Friday Sermon
19 May 2023
Proclaim the bounties of Allah; Ahmadiyya growth, success and progress
After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
While mentioning the favours of Allah the Almighty on the Jamaat and its continuous growth, the Promised Messiahas says in one place:
“It is also a great miracle of God Almighty that despite such a level of rejection and vilification, and despite the intense efforts of my opponents day and night, this Jamaat keeps growing.”
The Promised Messiahas continues: “[…] It is a great miracle that while our opponents are toiling day and night, ardently devising schemes and exerting the utmost to put an end to this Movement, God continues to expand our Jamaat.”
Following this, the Promised Messiahas says:
“Do you know the wisdom behind this? The wisdom behind it is that one who is appointed by God Almighty and is undoubtedly from God, progresses and advances day by day and His Movement thrives ever more by the day, and the one who tries to stop him gets ruined and humiliated by each day and eventually His opponents and detractors die in great despondency.”
The Promised Messiahas further says: “[…] No one can thwart the will of God if it is indeed His will. No one can stop the Movement that is initiated by God and which He desires to promote. This is so because no matter how much effort one puts in and what schemes one conceives, if that Movement is stalled by their efforts, then it would have to be conceded that the one who tried to stop it overpowered God. But no one can overpower God.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, p. 33)
Thus, we see the fulfilment of these words of the Promised Messiahas every day. The opponents have made personal efforts and have also tried to collectively scheme against the Jamaat as if they were united. However, in accordance with the promise of Allah the Almighty vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas: “I shall cause thy message to reach the corners of the earth” and that “I will increase the community of your sincere and devoted followers,” we have witnessed the Jamaat spread across the world. These so-called scholars and opponents believe that they will annihilate the Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas with their breath, as it were. However, they do not know that they are, in fact, challenging God. And if they oppose Allah the Almighty, it is they who will be destroyed, because Allah the Almighty supports and assists His servants. We are able to observe manifestations of the support and succour of Allah the Almighty even in far-off countries of the world; in countries where, at times, it is generally not easy to reach and one has to cross difficult paths to get there. However, even in those places, Allah the Almighty is manifesting His support. The opponents try their level best, yet, they fail. In some places, they try to frighten the members of the Jamaat by causing them physical and financial difficulties, but these things only increase their faith.
It is not possible to cover all the accounts of Allah’s support across the world and how the promises of Allah the Almighty to the Promised Messiahas are being fulfilled. However, I will present some accounts relating to the progress of the Jamaat and how Allah the Almighty instils within the hearts of people the desire to enter the bai‘at of the Promised Messiahas and accept him. Some people oppose [the Jamaat], but they do so because of a lack of knowledge. And once they become aware of the truth, they not only abstain from their opposition, but also accept the Jamaat.
Mentioning one such incident, the Amir [president] of the Jamaat in Congo Kinshasa has written that one of their mu‘allim [local missionary], ‘Isa Sahib, lives in a village in the province of Kongo Central. He went for tabligh [convey the true message of Islam] along with a delegation of the Jamaat. The imam in the region, Jibra’il Sahib, was famous for his opposition against the Jamaat. The topics of the death of Jesus and the advent of the imam Mahdi were discussed with him. When it became clear to him that the concept of believing Jesusas to be alive, in fact, dishonours the Holy Prophetsa – God forbid – he understood the entire matter. He was not stubborn like Pakistani Maulvis [clerics] and he also understood the concept of the advent of the Imam Mahdi. There and then, along with six members of his family and 21 followers, he did bai‘at [pledged initiation]. As such, a Jamaat was established there as well.
Then, in some instances, Allah the Almighty Himself prepares the ground for acceptance. The missionary of Guinea-Conakry writes:
“There is a village named Kotoya where we went for tabligh purposes. After we conveyed the message of the Promised Messiahas in great detail, the eldest person of the village said, ‘I often used to hear the word ‘Mahdi’ from my grandfather but never understood it, nor did my grandfather ever explain it in detail. However, he did mention that it was in relation to Islam. Therefore, seeing as you mentioned the Imam Mahdi in great detail today, I wholeheartedly enter the fold of Ahmadiyyat.’ He then addressed his fellow villagers, saying, ‘Accept this community, for I have travelled across many African countries and I have witnessed the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community serving Islam everywhere. The other sects are either occupied in their pursuit of the world or excelling one another in intellectual endeavours only to declare one another disbelievers. This is the only community which is serving the Holy Quran and Islam.’ By the grace of Allah the entire village, including the imam, pledged their allegiance and a large community was established.”
