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Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V – A loving father, a unique role model

Alhakam
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Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V – A loving father, a unique role model

At the request of Al Hakam, Respected Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib penned impressions and sentiments related to his father, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa. May Allah reward him abundantly for this.

Mirza Waqas Ahmad Sahib

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Huzoor’saa personal life at home is a practical reflection of the guidance Huzooraa gives in his sermons, classes and addresses to auxiliary organisations. This is not from today or since he was chosen as Khalifatul Masih, but rather, as far as my memory goes, it has always been his way to live his life according to the commandments of Allah. The same is the case today. However, ever since the responsibility of Khilafat was given to him, this has acquired a new demeanour.

One thing that I have always noted is that Huzooraa always pays special focus on worship; to strictly adhere to the timings of Salat himself and to inculcate this in his family. This is such an aspect of Huzoor’s life that has always remained etched on my mind.

There were many challenges during our time in Africa, but beyond the challenges of the time, what remains a strong memory is Huzoor’s adherence to the five daily prayers. If there is anything that Huzooraa has constantly asked us about since childhood, it is about performing Salat. His immersion in Salat and his weeping is exemplary. To completely cut off from the affairs surrounding him and to devotedly stand before God is a special characteristic of Huzooraa.

Patience is considered to mean remaining quiet in times of difficulty. However, the true definition of patience can be seen in the person of Huzooraa.

When we were in Ghana, the house that was given to Huzooraa was not exactly one of comforts. Many problems were faced whilst living there. There was an old generator for use at night that could only be used for three hours at any one time, and so the three hours would be spread over a longer period of time, turning it off frequently and switching it back on. It would only be used when necessary. Otherwise, we would try to make do without it.

No matter the circumstances, we always saw that not only did he never complain, but he always found ways of praising Allah and showing gratitude to Him. This true definition of patience was one we learnt from Huzooraa.

However, it should be clear that it was not as if Huzooraa would not make any plan in times of difficulty. It is another key characteristic of Huzooraa that he plans to the best and highest of standards.

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He always relied solely on Allah for favourable outcomes in difficult circumstances, and along with this trust in Allah was his habit of hard work. Whilst living in Africa, whenever there were difficult situations, for instance when the roof started to leak or when there was a shortage of water, he never complained, nor did he ever speak out about the unfavourable circumstances and nor did he feel shame in practically doing work with his own hands. Whatever the circumstances, he bore hardships wholeheartedly. Neither did he fear any challenge, nor did he allow us to be fearful. We never saw him fearful and this was something he expected of us as well, to never be afraid of anything. Huzooraa is extremely courageous and brave and he has never wanted for us to have any form of cowardice in us. If ever we saw fear in him, then it was the fear of Allah.

Our house in Ghana was pretty much in a jungle. Scorpions and snakes were frequently seen. However, he never permitted us to be afraid of such things. If seen, Huzooraa would kill a small snake or scorpion himself. Once, he killed a considerably large snake. Thus, neither did he fear anything, nor has he permitted us, since childhood, to be afraid.

I have noticed that it is for this reason that Huzooraa is able to commit all his matters to God. To plan to the best of his ability and to rely on Allah for good results is a teaching that Huzooraa not only taught us verbally, but also practically through his example.

I recall that once, on the second day of Jalsa Salana, Huzooraa received the news that our grandmother [Hazrat Sahibzadi Nasira Begum Sahiba] had fallen severely ill. Huzooraa was told that perhaps it was her last few moments. Obviously, Huzooraa was somewhat perturbed by hearing this news, but he did not allow this to affect his routine during the Jalsa days, nor did we feel that it had distracted him from his routine. The Jamaat did not have the slightest clue that alongside the concerns for the entire world, in those moments, Huzooraa was worried for the health of his mother. He continuously remained informed about her illness and continued to pray for her.

We witnessed Friday, 28 May 2010. Huzooraa was occupied in preparation for his Friday Sermon. He still had to get ready for going to the mosque when he received the news of the attacks on our mosques in Lahore. Huzooraa constantly remained informed about the news of the attacks. He would enquire about updates and would pray too. In his office, he continuously received phone calls and faxes from all around the world. At home too, we received phone calls from relatives. This all continued, however, we saw that despite all his concerns and worries, he did not let it affect his preparation for Jumuah. And the world saw that the Jumuah prayers happened as usual.

Huzooraa went to the Baitul Futuh Mosque, delivered the Friday Sermon, returned and enquired about the latest news. He issued instructions to the Jamaat in Pakistan in a detailed manner. He gave guidance to them at every moment. However, Huzooraa did not let all this anxiety wear him out as it does a normal human being.

It is a fact that the pain the loss of lives caused Huzooraa, it did not cause anyone else. But as the leader of this Jamaat, his sight was set on Allah. The Jamaat is Allah’s, the sacrifice was made for Allah, then only Allah could get us out of the storm of difficulties. Progress was in His hands and the reward for martyrdom was in His hands.

This is only an example of how Huzooraa never stopped in his efforts and always relied solely on Allah for His help and succour. I have always seen Huzooraa pass through turbulent trials and tribulations while completely depending on Allah. The results of such moments, by the grace of Allah, are before everyone.

It is also worth mentioning that the wellbeing and security of members of the Jamaat are of paramount importance for Huzooraa. Huzooraa was in India, when such circumstances arose that were not favourable for him travel further to Qadian. A state official from Delhi said to Huzooraa that if he desired, security arrangements could be made for Huzoor to travel to Qadian. Huzooraa replied:

“Only Allah can provide security. There are always hundreds of Ahmadis around me, and during Jalsa, they will be in their thousands. I care for each one of them. I cannot afford to compromise the security of any one of them.”

From this, we can assess the concern Huzooraa has for every Ahmadi. Even though every Ahmadi is ready to sacrifice their life for the sake of Khilafat, but the life of every Ahmadi is very dear to Huzooraa. So when fate manifests itself and the Jamaat has to offer the sacrifice of lives, his patience is exemplary. And in normal circumstances, Huzooraa does his best through prayer and effort for their welfare.

The strongest of men are sometimes helpless when it comes to controlling emotions, but an individual who has complete trust in Allah and has entrusted everything to Him, his emotions are then subservient to His command and will. In such circumstances, at home we always witness, and the Jamaat too witnesses it now, that in trying times, Huzooraa never complains and does not permit fear to be caused, rather he prostrates before his Lord and urges the Jamaat to do the same. Even at home, we have always been taught this and his actions have always practically taught us to do so.

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Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, with his daughter, greets Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh (Ghana)

My mother [Hazrat Sahibzadi Amatul-Sabooh Begum Sahiba] once told me that when they heard the news of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III’srh demise, they were in Ghana. They received the news at night. In one hand, Huzooraa held the telegram while in the other, Huzooraa held the torch through which he was able to read the message. Huzooraa continued to read the telegram, and pain and grief began to overcome their hearts. The hand with which Huzooraa was holding the torch began to tremble severely. And that was it. After that, all his emotions, all his pain was expressed before God.

My mother told me that Huzooraa spent the entire night praying in grief and expressed his heart’s content in his prostrations. The next day, we had to go to Ghana’s city of Accra and the entire journey was spent in supplications. Whenever Huzooraa spoke to us children, he told us about the importance of Khilafat and its establishment. Even then, the routine works were not affected, which gave further strength in our belief in Huzooraa being a realist. It was impossible for him to do anything living so far away; all he told us to do was pray, which he did a lot, and that the work of the Jamaat continues, which he practically showed.

In our childhood, Huzooraa would narrate stories to us, but such stories that carried morals. One story that I recall frequently listening to was about Hazrat Bilalra and his patience and perseverance, especially the chapter to do with when Hazrat Bilalra would repeatedly respond to the opponents with “Ahad! Ahad!” [God is One! God is One!]. This is something I recall Huzooraa frequently narrating. Huzooraa would explain how Hazrat Bilalra was tormented in so many ways, yet despite that, he bore all hardships for his faith and remained resolute in his faith. The other stories resembled this and were all true and had morals in them.

From these incidents, the level of his faith in Allah’s unity becomes clear. He never made any worldly means parallel to Allah; he never let any trying time come in between him and his Lord.

Another extraordinary trait of Huzooraa that has always had a great impact on me since childhood is his love and relationship with Khilafat. I always noticed since childhood that he would write to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih regularly and constantly.

I was very young when I once said, “Why don’t you photocopy one letter and change the date each time before sending it?” I realised that Huzooraa did not like what I said. He expressed his dislike, but also explained, “I write this out of my own love; I am not compelled to do so. Photocopies can be sent when one is compelled to. One should say istighfar [repent] for such a thought.” In this manner, Huzooraa established love and respect for Khilafat in our hearts from a very young age.

Huzooraa kept a close eye on our tarbiyat and would not ignore even the smallest aspect of tarbiyat. Whenever possible, he would take us on trips. On such trips, according to the available means, he would openhandedly and wholeheartedly arrange for our entertainment so that we would fully enjoy the trip; it was not as though he would be tight-fisted in spending on us, however at the same time, he never misspent his money either. In entertaining us, he ensured that we, his children, enjoyed ourselves.

Whatever time he had when not performing his official Jamaat duties, he would spend it with us at home. Huzooraa always detested unnecessarily eating meals and sitting in pointless social gatherings in the name of Jamaat-related work. He never stayed out unnecessarily with the excuse of Jamaat duties, rather he would give that time to us, his family.

When going on trips, children sometimes pull tantrums and get irritable, and the father, who is responsible for the family, sometimes loses his temper. But even in such cases, I always noticed that Huzooraa would remain cheerful and would talk to us calmly and lovingly. This way, we would understand, and the joy of the trip would not be compromised.

There was always an awe-inspiring presence of Huzooraa. The awe was not such that hindered us from talking openly with him, but at the same time, it was not as if we could do or say whatever we liked in front of him.

The overriding aspect of Huzoor’saa personality, when remembering him at home, is of Salat. No matter what we were doing, no matter what we were talking to him about, if it was time for Salat, then Salat would take precedence.

Once, we went to Karachi and we reached our destination quite late at night. It took us even longer to finally get some rest. In the morning, we woke up with a little delay in Fajr prayer – there was still some time, but very little. The concern and distress with which Huzooraa woke us up was something that made a lasting impression on me, something that I remember even today. Huzoor’s entire being was shaken because the time for prayer was nearly over. He hurriedly woke us all up and got ready for Salat.

This was when we were very young, and in that naïve age, I said, “There is still time; what is all the fuss about?” This sentence was uttered by a child out of ignorance, but that day, I realised that Huzooraa does not tolerate even the slightest remark when it comes to worship. Huzooraa was displeased at my comment. Huzooraa has always had a “no nonsense policy” when it comes to Allah’s worship.

From a very young age, Huzooraa has always urged us to focus on our Salat. This is the same even today.

When I came to the UK in 2003 for education, the foremost thing that Huzooraa paid stress on was the regular offering of Salat. He has always said, and on that occasion, he repeated, “If you continue to offer your Salat, Allah will continue to protect you.”

When speaking to Huzooraa on the telephone, Huzooraa would enquire about my prayers. As we got older, Huzoor’s manner in explaining things to us changed, yet the things he would stress even in childhood, he continued to draw our attention to even as we got older, and this remains to date. 

The 16 years that we spent in the Fazl Mosque, even there Huzooraa would call me daily on the telephone to wake me up for Salat.

After coming to Islamabad, one day Huzooraa thought that perhaps I had not turned up for Salat. Huzooraa called me on the phone and enquired whether I had gone for prayer. Then there are our children; Huzooraa emphasises the same things for their tarbiyat, especially Salat.

One can assess from Huzoor’s state whilst waking us up in Karachi that Huzoor’s every good deed is solely for the sake of Allah and not for displaying to others. Not just Salat, but every pious deed performed by Huzooraa is in following the instructions of Allah and seeking His pleasure. He has never performed any good deed for mere display.

After Khilafat, there has been a drastic change in Huzoor’s routine. Huzoor’s entire schedule has now been sacrificed for the sake of the Jamaat. But at home, he keeps a close watch over our tarbiyat and edification.

One noteworthy fact is that after being bestowed the mantle of Khilafat, the advice that Huzooraa has given to the Jamaat was always expected of us too. Salat has always remained the foremost priority in Huzoor’s life and after Khilafat, he has urged the Jamaat to pay attention to the importance of Salat, while also drawing our attention especially to this. Despite his schedule becoming even more intense, he continues to pay attention to Holy Prophet’ssa example of showing an excellent conduct to his family.

Out of his busy schedule, though relatively less than before, yet he still takes time out for his family. At breakfast, he enquires about members of the household, the needs of the house, and whatever is needed at home, he arranges for that to be done. Huzooraa remains occupied in his office all day, but in the evenings, he takes out time for his family and has tea with us – our children also get the chance to spend a few moments with Huzooraa. In this short period of time, Huzooraa listens to what the children have to say and affectionately talks to them. If anyone is unwell at home, Huzooraa attends to them. We all, including our children, understand how busy Huzoor’s schedule is, and so when Huzooraa takes time out to visit us, even for a few moments, it comforts us and brings great joy to us. Huzooraa asks us how we are and listens carefully; he asks us about our regularity in taking medication. If we have not yet informed the doctor, Huzooraa arranges for the doctor to see us.

