Masjid Baitur Raḥmān Vancouver, British Columbia - Ahmadiyya ...

In the name of Allāh, the Gracious, the MercifulḤaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aato Inaugurate Masjid Baitur Raḥmān, Vancouverand Grace Jalsa Sālāna Western CanadaWe are overjoyed to announce that by the Grace of Allāh, our beloved Imām, Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aa , will inaugurate thenewly built Masjid Baitur Raḥmān, Vancouver, Insh’allāh on Friday, 17 th May 2013. The Jalsa Sālāna Western Canada will also beheld in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 18-19, 2013.This Jalsa is very important for the spiritual, educational and training needs of the Jamā‘at and for propagating the message ofIslām. In fact, this Jalsa Sālāna is a branch of the Jalsa Sālāna which was started by the Promised Messiah as himself in 1891. ThePromised Messiah as published an announcement on December 7, 1892 in which he expounded the importance of the Jalsa Sālānain the following words:“You must not rank this convention in the same league as other, ordinary, human assemblies. This is a phenomenon that isbased purely on Divine Help, for propagation of Islām. The foundation stone of this community is laid by Allāh the Exaltedhimself. Nations are prepared for this, soon they will join it, because this is an action of that powerful being for whom thereis nothing impossible.” (Majmū‘ah Ishtihārāt, Vol. 1, pg. 341)Besides from the five daily prayers, during the days of the Jalsa Sālāna, dawn prayer (tahajjud) would also be offered inthe mosque. During these days educational and spiritual lectures are delivered by scholars of the Jamā‘at. Time is spent insupplications, remembrance of Allāh and prayers in a unique spiritual environment. Thus, these three invaluable days of JalsaSālāna are an excellent opportunity for preaching, spiritual and educational uplift and training. Members of the Jamā‘at shouldtake full advantage of these days.Members of Jamā‘at are requested to especially pray for the successful tour of Ḥuḍūr aa , the inauguration of Masjid BaiturRahmān, and that Allāh may make this Jalsa a very blessed one, and make it a source of guidance for all.Further you are also requested to participate in Jalsa Sālāna along with all of your family members, and to invite as many of yournon-Ahmadi friends as possible since this is an excellent opportunity for propagating the message of Islām.May Allāh the Exalted enable you all to participate in this Jalsa, and make you recipient of its spiritual blessings, and may you allbe the heirs of many prayers of Promised Messiah as which he offered for the attendees of this blessed Jalsa. Āmīn.Ghulam Murtaza ZafarAfsar Jalsa Sālāna Western Canada

Allāh has promised to those among you who believe anddo good works that He will surely make them Successorsin the earth, as He made Successors from among thosewho were before them; and that He will surely establishfor them their religion which He has chosen for them;and that He will surely give them in exchange securityand peace after their fear. They will worship Me, andthey will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso isungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.The Holy Qur’ān(Al-Nūr 24:56)Hadīth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad saḤaḍrat Ḥudhayfa ra relates that the Holy Prophet sa saidthat Prophethood shall remain among you as long asAllāh wills. He will then bring about its end and followit with Khilāfat on the precepts of Prophethood for aslong as He wills and then bring about its end. Then akingship shall follow that will remain as long as Allāhwills and then come to an end. There shall then betyranny which shall remain as long as Allāh wills andcome to an end upon His decree. There will then emergeKhilāfat on the precepts of Prophethood. Then the HolyProphet sa kept silent.(Musnad Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal)2 Pearls of Wisdom

O Allāh, you are holy with your praise. I bear witness there is none worthy ofworship except you. I seek forgiveness from you and turn towards you.CoMPAny of the RIGhteouS“The purpose [of this Jalsa] is that the love of this world should cool down in your hearts and love of God and HisProphet should dominate. For this, it is important to remain in (my) company and spend some time of your life with(me). You must see me occasionally. After taking bai‘at, to not care about seeing me will be without blessing and it willbe only formal initiation.” (Āsmānī Faiṣla, Rūḥānī Khazā’in Vol. 4, pg. 351)MeetInG neW BRotheRS“An additional benefit of these gatherings will be that each year new entrants to the Jamā‘at shall, by being presenton the fixed dates, get to know their brethren who had joined earlier. And these meetings will lead to progressivestrengthening of the bond of mutual love and affection.” (Āsmānī Faiṣla, Rūḥānī Khazā’in Vol. 4, pg. 352)A MeAnS to ReMoVe RAnCouR“Supplications shall be made at the threshold of the Glorious God that He may unite all these brothers in spirit andbanish all estrangement, dryness and differences from amongst them.” (Āsmānī Faiṣla, Rūḥānī Khazā’in Vol. 4, pg. 352)ColleCtIVe PRAyeR foR thoSe Who hAVe PASSed AWAy“Prayers for absolution will be offered for brothers who will have passed away in the interim.” (Āsmānī Faiṣla, RūḥānīKhazā’in Vol. 4, pg. 352)BAI‘At And JAlSA SālānA“All sincere souls who have entered the fold of this humble one should know that the purpose of pledging allegiance isto dampen the worldly ardour, so that the heart is engulfed in the love of the Bountiful God and of the Holy Prophet sa ,and to develop such a state of detachment that the Final Journey does not seem like an unwelcome prospect. But inorder to achieve this, it is necessary to stay in my company and to spend a portion of one’s life in this cause, so that—ifGod Almighty so wills—through witnessing some definite signs, weakness, infirmity and tardiness may be overcomeand perfect faith may be born, resulting in fervour and passionate ardour. One should always strive to achieve thisgoal and pray that God may grant this opportunity. Until this happens, it is essential to meet me now and then. Bai‘atis devoid of all blessings and is a mere formality if one does not care to meet me. Since—due to physical inability,lack of resources, and long distances—it is not possible for everyone to stay in my company or to visit me a few timesevery year, and most hearts are not yet endowed with such ardent desire that they should bear the greatest troublesand hardships for the meeting, it seems appropriate, therefore, that three days of every year should be fixed for agathering in which all my devoted followers should—God willing—be present, with the condition of health, time andabsence of strong impediments.” (Āsmānī Faiṣla, Rūḥānī Khazā’in Vol. 4, pg. 351)PRAyeRS of the PRoMISed MeSSIAh AS foR thoSe Who Attend JAlSA SālānA“O Allāh, O Sublime One, Bestower of bounties, for every such person who makes a journey to attend this conventionthat is for the sake of Allāh; May Allāh, the Exalted, be with them, grant them a great reward, have mercy on them,and ease for them their circumstances of hardship and anxiety and eliminate their anguish and grief. May He grantthem freedom from every single hardship and lay open for them the ways of [achieving] their desired goals, and raisethem up on the day of Judgment among those of His servants who are the recipients of His blessings and Mercy. MayHe be their Guardian in their absence until after their journey comes to an end. O Allāh! O Sublime One and Bestowerof bounties, Ever Merciful and One Who Resolves all problems! Do grant all these prayers, and grant us victory overour opponents with scintillating signs, because You alone have all the might and power. Āmīn! Āmīn!” (Ishtihār Dec.7, 1892, Majmū‘ah Ishtihārāt Vol. I, pg. 342)4 Pearls of Wisdom

Guidance from Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aaThe Purpose of Jalsa SālānaSummary of Friday Sermon Delivered on September 7, 2012On September 7, 2012, Ḥaḍrat KhalīfatulMasīḥ V aa delivered the Friday Sermon atHadiqatul Mahdī, Hampshire, UK.Ḥuḍūr aa said that by the Grace of Allāh,Jalsa Sālāna UK begins today. This sermoneffectively marks the opening of theJalsa. The Promised Messiah as says thatthe purpose of the Jalsa is to prepare acommunity that grows in the knowledgeof God, to foster righteousness andvirtue and to strengthen ties of love andbrotherhood. The participants shouldbecome like brothers, humility andmeekness should be their hallmark andthey should set matchless standards oftruthfulness. Ḥuḍūr aa further said thatwe all need to examine ourselves in thelight of these guidelines.The Promised Messiah as says that thisJalsa is not some kind of worldly affair.Those who come here do so in order toseek spiritual nourishment. It is notpossible to please God other than throughTaqwa, nor can one free oneself from sinwithout Taqwā.Ḥuḍūr aa emphasised the need for prayersand for improving our conduct. ThePromised Messiah as says that you shouldbe worried if you are not one in word anddeed. If a heart is impure, the words, nomatter how pure, have no worth in God’seyes. If, God forbid, the members of ourJamā‘at are such whose hearts do notreflect what they say, then we should notexpect that our end will be a favourableone.The Promised Messiah as says that Allāhfrees the righteous from the snares ofthe world and looks after their affairs.He does not leave them in abject need.Ḥuḍūr aa urged Aḥmadīs, particularlyasylum seekers in the West, to set highstandards of truthfulness. Ḥuḍūr aa saidthat one of the obligations we owe to ourfellow creatures is the payment of ourdebts in a responsible manner. Ḥuḍūr aaalso urged participants to concentrate onreciting the durūd and istighfār during theJalsa.The Promised Messiah as says that youshould repent wholeheartedly, leaveyour beds for tahajjud prayers, pray withzeal and devotion, set your hearts on theright course, get rid of your weaknessesand mould every word and action to theWill of God. Ḥuḍūr aa said that we shouldutilize the knowledge we gain in the Jalsato refine our morals and our conduct.Ḥuḍūr aa also spoke about some issuesrelating to the management of the Jalsa,such as parking, security scanners,vigilance, hospitality, cleanliness, etc.Ḥuḍūr aa said that participants mustconcentrate on prayers, nawafil, tahajjudand durūd. May Allāh grant the Jamā‘atextraordinary successes. Remember theAḥmadīs of Pakistan in your prayers aswell.At the end of the sermon, Ḥuḍūr aainformed the Jamā‘at of the tragicmartyrdom of Rao Abdul Ghaffar ṣāhībof Karachi and Faraz Mahmood ṣāhīb ofSyria, and the sad demise of ṢāhībzadīQudsia Begum ṣāhība, wife of NawabAbdullah Khan ṣāhīb, and ChaudharyNadhir Aḥmad ṣāhīb, ex-Amīr ofBahawalpur District, Pakistan. Ḥuḍūr aaled the funeral prayers of the deceased inabsentia after the Friday prayer.The Promised Messiah as says that this Jalsa is not some kindof worldly affair. Those who come here do so in order toseek spiritual nourishment. It is not possible to please Godother than through Taqwa, nor can one free oneself fromsin without Taqwā.Guidance from Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aa5

Gratitude - A Source of BlessingsSummary of Friday Sermon Delivered on September 14, 2012On September 14, 2012, Ḥaḍrat KhalīfatulMasīḥ V aa delivered the Friday Sermon atBaitul Futūḥ Mosque, London.In addition to expressing gratitudeto Allāh for the successful conclusionof the Jalsa, Ḥuḍūr aa also thanked theadministration and workers for theirtremendous work. Ḥuḍūr aa also pointedout some shortcomings in some of thedepartments and urged that they not berepeated in future.Ḥuḍūr aa said that through gratitude weare able to derive greater blessings andbounties from Allāh. The blessings thatAllāh is showering upon the Jamā‘atgives us confidence that we are amongHis grateful servants. If every workerand official bows down before Allāh inthankfulness, He will shower even greaterblessings upon us. By the Grace of Allāhthe Jalsa was successful in every aspectand there were many improvementscompared to the previous year. Ḥuḍūr aasaid that when we witness Allāh’sblessings upon the Jamā‘at all around theworld, our hearts are involuntarily filledwith gratitude.Ḥuḍūr aa said that non-Aḥmadī delegateswere also much impressed by the mannerin which the Jalsa was held and theywere full of praise for the volunteers.Ḥuḍūr aa said, we are only humans andthere are bound to be weaknesses andshortcomings, but if we learn from ourmistakes we will get better and better. Inthis regard Ḥuḍūr aa cited the inadequatesound system on the stage in the men’sand women’s marquees, the delay inserving food in the food marquee, etc.Ḥuḍūr aa gave particular instructions tothe management so that such errors canbe avoided in future.Ḥuḍūr aa said that he is receiving manyletters of felicitation for the Jalsa Sālāna,and many of them contain special praisefor the MTA team due to whose effortsAḥmadīs around the world were ableto participate in the Jalsa. This yearMTA’s scope was broadened through theinternet. Ḥuḍūr aa prayed that Allāh maycontinue to bless our Jalsas and to enableus to become His grateful servants.At the end of the sermon, Ḥuḍūr aainformed the Jamā‘at of the tragicmartyrdom of Muhammad Nawazṣāhīb of Karachi, and the sad demise ofMaster Malik Muhammad Azam ṣāhīband Maryam Koryaba ṣāhība, Presidentof Lajna Imā’illah Gambia. Ḥuḍūr aa ledthe funeral prayers of the deceased inabsentia after the Friday prayer.True Love for the Holy Prophet saSummary of Friday Sermon Delivered on September 21, 2012On September 21, 2012, Ḥaḍrat KhalīfatulMasīḥ V aa delivered the Friday Sermon atBaitul Futūḥ Mosque, London.He first recited verses 57-58 of Sūrah Al-Aḥzāb, which are translated as follows:“Allāh and His angels send blessingson the Prophet. O ye who believe! youalso should invoke blessings on himand salute him with the salutation ofpeace. Verily, those who annoy Allāhand His Messenger—Allāh has cursedthem in this world and in the Hereafter,and has prepared for them an abasingpunishment.” (33:57-58)Ḥuḍūr aa said that some anti-Islāmelements have recently made a film inwhich the pure character of the HolyProphet sa has been attacked in a verycrude and cruel manner. This dastardlyact has caused a wave of anger andsorrow to run through the hearts ofMuslims. This anger is natural andjustified, but it has not pained anyonemore than the Aḥmadīs who have learntfrom the Promised Messiah as of the greatstatus of the Holy Prophet sa . Our heartsare in anguish and we pray to God thatHe may Himself take retribution andmake of such people an example thatis remembered till doomsday. ThePromised Messiah as says that we canmake peace with beasts and serpents ofthe wilderness but not with those whoinsult our lord and master, the HolyProphet sa , and do not desist.Ḥuḍūr aa said that in the verses herecited, Allāh reminds the believers oftheir duty to invoke blessings upon theHoly Prophet sa , for even angels invokeblessings upon him. The more the enemymaligns, the more we should concentrateon durūd.Ḥuḍūr aa said that Aḥmadīs in theirrespective countries should urge theirgovernments to put an end to such actsof defamation. We should apprise themof the conspiracies that lie behind suchacts and tell them about the beautifullife and example of the Holy Prophet sa .Reacting through violence, burningour own properties and killing our ownpeople is not going to help. As for thepeople who have made the film, theirend has been foretold in the secondverse: “Verily, those who annoy Allāhand His Messenger—Allāh has cursedthem in this world and in the Hereafter,and has prepared for them an abasingpunishment.”Ḥuḍūr aa said that a magazine inFrance has once again published somesacrilegious cartoons. It is unfortunatethat there are so many Muslim countriesthat are part of the UN, but they havefailed to convey to the world the beautifulteachings of Islām, nor have they tried toinclude in the UN’s charter the law thatno country should permit the defamationof Prophets or playing with the feelingsof other faiths. Ḥuḍūr aa said that if allMuslims decide that they will vote forleaders who have a sense of religioushonour, then even worldly-mindedleaders will be forced to raise their voiceagainst such injustices.Ḥuḍūr aa further said that the moralcharacter of the people who made thisfilm is known to all. Surely they haveinvited Divine wrath with the filththey have created. Ḥuḍūr aa went on tohighlight the noble character of theHoly Prophet sa and answered some of theobjections raised against the prophet sa .Ḥuḍūr aa prayed that Allāh may openpeople’s eyes so that they may desistfrom their cruel actions and may He alsoenable us to fulfil our obligations in thisregard. Āmīn.At the end of the sermon, Ḥuḍūr aainformed the Jamā‘at of the tragicmartyrdom of Navid Aḥmad ṣāhīb, son ofSanaullah ṣāhīb, and Muhammad AḥmadSiddiqui ṣāhīb son of Riaz Aḥmad Siddiquiṣāhīb of Karachi. Ḥuḍūr aa led the funeralprayers of the deceased in absentia afterthe Friday prayer.6 Guidance from Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aa

