100 Years Ago...

Annual Prize Distribution 2018 Professor Abdus Salam 2nd Convocation Jamia
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s Jamia Ahmadiyya UK KBE FRS Ghana
First Week in Dalhousie
Taken from Al Hakam 14 July 1918

Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 12

THE WEEKLY

A www.alhakam.org
AL HAKAM | Friday 6 July 2018 | Issue XVI
Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL. UK
info@alhakam.org | F: +44(0)208 544 7673

Jalsa Canada 2018

on the topic of “Jihad Against Innovations
and Bad Customs”. 
Malik Lal Khan Sahib, National Amir
of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Canada is
scheduled to speak on “Blessings of Nizam-
e-Jamaat in the Context of Sacrificing
Life, Wealth and Honour”. Other speakers
include Mubarak Ahmad Nazir Sahib on
“Khilafat: The Source of Unification of
Mankind”; Hadi Ali Chaudhry Sahib on
“The Religious Awakening of the West”;
Khalil Ahmad Mubashar Sahib on “Our
Wealth and Progeny: Are they a Test?”;
Farhan Iqbal Sahib on “Emerging Societal
Challenges and their Solutions” and Asif
Afzal Khan Sahib on “Hazrat Muhammadsa:
Beacon of Absolute Justice”.
Syed Tahir Ahmad Sahib, Additional
Nazir Ishaat (MTA Pakistan) is another
distinguished speaker who is expected
to speak on “The Great Comet of 1882: A
Celestial Sign for the Promised Messiahas”.
Other speakers include Afzal Mirza
Sahib, Hanan Sobhi Sahib and Tariq Azeem
Sahib.
Maulana Mubashar Ahmad Kahlon
Sahib will also speak on the last day of Jalsa
on the topic of “The Advent of the Promised
Messiahas”.
Jalsa Salana Canada 2016 with the presence of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa | alislam.org Speaking to Al Hakam, Asef Hadi Sahib,
Head of MTA Studios Canada said, “We will

T he 42nd Jalsa Salana Canada starts today,

6 July, at The International Centre in
Mississauga, Ontario. The Jalsa will continue
through Sunday, 8 July.
The expected attendance is around
26,000 which comprises Ahmadis from all
over Canada. Guests from other countries
are also expected to attend. 
Farhan Khokhar Sahib, Naib Amir
Jamaat Canada, said, “Speakers are travelling
from as far as Pakistan to address the annual
Jalsa of Canada Jamaat.”
The Jalsa starts at 12:00 EST today with
the repeat of the Friday Sermon delivered
earlier today by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih
Vaa being played in the Jalsa Gah. This will
lead to the formal opening of Jalsa Salana
Canada, followed by the first session.
Maulana Mubashar Ahmad Kahlon
Sahib will attend Jalsa Canada as Markazi –
central – representative and will also speak
be broadcasting the proceedings of Jalsa
Salana Canada via web stream. This will
include the Jalsa sessions and speeches, but
we will also include some studio discussions
and short documentaries in between the
sessions.”