The missionary in charge in The Gambia writes that they went to a district there named Niamina, in which there is a village. He writes:
“Our tabligh team travelled there and conveyed the message of Islam, Ahmadiyyat. They spoke about the true and beautiful teachings of the Imam Mahdias and also read out the ten conditions of bai‘at to them. (They may live in the village, but they are intelligent and insightful.) Having heard the ten conditions of bai‘at they were left astounded and understood that these are matters pertaining to true Islam, the prophecy of which was foretold by the Holy Prophetsa. The people of the village said, ‘This was our first time hearing such beautiful and magnificent teachings of Islam. No one has ever heard such beautiful teachings from our so-called scholars.’ Eventually, they said that Ahmadiyyat is the true Islam and entered its fold, concluding that it is Ahmadiyyat alone that can save mankind from the displeasure of Allah Almighty. By the grace of Allah, after a lengthy question-and-answer session in which they conveyed the message of Islam, all the people – who numbered close to 200 – pledged their allegiance and accepted Ahmadiyyat.”
At first glance, some incidents may seem insignificant in the field of preaching, but in reality, they show the support and succour of Allah the Almighty working in the background. A missionary in one of the countries in Africa, says, “Our tabligh team went to set up an outreach programme in Bama, a key town in the county that is the headquarters of the district. We were sitting in the mosque when a delegation of four people from the town came to meet us. Among them was also a woman who happened to be the chairperson of the women’s organisation of the town. The delegation members said, ‘We have come to invite you to visit our area and convey the message of the Ahmadiyya Community, because we have learnt that your community organises preaching endeavours, and, in particular, arranges classes to teach children [the recitation of] the Holy Quran. Hence, we planned a visit the following day. After arriving there, we introduced the community and spoke about the purpose and objective of the advent of the Promised Messiahas. This was followed by a lengthy question-and-answer session, at the end of which all the villagers decided to enter the community that very day. In this way, a new Jamaat was established there. They then gathered all of the children in the area and said to us, ‘From today they are all children of the community, tell us how they can be taught the Holy Quran.’” The missionary then selected two children to be taught the Holy Quran, who would then return to their mosque and hold classes for the rest of the children to be taught the Holy Quran. He then says, “We only had a pious intention, but it was Allah the Almighty that granted us His help and support.”
In Pakistan, we are restricted from even listening to the recitation of the Holy Quran, let alone reading it. One Ahmadi had a lawsuit against him for merely listening to the Holy Quran. This is the Islam of those so-called Muslims, yet on the other hand, here the people were presenting their children to the community to teach them to read the Holy Quran, for it is this community that possesses a true understanding of it.
There are some who become Ahmadis but later fall into greed, or out of some fear, leave Ahmadiyyat and then subsequently think that they will be able to eliminate the Jamaat. However, Allah the Almighty turns such thoughts back onto them and the Jamaat continues to progress in accordance with His promise. A missionary from Ivory Coast writes that in the La Mé region there is a place called Krezoukoue, where in 2008, the majority of the people joined the Jamaat. There was a small mosque under construction there at the time, which the people had come together to build and they gave the mosque to the Jamaat. The Jamaat completed the mosque’s construction, but after some time, the local imam, who had done bai‘at earlier and joined the Jamaat, started harbouring erroneous thoughts and separated himself from the Jamaat, and even took over the mosque. He also started inciting others to cut ties with the Jamaat, however, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, they remained steadfast upon Ahmadiyyat. When the cleric had taken over the mosque, they [the local members] took plastic sheets and gathered some wood and created a makeshift shed to be used as a mosque, where they offered prayers and held the Friday prayers there as well. They did not worry about the fact that they had to leave a purpose-built mosque. In any case, Allah the Almighty bestowed His blessings and he [the missionary] says that this year, the Jamaat there was able to build a beautiful two-story mosque with domes and minarets. They built a mosque in that area that is significantly bigger and more beautiful than the mosque that was taken over by the non-Ahmadi cleric. In Pakistan, on the one hand, our minarets are torn down and the arches are broken, while on the other hand, Allah the Almighty is granting us beautiful mosques in other places and in greater numbers.