Promote the True Character of the Holy Prophet saSummary of Friday Sermon Delivered on September 28, 2012On September 28, 2012, Ḥaḍrat KhalīfatulMasīḥ V aa delivered the Friday Sermon atBaitul Futuh Mosque, London.Ḥuḍūr aa said that many journalists werepresent during last Friday’s sermon inorder to gauge the Jamā‘at’s reaction tothe blasphemous film. Afterwards, theyrequested Ḥuḍūr aa for an interview inwhich he explained that though the angeramong the Muslims was natural, theviolent reaction shown by some of themis wrong. Ḥuḍūr aa said that Aḥmadīs aretotally against violent demonstrationsand destruction of life and property.Our reaction to the dastardly act of theopponents of Islām is to invoke blessingsupon the Holy Prophet sa , to hold meetingsand seminars highlighting his holy lifeand to present his beautiful examplebefore the world.Ḥuḍūr aa said that his sermon andinterview was given wide coverage byboth print and electronic media, andour message reached countries where itwould otherwise have been difficult toconvey. It is now the duty of Aḥmadīs tomake the best use of this coverage and tokeep up the momentum it has created. Letour actions be such as to demonstrate thebeauty of Islām. The Markaz and all theGuidance from Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aaJamā‘ats should immediately translatethe sermon and circulate it widely. Thepress coverage should also be highlightedand people should be informed about theJamā‘ats websites where they can find therelevant information. Books about thelife and character of the Holy Prophet sashould also be published widely.Ḥuḍūr aa also condemned in strong wordsthe publication of blasphemous cartoonsin a Spanish newspaper. Ḥuḍūr aa saidthat such acts only serve to destroy thepeace of the world, and the perpetratorsdo nothing but invite Divine wrathupon themselves. Ḥuḍūr aa said thatwe also need to publicize the messageof interfaith respect and harmony setdown by the Promised Messiah as in TuḥfaQaisariyyah.Ḥuḍūr aa further said that we Aḥmadīs,who have pledged allegiance to thePromised Messiah as , are duty-bound toshow the world the right path. Ḥuḍūr aaread out some verses of the Qasīdahin which the Promised Messiah as haseulogized the Holy Prophet sa . Ḥuḍūr aaurged Aḥmadīs to study books bearingupon the life of the Holy Prophet sa , sothat we can teach the world about hisholy character. May Allāh enable us toSupplementary fastingevery Monday So Aḥmadīs May BeProtected from harmAḥmadīs in Pakistan have shown extraordinary patienceand resilience in the face of severe persecution. Thesesacrifices and these emotions can only bear fruit if we falldown before Allāh and wet our prayer mats with tears.Pakistani Aḥmadīs in particular should offer ferventprayers and try to keep fast one day each week... It willbe more appropriate if a specific day, such as Thursday orMonday, is fixed by the Jamā‘at for this fast. In any case, ourfocus should be to attract Allāh’s love by making whateversacrifices we can, by establishing a personal relationshipwith Allāh, by raising our moral and ethical standards,by spreading the message of Islām and countering theobjections that are raised against it.Members of the Jamā‘at are reminded to take part in thissupplementary fasting scheme every Monday.fulfil this obligation.At the end of the sermon, Ḥuḍūr aainformed the Jamā‘at of the sad demiseof an Aḥmadīyya missionary, MaulanaNasrullah Khan Nāsir ṣāhīb. Ḥuḍūr aaspoke about his services to the Jamā‘atand led his funeral prayer after theFriday prayers.letters Sent to Worldleadersthe life and Character ofthe Seal of Prophets sa –Volume IIResurrection: fact orfiction? And More!have youSubscribed yet?The yearly subscription isonly $36.00 for 12 monthly issues.The payment can be made:On-line at www.booksonIslām.org; orThrough Regular Chanda Receipt7

Inauguration Masjid Baitur Raḥmānby Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aa & our ResponsibilitiesLal Khan Malik, Amīr Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya CanadaArrival of Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aa inWestern Canada is fast approaching. AllAḥmadī men, women, and children livingacross Canada are anxiously awaiting it.In this tour, Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aawill Insh’allāh inaugurate the newly builtMasjid Baitur Rahmān, Vancouver. Takingadvantage of this blessed opportunity,Jalsa Sālāna Western Canada has beenrescheduled so that it may be held in thepresence of Ḥuḍūr Anwar aa .The Jalsa Sālāna was established at thehands of Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ Mau‘ūd as wasestablished with great simplicity anddignity. It has now, by the grace of Allāh,spread all over the world. Whether inAsia, Africa, Australia, Europe, USA, whatpart of the world is there where annualJalsas are not held? Due to the grace,mercy and countless favours of Allāh,the Exalted, these Jalsas are gloriouslyachieving the purposes set by ḤaḍratMasīḥ Mau‘ūd as .Members of the Jamā‘at eagerly awaitthese Jalsas and participate in them withcomplete joy and fervour. They try theirutmost to attain its benefits and becomeinheritors of the prayers of their masterand leader Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ Mau‘ūd as .Al-ḥamdulillāhThis year, our beloved Imām, ḤaḍratKhalīfatul Masīḥ V aa is gracing us withhis presence at the Western CanadaJalsa. He will also be inaugurating thenewly built Masjid Baitur Rahmān. Thisis a source of great honor for us. Wewill be able behold our beloved Imāmwith our very eyes and derive benefitfrom him personally. We will be able tolisten to his heartfelt addresses. On theother hand, our responsibilities will alsoincrease. In regards to this upcomingarrival of Ḥuḍūr aa in Canada and JalsaSālāna Western Canada, I would like toremind members of the Jamā‘at of theresponsibilities that lie upon them.Guidance Regarding Jalsa SālānaFirstly, members of the Jamā‘at shouldnot forget the purpose behind attendingthe Jalsa Sālāna. This Jalsa was started bythe Promised Messiah as for the followingpurpose:“The attendees of this Jalsa, havinglistened to subtle realities andtruths, will attain religious benefitand advance in īmān [faith] andma‘rifat [God-realization].”Members of the Jamā‘at should not forgetthese founding purposes and shouldensure they attain Divine blessings andmercy during these days. The addressesdelivered by the Khalīfa of the time arethe spirit of this Jalsa. It is every Aḥmadīman and woman’s obligation to listen tothem and act upon them.The Promised Messiah as has also said:“As far as it is possible, try thatGod the Exalted may draw them toHimself, that He may accept them,and that they be granted a piouschange.”In order to achieve this pious changewithin yourselves, ensure that you showsteadiness in offering Salāt especiallyduring the Jalsa. Also, let Darūd Sharīfand other prayers remain on your lips, sothat every one of us may advance in goodactions and bring about a firm change inourselves.Reflect carefully upon the guidance andinstructions given by the Khulafā’-e-Aḥmadīyyat, in particular those given byḤaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aa , and try toact upon them appropriately.The Promised Messiah as has also said:“I re-emphasize that you must notrank this convention in the sameleague as other ordinary, humanassemblies.”As such, this is a very important occasionthat gives us the chance to bring abouta righteous change within ourselves.Wasting time, engaging in worldlydiscussions, not paying attention toJalsa speeches and programmes, isunbecoming of any Aḥmadī. I am hopefulthat all of you will attend the Jalsa for itstrue intended purposes and will benefitfrom it as far as possible. Inshā’Allāh.In terms of security arrangements,Ḥuḍūr aa has given the following guidance:“Observe those on your right andleft, those whom you do not know.This itself will be a great means ofsecurity for Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya.”Therefore, members of the Jamā‘atshould especially pay attention to thismatter.Similarly, ensure that you bring yourJamā‘at ID cards. Co-operate with thoseon security duty, even if you haveto endure some hardship. All theseprocedures are put into effect for yoursafety. They can only be successful withyour co-operation.Aside from security volunteers, pleaseco-operate with all other volunteers.This is a great distinctive feature ofJamā‘at Aḥmadīyya, that even if a childis on duty, he is obeyed. This is the prideof our organization and the secret to oursuccess.In such a grand event, at times there arefaults, inadequacies, and oversights, butdo not become angry with the volunteers.This Jalsa is not just for the volunteers ororganizers, rather it is a Jalsa for everymember of Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya. It isour collective responsibility to make itsuccessful and fruitful. If you yourselfcan remove a fault then please do so,otherwise bring it to the attention of therelevant department in an appropriatemanner. If you have any suggestion inmind for the future, please send it inwriting after the Jalsa.8 Jalsa Sālāna Western Canada and Our Responsibilities

A large number of non-Aḥmadī guests alsotake part in the Jalsa. A good impressionshould be made upon them. Our morals,clothing, conduct, attendance in theJalsa, our walking, standing, sittingshould be dignified in every way.Ladies must adhere to observing purdahand in this regard be mindful of Islām’steachings and the instructions ofKhulafā’-e-Aḥmadīyyat.Arrival of the Khalīfa -our Good fortune our ResponsibilitiesAs I have mentioned above, our belovedImām, Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aa willpersonally participate in this year’s Jalsaand inaugurate Masjid Baitur Rahmān.This is a matter of great joy for all ofus. We will be able to pray behind ourbeloved Imām aa . We will personally hearhis instructions and see and behold him.But alongside this, many responsibilitiesfall upon us, namely, that we serve asggod hosts.Please pray that this tour of Ḥuḍūr aamay be successful in every way. It isonly through prayers that Jamā‘atAḥmadīyya will progress worldwide.Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya Canada’s progressJalsa Sālāna Western Canada and Our Responsibilitieslies in prayers. The spiritual elevationof Jamā‘at members, the success of theprogrammes, and the pleasure of Ḥuḍūr aaare only possible through the Grace ofAllāh. And the Grace of Allāh can only beattained through prayers.Every Aḥmadī desires to have a meetingwith Ḥuḍūr aa . Ever since the Jamā‘atlearned about the arrival of Ḥuḍūr aa , alarge number of meeting request formshave been coming in. Efforts are beingmade so that the maximum number ofmembers can get the opportunity tomeet Ḥuḍūr aa . However, consideringthe limited tour of Ḥuḍūr, it will not bepossible for all requests to be fulfilled.For this reason, efforts are being made togive preference to those who have nevermet any Khalīfa, or who have never metḤaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aa . Those whohave met Ḥuḍūr aa before, in any country,are being asked to be demonstratesacrifice for their brothers.Some programs of Ḥuḍūr Anwar are witha limited audience. If anyone is stoppedfrom attending them, then it should notbe taken negatively. Rather, co-operatewith the organizers.General ResponsibilitiesDuring the visit of Ḥuḍūr aa and days ofJalsa Sālāna Western Canada, there willbe an increase in activity in Jamā‘atVancouver, especially for prayers andprogrammes. For this reason:Please do not cause any sort of discomfortto those living in the vicinity throughyour actions.Please follow the traffic rules. Pleasepark only in designated areas and do notcause trouble for anyone.Aside from being mindful of your owncleanliness, if you notice any garbage onthe pathways, please put it in the trashbins.May Allāh, the Exalted, enable us tocarry out our responsibilities andobligations in the best manner! May Hegive us the ability to offer acceptableservice! May our every action and effortbe for the pleasure of Allāh, the Exaltedand our beloved Khalīfa aa ! May Jamā‘atAḥmadīyya Canada stand out in theforefront in every way among otherJamā‘ats, and always be a source ofdelight for the Khalīfa of the time! Āmīn!9

