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The Holy Qur’an
He it is Who has raised among the unlettered people a
Messenger from among themselves who recites unto them
His Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book
and Wisdom though before that they were in manifest
error; And He will raise him among others of them who
have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty, the Wise. That
is Allah's grace; He bestows it on whom He pleases; and
Allah is the Lord of immense grace. (62:3-5)
Sayings of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him)
Hadrat Abu Hurrairah (ra) narrates: "When Sura Juma`a
was revealed to the Holy Prophet (sa) we happened to be
there in his company. When he recited the verse ' others
from among them and have not joined them', someone
asked, 'who are they O Messenger of Allah?' The Holy
Prophet (sa) did not respond to him unless that person
repeated the question three times. At that time Salman (ra),
the Persian was also sitting amongst us. The Holy Prophet
(sa) put his hand on him and said, 'Even if faith ascended
to the Pleiades, there would be someone or some men from
his people who would restore it back.' (Bokhari)
Pearls of WisdomSelected verses of the Holy Qur’an & Sayings of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
Pearls of Wisdom 1
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
The True Meaning of the Second Coming of Jesus
God Almighty has now disclosed the true meaning of
the prophecy, which is free from all contradictions
and unreasonableness. He has thus furnished every
fair-minded seeker of truth the opportunity to accept
the prophecy and to look for its fulfilment, thus
safeguarding himself against rejecting a clear and true
prophecy. [Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13,
pp. 205-211, footnote]
I am the Promised Messiah who is Divinely guided,
and who follows the morals of the Messiah (peace be
on him.) Everyone should judge me with reference to
these morals and should purge his heart of all ill will
concerning me. A careful consideration of the
teaching that I have set forth during the last twenty
years, from Brahine-Ahmadiyyah to Raz-e-Haqiqat,
should testify to my innerpurity. I can prove that I
have spread these books as far as Arabia, Turkey,
Syria and Kabul. I utterly repudiate the doctrine that
Jesus will descend from heaven to fight the battles of
Islam, or that anyone who calls himself Mahdi, and
appears from among the descendants of Hadrat
Fatima, will be the monarch of the time, and that the
two of them will start a reign of bloodshed. God has
revealed to me that all these speculations are false.
Jesus (peace be on him) died long ago and lies buried
in Mohalla Khanyar in Srinagar, Kashmir. Thus as the
descent of the Messiah from heaven is disproved, the
appearance of any warrior Mahdi is also falsified. Let
him who thirsts for truth accept this. [Haqiqat-ul-
Mahdi, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 14, pp. 429-433]
My statement concerning the Promised Messiah,
whose descent from heaven and second advent into
the world is awaited, which God Almighty has
disclosed to me by His grace and mercy, is that there
is no mention in the Holy Qur’an of the second
advent of Jesus. According to the Holy Qur’an, Jesus
has departed from this world forever. Some Ahadith,
which are replete with metaphors, predict the second
advent of Jesus. Their context indicates that they do
not predict the second coming of Jesus, son of Mary,
but comprise metaphorical statements which mean
that in an age that would resemble the age of Jesus,
son of Mary, a person will resemble Jesus, son of
Mary, in his temperament, power and function. As
Jesus, son of Mary, had revived the religion of Moses
(as) and had set forth afresh the true teaching of the
Torah, which the Jews had forgotten, in the same way
this second Messiah would revive the faith of the
Prophet who was like Moses (as) and was the Seal of
the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him.) This Messiah of the Prophet who was the like of
Mosesas will completely resemble the Messiah of
Moses (as) in the events of his life and in all other
consequences that his people will experience on
account of their obedience to him or their denial of
him. God Almighty has revealed to me that I am that
Promised Messiah. [Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khaza’in,
vol. 3, pp. 121]
Pearls of WisdomSelection from the writings of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him)
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
Pearls of Wisdom 2
In this Friday sermon, Hadrat
Khalifatul Masih V (aa) discussed the
divine attribute of Ar-Rahman (the
Gracious). According to the Holy
Qur’an 36:12, Allah’s Rahmaniyyat (the
manifestation of the attribute of Ar-
Rahman) is demonstrated through the
granting of divine grace and favour.