With regards to how Allah the Almighty grants His help against the efforts of the opponents, there is an incident from Chad, a country in Africa. The missionary there writes that in March 2022 – I am mentioning incidents from last year, God-willing this year’s incidents will come in due course – the Jamaat’s first mosque was inaugurated in the capital of Chad. The opponents conspired together by saying that the Ahmadiyya Jamaat had brought a new religion into their country and they did not wish for us to gain much popularity. As such, the number of opponents began increasing, as did their schemes.
The missionary says, “The so-called scholars and clerics of our area were delivering speeches against the Jamaat in their mosques and spreading false propaganda that the Ahmadiyya mosque should be closed. As such, they gathered people and went to the Chad Islamic Council and asked them why they had permitted the Ahmadiyya Community to open a mosque and why the mosque was open for Friday prayers. [They said] the mosque should be closed immediately; otherwise, this would lead to disorder in the area. The Islamic Council said that Ahmadis have the right to worship, and how could they close a mosque, which is the house of Allah. If they feared disorder, then they should report it to the police.” The Islamic Council there at least has some sense and it is just that they did not fear anyone else. In Pakistan, even judges deliver verdicts against us out of fear for others. Not only are we prohibited from calling our mosques “masajid [singl. masjid]”, but we cannot even pray or worship in them. In any case, thereafter, those people went to the police headquarters and complained that there was disorder in their area and that the Ahmadis should be stopped because they have brought a new religion and, God-forbid, they do not even believe in the Holy Prophetsa. The police chief called the missionary and asked for a copy of the Jamaat’s registration and the permission that had been granted to build the mosque. All the documentation was submitted. He then told him that he could go and that he would contact him after conducting an investigation. Then, the police chief called the village chief and asked him about Ahmadis building a mosque in the area and if Ahmadis have brought a new religion and do not believe in the Holy Prophetsa. The chief said, “This is not the case. I have offered the Friday prayers with them in their mosque and they pray just as Muslims do. I have known the Ahmadiyya Community for three years and they render a great service to humanity.”
One day, the police chief even went to our mosque and upon seeing لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلّا اللّٰہُ مُحَمّدُ رّسُولُ اللّٰہ [“There is no god but Allah and Muhammadsa is the Messenger of Allah”] written outside the mosque, he was astonished and said, “You believe in Muhammadsa.” Upon seeing the Quranic verses written inside the hall of the mosque, he was again astounded. He said, “You have the same Qibla [direction of prayer] and the rows in your mosque are just like those in Muslim mosques. I was told that you have brought a new religion.” Hence, the police did not take any action. They had even asked the non-Ahmadi households in the surrounding area, and they all said that they had no problems. When their attempts with the police were unsuccessful, those people started going to the neighbours’ homes, inciting them to raise their voices to have the Ahmadis driven out. However, they too gave the same response that this was the house of Allah and they did not see anything in them that was contrary to Islam. In this way, they were made to face defeat in every way.
With regards to how Allah the Almighty inclines hearts to enter the fold of the Jamaat, there is an incident mentioned by the missionary in Belize. Belize is a country in Central America. He says that when a woman with strong ties to the Methodist Church saw the construction of the Noor Mosque, God Almighty placed it in her heart that she should accept this religion. When the construction of the mosque was completed and the mosque was inaugurated, she told her friends that God had placed it in her heart to go there and become a member of that Community. Her friends told her that there was a Muslim mosque closer to her home and that if she was going to become a Muslim she could go there. The woman replied, saying: “No, God had placed it in my heart that the Ahmadiyya Community were good people and she should join them.” Hence, when she went to the Noor Mosque and she was given an introduction to the Community, she became very emotional at how God Almighty brought her to this Community. The missionary told her that God Almighty revealed to the Promised Messiahas, “I shall cause thy message to reach the corners of the earth” and so this is exactly what Allah the Almighty does for the Community of the Promised Messiahas. Hence, after visiting for a few days and learning about the teachings of Islam Ahmadiyyat, she did bai‘at and entered the fold of the Jamaat.
