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100 Years Ago… – Tabligh in the UK

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 Al Fazl, 25 January 1919 

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra

Mail from India

Mail from India is being received here every fifteen days. Letters from India, four bundles of the Review of Religions (English) and Al Fazl of 5-7 October was delivered on 30 November. 

The letters were written between 25 September and 8 October. Hopefully, within a few months, mail will be delivered weekly, Insha-Allah

No wonder mail will be sent and received by air in future. The governments of France and England are having discussions on establishing a system of air mail. Perhaps this system will develop with the passage of time… 

Letter from the Queen

After the announcement of victory (in the first world war), King George V and Queen Mary paid visits around London. Countless people gathered in streets, market places and parks, congratulating the King and Queen with hoorays and cheers. As the city is fairly big, the tour was extended to several days. 

There came a day when the tour reached the place of our residence and by chance, I came to know that the royal entourage was going to pass by Star Street. The street was filled with crowds of men and women. I too stepped out with a small flag in my hand and stood outside my house by the street. I waved the flag as the royal car, which was rather small in height, moved steadily passed me and I greeted members of the entourage with Salam. The Queen and Princess Mary were sitting on the side closest to where I stood. Both of them responded to my Salam with a delight on their faces and kept looking at me till the car passed by. 

The same evening, I wrote a letter to the Queen, congratulating her on the victory and expressing gratitude for accepting my Salam whilst passing by Star Street. Furthermore, after explaining that the Nabiyullah [Prophet of God] Ahmadas had prophesied the war and prayed for Britain’s victory many years ago, a photograph of the Promised Messiahas was sent to the Queen and another one for the exalted King. This photograph was probably taken in 1903 in which this humble one is seated at the feet of the Promised Messiahas

It was a moment of great pleasure that the exalted Queen accepted the two photographs and her private secretary informed me about it in a letter dated 19 November 1918. A copy of this royal letter has been sent to be presented before Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. 

The two photographs that were sent to the Queen had these words written on them: “This is the photograph of the Prophet of Allah, Hazrat Ahmadas who had prophesied the war beforehand and prayed for the victory of Britain.”

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King George V, Queen Mary and children Wiki Commons | The Library of Congress
 

Congratulations to the prime minister

Similarly, a letter expressing congratulations regarding the establishment of peace and the prophecy about the war was sent to the prime minister of the British Empire. A reply of acknowledgement and thanks was received on 18 November. A copy of this letter has been sent to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. 

Edit the Bible

As referred to by The Times, on 6 November 1918, the priest at Zion College, Dean Eli (the priest of the college is called Dean), whilst delivering a speech there stated that some chapters in the Bible ought not to be read out in public until and unless some words were omitted or edited from them. The priest was generally referring to the verses of Psalms, chapters 69, 109 and 137. 

Since verses from the book of Psalms are frequently read out as prayers in churches, therefore the priest was of the view that these phrases should be eliminated from the book of prayers. Some phrases are given below for the knowledge of readers:

Psalms 69:22-28:

It is stated while cursing the enemy:

“May the table set before them become a snare; may it become a retribution and a trap. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever. Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them. May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents. For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt. Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.”

The priest desires to eliminate these words of Psalms from the Bible. However, in the days of war, particularly the war in which both the parties were Christian, is it not true that both sides wanted this kind of destruction for the opposing side as is the purpose of these prayers? Thus, if our enemy deserves to be destroyed like this owing to a worldly dispute, how can it be inappropriate to pray like this for the one who discomforts a prophet of God without any reason? 

Nevertheless, it is more than likely that mistakes occurred in the translation, and the actual phrases of Psalms were altered as the Bible has gone through a series of changes due to which it is not in its actual form, a fact that is acknowledged by Christian scholars as well. 

Psalms 109:6-15:

Another prayer for cursing the enemy is: 

“Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labour. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. May their sins always remain before the Lord, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.”

Psalms 137:8-9:

“O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us – he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.”

اللهم انا نعوذبك من غضبك و سخطك

(O Allah, I seek refuge with You from Your wrath and fury.)

An Arab convert

I happened to come across an Arab scholar here who belongs to Yemen. I presented him several Arabic books of the Promised Messiahas to read and continued preaching over a period of time.

At last, with the blessings of Allah the Almighty, he accepted the true faith. His name is Abdul Rahim bin Qasim. May Allah grant him steadfastness and bring others on the right path through him. Amin. 

His request for Bai‘at has been sent in the mail for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. (It has been delivered – Editor Al Fazl)

Accidents on London roads

London roads are fairly wide. There are separate pathways for cars and pedestrians. Traffic flows smoothly on both sides of roads with dividers in the middle separating the two sides. There are alert policemen where the two roads cross each other. They make sure that vehicles do not crash into each other. 

In spite of all the safety measures, road accidents take an average of two lives per day. The details of the report issued by the commissioner, which have been published in the Daily Telegraph of 26 November 1918, are as follows:

  • In 1914, there were 639 deaths and 25,470 injuries 
  • In 1915, there were 851 deaths and 25,867 injuries 
  • In 1916, there were 833 deaths and 23,091 injuries 
  • In 1917, there were 675 deaths and 18,173 injuries

Tabligh to the allied monarchies and presidents

I deemed it appropriate to write letters of congratulations on the establishment of peace on behalf of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to those monarchies and presidents who were allies of the British Empire in the war and came out victorious in the end. Letters were sent to all of them, along with a copy of the book Tohfat-ul-Mulook (A Gift for the Kings) as a gift. The subject of each letter is almost the same. As a sample, the translation of a letter is as follows:

“To His Majesty, King Albert of Belgium,

“I humbly state that I, being a representative of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya (great numbers of which actively participated in the war) in this city, congratulate His Majesty and the Belgian nation from the depths of my heart on the favourable outcome of this war which was established for the allied forces. Hazrat Nabiyullah Ahmadas, resident of Qadian, India had prophesied about the war in 1905 and prayed for Britain’s victory, which was, in fact, in favour of the allied forces. He was God’s chosen one. His prayers were fulfilled in the court of the Omnipotent God and this establishment of peace has presented another sign of his truth. 

“I humbly present a book, Tohfat-ul-Mulook (A Gift for the Kings) which was written by Hazrat Mahmud, the present leader of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. 

“Yours obediently, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq MR. AS. MSP. FPC. London. Ahmadi Missionary.”

Below is the list of those rulers who have been sent letters possessing similar subjects with the book (Tohfat-ul-Mulook):

  1. His Majesty Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy
  2. His Majesty Albert I, King of Belgium
  3. His Majesty Peter I, King of Serbia 
  4. His Majesty Yoshihito, Emperor of Japan
  5. Mr Raymond Poincare, President of France
  6. Mr Wilson, President of the USA
  7. Dr Machado, President of Portugal
  8. His Majesty Ferdinand I, King of Romania
  9. His Majesty Nicholas, King of Montenegro
  10. His Majesty Alexander, King of Greece 
  11. His Highness Sultan Fawad Pasha of Eygpt
  12. His Majesty King Chao Yu Hua Vajiravudh of Siam
  13. Mr Rodrigues Alves, President of Brazil
  14. Mr Li Yuanhong, President of the Republic of China 
  15. General Mario G Menocal, President of Cuba
  16. Hon Daniel Howard, President of Liberia
  17. Dr Ramon M Valdes, President of Panama
  18. Mr Phillipe Sudre Dartiguenave, President of Haiti 

I am grateful to Allah the Almighty that He bestowed upon me the opportunity to spread the news of the Promised Messiah’s advent along with the book Tohfat-ul-Mulook to the above mentioned 18 rulers.

