Thyroid
diseases are present due to iodine deficiencies as iodine is an essential
element for the production of thyroid hormones. In resource-rich countries,
food is already fortified with iodine and thus autoimmune thyroid diseases are
more common here.
The
thyroid is a gland located in the front of the neck which is responsible for
synthesising thyroid hormones (T3 and T4). These hormones are essential for the
growth and function of the basal metabolism in our body.
In
the brain, the hypothalamus produces the TRH-hormone which orders the pituitary
gland to stimulate the thyroid. The pituitary gland then produces a hormone
called TSH, which binds to the thyroid and regulates the synthesis of the
thyroid hormones. When an imbalance of this regulation occurs, it leads to
abnormal regulation of the synthesis of these hormones and this can lead to
either hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (overactive
thyroid).
Both
conditions can lead to a goitre, an enlargement of the thyroid gland.
Hypothyroidism is more common than hyperthyroidism and both will be discussed
separately in this article.
According
to statistics in 2017, hypothyroidism affects 2% of the UK population and of
these, 5% of patients are aged above sixty. Women have 5-10 times more chance
of developing hypothyroidism than men.
Hypothyroidism
in resource-poor countries is mostly caused due to iodine deficiency, whilst in
the UK it is usually caused by an autoimmune disorder – Hashimoto’s disease. In
this disease antibodies are formed against the proteins TPO (thyroid
peroxidase) which are essential for the synthesis of the thyroid
hormones.
Other
causes of hypothyroidism can be a history of thyroid surgery or the use of
thyroid destructive medication. These patients can present themselves with
symptoms of weight gain, tiredness, hard stool, dry skin and depression.
The
diagnosis of hypothyroidism is made on the clinical symptoms together with a
blood test for checking the TSH, T4, T3, TPO antibodies (Hashimoto’s disease).
Usually TSH is above the normal range and T3 and T4 are below the normal range.
In addition, a scintigraphy or an echography of the thyroid gland may
subsequently occur.
Treatment
of hypothyroidism consists of giving thyroxine hormones as medication known as
levothyroxine. Usually this medication has to be taken daily and for the rest
of one’s life. The dose of levothyroxine depends on the age, weight and the
patient’s profile. Doctors will start with a prescribed dose and check the
efficiency after four to six weeks. The dose can be adjusted until the TSH is
in normal range, thus regular checking of the thyroid in the blood is vital for
proper follow ups.
A
rare form of hypothyroidism is congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) in newborns.
This condition occurs due to an underdevelopment of the thyroid in the baby
resulting in insufficient to no production of thyroid hormones. Thyroid
hormones are essential for the normal development of the brain and normal
growth of children. These babies can look normal at birth and vague symptoms
can develop later on, such as jaundice, poor growth, constipation and
floppiness. If untreated, it can also lead to mental retardation. In most
countries, newborns receive a heel-prick blood test where this can properly be
screened and treated if necessary.
Hyperthyroidism
is usually caused by Graves’ disease and is the most common cause of
hyperthyroidism in the UK. In Graves’ disease, there is a production of
antibodies against the TSH receptor of the thyroid and leading to
overstimulation of this gland. Graves’ disease is common in women between the
ages of 30-50.
Other
uncommon causes of hyperthyroidism are infections of the thyroid (thyroiditis),
medication (amiodarone) and toxic nodular goitre. These patients present
themselves with symptoms of weight loss, excessive sweating, increased
appetite, tiredness, fast heartbeat, trembling (tremor), hair loss, diarrhea
and if left untreated it can lead to heart failure.
In
women, hyperthyroidism can also lead to infertility and menstruation disorders
such as heavy, frequent menstruations or even absent menstruations. Sometimes
these symptoms are not properly recognised and can go undiagnosed for several
years. Thus, it is important to evaluate the thyroid function in non-specific
symptoms.
In
elderly patients, other symptoms such as dementia and depression can also
occur. In Graves’ disease, there are also eye symptoms such as bulging eyes
with eye discomfort and double vision.
The
diagnosis of hyperthyroidism is made on the clinical symptoms accompanied with
a blood test like that stated above for hypothyroidism. for checking the TSH,
T4, T3, TSH-R antibodies (Graves’ disease).
Treatment
of hyperthyroidism relies in suppressing the excessive production of the
thyroid hormones. This can be done by medication, known as the thio-ureum
derivaten (carbimazole, strumazole, PTU). They inhibit the synthesis of the
thyroid hormones and they can be given either on a short-term (just prior to
surgery) or on a long-term basis.
However,
such medications can cause serious side effects which can lead to severe
infections and hepatitis, thus it is not preferable to continue on them on a
long term basis. While waiting for another proper treatment, symptoms of
hyperthyroidism can be temporary suppressed with b-blockers.
The
second step is radioactive iodine (iodine-131) treatment. With this medication,
the thyroid gets destroyed while the effect becomes clear after 3-4 months.
Sometimes this can lead to an underactive thyroid.
Surgical
removal of the thyroid gland is used as a last resort in the treatment of
hyperthyroidism. This either includes a partially removed thyroid gland or a
total removal of the gland. Surgery of the thyroid is indicated when the
treatment above with medications fails.
A
regular check-up of the thyroid hormones remains important and is vital for a
proper follow up.
(Please always consult a doctor or specialist to diagnose
health conditions and follow the advised plan of a qualified doctor)
Atheism, as we know it today, finds its roots in the 15th century CE, but what marks its boom and zenith is unanimously agreed by historians, social scientists, theologians, philosophers and atheists themselves, to be around the year 2000 – the turn of the millennium.
It was by this time that religion had come to be seen as a relic that needed to be buried away with other myths of the premodern age of mankind. Modernity was declared the new “religion” of the world, where liberalism was the basic tenet in a bid to rid the world of religiosity.
It was around the same time that Islam – the only source of salvation for mankind – was used by its opponents and some adherents to blemish its face and everything that came as part and parcel. Hence, at the crossroads of the millennia, religion in general and Islam in particular found itself at another crossroads where all paths apparently led to annihilation. What the Quran refers to as “Zaharal fasadu fil-barri wal-bahr” – a total chaos on every inch of the earth – was clearly manifested through the state of global affairs.
It was in such a time that the Khilafat of the Promised Messiahas – the saviour of the latter days – took a turn and the fifth Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, appeared on what can undoubtedly be called the most tumultuous stage ever witnessed by the world.
22 April 2003 was the blessed day when Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa was elected the fifth Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas, and the world head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.
The Promised Messiahas and his Khilafat had always stood for the propagation of the true teachings of Islam and it was this mission that was to continue and see new heights. From the very outset, the greatest mission that Huzooraa took upon himself was to highlight the peaceful teachings of Islam. This was no less a challenge in a world that had – owing to the trumpets blown by the media – become convinced that Islam was a synonym of terror and violence.
But the results of these efforts of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa soon became visible when parliaments from around the world started to invite him to address their houses and present the version of Islam that was the only true one and hence, the only practicable one.
While this served the cause of Islam, this representation also proved that the only Muslim sect that had a leadership was the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. It also proved that Khilafat – wished and desired for themselves by so many Muslim clerics and their circles – is not, and can never be, a man-made institution, but is one that only comes from divine decree and Allah’s support and favour.
Hardships had been inflicted on members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat from its very founding, but this era of Khilafat-e-Khamisa saw Ahmadis brutally martyred in episodes like the Lahore massacre of 2010. Nothing wavered the steadfastness and progress of the community that followed the footsteps of its leader and Imam, and this great Imam sailed the Jamaat through any and every hardship with great perseverance.
In return to this inhumane treatment by the opponents, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa always gave projects that were aimed at serving humanity in return – multimillion-pound projects, all funded by the community’s humble contributions. Facilities of clean drinking water, eye clinics, organ donation facilities, model housing schemes for the underprivileged, and education have been set up in the time, and under the auspices, of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
Although Huzooraa has often expressed his love for Africa, this love has spoken loudly for itself through the humanitarian schemes that Huzooraa has initiated across this continent.
Nasir Hospital, Guatemala was recently opened by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V a.a.
Although great parliaments have invited him to visit them and although dignitaries from great metropolises of the world have presented him keys to their cities, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has described the primary purpose behind his visits to be able to meet the members of the Jamaat who live in those countries. This demonstrates the love Huzooraa possesses for the Jamaat. He is aware that every single Ahmadi in the world wants to meet him, but not everyone is capable of doing so, and this very passion of the Jamaat turns into the underlying motive of his travels to various parts of the world.
Huzooraa is the only Muslim leader who stands firm on the teachings of Islam and never hesitates to express before any assembly of dignitaries, the media, the academia and politicians, his honest opinion on their policies. Where he disagrees with their policies, he is sure to let them know of it, while also offering the solutions.
Alongside condemning the havoc created by the extremist circles of the Muslim world, Huzooraa has, to the faces of members belonging to the Western political process, traced the supply-chain of their weapons back to the West.
During the past 16 years, the character of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam has been ridiculed and mocked by the Western media. While the rest of the Muslim world opted to take it to the streets through violent protests, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has continued to present the most reasonable and Islamic response by drawing the world’s attention to the beauties of the Holy Prophet’ssa character.
His response to such situations has proved that words can sometimes speak louder than actions and that if actions do speak louder than words, then Muslims have to be extremely cautious in the way they act and react in such provocative situations.
A significant rise in media attention towards the Ahmadiyya community has been observed in these 16 years of Huzoor’saa Khilafat. What he has provided the media with is something that they proudly include in publications, and publishing in this day and age means placing it online; hence reaching millions of readers through the worldwide web.
In the blessed era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, mosques emerged in such great numbers on the global skyline that the community behind them could not be ignored by the media, politicians, governments and the general public at large. Deep interest has always been shown when Huzooraa has inaugurated a mosque in any part of the world. All in attendance can be seen deeply engrossed in the message of Islam when Huzooraa speaks to them in his addresses.
Many mosques have been established in the blessed Khilafat of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad a.a.
Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International, referred to as MTA, has grown from strength to strength in this blessed era and has been able to take the message of the One God and His Prophet, Hazrat Muhammadsa to all continents in all major languages of the world. While MTA 1’s transmission covered the whole world from its inception, the launch of MTA 2 for mainland Europe, MTA 3 Al-Arabiyya for the stretch of the Arab world and MTA Africa for the great continent of Africa have come into existence in the blessed era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Many more broadcast schemes, exclusive to other major regions, are underway as you read these lines.
Hundreds of thousands of Ahmadis have turned to Huzooraa seeking guidance in personal, educational, professional and social matters and have received the best life-changing advice. Hundreds of dignitaries have approached him and sought advice on matters of social, legal and political nature and have left saying that Huzooraa was better informed about what they discussed with him. They too have felt better-informed after the audience.
Thousands of letters a day is not an overstatement when it comes to the unique connection that Huzooraa maintains with members of the Jamaat who are as close to his heart as he is to theirs.
