Musleh-e-Maud: The Prophecy and its Fulfillment (22 February 2019)

Friday Sermon

Alhakam

22nd March 2019

Friday Sermon

22 February 2019

Musleh-e-Maud: The Prophecy and its Fulfillment

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

These days Yaum-e-Musleh-e-Maud [Musleh-e-Maud Day] is being commemorated in the Jamaat, i.e. regarding the fulfilment of the prophecy in which God Almighty gave glad tidings to the Promised Messiah^as of a promised son. God Almighty said regarding this son that He would be one who possessed special qualities, a true servant to his faith, would attain a long life and would continue the mission of the Promised Messiah^as.

This prophecy was made on 20 February 1886 and is an extraordinary sign for the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah^as and that God Almighty’s support was with him. Thus, within the time period stated in the prophecy, this son was born on 12 January 1889 and was named Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, to whom God Almighty bestowed the mantle of Khilafat after the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra.

I shall present some accounts from the life of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra and how this prophecy was truly fulfilled in his person. However, before doing so I shall present the words of the Promised Messiah^as with regard to the significance and truthfulness of this prophecy. This prophecy was not just the birth of a son, rather it was to foretell the birth of an extraordinary son who would lay the foundations to a spiritual revolution in the world.

As I have mentioned, I shall present the Promised Messiah’s^as response to his critics and this can truly be understood if one reads it in his own words. The Promised Messiah^as states:

“One should carefully deliberate that this is not simply a prophecy, but a magnificent heavenly sign which the Benevolent God manifested to prove the truthfulness and grandeur of our compassionate and merciful Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Chosen One, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. And the truth is that this sign is a hundred times more grand, lofty, complete, superior and perfect than the sign of bringing the dead back to life, because reviving one from the dead is that one prays and asks for the soul to be brought back; such reviving of the dead has been attributed to the Messiah and some other prophets in the Bible, regarding which the critics greatly object to.

“Aside from these rational and textual arguments, the fact is that the corpse would only be revived and stay alive for a few minutes, and would once again depart from this world, and leaving its loved ones to mourn once again – a soul whose return to the world profited neither the world, nor granted the soul itself any peace, nor any delight to its loved ones. Thus, if a soul did in fact return to this world through the prayer of the Messiah, then in reality, its returning and staying in the world are one and the same. And if, for the sake of argument, the soul returned and remained in the body even for some years, even then, what benefit could the imperfect soul of a morally corrupt or materialistic person grant the world, who is no different to fellow men?”

Regarding the prophecy of Musleh-e-Maud, the Promised Messiah^as explains that if it were true that prophets of the past revived the dead; it was only temporary, and furthermore, the ones being brought back were ordinary people.

However, the Promised Messiah^as further says:

“Through the grace and beneficence of God Almighty, and by virtue of the blessings of the Seal of the Prophets^sa, the Benevolent God accepted this humble one’s prayer and promised to send such a holy spirit, whose outer and inner blessings would be manifested throughout the world.

“Hence, even though this sign is seemingly equal to granting life to the dead, however, upon further reflection, it is evident that this sign is in fact hundreds of times greater than bringing the dead back to life. Through prayer, the soul of the dead is brought back, and in the case of this prophecy, a new soul has been acquired through the supplication of prayer.”

The Promised Messiah^as states that the prayer made for a son was in fact a prayer for the birth of a new soul.

“However, there is an enormous difference between those souls and this one. Those who merely pose as Muslims, but in fact have abandoned the faith, do not rejoice at witnessing the miracles of the Holy Prophet^sa being fulfilled. Rather, they are deeply grieved as to why such an event transpired.” (Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, Vol. 1, pp. 114-115)

The Promised Messiah^as mentioned this in Tabligh-e-Risalat. The Promised Messiah^as stated that he did not supplicate to be granted an ordinary soul. Rather he prayed for a sign, as a result of which God Almighty gave glad tidings of a son who possessed numerous qualities. The tidings of such a glorious son were given, “who would attain a long life, be extremely intelligent and bright and possess grandeur, majesty and wealth. Nations would obtain blessings from him. He would be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge. He would be endowed with an extremely profound understanding of the Word of God, i.e. the Holy Quran. Furthermore, he would utilise this God-given understanding and would serve the Holy Quran in such a magnificent manner that he would enlighten the world about the true status of the Word of God. He will be the means of procuring the release of those held in bondage; He will be Aalam-e-Kabab, meaning such universal catastrophes would occur during his lifetime that it will torment the entire world. His fame will spread to the ends of the earth.” (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol 1, pp. 53-54)

We are a witness to the universal catastrophes, such as the ones mentioned in the prophecy which occurred during the era of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra in the form of the two world wars as well as other calamities. Then, as far as the spreading of his fame is concerned, his fame spread to the corners of the earth by establishing new missions, doing tabligh [preaching the true message of Islam] and by spreading the message of Islam to various other countries of the world during his lifetime. As a matter of fact, in relation to this prophecy, we see that this is continuing even today. As I mentioned, I will now briefly speak about the life and character of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra.

As far as his education is concerned, after completing his first reading of the Holy Quran, he enrolled in an official school and had the opportunity to acquire secular education, but despite this he still required extra help and for this tutors would teach him Urdu and English at home.

Hazrat Pir Manzur Muhammad Sahib^ra taught him Urdu for some time. The tutors that were appointed to teach him at home included Pir Manzur Muhammad Sahib^ra, who taught him Urdu for some time. Following this, Maulvi Sher Ali Sahib^ra taught him English. In the biography Swaneh Fazle Umar, Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih IV^rh has penned an interesting account in relation to the condition and nature of this education, which is befitting to hear in the words of Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud Ahmad Sahib himself.

In his own words, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra writes about the condition of his education:

“In relation to my education, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra conferred the greatest favour upon me. Since he was a physician and also aware of the fact that owing to my poor health, I was unable to look at a textbook for too long, therefore, his method of teaching was that he would seat me beside him and say, ‘Mian! I will read and you continue to listen.’ The reason for this was that in my childhood, a severe form of trachoma formed in my eyes (which is an ailment of the eye) and I suffered from pain in my eyes for a consecutive period of three to four years. Due to the effects of trachomatous concretions, I had such severe pain in my eyes, the doctor said that I would eventually lose my eyesight. Upon this, the Promised Messiah^as started to particularly pray for my health and also began to observe fasts.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further states:

“At this moment, I do not recall how many fasts he observed. In any case, he observed three or seven fasts. When he was about to break his last fast and placed something in his mouth in order to open the fast, I suddenly opened my eyes and exclaimed that I am able to see.

“However, the result of this illness and its repeated outbreaks was that the sight in one of my eyes weakened significantly. Hence, I am unable to see properly through my left eye. I am able to see ahead of me, but I am unable to read a book. If a person who I know is sitting two or four feet away, I am able to recognise him. However, if an unacquainted person is sat there, I am unable to see his face. Only my right eye is fully functional. However, trachomatous concretions formed in this eye as well and its severity was such that I would spend many nights awake due to it.

“The Promised Messiah^as told my teachers that I was to be educated according to my wishes. I should study as much as I can and that I should not be forced to study because my health did not permit me to bear the burden of education.

“The Promised Messiah^as would constantly advise me to simply study the translation of the Holy Quran and Bukhari from Hazrat Maulvi Sahib (that is, from Hazrat Maulana Nuruddin, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra). In addition to this, the Promised Messiah^as also said that I should study medicine, as this was an ancestral practise.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further states:

“Master Faqeerullah Sahib … was our mathematics teacher in school. He used to solve questions on the board in order to explain them to the students. However, I was unable to see it due to my weak eyesight. The reason for this was that my eyesight did not function well enough to see the board. Aside from this, I was unable to look at the board for too long as my eyes became tired. Due to this, I used to consider it useless to sit in the class. If I ever wished to leave, I did so and at times I did not.

“Once, Master Faqeerullah Sahib made a complaint about me to the Promised Messiah^as, saying, ‘He remains absent from school and only comes occasionally.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra writes, “I recall when Master Sahib made this complaint to the Promised Messiah^as, I became scared and hid myself, not knowing how upset the Promised Messiah^as would be. However, when the Promised Messiah^as heard this, he said to Master Sahib, ‘It is very kind of you that you show concern for him, however I am very pleased to learn that he occasionally attends because according to me, his health is not good enough for him to study at all.’ Following this, the Promised Messiah^as smiled and said, ‘We are not teaching him mathematics in the hope of him opening a local shop. It makes no difference whether he learns mathematics or not.’ He then said ‘What level of mathematics did the Holy Prophet^sa and his Companions study? It is good if he attends school, but if he does not, he should not be forced.’

“When Master Sahib heard this, he returned. I started to take even more advantage of this leniency and stopped attending school altogether. I would go to school once or twice a month. Hence, I was educated in this manner, but at the same time I had some constraints. Apart from suffering from the ailments of the eyes, I also had complications with my liver and for this I had to drink water extracted from mung beans [a form of lentils] or saag [green leafy vegetable] for six months at a time. On top of this, I had an enlarged spleen and red iodide of mercury was used to massage it. This was used for massaging my neck also as I suffered from tonsillitis. Hence, I had trachomatous concretions, problems with my liver and an enlarged spleen. In addition to this, I used to get a fever which would last for six months. My elders would advise against putting too much pressure on me to study and allowed me to study as much as I wanted. One can ascertain my educational competence based on all of these factors.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further says:

“Once my maternal grandfather, Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab Sahib^ra tested my level of Urdu. My handwriting is untidy even now, but in those days, it was so bad that one could not even read what I had written. Mir Sahib attempted to decipher what I had written, but he was not able to do so.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further says:

“The majority of my children have better handwriting. Similarities of my handwriting can be found in my daughter, Amatul Rashid’s handwriting. I had set a reward of one rupee if anyone, including Amatul Rashid herself, could read out what she had written. The condition of my handwriting was exactly the same and I was at times unable to read my own handwriting. When Mir Sahib examined my paper, he became irritated and said: ‘This writing is all scrambled and illegible.’ (Mir Sahib was quick-tempered). He became furious and took his complaint to the Promised Messiah^as and incidentally I was also at home. We were already scared of Mir Sahib’s temperament (Mir Sahib was quick-tempered), and so, when Mir Sahib went to the Promised Messiah^as and I became even more worried as to what would happen next. Mir Sahib came and said: ‘You do not pay any attention towards Mahmud’s education. I tested him on his Urdu. Please have a look at his paper. His handwriting is so bad that no one can read it.’ He continued in this impassioned state and said to the Promised Messiah^as: ‘You do not address this matter at all and this boy is wasting his time.’ Observing Mir Sahib’s fervency on the matter, the Promised Messiah^as stated: ‘Call Hazrat Maulvi Sahib.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further writes:

“Whenever facing a difficult situation, the Promised Messiah^as would summon for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra had immense love for me. He came and, as was his habit, he stood to one side with his head lowered in respect. The Promised Messiah^as stated: ‘Maulvi Sahib, I have called you here because Mir Sahib says that it is impossible to read Mahmud’s handwriting. I would like a test to be prepared for him.’ After saying this, the Promised Messiah^as picked up his pen and wrote a few sentences. He gave me the sheet of paper and instructed me to copy it. This was the simple test conducted by the Promised Messiah^as. I copied this writing very carefully with full concentration. First of all, the sentences were not long, and secondly, I only had to copy it, which was very straightforward because the original was in front of me. I copied it slowly and very meticulously wrote down the Urdu alphabets ‘Alif’ and ‘Baa’. When the Promised Messiah^as saw this, he stated: ‘I was perturbed by Mir Sahib’s comments, but his handwriting resembles mine.’ Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra was already in my favour and stated: ‘Huzoor! Mir Sahib became impassioned for no reason. His handwriting is very neat.’ Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra would always tell me: ‘Mian! Your health is not well enough that you can study yourself. Visit me and I will teach you in a way that you only need to listen.’ Hence, he laid great stress on this and taught me the Holy Qur’an first and then Sahih Bukhari. He did not teach me the Quran at a slow pace; rather, he used to recite the Holy Quran followed by its translation and would elaborate on anything that he felt was necessary to further explain. Otherwise, he would teach at a quick pace. He taught me the entire Quran in three months after which there was a gap in the lessons. After the demise of the Promised Messiah^as, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra said to me: ‘Mian! Let me finish teaching Bukhari to you.’ This is because I had previously informed him what the Promised Messiah^as had stated during his lifetime which was to learn the Holy Quran and Bukhari from Maulvi Sahib. Therefore, I had started learning the Quran and Bukhari from Hazrat Maulvi Sahib^ra during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah^as, although there were some gaps in between. Similarly, under the instructions of the Promised Messiah^as, I began learning medicine from him. Mir Ishaq Sahib and I started learning medicine on the same day.”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further says:

“There was a joke about Mir Sahib which became well known in our house that on the second day (when both of us had only completed one lesson), Mir Ishaq Sahib said to his mother: ‘Mother! Please wake me up early tomorrow morning so I can go to the clinic early. Maulvi Sahib arrives a little later in the day, therefore I can go there before his arrival and write prescriptions for the patients.’ This was despite the fact that he had only been studying medicine for one day.

“In short, I learned medicine and commentary of the Holy Quran from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra. He finished teaching me the commentary of the Holy Qur’an in two months. He would make me sit with him and would sometimes teach me half a part or one full part of the Quran. He would explain the commentary of certain verses as well. Similarly, he finished teaching me Sahih Bukhari in two or three months. During one Ramadan, he delivered lectures covering the entire Holy Quran throughout the month, which I was able to attend as well. I also had the opportunity to study a few Arabic magazines from him. This was the condition of my education. During those days when I was finishing this course, Allah the Almighty showed me a dream” – which was about his intellectual progress. (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol. 1, pp. 104-105)

Thus, from this we can understand the manner in which he was educated. However, his speeches, addresses, writings and exegesis of the Holy Quran are testimony to the fact that he was undoubtedly taught by God Almighty Himself.

Indeed, this is a great sign and proof of the truthfulness of this prophecy. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra delivered his first public speech during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah^as at the Jalsa Salana [Annual Convention] of 1906. One can begin to understand the effect and impression this academic and scholarly speech had on the listeners through the words of a prominent companion of the Promised Messiah^as – Hazrat Qazi Muhammad Zahuruddin Akmal Sahib – who was a poet and had great command over language; he stated:

“Mahmud, the brightest star and crown jewel of prophethood – may God the Benevolent protect him – stood up to deliver an address on the topic of shirk [associating partners with God]. I paid particular attention to his speech. How am I to express it in words? It was an ocean of eloquence, flowing with great force. Undoubtedly, to have such sound thoughts at such a young age is no less than a miracle. In my opinion, this also is a sign of the Promised Messiah’s^as truthfulness. This makes evident the grand status and beauty of the moral training he received under the guidance of the Promised Messiah^as. (He spoke on matters of spiritual excellences in an extraordinary manner.” (Al Hakam, 10 January 1907) (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol 1, pp. 121-122)

The religious activities [in which Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra participated], his passion, intellectual and spiritual development proved that he indeed is the fulfilment of the prophetic words ‘He would quickly grow’. Furthermore, the Promised Messiah^as himself perceived this passion in him for religion. In one instance, he stated,

“Mian Mahmud has so much passion to serve his faith that at times I offer special supplications for him”. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 26)

These are the words of the Promised Messiah^as. He certainly made this prayer for God Almighty to make him the very son whose glad tidings were given for God Almighty to shower His blessings so that all the glad tidings be fulfilled in his favour.

With regard to the time after the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra, in the biography written by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib^rh, he writes in one place by stating:

“During the beginning of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I’s^ra Khilafat, Hazrat Sahibzada [Mirza Mahmud Ahmad^ra] was 19 years of age, and when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra passed away, he was entering his 26^th year. I shall present some examples of the manner in which he would deliver discourses and pen his writings in his youth.

“He had developed the maturity of an experienced thinker in his thoughts and ideas. His words were entwined with profound effect, allurement and sincerity. His speech was completely free from artificiality and his writings were untainted by any kind of pretention. He had a natural fluency in his speech and his writings were like a flowing river of simplicity. He was filled with the knowledge of the Holy Quran and its cognizance to such an extent, that they would irrigate his heart and mind simultaneously. He was 19 years of age at the demise of the Promised Messiah^as and regarding the first ever speech he delivered, Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali Sahib^ra, a scholarly intellectual, states, ‘Another incident I wish to relate on this subject is the first speech of Huzoor^ra. The first address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra was during the first Jalsa Salana after the demise of the Promised Messiah^as. This Jalsa was hosted in the courtyard of Madrasa Ahmadiyya and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra sat to the right side of Huzoor^ra on the stage. The stage was positioned facing north.’

“Maulvi Sher Ali Sahib writes:

“There are two noteworthy points regarding this speech – the first point of note is that Huzoor’s^ra voice, delivery, tone and style of oration were very similar to that of the Promised Messiah^as in that it reminded the audience of the Promised Messiah^as, who had only passed away a short while earlier. There were many amongst the audience who were brought to tears as a result of the voice of the Promised Messiah^as that they were hearing from the lips of his promised son, just as one can hear the voice of an unseen person through a gramophone. Owing to this, people could be seen crying and I too was amongst those who wept.

“If it is appropriate to say that one’s spirit can pass on to another, then I would say that in that moment, the spirit of the Promised Messiah^as descended upon Huzoor^ra and was proclaiming, ‘This is my beloved son who has been bestowed to me as a sign of mercy – regarding whom it was said that he would resemble me in beauty and benevolence.’

“The second point worth mentioning with regard to this speech is that when it concluded, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra – who had spent his entire life studying the Holy Quran and for whom it was a nourishment of the soul – said, ‘Mian has explained many verses in a manner which are very much new to me.’”

Maulvi Sher Ali Sahib^ra then writes that this was the first speech of Huzur^ra which he delivered before the Jamaat. In this speech, he discussed the intricacies of the Holy Quran, i.e. after the demise of the Promised Messiah^as, he explained such points of wisdom, regarding which, even those well-versed in the Holy Quran such as Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra acknowledged that these meanings were new to him. Who could have imparted all this knowledge to this young man? Who could have taught him this wisdom and understanding at such a young age? It is the One Who stated with regard to Prophet Joseph^as:

وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ اَشُدَّهٗۤ اٰتَيۡنٰهُ حُكْمًا وَّعِلْمًا ؕ وَكَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِيۡنَ

“And when he reached his age of full strength and attained maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge; and thus do We reward those who do good.”

Maulvi Sahib^ra says, “Huzoor^ra did not merely discuss ordinary matters of wisdom, rather he highlighted unique and novel insights into the Holy Quran. God Almighty states regarding the Holy Quran:

لَّا يَمَسُّهٗۤ اِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُوۡنَ

“The translation of this is, ‘None shall touch this [Quran] except those who are purified.’ Hence, to emerge from the solitude of childhood and convey such unique and subtle points of the Holy Quran before an audience is clear evidence to the fact that he spent his childhood under the special upbringing of God Almighty and became part of ‘those who are purified’ even in his childhood.” (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol. 1, pp. 217-219)

A non-Ahmadi journalist has also presented his impressions with regard to his character. It is written that in March 1913, a non-Ahmadi journalist, Muhammad Aslam Sahib, travelled from Amritsar to Qadian and stayed for a few days before departing. After studying the Jamaat closely, he gave a detailed report regarding Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad Sahib^ra saying:

“I was extremely delighted to have met Sahibzada Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad Sahib. Sahibzada Sahib was an extremely courteous and simple person. Alongside his politeness, he is extremely knowledgeable and possesses great understanding.

“Apart from other subjects, a conversation took place between Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud and I about the future of India. In this conversation, the view he set forth based on the history of international relations was laden with vision and reflection.”

This incident is from before his Khilafat in 1913, during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra.

He further writes:

“Out of love, Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud expressed his sincere desire that I should stay in Qadian for at least one week, but owing to one reason or another, I was unable to fulfil his request. However, I am extremely grateful to him for his benevolence and kindness. His purity, righteousness, profound thinking and modesty shall forever remain entrenched in my memory.”

Regarding the standard of his prayers even as a child, one of his childhood teachers, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib^ra, expressed the following:

“Because this humble one had pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiah^as at the end of 1890, I was constantly in and out of Qadian. I have been watching Hazrat Ulul ‘Azm [The Determined One] Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad since his childhood. His aptitude and disposition was always inclined towards modesty, nobility, truth and religion. Even in younger years, he had a fascination with the religious activities of the Promised Messiah^as. He would often go to the Jaami‘ [Central] Mosque with the Promised Messiah^as and listen to the sermon.”

He further says:

“I recall that once, when Mian Mahmud was approximately 10 years old, he was standing for prayer in the Aqsa Mosque next to the Promised Messiah^as. When he went into prostration, he began weeping profusely. From an early age he possessed an exceptional bond of love for God and His Messengers.”

Then, there is another incident which illustrates the fervent state of his prayers and his habit of remaining in prostration for long periods. When elders would see this, it would evoke great wonder in them. In particular, as there was no apparent difficulty or worry that could cause it, when the people would witness the fervent and tearful state of his supplications, they would be astonished. They would wonder, after all, what could have befallen this child that causes him to secretly wake up in the night, weep profusely and saturate his prayer mat with his innocent tears?

Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahib^rh writes in his biography of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud that the same wonder and amazement arose in the heart of Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Sahib as well, a new convert who had accepted Islam at the hand of the Promised Messiah^as. He increased in his sincerity and faith so rapidly that he is counted amongst those pure and saintly individuals blessed with divine visions and revelation.

He used to recall: “Once I resolved that I would spend the entire night alone in the mosque, and in seclusion I would ask of my Lord all that I desired. When I arrived in the mosque, I saw that someone was already busy in prostration, and was weeping with such anguish that I was unable to focus on my own prayer. The prayer of that individual had such a powerful effect on me that I began praying, ‘O my Lord, whatever this person is imploring of you, do Thou grant it to him.’

