Opponents level an allegation against the Promised Messiahas asserting that his instruction to his community not take the inoculation for the plague, prescribed by the British government, was not from divine command. Rather, they allege, the Promised Messiahas was simply not convinced by the efficacy of the inoculation and therefore stopped his community from taking it.
Further, they question why the Promised Messiahas prescribed other medicines to treat the plague, if medicine against the plague had been altogether prohibited by God?
For every age, the most obedient person of God Almighty is the prophet of the time. It is he who displays the proper manner and balance between trust in God and using worldly means. Despite divine promises, the prophet applies all possible means that humans require until God Himself, to display a sign, commands the prophet to stop using worldly means.
“For him (the Messenger) is a succession [of angels] before him and behind him; they guard him by the command of Allah.” (Surah ar-Ra‘d, ch.13: v.12)
The Holy Prophetsa still equipped himself with two sets of armour during the Battle of Badr and during the Battle of Ahzab planned for his own personal security. Was the Holy Prophetsa in need of this armour or the security of his companions for his protection? Certainly not. However, respecting the laws of nature, he made such arrangements.
In the same vein, the plague was manifested as a sign for the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas, however, where the Promised Messiahas drew the attention of mankind towards seeking forgiveness, he also recommended various medicines for the plague, yet emphasised that the true remedy was istighfar (seeking forgiveness). It is totally incorrect and absurd that opponents assert that the Promised Messiahas stopped his community from inoculation against the plague because he was not convinced of its efficacy.
This allegation is irrational because in 1902, when another fierce and extremely destructive breakout of the plague became manifest across India, the Promised Messiahas categorically acknowledged the effectiveness of the inoculation against the Plague, prescribed by the British government. He said:
“There can be no doubt that until now, inoculation is by far the best physical remedy that the government has found, and there is no denying that this remedy has proven to be effective.” (Noah’s Ark, p.2)
During the fierce outbreak of the plague, Allah the Almighty revealed to the Promised Messiahas: ِ
اِنِّی أُحَافِظُ کُلَّ مَنْ فِی الدَّارِ
“I shall protect all those in [thy] house.”
Also:
وَأُحَافِظُکَ خَاصَّۃً
“And I shall protect you especially”
Regarding these promises by Allah, the Promised Messiahas wrote:
“Allah the Almighty was aware that the plague would spread within this country [India] and to an extent, Qadian would also not be safeguarded from it. It is for this reason, 23 years ago from today, [Allah] said that the person who enters this mosque and this house i.e. with sincerity and faith, would be protected from it. Accordingly, addressing me, Allah has recently revealed:
This means, ‘I [Allah] will protect every person from death by the plague who resides in your house, apart from those who grow in arrogance. And I shall protect you especially. May peace be upon you from the Lord of Mercy.’” (Nuzul-ul-Masih, p. 23)
In the footnote of page 67 in the book Nuzul-ul-Masih, the Promised Messiahas wrote, “Today, 26 July 1902”.
This means that the revelations written on page 23 of Nuzul-ul-Masih were revealed in either June or July. After these divine declarations of protection, the Promised Messiahas realised that if he or his followers took the inoculation, it could make the divine promise of protection seem ambiguous and unclear for people.
The Promised Messiahas believed that though he was to be protected anyway, people would still attribute his protection from the plague to the inoculation and not the promise of God. For this reason, the Promised Messiahas wrote the following to the British government in his book Noah’s Ark:
“This notwithstanding, we must say to this kind government with all due respect that had there not been a heavenly prohibition for us, we would have been the first among its subjects to be inoculated. The heavenly prohibition is that God in this age desires to show a heavenly sign of His mercy to mankind. Addressing me, He said: ‘You and those who dwell within the four walls of your house; those who unconditionally follow you and are obedient to you, and who on account of true righteousness have become devoted to you, shall all be safeguarded against the plague. This will be a sign of God in the Latter Days so that He might demonstrate a distinction between people. But those who do not follow you completely are not of you. Be not anxious on their account.’ This is a divine directive, on account of which I, myself and all those who dwell within the four walls of my house have no need to be inoculated. For as I have mentioned, God – Who is the Lord of heaven and earth, and beyond Whose knowledge and power there is nothing – revealed to me long ago that He would save everyone who lives inside the four walls of this house from death by the plague, provided he gives up all antagonism and enters into the allegiance of Bai‘at in all sincerity, submission and humility. He must not be arrogant, wilful, proud, heedless or vain towards God’s commands and His appointed one, and his conduct ought to be in conformity with my teachings.” (Noah’s Ark, pp.2-3)
He further wrote:
“I consider it a sin to throw doubt on this sign by recourse to inoculation, for it is a sign which God, for our sake, wishes to demonstrate clearly in the world. I dare not demean His true sign and His true promise by resorting to inoculation. If I did, I would be accountable for the sin of not believing in the promise that God has given to me. If I were to benefit from inoculation, then I should be grateful to the doctor who invented the vaccine and not to God Who promised me that He would protect everyone dwelling in this house.” (Noah’s Ark, p.5)
He then said:
“It should also be kept in mind that on account of this divine promise, it is necessary for me to eschew any human contingencies, lest our enemies attribute this divine sign to other agencies. However, in addition to this, should God Almighty Himself disclose any other means or remedy to me through His word, then such means or remedy would not contravene this sign, for they emanate from God who has manifested this sign.” (Noah’s Ark, p.8)
The Promised Messiahas first mentioned the prohibition of the inoculation in the opening pages of Noah’s Ark. These pages were first published on 24 September 1902 in Al Hakam and were later republished in book form on 5 October 1902.
Many weeks later, the Promised Messiahas had mentioned some drawbacks and negative effects of the inoculation. Thus, if these drawbacks that the Promised Messiahas had mentioned were prior to the above revelations and the initial pages of Noah’s Ark that were published in Al Hakam, then this allegation (that the Promised Messiahas supposedly stopped his community from being inoculated after witnessing its ineffectiveness) would stand some ground.
The fact that the Promised Messiahas published his view regarding the inefficacy of the inoculation many weeks after publishing his revelations of divine protections dismisses any allegation that the reason the Promised Messiahas stopped his community from being inoculated because he witnessed the ineffectiveness of the inoculation, not because of divine command.
Another allegation levelled against the Promised Messiahas is that he prophesied an outbreak of plague on 6 February 1898 and claimed that the outbreak would occur within the next two winters. However, the plague started within that very year and began killing people across Punjab, therefore the outbreak was well before any winter, apparently disproving the prophecy of the Promised Messiahas.
Opponents who have raised this allegation do not present the original writing of the Promised Messiahas where he wrote this. For our readers, the original extract is presented:
“Today, Monday, 6 February 1898, I saw the angels of God planting black trees across areas of Punjab. The trees were extremely ugly, dark, terrifying and short in length. I enquired from some of those who were planting them, saying, ‘What are these trees?’ In reply, they said that these were the trees for the plague, which would soon spread across the country. I am somewhat unclear whether he said this disease would spread fiercely in the coming winter [this year] or the next winter [next year].”
In Punjab, the months of December, January and February are the winter months. The opponents who have raised this allegation claim that the plague spread within that very year, thus (God forbid) the dream of Promised Messiahas proved to be false.
One should realise that this dream was shown in February 1898 and it indicated that the plague was soon going to spread in the country. The opponents also ignored that the angels mentioned that it would spread in the coming winter or the following winter.
6 February 1898 (when the revelation took place) to 6 February 1899 is the first year and the plague had begun by December 1898, proving the dream of the Promised Messiahas to be true. Those who raise this allegation purposefully do not mention the whole original text of the Promised Messiahas and try to deceive their listeners. This allegation holds no ground and the allegation itself actually consolidates the dream and prophecy of the Promised Messiahas.
(Research conducted by a panel of scholars at the Research Cell, Rabwah. Translated by Ataul Fatir Tahir, London.)
Sunday, 25 August 2019 was a very joyful day for the Ahmadiyya Jamaat here as we were invited to a young Catholics’ event, held in Christ Raja Baciro Catholic Church in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
The Jamaat put up a book stall, exhibiting the Holy Quran in different languages and Islamic literature. This was a good opportunity for us to explain the true teachings of Islam to participants.
Khuddam also took part in the Catholic event. We were entrusted to sing the national anthem of Indonesia and to recite a nazm, which attracted a lot of people’s attention.
We are hopeful that our participation in this event may, Insha-Allah, be a means of tabligh to introduce to people the true Islam.
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Allah
the Almighty has once again granted us the opportunity to participate in Jalsa
Salana [Annual Convention] UK. The Jalsa Salana in Germany took place last
month, and annual conventions of various other large Jamaats in the West such
as Canada (which was held on the same dates as Jalsa Germany) and Jalsa Salana
USA was also held last month. Many other Annual Conventions also took place
around the world in which we continue to witness how God Almighty is gloriously
fulfilling His promise of divine help and succour granted to the Promised
Messiahas.
The Jalsa Salana UK is unique in that
people from around the world, members of our community and the non-Ahmadis
alike, have their sights set particularly on this event. The Jalsa Salana UK is
not only limited to the UK, rather it has become an international Jalsa.
Although I recently mentioned that the
Jalsa Salana of Germany has also become an international Jalsa as many
countries are represented there and they may even have a higher attendance than
the Jalsa Salana in the UK, nonetheless Jalsa Salana UK is the central Jalsa.
Moreover, people make an even greater effort to attend the Jalsa UK as the
headquarters of Khilafat are established here.
Therefore, in this regard, members of
the community and non-Ahmadis from around the world, endeavour to participate
in this Jalsa. Likewise, the responsibilities of the volunteers serving at the
Jalsa also greatly increases, and in order to setup what is almost a temporary
city requires even more attention from us in relation to its arrangements.
Thus, as is the case that I remind the volunteers of their duties and responsibilities,
I will say something with regard to this first.
By the grace of Allah the Almighty,
since the headquarters of Khilafat moved to the UK 35 years ago and the Jalsa
is being held in its presence, members of the UK Jamaat, including the elderly,
children and ladies, have been participating in the Jalsa arrangements and have
been happily fulfilling their duties.
