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(Vol. 6:8),
February 2012 AAIIL Worldwide Edition Editor: Akbar Ibn Abdullah
CALIFORNIA JAMA‘AT PROJECT: APPROVED BY THE CENTRAL ANJUMAN, LAHORE
The Ahmadiyya Mosque, Ahmadiyya Buildings, Brandreth Road, Lahore, Pakistan
Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
.......... The HOPE Bulletin ………..
Health, Ongoing Projects, Education
www.aaiil.org
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About the cover: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, visited Ahmadiyya Buildings, Lahore in
April 1908 and breathed his last here on 26 May 1908.
At that time, an open space between the houses of Dr. Mirza Yakub Beg and Dr. Syed Muhammad Hussain
Shah was used as a place for five congregational and Friday prayers. Later on, a mosque was built over this
terrace.
In 1912, on 15 June, Hazrat Hakim Maulana Nur-ud-Din, as first successor of the Promised Messiah, visited
Ahmadiyya Buildings. On the day of arrival, he entered the Ahmadiyya Mosque and offered two rakahs
voluntary prayers and then made fervent prayers for people who made efforts and donated funds for the
construction of the Mosque. Afterwards, he also made a brief speech and exhorted the members to carry on the
noble cause of Islam with unity and dedication.
Later on, the mosque was further extended and an upper gallery for ladies was added to it. (For details, see Badr,
Qadian, 27 June, 1912.)
INTRODUCTION
Akbar Ibn Abdullah, Editor
Sadaqah in Islam means the giving of voluntary charity, and that includes charitable acts, charitable
giving, or donations given to charity with the sole intention of seeking the pleasure of Allah.
Some hadith relating to sadaqah are:
• Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “When you smile in your brother’s face, or enjoin what is
reputable, or forbid what is objectionable, or direct someone who has lost his way, or help a man who
has bad eyesight, or remove stones, thorns and bones from the road, or pour water from you bucket
into your brother’s, it counts to you as sadaqah” (Tirmidhi: 1911).
• “Every act of goodness is sadaqah” (Muslim: 2197)
• “Give the sadaqah without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity” (Tirmidhi: 1887).
• “Sadaqah extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire” ((Tirmidhi: 2541).
• “Sadaqah appeases the Lord’s anger and averts an evil death” (Tirmidhi: 1909).
• The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his sadaqah” (Tirmidhi: 1925).
• “Charity does not in any way decrease the wealth, and the servant who forgives, Allah adds to
his respect; and the one who shows humility, Allah elevates him in the estimation (of the people)”
(Muslim: 4.6264).
Allah gives the best parable of sadaqah in the Holy Qur’an in chapter 2, verse 261: “The parable of
those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as the parable of the grain growing seven ears, in
every ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies (further) for whom he pleases. And Allah is Ample-
giving, Knowing.”
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Sadaqah jariyah means continuous acts of charity. A continuous act of charity is an action that one
initiates which remains active even after the person is dead. For example, if a person digs a well then
lots of people can use it for a very long time, even after the contributor dies.
The benefit of sadaqah jariyah extends in the construction, repairs, and renovation of religious
schools, mosques and other places of worship. Needless to say that your contributions for the repair
and renovation of the Berlin Mosque will, inshaa Allah, earn you swab (plus points) even after you
meet your Maker, Allah (swt).
JAMA‘AT NEWS
Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrated at the Center and other Jama‘ats
The birthday of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was celebrated at the Darus Salam’s Central
Mosque at Lahore on Sunday, February 11, 2012.
The AAIIL (T&T) Anjuman held its Milad-un-Nabi function, which was broadcast live, on Sunday,
February 5, 2012.
`^`
AAIIL, Fiji Jama‘at celebrates Prophet Muhammad’s birthday
Brother Jalal Ud Dean of Suva, Fiji, reported:
As you may perhaps already know, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Birthday is marked on Fiji
national calendar as a fully-paid national holiday. The purpose of the holiday is allowing
peoples in Fiji to remember, think and study the exemplary lifestyles of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) and at same time allowing people from all parts of the country to congregate at religious
centres for the purpose. This is generally followed by national level celebrations and speeches.
The same pattern follows in many other countries.
Such an event was held at the AAIIL Masjid Noor in Suva, Fiji, on Saturday 18th February
2012. The event was deferred because of torrential rain and consequential flood devastation
over much of Fiji.
We have already circulated Brother Jalal Ud Dean’s paper, “Why do we celebrate Birthday of Prophet
Muhammad?”
`^`
Eid Milad-un Nabi celebrated at Oakland Mosque in California, U.S.A.
Brother Ahmad Nawaz Sahib of Hayward, California relayed the following report over the phone.
The Eid Milad-un-Nabi was held in Oakland Mosque on Saturday, February 4, 2012. The programme
began at 6:00 PM.
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The jalsa opened with Qur’an tillawat by a young Jama‘at member, followed by a speech by a
teenaged member, who spoke in English on the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The first adult speaker of the evening was Dr. Hameed Jahangiri, who spoke in Urdu on the life and
history of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and on the early aspect of Islam.
Dr. Hameed Jahangiri was followed by Brother Ikram Jahangiri, who delivered a speech in English on
the life and mission of Hazrat Umar (ra). For the benefit of the English-speaking guests he also gave a
brief translation of Dr. Hameed Jahangiri’s speech.
Last but not the least, Brother Ahmad Nawaz addressed the audience by citing some narratives on how
Hazrat Muhammad (sas) practised love for his fellow human beings and expressed compassion on
others.
Prior to breaking for dinner, Isha prayers were offered in congregation. A delicious dinner was
prepared by Brother Zahid Buksh and family. Several other members brought potluck dinner items for
the buffet.
The closing du‘a was performed by Imam Mohammad Mustafa, President of the Oakland Anjuman.
`^`
Holy Qur’an daras at the residence of Mohammad Zafrullah, Sydney, Australia
Brother Mohammad Zafrullah Sahukhan of AAIIL, Australia filed this report:
AAwrwb to you all
Here is a short report of the monthly daras which was held at my residence in St Marys,
Sydney, Australia on 21st January 2012.
Mrs Nur Jehan Alam (President) welcomed all who attended.
Mr Rysac Zaufeeq did the Quran Tilawat.
Mr SD Sahukhan gave Quran daras on the topic “gratitude.”
Dr Samshudin Sahukhan did the closing Dua and led Maghrib/Isha salaat; followed by dinner.
General discussion/question and answers followed on Islam and the Ahmadiyya Movement in
Islam.
Allah Hafiz.
M. Zafrullah Sahukhan
`^`
Lecture on “Death of Jesus Christ as per the Holy Quran” held at AAIIL, Karachi
Brother Iqbal Ahmad of the AAIIL Karachi, Pakistan Jama‘at reported to Hazrat Ameer that a lecture
on the topic, “Death of Jesus Christ as per the Holy Quran,” was held at the premises of the Karachi
Jama‘at on Sunday, January 29, 2012.
