Marwan Sarwar Gill, Missionary, Argentina
Two years ago, a teenager Fernando Baez was brutally murdered and which caused outrage and indignation in the whole country. Events and activities were organised to keep him in memory and console his parents.
At one interfaith event, I was invited as a representative of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to address the parents of the murdered teenager. It was a very challenging task for me; first of all, to find the appropriate words to convey the message of Islam in a way that it reaches the hearts of the non-Muslim audience, and secondly, to convey teachings that could console the parents in such a painful moment.
In my brief presentation, I explained to the audience that when a person dies, we Muslims say “Inna lillahi wa Inna ilaihi raji‘un”, which means that we accept the fact that Allah is the Master of our lives and our souls return to Him after death. Moreover, it gives us the message to be patient and to maintain faith in our Lord.
I presented the noble example of the founder of Islam, that when his son Ibrahimra passed away, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa showed the highest level of patience and self-control. His eyes were filled with tears and his heart with pain, but he showed complete control over his emotions and verbal expressions. He repeatedly expressed that he accepted the Divine Decree.
Hence, according to Islam, patience doesn’t mean to feel sadness and dismay over the demise of someone, but it means to maintain faith, hope and strength through your relationship with Allah the Almighty.
After finishing my presentation, I had my doubts if I was able to convey the message of Islam properly. I was overwhelmed when the parents told me afterwards that they found such peace and strength in the message of Islam like never before.
They are practising Christians and after the demise of their son they were invited to numerous Christian sermons, and even received a personal letter from the Pope.
They didn’t just benefit themselves from the teachings of Islam, but also shared them with their families and friends. From that moment onwards, they became friends of the Jamaat and invited us to all their solidarity activities which they organise in remembrance of their son.
A little while ago, in remembrance of their son, a football tournament was organised under the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat’s motto, “Love for All, Hatred for None” to promote peaceful coexistence and to condemn violence.
This is just one glimpse of how non-Muslims in Argentina, by the blessings of Allah and the guidance of Khilafat, are finding strength, hope and comfort through the noble message of Islam Ahmadiyyat.