Indeed, the history of the UK Jalsa
Salana is much longer than 35 years, however, the attendance of the Jalsa
Salana held during those years was probably less than the monthly meetings of a
local Jamaat today. It is for this reason that I made reference to its history
of the last 35 years because it is since then that the Jalsa Salana UK is being
held with the headquarters of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya also in the UK.
In the early years of Jalsa Salana,
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh would grant extensive guidance for the
arrangements of Jalsa. He spent great effort to teach the members in relation
to the organisation of Jalsa. They received assistance from certain
office-bearers from Pakistan who then worked alongside the administration here.
The Langar [dining] arrangement is a
huge operation. The resources and facilities here are unlike what is available
in Pakistan. Hence, during those times it was difficult to make arrangements
for even 4,000 to 5,000 people and was as if they were catering for 200,000 to
250,000.
After Khilafat migrated to the UK, the
first UK Jalsa I attended was in 1988. At the time, after observing the
condition of the management, one could see the great strain it had on them to
make arrangements for even 5,000 to 6,000 people. However, today we can observe
that in terms of Jalsa arrangements, the volunteers here are perhaps capable
enough to help those working in Rabwah.
Last week, at the dinner with the volunteers of the Jalsa after the Jalsa Inspection, nazir umur-e-kharijah [director for external affairs, Pakistan], who is also the naib afsar Jalsa
Salana [Pakistan] and is visiting from Rabwah, was also sitting nearby. After
dinner, I saw him call another member of the delegation from Rabwah, who he
started conversing with.
I enquired as to what the issue was and
he said, “The roti from langar that we are eating right now is of great
quality. The test runs carried out in Rabwah to make the rotis…” By the Grace
of Allah Almighty, they consistently organise temporary tests of the roti plant
for a few days at a time to maintain the machines and to remain accustomed to
performing their duties. In any case, he said, “Our roti is not up to the
standard of the roti here. So, I was asking this worker to enquire about the
details of the roti made here from the roti plant management. To also find out
how it is made and the ratio of water and flour used. The ratio of water to
flour is a very important factor and so I asked him to obtain their
recipe.”
Thus, by the grace of Allah the
Almighty, our workers here have become such experts after having acquired so
much experience that their roti is appreciated even by the officials of Rabwah.
This year, the young engineers working at the
roti plant have made specific improvements to the flour kneading machine which
has made the flour extraction process even more effective. The person in charge
of the roti plant and the young engineer, who is also a waqif-e-nau, and their
team is now working to make further improvements to ensure that the flour moves
from the kneading machine to the cooking machine directly instead of the
current practice of having the workers carry the flour in buckets and deliver
it physically and this particular hurdle of the process will no longer be
required.
However, it does not mean that we will
deprive the workers of serving because of this automatic machine, rather, God
willing, these workers will be assigned to roles where they can serve in an
even better manner. In fact, this is a distinctive feature of the Jamaat that
from childhood to senior age, our workers strive to perform any duty with
utmost joy, to the best of their abilities.
In any case, the reason I mentioned this
is because there was a time when it was challenging for the management to
provide food for 4,000 to 5,000 people. During those times, ninety per cent of
the roti was purchased from an outside vendor. A small second-hand roti plant
was installed, but even that would constantly break down. It required constant
attention of the engineers.
Our senior engineers of the Jamaat spent
a lot of time working on this. Even then, this old plant would only produce a
few thousand rotis, which were not round and were of the same shape as the pita
breads. Now, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, they produce hundreds of
thousands of rotis themselves in order to serve 35,000 to 40,000 attendees.
People also appreciate its quality and I
also regularly assess the quality of this roti and indeed, it is far better
than the rotis which were produced previously. May Allah Almighty further
increase the skills of the youngsters who are carrying out this work. May He
also grant them the wisdom and further increase their capacity to do this work
so that they can serve the guests of Jalsa more than ever before.
Similarly, the Langar teams, under the
supervisor of their respective team leaders, are working tirelessly and
passionately to cook the food. The quality of food has also improved
significantly. May Allah enable them to maintain this standard during the three
days of Jalsa.
Within the Langar Khana department,
there is a team washing the large metal cooking pots. This is also a huge task.
A few years ago, they were provided with machines produced in Germany by Ahmadi
engineers to wash these large pots. The German Ahmadis really like these
machines and they work really well for them. They are convinced that these
machines wash the big pots and clean them at a very fast pace.
Here in the UK, our team used it for a
few years and continued to wash the pots with their own hands as well. They
continued to use the machines upon my instructions, but last year they very
pleadingly requested me to allow them to wash the pots with their own hands.
They stated that it would take them less time to do so; in fact, they said that
they could wash them three times faster if they did it by hand. Meaning that
the time it takes for the machine to wash one pot, they can wash three pots and
they said that they are able to clean the pots even better than the machine. I
said to the person in charge in a light-hearted manner that it seems he has
Jinns on his team who are able to clean so quickly because the German Ahmadis
are not ready to admit that any person can wash these big pots in such a short
time.
Nevertheless, they are working extremely
hard in this department. Their task is not only tough and time consuming; in
fact, it is very laborious. In Qadian and Pakistan, this type of work is
carried out by hiring labourers, but in this country, these volunteers are
working with utmost sincerity and passion.
Then there is the department of serving
food. They have also made efforts to make improvements by increasing the size
of the marquees in which food is served so that they can serve the guests food
more comfortably and in less time.
Then among other departments, there is
the department of cleanliness and hygiene, car parking, traffic etc. Also,
there are various departments within the Jalsa Gah. The security is also a very
huge and important department.
Similarly, there are numerous other
departments and each every one of them is important in its own right. There are
thousands of volunteers who are being enabled with the opportunity to serve in
all these various departments.
Similarly, there are many female
volunteers also who have also been granted the opportunity to serve. May Allah
the Almighty give them the opportunity to serve their duties in the best manner
possible.
I usually advise all the workers that
since they have offered themselves to serve the guests of the Promised Messiahas
with such determination and passion that it is now their duty to maintain this
standard right till the end of the Jalsa.
There is also the windup department
which works for approximately one week after the conclusion of Jalsa. The smile
on your faces and your respectful and courteous conduct towards the guests of
the Promised Messiahas will testify to the fact that you have
continued to maintain the passion to serve them.
Both, the male and female workers alike,
who are serving the guests of the Jalsa in various departments, should always
bear in mind that they are attaining twice as much reward – firstly, the reward
of attending the Jalsa and attaining its blessings and secondly, by attaining
the blessings of serving the guests of the Promised Messiahas.
Indeed, Allah the Almighty also likes
the act of serving others in a hospitable manner. In fact, He finds this act so commendable
that He has mentioned it twice in the Holy Quran with reference
to Prophet Abrahamas. If presenting food to guests was not such a
significant act, then it would not have been mentioned every time the account
of the arrival of guests was mentioned. It mentions that after greeting them
with the prayer of Salaam [peace], the very first thing Prophet Abarahamas
did was to present a roasted calf-meat. Allah the Almighty states:
فَمَا لَبِثَ أَنْ جَاءَ بِعِجْلٍ حَنِيذٍ
“and was not long in bringing a roasted
calf..” (Surah Hud: 70)
He afforded them with whatever hospitality
that was possible in that era. To slaughter his animal and to present it before
his guests was indeed a very hospitable act and animals were easily available
in that time. Therefore, he extended to them the best possible hospitality.
Thus, we should also extend our hospitality according to the standards of today
and treat our guests in the same manner.
It is not necessary that one must go out
and search for a calf. Rather, one ought to do whatever can be acquired easily
and quickly. In those times, slaughtering a calf was both easily and quickly
accessible as well as the highest standard of hospitality of that time, and
this is what we should also do.
With regard to this, the excellent example
of the Holy Prophetsa is before us. If dates were easily available,
he would offer them; if meat or some other exquisite food was available, he
would offer that; if only goat milk was available, he would offer that. If the
Holy Prophetsa had no food of his own to offer, he would tell his
Companions to take the guest to their homes and host them.
The three things which the Holy Prophetsa
enjoined upon those who believe in Allah and the Last Day are all in relation
to fulfilling the rights of one another and establishing the peace of society.
The first thing is to either speak a good word or remain silent. Do not stir
disaccord by uttering meaningless things. Do not create conflict between one
another. A believer does not utter unseemly and inconsequential speech.
The second thing is to honour one’s
neighbour for neighbours possess a great right to be entitled to respect and care.
Those participating in the Jalsa here today are also each other’s neighbours,
the arriving guests, the workers and the volunteers serving the guests. For
this reason, the guests should also treat those serving them with dignity and
respect, and workers should also be mindful about treating the guests with
honour and esteem. Moreover, when they meet one another, they ought to meet
with mutual respect.
And the third thing that the Holy Prophetsa
told us was to honour one’s guest. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Iman, Hadith
no. 47)
Now, this is something especially
important for the hosts. It is fundamental for establishing a beautiful and
peaceful society.
They are the commandments of Allah the
Almighty and the hallmark of a true believer. When the Holy Prophetsa
had a large number of guests, he would distribute them among the Companionsra
and would later enquire from the guests, “Did your brothers entertain you in a
becoming manner?”
Indeed, the Companionsra had
received their spiritual and moral training directly from the company of Holy
Prophetsa; they partook directly from his spiritual grace. They
would take such excellent care of these guests that the guests would answer the
Holy Prophetsa saying, “Our hosts took greater care of us than
themselves and gave us better food to eat than that which they themselves ate.”
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 5, p. 357, Hadith no. 15644,
Alim-ul-Kutb, Beirut, 1998)
So, this was the manner of hospitality of
the Holy Prophet’ssa Companionsra. The guests in the time
of the Holy Prophetsa would come in pursuit of religious knowledge,
and those coming here are also coming for the same purpose. We also have been
appointed to especially extend our hospitality to those who have come purely
for participating in this spiritual gathering at the invitation of the Promised
Messiahas.
Through His grace, God Almighty has
greatly blessed and increased the means of the Jamaat and the hospitality is
now organised under the system of the Jamaat. In fact, there is even permission
and a system in place for some of those hosting guests in their homes to come
and take home food from the Langar of the Promised Messiahas, that
is if they wish to take it home, they can.