In the Name of Allāh, the Gracious, the MercifulKhilāfat Centenary PledgeI bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh. He is one and hasno partner. And, I bear witness that Muḥammad sa is His servant and His Messenger.Today, on the completion of 100 years of Khilāfat Aḥmadīyya, we take oath byinvoking the name of Allāh, the Exalted, and pledge that we shall continue to strive,until the final moments of our lives, for the propagation of Islām Aḥmadīyyat andthe name of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad sa , to the corners of the world. For thecompletion of this sacred duty, our lives shall remain dedicated to the sake of Allāhand His Holy Prophet sa and, by offering sacrifices in ever-increasing measure, wewill keep the standard of Islām flying high in every country until the end of time.We also affirm that we will continue to endeavour, until our last breath, to safeguardand strengthen the system of Khilāfat and shall continue to keep advising ourgenerations to remain attached to Khilāfat and benefit from its blessings so thatKhilāfat Aḥmadīyya may remain until the end of time, and the dissemination ofIslām’s message may continue through the Aḥmadīyya Movement in Islām, untilthe end of time, and the banner of the Holy Prophet sa may fly higher than all otherbanners of the world.O God! Please enable us to fulfill this pledge.Āmīn, Āmīn, Āmīn!10 Title

Khilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An expositionḤaḍrat Mirzā Nāṣir Aḥmad, Khalīfatul Masīḥ III rhThis is the English translation of theconcluding speech delivered by ḤaḍratMirzā Nāṣir Aḥmad, Khalīfatul Masīḥ III rhat the Annual Rally of Majlis KhuddāmulAḥmadīyya on November 6, 1977, at MasjidAqsa, Rabwah, Pakistan.After reciting Tashahhud, Ta’awwuz andSūrah Fātiḥa, Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ III rhsaid:Our Annual Rallies are held every yearbut there have occurred some breaks.It is now the fourth year, since 1973,that this Rally was last held. Due to thisreason, coupled with the slackness of theCentral administrators as I understand,the number of the participating Majālis(branches) is lower in this Rally thanthose of the 1973 Rally, despite the factthat scores of new Majālis (branches)and Jamā‘ats have been established since1973.This year 493 branches have participated,while in 1973, as many as 546 branchestook part in the Rally, with 1954 foreignKhuddām and 1856 Rabwah Khuddām,totaling 3810 Khuddām. What has gonewrong is gone. May Allāh the Exaltedgrant us forgiveness. This mistake shouldnot occur next year. We should continueto march forward.The second thing I would like to sayis that Khuddāmul Aḥmadīyya wasentrusted with the responsibility ofcollecting contributions from theAtfalul Aḥmadīyya for Waqf-i-Jadīd. Theyoung Atfal (boys) and Nasirat (girls)of Aḥmadī families were required topay collectively one hundred thousandrupees (Rs. 100,000) during the currentyear. But even the pledges received sofar amount to nearly 68,000, while theactual amount received is only Rs. 28,000.Hence, I hereby draw the attention of allthe local office bearers of KhuddāmulAḥmadīyya of each branch—whetherthey are present in this Rally or unable toKhilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Expositionattend due to slackness—to try to acquirepledges in accordance with the budgetand increase the pace at which they aregetting pledges redeemed. We shouldhave probably received half the amountso far, but even in this respect there is adeficiency of Rs. 28,000. Hence, pay heedto make up for this deficiency. May Allāh,the Exalted enable you to do so.In my inaugural speech on Friday,brothers and children, I drew yourattention to the fact that the grandrevolution launched by the Holy ProphetMuḥammad sa for traversing stages ofadvancement in the last days, has usheredin its second phase. A prediction has beenmade in the Holy Qur’ān regarding thisage. The Ummah of the Holy Prophet sa hasbeen given glad tidings through the HolyProphet sa that:“He may make it to prevail over everyother religion” (9:33),meaning the Islāmic faith woulddominate over all other faiths and isms.Islām Will PrevailI do not interpret ‘Alad-dīni Kullihi asonly religions. Rather, I include all thoseprinciples of civilization, society andeconomics that the human mind hasformed and which people have taken assubstitutes for religion. It means to mymind that Li Yuẓhirahu ‘Ala al-dīni Kullihi( ) not only connotesthat the truthfulness of Islām would bemanifested to the Christians and not tothe atheists and communists, but rather,Islām, with its spiritual, moral, andscientific principles, would also prevailover the communistic order that theyhave established in their country andin the regions under their influence as asubstitute for religion. Islām would alsoconvince them of its worth. Similarly, thenations which have drifted away fromreligion and have formed philosophicalprinciples for practical life shall have toadmit that neither any old creed in thisage nor their own wisdom could lead themto the path of salvation. Consequently,mankind would ultimately turn into oneUmmah and one family under the bannerof the Holy Prophet Muḥammad sa .two Basic demandsThis grand revolution that was initiatedthrough the Holy Prophet Muḥammad sa1400 years ago, as explained earlier, hasushered in its period of advancementwherein it has to reach its climax andhas to acquire final victory. The usheringin of this great phase of the grandrevolution in its final round is makingtwo basic demands from us. It is on thesetwo demands that I would like to focusmy present speech.the first demandThe task of turning mankind intoone Ummah and one family under thebanner of the Holy Prophet sa demandsthat we have complete and durableunity among our own ranks. I statedin the Ansarullah Rally that in the earlyperiod of Islām, in the initial threecenturies of Islām’s first renaissance,there occurred great revolutionarychanges in human life through Islāmand the spiritual beneficence of the HolyProphet sa . Nevertheless, one thing isquite significant and that is the diffusionwhich is very clearly seen in this unity,the unity of the first period of Islām.For instance, we take Fiqh (the IslāmicJurisprudence), which in fact is similarto the general law. When the generallaws are produced in accordance withGodly guidance they are termed asissues of Fiqh. For example, the issuesof bargaining, the issues of solvingthe disputes and fights, the issues ofmatrimonial relations, the problemsof trade, the issues of partnerships11

in business, the safeguarding of oneanother’s properties, anti-embezzlementissues, problems relating to honesty, andanti-treason issues, etc. In short, all suchlaws have been formulated by the juristsin light of Islāmic guidance.Although there had been the law of theworld prior to Islām, it is a fact that theservice rendered by the Muslim juristsin this field for mankind, after toilingday and night, has given humanity theforesight that resulted in the opinionthat this is the proper way in which theselaws should be presented. No doubt,there are a few old laws in the world thatwere promulgated by some nations andare pursued by Europe even today, yetthey are devoid of that basic beauty andfundamental perfection that is found inIslāmic jurisprudence.Religions According to human natureIt was Islām alone that turned thecomprehensive wisdom and thinking ofman towards the requirements of humannature. So the Islāmic jurists have done alot and the four Imāms [of Jurisprudence]have worked hard. They suffered greathardship for humankind and providedit with fine Fiqh (Jurisprudence) and law.Notwithstanding all this, the MuslimUmmah is divided into four divergentgroups: the followers of Fiqh Ḥanafī (theJurisprudence of Imām Abū Hanīfah), thefollowers of Fiqh Shafi’ī (The Jurisprudenceof Imām Shafi’ī), the followers of FiqhMalikī (the Jurisprudence of ImāmMalik), and the followers of Fiqh Hanbalī(the Jurisprudence of Imām AḥmadBin Hanbal). Then, there are internaldifferences in each of these schools ofthought. Hence, it is the same thing tosay that there was diffusion in the unityor unity in the diffusion. We cannotsay that there was a total diffusion thatshattered the Muslim Ummah into pieces.They were broken into pieces yet theywere interconnected.the Grand everlasting GuidanceThey were one in their belief in Godand His Attributes; they were in unisonin taking Muḥammad sa as the best of allthe Messengers and Khātamul Anbiya,i.e the Seal of the Prophets. They werein full agreement in believing Islām—the religion of God revealed to the HolyProphet sa —to be the perfect and completeShari‘at (Religious Law) and they wereunanimous in taking the Holy Qur’ān asgrand and everlasting guidance placed inman’s hand for the guidance of the wholeof humanity. In short, they were unitedin the fundamental issues. Nevertheless,despite being in unison regarding theBeing of God, there occurred differencesin the detail, such as the Uniquenessof God and His attributes and Hisbeing characterized with excellentattributes and being devoid of all defect,imperfection, abatement and evil asdisclosed by God Himself. One stumbledat one place and the other at another.Basically, there is marked unity, yet thediffusion is wide. We notice both thesethings simultaneously in the first periodof this wave of grand revolution.Nevertheless, as in accordance with theprophecies and the sayings of the HolyProphet sa , the welding of the whole ofhumanity into one Ummah is the task ofthe Messiah and Mahdī and his Jamā‘at.Hence, there should be no diffusion inhis Jamā‘at. Our Jamā‘at must manifestthe perfect model of unity and harmonywithout any split as enjoined in:“And hold fast, all together, by the ropeof Allāh and be not divided.” (3:104)The Second DemandThe second demand, regarding theushering in of this grand revolutionin its second era is that there shouldbe coordination in all the projectsprepared and all the plans adopted forthe dominance of Islām and for bringingall of humanity into a single Ummah. Thisis required in particular because, as Godthe Exalted has opened unlimited vistasfor the spiritual progress of man, He hasnot provided him immunity from Satanicwhisperings and the devil’s interference.Man has been endowed with perfectguidance through the Holy Qur’ān, butsimultaneously he has been given thechoice to accept or reject it. God says:“We have shown him the Way, whetherhe be grateful or ungrateful” (76:4)If you wish, you may act on the teachingsof Islām, being grateful servants of God;and if you desire, you may turn ungratefulto His favours with your own free willand thus fall into the wrong paths.In another place, He says that the truthhas come,“Wherefore let him who will, believe,and let him who will, disbelieve.” (18:30)On the other hand, the Holy Qur’ān hasfiguratively made a mention of Satan. Ido not like to indulge here in a discussionas to what Satan is and how it attacksman, as it is not pertinent to the presentsubject. I would like to point out onlythat the Holy Qur’ān says that God haspermitted Satan to misguide people,but simultaneously He has declared thatdespite its doing its worst, those who arethe servants of God will ever remain Hisservants.Now, as our task is to turn the wholeworld, the entire mankind, into a singleUmmah and bring it to the thresholdof God, hence—as dictates of reasondemand—the onslaught of Satan inthis age should be stronger than it hasever been before in the past. Hence thePromised Messiah as says:“In accordance with this time-honouredlaw, God has already foretold throughHis Prophets that, at the end of thesixth millennium after Adam—whena great darkness would envelope theearth, and the deluge of sin wouldinundate the land, and hearts wouldbecome devoid of love for God—He willbreathe into a man the spirit of truthand love and awareness, just like in thecase of Adam, without resorting to anyphysical means. And this man will alsobe called the Messiah because God shallHimself anoint his soul with His love.This Messiah, whom the scriptures alsocall the Promised Messiah, shall be madeto stand up against Satan, and the finalbattle between the legions of Satan andthe Messiah shall ensue. For this spiritualbattle, Satan will come prepared with allhis powers and all his progeny and all hisresources. Never will the world have seensuch a fierce clash between good and evil,for on that day the Satanic schemes anddevices shall be at their deadliest, and allpossible means for misleading mankindshall be at Satan’s disposal. Then, after agreat fight—which, you must remember,will be a spiritual one—God’s Messiahshall emerge victorious, and Satanicforces shall be annihilated. Thereafter,for a thousand years, which have beendescribed as the ‘seventh day’, God’smajesty, glory, holiness and onenessshall prevail upon the earth. And thisshall be followed by the end of the world.Let it be known that I am that Messiah. Lethim who will, accept me.” (Lecture Lahore.Tilford, Surrey: Islām InternationalPublications Ltd, 2008. Pg. 39-40.)the last BattleAs it is the last battle with Satan, thefinal duel between good and evil, and12 Khilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Exposition