Hadith-e-Rasul; Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words

On Relieving the Needs of your Brethren Divine Trials

Hazrat Abu Hurairahra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said: “He who removes from
a believer his distress in this world will have his distress of the Day of Judgment re-
moved by Allah. He who eases the hardship of another, will have ease bestowed upon It is inevitable that you should also be tried You will certainly suffer pain and many
him by Allah in this world and the next. He who covers up the faults of a Muslim with various forms of anguish and misfor- of your desires will not be fulfilled, but do
will have his faults covered up in this world and the next. Allah goes on helping a tune, just as the faithful before you were not lose heart in such situations, for your
servant so long as he goes on helping his brother. He who treads a path in search of tried. Be on your guard, lest you should fal- God tries you to see whether you are stead-
knowledge, has his path to Paradise made easy by Allah thereby. Whenever people ter. So long as you have a firm relationship fast in His path or not. If you desire that
gather in a house of Allah for the purpose of reading the Book of Allah and share with heaven, the earth can do you no harm. even the angels should praise you in heaven,
its reading between them, serenity descends upon them, and mercy covers them Whenever harm befalls you, it will be from then endure beating and remain joyful, hear
and angels spread their wings over them and Allah discourses about them to those your own hands and not from the hands of abuse and be grateful, suffer setbacks but do
around Him. He who is slow in his conduct will not make it proceed faster by the your enemy. Even if you lose all honour on not sever your relationship with God.
nobility of his birth. earth, God will bestow eternal honour upon (Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Noah’s Ark, pp. 26-27)
(Muslim) you in heaven. So do not forsake Him.
2 Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
Editorial
Rulers in Disguise
Asif M Basit
S amira Shackle advises not to be “fooled by the
elections” that are due to take place this month
in Pakistan; she suggests that “the military is still
in charge”. (www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/mag-
azine/dont-be-fooled-by-elections-the-military-
is-still-in-charge-in-pakistan).
Samira is absolutely right in advising not to be
fooled by the elections because this advice stays
evergreen in Pakistan; it just doesn’t change. But
who is actually in charge? Samira might want to
give it a second thought.
The mullahs have, in the name of Islam, taken
control of every matter in the Pakistani society.
Even if one wants to argue that the military is still
in charge, they will eventually reach the conclu-
sion that the mullahs take charge of the army too,
just like all other crumbling organs of the frail
body of Pakistan.
It all started off when the Republic of Pakistan,
only an infant at that time, was abducted by the
clergy and transformed into a so-called “Islamic”
Republic of Pakistan. All this happened within
the first three years of the birth of this state, estab-
lished as a safe haven for those who classed them-
selves as Muslims. But by 1953, the definition of
“a Muslim” was being controlled by the clergy. To
ensure that only their type of Muslim was classed
as Muslim, the mullah-mafia had penetrated into
the flesh and bone of the Pakistani society – from
the executive to the legislative to the judicial bod-
ies.  censorship and unjustified limitations.
Since America has always had its gazes fixed
on the Pakistan Army to fight as their ally in the
anti-Soviet conflict, the Pakistan Army had to be
“Islamised” in the name of jihad. This is where the
clergy found their way into the control centres of
Pakistan’s armed forces. The coup of Zia-ul-Haq
saw the army turn into a religious fatwa-factory
controlling religious affairs within the country
rather than a military force appointed to protect
the borders. The infamous Ordinance XX by Gen-
eral Zia-ul-Haq, defining the do’s and don’ts for
the Ahmadiyya sect, was the most shameless act
of a man in charge of the armed forces of Paki-
stan, who happened to be the self-styled Head of
State. What followed is ample proof to show that
the Pakistan Army is, like other institutions of Pa-
kistan, a mafia controlled by extremist mullahs.  many likes of it, but terrestrial minds and hearts find it
The plot to topple the Benazir Bhutto’s gov-
ernment and assassinate the entire army com-
mand in 1995 was led by none else but a group of
high ranking army officials under Qari Saifullah's
leadership and with strong ties with the banned
extremist group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami. Fif-
ty-seven officials of the Pakistan Airforce were
found to have connections with banned extremist
groups in 2009. The attack on the Mehran Base of
the Pakistan Army – for which the Tehrik-i-Tali-
ban accepted responsibility – turned out to be ful-
ly assisted by the army-men inside the camp; mil-
itants were seen dressed in uniforms and seemed
to know the facilities too well.
So, agreeing with Samira that the military is in
charge and at the helm of affairs in Pakistani pol-
itics, we need to look behind this smoke-screen
and see the faces of the actual culprits: the ex-
tremist groups functioning in the name of Islam,
attempting to bring down the whole structure of
the state that was founded in the name of Islam.
This Week in History
Compiled by Tariq Hayat, Pakistan
6 – 12 July
6 July 1903: Mirza Imam Din departed this world on my finger also. Then I observed a few wet red spots on
this day. He was brother of Mirza Nizam Din and cousin his shirt which made me wonder. I got up and examined
of the Promised Messiahas. Both brothers, on account of
their irreligious temperaments and their worldly ways,
the whole chamber but did not find a red stain
anywhere else. I was very puzzled. I asked, ‘Huzoor,
were bitterly opposed to the Promised Messiahas. In fact, where did these red drops fall from?’ At first, Huzooras
they were enemies of Islam itself. But once, a son of did not answer, but on my persisting, he related the
the Promised Messiahas, due to lack of understanding in whole incident. He expounded to me in detail the
childhood, referred to this abovementioned neighbour matter of beholding God Almighty and the external
and relative in an improper way. The Promised Messiahas materialisation of elements observed in visions. He drew
stopped him instantly and explained that he was, after upon the experiences of Hazrat Muhyuddin Ibn-e-Arabirt
all, his uncle. to make me fully comprehend how perfect individuals
are vouchsafed the experience of the personification of
7 July 1890: The Promised Messiahas went to Ludhiana Divine attributes of Beauty and Majesty.
for a change of routine. He stayed there until October
in the residence of Shahzada Haider in the locality of “I begged the Promised Messiahas persistently to bestow
Iqbal Ganj. upon me the shirt on which the red drops had fallen.
Huzooras agreed on the condition that I should give a
7 July 1950: The Ahmadiyya Jamaat was established in direction in my will that on my death it should be buried
the Netherlands in 1947, and since then, the foremost along with me. His hesitation in bestowing it upon me
item on the agenda was to build a mosque there. On was due to his apprehension that after our demises,
this day, the Dutch authorities in The Hague approved a people might convert it into an object of worship. Thus
piece of land for the mosque to be built. Hazrat Musleh Huzooras gave it to me after a good deal of discussion
Maudra put forward a unique scheme that that mosque between us. This is my true personal testimony.”
should be built with the chanda (donations) collected (Hazrat Maulvi Abdullah Sanaurira can be seen standing
only from Lajna Imaillah – ladies of the Jamaat. Huzoorra with the blessed shirt of the Promised Messiahas with red
asked only for 100,000 rupees, but the passion of the ink spots, which was given to him with the condition
Jamaat’s ladies produced 143,664 rupees. that it should be buried with him upon his demise.)
7 July 1954: In Rabwah, Zia-ul-Islam Press started 12 July 1903: The Promised Messiahas used to give
functioning. This press has been serving the Jamaat talks inside the house also, lest the womenfolk, living,
since the very first day, despite the fact that every now staying or serving inside his house, remain deprived
and then, this press and its staff have come under state from his wise counsel. Then Editor of Al Hakam,
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqib Ali Irfanira put great effort into
compiling and recording Huzoor’sas valued sermons for
9 July 1883: Elder Brother of the Promised Messiahas, us, something that is of immense value today and will
Mirza Ghulam Qadir Sahib passed away on this day forever continue to remain a treasure. On this day, the
at 7:00pm at the age of 55. In 1868, Mirza Ghulam Editor of Al Hakam added a small note: “I noted down
Qadir Sahib became seriously ill. Though the Promised these words of the Promised Messiah, while standing
Messiahas had seen a dream in which he saw that his outside the door, and naturally, sometimes noise made
brother would die, he prayed to God for his recovery. by the children present would disturb my hearing and
His prayer was accepted and it was revealed to him concentration.”
that his brother would recover, as he did. Mirza Ghulam
Qadir Sahib left behind no child, and his wife, Hurmat
Bibi, later entered the fold of the Jamaat as foretold to
the Promised Messiahas.
10 July 1885: A very uncommon heavenly sign was
shown to the Promised Messiahas on this day. Those
familiar with the history of the spiritual world find
hard to believe. An eye witness, Hazrat Maulvi Abdullah
Sanaurira, says the following:
“It was the month of Ramadan and the 27th day, which
happened to be a Friday. I had the honour of being in
Huzoor’sas blessed presence. After offering the Fajr
prayer, the Promised Messiahas, as was his routine,
retired into the chamber (the small room to the east
of Masjid Mubarak) and lay down on a charpoy. Sitting
near him, this humble one began massaging his feet as
usual. The Promised Messiahas was lying on his side and
his forearm covered his face. While massaging, suddenly
I perceived a slight trembling in his body, whereupon he
removed his forearm from his face and looked at me.
His eyes were wet and were possibly running with tears.
He covered up his face again and continued in that
posture. When I looked at his ankle, I noticed a red drop
which was round and had not spread out. I put the tip
of my forefinger on the drop, it spread out and coloured
Hazrat Maulvi Abdullah Sanaurira
Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
Martydom of Qazi Shaban
Ahmad Khan Sahib
Imartyred
t is with great sadness that the
Jamaat has seen another Ahmadi
for his faith. Qazi Shaban
Ahmad Khan Sahib from Lahore
was murdered by two gunmen at
the age of 47.
Qazi Sahib was the son of Qazi
Muhammad Salman Sahib. On 25
June 2018, opponents of the Jamaat
entered his home and shot at him
point-blank.
Huzooraa, in his 29 June Friday
Sermon, said:
“According to reports, two
masked men entered his home in
the evening of 25 June. Qazi Sa-
hib, along with his wife, was in one
room while his daughters were in
the other. His wife went to the bath-
room, and upon returning, saw the
two masked men. One of the men
pointed his gun at her head and di-
rected her to the room where their
daughters were. The other masked
man fired three shots at Qazi Sahib’s
abdomen, causing him to pass away
on the spot. Inna lillahi wa inna
ilaihi raji‘un [‘Surely to Allah we be-
long, and to Him shall we return’].
“The decesased accepted Ah-
madiyyat, along with his family, in
2001 through a friend, Muhammad
Iqbal Sahib.”
Huzooraa further added:
“Qazi Shaban Sahib was run-
ning a school for children with dis-
abilities and resided on the top floor
of the school building. Recently the
lower floors of the school were un-
dergoing some construction, and
scaffolding was being put up. The
two men entered and hid in that
scaffolding, waiting for the oppor-
tunity to attack.
“The deceased martyr possessed
countless qualities. After Bai‘at, he
proved to be an extremely pious
and sincere individual. He had a
deep love and attachment to Khila-
fat-e-Ahmadiyya. The deceased had
set up a satellite dish to watch MTA
so that he and his family could re-
main attached to Khilafat through
this. He would excel in offering
chanda – monetary donations – and
other financial sacrifices. He was
currently serving as Secretary Au-
dio & Video in his local chapter. He
would fix satellite dishes for locals
without remuneration.
“Qazi Sahib was married to
his cousin, and among his family,
he, his wife and children were the
only Ahmadis. As a result of them
accepting Ahmadiyyat, their fam-
ily began to oppose them. A few
months prior, Qazi Sahib’s brother-
in-law came to his house and said
that the family had come to know
that they had ‘become Mirzai’. It
was then that he noticed the satel-
lite dish and tried to damage it …
Nevertheless, he [the brother-in-
law] said to his sister that her nikah
had become annulled and hence,
she should go back with him as her
husband was now a ‘Mirzai’. Qazi
Sahib’s wife said to her brother-in-
law, ‘I have also accepted Ahmadi-
yyat and am a Muslim. I deem Qazi
Sahib to be a Muslim also, so I am
not going anywhere with you.’
“Qazi Sahib’s wife said that he
had been receiving threats, for
which he was quite anxious and, for
a few days, particularly quiet. Very
rarely would he leave the house. The
late Qazi Sahib said to his wife that
if anything was to happen to him,
she should contact the local Presi-
dent. After the incident of his mar-
tyrdom, she did exactly that and
informed the Jamaat’s office bear-
ers. Very patiently, despite the fact
that their non-Ahmadi relatives had
come, his wife said that the funeral
prayer would be led by Ahmadis, as
would the burial.”
Talking about those who Qazi
Shaban Sahib leaves behind, Hu-
zooraa said:
“The deceased martyr is sur-
vived by his wife, Shahnaz Shaban
Sahiba, who is 40 years old, and his
daughters: Kiran who is 19 years
old, Sidrah Shaban who is 18 and
Malaika who is 11. All three daugh-
ters suffer from polio and have cer-
tain disabilities. May Almighty Al-
lah become their Guardian Himself
and may He remove all their worries
and distress. May Allah continue to
elevate the status of Qazi Sahib.”
Re-revolutionising
Tarticle titled “The Saudi Revolution Begins”.
he Economist (23 June 2018) carries a lead
It mentions how Prince Muhammad bin Salman
is “revolutionising” Saudi Arabia by, for example,
letting women take the wheel to drive. While this
is being celebrated as a breakthrough in the “anti-
woman” history of Saudi Arabia (as termed by the
West), what should be of more surprise is that Saudi
history seems to be moving back some 1500 years in
what is seen as a move towards modernity.
Now more commonly known as the largest
exporter of oil and for its gigantic revenues
generated through the annual pilgrimage of Hajj,
the land of Saudi Arabia is where the Prophet of
Islam, Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him, was born and where he lived all his
life; Hejaz as it was then known. It was here that the
Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammadsa, wrote the
first ever documented constitution known as the
“Covenant of Medina”. It was here that women were
recognised as living- and human-beings rather than
the commodities they were treated as before the
advent of Islam.  The late Dr Nusrat Jehan, who passed away in 2016,
It was through the Prophet Muhammadsa that
women were given a say in decisions about them
going into a wedlock and also of coming out of it if
the need arose; they were given rights in inheritance;
they were given the loftiest status they could have
imagined in the role of wives, sisters and, above
all, mothers. Women in early Islam are reported to
have been involved in trade and also in acquiring
education. Narrations in history have it that women
in early Islam were heavily involved in the public
welfare and health facilities of their society.
Apart from the peaceful circles of society,
women in the time of the Holy Prophetsa are known
to have significantly contributed in battles also. As
water bearers and nurses, Muslim women would
be present in the battlefield treating the ill and
wounded.
Hazrat Rufaidahra bint S‘ad was not only among
the first believers in Medina but also the first known
nurse from the time of the Holy Prophetsa. She is
said to have attained medical skills from her father,
Sa‘d al-Aslamy, who was a physician and from the
Khazraj tribe of Yathrib (later Medina). Hazrat Sa‘d
bin Muazra, when wounded in a battle, was sent to
the tent of Rufaidahra by the Holy Prophetsa to be
treated. She successfully removed the arrow from his
3
From the Archives
arm, stopped the bleeding and treated him. 
In times of peace, Hazrat Rufaidahra is said
to have set up a nurse-training camp for Muslim
women. Among many women whom she trained,
Hazrat  Umm-e-Ammarara is one of the most
commonly known names from those at the forefront
in dealing with injuries and casualties during battles. 
As the Holy Prophetsa prepared to head for the
Battle of Khaybar, Hazrat Rufaidahra is reported to
have sought his permission to accompany the army,
along with her team, to the battlefield where they
could treat those in need of medical attention. She
was not only granted permission but also an equal
share from the booty as all other soldiers after the
battle.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, in line with
this tradition, encourages its women to become
active members of the society and help mankind in
whatever possible way they can.
Ahmadi women are seen observing purdah
and yet working in the fields of teaching, nursing
and other areas of medical and surgical excellence.
was an excellent reminder of the women from early
Islam who stayed in purdah but did not fall behind
in serving mankind. In a Friday Sermon not too
long ago, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul
Masih Vaa mentioned her services in the field of
medicine, particularly pointing to the tremendous
services she had been able to carry out without
compromising her faith. 
Lajna Imaillah – the ladies’ wing of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat – continues to
encourage women to pursue higher education and
careers in fields where they can serve humanity.
And by the Grace of Allah, they have always lived
up to this expectation.
That the Saudi princes are now taking action,
however highly they may be spoken of by the Western
media, is nothing to be classed as revolutionary. If
anything, they seem to be moving (albeit slowly)
back to the revolution that was brought about by the
Holy Prophetsa of Islam.
In terms of human rights and religious freedom,
they still have a long way to go. Ahmadis cannot
perform Hajj if their passports say they are Ahmadis.
Does the Western influence care the least about this?
Perhaps not. And why should it? This doesn’t affect
its oil trade with Saudi Arabia!
Holy Ka‘bah, Mecca,1905
4 Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s
First Week in Dalhousie
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira
A s readers will know, Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih II [may Allah
be pleased with him] has travelled to
Dalhousie at the advice of doctors.
In the afternoon of 25 June, along
with his companions, he arrived at
Dalhousie. After arriving at Banikhet,
Huzoor had to alight the vehicle that he
was travelling on, and along with Maulvi
Sheikh Abdur Rahman Sahib, Doctor
[Mir Muhammad Ismail] Sahib and his
brothers [Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra
and Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra], he
walked up the hill to reach Dalhousie.
This was around a three-mile walk. The
rest of the entourage stayed with the
luggage.
As the old road is currently under
construction, yakkas and tangas [horse-
pulled vehicles] travel on an alternative
route. In order to control traffic, the
horse-carts that arrive to travel up the
hill at 12 o’clock go up the hill not before
5 o’clock. Thus, we had to wait until the
allocated time to travel further, while
Huzoor went ahead.
The reason Huzoor went earlier
was not because he was in a hurry to
reach the destination, rather tasks had
100 Years Ago...
Al Hakam 14 July 1918
Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad in Dalhousie
been mutually designated. One party
remained with the luggage whilst the
other went to search for a place to stay,
the latter being the more challenging
task. Huzoor took upon himself
the responsibility of searching for a
place to stay, which he did. Huzoor
arranged a hotel where Chaudhry
Muhammad Ismail Khan Sahib, District
Superintendent, was residing. He
showed great sincerity and compassion.
Allah reward him.
Example of Huzoor’s high morals
This is not the first time I have had the
good fortune of accompanying Huzoor
on a journey. That is why what I am
about to narrate is of no surprise to me,
but many members of our Jamaat may
not be aware of this.
I have seen Huzoor on journeys
when he was not yet Khalifatul Masih
and now I have seen him on a journey
during his Khilafat. In both states, he
strived to provide comfort to those
accompanying him on journeys, and
never did he bear in mind his status or
individuality in doing so.
During his tour of India, I noticed
(as did others who were on the trip) that
at times, Huzoor would be the first to
rise in the morning. After waking up,
Huzoor would fill a vessel full of water,
place it at the bedside of his companion
[for ablution] and would wake him
up. At railway stations, if others were
carrying the luggage, Huzoor would
also carry it with them. Thus, through
his actions, Huzoor would show us
how one’s treatment should be towards
fellow travellers.
There are ample examples of how
the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him, would distribute
responsibilities during journeys. At one
occasion, when the companions had
assigned tasks among themselves to
cook food, the Chief of all Prophetssa
himself went to fetch firewood. Such
instances cannot be seen as ordinary
occurrences, rather they are great
examples of morals of the highest order.
An ordinary person performing
such a deed among his peers does not
equate to such a person around whom
the hearts, minds and souls of many
orbit, and whose single gesture is
enough for anyone to gladly sacrifice
themselves, and then for him to show
such standards of morals, forgetting
their stature and position. This is truly
something exceptional.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, even
before Khilafat was worthy of being
served. However, now with such
stature, on journeys he takes care
of his companions and is ever more
hospitable, and now, in spite of the
stature of Khilafat, this characteristic
has evolved even more.
This is not the first time. In Dalhousie
we have often noticed that Huzoor takes
part in manual work and does his work
and the work of his servants with his
own hands. Huzoor takes great care of
the comfort and ease of his servants,
even now that he is ill and has travelled
on doctors’ advice. Those travelling with
him feel great honour to be with him
and are ever-ready for the opportunity
for Huzoor to express something and for
them to accomplish it. However, we have
observed that Huzoor gives precedence
to the comfort of those travelling with
him than his own. At first glance, one
may think that there is no difference or
distinction [in stature] between us and
Huzoor, and due to the nature of work,
a person may not be able to distinguish
master from servant.
To those who are not here with
us, how should I describe the great
character of this person. Words cannot
do justice. In fact, permit me to say
that even a great artist cannot paint
the true picture. Today, we consider
the Great Umar Farooq’sra entry in
Bait-ul-Maqdas [Al-Aqsa Mosque in
Jerusalem] with his camel’s bridle in
hand and his servant riding the camel
to be a wondrous and miraculous sign
of high morals. However, for those who
he lived among and who witnessed such
revolutionary morals on a daily basis, it
was an ordinary sight.
Similarly, those who accompany this
“Fazl-e-Umar” [Hazrat Musleh Maudra],
seeing such occurrences on a daily
basis may be considered ordinary, but
a time will come when these instances
of wondrous morals will have a deep
impression and impact on the hearts of
hundreds of thousands. The biography
of this great personality will be collated
through these very high morals.
In short, Huzoor went ahead in
search of a place to stay and accordingly
arranged a hotel where the rest of
Huzoor’s entourage gathered to stay.
From the hotel to finding another
place
The location of the hotel – especially
the rooms that had been booked –
was at such a place that was not at all
beneficial for health. So, the search for
a new place started from the very first
day of our stay, which Huzoor took
upon himself. Travelling to various
locations of Dalhousie, Huzoor himself
went around approaching property
owners and house stewards enquiring
if their houses and villas had any rooms
available. This process continued from
25 to 29 June, and for this, Huzoor had
to move around extensively. Eventually,
Continued on page 5
Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM 5

