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The late Hazrat MaulanaSadr-ud Din, second Ameer

and President of theAhmadiyya Anjuman

Isha’at-i Islam, Lahore

Volume 1Issues 4 & 5

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Message from Hazrat AmeerProfessor Dr Abdul Karim Saeed

If you love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you,rant you protection from your sins. And Allah ising, Merciful. Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger;

f they turn back, Allah surely loves not theievers” (Holy Quran 3: 31-32).

embers of the Jama‘at,salamu ‘Alaikum.e verses cited above emphasise that to love or getAllah one has to obey the Holy Prophet (peace andof Allah be on him). Obeying the Holy Prophet is the word of Allah and the practice of the religion in spirit. This practice helps develop a bond betweenn soul and its Creator. The lives of all the companionsoly Prophet show how their devotion and loveed their lives and they rose to great spiritual heightsness to Allah. Such a transformation was alsoed by the Reformer of the present times, Hazratulam Ahmad Qadiani. By devoting his life to the

of Islam and showering all his love upon the Holye attained the spiritual height where Allah chose him

Reformer of the fourteenth century as well as the Messiah and the Promised Mahdi.is year, Muslims all over the world celebrate the birthy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) inh of May. Through this message I would like toaders that in the life of the Holy Prophet there is theample for us to follow; and in the life of the Reformeran example of how Allah showers His love andupon anyone who loves and follows the Holyet us all resolve to draw nigh to Allah by obeying the

phet and adhering to his teachings, and renew our spread the light of Islam to the corners of the world.

an also download this n

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In this Issuemic View on thectity of Human

e 2ws 3ddings 5ituaries 5e New Imam oflin Mosque 6zrat Muhammad,r Prophet 7rza Sahib’s Love the Holy Prophet 8ummary of the

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Holy Qur’an

“For this reason We prescriit be for manslaughter or fowhoever saves a life, it is amessengers came to them wexcesses in the land” (Holy

Hadith

In his Last Sermon, deliverof Mount Arafat, the Holy Psaid:

“O People, just as you rand property of every Mtheir rightful owners. Hindeed meet your Lord,every Muslim is the bsuperiority over another

Sayings of the Promised M

Upon hearing the news thapersons, Hazrat Mirza Ghul

“Was this killing of twpersons that have givenfor him to serve theseadmirably that, impressbecome Muslims. A trufight with a kafir (disbehis opponent and was aAli climbed off his chereplied: ‘My war againspart of my egotism becaction greatly impressed

Whenever I hear such rfrom the Holy Qur’an Hakam, vol. 4, no. 14. p

The Islamic View on…

he Sanctity of Human Life

Compiled by Sarah Ahmad

bed to the Children of Israel that whoever kills a person, unlessr mischief in the land, it is as though he had killed all men. Ands though he had saved the lives of all men. And certainly Ourith clear arguments, but even after that many of them commit

Quran, 5:32).

ed on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valleyrophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

egard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard the lifeuslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to

urt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. … You know thatrother of another Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has

except by piety and good action.”

essiah

t a cruel Pathan in Peshawar had killed two innocent Britisham Ahmad delivered the following speech in a gathering:

o Britons supposed to be an act of jihad? It is such worthless Islam a bad name. A better course of action would have been people so devotedly and conduct himself towards them soed by the excellence of his morals and behaviour, they alsoe believer tramples on his egotism. It is related that during aliever), Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had felledbout to slit his abdomen when the man spat in his face. Hazratst. The kafir was amazed and asked: ‘O Ali! How is this?’ Het you was for the sake of Allah. But when you spat in my face,ame involved in it too, whereupon I let you go.’ Hazrat Ali’s the man.

eports, I am extremely grieved that people have strayed so farto consider the killing of innocent souls a virtuous deed” (Al-p. 10-11, 17 April 1900).

ewsletter from: http://www.aaiil.org/ilan 2


You can also download this newsletter from: http://www.aaiil.org/ilan 3

NEWSThe Netherlands

Royal Honouring of BrotherAS Santoe

Alhamdu lillah. Praise be to Allah.

On 30 April 2004, the eve ofHolland’s traditional Queen’s Day,our dear brother, Mr August AbdulSamad Santoe, Central Anjuman’srepresentative for Europe, wasawarded the special Royal Medal ofthe Order of Knighthood(Ridderorde) of the House of OranjeNassau. The Queen’s Mayor ofRotterdam, Mr. Ivo van Opstelten,decorated Mr Santoe with theprestigious Medal on behalf of HerMajesty, the Queen.

During a majestic assembly in

the Hall of Knights within the CityHall Building of Rotterdam, MrSantoe’s citation was solemnlyannounced. Besides his officialduties in the government services ofSurinam and the Netherlands formore than 45 years, special mentionwas made of his lifelong voluntarydedication for communal work. Hisnever ceasing efforts for the

integration of the Ahmadiyya communityinto the Dutch society and his services forthe Ahmadiyya Movement in its widestsense were particularly mentioned. On theoccasion, the Mayor praised Mr Santoe’sfavourite maxim or motto: “Ignorance isthe fiercest enemy of man.”

On the same day, tributes were paid toMr Santoe for this remarkable achievementin a spectacular, vast gathering of theAhmadiyya community in the Netherlands.