So here we have a man of God, a man of peace, a man of love, relentlessly propagating the message of Islam to the corners of the earth; occupied with transforming the lives of millions through his blessed words and busy in calling the world to the One God in the most challenging of times in world history.
We know that Huzooraa recently moved from London to Islamabad as part of the shift of Markaz. Those who presented official letters on the same evening that Huzooraa had arrived in Islamabad received replies the very next afternoon. Those who visited his new office for the first time found Huzooraa busy with his work just as he is always seen during the time of official mulaqats.
May Allah bless this great man, our beloved Huzooraa, with much more energy, health and a long, prosperous life. May Allah always protect him. Long live Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa!
Huzoor’saa arrival in Islamabad, Surrey on Monday evening
Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered a Friday Sermon on 12 April 2019 in the Baitul Futuh Mosque. A series of sermons had been delivered on the Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa and on this day too, the Companionsra were the focus of the sermon.
Towards the end of the sermon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa informed the Jamaat that of the meanings of the revelation vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas:
وَسِّعْ مَکَانَکَ
one interpretation was that along with the expansion of the Jamaat’s tasks, Allah would bestow physical expansion also. And in light of this very meaning, Huzooraa said, Allah had bestowed upon the Jamaat a new Markaz in Islamabad, Tilford. With that, Huzooraa urged the Jamaat to pray that Islamabad lived up to its name – an abode of Islam.
Thereafter, Huzooraa said:
“In a few days, I shall leave London for Islamabad.”
This one sentence caused emotions to surge, especially for those who, like me, had become accustomed to the streets surrounding the Fazl Mosque; those who, like me, had to make at least one trip to the Fazl Mosque a day and those who, no matter where they were headed, would prefer to acquire the route travelling past the Fazl Mosque.
Above and beyond all emotions, however, was the delight of a new Markaz and the expansion of the Jamaat.
That very same evening, I was informed that I had a mulaqat on Monday, 15 April. I had an inkling that this mulaqat could well be my last mulaqat in Huzoor’s Fazl Mosque based office.
What didn’t go through my mind whilst thinking about this! Attempting to conceal these emotions, I found myself ready on the day to enter Huzoor’saa office for my mulaqat. All important matters were discussed.
Huzooraa mentioned a recent group mulaqat with German Ahmadis and referred to an answer he had given to a question on the issue of taqdir – divine decree. Huzooraa said:
“I wanted to draw their attention to a fact that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra mentioned in one of his couplets:
‘تدبیر کے جالوں میں مت پھنس، کر قبضہ جا کے مقدر پر’
(Don’t just sit and weave plans; go out and grab your fate.)
“We should aim to make our destiny along with maintaining determination, effort and prayers, rather than sitting idly and awaiting our fate.”
Thereafter I presented a few more pending issues, which Huzooraa graciously gave guidance on. Then came the subject of Islamabad.
Here, I asked a question that had etched itself in my heart for some time:
“An ordinary human being remains uncertain about even the smallest decisions, but the Khalifa has to make huge decisions, for example, shifting the Markaz from one place to another…”
Huzooraa replied:
“The Khalifa has to bear in mind the entire Jamaat before making a decision. When the idea initially occurred to me of shifting the Markaz to Islamabad, I gave it great thought. At times I felt that it may not be suitable, while at other times I felt that the time was not fitting. Sometimes I would reflect on whether we should even shift to Islamabad or to some other location. Then I would pray to Allah that He bestow guidance so that we adopt the best method. Thereafter, Allah reassured me about establishing the Markaz in Islamabad, and thus, this decision was made easy. The hurdles that had initially made it difficult to move soon began to disappear. The biggest hurdle was one related to the local council, but Allah caused that too to vanish. After that, everything began to go smoothly and very soon the new Markaz began to take shape.”
A pause followed this – the pause in which to interrupt is somewhat disrespectful. Alhamdolillah, I did not interject and Huzooraa graciously carried on:
“After my sermon, those who had played an active role in purchasing the land of Islamabad in the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh are writing to me saying that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh expressed his desire many a time that Islamabad serve as the Markaz. However, at that time, there were many constraints. There were so many restrictions by the local council that to adhere to all those became an impossibility. I am writing back to all such people saying that Allah has appointed a fixed time for everything. Here, too, it is all about what is destined. The fruits of the labour done back then had an appointed time. We carried on with our determination and very soon the time that Allah had appointed for this arrived. In this manner, Allah blessed all the efforts and determination.”
The moment Huzooraa mentioned the shift of Markaz in his Friday Sermon, the thought occurred to me that people must have written intriguing opinions and facts to Huzooraa in this regard. Obviously, I did not have the courage to ask such a blunt question to Huzoor, and even if I did, I would have done so very apprehensively, and the moment would have been squandered. By God’s grace, Huzooraa himself added:
Huzooraa leading Maghrib prayer after arrival at the new Markaz
“Some people have said that Rabwah served as the Markaz for almost 35 years and now, almost the same period has passed for this Markaz, and it is time to move. People are writing many different points to me.”
After a slight pause, Huzooraa said:
“People with an interest in linguistics and languages have also written to me. Mirza Muhammad-uddin Naz Sahib wrote that Islamabad is based in Tilford. In English, Tilford means a fertile piece of land, adjacent to a river. He said that the Hadith that refers to a person named Harith who would appear from beside a river, is perhaps an indication to this move.”
After the mulaqat, when I searched the meaning of Tilford in the dictionary, it read, “From a fertile ford” (ferTILE-FORD perhaps became Tilford).
Then I searched for the Hadith which my beloved Imamaa had made a reference to. In Izala-e-Auham, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas says:
“It says in Abu Daud’s Sahih that a person named Harith, that is Harith who lives beside a river … shall come forward, who shall give strength to the people of the Prophet; whose assistance and support will be the foremost duty of every believing person.”
The individual about to dwell on the lush green ford is Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih-ul-Maudas and has vast experience and education in agriculture.
In the sermon, Huzooraa also urged members to pray that this land of Islamabad became a centre for the propagation of Islam.
With all these points before me, I recalled a sitting with Jamia Ahmadiyya UK in which a student asked Huzooraa:
“Huzoor, do you still have an interest in agriculture?”
Huzooraa replied:
“I do, but now you are my crops.”
I gathered all these memories and the deeper meanings of Islamabad being situated in Tilford.
The mulaqat was almost coming to a close. Along with the delight of Huzoor’saa move to Islamabad was another thought that had made its presence felt in my mind. It became difficult to word – so difficult that I only managed to say:
“Huzoor, now the Fazl Mosque…”
May Allah always keep my Imamaa happy for he bestowed such an answer to my incomplete question, the wording of which is worthy of being engraved on stone:
“The significance and importance of the Fazl Mosque can never diminish. Including Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, four Khulafa have led prayers in this mosque and prayed to Allah. This is an asset that cannot be taken away from this mosque. In my sajdas [prostrations] whilst praying in this mosque, I always pray to Allah, ‘O Allah, fulfil the desire Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra had when establishing this mosque; accept the prayers he made in this mosque; accept the prayers of all the Khulafa who prayed here.’ I even pray that the prayers said by the Khulafa in this mosque are always attached to this mosque and that we continue to reap the fruits of those prayers and become worthy recipients.”
The mulaqat came to a close and I left that office.
I only had two mulaqats with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and they both took place in that very office.
My very first mulaqat with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa took place in that office; my Waqf-e-Zindagi was accepted in that office; when I was assigned responsibilities by Huzooraa and had to report to or seek guidance from him, I always returned to that very office.
As a Waqif-e-Zindagi, I was taught to walk in that office. For 16 years, the rust on my soul was continuously cleansed in that office. My master, who is aware of my weaknesses and flaws, graciously attempted to purify me in that office.
With respect to my spiritual ailments, I always sought guidance on remedies in that office. In that office, I fell in love with this person. In that office, I learnt the true meaning of love for Khilafat and the grandeur of Khilafat.
All these memories flickered through my mind; however, memories are limited to emotions. The happiness that is paired with reality is far superior and powerful.
The reality is that Allah has bestowed on the Jamaat a new Markaz and has enabled us to establish the Qasr-e-Khilafat (residence of Khilafat) in the heart of Christianity, rather, in the heart of disbelief. From here shall project the rays of Islam and illuminate the world.
I end with the poetic couplets of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra written in 1920 when the land that now holds the Fazl Mosque was purchased:
مرکزِ شرک سے آوازۂ توحید اٹھا
دیکھنا دیکھنا، مغرب سے ہے خورشید اٹھا
نور کے سامنے ظلمت بھلا کیا ٹھہرے گی
جان لو جلد ہی اب ظلمِ صنادید اٹھا
“A call to God’s unity is heard from the centre of polytheism; watch the sun rise from the West.
“How will darkness prevail before light; the tyranny of old gods is now to see its end.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh leading the first prayer at Islamabad after its purchase
Sheephatch School was a wartime evacuation centre, established in Tilford in 1939, but after the war, it turned into a rural centre for problem children of the suburbs of London, later turning into a regular boarding school.
The school, having provided safety, security and education for children, shut down in 1977.
The land was sold for £80,000 but was again put on auction in 1984.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in the UK purchased the land with all the wooden structures that had once served as classrooms, administrative offices and dormitories for pupils of the boarding school.
Old image of Sheephatch School | Mark Buckingham
Strict restrictions by the Waverley Borough Council, the home of the complex, did not permit any structural changes to the timber-framed blocks, and the Jamaat had to make do with only superficial alterations to turn the facility into a residential colony and some offices.
The Jamaat consistently contacted the council with requests for a complete overhaul of the structures, and by the grace of Allah, this permission was eventually granted – almost 30 years aft er the purchase.
A major refurbishment plan was drawn, approved by the council’s planning permissions department, and contractors were hired to materialise the new complex.
Map of Tilford in 1913 – the year when the first Ahmadiyya missionary was sent to England | Copyright Cassini Publishing Ltd
This new complex has a beautiful mosque – the Mubarak Mosque – alongside office blocks and a residential colony for personnel of Jamaat offices.
Islamabad now hosts the residence and the office of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, hence becoming the new Markaz of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.
Map of Tilford in the time of the Promised Messiah a.s. (1895) | Copyright Cassini Publishing Ltd
Mark Buckingham was a student at the Sheephatch School in Tilford. Ahmadiyya ARC contacted him and he was kind enough to share some photos and also the below impressions of the Old Sheeptonians, an alumni association of the school:
Old image of Sheephatch School | Mark Buckingham
“Sheephatch School was home to thousands of children from 1940 to 1977, allowing them to develop and learn to live with each other. Since it closed in 1977, we all knew in our hearts that the buildings had come to the end of their useful lives. We are pleased to see that this small part of the Surrey countryside is the focus of yet another thriving community dedicated to peaceful living, where we have always been welcome to visit.”
“And whoso emigrates from his country
in the cause of Allah will find in the earth an abundant place of refuge and
plentifulness.” (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.101)
This promise of God was fulfilled with
prophets of the past and their true followers, and similarly is valid and
effective for all ages and time.
