On 19 and 20 December, the humanitarian aid action from Humanity First continued its services in the municipality of Pristina.
This foundation distributed food supplies to 100 families in severe economic conditions during the two days. The cooperation of Humanity First, the municipality of Prishtina and the directorate for social welfare, which is directed by Mrs Valbona Osmani, aid was distributed in several locations of Prishtina such as Kodra e Trimave, Qafë, Bregu i Diellit and Hajvali.
On 19 December, aid was distributed to the Kodra e Trimave neighborhood for 60 families. The joy could be seen on the faces of the families as well as their children.
On 20 December, aid was distributed to the neighborhoods of Qafa, Bregu i Diellit and Hajvali. A family living in difficult conditions in Hajvali heartily thanked Humanity First by saying, “May God reward you as you came to our help in these cold winter and snowy days.”
The food packs included oil, flour, sugar, salt, pasta, rice, soup, tuna and marmalade. What is worth mentioning is that food products were chosen to be all local, so that alongside helping families in need, the Kosovo business market was also given custom.
The representative of Humanity First in Kosovo thanked the municipality of Prishtina and the volunteers who helped in those bitter days for their cooperation and promised that this assistance would continue and would extend to all Kosovo municipalities in the months to come.
On the evening of Saturday, 22 December 2018, as widely reported, a Tsunami swept the Sunda Strait area. It left a huge mark on the area not least because it destroyed houses and hotels, killing many, injuring others with people still missing.
A viral video shows a band performing in the area suddenly being struck by a huge wave and everything being wiped off in just a matter of seconds.
We were part of that scene. On 20 December, along with 200 participants, we travelled to Carita beach to hold a sequence of tarbiyat sessions, named Religious Moral Training Course (KPA) for Atfal, Nasirat, Khuddam and Lajna in Wira Carita Hotel to spend their school holidays.
When the Tsunami struck, we were having a “togetherness” event. This event was deliberately arranged on the last night of the programme and became a farewell night for participants, committees and mentors.
Generally, to make it more impressive, this event is usually set outdoors. However, the plans changed at the last minute and the committee chose the hotel hall for that programme.
It was indeed a blessing of Allah that plans changed to hold the event indoors as we would later realise. We can only imagine what would have happened if the programme had been organised outdoors. Even though our hotel was not affected directly by the Tsunami like other hotels, it certainly brought about an extreme panicked situation due to the chaos that ensued that night.
We were, Alhamdolillah, safe and followed the programme quietly and comfortably, at least until our regional missionary whispered, “Call all missionaries to go out, now!”
With a gesture, we called one another and walked out, while asking ourselves what had happened.
“The Anak Krakatau mountain has erupted. The sea water levels are rising and some buildings along the coastline have been damaged. Pray that the Almighty God protects us!”
Having prayed, we immediately went out of the hall and watched the panic; people crying for help, ambulance sirens and vehicles going back and forth honking one another. This created an even more terrifying image of the situation.
Some of us tried to get close to the road to see the condition of the sea with waves being thrown at the stall we visited in the afternoon.
Whether the aftershocks would cause the ocean waves to reach us was what strongly and quickly haunted our thoughts.
We sought to attempt various options like obtaining valid information and finding evacuation routes. Under Allah’s benign protection and care, we were safe that night.
Morning came, but the anxiety still remained.
On the one side, negotiations with bus drivers seemed really long and arduous. There was no chance of evacuating the participants before midday. The roads were blocked off, covered by debris and fallen buildings. Thinking that the aftershocks were yet to come was their reason for not picking us up from the hotel. Alas, we were isolated and misinformed.
However, the Almighty God was always with us. While hoping for any bus or public transportation to come and take us, He came along with His succour.
At 4:35pm, buses from Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) came in one-by-one to our hotel. On whose instructions they came, we did not know yet. We evacuated with three bus units to Pandenglang Resort Police Office. Our journey felt very special with patrol cars guarding us.
What is good in our sight is not always good in His Sight. What is easy in our sight is not always easy without His blessed intervention.
Our God always has His own ways.
(Translated by Hafizurrahman, Indonesia Correspondent)
The parliament of the world religions is an organisation which was created to “cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities”.
The first Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR) took place in the city of Chicago in 1893 and was attended by almost 7,000 people. Scholars from different religions presented the teachings of their respective faith. Muhammad Alexander Russell Webb represented Islam in the First PWR. He was an Anglo-American who had accepted Islam by reading the works of the Promised Messiahas and through detailed correspondence with him.
