100 years of Lajna Imaillah

Attiya Shaukat, UK

In Jesus’^as time, loyal female helpers such as Mary Magdalene worked tirelessly to spread Jesus’^as message. Her contribution has been noted in Christian history as a source of pride, even though she was not one of the twelve disciples. A far greater number of female Companions^ra were noted as being the Companions^ra of the Prophet Muhammad^sa. If in sincerity and ardent devotion the male Companions^ra loved the Holy Prophet^sa, then so did the female Companions^ra.

One such lady was Hazrat Umm Ammarah^ra. When she saw that the Holy Prophet^sa was outnumbered during a battle, she immediately picked up a sword and proceeded to the battlefield to defend her beloved Master^sa.

Then we see Hazrat Khaula^ra who set an example on the battlefield, where she displayed great courage and bravery and freed her brother who had been taken hostage by the Roman army.

Thus, segregation in Islam has never meant that women do not take part in pursuits outside the home. Islam’s history testifies that women did. (Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh, English Mulaqat, 16 June 1996) These women showed that whilst guarding their chastity, they were able to volunteer for the front line.

Indeed, these female Companions^ra of the Holy Prophet^sa were great leaders. Then, in the era of the Promised Messiah^as, women would be required to take on a similar role for their faith. During the Promised Messiah^as time, he personally trained the male members of the Jamaat, how to respectfully, and kindly treat women and how to keep their rights in view. (History Lajna Imaillah, p. 2) The Promised Messiah^as taught, “We should treat women with courtesy and kindness.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 307)

Now, the ladies of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat continue to develop and flourish under the guidance of Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat. In various countries of the West, women led by the suffragettes ran an aggressive campaign to be heard. Contrastingly, women in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat were gently being told to awaken from their slumber and realise their worth. They did not have to “wrangle with men to receive their rights, because those rights had already been given to them by God and nobody can take them away.” (Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa, 24 February 2018, The High Status of Women)

Thus, without any violence of any sort, Lajna Imaillah – the organised female community of the servants of Allah – was initiated by a man who was the Second Khalifa of the Promised Messiah^as, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad^ra.