He is very particular about personal hygiene. Regular bathing, clean clothes, cleanliness of socks etc. are all things that he is particular in himself and has taught us about and inculcated in us. He has never felt any shame in doing manual labour and his own work himself, something he has taught us also. He has always taught us to do our own work ourselves.

Once, in Rabwah, when I was very young, my bicycle’s tyre had punctured. I asked one of the workers in our house to have the tyre changed. When Huzooraa found out, he was not pleased and explained to me, “By doing this, a person never gets into the habit of doing their work themselves. According to one’s capacity, one should do their work themselves.”

After Khilafat, the pace of Huzoor’s life has increased manifold; everything moves at a greater speed. We had to adjust to this change also. We also had to come to the realisation that Huzoor’s life has taken a completely fast-paced path. For this reason, whatever time Huzooraa takes out of this fast-paced, extremely busy lifestyle for our sake, we consider it a blessing.

Sometimes we are stunned when Huzooraa takes time out to attend to us and our children. Everything is running simultaneously – taking care of the smallest things, making arrangements for our entertainment, ensuring the children are happy, talking to the children and concentrating on their tarbiyat.

Along with our children, we are aware that the focus of Huzoor’s life is the success and progress of the Jamaat; his days and nights have been sacrificed for this cause. Therefore, the few moments that we have to spend with Huzooraa at home, we consider it to be a lot of time. Even a little of Huzoor’s attention is deemed a lot.

Huzooraa always took great care of us before Khilafat and continues to do so now after Khilafat. Prior to Khilafat, we saw this love and affection from a father. However, after becoming Khalifatul Masih, with the responsibility of the smooth functioning of the Jamaat and all the duties associated with it, he takes time out to take care of the welfare of members of his family, talks to us, gives us advice, looks after our needs and fulfils them. This love from Huzooraa is such that has left a great impact on all of us in our house.

May Allah enable us to properly appreciate the attention and love Huzooraa gives to us. May He enable us to pay gratitude. May the importance of this blessing always be in our minds and the minds of our children. May Allah always keep Huzooraa healthy and secure.

Expansion of the Muslim dominion during Khilafat-e-Rashida

Alhakam
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Expansion of the Muslim dominion during Khilafat-e-Rashida

Fazal Malik, Canada

The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is of paramount importance in the history of Islam. It set the stage for the expansion of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula and set the precedence for the expanding boundaries of the Muslim dominion in North Africa and Asia Minor during the time of Khilafat-e-Rashida. Although many Muslims initially viewed it with bitterness, the result was a great triumph.

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The treaty allowed some of the greatest Arab warriors and enemies of Islam to witness its peaceful nature and embrace it. These included the Holy Prophet’s uncle, Hazrat Abbasra bin Abdul Muttalib; Hazrat Khalidra bin Waleed – the Sword of Islam; and Hazrat Amrra bin al-Aas – later to be conqueror of Egypt. As a result of the treaty, the Meccan leadership, which had banned Muslims from entering the city, welcomed Hazrat Muhammad Mustafasa as their head in less than two years.

Shortly after the victory of Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa passed away. His demise was monumental on many fronts. The Muslims were now without their Prophet, and the Arabian Peninsula without a king. Allah guided the Muslims towards an able leader and Hazrat Abu Bakrra was elected as the Khalifa. It was a historic moment as never before in their history had the Arabs pledged allegiance to one person in unity for a reason other than faith. Every clan, every tribe had remained independent before the advent of Islam, and here they stood as brethren, one to another.

Ridda Wars

With the news of the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, the political situation of Arabia began to change. Four claimants of prophethood had started instigating the Arabs who were geographically removed from Medina to revolt. Most powerful of them was Musaylima who had raised an army of 40,000. Siding with a false prophetess – Sajah bint al-Harith – he was planning a hostile takeover of Medina.

When the news of unrest and rebellion caused by the false prophets reached Medina, Hazrat Abu Bakrra had already dispatched the army to the Syrian frontier.  A short background is needed to understand why this occurred at such a sensitive time.

The enmity between the Byzantine and Persian Empire is old, with the attacks on the Arabian soil dating back to early 5th century, about 100 years before Islam came into being. With the advent of Islam, the attacks became more focused and intense.

Upon return from Hajj in 629 AD, the Holy Prophetsa learnt about the possibility of an attack on Medina from the Syrian front. He dispatched a party of 15 people to enquire about the situation, all of whom were martyred. Upon learning of this, the Holy Prophetsa dispatched a messenger to the Roman Emperor enquiring what provoked this atrocity. Unfortunately, this messenger – Al Harasra – was intercepted at the point of Mu‘tah, captured and killed by the local governor. In response, the Holy Prophetsa dispatched an army of 3,000 men, who, by the sheer grace of Allah, forced the opposing army of over 150,000 soldiers to retreat; however, the Muslims suffered a great  loss.

Three years later in 632 AD, the Holy Prophetsa was informed by credible sources that the Romans were gathering for a battle with the Muslims. Under the command of Usamara, the Holy Prophetsa dispatched an army to confront the Byzantines at the point of gathering. The army had not completely cleared the border of Medina when the Holy Prophetsa passed away and the advancing troops halted.

Once Hazrat Abu Bakrra was elected as the Khalifa, he immediately carried out the last command of the Holy Prophetsa.  While the army was on its mission, the news of rebellion reached Medina. Suppression of the rebellion and safety of the Muslim state was of utmost importance. Musaylima had started killing Muslims in far off lands, such as Yemen and Bahrain. In addition to the rebellion by the four false prophets, some Bedouin tribes had formed a small army to attack Medina. All these rebellions had to be dealt with decisively and quickly. With his faith in God and expert military planning, the first Khalifa of Islam, Hazrat Abu Bakrra struck and quashed all evil forces, pardoning the ones who sought forgiveness and punishing those who committed treason.  It would be worth the mention that not all tribes had rebelled; among the rebellious were many who remained loyal to the government at Medina and refused to fight.

During the insurgency, the Persian and Roman Empires openly sent troops to fight alongside the rebels, especially in Yemen and Bahrain. Once peace was established in Arabia, Muslim troops were deployed on the borders with the Persian and the Roman Empire, in order to reduce the chance of further attacks. This did not deter the two empires and they continued their hostilities, constantly disturbing the internal peace of Arabia. These occasional territorial aggravations were about to escalate into a war.

By the summer of 634 AD, the forces of Byzantium had gathered in a place known as Ajnadain with a mission to attack and destroy Muslims. The exact location of Ajnadain is unknown, but it appears to have been west of Jordan, not far from Jerusalem. The Byzantine army outnumbered the Muslim army by a ratio of 3:1, but when the Sword of Allah, Hazrat Khalidra bin Waleed  began executing his orders from the Khalifa to protect the Muslims and Islam from an onslaught of the Byzantine army, Allah granted a decisive victory to Muslims, expanding the Muslim governed lands further North, deeper in the Middle East. The war was far from over as Heraclius could not accept the loss and planned to attack the Arabian Peninsula in the very near future.

Before the news of victory could reach Hazrat Abu Bakrra, he departed from this world to rest at the feet of his Master, the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafasa. 

A background note on territorial expansion of Islam

Regarding the expansion of Islam during the period of Khilafat-e-Rashida, William Muir, a critic of Islam and a Christian historian, admits that “obligation to enforce Islam by a universal crusade had not yet dawned upon the Muslim mind.”  This is a strong observation that has eluded the modern historian, who conflates the current day situation with the pristine conduct of Khulafa-e-Rashideenra.

This situation is further exasperated by some Muslim historians who find glorification of Islam in battles rather than the true teaching of the Holy Prophetsa, which is to win the hearts of the people. They ignore one of the most basic injunctions of the Holy Quran (Ch.2: V.256); turning a blind eye to the pain when Hazrat Umarra remarked, “I desire that between Mesopotamia and the countries beyond, the hills shall be a barrier so that the Persians shall not be able to get at us, nor we at them … I would prefer the safety of my people to thousands of spoils and further conquest.” (William Muir, The Caliphate, p. 120).

A person expecting a sharp rise in conversions to Islam during the 7th century will be awarded with disappointment, as less than 10% of the population was Muslim in Syria, Palestine and Egypt, well into the 10th century (Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples, pp. 46-47 [1991]). The reasons for conversion are various and will be discussed towards the end of the article.

Two wings of a bird

The two superpowers that remained a constant threat to Islam and Muslims in Arabia, Byzantine (Romans) and the Sasanian (Persians), were not about to back down. After having lost at the hands of the Muslim army, while meddling with Arabian state affairs at Bahrain, the Persians were gathering the armies to strike a decisive blow to Muslims once and for all. 

The call for help from the Byzantine front was received by Hazrat Abu Bakrra on his death bed who commanded Hazrat Umarra to send reinforcements immediately.  The Emperor Heraclius had left Constantinople (Istanbul) and was heading to Damascus in a bid to crush the Muslims. Having been offered an olive branch several times, he had always chosen the sword, hence forcing the Muslims to defend themselves. 

Over a period of several months, lasting most of 636 AD, the Muslims forces fought the enemy in Damascus and Jordan, with the decisive victory being delivered at the Battle of Yarmuk, the river that marks the border between modern day Syria and Jordan. It was a tough battle which proved victorious for Muslims who, in addition to winning Syria and Damascus, successfully pushed the Byzantine army out of the heart of their Empire. 

The Patriach (pope) of Jerusalem surrendered the city to Hazrat Umarra himself.  Hazrat Alira was in-charge of negotiating a peace treaty with the Christians, who were guaranteed freedom of faith, among other civil liberties that did not exist before. Some time after taking Jerusalem, Hazrat Umarra invited the Jewish families expelled from the city by the Byzantines to live in Jerusalem once again. He himself took the initiative of restoring the Temple of Solomon, which was destroyed by the Romans.

The Byzantine Empire did not look favourably upon any non-Orthodox Christians.  Theirs was the only way to salvation. Those with other faiths were regarded as criminals and termed as the “children of Satan” (Alexander A Vasiliev, History of the Byzantine Empire, p. 148 [1952]). The era of Muslim rule was gratifying for the inhabitants of Emesa (Homs) and Damascus, Palestine and Syria.  The recognition of Monophysite Christians, Nestorian Christians, Orthodox Christians, Samaritans and Judeans as having a legitimate religion and equal civil and religious rights was a matter of great joy for them.  This resulted in the Quranic injunction that teaches many paths to salvation (Ch.2: V.213-214) and does not permit religious persecution.

The threat, however, was far from over. Shortly after Byzantine forces were driven out of Syria, the Muslims learnt of massive military activity in Egypt, one of the provinces of the Byzantine Empire.  After the demise of Heraclius, his son and his widow – Empress Martina – had started a military buildup with the intent of attacking Palestine and Syria. Amrra bin al-Aas was granted permission to attack the troops and stop them in Egypt. This was neither an easy task nor an opportune time as a plague had broken out in Syria (Plague of Amwas) and had thinned the Muslim forces by about 25,000.

With a small army of about 4,000 people, Muslims embarked on a daring expedition. In a peaceful takeover of eastern Egypt, they found two major allies – the Coptics and the Jews in their battle against the oppressors. In a little over a year, Egypt was won and the last of the Byzantine forces that threatened to annihilate the Muslims was overpowered.

While the Byzantine war was raging on the Northern front, the Persian Empire was busy reinforcing its troops. The Muslims had entered a peace agreement with the Persians twice, but that did not stop them from causing constant agitation in the Muslim State. The Persian king – Yazdegerd III – continued inciting people in the surrounding territories to revolt against Medina. Observing the situation, Hazrat Umarra sent a delegation to meet the king at Midian. The king received the delegation but humiliated them in the court. After repeated violations of the peace treaty, Hazrat Umarra decided to fight them. The first battle that ensued was that at Tustar, which Muslims won. The decisive battle took place at the point of Nihawand where the Muslim army of 30,000 faced a Persian army of 150,000!  The Persians were fortified in a castle; the Muslim commander, Hazrat Numanra, tactically drew them out of their fortified position towards a narrow passage between two mountains. This proved to be fatal for the Persians. With no army to resist and the king in hiding, Persia came under Muslim control in a matter of days. 

Within a decade, during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra, the forces that threatened Medina were neutralised; for the time being, an attack on the Arabian soil would prove difficult. The people under the Muslim dominion found themselves content with freedoms that did not exist before. Jews and Christians could worship in public, maintain their own religious buildings and have their own religious organisations. In return for being excused from military service, which was expected of all Muslims, they had to pay a tax, the jizya, as their contribution towards the defense of the state. Such communities became known as the dhimma (protected people) who enjoyed unconditional legal and military protection by the Muslim Government. For any Muslim government to violate the protected status of such dhimma was a serious crime. The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa was recorded as saying: “He who wrongs a Jew or a Christian will have myself as his accuser on the Day of Judgment.”