Abrahamas
Prophets of Allah were forced to leave
their homelands amidst hostile environment created by their opponents. Hazrat
Abrahamas migrated from Ur (Iraq) and travelled all the way to find
the Promised Land with his true followers. Abrahamas fled from the
idolatrous people who desired to murder him.
Allah the Almighty commanded Hazrat
Abarahamas in the following words?
“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, ‘Get
thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house,
unto a land that I shall show thee.’” (Genesis 12:2)
“And I will make of thee a great
nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a
blessing.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
During his travels to Haran, Moab,
later to Egypt and then to what we today know as Palestine, his message became
more commonly known and his following grew abundantly. Wherever he travelled
to, he devoted his time in spreading the message that Allah the Almighty had
bestowed upon him, and in return, Allah endowed both his sons Isaacas
and Ishmaelas with mighty nations in the form of progeny and
following.
God said to Abrahamas, “Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis 17:19-21)
In fulfilment of this divine covenant,
two great nations emerged through Prophet Abraham’s progeny: the Israelites and
the Ishmaelites. Both were rewarded by God with great blessings as it was
promised to them.
Many prophets like Jacobas,
Josephas, Mosesas, Davidas and Solomonas
were born among the Israelites. Through Ishmaelas, the king of all
prophets Hazrat Muhammadsa was born and, as promised to Abrahamas,
we know that his message spread to all parts of the world and people from all
nations of the world accepted him.
Before hijrat (migration), Hazrat
Abrahamas was not only abandoned by his family but was also
issueless. Such a person, for his piety and for the obedience that he showed to
Allah’s commandments in all matters, was given the status of prophethood and
his travelling from one land to another brought a whole array of fruitful
results; the blessings that we witness to this day.
Mosesas
A few hundred years after Hazrat
Abrahamas came another man of God, Mosesas, who fled from
his homeland so that those who believed in the One God could profess and
practice their religion freely and spread the message further.
He saved them from the atrocities of
their tyrant king who had proclaimed divinity. Mosesas migrated,
along with his followers, from Egypt to the desert of Sinai. Right from its
onset, the journey of his hijrat came with many challenges and difficulties.
But as he and his followers remained steadfast, all hurdles in the way of their
faith were removed by Allah’s will. He strived to propagate the message of
Allah under all circumstances up to his last breath. Soon after his demise,
Canaan, the land promised to his forefathers, was given to his nation that
settled their under the leadership of Joshua the son of Nun.
The incident is recorded in the Bible
in the following words:
“Now after the death of Moses the
servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of
Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go
over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to
them, [even] to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot
shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the
wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all
the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea towards the going down of the
sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee
all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will
not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this
people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their
fathers to give them.” (Joshua: 1-7)
With this land given to them by Allah
the Almighty, they found the freedom to practice their religion and this hijrat
proved for them to be an abundant and plentiful refuge. This God-gifted land
was to later flourish into one of the mighty empires of the world where
Israelites lived prosperously under the prophethood of Davidas and
Solomonas.
Thus, Allah kept his promise that he
made while Abrahamas was leaving his homeland.
Jesusas
Fourteen hundred years after Prophet
Mosesas, a promised reformer came for the Israelites, who had
forsaken their true faith and had gone astray. Jesusas, son of Mary,
the long awaited Messiah of the Israelites, was divinely appointed to revive
the message of God. His people humiliatingly rejected him and tried to blemish
him with an accursed death through crucifixion. His own people turned against
him and rejected the message of revival that he had brought from Allah. Since
Allah never leaves his chosen ones alone, Jesusas not only survived
this great ordeal but also undertook a hijrat, fleeing to the Eastern lands. He
travelled extensively as part of his hijrat in pursuit of the lost tribes of
Israelites. He was granted success in his search and he was able to impart the
teachings of Allah the Almighty all along his route and later in the Himalayan
lands where he had finally settled.
He too had left his country in the
cause of Allah and was accepted by many nations around the world. As the Holy
Quran mentions that he was revered in this world and hereafter. Even the name
“Messiah” has an innate meaning of sayyahat which means travelling. This
interesting reference to his Messianic title indicates to the importance of his
migration. Ibn Kathir, in his great work Bidayah wa an-Nihaya, relates:
“It is said that he [Jesusas]
was called Messiah for the travels that he undertook and for having fled his
homeland in the way of his faith.” (Bidayah wa an-Nihaya, Vol 2)
The
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
Then came the time when Allah’s promise
to Abrahamas was to be fulfilled once again, but this time with the
greatest grandeur. From among the Ishmaelites, a great and final law
bearing prophet, Hazrat Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was
sent to not only his nation but to all peoples of the world.
His people tried to create hurdles in
the way of propagating and practicing his religion. The Holy Prophetsa
and his followers were severely persecuted in their hometown of Mecca, from
where he had to migrate with his people to the town of Yathrib, later to be
called Medina. This migration, known in Islamic History as Hijrat-e-Medina (or
Hijrah), was through divine commandment and, as a result, was blessed with
great rewards from Allah the Almighty. It was after this migration that the
days of glory dawned upon the small immigrant community that rapidly
transformed into a city, later into a state and then emerged as a global
phenomenon; a revolution in every sense of the term.
This great hijrat – which he undertook
on a Monday – brought about great blessings right from the time when it was
underway. En route Medina, the Holy Prophetsa was followed by
enemies, but was protected miraculously in the cave of Thaur. One of the
enemies had been able to track down the Holy Prophetsa but ended up
accepting Islam rather than killing him as had intended.
The
Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
The Holy Prophetsa of Islam
had informed his people that when they too would go astray like the Israelites,
the same Mosaic pattern would be repeated with a messiah being sent to reform
the initial teachings of Islam.
This grand prophecy was fulfilled, and
Allah sent Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas as the promised reformer,
Messiah and Mahdi to safeguard the fortress of Islam. A revelation vouchsafed
to him by Allah the Almighty said:
داغِ هجرت
indicating
that his community too would have to undergo the strenuous task of migration.
This revelation was fulfilled first in
1947 with the partition of India when the community, under the leadership of
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, had to migrate from Qadian in India to
Lahore, now Pakistan.
It was a time of great tribulation when
the entire community had to settle in migration camps and temporarily allocated
buildings in Lahore. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, under divine
instruction, envisioned a town where Ahmadis could profess and practice their
faith with freedom.
Early days of Rabwah
A barren piece of land, unfertile and
without water, was purchased. The world saw it as a waste of money, but Allah
the Almighty showed a great sign by turning what seemed like a wasteland into a
blooming city. This town, built from scratch on a barren land, turned out to be
the first planned town of Pakistan with the highest literacy rate, a place
equipped with amenities of education and health and an infrastructure that even
state-sponsored settlements have not been able to achieve in a similar fashion.
Among the first few structures built in this town was a mosque called Masjid
Mubarak.
This new Markaz of the Jamaat, named
Rabwah, was soon fully functional and the propagation of Islam by the Jamaat
saw new heights. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra lived the rest of his
life in this town.
The time of the third Khilafat
(1965-1982) was also spent with Rabwah serving as the Markaz of the
Jamaat.
Present-day Rabwah. Against all odds, Rabwah soon became inhabited and served as Markaz
Right at the onset of the fourth
Khilafat (1982), the political situation of Pakistan became such that it became
impossible for the Khalifa to remain in Pakistan. This situation had been
brewing for many decades, but by 1984, certain legislation – proposed by the
anti-Ahmadiyya clergy and advocated by the government of Pakistan – brought
about another migration for the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.
This hijrat was to be the first
intercontinental migration in Islam as all other hijrats in Islam had been to
the same part of the country or continent. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh
moved to London and with him, the Markaz was established in the Fazl Mosque,
from where it was to function for a period of three and a half decades.
As the hijrat of 1984 had happened in a
state of emergency, the Markaz in London was more of a make-shift setup with
offices put up in porta-cabins and residential properties around the Fazl
Mosque. Despite frequent and consistent complaints by the neighbourhood and the
local authorities, Allah enabled the Jamaat’s Markaz to continue functioning
from whatever facilities it had.
With these very humble facilities, the
Jamaat progressed manifold and it was from here that Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya (MTA) was launched in 1992; literally taking the message of Islam to
the corners of the Earth.
But Allah has His own ways. Just as Rabwah
had remained the Jamaat’s Markaz for a period of three and a half decades, the
Fazl Mosque too served as the Markaz for the same span of time. It was in this
very Markaz that Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa took office as
Khalifatul Masih V and a new era of propagation of Islam began. The Jamaat’s
operational growth called for further expansion in the nerve-centre of the
Jamaat.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa
announced in his Friday Sermon on 12 April 2019 that – staying in line with a
revelation of the Promised Messiahas, “Expand your abode” – the
Markaz was now to be established in Islamabad, Surrey where the office and the
residence of Khalifatul Masih would be based, along with his private
secretariat and other Markaz offices.
This called for another hijrat of
Khalifatul Masih and naturally, the Markaz of the Jamaat – two inseparable
entities.
Our beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih Vaa moved to this blessed place – the new Markaz of
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya – on Monday, 15 April 2019.
Arrival of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa in Islamabad on Monday, 15 April
This marked another turning-point in the history of Islam. The Markaz became functional from the very first day of this hijrat. In the words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, we pray that Allah makes “Islamabad” the source of spreading “Islam” to the corners of the earth.
Towards the
end of last week’s Friday Sermon on 12 April, Hazrat Amirul Momineen,
Khalifatul Masih Vaa indicated to the global Jamaat that he would
soon move to what would become the new Markaz of the Jamaat – Islamabad,
Surrey.
Hazrat Amirul
Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa made this move, a historic moment in
the history of Islam, in the evening of Monday, 15 April from London to the new
Jamaat Markaz (headquarters) in Tilford, Surrey, to the land that is fittingly
named Islamabad.
Immediately
after leading the Asr prayer at Fazl Mosque, London, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa
departed London and took the A3 southbound, headed towards Islamabad.
A large number
of Londoners were present to see off their beloved Imamaa, whom they
had become accustomed to seeing in the Fazl Mosque five times a day at every
prayer for almost 16 years. Including the tenure of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh,
the Fazl Mosque served as the residence for Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya for almost 35
years.
The crowds of
people who had gathered at the Fazl Mosque sang choral poems to see off their
beloved Imamaa.
Huzoor’saa
entourage arrived at Islamabad, Surrey at approximately 6:55pm where a large
number of residents of Islamabad, those belonging to neighbouring Jamaats and
many more joyfully welcomed Huzooraa.
After
arriving at Islamabad, Huzooraa waved and said Salaam to the
rejoicing crowds. The atmosphere echoed with the prayer:
(Our Lord,
accept this from us, for Thou art surely the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing) and
choral poems (taranas) that children sang in praise of Allah to add
colour to the very historic moment in the history of the Jamaat and Islam.
This day was
reminiscent of the great hijrats (migrations) that have taken place in
the history of Islam. When progress and prosperity is manifested through the
expansion of Allah’s Jamaat and migration is destined to happen, then Allah
provides facilities to contain and uphold the divine bounties bestowed by Allah
on His Jamaat.