As it is universal, this beneficence
applies to all His creation. According
to the Promised Messiah (as), through
the divine attribute of Ar-Rahman,
Allah provides for His creation’s
subsistence and basic needs. From
amongst Allah’s creation, humankind
receives preferential treatment as the
rest of creation has been placed at its
service. This phenomenon is grounds
for humankind to be grateful to Allah,
and yet, the majority of humanity
ignores Allah’s beneficence.
One aspect of Allah’s Rahmaniyyat is
that He sends prophets as warners
against evil and teachers of goodness.
However, most people continue to
shun their teachings and do not
reform themselves. Such prophets
experience anguish for their people,
and as the Holy Qur’an states in 18:7
and 26:3, no prophet felt more anguish
for his people than the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (sa). However, in order
for spiritual reformation and
development to take place, the Holy
Qur’an 36:12 states “Thou canst warn
only him who would follow the
Reminder and fear the Gracious God
in secret. So give them the glad
tidings of forgiveness and a noble
reward.” The Gracious God is ever
inclined and ready to grant divine
favours to His creation. He revealed
His beautiful teachings and declared
that there is no compulsion in it. If
one’s faith is true, even in private,
then one will be blessed with nearness
to Allah.
According to the Holy Prophet (sa)
and the Promised Messiah (as), one of
the ways to demonstrate our
gratefulness to Allah for His
Rahmaniyyat is to convey His message
to others. Therefore, we should not be
disheartened by people’s rejection of
Allah’s message, but rather, we should
be persistent by continuing to convey
it. In doing so, we will undoubtedly
find people who will be blessed with
acceptance of the message and such
people will be a source of blessing for
us.
Regardless of the obstacles we face,
purely for the sake of achieving
Allah’s pleasure, we must initiate a
reformation of our inner selves and
then convey Allah’s message to others.
The only way to save people from
destruction is to convey the message
to them and teach them the proper
understanding and appreciation of the
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 3
Guidance from Hadrat Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah strengthen his hands)
Divine attribute of Ar Rahman (The Gracious)Summary of the Friday Sermon delivered on January 19, 2007
Gracious God. Our only role is to
convey the message in the best
manner possible leaving the results to
Allah as only He can raise those who
are spiritually dead. As Ahmadis, it is
our duty and responsibility to convey
Allah’s message to our fellow citizens,
either through demonstrating it
through our devotional practice or
other effective means.
The Holy Qur’an (19:45-46) provides a
description of Hadrat Ibrahim (as)
warning his father against idolatry.
Idolatry persists in this day and age in
many different forms and
ungratefulness towards Allah is
rampant, even amongst those who call
themselves Muslims. The Holy
Qur’an in 62:12 predicted such
circumstances would occur in the
latter days, and we see evidence of the
truth of its fulfilment all around us
today. Just as predicted, what appears
as most fine is not the most fine, but
rather, it leads to destruction and ruin.
The rejection of the Imam of the age is
also a result of the lure of Satan. One
who is influenced by Satanic
temptation is incapable of possessing
a connection with Allah. To respond
to Satanic temptation is, in effect, to
worship him and be his follower.
According to a Hadith Qudsi, Allah
will maintain ties with one who
maintains ties with his kindred and
close relations and He will sever ties
with one who severs ties with his
kindred and close relations. In this
Hadith Qudsi, the term Rahm (womb)
is used, which is the root word for
Rahman, thereby connoting close
connection between family relations
and Allah’s Rahmaniyyat.
We must constantly engage in diligent
self-reflection and self-assessment lest
we say or do something that may
cause Allah the slightest displeasure.
We must heed the advice of Hadrat
Ibrahim (as) and be meticulous about
avoiding even the smallest errors lest
we fall into any of the many traps laid
for us by Satan.