all the machinations of Satan are to bedeployed. The Promised Messiah as hassaid that such a fight between religionand irreligiousness, between virtue andevil, has never been fought before in theprogeny of Adam as ; and, it is this very agein which we have entered.the Aḥmadīyya KhilāfatIn order to overpower Satan in thisbattle—to frustrate it in its plans andto achieve the final victory in favour ofIslām—it is essential to have coordinationin all the planned projects. It is not enoughto randomly have one project in Africa,another in Europe, another in Americaand yet another in other countries andislands, etc. This coordination can onlybe achieved when there is a body to planthese projects strategically. This body isKhilāfat in the Aḥmadīyya Community.Most of you understand what is meantby Khilāfat in the Aḥmadīyya Jamā‘at, butthere are those who do not understand.One characteristic of this Khilāfat isthat it has beenestablished by God,the Exalted, andHe has promisedthat through thisinstitution ofKhilāfat He wouldmanifest the Mightyhand of His Powers.This Khilāfat issupported by God,the Exalted. ThisKhilāfat has oneentity. Khilāfatis a soul and ithas a body—theAḥmadīyya Jamā‘at. The combination ofthe soul and body forms an institution.In 1967, a few Christian priests visitedme in Copenhagen, Denmark. One ofthem asked me my position in Jamā‘atAḥmadīyya. To this I replied that hisquestion was wrong because we takethe Imām Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya and theJamā‘at Aḥmadīyya as synonymous. Itmeans that the Khalīfa of the time andJamā‘at Aḥmadīyya are combined toform one body.It is the task of Khilāfat to struggle for theremoval of the Jamā‘at’s troubles. TheKhalīfa of the age has to pray for you. Attimes he passes through such conditionswhere week after week he spends theentire night in supplicating in concernfor you, as he actually did during the 1974trials. I think I was not able to sleep fora full two months as these months werespent in supplications. So the Khalīfaof the time is the person who shouldpartake in your grief as well as in yourKhilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Expositionhappiness. He should be the one who issupplicating for your everyday welfare inaccordance with the prayer of the HolyQur’ān:“Our Lord, grant us good in this world…”(2:202)And also praying for your spiritualbetterment, as the prayer continues inthe above verse with the words:“…as well as good in the world to come”(2:202)He should pray that the onslaughts ofSatan should never succeed against anyAḥmadī and that [Satan] should alwaysmeet defeat. This is not a one-sidedconcern. The Khalīfa of the time alongwith the sincere members of the Jamā‘atform the body that has to wage this waragainst Satan.I am a humble servant, yet I know howIt is wrong to think that the Khalīfa of the timeand Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya are two different things.Allāh, the Exalted has favoured the Jamā‘at withtremendous grace. Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya and ImāmJamā‘at Aḥmadīyya are two names of one and thesame thing. It is with the combination of boththat one thing is formulated, which is a symbol ofcoordination.earnestly the Jamā‘at prays for me andfor the success of my objectives andtheir objectives. When the Khalīfa of thetime is disturbed—due to the sufferingsof the Jamā‘at—it escalates the distressof the Jamā‘at to see their Imām beingperturbed in these circumstances. MayAllāh turn the table and remove thedistraction. As the soul of man flouncesat the trouble of the finger and as mentaldistress puts the entire body in pain,similar is the case with the Khalīfa of thetime and that of Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya.Khalīfa and Jamā‘atare the Same thingIt is wrong to think that the Khalīfa ofthe time and Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya are twodifferent things. Allāh, the Exalted hasfavoured the Jamā‘at with tremendousgrace. Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyya and ImāmJamā‘at Aḥmadīyya are two names ofone and the same thing. It is with thecombination of both that one thingis formulated, which is a symbol ofcoordination.The project of taking the grandrevolution to its climax essentiallyrequires coordination to achieve success.There should be no internal dissension inthe Jamā‘at. The injunction:“And hold fast, all together, by the ropeof Allāh and be not divided” (3:104)must always be kept in view anddissension must be avoided from alldirections.Secondly, there should be coordination inall projects planned and tasks performedfor the dominance of Islām. For instance,there is a project which is to be started inJune of next year, Inshā’Allāh, wherewithChristianity is to be invited towardsIslām under a special project. The projectis ready. Now as the entire Jamā‘at isunited, the mutual consultation of theJamā‘at and myself prepared the projectand it is beingimplemented.The scheme is togathertogethersome priests andotherreligiousleadersandresearchscholarsand present tothem the thesispronounced by thePromised Messiahaslong ago. Havingbeeninformedby God, thePromised Messiahaspronounced to the world that the claimregarding Jesus Christ as —that he diedon the cross, was resurrected, ascendedto heaven alive, and would come back—is false. All these assertions are wrong.Jesus Christ as , who was the Messiah forthe Ummah of Moses as (the Israelites) andwas a beloved servant of God, was only amessenger of God. He was an extremelyhumble servant and he did adopt humbleways in his life. To take him as God orto think him as the son of God is a greatinjustice to oneself as well as to otherpeople. The Christians have createdimmense confusion and have boasted alot.[The time] fifteen to twenty years priorto the claim of the Promised Messiah aswere the years of the Christian priests.Do you know what they proclaimed inthat age? They proclaimed that the timeis fast approaching when (God forbid)the banner of Lord Jesus Christ as wouldbe hoisted over Mecca and Medina; and13

the time is at hand when the continentof Africa would be won for JesusChrist as . They also proclaimed that ifany inhabitant of India (at that time thepartition of India had, of course, nottaken place) had the desire in his heart tosee the face of a Muslim before breathinghis last, he would not find any Muslim inIndia to fulfill his wish.era of the dominance of IslāmSuch were the proclamations being madeby the Christian priests. At this junctureGod raised the Promised Messiah as for thedominance of Islām and told him:“I am with you. If you are alone, donot worry. My assistance will be withyou all the time. Rise and work forthe dominance of Islām.”So he left the corner of solitude he hadhid himself in to engage in the worshipof his Generous Lord God. He was happywith this solitude and had no wish tocome out of it. But God had told him: “Ienjoin upon you to rise and serve thereligion of Islām.”As a result, Godtaught him sucharguments in orderto face the people,which put a stop toall the opponents ofIslām, whether theywere Christians orof other religionsor other isms, orconnected with anyother schools ofthought. Things have so changed that,now in view of the soundness of theAḥmadīyya literature, they do not enterinto a dialogue with any Aḥmadī. Thearch priests have issued instructions totheir followers in many areas neitherto indulge in discussion with even anAḥmadī child of the seventh or eighthgrade nor to take any Aḥmadīyya booksfor reading.Jesus as in IndiaThe Promised Messiah as proclaimedthat God has disclosed to him that JesusChrist as did not die on the cross. He wrotein his book entitled Masīḥ HindustanMein (Jesus in India), and in many otherbooks as well, that Jesus Christ as went toKashmir via Afghanistan and there hedied. There, he was called by the nameYuz Asaf or the “Prince Prophet,” andthere he lies buried. His tomb is stillfound there. The Christians derided andmocked. They thought that a man livingin a small town can do them no harm atall. But their material perception couldnot perceive the power of God working inthe support of this claimant. He said thatthe discourses revealed to him by Godshow that these very people who werecutting jokes at him and were bent uponenmity with Islām would themselves doresearch and collect proofs in favour ofthese very claims of his.Consequently, in this age, these peoplehave accumulated hundreds of proofs inconfirmation of the pronouncements ofthe Promised Messiah as regarding Jesusof Nazareth as that he did not die on thecross, he came down from the cross aliveand remained alive. He came to gathertogether the lost sheep of Israel whowere scattered hither and thither.Through the Grace of Allāh, the Exalted,the present condition is that regardingthis very seminar to be held in thesummer of next year 1 a lot of Christianpriests have conducted research andwritten books. When a priest was invitedto take part in the seminar, he acceptedand said he would definitely try to come.Simultaneously, he also wrote that sincepublishing a book on his research—thatThe Holy Prophet sa has said with great affection:Inna li-mahdīnā...for our Mahdī God the Exaltedhas two signs for his truthfulness that have notbeen ordained for the truthfulness of anyone elsesince the beginning of the world.Jesus Christ as really did not die on thecross but went to Kashmir and passedaway there—people have started to callhim an Aḥmadī, while in fact he is aEuropean or American Christian.In short, a forceful revolution of moralityand spirituality is ushering in theworld. The point I have been explainingis that the projects envisaged for thedominance of Islām and for winning thehearts of mankind for the Holy ProphetMuḥammad sa cannot achieve successwithout coordination. Without it, oneproject would be pulling to the rightwhile the other to the opposite direction,and mankind would not be able to availthe benefit we have focused upon inaccordance with the glad tidings andinjunctions of God. Nevertheless, as Ihave described, Satan cannot sit idle. Itonly whispers and that is its duty. Allāh,the Exalted has permitted it to do thisjob. As the grand revolution in favour ofIslām is reaching its climax, likewise, inaccordance with the pronouncements ofthe Promised Messiah as , the onslaughts ofSatan are also intensifying.Fundamentally, the onslaughts of Satanare of two kinds: firstly, endeavouring tocreate internal dissension and evil beliefsamong the believers’ Jamā‘at; secondly,instigating the opponents of Islām torush forward by cheering them up andgiving them false hopes of victory. Butwhen Satan is defeated, it flatly admitsthat it had been deceiving and offeringfalse promises. After defeat it uses thislanguage, but prior to defeat it had beencheering them up and giving them hopesof victory, enticing them to speed up,asserting that the annihilation of Islāmis at hand, etc. I say categorically thatit is not the annihilation of Islām, butrather, the dominance of Islām that isfast approaching.the Tajdīd (Rejuvenation) of ReligionI will give you an example of satanicwhispering. The Holy Qur’ān has enjoinedto shake up the hypocrites who becomethe tools of Satan, once or twice a year,so that they might know their position.These hypocriteshave tried to createmischief in theminds of somepeople by ignoringeverythingelseandemphasizingonly the Ḥadīth(tradition) relatingto the appearanceof such people atthe end of eachcentury who would rejuvenate religion.They are only a few in numbers, butare presently working vigorously in theKarachi Jamā‘at.It is the Grace of God, the Exalted, thatI can definitely tell these people whoare whispering and like to weaken theJamā‘at that they are mistaken. Thislovely Jamā‘at of God, the Exalted, and itslovely youth and my dear children wouldnever fall for their delusion.Now, I would like to explain this Ḥadīth,briefly relating what the forebears havesaid, what the Promised Messiah as haspronounced, and the actual position thisḤadīth holds. This Ḥadīth which has beenrelated only once and only in one of ṢiḥāḥSittah, the six authentic books of Aḥadīth,is as follows:“Allāh will raise for the [preservationof this] Ummah at the beginning ofcentury someone who will revive for14 Khilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Exposition

it its religion.”God the Exalted would raise “man” atthe head of each century for this Ummah(I am stressing particularly on the word“man”). God the Exalted would raisemany people who would regeneratereligion and enhance its splendour andstrike out the innovations that havefound their way into it, and would presentonce more to the world the crystal clearand beautiful face of Islām.the Messiah and MahdīThis Ḥadīth is in Abū Dā’ūd, in Mustadrikand probably in one other book also.It is only in these three books that thisḤadīth has been traced after extensivesearch for it. On the other hand, I wouldlike to relate at this very moment thatthe Promised Messiah as has said that heis Mahdī and Messiah. In the reference Ihave read about the Messiah, he has saidthat he is that very Messiah about whomit was disclosed that he will fight the finalbattle with Satan. He is the PromisedMessiah. He has said that the glad tidingsforetold about the Messiah are found inthousands of books. Thousands of bookscontain the glad tidings that the Messiahshall come. Likewise, in my opinion,thousands of books show that the Mahdīwill come. In these books it is stated thatsuch would be the signs of the Messiahand such would be the signs of the Mahdī.The Holy Prophet sa has said with greataffection: Inna li-mahdīnā...for our MahdīGod the Exalted has two signs for histruthfulness that have not been ordainedfor the truthfulness of anyone elsesince the beginning of the world. In thissentence there is an expression of greataffection; and the high and distinguishedposition of the Mahdī has been describedin it. One marvels at the expression oflove of the Holy Prophet sa for the Mahdīand Messiah.In one Ḥadīth, the task of the Mahdī hasbeen described thus: He shall purify Islāmfrom all innovations and shall present tothe world its bright face in the real form,replete with spiritual beauty. But theworld would have become so accustomedwith the dust covered face of Islām thathe will be accused of introducing a newreligion, which they will not consider asIslām. But the Holy Prophet sa has said thatthe Mahdī will present Islām, rectified ofall innovations, although the people willassert that he has fabricated his own newreligion.We have come across hundreds ofsuch Aḥadīth regarding the Mahdī andMessiah, especially in new books whichhave recently come into the market,Khilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Expositionbeautifully printed in Iran. With greatlabour they have collected thesenarratives and preserved them.Mujaddidīn in each CenturyOn the other hand, as I have stated earlier,the Ḥadīth regarding the appearance ofa Mujaddid at the end of each centuryis found only in two or three books. Ihave not come across any Ḥadīth inany book, however, which describesany specific signs for any Mujaddid.There is not a single saying of the HolyProphet sa mentioning any such signsfor a Mujaddid, nor has the Holy Qur’ānmade any mention of it.When I pondered over this Ḥadīth, Idiscovered that this Ḥadīth is devoid ofthe concept that a “Mujaddid” wouldappear at the head of each century. ThisḤadīth says that Mann ( ) would appearat the head of each century, whichmeans such vicegerents of the HolyProphet sa would come who wouldimplement the regeneration of religion.The meaning of Mann ( ) in Arabicpurports “single, dual or many.”Hence, if we take the meaning of “many”then it indicates that there would be anumber of people (vicegerents of theHoly Prophet sa , virtuous and righteous)who would be engaged in the service ofthe religion of Islām. There is no mentionof a mere singular person.It is written in Lisānal ‘Arab, a famousbook of Arabic lexicon, that the wordMann: ( )Takūnu lilwāhidi wal ithnaini wal jam‘ithat this word is spoken for singular, fortwo, and for more.The lexicon of the Holy Qur’ān, MufradatImām Raghib says:Yu‘abbaru bihī minal wāḥidi wal jam‘i walmudhakkiri wal mu’annithiit gives the expression of singular andof plural, of masculine, as well as offeminine. In accordance with thesemeanings, the Ḥadīth meant that therewould be at the head of each century suchmen and such women having nearness toGod engaged in the service of religion.When we observe the Great Qur’ān wefind that the word Mann ( ) has beenused in singular form as well as inplural form. In Sūrah al-Baqarah, we read:“Nay, whoever submits himselfcompletely to Allāh, and is the doerof good, shall have his reward withhis Lord. No fear shall come uponsuch, neither shall they grieve.”(2:113)Whosoever submits his attention and hisentire entity to Allāh the Exalted, andimplements the conditions of Ibādāt(services), Falahū Ajruhū ‘inda Rabbihī—each one of these would find reward withGod. And then the verse states: wa laakhaufun ‘alaihim. Here a plural numberhas been used regarding Mann ( ), i.e.,no fear shall come upon s u c hpeople nor shall they grieve.In Sūrah Yūnus it says:“And among them are some who giveear to thee.” (10:43)Yastami‘ūna in the Arabic languagesignifies a plural number. In this place,the meaning of Mann ( ) is that a lot ofpeople who apparently turn theirattention towards thee as if they hearthee while they are not hearing.Again in Sūrah Taghābun we read:“And whoso believes in Allāh anddoes good deeds—He will removefrom them the evil consequencesof their deeds and He will makethem enter Gardens through whichstreams flow, to abide thereinforever.” (64:10)And whoso believes in Allāh and actsrighteously, the Grace of God would besent upon him and he would be madeto enter the heavens: Khālidīna Fī-hāAbadan—and they shall all be dwellers ofthese heavens. The expression of Mannhas been described in Khālidīna.the Real Meaning of MujaddidWhen we notice the sayings of the earlygreat researchers and Auliya Allāh—thesaints of God, we find that they haveconnoted the same meaning of Mann,which I have just explained.Imām Almanawi, explaining MannYujaddidu, says Mann ( ) purports oneperson or more than one person.Allama Ibn Kathīr says each nation claimsthat it is only their Imām that has beenreferred to in this Ḥadīth. But the clear15