We are
fortunate to be living in the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa,
through whom we have witnessed another milestone, among many, in the growth of
Islam Ahmadiyyat.
We know from
history that every hijrat has opened up avenues for the propagation of
Islam and we know with full conviction that his hijrat will lead the
Jamaat towards success that is otherwise unattainable by mere human power – Insha-Allah.
Central offices
– including Huzoor’saa private secretariat, Wakalat-e-Tabshir,
Wakalat-e-Mal, Wakalat-e-Tamil-o-Tanfidh (India, Nepal and Bhutan) – have also
moved to Islamabad as part of the Markaz’s shift.
As Hazrat
Khalifatul Masihaa mentioned in his latest Friday Sermon, the
residential colony is being inhabited by Waqifeen-e-Zindagi, most of whom will
be working in the local offices.
In a period of
just around two years, we have seen a great transformation of what was once a
make-shift residential facility into state-of-the-art offices and residential
complex.
Earlier in the
week, in his Friday Sermon, Huzooraa mentioned the revelation
vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas by Allah the Almighty:
وَسِّعْ مَكَانَكَ
“Enlarge your
abode.” Huzooraa said that Allah intended that the Promised Messiahas
extend his facilities so as to house the growing needs of the Jamaat that he
had founded under Divine instruction.
Hazrat
Khalifatul Masihaa said that with the passage of time, we have
witnessed how Allah has blessed the Jamaat with immense expansion and growth.
The revelation actually pointed to the glory and prosperity that was destined
to come to Islam through the Promised Messiahas and extension in all
facilities would be required. We witness this promise of Allah being manifested
globally.
Huzooraa
stated that ever since the migration of Khilafat to England in 1984, the
expansion of the Jamaat had resulted in extension of buildings and facilities.
Waving to the crowds gathered at the Fazl Mosque, London
When Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih IVrh migrated to London, Allah showed His support
by granting the Jamaat, alongside many other blessings, the land of Islamabad
in Tilford, Surrey. This soon turned into a colony of houses, offices and a
residential facility for the Khalifatul Masih.
Hazrat Amirul
Momineenaa recalled how Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh had
mentioned to him that Islamabad was a great blessing of Allah and that he had
expressed his desire to establish the headquarters of the Jamaat in Islamabad.
Huzooraa
stated that by the grace of Allah, the Jamaat had now been able to develop
offices, a residential colony for Waqifeen and a residence for Khalifatul
Masih.
After the
migration of Khilafat to London, Markaz offices had been housed in residential
properties around the Fazl Mosque. This frequently called for the local
residents and council complaining about the residential properties being used
for official purposes.
Now, with the
new complex in Islamabad, Huzooraa said that some Markazi offices on
Gressenhall Road would move to the new facility. The Markaz also purchased an
office complex in Farnham a few years earlier and then Majlis
Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK secured a building nearby.
Hadiqatul
Mahdi, the UK Jalsa Gah, has been near Alton since 2006 – also a short distance
from Islamabad. Jamia Ahmadiyya UK that was initially based in London was moved
to Haslemere, Surrey to a much vast and better building in 2012. All these
facilities to be in close proximity of Islamabad was not intentionally planned.
Huzooraa said that it seems to be Allah’s plan that all these
facilities were being established in a couple of miles radius of Islamabad –
the new Markaz.
Huzooraa
instructed the Jamaat to pray that Allah blessed the new setup.
Huzooraa
stated that since Khalifatul Masih’s office and residence too have been
established in Islamabad, Huzooraa would soon be moving from London
to Islamabad.
Huzooraa
urged the Jamaat to pray that Islamabad, in line with its name, becomes a
centre of resonating the message of Islam to the world.
Huzooraa
said that although he would lead the Jumuah prayers in Baitul Futuh, London,
there would be facility for the Jamaats within a 20-mile radius of Tilford to
attend the Jumuah in the newly built mosque at Islamabad.
Huzooraa
instructed that those travelling to Islamabad should bear in mind that local
residents and authorities should be given no reason to complain about traffic
and any other related issues.
We pray to
Allah that He makes this new Markaz a beacon of light for all mankind and that
this new headquarters facilitates the Jamaat further in propagating the message
of Muhammad Rasulullahsa to all corners of the earth.
It has been said previously with regard
to the current state of affairs in Afghanistan that after the murder of Amir
Habibullah Khan, Nasrullah Khan, along with some government officials, was
imprisoned.
Nasrullah Khan was among those vehement
opponents who acquired the death penalty fatwa for Hazrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif
Shaheedra. Thus, he has a deep-rooted grudge and bitterness against
the Jamaat.
Sahibzada Abdul Latif’s martyrdom has
in it eternal life and his memory shall always live on with reverence and
grandeur for eternity. He did not shudder in the slightest out of fear of
expressing the truth and considered easy laying down his life for his faith and
what he believed to be the truth.
Not only is Nasrullah Khan answerable
for the death of this pious individual, but now, as events have transpired, he
is responsible for the death of the Amir – his biological brother. For this, he
has been sentenced to life in prison.
These incidents can do a lot in
bringing a person towards the right path, provided one opens their eyes.
The actual news story is as follows:
“The Pioneer, Allahabad, 23
April 1919: We learn that at a public durbar held in Kabul on the 13th
instant Nasrulla Khan was found guilty of having instigated the murder of the
late Amir and sentenced to imprisonment for life. A like sentence was passed on
a Court page found guilty of complicity in the crime while an Afghan Colonel,
accused of having actually committed the murder, was executed. When the
Jalalabad soldiery withdrew their allegiance from Nasrulla Khan they arrested
and treated with ignominy the members of the powerful Musahiban family,
including the late Commander-in-Chief, but these were all honourably acquitted
by the durbar. The events described, which appear to have been brought about
without internal disturbance, seem to indicate that the new Amir holds a very
strong position. The fact that only a few persons have been punished for the
assassination of Habibulla, moreover, suggests a restraint that is remarkable
for Afghanistan.”
[Following this, news outlets covered
this story in the days that ensued. A passage from The Leader – an
Indian newspaper – is presented below.]
“Durbar at Kabul – Murder of the Late
Amir; Sardar Nasrullah Imprisoned for Life; Stirring Speech by the Present
Amir.
“Information regarding the important
durbar held at Kabul on 3 April is now filtering through to the frontier. The
Amir, who was dressed in khaki, explained the object of the durbar by saying
that he wished to present to the assembly the inquiries he has made and the
tentative conclusions he had formed regarding his father’s murder and to ask the
durbar for their opinion and guidance in deciding this all important matter.
The papers and files were then produced and the complicity and fate of Sardar
Nasrullah Khan were discussed. Some of those assembled advocated death
sentence. The Amir himself recommended imprisonment for life. The discussion
finally resulted in the unanimous finding by the durbar that Sardar Nasrullah
Khan should be punished by imprisonment for life. Colonel Shah Ali Raza was
convicted of the actual assassination and sentenced to death, a sentence which
was carried out immediately after the durbar.
“Before the durbar closed the Amir made
a stirring speech. The emotion with which he delivered it evidently made a
great impression on the assembly and the passage which impressed them most is
said to have been to this effect:
‘The object which occupied my mind ever
since the death of my lamented father [Abdur Rahman Khan] and which by the
grace of God and through the sincere help and loyalty of both civil and
military, has now been achieved, is vengeance for my father’s murder. Ever
since his death I have worn khaki and on hearing of his death I drew my sword
(the Amir here raised his sword aloft) and have kept it drawn until now when I
sheathe it once more in triumph at my success.’
“On the durbar coming to a close the
Amir rode away followed by the crowd of durbaris.”
Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was a companion of the Promised Messiahas, member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, judge of the Federal Court of India, president of the International Court of Justice, Pakistan’s first foreign minister, Pakistan’s representative to the UNO General Assembly and a devout servant of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Islam.
Ataul Mujeeb Rashed, Missionary In-charge, UK
Hazrat Sir
Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, may Allah be pleased with him, was abundantly
blessed with good qualities and distinctive attributes. A lot has been written
about him and a lot more will be written in the future.
Hazrat Chaudhry Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra, photo taken on 4 November 1939 Bassano Ltd | Wiki Commons
In this article, rather than giving a
biographic account of his outstanding achievements and services, I would like
to write down some anecdotes and impressions based on my personal observations
and experiences. I would like to do this for the benefit of the younger
generation, who did not have the opportunity to see him during his
lifetime.
This is an attempt to make the younger
generation develop at least some understanding of the strength of character and
grandeur of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra.
Greatest
good fortune of life
First, I would like to narrate a
delightful and profoundly impressive incident. A journalist, representing one
of Pakistan’s literary magazines, interviewed Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khanra
for a special issue of the magazine. He asked him, “Chaudhry Sahib! You have
achieved countless successes in your life. What do you think was the greatest
blessing of your life?”
Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
answered this apparently difficult question promptly and comprehensively by
saying, “The greatest good fortune of my life is that I recognised the Imam of
the age, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, the Promised Messiah and Imam
Mahdi, peace be upon him, and performed Bai‘at at his hands. All praise be to
Allah.”
My
first introduction
By the time I reached the age of
discretion, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was very well-known as a great
man and a wise leader throughout the world.
I had the pleasure of listening to his
speeches during Jalsa Salana. He was extremely eloquent, and his delivery style
was unique. He had the uncanny ability to explain even the most complex concepts
in an easily comprehensible manner. This simplicity in his expression made his
speeches accessible to everyone. That is how I came to know him
initially.
My first direct contact with him, that
I vividly remember, was when my late father (Hazrat Maulana Abul Ata) invited
some respected members of the Jamaat for dinner to his house named
“Bait-ul-Ata”in Darur-Rahmat Wasti, Rabwah. Chaudhry Sahibra
was one of the guests.
When Chaudhry Sahibra was
about to leave, my father told me to accompany him to his bungalow in
Darus-Sadr Gharbi. Thus, Chaudhry Sahibra and I set out on foot.
Because of his towering personality and my extreme reverence for him, I was
hesitant to speak. However, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra talked in a
relaxed manner about several things.
I realised that he had a very
affectionate, relaxed, calm and simple disposition. At one point, he took hold
of my upper arm and upon observing how lean it was, he remarked, “Is that
all?”.
When we finally reached his bungalow,
Chaudhry Sahibra thanked me, and I requested him for his prayers
before leaving. This short meeting only lasted 15-20 minutes, but it left a
pleasant and lasting impression on me that I relish even today.
Expressions
of affection begin
When I arrived in London as a
missionary and deputy imam in September 1970, I had the opportunity to meet him
regularly. I hereby present some anecdotes relating to that period which
illustrate various aspects of Chaudhry Sahib’sra pleasant
personality.
This was my first venture outside
Pakistan, it was the first time for me to travel by air through the blessing of
Ahmadiyyat. I had studied English language at school and college but never
needed to write or converse in English while in Pakistan. I had delivered some
prepared (and memorised) speeches in college and Jamia, but my English was not
proficient for day-to-day conversation.