While Allah is Ar-Rahman, He is also
Al-Jabbar (The Subduer) and Al-Qahhar
(The Supreme), and it is through these
latter two divine attributes that He
punishes. These two divine attributes
are invoked when, despite being
granted a myriad of favours, people
continue to be ungrateful and turn
away from Allah. Such
ungratefulness cannot persist with
impunity and without consequence.
Allah’s wrath does not contradict His
Rahmaniyyat because such wrath
would not have befallen but for
p e r s i s t e n t a n d s t u b b o r n
ungratefulness and mischief.
Only those who are persistent in their
ungratefulness and mischief are
punished. The Holy Qur’an
repeatedly states that those who are
remorseful and sincerely repent will
be granted forgiveness. Therefore, in
order to avoid Allah’s wrath, it is
imperative that we engage in constant
and sincere Istighfar (repentance). A
number of Hadith were cited which
provided examples of the Holy
Prophet’s (sa) teachings regarding
Istighfar.
As Christianity relies on the notion
that one person’s sacrifice was
required for and resulted in the
redemption of humanity, it necessarily
rejects the notion of Allah as Ar-
Rahman. According to this Christian
doctrine of atonement, Allah is not
gracious towards His creation and the
sacrifice of the life of Jesus was
necessary in order to inspire His grace.
Under this doctrine, if not for the
sacrificial death of Jesus, Allah’s grace
would never be forthcoming and will
be forever withheld to those who
refuse to believe in it. That such a
belief is fundamentally insulting to the
honour of Allah should be
communicated to Christians.
In the Holy Qur’an (19:89-94), the
notion of Allah begetting a son is
considered so insulting and belittling
of Him that the heavens and the earth
could burst from the shock of its mere
mention. Such a notion amounts to
shirk (associating partners with
Allah), a phenomenon that is
prevalent in this day and age. Indeed,
Allah’s purpose in sending the
“Messiah of Muhammad (sa)” is to
destroy the notion of Allah begetting
or being begotten and to obliterate the
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 4
Christian doctrine of atonement by
conveying a correct understanding of
the attributes of Allah, particularly His
attribute of Ar-Rahman.
The advent of the Promised Messiah
(as), itself, is a manifestation of Allah’s
Rahmaniyyat. To show our gratitude
and in order to be the recipients of
Allah’s divine favours, we must be
committed to taking the Promised
Messiah’s message to the world.
Inspired by the announcement that
Lajna Germany collected the funds
necessary for the establishment of the
Berlin Mosque, and by the desire to
also obtain the spiritual blessings
received by their ancestors (such as
those from Lajna Qadian who raised
funds for the original Berlin Mosque,
which resulted in the building of the
London Mosque), many Ahmadi
women outside of Germany have
expressed their desire to contribute to
the fundraising for the Berlin Mosque.
While a specific Tahrik (scheme) will
not be established in this regard, any
Ahmadi women around the world,
who wish to participate in the
fundraising, are certainly encouraged
to do so. We pray that, despite the
persistence of opposition against it,
the construction of the Berlin Mosque
continues under Allah’s divine
protection. Amen!
In this Friday sermon, Hadrat
Khalifatul Masih V (aa) continued to
discuss the divine attribute of Ar-
Rahman. This sermon concentrated on
discussing this divine attribute from
the viewpoint of the Hadith of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) to
demonstrate to us how he was the
“mercy for all humankind” and our
ideal model.
According to the Promised Messiah
(as), the Holy Prophet (sa) was the
perfect earthly personification and
embodiment of Allah’s Rahmaniyyat.
The name ‘Muhammad’ means ‘the
highly praised one’ and ‘Ar-Rahman”
means ‘one who is most gracious’ or
‘one who gives without being asked to
do so’. One who possesses the
qualities of Rahmaniyyat will
undoubtedly receive great praise.
Indeed, the Holy Prophet received
such great praise, and deservedly so,
on account of his kindness and
compassion, and would not have
received such praise, had he not
provided the ideal human portrayal of
Allah’s Rahmaniyyat.
According to the Holy Prophet (sa), if
one had true knowledge of the nature
of Allah’s punishment, one would
despair of Allah’s mercy. However, if
one had true knowledge of the extent
of Allah’s mercy, one would possess
certain hope in receiving it. Allah’s
mercy is withheld only from the
extremely unfortunate and wretched.