In 644 AD, Hazrat Umarra was martyred by a Persian slave with a personal grudge. The electoral council chose Hazrat Usmanra as his successor.

Hardly half a year had passed since the election of the new Khalifa, Hazrat Usmanra that the revolt began in the Persian lands. The exiled Persian king Yazdegerd III deployed spies who travelled through Persia, inciting the population to revolt. Hazrat Usmanra took a decisive step, clearing the territory of all insurgent influences and as a matter of strategic necessity to prevent further attacks, he posted the Muslim forces on the borders of Afghanistan, Turkistan and Khurasan, which were now annexed to the Muslim domain. 

Arab tribes in 6th Century

The Persian Empire had been subdued; they would impose a threat no more. Not the ones to be outdone, the Byzantine Empire now struck.

Roman Emperor Constantine I chose Byzantium as the site for the new “Rome” with Constantinople (Istanbul) as its capital. This was in 330 AD, five years after the Council of Nicaea where Constantine had established Christianity as Rome’s official religion.

In 364 AD, Emperor Valentinian I divided the empire into western and eastern sections, putting himself in power in the west and his brother Valens in the east. It was the Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire, that clashed with the Muslims in the seventh century. Before the war with the Arab Muslims, an impressive geographical area boasted their pride; the pride which now demanded that the nomads from Arabia should be thrown back to oblivion. The war with Arabia had proven costly for the Roman Empire. Despite losses of massive proportions, they had not accepted defeat and waited for an opportune moment to strike back.

The demise of Hazrat Umarra provided them with such an opportunity. Or so they thought.

Encouraged by the outlaying communities of the former Byzantine Empire, they launched a massive military operation against the Muslims. Overwhelmed and taken by surprise, the Governor of Syria Hazrat Muawiyara asked the Khalifa Usmanra for help and received thousands of troops in response. 

The first victory was the battle of the Masts off the Lycian coast in 655 AD, where the Muslims won a decisive naval victory over the Byzantines. It was a victory on two major fronts. It drove the elite Roman forces out of their stronghold and it initiated the formation of the first Muslim navy to protect the nation against further Byzantine attacks. 

On the North African front, the last of the Roman strongholds that revolted had to be eliminated, and places as far as Tripoli fell to the rule of the Muslims. Finally, the Byzantium dreams to eliminate the Muslim dominion were crushed. The Byzantines were pushed back to Costantipole and, suffering from internal warfare, would not face the Muslims for another century and that too for very different reasons.

With Muslim ruled land ranging from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, the Arabian tribes migrating en masse to far flung lands and non-Arabs coming into ever increasing contact with the Muslims, there were massive administrative challenges. Hazrat Usmanra, an excellent administrator, kept abreast of issues and needs of his constituents, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, by establishing a system of inspection throughout the Muslim dominion and initiated systems to protect the public from market fluctuations in response to supply and demand of the economy. In addition to investing in infrastructure such as roads, buildings and rest stops, he formalised the civil and military service pay codes.

The Middle East in the Sixth Century

With the expansion of the dominion, the Arabic language was evolving and the issue of the standardisation of the Holy Quran came to being. The Holy Quran was written down in script and arranged in order during the life of the Holy Prophetsa; and the collection of all the sources into one standard book was completed during the life of the first Khalifa, Hazrat Abu Bakrra, who was helped by Hazrat Umarra.  Alarmed by the reports of mispronounced recitation of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Usmanra tasked a former scribe, Hazrat Zaidra bin Thabit and some other prominent members of the Quraish to produce a standard copy of the text, as spoken in the dialect of the Quraish. Multiple copies of the original were made and sent to major cities in the Islamic domain, such as Damascus, Basra and Kufa.

All the while the progression of Islam continued an impressive climb, the opposing forces worked to undermine the success of Khilafat. In the year 656 AD, Hazrat Usmanra was martyred and Hazrat Alira was elected as the Khalifa. As foretold by the Holy Prophetsa almost three decades ago, the Khilafat of Hazrat Alira ibn abi Talib would be the last for another thousand years!

The war clouds could be seen over the deserts of Arabia, but Hazrat Alira did not take pride in the vast resources of Arabia under his command or the ample weaponry or army that it had built over the past decades. He turned his attention towards Allah and sought refuge in Him. His reign was short but one hallmarked with traits of previous khulafa. During his lifetime, the centre of Khilafat was moved from Medina to Kufa.

The martyrdom of Hazrat Usmanra had left a deep wound in the hearts of Muslims and the safety of citizens, from Tripoli to Damascus to Medina, was of paramount importance. Hazrat Alira promptly established a police force and continued to invest in the infrastructure throughout the dominion. The expanded dominion, new Muslims with foreign dialects and languages, and social issues of new kinds awaited the new Khalifa. 

Although the standardised calligraphy of the Holy Quran was compiled during the time of Hazrat Usmanra, the standard pronunciation of the Holy Quran, without any doubt to the meaning of the words, was of paramount importance. The Holy Quran was revealed in a poetic form in a culture that valued language and particularly poetry. It was during the time of Hazrat Alira that the codification of the Holy Quran with rules of qirat [recitation] was standardised. Rules of recitation were firmed up and Arabic grammar, as a subject, was first taught.

Growing up in the house of the Prophetsa, Hazrat Alira had a unique understanding of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. His knowledge and wisdom was such that the Holy Prophetsa declared him to be the “Seal of all Knowledge”, or a person whose wisdom could not be surpassed. The depth of his religious knowledge was so profound that all three Khulafa-e-Rashideen called upon his aid in various legal problems.

Hazrat Alira was an exceptional jurist who evolved ijtihad to new heights. Ijtihad refers to exercising independent juristic reasoning to provide answers where the Holy Quran and Sunnah are silent. This would apply mostly to social conditions and not religious issues. The concept of ijtihad can be traced to the sixth century Hijrah when the Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Muazra bin Jabal as the jurist to Yemen. 

His eloquent speech and sermons form an integral part of general Islamic culture.  A large number of his sermons, letters, commentary and narrations are contained in a book titled Nahj al-Balaghah (The Peak of Eloquence). A major portion of the book contains a lengthy discussion on the balance between rights and duties. 

The period of Khilafat-e-Rashida came to a sudden end one fateful day during Ramadan of 661 AD when Hazrat Alira was martyred while praying in the mosque in Kufa. This was a turning point in history of Islam and the beginning of a new chapter with Hazrat Muawiyyara as the first Umayyad Khalifa. During the period of Khilafat-e-Rashida, the khalifa was chosen for his piety and virtue; however, from the Umayyad period onward, it became a dynasty with khilafat being passed down based on blood relations.

Under the Umayyads, the migration of Arab tribes continued throughout the dominion as it had for the past twenty years. Individual Christians and Jews, depending on their own experience with Muslims, their interests and prejudices, portrayed Islam in very different ways. Few wrote about their interactions. None of the writers used the words Islam or Muslim; instead they spoke of Saracens, Arabs, Turks, Pagans, Moors, or simply those who followed the law of Muhammadsa.

As Arabic became the dominant language of the new Muslim Empire and as conversion to Islam facilitated entry into government service, growing numbers of Christians started converting to Islam. Towards the middle of the eighth century, leaders of the Christian communities started looking on with alarm and sought ways to stem the conversions. They felt an urgent need to convince Christians not to convert. Islam had to be explained to an average Christian as evil. This led to defamatory biographies of the Holy Prophetsa, something that soon becomes a staple of anti-Muslim polemics.

Various apocalyptic traditions had long predicted mass conversions to a “false” religion. Just as Jews had used these traditions to explain the successes of Christianity, now both Christians and Jews employed them to explain those of Islam. Islam became a manifestation of the Antichrist and there was a surge of apocalyptic activity among the Jews and Christians living in the Muslim Empire.

Among the Jews, for example, Abu Isa of Isfahan in the early eighth century claimed to be a prophet and the Messiah, his movement thriving for almost a century. The Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius, an extremely popular work originally written in Syria around 692, was translated into many languages to deter Christians from leaving their faith. The central theme of the book (and most, if not all apocalyptic literature) was that the Muslims were made to rule over the Christians not because God loved the Muslims, but because the Christians had sinned exceedingly. The idea was to convince the average Christian that the Muslim presence was permanent, at least until the apocalyptic end was ushered in and the Messiah revived the glory of Rome.

However, the expansion of the Muslim dominion into an empire and the freedom of faith in the early part of the rule up until around the 11th century, meant that the apocalyptic efforts of the Christians were mostly in vain and Islam, as a religion, spread at a much greater speed with people entering its domain on their own free will.

As time moved forward and the Umayyad rule fell to the Abassid and eventually to the Ottoman, the teaching of love for many turned towards the sword and the words of the Holy Quran, for many more, were lost in the dust of greed. It was not until the 19th Century that the prophetic words of the Holy Prophetsa came to being and the Messiah was raised so that the people of the world would see their God once again. 

This Messiah was to break the sword and win the hearts of each man, woman and child on this planet. Today, the Ahmadiyya institution of Khilafat is a manifestation of the teachings of the Holy Quran, a guidance for anyone who wishes for peace to reside in their heart. 

Primary sources used for this article:

Akbar Shah Najeebabadi, History of Islam. Darussalam, 2000.

Ahmad ibn Yahya Al-Baladhuri, Origins of Islamic State (Kitab futuh al-Buldan). Columbia, 1916.

David Nicolle, The Great Islamic Conquests AD 632-750. Osprey, 2009.

William Muir, The Caliphate – Its Rise, Decline and Fall. Edinburgh, 1924.

N Saifi, An Outline of Early Islamic History. Tabshir, Rabwah.

Shibli Naumani, Al-Farook. Dar-ul-Ishaat (Urdu Translation).

Al-Tabari, History of al-Tabari (Tarikh al-rusul wal-muluk).Suny, 1993.

Encyclopedia of Islam. Brill Publishing

100 Years Ago… – The Ahmadiyya and Woking missions: A glance at the results of their efforts

Alhakam
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100 Years Ago… – The Ahmadiyya and Woking missions: A glance at the results of their efforts

Al Fazl, 27 May 1919

Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib went to the UK in order to convey the message of Islam which he had acquired from the Promised Messiahas. At least that is what he revealed to Ahmadis, but God knows what he disclosed to the people over there and what they perceived from his discourse.

Nonetheless, Khawaja Sahib reached the UK and began his efforts. Ahmadis were committed and ready to do as Khawaja Sahib directed. However, once he got there, he perceived that Ahmadiyyat was a narrow passage and the Ahmadiyya Jamaat was an insignificant group. Therefore, he declared that the tabligh of Ahmadiyyat and mentioning the name of the Promised Messiahas in the UK was a hurdle in the promulgation of Islam and it acted as a deadly poison.

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Hence, he carried on with the mission of converting Christians into Muslims, abandoning the way of God, about Whom he admitted that He had saved him from converting to Christianity and in fact rescued him from the pit of Christianity. Abiding by a wrong and erroneous way of preaching, he had not only imagined, but in fact believed that he would be able to attract countless people into the pale of Islam. However, regardless of his cunningness, the outcome of his efforts turned out to be futile as was destined. It became evident like daylight that it was the corruption of Khawaja Sahib’s heart and faith which led him to declare that mentioning the name of the Promised Messiahas in the UK acted as a deadly poison in the way of propagating Islam.

If it has really been the matter, then our mission which was solely based to present before the European nation that very Islam which was taught by the Promised Messiahas and to spread his name across the globe, would never have gained a strong foothold over there, resulting in the unsuccessful return of our missionaries. Moreover, the people of that region would not have considered them worthy of having any discussion or listening to their discourse, but instead they would have avoided them as one keeps away from a deadly poison.

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On the contrary, nobody can claim that our missionaries were unsuccessful in the task of conveying that same message of Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam, which was declared a deadly poison by Khawaja Sahib. [Can anybody prove] that Khawaja Sahib turned out to be successful by avoiding this poison as a result of which he abandoned the message of Ahmadiyyat? We would like to present a detailed description of this matter:

There was a very short span of time between the second visit of Khawaja Sahib and Mufti Sahib’s first visit to London. The former was well aware of the UK’s conditions because he had previously resided there and believed that mentioning the name of Ahmadiyyat was extremely detrimental in that place and it acted as a hurdle in the tabligh of Islam. The second person under discussion is the one who was totally unaware of the conditions of that region and was instructed by his imam, whom he considered worthy to be obeyed, in the following manner:

“Convey the truth [Ahmadiyyat]. This is your mission. It is not your responsibility to make them accept or embrace it.”

These were the words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II addressed to Mufti Sahib while delivering a lecture in a general gathering. In other words, the only responsibility of Mufti Sahib was to present before the European nation that Ahmadiyyat, which, according to Khawaja Sahib, acted as a deadly poison for the promulgation of Islam.

When we compare the outcome of Khawaja Sahib’s efforts with our missionaries, our hearts are filled with praise and gratitude to Allah the Almighty that He, through His benevolence, granted success to our missionaries, which was never achieved by the other party, in spite of possessing every kind of apparent means of success. In the span of two years, the total number of people who have accepted Islam, according to Khawaja Sahib, amounts to just 20.