We are very proud of Mr Santoe forachieving this honour. He truly deserves it.Congratulations to him and his family fromHazrat Ameer, members of CentralAnjuman and the worldwide LahoreAhmadiyya Movement. May Allah Ta’alabestow even greater honours on him in thefuture. Ameen.

PAKISTAN (The Centre)

A Worthy Achievement of the OkaraJama‘at

The hub of the Lahore AhmadiyyaJama‘at of Okara, Pakistan is the Tokafamily. The founder of the family was HafizMohammad Bakhsh, who visited Qadian ata very young age when he was still astudent and took the bai’at [pledge] at thehand of Hazrat Masih-i-Mau‘ood. Thefamily originally belonged to Jalandhar,India but moved to the Okara area in 1914



as settlers to develop the new canal-irrigated colonies. The family had avery close association with thefamily of Hazrat MaulanaMuhammad Ali. The Toka familyhas always been involved in theactivities of the Jama‘at. Scions of thefamily include Professor AzizAhmad, Central Anjuman’s GeneralSecretary, and Chaudhry RiazAhmad, the present Imam of theBerlin Mosque, Germany.

11 April 2004 will go down as ared-letter day in the history of theOkara Jama‘at. Hazrat Ameer DrAbdul Karim Saeed, together withsix delegates, including three ladies,visited the Jama‘at to solemnise twoauspicious events – completion ofhifz-i-Quran by Amna Hayee anddedication of two kanals (about1,200 sq yards) of land to theCentral Anjuman.

Amna Hayee, daughter ofChaudhry Abdul Hayee, is thegreat-grandniece of HafizMohammad Bakhsh. She suspendedher regular studies in class 5 to takeup hifz-i-Quran (memorisation of theHoly Quran). Masha Allah, she hasmemorised the whole of the HolyQuran in a short period of threeyears. She is only 14 years old. Alarge number of family and Jama‘atmembers had gathered to celebratethe occasion. Hazrat Ameer laudedthe efforts of the young Hafizah andprayed for her success andhappiness in life. This is indeed amighty achievement and a source ofpride for her family and all membersof the Jama‘at. May Allah Ta’alagrant her the wisdom to understandthe Quran and act upon itsteachings. Ameen.

The Toka family has dedicated twokanals of land to the Central Anjuman forthe future development of the Jama‘at’sinstitutions there. A boundary wall hasbeen built around the area to demarcate andprotect it. Hazrat Ameer laid the foundationstone of a Jamiah Ahmadiyya which will,Insha Allah, be built there at an appropriatetime in the future. Hazrat Ameer thankedthe family for their generous donation andprayed for Allah’s blessings on them. Healso hoped and prayed that the OkaraJama‘at may one day become a vicegerentfor the propagation of Islam and theAhmadiyya Movement.

Dr Simon Valentine visits theCentral Anjuman

Dr Simon Valentine is a researcher andlecturer at the University of Bradford, UK.He is currently studying the AhmadiyyaMovement and plans to write a book on thesubject. He visited the Jama’at’sheadquarters in Lahore and stayed from 26to 28 April 2004. He held very usefuldiscussions with Hazrat Ameer and othermembers of the Jama’at. He later went toRabwah, Qadian and to Srinagar to visit thetomb of Jesus Christ. On his way back, hewas with us again for an evening for furtherdiscussions. We are looking forward to DrValentine’s book and hope and pray that itwill help clear misunderstandings about theAhmadiyya Movement.



Tanzim-i-Khawatin-i-Ahmadiyya, Lahore

The Tanzim-i-Khawatin-i-Ahmadiyya, Lahore (AhmadiyyaLadies’ Association) held a generalmeeting on 24 April 2004. It wasdevoted to the memory of Hazrat DrBasharat Ahmad whose deathanniversary falls on 21 April, andBegum Saleha Zahoor Ahmadwhose death anniversary is on 23April. Papers were read highlightingthe outstanding qualities of DrBasharat Ahmad and Begum SalehaAhmad, particularly as members ofthe Jama’at. Sarah Ahmad discussedin detail Dr Basharat Ahmad’sliterary contributions such as Anwar-ul Quran and Mujaddad-i Azam. TheSaleha Zahoor Ahmad Library isonly one of Begum Saleha’s manycontributions to the betterment ofthe Jama’at. Fatihah was also offeredfor Mohammad Anwar Shaheed andother members of the Jama’at whosedeath anniversaries fall in the monthof April.

The meeting was well attendedand participants were moved by thegreat sacrifices made by members inthe past.

Hazrat Ameer Returns fromPacific Tour

Al hamdu lillah. Hazrat Ameerreturned to Lahore on 20 May 2004after a very extensive three-weektour of the Jama‘ats in Fiji, NewZealand and Australia. Mrs SabihaSaeed and Mr Aamir Azizaccompanied him up to Fiji.Preliminary reports indicate thegreat success of this visit - the firstby an Ameer of the Jama‘at. We will,

Insha Allah, be presenting details of the visitin our subsequent issues.

Weddings

Mr Usman Nazir, son of Ch NazirAhmad, has married Miss Faiza Aziz,daughter of the late Mr Abdul Aziz ofKachee, District Hazara. The walimahceremony was held in Lahore on 21 March2004. A large number of Jama‘at members,family and friends attended the function.We wish the newlyweds a happy andprosperous life.