I mention this because two months after
my arrival in London, I was subjected to a test in English and the examiner was
none other than Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra.
It so happened that the late Bashir
Ahmad Khan Rafiq Sahib, the then Imam and missionary in-charge told me once
that someday I would be required to deliver a Friday sermon in English. I
expressed my opinion that there was no rush for that and in due course such
opportunities would, God-willing, arise. That, I thought, was the end of the
matter.
A few days later, on Friday, I had
offered my sunnah prayer and the second azan was called shortly afterwards.
Khan Sahib, who was sitting next to me, nudged me to get up for the sermon. I
was not mentally prepared for that, but there was no room to make excuses as I
could not engage in discussion with the mosque full of worshippers. I had to
get up.
With prayers, I started the sermon with
Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah. That much was easy enough. As I
looked around, I saw Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra seated in a chair as
usual towards the right of the first row. As he heard the voice of a new
speaker, he glanced at me. I am sure he would have prayed for me, but I was
awestruck by his personality.
Just then, I remembered the farewell
advice by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh as a flash of inspiration.
He had advised me to speak English confidently and without hesitation while in
London and not to worry if I made mistakes in the beginning. That encouraged me
and I bolstered my morale thinking that Chaudhry Sahibra had also
progressed to his current standard of excellent English gradually.
These ideas passed through my mind over
a short time. Putting my faith in Allah, I started the sermon. I do not
remember the topic, but it lasted for 15-20 minutes. After Khutba-e-Saniya [the
second part of the sermon in Arabic], I led the prayers. After that, I
offered the sunnah prayer and spent longer than usual offering these. I was
hoping that Chaudhry Sahibra would have left by then and I would not
have him hold my arm and point out my mistakes in front of all the
people.
After the sunnah prayer when I got up
to go, I saw that Chaudhry Sahibra was still engaged in prayers. It
was an opportune moment for me to leave the mosque immediately. Now I waited
for the result of my test and expected to receive guidance from Chaudhry Sahibra
shortly.
In the evening when I met Bashir Rafiq
Sahib, he congratulated me. “For what?” I asked. He replied, “Chaudhry Sahib
has given you a pass in English.” I said, “Alhamdolillah” and thought
that he must have added some grace marks out of his magnanimity for the new
speaker on his first attempt. His kindness and graciousness to me continued
later in various ways.
Dervish
preacher
Allah the Almighty had blessed Chaudhry
Sahibra with countless blessings and honours. He had been to great
palaces and chambers of the world and had met great personalities. However, by
nature he was a very humble person. Simplicity and dervish-like nature were the
salient traits of his life.
For one, he was very frugal in spending
on himself but very generous in spending in the way of Allah and in helping the
poor and the students. For instance, whenever he went to Central London via the
District line, he used to walk to East Putney Underground station instead of
Southfields station. He would take this longer walk, so that he could save on
the tube fare, which was probably one penny saving.
Generally, most people living in the
area started their journey from Southfields and did not care for the tiny
difference in the fare, giving preference to their comfort. Hazrat Chaudhry
Sahibra used to save one penny per travel; he mentioned it to others
and urged them to do the same.
I clearly remember him telling in his
speeches that people used to argue with him as to what did he save by doing so,
to which he replied, “One penny.” They would then ask what benefit he got. He
would reply again, “One penny.” Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra used to
relate this in detail. He used to narrate in his style that though apparently
it was a saving of one penny only, but continued savings like that would add up
to hundreds and thousands of pounds.
On such
occasions he used to quote the Persian proverb:
قطرہ قطرہ مى شود دریا
“Drop by drop
a river is formed.”
Helping
the needy
His style of counseling was very
effective. At the same time, his excellent personal example of spending
generously in the way of Allah was apparent to everyone. He had established an
institution by the name of Southfields Trust to help the needy and deserving
students and the less privileged. Stipends were given out as interest free
loans or as aid. That was a great service and ongoing charity.
Additionally, there was a whole network
for the help of the needy. Generally, he helped people in such a discrete way
that others would not know about it. I had the opportunity of working as a
member of this trust for some time and was inspired by this aspect of Chaudhry
Sahib’s character.
Humble
way of great financial sacrifice
A proposal was once under consideration
that the then existing two buildings that were very old in the Jamaat UK centre
be demolished and replaced by a large complex comprising of a big hall,
offices, two large residences and a small flat. However, the Jamaat did not
have the necessary funds for the project at that time.
It is not the Jamaat’s policy to take
bank loans on interest. Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was requested to
lend the amount, which would be paid back to him in instalments over a period
of time. He agreed.
In accordance with Quranic teachings, a
contract was drafted to the effect that Chaudhry Sahibra would pay
the Jamaat £100,000 and the Jamaat would be responsible to pay it back. The
draft was shown to Chaudhry Sahibra one evening. He said that he
would study it carefully, sign it and return it the next day.
The following morning, Chaudhry Sahibra
said:
“I mulled over it. My own self told me,
‘Zafrulla Khan! You have reached thus far because of Ahmadiyyat. All that you
have achieved is due to blessings of this Jamaat. Do you now want to give the
money to this beneficent Jamaat as a loan to be paid back?’ My soul reproached
me a lot. I really felt embarrassed about this and sought Divine forgiveness. I
decided there and then that I shall present that amount to the Jamaat not as a
loan, but as a humble donation.”
Saying that, he tore up the draft,
wrote a cheque for £100,000 and presented it to the Jamaat. He pleaded that
this donation should not be mentioned to anyone in his lifetime other than
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. What an excellent example of
sacrifice, humility and sincerity!
Small
bedroom
In the context of this building, I
would like to mention another magnificent incident. The foundation stone of the
building was laid in 1967 and it was completed in 1970. Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
requested the Jamaat to allow him to reside in the small flat on the second
floor whenever he needed accommodation while in London. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih
IIIrh happily granted permission.
The flat was small. I had the
opportunity to go to the flat several times and see it closely. Albeit small,
it was enough for Chaudhry Sahib’sra limited and simple needs. It
comprised of a small bedroom, a compact kitchen, bathroom and a medium-sized
sitting room which doubled up as his study where he spent most of his
time.
He had a modest sofa set in the sitting
room and that is where he entertained his visitors. The bedroom in the flat was
so small that it was barely furnished with a single bed, a small cupboard, a
small table and a chair. There was hardly any space to walk around. In that
small bedroom, he spent many years with simplicity and contentment.
One of his close friends told me that
once Chaudhry Sahibra took him along to show him his flat. As he
entered the bedroom he asked, “How do you cope in this small bedroom?” Chaudhry
Sahib’s answer was prompt and insightful: “The place where we are going after
this life will be even narrower.” How unique is the thinking of spiritually
elevated people! They are ever-mindful of the Hereafter and keep preparing
themselves for that ultimate, final journey.
Simplicity, informality and contentment
were the hallmarks of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahib’sra life. His attire
used to be decent, clean and dignified. He looked after his clothes and made
them last a long time while still looking nice. He never felt embarrassed to
tell us how old his suits were.
Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra and the author
On the contrary, he would eagerly and confidently mention that he purchased a suit or a pair of socks in such and such year from such and such shop for such and such price.
I remember that he once told me that the shirt that he was wearing was bought by him for one dollar so many years ago from a shop situated on a road in New York.
In short, it was well known that Chaudhry Sahibra used to make his outfits last for a long period.
Once, on Eid day, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
gifted this humble one a woollen scarf. He specifically mentioned that the
scarf was not old and that he had only worn it once on the day when he presided
over the session of General Assembly of the United Nations. I received that
memorable gift most thankfully.
Favourite
topic of dicsussion
His style of discourse was marvellous,
which proved to be very effective and informative during Jamaat meetings. His
opinions would be robust, to the point, relevant and in accordance with the
situation.
One topic that I heard him talk frequently about was gratitude to Allah the Exalted. He used to emphasise this aspect during his tarbiyat lectures, often quoting the Quranic verse:
لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيْدَنَّكُمْ
“If you are grateful, I will, surely, bestow more favours on you.” (Surah Ibrahim, Ch.14: V.8)
During his conversations, he would talk
repeatedly on this subject of gratitude in a moving and inspirational way. I
personally observed that he always mentioned the gratitude for the blessings of
God in a tender and touching manner and tears would well up in his eyes out of
gratefulness.
I can say that gratitude was his
favourite topic. Accordingly, he titled his autobiography, Tehdis-e-Nemat
(Recollection of Divine Favours), a most appropriate name according to his
personality.
A specific feature of the book is that
when narrating stories of his life, he never forgot to mention and thank anyone
who had done him any favour and prayed for them. Along with gratitude for
Allah, expressing the same for Allah’s servants was an integral part of this
grateful man.
Prayers
and Salat
Chaudhry Sahibra was
extremely dedicated and committed to supplication. Prayers and worship were an
essential part of his being. He used to make a very diligent effort for
offering Salat. He was very watchful to ensure that he offered his Salat on the
exact, prescribed times. Whenever he visited London from Holland, he would
enquire about Salat times without fail. He prayed diligently, virtuously,
attentively and always at the earliest possible time.
During the prayers, he preferred the
recitation of a person who demonstrated a clear understanding of the subject
matter and took pauses appropriately. After arriving in the mosque, he spent
his time in praising and remembering Allah.
He would listen carefully and register,
in his memory, the names and needs of those who requested prayers of him, and
there were surely hundreds of them.
He once told me that he had prepared in
his mind a list of such people in a particular order and grouped them together
according to their needs. In this way he remembered all the names and
supplicated for each one of them regularly. Sometimes that led to amusing
incidents.
Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
stated one example himself. A young man once requested him to pray for his
marriage. His name got registered in Chaudhry Sahib’sra
computer-like memory and he continued to pray for him. After about three years,
the young man met Chaudhry Sahibra who asked him if he had got
married. The man replied with a smile, “Yes Chaudhry Sahib! I got married and
have got two children.” Chaudhry Sahib said, “You should have told me. I was
still praying for your marriage.”
Morning
walks
He was very regular in morning walks.
He devoted all that time to the remembrance of Allah and supplications, for
which he had formulated a map and a sequence in his mind. He told me on several
occasions that by the time he reached a spot or turning during the walk, he had
recited Durood so many times or supplicated in particular words so many
times.
If it was raining after Fajr, he would walk around in the Mahmood Hall for the same duration as his daily walk. Thus, by completing the specified number of supplications and tasbeeh [remembering Allah] he could also guess the distance he had covered.
I recall an interesting thing that he
told me in connection with his walk. He said that an Englishman of such and
such appearance crossed him every morning at the same spot and they exchanged
good-mornings. He added, “He seems to be very punctual.” Then, he smiled and
said, “I am no less than him.”
Remarkable
memory
Along with his unlimited scholarly capabilities,
Allah the Exalted had blessed him with a remarkable memory. I never saw him
with a diary. He used to save his engagements and appointments in his mind and
never had any problem with that. He knew the phone numbers of his friends and
contacts by heart.