A letter of acknowledgment has been received from […], the ambassador of Serbia’s King in London. He writes that they are certain that King Peter would take this letter and the book Tohfat-ul-Malook with great consideration. Praise be to Allah the Almighty!

A request for prayers

I request the respected members of the Jamaat to pray that Allah the Almighty covers our weaknesses through His attributes of kindness, mercy, blessings, compassion, sattari (coverer of flaws) and forgiveness. 

May our sins be forgiven. May our mistakes be pardoned. May we fulfill our goals and all our aims be for the pure pleasure of God. 

May Allah the Almighty grant us a devoted, truthful and reformatory group of people. May we become the leaders of righteous. May our flaws and errors be forgiven. 

برحمتك يا ارحم الراحمين۔ اللهم انصر من نصر دين محمد صلي الله عليه وسلم واجعلنا منهم و اخذل من خذل دين محمد صلي الله عليه و آله وسلم ولا تجعلنا منهم۔ آمين

(O Most Merciful, with Your Mercy; O Allah help those who help the religion of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and make me one of them; and humiliate those who humiliate the religion of Muhammadsa and do not make me one of them. Amin.)

Wassalam

Humbly yours

Muhammad Sadiq 

3 December 1918, London

(Members of the Jamaat can assess from the article of Mufti Sahib that, by the grace and mercy of God, the circle of tabligh is rapidly expanding and there is a growing need for further expenses for this purpose.)

(Translated by Al Hakam)

The History of Dar-ul-Qaza in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat

Dar-ul-Qaza, which started its journey 100 years ago in Qadian, has now been established in almost a dozen countries of the world.  

In his book, Silsila-e-Ahmadiyya, after mentioning the formation of various departments by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra to generate ease in administrative affairs within the Jamaat in 1919, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad MAra states that Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra also founded a new organisation of arbitration; that is, he founded an independent department to judge between mutual disputes within the Jamaat in which various people were appointed as adjudicators. 

A bench of judges were appointed above these adjudicators to deliver decisions pertaining to appeals and the final and ultimate appeal would be to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa himself. In these arbitral tribunals, only disputes relating to civilian rights are brought forth, or disputes that are not regarded to be issues that a nation’s law enforcement would be involved in under the law of the respective country.   

The enemies of the Jamaat raised a great hue and cry upon the establishment of Dar-ul-Qaza as if the Jamaat had established a new government within the government and shut the door for people to go to governmental courts.

Through various types of reports, endeavours were made for the government to think ill of the Jamaat. However, those of an understanding nature recognise that this is a profoundly beneficial system, which on one hand violates no law of the state. In fact – as is the purpose of the Panchayati raj (Act) – the government prefers that people decide their affairs amongst themselves. On the other hand, this has emerged as an extremely easy, effective and economical path to resolve internal disputes of members of the Jamaat. 

This department of the Jamaat has two defining features. Firstly, all of the cases in Dar-ul-Qaza are resolved according to the Islamic Shariah. Secondly, no fees are charged from those involved. In fact, every case occurs free of cost and the community bears the expenses as this is the very practise of Islam. 

To stabilise Dar-ul-Qaza on firm foundations after its establishment, in his era of Khilafat, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra listened to disputes in person and penned detailed verdicts, taking out time from his countless engagements. For example, he wrote at one instance alongside his decision, “I have read the record of the case repeatedly and arrived at such a conclusion”. Then, at another instance, he wrote, “I have probed into the record of the case”. 

Where this is evidence of the immense affection and tenderness of heart which a true Khalifa holds for his Jamaat, at the same time it also portrays their great heights of justice and fair play. Similarly, the guidelines he delivered in light of the Quran, Sunnah and the teachings of the Promised Messiahas to furnish justice, can undoubtedly act as a beacon to provide the world with the best judicial system. 

Al Hakam (Urdu) has preserved a statement of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra regarding the system of arbitration, in the issue of 7 January 1919:

“The responsibility of the adjudicators is to deliver verdicts, and of the chief adjudicator is to listen to the appeal. Appeals against all of their decisions can be made to the Khalifa of the time, except those decisions in which the Khalifa is himself belongs to a party. In such a situation, the verdict of the chief adjudicator will be final and decisive.”

He further mentioned: 

“There should be adjudicators situated in different areas who have a link with the chief adjudicator. They will have the power to deliver verdicts in respect to those particular disputes regarding which one does not need to be acquainted with matters related to Shariah or matters in which only simple affairs of the Shariah are needed. They will have to take an exam, having educated themselves of the Islamic methods of presenting witnesses, evidence and of simple religious affairs.” 

Mahasha Khushhal Chand, the editor of the Arya Gazette wrote in an issue dated 19 May 1921, “Ahmadi’s possess their own judiciary and are not required to go to any governmental court for cases”.  

After Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh supervised this department and in 1966, said affectionately:

“In his final few years, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, Khalifatul Masih IIra could not hear the appeals against the decisions of the Qaza board due to his illness. This was why the verdicts of the board used to be decisive, but now appeals in respect to every verdict of the board can be made to me, even if the duration for the appeal has elapsed, of which only I shall make the final decision.”

During the era of the third Khilafat, the launch of Qaza was brought into effect for the first time in the United Kingdom – aside from Qadian and Rabwah – and Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khanra was appointed the first Sadr Qaza Board of the UK. Afterwards, the names of those who served as Sadr Qaza Board are Anwar Kahlon Sahib, Aftab Khan Sahib, Dr Hamidullah Khan Sahib etc. whereas this service is presently entrusted to Dr Zahid Khan Sahib.  

In the era of the fourth Khilafat, Dar-ul-Qaza also gained the attention, affection and guidance of the Khalifa of the time. In this era, Qaza was established in Canada, Denmark, Germany and the USA.

Many people have partaken in serving in Dar-ul-Qaza, preserving its records and conveying the verdicts and instructions of the Khulafa of Ahmadiyyat to the forthcoming generations. A few names shall be presented for prayers.

Maulana Bakhsh Sahib, assistant of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra – He was entrusted with the responsibility of presenting cases. After the hearing of a case, he would present the decision in written form, in light of guidance from Huzoorra. After Huzoorra signed the copy, he would deliver the decision to both parties and send a record to the Qaza department. Huzoorra had also appointed him as a special adjudicator to research into some issues. 