Fareeha Hafeez (Laado), daughter of thelate Mr Hafeez-ur-Rahman, was married toJawad Nazir, son of Mr Nazir Ahmad andMrs Shahida Nazir. The wedding ceremonywas held at Darus Salaam, Lahore on 28April 2004. The bride has proceeded to theUK to join her husband. We wish the brideand groom a happy and prosperous life

ObituariesInna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raaji‘un.

Begum Safia Qadir expired in Hayward,California, USA on 10 May 2004. She wasthe granddaughter of the late ChaudhryKhairuddin (eldest brother of HazratMaulana Muhammad Ali), and sister of thelate Brigadier Abdul Latif (Shaheed),Chaudry Abdul Karim (Okara, Pakistan),Chaudry Abdul Sattar, Mrs. Qudsia MasudAkhtar and Mrs. Zakiyya Zafar Abdullah(Hayward California).

Mrs. Razia Manzoor died at the age of72 on 19 May 2004. She had been ill for thelast year and a half. She was the daughter ofChaudhry Nizam-ud-Din of the OkaraAhmadiyya family. She is survived by twodaughters and a son. Her son, Mr.



Munawar Ahmad, is an activemember of the Jama’at.

Mrs. Manzoor retired a fewyears ago as Head Mistress of M.C.Girls High School, Okara, where sheserved as Head of the institution forabout 20 years. For the last five yearsshe was living in the Darus SalamColony with her son. She was a veryactive member of the Tanzim-i-Khawatin.

May the departed souls of bothsisters rest in eternal peace and mayAllah Ta'ala grant fortitude andpatience to the bereaved families tobear these great losses.

Int

Introducing the new Imam of theBerlin Mosque

Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad, the new Imamat the Berlin Mosque in Germany was bornon 3 June 1942. He is the grandson of HafizMohammad Bakhsh, founder of theprominent Lahore Ahmadiyya family ofOkara. His father, Chaudhry ShabbirAhmad, was member of the CentralAnjuman’s Majlis-i-Mautamidin from theearly fifties till his death in 1985.

Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad has an excellentacademic record. He has a Bachelor of Artsdegree and is also a Law graduate. He ranhis own business and managed a privatehospital in Lahore till the late 1980s whenhe decided to work for the Jama’at.

He has studied the Quran, books ofHadith and relevant literature of theAhmadiyya Movement. He has been aregular speaker at the Annual Conventionsof the Central Anjuman at Lahore. In 1987,he was deputed to visit the Jama’ats inNorth America and to represent the CentralAnjuman at the Ahmadiyya Convention inToronto, Canada. He visited the Jama’ats inGermany, Holland, USA, UK and Canada in1991 and stayed in the USA from 1991 to2000. During his stay in the USA he servedas a director and as assistant Imam of theHayward Jama’at in California.

Editors’ NoteThis poem is reproduced from the firstissue of Muslim India and Islamic Review,February 1913.



Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad hasprofound knowledge of Islamicteachings and the beliefs of theAhmadiyya Movement. He hasbeen a regular contributor to theCentral Anjuman’s official journal,Paigham Sulh. He was also editor ofthis journal during 1988-89.

Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad has beena dedicated and active Ahmadi sincehis youth. He worked as Secretaryand later on as President of theShabban-ul-Ahamadiyya (YouthWing of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman)Lahore. He was elected as a memberof the Majlis-i-Mutamidin (GeneralCouncil of the Anjuman) in 1983 andserved in this position for six years.He was member of the Majlis-i-Muntazima (Executive Committee)from 1987 to 1991. He also served asJoint Secretary and AssistantFinancial Secretary at the head officeof the Central Anjuman in Lahore.Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad also workedas a trainer for the future muballighin(preachers) of the Jama’at and was aregular lecturer during the AnnualTraining Course for the youth of theJama’at.

Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad wasappointed Imam of the GermanCentre by Central Anjuman in June2001 and took charge of the missionin January 2004. He is carrying thetremendous load of responsibility onhis shoulders and has the completeconfidence and prayers of the entireJama’at to support him. May AllahTa’ala crown his efforts andsacrifices with success. Ameen.

HAZRAT MUHAMMAD,OUR PROPHET

(peace and blessings of Allah be on him)

Athar Rasool 1

Every man ought to be judged by whathe does and the Holy Prophet Muhammad,(peace and blessings of Allah be on him),accomplished within twenty years whatother reformers could not accomplish withcenturies of labour. He swept awaycenturies old idolatry, superstition, cruelty,ignorance, prostitution, gambling, drinking,oppression of the weak, internecine war,and a hundred other evils from a wholecountry. History cannot show any otherprophet who brought so wonderful andcomplete a transformation on so large ascale within so short a time. Never wasreform more hopeless than at the advent ofMuhammad, (peace and blessings of Allahbe on him), and never was it more completethan when he departed.

“If greatness of purpose, smallness ofmeans and astounding results are the threecriteria of human genius, who could dare tocompare any great man with Muhammad?”writes the distinguished French writer,Alphonse de Lamartine (1854). In the wordsof Carlyle, “It was a birth from the darknessinto light.” Whereas Leonard remarked, “Ifever man on earth found God, if ever mandevoted his life to God’s service with goodand great motive, it is certain that theProphet of Arabia was that man.”