Therefore, one should never despair of
receiving Allah’s mercy. Hope for
receiving Allah’s mercy is the basis of
faith – without such hope, one would
not possess faith.
Due to his or her taqwa
(righteousness), a true believer
comprehends Allah’s attributes and
fears committing even the slightest
error lest he or she receive His
punishment. That is why, as
described in the Holy Qur’an (7:24), a
true believer constantly prays to be
guided to the right path. A true
believer fears Allah’s punishment
despite having knowledge that His
mercy encompasses all things.
Indeed, the Promised Messiah (as)
taught that we should constantly seek
Istighfar (repentance) from all kinds of
sin, both overt and covert, and that we
should desire to pray in a manner that
attracts Allah’s mercy.
The mercy of Allah has one hundred
parts, ten of which He distributed to
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 5
Divine attribute of Ar Rahman (The Gracious)Summary of the Friday Sermon delivered on January 26, 2007
His creation. Due to the mercy
distributed to His creation, we
experience and express love and
affection for each other. Even the love
and tenderness expressed between
animals is a sign of the mercy of Allah.
The remaining ninety parts of mercy
were kept by Allah so that He could
mete them out to us on the Day of
Judgement.
In a parable related by the Holy
Prophet (sa), a wealthy man, while
lying on his deathbed, inquired of his
sons as to what sort of father he had
been to them. They replied that he
had been the best father to them and
that they bore no complaints against
him. Despite receiving this answer,
the man expressed fear that he was
destined to receive Allah’s wrath as he
could not discern what good he had
committed on the earth. Therefore, in
order to escape Allah’s wrath, the man
requested that, upon his death, he be
cremated and his ashes spread
throughout the earth by means of a
swift wind. The man held fast to the
hope that, as his remains would be
scattered throughout the earth, they
could not be collected again on the
Day of Judgement and he would
escape having to face Allah’s
reckoning. Although his sons
dutifully fulfilled their father’s
request, the man still found himself
brought before Allah on the Day of
Judgement. When Allah asked him
what motivated him to request his
cremation, he replied, “Your fear.” On
the basis of this answer, Allah had
mercy on him and forgave him his
sins.
In another parable, the Holy Prophet
(sa) related the story of a Jew who had
committed ninety-nine murders in his
lifetime but who had inquired from an
ascetic monk as to how he could
repent of them. The monk told him
that, due to the high number of
murders committed, repentance was
impossible. In response to this
answer, the Jew killed the monk
making him his one hundredth victim.
When the Jew inquired from another
man as to how he could repent of his
sins, he was advised to go to a
particular village and make the same
inquiry of an elderly wise man who
resided there. While en route to that
village, the Jew met his death. In the
moment before his death, the Jew
made one last effort to reach the
village, and did so by turning his torso
in its direction. Upon his death, the
angels of mercy and of punishment
descended upon him, each arguing
amongst themselves as to whose claim
over him was greater. The angels of
punishment made their claim for the
Jew on the basis of the murders he had
committed. The angels of mercy made
their claim on the basis that, at the end
of his life, he was striving to attempt
to seek repentance and they made
reference to the final direction of his
torso as support. When the matter
was brought before Allah for decision,
Allah ordered that the distance
between where the Jew began his
journey to the place of his death be
measured and compared with the
remaining distance to arrive at the
elderly wise man’s village. If the Jew
died in greater proximity to the
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 6
village, he would be forgiven, but if he
died in greater proximity to his point
of origin, he would be punished.
When the angels began taking their
measurements, they discovered that
Allah had ordered the size of the
distance between the Jew and his
place of origin to enlarge and the
distance between him and the village
to shrink. Upon the completion of
their measurements, the angels found
that Allah had caused the distance of
the Jew to the village to be a mere
fraction of the distance between him
and his point of origin, and on the
basis of his greater proximity to the
village, Allah granted him forgiveness.