The Promised Messiahas had conveyed the message of Islam to many in Europe and America. His message was printed in the Theosophist, a publication of the Theosophical Society, in September of 1886. Being a member of the society, the message also reached Alexander Russell Webb, a journalist with Missouri Republican Party. Mr Webb had been searching for the truth in religion and began correspondence with the Promised Messiahas. He accepted Islam and wrote to the Promised Messiahas in 1887, “It occurred to me that I might, through your aid, assist in spreading the truth here.” (Shahna-e-Haqq, Ruhani Khazain , Vol. 2, pp. 439-443)
After accepting Islam, Muhammad Alexander Russell Webb started preaching the message of Islam in the United States and later in India. In the series of lectures he delivered, one of them, Influence of Islam on Social Conditions, was delivered at the first PWR Conference in 1893.
Alexander Russell Webb
After a break of one hundred years, the PWR resumed in 1993 and was held at its birthplace, Chicago.
Seven PWRs have been held since its inception:
1. 11-16 September 1893 in Chicago, USA with a total attendance of 7,000
2. 28 August-5 September 1993 in Chicago, USA with a total attendance of 8,000
3. 1-8 December 1999 in Cape Town, South Africa with a total attendance of 7,000
4. 7-13 July 2004 in Barcelona, Spain with a total attendance of 9,000
5. 3-9 December 2009 in Melbourne, Australia with an attendance of 6,500
6. 15-19 October 2015 in Salt Lake City, USA with an attendance of 10,359
7. 1-7 November 2018 in Toronto, Canada with a total attendance of 8,000
This year, by the grace of Allah, the 7th conference of Parliament of the World’s Religions was held in Toronto (see www.parliamentofreligions.org). The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Canada was an early supporter of hosting this event in Toronto.
The steering committee of PWR extended a warm invitation to the Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa to speak at the conference as the keynote speaker, stating: “As the leader of a tradition that was faithfully present at the first-ever Parliament in 1893 – and the leader of a faith committed to inclusion and cooperation, ‘Love for All and Hatred for None’ – we believe that you are the perfect person to help us celebrate our history and our future.”
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa sent his regrets for not being able to attend and wished success to the conference.
After receiving this response, the PWR invited the Jamaat in Canada to speak at a separate session of conference. Lal Khan Malik Sahib, Amir Jamaat Canada instructed me as missionary Vaughan Jamaat to speak at this session on the topic of Pathway to Peace, an international campaign being held by the Jamaat.
In this speech, nine fundamentals of peace were presented as explained by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. The session was attended by guests who came from different parts of the world, some from as far as Japan. Hazrat Amirul Momineen’saa book World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace was also introduced during the session. The attendees expressed an appreciation for the Jamaat’s endeavours in trying to achieve world peace.
Since its inception in 1893, this is the first time that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat has participated in a conference organised by PWR. Allah the Exalted granted an opportunity to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Canada to be part of this conference and share the peaceful message of Islam Ahmadiyyat. Alhamdolillah.
A month after the conclusion of the PWR Toronto, Hon Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell hosted a reception in honour of the Steering Committee of PWR. I had the opportunity to attend this reception and, by the grace of Allah, introduced the Hon Lieutenant Governor of Ontario to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and its peaceful endeavours of the Jamaat.
11 January 1899: The Promised Messiahas was again in Gurdaspur for the hearing of his case with Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi. On this day, Hazrat Ahmadas was represented by Mr W Browne, Sheikh Fazl Din Sahib, Sheikh Ali Ahmad Sahib and Khwaja Kamaluddin Sahib. Mr Browne admitted that his client had issued some books and pamphlets. At the end of the hearing, a list of 58 defense witnesses was presented to the court on behalf of Huzooras, but the district magistrate wanted to know the purpose for which each witness was to be produced. Counsels on both sides wanted a postponement at this stage, so the magistrate ordered that the case should be heard at Dhariwal on 27 January.
12 January 1878: The Promised Messiahas had subscribed to the following local papers and read them regularly: Safir of Amritsar; Agni Hotri magazine, Hindu Bandu and Manshur-e-Muhammadi. Hazrat Ahmadas would sometimes send articles to Manshur-e-Muhammadi to be published. On this day, this newspaper published an Urdu poem written by Huzooras from Qadian.
12 January 1889: Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra was born to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas and Hazrat Nusrat Jehan Begumra on this day in Qadian, the same year in which the Promised Messiahas established the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Islam by accepting the allegiance of his disciples. This blessed child was destined to be the promised son, mentioned in scriptures.