Hazrat Maulvi Sher Alira, Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaqra, Maulvi Fazluddin Sahib, Maulvi Abdur Rahman Jatt Fazil Sahib, Maulvi Jalaluddin Shams Sahib, Mirza Abdul Haq Sahib, Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Sahib, Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad Sahib, Khalil Ahmad Nasir Sahib, Maulvi Abul Ata Sahib Jalandhri, Chaudhry Abdur Rahman Sahib Advocate, Muhammad Ahmed Jalil Sahib, Maulana Nazir Ahmad Mubasher Sahib, Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Mazhar Sahib, Syed Mir Mahmood Ahmad Nasir Sahib, Syed Mir Masud Ahmad Sahib, Syed Qasim Shah Sahib, Syed Qamar Suleiman Sahib, Syed Khalid Ahmed Shah Sahib, Syed Mahmood Ahmed Shah Sahib, Mirza Fazl Ahmad Sahib, Syed Jalid Ahmad Sahib, Syed Mir Mahmood Ahmad Sahib, Maulana Dost Muhammad Shahid Sahib, Munir Ahmad Arif Sahib, Chaudhry Rashiduddin Sahib, Agha Saifullah Sahib, Mirza Khurshid Ahmad Sahib, Quraishi Nur-ul-Haq Tanvir Sahib, Chaudhry Arshad Ahmad Virk Sahib, Waqar Ahmad Khan Sahib, Sardar Muhammad Rana Sahib, Maulvi Tajuddin Sahib and Rashid Ahmed Chughtai Sahib. 

In the present age, on the other hand, Hafiz Rashed Javed Sahib Nazim Dar-ul-Qaza Rabwah, Chaudhry Naseer Ahmad Sahib Naib Nazim Dar-ul-Qaza Rabwah, Danish Ahmad Khan Sahib Naib Nazim Dar-ul-Qaza Rabwah and Malik Naseer Ahmad Azhar Sahib central adjudicator are also gaining the opportunity to partake in this valuable service.

Under the present administrative structure of Dar-ul-Qaza, after the hearing of family and trade disputes respectively by the preliminary adjudicators, higher adjudicators and by the board, the matter is presented to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih. 

In this manner, justice is being delivered to Ahmadis around the world. A brief overview of Dar-ul-Qaza shall now be presented in accordance to countries aside from Pakistan. 

India: After the partition of the continent in 1947, Dar-ul-Qaza Qadian formally commenced their duties once again. The current Nazim is Zainuddin Hamid Sahib who has been appointed since 2007. 

Canada: In 1983, its formal launch was brought into effect. 

USA: Its establishment was in 1984 and the first Sadr of the Qaza board was Sahibzada Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad Sahib. 

Germany: It was formally launched in 1990 and the first Sadr of the Qaza board was Masud Ahmed Dehlvi Sahib. 

Denmark: It was established in 1999. 

Australia: In 2007, its launch was brought into effect. 

Mauritius: It was established in 2013. 

Indonesia: It was launched in 2014. 

The expansion and stability which Dar-ul-Qaza department has gained through the supervision, guidance and attention  of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa and for this organisation to have reached a milestone of 100 years in his blessed era is surely a blessing among the many blessings of this era.  

(Translated by Fateh Alam, UK)

33rd Jalsa Salana Malaysia

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Jariullah Ahmad

Malaysia Correspondent
 

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malaysia successfully held their 33rd Jalsa Salana from 21 to 23 December 2018. The theme was The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa as Rahmatun-lil-Alamin (Mercy for Mankind).

The Jalsa was inaugurated by Amir Jamaate-Ahmadiyya Malaysia, Saripudin Bujing Sahib. During his opening address, he read out a special message and prayer from Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa for the success of this Jalsa.

The total attendance for this year’s Jalsa was 5,084 comprising of guests from Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia and Germany. The continent of Africa was represented by guests from Nigeria and Benin.

The Jalsa was filled with various discourses delivered by missionaries from Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia, all of which increased the spirituality of the participants.

A number of invited guests were also present who were deeply touched by the efforts carried out by the Jamaat to spread the message of love and peace. They were also impressed with the flawless organisation of the Jalsa, the orderly manner of the whole programme as well as the high standard of cleanliness throughout the 3-day event.

Quite a number of the participants were of the view that the standard of Jalsa this year was on par with other countries such as the UK.

Over all the Jalsa was very successful and the guests were all satisfied as was the desire of the Promised Messiahas

Lajna Canada Host Women’s Health Symposium

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Syed Mukarram Nazir, Canada Correspondent

Lajna Imaillah Canada had the privilege of holding the Women’s Health Symposium on Saturday, 12 January 2019, which took place in Aiwan-e-Tahir, on the premises of Baitul Islam Mosque, Toronto.

The event was organised and arranged by the department of Sehat-e-Jismani (physical wellbeing) Canada. 

The organisers started planning the symposium three months in advance by setting up the agenda, topics, layout of the event, gifts and much more.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the programme started at 2:30pm with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Sunbal Mohammad Sahiba. National Secretary Sehat-e-Jismani Shahida Khan Sahiba then delivered the opening address of the symposium. 

The first presentation titled In Harm’s Way was given by Dr Noreen Sohail Sahiba who talked about substance abuse. She explained substance abuse, what legal and illegal drugs are, what are the causes and risks related to substance abuses, how youth are especially vulnerable to it, health issues and complications associated with it, the impact of legalisation of marijuana and how to steer clear from it.

Next on the agenda was an interactive quiz. The main topic was the use of cannabis – its facts, its legalisation, its health effects and various myths and facts related to it. Whoever wanted to participate raised their hands and answered the questions and received small prizes. 

The game was followed by physical exercise which comprised of a small yoga session conducted by Dayna Gallaway and Emma Gallaway, two yoga instructors. They taught various positions and explained that yoga does not have to be a physical process, rather it can also be a mental process during which one relaxes and focuses on breathing.

The second presentation titled Destroy What Destroys You was delivered by Dr Maham Faiez Sahiba in which she talked about addictions. She mentioned the Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa where he is reported to have said: “If a large amount of anything causes intoxication, even a small amount of it is forbidden.” 

Drugs, video games or anything else that becomes a problem should be avoided at all costs, she said. She went on to explain the symptoms of an addiction, how to recognise it in someone, how to help them as a parent and how to get professional help. She concluded her presentation by advising to all that in order to be safe from the ills of society, the first and foremost thing to do is to be patient, pray to Allah the Almighty and attach ones children to the Jamaat and Khilafat.

The last presentation was delivered by Sergeant Alice Tsang from York Regional Police on Social Media and Cyberbullying. She gave an insightful presentation on internet safety and responsibility. 

The concluding remarks were delivered by Sadr Lajna Imaillah Canada Amatul Salam Malik Sahiba. She explained that Islam forbade the use of intoxicants because they have a direct effect on our physical, mental and spiritual health. In order to increase spirituality, we need to keep a close connection with God, His prophets and the Khulafa. 

She further emphasised the importance of building a good relationship with our children and to be good role models for them. In the present day, social media and the internet play a pivotal part in our lives, which is why it is crucial to keep with the times so that parents can better guide their children.

National President Lajna Imaillah Canada then concluded the symposium with dua. 