No matter what sort of people Khawaja Sahib claims to have accepted Islam; whether they seek to develop the true teachings of Islam in themselves or not, whether they consider the drinking of wine as lawful, whether they seek to distort the very beliefs of Islam rather than adopting them after entering the pale of Islam or whether their moral conditions appear to be in the weakest possible state after declaring themselves to be a Muslim; no matter what Islamic beliefs these Muslims possess, the number Khawaja Sahib claims to have accepted Islam in the period of two years does not exceed the figure of 20. Perhaps, Khawaja Sahib is only “compelling them to accept God” and does not obligate those who become Muslims to abide by the doctrines of Islam. Competing with him on the other side are Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib and his associate Qazi Muhammad Abdullah Sahib who have never extended their hand before any non-Ahmadi and never desired to receive stipends from any government, but rather their expenses are managed from the pockets of a handful of poverty-stricken Ahmadis.

Considering these Ahmadis as insignificant, Khawaja Sahib trustingly looked towards other governments and non-Ahmadis and ended up rusting his own hands. Owing to the efforts of our missionaries, with the blessings and benevolence of Allah the Almighty, in the same two-year period, around 70 individuals embraced Islam and each one of them is an Ahmadi who considers the Promised Messiahas to be a true prophet of God.

Nobody could ever have imagined the magnificence of this success and it becomes all the more significant when we compare the approach of our missionaries with those of the Woking mission. As mentioned earlier, the difference between the two separate ways of conveying the message of Islam is poles apart. The Woking mission is limited to compel (the people) to accept God and does not make any effort to obligate its Muslim converts to abide by the doctrines of the Shariah (divine law). More shockingly, the whereabouts of several of these converts are not revealed.

On the other hand, it is mandatory upon our missionaries that immediately after they have persuaded someone to accept God, they must commit him to believe in prophethood and do not consider him a Muslim on a verbal admission unless he makes an effort to practically abide by the doctrines of Islam. Hence, these people who become considerably close to Islam are called musaddiq (one who attests to the truth).

The Woking mission, however, defines Islam as merely verbally accepting God and the Prophetsa. If someone verbally admits that God is one and Muhammadsa was a prophet, it is put to paper by the Woking mission and an announcement is made that a lady or a gentleman has converted to Islam. Even by adding such kind of Muslims, the number of their new Muslim converts in two years does not exceed the figure of 15 or 20. However, four times more persons have converted to Islam by the efforts of Mufti Sahib and Qazi Sahib and there is not a single individual among them who has been considered (a Muslim) on verbal admission. Each one of them has faith in God and firmly believes in the true prophethood of Muhammadsa, moreover they accept the prophethood and messengership of Hazrat Ahmadas, the prophet of the age.

It is a matter of great happiness that several persons whom Khawaja Sahib has left after converting them to his lot of Muslims drank of this “deadly poison” [Ahmadiyyat] which was avoided by Khawaja Sahib as he considered it harmful, and they attained that renewed life which was once attained by Khawaja Sahib.

Has it not been proved that the assumption of Khawaja Sahib about the message of Ahmadiyyat that it acts as a deadly poison in the UK turned out to be an erroneous and futile perception? If this notion had been true, it would have certainly resulted in the failure of our missionaries. In fact, it appears that Khawaja Sahib’s idea was right in a certain way because if he had mentioned the name of that Messiah who is being mentioned in the Heavens with love by God Almighty and about whom He desired that his acceptance should spread across the globe, then this mention would have acted as a deadly poison for his [Khawaja Sahib’s] earnings which he used to receive from the non-Ahmadis.

It seems that Khawaja Sahib is in a state of shock for the reason that his efforts were not productive enough, regardless of having a great deal of money. Above all, he is grief stricken at the sight of what he considered to be a deadly poison for the people of the UK acting as an antidote for him.

Those conveying the message of Ahmadiyyat are successfully performing their tasks. The sum of the Woking mission’s lectures is very low in comparison to the lectures of our missionaries. Perhaps, this type of circumstances had an impact on his health. He has returned to India because he is unable to perform any work. We are sympathetic towards him over his failing health. However, we cannot stop ourselves from asking, will he still not learn a lesson from the kind of circumstances that have affected his health? And will he still retain his views that the message of Ahmadiyyat acts as a deadly poison for Europe, even after observing his failure and the success of those conveying the message of Ahmadiyyat?

Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib, during his stay in London, repeatedly invited Khawaja Sahib for a discussion regarding the issues of mutual dispute. Mufti Sahib went so far as to give him a challenge of mubahalla (prayer duel) but he did not dare to come before him. Now it is unclear as to which battlefield he suggests for himself or, acting upon his old approach, whether he prefers to take part in politics or not. However, if he stimulates the issues of mutual dispute, he would realise that the age has passed when people are deceived by him.

(Translated by Al Hakam)

Original Urdu – Huzoor’s exclusive words about Mubarak Mosque and the institution of Khilafat

Alhakam
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Original Urdu – Huzoor’s exclusive words about Mubarak Mosque and the institution of Khilafat

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’s exclusive words about the Mubarak Mosque and the institution of Khilafat

Caliphate: Validity in Question

Alhakam
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Caliphate: Validity in Question

This is an extract from the final chapter of the book Islamic Caliphate: The Missing Chapters. This recently launched book is a comparative study of three models of caliphate: The Ahmadiyya, the Ottoman and the ISIS. This study reveals that while the Ottoman and the ISIS caliphates both claimed to be successors of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam, both failed to deliver the claim when it came to practice. However, the Ahmadiyya caliphate – with its very humble resources – ran parallel to both (1908-1924 and then 2014-2017) and served the cause of the Islam in the best possible way by taking forward the mission of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam.

In the opening chapters, we have seen that caliphate, as a term, is taken to mean the successorship of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. We have also seen that after the first four Rashidun, hundreds of caliphs from a number of dynasties claimed the office. We have also seen that all of them – the Ummayads, the Abbasids and the Ottomans – practiced the rule of inheritance in passing down the title.

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Before delving further into the question of who can be justly called the successor of the Prophetsa, we stop here and observe that dynastical rule could and can in no way be a valid formula of successorship of the Prophet Muhammadsa. The office is a spiritual one and hereditary succession can in no way guarantee the successor to be spiritually capable of taking on the position.

We see that the Ahmadiyya caliphate has practiced the method of Shura for succession of caliphs by ensuring that the person elected is fully capable in terms of religious understanding, spiritual leadership and administrative decision-making. This makes the Ahmadiyya caliphate the only one that followed the method of succession advised by the Prophetsa himself and practiced by his first four Rashidun caliphs.

Then there is the issue of defining successful leadership; success being inherent in the concept of caliphate as discussed in light of Islamic canonical sources and their classical, medieval interpretations. History bears witness that the Ummayads, the Abbasids and the Ottomans spent most of their time, energy, resources and human resources in warfare and territorial occupation.

Blue Mosque 2017

Their contribution towards secular learning cannot be undermined as it was during the rule of the Ummayad and the Abbasid dynasties that Muslim scholars prospered in the fields of philosophy, mathematics and sciences. But to align any success of any caliphate, the spiritual decline and constantly emerging sectarian cleavages at the hands of the clergy cannot be just put aside. Caliphs are meant to lead the nation just as the Holy Prophetsa did – morally, spiritually and religiously. The caliphs from the three main dynasties failed to do so. What was witnessed instead was a spiritual decline in Muslims who subsequently became weary of Islamic Shariah and resorted to innovations in the name of tariqa (mystic practices).

We have seen in the preceding chapters that the Ahmadiyya caliphate, on the other hand, always called Muslims to the fundamental teachings of Islam. One has to pledge that they will practice all tenets and pillars of faith to be accepted in the allegiance of the caliph (Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, Conditions of Bai‘at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi). The migration of the Ahmadiyya caliphate from their headquarters in Pakistan to London was for the reason that the anti-Ahmadiyya laws did not allow the caliph to practice as a Muslim – breaching the law meant imprisonment and hence the termination of his caliphal role (https://www.hrw.org/news/2007/05/06/pakistan-pandering-extremists-fuels-persecution-ahmadis). Most of the millions of pages of literature produced by the Ahmadiyya caliphate calls its adherents to have a living relationship with God, to pray to Him, to practice every command of God and to live their lives according the Quran (www.ahmadiyya-islam.org/khalifa).

What services a caliph renders for the cause of propagation of Islam is another decisive factor in terms of validity of the claim to the office of the caliphate of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam. Thousands of mosques (built in every continent of the world), thousands of missions, hundreds of health  and educational facilities for the underprivileged parts of the world, humanitarian projects like providing water to the underdeveloped areas (www.amjinternational.org/activities/humanitarian-projects), translations of the Quran in hundreds of languages spoken across the globe, printing and publishing literature to educate the world about Islam (www.amjinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/A4_Report_2014_03_Web.pdf), and the lectures and addresses delivered by the caliph himself to various parliaments and congregations around the world, are all witness to the fact that no other claimant to Islamic caliphate has ever been able to render services for Islam at such a scale (www.ahmadiyya-islam.org/khalifa).

The moral character of a person is another touchstone to determine how much they qualify for a position sacred enough to be the successorship of the Holy Prophetsa. Books of history testify that many caliphs from the Ummayad, Abbasid and Ottoman dynasties were immersed in the habits of drinking and womanising. As “Amirul Momineen” – leader of the faithful – they would feel free to point to a “believing” girl and have her in their harems; women of the disbelieving subjects were taken to be more of an object and any of them could be summoned to satisfy the desires of the so-called caliphs. Some Ottoman caliphs are said to have had up to five hundred women as concubines in their harems – all waiting to be called for a lucky night. Sultan Abdel Hemid II (1842-1918) is said to be born to a Russian concubine of his father, Sultan Abdul Mejid, who, when informed of the child’s birth, did not even know which woman had given birth to his child – the heir to the throne as next “caliph”. Illegitimate conjugal relations, leading to illegitimate birth of future caliphs, is something that no Muslim would want to associate to the successor of the Holy Prophetsa of Islam (Shahab ud-Din an-Nuwayri, Niahayat al-Arab fi Funoon al-Adab [commonly known as Nihaya], Vol. 4).

The characters of the Ahmadiyya caliphs, on the other hand, have always been seen with great respect by their followers and non-followers alike. This one factor should, again, be helpful in understanding the true nature of caliphate.

The list of decisive factors is long. (Contemporary Muslim writers like Haroon Mughal have discussed how the caliphates that followed the Rashidun were not representative of the Islamic definition of caliphate and that a true caliph is required to lead the ummah [www.qz.com/546973/only-a-real-islamic-caliphate-can-stand-up-to-the-sham-of-isil].)

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I conclude this work with one last factor. At a time when the Prophetsa of Islam and the religion of Islam come under attack by a vast population of the world; when Islam becomes a symbol of terror and the Prophetsa of Islam is branded as the founder of religious fanaticism, who is it that comes forward as a defender of Islam? As seen in preceding chapters, it has always been the Ahmadiyya caliph. The British Parliament, the Parliament of New Zealand, the Canadian Parliament, Capitol Hill in the USA, the Irish Parliament, African heads of states, all invite Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, the Ahmadiyya caliph to speak to them about the Islamic viewpoint on various contemporary world issues.

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We find no other example from the Muslim leadership – if there does exist one – to have approached all influential heads of states and faith leaders in as systematic a manner to invite them to understand the true teachings of Islam and to play their role in eradicating religious differences for a better, pluralistic world; the only Islamic leader to have done so has been Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, the Ahmadiyya caliph, who not only did so but also publicised the correspondence to set an example (World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace – Included are letters written by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa to the Pope, the Queen of England and the heads of states of Israel, Iran, USA, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Canada).

The intention is not to end this work by giving a judgmental answer. It is rather to invite members of the academia and those interested in the subject to come up with an analysis of their own. The motive is to open an avenue for academics to research and fill a gap in the scholarly study of Islamic caliphate.

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Another intention of this work has been to draw attention to the astounding and bitter fact that the international media all along seemed more interested in the work of a caliphate that stood for hate, violence, terrorism and brutality. Why the work of the caliphate that stood for love, peace, harmony and interfaith collaboration never got the same level of media interest is a question we would want to, at the least, be raised if not answered.

If the circles of both the academia and the media reply by way of judging the status of Ahmadiyya as a “heretic” movement, or a sect that is declared “out of the pale of Islam” by the orthodox Muslims, I would advise that the theological debate be left aside as almost all Islamic sects have declared each other the same.

After a VBIED Iraq War 2007 2008

The Ahmadiyya caliphate was around and fully functional in the later years of the Ottoman caliphate; it was around and globally functional when the ISIS caliphate rose and fell. However, it never got to be studied in a systematic, academic and scholarly manner as it deserves.

No claims have been made in this work. It is not being presented as a complete work on the topic of Islamic caliphate in the modern day. This work is just a means to provide a steppingstone for those who wish to carry out research in this field.