On the basis of a book, every letter ofwhich has become law, he created aspiritual nationality which blended togetherpeople of every tongue and every race. Hehas left us, as the characteristic of this

1 Adapted from Muhammad the Prophet by MaulanaMuhammad Ali.


Muslim nationality, the hatred offalse gods, and the passion for theOne and Only God.

Philosopher, orator, apostle,legislator, warrior, conqueror ofideas, restorer of rational dogma,one without images, the founder ofmany terrestrial empires and of onespiritual empire, that is Muhammad,(peace and blessings of Allah be onhim). As regards all standards bywhich all human greatness may bemeasured, we may well ask “Is thereany man greater than he?”

If there is any trait of hischaracter, which is more markedthan another, it is his care of theorphan and the widow, his supportof the weak and the helpless, hislove of labour and work for thedistressed.

A life so great cannot be devoidof potentialities as great for thefuture. It is the life of a man wholived for God and died for God. Itcannot but inspire into any heart thenoblest ideas of the service ofhumanity.

May Allah provide us the strengthto follow his footsteps. Ameen

Hazrat Mirza GhulamAhmad’s Love for the Holy

Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be on him)

Haleemah Saeed, USA

Hazrat Mirza Sahib had a deep love andaffection for the Holy Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be on him).This is reflected in his life and his writings.He devoted his life to following the HolyProphet’s guidance and propagating histeachings. Dr Basharat Ahmad devotes awhole chapter to the discussion of this greatlove in his book Mujaddid-i-Azam. He notesthat five characteristics prove ones love forsomeone:

• To model one’s actions and life afterthe loved one.

• To always mention his greatcharacteristics.

• To not be able to bear any wrongallegations about him.

• To be ready to sacrifice all for him.• And to always pray for him.

He then goes on to prove from personalobservations of his actions as well as HazratSahib’s writings that he fulfilled the abovecharacteristics.

He followed the Holy Prophet’s sayingsin all aspects of his life. In religious mattershe hated innovations and deviation fromthe Holy Prophet’s practices. When DrBasharat Ahmad asked him for the bestmeans to attain nearness to Allah, heinstructed him to focus on his prayers andperform Tahajjud salah (voluntary late nightprayer) since that was the practice of theHoly Prophet (peace and blessings of Allahbe on him).

Editors’ NoteThe present issue of I’LAN is adouble issue for the months ofApril and May 2004. We regret thedelay in publication but resolve tobring out future issues on time.Please remember us in yourprayers.




He was once asked to lecture onthe vices of alcohol but to notmention religion. He refused tospeak at the occasion saying that hecould not do so without mentioningthe one person in the history of theworld who removed the evils ofintoxication and addiction from anentire society.

It was his greatest wish torespond to all wrong allegationsabout the Holy Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him) andshow his true character to the world.

Whenever he held debates withfollowers of other religions healways insisted on the condition thatthey would not insult the HolyProphet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him) in any way. Hewas deeply hurt by the book Ummahaatul Muminin written by aChristian priest that contained evilimplications about the Holy Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be onhim) and his wives. He declared thathis peace was destroyed and that itwould have been easier for him tolose his inheritance and his childrenthan to have read such writingsagainst the Holy Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him).

He declared that it wasimpossible to attain true peace ofmind without following the exampleof the Holy Prophet. In his bookHaqiqat-ul Wahy, he very eloquentlysupports this claim by describing theincredible change in the Arab societyby the Holy Prophet’s influence. Hecompares him to a brightly shiningsun that is emitting guidance. Heoffers himself as a living examplethat it was only through followingthis guidance that he was able to

attain closeness to Allah and have realcommunication with Him.

He devoted his life to propagating themessage of the Holy Prophet, (peace andblessings of Allah be on him). He wasalways ready to defend the Holy Prophet’sname. He held multiple discussions withleaders of other religions in which hepresented the true character of the HolyProphet (peace and blessings of Allah be onhim). When Bishop Liferoy of Lahorechallenged Muslims to a discussion on “ALiving Messenger”, Hazrat Mirza GhulamAhmad was the only one to accept thechallenge. He presented compellingarguments to show that Hazrat Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be on him)was the only true “living messenger” as histeachings and influence were still alive. TheBishop was unable to come up with a goodresponse. After this instance, Hazrat Sahibchallenged him several times to anotherdebate but he never came forward again.

Hazrat Sahib’s greatest challenge inserving his beloved Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him) came fromwithin the Muslim community. While theMuslims gave lip service to the finality ofprophethood, their beliefs contradicted this.A clear example was the very prevalentbelief in Prophet Jesus’ supernaturalpowers, like his giving life to birds, healinglepers and the blind and, most of all, hisliving ascension and the fact that he wouldhave to come back to save the HolyProphet’s followers from the trial of thelatter times. All of these clearly placed himabove Prophet Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be on him). He explainedthe metaphorical meanings of the verses ofthe Quran from which the above beliefs hadarisen. Then by claiming to be the PromisedMessiah he put a stop to the senseless waitfor a Messiah to descend from the sky andfight for Islam with the sword.