Annual Prize Distribution 2018 individual or group-based competitions,

increasing the spirit of unity within the five

Jamia Ahmadiyya UK houses.

Waseem Ahmad Fazal
Jamia Ahmadiyya UK
O n 27 June 2018, Jamia Ahmadiyya UK
had the opportunity to once again
host its Annual Prize Distribution for the
academic year 2017-2018 in Haslemere,
Surrey.
This event highlights the remarkable
achievements made by students in academic
competitions throughout the year.
Along with judges, office-bearers and
other dignitaries of the Jamaat around the
country, parents of students obtaining first
positions in competitions were also invited
to attend this event. This traditional house-
like system consists of 5 groups, namely:
Sadaqat, Shaja‘at, Rafaqat, Amanat and
Diyanat.
The history behind the selection of the
above house names derives from Jamia
Rabwah and Qadian, as they were the
foremost Jamiaats in the world to put these
into use, thus inspiring Jamia UK to put this
Jamia UK
house-system into practice.
Parents, guests, judges and dignitaries
made their way to this event at around
5:45pm, allowing the Annual Prize
Distribution to promptly start at 6:15pm.
As per custom and tradition, the
programme commenced with Tilawat,
followed by Nazm, upon which an
introduction to the audience was given
on the fine details and constituents of the
academic year in numbers. Towards the end
of the report, gratitude was paid to each and
every judge.
From a total of just over 130 students,
84 students participated in various
competitions throughout the year, ranging
from very conventional competitions such
as Tilawat, Nazm and Azan to relatively new
competitions like the General Knowledge
Quiz and Presentation Competition.
Positions were to be acquired through either
After the opening address, Ataul Momin
Zahid Sahib announced the prize winners
of this year’s Annual Prize Distribution,
whereupon students made their way to
the stage and were presented with their
respective awards by the guest speaker, Syed
Mansoor Ahmad Shah Sahib, Naib Amir
Waseem Ahmad Fazal Sahib, Chairman Majlis-e-Ilmi
UK. presenting the annual report | Jamia UK
Towards the end of the prize distribution,
outstanding awards were presented to joint shield award.
Best Speaker, Nasar Arshad and Noman To conclude the event, Syed Mansoor
Hadi, as well as joint Best Student to Danial Ahmad Shah Sahib delivered a faith in-
Tasawar and Sarfraz Bajwa. These results spiring and thought-provoking address,
were decided according to results collated focusing on the subject of prayer and how
from various competitions. each and every one of us must ensure to
Subsequently, before drawing a close to be steadfast, regular and punctual with our
this session, in recognition to the exception- daily prayers. Mansoor Sahib stated that it
al effort put in by Shaja‘at Group, Majlis-e-Il- is incumbent upon us to make the concept
mi expressed their appreciation by awarding of offering prayer regularly part of our na-
them with an award as they fell short with ture, whilst also remembering our duties as
a matter of only a few points. Group sec- devotees of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.
retary, Ataul Fatir Tahir and group leader, This event was brought to a close with Dua
Hafiz Tayyeb Sahib were called to the stage – prayer – led by our guest speaker, Syed
to collect their award. The last award of the
day to conclude this session was present-
Mansoor Ahmad Shah Sahib, followed by
dinner at 7pm.
ed to Sadaqat
group for
ranking Best
Group in over-
all competi-
tions. In order
to receive this
prize, group
secretary, Na-
sar Arshad
and group
leader, Hafiz
Mashood Sa-
hib were ul-
timately pre-
sented with
the annual
Sadaqat group accepting their award as Best Group | Jamia UK

Continued from page 4
out of God’s grace, we found the place
that we are currently staying at.
There are two large rooms in this
building. Khan Miyan Abdur
Rahman Khan Sahib and Khan Miyan
Muhammad Abdullah Khan Sahib have
also arrived, and Huzoor has arranged
for a modern partition in his own room
for their sake to split the room in two.
Huzoor resides in one room, the Khan
brothers in the other and members
of Huzoor’s entourage (Huzoor’s
brothers, Maulvi Abdur Rahman Sahib
and Khalifa Taqiyuddin Sahib) in the
veranda.
Fasts
Now, after finding a place to settle down,
the time of fasting has come upon us.
Huzoor also intends to fast and has said
that he will see if his health permits by
initially keeping one fast. Huzoor does
not just strictly urge those travelling
with him to observe fasts but he is also
very mindful of their comfort and ease.
Apart from a few who are unwell, the
rest of the entourage is, by the grace
of God, fasting. Very generously and
so that the needs of those working in
the kitchen are also in Huzoor’s mind.
Huzoor wishes ease for all his fellow
travellers.
Prayers are being offered at their
correct timings. The muezzin [one who
calls the Azan – call to prayer] has been
given instructions on the exact time
when he must give the Azan.
The laziness that produces sin
One day at Fajr time, a fellow traveller
was asleep while the one sleeping next
to him was awake. Huzoor said:
“Why have you not wakened him?
This is wrong. Sometimes people are of
the thought that if someone is sleeping
peacefully, then wakening them would
be disturbing them. Such a thought
is wrong and sinful. For prayer, one
should wake people up physically and
no one should think that by doing
so, they would be disturbing them or
causing them discomfort. Such care for a
person’s comfort is actually a sin, causing
another to be bereft of the blessings of
a righteous and obligatory deed. One
should cater for the rights of their
neighbours. To provide them comfort
source of comfort. From now on, no one
should let their neighbour sleep while it
is time for prayer.”
Thus, these days are extremely
sublime. We have a comfortable place
to stay and it is having a positive impact
on Huzoor’s health. Although nowadays
some complaints reach Huzoor, however
generally we are witnessing God’s
blessings. This first week has passed
with such engagements and activities.
Whilst out for a walk one day, Huzoor
met the former Deputy Commissioner
of District Gurdaspur, Mr H D Watson.
This gentleman is always well-known
for his gentle disposition. He recognised
Huzoor, enquired about his health and
happily requested for a more formal
audience. Therefore, Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih went to his visit him one day and
he showed utmost respect and regard to
Huzoor. Their sitting lasted quite long
and towards the end, he expressed his
desire to meet Huzoor again.
The conduct of English officials
There is no better way to win the hearts
than by good morals, and it becomes
the foremost responsibility of officials
The higher up you go in the hierarchy
of the British Government, you will see
a distinct transformation in their ethics
and morals. They are ever ready to treat
each citizen with immense kindness.
As long as Mr Watson remained
in Gurdaspur, the general public sang
praises of his warm-heartedness, and
now District Jalandhar enjoys the
pleasure of having such an officer.
The Government should bear in
mind how much some of their district
officials are well-known among the
masses for their good conduct. At times,
the slightest inattentiveness or disregard
can have a negative impact on the
public. It would not be inappropriate to
say that the political situation that arose
in previous days was initially a result of
the poor work ethics of some officials.
Nonetheless, such officers are a blessing
for the Government and members of
the public.
Note: The journey from Pathankot to
Dalhousie will be covered in an upcoming
issue.
[By Editor Al Hakam – Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira]