(The book Islamic Caliphate: The Missing Chapters is available at www.amazon.co.uk and other regional Amazon outlets)

The New World Order and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V a.a.

Alhakam
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The New World Order and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V a.a.

Nauman Hadi

Missionary Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

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Though mankind had been bestowed a perfect social, economic and political order when the final verses of the Holy Quran were revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa fourteen centuries ago, it was during the time of the Messiah of the Muhammadan dispensation that such an order was to take a universal scope.

The Holy Quran points towards this prevalence of Islamic teachings over all religions in the latter days:

“He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, even if those who associate partners with God hate it. (Surah al-Saff, Ch.61: V.10)

Hence, it was in 1905 when the Promised Messiahas wrote Al-Wasiyyat that the foundations of the final world order were established. Added to the spiritual and economic system outlined therein was also the mention of Khilafat that would act as the vicegerent of the Promised Messiahas.

Accordingly, it was in 1934 that his second successor launched Tahrik-e-Jadid,which would “serve to strengthen the foundations of human society”, as explained by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra in Nizam-e-Nau (The New World Order); Tahrik-e-Jadid would be a forerunner to the scheme of Al-Wasiyyat paving the way for the world to benefit from it. It would be an “Elijah to the Messiah of the New Order”.

It is a question worth addressing as to how a financial system established within a religious community can claim to be the architect of the future peace infrastructure of not just its own people, but the whole of mankind?

To arrive at an answer, all one needs to do is ponder over the social-economic order outlined in the Holy Quran for it is the propagation and establishment of these teachings that is the objective of Wasiyyat.

It suffices to mention here that the Holy Quran has explained dealings in international relations and the manner of economic enterprise much to the need of man. Hence, Wasiyyat means the embedding of a world order, designed to alleviate mankind from its troubles of juggling between several social orders. It would be fitting to place here the comments of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra when he explained how Wasiyyat would be a system for the whole world:

“A careful study of Al-Wasiyyat compels one to exclaim, ‘Praise be to you, O Mirza! You have made firm the foundations of Islam. You have made firm the foundations of humanity.’” (The New World Order, p. 136)

This blessed successorship continues till this day. It is Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa who tirelessly advocates for mankind to adopt this divine wisdom today. On a spiritual front, he has been directing and counselling his Jamaat to adopt the virtues that the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat wanted his community to adhere to. No Friday goes by without a wisdom-filled sermon from Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa in which he draws the attention of his followers towards adopting measures of piety, of bringing a spiritual reformation in oneself on a personal level as well as on a community level so that, in the wake and backdrop of ever increasing inclination towards the baser self, a life of righteousness becomes the customary practice of mankind. After all, the primary aim of partaking in the financial system outlined in Al-Wasiyyat is just that.

Moreover, just as all the previous Khulafa before him, the current head of the Ahmadiyya Community has also been addressing another front – the socio-economic political one, though the common denominator always remains one in which audiences are advised to turn towards their Creator. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has waged what can only be described as a determined and ardent holy war against injustice – it is simply the 21st century’s Jihad practiced in its truest form.

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Since being elected as Khalifatul Masih, he has travelled the globe delivering lectures and addresses to audiences of a wide range, arguing the case for justice to prevail for the sake of humanity. He has, before the highest echelons of power in almost all continents of the world, directed to adopt the Quranic principles of establishing peace while advocating the case for belief in God as being intrinsically attached to the pursuit of happiness.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has demonstrated the practical application of the system of Wasiyyat within the Ahmadiyya Jamaat itself. The Jamaat is established all over the world and humanitarian efforts are a central tenet of its belief.

Working for the betterment of mankind and giving humanity a social and economic system upon which they can rely for safeguarding their rights while establishing a relationship with God is the hallmark of the system of Wasiyyat. It is for this reason that when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra began to outline the importance of Wasiyyat in Nizam-e-Nau in 1943, he did so in light of prevalent political systems such a capitalism and communism.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, in his concluding address of Jalsa Salana UK 2004, stated:

‘If you wish to ascertain the importance of this institute [Wasiyyat] from a worldly perspective, then 60 years ago, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a speech at Jalsa which is a book published by the name of Nizam-e-Nau [The New World Order]. If one reads this book, they realise that all the worldly orders of today which are being championed are lost causes and if there is a revolutionary system which can be a means of tranquillity for the world, for the soul and can, in reality, claim to serve mankind, then it is the system of Wasiyyat as presented by the Promised Messiahas.”

It was at this occasion that Huzooraa directed his community to produce a further 15,000 musis (those part of the system of Wasiyyat who dedicate between a tenth and a third of their wealth and income for this cause) within a year. Furthermore, by 2008, which would be the centenary year of Khilafat, Huzooraa called for 50% of all Chanda payers in every country where the community was established to join this heavenly scheme.

The Messiahas of the latter days was to bring together the whole of mankind under his banner. Hence, it is befitting that the order he established in the final years of his life be for the whole world, not just as a spiritual sustenance, but also as a robust edifice of socio-economic order.

Original Urdu – Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V – A loving father, a unique role model

Alhakam
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Original Urdu – Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V – A loving father, a unique role model

Prophecies of the Promised Messiah a.s.: “We shall leave no trace of anything that might cause your humiliation”

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Prophecies of the Promised Messiah a.s.: “We shall leave no trace of anything that might cause your humiliation”
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لَا نُبْقِیْ لَکَ مِنَ الْمُخْزِیَاتِ ذِکْرًا

(We shall leave no trace of anything that might cause your humiliation. [Al Hakam, 30 November 1905, p.1 and Badr, 8 December 1905, p.2])

The Promised Messiahas stated regarding the above-mentioned revelation:

“It should be remembered here that when God Almighty says that He will not leave behind any such objections against me as might be the cause of my disgrace and defamation, the statement has two meanings: First, that He shall refute and wipe out all objections which are published with the intention of defaming me, and second, those who raise such objections and do not refrain from mischief, nor desist from vilification, We shall rid the world of their presence and wipe them off the face of the earth, with the result that with their destruction, their objections would also be wiped out.” (The Will, pp. 2-3).

Referring to the above cited extract, opponents of the Jamaat and Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas claim that nothing much has changed because allegations are still raised against the Promised Messiahas and they enquire that those prophecies which have not been fulfilled, will they come to pass anywhere in the near future? Moreover, they assert that it was compulsory for the prophecy mentioned in the aforementioned citation to be fulfilled in the very life of the Promised Messiahas, so that afterwards, nobody could have said that it was about the future.

Opponents proclaim that allegations are being levelled against the Jamaat and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in the same manner as they were raised in earlier times and even today, this attitude remains unchanged.

Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا

“And say, ‘Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away. Falsehood does indeed vanish away fast’” (Surah Bani Israil, Ch.17: V.82). What does vanishing of falsehood signify here? Does it mean that idolatry, Judaism and Christianity etc. vanished? Certainly not. Then how did falsehood vanish? Surely, it means that falsehood saw its demise by conclusive arguments.

In the same way, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, said:

اَنَا المَاحِی الَّذِیْ یَمْحُو اللّٰہُ بِی الْکُفْرَ

“I am al-Mahi, the one through whom Allah the Almighty shall wipe out the disbelief.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir)

Despite the fact that 1400 years have passed since the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, disbelief remains and the number of disbelievers exceeds those who believe in Islam. Therefore, what was meant by the Hadith is that disbelief would be defeated and wiped out through conclusive arguments. As it is stated in the Holy Quran:

لِيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَى مَنْ حَيَّ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ

“So that he who had already perished through a clear Sign might perish, and he who had already come to life through a clear Sign might live” (Surah al-Anfal, Ch.8: V.43). This verse indicates two ways of dying or being destroyed: 1. Death and destruction through a conclusive argument 2. Natural death.

In light of the verse mentioned above, if we examine the words of the Promised Messiahas that, “He [Allah the Almighty] shall refute and wipe out all objections which are published with the intention of defaming me”, it becomes evident that those opponents who publish allegations with the intention of causing humiliation will never succeed in their objectives, and their objections will prove to be false.

The above explanation is supported by various verses of the Holy Quran. Thus, Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran regarding Jesusas:

وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا

“And [He] will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.56). Did Jews refrain from levelling allegations against Jesusas? Is it not the case that Jews still do not hold back from raising objections against Jesusas? Did their uncertainties come to an end?

The actual meaning of the verse implies that Allah the Almighty would save Jesusas from the harmful impacts of their evil intentions and haughty advances and falsify their objections.

Again, Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran regarding Jesusas:

وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ

“Honoured in this world and in the next, and of those who are granted nearness to God” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.46). Although allegations were levelled against Jesusas and even today objections are raised against him, he was honoured by Allah the Almighty in both worlds. Then, it is stated regarding Hazrat Maryamra:

يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ

“O Mary, Allah has chosen thee and purified thee and chosen thee above the women of all peoples” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.46). Even though Jews raise allegations against her, Allah the Almighty dignified her status.

Allah the Almighty states while addressing the members of the Holy Prophet’ssa house:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللّٰهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

“Surely, Allah desires to remove from you all uncleanliness, O Members of the Household, and purify you completely” (Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.34).

Even in the presence of this verse, Shiites continue to level allegations against the Azwaj-e-Mutahirat (dignified wives of the Holy Prophetsa). Likewise, Khawarij and several other individuals continue to raise objections against Hazrat Alira, Hazrat Imam Hassanra and Hazrat Hussainra. In view of our opponents, do these poisonous allegations and reproaches by Shiites and Khawarij etc., against those purified souls nullify the aforementioned verse of the Holy Quran?

One should take into account this fact that the only matter of humiliation for someone divinely commissioned or a messenger is that he does not succeed in his aims and objectives. Did the Promised Messiahas failed to achieve his goal? Surely not! By the blessings and benevolence of Allah the Almighty, the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is spreading by leaps and bounds, and it has been established in more than 200 countries across the globe.

The Promised Messiahas states:

“It becomes apparent from:

لَا نُبْقِیْ لَکَ مِنَ الْمُخْزِیَاتِ ذِکْرًا

that [Allah the Almighty] shall not leave behind any such objections which are a cause of disgrace. This revelation holds a glad tiding which signifies that We [Allah the Almighty] shall render the ultimate cause of your appearance to flourish. As far as someone divinely appointed or a messenger is concerned, a matter of disgrace for them can only be that he fails to achieve his goals and objectives. Hence, Allah the Almighty gave a glad tiding that He would fulfill the purpose and objective of my appearance. However, it is the way of Allah for all those who are divinely appointed in the world that it is not considered compulsory for their mission to be successful within their age, but in fact, there are countless objectives that are achieved through the hands of their followers, and that accomplishment is deemed to be at their hands. Even in the age of the Holy Prophet’ssa prophethood, Islam had only spread in Mecca, Medina and certain neighbouring towns. However, in the era of Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Hazrat Umarra, Islam spread far and wide and many objectives were accomplished at the hands of the Companionsra that was in fact the success of the Holy Prophetsa and an achievement at his blessed hands. Consequently, through the efforts of Banu Umayya and other monarchs, these successes progressed…

“Thus, it is the way of Allah regarding the one who is divinely appointed that it is not essential for every objective to be achieved in his era. Who can claim to be greater than the Holy Prophetsa? The Holy Prophetsa said that the keys of Caesar and Khosrow were handed over to him. However, these keys were handed over to Hazrat Umarra after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa. Suggesting that these keys were not handed over to the Holy Prophetsa is erroneous because it has been generally acknowledged that the victories and accomplishments of the followers are in fact the victories of the one who is followed.” (Malfuzat, Vol. IV, pp. 574-575)

As far as those enemies and opponents are concerned, particularly those who do not refrain from their mischievous endeavours, the above-mentioned prophecy of the Promised Messiahas regarding their death and destruction was fulfilled in the very life of the Promised Messiahas and it is still being fulfilled after his demise. During the lifetime of the Promised Messiahas, prominent examples from those who were destroyed when they stood before prophets of God invoking death and destruction include Ghulam Dastagir Kasuri, Ismail Ali Garhi, Chiragh Din Jamuni and Fakir Mirza etc. Allah the Almighty repeatedly fulfilled the following promise:

اِنِّيْ مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ اَرَادَ اِهَانَتَكَ

“I shall humiliate him who seeks to humiliate you”, and He has done so, even after the demise of the Promised Messiahas, and shall continue to do so, Insha-Allah. However, to observe these signs, one must possess a fair eye which is free from prejudice, stubbornness, recalcitrance and enmity. Those who raise allegations in order to cause disorder and humiliation, Allah the Almighty never lets them succeed in their objectives.

Now we come towards the second set of allegations. Opponents ask of those prophecies which were not fulfilled, whether they will ever come to pass in the future? Then they assert that the prophecies mentioned earlier should have been fulfilled in the life of the Promised Messiahas so that nobody could have easily said that such and such prophecy was about the future.