Brother Iqbal Ahmad wrote:
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Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rehmat Ullah Hay Wa Bara Kato Hu.
We are pleased to inform that on this Sunday dated January 29, 2012, a lecture on the topic
“Death of Jesus Christ as per the Holy Quran” was held in English language in our mosque,
followed by open Question/Answer session.
This lecture was delivered by Iqbal Ahmad (undersigned) and was attended by most members
with families. Afterwards tea with cookies was served, which was brought by respectable
members from home.
The lecture with Question/Answer session lasted for about 2 hours. During gathering it was
also decided at least once a month one such lecture will be held.
The most pleasing and encouraging thing is that this lecture was conducted by the query raised
by a 12-year-old boy, Adil, son of Sister Mrs. Saleema.
Kindly pray that we continue our actions and movements on right direction. Ameen.
Thanks and Regards.
Requesting for your prayer always and everywhere.
Iqbal Ahmad
`^`
Dr. Abdus Salam, the late nuclear scientist of Pakistan, remembered
We received the following article remembering the late Dr. Abdus Salam courtesy Captain Abdus
Salam Khan of Cucamonga, California, USA:
Yesterday marked the 85th birthday of Dr. Abdus Salam, theoretical physicist and the only
Pakistani Nobel Laureate.
He is not our national hero; his name is rarely ever mentioned; in his life the only befitting
‘honour’ we could provide him was a life in self exile; in his death, however, we went a step
further by blanking out the term ‘Muslim’ from his epitaph.
A member of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, a member of the Scientific
Commission of Pakistan, and the Chief Scientific Adviser to the President, Salam was one of
the most prolific researchers in theoretical elementary particle physics. No minister or high
government official attended his funeral.
He was an Ahmadi.
Happy birthday Salam Sahib; we have failed you.
Over 5,000 gathered in Rawalpindi yesterday, bearing witness to the systematic hate, prejudice
that has been curtailed by a whole series of ordinances, acts and constitutional amendments
against the Ahmadiyya community, that had been the cause of Salam’s self exile four decades
ago.
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Nothing has changed since; for the Ahmadis it has only gotten worse.
The rally, called out by traders’ associations, was attended by activists of Jamaatud Dawa,
Jamaat-i-Islami, Sipah Sahaba (banned organisation), and the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat in
Rawalpindi, and claimed that a ‘worship place’ belonging to the Ahmadiya community was
built without permission.
The irony of protest on land encroachments by parties who themselves have been involved in
extortion and land encroachments is immeasurable. But it was not long until the real incentive
became clear. A few weeks ago anti-Ahmadi banners had appeared in the same area,
threatening the residents to leave, claiming their existence was unconstitutional and any
restraint from them could lead to ‘repercussions’. Terrified, no one spoke.
If you are a Pakistani passport holder, chances are you have signed a declaration claiming
Qadianis as non-Muslims. This means that you declare them prohibited from calling themselves
‘Muslim’; they are not to call their ‘places of worship’ mosques, to pray in ‘Muslim mosques’
or ‘public prayer areas’, to give azaan, to greet others with salaam, to publicly quote from the
Quran – these, amongst others, could get one up to three years in prison.
Now they want to take away their right to worship. Through intimidation and hate mongering,
speakers at the conference yesterday blatantly announced that there will be 100,000 Qadris
raging against the Ahmadis, issuing an ultimatum to the Ahmadiyya community to stop
praying. If they do and if the authorities fail to take action against the open call for aggression
and violence, you and I will be responsible for authorising prejudice, for remaining silent in the
face of aggression, for letting the hatred breed within our society, for not standing up for one of
our own, and for allowing men driven by their convoluted faith to kill in the name of God.
If being party to vigilantism burdens your conscience, voice your concern, stand up and be
counted.
Our state reminds me of Faiz’s words that he had scribbled in Dr. Abdus Salam’s diary when
they met at an airport:
Nisar mein teri galiyon kay aye watan kay jahan
Chali hai rasm kay koi na sar utha kay chaley.
(My salutations to thy sacred streets, O beloved nation!
Where a tradition has been invented – that none shall walk with his head held high.)
Jo koii chaahanewaalaa tawaaf ko nikale
nazar churaa ke chale, jism-o-jaan bachaa ke chale.
(If at all one takes a walk, a pilgrimage
One must walk, eyes lowered, the body crouched in fear.)
“To every nation We appointed acts of devotion, which they observe, so let them not dispute with thee
in the matter, and call to thy Lord. Surely thou art on a right guidance” (22:67).
“Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only as the cattle; rather, they are
farther astray from the path.” (25:44).
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PRAYERS AND HEALTH NEWS
Messages of condolences and du‘a
Shaukat A. Ali on the sad demise of Sheikh Kalim of Pakistan
Dear Brother Amir Aziz sahib and Akbar Abdullah sahib
Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu.
We are shocked and deeply distressed to learn that our brother Sheikh Kalim has left this world in
tragic circumstances to meet with our Maker. Inna-lillahe wa inna Ilaihi Rajioon.
We pray that Compassionate and Merciful Allah grant his soul eternal peace and abode in the highest
pedestal of Jannat-ul Firdous.
We also pray that Allah ta’ala grant solace, strength and sabr to his loved ones during this period of
great anguish.
Please convey our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the members of the bereaved family.
Allah hafiz, Shaukat
`^`
Ahamed Hosein, President, Toronto Jama‘at, on the sad demise of Maulana Hydal’s uncle
Assalaam O Alaikum Maulana Kemal Hydal & the rest of the Hydal family.
With a heavy heart I solemnly extend to you Brothers & Sisters condolence to you on the passing away
of your uncle, Br. Nazrudeen Khan Marhoom.
This message is being forwarded on behalf of the Toronto Jamaat.
May the soul of Br. Nazrudeen rest in peace and our prayers for him, the Hydal family & the (AAIIL)
Trinidad Jamaat be accepted by Allah.
Wassalaam O A laikum.
Ahamed Hosein
Presidet OAAIL (Toronto)
`^`
Amir Aziz on sad demise of Brs. Nazrudeen Khan and M. Nazim Bakridan
Dear brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib,
Assalamu Alaikum.
We are much sad to know about the demise of Brother Nazrudeen Khan of Trinidad and Brother
Mohammed Nazim Bakridan of Guyana.
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I, on behalf of Hazrat Ameer and members of AAIIL, condole their deaths and pray to Allah that may
Allah bless their souls in the heaven of eternity. May Allah provide patience and perseverance to the
families members.
Yours truly,
Amir Aziz
General Secretary
AAIIL
`^`
Shaukat A. Ali on the sad demise of Mohamed Nazim Bakridan
Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu.
We are very sorry to learn that our dear brother Mohamed Nazim Bakridan has left this world to meet
with our Maker - Inna-lillahe wa inna Ilaihi rajioon.
We pray that Allah ta’ala grant the departed soul eternal peace and abode in Jannat-ul Firdous among
His chosen ones - aameen.
We also pray that Compassionate and Merciful Allah grant solace, strength and sabr to the surviving
members of the bereaved family at this time of great anguish.