Participants were then invited to visit various health related booths that were set up. The booths included:

  • Snack booths 
  • Healthy eating education booth 
  • Blood pressure and blood sugar booths 
  • Osteoporosis booth 
  • Addiction education booth 
  • Games booth 
  • Booth dedicated for seniors
  • Marijuana education booth

More than 850 members participated in the event, including eight non-Ahmadi guests. Members were given refreshments at the end of the programme. 

Jalsa Sirat-un-Nabi Nairobi

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Tahir Ahmad

Kenya Correspondent

On Sunday, 13 January 2019, the local chapter of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nairobi held their Jalsa Sirat-un-Nabi at their local mosque in the Nairobi headquarters. 

The event started at 11am with recitation of the Holy Quran by Mualim Nasir Hadji Sahib followed by Khuddam Pledge by Tahir Ahmad Machengo Sahib, Qaid Nairobi Majlis. A qaseeda (Arabic poem) written by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas in praise of Holy Prophet Muhammadsa was recited by Asman Libuyi Sahib and translated into Swahili (the local language).

Qaid Sahib then welcomed members and reminded them to adhere to the pledge of Khuddam and to practice it. 

The first speech for the event was by Athar Ahmad Bhatti sahib titled, The Holy Prophet’ssa Simple Life. This was followed by another qaseeda written by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas in praise of the Holy Prophetsa recited by Shabbir Chanzu Sahib and Asman Libuyi Sahib. 

A second speech by Maulana Sheikh Asif Toheed was delivered on The Holy Prophet’ssa Connection with his Companionsra. The event adjourned with silent prayer by Sheikh Basharat Malik Sahib.

Lajna of Mexico Hold 1st National Ijtema

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Amen Aqeel Haider

Mexico Correspondent

Lajna Imaillah Mexico held their first national Ijtema in Merida on 30 December 2018. 

A total of 68 women and children were present at the Ijtema, and of this number, 90% were Mexican, while the rest included Lajna from Pakistan, Canada, USA and Belize. 

The Ijtema started with the recitation of the Holy Quran and translation of the verses in Spanish. After this, an Urdu poem of the Promised Messiahas was recited and the Spanish translation was presented after. 

Following this, a lecture was given by Amir Sahib Guatemala on the importance of Lajna Imaillah and Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, which was listened to attentively by Lajna through loudspeakers. Therafter, all Lajna members wrote letters to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, and for many of the Lajna, this was the first time they were writing a letter to Huzooraa. These letters will be personally presented to Huzooraa by a missionary of Mexico, Insha-Allah.

Competitions at the Ijtema consisted of tilawat, memorisation of the Quran, memorisation of prayers, speech competition and memorisation of Salat with Spanish translation. 

A total of 28 Mexican Lajna members participated in these competitions for the first time ever. After the completion of the competitions, Zuhr and Asr prayers were offered followed by lunch. 

Before the concluding session, Lajna and children enjoyed extracurricular activities such as Chinese whispers, obstacle race, three-legged race and other recreational activities. 

The Ijtema concluded with an awards ceremony, questions and answers and dua. 

Living with Depression

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Samar Hafeez

Clinical Psychologist and Counsellor

Bangalore, India 

Almost everyone feels down from time to time; getting a bad grade, having an argument with a dear one, not achieving a positive appraisal at work, disagreements with siblings and many other life instances that pose a demand or pressure on you can make you feel sad. 

Most times, these negative thoughts and feelings last for a couple of days and fade away. They usually don’t seem to disrupt or extensively impair your day-to-day activities, and most of us feel fine after we have had a healthy constructive conversation or a good laugh with a family member, colleague or friend. 

However, if you suffer from depression, these negative thoughts and feelings seem to be leeched onto you, sucking the fun out of your life. The negativity does not seem to improve or subside and may carry on for months perhaps years and definitely causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational and other important areas of functioning.

Depression is more than just sadness; it has been called the world’s number one public mental health problem. Some people experience a few symptoms and some experience many. 

The severity of symptoms also vary in individuals over time. Some of these signs and symptoms include feeling a markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities, feeling gloomy, guilty, melancholic, worthless and hopelessness most of the day, almost everyday; negative thinking, significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (i.e. a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), decreased or increased appetite, insomnia (sleeplessness) or hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) nearly every day, psychomotor agitation or retardation (i.e. restlessness or sluggishness), inability to concentrate, recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal ideations, or suicide attempts.

The presence of five or more of the above symptoms over a 2-week period and representing a negative change from previous functioning will indicate the onset of this mental condition.

Depression is a heterogeneous problem which has numerous risk factors including a combination of genetic, environmental and psychosocial factors. It can appear at any age, but the likelihood of onset in adolescence is a lot higher.

Major life changes, trauma, sexual abuse, chronic stress and substance abuse, pregnancy, chronic physical illnesses like cancer, stroke and diabetes can be among causes. For many individuals, life influences and “how” they interpret it appears to be the most important cause. In this article, we will be mainly looking into the cognitive reactions related to depression.

 

You feel the way you think

Depression is an illness that mostly results from thoughts that are distorted subsequently in some way and every bad feeling is the result of negative thinking. Illogical pessimistic attitudes play a central role in the development and continuation of all depressive symptoms. 

Over 30 years of research confirms that people with depression tend to have more negative thoughts leading to being depressed. These thoughts are the most frequently overlooked symptoms of depression. These cognitions contain the key to relief and are therefore the most important symptom.

Emotions and actions result entirely from the way you interpret things. It is an obvious neurological fact that before you can experience any event, you must process it with your mind and give it a meaning, before you can feel or react to it.

The following is list of some cognitive distortions (ways in which our mind convinces us of something that is not really true) that form the basis of our depressive state:

  1. All-or-nothing thinking: In this cognitive distortion, we see things in black or white categories. For instance, if your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure. There is no middle ground in this type of thinking
  2. Overgeneralisation: In this mind trap, you see a single negative event as a never ending pattern of defeat
  3. Mental filter: You pick out a single negative detail about an issue or situation and dwell on it
  4. Disqualifying the positive: You don’t believe in positive experiences and insist that they “don’t count” for some reason or the other
  5. Jumping to conclusions: Without definite facts that convincingly support ones conclusion, you jump to negative conclusions
  6. Magnification (catastrophising) and minimisation: Also called “binocular trick” because you are either exaggerating things or belittling them. It usually occurs when you look into your own imperfections and mistakes and exaggerate their importance and minimise your good points 
  7. Emotional reasoning: You assume that if you are feeling negative, then that must be the way things are: “I feel it, therefore it must be true.” One usual side-effect of emotional reasoning is procrastination
  8. “Should” statements: You try to motivate yourself by telling yourself you should be doing something, but overtime these statements can cause you to feel pressured and demotivated
  9. Labelling and mislabelling: This is a more serious form of overgeneralisation. When making a mistake, you attach a negative label to yourself, such as feeling like “a loser”. This is similar when someone else upsets or annoys you and then you attach a negative label to them
  10. Personalisation: This is when you start to blame yourself for everything and take responsibility of others’ mistakes and failures, when there is no absolute need to

Treatments

For milder forms of depression, I would request the reader to mindfully and thoughtfully identify their thoughts and respective feelings and reactions. Jot down these thoughts in a diary, using a “triple column technique”. In the left column, write down the negative thoughts that drift in your mind; in the middle column, identify your distortions and in the right hand column, write down more realistic interpretations or rational responses to the specific distortions.