“I stood for so long that I became tired from standing, waiting for the person to arise from his prostration. I do not know how long he had been there before my arrival, but when he lifted his head, I saw that it was Mian Mahmud Ahmad Sahib. I greeted him with Salam, shook his hand and asked him, ‘Mian, whatever did you ask from God today?’

“He replied, ‘I have only asked of God that He should revive Islam before my very eyes.’ After saying this, he proceeded back inside.

“At such a young age, the deep desire he possessed to see the day of Islam’s victory did indeed bear fruit, as God adorned him with the mantle of Khilafat in his youth.” (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol. 1, pp. 151)

Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud Ahmad Sahib has mentioned a prayer of his which is published in Tasheezul Azhaan in the year 1909. He wrote an article wherein he mentions the blessings of Ramadan. After this he writes:

“I was looking for an article of Tasheezul Azhaan. In the process of searching my desk, I came across a paper containing a prayer that I had offered in the previous Ramadan.”

Mian Mahmud goes on to say:

“Upon reading this prayer, my heart was suddenly moved to encourage the members of the Jamaat to also supplicate using these words. After all, no one knows whose prayer may be accepted or when God’s grace may descend with a special majesty upon our Jamaat. I publish herein the words of that prayer to express the anguish of my own heart, so that perhaps the heart of some pure natured individual might move towards supplicating to his Lord for his own self and for the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. This indeed is my true purpose for stating this. The words of that prayer are as follows:

“O my Master, my Powerful God, my Beloved Friend, my Guide! O Creator and Originator of the Heavens and the Earth! O Controller and Regulator of water and air! O You Who – from the time of Adam to the time of Jesus – sent hundreds of thousands of spiritual guides and countless callers to faith for the guidance of the world! I supplicate You, O Exalted and Great God, Who raised a Messenger as magnificent and majestic as the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa; I implore that Gracious God Who raised a spiritual guide like the Promised Messiah^as from among the servants of the Holy Prophet^sa!

“O Creator of all Light and Expeller of all darkness!

“At Your threshold – Indeed! Only at Your threshold does this unworthy servant express total humility, so do Thou hear my plea and accept my prayer, because it is Your promises, after all, which have granted me strength to even have the courage to submit something before You!

“I was nothing and You created me. I did not exist and You brought me into existence. You created the four elements for my development, and created mankind for my wellbeing. When I could not even give expression to my needs, you appointed such people who were naturally concerned for my well-being. Then you allowed me to progress and increased my provisions.

“O my Beloved! My most Beloved! You appointed Adam as my father and Eve as my mother, and from among Your servants chose one whom You looked upon with honour, so that he would seek intercession and mercy for the unaware, those of little understanding and ignorant persons like me.

“I was a sinner and You concealed my sins; I was a wrongdoer and You forgave me. In each and every instance of pain and sorrow You stood by me. Whenever a tribulation befell me, You came to my aide, and wherever I could have gone astray, You held onto me and did not let me go.

“You overlooked my errors and despite my becoming distant, You only drew nearer to me. Even when I became neglectful of You, You never once forgot me. On occasions where even parents and relatives and family and friends and sympathisers prove utterly helpless, You manifested the hand of Your Divine power for me.

“When I feel sad, You lift my spirits; when I become disheartened You grant me joy. When I cry, You make me smile. There may be some who weep in the agony of being separated from You, but You Yourself revealed Your countenance to me. You vouchsafed promises to me and then fulfilled them. You have never failed to discharge Your promise. I also made promises to You, but broke them, yet You overlooked them. I do not find another soul more sinful than myself, yet I do not find another sinful person, whom You have bestowed more of Your Grace upon. I cannot even imagine any other being more benevolent than You.”

He further says whilst addressing God Almighty, “I cannot even imagine a person more benevolent than You. Whenever I fall at Your threshold and lament and cry, You always hear my call and accept it. I have never witnessed that You have rejected any prayer that I supplicated in a state of helplessness. O my Lord! With the utmost fervency and heartfelt anguish, I fall at Your threshold and I supplicate to You, begging of You to hear my prayer. My Lord! Holy art Thou! My people are heading towards ruin, save them from this destruction. If they call themselves Ahmadis, how can they ever forge a connection with me until their hearts and inner selves become pure? Until they become immersed in Your love, what connection do I have with them? Thus, O my Lord! Manifest Your attributes of Rahmaniyyah [graciousness] and Rahimiyyah [mercy] and purify them. Instil within them the passion and spirit of the Companions^ra so they become anxious to serve the faith, and their words and actions become refined and pure. [O Lord] May they sacrifice themselves for Your sake and remain devoted to the Holy Prophet^sa. May the prayers of Your Promised Messiah be accepted in their favour and may his pure and true teachings become embedded in their hearts. O my Lord! Save my people from all trials and grief; safeguard them from all kinds of calamities that may befall them and ensure that great, noble people are born among them. May they become a nation that You are pleased with and become a community that You have chosen for Yourself. May they be free from the clutches of Satan and may the angels continuously descend upon them. Bless this community, both in their worldly endeavours and in their faith. Amin, O Lord of all the worlds. Amin.” (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol. 1; pp. 309-312)

As I mentioned earlier, this prayer was from 1909. At that time – during the Khilafat of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^ra – he was only 20 years of age. Even then, his heart possessed a profound sympathy and anguish to serve his faith and his people.

May God Almighty shower His endless Mercy on his soul for he spent day and night in spreading the religion of the Holy Prophet^sa and the mission of his Ardent Devotee – the Promised Messiah and Mahdi^as – and having fulfilled his pledge, he returned to his Lord. May God Almighty enable us to understand and recite this heartfelt prayer of his, and may we fulfil the rights of being an Ahmadi. May God Almighty enable us to do so.

(Originally published in Al Fazl International, 15-21 March 2019, pp. 5-9. Translated by The Review of Religions)

A prophecy fulfilled – The Tsar in agony and distress

The Promised Messiah

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

A prophecy fulfilled – The Tsar in agony and distress

In the remote village of Qadian, India in the year 1905, a humble man was blessed with true visions and given knowledge of the unseen as God spoke to him.

At that time when this prophecy was made, few could have believed such misfortune would fall upon humanity let alone the Tsar – the ruler of the largest and one of the most powerful nations of that time. However, this prophecy proved to be true, manifesting in the First World War and the miserable end of Tsar and his family.

Tsar – agony and distress

Travelling back in time and reaching the end of 19^th century, we can explore the extraordinary lives, the agony and trauma and tragic deaths of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II and his family.

The exhibition in the Science Museum, London is set up from 21 September 2018 to 24 March 2019 to reveal the turbulent backdrop of social upheaval and war between 1900 and 1918.

Facts have been disclosed about the rare blood disorder of the Tsar’s son Tsarevich Alexei, mental health of Tsarina and the fear and anxiety of the Tsar to uncover the science behind one of the greatest mysteries of the 20^th century; all this in The Last Tsar, Blood and Revolution exhibition.

Today, some of the striking buildings in Russia are in the city of Saint Petersburg located on the Baltic Sea. It was the imperial capital for two centuries and established by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 CE, who named it after his patron Saint Peter, so it was called Saint Petersburg instead of Nyen, which was its previous name.

The city’s first building was the Peter and Paul Fortress. In 1712, Peter the Great moved the capital from Moscow to Saint Petersburg and wanted to make it a defensive city for Russia. Until today, it has had a sinister history and never served its defensive purpose.

Another significant building is Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of all tsars from Peter I to Alexander III (but not Peter II). However, the remains of the last tsar, Nicholas II and his family and entourage were re-buried here in the side chapel of Saint Catherine on 17 July 1998, the 80^th anniversary of their death.

Today the icon of the city is the tall tower of the fortress seen across the Neva River. An important city worth mentioning is Yekaterinburg that lies east of the Ural Mountains. It was given this name by Tsar Peter the Great after his wife Yekaterina, who became Catherine I after Peter’s death.

Today the significance of this city is that following the Oct Revolution the family of the deposed last Tsar Nicholas II were sent to internal exile in Yekaterinburg where they were imprisoned in the Ipatiev House. The city is known for the golden-domed “Church on the Blood”, built in the early 21^st century on the site of the 1918 Romanov executions. The nearby Regional Local Lore Museum includes the “Hall of the Romanovs” where the personal items of the last Tsar and his family are kept.

The Russian Imperial family called Romanov started their rule in 1613 and continued until 1917. Peter the Great (1672-1725) brought autocracy into Russia and played a major role in bringing his country into a state system. Russia became the largest country in the world, stretching from the Baltic sea to the Pacific Ocean. He founded the city of Saint Petersburg and made it a capital, thus opening a window into Europe. Later an autocracy and orthodoxy developed in the Imperial rule and there was no question of democracy, constitution and the parliamentary system at the end of 19^th century during the time of Alexander III (1881-1894) who was succeeded by his son Nicholas II (1894-1917). But the Industrial Revolution was gaining power to exert a significant influence in Russia that ultimately brought an end to the Imperial rule. Such a tragic and brutal end of the last Tsar was beyond imagination.

An autocratic ruler

In 1894, 26-year-old Romanov Nicholas II ascended to the Russian throne. He was married to Alexandra, a German lady and Queen Victoria’s granddaughter. It was a loving family with four healthy daughters. In his diary, Nicholas wrote:

“No more separation. At last, united for life and when this life [ends], we [shall] meet in the other world to remain together for all eternity.”

But the first ten years of their reign were marked by great pressure to provide a son and a heir. A person like Nicholas II who was not only emperor but had a number of titles – including By the Grace of God Emperor Nicholas II, Autocrat of all Russians (on one silver ruble coin), Tsar (an archaic Slavic title), Great Authority and Power – was greatly upset and disturbed without a son.

As for Tsarina, she was under great stress to give the nation a male heir – the future supreme ruler of Russia. With the birth of each daughter, her stress and anxiety increased. Her husband Tsar Nicholas II was worried and sought treatment from experts. Her anxiety was treated with gentle medications and spas prescribed by physician Eugene Botkin (1865-1918). As time passed, Tsarina lost trust in professional medication and found comfort in faith and spiritual healing. Rumours suggested she suffered from nervous problems.

Under the Russian autocratic system, health care was provided by the church, private charities and local government. Although care was inconsistent, many hospitals and asylums adopted progressive principles that abolished restraining pressure from those with mental illnesses. But that was not the case for political prisoners.

As the socialist Marxist policies grew, a number of women were imprisoned, and many struggled in solitary confinement and against abusive male guards. Those who showed signs of anxiety were labelled hysterical and many were driven to suicide.

In the Science Museum, London exhibition is displayed the case of a 26-year-old student Maria Ventrova (1870-1897) who was detained in complete isolation at the Trubetskoy Baston Prison where you never hear any sound. Maria set herself alight with kerosene from a lamp and died from burns four days later.

This was not an isolated case. There was an “epidemic of suicide” and “revolutionary psychosis”. There were political factors as causes of mental health. But the psychological problem of Tsarina was due to great pressure from the state to have a heir for the empire. A professional medicine could not have produced a male, so spiritual healers flooded the Imperial court.