However, the circumstances of the
Companionsra were not such that there could have been a centralised
system in place. Moreover, the personal circumstances of many of these
Companions were not very good either. In fact, we find instances where they put
their own children to sleep hungry and both husband and wife also remained
hungry so that whatever meagre food they had, they served to the guests. God
Almighty then greatly lauded this action of theirs and was well-pleased. And it
is found in narrations that God Almighty also informed the Holy Prophetsa
about this particular incident. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab
Munaqib-ul-Ansar, Hadith no. 3798)
Hence, those people whose examples we are
commanded to adopt would extend hospitality by making sacrifices. And today,
there are many people in the Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas who
host guests with a spirit of sacrifice, and this is exactly what we should do.
In spite of the available Jamaat
resources, some people still seek to personally host guests. Whatever service
the workers on duty have been assigned – not just some, but each and every one
of them – workers should render hospitality with the spirit of sacrifice while
observing the highest morals as well.
As I mentioned that the sacrifice that is
being asked of us today is not of hunger, rather, in this day and age, the
sacrifice that is being asked of us, and the one that the volunteers are
making, is of time.
Moreover, a sacrifice of personal emotions
is also required. At times, guests end up behaving inappropriately, so in such
a case, one must sacrifice one’s emotions, be patient and keep silent.
The reason for keeping silent is that one
should think positively about these guests, that they have come to sincerely
quench their religious and spiritual thirst. Perhaps they have demonstrated
such excessive behaviour as a result of some misunderstanding. This is why one
should simply apologise, and even if they are not at fault, they should look
after their needs. These are the lofty morals which one ought to show to their
guests in this era and this is what the Promised Messiahas desires
from us in this day and age.
There are numerous accounts of the
Promised Messiahas which demonstrate the excellent standard of his
heartfelt care and hospitality toward guests.
Once, some guests who had arrived from a
far-off place became upset and turned back on account of some Langar workers
refusing to remove their bags for them. When the Promised Messiahas
found out, his condition became such, it is said, that he could hardly put on
his shoes – as though in a state of pandemonium – and he hurriedly followed
them on foot.
These people were travelling by a horse
carriage. Anyhow, when they saw that the Promised Messiahas is
approaching, they stopped the carriage and got off of it. The Promised Messiahas
apologised to them and asked them to come back with him. He then turned their
carriage around. The guests also felt embarrassed and did not ride on the
carriage and instead walked alongside the carriage as well. When they finally
returned back to the Langar area, the Promised Messiahas personally
extended his hand toward their luggage to begin removing it, and the Khuddam,
who were already embarrassed, leapt forward immediately and took down the
guests’ luggage. The Promised Messiahas remained there until
satisfactory arrangements were made for their lodging and food. (Seerat-ul-Mahdi,
Vol. 2, pt. 4, pp. 56-57, narration no. 1069)
On one occasion, the Promised Messiahas
stated to the workers, “Many people will end up coming, some of whom you
recognise while others you may not. This is why it is fitting that you serve
and care for them, deeming all of them worthy of respect.” He went on to say,
“I trust that you shall make ease for the guests.”(Malfuzat, Vol. 6, p.
226)
Hence, we must uphold this trust even
today.
After this, I also wish to say something
to the guests. Firstly, as I mentioned before, taking good care of each other’s
emotions is the duty of everyone – the guests, as well as the hosts. Where
Islam commands us to respect and honour our guest, it also instructs the guest
not to be a great burden upon the host.
The Holy Prophetsa stated that
overstaying a visit to someone’s house and thereby becoming a burden upon them
is just like one who takes from Sadqa [charity]. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Adab,
Hadith no. 6135)
Not everyone enjoys circumstances that
allow for them to extend the same level of hospitality from beginning to end,
so the guest is also instructed to take care of the hosts.
If the stay is extended, then live in the
house as though the other residents of the home live. If any need arises to
help the dwellers of the house with their domestic and household chores, then
that should be done as well – especially in these countries.
Generally, people do this, and this is
what is needed for a beautiful society to emerge. When one ends up feeling like
his guest is a burden upon him, feelings of love and sincerity wane. And when
these feelings lessen, the situation does not remain peaceful. Hence, the guest
should also bear in mind that it is a guest’s responsibility to discharge all
of their obligations.
If hospitality is the right of a guest,
that he be taken care of, then the host also has a right that the guest fulfils
his right and not become a burden upon him.
The Holy Prophetsa has
established this right of the guest for only a few days. However, I would like
to also point out for the administration that the guests who have come to our
Jalsa, even if they end up staying for a month, they should be extended
hospitality. Do not take away from this that after only three or four days, we
will stop entertaining the guests. The Promised Messiahas has deemed
the establishment of the Langar as one of the five branches of his central
work. (Haqiqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, p. 221)
Hence, whenever the guests of the Promised
Messiahas arrive, not just in the days of Jalsa, but in regular days
as well, they should be treated in the best manner.
Then, a commandment with regards to
establishing a beautiful society, and something which the guests should
especially act upon, especially in this Jalsa environment, is exchanging
greetings of peace. The Holy Prophetsa has also, while listing the
characteristics of those who would be admitted into paradise, mentioned that
they spread greetings of peace. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Iman, Hadith no.
54)
In fact, the Holy Prophetsa
instructed that whether you know someone or not, extend them the greetings of
peace. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Iman, Hadith no. 28)
Also, among the objectives for the Jalsa,
the Promised Messiahas stated that it is so that people should
gather and thereby, a relationship of love and mutual understanding be
established. (Aasamani Faisla, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 4, p. 352)
Hence, Salaam is an excellent means of
increasing this love and the opportunity to become acquainted with one another.
And this also has the additional benefit that it will remove any rancour that
people harbour about one another.
Those who have come here have done so
exclusively for the sake of Allah, and this is the mentality with which one
should come. Their purpose is for Allah alone.
They have come to quench their thirst for
religious, secular and spiritual knowledge and to attain them, and as I have
mentioned, this is what the true purpose must be. Therefore, every one of them
must strengthen their mutual bonds and make exerted efforts to remove whatever
malice and aversion they may harbour for one another.
The Promised Messiahas stated
that by attending the Jalsa, one must also try to attain the goal of
“extinguishing their love for the world and let their love for the Holy Prophetsa
become dominant in their hearts.” (Aasmani Faisla, Ruhani Khazain, Vol.
4, p. 351)
Hence, in order to attain this love, you
should pay special attention to participating and listening to the Jalsa programme,
pondering over them during the Jalsa, busying yourselves in the remembrance of
Allah at all times, paying special heed to offering the daily prayers in
congregation and to pay special focus to offering the voluntary and Tahajud
prayers.
Those who are staying here must continue
their efforts to build an even purer atmosphere and to improve themselves.
Those who come from morning to evening also have the duty of fulfilling this
objective and the purpose of the Jalsa, which is to strive to attain nearness
to God Almighty and to increase in one’s love for the Holy Prophetsa.
This indeed is a tremendous task, which
the Promised Messiahas has assigned to us, i.e. to have the love of
God Almighty and His Messengersa prevail over our hearts.
If the attendees of the Jalsa have this
purpose in mind and make full efforts to attain it, then it can be said that
they have truly fulfilled their objective, and the purpose of attending the
Jalsa and other matters such as accommodation and food will be given secondary
importance.
They will deem the true purpose as to
improve their spiritual state as much as possible and to advance in it. As I
have mentioned that once this is achieved, they will have truly attained the
purpose of attending the Jalsa.
Similarly, in terms of administration, the
guests should bear in mind that there are always shortcomings with temporary
and large-scale management. If one happens to see such shortcomings, he should
overlook them.
I have instructed the workers that if they
are faced with any hostility from anyone, they should tolerate it. But it is
also the duty of the guests and attendees to overlook the weaknesses and
shortcomings, and if they do witness any, they should assist the workers.
I have seen that some guests very
passionately act as the hosts and help out when needed. For example, when it
comes to the cleanliness of the washrooms, those on duty may not always be able
to fully arrange for the cleanliness due to the rush, so some guests themselves
help those on duty and this is the zeal which should be present in every
Ahmadi. This is the true spirit which will establish a pure atmosphere.
Guests should not waste their time in
merely testing the workers, and as I have said, they should assist in every
department if need be. Likewise, at times, there may be a rush in the parking
department. In such circumstances, those coming in their cars must fully
cooperate with the workers with great patience and forbearance.
At times, complaints are received from
both women and men that attendees do not fully cooperate. Similarly, there are
often queues on the internal routes where there are the scanning departments
etc. where one must demonstrate patience. But sometimes the atmosphere is
disturbed due to a handful of people. In such circumstances, each and every
person must display complete patience. There is no harm if it takes a little
longer than usual, as this queue allows for better flow [of traffic].
I always say that those sitting in the
Jalsa Gah during the proceedings must always keep an eye out on their
surroundings. Likewise, whilst up and about, you should be aware of your
surroundings.
In terms of security, you should try your
best to follow the instructions of the administration and the most important
thing is to continue praying for the success of the Jalsa, to be able to fulfil
the purpose of the Jalsa and to remain safe from the evil of those who cause
mischief.
The jealousy of those who envy the
progress of the Jamaat is ever-increasing, so there is a greater need to turn our
attention to prayers.
During these days you should also pray for
the state of the Ahmadis in Pakistan. It seems that the situation is turning
once again towards hostility.
May
Allah Almighty also grant them a life of peace and security, protect them from
all kinds of evil and may He render the plots – new and old – of the enemies
futile.
Apart from this, I shall also remind the
attendees of the Jalsa that this year there are again several central
departments such as the Archive and Research Centre, The Review of Religions,
Makhzan-e-Tasaweer and other departments the like thereof, who are holding
exhibitions which are very academic and full of information. So, you should try
to visit these in your free time.
There is also an announcement from MTA
that a new app, which is a smart TV app, will be launched today by MTA
International.
This can be downloaded in any country on
LG, Phillips, Amazon Fire TV, Sony and Android TV sets. All of the MTA channels
can be watched without the need for dish antennas, such as MTA 1, MTA 2, MTA 3,
MTA Al-Arabiyyah, MTA Africa.
Likewise, MTA is already available on the
Samsung platform in the US by the grace of Allah. This was the announcement and
by the grace of Allah, those abroad can benefit from this app. After the Friday
prayers I shall launch this app.