Please convey our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the members of the bereaved family and the
Jamaat.
Allah hafiz,
Shaukat
`^`
Ahamed Hosein, President,Toronto Jama‘at on the sad demise of Br. M. Nazim Bakridan
Assalaam O Alaikum Siter Akela Haroun & family.
My condolence on the passing away of your dear Brother Mohammed Nazim Bakridan in Guyana.
May his soul rest in peace and our prayers be accepted by the Merciful Allah.
Wassalaam O Alaikum.
Ahamed Hosein
President OAAIIL (Toronto,Canada)
`^`
Correspondence prior to the sad demise of Debbie, niece of Mohamed Haroun
Narifa, the sister of now-deceased Debbie, would like for us to share a letter received from Carly,
caretaker/nurse of Debbie, who was a patient at the hospice under Carly’s charge.
Sister Narifa wrote:
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Hello Friends and Family,
Assalaam u Alaikum.
I wanted to share with you what the hospice nurse told us and let you know that this may
happen fast or slow.
Without their kind generosity and donations of medicine, time and care, these last months
would have been more difficult.
Please share this to other family members AND friends I have missed in this email. We would
like to thank everyone for their extraordinary support and Prayers in the last 8 months. Your
love and kindness was more than we could ask for. The visits, the calls and kind words will
never be forgotten. Mom could not have done this without all of you.
We ask now for all of your Prayers to give us strength and her peace. I will try to let everyone
know as soon as I can once all the arrangements are made.
Love,
Narifa
Letter from Hospice Nurse Carly to Sister Narifa
Good morning, Narifa.
Thank you for your email.
By my visit on Tuesday, Ms. Bibi really looked tired. She seems like she has given up and is allowing
her body to let the disease take its course. She said her pain was better, but only if she wasn’t moving.
She looked content to lie in the bed and listen to the Christian television station. Usually I stay awhile
longer with her, but today she seemed content with getting the nursing stuff over with and resting. I
disconnected her tube from the bag - per her request, because she stated it hadn’t been draining. She is
quickly losing weight and per your mom, it doesn’t seem that she is eating much at all.
When a person stops eating and drinking and has given up their drive to live, the time frame of life can
be less than 2 weeks. Sleeping more and not eating are the signs of acceptance of the process and can
be within a few days to a few weeks.
As the day progresses and evening/night comes, that is usually a time when people feel more
pain/fevers/and just because of the darkness outside, sometimes more anxiety.
I hope this is helpful and I am so sorry that you and your family are going through this trial. We are
here for all of you and if you think of anything else, please let us know!
Sincerely,
Carly
`^`
“... those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Now surely in Allah’s
remembrance do hearts find rest” (13:28).
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Du‘a-e-shifa for ailing and recovering members of the global Jama‘ats
Members of our global “Prayer Circle” are please requested to continue their prayers of complete shifa
for Dr Khurshid Alam Tareen of Kashmir, Brothers Arshad Alvi and Jamil ur Rehman of Pakistan,
Sisters Haneefa Sahu Khan of Canada and Sharmeen Baji of Pakistan, who are all recovering from
their procedures and other ailments. May Allah (swt) have mercy on all of them. Aameen.
Kindly also pray for the health and welfare of Hazrat Ameer, Akbar Abdullah, and all other ailing brothers
and sisters in our worldwide Jama‘ats.
FEATURE REPORT
THE SECOND SOUTH AFRICA CASE
Some Memories
Shahid Aziz
[Taken from The Light, UK edition, Jan. 2012.]
As many eyewitnesses to the historical events that took place in the case Sheikh Jesseim v Sheik
Nazim and the MJC have passed away, Dr Mujahid Saeed has asked me to write down some personal
memories of my participation in these momentous events and to share them with you.
Two cases in South Africa In the eighties there were two court cases in South Africa where the question whether Ahmadis were
Muslims or not was discussed. In the first case, our Jamaat was directly involved and the case started
with two plaintiffs, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i Islam Lahore and Mr Ismail Peck against the Muslim
Judicial Council. After much legal wrangling and many hearings, eventually the case became Ismail
Peck v MJC.
On the day the hearing of the substantive matter started, the defendants withdrew. Although this meant
that we won by default, Hafiz Sher Muhammad still proceeded to present our case, announcing that if
the Defendants decide to rejoin the proceedings at any stage there will be no objection from the
Plaintiff. His evidence continued for a week, but the Defendant did not reappear. Mr Ismail Peck was
declared to be a Muslim and, therefore, by extension, so were all Ahmadis.
We printed and published the book The Ahmadiyya Case, which is a translation by Dr. Zahid Aziz of
the evidence presented to the court by Hafiz Maulana Sher Muhammad.
The second case did not directly involve us. It was between two Sunni imams, Sheikh Jasseim and
Sheikh Nazim and Sheikh Jasseim, and the M J C, whose President, I think, Sheikh Nazim was.
How the second case started In South Africa each mosque has an endowment by way of land, shops and other property, and the
income from that endowment bears the mosque’s expenses and pays the imam’s salary. Most Sunni
mosques joined together many years ago to form the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), a body to which
they assigned the authority to issue fatwahs or religious opinions. Sheikh Nazim was the head of the
MJC and Sheikh Jasseim the imam of a mosque.
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It seems that when this mosque was built there was not much income from its endowment as it lay
some distance from the main city and its facilities. However, as the population increased and the city
expanded, the mosque’s property became extremely valuable and the income, mainly rental, increased
many fold. It is said that Sheikh Nazim wanted his son to be appointed the imam of this mosque. The
problem was that, in South Africa, imamat was regarded as hereditary, making it impossible for Sheikh
Nazim to remove Sheikh Jasseim.
So it remained until some Lahori-Ahmadis visited Sheikh Jasseim. As they talked, the Azan was called
and Sheikh Jasseim asked the Ahmadis to join him for prayers. They responded by saying that as he
regarded them as kafirs they could not pray behind him. At this, the Sheikh said that it seemed to him a
silly comment for had it been a Hindu or a Christian he would have asked them to wait as he goes to
pray. The fact that he asked them to join him in namaaz shows that he regarded them as Muslims.
Upon this, the Sheikh led the prayers and members of our Jamaat prayed behind him, providing Sheikh
Nazim with the excuse to start a campaign to oust Sheikh Jasseim from the imamship of the mosque.
Then other things happened. There was a wedding at the house of someone called Rakip, where Sheikh
Nazim said that Sheikh Jasseim was an Ahmadi lover and thus unfit to lead a Muslim congregation.
Eventually, Sheikh Jasseim was dismissed by his local board under pressure from Sheikh Nazim.
Sheikh Jasseim promptly sued both Sheikh Nazim and the MJC for breach of contract by an unfair
dismissal and defamation of character. As a consequence of these issues, the question of what Ahmadis
believe arose all over again.