Sometimes, there are people who oppose the Community based on misconceptions or due to being misled by what others say, whereas they themselves are pious people. With regards to how Allah the Almighty guides them, there is an incident written by the missionary In-Charge of The Gambia that there is a place in the Jamara district where a new mosque was being built. When they were purchasing glass for the doors and windows of the mosque, they went to Abu Bakr Sabaleh to have the glass cut, as he was an expert in this. They told him that they were purchasing the glass for a mosque, as a result of which he lowered his cost since it was for the mosque. He says that when they arrived with the glass, the person who had come to install the glass was very pleased to see such a beautiful mosque in such a distant area. However, when he learned that this mosque belonged to Ahmadi Muslims, he became very angry and broke the glass. In fact, he even injured himself in the process. However, [ponder over] how Allah the Almighty guided him. He says that at night, he saw a dream in which he found himself screaming as he was drowning in the ocean. When there seemed to be no hope for help, he saw a ship that was coming to save him and on that ship, he saw the Amir of the [Ahmadiyya] Jamaat and the missionary. The next morning was a Friday; he went to the mission house and did bai‘at, thus entering the fold of Ahmadiyyat.
Similarly, there is an incident of the acceptance of Ahmadiyyat from Tanzania. There is a Jamaat in Mwabuma, which is in the Simiyu region. He says that the local missionary started preaching there. When the people there wished to purchase a plot of land to build a mosque and mission house, the prices they were being quoted from everywhere were too high. Upon inquiring, it came to be known that the local [Christian] priests had started a campaign against them so that no one would sell them land to build a mosque by telling them that they do sorcery, they have jinn working for them and they can kill whoever they please through the Quran without a person knowing. Hence, fearful of this, as it was a Christian area, no one gave the Jamaat a place to build a mosque. Therefore, the local missionary went door to door to dispel people’s misconceptions and tried to change their views. Within a month, a young man agreed to sell to the Jamaat a one acre plot of land and so the Jamaat bought it from him. The young man said that after selling the plot of land to the Jama’at for the mosque, he experienced many blessings. He says that a man had been refusing to return his loan for many years, due to which many of his matters remained pending. However, a few days after selling the plot of land to the Jamaat, the man came himself and returned the entire amount and he was thus able to repay all of his debts. This greatly influenced him and along with his family, he accepted Ahmadiyyat. The missionary says: “After this incident, there has been a rush of people accepting Ahmadiyyat to the extent that hundreds of people in that area have done bai‘at and entered the fold of the Jamaat. Allah the Almighty has also enabled the Jamaat there to build a large mosque and a mission house.”
When Allah the Almighty decides to guide someone, He procures the means for their guidance in extraordinary ways. The missionary In-Charge of Sao Tome, a country in Africa, writes, “A tourist from Morocco went to Sao Tome and asked if there was any Muslim mosque there. People directed him to our mission. He offered the Friday prayer with us which is when he learned that this mission house belongs to the Ahmadiyya Community. He asked some questions and afterwards, he read the books ‘Sirrul Khilafah’ and ‘Murder in the Name of Allah’ in Arabic. He also watched programmes on MTA Al Arabiyya as he remained there for some time. He watched the International bai‘at ceremony which was either happening in those days or a recording was being played. After this, he returned again in March (of last year) and asked to see the bai’at form.” He says, “We gave him the bai‘at form in Arabic. He returned with the completed form in hand.” The missionary says, “I told him that he should not be hasty and that he should make his decision after praying for a while. He said that he spent the entire night occupied in prayer and that his heart was at ease. He could not wait any longer, for if he passed away without doing bai‘at of the Imam, then who would be answerable? He said that he had observed the Ahmadiyya Community to be established upon the truth. I told him that after entering the Jamaat, other Muslims in his country would begin opposing him, as would his parents. How would he face all this? He said that he had already informed his parents and they had no reservations. In fact, they were happy. As for the others, he said that it made no difference if they opposed him, because there is nothing greater than dying while in a state of having accepted the true Islam.” The missionary says, “I also had a video call with his father and he expressed his joy. He also advised his son that he had heard everything and, having done bai‘at, he should remain steadfast with the Community.”
Thus, despite living in Morocco and having a Jamaat established there, he was not introduced to the Jamaat in Morocco. Instead, Allah the Almighty sent him to another country in Africa, in a far-off area wherein lay the means for his guidance.
Alim Baba Yuvo Sahib from Uzbekistan says, “I was born into a Muslim family and I am 31 years old. I live in Tashkent, a city in Uzbekistan. I was searching for a teacher to learn the Holy Quran when I got acquainted with Babur Jaan. I heard about the true teachings of Islam from him and also learnt the Quran. He helped me accept the truth and I have now done the bai‘at and joined the Jamaat.”