May Allah bless this Jalsa in every regard
and enable you all to reap the maximum benefit from it.
(Originally published in Al Fazl
International, 23 August 2019, pp. 5-8. Translated by The Review of
Religions)
Samad Ahmed Ghori, Missionary & President Jamaat Albania
Humanity First, this year, distributed meat that was slaughtered and purchased for Eid-ul-Adha between 140 needy families in Tirana and its surroundings. To accomplish the humanitarian project in the best way possible, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Albania contacted the municipality unit of Farkë to gather 100 families in need, who, according to the list of this unit, receive economic assistance due to difficult economic conditions.
Ardian Tufa, the administrator of the municipality of Farkë immediately responded to the call of the Jamaat and on the morning of 13 August, the third day of Eid-ul-Adha, gathered 100 needy families in the yard of this unit. 450 kilograms of meat was brought in a mobile refrigerator for distribution. Among the attendees to distribute the meat were Mr Ardian Tufa (the unit administrator), Mr Samad Ahmed Ghori President of Albania Jamaat, Mr Bujar Ramaj, Mr Ervin Xhepa and Mr Hajdar Aliu. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat express gratitude to the families who came and accepted this small contribution, as well as to the administrator of the Farkë municipality and its structure for cooperation.
In addition to these 100 families, the Jamaat distributed meat among 40 other needy families living around the Jamaat’s mosque. In his letter of thanks, Mr Ardian Tufa wrote:
“In the name of the administrative unit Farkë, municipality of Tirana, from the core of my heart, I thank the humanitarian organisation Humanity First and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Albania for extending their help among 100 needy families of the capital city, after many such humanitarian activities were rendered by them in the Tirana city.
“Your motto, ‘Love for all, hatred for none’ is an inspiration to all of us.
“I hope and wish that these humanitarian gestures will continue in the future also.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa graciously shares his Jalsa experience with Al Hakam
Asif M Basit
Islamabad, 18 August: Jalsa Salana is a state of mind that cannot be felt without experience. The volunteers and staff who partake in preparing this grand gathering and offer their services throughout the three days, that are full of spiritual and educational benefits, are all aware that one’s mind, body and heart undergo a thorough exercise.
Once Jalsa is over, the volunteers get the chance to rest. However, Jalsa Salana does not finish after the three-day event for Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa.
It has been around two weeks since the successful completion of Jalsa Salana UK 2019.
This morning (18 August), I had the honour of meeting Huzooraa for the first time after Jalsa.
As soon as I entered Huzoor’saa office, I extended congratulations to Huzooraa upon the completion of another successful Jalsa. Huzooraa replied, “Your Jalsa has come to an end; my Jalsa is still ongoing.”
Indeed, Huzoor’saa Jalsa is not over. Even during the three days, groups and delegations from different countries who had travelled for Jalsa would meet Huzooraa in his office at Hadeeqatul Mahdi. Then, from the morning after Jalsa, delegations continued to flock to meet Huzooraa.
Dozens of families would then gather to meet Huzooraa later in the evening, something that continues even now.
I said, “Huzoor, I felt exhausted in the morning after Jalsa. I struggled to get out of bed and once I had offered my prayer, I got into bed again. Then, when I woke up again, I thought to myself that Huzooraa would have led the Fajr prayer in the most suitable and usual manner, and by this time, Huzooraa would have got ready and entered his office to meet the many delegations who were scheduled to meet him. Huzooraa, how is it that you do not get tired?”
Huzooraa replied, “If you were to offer nafl [voluntary] prayers at night and then wake up in the morning for Tahajud, you would also not feel tired.”
An astonishing reply! That which we shun, making tiredness an excuse, is in actual fact the remedy of fatigue. After hearing this reply, my mind was drawn towards an earlier incident.
Following Jalsa Salana Germany and referring to the drive back to the UK, during a mulaqat, I said, “Huzoor, the journey was very exhausting.”
Huzooraa replied, “Really? I did not feel any real exhaustion. If at all, then perhaps on the way to Germany. Upon arrival and seeing Islamabad, all my fatigue vanished. I then led Namaz and my routine commenced once again.”
During Jalsa Salana and following it, the mulaqats of delegations with Huzooraa are recorded by MTA. When these recordings are brought in to MTA to be archived, I am fortunate enough to watch them. In every mulaqat, Huzooraa has the same smile; the smile you and I and, in fact, the entire world are familiar with.
I could not hold back my curiosity and so I asked, “Huzoor, how do you maintain the same cheerfulness?”
Huzooraa replied, “How can I get tired of this when my responsibilities include meeting these delegations, listening to what Ahmadis have to say and conveying the message of Islam to non-Muslims? As far as cheerfulness is concerned, one’s external state has an effect on one’s internal state and vice versa. Seeing them and meeting them brings joy to me, and it is this joy that gets noticed.”
Now, let’s return to today’s mulaqat. As Huzooraa spoke on the topic of Jalsa Salana, I asked, “Huzoor, in this extremely busy period, preparing addresses …”
Huzooraa responded, “It is very difficult, but I have to take time out for this. I was preparing notes for the speech on the last day until the final moment. The moment I finished my notes, I proceeded for the address. Do you recall, once, while you were speaking to me, I stopped you to note something down and I told you that I had thought of something for Jalsa Salana UK and that I had noted it down. That was the topic of the final day’s address, which came to mind at that point, i.e. The Protection of Rights in Islam.
“Then, a few weeks prior to Jalsa, I had references collected for this address. Getting those references collated took a considerable amount of time. Then, when the references had been compiled, it turned into a huge pile of papers that I had to go through and prepare my speech. Having gone through that pile of papers, I carefully selected only those references that could be conveyed in that short space of time. Quotations were collected of around 24 Quranic verses related to the subject of rights; perhaps there were more. I could only just about cover five or six of them.”
I remarked, “Although the address was for one and half hours, Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis alike both carefully listened to it.”
Huzooraa responded, “It was for this reason that I reduced the length of the speech. Whilst preparing speeches, I have to consider how long people will be able to pay attention. I have to also bear in mind external guests. Nonetheless, the views of non-Ahmadis about this address were very positive. An admiral of the navy also attended; he too expressed positive views with regard to my speech. Regarding the address at the ladies’ side, he said, ‘Your speech was very direct.’ I replied, ‘You are a soldier and a soldier ought to be addressed directly.’”
Every word uttered by Huzooraa here was astonishing. As Huzooraa recalled the incident when he jotted something down in his notebook, I was taken aback as the incident dated back to November or December 2018. Since that time, preparations for Jalsa (which was scheduled for August 2019) were a part of Huzoor’saa priorities. Then, the research that Huzooraa painstakingly invested in preparing this speech was another amazing factor. After all, the official stance of Islam was to be presented. The compilation and selection of references; everything was astounding.
But another astonishment was yet to come.
Huzooraa added, “Those bundles [of paper] will still be in the office outside. I still have yet to select quotations from them, which can be of benefit for this subject in the future.”
After leaving Huzoor’saa office, I was eagerly curious to see those “bundles” of paper in the private secretary’s office. Thus, I requested to see those papers.
Thousands of pages, stacked in one pile; this was one apparent portion of the preparation that went into the address that Huzooraa delivered on the final day of Jalsa Salana UK. Our Imam’s time, attention, effort and prayers for this speech are, of course, intangible. Are such speeches worthy of only being listened to once and then forgotten? Certainly not! Each and every word of those addresses is revolutionising.
And how revolutionary was this speech? Such addresses, after all, are acquainting the world with Islam’s true teachings.
During the mulaqat, when talking about the admiral’s thoughts, I mustered the courage to say something. I said, “Huzoor, in the Friday Sermon after Jalsa Salana, you convey the impressions of people about Jalsa. But it has been felt that Huzooraa does not convey the impressions of guests about Huzooraa…”
Huzooraa replied, “That sermon is about Jalsa and I convey the impressions of guests regarding Jalsa. I do not narrate the views of people about myself.”
I humbly submitted, “But, Huzooraa, this leaves us deprived of those impressions. Is it not important for people to be informed about those impressions too?”
Thereafter, I gathered more courage and requested to obtain those impressions from the relevant department. My modest Imamaa graciously approved this request. Fa jazahumullahu ahsanal jazaa [Thus, may Allah reward him the best of rewards]. (Some of those impressions have been included in this issue under the heading, “He is no ordinary person” – Guests’ impressions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih)
All this related to the period during and after Jalsa. Let us now go back a few weeks, when preparations for Jalsa were in full swing; when Huzoor’saa schedule, which is already hectic as it is, was at its peak.
I was ready to enter Huzoor’saa office. I was aware of the fact that after this, I may not have the chance for another mulaqat before Jalsa. That day, I had intended to seek guidance on matters to do with the live MTA broadcast during the three days of Jalsa. No matter how certain I am about the suitability of guests for particular live discussions, I am never satisfied without Huzoor’saa guidance.
That day, I sought guidance on such matters. Some people had already been and gone, while others awaited their turn. In front of Huzooraa was the list of all those present for mulaqat that morning. He was aware that there were a lot of people present for mulaqat who all had to be accommodated in a limited time-frame.
With great love and attention, Huzooraa listened to details about each and every studio discussion and my suggestions to do with participants. Graciously, Huzooraa approved some names for their respective studio discussions, while altering others. “[So-and-so] is coming; they can provide more insight on this subject.” “Why don’t you take [so-and-so] for this discussion?” “[So-and-so] would have up-to-date knowledge on this issue.”
During that busy time, to listen to everything so carefully and then to give guidance was his graciousness upon me, no doubt, but it is also an indication of his alertness, insight and multi-dimensional knowledge. With so much work to be done, with people waiting outside for their mulaqats and with many tasks at hand, Huzooraa still closely observes every small aspect of the Jamaat’s affairs.
In that mulaqat, Huzooraa said something that must be mentioned here as I deem it to be a trust that is owed to the Jamaat.
A programme was to be aired on MTA concerning the Jamaat’s services to humanity. After altering some of the participants on the show, Huzooraa said, “Invite those people who actually work. To write up reports and present them is nothing extraordinary. Take such people on the panel who work tirelessly, but do not make a fuss about it. There are many such youth; those people should be included who take pride in work.”