Before the hearing started Hafiz Sher Muhammad again went to South Africa and spent a long time there. Mr Masud Akhtar
Choudhry was also there to translate and interpret for Hafiz sahib. And Bro. Rishad Khan was
organizing things as Sheikh Jesseim’s solicitor. Dr. Zahid Aziz translated material and, as luck would
have it, as fax had been invented (!), faxed it to the solicitors. Hafiz Sahib would ring me from South
Africa and give me a long list of references to dig up and send him. Fortunately, at that time I worked
in Central London and on many days I would take a longer lunch hour and go to some library or other
to find the books from which Hafiz Sahib wanted photocopies as original source material.
As the hearing date drew closer, the question of court interpretation arose. And for some reason known
only to himself, Hazrat Ameer, Dr Saeed Ahmad Khan Sahib, asked me to go to South Africa to
translate and to interpret in the Court.
Threats and mind games At that time Mr M R Malik was very closely involved with our Jamaat. He would ring me almost daily
to talk about things, and we became friends and occasionally we would meet to go out. As young men
all over the world do, we would go out to exciting places in Central London and the West End. I
mention a few, as I believe they still exist, and if any of our young members want a bit of excitement,
as we did, they can also go and spend many happy hours there! These were: the India Office Library,
the Library of the SOAS [School of Oriental and African Studies], the University of London Senate
House Library, and the British Library, etc.
I discussed my trip to South Africa with him. One day he rang me asking me to meet him as he had
important information. As he had contacts with many organizations I was curious to find out what it
was. When we met he warned me that there are plans afoot to assassinate Ahmadis who go to South
Africa for this case. I was sure that this was just an empty threat, but I immediately rang South Africa
and spoke to Hafiz Sahib to warn him. It seems that such threats had been made in South Africa as
well. Br. Rishad Khan and the solicitor had already arranged for a paramilitary guard to protect Hafiz
Sher Muhammad Sahib.
12
When I got home I told Riffat, my wife, about this in the hope that she will come up with a suitable
excuse for me to get out of the trip. I assume that it was after checking my life insurance policies (!)
that the reply she gave was this. She said Allah provides for even those who have neither a mother nor
a father. If I believed that I provided for the family then I should not go but if I believed that Allah
provides then I should go. Second, she said that she did not expect her husband to turn his back to the
enemy.
But that wasn’t the only problem that arose. At the time I worked for British Telecom in a department
called Logistics. One day a clerk came and told me that the pen I had ordered had arrived. I had indeed
ordered some biros, so I asked her to put them in the stationery cupboard. She was insistent on my
collecting this pen so I told her not to be silly and just put the pens where people could get them. I was
later told that someone had ordered a gold Parker pen and the lady was trying to get me to accept it and
to sign a receipt for it.
Many years later, after I had moved to another part of BT, I saw someone in Holborn who had worked
with me in Logistics and I asked him about the gold pen incident and why the pen was so specifically
offered to me. He told me that the black members of staff, and this was about one third of the section,
resented my going to South Africa for a “holiday”, which, if you remember, had apartheid at the time.
They had set this trap for me. They hoped that I would accept the pen, they would inform the BT
internal investigation team, and I would be charged with theft and dismissed. Of course having
acquired a criminal record and without a reference I would not have been able to get another white-
collar job. But, I guess, Allah saves His own people.
Getting to South Africa At that time, many countries, because of its apartheid policies, did not recognize South Africa. This
meant that if a person has a South African visa in their passport they would be denied entry to places
like Pakistan. I explained this to the embassy and they stamped a visa on a blank sheet of paper.
To be able to take maximum leave I took a night flight. I remember I had a meeting with suppliers
which over-ran and I rushed to the Underground. There was some kind of incident and there were
thousands of commuters being off-loaded at King’s Cross. I fought my way out as there was no point
in waiting and I ran down the road. Dr. Zahid Aziz and I had spent some time in halls of residence in
the area so I knew the back streets. Anyway, I got to the airport just in time, checked-in, found my seat,
and discovered I had dropped my wallet. As I began to panic the air hostess walked straight up to me
and asked me if I was Mr Aziz, and after seeing my passport handed me my wallet. This is one time
I’ve been glad to have been brown among a sea of white faces!
The plane landed at Nairobi and then at Johannesburg where I had to change planes for Cape Town. At
Johannesburg the security at the airport was the way it is now at most airports. I had to empty my
pockets in a box and walk through the machine, which bleeped. I had to go back and take off my belt
and shoes and I tried again. There was no response to my protests that the machine was
malfunctioning. Every time I had to take off one more item and try again until I was a picture of
“there’s no place to hide anything”, at which point the Sergeant went: “You may be right; put your
clothes back on.” I have to say that it is not easy to drag a trolley full of books with one hand while
trying to pull your pants up with the other as you hop on one leg, especially when scores of people are
laughing and clapping. Although I was grateful for the experience, I don’t really want to repeat it.
Maulana Sana Ullah Amritsari and the secret plans I arrived at the Departures. I looked around and saw what I guessed were some of the witnesses from
Pakistan who were appearing against us. They must have boarded the plane at Nairobi. To check my
guess, I went and lent on a pillar close to them so that I could hear what they were saying. They were
indeed talking about the hearing in which Hafiz Sher Muhammad was appearing as a witness. One
13
asked the other: “Why is it only Ahl-i-Deoband who conduct this jihad against the Qadianis?” The
other replied: “Who else is going to do it? Barailvis? They are tomb-worshippers and Qadianis will
defeat them in a minute.” I was grateful to learn that we could easily defeat the vast majority of
Muslims living in the sub-continent in one minute. “You are right,” said the first man, “Maulana
Sanaullah Amritsari declared them kafir and carried out a jihad against them all his life.” The other
replied: “The less you say about Sanaullah the better. All you needed was to give him ten rupees and
he would declare anyone you wanted a kafir or a Muslim.”
They also said that they will be using Qadianis’ original books so that we will not be able to ask for the
original and how they had to bring a ton of books with them to make sure. This proved to be very
useful because when I went to collect my luggage I stood close to the belt to see what they had
brought. They had been very kind and labelled each package with the names of books. To my delight I
noted that they were indeed original Qadiani books, but mostly those written by the likes of Mirza
Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Mirza Bashir Ahmad, etc.
Work starts As I got out I found our brothers from the South Africa Jama’at waiting for me, worried at the delay in
my coming out. I think it was Br Rishad Khan, the solicitor, Br Sulaiman, and one more person whose
name I can’t remember. We drove to Br Rishad’s house. Hafiz Sher Muhammad Sahib was anxious for
me to arrive because there was still a lot of work to be done translating material from Urdu into
English. There were also other difficulties such as the fact that when Hafiz Sahib arrived back in
Pakistan after the first case, the Government of Pakistan confiscated a lot of his books as if such
confiscation would actually change the facts.
I asked Br Rishad if he could get hold of a couple of PCs. Before I left the UK, I had been
experimenting as a part of my job with introducing PCs using word processing etc. to BT, so I knew
what would be useful. Br Shabbir, a friend of Br Rishad, provided two PCs and a matrix printer. We
hired a typist and by the following day, off we went translating. I directly keyed-in material but Masud
Sahib would write out the translation and the typist we had hired would key it in. He had much typing
to do as Masud Akhter Sahib had already translated a lot of the material. Dr. Zahid Aziz, of course,
sent his translations from the UK in a typed format.