Heir for the monarchy

Tsar Nicholas II struggled to find any “spiritual” and “mystic” healer for Alexandra Tsarina to bring her out of mental stress and save his own monarchy.

In 1902, Monsieur Philippe, a so-called “miracle worker”, promised her a son, but the result was Tsarina’s “Phantom pregnancy”. It was declared that her mental state was due to some “divine powers” on “blessed souls”.

In 1904, Alexandra was blessed with Tsarevich Alexei, long awaited son and heir to Imperial Russia. But sadly, this happy jubilation turned to horror. Alexei contracted a rare blood disease called haemophilia where blood clotting is very difficult. Tsarina Alexandra was horrified as she knew it was a “royal disease” in the family of her grandmother Queen Victoria and knew that her uncle, brother and nephew had died of this disease. The news threatened to destabalise Russia. Knowledge of Alexei’s condition was kept as a state secret. The Tsar family was plunged into great fear anxiety and distress. In Nicholas II’s diary (that is displayed in the Science Museum exhibition) the birth and first bleeding episode of Alexei has been written.

Agony and fear of Tsar

The news of Alexei’s haemophilia threatened to destabilise Russia and fear gripped the Tsar and his family. Knowledge of Alexei’s condition was to be guarded as a state secret. In Russia, any disability was perceived as a divine punishment. The future tsar, who would serve as head of the church and country, should not have any disability. So, the haemophilia of Alexei was concealed from the court and public and his photos were carefully displayed. In public, he was carried by his father or safely on a royal carriage. There was never an official statement about Alexei’s condition. But when the Tsar was on holiday in Spala (present Poland) Alexei experienced a near fatal haemorrhage during a boat accident and his condition was published in 1912.

In the Science Museum, London a picture of the Tsar with the royal doctor Eugene Botkin on board the Imperial yacht is on display and the date mentioned is 1908.

Finding comfort in the closeness and safety of their family, the Tsar and Tsarina left the capital and withdrew greatly from their court life and made a comfortable home at their countryside residence. The public life of the family was secluded. Protected from the vast country they ruled, the Romanovs were gradually losing touch with it.

Alexei experienced painful haemorrhages and professional help was of little use. The agony and distress of the Tsar took him to find natural and spiritual healers who flooded the palace. The last and most notorious was Grigori Rasputin.

His power and influence on the Tsar mystified the nation. Curiosity and suspicion led to outrage as the nation was not familiar with Alexei’s condition. Rasputin considered himself a “natural healer” and was regularly visiting the Imperial family. His ability to settle Alexei’s bleeding secured his friendship with the Tsar and Tsarina. He was very unpopular at court and with public. His presence gathered rumours and damaged the Imperial family.

Another “fake” healer was a Tibetan doctor Pyotor Badmaeu (1851-1920) running a successful clinic at Saint Petersburg selling herbal medicines and alchemical remedies of Tibetan Shamons and became a regular visitor to treat Alexei’s haemophilia.

The agony and suffering, anxiety and distress of the Tsar was mentioned by Maurice Paleologue, French Ambassador to Russia in his diary which is displayed in the Science Museum, London:

“During recent months, [the] Emperor suffered from nervous maladies which betray themselves in unhealthy excitement, anxiety, loss of appetite, depression and insomnia. The Emperor would not rest until he had that quack Badmaeu.” (Diary of Maurice Paleologue, 6 November 1916)

Political turmoil for the Tsar

Nicholas II had absolute power over his country and its subjects – politically, legally and spiritually.

The Tsar’s power was regarded as sacred, universal and complete. He believed in the concept of autocracy as the foundation stone of Russian society and upheld their divine and incontestable right to rule. But this model of governing proved to be unfit in a rapidly changing and modernising society. A chain of events occurred in the social, economic and political structure of Russia that led to the tragic, yet brutal, end of the Romanovs.

Socialist organisations were gaining momentum from the end of the 19^th century and many public figures, government officials and members of the royal family were murdered. In 1881, Tsar Alexander II was killed by a suicide bomber. The Church of the Savior on Blood is the spot where this attack happened in Saint Petersburg.

In January 1905, trouble in Russia had greatly upset the Tsar when 120,000 socialists, mainly workers, marched in the streets to hand over a petition to him. The soldiers fired at them and nearly 100 people died and several hundred were wounded. The activities of the revolutionists created chaos and unrest in the country and the Tsar was greatly disturbed to read about strikes in schools and factories, murder of policemen and soldiers, riots, disorder and mutiny.

He wrote to his mother:

“We are in the midst of a revolution with an administrative apparatus entirely disorganized and in this lies the main danger”. (Marvin Lyons, Nicholas II, The Last Tsar [1974])

Under these circumstances, the Tsar realised that the country was at the verge of a cataclysmic revolution because he had no option but to take a number of steps towards constitutional liberal direction. The emperor and autocrat of Russia was forced to sign the establishment of the Imperial Duma (an elected assembly) which could not function properly because the First World War developed badly for Russia. There was no reason for Russia to involve in the war, but leaders, diplomats and 19^th century alliances created a climate of large scale conflict.

Brutal end of the Tsar and his family

On 30July 1914, Nicholas II of Russia took control of the army and ordered a general mobilisation of the army, which was not fully prepared. There were heavy losses. In the Battle of Tannenberg, the entire Russian army was annihilated. The Tsar lost loyal officers who could have protected the dynasty when combined forces of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire counter attacked.

Although the Tsar was the commander of the army, he was a weak and incompetent leader. Historians speculate that some of his decisions led to military defeats and deaths of millions of people. Blood flowed unendingly, the ranks became thinner and thinner and the number of graves multiplied. Defeat at the front caused disorder at home. There were shortages of food and fuel. People suffered and starved.

In December 1916, the Tsar was cut off from public opinion. He was at the front while control of the capital was left with his wife Alexandra. The influence of Rasputin and Alexandra’s German background deteriorated the situation. People were very angry with Nicholas why he failed to remove Rasputin whose influence was destructive. Alexandra was even accused of harbouring treacherous sympathies towards Germany. Rasputin was murdered by a group of nobles.

On 2 March 1917, Nicholas II chose to abdicate and named his cousin Grand Duke Michael as the next Emperor of all the Russians. He issued a statement:

“In the days of a great struggle against a foreign enemy who has been endeavouring for three years to enslave our country, it pleased God to send Russia a further painful trial … In these decisive days in the life of Russia, we thought it our duty of conscience to facilitate our people the closest union possible and a consolidation of all national forces for speedy victory. In agreement with the Imperial Duma (electoral body) we have thought it well to renounce the throne of the Russian Empire and to lay down the supreme power. As we do not wish to part from our beloved son, we transmit the succession to our brother Grand Duke Michael … We call on our faithful sons of the fatherland to fulfil their sacred duty to the fatherland … May the Lord God help Russia.”

This statement was suppressed by the provincial government. The diary displayed in the Science Museum, London shows, “All around are treachery, cowardice and deceit”. (Diary of Nicholas II on the day of abdication, 2 March 1917)

Captivity, imprisonment and cold-blooded murder

Nicholas desperately wanted to go into exile in the United Kingdom following his abdication, but the Labour Party and the Liberals raised objections. Even France declined to offer asylum to the Tsar family.

On 22 March 1917, the Romanov family and their loyal servants were imprisoned in Alexander palace before they were moved to Tobolsk where they stayed in captivity between August 1917 and April 1918. They were shifted to many other places such as Mose, Omsk, Tiumen, Perm and Chelyabinsk.

In April 1918, Nicholas, Alexandra and Maria were moved to Yekaterinburg. Alexei was too ill to accompany his parents and stayed with 3 other sisters at Tobolsk until May 1918. They were then imprisoned in Ipatiev House – “The House of Special Purpose”.

The Bolsheviks had taken power in October 1917 and the Romanov’s destiny was to be decided. If alive, the Tsar would be a threat to the new power of the Soviets, speculated the leaders of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks) who split apart from the Menshevik faction of the Second Party Congress in 1903.

The Marxist leader Lenin (in 1917) joined the Bolshevik Party to overthrow the Provincial Government. Thus, this Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 became the political power of Russia in December 1917 and planned a complete end to the Russian monarchy.

16 July 1918 saw the Tsar family under Bolshevik custody at the Ipatiev House.

On 25 July 1918, the House was empty when anti-Bolshevik forces recaptured the city. Where were the Romanovs? Who killed them? Where were their bodies taken? Were all of them murdered? The questions remained unanswered and speculations prevailed. After Ekaterinburg was recaptured from Bolsheviks, an official enquiry into the disappearance of Romanovs was launched by Ural Provincial Government.

Evidence was collected at the house and burial site and photos were taken by many investigators until Nikolai Sokolov (1882-1924) was given the task to complete the final report. The Soviet leadership confirmed the murder in 1926.

The investigation took a century, but the report of Sokolov was the only reliable document until the fall of Soviet Union in 1991. Nikolai Sokolov wrote The Murder of the Tsar Family that was published in 1925, one year after his death.

The details of the execution of the Tsar family (the Romanovs) could well have remained in shadow forever had it not been for the investigation work carried out by Sokolov whose papers later formed the basis for a further probe by the Russian and British authorities after the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991.

He wrote that the murder of the Tsar family took place on 17 July 1918 in the Ipatiev House where the family was kept since 30 April. All those close to the family were also killed, notably Eugene Botkin, Anna Deimdora, Alexei Trupp and Ivan Kharitonov. They were shot, bayoneted and clubbed under the instructions of Lenin and orders of Ural Regional Soviet Union.

The Tsar family lived in the basement from 30 April in very poor conditions and under psychological pressure and humiliating circumstances. After the brutal killings, their belongings were looted. Pyotor Voykor was to dispose of the dead bodies that were taken to the village of Ganina Yama where there was an abandoned mine. They took 750 litres of gasoline and 180 kilograms of acid (sulfuric acid) to dispose of 65 bodies so that “the world would not know what we did with them” said Pytor who was made ambassador to Poland in 1924, and was assassinated by a Russian in 1924.

It is said that two others who were directly involved in the murder of the family were attacked and killed by peasants in the immediate months after the gruesome massacre.

In July 1991, the bodies of five family members were discovered (Tsar, Tsarina and three daughters).

After forensic examination and DNA identification, the remains were laid to rest in Saint Catherine Chapel of Peter and Paul Cathedral Saint Petersburg.

The remaining two bodies of Tsarevich Alexei and one of his sister were discovered in 2007. In 2010, the Russian court ordered to re-open an investigation into the murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.

President Boris Yeltsin described the killings as one of the most shameful pages in Russian history, reported the Associated Press on 18 July 1998.

What happened to the Tsar and his family was a great tragedy, however what Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as had prophesised was nothing short of miraculous and prophetic in accuracy.

Hazrat Ahmad^as predicted the agony and miserable plight of the Tsar during the time of great tribulation and catastrophe. This fulfilment confirmed the truth of the Promised Messiah^as.