The extract and revelation of the Promised Messiahas mentioned at the beginning is quite clear. Is any condition attached with the prophecy? Did he claim that it was bound to be fulfilled in his own life? Of course not. As a matter of fact, Allah the Almighty, through this revelation, gave the Promised Messiahas a glad tiding that he would successfully achieve his mission’s objectives while the adversaries would try to humiliate him, but they would fail to achieve their evil plots. Allah the Almighty promised to Jesusas:

وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

“And [He] will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.56). Did this prophecy come to pass during Jesus’ supposed 33 years of life which are even acknowledged by non-Ahmadi Muslims? Even today, allegations are being levelled against Jesusas.

Is it mandatory that a prophecy must be fulfilled in the very life of the prophet? In the Holy Quran, we observe that Allah the Almighty states, addressing the Holy Prophetsa:

وَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ اللّٰهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ

“And if We make you witness a part of what We promised them or cause you to die before that, to Us shall be their return; then will Allah stand witness against what they do” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.47).

This verse highlights the fact that not every prophecy of a prophet is fulfilled during his lifetime. There are countless prophecies in the Holy Quran which were fulfilled after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa. For instance, the prophecy of assembling dispersed Jews in Palestine (Surah Bani Israil, Ch.17: V.105), the prophecy of rendering camels useless (Surah al-Takwir, Ch.81: V.5), the prophecy of publication of books in abundance (Surah al-Takwir, Ch.81: V.11), the prophecy of progressive zoo cultures (Surah al-Takwir, Ch.81: V.6), the prophecy of the world becoming a global village (Surah al-Takwir, Ch.81: V.8) and the prophecy of new transportation inventions (Surah al-Nahl, Ch.16: V.9) etc., all the above prophecies were fulfilled after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa.

Likewise, Allah the Almighty gave glad tidings to the Holy Prophetsa during the “Battle of the Trench” that the castles of Caesar and Khosrow would be conquered and foretold the victory over the Midian and Yemen. Was this prophecy fulfilled in the life of the Holy Prophetsa? No. These prophecies were fulfilled in the time of the Khulafa that came after the Holy Prophetsa. That is why the Promised Messiahas stated:

“Thus, it is the way of Allah regarding the one who is divinely appointed that it is not essential for every objective to be achieved in his era. Who can claim to be greater than the Holy Prophetsa? The Holy Prophetsa said that the keys of Caesar and Khosrow were handed over to him. However, these keys were handed over to Hazrat Umarra after the demise of the Holy Prophetsa. Suggesting that these keys were not handed over to the Holy Prophetsa is erroneous because it has been generally acknowledged that the victories and accomplishments of the followers are in fact the victories of the one who is followed.” (Malfuzat, Vol. IV, pp. 574-575)

(Research conducted by a panel of scholars at the Research Cell, Rabwah. Translated by Al Hakam)

The person who takes care of an orphan

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The person who takes care of an orphan

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

“I will be like this in Jannah with the person who takes care of an orphan.”

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, raised his forefinger and middle finger by way of illustration.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab)

Men of Excellence

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Men of Excellence

Friday Sermon

26 April 2019

Delivered from Baitul Futuh Mosque

Men of Excellence

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After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:

In the previous sermon, while narrating the account of the life of Hazrat Usman bin Mazoonra, I concluded by saying that he was the first person to be buried in Jannatul Baqi. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 591, Usman bin Mazoonra, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

The following details have been found regarding the inception and establishment of Jannatul Baqi:

At the time of the arrival of the Holy Prophetsa in Medina, there were many graveyards. The Jews used to have their own graveyards, while the various Arab tribes had their respective graveyards. The holy city of Medina was divided into various neighbourhoods at the time, every tribe used to bury their dead in an open field in their own area. Quba had its own graveyard, which was more prominent. However, there were some other smaller graveyards as well. The tribe of Banu Zafar had their own graveyard. Banu Salma had their own separate graveyard. Among other graveyards, there was the graveyard of Banu Saaidah, where Sooq an-Nabi was established later on. The location in which Masjid-e-Nabawi [the Prophet’ssa Mosque] was built also had some date trees, where there were a few graves of the idolaters. Baqi-ul-Gharqad was the oldest and most famous amongst all these graveyards. The Holy Prophetsa chose it as the graveyard of the Muslims, and since then it holds a unique and prominent position, which remains till today and shall always do so.

Hazrat Ubaidullahra bin Abi Rafey narrates that the Holy Prophetsa was looking for a place, which would be designated for the graves of only the Muslims. The Holy Prophetsa inspected various places and visited them for this purpose. However, this honour was decreed for Baqi-ul-Gharqad. The Holy Prophetsa declared, “I have been commanded to choose this place i.e. Baqi-ul-Gharqad.” Baqi-ul-Gharqad used to be called Baqi-ul-Kahbkhabah in those days.

It had countless gharqad trees and wild bushes growing within. It had an abundance of mosquitoes and other insects and when the mosquitoes rose, due to the muddy land or the jungle, it seemed as if clouds of smoke had covered it from above. The first person to be buried there, as has already been mentioned, was Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon. Whilst placing a stone at the head of the grave, the Holy Prophetsa said, “He has preceded us”. Thereafter, whenever someone passed away, people would ask the Holy Prophetsa where they should be buried. The Holy Prophetsa would answer, “Near Usmanra bin Mazoon, who has preceded us”.

In Arabic, baqi is a place in which there is an abundance of trees. This place was known in Medina as Baqi-ul-Gharqad as there was an abundance of gharqad trees. Apart from that it was rich in wild-growing bushes. It was also called Jannatul Baqi. In Arabic, the word jannat carries the meaning of a garden or paradise. For this reason, it was better known among the non-Arabs as Jannatul Baqi.

Abdul Hameed Qadri Sahib has given the aforementioned explanation. He then states that one must not forget that the Arabs would call their burial grounds Jannat. Another name given was Maqabirul Baqi, and this title of was more commonly used by the Bedouins. (Justeju-e-Medina az Abdul Hameed Qadri Sahib, p. 598, Oriental Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, 2007)

Hazrat Salimra bin Abdullah narrates from his father that whenever someone passed away, the Holy Prophetsa would say, “Send him forth to those who have passed on from us. What an excellent pioneer Usmanra bin Mazoon was from among my Ummah!” (Al-Mu‘jam Al-Kabir Li At-Tabarani, Vol. 12, p. 228, Hadith 13160, Dar Ihyaa Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 2002)

Hazrat Ibn Abbasra relates that when Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon passed away, the Holy Prophetsa approached his body, lowered his head three times, then raised his head and loudly proclaimed, “O Abu Saib! May Allah forgive you! You passed away from this world without being affected by its impurities.”

Hazrat Aishara narrates that when the Holy Prophetas kissed the body of Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon, he was extremely emotional and tears were flowing from his eyes. The Holy Prophetsa was in a very emotional state at the time and both of his eyes were shedding tears. Hazrat Aishara relates that the Holy Prophetsa kissed Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon after he passed away. She states that she saw the tears of the Holy Prophetsa falling on the cheeks of Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon. The Holy Prophetsa shed so many tears that they were falling on the cheeks of Hazrat Usmanra. When the son of the Holy Prophetsa, Ibrahim, passed away, the Holy Prophetsa said:

اَلْحِقْ بِالسَّلَفِ الصَّالِحِ عُثْمَانَ ابْنَ مَظْعُوْن

That is, “May you be in the company of our righteous and dear friend, Usman bin Mazoon.” (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 591, Usmanra bin Mazoon, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 303, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Usmanra bin Affan narrates that when the Holy Prophetsa led the funeral prayer of Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon, he recited the takbeerat four times [i.e. reciting Allahu Akbar]. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitabul Jana’iz Arba’an, Hadith 1502)

Some people are of the opinion that more than three takbeerat cannot be said, however it is possible to recite it aloud four times as well. Muttalib narrates, “When Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon passed away, his funeral was taken outside for burial. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa ordered an individual to bring a rock. He was unable to lift the rock as it was rather heavy. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa went himself and stood beside the stone and rolled up both of his sleeves.” Muttalib, who is narrating this incident of the Holy Prophetsa, states, “It seems as if I am still able to see the white complexion on the skin of both the Holy Prophet’s arms, i.e. I am still able to recall the incident.” He further states, “The arms of the Holy Prophetsa were beautiful and I am still able to see the white complexion of his skin after the Holy Prophetsa had rolled up his sleeves. Following this, the Holy Prophetsa lifted that rock and placed it beside the head of the grave of Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon and then said, ‘I will recognise the grave of my brother through this rock and whoever passes away from among my family, I will bury them near it.’” This is a narration from Sunan Abi Dawood. (Sunan Abi Daud, Kitabul Jana’iz, Bab fi Jam’il Mautaa fi Qabr Wal Qabr Yu’lam, Hadith 3206)

I will now mention some aspects in relation to Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon’s demise as related by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra. Mentioning incidents of the second year after Hijra, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra states:

“To the end of this year, the Holy Prophetsa proposed the creation of a graveyard in Medina for his Companions which was referred to as Jannatul-Baqi’.  After its creation, the Companions were generally buried in this very graveyard.  The first Companion to be buried in this graveyard was Usmanra bin Mazoon.  Usmanra was from among the most pioneer Muslims and was extremely righteous and pious. He was a man of ascetic disposition. On one occasion, after becoming a Muslim, he submitted to the Holy Prophetsa, ‘If the Holy Prophetsa kindly grants permission, it is my desire to abandon the world completely and separate myself from my wife and children, so that I may devote my life wholly to the worship of Allah.’ However, the Holy Prophetsa did not permit him to do so.”

I have already mentioned the details of this in my previous sermon. Nevertheless, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra further writes, “… the Holy Prophetsa was deeply saddened upon the demise of Usmanra bin Mazoon.  There is a narration that after his demise, the Holy Prophetsa kissed his forehead and at the time there were tears in the eyes of the Holy Prophetsa. After his burial, the Holy Prophetsa fixed a stone at the head of his grave to serve as a marking, and then, every so often, he would visit the Jannatul Baqi and pray for him. Usmanra was the first Muhajir [migrant from Mecca to Medina] to pass away in Medina.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, pp. 462-463)

The wife of Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon wrote the following elegy at his demise:

یَا عَیْنُ جُوْدِیْ بِدَمْعٍ غَیْرِ مَمْنُوْنِ

 عَلٰی رَزِیّۃِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ مَظْعُوْنِ

عَلَی امْرِیءٍ بَاتَ فِیْ رِضْوَانِ خَالِقِہٖ

 طُوْبٰی لَہُ مِنْ فَقِیْدِ الشّخْصِ مَدْفُوْنِ

 طَابَ الْبَقِیْعُ لَہٗ سُکْنٰی وَ غَرْقَدُہٗ

 وَأَشْرَقَتْ اَرْضُہٗ مِنْ بَعْدِ نَعْیَیْنِ

 وَأَوْرَثَ الْقَلْبَ حُزْنًا لَا انْقِطَاعَ لَہٗ

 حَتّی الْمَمَات فَمَا تَرْقٰی لَہٗ شُوْنِیْ

(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 591, Usmanra bin Mazoon, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

The translation is as follows:

“O eye! Shed endless tears on the demise of Usman, who spent his nights in accordance with the pleasure of his Creator. Glad tidings be given to this unique and exceptional individual who has now been buried. Baqi and Ghardaq has been purified by this inhabitant and its surroundings have become illuminated following his burial. Your demise saddened the heart to such an extent that it will not heal until I die and this state of mine will not change.” (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 495, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut)

These were the sentiments expressed by his wife.

Hazrat Umme Alaara, who was amongst the ladies from the Ansar and had pledged allegiance to the Holy Prophetsa, narrated, “When the Ansar were drawing lots from among the names of the Muhajireen to select their places of residence, we received the name of Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon.”

Meaning that they were to arrange accommodation for him in their house. She further narrates, “Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon stayed with us. We also looked after him when he was unwell and when he passed away, we buried him in his clothes. The Holy Prophetsa came to meet us, and I said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you O Abu Saib.’”

Abu Saib was the title of Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon. She repeated these words in the presence of the Holy Prophetsa and further stated, “I bear witness that Allah has certainly honoured you.” She also repeated this in front of the Holy Prophetsa. When the Holy Prophetsa heard this, he enquired, “How have you come to know that God Almighty has most certainly exalted him?” She responded, “O Messengersa of Allah! May by parents be sacrificed for your sake, I am not certain about this, but this is how I felt. Hence, I was expressing my feelings.” Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa responded, “As far as Usmanra is concerned, he has passed away and I hope for his prosperity (and that may God Almighty honour him). However, by God, even I do not know what will happen to Usman.”

Even though he had offered prayers for Hazrat Usmanra, he said, “I am a prophet of God but even I am not certain of what will happen to Hazrat Usmanra.” When Hazrat Umme Alaara heard this, she stated, “By God! I will not consider anyone pious in this manner again.”