His poetic works are full of theHoly Prophet’s praise. He uses hisverses to present arguments andfacts to prove that the ProphetMuhammad is the greatest Prophetof all times. He also issuedchallenges to people of all religionsto disprove this claim. Dr BasharatAhmad quotes multiple verses inthis chapter that should be read byall that can understand the poeticlanguage.

He considered the HolyProphet’s example to be the ultimateguidance in all matters of life. Oncehe was walking up and down at therailway station with his wife. Someof his companions, like MaulanaNur-ud-Din and Maulvi AbdulKarim Sahib, felt that some of themore conservative Muslims mightsee him and make unnecessaryobjections. His reply was: “I do notrespect anyone more than the HolyProphet Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be on him). Whenhe and his companion’s wives couldparticipate in battles, and bringwater to the injured and look aftertheir wounds, then I do not considermyself any more respected thanthem. In fact, to follow his exampleis a source of pride for me.”

So great was his love for theHoly Prophet (peace and blessingsof Allah be on him) that not only didhe himself (Durood Shareef) call forthe blessings of Allah on the HolyProphet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him), he also made it apart of the conditions of joining theMovement as the third condition ofthe bai’at (pledge of fealty). Hewanted to inspire the same degree oflove for the Holy Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be on him) in hisfollowers that he had himself.

The greatest expression of his love wasthe immense amount of literature andknowledge that he has left with us aboutthe Holy Prophet’s greatness. It is now ourduty to truly understand the gift ofknowledge that has been given to us and tomake it the mission of our lives to spreadthis message.

I would like to close with an extractfrom the writings of Hazrat Masih-i-Mau‘ood:

“We know for certain that the greatestProphet of God and His best beloved isthe Holy Prophet Muhammad, the chosenone (peace and blessings of Allah be onhim). The followers of other prophets are indarkness having nothing with them exceptold stories and tales. But Muslims alwaysreceive fresh signs from God Almighty.Therefore, among Muslims there are foundmany persons of understanding whobelieve in God with such certainty as if theybeheld Him; but other people have not thiscertainty concerning God Almighty.Therefore, our soul bears witness that thetrue and right religion is Islam alone…. Themiracles of our Holy Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be on him),are real and not mere stories. By obeyingthe Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be on him), weexperience those signs ourselves, andthrough the blessings of observation andexperience we arrive at complete certainty.How high is the status of that perfect andHoly Prophet whose prophethood alwaysfurnishes fresh proof to seekers, and by theblessings of witnessing continuous signs,we arrive at the stage where we see GodAlmighty with our own eyes, as it were.Thus true religion is that, and the trueProphet is he, the fresh spring of whosetruth should always be witnessed. To rely



upon mere stories that are subject toall kinds of exceptions does notcommend itself to the wise.Hundreds of people have beendeified in the world and they arebelieved in on the basis of hundredsof old tales, but the truth is that thetrue miracle-worker is the onewhose river of miracles never driesup. Such a person is our lord andmaster, the Holy ProphetMuhammad (peace and blessingsof Allah be on him). In every age,God Almighty has raised someoneto display the signs of that perfectand holy one. In this age, He hassent me with the title of “PromisedMessiah”. Signs are being shownfrom heaven and all sorts ofextraordinary events are coming topass. Every seeker-after-truth cancome and stay with me and witnessthese signs, whether he is aChristian or a Jew or an Arya. Allthese are the blessings of our HolyProphet Muhammad, (peace andblessings of Allah be on him).”(Kitab-ul Bariyyah: Footnote, pp. 127-129).

A Summary of the FridaySermon

Safia Saeed, Pakistan

On 30 April 2004, Qari GhulamRasool delivered the Friday sermonat Jami‘ah Darus Salam. The centralidea of the sermon was that spiritualelevation and communion withAllah come only through followingthe footsteps of the Holy Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be onhim). Allah, the Beneficent andMerciful, sent His last messenger tomankind as a great favour. The Holy

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessingsof Allah be on him) has not only broughtAllah’s last and perfect message to mankindbut also interpreted the message in hispractical life. In the Holy Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allah be on him), one findsa model to be followed. It is the example ofthe Messenger of Allah that inspires a livingfaith in the hearts of his followers, which isimportant for bringing about a completetransformation in their lives.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be on him) was raised forall nations: “And We have not sent thee butas a mercy to the nations” (21:107).

The object of sending one final Prophetto all nations was to make the Divine Willknown and interpreted by the Holy Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be on him) inhis own life, thus paving a path for hisfollowers to tread upon to attaincommunion with Allah. The coming of thelast Messenger in no way stops the believersfrom getting spiritual elevation. In fact,Islam is a perfect religion, brought andpractised by the perfect man, HazratMuhammad (peace and blessings of Allahbe on him). If one follows the footsteps ofthe Holy Prophet and does not deviate fromthe right path, one achieves communionwith Allah. There have been many in theUmmah who received communication fromAllah. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is onesuch example. Hazrat Mirza Sahib hasrepeatedly said, both in his poetry andprose, that he received this honour and rankby following the footsteps of the HolyProphet. No other can surpass his love anddevotion for the last Messenger of Allah.Hazrat Mirza Sahib said that deviation ofeven one step from the path shown by theHoly Prophet could result in total spiritualloss.

