7 August 1998: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh), while delivering his Friday sermon, directed keeping a Red Book in all of the Jamaat’s administrative offices and at individual levels too, in which all important issues and defects are recorded for future consideration. (Khatbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 17, p. 537)
For more details on this important instruction, see: “The Jalsa Salana Red Book” at alhakam.org (2 August 2019, p. 5).
7 August 2009: During his Friday sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aa) said that an Ahmadi in Multan, Pakistan, 36-year-old Rana Ata-ul-Karim Noon Sahib, was martyred by three people who came into his house and fired at him. He was a musi and had a master’s degree in agriculture.
8 August 1976: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) travelled from Washington, DC, to Toronto. Around 400 people had gathered to welcome Huzoor (rh). This was the first time any Khalifatul Masih had visited Canada. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Part 3, p. 595)
8 August 2014: During his Friday sermon on this day, speaking about the opposition to Ahmadiyyat, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aa) said:
“If we wish to see a change in circumstances and save the Jamaat from these trials, then, as a Jamaat [community], we must prostrate to Allah by purifying our souls for His sake and sincerely and earnestly praying to Him. If we submit to Allah in this manner and this is the state across the Jamaat and our nights are spent in such a way that we pray for the Jamaat, then in a matter of a few days, as a result of a few nights’ prayers, a revolution can be brought about. Otherwise, a revolution shall come and circumstances shall change, but this will take time. It is the Almighty Allah’s promise that circumstances will change, insha-Allah.” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 12, p. 481)
9 August 1887: On this day, the Promised Messiah (as) informed Hazrat Munshi Rustam Ali (ra) through a letter that the proposed shifting of a printing press to Qadian had been cancelled owing to a breach of contract by a certain person. Huzoor (as) was upset at the worldly motivations and inclinations of these people. Huzoor (as) outlined the jeopardy in the state of affairs regarding the printing of books. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, 2008, p. 511)
9 August 1900: Lala Keshudas Sahib, revenue officer (tehsildar) of Batala, visited Qadian in 1899. He visited the Mubarak Mosque and had a sitting with the Promised Messiah (as). The editor of Al Hakam, Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani (ra) took notes of what Huzoor (as) said on this occasion, which were then published in Al Hakam on this day.
For more details on this event, see “Coming from every distant track: Lala Keshudas, Tehsildar of Batala, visits Qadian” at alhakam.org (21 January 2022, pp. 19-20).
10 August 1897: On this day, the Promised Messiah (as) was in Batala for a court hearing at the court of Lt Col Montagu William Douglas. Huzoor (as) reached the courtroom around 8 o’clock. In the aftermath of Jang-e-Muqaddas, this abrupt accusation of attempted murder against the Promised Messiah (as) by the missionary Henry Martyn Clark gained sensation and hype in the press. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, p. 625)
10 August 1924: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) departed from Damascus after blessing this historic capital city with his presence for many days. Huzoor (ra) took the route of Beirut to reach Haifa. From Haifa, Huzoor’s (ra) entourage headed towards Acre so they could acquire firsthand knowledge of this place, which is considered the holiest city and headquarters of the Bahai faith. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 444)
11 August 1999: On the occasion of the solar eclipse on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) led the Kusuf prayer in London. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Vol. 4, p. 900)
11 August 2006: During his Friday sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aa) instructed the Jamaat to pray for his upcoming tour of America and said that in light of events that had transpired at various airports a day earlier (a plot to blow up planes), some members had expressed concern. Huzoor (aa) asked members of the Jamaat to pray and said that all of our affairs depended on prayers. Huzoor (aa) added that if this journey was blessed in the eyes of Allah the Almighty, then He would remove all hurdles. (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 4, pp. 391-398)
12 August 1988: During his Friday sermon on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) warned the opponents of Ahmadiyyat in general and General Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan in particular. Then on 17 August, this military dictator of Pakistan died in an air crash near Bahawalpur, Pakistan. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Part 4, p. 848)
13 August 1897: On this day, Maulvi Muhammad Hussain of Batala, a bitter foe of the Promised Messiah (as) appeared in the court of Lt Col Montagu William Douglas. This renowned Muslim cleric and self-acclaimed “advocate of the Ahl-e-Hadith sect” approached the courtroom to get his statement recorded, which was ironically against the Promised Messiah (as) and in favour of the Christian camp, i.e., Henry Martyn Clark and Abdullah Atham. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, p. 626)
13 August 1961: The Mubarak Mosque in Montagne Blanche, Mauritius, was inaugurated on this day. It was a historic day for the local Jamaat for many reasons, one being that there was already a small mosque built some two decades back on this island, under the supervision of missionary Maulana Fazl Ilahi Bashir Sahib. But sadly, a strong typhoon caused extensive damage to this structure. The devout local Ahmadis planned to rebuild this house of God once again with their limited resources. This beautiful, eye-catching mosque was renovated mostly through rigorous and tireless waqar-e-amal by Jamaat members. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 21, pp. 379-380)