Allah the Almighty enabled him to find an Ahmadi teacher to learn the Holy Quran from him. There are many accounts like this; this is not just a mere coincidence. Accounts like this are found in different countries of the world and I related one earlier as well. This is a special sign of Allah the Almighty’s succour.
Another member from Uzbekistan, Azeemo Sahib, says, “I was born to a Muslim family. Four years ago, I began to regularly offer the five daily prayers and read the Holy Quran with translation. One day, I came across a piece of writing wherein the Holy Prophetsa had stated: ‘Among my Ummah, there shall be some people who shall always remain on the truth and no one would be able to cause them any harm.’ These words became etched in my heart. And so, in my prayers and supplications, I began to pray that may Allah the Almighty enable me to join these people. Following this, I had to endure many difficulties and was also fired from my job. However, I continued to pray. I then had the desire to learn the Holy Quran. Allah the Almighty acquainted me with the (same) teacher, Babur Sahib. My teacher belonged to the Ahmadiyya Community, but I did not know this fact beforehand. First of all, I began to learn how to read the Quran. One day, I saw the Ka’bah in my dream;, I approached and touched it. I then realised [in the dream] that I had not performed the ablution and so I went to the bathroom to perform the ablution and it was then that I woke up. In any case, I continued to learn from the Ahmadi teacher. One day, I asked him about Jesusas son of Mary descending from the heavens, to which he replied that he had passed away and the one who was to appear in his likeness was the Imam Mahdi. I then further researched it and found out and informed my teacher that the Imam Mahdi was in fact Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. (The teacher did not preach to him, he did his own research on the internet and discovered that Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas was the Imam Mahdi.) When I informed my teacher about this, he also confirmed that Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas was indeed the awaited Imam Mahdi. However, despite all the various signs being fulfilled [in relation to the advent of the Imam Mahdi], I still expressed my doubts regarding him. Thereafter, my teacher informed me about the Ahmadiyya Community and said that he was also a member of the Community. He mentioned that presently they were few in number and that there were other students like me and then he introduced me to them.”
He further states, “I continued researching and also praying and felt that Allah the Almighty had accepted my prayers and thereafter I did the bai‘at.”
Similarly, there is another person from Uzbekistan, and he has a similar account. He also had the opportunity to do the bai‘at, last year.
Then, there is a report from a country in Africa. The missionary serving there says, “A local mu‘allim and I were returning from a Jamaat meeting. It was night and we still had a long journey ahead. On the way, we went past a village and therewerea lot of people gathered on the edge of the road. They stopped us and said, ‘We had seen you travelling past here in the morning and we were convinced that you would return; we have been waiting for quite some time. We want to ask you that are you upset with our village because we see that you have members in all the neighbouring villages and your community and mosques are established there, however, you have not conveyed your message to our village.’ And so, we immediately went to the village and held a tabligh programme and by the grace of Allah the Almighty people did the bai‘at there.”
Thus, God Almighty Himself instils the search for the truth in people’s hearts.
The missionary-in-charge of Central Africa writes, “A non-Ahmadi imam who is from the Nagala village came to an Ahmadi village in order to preach. He looked at the mosque and enquired about who built it and was told that it was built by the Ahmadis. Upon this, he stated, ‘Masha-Allah! It is a very beautiful mosque.’ The next day, he went to the Central Mission House in Bangui and began to ask questions about the Ahmadiyya Community to the missionary. In the end, he asked the missionary how one could join the Community. The missionary told him that the matter of one’s faith was based on one’s heart; if he agreed with the doctrines of the Jamaat, then indeed he had accepted Ahmadiyyat in his heart. The missionary then also informed him that they also had a ‘bai‘at form’ wherein the Promised Messiahas had mentioned the ten conditions of the bai‘at and asked him to read it. When he handed over the bai‘at form to him, he began to read it right away and as he was reading it, tears began to flow from his eyes. He was asked the reason why he was crying and he stated, ‘I also consider myself to be a scholar and have heard other clerics speak about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, which was all a lie. Upon reading the ten conditions written in this bai‘at form, I felt disgusted at my previous way of life, whereby I had a completely different perception of Ahmadiyyat, when in actuality its teachings are completely different. It is for this reason that I cannot keep control over my emotions. Upon reading this bai‘at form I have realised that the Ahmadiyya Community is truthful and honest. Their mosques also face the direction of the Qiblah. They offer the same prayer as we do. They recite the same Quran as we do. Today, I wholeheartedly accept the Ahmadiyya Community.’”