The following day we met Sheikh Jasseim’s advocates, Mr De Villiers, one of the top barristers in
South Africa, and his assistant, whose name I cannot now remember.
An interesting incident Mr De Villiers had been part of the team which put South Africa’s case regarding, I think it was
Namibia, to the International Court of Justice. He told us of an interesting conversation he had had
with Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, who was one of the judges of the International Court of Justice.
Mr De Villiers told us that when the Court started hearing the case, Sir Zafarullah Khan excused
himself, saying that he hated the system of apartheid so much that he may not be able to do justice to
the South African case. Later on, when the Court decided in South Africa’s favour, Sir Zafarullah
Khan told Mr De Villiers that had he known that white judges were going to give such an unjust
decision he would not have withdrawn from the case.
Our plans Mr De Villiers started by asking Hafiz Sahib how he would explain matters to the opposition barrister
under cross-examination. To my astonishment, Hafiz Sahib replied: ‘With love’. It would be many
years before I would learn that Hafiz Sahib was correct and my fist waving and shouting in the court
did not further our cause. I told everyone about our opponents’ plans and the books I had seen and
suggested that at the very start we announce that we are not Qadianis and we will not respond to any
quotations from their books. This was agreed. Hafiz Sahib then asked Mr De Villiers to make an
14
application to the court at the very beginning, asking for the court not to sit on Fridays because of
Friday prayers. This was agreed.
It reminded me of the incident at the start of the First South Africa Case when the opposition’s Maulvi
stood and asked everyone to raise their hands and pray for the truth to be victorious. Hafiz Sahib
immediately leapt to his feet and asked all Ahmadis to stand up and join the others in their prayers and
say Amin. All I can say is that Allah listened to our Sunni brothers’ prayer and granted it and truth was
victorious.
Mr De Villiers then started going through the evidence. Long days were spent going through Hafiz
Sahib’s evidence. If Mr De Villiers didn’t fully follow something, Hafiz Sahib would become very
anxious and say to me: “Explain to him because if our advocate doesn’t understand the issue, how will
he explain to the court.” And then set about finding more references for translation.
Once the hearing started the routine was to arrive at Mr De Villiers chambers, which was a few
minutes’ walk to the court, go through what was going to happen during the day, then proceed to the
court for an all-day hearing, go back to the chambers, have a debriefing there, come home and start
translating more materials. I was amazed at Hafiz Sahib’s capacity for hard work. He would give
evidence all day and then go through books looking for references for the next day.
The battle commences The hearing started and Mr De Villiers made his application for Friday off. The judge looked at the
other barrister who turned and asked his clients. To my surprise, but not to Hafiz Sahib’s, there was
much whispering and then no objection was raised to our application.
I was put on the stand because first the judge had to be convinced that I would be able to interpret
properly, and second because I had to swear to interpret faithfully. I got the shock of my life when the
opposition barrister started to cross-examine me. “You support Sheikh Jesseim, don’t you?” he said. “I
support the oppressed everywhere.” I replied. “Who paid your fare?” “I paid it out of my own pocket. I
have the receipt here. Do you want to see it?” And so it went on until he asked me to look at a
translation and give my opinion as to its accuracy. I was puzzled, and Mr De Villiers, who must have
noticed the change in my expression, immediately leapt to his feet and raised some objection. The
judge did not allow it and asked me to answer the question. I had had the few seconds I needed to
collect my thoughts and declined to comment. The barrister then took me to another translation and
asked the same question and I gave the same answer. When the barrister tried it a third time the judge
stopped him.
I surveyed the opposition bench, which I think had about twelve anti-Ahmadi experts including
Professor Ghazi, who was the main witness against us, and Prof Khurshid Ahmad of the Jamaat i
Islami, and many others. Two witnesses came from Al-Azhar to criticize Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s Arabic
writings but left after about a week without saying anything. Fourteen against one; I thought the odds
were still in our favour! The Public Gallery was full of people shouting slogans against us, which were
making me angry but not having any impact at all on Hafiz Sahib.
Hafiz Sahib took the stand and I requested the judge if he may give his evidence while sitting down.
The judge agreed but Hafiz Sahib would not sit down and insisted on giving evidence while standing.
The judge then ordered Hafiz Sahib to sit down and he agreed. He started by saying that he will not
reply to any question or objection based on the books by Qadianis. I noticed this caused much
consternation among our opponents.
(To be continued)
15
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
[Brother Nasir Ahmad transcribed Hazrat Ameer’s Eid-ul-Adha khutba from the audio tapes which
were recorded at the Wembley Darus Salam Mission House during the commemoration in 2011. – Ed.]
Eid al-Adha – A Day of Commitment to Submit to the Will of Allah and to Kill the Animal Within Ourselves
[This Sermon delivered by Hazrat Ameer Dr. Abdul Kareem Saeed, Head of the Lahore
Ahmadiyya Movement at the Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre, Darus Salaam, Wembley, London, UK]
“Say: My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are surely for Allah, the Lord of
the worlds – no associate has He. And this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who
submit” (6:162).
It is nice to be with all of you on this day of Eid al-Adha. This is the first Eid al-Adha sermon which I
am delivering here in the UK. I wish all of you a very happy Eid, and also all those who are listening to
me through this transmission.
When we talk of Eid al-Adha, the first thing that comes to mind is that we are going to have a sacrifice
of an animal. It also brings to mind that the great Prophet, Abraham (peace be on him), in obedience to
the command of Allah, was ready to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Prophet Abraham’s spontaneous
readiness and Prophet Ishmael’s obedience to his father’s intention to carry out the sacrifice make it an
extraordinary event which Allah regards as a ‘Great Sacrifice’, and has commanded us to make it a
memorable precept for the generations to come. And every year, on this day at the completion of the
Pilgrimage to Makkah, an animal is sacrificed not only by the believers performing Hajj, but by the
whole Muslim ummah, to commemorate this event and to try to re-live the trying moments of unique
submission to the command of Allah performed by Hazrat Abraham and Hazrat Ishmael (may peace be
upon both of them).
Usually, in Urdu, we use the word qurbaani for this sacrifice, which literally means ‘an animal
sacrificed in the name of Allah’. Though it is a Persian word, it has been derived from the Arabic word
qurb, which means nearness. In other words, by the act of sacrifice we intend to attain nearness to
Allah. So it refers to the message of sacrifice mentioned in the verse recited at the start of my sermon.
This nearness does not mean any physical nearness, nor should it be taken in terms of any distance of
time, space, or direction. In Islam, there is no concept that Allah resides somewhere up in the heavens
and we have to make efforts to cover that distance and attain nearness to Him. Allah is everywhere: in
front of you, behind you, above you, and below you. He is everywhere. Allah says in the Qur’an that
He is nearer to us than our life vein (50:16). Therefore the significance of attaining nearness to Allah
actually means that our inner selves attain such a state of purity and submission in following His
commands that, as a consequence, we earn Allah’s pleasure and blessings in this life and an everlasting
life of peace and blessings in the Hereafter. In short, nearness means complete submission to Allah.