Despite Allah’s all-encompassing
mercy, the relentless sinner has
received warning of Allah’s wrath and
punishment. In order to be hopeful
for Allah’s mercy
pursuant to the Holy
Qur’an (39:54), one must
feel remorse for one’s sins
and take steps towards
r e f o r m a t i o n a n d
forgiveness. In addition,
according to the Holy
Prophet (sa), one must
extend kindness and
mercy to others, in order
to be worthy of receiving
Allah’s mercy. Allah will
not have mercy on one,
who is not compassionate
to others, including his
relatives and fellow
citizens.
Some Ahmadis have
complained that the
Jama`at’s system of
reprimanding people is
not consistent with its
teachings regarding mercy
and compassion – while
many sermons and
speeches are given
regarding being merciful
and compassionate, the
complaint is that the
administrative system of
the Jama`at does not
demonstrate such mercy
and compassion itself. It
is true that the Holy
Prophet (sa) advised
mercy and compassion
generally, and the Jama`at
must adhere to such advice. However,
that is not to say that the Holy Prophet
(sa) did not reprimand people, and
where he did so, such people showed
obedience and accepted his
reprimand. Likewise, following the
practice of the companions of the Holy
Prophet (sa), once the Khalifa or the
administrative system of the Jama`at
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 7
reprimands someone, that person
should accept his or her reprimand.
According to the Holy Prophet (sa),
the dwellers of Paradise shall be of
three types, (1) the ruler who is just,
wise and gives alms, (2) a person who
is kind to his relatives and to his or
her fellow Muslims, and (3) a person
who is in need but does not ask for
alms but rather gives it. The Holy
Prophet (sa) also stated that one who
does not show kindness to the young
and respect to his or her elders is not
from amongst his ummah
(community). Therefore, that
Ahmadis show kindness to their
relatives and fellow Muslims, as well
as convey respect and deference to
their elders, is incumbent upon them
if they are to be the recipients of
Allah’s mercy and be counted
amongst the Holy Prophet’s (sa)
ummah.
According to a Hadith, if one is not
thankful for a little, he is not thankful
for a lot, and one who is not grateful
to people is not grateful to Allah. In
another Hadith, a Jama`at is a sign of
Allah’s mercy. Allah has extended His
mercy to us by granting us the
blessing of membership in the
Ahmadiyya Jama`at. Our gratitude
can be shown to Allah by our
undertaking to take its message to
others and praying for them so that
they may also partake of this blessing.
According to the Holy Prophet (sa),
the ummah is like one body such that
when one part of the body ails, the
whole body suffers and works
towards healing. Therein lies a great
teaching regarding love, compassion
and affection within a true Islamic
society.
The Holy Prophet (sa) felt compassion
for children and there are a number of
Ahadith that provide evidence of the
special kindness he extended to them.
He also felt profound compassion for
the suffering of animals, even for
those who were destined to be
slaughtered. Once, he happened upon
a bird in distress because its eggs were
stolen from its nest and he ordered
that they be returned to
it.
Whenever the Holy
Prophet (sa) was asked
to curse a particular tribe
or person, he would
refrain from doing so,
and instead would pray
for them and their future
generations. When
asked to curse the
idolaters, the Holy
Prophet (sa) responded
by stating that he had
not been sent by Allah as
a curse but as a mercy
for humankind. If the
Holy Prophet’s ummah
followed his blessed
model, they would
surely be the recipients
of Allah’s blessings and
mercy.
The Holy Prophet (sa) always
prayed for his companions. For
example, prior to leaving a
gathering of them, the Holy
Prophet (sa) would recite the
following prayer:
“O Allah grant us such awe and
fear of You that would make us
avoid disobedience to You. Enable us
to be so obedient as would grant us to
Your Paradise. Bestow on us such
certainty that worldly troubles would
seem easy for us. For as long as You
grant us life, make us benefit from our
ears, eyes and other senses and grant
us successors from these senses.