fact is this: it should be applied to thedivine scholars of each group. Alqameesays that what is meant by Tajdīd(regeneration) is that he would reviveafresh all those values of Islām whichpeople have discarded. He further statesthat it should be remembered well that aMujaddid does not announce his claim ofbeing a Mujaddid, rather he is recognizedby the people with circumstances,conditions and through his serviceswhich he renders to Islām.Shaikh Muḥammad Tahir Gujratee(1509-1578), who was a great divine ofthe sixteenth century, has given a noteon this Ḥadīth that, instead of beingin unison regarding its expression,the divines have differed. They havediffered in recognizing as to who wasthe Mujaddid of which century and whowas not; and each sect of them hasapplied it to its own Imām. Nevertheless,it is more appropriate to apply it to ageneral expression and should not beparticularized with Fuqahā (the jurists),because the Muslims certainly had beengreatly benefited by all ‘Ulil-’Amr (rulers),Muhaddith (Traditionists), Qurra’a(Reciters of Qur’ān), Wa’iz (Monitors) andZahid (Devotees). Therefore, they are allMujaddidīn and the Ḥadīth means thatwhen a century will pass they would bealive, and none of the centuries couldefface their names and trace. And, thereis an indication about it in Ḥadīth. Theindication is that those people who carryout the task of regeneration at the headof each century would be a Jamā‘at ofgreat saints. Consequently, in the firstcentury Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar Bin Abdul ‘Azīz,many Fuqahā (Jurists), Muhaddithīn(Traditionists) and beside them (in otherranks too) are saints as regenerators ofreligion too numerous to be counted.So many Mujaddidīn at the head of eachcentury has he enumerated along withḤaḍrat ‘Umar Bin Abdul ‘Azīz. Likewise,he has mentioned as many divines ashe could remember at the head of eachcentury, and there are definitely morethan one.There is another book Darajat MirqatusSaud Ila Sunani Abee Dā’ūd. In this book,in the margin of the aforementionedḤadīth of Abū Dā’ūd, it is written thatit is appropriate that the Ḥadīth shouldbe meant to imply a general expression.Hence, it is concluded that whoever israised at the head of the century shouldnot be a single person but rather there isa probability of more than one. No doubt,the benefit the Islāmic Ummah gainsfrom Fuqahā (Jurists) is fairly extensive,yet the advantage it gains besides themfrom different stages of Olil Amr (rulers),Muhaddithīn (Traditionists), Qurra’a(reciters of Qur’ān), Wa’izoon (monitors),and Zuhhaad (devotees) is also equallygreat. Each art and science has a peculiarbenefit which cannot be achieved fromothers.As a matter of fact, the protection ofthe law of politics and the spread ofAdab (literature) is very importantfor the preservation of religion, as itsafeguards human life and establishesthe law of Shari‘at, which is the task ofthe rulers. Hence, all those authoritiesthat implement the law of Shari‘atare as Mujaddid according to SheikhMuḥammad Tahir Gujratee, like a Faqeeh(Jurist) is Mujaddid or as a mystic saintand supplicating people are Mujaddid.Therefore, it is better and appropriateto accept that in this Ḥadīth, thereis indication that at the head of eachcentury a Jamā‘at will exist of suchdivines who will revive the religion forthe people and protect it for the entireworld.Tajdīd: A duty of All MuslimsA group of divines has written that it wasthe responsibility of the entire Ummah,the responsibility of each individual ofthe Muslim Ummah, to regenerate thereligion of Islām, as we enjoin upon you(members of the community) to learnthe religion and spread it in the world.Everyone does not do it, so in each countrya Jamā‘at stands up which carries outthis task as Farḍ Kifaya (a duty enjoinedupon all Muslims, but if it is performedby a few, it is regarded as having beenperformed by all). That Jamā‘at worksin order to earn forgiveness of Allāh forthose who do not work, but if this toodoes not work, their sins should also notbe forgiven.Therefore, nothing is mentioned in thenoble Ḥadīth about the coming of a singleperson; neither in accordance with thelexicon meanings nor in accordancewith the sayings of early divines whosereferences I have just read, nor inaccordance with the commentary of thePromised Messiah as .I have related earlier that the PromisedMessiah as has said that there are so manytraditions about his being the Messiahthat they number in the thousands. Ihave also related that the signs havebeen foretold about the Messiah andMahdī as . For instance, it is in the HolyQur’ān that in the age of the Messiah,the printing press would be establishedto publish the books and there would bemeans for carrying books from one placeto another. It would not be impossiblefor a Missionary of Jamā‘at Aḥmadīyyato be sent to Africa. The means ofcommunication would be so highlydeveloped that a place where man couldnot, in the past, have reached in years,he would be there in a matter of hours. Ittakes only nine to ten hours for a flight toarrive in England. Likewise, those of ourMissionaries who go to Africa, their flighttime is ten to eleven hours. Of course,during the flight the airplane stops andthus takes a little more time. Now withina week, people make three trips aroundthe entire world. Our Muslim traveller(of the past) had to go up to a distanceof half the world in search of education,with practically no hopes of returningfor the rest of his life to the members ofhis family. But now there are facilitiesof airplanes for going quickly from oneplace to another and from one country toanother.A Basic PrincipleThe Promised Messiah as has informedus of a basic principle that a Ḥadīth is aninstruction spoken by the Holy Prophet sathat has been preserved in accordancewith the rules of Riwāyat (narration) andit does not add an iota to the Holy Qur’ānnor subtract anything from it. Try tounderstand this principle fully and keepit in mind.Now when we search the Holy Qur’ān,we do not find the word of Tajdīd-e-Dīn(regeneration of religion) or of Mujaddid(Regenerator) from its beginning to itsend. Hence, we have to ponder over theother discourse related by the PromisedMessiah as . He said: whatsoever the HolyProphet sa has spoken is the commentaryof one verse or another of the HolyQur’ān. Again he said the rank of theHoly Prophet sa was very high and parexcellence. He used to learn from Godthe Exalted. We do agree that he maygive a deep commentary of a verse of theHoly Qur’ān, but a person of ordinaryunderstanding could not comprehend itssource and could not trace the verse hehad elucidated. Nevertheless, whetherone can follow or not, it can never beoutside of the commentary of any verseof the Holy Qur’ān.Tajdīd and IstikhlāfIf this Ḥadīth of Tajdīd-e-Dīn (regenerationof religion) is correct (and indeedit is correct) then, it ought to be acommentary of some verse of the HolyQur’ān. And, if it is not the commentaryof any one verse of the Holy Qur’ān (in myopinion it is wrong to say so, it certainlyis a commentary of a verse) then, weshould say that this Ḥadīth is not Saḥīḥ(correct). A narrator may have taken awrong assertion and related it further.16 Khilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Exposition

The Promised Messiah as has informedus that this (Ḥadīth of Abū Dā’ūd) is thecommentary of Ayat Istikhlāf that had justbeen recited by the Qārī (the recitor ofthe Qur’ān). Allāh, the Exalted says:This noble verse is called Ayat Istikhlāf. ThePromised Messiah as , while commenting on thisverse in his speeches and in his writings, has usedthe word Khalīfah and Mujaddid synonymously, totell us that where he speaks of Mujaddid he meansKhalīfah.“Allah has promised to those amongyou who believe and do good worksthat He will surely make themSuccessors in the earth, as He madeSuccessors from among those whowere before them; and that He willsurely establish for them theirreligion which He has chosen forthem; and that He will surely givethem in exchange security and peaceafter their fear: They will worshipMe, and they will not associateanything with Me. Then whoso isungrateful after that, they will be therebellious.” (24:56)This noble verse is called Ayat Istikhlāf. ThePromised Messiah as , while commentingon this verse in his speeches and in hiswritings, has used the word Khalīfah andMujaddid synonymously, to tell us thatwhere he speaks of Mujaddid he meansKhalīfah. If this Ḥadīth does not complywith the expression of the Holy Qur’ān,then we have to discard this Ḥadīth.Goodness only through Muḥammad saNow I take up Ayat Istikhlāf. Before Irelate the meaning described by thePromised Messiah as , I would like to statethat he has declared that all the means ofachieving Khair (goodness) independentof the Holy Prophet sa have been closedafter the advent of the Holy Prophet sa . Itmeans that nobody, independently on hisown, can achieve any Khair (goodness)from God, the Exalted. In other words,it is impossible for a person who hasno connection or link with the HolyProphet sa to have any glad tidings fromGod or acquire any spiritual position orrank.He said that whoever thinks that hedoes not need the spiritual beneficenceKhilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Expositionof the Holy Prophet sa , and can achieveany position, however inferior it maybe, without his (the Holy Prophet’s sa )spiritual beneficence, is of the devil’sprogeny. Hence, when this realitydawned on us that after the advent ofthe Holy Prophet sa —as a matter of fact itwas the same in the past also, but it is acomplex issue and we need not discussit at this juncture at any rate—any Khair(goodness) can be achieved only throughthe blessings of the Holy Prophet’s saspiritual beneficence, then to whateverextent we get Khair, and make othersbenefit from it, we would be undoubtedlybenefitting them in the vicegerencyof the Holy Prophet sa . This means thatwhoever is gaining benefit from what weare giving to them, it in reality is beingdone in the vicegerency of the HolyProphet sa , and this very vicegerent iscalled Khalīfah.These are the general meanings andaccordingly, each person of the Ummahe-Muḥammadiyyawho achieved anyKhair (goodness) or obtained any goodand conveyed it to the people, he isin his limited sphere the Khalīfah andvicegerent of the Holy Prophet sa . It isthe entire Ummah-e-Muḥammadiyya thatis achieving blessings from the HolyProphet sa , of course with the exceptionof the hypocrites who are attached withus since the time of the Holy Prophet saor those whom Allāh, the Exalted,has declared fī qulūbihim maraḍun( ): “their hearts arediseased” (Holy Qur’ān 2:11) or thoseabout whom Allāh, the Exalted, says:We wanted to elevate them but akhlada’ilal-arḍ: “he inclined to the earth” (HolyQur’ān 7:177).two limitationsThis bounty has been bounded in twoways. One is man’s own capacity—as much as God, the Exalted, hasempowered a person to achieve thebounties of the Holy Prophet sa , he canachieve it accordingly. For instance,He has empowered one to becomeSiddīq (truthful) so he would attainthis rank; another, He has empoweredone to become Shahīd (martyr), so hewould attain this rank; yet another, Hehas empowered one to become Salih(righteous), so he would attain thisrank. The person who has been enabledto become Salih (righteous) only cannotbecome Shahīd (martyr) instead of Salih(righteous); he who has been granted thepower of becoming Shahīd (martyr) onlycannot become Siddīq (truthful). Eachperson in accordance with God-givencapacity and capability progresses in theworld as well as in spirituality.It is a clear issue. Nevertheless, theredoes exist disparity in capabilitiesand capacities. Why is this disparitythere? It is a different question. ThePromised Messiah as has discussed itvery elaborately. But this subject is notconnected with my speech. So, eachone is bound to remain in his sphere ofcapacity that he cannot outstrip. It isbeyond possibilities.The other way of bounty is that whateversphere of capacity is decreed for humanprogress, one has to strive hard withinits circle. If one has been blessed with thecapacity of becoming Siddīq (truthful) byGod through His Grace and Mercy, but hedoes not pay heed to religion and insteadof becoming Siddīq (truthful) turns out athief, then he does not achieve anything.However, if he does not become Siddīq(truthful) or even Shahīd (martyr), buthe turns out Salih (righteous), then wewould say that his sphere of capacity wasexpedient to make him Siddīq (truthful),however, his planning and efforts werenot according to that standard. A person’sprogress depends on his own efforts, hisown zeal and an earnest desire in hisheart entreating God to give him all thathis coffer could contain.“My Lord, I am in need of whatever goodThou mayest send down to me.” (28:25)“Shower each Khair (goodness) on methat You can give me.” God, the Exalted,knew very well what sort of talents hehas bestowed upon him.Hence, these are the two boundaries17