openheartedly does Huzoor cater for is a great right of theirs and to prompt of the government to show morals of
the needs of his companions, so much them on righteous acts is actually a great the highest order to win peoples’ hearts.
6 Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
Professor Abdus Salam
KBE FRS
Wiki Commons | Molendijk, Bart / Anefo
Ahmad Salam
T here has been much written about my father, Professor
Abdus Salam, so rather than simply repeat much of
that, I thought it may be interesting to narrate some of the
private moments of my father for those who did not know
him or meet him, may not have heard about and may give
the reader more insight into the character of Abdus Salam.
I have highlighted just a few of memories which will
be of interest and, I hope, inspiration to the readers of Al
Hakam.
It was clear from an early age that this child was, by the
grace of Allah, an exceptionally gifted child. He went to
school at the age of six and was admitted into the fourth
class, where he stood first in all the exams; he had already
memorised the multiplication tables up to forty and was
a prodigious reader of books of all subjects which lasted
throughout his life. There was no subject he did not at least
glance at throughout his life.
I recall later in life looking through his bookshelf and
seeing as diverse a collection as one could find; subjects
such as physics, mathematics, biology, history, biographies,
comedy, language books, medicine, Islamic history, Islamic
art and culture; there were even books such as Teach Yourself
Air Navigation and Russian Made Simple!
I recall as a child one of the many lessons my father
taught me was to read; he always encouraged me to read
as many books as I could. There was never a limit on the
amount and variety of books I could have, provided of
course I read them. But what was more relevant is that my
father would then ask me to précis each book I had read.
This made sure I read the book carefully and perhaps more
importantly, showed my father’s continued interest and
involvement in my education.
Much of my father’s inspiration and guidance came
from his father, especially in his formative years. While he
learnt the Holy Quran initially from his mother, it was his
father who instilled in him a great sense of duty, discipline,
humility, hard work and, above all else, a total belief in the
submission to the will of Allah and the teachings of Islam
Ahmadiyyat.
When my father won the Nobel Prize, he used the prize
money to set up a charity in memory of his parents to offer
scholarships to young bright students, in Pakistan and India
in particular.
My grandfather had been told in a vision that he would
have a son and he was to name him Abdus Salam. In another
vision, my grandfather was informed this son would be
a great achiever and so he knew that he had to help and
encourage the young Abdus Salam to reach the highest
standards in both his work and his moral character. An
example of my grandfather’s influence was when my father
came home from school; my father would complete his
homework and then my grandfather would sit and prepare
the next day’s lesson so the young Abdus Salam was always
ahead of the class. This was a lesson my father remembered
throughout his life: to work hard and to always be prepared
ahead of time, and not to just do the minimum. My father
would tell me “To fail to prepare meant prepare to fail”.
My father would teach me science and maths from a
young age. He was not that successful as I chose to follow the
arts rather than science. He would also spend time talking to
me about great Islamic scholars and the wonderful tradition
of education and innovation we have in our Islamic history.
He would also talk to me about the great battles and great
warriors of Islamic history. My father would also talk to me
and teach me about my family’s cultural history as Rajput,
of which he was very proud.
Another lesson my father taught me, which he had
again learnt from his father was, “Early to bed and early
to rise makes man healthy, wealthy and wise”. So my father
would sleep by 8:30pm and rise at 3am to pray and work.
This was the best time for him as he would awake refreshed
and then be uninterrupted. He would work from 3:30am
to about 7:30am, then breakfast, shower and dress and go
to Imperial College or the Centre when he was in Trieste.
My father worked incredibly hard: literally seven days
a week, never taking a holiday. He simply did not see the
need for a holiday. When we used to visit him in Trieste
during our summer holidays, he would arrange for me to
have lessons in Italian, Maths or Physics from one of his
students, who he paid of course.
This capacity for hard work came from my father’s father.
My grandfather was a very disciplined and hardworking
man. He had a great influence on my father, and my father’s
wish was always to be buried at the feet of his parents. I am
pleased to say we were able to fulfil my father’s last request.
There was also another figure who guided and inspired
my father, and that was the late Sir Muhammad Zafrulla
Khanra. I was only witness to the incredibly deep and
affectionate relationship between these two men for a short
while, but I knew that my father learnt a great deal from
this wonderful man. He
was a wonderful teacher,
mentor and guide to
my father throughout
his life. When my father
was in London, Hazrat
Chaudhry Sahibra would
always be kind enough
to come for breakfast
on Sunday mornings at
8:15am until 10:30am.
This was a most valuable
time for my father as
Chaudhry Sahibra would
guide him on how to
deal with certain people
and situations. This was
most valuable advice
and guidance which,
undoubtedly, was of
great benefit to my
father. My father’s very
close relationship with
Chaudhry Sahibra also
inspired Chaudhry Sahibra. In Chaudhry Sahib’s book The
Prophet at Home, there is a dedication to my father who
gave Chaudhry Sahibra the idea to write the book.
Another mentor and sage to my father was the late Mirza
Muzaffar Ahmad, the grandson of the Promised Messiahas.
Miyan Sahib was a very senior figure in the World Bank in
Washington and for a while served as the Finance Minister
for Pakistan. Miyan Sahib also advised and guided my
father immensely.
Both Miyan Sahib and Chaudhry Sahibra had great
regard and respect for time. Just like my father, they hated
anything which wasted time. My father would repeatedly
warn me against the “Sub-continental” habit of idle talk, or
gup in Punjabi. He would warn me in the strongest terms
about the destructive nature of such a practice and also how
it was un-Islamic and to be avoided at all times.
My father was always very punctual and believed it was
important to try and be early rather than late. My father
would tell me that being late showed an arrogant lack of
respect for other people as it suggested that your time was
more valuable than theirs.
However, the greatest influence on my father was the
Holy Quran. He would carry a small copy of the Holy Book
in his jacket pocket and would always read it when he had
a free moment. Indeed, he admitted that his finest works
were achieved when he was alone in a room and could listen
to one of the many records and tapes he had acquired of
the recitation of the Holy Quran in the most melodious and
harmonious voices. This would give him great inspiration.
His favourite qari was the Egyptian, Abdul Basit, and I
recall my father listening for hours to the recitation of the
Holy Book.
Allied to this love of the Quran and Islam of course was
his total devotion to Ahmadiyyat and the Khulafa he served.
I know from my own experience, how highly he valued
and treasured their advice and guidance. He would also
encourage me to write to the Khalifa just as he had done at
an early age to seek their advice and request for prayers. This
was extremely important to him throughout his life. I was
too young to really appreciate the relationship with Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih IIIrh; but I know how Huzoorrh would
always meet my father with great affection. Indeed, we were
so blessed that Huzoorrh visited our house in London and I
have photos of my father serving Huzoorrh with mangoes.
I witnessed first-hand the love and affection and
relationship between Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and my
father.
A wall from Professor Abdus Salam Sahib's study | Ahmad Salam
Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
A notebook of Professor Abdus Salam Sahib showing
his personal notes | Ahmad Salam
My father had great humility and always remembered
his simple roots. There are countless examples of this,
but one which always stick in my mind was when he had
returned from a long overseas trip and had come into the
house and we had greeted our father, my job was always to
ensure my father’s driver had been given food and drink,
and only when I had done this and come back into the house
would my father then eat himself. He was more concerned
about the driver than himself. My Aunt in Karachi would
tell me the same story. When my father visited her on his
trips to Pakistan, her son would have to give the driver
refreshments before my father would sit down and eat with
the family.
Sri Lanka Cricket Tournament 2018 –
Khuddam and Atfal
R A Muhammad Fahim itation followed by silent prayer. Missionary,
Sadr MKA Sri Lanka
Javed Raheem Sahib made a short speech in
which he said that these events are organised
T he Annual Cricket Tournament of Ma-
jlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya and At-
fal-ul-Ahmadiyya Sri Lanka was held on
to encourage healthy living and to enhance
skills to fulfil the needs of our religious du-
ties. He added that such events create unity
27 June 2018 at Major Raj Ground, Kurana,
among members.
Negombo.
The teams in the Khuddam side were Ne-
The event started with Holy Quran rec-
7
Another example of this humility was when my father him back. He refused and said that if I wanted something,
visited India in December 1979, just after he had attended I should go and get a job, save the money and buy a car
the Nobel ceremony in Sweden. He asked the Indian Prime with my own money; so I did. I got a job as a cashier at
Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, to try and find his old primary a petrol station and earned enough to buy a Fiat 500, one
school teacher, and when he had been found some 50 years of the smallest cars you can buy. But the point was that I
after he had taught my father, my father visited him. He was had worked myself to make the money. I was not indebted
bedbound and could not sit up to greet my father, so my to anyone and that was a very valuable lesson for which I
father took the Nobel medal and placed it in his hands and am ever grateful; not to borrow money to live beyond my
said that that medal was a tribute to his teaching and my means. This is lesson I have followed throughout my life
father shared it with him. and I hope I have passed it on to my children.
My father was a simple man who had simple tastes and
simple requirements. He was very keen on cleanliness in
every way. He did feel the cold badly though and would
always keep his head covered; he usually wore an overcoat
and sweater even in the middle of summer. He would
always keep his room where he would work hot. He would
greatly enjoy my mother’s wonderful cooking, be it pilau,
roti or simply dal. He liked simple, well cooked meals; one
dish was all he wanted. He did not want extravagance or
many dishes.
He was also a great one for desserts and had a very sweet
tooth. Every meal would be followed with a dessert; usually
tinned or fresh fruit if it was in season. He would love
tinned lychees, pears, pineapple or peaches. His favourite
fresh fruit was Pakistani and Indian mangoes.
I remember in his bag he would always carry some
chocolate biscuits, bars of chocolate, nuts and sometimes
some dried fruit. He would say that those snacks would give
him energy.
Another lesson my father taught me was to always have
the upper hand and always be the one to give rather than
to take. He would always take gifts for those he would visit.
He gave me a very valuable lesson when I wanted to
buy my first car. I have always been interested in cars and I
had found a BMW I wanted to purchase. I asked my father
if he would lend me the money and said that I would pay
Ahmad Salam
gombo A, Negombo
B, Colombo and
Pasyala. According
to Huzoor-e-An-
war’saa instructions,
from Negombo Ma-
jlis, two teams were
selected combining
non-Sri Lankan Ah-