This daily written exercise will accelerate your personal growth and shall hopefully provide some substantial emotional relief.

Also try practicing meditation, which in the best form would be spiritual closeness to God Almighty through offering the daily prayers (Salat) with sincerity and hope. Spiritually inclined individuals forgive and forget any negative or cruel event quickly, thereby saving themselves from chronic stress, which can be one of the causes of depression.

It is very important and crucial that you practice positive self-talk daily and surround yourself with people who encourage and motivate you.

Keeping a gratitude journal or a record of all positive, rewarding and pleasant experiences of life can help. Reading or recalling it every night before going to bed can increase thankfulness and joy.

Including moderate exercises at least six days a week has a great positive and beneficial affect in mental health. Exploring nature and getting some fresh air often can feel rewarding. Do what you like to do more often and try to get more sunshine as production of vitamin D in the body reduces depressive symptoms.

Do not isolate yourself for long periods and do activities that make you feel better.

When depression is moderate to severe, it can be crippling and can seize your ability to think and reason clearly. In these cases I would recommend you see a mental healthcare professional for an entire mental status examination as soon as possible. 

Fortunately, you don’t have to live with depression; you can always show it a way out. Even the most severe cases are treatable with help from medications and psychotherapy.

If you know anyone with depression, please offer emotional support which involves patience, understanding, affection, empathy and encouragement. Engage the depressed person in conversation and listen carefully. Invite him or her for walks or outings. Do not ignore signs of depressions; if a person engages in any suicidal ideations or attempts, immediately seek help on behalf of that person.

The most crucial thing is to offer hope! This eradicates almost every existing problem.

(Please always consult a doctor or specialist to diagnose health conditions and follow the advised plan of a qualified doctor.)

MKA Nigeria Arranges Peace Event

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Saheed Aribisala

MKA Nigeria

Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria, Ondo District organised a youth peace symposium and an awards ceremony on 7 January 2019. 

The symposium, with the theme Peaceful Coexistence: A Veritable Tool for Economic and Social-Cultural Development, was held at the Adegbemile Cultural Centre in Akure, Ondo State.

The guest lecturer, Mualim Muhammad Waiz Apooyin in his lecture condemned the pitiable condition of society in relation to the disunity, nepotistic rivalry, sociocultural enmity and lack of peaceful coexistence among the culturally diverse and multi-ethnic Nigerian society. However, he urged policymakers and most importantly all Nigerians at large to foster the much-craved national cohesion which would usher peaceful coexistence and ultimately culminate into a glorious economic and sociocultural development.

Ondo State Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Infrastructure Engineering Aminu Abdul Rahman thanked the members of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya for the award and stressed his administration’s commitment to the welfare of the Muslim community in the state. He noted that a large number of people in the state were Muslims and therefore enjoined their continuous support for his administration.

Highlights of the event included a presentation of awards to Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Nigeria Saeed Aina, Executive Governor of Ondo State Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and former Qaideen in the state Uthman Malik and Mushood Jimoh who contributed immensely to the development of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya activities in the state.

New Year’s Reception by Jamaat Belgium

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Mohammad Arsalan Ahmad

Belgium Correspondent

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Turnhout in Belgium had the opportunity to organise a new year’s reception on 12 January 2019.

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The programme started at 4pm. The first half an hour was dedicated to touring the exhibition about Quran, Islam and Ahmadiyyat. At 4:30pm, the programme started with the recitation of the Holy Quran and Dutch translation, after which Mr Nazeem Vandenbroucke delivered a welcome speech and thanked all the guests. 

 

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The first speech of the event was delivered by the Mayor of Kasterlee, Mr Ward Kennes. He expressed his gratitude towards the Jamaat and its work for humanity. 

The second speech was delivered by the regional missionary, Tauseef Ahmad Sahib on the introduction of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and its humanitarian services in 2018. 

The final speech was delivered by the ex-mayor of Kasterlee, Mr Francis Stijn, in which he lauded the Jamaat’s efforts. At the end of the programme, a documentry was shown to guests on the Ahmadiyya Community.

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To conclude the programme, a group of Atfal recited the national anthem, something that was highly appreciated by the guests. The event concluded with dua by Belgium’s missionary in-charge. 

42 guests and 52 members of the Jamaat participated in the event. May Allah enable us to propagate the true message of Islam. 

Men of Excellence 

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Friday Sermon

28 December 2018

Men of Excellence 

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

The first of the Companionsra that took part in the Battle of Badr whom I shall mention today is Hazrat Abdullahra bin Al Rabee Al Ansari. Hazrat Abdullahra bin Al Rabee belonged to the Banu Abjar clan of the Khazraj tribe. His mother’s name was Fatimah bint Amr. He participated in the second Bai‘at [oath of initiation] that took place at Aqabah. He also had the honour of participating in the battles of Badr, Uhud and Mautah. He attained martyrdom during the Battle of Mautah. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 407, Abdullah bin Al Rabee’, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Tarikh Medina wa Dimashq, Vol. 2, p. 11, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 1995)

The second companion is Hazrat Atiyyahra bin Nuwairah. He participated in the Battle of Badr and this is the only information that is found regarding him. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 45, Atiyyah bin Nuwairahra, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Next is Hazrat Sahlra bin Qais. His mother’s name was Nailah bint Salaamah. He was the cousin of the famous poet, Hazrat Ka‘bra bin Malik, from his father’s side. Sahl participated in the Battles of Badr and Uhud and was martyred during the Battle of Uhud. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 436, Sahl bin Qaisra, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Each year, the Holy Prophetsa used to visit the graves of those martyred during the Battle of Uhud. When he would enter that particular valley, he would loudly say:

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَي الدَّار

(This is a verse from Surah ar-Ra‘d, however the verse in the Holy Quran begins with the words سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ [Surah ar-Ra‘d: V.25] instead of اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ )

It means, “Peace be unto you, because you were steadfast…”” 

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَي الدَّار

“…how excellent is the reward of the final Abode!”

After the Holy Prophet’ssa demise, Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Usmanra continued this practise. Also, whenever Hazrat Mu‘awiyahra, used to come for Hajj or Umrah, he also would visit the graves of those martyred during the Battle of Uhud. The Holy Prophetsa used to say:

لَيْتَ اَنِّيْ غُوْدِرْتُ مَعَ اَصْحَابِ الْجَبَل

“How I wish I was with the people of the mount!” In other words, he wished that he had also attained martyrdom on that day. Similarly, whenever Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqasra used to go to his estates in Ghaabah, a village located to the northwest of Medina, he would also visit the graves of those martyred during the Battle of Uhud. He used to convey to them the greetings of Salaam [peace] three times. Then he used to turn to his companions and say, “Will you not convey Salaam to those who would reply to your Salaam? Whoever conveys Salaam to them, they will reply to his Salaam on the Day of Judgement.”