12 January 1904: The Promised Messiahas started his journey towards Gurdaspur from Qadian for the court hearing of the case with Karam Din. On 15 January, due to his ill health, he had to apply for sick leave from court, and after approval from the concerned authorities, he immediately commenced his journey back for Qadian.
13 January 1892: An Englishman came to Qadian from Madras and accepted Islam at the hands of the Promised Messiahas. He was the son of a government officer. This was within a year of publication of his book Izala-e-Auham.
15 January 1901: On this day, the Promised Messiahas issued an announcement in which he declared his intention to start a monthly magazine in English to convey the spiritual truth to the English-speaking peoples of the world as revealed to him. Its primary object was stated to be the publishing of his own articles in support of Islam. It was to be edited by Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib and Khwaja Kamaluddin Sahib. This magazine is known today as the Review of Religions.
15 January 1903: The Promised Messiah’sas Arabic book (with Persian translation) Mawahibur-Rahman (Bounty of God) came out on this day from Zia-ul-Islam Press, Qadian.
The editor of an Egyptian journal, Al-Liwa, Mustafa Kamil Pasha criticised the action of the Promised Messiahas in directing his followers not to get themselves inoculated against the plague. The paper argued that such a course of action was against the teachings of the Holy Quran, which says: “And cast not yourselves into ruin with your own hands” (Surah al-Baqarah: V. 196). The attack was made out of sheer ignorance without taking into consideration why the Promised Messiahas had urged his followers against the vaccinations and, therefore, such an attack warranted a full-fledged reply from the Promised Messiahas in Arabic.
15 January 1903: The Promised Messiahas started his famous journey towards Jhelum at 3 o’clock on this day from Qadian. Huzooras travelled to attend a court hearing of a lawsuit by Karam Din, but it gave a blessed and historic opportunity to the countless people, who, otherwise, could not especially travel to see him in Qadian. He reached Lahore through Batala. At the railway stations, throngs of people gathered to welcome him; they asked him questions and enjoyed his company.
Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Kenya successfully completed their national Tarbiyati Class that was held in Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Nairobi Headquarters.
The six-day class began on Monday, 10 December and ended on Sunday, 16 December 2018 and was targeted for both Khuddam and Atfal. Eight out of twelve regions countrywide were represented.
Khuddam were classed into two different classes: basic and advanced classes. Teaching material was from the Mini Qaideen Handbook, a book prepared by MKA Kenya. Topics covered included: nizam (administrative system), introduction to Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, basic guidelines for qaideen, etimad, Shura, talim, tarbiyat, tajnid, finance, tabligh, Atfal, Tahrik-e-Jadid and other departments.
A lot of emphasis was put on prayer and in this regard, all prayers were offered on time, including Tahajud. Both auxiliary groups were given oral and written tests to assess their understanding.
The closing and prize-giving session for the Tarbiyati Class was presided by Amir and Missionary In-charge, Tariq Mahmood Zafar Sahib. In his speech, Amir Sahib repeatedly advised Khuddam and Atfal alike to make good use of social media gadgets to acquire knowledge of Islam Ahmadiyyat. He advised to be constant in writing letters to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa seeking his prayers and to listen to Huzoor’s Friday Sermon and other MTA programmes. A total of 58 Khuddam and Atfal attended the event.
This is the reality of repentance (which has been mentioned above). But why is repentance an integral part of swearing allegiance to a spiritual guide? The fact of the matter is that man is given to negligence. When an individual takes the oath of allegiance at the hand of one upon whom Allah the Exalted has bestowed this transformed state, the same divine grace and light – that exists in this transformed individual – begins to emerge in the individual just as a graft changes the properties of a tree. The condition, however, is that one should possess a true relationship with this person as though they were a branch attached to his very being; not a lifeless branch. The greater a person’s affinity with this spiritual leader, the better.
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p 4)
During the concluding session of Jalsa Salana Qadian 2018, Hazrat Amirul Momineen, may Allah strengthen his hand, stressed the importance of invoking salutations upon the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to end 2018 and begin the new year. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“Spend these last few days reciting Durood and begin the new year with salutations and peace so that we can attain blessings attached to the personage of the Holy Prophetsa as soon as possible.”