During his stay in London, he used to
come to my office by about 10 or 11 o’clock very often and asked me to dial a
phone number for such and such person. As I went for the directory, he would
say that he would tell me the number off-hand. That happened every time he
came.
To my amazement, he told me that when
in Britain, the telephone numbers of British friends were highlighted in his
mind and when in America, the American numbers were highlighted and the British
numbers faded away.
Another amazing thing of the kind was
that he could tell the days of different dates of the year off-hand. We look at
the calendar to plan any event, but Chaudhry Sahibra would calculate
and tell the day immediately.
Once I asked him the secret. He said,
“When the new year starts, I download the days of a few important and
fundamental dates in my mind and use that data to calculate the day on the
required date.”
An
amazing incident
Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
wrote his life history in detail titled Tehdis-e-Nemat (Recollection of
Divine Favours) himself. The book is a treasure house of information. It is a
comprehensive book comprising of Jamaati history, as well as political,
national and international affairs.
Front cover of Tehdis-e-Nemat
It is said that Chaudhry Sahibra
wrote or dictated the entirety of this book, or most of it, from memory. Once
the book was completed, he had the proofreading done by a friend to doublecheck
the references, dates and other details. Corrections were probably not
required.
When it was published, he had some of
its copies put in my office for those desirous of getting it. One day, Hazrat
Chaudhry Sahibra was sitting in my office. One person who had taken
the book a few days earlier came and said some of its pages were missing and
were probably left out during the bookbinding phase. I retrieved that copy and
gave him another one. When he was about to leave, Chaudhry Sahibra
asked him what the subject matter in that book was before and after the missing
pages. The gentleman looked at the book and answered. Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
filled him in, there and then, about the subject matter in those missing pages
and added, “I have given you the gist, you can read the details at home.”
Punctuality
Hazrat Chaudhry Sahib ra was
an extremely punctual person. He was ever mindful of this in his daily routine
and urged others to do the same. In fact, he trained them practically.
Once, he started a Talim-ul-Quran
(study of the Quran) class in London that was attended by young students. The
time for the class was fixed and he made it clear to them that the time would
be adhered to. He used to come a few minutes before the class and shut the door
at the fixed time. Late-comers were not allowed in. Consequently, all the
students became punctual in a couple of days.
When Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
was appointed the president of the General Assembly, he maintained his
tradition of starting the proceedings on time. Thus, he gave a practical lesson
of punctuality to the members of the assembly who were usually casual about
time-keeping.
In the context of punctuality, an
interesting incident comes to my mind. A friend narrated to me that once,
students or Khuddam in Karachi requested Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra to
speak on the qualities of a good speaker. He mentioned many qualities in
detail. The last thing he mentioned was that a good speaker must be well-aware
of the end of the time allocated for his speech. Having said that, he sat down
on the chair. The audience noticed the allocated time for his speech had just
ended.
During his stay in London, it was his
routine to offer his prayers in the mosque. We had an arrangement between the
two of us that I would press the doorbell of his flat when going to the mosque
for prayers to remind him during his engagements that it was time for
prayer.
After performing ablution and offering
the Sunnah or nafl [voluntary] prayers, he would make it to the Fazl
Mosque usually on time; in fact, a few minutes earlier. He used to sit on a
chair at the right end of the first row and would occupy himself with the
remembrance of Allah till the start of the congregational prayer. If the number
of worshippers was small, he would move his chair to the end of the row and
join the prayer.
Sometimes Chaudhry Sahibra
was late, and we would wait for him before starting the prayer. One day, a
close friend of Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra asked him, “Chaudhry Sahib,
you are very punctual and are referred to as a model of punctuality. Why is it
that you are late for prayer sometimes?” Chaudhry Sahibra was not offended,
rather with his typical smile, he replied, “Allah does forgive, but men do
not.”
Frugality
and economising
I am now going to mention another
unique feature of his life that I have observed myself very often and most of
his friends would have witnessed. It is to do with his quality of frugality and
economising.
It is a common observation that when a
bar of soap used for washing is reduced to a very small size – known as “chipper”
in Punjabi – it gets discarded as it remains of no further use. However, Hazrat
Chaudhry Sahibra used to press this “chipper”, or sliver of
soap,onto a new bar of soap using his two hands to fuse them together
and get more use out of the remaining sliver of soap.
If anybody expressed their surprise
about it, he would respond with a simple argument: “If this soap sliver was
good enough to be used yesterday, then there is no reason why it can’t be used
today!” I observed him, on some occasions, fusing together two different
coloured bars of soap.
There is an interesting incident in
that context. One day, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra came to the Fazl
Mosque for Zuhr prayers wearing brand new shoes, which looked very nice. On
leaving the mosque after prayers, when he was putting his shoes back on, a very
close friend looked at those shoes with surprise and remarked in a curious
manner, “Chaudhry Sahib! These shoes are new.” Chaudhry Sahibra
understood his comments full well. He smiled and said, “Well, a new bar of soap
can be fused with an old one, but an old shoe cannot be blended with a new
one”.
Simple
lifestyle
Once, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
expressed his desire to have lunch at an average restaurant nearby. I found
such a place on Garratt Lane, near the mosque.
One day, we set out on foot after the
prayer and got there within a few minutes. This small restaurant was rather
clean, and Chaudhry Sahibra liked it. When he took his seat, I went
to the counter, briefed the restaurant owner about Chaudhry Sahibra
and placed the order. Fried fish was Chaudhry Sahib’sra favourite
dish. The owner fried the fish very carefully and served it with essential
sundries very respectfully. Chaudhry Sahibra liked the food very
much and ate it with pleasure.
As we were leaving, the owner thanked
Chaudhry Sahibra and bade him farewell. Chaudhry Sahibra
liked the whole arrangement and that reflected his simplicity and informality.
We walked back and, on the way, Chaudhry Sahibra said, “By the Grace
of Allah, the food was very delicious. We should come here again some time, if
Allah provides the opportunity”. However, such an opportunity never arose.
Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Zafrulla Khanra in Tanganyika’s (now Tanzania) self-help projects | The Sphere, 12 January 1963
Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra was
not in the habit of slipping in English words here and there when conversing in
Urdu. He made sure of that himself and advised others to do the same. I recall,
a young man adopted the practice of mixing English and Urdu during a
conversation with him. Chaudhry Sahibra counselled him most
amicably. He said, “Look! I know both Urdu and English. Speak in whichever
language you please, but do not intermingle the two.” I noticed that his advice
did have the desired effect temporarily, however, the deep-rooted habit soon
took over again. Undeterred, Chaudhry Sahibra persevered with this
Jihad of reformation.
A
memorable dinner
Once, an Ahmadi friend who resided in
the suburbs of London, invited Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra to his place
for dinner. Chaudhry Sahibra usually did not like late night dinners
as it affected his routine of sleeping and getting up. However, on his sincere
insistence, Chaudhry Sahibra agreed. During those days, the Jamaat
was campaigning for inviting one or two tabligh contacts to such dinners to
fulfil the obligation of tabligh. Accordingly, the host had invited a young
English friend. He was seated next to Chaudhry Sahibra and
throughout that time, the two were engaged in conversation centred around Islam
Ahmadiyyat. Following the dua, when it was time to go after dinner, the
host requested to have a group photograph with Chaudhry Sahibra.
Chaudhry Sahibra was not
fond of being photographed. Whenever someone wished to have a photograph with
him, he usually suggested, “You may photograph me as I am, seated or standing;
I am not for formalities.”
That night it was getting quite late
and we had to get back to London. Therefore, he wanted to leave as soon as
possible. He agreed to the photograph on the insistence of the host but was in
a hurry. Everyone gathered around Chaudhry Sahibra. Everyone except
an English guest was wearing a cap.
After the photograph, the young English
gentleman realised that he was the only one without the cap and wanted to have
another photograph taken, this time wearing a cap. Chaudhry Sahibra
could not refuse out of respect for the guest. Then the search for a suitable
cap started. He tried one, looked in the mirror, asked the host if it was good.
You can well imagine how the time would have appeared to drag on for Chaudhry
Sahibra. Finally, when the young man got his cap sorted out and was
ready for the photograph, Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra advised him in one
comprehensive sentence. Very affectionately he said, “Look young man! Don’t
worry about your cap. It is what is under the cap that matters!” Everyone was
amused by that spontaneous advice and the guest also took it well.
Eloquence
Hazrat Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan
Sahibra was blessed with excellent language skills by Allah. He
delivered powerful speeches in large chambers of the world, where he
demonstrated his God-given intelligence, insight and reasoning. He had very
good command over the English language. His style of speech-making was very
effective and had an exceptional impact on the audience.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh
had directed him during his stay in Holland that he should visit London monthly
and devote some time for the tarbiyat of the Jamaat there. Accordingly, he used
to visit London, take talim and tarbiyat classes and deliver one Friday sermon,
usually in English. The members, especially the young Khuddam, benefitted
greatly.
I remember that on one occasion when he
stood up for the sermon, he said, “Usually, I deliver Friday sermon in English,
but today it will be in Urdu because I will not be able to express a special
message that I want to impress on the minds of the members in English.” That was
just an example of his humility and modesty otherwise he was blessed by Allah
with a good mastery of English.
The other reason was probably that
vocabulary in English is not as vast as it is in Arabic or Urdu. Chaudhry Sahibra
used to state in a lighter vein that English was not a language of spirituality
and one cannot always find suitable words for many spiritual insights and
subtleties.
Sittings with Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
used to be very beneficial and enjoyable. He would talk on scholarly points and
insightful matters and, when appropriate, narrate light-hearted jokes and
humorous anecdotes.
Once, he narrated that during his tour
of East Africa, he happened to be in Nairobi. There he was invited to attend
and address the meeting of the local Punjabi Literary Association. He added
that when going there, he thought that though they were Punjabi, they would not
be free of the imprint of English. Sure enough, every speaker there spoke in
English.
When, at the end, his turn came, he
said, “I started my speech in Punjabi and thereupon the eyes of the audience
lit up. When Chaudhry Sahibra completed his speech in typical
Punjabi, a Sikh blurted out, “Aj te swad aa gya” [I really enjoyed it
today].
A
humorous anecdote
An interesting anecdote narrated by Hazrat
Chaudhry Sahibra comes to my mind. When Chaudhry Sahibra
went to Tashkent, the Muslims there invited him to a dinner. Among the guests
was the Mufti of Tashkent who was quite huge.
When the dinner started, some of the
participants realised that the Mufti was feasting at a galloping speed.
Impressed by his swiftness, one of the diners asked him rather facetiously, as
if seeking his ruling on the issue, “Mufti Sahib! At what point do you say that
(so and so) is fully satiated,” or “How can you tell that he is really
satiated?”
Mufti Sahib was a very experienced and
seasoned person; he understood fully where he was coming from. He replied very
confidently, “People may have their own experiences in this regard. However, in
light of my prolonged experience, you can only pronounce someone ‘satiated’
when either the food before him is finished or he himself is finished.”