And this great sacrifice which Hazrat Abraham was going to undertake shows the nature of his
closeness to Allah and the intensity of Prophet Abraham’s love for Allah. That was why his heart,
mind and limbs spontaneously responded to the will of Allah.
Let me explain it by the example of a sponge. It is a dry substance. But the moment you soak it in
water, the water gets absorbed into it and becomes a part of it. In this state, the sponge attains
additional characteristics for cleansing and wiping, though outwardly the body of the sponge remains
the same. Similarly, one who attains nearness to Allah imbibes divine radiance and anyone who comes
into contact with him obtains the inner illumination. A dry sponge does not have the property to clean
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or wipe things or make other things wet, but by absorbing the water into its body, it acquires that
additional quality. Similarly, a soul, by complete submission to the command of Allah, achieves a state
that it willingly obeys the commands of Allah. And like the water in the sponge, nearness to Allah does
not mean physical assimilation of divine qualities, but it becomes a medium of communion or
acceptance of supplications between man and Allah. Undoubtedly Allah is One and He has no
associates. The Muslim Kalimah expresses the same concept in the words: Laa ilaaha illallah (There is
no being worthy of worship except Allah). So seeking nearness to Allah means following Allah’s
commands and serving one’s fellow human beings solely for the love of Allah.
Nearness to Allah has also been explained in the following verse of the Qur’an: “O you who believe,
keep your duty, and seek means of nearness to Him, and strive hard in His way that you may be
successful” (5:35).
Allah commends Prophet Abraham’s complete submission to the command of Allah in chapter 2, verse
131, where the details of rebuilding the Ka‘bah by Prophet Abraham and Prophet Ishmael are given:
“When his Lord said to Him, submit, he said: I submit myself to the Lord of the worlds.” Here, again,
Hazrat Abraham’s spontaneous response of submission to Allah’s command has been reiterated. Here,
reference is not to the act of sacrifice but to Hazrat Abraham’s submission to the command of Allah by
leaving Hajarah and the infant in the deserted place of Makkah. Throughout, Hazrat Abraham obeyed
every command of Allah without any hesitation. It is evident that complete submission demands that
one should submit to the commands of Allah without questioning why, when, why this way and not the
other way. In fact, it is complete submission to the command of Allah in word as well as in spirit.
The Holy Qur’an contains all the revelations which came down during the 23 years of the Holy
Prophet’s life, both at Makkah and Madinah. There are about 635 commands relating to various
aspects of life, comprising mostly of dos and don’ts. Prophet Abraham’s supreme submission, which
we are discussing today, is unique. When he was commanded to sacrifice his son, Prophet Abraham
could have put forward many excuses: “O Allah! I begged for a son and You gave him to me in my old
age when my wife was barren. He is the first born child. He is so precious to me. O Allah! I have been
obeying your commands from my youth till this old age. I left my wife and my infant child in this
wilderness in obedience to Your command. It was You Who provided sustenance and support to them
after I left them there. And, now, why do I have to sacrifice this precious gift of Yours? Please assign
any other task and both of us will honour Your command by all means!” But Prophet Abraham raised
no such questions nor showed any reluctance. He fulfilled Allah’s command literally, though it was
made in a dream which could have been interpreted otherwise. It was an amazing demonstration of
submission to Allah’s command, and the Qur’an has recorded Allah’s appreciation in the memorable
words Zibhin ‘Azeem (the Great Sacrifice): “And We called out to him saying, O Abraham, you have
indeed fulfilled the vision. Thus do We reward the doers of good. Surely this is a manifest trial. And
We have ransomed him with a great sacrifice. And We granted him (salutations) among the later
generations, Peace be to Abraham!” (37:104-107).
We celebrate the Eid not for its festivity, not for putting on nice and colourful dresses or enjoying
sumptuous dinners and parties; neither is the object to sacrifice an animal as a ritual fulfilment. It is
much more than that. It is a symbolic remembrance of how Hazrat Abraham and Hazrat Ishmael
dedicated their lives in complete obedience to the commands of Allah. It is because of these supreme
sacrifices and submission to Allah’s commands that Prophet Abraham earned the title of “an upright
and submissive servant of Allah” (“Abraham was not a Jew nor a Christian, but he was (an) upright
(man), a Muslim; and he was not one of the polytheists” – 3:67).
From his early youth, he was an upright person. He did not worship any idol. Rather, he opposed idol-
worship and faced the extreme opposition of his relatives and the whole society of that time, which
threatened to cast him into the fire. And later on, when his first child was born, he was commanded to
17
take the infant child, Ishmael, and Ishmael’s mother, Hajarah, to the barren land of Makkah to settle
them near the Ka‘bah. The Qur’an records this event in the words of Prophet Abraham: “Our Lord! I
have settled a part of my offspring in a valley unproductive of fruit near Your Sacred House” (14:37).
Imagine having a child at an old age when his wife Hajarah was barren. The child was a gift from
Allah, for whom both Prophet Abraham and his wife had been making fervent supplications. Now,
when that precious child had matured and was in a position to help his father, he was commanded to be
slaughtered.
I have a grandchild, and we all love him so much that if he cries we all get worried – is he hungry or
has he any problem, or is he suffering from some pain? – we all get concerned and panicked. Here is a
father and a mother who had been blessed with a child in their old age, a child whom Allah as a special
grace granted them. Again, in obedience to the command of Allah, the father left the infant child and
the mother at a place which was not only deserted but it did not have any water or means of
sustenance. Prophet Abraham complied with all these commands with patience and a high sense of
obedience. Now comes a trial which is the hardest on an old man whose child is now reaching
adolescence. The father begged for him from Allah so that he could continue the spiritual heritage of
the family. But Allah commands him to slaughter this very precious child. He did not make any
excuses or any hesitation and readily prepared to carry out this most difficult command as well. Allah’s
obedient servant was ready to even sacrifice his precious son, though it was commanded in a dream.
Allah has recorded His appreciation of this unique submission and devotion to Him in these words:
“You have indeed fulfilled the vision. Thus do We reward the doers of good” (37:105).
Prophet Abraham demonstrated such shining examples of sacrifice and submission to the commands of
Allah that we are told in the Qur’an that anyone who wishes to attain nearness to Allah and a blessed
life, he should follow the example of Prophet Abraham: “Certainly there is for you in them a good
example for him who hopes for Allah and the Last Day. And whoever turns away, surely Allah is the
Self-Sufficient, the Praised” (60:6).
Therefore, whatever time is allowed to us in this earthly life and whoever wishes to lead a life which
can earn peace and pleasure of Allah, should try to follow the commands of Allah and submit to His
will with steadfastness and a high sense of sacrifice as was done by Prophet Abraham.