within which man can progress; hecannot [exceed the boundaries of] hissphere. Within one’s own sphere ofcapacity, in accordance with his sacrifice,his sincerity, his love for Allāh andardent love for the Holy Prophet sa , he canreach the peak of his sphere of capacityand capability. And, whosoever in thiseffort and struggle, through prayers,turning to God with humble and earnestsupplications beseeches Khair (goodness)from Him and then gets it, he receivesit through the spiritual beneficence ofthe Holy Prophet sa . And, he is the HolyProphet’s Khalīfah and vicegerent to thatextent, because the people benefit fromhim onwards.As far as the Holy Prophet sa is concerned,he is that grand personality about whomit is said (in the Holy Qur’ān):“Haply thou wilt grieve thyself to deathbecause they believe not.” (26:4)You have enmity towards none. Youare even prepared to sacrifice yourlife for your worst enemy so that theybecome believers and secure themselvesfrom the wrath and vengeance of God.Hence, whoeverachieves anythingof the spiritualbeneficence of theHoly Prophet sacan never confinehimself to his ownplace and keep theKhair (goodness)he has achievedconfined to himself,rather he pushes itfurther and makesothers partakersof that Khair(goodness). Hebenefitted others of the Khair (goodness)because to some extent within a spherehe held Muḥammad sa as the bestmodel, then how can he keep that Khair(goodness) for himself alone.holy Prophet’s sa excellent exampleDuring the battle of the Ditch there was alot of food deficiency that occurred, andthe Holy Prophet sa and his companionswere terribly affected by hunger. Theirancestors had the experience that if oneis suffering with hunger and is emptyof stomach, then there is a way to wardoff the suffering of the stomach, whichone bears due to the empty stomach, byputting a stone on the stomach and tyingit tightly with a cloth. The stone tied withcloth would press the stomach and thefeeling of hunger would not be as intense.In short, when such was the conditiondue to hunger, a person approached theHoly Prophet sa and said: “Yā Rasūlallāh(O Messenger of Allāh) the situation hasexceeded the bounds, our trouble hasreached its climax; we do not find foodand the army of the disbelievers haveencircled us. We were getting provisionsfrom abroad and these avenues havebeen closed.” Removing the cloth fromhis belly he said, “See to what extent weare suffering, we are forced to tie stonesto our bellies.” Then, Rasūlullāh said,“Now see this too,” and when he removedthe cloth from his belly there were twostones tied on his stomach compared tothe one stone of that person.During this same time of hunger, acompanion ra who had some flour in thehouse and a baby goat, slaughtered thebaby goat and after cleaning it told hiswife to prepare food and meanwhile hewould whisper into the ear of the HolyProphet sa that he was inviting him todinner which was ready and that heshould come to eat.He went to him and knowing that thatfood could hardly suffice for ten tofifteen persons, whispered to the HolyIt is a fact that when a Munafiq (hypocrite) saysthat the Promised Messiah as was a Mujaddid andanother Mujaddid would come at the head ofcentury, he belittles the position of the PromisedMessiahas. But listen, he was not only Mujaddid, hewas also Messiah, he was Mahdī, he was the Imāmof the last age and he was also the Mujaddid for thefinal millennium.Prophet sa : “Yā Rasūlallāh there is a smallquantity of food ready in my house,please come in and eat it.” When heheard this (notice his best example inresponse) he announced: “O people thisperson has invited us to dinner, let us goand eat.” Even in this condition when hehad stones tied on his stomach, he didnot go alone. He takes other people alongwith him. I am telling you, that whoeverachieves anything of the bounty of theHoly Prophet sa , try to understand abouthim that he cannot confine it to himself,he had to make others share with himat all costs. Consequently, when theHoly Prophet sa made the announcement,many people who could go, got ready toaccompany him. He (the Holy Prophet sa )said to the companion ra , “Return to yourhouse and tell your wife that she shouldnot pour the soup meal into plates andlet it remain in the pot until I come andshe should even hold off making theflatbread.” The man ran to the houseand told his wife, “Do not to touch thesoup and leave the dough as it is. TheHoly Prophet sa is coming.” He thought tohimself, heaven knows what will happen;the Holy Prophet sa has invited one and allto come and eat.Anyhow, the Holy Prophet sa arrived andprayed (for the blessings) over the soupand the dough, and then he started todistribute it with his own hand. Lo andbehold, the soup sufficed and the breadas well. In ordinary circumstances, itcould not have sufficed. It is the power ofGod and He did show a sign.A huge Army of Khulafā’So, I am telling you that a person, whoachieved bounty from the Holy Prophet sa ,how can he confine it to himself like amiserly person? A man who is saturatedby the generosity of the great generousman sa , whose extent of generosity cannotbe perceived, and he achieved somethingacting upon his example, would certainlydistribute this bounty further. And, whenhe would distribute,he would do soas a vicegerent.He would notdistribute it fromhimself and tothis extent hebecomes a Khalīfah.It means that thearmyof Khulafā’is in hundreds ofthousandswho,attainingthebounty from theHolyProphetsa ,push it further.The second promisein Ayat Istikhlāf is of those who are saints,and as I did explain they are not fewin number. For instance, it is said thatthere were such number of great saintsof God during the time of Ḥaḍrat ‘UmarBin ‘Abdul ‘Azīz that they cannot becounted. The Promised Messiah as has saidthat there used to be simultaneously 400prophets in the Ummah of Ḥaḍrat Mūsā asfor the regeneration of their religion.Ummah-e-Muḥammadiyya is an Ummahof great latitudes, and it is to spread allover the world, hence, in it there shouldbe thousands in comparison of hundreds.Therefore, they are all Khulafā’.And regarding Khulafā’, he said,kamā has come for resemblance inkamastakhlafalladhīna min qabli-him. Itmeans, as there had been 400 prophets18 Khilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Exposition

at one and the same time in the UmmahiMūswiya, likewise there would be Khulafā’-e-Muḥammad numbering far more than400, who would be serving the religion;and since they have to regenerate thereligion, they would thus be Mujaddidalso. Hence, the Promised Messiah as haswritten that each prophet is Mujaddid,but each Mujaddid cannot be a prophet.The majority of the Ummah as Khulafā’of Muḥammad sa for regenerating thereligion to a smaller degree are alsoMujaddidīn, because they regeneratethe religion, but they did not becomeprophets.At this time, we are experiencing theregime of the third Khalīfah in Jamā‘atAḥmadīyya. The two Khulafā’ before meand myself are of united opinion thateach Khalīfah is also a Mujaddid, but eachMujaddid is not a Khalīfah, because Khilāfathas a far higher rank than a Mujaddidwho is not a Khalīfah–in the meaning wecall Khilāfat-e-Rāshidah (Rightly GuidedKhilāfat). The Holy Prophet sa said, firstthere would be Khulafā’, then monarchyshall start, and again, in the last daysthere would come the age of Khulafā’alà min-hāji nabūwwat –on the patternof prophethood. Saying this, the HolyProphet sa became silent, which meansthis chain (of Khulafā’) would extendto Qiyāmat –the Day of Judgement. Wetake this meaning of his silence becausethe Promised Messiah as understood it tomean the same.In one respect, everyone receivingbeneficence from the Holy Prophet sa ishis vicegerent, according to the AyatIstikhlāf, and this is termed Khalīfah. Inone other respect, in comparison withthe prophets of the Israelites, those whoachieved the rewards of prophethoodare Khulafā’ in Ummah-e-Muḥammadiyyawho are greater in number than thosein Ummah-e-Mūswiya. It is the secondchain of Khilāfat. And, there is a thirdchain of Khilāfat and this third chain ofKhilāfat is this, as the Promised Messiah ashas said that in this chain of Khilāfat,God, the Exalted, after enumerating hastold us that there are thirteen Khulafā’.There had been thirteen in UmmahiMūswiya (Israelites) after Ḥaḍrat Mūsā asand similarly there had been thirteen inUmmahi Muḥammadiyya after the HolyProphet sa . And of thirteen, the PromisedMessiah is the thirteenth and the final.And this is a separate chain of Khilāfat.He said: “I am the Mujaddid of the lastmillennium. I am Imām of the last age.I am Adam of the final millennium.”Using different words he has shown hisposition. Hence, in this chain of KhilāfatKhilāfat And Mujaddidīyat - An Expositionthere are thirteen Khulafā’ and thereis none as the fourteenth one. There isno scope for him. Of course, comparedto the prophets of the Israelites therewould continue to come Khulafā’ ofMuḥammad sa in thousands. They wouldhave the rewards of prophethood but notthe position of prophethood.the need for unityAs I have pointed out, the battle ofIslām fought today requires unity andunanimity. Hence, there should be suchunity within the Jamā‘at that is devoid ofany strain of dissention. To combat thesatanic machinations and plans, projectsand schemes, having perfect unanimityare required. It should not be like puttingsome pressure from one side and somefrom the other.In order to establish this unanimity, God,the Exalted told the Promised Messiah as ,that: I will establish a chain of Khilāfatafter you such that will continue untilQiyāmat. (I am not reading any extract ofthe Promised Messiah as , rather relating itmore or less in my own words, therefore,it is possible there may occur somedifference in the text of the words. Hesaid something to this effect). He as stated:I am the manifestation of the powerof God. God, the Exalted has shown themanifestation of His Mighty Power at myhand, and after I am gone, God wouldmanifest His Mighty Power through someother persons, and it is the manifestationof God’s power. It is the power of Godthat He has established an order to makeIslām dominant. He said, A Mighty Poweryou shall be getting after me, it would beeverlasting, of which the chain shall notbreak until the Day of Qiyāmat.Then, he said at another place that whenthe time of Qiyāmat comes it would beQiyāmat on the progeny of Adam andthe progeny of our Adam will perish.I will relate a gist of it; you listen to itand remember it. He said that in thisinhabited world–on this our earth, therehad not been created one Adam, ratherthere had been scores, hundreds andthousands of Adams prior to our Adam. Itis the law of God in force that the periodof each Adam is of seven thousand years.It means, 7,000 years after the adventof each Adam his progeny meets theDoomsday. And if God wills, He createsanother Adam. Now we have enteredin the seventh millennium of the age ofthe progeny of our Adam. And this finalmillennium is of God and His Messiah.This millennium is of potentiality,goodness and of righteousness. Islāmwould dominate over all other religions.The period of Islām would start and afterit there is no scope for any Messiah tillthe Qiyāmat comes.Some people argue whether the powerof God in creating prophets would cease.The answer is, it is said there had beenin the progeny of our Adam 124,000 or,as some say, 120,000 prophets. If Qiyāmatcame over the progeny of this Adam,and another Adam came into being, thenthere would be created another 124,000prophets. Hence, it is the power of Godthat He creates prophets. This power ofHis has not ceased.No doubt the addressees of that Nubūwwatwould not be the sons of Adam who isour Adam, but the sons of Adam comingafter. We do not know nor do we haveany interest in it. We should take care ofourselves lest we invite the wrath of God.After this, we do not know whetherhundreds or thousands or one hundredthousand Adams would come in theworld. Nevertheless, if 100,000 Adamscome and we multiply 100,000 by 120,000,then 12,000,000,000 prophets appeared,hence, there can be no objection againstthe wisdom or act of God.But it is a fact that when a Munafiq(hypocrite) says that the PromisedMessiah as was a Mujaddid and anotherMujaddid would come at the head ofcentury, he belittles the position of thePromised Messiah as . But listen, he wasnot only Mujaddid, he was also Messiah,he was Mahdī, he was the Imām of thelast age and he was also the Mujaddidfor the final millennium. He was themost beloved of Muḥammad sa . And Godthe Exalted said to him that his age isextended to the Day of Qiyāmat. Hence,none can come to snatch away his regimefrom him, but of course one can comeas his servant. But God the Exalted hassaid that those who have to come as theservants of the Promised Messiah as , theyare the Khulafā’ of the true AḥmadīyyaMovement. They are enrolling into thearmy of the servants of the PromisedMessiah as and then the PromisedMessiah as along with his army of theentire servants is standing as Khadim inthe court of Muḥammad sa .Now we shall repeat the pledge afterwhich we shall pray, and then I shall sayAssalamu Alaikum and bid you farewell.May Allāh the Exalted be Protector andHelper of all of you during your journeyand at home.(Endnotes)1 This seminar was successfullyconcluded on June 4, 1978.19

Become heavenly in this WorldḤaḍrat Mirzā Bashīruddīn Maḥmūd Aḥmad, Khalīfatul Masīḥ II raThe following sermon was delivered by HisHoliness Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ II ra onNovember 5, 1926. The original Urdu textof this sermon can be found in KhutbātMaḥmūd, Vol. 10, pages 270-272. It has beentranslated into English by Farhan AhmadNaseer.After Tashahud, Ta’ūdh and the recitation ofSūrah Fātiḥah, Ḥuḍūr ra proceeded to say:Today I have been delayed greatly bysome important work and so the sermonwill have to be kept short. Therefore,I would like to very briefly draw yourattention towards a matter. It is apparentfrom Sūrah Fātiḥah, keeping in viewman’s internal conditions and situations,that there are four types of people.The first are those who have reachedsuch a state of satisfaction that no type ofchange or corruption can come about inthem. Their hearts have been purified tothat extent. Their spiritual lens is pristineand their thoughts are so purified thatno trace of filth remains in them. Theyhave reached this station in this world,and in it they never age nor does deathcome to them. They achieve a station inthis world in which man never remainsnaked, famished or thirsty. In short, wecan say that they have achieved a stationin Heaven.two heavensThe Holy Qur’ān tells us that there aretwo heavens for those people who fearAllāh the Exalted. 1 One heaven is attainedin this world and one in the next.Characteristics of those in heavenHeaven is that station in which thereis no cold and no heat. In which man isnot naked, famished or thirsty. Now,if someone attains this station in thisworld, then we can say that he hasentered heaven. Otherwise, if we take theapparent meaning, then no person can befound who is not affected by these things,to the extent that even Prophets areaffected by them. The Holy Qur’ān saysthat there is not a single Prophet, who didnot pass away; all have been faced withdeath. Similarly, all Prophets would eat,drink and sleep. They were also in needof clothes. They were in need of foodand drink and were also affected by thecold and heat, even old age came uponthem. Therefore, [attaining] heaven inthis world does not imply that a personno longer has any need of clothing and isnot dependent on food and drink.In actuality, religion speaks on matters ofspirituality. Other matters related to thenatural and cultural aspects of the worldare not for religion to shed light upon.Yes, whatever aspect of them affectspirituality and morality, then no doubtreligion sheds light on them.those Who Are in heaven nowTherefore, a believer cannot inheritHeaven until he comes out of spiritualdeath and spiritual death is a namefor apostasy. A person who becomesremoved from apostasy is in Heaven. Ifworldly laws change, let them change,but the faith of a believer cannot exhibitany change; such a person is in Heaven inthis world.Similarly, that believer is also in Heavento whom old age has no effect. Whatdoes old age mean in the spiritual sense?This means that the fervour of strengthand devotion he once had in the way ofGod the Exalted experiences a decline.Whereas Heaven is a place where there isnever any deterioration. Similarly, onlythat believer will be considered as beingin Heaven upon whom old age does notcome. Meaning, that his strength anddevotion increases day by day [ratherthan decreasing].Similarly, those in Heaven will never benaked. This means that their gown ofTaqwā is never torn away. Their love forGod never fades. If his love for God, whichis true Taqwā, falters, if the love that wasthere before does not remain, then thatperson will not be called of Heaven.Then [it is said that] those in Heavenwill never be famished or thirsty. Thiswould mean that food refers to theapparent knowledge of the Ṣhari‘at, andwater refers to the Ṣhari‘at’s esotericknowledge. Apparent knowledge isconsumed to satisfy the intellect,whereas to satisfy the heart and to causean increase in love, the water of esotericknowledge is given. For a person whoattains this station, such knowledge isopened up to him that on one hand hisintellect is satisfied and on the otherhand, his love [for Allāh] is saturated,refreshed and fulfilling. Such a person iscalled of Heaven, meaning he will neverremain hungry or thirsty.the four States of ManThis is the station of Mu‘nim ‘alaih,“the favoured.” Those who attain thisbenefaction are either at the level ofProphethood, the level of the Ṣidiqīyat(the Truthful), or the level of the Martyrs,or at the lowest of ranks, Ṣaliḥīyat (theRighteous).Opposed to this, the second conditionof man is that he be included under,Maghẓūb ‘alaih, “One who has incurreddispleasure.” Meaning they do suchacts that cause God’s wrath to descendupon them. Many people stumble afterbecoming Mu‘nim ‘alaih and end upbeing Maghẓūb ‘alaih. Those who becomeMaghẓūb ‘alaih after being Mu‘nim ‘alaihare the people who do some deedsthrough which they make Allāh theExalted displeased with them. Forexample, sometimes they aid His enemiesand sometimes they are disobedient toHim.Continued on page 23...20 Become Heavenly in This World