Meaning that she would not say again that God had certainly pardoned someone. She further stated, “This made me sorrowful and I fell asleep in this state.” She was very close to Hazrat Usman, and the emotions were strong. In any case, she states, “At night I saw in a dream that there is a flowing fountain which belongs to Hazrat Usmanra.” She states: “After seeing this dream, I visited the Holy Prophetsa and narrated my dream to him. The Holy Prophetsa responded, ‘Such were his actions.’” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Al-Shahadaat, Bab Al-Qur’ah fil Mushkilaat, Hadith 2687)

Meaning that God Almighty showed the flowing spring to inform her that he was in paradise and the fountain was a manifestation of his actions.

Hence, this was the Holy Prophet’ssa way to train others that one should not claim with such confidence and belief that God Almighty has forgiven someone. However, when Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon’s pious deeds were manifested to Hazrat Umme Alaara in a dream, the Holy Prophetsa testified to this. The Holy Prophetsa was already aware that God Almighty was pleased with his Companionsra who had participated in the Battle of Badr. Also, the prayers of the Holy Prophetsa for Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon in which he expressed his emotions elaborate on the fact that he was sure that God Almighty would accept these prayers and Hazrat Usman bin Mazoonra will be enumerated amongst those who attain nearness to Allah Almighty, but regardless of this, he advised her not to make such claims.

This account has also been mentioned in Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal in the following manner:

Kharijah bin Zaid mentions a narration from his mother that when Hazrat Usmanra bin Mazoon passed away, Kharijah bin Zaid’s mother said, “Abu Saib, you are virtuous man. Your good days were very exceptional indeed.” The Holy Prophetsa heard this and enquired, “Who said this?” She responded: “It is I who said this”. The Messengersa of Allah stated, “What led you to this conclusion?” She replied, “O Messengersa of Allah! It was Hazrat Usman bin Mazoon’sra deeds and acts of worship which led me to believe that God Almighty has certainly treated him with forgiveness and forbearance.” The Holy Prophetsa stated, “We did not see anything but goodness in Usman bin Mazoon.” However, he also stated, “Bear in mind that I am a Prophet of God, but by God, even then I am not certain as to what will happen to me in the hereafter.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 8, p. 872, Hadith Ummul Ulaa al-Ansar, Hadith 28006, Alamul Kutub, Beirut, 1998)

No one was more beloved to God Almighty than the Holy Prophetsa, but his level of fear of God and the realisation of His grandeur and greatness was such that the Holy Prophetsa said even he was unaware of what his condition would be in the hereafter. Therefore, if this was the state of the Holy Prophetsa, then how much should we fear? In fact, we should be greatly concerned about performing good deeds and directing our attention towards the worship of God, and even then we should never take pride in this, instead we should progress in humility and we should always beg God Almighty for His grace and mercy, so that He may grant us His forgiveness. 

In another narration of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Umme Ala states, “Usman bin Mazoon became ill whilst residing with us. We looked after him till he passed away and we buried him in the clothes he was wearing. The Messengersa of Allah visited us. I stated, ‘O Abu Saib, may Allah have mercy on you. I bear witness that Allah has greatly honoured you.’ The Messengersa of Allah stated, ‘How do you know that God Almighty has honoured him?’ I said, ‘I am not sure, O Messengersa of Allah! May my parents be sacrificed for your sake!’ The Holy Prophetsa then said, ‘As far as Usmanra bin Mazoon is concerned, he has passed away and I hope for his prosperity that Allah Almighty will grant him good. However, by God, even though I am the Messenger of Allah but even I do not know about my own state in the hereafter.’” Umme Ala further states, “I replied, ‘I will not proclaim anyone to be holy after this.’” After this, she continued to describe as was narrated in the aforementioned account regarding her state of anxiousness and also her dream which she related to the Holy Prophetsa. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 8, pp. 871-872, Hadith Ummul Ulaa al-Ansar, Hadith 28004, Alamul Kutub, Beirut, 1998)

This account has been recorded in two different books of Ahadith.

God Almighty has indeed granted the companions a lofty station. Further they were recipients of the prayers of the Holy Prophetsa. May God continue to elevate their status and may we emulate their example as well.

The next companion whom I shall mention is Hazrat Wahab bin Saad bin Abi Sarahra. His father’s name was Saad and he belonged to the Banu Aamir bin Lowi tribe. Hazrat Wahabra was the brother of Abdullah bin Wahab bin Sarah. His mother’s name was Mahana bint Jabir and she belonged to the Ashari tribe.  (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 217, Wahab bin Saad, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

Abdullah bin Saad bin Abi Sarah, the brother of Hazrat Wahabra, was the same katib-e-wahi [scribe who would write down revelations] who became an apostate. Regarding Hazrat Wahab’s brother, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has written the following details:

“From among the scribes of the Holy Prophetsa, one of them was named Abdullah bin Abi Sarah.”

In Siratul Halabiyyah it is written that he was the foster brother of Hazrat Usmanra bin Affan. Nonetheless, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further says:

“When the Holy Prophetsa would receive a revelation, he would call for him and ask for it to be written down. One day, the Holy Prophetsa was dictating verses 14 and 15 of Surah Al-Muminun. When he reached the verse:

ثُمّ اَنْشَاْنٰہُ خَلْقًا اٰخَرَ

Abdullah, (the scribe being referred to) spontaneously said:

فَتَبَارَکَ اللّٰہُ اَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِیْنَ

This is mentioned in Surah al-Mominoon, verse 15. The Holy Prophetsa said that this is exactly the verse that was revealed and asked him to write it down. This wretched individual did not realise that in fact the verse he recited was in fact a natural sequence in relation to the previous verses.

From this, he inferred that just as the Holy Prophetsa had considered his uttered words as divine revelation, the Holy Prophetsa himself was [God forbid] fabricating the entire text of the Quran. He thus became an apostate and left for Mecca. Abdullah bin Abi bin Sarh was among those individuals for whom the Holy Prophetsa had stipulated the capital punishment. Abdullah bin Abi bin Sarah was one of them. Hazrat Usmanra however, gave him refuge. Details of the nature of this refuge are as follows:

At the occasion of the conquest of Mecca, when Abdullah bin Abi Sarah came to know that his execution had been ordered, he went to his foster brother, Usman bin Affanra seeking refuge and said, ‘O brother, grant me refuge from the Holy Prophetsa, before he has me killed.’” This is recorded in Siratul Halabiyyah.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes,

“He remained in hiding at Hazrat Usman’sra residence for three or four days. One day as the Holy Prophetsa was taking the oath of allegiance from some Meccans, Hazrat Usmanra brought Abdullah bin Abi Sarah in the presence of the Holy Prophetsa and requested him to accept his pledge of allegiance. For a moment, the Holy Prophetsa remained quiet, after which he accepted his pledge of allegiance. Like this, Abdullah bin Abi Sarah once again accepted Islam.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6, p. 139) (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 130, Bab Dhikr Maghaziyah/Fath Makkah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

There were many other reasons why the initial instruction to execute him had been given. He had fanned the flames of discord and disorder. The commandment of execution was not given because he had become an apostate but in fact there were many other crimes of his.

Asim bin Umar relates that when Hazrat Wahabra migrated from Mecca to Medina, he stayed at the house of Hazrat Kulthum bin Hidamra. The Holy Prophetsa had established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Wahabra and Hazrat Suwaid bin Amrra. These two, i.e. the recently established brothers, were both martyred in the Battle of Mautah. Hazrat Wahabra participated in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Treaty of Hudaibiyyah and Khaibar and he passed away in Jumada al-Ula 8 AH in the Battle of Mautah. He was 40 years of age on the day of his demise.  (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 3, p. 217, Wahab bin Saad, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

What was the Battle of Mautah and what were the causes behind it? This has been mentioned in Tabaqaat al-Kubra.  

This battle took place in Jumada al-Ula in 8AH. The Holy Prophetsa sent Harith bin Umair with a letter as a messenger to the King of Busrah. When they reached the place called Mautah, they met with Shurahbeel bin Amr Ghassaani, who was one of the governors of Syria appointed by the roman emperor, this is according to Sirat-ul-Halabiyyah. He stopped them and martyred them. Other than Harith bin Umair, no other messenger of the Holy Prophetsa was martyred. When news of this tragedy reached the Holy Prophetsa, it bore heavily on his heart and he was aggrieved on account of his demise. The Holy Prophetsa called upon the people to gather for battle. The people gathered, and the total number of the army was 3,000. The Holy Prophetsa declared that the leader of this group would be Hazrat Zaidra bin Haritha, and after preparing a white flag and handing it to Zaidra, the Prophet advised, “Go to the place where Hazrat Harithra bin Umair has been martyred and invite the people there to Islam. If they accept it, then fine, but if they do not, then seek Allah’s help against them and engage with them in battle.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Saad, Vol. 2, p. 314, Siryah Mautah, Dar Ihyaa al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996) (Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 96, Bab Dhikr Maghaziyah/Ghazwah Mautah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Hazrat Wahabra was also a part of this battle. (I will further elaborate the details of this battle.) Hazrat Abdullahra bin Umar states that the Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Zaidra bin Harith a during the expedition of Mautah as their leader, and said “If Zaid is martyred, then Jafar will be your leader, and if he is also martyred, then Abdullah bin Rawahah shall take his place.” This group of men was also known as the Infantry of Leaders. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul Maghazi, Bab Ghazwah Mautah Ard al-Sham, Hadith 4261) (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 7, p. 505, Hadith 22918, Musnad Abu Qatadah Ansari, Alamul Kutub, Beirut, 1998)

Whilst elaborating on this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has written that according to one narration, a Jew who was sitting nearby, heard what the Holy Prophetsa had just said and approached Hazrat Zaidra and said to him, “If Muhammadsa is true then none of the three of you shall return from the battle alive.” At this, Hazrat Zaidra replied, “Regardless of whether I return from this battle alive or not, it as an undeniable truth that the Prophet Muhammadsa is a true Messenger and a truthful Prophet of God.” (Fareezah-e-Tabligh aur Ahmadi Khawatin, Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 18, pp. 405-406)

The news about the martyrs of this battle was conveyed through divine revelation to the Holy Prophetsa. Regarding this there is a narration, in which Hazrat Anasra bin Malik relates that the Holy Prophetsa stated, “Zaid took up the holding of the flag and he was martyred, after which Jafar took hold of the flag and he, too, was martyred, and after this, Abdullah bin Rawahah took hold of the flag and he was also martyred.” While telling this to the people, tears were flowing from the eyes of the Holy Prophetsa. After this the Prophetsa went on to say, “Thereafter, from among the ranks, Khalidra bin Waleed stepped up and took hold of the flag and they were ultimately granted victory.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul Janaiz, Bab Al-Rajulu Jan’aa ilaa Ahlil Mayyit bi Nafsihi, Hadith 1246)

May God Almighty continue to raise the spiritual status of these Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa. After having mentioned these companions, I shall now mention some deceased ones whose funeral prayers I shall also be leading today.

The first funeral is of Respected Malik Muhamad Akram Sahib, who was a missionary of the community. He passed away yesterday, 25 April, in Manchester; to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. His funeral is present here and after the prayers, Insha-Allah, I will lead his funeral prayer outside [the mosque].

He was born on 2 April 1947, in Malkwaal in the district of Gujrat. In 1961 he performed Bai‘at [pledge of allegiance] and entered the Jamaat. His elder brother, Master Azam Sahib had accepted Ahmadiyyat prior to this and Akram Sahib also performed the Bai‘at after him.

I remember he wrote an article in which he wrote that he only came to Rabwah for his studies but having been influenced by the atmosphere of Rawbah, he performed the Bai‘at. Nonetheless, in 1962, after he had performed Bai‘at, he dedicated his life for the Jamaat. After completing his BA, he received his Shahid degree and also Maulvi Fazil degree. He was assigned as a missionary in 1971.

In 1970, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh led his nikah which was settled with Amatul Karim Sahiba, daughter of Maulvi Abul Basharat Abdul Ghafoor Sahib. Akram Sahib had the opportunity to serve as a missionary in different places in Pakistan as well as countries outside of Pakistan. He served in various Jamaats across the UK for approximately 30 years, including Oxford, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff. His total service spans approximately 48 years. In the UK, he served as Naib Afsar Jalsa Gah for many years.

From 1971 to 1973, he served in various places throughout Pakistan. From 1973 to 1977 he served in The Gambia. From 1977 to 1979 he served in Karachi, Pakistan after which he served in Rabwah in Wakalat-e-Tabshir from 1979 to 1980. Between 1980 and 1983, he served as the principal of the Missionary College in Hilaro, Nigeria, after which he returned to Pakistan and stayed in Rabwah until 1989. From 1989 until 2018 he had the opportunity to serve in the UK. Initially in 2007 he reached the official age of retirement but was re-employed in February 2007 and had the opportunity to serve until 2018. Although a Waqf-e-Zindagi always remains in his capacity as a life devotee, however recently due to illness he was unable to actively carry out his duties and therefore he retired. Nonetheless, we can say that he only spent a few months without being in active service and in this way he served until his last breath.

Amir Sahib UK [National President] writes, “He was very hard working, obedient and had a pleasant nature. Whichever Jamaat work that was assigned to him, he would complete it with great effort and diligence. It was his habit to immediately compile a full report and send it. He was appointed to serve in Manchester. Malik Sahib worked tirelessly to collect funds for the Darul Aman mosque when it was being constructed.”

Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib writes, “Akram Sahib was a man of principle and possessed many qualities. He was very pious, honest and an extremely loyal Ahmadi. He was a passionate missionary who would work diligently. He was a servant of the Community who displayed the highest levels of obedience for Khilafat.”

Majeed Sialkoti Sahib writes, “He possessed many qualities, the foremost that he was an extremely loyal servant of Khilafat. He had a passion for tabligh [propagating the message of Islam].” Sialkoti Sahib further writes, “When we were students, during the holidays he once visited our village and said that they ought to go out for tabligh, and became involved in tabligh activities. He had sacrificed his holidays to perform tabligh with Khuddam and Ansar. He always displayed obedience throughout his life.”

Aslam Khalid Sahib, who is serving in the private secretary’s office in London, writes, “He became a close relation of mine (they were both related through marriage). Wherever he was appointed, he would win the hearts of the people through his affection. He even served throughout his illness and he would especially speak lovingly about the people of Manchester. He had a loving relationship with the youth and children of the Jamaat.”

Giving one example of this, Aslam Khalid Sahib says, “He once told me an incident regarding one of the children who grew up with him and then later married; from among them one of the youths was expecting their first child. When the child was born, he called him at 2:30am or 3am informing him that his first child had been born. Akram Sahib said that he thought to himself that this was not an appropriate hour to inform him via telephone and he could have easily called in the morning. However, it was the love the youth had for his missionary and who had played a significant part in his upbringing. He said he was left speechless by his next comment. The youth said, ‘Murabbi Sahib! I had vowed that whenever God Almighty would grant me a child, you would be the first person I would inform. Now that I have told you, I will inform my father.’”

This was the love and affection people had for him and his love for the Jamaat members. May God Almighty continue to elevate his status, shower His forgiveness on him and grant his loved ones steadfastness and courage to bear this loss. His funeral is present, as mentioned earlier, I will go outside to lead his funeral prayer.

The second funeral prayer is of Chaudhry Abdul Shakur Sahib who was a missionary of the Community. He was the son of Chaudhry Abdul Aziz Sahib Sialkoti. He passed away on 12 April; to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.

He was born on 10 November 1935 and was an Ahmadi from birth. His paternal grandfather pledged allegiance in 1901. Respected Abdul Shakur Sahib completed his FA [Intermediate] examinations, after which he completed his Shahid and Maulvi Fazil and dedicated his life in 1956. Prior to this, he worked in the Railway Division as a typist. In 1962 he passed his Maulvi Fazil examination and in 1963 he graduated from Jamia Ahmadiyya with a Shahid degree. In July 1963, he was appointed in Wakalat-e-Mal Thani after which he had the opportunity to serve in various offices in Rabwah. In 1964, he was sent to Sierra Leone for the propagation of Islam and he served there until 1968. From December 1970 to December 1973 he remained in Ghana. From 1975 to 1978 he served in the Gambia. From February 1980 to April 1986 he served in Liberia. In these countries, the deceased had the opportunity to serve as amir [national president] and missionary in-charge. In 1990, he was appointed as Naib Wakil-ul-Tabshir. In addition to this, he served as Naib Wakil-ul-Mal Thalith, Secretary Committee Abadi and Naib Wakil-ul-Mal Thani. After retirement in 1995, he continued to work until 2004. Owing to pain in his eyes due to glaucoma, he retired in 2004.

His son, Dr Abdul Sabur Sahib, who resides in USA, says, “My father was a very hard working and simple man. I saw him spreading the message of Islam and involved in moral training in Liberia as Amir and missionary in-charge. He would always prepare his sermons diligently using references from the Holy Quran, Ahadith, books of the Community, the Bible etc. He would preach to the Christians and other Muslims with arguments and would always speak politely.” He further writes, “He spent on all our educational needs despite having limited resources and ensured all of us siblings were given an excellent education.”

Mahmud Tahir Sahib, Qaid Amoomi for Ansarullah, Pakistan, writes, “He would always work quietly and without drawing attention to himself and was an influential figure.”

Naib Wakil-ul-Tabshir, Sheikh Harris Sahib, writes, “He had a balanced temperament and had a noble character. He had a meticulous nature and was an extremely loyal and devoted servant of Ahmadiyyat and Khilafat.”

Haider Ali Zafar Sahib, who is currently serving as Naib Ameir of Germany, writes: “Abdul Shakur Sahib possessed many qualities. He was very loyal, had a balanced temperament and hard working. He would always be mindful when spending money of the Jamaat. He was pious and a man of principal. Whilst in Liberia, he managed the bookshop of the Jamaat in a most excellent manner. From the earnings of the book shop, he built a new mosque and accommodation for the missionary. In a small area he built a complex which included a library, a guest room and separate space in the mosque for men and women to offer their prayers. Alongside this there was a residence for the missionary. During the construction he would join in with the workers. Initially, he generated the revenue himself and had the complex built but he also joined in alongside the workers in building the complex as well.”

Haider Ali Sahib further says, “In 1986 when I took charge from him, we held a farewell ceremony. During the ceremony it was mentioned that he worked very hard in order to build the mosque and the mission house. In response to this he said with great humility, ‘The missionary before me had the opportunity to acquire the land and God Almighty granted me the opportunity to see the project to completion. Now you are able to hold various tabligh activities. In short, it is all down to the blessings provided by God Almighty.’”

The deceased was a musi [part of the institution of Al-Wasiyyat]. Aside from his wife, he is survived by two daughters and three sons. May God Almighty elevate his status.

The third funeral in absentia is of respected Muhammad Saleh Muhammad Sahib, who was a Muallim of Waqf-e-Jadid. He passed away according to the will of Allah on 21 April 2019; to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.

His great grandfather was Malik Allah Bakhsh Sahib, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. He witnessed the sign of the solar and lunar eclipse and travelled by foot to Qadian from Lodhran and had the honour of doing the Bai‘at at the hand of the Promised Messiahas. His father, respected Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, was also a Muallim and in fact he was from among the early Muallimeen.

Muhammad Saleh Sahib was born in 1959 and in 1976 applied to enrol in Jamia Ahmadiyya, however his application was unsuccessful as he was past the age set for admission. He then worked in a mill in Kotry. His son writes that our grandfather, Malik Ghulam Muhammad Sahib once went to Kotry to visit him and did not like the atmosphere there. He immediately instructed him to leave the job and to devote his life as a Muallim under the Waqf-e-Jadid scheme. Thus, he left the job and returned. He was already married at the time and was earning 450 rupees from that employment which was a significant amount in those days, however he left and came back and joined the Muallim class. When he qualified as a Muallim, the allowance set by the Jamaat at the time was 135 rupees, however he considered this as a great honour that God Almighty had granted him the opportunity to serve the faith. Thus, initially he was working for worldly gains but then devoted his life and was earning almost a quarter or a third of what he was earning before.

In 1989 he was appointed to Nagarparkar and had to endure very difficult conditions there. His son, who is a missionary, writes, “My mother told me that when they were appointed to the village in Nagarparkar, the Muallim house had been left shut for many years and the house had fallen through. And so, during the day their father would travel quite a distance to bring sand and water and gather it there and then in the night both husband and wife would prepare bricks from it. Once the bricks had dried up, they both constructed their accommodation themselves as there was no place to stay at the time.”

These early Muallimeen in the area of Sindh rendered great sacrifices and endured those conditions. Thus, they first travelled long distances to gather the water and sand, thereafter they would mix it and prepare bricks from it and then they themselves built a room from it for them to live in and did not make any demands from the Jamaat. His son further writes,

“They told me that in Nagarparkar they had no facilities as such since they lived in a remote area. Therefore, when they would come for meetings, they would have to purchase their rations for the entire month and also homeopathy medication and other items. Once, he came to attend the meeting and got lost on his way back. Since the area is dessert terrain, one has to follow the footprints on the ground to determine the way. However, he could not correctly follow the footprints and strayed from the path. It is extremely hot in that area and the water he was carrying with him finished. Owing to extreme thirst and fatigue he became unconscious and fell. He was lying on the floor, when two people riding on camels approached and saw that it was Dr Sahib. Since he administered homeopathy medication to the locals in Nagarparkar, therefore he was referred to as Dr Sahib by the locals. The two individuals who saw him were also his patients and so they gave him some water and took him back to their village. He spent the night there and then the next day took him back to the centre in Nagarparkar.”

His son further writes:

“He always reminded his children to offer their five daily prayers. He regularly offered the Tahajjud prayer and even on the day he passed way, he offered the Tahajjud prayer and also woke my mother to pray as well. He was extremely courteous and showed great love to people. If anyone wronged him, he would bear it with patience and would never respond. He was also very good at making connections with people and was very well-known amongst people. He was very trustworthy and people would trust him with their possessions and leave them with him. If there was any discord amongst the members of the family, he would always seek to reconcile.”

The deceased was a musi and leaves behind his wife, three sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Mubarak Ahmad Munir Sahib is currently serving as a missionary in Burkina Faso and therefore could not go back to Pakistan upon the demise of his father. May God Almighty elevate his station and grant him His mercy and forgiveness. May He also enable his progeny to serve their faith with the same passion and spirit of sacrifice.

The fourth funeral prayer in absentia is of respected Mwishehe Jummah Sahib of Tanzania. He passed away on 13 March; To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. He was born in 1933/34 in Morogoro Region of Tanzania. He joined the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1967. The account of his acceptance to Ahmadiyyat is as follows:

There was a tradition amongst the Sunni Ulema of the area that if a child passed away, they would carry out the Khatam ceremony and also the Aqiqa. However, he was opposed to such traditions such as the Khatam ceremony and also the Aqiqa of a child who had passed away. Some of the Sunni Ulema were of the opinion that the Aqiqa of a new-born, who had recently passed away, ought to be performed as quickly as possible as opposed to performing the Aqiqa of a child still alive, this was so that there could be more opportunities for them to eat. However, Mwishehe Sahib had not come across such an Islamic teaching which supported this practise of the Maulvis and therefore was greatly saddened and appalled at the pitiable state of the Muslims.

He would always pray to God Almighty to send down Jesusas, so that he would once again revive Islam. The missionary in-charge writes that Mwishehe said that when he met the missionary of the area, who at the time was Jamil-ul-Rehman Rafiq Sahib and is currently serving as a Wakil-ul-Ishaat in Pakistan, he informed him of the saying of the Holy Prophetsa in which he said that one who dies without having recognised the Imam of the age, dies a death of ignorance. This led him to reflect upon the fact that he had not accepted the Imam of the Age and therefore was not a true Muslim and so immediately accepted Ahmadiyyat. Thereafter, he went back to his village and gathered everyone and conveyed the message of the Promised Messiahas, including to his siblings, other family members and friends. In that same year, his brother, Idi Salman Sahib, who has passed away now and also Jummah Sahib’s wife, accepted Ahmadiyyat as a result of his tabligh efforts. The deceased had to endure great hostility as well but gradually with time people began to enter the fold of the Jamaat. Now, Ahmadiyyat is also well-established in the neighbouring villages to his village of Mkuyuni.

The missionary in-charge writes that the Mkuyuni Jamaat is one of the most exemplary Jamaats in the Morogoro Region and this Jamaat was established through his efforts. After accepting Ahmadiyyat and right till his demise, his every action demonstrated his deep love for Khilafat. He also showed great respect towards the missionaries and office-bearers of the Jamaat. He strictly followed the Nizam-e-Jamaat. He had great passion for tabligh and would never let any opportunity for tabligh go to waste. He was at the forefront of those who paid their Chanda. In fact, he would always be thinking about giving Chanda whenever he would receive any money. He would often say that this world is temporary and has no value.

He was a musi and would also urge others to join this blessed scheme. He was exemplary in regard to prayers and would offer the five daily players and also urged his children and grandchildren to offer their daily prayers.

He offered the Tahajjud prayer with great passion. He had memorised many prayers of the Holy Prophetsa and had great passion to read the books of the Promised Messiahas. His son, Shamoon Jummah Sahib, who is a teacher at Jamia Ahmadiyya Tanzania, writes, “From 1987 to 1990, all three of us brothers studied in Jamia Ahmadiyya Tanzania (they teach the Mubasher course there). I recall that once during the holidays we decided that one of us brothers would leave Jamia studies and return home and help our parents in their daily chores. When we mentioned this to our father, he was extremely displeased with this.” Shamoon Jummah Sahib writes, “I can never forget that day. My father became very passionate and he told us that we should place our trust in God Almighty and continue with the Jamia studies and to not leave.” 

Thus, he instilled a spirit of serving the Jamaat in all three of his children.

May God Almighty grant him His mercy and forgiveness and elevate his status. May He enable his progeny to also become true servants of Islam. As I mentioned that after the prayers, I shall lead their funeral prayers. The funeral of Malik Akram Sahib is present here and so I will go out of the mosque to lead the funeral prayer and members should remain in the mosque and join the prayer from here.

(Translated by The Review of Religions. Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International, 17 May 2019, pp. 5-9)

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