On Saturday, 1 May 2021, 77 members of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya UK from northern regions were blessed with the opportunity of meeting Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa in a virtual class.
Atfal had the opportunity to ask Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa an array of questions related to faith, religion and matters concerning day to day life.
As the live stream commenced, Huzooraa conveyed his salaam to everyone and enquired which mosque the Atfal had congregated in. Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, Abdul Quddus Arif Sahib, who was present with Huzooraa in Islamabad, replied that the Atfal were in Darul Aman Mosque. Huzooraa replied, “Yes, I see. The one in Manchester.”
The class then commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Zeeshan Akbar, followed by its English translation presented by Fawad Ahmad Hafeez.
Addressing Mohtamim Atfal, Farhad Ahmad Sahib, who was present in Darul Aman Mosque, Huzooraa asked how many Atfal were sitting in the mosque, to which he replied that there were 77 Atfal seated in the mosque.
Thereafter, a hadith of the Holy Prophetsa was presented by Kazeem-ur-Rahman, and its translation by Mikael Ahmad. After this, Muhammad Mahmud had the opportunity to read out an extract from the writings of the Promised Messiahas. After this, a nazm composed by the Promised Messiahaa, was recited by Nasir Ahmad Konado, followed by its English translation which was presented by Muntaha Ahmad.
After hearing the nazm, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said, “Jazakallah! Well done!”
Addressing Mohtamim Atfal, Farhad Ahmad Sahib, Huzooraa asked what was next. Farhad Sahib replied that there were some Atfal who wished to ask Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa questions.
Ansar Arshad, alluding to the current pandemic, asked Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa if the Promised Messiahas made a prediction of a virus or plague that would occur in the future.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“It was prophesied by the Promised Messiahas that Allah the Almighty told him that there would be an outbreak of a plague during his lifetime, and that happened. And, apart from that, he has said that the world would have to face calamities in the future, which can be in the shape of pandemics – the outbreak of pandemics – or earthquakes, or any other type of problem which people would have to face. So, he did not precisely say that after some time, there would be an outbreak or a pandemic like Covid; but he did say that if people did not realise their duties towards Allah, and if they did not realise their duties towards their fellow being, and if they did not remember the purpose of their coming into this world, then they would have to face some hardships in the future. So, we cannot say that he precisely said that this would happen in this time […]”
Next, Ilyas Rehman asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa if the UK was over the coronavirus crisis or whether there would be another lockdown.
Huzooraa said:
“At least, at present, the government claims that they have now fully controlled the situation and [they say] there are only a few cases, only 25 or 30, 40 cases daily of the death toll of people. It used to be very high in the past. So, they say, ‘because 46% of the population has been vaccinated, this is why now we are somehow confident that we have overcome the situation’. But nobody knows. Every day, we see that new variants of Covid are coming up […]”
Huzooraa further stated that if new variants of the coronavirus came, then there may be another lockdown.
Mutal Mahmud asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa if being the Khalifa of the time was a difficult responsibility and asked what the most challenging aspect was of being a Khalifa.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa smiled and stated:
“You see, the work of the Khalifa is always challenging because when you see that you are directly answerable for whatever you are doing to Allah the Almighty – for all your actions and for all your responsibilities you are discharging – then if you have fear of Allah, every moment which passes should make you God-fearing, and that is a great challenge.”
Samar Ahmad Khan stated that due to the pandemic, life had changed drastically and overall stress in the atmosphere had increased. He enquired how one should cope with this situation and further asked if it would improve.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“As long as the fear of Covid remains, we cannot say that you will be able to do your normal activities. So, as I have already told you [Atfal], there is still a fear of a second variant or the reoccurrence of the same Covid even. Although it is said that those who have been vaccinated are secure and safe and they are immune, but nobody is immune to this type of pandemic. If your immunity develops in one type of virus, then another variant is coming.
“But, at the same time, since you are sitting at home, you should change the pattern of your activities. Involve yourself in reading books. Now, schools have been reopened, right?”
To this, the tifl answered in the affirmative. Huzooraa added:
“Now you are going to school. So, at least the activities you were doing in school have started now […] The best way of spending your time [after school] is that you should spend some time, after completing your homework, reading the books of the Promised Messiahas or other Jamaat related literature. This is how you can increase your religious knowledge and increase wisdom and increase your faith as well […]”
Kashif Ahmad, 15, asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa what the different ways and methods he adopted for doing tarbiyat of his children were when they were 15.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa smiled and said:
“I think my children’s mother played a vital role in training them, instead of myself. The best way is that a father should set an example for his children. If fathers are offering the five daily prayers, they can ask their children to offer the five daily prayers – offering five daily prayers is the best way to discipline your children.
“Then, when the father is doing tilawat, reading the Holy Quran daily, then the children will know that their father is doing it, ‘So we should also do it’ […] So when you become a father, you should try to follow these instructions.”