Here is part of the poem that bears the prophecy pertaining to the Tsar given in his book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5:

يك بيك اِك زلزلہ سے سخت جنبش كهائيں گے

كيا بشر اور كيا شجر اور كيا حجر اور كيا بحار

“All of a sudden, with a severe earthquake, all will be shaken up – Be they humans, tree, mountains, or seas.”

اِك جهپك ميں يہ زميں ہو جائے گى زير و زبر

نالياں خوں كى چليں گى جيسے آب رود بار

“In the twinkling of an eye, the earth will be turned upside down; Streams of blood shall flow like the flowing of a channel.”

ہوش اُڑ جائيں گے انساں كے پرندوں كے حواس

بهوليں گے نغموں كو اپنے سب كبوتر اور ہزار

“Men and animals will go out of their minds; All pigeons and nightingales will forget their songs.”

ہر مسافر پر وه ساعت سخت ہے اور وه گهڑى

راه كو بهوليں گے ہو كر مست و بيخود راہوار

“That hour will bear heavily upon every traveller, and those who are on a journey will lose their way in a fit of forgetfulness.”

مضمحل ہو جائيں گے اس خوف سے سب جن و انس

زار بهى ہو گا تو ہوگا اس گهڑى با حالِ زار

“Men, high and low, will be consumed with fear; And the Tsar himself will, at that hour, be in a pitiable state.”

About the “severe earthquake” mentioned in the first couplet, the Promised Messiah^as explains in a footnote:

“I still cannot say with certainty if it will, in fact, be an earthquake. It may not be an ordinary earthquake but some other dire calamity evoking the spectacle of Doomsday, the like of which would not have been witnessed by this age, and which would bring about great destruction of life and property. However, if no such extraordinary Sign appears and people do not openly reform themselves, then I shall prove to be a liar.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V, p. 217)

We do confirm with absolute justice and honesty that whatever the Promised Messiah^as prophesied was a fact and a testament to his truth.

Rivalries, nuclear war, nationalism, Brexit and immigration – Peace Symposium 2019

From The Markaz

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

Rivalries, nuclear war, nationalism, Brexit and immigration – Peace Symposium 2019

It has been the practice of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat to counsel, guide, advise and spearhead efforts towards peace wherever it exists.

Under the divinely guided Khilafat, the track-record of the Jamaat constitutes a stunning hallmark of success in striving to alleviate the political, social and economic problems of the world.

Today’s time is no different. This year’s Peace Symposium was the 16^th to be held at Baitul Futuh, London and carried the theme: The Critical Need for World Peace.

The words of Archbishop Emeritus Kevin McDonald of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark summed up the importance of this gathering. He thanked the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for the initiative which was “quite unusual, different, imaginative, bringing together people of different religions”. He emphasised a “particular timeliness about this year’s peace symposium” against a backdrop of Brexit and the surge of youth-related violence on the streets of Britain. The social, political and economic climate of the rest of the world is also rife with war and an uncertain future.

The Peace Symposium had a large international representation from around 30 countries including Israel, Gambia, Uganda, Eritrea, Canada, Liberia, Morocco, Hungary, Iraq and many more. The mayors of seven London boroughs were also in attendance.

The 2019 Ahmadiyya Peace Prize for the Advancement of Peace was awarded to Dr Fred Mednick, Founder of Teachers Without Borders – an organisation providing education in emergencies, education for women and aiming to close the educational divide in the poorest parts of the world.

Dr Fred Mednick received the prize from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa and stated in his acceptance address:

“I am deeply honoured and privileged to receive this award and I do so on behalf of Teachers Without Borders. We are really moved and profoundly grateful for your commitment to peace-making through education.”

The keynote address was delivered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa in which he opened with the words:

“Each year, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community hosts this Peace Symposium in which current issues and the overall state of the world are analysed, and in my address, I seek to present answers to these contemporary issues in light of the teachings of Islam.”

Hazrat Amirul Momineen^aa drew attention towards the intensifying geo-political state of affairs by the forging of new battlefields and increasing number of rivalries. Huzoor^aa cited a number of experts that were also pointing towards a disastrous future and deterioration of international relations and stated:

“During the past year, the United States claimed with a degree of confidence that it was close to securing an historic peace deal with North Korea. But in recent days, it has become clear that nothing of substance has been achieved.”

Huzoor^aa further commented:

“Expert commentators and experienced politicians are reaching the conclusion that nuclear war no longer remains a remote and distant prospect but is a growing threat that can no longer be discounted.”

On the issue of the escalating tensions in the subcontinent between India and Pakistan, Huzoor^aa pointed out that both countries were nuclear powers and had alliances, thus a war between them would have far-reaching consequences.

The rise of nationalism is also a pressing issue which was spoken on:

“Nationalism has reared its ugly head again and far-right parties are gaining popularity across the Western world. They may not have secured outright political majorities, but unless justice at all levels of society prevails, they will continue to gain support.”

It is clear that nations with vested interests are seeking out policies of injustice that in turn are causing such havoc in various parts of the Middle East that the citizens of such places have no option but to migrate.

When such immigration occurs to the West on a large scale, especially against the backdrop of an already struggling Western world, this automatically creates tensions and resentment towards those seeking protection of Western nations in the hearts of the indigenous population.

This has been the primary reason why nationalism is gaining ground. Hence, the simple solution to this, as presented by Huzoor^aa, is to adopt policies of peace that would enable the war-torn Middle Eastern nations to achieve their potential, thus alleviating the need for their citizens to migrate elsewhere in search of safety.

Whilst commenting on nationalism, Huzoor^aastated:

“One of the core reasons underpinning their popularity has been widespread immigration which has caused resentment and a belief that existing indigenous citizens are being short-changed in order to fund and support immigrants … If genuine efforts are made to cultivate peace and to help all countries achieve their potential, this desperation of people to flee their homes would automatically subside.”

Huzoor^aa then counselled the immigrants that settle elsewhere to stand on their own two feet rather than live a life on benefits, and play a positive role in society, since the underlying cause of resentment is always economic.

On the topic of Brexit, Huzoor^aa pointed out that all possible efforts to preserve unity by upholding each other’s rights was paramount to peace. Moreover, it was the responsibility of the EU governments to remove the fear of their citizens by adopting progressive and practical policies with regard to immigration.

Huzoor^aa also addressed the question of whether it was apt to look for solutions to global unrest from an Islam perspective since it was Islamic countries themselves that were in the worst state. The answer to this was that present-day countries are not the hallmark for Islamic practice, rather we should reflect upon the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa to understand how he created a society that protected the rights of all without discrimination.

Rear Admiral Mike Bath, after the event, commented on the importance of the Peace Symposium:

“Tonight we’ve seen people of many faiths all in one place, all sharing the vision and the message which we all agree with, which is we all need to come together if we are going to solve some of these problems in the future.

“Why it has particular resonance for me in the Navy is because so much of what His Holiness talked about in terms of commitment, loyalty, respect are those same values that we in the Navy have. So, the armed forces and the Ahmadiyya share common goals in much of this as we all want to see a more peaceful world.”

Senator Maria Arrelas from Spain commented after the event:

“It was an honour for me to be here. For me the speech from His Holiness was really nice and really important and everybody here saying ‘peace’ together with one voice is really important.”

The Peace Symposium of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has become an important event in its calendar since one of the principle missions of its founder, the Promised Messiah^as was to establish peace through righteous Islamic conduct. However, one may ponder over what impact this gathering is having if the state of the world is continuing to deteriorate.

The words of Huzoor^aa at the outset of his address are enough to answer this. He stated:

“In terms of what impact this event has on the wider world, I have said before that I do not know. However, regardless of its effect, we shall never give up our efforts to promote peace and justice and certainly I’m sure all of you share our ardent desire for true and long-lasting peace to be established in the world.”

15-21 March

This Week in History

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

15 March 1889: The Promised Messiah^as was in Hoshiarpur on this day. Huzoor^as blessed the marriage ceremony of Sheikh Mehar Ali Sahib’s son with his presence.

15 March 1891: The Promised Messiah^as sent a personal letter to Hazrat Mian Muhammad Sanori^ra while he was in Ludhiana, expressing, “Correspondence work is piling up due to my chronic health condition. If you could come here and assist me for the next two months, it would be very helpful. I am staying at the same residence in Iqbal Ganj of Ludhiana.” In those days, Huzoor^as was engaged in a written debate with Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi about his claims and mission.

15 March 1907: The Promised Messiah^as issued an announcement for Muslim clerics and invited them to read his book Haqiqatul Wahi with deep consideration.

15 March 1917: The Promised Messiah’s^as prophecy about the Tsar of Russia was fulfilled on this day when the abdication of Nicholas II of Russia took place after his decades long reign. Huzoor^as predicted in one couplet of his famous Urdu poem:

مضمحل ہو جائیں گے اُس خوف سے سب جن و انس

زار بھى ہوگا تو ہوگا اس گھڑى باحالِ زار

“Men, high and low, will be consumed with fear; And the Tsar himself will, at that hour, be in a pitiable state.”

16 March 1903: Pandit Nand Kishor visited Qadian on this day and had the opportunity to seek blessings from the company of the Promised Messiah^as before Isha prayer. He was a renowned scholar of Sanatan Dharam and a great orator of his age.

17 March 1896: Hazrat Ahmad^as wrote a letter to Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan^ra in which he mentioned the publishing of his book on linguistics, Minan-ur-Rahman (The Blessings of the Gracious God). Huzoor^as informed him that the press had stopped printing after initial copies. This book – a monument of methodical research about Arabic as the mother of all languages – was published in 1922.

17 March 1897: The Promised Messiah’s^as Arabic book Hujjatullah (God’s Final Argument) was printed on this day at Zia-ul-Islam Press, Qadian. In this book, he highlighted various signs which God had shown in his favour. He also pointed out the error of his Shia opponents. In a graphic and eloquent manner, Huzoor^as explained that the Shia beliefs were not right because the Khulafa– Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Hazrat Umar^ra and Hazrat Usman^ra – were the rightful Khulafa and Hazrat Ali^ra had acknowledged this also.

17 March 1901: The Promised Messiah^as wrote a two-page announcement for the general public warning them about the pandemic of the plague that was claiming lives. This message was to caution the local populace to take precautionary measures to protect themselves.

18 March 1966: Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih III^rh introduced the scheme of Waqf-e-Arzi. Through this scheme, every Ahmadi is able to take part in missionary work for a limited period.

20 March 1907:The Promised Messiah^as issued another announcement about his book Haqiqatul Wahi, and this time, he addressed Christian priests and asked them to ponder over his book without being hasty.

21 March 1894: The lunar eclipse occurred after sunset on Thursday, 13 Ramadan. According to Calcutta time, the lunar eclipse was visible in India in the evening between 7-9:30pm, in accordance with the Hadith narrated by Hazrat Imam Baqir Muhammad bin Ali, son of Hazrat Ali bin Hussain, Zain-ul-Abidin (may Allah have mercy on them):

“For our Mahdi there are two signs that have never appeared before since the creation of the heavens and the earth, namely, the moon will be eclipsed on the first night in Ramadan (i.e. on the first of the nights on which a lunar eclipse can occur) and the sun will be eclipsed on the middle day (i.e. in the middle of the days on which a solar eclipse can occur), and these signs have not appeared since God created the heavens and the earth.” (Sunan al-Darqutni, Kitab-ul-Eidain)

21 March 1905: Hazrat Babo Muhammad Afzal Sahib, Proprietor and Editor of the newspaper Al Badr, passed away on this day. Owing to the services provided by this newspaper for the spread of his divine mission along with Al Hakam, Huzoor^as referred to them as his two arms.