In any case, he was given further literature to read and he said that after reading this, he would now refute the arguments of the other clerics.
In relation to how Allah the Almighty increases the Community of the Promised Messiahas, the missionary of Guyana writes, “We have a regular programme where we set up a bookstall in Linden and distribute flyers amongst the people. One day, someone called and said that he had read our flyer but was not aware of the fact that our salat centre was very close to his home. In any case, he came [to the centre] on a Friday and said that he had been a Muslim for two years but neither knew how to read the Holy Quran nor had the opportunity to learn the salat and requested to be taught. I invited him but remained very cautious as there are some deviant people whose only intention is to seek money. Nonetheless, I invited him and thought that if he really wanted to learn about faith, then we would find out. He continued to come regularly in order to learn the Holy Quran and despite learning for a long time, he did not make any kind of demand and I realised that he was very serious in relation to his faith. I then introduced him to the Jamaat and showed him the picture of the Promised Messiahas and he later did the bai‘at. He was also given an Islamic name. Later, after some time, he also expressed his desire to become a mu‘allim [local missionary] for the Jamaat.”
The Jamaat there asked me and I approved it and said that if he really was serious about his faith, then they could train him to be a mu‘allim. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he has completed his training. He knows the complete prayer, reads the commentary of the Holy Quran and gives lectures and sermons on it. They also mentioned that a short while after he did the bai‘at, they organised an exhibition in the salat centre and his parents also attended the event. His father was a very staunch opponent of Islam, however, his mother had expressed her interest in Islam some time ago, and she particularly liked the concept of women observing the veil, which sparked her initial interest in Islam. In any case, the mu‘allim was asked to preach to his parents about the teachings of Islam, so that they could also enter the Jamaat. He replied that they were very strict with regards to their faith and his mother regularly attended the church and had also been baptised. They told him they would pray and asked him to keep on praying for his mother so that Allah the Almighty may cause her heart to incline towards Islam. He says that one day, she herself started asking questions to her son [about Islam] and also started attending the Friday prayers. Then, one day, suddenly, she expressed her desire to do the bai‘at and joined the Jamaat.
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, people are joining the Jamaat, they attend the Friday prayers and offer their daily prayers as well. His mother also stated that after joining the Jamaat, her health and financial situation had been greatly blessed, which was not the case whilst she was a Christian. His mother now also watches MTA regularly.
These were just a few accounts I related with regards to how Allah the Almighty is fulfilling the promises He vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas and there are many more like this. The opponents are trying their utmost, just as the Promised Messiahas also mentioned, however, on the other hand, Allah the Almighty is opening new avenues for the progress of the Jamaat in every country of the world. Thus, we should also express our gratitude to Allah the Almighty for this, but at the same time, we should assess our own conditions; strive to strengthen our faith and improve our moral conditions. We should firmly instil this fact amongst our progenies that although trials appear, the ultimate victory has been destined for the Community that has been established by Allah the Almighty, therefore, never allow your faith to waver. May Allah the Almighty grant steadfastness to those who have newly joined the Jamaat and also to those who have been part of the Jamaat before and may He enable them to continue to excel in their faith and conviction.
I shall now mention the details of some deceased members and will also lead their funeral prayers in absentia.
The first mention is of Parveen Akhtar Sahiba, wife of the late Ghulam Qadir Sahib of Sialkot. She passed away recently at the age of 90.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
She is survived by three sons and four daughters. One of her sons, Arif Mahmood Sahib is a missionary serving in Benin. Owing to his duties in the field, he was unable to attend the funeral of his mother. Arif Mahmood, who is a missionary, says that his mother was the granddaughter of Hazrat Chaudhry Imam Din Chohan Sahibra, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. Her mother was the daughter of Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, who was a mu‘allim of the Jamaat. She was born in Qadian and completed her early education in Qadian. Arif Sahib writes: “My mother would often say that during her childhood, she spent most of her time in Qadian serving Hazrat Amma Janra and in this way, Hazrat Amma Janra ensured her moral training. She gained her religious education and learnt to read the Quran from Hazrat Amma Janra. She would spend most of her time serving her.” He further says: “Before going to sleep, she would often narrate her incidents to us. She would say that at times Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra would go to meet Hazrat Amma Janra in the evening and upon seeing me serving her, he would say to her to ‘pray for your pious companion.’ She would say that when she got married (i.e., Arif Sahib’s mother) in 1953, shortly after that, the situation in the village became difficult [for the Jamaat]. Some people in the village were of weak faith [and became frightened] but by the grace of Allah, she remained steadfast on her faith and gave strength to her husband as well. After this, she began reciting the Holy Quran and offering prayers. She also began memorising chapters of the Holy Quran. Similarly, she officially constructed a small Jamaat centre on her farmhouse.”