Once, the Holy Prophetsa passed by the grave of Hazrat Mus‘abra bin Umair. He stopped by it, prayed there and recited the following verse:

مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوْا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللّٰهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ قَضٰى نَحْبَهٗ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ يَّنْتَظِرُ۔ وَمَا بَدَّلُوْا تَبْدِيْلًا

“Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with Allah” [Al-Ahzab:24]

مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوْا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللّٰهَ عَلَيْه 

“There are some of them who have fulfilled their vow, and some who still wait, and they have not changed their condition in the least.”

The Holy Prophetsa then said:

“I bear witness that they will be considered martyrs by Allah on the Day of Judgement. You should visit them and send your greetings of peace to them. I swear by the Being in Whose hands is my life, whoever sends their greetings of peace to them will receive an answer from them on the day of Judgement.”

The Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa used to come here, pray for them and send their salutations of peace. (Kitab-ul-Maghzai, Vol. 1, p. 267, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2004)

The sisters of Hazrat Sahlra bin Qais, Hazrat Sukhtahra and Hazrat Umrahra, also accepted the Holy Prophetsa and were blessed to pledge allegiance to him. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 8, p. 301, Sukhtah bint Qais& Umrah bint Qais, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

The next companion is Hazrat Abdullahra bin Humayyir Al-Ashja‘i. He belonged to the tribe of Banu Duhman, who had a treaty with the Ansar. He participated in the Battle of Badr alongside his brother, Hazrat Kharijah. He also participated in the battle of Uhud. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, pp. 218-219, Abdullah bin Humayyir, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

His wife’s name was Hazrat Umm-e-Thabit bin Harithara and she also accepted the Holy Prophetsa. (Al-Asaba, Vol. 8, p. 366, Umm-e-Thabit bin Harithara, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)

Hazrat Abdullahra bin Humayyir was among the few companions who stood resolutely on the mount alongside Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubair on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud. When the other companionsra witnessed the scenes of victory and started to descend [from the mount] in order to join the rest of the army, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Humayyir stood up in order to advise them. He first praised God Almighty and then advised them to obey God and the Holy Prophetsa. However, they did not listen to him and descended from there. Along with Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubair, no more than ten companions remained on the mount. Meanwhile, Khalid bin Walid and Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl saw the mount empty and attacked the remaining companionsra. This small group fired arrows at them, but eventually they got them and martyred all of them in an instant. (Imta-ul-Isma, Vol. 9, p. 229, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1999)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra Sahib has written about this incident of Uhud in further detail in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin [The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa]:

“Putting his trust in God, the Holy Prophetsa marched forward and set up camp on a plain at the foot of mount Uhud, in such a manner that the mountain range fell behind the Muslims, and Medina was positioned in front of them, as it were. In this manner, the Holy Prophetsa managed to secure the rear of the army. There was a mountain pass in the valley to the rear from where an attack could be made. Thus, the plan which was devised by the Holy Prophetsa in order to secure it was that he positioned fifty archers from among his Companions at this location under the command of Abdullah bin Jubairra, and emphatically instructed them not to leave this place under any circumstances, and that they should continue to shower the enemy with arrows. The Holy Prophetsa was so greatly concerned for the security of this mountain pass that he repeatedly instructed Abdullah bin Jubairra:

“‘Look here, this mountain pass should not be left empty under any circumstances. Even if you see that we have become victorious, and the enemy has fled in defeat, do not leave this place; and if you see that the Muslims have been defeated, and the enemy has prevailed upon us, do not move from this place.’

“This instruction was so emphatic that in one narration, the following words have been related:

“‘Even if you see that vultures are tearing away at our remains, do not budge from this place until you receive an order to leave’,” (i.e. an order from the Holy Prophetsa).

“In this manner, after completely fortifying his rear, the Holy Prophetsa began to arrange the Muslim army in battle array, and appointed separate commanders for the various sections of the army.

“When the companions of Abdullah bin Jubairra saw that victory had been secured, they said to their Amir, Abdullah, ‘Now victory has been secured and the Muslims are collecting spoils of war. Permit us to join the army as well.’ Abdullahra restrained them and reminded them of the strict order of the Holy Prophetsa, but they were becoming heedless in the joy of victory, and therefore, did not abstain, and left their positions saying, ‘All that the Holy Prophetsa inferred was that the mountain pass should not be left empty until security fully prevailed, and now that victory has been clinched, there is nothing wrong with proceeding forward.’ Hence, except for Abdullah bin Jubairra and five or seven companions, there remained no one to secure the mountain pass. When the sharp eye of Khalid bin Walid caught sight of the mountain pass from afar, he found it to be an empty field, upon which he quickly gathered his riders and immediately proceeded towards it. Behind him, Ikramah bin Abu Jahl also followed suit with whatever was left of the detachment, and quickly reached there. Both of these detachments instantly martyred Abdullah bin Jubairra and the few companions which stood by his side and suddenly attacked the Muslim army from the rear.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra Sahib, pp. 487-488, 491)

The next companion is Hazrat Ubaidra bin Aus Ansari, son of Aus bin Malik. Hazrat Ubaid bin Aus participated in the Battle of Badr. He captured Hazrat Aqeel bin Abi Talib during the battle of Badr. Similarly, it is said that he also captured Hazrat Abbasra and Hazrat Naufalra. When he presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa with all three of them tied up in ropes, the Holy Prophetsa said:

لَقَدْ اَعَانَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَلَكٌ كَرِيْمٌ

That is, “Surely, an honourable angel has assisted you in this matter.” Owing to this incident, the Holy Prophetsa granted him the title of muqarrin i.e. the one who shackles others. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, pp. 528-229, Ubaidra bin Aus, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

In another narration it is mentioned that Hazrat Abul Yasar Ka‘b bin Amrra was the one to capture Hazrat Abbasra during the Battle of Badr. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 6, pp. 326-327, Abul Yasar, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

Hazrat Ubaidra bin Aus married Hazrat Umaimahra bint Al-Nu‘man. Hazrat Umaimahra also accepted the Holy Prophetsa and was blessed to take pledge initiation to him. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 8, p. 257, Umaimahra bint Al-Nu’man, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Now, I will mention about Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubair, who was previously mentioned in relation to another companion. He was among the seventy Ansar, who participated in the second pledge of initiation at Aqabah. He participated in the battles of Badr and Uhud and was martyred during the Battle of Uhud. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 362, Abdullahra bin Jubair, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Abul Aasra, who was the husband of Hazrat Zainabra – daughter of the Holy Prophetsa – participated in the Battle of Badr with the idolaters and Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubair captured him.