The names that were presented to Huzooraa and those who Huzooraa instructed to invite were from the UK, USA, Africa, Germany, Pakistan and India. This list is no exaggeration; in actual fact, Huzooraa named guests from each of these parts of the world.
Thus, guests were invited from all these areas and MTA’s internationalism saw full bloom. Alhamdolillah! It is spectacular how Huzooraa is aware of everyone’s aptitude and capability, familiar with each person’s temperament and able to distinguish between two people who are seemingly equally fit to be part of a certain programme; that too from not just a mere dozen, hundred or thousand, but from out of millions of people worldwide. Subhanallah!
What more can one say! Pondering over Huzoor’saa schedule was always astonishing, but today, when I heard all this from Huzooraa directly, it had a deeper impact on me than ever before. The worries of members of the Jamaat worldwide is Huzoor’saa worry; the grief of his followers is his grief. The propagation of Islam is no ordinary task and that too in an agnostic world.
ہر روز نئے فکر ہیں، ہر شب ہیں نئے غم
(Each day brings new worries; each night, new sorrows)
Against such a backdrop, to work diligently for Jalsa Salana and attend to other daily engagements brought a question to mind.
Therefore, I asked, “Huzoor, we bring to you our griefs and sorrows and ease our burdens by informing you. But what do you do?”
Huzooraa beautifully replied, “I turn to Allah and take everything to Him. In reality, everyone should take their burdens and sorrows to Allah. Although I pray for those who write to me, but I always remind them that they should pray to Allah themselves too.”
Here, I suddenly remembered something, so I mentioned that too:
“On the last day of Jalsa, when Huzooraa was leading the Maghrib and Isha prayers, the mic was perhaps either somewhat sensitive or relatively close. Huzoor’saa words could be clearly heard during sajda [prostration].”
I had hesitantly said this. However, my affectionate Imamaa replied, “Really? What could you hear?”
I replied, “Huzoor, all that could be heard repeatedly, in fact, throughout, was, ‘Ay Allah, reham kar dey; Ay Allah, fazl kar dey.’ [O Allah, have mercy; O Allah, send down Your blessings.] This was what was heard repeatedly in great anguish.”
Huzooraa replied, “Well, this is the best prayer one can say. All prayers fall under this prayer. One can say other prayers, but this prayer has in it all prayers.”
May Allah accept the passionate prayers that our Imamaa says with great pain and may He accept them in our favour. May Allah shower His choicest blessings and special mercy on Huzooraa. Allah has specially blessed and shown mercy to Huzooraa, however there is no limit to these blessings and mercy.
May Allah accept these passionate prayers in Huzoor’saa favour and in our favour. On behalf of the readers of Al Hakam and myself, I am extremely grateful to Huzooraa that he showed us a glimpse of his engagements before, during and after Jalsa Salana UK.
I wanted to end this here, but one thing still remains. I am not sure whether I should write this or not, but a certain responsibility urges me to do so, therefore I shall go ahead anyway.
When I entered Huzoor’saa office for the mulaqat which I have referred to above, I received somewhat of a shock.
As usual, Huzooraa was occupied in his work, however, he had on his right hand a wrist brace, supporting his thumb and wrist. Startled, I asked, “Huzoor, what’s this? Is everything okay?”
Very calmly, Huzooraa continued to work with that hand and said, “Yes, everything is fine. Why do you ask?”
When I enquired about the wrist support on his right hand, Huzooraa replied, “Writing with my hand fixed in one position causes a bit of pain in the muscle between the thumb and wrist. Also, those who have come from around the world shake my hand extremely passionately. I cannot tell them about my pain and stop them. So, it is just a bit of pain. It will get better. Forget about this. Tell me, what do you have to say?”
Following Huzoor’saa order, I apparently left it here and discussed matters that required guidance. My mulaqat ended at around Zuhr time. After departing Huzoor’saa office, I performed wuzu [ablution] and went straight into Masjid Mubarak.
Usually, I try to keep my gaze down as Huzooraa enters and exits the mosque, however today, I could not. As Huzooraa entered the mosque to lead Namaz, my gaze inadvertently rose towards Huzoor’saa hand. Huzooraa did not have the wrist support on. My heart filled with love for Huzooraa. This is our affectionate and beloved Imamaa, who keeps his pain to himself; who listens to our sorrows and comforts us in times of distress; who hides all his sorrows from us so as not to worry the Jamaat; who bears every hardship and puts on a loving smile for our sake.
Let us pray together: O Allah, keep our beloved Imamaa in Your protection; move every harm away from him; shelter him with Your protection and bestow on him good health for there is no one else in this age who is a true ambassador of peace, love, forbearance and true happiness.
اے شخص تُو جان ہے ہماری
مر جائیں، اگر تجھے نہ چاہیں
(O our beloved! You are our life; without your love, we cannot survive)
Kashmir is in the news again! It always has been since the long-gone days of the British Empire; always for unrest, disturbance and conflict.
Day by day, the tragedy and suffering continues within Kashmir, without any sign of cessation.
What India and Pakistan contest each other for is a secondary question; the primary question is what the British Government had in mind when they sold it to Gulab Singh for peanuts back in the days. One could say that that too is a by-gone, so why plunge into the closed chapters of history?
But the tragedy (or the good thing rather) with history is that it is hard to shun wherever we go, floating on the tides of time. So the British saga is something we cannot avoid. Having sold Jammu and Kashmir to Gulab Singh – the so-called Maharaja – the British sat back with their feet up while communal unrest became rife in the region.
It took decades for a befitting response from the Muslims to emerge and that too on an All-India scale. The British-Indian government was taken aback, as well as the Maharaja of Kashmir. Who was behind this nationwide response of Indian Muslims?
Well, this is another interesting story. The Muslims of India had been planning to unite for the cause of the Kashmiri Muslims but had not yet been able to do so.
After many failed attempts, they decided to invite Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra to unite the Muslims at one hand. Not being a political leader, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra reluctantly agreed only in the name of Muslim unity – something that was a dire need of the time for Muslims to progress in any field and not just the Kashmir cause.
The turn of the 1930s decade saw riots replacing diplomacy and becoming the only way of political expression. This, of course, was not the way to resolve complex issues that prevailed the region of Jammu and Kashmir. An All India Kashmiri Muslim Conference was held, soon after the bloody riots of 25 July 1931, by prominent Indian-Muslim leaders to put their heads together and find a pragmatic way forward.
Sir Muhammad Iqbal, Sir Mian Fazl-i-Hussain, the Nawab of Malerkotla, Sir Muhammad Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Khwaja Hasan Nizami of Delhi, Khan Bahadur Shaikh Rahim Bakhsh, as well as other notable Muslims leaders, were present.
Sir Iqbal nominated Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra and the members of the conference unanimously elected him as the president.
Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra was able to organise peaceful processions and conferences in various parts of India to demand the usurped rights of Kashmiri Muslims. He asked for funds to be raised and that too happened very successfully. He himself donated relatively large sums for the Kashmir cause.
It was this incredible, never-before-seen success at Muslim unity that inadvertently invited anti-Ahmadiyya sentiments to make their way; make their way into the hearts of none else but Muslims.
Blindfolded by jealousy, the potential Muslim success was seen as an Ahmadiyya victory in Kashmir and it was demanded that Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra step down as president. Happily, he accepted the demand and the committee handed over the reins to Sir Muhammad Iqbal, who had by then sold his “khudi” to the Ahrar and the “hawk” of his mind had been captured in narrow, dark and gloomy burrows of prejudice (khudi – self-respect – and hawk being two iconic metaphors of Iqbal’s nationalistic poetry).
Very able historians like Ayesha Jalal agree on the fact that it was at this point that the All India Kashmir Committee came down to shambles, never to be erected again.
We fast-forward and move to the time of the Indian partition in 1947 – Kashmir continued to remain a bone of contention between the two emerging states, with riots, unrest, conflict and war continuing to symbolise the region.
In 1949, both India and Pakistan ended up in the United Nations seeking to resolve the issue. Who was seen as the most suitable spokesperson for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue? Again, none else but an Ahmadi, Sir Zafrulla Khanra.
The solution he presented was simple and clear: Give the public of Kashmir the right to vote! He urged that the people of Kashmir were the only ones who should be deciding the fate of Kashmir. He sought for Kashmir to be demilitarised and a plebiscite be held if a just resolution was to be attained. His stance was acknowledged by the rational minded class of Indians and Pakistanis alike.
However, the advice was not paid heed to and the situation has ever since only deteriorated.
We do not intend to go into India-Pakistan diplomatic tensions here. All we want to say is that the best available advice on Kashmir has always come from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.
The present Imam of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat holds high the flag of international peace and harmony. Is it still not time to pay heed?
After Jalsa, Ahmadis around the world are informed through Hazrat Amirul Momineen’saa Friday Sermon about the general impression of Jalsa Salana.
However, we rarely get to hear about guests’ impressions specifically related to the person of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
It is an honour for Al Hakam to present the sentiments and impressions of guests with respect to Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa below:
Photos courtesy of AMA UK
Al Haj Muhammad, Inspector General for Religious Affairs of Boke province, Guinea Conakry said regarding Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa:
“Listening to the addresses of Khalifatul Masih, I felt as if they were the exhortations of a prophet being given to his nation for their reformation. I feel that if anyone wishes to act in accordance with the true teachings of Islam and would like to follow the footsteps of the Holy Prophetsa, then the spiritually charged addresses of Khalifatul Masih will suffice for them.
“I am very happy and pray that Allah the Almighty grants Khalifatul Masih a long life, not only for Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya but also for the whole Muslim Ummah. This is because we are in need of a spiritual leader who is able to give guidance in the best possible manner.”
John Arandia from Bolivia, who has his own show on television and radio, said the following about the addresses of Huzooraa at Jalsa Salana:
“I gathered from the addresses of the Khalifa, especially his address to the ladies, that he does not care about what the media or external guests think [about what he says]. His aim, rather, is to present the true teachings of Islam before the world and to exhort his followers to act in accordance with them. Initially, I found it strange that the Khalifa said that he does not care about what the media says. But, after explanation, I understood that the responsibility of a spiritual leader is not to follow the world or the media, rather it is to bring the world towards the correct spiritual path.”