21 March 1908: Sir James Wilson, Financial Commissioner of Punjab came to Qadian for a day’s visit. His camp was settled in an open ground outside the village of Qadian. He made a request for a meeting with the Promised Messiah^as. Huzoor^as, accompanied by some of his devoted disciples, went to see him in the evening at 5 o’clock. During this meeting, Huzoor^as explained to Sir James the beauties of Islam and told him that the religion of Islam was based on sound reason and very clear signs from the Almighty God. He told him that Islam would win through reason and not with the sword. Every battle fought by the early Muslims was a defensive battle. The idea that Islam spread by the sword was totally erroneous and was a mere fantasy of the enemies of Islam.

The financial commissioner wished to continue the talk further about matters not relating to religion. But Huzoor^as said, “You are a worldly ruler. God has appointed me a ruler of the spiritual domain. As you have fixed times for certain matters, so are our times fixed for various works. Now is the time for our prayer.” Saying these words, Huzoor^as stood up and returned.

Press Conference at 2019 Peace Symposium

From The Markaz

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

Press Conference at 2019 Peace Symposium

Nauman Hadi

Al Hakam Correspondent

Prior to the keynote address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa at the 2019 Peace Symposium at Baitul Futuh, London, a press conference was held that hosted an entire spectrum of questions, especially since the media wanted to take the opinion of a Muslim Leader on matters related to Islam.

The on-going issue of jihadis returning to the UK was also brought up a couple of times with regard to what manner of action the British Government should take?

Huzoor^aa stated in the case of one particular female jihadi wanting to return to the UK:

“I have sympathy for the child”, referring to the new-born child of the jihadi who was innocent in the mother’s crimes and who later died. He also stated:

“If the British Government has stripped her of her nationality, then another country should adopt her, any Muslim country … Since her parents were from Bangladesh, the first duty is of Bangladesh to take her as a national.”

A question that came up was with regard to the purpose behind building the Baitul Futuh Mosque. Huzoor^aa stated:

“Mosques are built for Muslims to worship … there are quite a number of Ahmadi Muslims residing in this area or in this city and they gather here for congregational prayer on Fridays. Almost 4-5 thousand people come here to offer their congregational prayers, so this is the reason; the same reason for which churches are built.”

A journalist asked Huzoor^aa for his thoughts on religious groups becoming radicalised. Huzoor^aa stated:

“I have been speaking on this issue for so many years. If they are Islamic extremists, then they are not practicing Muslims.”

Hazrat Amirul Momineen^aa further cited the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa entering into the treaty of Medina with other religious groups in order to grant religious freedom and emphasised that the Islam he knew never taught extremism.

It has been argued that war, as controversial as it may sound, plays a role in economic growth (the journalist who asked this question gave the example of the economic unity of the EU being a result of war).

When Huzoor’s^aa opinion on this matter was sought, he responded by disagreeing with such a notion. He stated that if this was to be the case, then all war-torn regions should be economically developed. Especially in the case of an Indo-Pak war, it was apparent that such a scenario would leave nothing but destruction in its wake reaching further than the subcontinent.

Huzoor^aa said:

“If there is any war – conventional or atomic – then they are going to ruin themselves. There will not be any economic development after the war, rather they will go 100 years back.’

A journalist asked whether we would ever achieve world peace? The answer, in light of present circumstances, was negative.

“We all talk about world peace, but we are not ready to sacrifice ourselves for creating peace in the world.”

Huzoor^aa added that there would be no peace without letting go of vested interests.

On the matter of a solution to a war between India and Pakistan, Huzoor^aa commented that the major dispute was over Kashmir, which should be resolved through the UN. If the UN was truly serious and wanted to resolve this issue, then India and Pakistan would be ready.

Huzoor^aa further stated that the road map for ending this dispute was the one laid out by Sir Zafrulla Khan Sahib^ra.

Another question presented to Huzoor^aa was whether he had met the Pope and if not, whether he would like to? Huzoor^aa stated that he had not yet met the Pope, but would like to and described Pope Francis as “an open-minded person” as he had travelled to Middle Eastern countries.

In recent years there has been a growing interest in Africa with trade and industry growing rapidly. A journalist asked Huzoor^aa about establishing peace in the African continent.

Huzoor^aa replied by stating that if the rulers were honest, discharged their duties properly and provided opportunity to all their people then this would lead to peace. The rulers needed to reform themselves.

Furthermore, the case of terror groups gaining strongholds in those countries was also due to the dishonesty of the governments in those regions. Huzoor^aapointed out that the resources were not being used adequately to the benefit of the local populace and the rights of the people were also not protected. To summarise, the entire responsibility of upholding peace in Africa was upon the rulers to govern properly. If they did so, then Huzoor^aa stated that “these extremist groups would die their own deaths.”

On the question of nuclear weapons beings necessary as deterrents, Huzoor^aa stated that this was just a “flimsy excuse” as nuclear weapons were not saving countries, but destroying them, especially due to the economic disturbances they cause. Huzoor^aa then cited the example of the Cold War between Russia and the USA.

At the end, Huzoor^aa gave a light-hearted comment, saying:

“Had you listened to my address before asking these questions, then you would not have asked so many.”

The press conference concluded with Huzoor^aa meeting dignitaries in the Aftab Khan Library and then proceeding to Maghrib prayer followed by the main function in Tahir Hall.

Huzoor’s^aa opinions and comments were cited in various media outlets including the Evening Standard, Sky News, the Daily Mail and the Mail Online.

Prophecies of the Promised Messiah a.s.: Earthquake like Judgement Day

Earthquake
Prophecies

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

Prophecies of the Promised Messiah a.s.: Earthquake like Judgement Day

Of the revelations that pertain to the coming of an “earthquake like Judgement Day”, the following revelation is presented as an allegation:

اَخَّرَهُ اللّٰهُ اِليٰ وَقْتٍ مُّسَمَّي

“Allah has postponed it, till a time appointed.” This was revealed to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, on 28 March 1906.

After presenting this revelation, the opponents of the Jamaat say that on 8 April 1906, God said:

رَبِّ اَرِنِيْ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ۔ يُرِيْكُمُ اللّٰهُ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ

“O my God, show me the earthquake which is the example of Judgement Day because of its severity. Allah will show you the earthquake of Judgement Day.”

Then, on 20 May 1906, God said:

اُرِيْكَ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ ۔ اِنِّيْ اُحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ

“I shall show you the earthquake which shall be the example of Judgement Day. I shall safeguard everyone in this house.”

With these revelations, opponents seek to assert that Hazrat Ahmad^as said that the “earthquake like Judgement Day” would appear in his life, yet it did not, thus rendering the prophecy false and proving that this was not from God.

First and foremost, let’s take the issue of whether or not the revelations he received were, in actuality, from God.

When the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa claimed to be a prophet having been divinely appointed by God, the Quraish said, as Surah al-Haqqah puts it, that his words were not the words of God, rather they were the words of a poet, while some said that they were uttered by a soothsayer. Allah rebutted this claim by saying, “[It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.” (Surah al-Haqqah, Ch.69: V.44)

Allah went on to say:

“And if he had falsely [attributed] even a trivial statement to Us, We would surely have seized him by the right hand, and then surely We would have severed his jugular vein, and none of you could shield him [from Us]. And verily, it is a reminder for the righteous.” (Ch.69: V.45-49)

From the time he was given prophethood until the revelation of these verses, the proof of the Holy Prophet’s^sa revelations being from God was the fact that had they not been from God and had he fabricated them, then God would not have given such ample time for him to spread his message far and wide.

Regarding the revelation of the aforementioned verses, Hazrat Umar^ra said:

“These verses had been revealed before my accepting Islam. Once, the thought crossed my mind that the Holy Prophet^sa would go to the Ka‘bah at night to worship, so I should go and kill him. Thus, I went there and hid in the dark. After some time had elapsed, the Prophet^sa arrived and began offering Tahajud prayers. At first I intended to immediately attack him, but then I thought to listen to what he was saying. Upon hearing, I found that he was reciting these very verses of Surah al-Haqqah. These verses had such an impact on me that it kept me from attack him.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Umar bin al-Khattab^ra, Hadith 107)

Hazrat Umar^ra accepted him in his sixth year of prophethood. In other words, these verses were revealed 6 years after being commissioned as a prophet, and the 5 to 6 year period that had elapsed was a proof of the truthfulness of his prophethood and claim to talk to God.

The Holy Prophet^sa claimed prophethood at the age of 40 and passed away at 63. Allah bestowed upon the Prophet^sa 23 years to propagate his claim and message.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as presented this argument in support of his claim saying that if God had bestowed upon him so much time and potential to propagate his mission as he had done to the Holy Prophet^sa, then how could his claim be false?

Some opponents say, These verses are exclusively with regard to the Prophet^sa that if he made a false claim then God would have destroyed him. In these verses, God did not say that whoever falsely claimed prophethood would be destroyed.

In response to this assumption, the Promised Messiah^as said:

“Although this verse has been revealed regarding the Holy Prophet^sa, it is of general application, quite like the idiom of the entire Holy Quran where most of the commands and prohibitions are apparently addressed to the Holy Prophet^sa, but others are also addressed in these commandments, or such commandments are exclusively meant for others…

“After this short digression, let me turn to the main subject. God says about the Holy Prophet^sa, that, had he lied against Us, We would have destroyed him. This does not mean that God has expressed His jealousy only with reference to the Holy Prophet^sa in that were he an impostor, God would have destroyed him; but His jealousy is not roused in the case of others no matter how much they lie against God or concoct false revelations and ascribe them to God. Such a concept is as irrational as it is against all of God’s Scriptures.

“The Torah still contains the sentence that whoever lies against God and makes a false claim to prophethood shall be destroyed. Besides, Muslim scholars have long been quoting the verse وَ لَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا [and if he had falsely attributed to us…] before the Christians and the Jews as evidence of the veracity of the Holy Prophet^sa. It is obvious that an argument is of no use unless it has a general application.

“How can this be an argument that had the Holy Prophet^sa fabricated [against God], he would have been destroyed and the whole undertaking would have come to naught, but God is not offended if someone else fabricates [against Him]; rather, He loves such a person and grants him respite more than He did to the Holy Prophet^sa and even helps and supports him! This should not be called an argument. Rather, it is a claim which itself stands in need of an argument.

“Alas! In opposing me, they have stooped so low as to attack even the Signs of the veracity of the Holy Prophet^sa. Since these people know that more than twenty-five years have elapsed since my claim of being a recipient of divine revelation and inspiration, which exceeds even the tenure of ministry of the Holy Prophet^sa as that was twenty-three years; while, in my case, it is close to thirty years and I do not know how long the extent of my period of call is in the knowledge of God.