At times, in obeying Allah’s commandments one has to make difficult decisions and face opposition
and dire consequences. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, has
specifically exhorted his followers to be steadfast at such critical moments and asked them to “hold
religion above the world”. In other words, he tried to point out how he and his followers will face
difficulties and trials while carrying on the mission of correcting the wrong beliefs and
misinterpretations of various concepts ascribed to the Qur’an and precepts of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The fact remains that these very wrong
interpretations and misconceptions were, and are still, a source of disgrace and a target of criticism for
Islam and its Holy Founder as they are based on our own wrong beliefs and misinterpretations.
Unfortunately, these wrong beliefs and misconceptions which the Founder of the Ahmadiyya
Movement and the Movement’s scholars tried to correct in the light of the Qur’an and authentic
sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad gave rise to opposition and persecution against the Founder of
the Ahmadiyya Movement and his followers and it continues even today though more than hundred
years have passed.
History stands witness to the fact that every person or group who stands to uphold truth has to face
difficulties and bear persecution. Prophet Abraham’s whole life of dedication and sacrifice is a living
example of steadfastness and forbearance.
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Defence and service of Islam is a duty of all Muslims. We should not look here and there and towards
this person or that organisation whether they are doing it in the right way or not. The Holy Qur’an and
the incomparable example of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, are a divine
gift available to us, and we all should derive inspiration from them and stand up to defend and promote
them and refute the wrong ideas or perceptions about them.
In the verse 6 of chapter 60, which I recited earlier, Allah mentions the example of Abraham referring
to him as “them”, not just him; them refers to the examples of Hazrat Hajarah and Hazrat Ishmael. All
three went through difficult times and experienced extreme hardship and showed exemplary
steadfastness and a high sense of sacrifice. It also points out that unless the whole family stands behind
the person who has undertaken a difficult task, it is difficult for him to achieve great results. The task
of eradicating evil habits or wrong concepts about Islam and its Holy Founder is not an easy task and it
requires the support of a community working with unity and concerted effort. The example set by
Prophet Abraham and his family and the tremendous impact it had on the coming generations show
how important is the unified efforts of a whole community. And as Allah is the Ultimate Support and
Helper, so the whole community should also seek Allah’s guidance and support through intense
supplication, obedience and sacrifice.
The Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement has time and again emphasised his motto, “To hold
religion above the world,” and show fidelity to the basic teachings of Islam individually and
collectively as a community. To make this choice of upholding religion is a difficult task. It is a call
from Allah to leave worldly comforts and be ready to take up the uphill task of serving the cause of
religion.
In short, this is also the underlying spirit of the message of Eid al-Adha – complete submission and
upholding the truth. The Holy Qur’an has described it in these words: “Say: My prayer and my
sacrifice and my life and my death are surely for Allah, the Lord of the worlds – no associate has He.
And this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who submit” (6:162).
Hazrat Abraham and his family, by their shining examples, established how serving the cause of Allah
brings everlasting blessings. Such examples continue to inspire the coming generations.
Today Muslims the world over slaughter an animal. It appears from the enthusiasm shown on such
occasions that Muslims fully understand the philosophy of sacrifice. But the fact remains that the act of
sacrifice of an animal is observed mostly as an outward gesture and the real objective underlying the
ritual sacrifice of imbibing the spirit of sacrifice and submission in performing duties and discharging
responsibilities is mostly ignored in the lives of Muslims. The Qur’an says: “Not their flesh, nor their
blood, reaches Allah, but to Him is acceptable observance of duty on your part” (22:37).
Let us take the example of a cup of tea which is presented by a host to his guest. It is the tea within the
cup and the kind gesture of the host which matters and touches the heart of the guest and not the
outward beauty of the cup. Prophet Jesus also used the simile of a cup, exhorting his disciples to pay
attention more to the inner cleanliness than to an outward show of piety: “… cleanse first that which is
within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also” (Matt. 23:25, 26). It is the inner
spirit and feelings of obedience and readiness to obey the commands of Allah which is the object of
prescribing the act of sacrifice. Our intentions and inner feelings motivate our actions. And if we
subject our ambitions and intentions to the commands of Allah just as the animal slaughtered is at our
command, we will be able to fulfil the commands of Allah. This high sense of obedience and surrender
is the objective of the act of sacrifice.
Sometimes the sacrifice of an animal is just for show, that such and such person has sacrificed a costly
or a big animal, and he gets publicity. Is that what Allah intends by prescribing the sacrifice, and was it
19
the objective before Prophet Abraham when he intended to sacrifice his very precious son? I have
already quoted the Qur’an about the real object of sacrificing an animal. Its significance lies in the
intention to kill the inner evil intentions and ambitions by symbolically slaughtering an animal. This
evil self is termed in the Qur’an as nafs-i ammara, the evil or rebellious self. Dominance of the evil
self keeps a believer away from Allah and is a hindrance in achieving spiritual progress and affects his
attitude in achieving high objectives in life.
To seek nearness of Allah means to lead a purposeful life by following divine rules and regulations
enjoined for the purity and welfare of the individual and the society as a whole. So the objective of
celebrating the Festival of Sacrifice is not to observe a token ritual but is meant to remind one, every
year, to lead a life of pure thoughts and righteous actions with a deep commitment and high sense of
sacrifice. This selflessness is the inner force which motivates human faculties and passions towards
higher and higher objectives in life. The celebration of sacrifice is to emulate the living example of the
selflessness of Prophet Abraham and his family and to dedicate our lives for the higher objectives in
life.
On festive occasions such as Eid al-Adha people are nicely dressed in attractive colours and sumptuous
dishes are served. It is also a time for family members and close friends to get together and enjoy
warm, homely parties. But certainly it is also a time to renew our commitment to kill the evil spirit in
us and to get rid of evil intentions that bring chaos and destruction to the society.
Let us pray that Allah may bless our efforts to kill our evil selves and enable us to promote love and
affection among the society.
LESSON OF THE DAY
The Wooden Bowl
I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month
from now, a year from now.
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s
hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But
the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon
onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law
became irritated with the mess.
“We must do something about Father,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating,
and food on the floor.”
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of
the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a
wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye
as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a
fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son
playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as
20
sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when
I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their
cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took
Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate
every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer
when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
)(
“... do good to parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say no word to them showing
annoyance, nor rebuke them, and speak to them a generous word. And make yourself gentle to them
with humility out of mercy, and say: My Lord, have mercy on them, as they brought me up (when I
was) little” (17:23-24).
PUBLICATIONS
Web link to The HOPE Bulletin on Central AhmadiyyaAnjuman’s official website
The aaiil.org Webmaster will place online, at http://bit.ly/2012hope, some selected issues of The
HOPE Bulletin and some articles and special photographic supplements which do not carry any
sensitive or confidential matters of our worldwide Jama‘at.
The Berlin Mosque report is now online on our website for your reading and viewing pleasure. To
access this special supplement, please click on the above link.
`^`
The Light – UK Edition
To access current and previous issues, kindly click on the weblink http://www.ahmadiyya.org/
We strongly recommend that you read for your spiritual pleasure an article on “The Promised Messiah
Speaks” published on page two of the February, 2012 edition of The Light.