Yaqoob Ahmad, 13, asked Huzooraa the qualities and characteristics an exemplary tifl should have.
“An exemplary tifl,” Huzooraa said, “should be very regular and punctual in offering the five daily prayers. After the age of 10, it is obligatory for you to offer the five daily prayers and, if possible, in congregation.
“Then, try to do tilawat – read the Holy Quran daily – even if it is one or two rukus, or a small portion of it.
“Then, an exemplary tifl should morally be very good, well-behaved. When you go to school, students should know that this boy is very well behaved […]”
Next, Jahanzeb Khan, 15, quoting from the Holy Quran, asked Huzooraa why there were so many sects in Islam.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said that it was the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa that in the Latter Days, the Muslim ummah would be divided into sects.
Huzooraa added:
“Each sect will think that they are on the right path. They [the various sects] will have different points of view, and each sect will think that their point of view is the best and they are following the true teachings of the Quran and they are following the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa. In the present Muslim sects, there are some sects who are following the Holy Quran and do not believe in hadith; some are following hadith and give more preference to hadith [than the Holy Quran]. And some others have different point of views […]
“Now, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘When this happens, then at that time, a reformer will come who will follow my true teachings, who will guide you and he will be called the Messiah and Mahdi, the rightly guided person. And the person who is rightly guided, will guide you in the same way.’
“We believe that that person whose advent was foretold by the Holy Prophetsa came in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian. He said, ‘Allah the Almighty has appointed me as the Messiah and Mahdi of this age, according to the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa, and He has made the right teachings [of Islam] clear to me. So, I am also the person who will decide what is right and what is wrong.’ He [the Promised Messiah] is hakam and adal […]”
Huzooraa then asked Jahanzeb Khan if his question was answered and said that he may write to him further in a letter.
Following this, Zishan Ahmad, 15, asked Huzooraa how he spent his time on Eid.
Huzooraa smiled and said:
“Before Eid prayer, normally I spend some time to prepare my khutba. And after Eid, when I come home, I see my children, my family members and also, I call some of my friends, my relatives and say ‘Eid mubarak’, or receive calls from them. And then, normally, I come to my office and start working again.
“Then after the Zuhr prayer, I take lunch with my family members and after that, my routinely work starts again, as I spend on normal days. So, there is not much difference apart from this, that on Eid days, I receive ‘Eid mubarak’ calls from different people and also, at the same time, I sit together with my family members for one hour and take my lunch with them.”
Zain Shakeel, 13, asked if a person, who passes away, is able to meet with his beloved ones who have also passed away before.
Answering the young tifl, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
“Yes, if a person has done good deeds, and he is going to Paradise, he will see all his loved ones who have gone to Paradise. And also, at the same time, those loved ones who have done good deeds and they are in Paradise, they will also see him there […]”
Zishan Ahmad Ranjid asked Huzooraa how one could focus in class [in school] when there were a lot of distractions.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, answering the question, stated:
“[…] You should try to sit at the front […] change your seat; don’t sit with the students who are creating mischief and joking all the time.”
Umair Ahmad Sherani, whilst asking his question, said that Hindus prayed to idols so that God may answer their prayers. In Islam, he said, unless you send durood on the Holy Prophetsa, then the prayer would not be accepted. He asked how Islam differs from the two.
Huzooraa said:
“Hindus have made different gods for different things. And they believe that their prayers are only heard when they pray to Allah through these idols […]
“In the case of durood sharif, it is a different situation. Allah the Almighty says that ‘the Holy Prophetsa is a human being, and he is the person whom I love more than anything and any person in the world’ […] Allah the Almighty did not say that when we say durood, the Holy Prophetsa would convey our message. Allah says that ‘since I love this person [Prophet Muhammadsa], so when you praise him then I will accept your prayers because you also love the person whom I love’[…]”
Sharib Ahmad asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa how we could bring people towards Islam Ahmadiyyat.
Huzooraa stated that it was important for one to show a good example before the world.
“The first thing,” Huzooraa said, “is your behaviour. If your behaviour is good, people will get attracted towards you. And in this way, you can make more friends. When you make more friends, they will ask you, ‘Why are you different from others?’ Then you can tell them, ‘Because I follow the true teachings of Islam.’ So, then they will ask you questions about Islam. In this way, you can convey the message of Islam.”
Momin Gondal, 14, said that fasting was not obligatory at his age and asked what response could be given to those who asked and questioned him as to why he did not fast.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“Fasting is obligatory for a mature person […] Your age is the age of nourishment; you are growing. So you can tell them that because of this, Allah the Almighty has said that when a person is fully grown, then he should fast […]”
At this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa conveyed his salaam and the meeting came to a close.
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)