Summing up this vast subject, QariGhulam Rasool said that belief in Allah



could only come through belief inHis Prophet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him). It is only throughpractising what the Holy Prophethas taught that one can attainspiritual elevation and communionwith Allah. He also stressed theimportance of remembering Allahand calling for His blessings on HisProphet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him).

Dignity of Labour

Extract from “The Living Thoughtsof the Prophet Muhammad “by Maulana Muhammad Ali

One of the greatest services,which the Holy Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him)rendered to humanity was to give animpetus to work and to dignifylabour. The principle was laid downat the very start in the mostunequivocal terms that anyone whodoes not work should not hope toreap any fruit and that the workershould have his full reward:

“That man shall have nothingbut what he strives for: andthat his striving will soon beseen. Then he will be rewardedfor it with the fullest reward”(53: 39-41).

“So whoever does good worksand he is a believer, there shallbe no denying of his effort, andWe surely write (it) down forhim” (21: 94).

“As the work is, so is the fruit:

Your striving is surely directed tovarious ends. Then as for him whogives to others and is dutiful, andaccepts what is good -- We facilitatefor him (the way to) ease. And as forhim who withholds from others andconsiders himself free from need, andrejects what is good -- We facilitate forhim the (the way to) distress. And hiswealth will not avail him when heperishes” (92: 4-11).

“Faces on that day will be happy,glad for their striving” (88: 8,9).

“Surely this is a reward for you, andyour striving is recompensed”(76:22).

“And for all are degrees accordingto their doings. And thy Lord is notheedless of what they do” (6:132).

It was not only his followers whomthe Holy Prophet told to work and tohope for nothing but the fruit of theirwork; he repeatedly drew the attentionof his opponents to the same principle:

“Say: O my people! Work accordingto your ability. I too am working” (6:135; 11: 93, 121; 39: 39).

Equal stress is laid throughout theHoly Quran on faith and work: "thosewho believe and do good" is the ever-recurring description of the faithful. Infact, faith without work is expresslystated to be of no use:

“On the day when some of the signsof thy Lord come, its faith shall notprofit a soul which did not believebefore, or earn good through itsfaith” (6:158).

The Holy Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him) himself



was an indefatigable worker.While he passed half the night,and even two-thirds of it,praying to God, he was doingevery kind of work in thedaytime. No work was too lowfor him. He would milk his owngoats, he would dust his house;he would tie his camel and lookafter it personally. He wouldassist his wife in her householdduties. He would do theshopping, not only for his ownhousehold but also for hisneighbours and friends. Heworked like a labourer in theconstruction of the mosque.Again, when a ditch was beingdug around Madinah to fortify itagainst heavy attack, he wasseen at work among the rankand file. He never despised anywork, however humble,notwithstanding the dignity ofhis position as Prophet, asgeneralissimo and as king. Hethus demonstrated through hispersonal example that everykind of work dignified man, andthat a man's calling, whetherhigh or low, did not constitutethe criterion of his status. Aroadside labourer, a hewer ofwood and a drawer of waterwere as respectable members ofthe social order founded by theHoly Prophet as a big merchantor a high dignitary.

Here are some of his sayings:

“No one eats better food thanthat which he eats out of thework of his own hand”(Bukhari, 34:15).

In answer to a question on whether hepastured goats, he replied:

“Yes! I used to pasture them for thepeople of Makkah for some carats”(Ibid., 37: 2).

He made it clear that every work washonourable in comparison with asking forcharity:

“If one of you should take his ropeand bring a bundle of firewood on hisback and then sell it, with which Allahshould save his honour, it is better forhim than that he should beg of people,whether they give him or do not givehim” (Ibid., 24: 50).

The most honourable of hisCompanions did not disdain the work of aporter. Abu Masud said:

“When the Messenger of Allahcommanded us to give in charity, oneof us went to the market and carried aload for which he got a small measureof grain, and some of them aremillionaires today” (Ibid., 24:10).

“The humblest work carried with itdignity; those who followed theprofession of a butcher or a seller ofmeat, a goldsmith, a blacksmith, a tailor,a weaver or a carpenter were lookedupon as honourable members ofsociety” (Ibid., 34:21, 28-32).

The relations between a labourer and hisemployer were those of two contractingparties on terms of equality. The HolyProphet laid down a general law relating tocontracts:

“Muslims shall be bound by theconditions that they make” (Bukhari,37:14).


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The master and the servant wereconsidered two contracting parties,and the master was as much boundby the terms of the agreement as theservant. The Holy Prophet made thisplain:

“Allah says: There are threepersons whose adversary indispute I shall be on the dayof Resurrection: a personwho makes a promise in Myname then acts unfaithfully,and a person who sells a freeperson then devours hisprice, and a person whoemploys a servant andreceives fully the labour duefrom him then he does notpay his remuneration”(Bukhari, 34: 106).

“No service carried with it anyindignity, so much so that it wasrecommended that the servantmay eat on the same table withhis master” (Ibid., 49: 18).

If the remuneration of a labourerwas left unpaid, its investment insome profitable business wasrecommended, the servant beingentitled to the profits. In a longhadith it is related that three menwere overtaken with a severeaffliction, from which God deliveredthem because of some good whicheach had done. One of these was anemployer who invested a servant'sunpaid remuneration in a profitablebusiness:

“And the third man said, Iemployed labourers and Ipaid them theirremuneration with theexception of one man -- heleft his due and went away.