Quoting the Promised Messiahas, Huzooraa gave the reason as to why we should recite Durood:
“Look at the truthfulness and purity of our master Hazrat Muhammadsa; he fought every kind of evil, endured continuous anguish and pain, but did not care. It was due to this truthfulness and purity that Allah graced the Holy Prophetsa and said:
“Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.” (Surah al-Ahzab: Ch. 33: V. 57)
The Promised Messiahas has further explained this by saying:
“Allah the Almighty was so pleased with the deeds carried out by the Holy Prophetsa that Allah commanded people to invoke salutations upon the Holy Prophetsa until the end of time as a token of gratitude to the Holy Prophetsa” (Al Hakam, Vol. 7, no. 15, p. 2)
The manner in which Durood should be recited has been explained by the Promised Messiahas in the following words:
“You must not recite Durood Shareef as a mere ritual or habit. It should come from the fountain of love within your heart. For example, do not recite Durood as people do generally, like a parrots. They are not sincere towards the Holy Prophetsa … Before reciting Durood Shareef one must truly believe that there neither was, nor will there ever be – since the beginning of time until the end of time – anybody who is more saturated in the love of the Holy Prophetsa than himself.” (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, 15 April 1883)
Regarding what one should think whilst reciting Durood, the Promised Messiahas said:
“[…] that Allah the most Generous sends His complete blessings upon the Holy Prophetsa, makes him the fountain of blessings for the universe and that He shows the noble character and majesty of the Holy Prophetsa in both this world and the next. This prayer should occur with true fervency, like when one prays to God whilst experiencing a great calamity. Rather, one should recite Durood with greater passion and fervency than this.” (Ibid)
Further the Promised Messiahas states:
“One should not recite Durood whilst thinking of personal benefit; that they will gain blessings or that they will reach a certain rank. The only intention should be that the blessings of Allah descend upon the Holy Prophetsa and that his majesty shines in this world and the next.” (Ibid)
Advising his community, the Promised Messiahas said:
“You should recite Durood with great attention, like one who truly desires blessings for his loved one. In this same passion and sincerity, you should desire blessings for the Holy Prophetsa.” (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 1 p. 25)
4 January 1899: The Promised Messiahas, after the morning prayer on this day, ordered nine of his friends to go to Gurdaspur to attend a court case. Some of them went by rail while Huzooras himself went by palki (palanquin) on the same day. Other friends and followers reached Gurdaspur from Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Lahore, Jammu and Shimla; there were in total about 100 men who offered the morning prayer with him the following day.
5 January 1899: The Promised Messiahas reached the court compound at about 10 o’clock and waited till noon. One of the lawyers could not come that day and at his telegraphic request, the hearing was postponed by the judge Mr JM Dowie to 11 January. Therefore, lunch was served in the court premises and Zuhr and Asr prayers were offered at his residence. The journey back for Qadian began later on the same day.
5 January 1900: On this day, Mirza Imam Din, a cousin of the Promised Messiahas, began to erect a wall with bricks to block the lane which led to Masjid Mubarak from the south. The wall was completed around 7 January. Huzoor’sas visitors and guests were all very much inconvenienced. If they wanted to offer prayers in the mosque or see him, they had to take a long winding way with which they were not familiar. The direct and most frequented way was now completely blocked.
7 January 1938: A sound system was installed for the first time in Masjid Aqsa Qadian. Hazrat-e-Musleh Maudra used this new technology during his Friday Sermon, enabling his voice to echo in all parts of the mosque and its vicinity. On this historic event, he was overwhelmed with joy, and after expressing his gratitude to God Almighty, he predicted the future of the loud speaker and how it would one day serve the cause of Islam – a statement that now seems to be a hint towards MTA International.
The microphone and loudspeaker was considered revolutionary and the Jamaat benefitted from it greatly when it first came about
7 or 8 January 1944: Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra declared that he was indeed the Promised Son whose birth was foretold by God Almighty to the Promised Messiahas. On this day, he was informed by God Almighty in a detailed vision that he was the true fulfilment of the prophecy and that he should inform the world about it.
8 January 1904: The elder brother of Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra reached Qadian. This esteemed guest (senior advisor to the state of Malirkotla) was provided with the opportunity to enjoy the nearness of the Promised Messiahas. He had the opportunity of having a detailed conversation on this day – a Friday – which sometimes would take the form of questions and answers.
10 January 1903: Maulvi Sanaullah of Amritsar reached Qadian. He was a religious scholar and a leading figure within the Ahl-i-Hadith movement. He was also a major antagonist of the Promised Messiahas. He served as the general secretary of Markazi Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith Hind from 1906 to 1947 and was the editor of Ahle Hadees. Contrary to allegations levelled against the Promised Messiahas, this Maulvi not only rejected the challenge of the Promised Messiahas to a mubahillah (prayer duel), but also suggested a principle that liars, deceivers, and disobedient people were granted long lives. Thereupon, God Almighty granted a long life to Maulvi Sanaullah Sahib (1868-1948) according to the principle which he had himself put forward and brought about the death of the Promised Messiahas, thus confirming that according to his own declaration, he was in fact a disorderly and disobedient person, a liar and a deceiver.