“This is why these people, despite being hailed as maulvis, assert that one who lies against God and is a false claimant of revelation can even survive for as long as thirty years from the beginning of his fabrication and that God can help and support him, and yet they do not produce any precedent for it.” (Haqiqatul Wahi [The Philosophy of Divine Revelation], pp. 259-261)

When, according to the criteria of the Quran, the Promised Messiah’s^as claim to prophethood proves true, then we should reflect over the revelations to do with an “earthquake like Judgement Day” neutrally and free of any spite.

Webp.net resizeimage 2 — Types of ordnance. British guns – elevated position mobile mount at the front. Engineer Division Ordnance Dept. (War Dept.) Exact Date Shot Unknown NARA FILE #: 165-WW-286-16 WAR & CONFLICT BOOK #: 624

Allah revealed to Hazrat Ahmad^as revelations like “Allah will show you the earthquake of Judgement Day” and “I shall show you the earthquake that shall be the example of Judgement Day”. Through interpreting these very revelations did the Promised Messiah^as allude to the coming of the “earthquake like Judgement Day” in his time.

Previously, we have discussed the fact that interpretation of divine news can be interpreted one of two ways – either it can be correct or it can be incorrect. The correct interpretation will be proven through the outcome of events. Prophet Noah^as interpreted that the promise of protection would extend to his son, whereas he drowned, and the events proved that the son was not part of the promise.

The Holy Prophet^sa thought one year that that was the year he and his companions would be given the chance to circumambulate the Ka‘bah. With this in mind, the Prophet^sa set off with 1,400 companions for Mecca. However, the resistance of the Quraish, the treaty of Hudaybiyyah and the later events would show that the Prophet’s^sa interpretation was incorrect.

Similarly, the Holy Prophet^sa was promised that his migration would be to a place famous for its dates. The Prophet’s^sa interpretation of this was that his migration would be to Yamama or Hajar, however later events proved that his interpretation was not correct and that he migrated towards Yathrib, later known as Medina. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib-ul-Ansar)

When God said that He would “show you the earthquake” that would be a sign of Judgement Day, the events that unfolded showed that Allah did not mean physically showing him.

The Arabic verbs رَاَي (he saw) and اَرَي (he showed) do not just mean seeing with one’s eyes, rather it also means to obtain knowledge of something by any means. For example, Allah addressed the Prophet^sa and said:

اَ لَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِاَصْحَابِ الْفِيْلِ

“Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant?” (Surah al-Fil, Ch.105: V.2)

Similarly, God says:

اَلَمْ تَرَاِلَي الَّذِيْ حَاجَّ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ فِيْ رَبِّهِ اَنْ اٰتَاهُ اللّٰهُ الْمُلْكَ

“Hast thou not heard of him who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah had given him kingdom?” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.259)

Much like other similar verses, the incidents mentioned in these verses occurred well before the birth of the Prophet^sa. Despite this, God Almighty used the words اَلَمْ تَرَ (have you not seen…?), which, in other words, mean اَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ (are you not aware…?). This is because the Prophet^sa came to know of some of the incidents mentioned in verses like these through either divine knowledge or through people.

Further, God says in the Quran:

اِنَّا اَنْزَلْنَا اِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا اَرَاكَ اللّٰه

“We have surely sent down to thee the Book comprising the truth, that thou mayest judge between men by that which Allah has taught thee.” (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.106)

In this verse, much like others, اَرَاكَ does not mean seeing with one’s eyes, rather it is to convey knowledge or pass on information.

Thus, the revelation the Promised Messiah^as received, “I shall show you the earthquake which shall be the example of Judgement Day” does not mean that God would show him through his physical eyes, rather He would show Hazrat Ahmad^as through divine revelation and vision.

Accordingly, on 11 June 1906, the Promised Messiah^as was shown a vision about which he said:

“I was shown the scene of an earthquake. With that, I received the revelation:

لِمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ۔ لِلّٰهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ

‘Whose is the kingdom this day? It is that of Allah, the One, the Most Supreme.’” (Badr, 14 June 1906, p. 2)

The Promised Messiah^as said:

“Of course, I have also reiterated again and again, as is my belief, that it cannot be categorically claimed with regard to the prophecies that they will necessarily be fulfilled in a certain way. It is possible that God – the All-Knowing, the All-Wise – may choose some other manner for its manifestation that has the same grandeur and power and awe-inspiring feature as the prophecy signifies.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V, Appendix to Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V, pp. 360-361)

Then, with regard to the tremors of the earth as a result of the earthquake, the Promised Messiah^as says:

“This is what my understanding is. Beyond it, God knows well His hidden secrets, and it is possible that He may at a later stage disclose to me more than this, for He has power over all things.” (ibid., p. 350)

“… probably and preponderantly the word zalzalah means ‘earthquake’. And yet it is possible that these words may, in conformity with the eternal practice of God, signify some other such terrible, extraordinary, and devastating calamity that has the appearance and characteristics of an earthquake. Metaphors do abound in the discourse of God Almighty…” (ibid., p. 345)

“… the word zalzalah [earthquake] in my prophecies, most probably implies an earthquake – if it is not that, then an extraordinary calamity is implied that would have a very great resemblance with an earthquake and would have the character of an earthquake fully…” (ibid., p. 346)

This “earthquake” came to light in the form of the First World War, starting from 1914 and lasting until 1918.

Hazrat Ahmad^as mentioned aspects of this in the following couplets:

اِك نشاں هے آنے والا آج سے كچه دن كے بعد

جس سے گردش كهائيں گے ديهات و شهر اور مرغزار

“A Sign will appear some days hence; Which shall overwhelm the countryside, the cities, and the meadows.”

آئے گا قهر خدا سے خلق پر اِك انقلاب

اِك برهنه سے نه يه هوگا كه تا باندهے ازار

“People will be seized with a revolution by the divine wrath, so suddenly that a naked one will have no time to secure his clothing.”

يك بيك اِك زلزله سے سخت جنبش كهائيں گے

كيا بشر اور كيا شجر اور كيا حجر اور كيا بحار

“All of a sudden, with a severe earthquake, all will be shaken up – Be they humans, tree, mountains, or seas.”

اِك جهپك ميں يه زميں هو جائے گي زير و زبر

نالياں خوں كي چليں گی جيسے آب رود بار

“In the twinkling of an eye, the earth will be turned upside down; Streams of blood shall flow like the flowing of a channel.”

رات جو ركهتے تهے پوشاكيں برنگ ياسمن

صبح كردے گي انهيں مثلِ درختان چنار

“Those whose night garments were white as jasmine will wake up in the morning as if clad in red, like the poplar tree.”

هوش اُڑ جائيں گے انساں كے پرندوں كے حواس

بهوليں گے نغموں كو اپنے سب كبوتر اور هزار

“Men and animals will go out of their minds; All pigeons and nightingales will forget their songs.”

هر مسافر پر وه ساعت سخت هے اور وه گهڑی

راه كو بهوليں گے هو كر مست و بيخود راهوار

“That hour will bear heavily upon every traveller, and those who are on a journey will lose their way in a fit of forgetfulness.”

خون سے مردوں كے كوهستان كے آبِ رواں

سرخ هو جائيں گے جيسے هو شرابِ انجبار

“The flowing waters of mountain streams will run red, like red wine, with the blood of the dead.”

مضمحل هو جائيں گے اس خوف سے سب جن و انس

زار بهي هو گا تو هوگا اس گهڑی با حالِ زار

“Men, high and low, will be consumed with fear; And the Tsar himself will, at that hour, be in a pitiable state.”

اِك نمونه قهر كا هوگا وه ربّانی نشاں

آسماں حملے كرے گا كهينچ كر اپنی كٹار

“That divine Sign will be a specimen of terror; Heaven will attack with a drawn dagger.”

هاں نه كر جلدي سے انكار اے سفيهِ ناشناس

اِس په هے ميري سچائي كا سبھی دار و مدار

“Hasten not to deny this – O ignorant fool! – for my truthfulness depends entirely on the fulfilment of this Sign.”

وحي حق كی بات هے هو كر رهے گي بے خطا

كچه دنوں كر صبر هو كر متقی اور بردبار

“This is a prophecy based on revelation of God and will surely be fulfilled; Wait, then, a while in righteousness and steadfastness.”

يه گماں مت كر كه يه سب بد گمانیهے معاف

قرض هے واپس ملے گا تجه كو يه سارا ادهار

“Do not imagine that all your ill thinking will be forgiven; It is a debt that will be repaid to you in full.”

(Research by a panel of scholars at the Research Cell, Rabwah)

100 Years Ago… – The first speech of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II r.a.

Speeches of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

100 Years Ago… – The first speech of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II r.a.

Al Hakam, 14 March 1919

Upon the sad demise of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin, Khalifatul Masih I^ra on 13 March 1914, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad^ra was elevated to the office of Khalifatul Masih on 14 March.

In the 14 March 1919 issue of Al Hakam, the first ever address delivered by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad^ra after being elected as Khalifatul Masih II was published. Immediately after this address, he took Bai‘at [oath of initiation] from all those present.

The English rendering of that address is presented below.

اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ

[I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah; He is one and has no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad^sa is His servant and messenger.]

Friends, listen to what I have to say!

It is my belief – my firm belief – that God is one and there is no one beside him. My dear ones, again, it is my belief that Hazrat Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is the Almighty Allah’s prophet and Khatamul-Anbiya [seal of all the prophets]. It is my belief that no one after him can abrogate an iota of his Shariah [law].

Dear ones! This beloved prophet of mine, the chief of all the prophets, bears such a status that a person who follows him completely and obediently can obtain the status of prophets. It is a fact that the Holy Prophet’s^sa station and reverence is such that complete obedience to him can result in prophethood. This is my faith and I say it with full conviction.

Then, it is also my belief that the Holy Quran is that beautiful book which was revealed to the Holy Prophet^sa and it is Khatam-ul-Kutub [seal of books] and Khatam-Shariah [seal of laws]. Furthermore, it is my belief that the Promised Messiah^as was the same prophet whose prophecy can be found in Sahih Muslim and the very Imam who was foretold to appear in Sahih al-Bukhari.

I reiterate, no aspect of the Islamic Shariah can be abrogated now. So follow the example of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with all of them, who were the recipients of the prayers and tarbiyat [method of edification] of the Holy Prophet^sa.

The Ijma‘ [unanimity of Companions^ra] after the Holy Prophet^sa was manifested in the form of true, rightly guided Khilafat. Reflect and ponder over the history of Islam for the number of achievements during the period of Khilafat when it had taken the form of a monarchy began to fall and it fell to the extent that we witness this state in Islam and the Muslims today.

After 1300 years, Allah the Exalted sent the Promised Messiah^as on these very precepts of prophethood and in accordance with the promises of the Holy Prophet^sa. After his demise, we see the continuation of Khilafat-e-Rashida [rightly guided Khilafat]. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, Maulana Maulvi Nuruddin Sahib^ra was the first successor of this Jamaat (may his status be counted among the highest of high-ranking souls. Allah descend His limitless mercies upon him. May Allah grant him the company of the purest and most beloved souls in Paradise in accordance with the love he had for the Holy Prophet^sa and the Promised Messiah^as). We pledged the Bai‘at at his hand with the same belief.