Fanta Fofan Oumar, lieutenant at customs in Guinea airport expressed:
“I swear by God that after seeing Khalifatul Masih, all my doubts and uncertainties vanished. By attending the Jalsa, I am certain that if there is any Jamaat in the world that can represent Islam, then it is the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.”
Umar Mikashir, a new convert from France said:
“I came to Islamabad a week ago and my son was extremely ill. The compassion Khalifatul Masih showed us during our mulaqat will never be forgotten by me or my son. Due to the illness of my son, I had initially planned not to attend the Jalsa. However, after the mulaqat with Huzooraa, my resolve and confidence grew and at the same time, the condition of my son also began to improve…
“Jalsa is never complete without the addresses of Huzooraa. How great was the final address of Huzooraa in which he pointed out for others what Islam is. He explained how the absence of modesty leads to the destruction of a nation. Huzooraa, in the best possible manner, presented Islamic philosophy for the betterment of society. It was a great address! The address increased my knowledge manifold and I heard the answers to those questions of mine that no one else could answer.”
Tony Radakin, First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, regarding Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, stated:
“Previously, I was neither aware of the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Community nor his efforts towards establishing peace. The best aspect of his speech was that he speaks to his Jamaat in a very open manner. Having the chance to meet him was an honour for me.”
Yoshida Nichiko, the chief of the Buddhist temple in Japan, addressing Huzooraa, said:
“During the International Bai‘at ceremony, I could not control myself and decided to give my hand to you for the establishment of worldwide peace and to create a society based on the pillars of love and brotherhood. Thus, I also participated in the Bai‘at. I recognise your leadership and I have promised that I shall assist you towards your efforts in establishing world peace.”
Haja Musu Damba Kamara from Sierra Leone expressed:
“The addresses of Huzooraa had a tremendous impact and was very insightful. By listening to the Jalsa speeches, I have increased my religious knowledge. In reality, these speeches were the reason I participated in Jalsa.”
Bai Tass Bubu Ngbak IV, a chief from Sierra Leone, said to Huzooraa:
“The addresses of Huzooraa were full of knowledge and I was deeply touched by his insight.” Alimamy Brun Kanu, Member of Parliament, Sierra Leone, said:
“The addresses of Huzooraa were the foundation and an important part of Jalsa Salana. He informed us about Islamic values and told us that the way we can be protected from the current condition of the world is through prayers and a connection with God.”
Rafael Leon, the architect of the Basharat Mosque in Pedro Abad, Spain, said:
“Every member of our delegation is touched by the messages of Khalifatul Masih; he has shaken our core. This community has practically showed the importance of hospitality. We are also aware of the atrocities that are carried out against this Jamaat in a completely unjust manner. We have also come to know more about this Jamaat through the publishing of its numerous books.”
Ilana Calles, Member of Parliament, Guatemala expressed:
“This Jalsa was a unique experience for me. The great personality of Khalifatul Masih is spellbinding. He is exerting every possible way to establish peace and love within the world.”
Harry Van Bommel, a previous member of parliament from Holland was overjoyed after meeting Huzooraa and expressed his desire with Holland Jamaat members to further promote Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in Holland. An expert psychologist from Holland said that she was not able to say anything while in the presence of Huzooraa. However, she said to convey her gratitude to Huzooraa later on.
Simeon Sawadogo, Minister of Religions, Interior Minister and Minister of State for Burkina Faso, said the following regarding Huzooraa:
“His Holiness is very experienced. When one observes him, it becomes evident that he is a man of God. His Holiness has a very deep understanding of the world and I was amazed that he knew so much about Burkino Faso. When I began my discussion with him, I felt as if he knew what I was thinking. His Holiness is a personality who can be trusted. When he smiles, it looks very delightful.”
Regarding the International Bai‘at ceremony, he expressed:
“It was a chain of sincerity, loyalty and obedience that is a model for the world. People are not understanding the message of the Khalifa. The world today is chasing materialism, however humanity will be at a loss because of this. Huzooraa presented guidelines from which a better society can be established. He spoke of the rights of parents as well as the rights of children. He even spoke to the extent of the rights of enemies. Now, when I return, I will be ready to serve the Jamaat in a better manner.”
Sayouba Quedraogo, Member of Parliament from Burkina Faso, said:
“I would like to deeply thank His Holiness. He listened to us with great attention, gave our delegation a lot of respect, laid importance upon Burkina Faso and granted us a lot of time. The prayers His Holiness gave us, our leaders and for the establishment of peace within our country are precious to us. We were also welcomed in a very agreeable manner at Jalsa Salana. We listened to His Holiness’ addresses with great attention. His Holiness stressed the importance of unity and working together. He also spoke of the rights of women, men, children and the elderly and presented these from the teachings of the Holy Quran.”
Al Haj Ismael Nignan, owner of SMTV Channel and a member of the Superior Council of Communication in Burkino Faso, expressed:
“I have been deeply affected by the personality of His Holiness. His simplicity is alluding, and he possesses a very high spiritual rank. He also has a lot of knowledge.”
Gabriel Negrin, the chief rabbi of Athens, speaking of his meeting with Huzooraa, said:
“It is a great honour for me to have a brief, yet meaningful assembly with His Holiness.”
Rafael Cocoles from Spain, who is a councillor of La Pobla de Vallbona, said:
“The educational elements of His Holiness’ addresses were remarkable. I will further spread this message of peace. I am also very thankful for having the opportunity to meet His Holiness.”
Mrs Luz Gomez Garcia, a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies from Madrid University, expressed her sentiments by saying:
“I would like to thank His Holiness for openheartedly reminding us in accordance with the hadith that, like the parts of the human body, the health of every member of humanity is essential.”
Male Hoso Yaqub, Vice President of the Muslim Committee in Benin attended the Jalsa for the first time. He said:
“His Holiness addressed the whole world in his speeches. This message is not exclusive to Muslims alone, rather it is a global message. I have been deeply affected by the fact that there is someone within the Muslim world who can also address global issues at an international level and present their solutions…
“By meeting His Holiness, I felt as if I was before a spiritual entity who Allah has bestowed with wisdom, understanding and knowledge and has granted great powers upon to carry out this work. There has been a deep impression upon me after meeting His Holiness.”
Susana Mangana, a professor of oriental studies from Uruguay, said:
“From the missionaries to the volunteers, in various departments, whether they are serving food or are drivers, there is one common factor: they all have extraordinary obedience and sincerity towards their Khalifa.”
Comlan Patrice Nobime, Member of Parliament and Head of the Finance Commission in Benin, expressed:
“When I met with His Holiness, I felt as if he knew me personally. He was aware of every country and was personally informed of their conditions. Prior to this, I could not comprehend what power was informing him of these conditions. Then I perceived that it was his connection with his Lord that was telling him.
“During the meeting with the Benin delegation, His Holiness was so happy and joyful that I thought we were the first group to meet with him. However, later I found out that numerous groups had already come to meet him. The addresses of His Holiness are, in the truest manner, a guide for establishing peace.”
Sireen Amsita from Senegal expressed:
“Meeting His Holiness, it was as if we were with light. It is true, the Jamaat is assembled in a chain of love under the leadership of His Holiness. Especially, witnessing the children waving at Amirul Momineenaa from a distance and expressing their love towards him. At the Jalsa, we saw love from the Imam.”
Paul Biyoghé Mba, previous prime minister and member of parliament of Gabon, attended the Jalsa Salana for the first time. He expressed:
“The atmosphere of the Jalsa was very pleasant. The atmosphere surrounding Khalifatul Masih was spiritual and this is something I cannot forget. I have been very impressed by the organisation at Jalsa Salana. Both elders and youngsters were working like a chain and were serving the guests for the love of God.
“The addresses by Khalifatul Masih have deeply affected me. He is very simple, yet has an influence and possesses spirituality. His speeches were very good and impressionable, they are a perfect guide for establishing peace, love and brotherhood. With great depth, His Holiness spoke of the ways to develop peace and love amongst children, the elderly, women, men, husbands, wives and how to make one’s life full of peace.”
Shantel Marth Ilati from the council of Gabon in Benin, regarding her meeting with Huzooraa, said:
“Prior to meeting His Holiness, I was wondering how the meeting would go. However, when I entered his office, I saw him smiling as if he knew us. He is very simple, yet has an impressionable personality. Time passed so quickly during the meeting that I regretted it had finished so early. Nevertheless, this meeting had a great impression upon me.”
Harry Ali Gonisa, who is the advisor to the president of the Central Republic of Africa, attended the Jalsa for the first time. He said:
“The Ahmadiyya Jamaat has a purpose to establish brotherhood across the world and they are exerting a great amount of effort day and night. Other organisation lack this great sincerity that we witness here. The addresses that His Holiness delivered were of a very high calibre and the teachings he spoke of had a great effect…
“I pray for Khalifatul Masih, who is working for the betterment of humanity, that Allah grants him a long life. The atmosphere of Jalsa was a new experience for me; it was as if everyone knew one another.”
Jesus Gabalam, a journalist and lawyer from Columbia, expressing his sentiments, said:
“The manner in which Khalifatul Masih presented human rights is especially praiseworthy. Without a doubt, Khalifatul Masih is a great personality who is continuously striving to establish global peace…
“As a journalist, I have had the opportunity to meet and interview important political, social and religious figures. However, the spiritual personality of the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat has had a profound effect upon me. I desire to acquaint the people of Columbia with the beautiful teachings of Islam, as this is something my country is in great need of. For this, I would like Ahmadi missionaries to be sent there.”
Mustafa Mohzat, a Moroccan from Belgium, said:
“The addresses of His Holiness have had a great impact on me. They reflected the true teachings of Islam. Due to the wrong interpretations of Islam by scholars, I became distant from Islam. Other Muslims used to say not to question and to just follow what the Imam had to say. However, the Moroccan Ahmadis present here [at Jalsa] have answered my questions with great depth.”
Maria Eugenia Delgado Padilla from Mexico Jamaat, said:
“I have been given great love here from everyone and in the worlds of Khalifatul Masih in particular, have filled my heart with the love of Islam.”
Ma Dolores Luna Campos, from Mexico, said:
“By pledging allegiance at the hand of the Khalifa, I felt as if Allah has forgiven all my sins. I have now become a Muslim and will never leave this Jamaat.”