So I invested his remuneration in aprofitable business until it becameabundant wealth” (Ibid., 37: 12).

The hadith goes on to say that when,after a long time, the labourer came back forthe remuneration, the employer made itover to him along with all the profit that ithad brought.

The employees of the State, itscollectors, its executive officers and itsjudges, were all included in the category ofservants. They were entitled toremuneration but they could not accept anygift from the public. Even those who taughtthe Quran were entitled to remuneration:

“The most worthy of things forwhich you take remuneration is theBook of Allah” (Bukhari, 37:16).

Hazrat 'Umar was once appointed acollector by the Holy Prophet, and when hewas offered remuneration he said that hedid not stand in need of it. The HolyProphet, however, told him to accept it andthen give it away in charity if he liked (Ibid.,94:17). The principle was thus laid downthat every employee, every servant, everylabourer was entitled to a remuneration.

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Honouring our ParentsMohammad Saeed, Pakistan

The second Sunday in May iscelebrated as Mothers’ Day and thethird Sunday of June as Fathers’ Dayin many countries of the world.These are days when childrenhonour their parents with cards,gifts, and flowers.

These occasions were notformally celebrated until thebeginning of the twentieth century,but there were days honouringmothers even in the days of ancientGreece. In those days, however, itwas Rhea, the Mother of the gods,that was given honour. Althoughthese days are not formallycelebrated by Muslims, however,Muslims also commemorate amother’s sacrifice, that is, HazratHajirah’s sacrifice for her son HazratIsmael (peace be on him) byrunning seven times between thehills of Safa and Marwa whileperforming the Hajj or Umrah.

Respect and care of parents is acornerstone of Islamic teachings. So,while we celebrate Mothers’ andFathers’ Days, we should alsoponder over what the Holy Quranand the Holy Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him) havetaught us about respect for parents,especially mothers. I am

reproducing below a few verses from theHoly Quran and quotations from the Hadithto remind us of our duty to our parents.

The Quran

“And We have enjoined on man thedoing of good to his parents. Hismother bears him with trouble andshe brings him forth in pain. And thebearing of him and the weaning ofhim is thirty months. Till, when heattains maturity and reaches fortyyears, he says: My Lord, grant me thatI may give thanks for Thy favour,which Thou hast bestowed on me andon my parents, and that I may dogood which pleases Thee; and be goodto me in respect of my offspring. TrulyI turn to Thee, and truly I am of thosewho submit” (Al-Ahqaf: 46: 15).

“And thy Lord hath decreed that youserve none but Him, and do good toyour parents. If either or both of themreach old age with thee, say not “Fie”to them, nor chide them, and speak tothem a generous word. And lower tothem the wing of humility out ofmercy, and say: My Lord, have mercyon them, as they brought me up(when I was) little.” (Bani Israel: 17: 23-24).

“And We have enjoined on mangoodness to his parents. But if theycontend with thee to associate otherswith Me, of which thou hast noknowledge, obey them not. To Me isyour return, so I will inform you ofwhat you did” (Al-Ankabut: 29: 8).

“We have enjoined on man concerninghis parents -- his mother bears himwith faintings upon faintings and hisweaning takes two years -– saying:Give thanks to Me and to thy parents.To Me is the eventual coming.



And if they strive with thee tomake thee associate with Methat of which thou hast noknowledge, obey them not,and keep kindly company withthem in this world, and followthe way of him who turns toMe; then to Me is your return,then I shall inform you of whatyou did” (Luqman: 31: 14-15).

The Hadith Mu’awiya ibn Jahimah

reported, Jahimah came to theHoly Prophet, (peace andblessings of Allah be on him)and said: “O Messenger ofAllah! I intend that I shouldenlist in the fighting force andI have come to consult thee.”He said: “Have thou amother?” He said: “Yes.” Hesaid: “Then stick to her,because paradise is beneathher two feet” (Nasai, 25: 6).

Abu Hurairah said a man cameto the Holy Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him)and said: “O Messenger ofAllah! Who has the greatestright that I should keepcompany with him withgoodness?” He said: “Thymother.” He said: “Whothen?” He said: “Thy mother.”He said: “Who then?” He said:“Thy mother.” He said: “Whothen?” He said: “Then thyfather.” (Bukhari, 78:2).

Abu Usaid Saidi said: “Wewere once sitting with theHoly Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him)when a man from the tribe ofSalmah came and said to him:‘O Messenger of Allah! Do my

parents have rights over me even afterthey have died?’ And the Prophetsaid: ‘Yes. You must pray to Allah tobless them with His Forgiveness andMercy, fulfil the promises they madeto anyone, and respect their relationsand their friends’ “ (Ibn Majah, 33:2).

Abu Bakr said the Messenger of Allah(peace and blessings of Allah be onhim) said: “Should I not tell you whatthe major sins are?” He repeated thisthree times. The companions replied:“O yes, Messenger of Allah.” He said:“To believe that Allah has partners, todisobey one's parents, to commitmurder, and to bear false witness”(Bukhari, 52:10).