So long as this Jamaat continues to floiurish, Islam will also progress materially and spiritually.

When you repeatedly cried out for me to take this burden and you expressed your desire to take my Bai‘at, I felt that I should state my beliefs before you.

I tell you truthfully, I am fearful. I find myself to be extremely weak. It is stated in a Hadith to not assign one’s servant such a task that cannot be performed by him. At this moment, you have made me a servant. So [I request you] do not ask of me that which I cannot perform.

I am aware that I am weak and not flawless. How can I claim to be a guide for mankind to promulgate the true message of Islam? We are very few and the enemies of Islam are vast in number, however our hopes are extremely high as a result of God’s grace and mercy upon us.

Listen, for the responsibility you have placed on my shoulders can only be fulfilled with your help – pray to the Almighty God for His succour and obey me in obeying Allah and attaining His pleasure.

I am only human and a weak one at that. I vow to the Almighty Allah that I shall pardon your shortcomings; should you notice mine, I request that you forgive them too. Our combined mission – both yours and mine – is to bring about the progress and purpose of this movement.

Now that you have created a bond with me, I urge you to fulfil it loyally. I shall forgive your shortcomings, as you will mine, with the grace of God. You must obey and follow me under amr bil-ma‘ruf [commanding of good]. If – God forbid – I say that God is not one, then I swear by God, Who has full control over decree and our souls and Who is one and has no partner whatsoever, that you should never obey me in such a matter.

If – God forbid – I describe a defect in prophethood to you, do not accept it. If I describe a defect in the Holy Quran, by God, do not accept it. If I utter anything contrary to the teachings that the Promised Messiah^as conveyed to us through divine guidance, do not – I repeat – do not, accept it.

I say again, do not disobey me in amr bil-ma‘ruf. If you show obedience and submission and strengthen your oaths, then remember that God’s grace shall be with us and our combined prayers shall avail us.

I have firm faith in my Beneficient Lord; I have full certainty that I shall be helped.

The day before yesterday, on Friday, I narrated a dream in which I saw that I had fallen ill and I felt a pain in my thigh. I felt as though the plague had begun to affect me. I then shut my door and worriedly thought to myself about what was to happen. I thought to myself that Allah had assured the Promised Messiah^as:

اِنِّيْ اُحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ

“I shall protect all those that dwell in your house.” I thought that although this promise was fulfilled during his lifetime, perhaps it had expired after the Promised Messiah’s^as demise, as his holy person was no longer amongst us.

During this perturbation, I realised that it was not a dream and I was, in fact, fully awake. I looked towards the walls and the various items in the room.

In that same state, I saw Allah the Exalted in a bright, radiant white light. It started from below and carried on above; it had no beginning or end. A hand appeared from that light, which held a white china cup with milk in it and I drank of that cup. Immediately thereafter, I felt no pain and was comforted.

I only narrated this much of the dream and did not carry on with the second part. I shall now present what happened next.

When I was fed from the cup, the following words were immediately uttered by me:

میری امت كبھی گمراه نه هو گی

[My ummah shall never be misguided.]

I have no ummah [nation]. You are my brothers. But the relationship that the Promised Messiah^as has with the Holy Prophet^sa compelled me to say these words. The mission that the Promised Messiah^as started has fallen on my shoulders at the appointed time.

So pray and strengthen your ties. Make efforts to visit Qadian and come repeatedly.

I once heard the Promised Messiah^as say, “Whoever does not come [to Qadian] repeatedly carries the risk of having a defect in his level of faith.”

To spread Islam is our foremost duty. Make combined efforts so that God’s favours and blessings may descend upon us.

I say to you again, and again, and yet again: now that you have pledged the Bai‘at and have formed a bond with me after the Promised Messiah^as, show loyalty and remember me in your prayers. I shall also remember you in my prayers, in fact, I have always remembered you in my prayers. To date, I have not said a single prayer in which the members of the movement were not in mind. However, I shall pray for you even more than before. I have never experienced a passion for prayer in which I did not pray for all Ahmadis.

Listen again! Do not do anything that was done by those who broke their oaths with Allah. Our prayer should be that we live as Muslims and die as Muslims. Amin.

Indonesia Waqf-e-Nau Ijtema 2019

Asia

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

Hafizurrahman

Indonesia Correspondent

The national Waqf-e-Nau Ijtema of Indonesia was held in Manislor, West Java for three days, from 1 to 3 March 2019.

After recitation of the Holy Quran and nazm, the chairman of the committee and local sadr of Manislor made some remarks.

Following that, the National Waqf-e-Nau Secretary conveyed a blessed message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa for our Ijtema.

Hazrat Amirul Momineen^aa said:

“The reason [to hold these events each year] is to remind all of you, the members of Waqf-e-Nau, about the importance of your responsibilities and to train and to guide you about how to discharge these duties.”

Then, Huzoor^aa advised:

“It is only through your conduct that you can attain the true blessings associated with being a part of this scheme. At all times, you must strive to fulfill your pledge as members of Waqf-e-Nau and this requires that you raise your moral, spiritual and educational standards and set the very best example for others to follow. At all times, every Ahmadi man, woman and child is expected to act upon the teachings of Islam, and so if members of Waqf-e-Nau are only following the basic standards, they cannot claim any distinction.”

Huzoor^aa continued:

“Foremost amongst these, as I often say, is to fulfill the rights of Allah through His worship, and so you must try to constantly improve your standards of worship and try to develop a true and everlasting connection with Allah.

“Of course, the most important and chief form of worship are the five obligatory prayers that must be offered each day. Thus, you should be extremely careful that you do not miss any Namaz. Furthermore, you should offer your prayers in congregation whenever possible and, outside of school or college times, attend your local mosque or Salat centre as much as possible.

“Regrettably, students often use their schools and university studies as an excuse to delay their prayers or even to not offer of them at all. What they fail to realise is that Namaz is a shield that saves a person from other mistakes, and so by failing to fulfill the rights of worship, they are leading themselves towards other vices and sins and away from Islam. Thus, you must guard against any form of laziness or weakness in this respect.”

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih^aa also quoted the advice of the Promised Messiah^as for someone who was prone to many mistakes and weaknesses about how to overcome his shortcomings:

“Namaz and Istighfar were the best remedies to overcome such weaknesses. Every person knows his own deficiencies better than anyone else, so pay great attention to the guidance of the Promised Messiah^as, that the best medicine to overcome negligence in our faith is to be regular in the obligatory prayers and seeking repentance from Allah for our sins.”

The Promised Messiah^as also taught us to pray:

“‘O Allah, create a great distance between me and my sins, meaning that a person be saved from all wrongdoing and sin.’ If a person sincerely and regularly offered this prayer, it would surely be accepted over time.”

This event was opened by missionary in-charge, Maulana Mirajuddin Shahid by leading a silent prayer.

About 1,126 participants from 20 regions – consisting of 163 Atfal, 138 Nasirat, 179 Khudam, 149 Lajna and 348 parents of Waqifeen – attended this blessed event.

A sequence of activities had been scheduled within 3 days. This included listening to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’s^aa Friday Sermon, talk shows on diverse and interesting topics, interactive discussion with full-timer Waqifeen, career planning counseling, test on Waqf-e-Nau syllabus, childrens corner, general medical check-up and also fascinating outdoor games. There was also participation from Jamia Ahmadiyya and Madrasah Hifzul Quran to invite school-age Waqifeen to join these blessed educational institutions.

On Sunday, 3 March, before Zuhr and Asr prayers, National Amir Maulana Abdul Basit Shahid led the conclusion session.

The national Waqf-e-Nou secretary read again the message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih^aa. Special rewards were presented by the national amir to Waqifeen-e-Nau who were practically serving the Jamaat and to the best Waqifeen in academic and non-academic affairs. Finally, the national amir led the silent prayer to conclude this blessed event.

Indonesian intellectuals to Qadian

Asia

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

Hafizurrahman

Indonesia Correspondent

What a great blessing it was that after visiting Jalsa UK last August, some Indonesian intellectuals from Alaudin State Islamic University of Makassar, South Sulawesi had the honour of journeying to Qadian.

They would have a joint seminar under the title Theology and Culture in collaboration with Ahmadiyya Movement of Punjab.

They arrived on 25 February 2019 and followed a series of visits for a week.

On the first day, they visited historical places in Qadian and held discussion with lecturers and students of Jamia Ahmadiyya Qadian. After that, they came to Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana, which are also blessed and historic places.

A couple of days later, they also visited Agra and the Great Mosque of New Delhi and stayed in the Ahmadiyya mission house in Delhi. They then returned to Indonesia on 4 March 2019.

Maulana Saifullah Mubarak Ahmad, an Indonesian missionary who studies in Jamia Qadian was assigned to accompany them.

The intellectuals included the following:

1.Prof Dr H Ahmad M Sewanng, MA, Head of Doctoral Program Department and Chairman of the Indonesia Mosque Association Mushalla Muttahidah (IMMIM) in South Sulawesi

2. Prof Dr H Syamsuduha Saleh, M.Ag, Leader of Islamic Women in South Sulawesi

3. Prof Dr HM Natsir, M.Ag, Dean in Usuluddin and Philosophy Faculty

4. Chairman of Islamic Brotherhood Committee in Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI)

5. Dr H Barsihannor, M.Ag, Dean of Literature and Humanities Faculty

6. Dr H Muhammad Amri, Lc, M.Ag, Dean of Education and Teacher Training Faculty

7. Prof Dr H Abdul Rahim Yunus, MA, Lecturer of Islamic History and Culture, Literature and Humanities Faculty

Through this visit, hopefully, Allah the Almighty will bestow on them the true understanding of Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam.

Lajna Nairobi Ijtema

Africa

Al Hakam

15th March 2019

Amatul Qayyum Bhatti

Secretary Tarbiyat Kenya

Lajna Imaillah Nairobi held their regional Ijtema on 10 March 2019.

The total attendance was 55, with 41 Lajna and 14 Nasirat members, from 4 Majalis – Kasarani, Dandora, Kenol and Nairobi.

The programme started with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by the Lajna pledge and opening speech by Regional Sadr Qaisra Shah Sahiba. A brief annual report about work done in all departments for previous year was presented by General Secretary Basima Tariq Sahiba.

Thereafter, academic competitions started including memorisation of the Quran, recitation of the Quran, qasida, Swahili and Urdu nazms and English and Swahili speeches.

In the second session, Lajna and Nasirat’s sports events were held.

At 3pm, after the Zuhr and Asr prayers, the closing session commenced. During the session, Secretary Tarbiyyat Amatul Qayyum Bhatti Sahiba presented some tarbiyat comments.

National President Khadija Juma Sahiba distributed prizes to those that had won positions in competitions. Therefater, the closing speech was delivered by the national sadr Lajna Imaillah Kenya.

After the wind-up, in which all Lajna members participated, this blessed event came to an end. May Allah accept our humble efforts.

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