Bethania Escobar, a new convert from Paraguay, said:
“Huzoor’saa addresses had such teachings within them that we can implement immediately. They were a guidance for both Muslims and non-Muslims. I felt as if I was speaking to God Almighty during the Jalsa. I had lots of questions that were not answered fully, however after listening to the addresses of Huzooraa, all of my questions were answered. I felt as if Huzooraa delivered his addresses while keeping my questions in mind. From a spiritual perspective, I am returning with a wealth of knowledge.”
Egar Sahib, a religious expert and author from Ukraine performed Bai‘at during Jalsa Salana after an extensive study of the Jamaat. He is the first Ukrainian Ahmadi. He said:
“I was able to learn the purpose of my life after listening to the addresses by Huzooraa. On numerous occasions, Huzooraa has laid stress on establishing righteousness during his speeches at Jalsa Salana. Huzooraa is our religious guide and a very simple-natured person, who is constantly striving to turn the attention of people towards believing in God.”
Artur Sahib from Kazakhstan said:
“Prior to meeting with Huzooraa, one is always worried and perplexed over what he will say. However, as soon as Huzooraa looks towards you with great love and affection, you cannot put that into words. I am fortunate that Huzooraa allowed me to embrace him. After embracing Huzooraa, I felt as if my heart had been saturated with peace and my faith was refreshed. After I came out of the meeting with Huzooraa and had the opportunity to hug him, I felt as if I was born again.”
The mission from Honduras said that a new convert, Lorenzo Louiz, became so emotional during his meeting with Huzooraa that he could not control himself. He later told the missionary that prior to meeting Huzooraa, he had not met such a spiritually great person who gave him such love and attention. Don Francisco, a member of the royal family from Brazil who also owns a newspaper and radio station, talking of Huzooraa, said:
“His Holiness is no ordinary person. He is a great, sacred personality who has knowledge of the past. He knows history and is also acquainted with the current affairs of the world. Whenever he speaks, he does so with great wisdom, deep knowledge and a wealth of experience. Whenever he talks to someone, it is as if he is not only looking towards them but also their internal condition.”
Mauro Henrique, who is the president of the Petropolis city council in Brazil, said:
“Another aspect that had a profound effect upon me and which I must mention is that whenever the Khalifa arrives, thousands of people gather and instantly stop talking. No one needs to say anything. From this, it is evident that it is not only the organisation that people respect and honour, rather they have an immense amount of respect and honour for the Khalifa within their hearts.”
Mr Edison, a new convert from Brazil, states:
“I have seen the Khalifa closely and I felt that the status of the Khalifa is evident from his every action and movement. His standing, sitting, talking and seeing etc. is the true reflection of Islam. Whenever an Ahmadi meets Huzooraa, naturally he becomes emotional due to his closeness.”
Orli Mesias Haro a bishop from Ecuador expressed:
“The addresses by the Khalifa were full of spirituality and knowledge. They contained all those aspects that were necessary to change our views. The best aspect of these speeches for me was that he did not single out any negative point of a nation or religion, rather his whole focus was upon the true and positive teachings of Islam …
The Khalifa’s addresses were full of references and incidents and were extremely rich.”
Regarding his meeting with Huzooraa, he said:
“This was a very strange and spellbinding experience for me. The spiritual aura and magnetic attraction of the Khalifa could be felt in the whole surrounding. The aspect which had the most effect on me during the meeting was that the Khalifa met with every person at the same level. Present in the meeting were journalists, religious personalities and even very important ministers. However, for the Khalifa, each person was as important as a minister. By witnessing this, I was reminded of Jesus [peace be upon him] whose companions were also seen as the same, irrespective of being poor or rich. I also saw the face of Jesus by witnessing the Khalifa’s humility and meekness.
Antonio Miguel Carmona from Spain, who attended this year’s Jalsa Salana, later on, in an interview with Spanish television, said:
“I have met with their Khalifa and he is a saint. The Khalifa is a sacred person.”
Kooper W Kruah, a Liberian minister of post and communications, talking about Huzooraa, said:
“The meeting with the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat has left a profound effect on me. He has heartfelt anguish for the establishment of peace within the world. He was worried particularly about my country, Liberia. He was so worried that he especially prayed for our country, our leadership and our economy. Thus, I truly believe the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Community to be a man of God. I pray that Allah grants continuous success to the Ahmadiyya Community and that he blesses the Khalifa.”
Senaid Begic, Member of Parliament in Bosnia, attended with his family. He expressed:
“The one thing that affected myself and my family the most during Jalsa was our meeting with the Khalifa. The way I can describe this meeting is that his words were simple, yet every word had an effect … His way of speaking was graceful yet covered the topic with wisdom … In his personality, I witnessed a courteous friend. For this reason, I announce today that for my whole life, I too will maintain a connection with this friend with full sincerity.”
Renee Trujillo from Belize said:
“His Holiness’ addresses are in direct accordance with the need of the time. The greatest impact upon me were his addresses at the ladies’s side … This experience has enabled me to better understand the religion of Islam”
Barry Schwortz, an internationally renowned Turin Shroud expert, said:
“The Khalifa is very gracious to us. Whenever we meet him, he always gives us a book of his or a special book on Islam. As I have visited five times before and had the opportunity to meet him each time, I have acquired a collection of books from him. So, this year, when he was about to give me some books, I said to him that I already have these books and that he should give them to those people who are deprived of them so they too benefit. Upon this, he accepted my recommendation, thanked me and did not give those books. Just a minute ago, a man came to me and said that Huzooraa has sent these new books for you. This was a very astonishing thing for me. He is a great personality.”
Hugh Farey, a Catholic Christian and scientist, after meeting with Huzooraa, said:
“I am a scientist, therefore I do not pay much attention to this special feeling. I ask other Christian doctors as to what they mean when they say that they have a special feeling towards Jesusas. I ask them to explain this to me as I do not understand the presence of anything or this feeling. However, when I met with the Khalifa, I truly experienced this feeling and presence.”
Matha, an artist who had visited Jalsa Salana, said the following about Huzooraa:
“It was an honour to meet with His Holiness. I did not know much about him. I was very happy to meet a Muslim who opens the doors to the world like he does and who is the embodiment of love and tolerance. Like I said before, I did not know much about the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, however after meeting him, I was very pleased and was able to understand more about Islam.”
A guest, Emanuala, commented saying:
“Meeting with the Khalifa was amazing. One can sense his insight and kind nature instantly … He would keenly listen to each person with great attentiveness. This was no formal meeting, rather it had a friendly atmosphere.”
For the first time, representatives from Uyghur Muslims came to Jalsa Salana. Rushan Abbas, the Executive Director for Uyghur Muslims, said:
“Meeting with His Holiness was very special and emotional. Prior to the meeting, I had seen light upon the face of the His Holiness. I was very anxious, but His Holiness removed all worry through his captivating smile. During the meeting, he showed us a picture of Dr Abdus Salam on which something was written in the Uyghur language. His Holiness loudly read out what was written to which we were all surprised that His Holiness knows how to read Uyghur language.”
A Shiite wrote to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra that his spirit urged him to write to Huzoorra as he found himself extremely confused. He expressed that he held Shiite beliefs very dear to his heart, but he also firmly believed that the prayers of Huzoorra would be a source of solace for him in order to find the right direction. He stated that he liked Ahmadiyyat and was ready to take Bai‘at if Huzoorra could help him change his beliefs. He assured that along with him, 40 members of his family would also embrace Ahmadiyyat. In the end, he pointed out six beliefs which he had adopted after deep consideration. He stated that he would convert to Ahmadiyyat if Huzoorra would let him abide by these beliefs:
1. After the Holy Prophetsa, the status of Hazrat Alira is higher than any other of his companions and that Hazrat Alira is the greatest believer
2. The status of Ahl-e-Bait – members of Prophet Muhammad’ssa immediate family – is higher than every other companion, be it Abu Bakrra or Umarra
3. Amir Muawiyahra was a bad person and he is beyond the pale of companions as he killed Hassanra and rebelled against the Khalifa of that time
4. Lamentation of Imam Hussainra is a fundamental belief
5. The person who is the enemy of the Prophetsa and his progeny is worthy of being cursed
6. Lastly, the Shiite stated, he was against the practice of using abusive language for the companions
Below is the response of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra towards the aforementioned letter:
My dear, Assalamo Alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu.
Your letter emits a fragrance of nobility. Moreover, it shows the courage of your heart that you do not care about the reproach of a critic when you accept or express a matter which you believe to be true.
My friend, it is an intolerable and delusional thought that someone tries to take my Bai‘at with the intention to try and increase the number of my followers or to grant me worldly fame by adding to the number of my followers.
The reason behind the person who enters my Bai‘at or the one whom I call towards myself, is that Allah the Almighty by His grace and benevolence, through the personage of the Promised Messiahas, desires to re-establish the spiritual blessings and national unity which had been lost due to the dissention among Muslims. Thus, O friends! if the truth of the Promised Messiahas has become evident upon you people, then it is compulsory upon the person who has identified the one sent by God Almighty to reform his beliefs and practices by following the beliefs and practices of His chosen one. This is because people, out of their personal disagreements, had developed corrupt beliefs and inappropriate practices in their faith. Thus the divinely commissioned Imam Mahdias serves as a standard and criterion to differentiate between right and wrong beliefs and practices.
Hence, as you are ready to enter the Bai‘at and your hearts have accepted the truth of the Imam Mahdias, then your approach should have been to ask, “What has been declared regarding these particular beliefs of mine by the one appointed by God Almighty? So that I may follow them.” If a person decides in advance that he would stick to certain beliefs, whether those beliefs are contradictory to the beliefs of the one sent by God Almighty and he is also ready to take Bai‘at, then it shows that he has not understood the real meaning of Bai‘at.
Bear in mind, my Bai‘at is in actuality the Bai‘at of the Promised Messiahas, and his Bai‘at is in fact the Bai‘at of God Almighty and the Holy Prophetsa. Therefore, you should have asked that after taking your Bai‘at, which beliefs should you continue and what should you discard?