madi members who
live temporarily in
Sri Lanka for the
first time.
In total, 6 match-
es were played with MKA Sri Lanka
7 overs each. Negombo A and Negombo B Similarly, a cricket tournament for Atfal
were played in the final and the support for was also held and trophies as well as certifi-
both teams was very passionate. Negombo cates were distributed to them also.
MKA Sri Lanka
A batted first and scored 67 runs. In re- All participating Khuddam and Atfal
sponse, Negombo B got 68 runs and were spent the entire day in the grounds. In be-
declared winners. tween matches, players offered Zohr and
Prizes were awarded to Best Batsman, Asr prayers.
Best Bowler and Man of the Match of the fi-
nal. Winners and runners-up were present-
The people of the city gave special atten-
tion to this event, and as the railway station
ed trophies by Anis Ahmad Sahib, National is next to the playing field, members of pub-
Vice President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim lic spectated our matches, as well as when
Jamaat, Sri Lanka. the players observed Salat.
MKA Sri Lanka
8 Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
Friday Sermon
8.6.18
Delivered from Baitul Futuh Mosque
Allah's Mercy Transcends all other Attributes
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah,
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba recited verse 157 of Surah al-A‘raf
and then stated:
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and
Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih
Vaba recited verse 157 of Surah al-A‘raf and
then stated:
The translation of this verse is as follows:
“And ordain for us good in this world, as well
as in the next; we have turned to Thee with
repentance.’ God replied, ‘I will inflict My
punishment on whom I will; but My mercy
encompasses all things; so I will ordain it for
those who act righteously, and pay the Zakat
and those who believe in Our Signs.”
It is evident from this verse that God Al-
mighty manifests His favours upon His ser-
vants in extraordinary ways. God Almighty
states, “My mercy encompasses all things.”
Rehmat [mercy] means “to be lenient”,
“to be gracious” and “to shower mercy”. It
means that God Almighty treats people with
leniency and overlooks their shortcomings
to an unlimited extent. God Almighty treats
His servants with such kindness that has no
bounds. The kindness of God Almighty and
such treatment is so prevalent that it en-
compasses everything. His Rehmat includes
grace and mercy. His Grace is that He has
created countless things in the world, with-
out man asking for them. He then manifests
His mercy to those, who fulfil His rights, fol-
low His commandments and implore Him
with humility.
God Almighty here states that His ob-
jective is not to punish people. Some peo-
ple have the gross misconception, “Why did
He create Man, if He was to punish him?”
God Almighty says that, “This is not My
objective. However, those people become
recipients of my punishment, who exceed
all bounds of evil deeds. Moreover, My pun-
ishment is temporary and it serves to re-
form and to develop a sense of realisation.
Eventually, a time will come that even the
dwellers of hell will partake of My bound-
less mercy. Their punishment will cease. The
punishment of hell will be a result of their
evil deeds and this punishment in fact will
become a means for their reformation.”
Thus, if we ponder over this, we realise
that, in fact, this punishment is also a kind
of reformation. This period of punishment
is, in a way, a kind of mercy. However, God
Almighty is also the Master of the Day of
Judgement. Thus, He can cover those peo-
ple, who seem sinful to us, with the mantle
of His mercy and forgiveness and let them
pass by without any punishment. Nonethe-
less, drawing our attention to the paths of
righteous deeds, God Almighty states, “My
Mercy encompasses everything, and I will
certainly bestow My Mercy upon those, who
are righteous, pay Zakat and believe in My
signs”, that is those, who believe in the signs
of God Almighty. Thus, God Almighty has
said, “I will, considering it My right, certain-
ly cover those with the mantle of My mercy,
who follow the path of righteousness, pay
Zakat and follow My commandments with
due diligence and conviction and have com-
plete faith in [My] Signs.”
Then, at another place God Almighty
states:
ۡ ْ َ ّٰ
‫ِا ّن َر ْح َم َت الل ِہ ق ِریۡ ٌب ِّم َن ال ُم ْح ِسنِی َن‬
That is, “Surely, the mercy of Allah is
nigh unto those who do good.” Mohsin
– those who do good – are those who ful-
fil their duties in accordance with all of its
requirements. Hence, one who fulfils the
requirements of righteousness, acts in ac-
cordance with the commandments of God
Almighty, has absolute conviction in the
signs of God Almighty and submits himself
before Him will partake of the mercy of God
Almighty. Thus, a believer should try his
utmost to act in accordance with the com-
mandments of God Almighty, tread on the
path of righteousness and be absolutely firm
in his faith. Only then can an individual be
deemed a believer.
Furthermore, he should try to acquire
the blessings of this declaration of God Al-
mighty that the mercy of God Almighty is
nigh unto those who act in accordance with
the commandments of God Almighty by
fulfilling its due rights. Furthermore, God
Almighty has made it incumbent upon
Himself and it has been decreed that if one
adheres to this, then the breadth of His
Mercy will encompass such people. How
Gracious and Benevolent is our God! How
can this be possible? We are the servants of
God Almighty; how then can a servant de-
mand his rights from his Master? However,
the Master of the heavens and the earth says
that if we tread on the path of righteousness
and if we continue to act in accordance with
His commandments whilst believing in His
signs, we will most certainly become de-
serving of His mercy.
The very first aspect that has been men-
tioned by God Almighty here is righteous-
ness. In fact, if a person truly comprehends
righteousness, then all other virtues and ac-
quiring strength in one’s belief are encapsu-
lated within it.
With regards to this, the Promised Mes-
siahas states at one place, “The entire spiri-
tual beauty of a person lies in him treading
on all the subtle paths of righteousness. The
subtle paths of righteousness are the min-
ute details and pleasant features of spiritu-
al beauty. It is evident [that this is achieved
through] upholding the trusts of God Al-
mighty and to act in accordance with one’s
spiritual pledges to the best of one’s abilities”,
i.e. to uphold them in their proper manner.
“Furthermore, it is achieved through utilis-
ing every faculty and limb from head to toe,
َ
which are outwardly visible in the form of
eyes, ears, hands, feet and other limbs, as
well as those that are internal such as the
heart and other faculties and moral qual-
ities, on their appropriate occasion and to
the best of one’s ability.”
In other words, one must utilise all these
faculties properly, and in accordance with
the commandments of God Almighty and
to fulfil their due right. “Furthermore, this is
achieved through restraining one’s faculties
from unlawful use and to remain mindful of
their subtle attacks.”
That is, to restrain them from improper
use and to remain mindful of them as Satan
utilises these limbs and faculties in order to
secretly attack. To be mindful of this is the
responsibility of man. Only then will one
truly be able to tread on the path of righ-
teousness and only then will one truly be
able to fulfil the commandments of God
Almighty.
The Promised Messiahas states, “On the
other hand, he should also be mindful of the
rights of mankind. The entire spiritual beau-
ty of a person is attached to this aspect. Fur-
thermore, God Almighty has defined righ-
teousness as a garment in the Holy Quran.
Hence, Libas-ul-Taqwa [garment of righ-
teousness] is an expression from the Holy
Quran. This indicates towards the fact that
spiritual beauty and elegance can only be at-
tained through righteousness. Furthermore,
righteousness is that a person upholds and
fulfils every trust of God and spiritual cov-
enant made with Him, as well as the trusts
and covenants made with His creation to
the best of one’s abilities. In other words, he
should uphold and fulfil even the minutest
aspects of it to the best of his abilities.” (Za-
meema Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5, Ru-
hani Khazain, Vol. 21, pp. 209-210)
A person should uphold and act in ac-
cordance with even the subtlest aspects of
this to the best of his abilities.
Thus, when a person acquires this stan-
dard, they reach the stage where the mercy
of God Almighty becomes incumbent upon
His servant. In other words, God Almighty
makes this incumbent upon Himself. And
as I mentioned earlier, what status does a
servant have that they may seek something
from God Almighty as if it was their right?
We are currently passing through the
days of Ramadan and only a week remains.
In relation to this, the Holy Prophetsa has
said that when the month of Ramadan ap-
proaches, the doors of heaven are opened,
the doors of hell are shut and Satan is shack-
led. (Sahih Mulsim, Kitab-ul-Siyam, Baab
Fazlu Shar-e-Ramadhan, Hadith no.2495)
However, it is only the believers who
truly benefit from this. Only a person who
truly believes and acts in accordance with
the commandments of God Almighty is able
to derive benefit from this. The followers of
Satan do not refrain from their activities
even during these days. Acts of indecencies
and shamelessness in the world are carried
out on a daily basis. These have not come to
a halt during Ramadan. Hence, this is a glad
tiding for the believers, who tread on the
path of righteousness and those who par-
take of the mercy of God Almighty. God Al-
mighty has extended His mercy for them in
even greater abundance than before. Thus,
derive benefit from this and try to fulfil the
rights of God Almighty and try to act in ac-
cordance with His commandments.
Drawing our attention towards the ful-
filment of these due rights, the Holy Proph-
etsa said on one occasion that the person
who fulfils the requirements of faith and
wakes up during the nights of Ramadan in
order to pray with the intention of acquir-
ing its reward, their previous sins would be
forgiven. All of their previous sins would be
forgiven. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Iman,
Baab Saum-e-Ramadhan, Hadith 38)
This is another manner in which the
vastness of the mercy of God Almighty has
been manifested, in that a person makes a
small effort and God rewards him mani-
fold. His graciousness and mercy are man-
ifested in various ways. Thus, fortunate are
those who derive benefit from these days.
Furthermore, this is also one of His bless-
ings in that He has drawn our attention
towards seeking the Laylat-ul-Qadr [The
Night of Decree] in these last days, so that
we may witness the signs of the acceptance
of prayers even greater than before. This is
also not our right. This, too, is His blessing
so that He may encourage His servants to
draw closer to Him and it is an expression of
His great mercy.
Then, we find in a Hadith that the first
Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
ten days of Ramadan are a period of mer-
cy, the second ten days are a period of for-
giveness and the last ten days are a period of
being saved from the fire. (Kanz al-Ummal,
Vol. 8, p. 463, Hadith 23668, Muassisatul Ri-
sala, 1985, Beirut)
During Ramadan, when a person ob-
serves the fast and along with it, acts in ac-
cordance with the commandments of God
Almighty greater than before, and when
they increase their worship and progress in
righteousness, they then become the recip-
ient of God Almighty’s mercy even greater
than before. The reason for this is that God
Almighty says that when a person observes
the fast for His sake and refrains from cer-
tain lawful aspects in these days purely for
His sake, then God Almighty Himself be-
comes the reward for the one who observes
the fasts. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Saum,
Hadith 1904)
If God Almighty Himself becomes the
reward, then surely such a person has ac-
quired the means for their forgiveness. Fur-
thermore, if they have acquired these means
and God has forgiven them and accepted
their repentance, then a person shall surely
also be saved from the fire; they are saved
from the fire of this life as well as from the
fire of the hereafter. However, the condi-
tion is that they observe the fast sincerely