Chaudhry Sahib used to narrate this anecdote in such an interesting manner that
each time it was amusing in a new way.
Regularity
One salient feature of Hazrat Chaudhry
Sahib’s life was the regularity of his habits. He did everything in a
methodical and precise manner. His style of putting his signature was also
unique; he did it slowly and nicely; observing that one could guess that his life
followed the same pattern.
Coming to London from Holland over the
weekend, he used to give me a brief telephone call from his office in the
International Court of Justice saying, “Rashed Sahib, I am about to set out,
you should get going too.” Immediately, or a few minutes after the phone call,
I would set out for the airport.
As I reached the airport, Chaudhry
Sahibra would come out of the airport with his compact brief case.
Sometimes, he would be waiting for me before my arrival. His favourite route to
or from the airport was via Richmond Park, a beautiful park in the natural
environment not too far from the Fazl Mosque. Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra
liked going through the park because of the fresh air and scene of thousands of
deer and stags roaming freely in the park. “A leisurely walk to complete the
journey”, he would say.
Informal,
free and easy manner of conversation
Informal sittings with Hazrat Chaudhry
Sahibra were wonderful experiences. He used to converse with loving
kindness. He talked about religious and spiritual matters, intellectual and
scholarly topics and narrated his personal anecdotes that were both very
enlightening and light-hearted.
When narrating incidents, he gave full
details with remarkable clarity – date, day, location, atmosphere and the
weather. How he managed to remember all such details boggles my mind even to
this day. Some narratives he repeated in different meetings but with remarkable
consistency of details with no contradictions.
Another good quality of his was that he
was never offended by any question and happily gave a brief or detailed reply
as the situation demanded.
One day, while we were both seated at
the dining table, a strange question sprang up in my mind out of the blue. I
asked him, “Chaudhry Sahib! Allah has blessed you abundantly. He has granted
you knowledge of many sciences. I would like to find out what it is that you do
not know about.” He smiled and said, “You have asked a very good question.
Nobody has ever asked me such question before.”
After a brief pause, he said:
“You are right. By His Grace, Allah has
indeed blessed this humble one abundantly. Every bit of my being is always in
obeisance to Him with gratitude. However, there are a few things that I do not
know about. One is driving, and the other is typing.” He immediately added, “It
is my Lord’s benevolence towards me that the lack of these skills has never
caused any difficulty or hindrance in my work in my entire life.”
He elaborated further:
“I have spent my life in travels which
are ongoing. Whenever I have had to go anywhere, my Lord provided me not only
with a car, but also a driver as well. I have never had a problem because of
not knowing how to drive.” He added, “Similarly, I have been occupied with
writing throughout my life and that has been my most important engagement. It
was my Lord’s Grace that whenever I had to get a letter or a composition typed,
I had the services of a typist and very often, full office facilities were
available and, by the Grace of Allah, all my needs were fulfilled without any
problem. And such kind treatment of Allah the Exalted for me is
continuing.”
I realised that while uttering these
words, he was overcome with emotions time and again, and tears welled up in his
eyes as he was overcome by feelings of gratitude.
Hidden
aspects of his character
Now, I shall state an aspect of Hazrat
Chaudhry Sahib’sra character known to very few. I am an eyewitness
to these. These incidents relate to the 1971 and 1972.
Hazrat Sir Zafrulla Khanra arriving at the Round Table Conference with Khan Sahib Farzand Ali Khan Sahib in London, 1932
As already mentioned, Hazrat Chaudhry
Sahibra used to stay in a very small flat. I was staying in the
adjoining flat while my family was in Pakistan. We had agreed on a schedule in
which Chaudhry Sahib would enter through the middle door at an appointed time
and we would have breakfast together at the same table. I used to open the
middle door shortly prior to that time and Chaudhry Sahibra used to
come dressed in his dressing gown at the exact time; I was also dressed in a
gown. We both used to go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Let me mention here that the very first
day I had respectfully and firmly requested that I be granted the service to
prepare breakfast saying that it would be a great source of blessings for me:
“You take your seat; I shall prepare the breakfast and serve you.” However,
Chaudhry Sahibra emphatically replied, “No, I will fully participate
in preparing the breakfast.” I had no choice but to comply with his
directive.
Accordingly, Chaudhry Sahibra
participated fully in preparing the breakfast. Then he would take the cups and
plates to the next room where we both had breakfast. Afterwards, despite my
insistence, he joined me in washing up. That was very hard for me, but as the
saying goes:
اَلْاَمْرُ فَوْقَ الْاَدَب
“Obedience
to an order gets preference over respect.” I had no choice.
The
tale of an orange
A very interesting incident took place
one day. I went to the shops and saw noticed ripe, big oranges. I purchased
some and placed them on the breakfast table.
The next day, when Chaudhry Sahibra
arrived and before starting breakfast, he picked up one orange and asked me,
“Rashed Sahib, will you have half of the orange?” In my naivety and
informality, I replied, “No.”
“Then I will not have it either, as the
remaining half will go to waste” Chaudhry Sahibra replied before
placing the orange back. Chaudhry Sahibra suffered from diabetes and
was on medical advice. He could have one small orange or half of a large one in
the morning. I was unaware of that and therefore made the mistake that
day.
The following morning at breakfast,
Chaudhry Sahibra again took an orange and asked me the same
question. I replied immediately, “Yes, indeed.” Then he cut the orange and had
half of it himself and gave me the other half. Thus, I got half of an orange
from him and an excellent lesson as well.
Compliance
with medical advice
During the period I saw Hazrat Chaudhry
Sahibra, his diet was rather small and selective. He had suffered
from diabetes for about 40 years. He followed medical advice very strictly and
scrupulously and never took anything against the advice of doctors, even if
someone insisted. That was the secret of his good health. Allah blessed him
with a long and active life.
Looking at his discipline and strict
compliance with medical advice, some of his close friends commented that
“Chaudhry Sahib is not suffering from diabetes, rather diabetes is suffering
from Chaudhry Sahib.” Sometimes Chaudhry Sahibra happened to hear
these comments and it led to a dignified smile on his face, but it did not
affect his routine.
Advice
by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira
Cocoa powder in hot milk was his
favourite drink. The reason for that, as he put it, was that when he was about
to leave for Europe for the first time, he visited Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira
for prayers and guidance. One advice he received from Hazrat Hakim Maulvi
Nuruddinra was about the use of cocoa. He said:
“You are going to England which is a
cold country. People think that they need to drink alcohol to protect
themselves from the cold. I am a physician and know very well that this is
incorrect. If you feel like protecting yourself from the cold, use cocoa. It is
nourishing and protects from the ill effects of cold.” He remembered that
advice always and benefited from it a great deal.
Preparing
breakfast himself
One day, when he came for breakfast, he
said that he wanted to prepare the whole breakfast himself. I said, “Okay, go
ahead, if that is your wish.”
Chaudhry Sahibra poured milk
in the saucepan, then he broke a bread into small pieces and added to the milk,
next he cracked two eggs and put in the saucepan and finally some honey
according to his taste. He cooked all that thoroughly.
Even today as I write this, I can visualise
Chaudhry Sahibra holding a spoon in his hand stirring the mixture
slowly to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the saucepan and getting burnt.
In a few minutes, the halwa-like food was ready. We both ate the delicious
breakfast from one dish.
Breakfast
out of one pan
A very interesting incident took place
one day. Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra and I were preparing breakfast in
the kitchen. Having fried the eggs, I was going to put them in a plate.
Chaudhry Sahibra, who was standing next to me on the left, caught
hold of my upper arm and asked, “Rashed Sahib, what are you going to do?” I
replied, “These eggs are ready. I am going to put them in the plate and take
them to the next room for our breakfast.”
“Who is going to wash the plate?” he
asked. “I myself will”, I replied. He said, “Rather than wash the plate, why
not eat out of the frying pan.” “As you like”, I replied.
I took the frying pan to the dining
room and once again had the good fortune of eating breakfast from the same pan
with a respectable companion of the Promised Messiahas.
A
full life
By the grace of Allah, Hazrat Chaudhry
Sahibra had a successful, full and busy life under divine mercy.
Even during his temporal and political engagements, he always gave preference
to his religion.
He managed to observe prayers on time
with extraordinary commitment. He made full use of time. He adorned his time
with the remembrance of Allah. He carried out Jihad of the pen and tongue
throughout his life. He translated the Holy Quran into English, which was very
popular. He authored many books. He wrote inspiring books about Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih Ira and his own mother. He wrote his autobiography
in great detail and in a very humble style. He also translated writings of the
Promised Messiahas in English.
During the last few years of his life,
he excused himself from worldly commitments and devoted himself completely to
the service of faith till his last breath. These services by him fall in the
category of ongoing charity. The days when he was busy with composition,
writing and translation work, spending most of his time on that, he would say:
“I am busy the whole day and this
continues late into the night. At last when I get tired and plan to sleep, I
put my pen down and tell myself, ‘Zafrulla Khan! You are very tired, rest a
while. You have worked today according to your God-given capacity. Go to sleep
now. If Allah grants you more time, do the rest tomorrow.’ Saying that, I lie
down on my bed.”
What a mystical and inspiring style of
going to sleep!
He frequently used a Persian verse in his conversation:
کارِ دنیا کسے تمام نکرد
That is to say, “Nobody has ever
accomplished all the tasks of this world.” That is true indeed. However, this
too is a reality that in using the time to full effect and using it for
beneficent works, Chaudhry Sahibra set an example worth following.
He regarded each day and every moment to be Allah’s blessing and tried to spend
it in the best possible way.
Talking about this subject, he
frequently used the word “respite” that was most appropriate in this sagacious
statement. In his conversations, the subject of gratitude for divine favours
came up frequently. With reference to sleep, he used to mention very often that
of the innumerable favours that Allah had bestowed on him, one was that he fell
asleep as soon as he put his head on the pillow.
Thus, none of his time was wasted. He
stated many times that when travelling by road, as his car stopped at traffic
lights for a short while, he would fall asleep and wake up when it
restarted.
The
final journey
To conclude, I would like to mention
about two of my last meetings with Hazrat Chaudhry Sahibra – one
during his lifetime and the other after his demise.
When I came to London for the second
time in 1983, he was staying in London but had decided to spend the last days
of his life in Pakistan. He used to say that he wanted to go to Pakistan while
fully mobile on his feet, not enclosed in a coffin.
A few days after my arrival in London,
he was scheduled to leave for Pakistan on 19 November 1983 and farewell
meetings were ongoing. Chaudhry Sahibra generally treated everyone
with love and affection that was more noticeable during the farewell
meetings.
Besides the elderly and young members
of the Jamaat, he also treated children with affection. However, I never saw
him holding any child in his lap. Our son, Ataul Munem Rashed was 11 months old
then. I carried him to meet Chaudhry Sahibra thinking that he might
or might not get this chance ever again. Chaudhry Sahibra took him
in his lap and luckily, he benefitted from his love and prayers. Someone
photographed this unique moment but regrettably I do not know who he was and
where that photo is now.