Mentioning the details of this incident, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra Sahib has written in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin [The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa]:

In the Battle of Badr, when Abul Aas, the son-in-law of the Holy Prophetsa, was captured, his wife, in other words, Zainabra, the daughter of the Holy Prophetsa, who still resided in Mecca, sent some of her possessions as a ransom, which included a necklace. This was the same necklace which Hazrat Khadijahra gave to Zainabra in her bride’s paraphernalia. When the Holy Prophetsa saw this necklace, he was reminded of the late Khadijahra and his eyes filled with tears. The Holy Prophetsa said to his companions, “If you wish, return the reminiscence of Khadijahra to her daughter.” They needed a single indication, and the necklace was immediately returned. Instead of taking a ransom in the form of money and commodities, the Holy Prophetsa made deal with Abul Aas to go to Mecca and send Zainabra to Medina. In this manner, a believing soul was freed from the abode of disbelief. A short while later, Abul Aas also became a Muslim and migrated to Medina and in this manner, the husband and wife were reunited.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra Sahib, p. 368)

During the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubair as the leader of the fifty archers who were appointed to protect the pass located behind the Muslims. The details have already been mentioned with regard to the account of Abdullahra bin Humayyir. However, some additional details written by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra Sahib are as follows:

“Putting his trust in God, the Holy Prophetsa marched forward and set up camp on a plain at the foot of mount Uhud, in such a manner that the mountain range fell behind the Muslims, and Medina was positioned in front of them, as it were. In this manner, the Holy Prophetsa managed to secure the rear side of the army… Thus, the plan which was devised by the Holy Prophetsa was to position fifty archers from among his Companions at this location under the command of Abdullah bin Jubairra, and emphatically instructed them not to leave this place under any circumstances, and that they should continue to shower the enemy with arrows.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra Sahib, p. 487)

As mentioned earlier, the Holy Prophetsa was so greatly concerned for the security of this mountain pass that he repeatedly instructed Abdullah bin Jubairra:

“Look here, this mountain pass should not be left empty under any circumstances. Even if you see that we have become victorious, and the enemy has fled in defeat, do not leave this place; and if you see that the Muslims have been defeated, and the enemy has prevailed upon us, even then do not move from this place.”

Hazrat Baraara bin Aazib relates:

“During one of the days of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubair to command over the 50 foot soldiers. He told them emphatically:

“‘Even if you see that vultures are tearing away at our remains, do not move from this place until you receive an order from me. Even if you see us defeating the enemy and they begin fleeing, you must not leave this post until I command to do so.’

“Thus the Muslims defeated the enemy and drove them away.”

Hazrat Baraara further states:

“By God, I witnessed the disbelieving women holding up their clothes whilst fleeing (in those days women would also accompany the men in battle to motivate them) to the extent that their anklets and calves were laid bare.”

“Whilst witnessing this, the companions of Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubair said, ‘Let us go and collect the spoils of war. Our comrades have been victorious so what are you waiting for?’ Hazrat Abdullahra bin Jubair then said, ‘Have you forgotten the instructions given to us by the Holy Prophetsa?’ Those who wished to leave their position replied, ‘By God, we too will go to our companions and partake of the spoils of war. They are taking the loot so we shall take it too.’ When they reached there, they were made to turn back, and they came running back as they had experienced defeat. That is to say that the enemy launched an attack once again and what looked to be a victory turned into the opposite.”

Hazrat Baraara relates, “It was this incident regarding which God Almighty stated, ‘When the Messenger was calling out to you from your rear.’” This is a verse from Surah Aal-e-Imran [of the Holy Quran]. “Only twelve Companionsra remained alongside the Holy Prophetsa and the disbelievers had martyred seventy of our men. During the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions had taken 140 of the disbelieving men – 70 were captured and 70 were killed.

“Abu Sufyan exclaimed thrice,” the incident of Uhud is being narrated, “‘Is Muhammad still alive among them?’ The Holy Prophetsa did not permit the Companionsra to reply to this. When Abu Sufyan saw that the defeat of the disbelievers had turned into victory and that they had subdued the Muslims after relaunching an attack, this was when he said, ‘Is Muhammad still alive among them?’ The Holy Prophetsa stopped the Companionsra from responding. He then asked three times, ‘Is the son of Abu Quhafah, i.e. Hazrat Abu Bakrra alive among them?’ He then asked three times, ‘Is Ibn Khattab, i.e. Hazrat Umarra alive among them?’

“Thereafter, he returned to his confederates. The Holy Prophetsa prohibited them from answering on all three occasions. When Abu Sufyan had returned to his cohorts, he said that these three could have been their leaders and had now been killed. When Hazrat Umarra heard this, he was unable to control himself and proclaimed, ‘O enemy of God! By God you have lied. Those who you have named are all alive. Much still remains of that which is unpleasant to you.’ Abu Sufyan responded by saying, ‘This battle serves as revenge for the Battle of Badr and war is like a pendulum; sometimes victory is yours and sometimes it is ours. You will find among the dead some who have had their noses and ears cut off (i.e. they were mutilated).’ He then said, ‘I did not order for this to happen, but I also do not deem it wrong.’ Abu Sufyan proceeded enthusiastically to recite the words,

 اُعْلُ هُبَل اُعْلُ هُبَل

‘Long live Hubul, long live Hubul!’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Will you not reply to this?’ The Companionsra asked, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, what shall we say in reply?’ The Holy Prophetsa answered, ‘Say اَللّٰهُ اَعْليٰ وَاَجَلُّ’  that is to say, ‘Allah is the Highest and Most Glorious’. Abu Sufyan then said, ‘Our god Uzza is with us and you have no Uzza.’ On hearing this, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Will you not respond to this?’”

Hazrat Baraa bin Aazib states, “The Companions asked, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, what shall we say in response?’ He then stated, اَللهُ مَوْلَانَا وَلَا مَوْليٰ لَكُمْ That is,‘Allah is our Helper and you have no helper.’” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Jihad Wa Al-Sair, Hadith no. 3039)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has also written concerning this incident in great detail and has shed light upon the Battle of Uhud. He states:

“Those Muslims who made a ring round the Prophetsa but were driven back, ran forward again as soon as they saw the enemy withdrawing. They lifted the Prophet’ssa body from among the dead. Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarahra caught between his teeth the rings which had sunk into the Prophet’ssa cheeks and pulled them out, losing two teeth in the attempt. After a little while, the Prophetsa returned to consciousness. The guards who surrounded him sent out messengers to tell Muslims to assemble again. A disrupted force began to assemble. They escorted the Prophetsa to the foot of the hill. Abu Sufyan, the enemy commander, seeing these Muslim remnants, cried aloud, ‘We have killed Muhammadsa.’ The Prophetsa heard the boastful cry but forbade the Muslims to answer, lest the enemy should know the truth and attack again and the exhausted and badly-wounded Muslims should have again to fight this savage horde. Not receiving a reply from the Muslims, Abu Sufyan became certain the Prophetsa was dead. He followed his first cry by a second and said, ‘We have also killed Abu Bakrra.’ The Prophetsa forbade Abu Bakrra to make any reply. Abu Sufyan followed by a third, and said, ‘We have also killed Umarra.’ The Prophetsa forbade Umarra also to reply. Upon this, Abu Sufyan cried that they had killed all three. Now Umar could not contain himself and cried, ‘We are all alive and, with God’s grace, ready to fight you and break your heads.’ Abu Sufyan raised the national cry:

اُعْلُ هُبَل۔ اُعْلُ هُبَل

That is, ‘Glory to Hubal. Glory to Hubal. For Hubal has put an end to Islam.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes:

“The Prophetsa could not bear this boast against the One and Only God, Allah, for Whom he and the Muslims were prepared to sacrifice their all. He had refused to correct a declaration of his own death. He had refused to correct a declaration of the death of Abu Bakrra and of Umarra for strategic reasons. Only the remnants of his small force had been left. The enemy forces were large and buoyant. But now the enemy had insulted Allah. The Prophetsa could not stand such an insult. His became restless and passionately looked at the Muslims who surrounded him and said, ‘Why do you stand silently and make no reply to this insult to Allah, the Only God?’ The Muslims asked, ‘What shall we say, O Prophetsa?’ ‘Say:

اَللّٰهُ اَعْليٰ وَاَجَلُّ اَللهُ اَعْليٰ وَاَجَلُّ

“Allah alone is Great and Mighty. Allah alone is Great and Mighty. He alone is High and Honoured. He alone is High and Honoured.”’ This is how he informed the enemy that he was still alive.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes: 

“The Muslims shouted accordingly. This cry stupefied the enemy. They stood chagrined at the thought that the Prophetsa after all had not died. Before them stood a handful of Muslims, wounded and exhausted. To finish them was easy enough. But they dared not attack again. Content with the sort of victory they had won, they returned making a great show of rejoicing. (Debacha Tafsirul Quran, Anwarul Ulum, Vol 20, pp. 252-253)

Whilst explaining a verse of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes:

فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُوْنَ عَنْ أَمْرِهٖ أَنْ تُصِيْبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيْبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Meaning, ‘So let those who go against His command beware lest a trial afflict them, or a grievous punishment overtake them.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says: 

“Observe how much loss the Islamic army had to suffer due to the violation of this commandment. The Holy Prophetsa had appointed fifty soldiers for the security of a mountain pass. This mountain pass was so crucial that the Holy Prophetsa called for the leading officer, Abdullah bin Jubairra Ansari and instructed him: ‘Whether we die or we are victorious, you should not abandon this mountain pass.’ However, when the disbelievers were defeated and the Muslims began to chase them away, the soldiers on duty at the mountain pass said to their leader, ‘We have become victorious now and it seems pointless to remain here. Please grant us permission to partake of the Jihad and attain the blessings.’ Their leader advised them against this and stated, ‘Look! Do not disobey the orders of the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa had instructed us not to abandon this mountain pass, whether the Muslims army is triumphant or is defeated. Hence, I cannot grant you permission to leave.’ They responded: ‘The Holy Prophetsa did not mean that we should not move from this location even at the time of victory. His intention was to advise us. What purpose are we serving by staying here now that we have become victorious?’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further says: 

“They gave precedence to their own judgment over the commandment of the Messengersa of God and abandoned the mountain pass. Only their leader, (Abdullahra bin Jubair) and a few others stayed there. When the army of the disbelievers retreated, Khalid bin Walid turned around and observed that the mountain pass was unoccupied. He called upon Amr bin Al Aas. Both of them had not yet accepted Islam at the time. Khalid bin Walid said to him: ‘Look! What an excellent opportunity lies before us. Let us turn back around and attack the Muslims.’

“Hence, both these generals rearranged their troops who were fleeing the battlefield and ran around the Muslim army and climbed onto the mountain. The few Muslims that were present there could not withstand this attack and were killed. The enemy attacked the Muslim army from the rear. This attack by the disbelievers was so unexpected that the Muslims, who had dispersed whilst celebrating victory, could not hold their ground. Only a few Companionsra, twenty at most, were able to gather around the Holy Prophetsa. How long could these few men contend with the enemy? Eventually, the Muslim soldiers were pushed back due the large number of disbelievers and the Holy Prophetsa was left all alone in the battlefield. It was at this time that a stone hit his helmet causing the nails to pierce his head, rendering him unconscious, and he fell in a ditch. “As it has been mentioned already that a companion took the nails out and lost his teeth in the process as well.

“This ditch had been dug by certain mischievous individuals who had covered it up in order to cause harm to the Muslim army.” They dug out a ditch and covered it with grass and sward and so no one could tell there was a ditch and the Holy Prophetsa fell inside it. “Thereafter, a few more Companions were martyred and their bodies fell on top of the blessed body of the Holy Prophetsa. As a result, news spread amongst the people that the Holy Prophetsa was martyred. However, the Companions who were pushed back due to the heavy onslaught of the Kuffar, immediately came around the Holy Prophetsa when the Kuffar moved back. They took the Holy Prophetsa out of the ditch and after a short while, the Holy Prophetsa regained consciousness and ordered for soldiers to run around the outskirts of the battlefield in order to regroup the Muslims, the Holy Prophetsa then led them into the valley of a mountain.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra draws the following conclusion from this incident – and this is something that one should pay close heed to. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:

“The reason why the Muslim army had to endure a momentary loss after their victory was because a few individuals disobeyed a commandment of the Holy Prophetsa and took their own initiative instead of adhering to the Holy Prophet’ssa instruction. However, if they followed the Holy Prophetsa just like the pulse follows the heart; if they believed that a single commandment of the Holy Prophetsa was more important than even if the entire world was to sacrifice their lives; and if they had not used their own initiative and thereby had not left the mount regarding which the Holy Prophetsa had instructed them to not leave irrespective of whether they were in a state of victory or defeat, then the enemy would not have had the opportunity to attack again and nor the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions would have suffered any loss.”

Musleh-ud-Din Shambour Sahib, a missionary serving in Canada writes: “After listening to the sermons of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, Nadir Al-Husni Sahib would print the sermon and then read it again, after which he would store it in a file. At home, he recorded the Arabic books of the Promised Messiahas and the ten-volume Arabic translation of At-Tafseer Al-Kabir in his voice. Then during his journey to and from Jumuah, he would listen to them, or he would listen to tilawat [recitation of the Holy Quran], the Darsul Quran of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh that are being shown on MTA and he would keep them with him.” He then says: “I stayed at his house on many occasions. Approximately an hour and a half or two hours prior to the Fajr prayers, I would hear him crying and lamenting in his Tahajud prayers. When he would turn on the television, he would only watch MTA or the news. On one occasion, MTA was not showing on his television. He immediately sent a message for it to be fixed, saying it would be difficult to survive without it.” 

Shambour Sahib has also written that “during the prayers he would recite the prayer: 

 اَللّٰهُمَّ اَتْمِمْ عَلَيْنَا نِعْمَةَ الْخِلَافَةِ

Meaning, “O Allah! Enable us to derive the utmost blessings from Khilafat” and whenever he recited this prayer he would begin to cry. He said that he had witnessed this on many occasions.

May God Almighty elevate the status of the deceased and may He enable his wife and children to perform the Bai‘at of the Promised Messiahas. May God accept all his supplications that he offered for them.

(Translated by the Review of Religions)