Her elder son, Khalid Mahmood, who was in the army, writes: “She would always tell us to remain firm upon our faith and in turn, our worldly affairs would themselves become resolved. From our childhood, she instilled the habit of offering prayers within us, and would take us to the mosque, which was situated at a short distance, to offer the Fajr prayers. She would teach the Holy Quran to the non-Ahmadi women of her neighbourhood.” At present, Ahmadis cannot teach the Quran there [i.e., in Pakistan], but in the past, people were civilised enough that many non-Ahmadis would learn the Quran from Ahmadis. Her son then further writes – or perhaps her daughter has written this: “In the villages, it was not customary for girls to receive an education. When her daughter grew older and she went to enrol her in school, the [children’s] grandfather raised an issue. With the utmost respect, she spoke to him to convince him that girls should have an education. She would always say that the girls should receive an education so that they are able to read the literature of the Jamaat and ensure the moral training of children.”
Rashid Ahmad Sahib, head of Maanga [village], says: “My farmhouse was quite close to her farmhouse. Seeing her, we became Ahmadi, however, we did not pay attention to offering prayers. When she would visit my farmhouse, she would advise all of us to be mindful of offering prayers. We would present the excuse that the mosque was quite far away from us. Upon hearing this, she would become silent.” He further says: “We saw that she would carry mud from the field and bring it back to the farmhouse. She continued to do this for about a week. Then, to the west of the farmhouse, she made a platform and a wall of two-hands length. She then had it whitewashed and made it clean. She then brought a mat from home and placed it down. She then said; ‘You people complained that there was no mosque nearby and you have to travel far away. Now I have made a mosque in my farmhouse. Now you can come and offer prayers in congregation. Do not become lazy with regards to offering prayers.’” He then writes: “The truth of the matter is that she instilled within us the importance of offering prayers regularly.” These were the excellent models of our elders, who would manage to convince others and not present any excuses. Or they would set their own example, and other people would be compelled to follow suit.
Her daughter writes: “She was the embodiment of patience and contentment. She would always advise us the same. She would say to us: ‘Always remember this advice by Hazrat Amma Janra, who said: “Never abandon patience. Be content with whatever you receive at your in-laws’. Be content with the will of God; be regular in your prayers and ensure your children become regular as well.”’ She would then say, ’Through this, Allah the Almighty will greatly bless your provisions.’”
Her son who is a missionary says: “When I gained admission to Jamia, she said to me: ‘My son, if you do not obtain the best position in your studies then there is no harm in this, but always strive to obtain the best position when it comes to showing obedience to the Khalifa of the time.’” May Allah the Almighty bestow His forgiveness and mercy upon the deceased and elevate her status. May her prayers for her children be granted acceptance.
The second funeral is of Mumtaz Waseem Sahiba, wife of the late Chaudhry Waseem Ahmad Nasir Sahib from Ghatialian. She passed away recently:
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
Her son is also a missionary and is currently serving in Zambia. She belonged to the family of Hazrat Mian Chiragh Din Sahibra, a chief from Lahore, who was a renowned companion of the Promised Messiahas. She was the granddaughter of Hazrat Mian Abdur Rasheed Sahibra, a companion of the Promised Messiahas and the great-granddaughter of Hazrat Hakim Muhammad Hussainra, alias Marham-e-Isa.
The deceased had a pleasant disposition, she was kind and a popular individual. She was the embodiment of love and tenderness. Every person knew of her good morals. She would have the utmost regard for Khilafat and the system of the Jamaat. She would always write letters to me requesting prayers and would encourage others to write letters as well. She was regular in offering her prayers and reciting the Holy Quran. Even until her demise, she was regular in paying chanda. By the grace of Allah, she had completed a Bachelors. He says: “When my father took retirement and moved to the village from Karachi, my mother taught the Holy Quran to the boys and girls of the village. Furthermore, she also ensured their secular education. She was unwell for quite some time, but she endured this illness with great patience, and never complained about it.”
