On 25 September 2021, Nasirat from Nigeria had the opportunity to have a virtual meeting with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa.
The meeting commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Firdous Sahiba and its English translation by Atiyatur Rahman Sahiba. Following this, a hadith of the Holy Prophet, Muhammadsa, was presented by Hafiza Sahiba.
After the hadith, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said that one should also recite the Durood Sharif before narrating a hadith. Then, Animashaun Mutmainnah Sahiba presented an extract, which she had memorised, from the writings of the Promised Messiahas. Thereafter, a qaseedah of the Promised Messiahas, in praise of the Holy Prophetsa, was recited.
An Urdu tarana (choral poem) was presented by two Nasirat members, Atiyatul Hadi Sahiba and Khalidah Sahiba. Then, an English poem was recited by Atiyatul Mueed Sahiba.
During the mulaqat, the Nasirat members had the opportunity to ask Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa questions on an array of matters and seek guidance on various things related to religion, Islam and studies.
Huzooraa was asked which portion of the Holy Quran he liked to recite the most.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“Among the ayaat of the Holy Quran, Ayat-ul-Kursi. You should recite this very frequently. And even the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, is reported to have said that before going to bed, one should recite Ayat-ul-Kursi three times. And then the last three Surahs of the Holy Quran, one should also recite before sleeping. These surahs contain some meaning which is very much important for the present-day life”.
Next, a young nasirat girl asked Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa what his favourite food was. Huzooraa answered:
“Any food which is well-cooked and tasty.” Huzooraa then asked the young nasirah what food she liked. Huzooraa asked if she liked “rice and fish,” to which she replied in the affirmative. Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa smiled and said, “I also like rice and fish.”
A Nasirat member said that in today’s world, Muslim women could feel shy to observe hijab due to fear of being mocked by their non-Muslim colleagues. She asked how a Muslim woman could remain in this Islamic mode of dressing.
Huzooraa said:
“You see, you are living in a country which is a Muslim-dominating country; most of [the people] in Nigeria are Muslims, yes? So why should you feel shy? It is Allah’s commandment in the Holy Quran that when the girls reach the age of maturity, they should cover their heads and bosoms and dress modestly […] So, you can tell the people, and be confident [when you tell them], that this is the Islamic dress, and this injunction and commandment has been given to us in the Holy Quran. Allah the Almighty says that women should cover themselves, their head, their cheeks, their chin, and their chest, and also dress modestly. So, this is why we wear it, and we are following the commandment of Allah the Almighty. And without any fear of any person, we will keep on doing it. Be confident. Never lose your confidence. As long as you claim yourself to be an Ahmadi Muslim, then you should not fear the people.”
Upon being asked how one could be saved from the challenges of civilisation, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said:
“Actually, those people who say that religion is keeping you away from civilisation, are wrong, and we are right. It is religion which has brought civilisation into the world. Even these people accept that had there not been any prophet [sent to the world] there would not have been any civilisation in the world. On the one side, they claim that religion brought civilisation, and on the other side, they say that ‘you should not practice religion because it is taking you away from the modern-day civilisation.’
“Modern-day civilisation is nothing but immorality and freedom of everything, which is not giving you something good, but rather spoiling your life. So, do not fear these people. You are the civilised people who follow the religion and who follow the teachings of the Holy Quran […] There is no need to indulge yourself in any complex.”
A Nasirat member asked Huzooraa to narrate an incident of the acceptance of prayer when he was in Africa.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said:
“There were quite a lot of incidents. Once, we did not have milk for our young children; and then we prayed, and Allah Almighty accepted those prayers. And after some time, a person brought a carton of Ideal milk – there used to be Ideal milk at that time, I don’t know if you still have that there [in Africa] now, or not – and we used [to give] that to our children. Only after one or two hours, our prayer was accepted, my and my wife’s prayers. And we were happy that somebody brought the milk not only for that day, but [it lasted] for one full month. This is how we can see that God listens to prayers.”
A young Nasirat member asked which course one can study that would also be of benefit to the Jamaat.