Below are the answers regarding your particular beliefs over which you should ponder:
Regarding the belief you have expressed in the first and second point that Hazrat Alira and Ahl-e-Bait-ul-Nabisa – members of Prophet Muhammad’ssa immediate family – are superior than all the companions, be it Abu Bakrra or Umarra, this is not attested by the Holy Quran, nor is it confirmed by Hazrat Alira and the holy persons of the Ahl-e-Bait. It is your own personal opinion and you have not mentioned the reasons behind it.
I could have pondered over them if you would have stated [those reasons]. In our view, these people are worthy of great respect. The Promised Messiahas states:
جان و دلم فدائے جمالِ محمد است
خاکم نثار کوچۂ آل محمد است
[My soul and heart are immersed in the beauty of Muhammadsa and my ashes are ready to be sacrificed for the progeny of Muhammadsa.]
They [who are higher in rank in view of the Shiite] could be considered superior in two ways; firstly, if they are extremely near and beloved of God Almighty; secondly, if they have surpassed all the rest in carrying out the service of Islam. The love of God cannot be estimated unless God Almighty Himself indicates that these [people] are His most beloved and close ones and therefore they are superior.
Moreover, it is impossible to find out whether they carried out a special service for Islam that was not performed by Abu Bakrra, Umarra and rest of the companions. Therefore, considering superiority as a belief is not necessary because the basis of beliefs should rest on clear evidence.
For instance, the Promised Messiahas has declared himself superior than Jesusas and Hazrat Imam Hussainra, which is evident from divine rewards and compelling proofs. Your third and fifth point states that you consider Amir Muawiyahra a bad person and among the enemies of the Prophetsa and Ahl-e-Bait and worthy of being cursed.
There is not a shadow of doubt that those who are the enemies of the Prophetsa and Ahl-e-Bait are worthy of being cursed. Amir Muawiyahra remained a rebel during Hazrat Ali’sra Khilafat but Hazrat Imam Hassanra, who was the successor of Hazrat Alira, made peace with him and rescued him from the pit of rebellion.
Hence, it is not right to accuse him of rebellion now because he left it within his lifetime. Further, it has not been proven that the murderer of Imam Hassanra was Amir Muawiyahra. If it is proven, then indeed it is up to you to possess any kind of view regarding him.
The fourth and sixth statement of yours is that lamentation of Hussainas is part of your faith and [you] do not use foul language for the companions.
Lamentation cannot be considered a part of anyone’s faith. It is a condition of heart which originates out of grief. As the feeling of sorrow begins to recede and time passes on, the grief starts to subside.
Hence, if your feeling is permanent, then you should pray for patience before Allah the Almighty. On the other hand, if grief over takes [you] in the days of Muharram [first month of Islamic calendar in which Hazrat Imam Hussainra was martyred] due to certain rituals, then it is artificial and manufactured. Try to abstain from it. If your heart is full of grief for Hazrat Imam Hussainra, then the rest of Ahl-e-Bait’s imams have passed away as well.
Moreover prophets and saints are no more in this world. So why don’t you not feel sorrow for them? If Hazrat Imam Hussainra had not embraced martyrdom, would he have lived forever in this world? And those who did not embrace martyrdom in Karbala [the place in Iraq where Hazrat Imam Hussainra was martyred], have they been living forever? As a matter of fact, the one who embraces martyrdom, he is alive forever.
“Think not of those, who have been slain in the cause of Allah, as dead. But in fact, they are living, and are granted gifts by their Lord, [and they are] jubilant.”
You ought to comfort your heart that Hazrat Imam Hussainra is alive forever and happy, owing to the martyrdom. Then, why is it that your heart grieves? The fact that you do not use foul language for the companions is nothing significant. A noble person does not abuse anyone.
A decent man expresses the quality of another person and overlooks shortcomings. Hence, you ought to praise the companions and pray for them.
On a final note, we do not change those beliefs of anyone which are well established through reason and recount. In fact, we adopt those beliefs for ourselves and we express gratitude towards that person who presents a true and pure belief before us.
Our duty is to accept the truth and convince others to believe in it also. That is the reason behind our Bai‘at.
Hence, this fear must not overtake you that you will have to leave the right beliefs after joining the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. The primary work of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is to adopt the correct beliefs and to spread them.
From 16 to 18 August, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Kenya and Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Kenya held their 37th and 6th National Ijtemas respectively.
Both events took place at the Jamaat headquarters located along Murang’a Road in Nairobi, Kenya. The theme for this year’s Ijtema was, Salat is the Key to Success and Fortune.
At approximately 10am, on Friday, registration began as both Khuddam and Atfal arrived at the mosque and the Ijtema marquee. Kenya, as a nation, is divided into 12 regions. These are North Coast, South Coast, Taveta, Voi, Nairobi, Eastern, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyanza, Kakamega, Shianda and Mabera.
The Jumuah prayer and Asr prayers were jointly performed followed by lunch. Then, members attentively listened to the live Friday Sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
At exactly 4:15pm, members gathered for flag-hoisting and proceeded to the Ahmadiyya Hall for the joint opening session. During this session, Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Kenya, Mr Farouq Zaid Sahib, welcomed all attendees to the Ijtema. He explained that this was one of the events for the tarbiyat of Ahmadis and that everyone should take this as an opportunity for their spiritual upbringing by participating fully in both academic and sports activities.
This was followed by academic competitions for Khuddam, including tilawat and hifz, while Atfal proceeded to the mosque for their separate Ijtema opening session chaired by Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Kenya.
The two sessions proceeded till Maghrib, which was performed jointly with Isha prayer.
This was followed by First Aid training session, after which dinner was served. On the second day after Tahajud, Fajr and breakfast, all Khuddam and Atfal proceeded to the field for sports competitions. These included football and athletics. Teams were formed region-wise and they competed strongly. Some regional teams were combined due to attendance from those regions. This went on till Zuhr time, which was jointly performed with Asr.
After serving lunch, the second session of religious competitions continued for Khuddam with speech, nazm and qaseeda competition. At the same time, Atfal had a session with the Amir and Missionary-in-Charge of Kenya, Imam Tariq Mahmood Zafar. Atfal read out speeches and poems.
Thereafter, the sports competitions’ second session commenced including volleyball and shotput for Khuddam and arm wrestling and musical chairs for Atfal. This continued until Maghrib and Isha prayers.
Thereafter, Khuddam proceeded to the Ahmadiyya Hall for an open forum, where members were given the opportunity to talk about challenges they faced as members of MKA and the way forward. During this, Atfal remained in the mosque where they watched a short video about the history of Islam.
On Sunday, after Tahajud, Fajr and breakfast, the last session of academic competitions began for Atfal. Khuddam engaged in table tennis and other competitions.
The closing session for both Khuddam and Atfal was jointly held in the Ahmadiyya Hall and was chaired by the amir and missionary-in-charge Kenya.
After tilawat and poem, Sadr Sahib read the Khuddam progress report for the period of November 2018 to June 2019.
This was followed by the prize giving session to winners of both academic and sports competitions. Thereafter, Amir Sahib delivered his concluding remarks and closed the Ijtema with silent prayer.
The 36th Jalsa Salana of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Norway was held on 17 and 18 August, at the Baitul-Nasr Mosque in Oslo.
This year’s Jalsa Salana was a great success with an overall attendance of over 1,000 people from 13 different countries.
This year, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa appointed Imam Raja Burhan Ahmad Taaley as his representative.
The Jalsa officially commenced with the flag hoisting ceremony at 11:30am. The Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat was hoisted by Imam Raja Burhan Ahmad Sahib followed by silent prayer, which marked the official start of the 36th Jalsa Salana of Norway.
The first formal session started on Saturday, 17 August at 11am local time. The inaugural speech, after the recitation of the Holy Quran and nazm, was delivered by Zahoor Ahmad Choudry Sahib, Amir Jamaat Norway. In his speech, he spoke on the purpose of Jalsa. He shed light on the purpose of Jalsa and highlighted what the Promised Messiahas intended for these Jalsas.
The next speech was by Imam Haroon Ahmad Choudhry on the topic of Blessings of Khilafat. He took the audience through the 111 years history of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and expressed that we should be grateful for Khilafat.
The third and last speech of this session was delivered by Mr Faisal Suhel, Secretary Tabligh for Norway, who mentioned various aspects of Islam’s truth from the Bible.
The second session started at 3pm local time with the recitation of the Holy Quran.
The first speech of this session was delivered by Imam Shahid Mahmood Kahloon, Missionary-in-Charge and Vice President of AMJ Norway. The topic of his speech was The Purpose of Life is to Worship Allah. In his speech, he said:
“When an object fulfils its purpose, it holds high value in the eyes of its creator, but if the object stops functioning, it loses its value. Humans have also been created with a purpose, which is to worship Allah.”
The next speech was by Imam Tahir Mahmood Khan who delivered a speech on the signs of mubahilla (prayer duel) where he talked in great depth about them in their historical context.
The last speech of the day was delivered by Imam Yasir Fawzi on the life of Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayyal.
Sunday, 18 August was the second and last day of the Jalsa. The first session started with the recitation of the Holy Quran and a poem. The first speech of the session was about the Promised Messiah’sas enthusiasm for tabligh by Syed Shan Ahmad, General Secretary AMJ Norway.
Following this was a speech delivered by Syed Kamal Yousuf Sahib, Sadr Qaza Board AMJ Norway, on The Importance of the Five Daily Prayers.
The final speech of this session was by Mr Noor Ahmad Truls Bolstad on the six articles of faith.
The final session started at 3pm with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by a poem. This was followed by the prize distribution ceremony of The Abdul Salam Award and Amin ceremony. Imam Raja Burhan Ahmad distributed prizes to those children who had completed the reading of the Holy Quran in the previous year.
After this, a speech was delivered by Amir of Norway, Zahoor Ahmad Chaudary Sahib, thanking all the attendees of the Jalsa for their support in making this Jalsa Salana successful.
This year, 14 guests from different political parties were invited at the final session. All guests had the opportunity to address the attendees. They congratulated the Norwegian Jamaat on this Jalsa Salana and extended their gratitude on being invited to such a convention where the message of peace and love was being spread.
The concluding speech was delivered by Imam Raja Burhan Ahmad on the topic of Khilafat. He shared many faith-inspiring stories, which motivated and inspired many of the listenered.
After his speech, Imam Raja Burhan Ahmad led everyone in silent prayer, and upon this, the 36th Jalsa Salana Norway came to its successful end.