for the sake of God Almighty and also act
in accordance with the commandments of
God. Following this, these deeds become a
perpetual part of one’s life and become the
means of permanently remaining immersed
in the mercy of God Almighty. The mercy of
God Almighty is not limited to the first ten
days of Ramadan. Rather, it also carries for-
ward to the middle ten-day period as well
as the last ten days. As a matter of fact, it
will permanently remain with an induvial
as long as one’s deeds are performed with
righteousness and firm faith. Similarly, His
forgiveness is not limited to the second ten
days [of Ramadan]. Rather, it remains with
a person until the end of Ramadan and even
beyond that. As a matter of fact, it remains
with a person for as long as they live. It pro-
tects a person from the punishment of God
Almighty. Similarly, a person does not re-
main safeguarded from the fire in only these
ten days. Rather, even if a person passes the
month of Ramadan, considering the fact
that they derive benefit from the mercy of
God Almighty and seek forgiveness from
Him, they will continue to remain distant
from the fire. However, if after the month of
Ramadan, we fall prey to worldly affairs, for-
sake righteousness, do not pay heed to the
commandments of God Almighty, become
weak in faith and disregard the signs of God
Almighty, then it is similar to the case of
a person building a safe fortress and then
ruining it and destroying it with their own
hands.
Therefore, God Almighty has made
Ramadan a source for obtaining His mer-
cy more than ever before and to attain His
nearness. The mercy of God Almighty and
His forgiveness is not limited to a few days.
It is not possible to be delivered from fire if
His forgiveness is sought only for a few days
or a small period of time and it is accepted.
Hence, we should continuously ponder
over this. In this day and age, the Promised
Messiahas has guided us at every step in re-
gards to how we can obtain the nearness of
God Almighty and what its true essence is
and how we can become those who obtain
His mercy; how God Almighty provides
the means to cover us in His mercy; how
He grants us manifold rewards for just one
action of ours and becomes a source of for-
giveness; how we should strive towards ob-
taining His forgiveness in order to be under
the shade of His mercy forever. In light of
this, I will present certain extracts and will
elaborate upon them as well.
Whilst explaining the verses that I re-
cited before you, the Promised Messiahas
states, “God Almighty says, ‘I will inflict My
punishment on whom I will, and My Mer-
cy encompasses all things. Those who safe-
guard themselves from every type of shirk
[associating partners with God], disbelief
and immoralities and they pay the Zakat,
and those who have firm belief in Our signs,
I shall decree My mercy for them.’” (Bara-
hin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 4, Ruhani Khazain,
Vol. 1, p. 564)
Here the Promised Messiahas has elabo-
rated on the word taqwa [righteousness] in
three words, that is, safeguarding from shirk,
disbelief and immoralities. Nowadays, im-
modesty and vulgarity can be found every-
where on the television, internet and other
media platforms. Hence, protecting oneself
from such vulgarities and vain programs
can also lead one to attain the Mercy of God
Almighty.
During these days of Ramadan, one has
to wake up early to keep the fasts and there
are other engagements as well. Perhaps it is
for this reason that a lot of people do not
pay much attention to such things during
the month of Ramadan, or they do not par-
ticipate in vain endeavors, and they protect
themselves from it, however it is necessary
to guard oneself from these things at all
times.
Nowadays, complaints are received
about the youth, in fact, also regarding the
adults too that such vulgarities are polluting
their minds and are corrupting morals and
they are moving away from faith. Hence,
every Ahmadi should pay close attention
towards this and make every effort in this
regard. Also, they should utilise these var-
ious sources in a proper manner and with
great caution.
In one place, the Promised Messiahas
states, “It is evident from this verse that
God’s mercy is for everyone and is vast.
And His wrath which manifests as a result
of His attribute of being ‘Adl [Most Just],
only comes into effect in certain particular
circumstances. That is, this attribute is man-
ifested when one transgresses the Divine
laws.” (Jang-e-Muqadas, Ruhani Khazain,
Vol. 6, p. 207)
Therefore, the reason God Almighty
punishes someone is when one contravenes
God’s Divine law. As it has been mentioned
already that such a punishment is carried
out for the sake of reformation, and ulti-
mately the mercy of God Almighty prevails
over all things. The Promised Messiahas fur-
ther states, “Nevertheless, it is evident that
if God Almighty’s wrath descends upon
someone then it must be because that per-
son has exceeded all limits in breaking the
law of God. Such a person falls under His
wrath despite the fact that God Almighty
has expanded the scope of His Mercy.”
Whilst elaborating on this further, the
Promised Messiahas states, “When God ad-
monishes one about His impending pun-
ishment, it does not mean that it will most
certainly occur. Rather, owing to His Holy
and Pure Being, it is necessary that He
punish one who commits an offence. How-
ever, when the offender seeks to fulfil the
due right of imploring for forgiveness and
repentance, and supplicates with utmost
fervency, then His Mercy overcomes His
Wrath and conceals it within it. This is the
meaning of the verse,
َ ُ
‫ٓاء ۚ َو َر ْح َمت ِۡی َو ِس َع ْت ك َّل ش ۡی ٍء‬
That is, ‘I will inflict My punishment on
whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all
things’, in other words,
ََ َ
‫َر ْح َمت ِْی َس َبق ْت غض ِب ْی‬
(Tohfa Ghaznavia, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 15,
p. 537)
However, if one repents, seeks forgive-
ness, supplicates and prays, and if they ful-
fil the due rights of this, then the Promised
Messiahas states that God Almighty has not
made it incumbent upon Himself that He
must punish, rather, He has made it incum-
bent upon Himself to grant His mercy for
such people. His mercy encompasses His
wrath. His wrath vanishes and is concealed
behind a veil.
The Promised Messiahas states that one
of the ways to attract the mercy of God Al-
mighty is through seeking forgiveness and
repentance. What is the true essence of is-
tighfar [seeking forgiveness]? What does it
really mean? Regarding this, the Promised
Messiahas says,
“The true meaning and essence of seek-
ing forgiveness or istighfar is to implore
God so that no human weakness becomes
manifest and so that God may support hu-
man nature with His strength and envelop it
within the circle of His protection and suc-
cour.”
What is the objective of istighfar? It is to
conceal a person’s weaknesses for humans
are weak. It is so that God Almighty pro-
vides support to the human nature; so that
He may safeguard humans from sinning
and erring.
The Promised Messiahas states, “The
word istighfar is derived from ghafara,
which means to cover up. Hence, this sup-
plication implores from God that He, with
His power, may cover up the natural weak-
ness of the person who seeks forgiveness
from God.” That is, the natural mistakes
of a person seeking forgiveness, which are
countless, are not made apparent to others
and such a person does not commit sin due
to those weaknesses. “This meaning is then
extended to the masses at large in that God
may cover up such sins which have already
been committed.” That is, He conceals (from
others) the sinful act that has been carried
out by someone. He safeguards one from its
ill effects and the punishment that might re-
sult from it.
“However, the true and proper meaning
is that God protects from human frailty the
person who seeks forgiveness and performs
istighfar with His own Divine power and
grants him strength from His own strength,
and knowledge from His own knowledge
and light from His own light. For after
having created man, God has not left him
alone, but as He is man’s Creator and the
Maker of all his external and internal fac-
ulties, He is also the Sustainer of man. In
other words, He safeguards with His unique
support everything that He has created. God
is All-Sustaining and maintains creation
through His own support. It is, therefore,
ُ ‫َع َذاب ۡۤی اُصِ ۡی ُب ب ٖہ َم ْن اَ َش‬
ِ ِ
9
incumbent on man that since he has come
into existence by the creating Hand of God,
he should seek to safeguard the features of
his creation from corruption through God’s
support.” (Ismat-e-Anbiya, Ruhani Khazan,
Vol. 18, p. 671)
After creating mankind, God Almighty
did not forsake humanity. He is the All-Sus-
taining, hence, the creation of man is sub-
servient to the Divine laws. Despite the
fact that God Almighty created mankind
and has occurred through His Divine will,
however the human endeavor is subservient
to the Divine laws and it is essential that it
must pass through the Divine laws of God
Almighty. Therefore, the Promised Messia-
has says that it is integral for mankind after
having been created to express God’s attri-
bute of All-Sustaining by following and ad-
hering to His commandments. One should
focus their attention towards prayer and is-
tighfar so that God Almighty manifests His
attribute of All-Sustaining and once again
provides the strength through which man
can follow His commandments.
Elaborating on this further, the Prom-
ised Messiahas says, “Therefore, this is a nat-
ural requirement of man for which he has
been directed to perform istighfar. It is to
this that the Holy Quran refers in the fol-
lowing:
َ ْ ْ َّ ۤ ّٰ َ
‫الل ُہ لَا ِالٰ َہ ِالا ُہوَ ۚال َح ُّی الق ُّیوۡ ُم‬
[There is no God but He, the Living,
the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining.]
And so, it is God who is both the Creator
and Sustainer. The attribute of creation was
manifested when man was brought into ex-
istence, but the divine function of providing
sustenance was to work ceaselessly.”
When man was created, the attribute
of creation was completed, however the at-
tribute of the All-Sustaining is always with
man as long as he lives.
“Hence arose the need for constant is-
tighfar.” In order to adopt this attribute of
All-Sustaining, there is a constant need to
do istighfar. “Every attribute of God bestows
a form of grace, and istighfar is needed to
draw out the grace of God’s support.”
If one wishes to benefit from the bounty
of God Almighty’s attribute of All-Sustain-
ing, then carry out istighfar so that God
Almighty may enable one to properly uti-
lise the God-given abilities, strengths and
powers in accordance with His desire. The
Promised Messiahas states, “It is to this that
the following verse of Surah Al-Fatihah re-
fers:
ۡ َ َ َ َ َ َ
‫ِا ّیاک ن ْع ُب ُد َو ِا ّیاک ن ْس َتعِی ُن‬
This means that You alone [O God] do
we worship and You alone do we implore
so that Your support and providence may
uphold us and protect us from stumbling,
lest we fall prey to weakness and are unable
to worship you.” (Ismat-e-Anbiya, Ruhani
Khazan, Vol.18, pg.672)
Hence, this is the fundamental point
which we must always keep in mind. To
merely think that just because God Al-
mighty has said that His Mercy encompass-
es everything, therefore one can do as they
will and later they will simply seek God Al-
mighty’s mercy and forgiveness; this is not
correct. God Almighty has taken it upon
Himself to show mercy to those who come
to Him, who adhere to His commandments
and who seek His forgiveness.
Further expounding on the topic of
istighfar, the Promised Messiahas states,
10
“There are some people who are aware of the
sins they are committing and there are oth-
ers who are completely unaware of them.”
They do not even know that they are com-
mitting a sin, they have become completely
insensitive to it and are oblivious to what sin
is. “For this reason, God Almighty has made
it forever incumbent upon us to do istighfar
so that man may continue to seek forgive-
ness for every sin; be it outward or hidden;
whether one is aware of it or not; whether
it is the sin committed by one’s hand, foot,
tongue, nose, ear or eye, or anything else.”
However many body parts there are, there
should not be a single sin carried out by any
of them. Thus, one should continue to seek
istighfar.
The Promised Messiahas further states,
“In these days we should always recite the
prayer of Hazrat Adamas:
ْٰ َ ُ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َّ