He further writes: “Even though she was older, if she ever made a mistake, she would apologise.” Two of her sons are life devotees and she was overjoyed that she had managed to devote two of her sons and that they were serving the Jamaat. Their father had married twice. After his first wife passed away, their mother took care of his step siblings like her own children. She never let them feel that they had lost their mother. Before he left for Zambia, she prayed extensively before sending him off. He then says: “A short while ago when I went to visit her, she said: ‘May Allah the Almighty protect you, perhaps this will be our last meeting.’” She leaves behind five sons and one daughter. By the grace of Allah, two sons are life devotees; Naseer Nasir Sahib is a mu‘allim for Waqf-e-Jadid and the other is a missionary serving in Zambia. Owing to being in the field outside [of Pakistan] he was unable to attend the funeral. May Allah the Almighty bestow His forgiveness and mercy on the deceased and may her prayers for her children be granted acceptance.
The third mention is of Brigadier Munawar Ahmad Rana Sahib. He was the Jamaat General Secretary for Rawalpindi district. He also passed away recently:
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
Ahmadiyyat was introduced to his family through his grandfather, Chaudhry Ghulam Ahmad Sahibra, who was an advocate by profession and a companion of the Promised Messiahas. He was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1971. During his years of service, he maintained a good connection with the Jamaat. During the course of his service, wherever he was appointed, he would offer his house to be used as the salat centre. He had immense love for the Jamaat and was a brave Ahmadi officer. After taking retirement, he offered his services to the Jamaat. He had the opportunity to serve in various capacities in Amarat Cantt and the Rawalpindi district. He would render his services with great diligence and devotion. He would treat his colleagues with the utmost respect, humility, and kindness and was always obedient to the office-bearers. He had a profound bond of loyalty and obedience with Khilafat. He would respond to every scheme that was initiated. He would help the poor and was always ready to help those who were in need. By the grace of Allah, he was a musi. He is survived by his elderly mother, Salima Khurshid Sahiba, two wives and five children; four daughters and one son. May Allah the Almighty bestow His forgiveness and mercy upon the deceased.
The last mention is of Group Captain (r) Abdul Shakoor Malik Sahib, who was residing in Dallas, USA. He passed away recently:
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
His maternal grandfather was Ghulam Nabi Sheikh Sahibra, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. Owing to his efforts, the message of Ahmadiyyat was propagated in his ancestral village of Nowshera. After propagating the message of Ahmadiyyat, the Jamaat was established there.
The deceased served as an engineer in the Pakistan Air Force and then reached the rank of Group Captain. He served as Naib Amir of Rawalpindi for 15 years. During this time, he followed up with countless cases of those Ahmadis who had been imprisoned [for the sake of their beliefs]. He had a firm bond with Khilafat. During his service in the Air Force, despite the opposition of the Jamaat, he bravely expressed that he was an Ahmadi. After taking retirement, he devoted his life for the Jamaat. He was an excellent model of obedience to the system of the Jamaat and Khilafat. Whenever the Amir of the Jamaat called him, irrespective of whether it was day or night, he would immediately go to see him and never presented any excuse. He was regular in his prayers and fasting. He treated everyone with love and respect. He had a pious effect on everyone.
His daughter, Shazia Sohail Sahiba says: “My father spent most of his time serving the Jamaat. Wherever he was, his best pastime was to pray or to serve the Jamaat. He would always narrate incidents of the acceptance of prayers or how Allah had bestowed His blessings. He would sit his children down and narrate incidents of how Allah the Almighty had a special link with Ahmadis, and how Allah cared for the needs of Ahmadis. He taught us that we ought to write to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa for every important matter. He would say, ‘Write down everything.’” She further states: “One of my father’s traits was his complete trust in Allah the Almighty and his being absolutely content with the will of God. From our childhood, he taught us that whenever we received some money, we ought to pay our chanda from it. Through this, our income would be blessed and purified. This will in turn increase one’s purification.”
The deceased was a Musi and is survived by three daughters and one son. His son, Doctor Aamir Sahib, works as a doctor in the USA and serves the Jamaat. May Allah the Almighty bestow His forgiveness and mercy upon the deceased. May Allah grant acceptance to the prayers he offered for his children.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 9 June 2023, pp. 2-7. Translated by The Review of Religions.)