WHAT OUR READERS SAY
Nasir Ahmad, United Kingdom
My dear Brother Akbar,
Assalam-o-alaikum.
I am sorry we did not know about your birthday before.
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I offer my most fervent prayers for your health and happiness. At this age your energy to work is
amazing. May Allah grant you strength and energy to continue this noble service, which has brought
all our brothers and sister across the world closer and well informed. ...
Congratulations to you and lot of prayers for you and your supportive wife. May you both enjoy a long
and happy companionship of married life.
With sincerest wishes and prayers.
Yours sincerely
Nasir Ahmad `^`
Capt. Abdus Salam Khan, Cucamonga, California, USA
Dear Akbar Sahib, ASA.
Thanks for including my poem in the January issue of the HOPE.
The publication of the miraculous photo of our beloved Maulana refreshed my faith. It is one of two
supernatural incidents in his life, the other one being miraculously cured of what he thought was the
plague by the Promised Messiah, who just passed his hand over the Maulana’s body and declared in a
loud and impassioned voice: “Maulvi Sahib! If you can be struck with plague whilst you are living in
my house, then my claim of being the Promised Messiah is false!”
Once, a granddaughter of the Maulana asked him: “Nanajan! My mother tells about the incident when
you were miraculously cured of plague by the Promised Messiah. Is it true?”
Maulana’s humorous chord was tickled by the child’s query. He retorted with a twinkle in his eyes:
“Child! If you didn’t believe your mama, how are you going to believe me?”
With best wishes and regards,
Capt. Abdus Salam Khan
`^`
Brother Jalal Ud Dean, Suva, Fiji
Assalaamu’Alaikum Wr Wb.
Thank you very much for the January 2012 edition of the HOPE Bulletin. I must congratulate you for
your editorial cleverness and prowess for putting together such a wonderful release, which is without
any doubt as most informative and also garnished with variety. Congratulations again.
As I’ve explained earlier, I’ve never been to India/Pakistan/Bangladesh etc. and thanks especially to Br
Nasir Ahmad Sahib of the UK; his pictorial roll-out of the late Maulana Muhammad Ali’s home and
library must have left many people like me wondering, how was Maulana Muhammad Ali able to
garner so much details into his footnotes in the Holy Qur’an as early as 1917 (first edition) and with
such simple library facilities? Surely he was blessed! There is no doubt.
The pictorial roll-out made me feel that I was in Lahore and inside the location of Maulana
Muhammad Ali’s study and meeting room. Once again, thanks to Br Nasir Ahmad Sahib of UK. ...
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The HOPE Bulletin is becoming progressively better each issue.
Wassalaam.
HOPE MEMBER SERVICE
Recipe of the Month
Pancakes
Ingredients 1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons shortening, melted, or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Method of Preparation Beat egg with hand beater until fluffy
Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.
For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 1/4 cup milk.
Grease heated griddle if necessary (or use an ungreased non-stick pan).
To test griddle/pan, sprinkle with few drops of water. If bubbles skitter around, heat is just right.
Pour batter onto pan from large pitcher.
Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges.
Turn and cook other size until golden brown.
To keep pancakes hot, stack on hot plate with paper towels in between.
Makes about nine 4-inch pancakes.
“O men! Eat the lawful and good things out of what is in the earth” (2: 168).
“And eat and drink and be not immoderate, for He does not love the immoderate” (7: 31).
“O you who believe! Do not forbid yourselves the good things which Allah has made lawful for you,
and do not exceed the limits” (5: 87).
“And do not eat of that on which Allah's name has not been mentioned” (6: 122).
“And the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for
them” (5: 5).
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GLIMPSES OF AHMADIYYA BUILDINGS, LAHORE,
IN THE 1960S
Hazrat Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, Ameer II, who moved to
this house after Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali moved
to his own house in Muslim Town, Lahore
Another view of the inside of the Ahmadiyya Buildings
Mosque
A view of the inside hall of the Mosque
Ladies gallery of the Mosque at Ahmadiyya Buildings,
Lahore
Inside the Ahmadiyya Mosque. Dr. Allah Bakhsh is
addressing a gathering of Youngmen’s Association,
Lahore
24
Hazrat Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, Ameer II, addressing the
opening session of the Annual Gathering
Maulana Muhammad Yahya Butt, Imam of the Berlin
Mosque, speaking at the Annual Gathering
Hazrat Ameer II, Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, speaking on the
eve of the Annual Gathering. Col. B. H. Syed is
presiding
Section of audience at the left side of the Mosque and its
open courtyard and adjacent area
Foreign delegates from Indonesia, Trinidad, Nigeria,
Holland, South Africa, Germany, and former East
Pakistan
Delegates to the Golden Jubilee Jalsa from Nigeria,
Trinidad, Holland, Indonesia,Germany and South Africa.
Delegates to the Golden Jubilee Annual Gathering from
Nigeria, Trinidad, Holland, Germany and Indonesia
25
Another view of the presentation on the eve of the
Annual Declamation Contest during the Annual
Gathering
Abdul Ghafoor Saqib, President of the Youngmen’s
Ahmadiyya Association, Lahore, with the members and
participants of the Declamation Contest
Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan handing over a trophy to the
winner on the eve of the Golden Jubilee Annual
Gathering
Muslim High School, Brandreth Road, Lahore
A section of the Muslim High School, Ahmadiyya
Buildings, Lahore
Front view of the new building where the Promised
Messiah Memorial Room has been constructed
26
Front of the same building with the signboard of
Muhammadiyya Market covering the original writing of
Ahmadiyya Market No. 1
Promised Messiah Memorial Room. Right to left: Dr.
Allah Bakhsh, Nasir Ahmad, Dawood Sydow, Hazrat
Ameer II, Hazrat Maulana Sadr-ud-Din, Hakim Abdul
Aziz, and Abdul Aziz Khan of Zaida
Promised Messiah Memorial Room with Maulana A. R.
Jaggoe and other delegates from Holland, and residents
A view of the Promised Messiah Memorial Room
Promised Messiah Memorial Room with photographs of
the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Maulana Nur-ud-Din, and
Hazrat Maulana Abdul Karim Sahib
27
Promised Messiah Memorial Room with photographs of
Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali, Hazrat Maulana Sadr-
ud-Din, Hazrat Dr. Syed Muhammad Hussain Shah, and
Sheikh Rahmatullah Sahib
Offices on the first floor of Ahmadiyya Market No. 1
A view of the flats on the second floor of Ahmadiyya
Market No. 1, Lahore
Dr. Allah Bakhsh addressing a meeting held at the
Promised Messiah Hall, Ahmadiyya Buildings, Lahore
CONTACT INFORMATION
Akbar Abdullah
Editor, The HOPE Bulletin Mailing Address: P.O. Box 232023
Sacramento, California 95823-0430, U.S.A.
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Telephone Number: (773) 539-6892
“ISLAM” stands for “I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND”