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira, Editor Al Hakam (Urdu)
Acknowledgment to the Associates of Al Hakam
By the blessings and benevolence of Allah the Almighty, the 21st volume of Al Hakam begins with the current issue. It would have been the 23rd volume of Al Hakam if there were less hurdles and hardships in its publishing.
All praise be to Allah that in the previous year, Al Hakam continued to publish on standard paper with regularity. Its publishing stopped during the outbreak of influenza, but it was not specific to Al Hakam; many papers were affected by this outbreak.
Al Hakam’s success resulted from the monetary funds and consideration of its associates. I am really thankful to those sincere individuals who paid heed to keep this souvenir of the profound era of the Promised Messiahas alive. I solemnly believe that they will excel in their support and regard this year as well, so that I will be able to publish Al Hakam as an up-to-date weekly issue.
Lastly, everything is dependent on the blessings of Allah the Almighty, so we pray to Him that He grants me and the associates of Al Hakam strength, so that unitedly, through our courage and power, we are able to keep this souvenir of the era of the Promised Messiahas alive.
New Plan for a New Year
By the mercy and blessings of God Almighty, we have seen the completion of another year. On the other hand, we have lost a year of our lives…
The coming year gives us a sign that we are a year closer to death. However, it is a welcoming sign and a meaningful thing if the signal of approaching death awakens us because an awareness of death can serve as a lesson for man to prepare for eternal happiness.
There is no need to revise the whole story of the happenings of the previous year. The concluding days of the previous year were a means of spiritual stimulation and awakening for the Jamaat carried out by the angels. Due to the outbreak of influenza, many intellectual and optimistic youngsters parted us, while many courageous and farsighted elders left us. We are broken-hearted and grief-stricken at their demises, but we are content with the will of Allah the Almighty.
As this is God’s Jamaat, He Himself is its guardian and helper. It is not dependent on any person. The health of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, may Allah strengthen his hand, declined in the previous year and, at times, it so happened that there was a question of life and death!
Owing to the circumstances, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih had to write a will regarding the management and establishment of the Jamaat. By the blessings and benevolence of Allah the Almighty, the health of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih is improving since the concluding days of the previous year and the new year has dawned upon us with high hopes. By the grace of God, the blood-stained climate of the world is being purified. The clouds of bloodshed, killings and the desire for power are disappearing from the horizon of politics. The first dawn of this new year has emerged as a fortunate and peaceful beginning. All praise belongs to Allah who made it happen.
Qadian presents a picture of the sacred land (Mecca) in the last week of December, but this year, Jalsa Salana was postponed due to the Easter holidays. Yet still, many people visited Qadian and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih delivered an important address on the morning of 28 December and gave a Dars-ul-Quran (in-depth explanation of verses of the Holy Quran) on 29December.
Immediately after the beginning of the new year, a scheme of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih was put into practice regarding the management of Jamaat.
(Translated by Al Hakam)
This scheme presented by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra served as a stepping stone to the management of Jamaat. Thus, an outline of the scheme is given below:
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra stated that the Jamaat was progressing by the grace and mercy of Allah the Almighty and its works were expanding as well. So, to fulfill the requirements of the Jamaat, a number of individuals were appointed for different works of the Jamaat and their duty was to perform their assigned tasks with responsibility. The head of the new body of administration was given the title Nazir-e-Ala (Chief Administrator). A Nazir Talif-o-Ishaat (Director of Compilation and Publication) was appointed to look after the works of propagation and Jamaat’s publications. A Nazir Talim-o-Tarbiyat (Director of Education and Edification) was appointed to look after both the religious and worldly education and edification of Jamaat’s individuals. A Nazir Umur-e-Ama (Director of General Affairs) was appointed to look for different ways whereby the Jamaat can progress and to provide assistance to the government whenever necessary. Moreover, he was to motivate the youngsters of Jamaat to opt for those professions which were helpful for both the religious and worldly progress of Jamaat. A Nazir Bait-ul-Mal (Director of Finance) was appointed to manage the collection of Zakat, alms and to look after the accounts, as well as to ponder on fulfilling the financial needs of the Jamaat.