‫َر ّبنا ظل ْمنا انف َسنا َو ِا ۡن ل ْم تغ ِف ْرلَنا َو ت ْر َح ْمنا لَنكوۡن َّن ِم َن الخ ِس ِریۡ َن‬
This prayer has already been accepted.”
[The translation is] “O Allah I have wronged
my soul and if Thou forgive us not and have
not mercy on us, we shall surely be of the
losers.” The Promised Messiahas states that
this prayer has been accepted from the out-
set. “Therefore, do not live a life of igno-
rance. Those who do not live their lives in
ignorance, it is impossible for them to be af-
flicted by a calamity which they cannot bear.
No calamity befalls them without the will of
God, just as the following supplication was
revealed to me:
ْ ْ َ ْ َ ّ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ ُّ ُ ّ َ
‫احفظن ِْی َوان ُص ْرنِ ْی َو ْار َح ْمن ِْی‬
‫ر ِب کل شی ٍء خا ِدمک ر ِب ف‬
[O my Lord, everything is subservient to
You, O Lord, protect me and help me and
have mercy on me].” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, pp.
275-276, UK, 1975)
Therefore, to come under the protection
of God Almighty, to attain His succour and
help, and to gain His mercy, it is necessary
to make an effort, recite istighfar and pray.
We often use the terms istighfar and taubah
[seeking repentance], so in order to clarify
the difference between the two, the Prom-
ised Messiahas states,
“Istighfar [seeking forgiveness] and tau-
bah [seeking repentance] are two different
things. One reason for istighfar to be presid-
ing over taubah,” i.e. it has priority over it
and comes before it, “is that istighfar is the
aid and strength which is sought from God
Almighty.” In order to protect oneself from
sin, one should recite istighfar to acquire the
strength and succour from God Almighty.
“Taubah however means to stand on one’s
own two feet.”
After having protected oneself from sin
and remaining steadfast on this through
carrying out istighfar, one then needs to
pray to God Almighty to remain resolute
thereon and for that there is taubah, which
is a form of a prayer. Taubah is therefore the
prayer wherein one states, “O Allah! En-
able us to remain firmly established on the
prayers which we have made whilst seeking
istighfar. Make this salvation from the Fire
that You have granted us eternal. Do not al-
low any of our actions or efforts to become
a means of incurring Your displeasure, lest
we regress to our former state.” Therefore,
taubah is in order to acquire this and hence,
َُ
‫َو اتوْ ُب ِال َ ْی ِہ‬
“And I turn to Him” has been stated. This is
so that He may enable us to remain firmly
established upon this and that we may
continue to refrain from sin, attain His
forgiveness and continue to be saved from
the Fire.
The Promised Messiahas states, “It is the
practise of God that when one seeks help
from Him, He grants a strength, and after
granting it, man can stand on his own two
feet and a strength will be granted to him to
carry out noble deeds, which is called,
ُ fire of His love, and purifies himself, but will
‫توْبُوْا ِال َ ْی ِہ‬
‘Turn to Him’.”
The Promised Messiahas further states, “One
is enabled to do taubah once he has carried
out istighfar. If one does not do istighfar,
then know that the ability to do taubah will
certainly die away. So if one does istighfar in
such a way and then does taubah, then the
result will be:
ً ُ َ ً
‫اعا َح َسنا ِالٰۤی ا َج ٍل ّم َس ّمی‬
َ ُ َۡ ۤ َ َ َ َ َ
That is, ‘He will provide for you a goodly
provision until an appointed term.’”
The Promised Messiahas further states,
“It is the established practise of God Al-
mighty that if you carry out istighfar and
taubah, then you will continue to attain
higher ranks. Every faculty has its own
scope in which one can excel in its various
levels. Not every person can become a Nabi
(prophet), Rasul (messenger), Siddiq (truth-
ful) or Shaheed (martyr).” (Malfuzat, Vol.2.
pp.68-69, UK, 1985)
Whatever bounds have been appointed
in one’s ranks, the levels to which one can
reach, it is necessary for one to make exerted
efforts to attain that, and that can only be
done so through istighfar and taubah.”
Further explaining taubah, the Promised
Messiahas states, “In Arabic idiom, taubah
(repentance) means ‘returning’, and that is
why in the Holy Quran, God’s name is also
Tawwab, that is to say, He Who is Oft-Re-
turning with compassion. This means that
when a person discarding sin turns to God
with a sincere heart, God Almighty turns
even more to them. This is altogether in ac-
cord with the law of nature. God Almighty
has made it part of human nature that when
a person turns to another with a sincere
heart, the latter’s heart is also softened for
him. Then how can reason accept that when
a servant turns towards God Almighty with
a true heart, God should not turn to them?
Indeed God, Who is Benevolent and Mer-
ciful, turns even more towards His servant.
That is why in the Holy Quran, God’s name,
as we have just mentioned, is also Tawwab,
meaning Oft-Returning with compassion.
Man’s turning to God is through remorse
and humility and meekness, and God’s turn-
ing to man is with mercy and forgiveness. If
mercy was not one of the attributes of God
Almighty, no one would be able to attain de-
liverance from their sins.”
The Promised Messiahas continues, “It
is a pity that people do not ponder over
the attributes of God Almighty and depend
entirely upon their own actions,” i.e. those
who think that that can achieve everything
through their own actions.
“But can it be the attitude of God, Who,
without any action proceeding from man,
has created thousands of bounties for him
upon the earth, that, when weak man, be-
ing warned of his heedlessness should turn
to Him, a turning which is like death and
should put off his old garment and should
be consumed in the fire of His love, God
should not turn to him with mercy? Is this
the law of nature?” (Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat,
Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 133-134)
The Promised Messiahas is responding
to those who claim that God Almighty does
not show mercy even if one supplicates and
seeks forgiveness and turns to Him, a turn-
ing which is like death and should put off his
old garment and should be consumed in the
God still not turn to him with mercy? Such
a view can only be of those people who utter
falsehood.
ۡ ٰ ْ َ ّٰ َ
‫ل َ ْعنت الل ِہ َعلی الک ِذ ِبی َن‬
That is, the curse of Allah be upon the liars.
It can never be the case that a man fulfils
his obligations and God Almighty does not
reward him at all. This is in conflict with the
grand stature of God Almighty and in con-
ً ‫یُ َم ّت ِْع ُك ۡم َّم َت‬
trast to God Almighty’s announcement that
“My mercy is all-encompassing” and this is
against His law. As I have mentioned it is
against His pronouncement of His mercy
being all-encompassing, however the duty
which man must fulfil is that he must strive
in such a manner as if he has died and re-
moved from his body the former unclean
garment, i.e. the garment of sin, and burns
in the fire of His love. The Promised Messi-
ahas states that when these are acted upon,
this is something to greatly ponder over,
then God Almighty will also turn to man in
a way which he could never imagine.
Thus, this should be the level of one’s
seeking of forgiveness, which makes an in-
dividual deserving of God Almighty’s mer-
cy and God Almighty has ordained this
mercy for Himself. The Promised Messiahas
also outlined the conditions of how one can
strive to seek true repentance. The Prom-
ised Messiahas says that there are three con-
ditions for repentance. The first of these is
that one should discard all those thoughts
which arouse evil propensities. This can-
not be fulfilled until one imagines those
evils to be repulsive and abhorrent. If those
evils remain in one’s mind and one does not
perceive it to be abhorrent, then it will be
difficult to abstain from such evils. The first
condition is that one has to remove these
thoughts from one’s mind and try to create
a sense of abhorrence for them. The second
condition is that at the thought of any evil
or immoral act, one should show remorse
and regret. When such thought is aroused in
one’s mind, they should immediately show
remorse and regret over that thought. They
should have the thought in their minds that
the evil desires which they are indulging in
are transient and are such that can destroy
their lives. Soon a time will come wherein
this transient passion will finish.
In essence one should listen to one’s own
conscience as it is one’s conscience which
always guides one to determine wheth-
er something is evil or good. When one’s
thoughts become in line with this and one
listens to their conscience, then gradually
they can safeguard themselves from these
evils. The third condition is that one should
have a firm resolve that they will never re-
vert to these vices in future. Subsequently, in
order to remain firm on this, one should use
all their resolve and also pray in this regard,
then these vices will disappear and one will
perform virtues in their stead. Where the
Promised Messiahas mentions about remov-
ing the tainted cloak [of vice], this means
that if one strives to their utmost ability, us-
Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
ing all their resolve to do so, they will then
become deserving of God’s mercy. (Malfu-
zat, Vol. 1, pp. 138-139, UK, 1985)
Further elaborating on how one can pro-
tect themselves from the fire through seek-
ing forgiveness and repentance, the Prom-
ised Messiahas says, “For man, repentance
is not a futile act or something worthless.
Furthermore, its effects are not only con-
fined to the Hereafter, rather, through this
one’s worldly life, as well as their faith, is re-
solved. They become blessed with peace and
serenity in this life as well as in the Hereaf-
ter. Observe that God Almighty states in the
Quran:
َّ َ َ َ َ َّ ً َ َ َ َ ٰ ۡ َّ ً َ َ َ َ ْ ُّ َ ََۤ
‫َر ّبنا ٰاتِنا فِی الدنیا حسنۃ و فِی الاخِر ِۃ حسنۃ و قِنا عذ‬
ِ‫اب النار‬
‘Our Lord, grant us comforts in this world
as well as peace and serenity in the world
to come, and protect us from the torment
of the Fire.’ The truth of the matter is that
there is a subtle indication towards repen-
tance in the word Rabbana [our Lord]. The
word Rabbana requires [and implies] that a
person has left other gods which they had
previously adopted, and turned towards
their Lord. Furthermore, this word can only
be uttered from the heart of a person with
true anguish and fervour.”
When a person recites Rabbana in its
true sense, it is not uttered by the tongue,
rather it is from the heart. There are people
who say Rabbana and offer this prayer su-
perficially. Only if a person offers this prayer
wholeheartedly will the word Rabbana be
uttered in its true sense.
The Promised Messiahas says, “Rab
means the One Who enables a person to
reach their pinnacle in stages and also the
One Who nourishes. The fact of the matter
is that a person creates multiple gods for
themselves. They have utmost faith in their
schemes and deceptions, as those are their
gods. If they are proud of their knowledge
or power then that is their god. If they are
proud of their beauty or wealth then that is
their god. In short, there are thousands of
such gods which are attached to them. Until
they do not forsake them all, bow their head
before the One True Lord and fall at His
threshold, supplicating the words of Rab-
bana, with true heart-wrenching emotions,
they will not be able to understand the na-
ture of the True Lord. This is only possible
when one accepts their sins and supplicates
with true pain and fervour, and then ad-
dresses their Lord, Rabbana i.e. ‘O my Lord!
You were in fact the True God! Yet out of my
error I wandered away from You, but now I
have abandoned those false gods and I sin-
cerely proclaim Your Providence and come
to Your threshold’. Until one removes from
his heart the grandeur and dignity of all oth-
er gods, he will not be able to call upon the
Providence of the True Lord.
Certain people have adopted falsehood
as their lord. They believe that without ut-
tering falsehood, it will be difficult for them
to get by. Others have made theft, robbery
and fraud as their lord. They believe that be-
sides this there is no other means for their
livelihood and sustenance. Thus, these are
their lords.”
The Promised Messiahas further states,
“Such people who solely rely and trust their
own sources of earning livelihood, what
need do they have to pray and seek help
from God Almighty? One only is in need
of prayer when all other means are not
Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM 11