Asma bint Abu Bakr related thatduring the life of the Holy Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be onhim), her mother, who was then adisbeliever, came to see her. Asmainformed the Messenger of Allah(peace and blessings of Allah be onhim) of her arrival. She told him thather mother loves her and asked for hisruling if she should treat her well. Hesaid: “Be good to your mother”(Bukhari , 51:29).

May Allah Ta‘ala guide us so that werespect and care for our parents as He andthe Holy Prophet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him) have instructed us to do.Ameen.

"The most importantthing a father can do forhis children is to lovetheir mother."



The Farewell PilgrimageIt was in the year 10 A.H. when the whole of Arabia had accepted Islam as its religion that the

Holy Prophet set out on a pilgrimage to Makkah from Madinah (where he resided). About 124,000Muslim pilgrims had assembled at Makkah. The ultimate triumph of truth had taken place and theHoly Prophet realised that his mission on earth had been fulfilled. The Divine word came to tellhim:

"This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you, and chosen foryou Islam as a religion" (5:3).

The sermon that the Holy Prophet delivered on this momentous occasion is remarkable. He wasmounted on a camel and the people were assembled all around him in the plain of Arafat. Headdressed them as follows:

"O people! Lend an attentive ear to my words for I know not whether I shall ever hereafterhave the opportunity to meet you here. Do you know what day it is today? This is the Yaum-un-Nahr or the sacred Day of Sacrifice. Do you know which month this is? This is the sacredmonth. Do you know what place this is? This is the sacred town. So I inform you that yourlives, your properties, and your honour must be as sacred to one another as this sacred day, asthis sacred month and as this sacred town. Let those present take this message to those whoare absent. You are about to meet the Lord Who will call you to account for your deeds.

This day, all sums of interest are remitted, including that of ‘Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. Thisday, the retaliation for all murders committed in the days of ignorance is cancelled and,foremost of all, the murder of Rabi bin Harith is forgiven.

O people! This day, Satan has despaired of re-establishing his worship in this land of yours.However, should you obey him even in what seems to you a trifling, it will be a matter ofpleasure for him. So you must beware of him in the matter of faith.

Then, O my people! You have certain rights over your wives, and your wives have certainrights over you. They are the trust of God in your hands. Therefore, you must treat them withgreat kindness. And as regards your slaves, see to it that you give them to eat what youyourselves eat, and clothe them with what you clothe yourselves.

O people! Listen to what I say and take it to heart. You must know that every Muslim is thebrother of every Muslim. You are all equal; you enjoy equal rights, and have similarobligations. You are all members of one common brotherhood. So it is forbidden for any ofyou to take from his brother save what the latter should willingly give. So do not tyranniseyour people; do not usurp their rights."

Then the Holy Prophet cried at the top of his voice:

"O Lord! Have I conveyed Thy message?"

And the valley resounded with the reply from a myriad human tongue with one accord:

"By Lord! Surely you have."



The Pledge (Bai‘at) of a Lahore Ahmadi

"I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad,(peace and blessings of Allah be on him), is His servant and His messenger."

1. I declare in all sincerity that from now till I am laid in the grave, I will desist from associatinganyone with Allah.

2. I will shun falsehood, adultery, sensual gaze and all kinds of inequity and impiety and perfidyand sedition, disloyalty, and will not submit to carnal passions under the most provocativeinstigation.

3. I will regularly perform my prayers five times in accordance with the injunctions of Allah andthe Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), and so far as possible, I will say theTahajjud prayers (voluntary nightly prayers), and call for blessings on the Holy Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allah be on him) (Darood) and seek Allah’s forgiveness and will crave for Hismercy.

4. I will not inflict any injury on people generally, and in particular on Muslims, under anyundue provocation by tongue or hand or in any other manner.

5. I will ever remain faithful to Allah under all circumstances whether in grief or respite, ordistress or prosperity, and will be always content with Allah in calamity, and will be ready to bearwillingly any disgrace and affliction in His path, and will not abandon Him on occurrence of anycalamity; but instead will move forward.

6. I will abstain from following the traditional customs, and indulging in licentiousness. I willcomply fully with the Quranic injunctions, and will follow in every way, the commandments ofAllah and the Holy Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

7. I will entirely shun arrogance, haughtiness, and will spend my life in humility, and meekness,politeness and gentleness in consonance with the Quranic injunctions as contained in verse 63 ofChapter Al-Furqan: "And the servants of the Beneficent are they who walk on the earth withhumility," and in verse 37 of Chapter Bani Israel: "And go not about in the land exultingly."

8. I will keep the Faith, and the honour of the Faith, and my sympathies with Islam, dearer thanmy life, my honour, my wealth and my children, and, even more precious than everything dear tome.

9. I will be compassionate with all mankind for Allah’s sake only, and as far as possible, I willutilise my God-given energies to benefit them with Allah’s favours.

10. I will maintain fraternal relations with Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, exclusively for Allah’ssake with the pledge for submission in the right cause till my death, and in this fraternal kinshipwill be so thoroughly steadfast as to be above all blood relations and connections, and allsubjugatory positions.

Documents

For Members Of The Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama’at Only Double ...Hazrat Ali’s action greatly impressed the man. Whenever I hear such reports, I am extremely grieved that people have