Huzooraa answered:
“From among the girls, we need more doctors, more teachers. If you are good in science subjects, then try to become a doctor or [go into] medicine […] we need doctors for our hospitals and then teachers for our schools. And apart from that, if you have any specific interest in a particular subject, then you can write to me, and I will let you know whether you should study this one or any other alternative of that subject which you are thinking is of your interest and which can be beneficial for the Jamaat as well.”
Upon being asked if it was permissible for a Muslim woman to apply henna or tattoos on one’s body, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said:
“You see, henna is just some designs you make on your hands or on the arms, and after some time, as time passes, it vanishes. It will not remain there for a longer period. But tattooing is something which is permanent and that is not permitted in Islam.” Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa explained that a Muslim girl may apply henna, but getting tattoos was not permissible.
Next, a Nasirat member expressed that she wanted to become a surgeon but had hemophobia, a fear of seeing blood. She requested Huzooraa to pray for her to overcome this fear.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa replied:
“You can try to be a doctor. If not a surgeon, you can be a general practitioner. This will also be useful for the community and for humanity. I shall also pray, you should also pray, that Allah Almighty may free you from this phobia”.
Upon being asked if it was permissible for a lady or a girl to join the army to become a soldier, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa said:
“At present, there is no need. When there was a time when it was needed, the Muslim ladies [at the time of the Holy Prophetsa] joined and helped the men in the battlefields; but nowadays, there are enough people, men, who can fight on the battlefield. The environment is not good for the girls in the army, nowadays. So, I don’t permit for Ahmadi girls to join the army or become soldiers”.
A young Nasirat member asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa how he was coping with the pressure of leading all Ahmadis worldwide.
Huzooraa said:
“Which type of pressure? They write to me for prayers, and I pray for them. I seek Allah’s help to remove their problems, to solve their problems, to help them. And whenever I see any pressure, I just pray to Allah Almighty, bow before him, and then Allah Almighty gives me comfort, and to my heart, and then the pressure is released. Whenever you are under pressure, you should also pray to Allah Almighty in your prayer, very fervently.”
The young nasirah further asked which prayer she should recite to be safeguarded from all harms.
Huzooraa answered:
“In your Salat, you should pray to Allah Almighty whatever you want to pray, and whatever is your requirement; but apart from that, you should recite Durood Sharif as much as you can, and say istighfar”.
Following this, a Nasirat member said to Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa that she desired to be a virtuous person just as Huzooraa was. She asked how she could achieve this.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa answered:
“You should pray to Allah Almighty in your five daily prayers that Allah Almighty saves you from Satan the Accursed, and you should also do istighfar, as I have already said”.
Upon being asked if Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa ever got angry, Huzooraa said:
“Being a human being – every human being can get angry – but not very often. If I see something bad, if I have to get angry, then I will; but it does not mean that I keep that anger in my heart and mind all the time. After some time, I just forget it.”
Next, a Nasirat member stated that Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa was currently mentioning the qualities of Hazrat Umarra in Friday Sermons. She asked Huzooraa what his expectations were for Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya.
Huzooraa said:
“There are quite a number of lessons in the life of Hazrat Umarra. So those which are of benefit for the girls, you should try to adopt those qualities. And even during these narrations, I have also mentioned how the Muslim women [of that time] played their role in the battlefields and otherwise. So, you should also try to adopt those qualities.”
Lastly, a nasirah asked Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa how a child could assist in a situation where parents were always fighting.
Huzooraa said:
“One should pray for them first that Allah Almighty gives them sense [that] they should not fight with each other because it is leaving a bad effect on the minds of the children as well”. Secondly, Huzooraa said that one should tell the mother or father – with whom one has a stronger or closer relation – not to fight like that as it was against the teachings of Islam.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa then spoke with the Nasirat secretary, and asked about the total tajnid (membership) for Nasirat in Nigeria. The secretary replied that there were 3,786 nasirat. Hearing this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said, “You have to update your tajnid … I don’t think your nasirat should be less than 100,000.”
In the end, whilst advising all Nasirat members, Huzooraa said:
“My advice to you all is that you should try to excel in your studies. And all of you should try to learn as much as you can and complete your studies. If you are interested in medicine, do medicine; [there is also] engineering, law, teaching, or if you want, you can go into research. So, try to excel in your education and try to gain as much education as you can.”
In the end, Huzooraa conveyed his salaam and the meeting came to a close.
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)