available except His alone; only such a per-

son supplicates from their heart. Thus, the
prayer:
ًَ ْ ُّ َ ََۤ
‫الدن َیا َح َسنۃ‬ ‫َر ّبنا ٰاتِنا فِی‬
[Our Lord, grant us good in this world] is
only recited by those who consider God
as their True Lord and they have firm be-
lief that all other false gods are completely
worthless before Him,”
The Promised Messiahas further states,
“The hellfire does not only refer to the fire
that will burn on the Day of Judgment.
However, one who lives a long life is able to
witness that there are thousands of fires in
this world. Those who have experienced this The 42nd Jalsa Salana Canada will be held on 6, 7 & 8 July 2018 at The
will know that there are all kinds of different International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.
fires that exist in this world. Various forms
of calamities, fear, sorrow, poverty, illnesses, The expected attendance is 26,000.
failures, fear of humiliation and deprivation,
numerous kinds of grief and sorrows, afflic-
tions relating to one’s wife, children, etc. and Details of the Speeches is as follows:
ties turning sour with near relatives all con-
stitute as fire. Therefore, a Momin [believer] Day 1
prays to be saved from every kind of fire. If
one has attached himself to God Almighty, Friday Sermon
they should pray to be saved from all kinds Jihad Against Innovations and Bad Customs
of calamities which can cause one to experi- By: Maulana Mubashar Ahmad Kahlon Sahib, Markaz Representative, Mufti-e-Silsila
ence difficulty and hardship in their life and
are in likeness to the fire.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, Blessings of Nizam Jamaat in the Context of Sacrificing Life, Wealth & Honour
pp. 187-190, 1985, UK) By: Lal Khan Malik Sahib, National Amir Jamaat Canada
The Promised Messiahas once drew the
attention of the Jamaat to frequently recite Khilafat – Source of Unification of Mankind
the following prayer: By: Maulana Mubarak Ahmad Nazir Sahib, Missionary
َّ َ َ َ َ َّ ً َ َ َ َ ٰ ۡ َّ ً َ َ َ َ ْ ُّ َ ََۤ
ِ‫اب النار‬ ‫َر ّبنا ٰاتِنا فِی الدنیا حسنۃ و فِی الاخِر ِۃ حسنۃ و قِنا عذ‬
Day 2
“Our Lord, grant us good in this world as
well as good in the world to come, and pro- Blessings of Salat and Supplications
tect us from the torment of the Fire.” (Mal- By: Maulana Tariq Azeem Sahib, Missionary, Vancouver
fuzat, Vol. 1, p. 9, 1985, UK)
Therefore, we also need to pay heed to Love of Companions for the Holy Prophet (pbuh)
this, so that God Almighty out of his Mer- By: Kaleem Ahmad Malik Sahib, National Secretary Wasaya
cy may save us from all forms of fire in this
world and in the hereafter. The Promised ‫ٓاراہ ےہ اس رطف ارحا ِر �ی ورپ اک زماج‬
Messiahas states,
“The essence of this [prayer] which God Al- ‫ضبن رھپ ےنلچ یگل رمدوں یک انہگ زدنہ وار‬
mighty has mentioned in the Holy Quran is, By: Maulana Hadi Ali Chaudhry Sahib, Naib Amir Jamaat Canada
‫ن‬
‘O Servants of Mine! Do not lose hope in Me
‫ہ‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ہ‬
for I am Merciful, Gracious, One Who Cov- ‫ا� ٓازامشئ � ی�؟‬ ‫یا‬
‫ک امہرے اومال اور امہری اوالد امہرے ےئل ضحم ی‬
ers Faults, Most-Forgiving and will bestow By: Maulana Khalil Ahmad Mobashir Sahib, Missionary Incharge Jamaat Canada
My Mercy upon you in such abundance that
no one else can show as much mercy as I Emerging Societal Challenges and their Solutions
shall. Love Me even more than your own fa- By: Maulana Farhan Iqbal Sahib, Missionary Ottawa
thers for I am even more loving than them.
If you come towards Me, I shall forgive all Hazrat Muhammad (sa) – Beacon of Absolute Justice
your sins, and if you repent, I will accept By: Muhammad Asif Afzal Khan Sahib, National Secretary Umur-e-Kharjiyya
your repentance. Even if you slowly tread
towards Me, I will come running. One who The Great Comet of 1882 – A Celestial Sign for the Promised Messiah (as)
searches for Me, shall find Me. One who By: Syed Tahir Ahmad Sahib, Additional Nazir Ishaat (MTA Pakistan)
turns towards Me, shall find My doors to be
open. I forgive the sins of one who repents Day 3
even if they are as high as the mountains.
My Mercy for you is greater than My wrath Trust in Allah
because you are My creation and I have cre-
ated you, and My Mercy encompasses you By Maulana Hanan Ahmad Sobhi Sahib, Missionary Toronto
all.’” (Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Timely Marriage – A Citadel against Contemporary Challenges
Vol. 23, p. 56)
May God Almighty enable us to sincere-
By Maulana Muhammad Afzal Mirza Sahib, Missionary Peace Village
ly devote ourselves to God Almighty. May
we attain His taqwa and grow stronger in
‫اسمعوا صوت السماء جاء المسیح جا ء المسیح‬
our faith and belief, so that we always par- By: Maulana Mubashar Ahmad Kahlon Sahib, Markaz Representative, Mufti-e-Silsila
take from His mercy. May it never happen
that we are deprived of His Mercy and re-
ceive His punishment on account of our evil
deeds. May God Almighty always bestow
His mercy upon us.

(Translated by The Review of Religions.)

12
2 Convocation
nd
Jamia Ahmadiyya Ghana
Abdul Rauf Omoyele
Jamia Ahmadiyya International
• Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa
sends special message to Jamia
Ghana
• 13 Shahideen (Graduating
Missionaries from Jamia
Ghana)
• 800 individuals including
government officials attend
Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana held
its second Annual Convocation Ceremony
for its final year students on 24 June 2018.
Last year, 26 students from 11 countries
acquired their Shahid degrees and proceeded
to the practical field, while this year, 13 more
missionaries from 10 countries are going to
join the practical field.
This ceremony of Jamia Ahmadiyya was
organised in the assembly ground of Jamia.
Canopies were erected and an elevated stage
was put up.
The chairman of this ceremony was
the Amir and Missionary In-charge, Nur
Mohammad bin Salih Sahib. The special
guest was Paul Essien, Deputy Minister for
Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
The programme commenced at 10:30am.
After the recitation of the Holy Quran and
poem of Hazrat Musleh Maudra, Amir
Sahib Ghana delivered the opening address.
Thereafter, a special message from Hazrat
Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa was
read before the audience.
In his message, Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih Vaa said, “You are now considered
to have entered that fortunate group who
have pledged that by becoming thoroughly
learned and versed in religion, you will
offer your life in the path of Allah to fulfil
the mission of the Promised Messiahas
and will spread the true message of Islam
Ahmadiyyat.”
Huzooraa further added, “...you must
intensify your standard of worship and
recite the Holy Quran with deep insight
and concentration. You should pay constant
attention to reading the literature of the
Jamaat.”
The General Secretary of Jamaat Ghana,
Abbas bin Wilson
Sahib introduced the
guests. Naibeen of the
Amir (Vice Presidents),
members of Majlis-e-
Amila, the Trustee of
the Jamaat, Respected
Nuruddin Momin Sahib,
National Sadr Lajna
Imaillah Ghana, doctors
and teachers of the
Jamaat, tutors of Jamia-
tul-Mubashirin as well as
the central missionaries
of the Jamaat participated in the ceremony.
The Principal of Jamia-tul-Mubashireen
Nigeria was also present. Present also were
central missionaries from UK and Canada
who are serving in Ghana during their
Waqf-e-Arzi period.
Among the other officials were the
District Municipal Officer, in-charge of the
Ghana Revenue authority, in-charge of the
Editor: Qaasid Muin Ahmad | Design & Layout: Jalees Ahmad|© Al Hakam 2018
Friday 6 July 2018 | AL HAKAM
fire service, Managing Directors of banks
and some officials of court.
After the introduction of the guests, a
group of students presented a poem in praise
of Allah the Almighty which comprised of
six languages. This was followed with the
report of the convocation by the in-charge
of the academics, Mirza Khalil Ahmad Baig
Sahib. He mentioned that 13 missionaries
from 10 countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina
Faso, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Guinea Bissau,
Kenya, Mali, Gambia and Kyrgyzstan) would
be receiving their degrees. The graduating
missionary from Kyrgyzstan, Giasbek Bin
Aashirali, would have the honour of being
the first indigenous missionary from the
Russian states.
The distribution of prizes started after
the addresses of guest speakers. Students
who obtained positions during the academic
competitions and classes received their
prizes from the special guest and guest
speaker. The graduating Shahid students
received their prizes comprising a copy of
the Holy Quran, Medals and Certificate.
Gifts were also presented to the guests.
A poem composed by Respected
Principal Sahib: Khilafat key adna sipahi hain
ham was also enchanted by two students.
Thereafter, Amir Sahib introduced Jamaat
Ahmadiyya to the guests and also shed more
light upon the community’s effort towards
establishing of world peace.
This ceremony was attended by about
800 individuals; 600 men and over 200
women and children. Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat
(flag of Ahmadiyyat) and the national flag
of Ghana were hoisted at the Jamia flag post.
The main team of the MTA Africa
recorded all proceedings of this programme
while representatives from 4 television
channels, 4 newspapers and 2 radio stations
were also present. They also covered the
ceremony and interviewed Amir Sahib,
Principal Sahib and other individuals.
All guests commended the arrangements
of the function and Jamaat’s message of love
while also praising the attitude and morals of
the Ahmadis.
Jamia Ghana was initiated in 2012, and
this institution established during the fifth
Khilafat has grown to be a fruit-bearing tree.
Currently studying in the institution are 168
students from 24 countries.