Jalsa Salana Canada 2012 SpeechRaising Children in aContemporary Society:the delight of our eyesMubarika Mian - Lajna National Naib Sadr I“And Those who say, ‘Our Lord, grantus of our wives and children the delightof our eyes, and make us a model for therighteous.” (25:75)The topic on which I will speak todayis, “raising children in a contemporarysociety - the delight of our eyes.”The verse that has just been recited is fullof wisdom. Both the partners in marriageare taught to pray for each other andfor their children so that Allāh mayprovide them with true happiness andsatisfaction. Who can deny the fact thatin the proper training and upbringing ofour children, the parents are expectedto play a pivotal role. Their relationshipbetween themselves must be exemplaryand without blemish.Dear Sisters, I speak to you as a sisterand as a mother. How many times haveour revered Khulafā’ and scholars ofour Jamā‘at spoken on this topic ofraising children so that they become thedelight of our eyes? It goes to show theimportance of this subject not only forour present generation but also for thefuture of Aḥmadīyyat.Have you thought about the tremendoussacrifices made by our forefathers whoaccepted Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ Mau‘ūd as andunderwent difficult trials? It is the resultof those sacrifices that most of us wereborn Aḥmadīs, as if we were gifted andborn with a silver-spoon in our mouth.Dear Sisters, why not recall thetremendous sacrifices even you and yourhusbands or fathers made when youwere forced to sell your property at justa nominal price to get out of the countryof our birth (Pakistan) and take refuge inthis peaceful country called Canada?Why did we do that? Yes! We werepersecuted. Our mosques demolishedand desecrated. Kalimah Ṭayyibah thatwas most sacred to us, a living symbol ofour Muslim recognition was chiseled anderased from our mosques. The Kalimahwas even erased from our tombstones.Many of our gallant youth and eldersgave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.Yes, we migrated to have peace of mind.Yes! So that our children would not bedeprived of education. Yes! Because itwas our ardent desire that our childrenwould become the ‘delight of our eyes.’We came over here and discovered toour surprise a completely new way oflife. While on the one hand we are highlyappreciative that Canada opened itsarms and received us with respect andcompassion, yet there is no denyingthe fact that we found certain trendshere, completely at odds with Islāmicteachings.To our joy we found many good thingsthat were fully Islāmic, but there werestark differences as well. I may compareit to a beautiful rose flower that hassome sharp thorns attached to its stem.Please allow me to enumerate just a fewexamples.In Islām, the family is the central entityor nucleus around which civilizationevolves. But in the West, and now even inthe East, you must have observed it is asif the contemporary society has declareda war on the family system. Dating andpre-marital relations are the norm –marriage is fast becoming an exception.Divorce is as if an epidemic. Men andwomen have decided it is preferable tolive together without making a covenant.Abortion as birth control is a worldwideplague. Juvenile delinquency is rampant,as many parents are deliberatelyRaising Children in a Contemporary Society: The Delight of our Eyesabandoning their roles of authority.Child abuse in many forms is escalating.Governments are advocating thenormalization of homosexuality throughthe legalization of same-sex “marriages.”Unfortunately, on July 20, 2005 Canadabecame the fourth country in the worldand the first country in the Americas tolegalize same-sex marriage nationwide.All of these trends are direct attacks onthe sanctity of the family. We are livingin a world, where people desire to havechildren, but are unmindful of theirproper upbringing. Bearing children isthe pride of womanhood. Look how farwe go to have children of our own.Fortunately, one beauty of this societyis that it does not force us to engagein immorality. We are free either toassimilate with the contemporary trendsor exercise our right to practice our faithand the religion of our choice.Islām lays great importance on theupbringing of children. The Holy Qur’ānand the teachings of the Holy ProphetMuhammad sa are that you raise yourchildren in such a way that they becomethe delight of your eyes. Adopt such aloving and pleasant atmosphere at homethat the children find comfort and solacein their own homes and not outside theirhomes. Teach them that real comfortand contentment can only be attainedif they have a loving relationship withtheir Creator. This is emphasized in thisimportant verse of the Holy Qur’ān thatstates:“Aye! It is in the remembrance of Allāhthat hearts can find comfort.” (13:29)When we settled here, we also got theshock of our lives when we discoveredthat our children, who were our mostprecious asset, were free to do as they21

pleased and were relatively out of ourcontrol. Then we found to our uttershock that our children were graduallydrifting further and further away fromour Muslim culture and even from ourbasic Islāmic religious values. Theywere far from becoming the ‘delight ofour eyes.’ Some unfortunately became areal liability and a blemish on the familypedigree and thus, a cause of greatanguish! Dear Sisters, pardon me for mybluntness, but you will agree with methat these words may be sour in taste butare no doubt a reality.What went so wrong? How can we nowcheck our bearings? How can we fine-tuneour lives so that in this contemporaryenvironment our children become the‘pleasure of our eyes’?Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ Mau‘ūd as said:“People have great desire to havechildren and then children arebestowed on them. But it is neverobserved that they strive for makingthem good, pious, and obedientservants of God. Neither do they everpray for them, nor keep in view thedifferent stages of their upbringing.My personal condition (in thisregard) is that there is not a singleṣalāt of mine in which I do not prayfor my friends, my followers, mychildren and for my wife.” (Tafsīr al-Qur’ān Urdu, Vol. 6, pg. 354-355)Children need a role model. They learnfrom what they see. Their characteris molded by what they observe inthe house. They keenly observe therelationship between their parents.They observe the level of their piety andtruthfulness. Tell me, if there is constantbickering and exchange of harsh wordsbetween the father and the mother,how can you expect the child to becomea saint? How can you expect that thisboy or girl would grow-up in such anenvironment and become the ‘pleasureof your eyes’? Such a wish is only a daydream and nothing more than living in afool’s paradise.Teach your children not only by advice,but more importantly by your personalexample in all situations. Teach themto speak the truth in all situations byyour examples. We readily listen toand give examples of how ḤaḍratMasīḥ Mau‘ūd as spoke the truthwhen he pleaded guilty in court ofmistakenly inserting a letter alongwith a book and marking the packageas ‘Book Post.’ How miraculously he wasvindicated by the just magistrate. Weoften quote the example of Ḥaḍrat SayyidAbdul Qādir Jilānī; how he followed theinstructions of his mother who said, ‘Myson, never tell a lie.’ Look how, as a resultof this, the band of ruffians and thieveswas ultimately transformed into saints.Dear Sisters, look how the Best Exemplar,the Holy Prophet sa , despite the inhumanpersecutions by the Meccans, was knownby the title of ‘al-Ṣadiq’ and ‘al-Amīn’(the Truthful and the Trustworthy). Itwas this magic wand of truthfulness andtrustworthiness with which he conqueredthe hearts of humanity. This is how heconquered my heart and soul and thisis how he conquered your heart. But arethese noble examples just academic andmerely good for speeches? Do they notneed to be followed and thus ingrainedin the character of our children?Dear Sisters, look at the great honourour noble Prophet sa has given us. Hesaid, “Paradise lies under the feet of themother.”Despite this let us not forget the taleof a murderer was about to be hangedand as a last wish he asked to speak tohis mother. The mother was broughtforward. The culprit said “O’ my motherI wish to lick your tongue.” She obligedand struck out her tongue. He suddenlygripped her tongue in his teeth and bitit off. The audience was stunned and wasgasping for breath. They said “O’ youunfortunate soul! This is the very peek ofwickedness that one could ever committhat in your last act in this world youbit off the tongue of your own mother!”The young offender said “You peopledo not know that this is the tongue thatencouraged me and protected me tocommit one evil act after another and itis this tongue of hers that has broughtme to the gallows.” I need not elaboratefurther – the message of the story is loudand clear.The main thrust of our training shouldbe to graft on the minds of our childrenthe belief in Allāh. He is Gracious andMerciful. He is Free-giving and grants usmuch more than what we seek. You areall aware that the most powerful weaponthat was given to Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ Mau‘ūd asand his Jamā‘at was the ‘Weapon ofPrayer.’ He was gifted with the weaponof the acceptance of prayers. The HolyProphet sa said that even if you seek thelaces of your shoes you must pray toAllāh. Prayer is the most importantexercise in the proper training of ourchildren. Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ Mau‘ūd as hasemphasized this again and again:“Prayer turns the impossible intopossible – O you my philosopherslook at the prowess and power ofprayers.”(Durre Thamīn)Sometimes we try to discipline ourchildren through harsh words or force;Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ Mau‘ūd as has forbiddenthis and said that we must not assumethe role of Allāh. He said this is even atype of ‘shirk.’Here I would also like to mention thatwhenever Ḥaḍrat Amma Jān ra noticeda bad habit of any child, she used toadvise him or her in such a way that thebad habit was not only rectified, but thechild was also saved from feelings ofembarrassment in front of others. Shealso used to advise to put all efforts intraining the first child; the rest of thechildren will follow their correct ways bythemselves.It is critical to differentiate betweenthe Islāmic values and traditions andour cultural preferences and biases,especially in the West where the socialvalues and norms are fundamentallydifferent from those espoused by Islām.In Islām, training of a child starts evenbefore birth. Ḥaḍrat Ḥakīm MaulvīNūruddīn, Khalīfatul Masīḥ I ra , says thathe inherited the love of the Holy Qur’ānfrom his mother’s womb. She wouldconstantly recite the Holy Qur’ān duringher days of pregnancy and this instilledin him the love of the Holy Qur’ān. Thislove was so great that he once said thaton the Day of Judgment, if he was givena choice to choose the best reward, hewould beg Allāh just to give him a copy ofthe Holy Qur’ān.I am saying this again and again: wemust become good examples before oursiblings. Mark the famous saying of theHoly Prophet sa , “Every child is born witha pure nature. It is his or her parentswho make him/her a Jew, a Christian,or an atheist or a Muslim by impartinga particular teaching and providing aparticular model through their ownconduct.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī)Dear Sisters – Dear Mothers! We aremothers – we love our children and ourchildren love us. Even if our child hasgone astray (God forbid) our sincere call22 Raising Children in a Contemporary Society: The Delight of our Eyes