On 19 November 1983, he travelled to
Lahore via a PIA flight from London Heathrow. This humble one was among those
who went to bid him farewell. I had the blessing of embracing him on that
occasion which turned out to be the farewell embrace. Fortunately, the
photograph taken on that occasion is still there.
He passed away on 1 September 1985 in
Lahore. The UK Ahmadiyya Jamaat, greatly indebted to the late Chaudhry Sahibra
for his favours, sent a 3-man delegation to Pakistan for participation in the
funeral prayerwith approval from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh.
This humble one was also included in this delegation.
His
body lay in the house of Chaudhry Hameed Nasrullah Khan Sahib’s house, where he
had passed away. There was a steady stream of Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis visiting
for condolences. We entered the room where his body was laid. Dressed in white
sheets, the pious saint rested with amazing splendour. Even at that time, the
badge bearing the kalima
which he had dedicated all his
faculties for throughout his life, was shining on his chest.
After seeing the luminous face of the
soul-at-rest, we participated twice in the funeral prayers for him at Lahore
and Rabwah.
Later, when he was being buried in the
special enclosure of Bahishti Maqbara, Rabwah with the permission of Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih IVrh, this humble one also had the good fortune of
taking part in his burial and joining in the final prayer.
Hazrat Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan
Sahibra departed from this world having lived a very blessed and
successful life.
May Allah the Exalted grant him a
worthy station close to Him. He has departed, but his memories live on and will
always be remembered affectionately.
Did Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas condone spending money acquired through interest?
Opponents of the Jamaat allege
regarding a particular edict of the Promised Messiahas on interest,
claiming it to be wrong and suggesting that under the guise of this edict, the
founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam sought to seize control of money
acquired through interest.
Before taking up the edict presented by
the opponents, it is quite necessary to mention several other edicts of the
Promised Messiahas regarding interest.
Once, the Promised Messiahas
was asked whether in certain inevitable scenarios interest was permitted. The
Promised Messiahas said:
“I cannot give an edict in
favour of it [interest]. It is forbidden by all means. A type of interest is
permissible in Islam and that is while lending money to someone, one does not
place a precondition of any sort and the one in debt, acknowledging the favour,
willingly gives an additional sum while returning the loan. This was the
practice of the Holy Prophetsa. If he ever borrowed ten rupees, he would give up to hundred
rupees while returning the loan (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Musakat). The only interest which is prohibited is the
one in which an agreement is made and a condition is set in advance.” (Al Badr, 24 August 1904, p. 8)
The above-mentioned saying of the
Promised Messiahas, in light of the Holy Quran, serves as a guiding
principle.
Now we turn to the matter which was objectionable
in the eyes of our opponents. The background of this edict is that owing to the
influence of the British Government in the Indian subcontinent, the businessmen
of that time were experiencing several difficulties, hence they sought an edict
from the Promised Messiahas. So, enquiring about bank interest, one
of his disciples, Sheikh Nur Ahmad Sahib asked him what should be done with
that interest money which was given by banks unconditionally, without any
demand.
Thus, the Promised Messiahas
gave an edict in light of the following verse of the Holy Quran:
“O ye who believe! Devour not interest
involving multiple additions” (Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.131). It is quite
clear from this verse that Allah the Almighty forbids mankind from consuming
interest i.e. to use it for worldly needs and requirements.
The word “devour” does not mean that
only consumption of food and drink from interest money is forbidden, while to
purchase clothes and other such items is permissible, but in fact, it has been
used metaphorically for those things that are a necessity for mankind.
The second thing which is evident from
this verse is that Allah the Almighty forbids Muslims from utilising the money
of interest for their personal benefits, while on the other hand, He does not
forbid utilising this money for religious interest. Consequently, the Promised
Messiahas states:
“This is indeed our belief and Allah
the Almighty has guided me through divine inspiration that this [interest]
money should be spent in the promulgation of religion. It is certainly true
that interest is prohibited but this [prohibition] is for one’s own self.
Anything that becomes part of Allah the Almighty’s possession can no longer
remain unlawful because the concept of unlawfulness of things relates to
mankind and does not concern Allah the Almighty. Interest is surely unlawful
for one’s own self, family, associates, relatives and neighbours. However, if
this money (of interest) is purely spent for the promulgation of religion, then
there is no harm in that. Especially in the given circumstances when Islam is
in a state of complete helplessness and when people unfortunately do not offer
Zakat.
“I perceive that in the present times,
there are two befalling calamities and two unlawful things are being considered
lawful. Firstly, Zakat which was an obligation is not being offered and
secondly, the taking of interest is being practiced even though it was
prohibited. That is to say, the due portion of Allah the Almighty was not
offered, while on the other hand, a share was taken which was not rightfully
theirs. When such is the condition and Islam is in a state of terrifying
weakness, I issue this verdict that the money of interest gained from the banks
should at once be spent in the promulgation of religion.
“This edict which I have issued is not
a general one because dealing of interest is unlawful, but in these times when
Islam is in a state of helplessness, the means of economic progress have not
been established and Muslims are not paying heed, spending this money for the
cause of Islam is not unlawful.
“In accordance with the meaning of the
Holy Quran, the unlawful thing is that the [interest] money is spent on one’s
own self. One must take into account this fact that as interest is wrong for
one’s own self, in the same way it is wrong to give interest to someone else as
well. Surely, it is right to submit this money to the possession of Allah the Almighty
and to dedicate this money only to be spent for the propagation of Islam.
“If Jihad, for instance, is being
carried out and the ammunition happens to be in the possession of a
transgressor and a wrongdoer, in these circumstances if one holds back [from
Jihad], considering that ammunition to be unlawful, it is wrong. Instead, it
would be appropriate to utilise that ammunition. At present, the Jihad of the
sword has come to an end and Allah the Almighty has blessed us with a
government that has granted us every kind of religious freedom. Now, Jihad of
the pen remains. Therefore, it is permissible to spend [interest money] for the
promulgation of Islam.” (Al Hakam, 24 September 1905, p. 9)
Before that in April 1898, in the same
way, the Promised Messiahas issued an edict for his disciple, Hazrat
Ghulam Nabi Seithi Sahib who was a merchant.
The Promised Messiahas stated:
“I am hopeful that considering your
good intentions and fear of the Divine, Allah the Almighty shall Himself create
a way out of this situation. Until that time, observe istighfar with
patience and in my opinion, there is a more preferable way to manage the
interest money, and that is, do not use the money gained from the interest in
your business but instead set it aside and when you have to give interest, you
can give it from that [interest] money. And if you feel that some additional
money is piling up, then there is no harm to spend that money for a religious
cause which does not involve someone’s personal benefit, but rather it only
involves the promulgation of religion.
“I have previously issued this edict
for the members of my Jamaat, that the interest which has been termed unlawful
by Allah the Almighty is that which is used for the personal benefit of man.
The unlawful way is that a person spends interest money to run their household
or spend it on food, clothing and to maintain a roof over their head or lend it
to someone else with the intention that they may spend it for food or
clothing.
“On the other hand, by no means it is
unlawful for one to spend the interest money, without taking an iota for the
personal benefit, in the cause of Allah the Almighty for the promulgation of
religion. The Holy Quran establishes this fact that Allah the Almighty is the
Master of all things and everything that advances towards Him gets purified,
except for that money which is taken without the consent of people i.e. by
theft, stealth or ransacking, as these possessions are not in any way worthy of
being spent for the cause of Allah and religion. But as for that money which is
collected by mutual understanding, it may be spent in the way of Allah the
Almighty’s religion. It is worth reflecting how much money is needed to contest
that material which is being published by the opponents in refutation of our
beliefs. It is as though a war is being carried out with them, so there is no
harm to spend that [interest] money to aid this war. This is the edict that I
have issued …
“By no means do I suggest here that for
spending interest money for the promulgation of religion, someone should
intentionally become part of such an occupation [which involves interest].
Instead, the idea is that if someone is compelled, as in your case, or inherits
interest money by chance, only then may this money be spent in the way that I
have explained. Moreover, [the person who spends interest money for the cause
of religion in this manner] would be worthy of reward.” (Sirat-ul-Mahdi,
Vol. 1, pp. 402-403)
Now, it becomes incumbent upon the
opponents who level such allegations on these edicts that in light of the Holy
Quran or traditions of the Holy Prophetsa, they present a single
verse or a Hadith against these edicts.
The Promised Messiahas has
further explained his edicts as well. When an individual sent a letter to the
Promised Messiahas stating that Huzooras had given
permission to take the interest money from the banks, keeping in view the
compulsion of the present times and the condition of Islam. As the word
“compulsion” bears broad connotations, the individual asked therefore,
considering the possibility of compulsion in personal, national, international
and commercial domains, whether the dealing of interest be permitted or not?
Hence, the Promised Messiahas said:
“These are the ways in which people
want to open the doors to that which is prohibited, so that they may do what
they please. I have never said that it is permissible to receive interest money
from the bank and to use it in desperate times. I only said that it was not
prohibited to use it for the propagation of Islam and for other requirements of
Islam. This will be so until money remains unavailable for the support of Islam
and it continues to remain poor, because nothing is unlawful for Allah.
“As for personal, national or
commercial requirements, it is outright forbidden to use interest for these
things. The justification I have put forward is that, for instance, it is
unlawful according to the Shariah to burn another living being (Sahih
al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad Wa Al-Siyar), but at the same time it is
permissible for a Muslim to use a gun or a cannon when faced with war in this
age, because the enemy too uses the same weapon.” (Al
Badr, 6 February 1908, p. 7)
The above-mentioned edict of the
Promised Messiahas was an exceptionally suitable edict for the
Muslims of the Indian subcontinent who were being ruled by a non-Muslim state
and were inevitably bound by their banking system.
It should be noted here, the Promised
Messiahas is not issuing a decree that the dealing of interest with
a non-Muslim in case of compulsion is lawful, but instead he considers that
dealing as interest. Moreover, Huzooras does not permit spending
interest money gained from banks and other such sources for one’s own self or
other Muslims as a charity.
Entirely owing to the given
circumstances of the time, keeping in view the weakness and helplessness of
Islam, for a short period of time (until the situation changed and there
remained no compulsion), spending interest money for the promulgation of Islam
was considered permissible.
This can be understood through an example,
for instance if interest money of a Muslim is kept in a bank and they do not
collect that money, but a non-Muslim collects his interest money and spends it
to buy artillery and ammunition, ultimately waging a war against the Muslims,
then letting that money go into the hands of non-Muslim would not be considered
an act of wisdom.
Similarly, if a person’s father used to
take interest money and utilising that money, leaves an inheritance in the form
of personal property and real estate, then what can the offspring do with that
inheritance? Should they throw it away, so that others may take it? Certainly,
it would be better for them to give that money in the way of Allah without
spending it on themselves or others.
(Research conducted by a panel of scholars at the Research Cell, Rabwah. Translated by Al Hakam)
