life, you should always prioritise seeking guidance from beloved Hazuraba and follow his instructions.

With Hazur’saba blessings and prayers, you will InshAllah always find yourself successful.

Furthermore, as a Waqfe Nau it is of the utmost importance to remember the pledge to sacrifice one’s life for one’s faith. Thus, in conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to the Friday Sermon delivered on 28th October 2016, ‘The essence of Waqfe Nau’. Hazuraba states:

“Similarly, Waqifeen-e-Nau can go to other

departments, but their basic purpose is, and it should be known by all that you are a Waqfe Zindagi and, if, at any time, you are asked

to leave the secular job and present yourself to work for the religion, then you will come without making any excuse”.

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