can bring that child back to the path ofpiety and goodness. But then how sad tosay this again: the trouble is initially notwith the child, but with the parent. Yes,you and I.An ideal Muslim house is one in whichthe parents make every effort that theirchildren are regular in offering the fivedaily prayers and in the recitation of theHoly Qur’ān, in invoking Durūd on theHoly Prophet sa , in following the exampleof this great Exemplar, also in followingthe teachings of his foot-servant ḤaḍratMasīḥ Mau‘ūd as and his Khulafā’. Letus instill in them the true love andobedience to this Second Manifestationknown as Khilāfat Aḥmadīyya. If westrongly develop in them these habits,then their future can be secured and theywill certainly become ‘the delight of oureyes.’ You must all have heard the recentsermons of Ḥuḍūr Anwar aa in the USA,in which he stressed the importance ofinculcating congregational prayers inour daily lives. Are these sermons justto be heard and enjoyed but seldomimplemented? (God forbid)These days our children do not have toleave the doorstep of their homes, butthe Dajjal has entered into our homesthrough the media and technology. In ourgeneration, keeping good company wasconfined to physical company; however,as we are living in the digital age, parentsmust be watchful of the virtual companythat their children keep. The Holy Qur’ānteaches us:“Be with the truthful.” (9:119)Our beloved Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul Masīḥ V aahas warned us of the evils of Facebookand instructed Aḥmadīs not to createFacebook accounts. Sometimes, parentsare so proud if their children are sittingfor long hours on the computer and theyare content with the notion that theyare studying. Meanwhile, they have noidea what kind of ill vices are inherentin the misuse of technology. Activeparticipation in Jamā‘at and auxiliaryactivities provides a meaningfulalternative to the wasteful activities ina healthy social environment. And, withthe current technology, distance shouldnot be an issue. We can participatethrough MTA, e-mails, teleconferencesand the like. We need to raise such strongand confident and dignified AḥmadīMuslim girls and boys who stand out likepolished diamonds in the world becauseof the way they comport themselves.Girls, who are so strong that the societyis not able to entice them, but they inturn become such magnets of piety andrighteousness that they cast a shadow ofgoodness over whomsoever they meet.We have to change the flavour of thiscountry just as a pinch of salt changesthe flavour of our food.Though we are small in number, ourimpact should be so profound that itattracts attention. It is said that wisdomis the lost property of a Muslim. Weshould use wisdom to extract thepositive benefits of these technologicalconveniences carefully, avail themresponsibly, and protect our youth fromtheir risks.Dear Sisters! We are the foot-soldiersof this spiritual battle. We have beenbrought to Canada for a purpose. Andthat purpose is to bring the Canadianscloser to Islām and Aḥmadīyyat.Are we going to impress the Canadiansand create an interest in their hearts forIslām by merely owning big mansionsand homes? Or is the expensive jewelryon our arms and neck going to impressthe Canadians? Or is it our clothes ormakeup? Or is it by abandoning eventhe basic Islāmic values and posing tobecome Canadians that we will bringpeople closer to Islām? No, never.We can only be proud participants in thisdestined “Victory of Islām” if we holdfast to the Qur’ānic values - the valuesspelt out by the Holy Prophet sa , the valuesreemphasized by Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ Mau‘ūd asand his Khulafā’.So my dear Sisters! When you next holdyour son or daughter in your arms,remember that you hold the future ofAḥmadīyyat in your arms. You hold theasset of Aḥmadīyyat in your arms. Yourchild is indeed the child of The HolyProphet sa . If you mold their character,not just by advice, but by your actions,then you will be rendering a nobleservice to Islām. If there is no warmthin our homes, if we do not perform ourdaily prayers, if there is no recitation ofthe Holy Qur’ān in our homes, if we donot have a relationship with Allāh, if wedo not have a relationship with KhilāfatAḥmadīyya, then God forbid, we havebetrayed the very cause of Aḥmadīyyat.This is why this Jamā‘at was foundedand established by Ḥaḍrat Mirzā GhulāmAḥmad, the Masīḥ Mau‘ūd as ; this is whywe broke away from other Muslims; thisis why we broke away from our non-Aḥmadī relatives. Therefore, ponder overthese points and fulfill the purpose forwhich this Divine Jamā‘at was founded!May Allāh make me and you all trueAḥmadīs. Āmīn!Continued from page 20...[While] Maghẓūb ‘alaih is a person whoaids the enemy, Ḍal refers to an ignorantfriend – a person who does not carry outthe implications of a friend. For example,one party is of those who supply theenemies of Islām arsenal to cause injury[to Islām]. The other party is of those who[oppose Islām] out of ignorance; they donot do so intentionally. Yet, he carriesout such deeds that result in opposition.So as to say Maghẓūb ‘alaih is he whotries to eradicate the evident [aspects ofreligion] and also its essence, while Ḍalare those who remove just the essence.These are the three groups mentioned inthis Sūrah.Then there is a forth group called Sālik,meaning they are still treading the path.A decision has not been made regardingthem as to which group they belong.Whichever group they continuously treadtowards is what they will be consideredto be a part of. And such a person is notfree from danger.This is why it is mandatory for everybeliever to try to enter the Mu‘nim ‘alaih.Meaning they should attain a station atwhich their intellect can stand firm. Theinfluence of time and emotions shouldnot cause his Īmān to be agitated. Thus,I advise my friends in the Jamā‘at thatthey create such Īmān within themselvesthat is like Mu‘nim ‘alaih, which does notsuffer any sort of agitation.I pray that Allāh the Exalted make theirĪmān firmer than mountain peaks andthat such Divine aid and assistant cometo them that would enable them to attainīmān that is secure from any type ofdecline.(Endnotes)1 “But for him who is awed by thelofty station of his Lord, there are twogardens” (55:47)Raising Children in a Contemporary Society: The Delight of our Eyes23

Run for VaughanFarhan Khan, Chairman Run for VaughanOn March 26, 2013, the Run for Vaughan’sChair, Farhan Khan, and Director ofFinance, Nadeem Mahmood, presented a$45,000 cheque from the proceeds of the2012 campaign to the Vaughan HospitalFoundation. Altaf Stationwala, thePresident and CEO of Mackenzie HealthHospitals was also present to accept thecheque.This presentation took place in front ofthe existing Mackenzie Health Hospitalin Richmond Hill, which is the partnerhospital of the future Vaughan hospitalto be constructed close to Bai’tul Islam inMaple, Ontario.Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamā‘at Canadabeing the main organizer of the ‘Run forVaughan’ has been arranging this annualrun/walk since 2003 in the City ofVaughan and has helped to raiseapproximately $400,000 for the hospital.The Run has gained support from alllevels of government, from variousbusinesses and from citizens of Vaughan& Toronto. The Run has had great successover a short period of time. The eventattracts close to 1,000 participants eachyear, of which over half are from outsidethe Jamā‘at. All Tanzeem includingAnsar, Lajna, and Khuddam participate.Khuddam have always provided fantasticvolunteer efforts by bringing upwardsof 150 Khuddam to help run the event.Lajna have at times provided wonderfulfundraising efforts as well.Since its inception the Run has startedand finished on the Bai’tul Islamproperty. Last year, on May 27, 2012,for the first time the Run took place atVaughan’s premier tourist attraction,Canada’s Wonderland. The Run servesas a showcase to the citizens of Vaughanof the community work that Jamā‘atmembers perform. It also helps to createa positive image of Ahmadiyyat andIslam.The Run has raised to date approximately$400,000 for the future hospital and hasdonated the proceeds to the associatedVaughan Hospital Foundation.The 9th Annual Run for Vaughan will be held onSunday, September 29th at Canada’s Wonderland.To get involved as a volunteer, committeemember or to help fundraise, please send an email toFarhan Khan at farhan@runforvaughan.com24 Run for Vaughan

NatioNal Mosque FuNdAlḥamdulillāh, our Jamā‘at is growing rapidly. This growth is creating a pressingneed to have more Mosques all over Canada.To fulfill this need, all our brothers and sisters are requested to generouslydonate towards the National Mosque Fund on a monthly basis so that we canmeet the ever growing need of building new Mosques. The sacrifices made todaywill Inshā’Allāh safeguard both our and our progeny’s future.May Allāh the Almighty shower His innumerable blessings on those who comeforward and donate out of that which Allāh Himself has given.May Allāh bestow upon all of us the strength and courage to answer the call ofthe hour.May Allāh reward you.Khalid Naeem,National Secretary Finance Canada

AḥmadīyyaMuslim Jamā‘atPress ReleasesWorld Muslim leaderCongratulates Popefrancis and CatholicChurchMarch 14, 2013The Aḥmadīyya Muslim Jamā‘at wouldlike to offer its congratulations to theRoman Catholic Church and its membersacross the world upon the election of HisHoliness, Pope Francis I.The World Head of the AḥmadīyyaMuslim Jamā‘at and Fifth Khalīfa of thePromised Messiah, His Holiness, ḤaḍratMirzā Masroor Aḥmad has said:“First of all, I would like to offercongratulations to Pope Francis Iand to Catholics across the world.May the appointment of the newPope prove to be blessed not just forChristians but for all people acrossthe globe. May the new Pope lead theChurch towards the true teachingsof Christianity.I hope and pray that in theforthcoming era the Pope uses hisinfluence to develop peace andharmony in the world. There is agreat need to join together upon ourcommon teachings and particularlyupon the Unity of God.Rather than increase division, theworld desperately needs unity andcompassion. This is something thatI wrote to Pope Benedict XVI in aletter I sent to him in 2011.In my letter to the Pope I alsorequested him to use his greatinfluence to bring the peopleof the world together towardspeace, reconciliation and mutualunderstanding and to strive toprevent the world from destruction.I send the same message to the newPope as well.In terms of the Aḥmadīyya MuslimJamā‘at, we have always been at theforefront of promoting inter-faithharmony and striving for peace. Wealways co-operate with all peopleand organisations who desire peaceand tolerance and will forevercontinue to do so.Once again I congratulate PopeFrancis and the Catholic Church andpray that the appointment proves tobe a source of peace for the entireworld.”Muslim leader SaysWorld War Inevitableunless true JusticePrevailsMarch 25, 2013The World Head of the AḥmadīyyaMuslim Jamā‘at and Fifth Khalīfa, ḤaḍratMirzā Masroor Aḥmad has spoken atlength about the perilous state of theworld and the impending threat of anuclear war.Whilst delivering the keynote address,on the occasion of the 10 th Annual PeaceSymposium at the Baitul Futuh Mosquein London, His Holiness warned ofcatastrophic consequences if true justiceat all levels was not observed. He said therisk of a nuclear war was real and was thebiggest threat to today’s civilisation.The event attracted an audience of morethan 1,000 people, including GovernmentMinisters, Ambassadors of State,Members of both Houses of Parliamentand various other dignitaries and guestsfrom all walks of life. The theme of thisyear’s Symposium was ‘The Pathway toPeace’.During his keynote address Ḥaḍrat MirzāMasroor Aḥmad spoke about the need forpeace and justice; the escalating conflictsin the Far East; the war in Syria and theincreasing risks of a global, nuclear war.He also offered a solution for globalunrest based on the teachings of the HolyQur’ān.Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Masroor Aḥmad began byspeaking about the pressing needs of thetime. He said:“To strive for peace is a nobleambition and is something that theworld has always stood in great needof. If we look at the situation of theworld today, we realise that now,more than ever, it is a pressing andurgent need of the time for us toseek and pursue peace and harmonyin the world.”Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Masroor Aḥmad said thatwhilst Islām advocated fairness, equalityand justice at all levels, even the majorityof the world’s Muslims had forgottenthese teachings.Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Masroor Aḥmad appealedfor change to save society:“If we want true peace and if we want26 Press Releases

to save the world from destructionthen we must act with justice,integrity and be ever faithful to thetruth.”The global Muslim leader spoke of hisconcern about escalating conflicts inthe Far East, particularly between Northand South Korea and between China andJapan. He said the Western world wasnot immune from the effects of suchconflicts and that the United States wasalready directly involved in both of thesedisputes due to its close alliances withSouth Korea and Japan. He said that NorthKorea had not been shy in threateningto use its nuclear weapons and did notseem to care about the consequences ofits actions.In terms of the continuing devastationtaking place in Syria, Ḥaḍrat MirzāMasroor Aḥmad, warned that assumingthe overthrow of the Government wouldlead to instant peace was not supportedby recent history.He said that the “so-called revolutions”that had taken place in Egypt andLibya showed that regime change didnot necessarily mean peace and betterinternational relations.In terms of a solution to Syria’s unrest,Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Masroor Aḥmad said arecent proposal by Israel’s PresidentShimon Peres to send a United Nationspeacekeeping force made up solely ofArab soldiers should be considered.President Peres said that if Westernnations or soldiers were to becomedirectly involved it would be viewedas a Western invasion or as Westernimperialism.Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Masroor Aḥmad said thatit was not certain that warfare wouldremain restricted to Asia but due tostrained financial circumstances unrestwas developing in Europe as well. Heappealed for peaceful and fair talksbetween nations as a means to curb risingtensions and the threat of war.Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Masroor Aḥmad said:“It is the duty of all powers to fulfilthe requirements of justice and tounite together. All parties need toincrease dialogue and open the linesof communication so that they canpeacefully discuss the best means tosolve the problems of the world.”The Khalīfa of the Promised Messiah aspledged to continue to counsel all partiesPress Releasestowards peace and justice. Ḥaḍrat MirzāMasroor Aḥmad said:“I will, God Willing, always continueto carry out my task and myresponsibilities of promoting peace,tolerance, justice and compassionto the corners of the world. I willcontinue to tell all people that inorder to be relieved of the pain andsuffering that we face today, we mustadopt true justice and equality.”Before the keynote address, variousdignitaries spoke about the importanceof peace and the means to achieve it.Rafiq Hayat, the National President of theAḥmadīyya Muslim Jamā‘at UK, said 2013was an historic year for the AḥmadīyyaMuslim Community as it marked its 100 thanniversary in the United Kingdom.Siobhain McDonagh, MP and Chair ofthe UK ‘All Party Parliamentary Groupfor the Aḥmadīyya Muslim Community’,said:“In the past several years I havelearned a great deal about Islām fromyour Community – I have learnedthat Islām is built on the rights oflife, equality, tolerance and justice.”Stephen Hammond MP said:“I know that in the next month HisHoliness (Ḥaḍrat Mirzā MasroorAḥmad) will have been Caliph for10 years and what a 10 years thathas been. The spirit of volunteeringwhich we see in your Community isthe spirit of peace.”Dr Charles Tannock MEP and Chair ofthe European Parliament’s ‘Friends ofAḥmadīyya Muslims Group’ said:“I had a remarkable opportunityto host two events in the EuropeanParliament, the last of which wasin December, when His Holiness(Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Masroor Aḥmad)graced us with his presence. It wasa very well attended and extremelysuccessful event.”Dr. Andrew Bennett, CanadianAmbassador for Religious Freedom said:“Just one month ago, I was announcedby Canada’s Prime Minister StephenHarper as the first Ambassador forCanada’s newly created Office ofReligious Freedom at the AḥmadīyyaMosque in Vaughan, Ontario… At theFebruary 19 event where the officewas announced, we emphasised thatCanada would be a faithful friendof the Aḥmadī Muslims around theworld.”Rt. Hon Ed Davey MP, Secretary of Statefor Energy & Climate Change said:“I would like to start by thankingand paying tribute to Your Holinessfor inviting us all and for holdingyour 10 th Peace Symposium andshowing the leadership you do,both here in the UK and around theworld, to bring people together of allfaiths to champion peace. You helpeveryone understand each otherbetter and you teach us to look intoour hearts to make sure love is in ourhearts. And that religious leadershipyou give and that message is verywelcome and we thank you for it.”The 4 th Annual ‘Aḥmadīyya MuslimPrize for the Advancement of Peace’was presented by Ḥaḍrat Mirzā MasroorAḥmad to Dr. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, inrecognition of his outstanding work inthe promotion of peace through his lifechangingmedical work that has providedhope and a future for thousands of peoplein the developing world. Accepting theaward in person, Dr. Boachie-Adjei saidhe was “deeply honoured and humbled”to receive the award and also said it wasof great importance for all people to “toremember our roots and give back.”Both before, and after the conclusionof proceedings, Ḥaḍrat Mirzā MasroorAḥmad met personally with variousdignitaries, guests and held a number ofmeetings.27

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