Retaliate for us against those who
oppress us. Help us against those
who have enmity against us. Do not
try our faith and do not make this
world our greatest concern. Do not
make the one who conveys knowledge
to us a malady for us and do not
impose a person upon us who is not
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 8
kind to us.” (Tirmidhi Kitab-ud-
Da`waat, Ch. 79/82 – Hadith # 3502)
This prayer should be recited by all
Ahmadis who are subjects of unjust
and oppressive rulers.
Although the Holy Prophet was the
perfect personification and earthly
embodiment of mercy, and indeed,
obtained perfection in so many other
ways, he maintained that all salvation
was in Allah’s hands alone. Even
though the Holy Qur’an had him
announce, “My Prayer and my
sacrifice and my life and my death are
all for Allah, the Lord of the
worlds’ (6:163), he continued to hold
that he himself would be granted
salvation “only if Allah’s mercy
envelopes me.”
In order to receive Allah’s mercy, one
must believe in Him, turn to Him, and
ask for His mercy. May Allah enable
us to be of those who believe in Allah
and oft turn to and ask for His mercy!
Amen!
In the last two Friday sermons of Hadrat
Khalifatul Masih V, the divine attribute of
Ar-Rahman and its human personification
and embodiment in the Holy Prophet (sa)
was discussed. In this Friday sermon, the
following of the model of the Holy Prophet
(sa) by his truest devotee, namely, the
Promised Messiah (as) was the topic of
discussion. (Editor)
The Promised Messiah (as) occupied
himself wholly to serving Islam by
defending it against its enemies
through his writings, organizing
conferences and engaging in debates.
Despite this time-consuming task, he
was always eager to find time to
convey and exemplify kindness and
compassion, particularly to those who
were poor, needy and sick. He did so
out of an ardent desire to follow the
model of the Holy Prophet (sa) and
because Allah informed him that it
was his duty to also be a model of
kindness and compassion.
Once Lala Shrampat Rai, a witness to
many of the proofs of the truth of the
Promised Messiah (as), fell ill due to a
serious boil on his abdomen. When
the Promised Messiah (as) came to
visit him at his humble home and
found him anxiety-ridden, the
Promised Messiah (as) consoled him
and returned the following day
accompanied by a physician. He paid
the physician’s fees. Then, he
continued to visit Lala Shrampat
regularly until his health was restored.
Mehr Hamid was a meek and humble
person who lived on the outskirts of
Qadian and worked in the fields of the
local landlords. When he fell ill, the
Promised Messiah (as) would visit
him and many members of the Qadian
Jama`at would accompany him. As
Mehr Hamid lived in an area where
the refuse of Qadian was dumped,
fowl and offensive odours often
wafted in the air. Despite the
Promised Messiah’s refined nature, he
tolerated these odours and continued
to visit Mehr Hamid on a regular basis
and met him warmly and
affectionately. Indeed, many had
noted that the Promised Messiah (as)
appeared to care for Mehr Hamid
more than one would typically care
for one’s own relatives.
While the Promised Messiah (as) was
granted tremendous strength to
withstand the mockery, disdain and
persecution of his enemies, his heart
would melt at and could not bear the
sight of someone suffering and in
pain. The Promised Messiah never
declined an opportunity to visit a sick
person.
When Ayub Baig, one of the
companions of the Promised Messiah
(as), fell fatally ill and was on his
deathbed, he felt an overwhelming
desire to see the Promised Messiah
(as) and sent him a letter and a
telegram requesting him to visit.
Unfortunately, at the time, the
Promised Messiah (as) was himself ill
and was thus unable to travel.
Indeed, the Promised Messiah (as)
was so ill that he could barely hold his
pen to write a response to Ayub Baig.
Nevertheless, he responded by
expressing his regrets at not being able
to visit and he assured Ayub Baig that
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 9
Life of the Promised Messiah (as)Summary of the Friday Sermon delivered on February 2, 2007
he was fervently praying for him. The
Promised Messiah (as) then proceeded
to inquire as to Ayub Baig’s health on
a daily basis.
Not only did the Promised Messiah
(as) never turn away a needy person,
he would often anticipate people’s
needs prior to their asking. For
example, when the weather became
cold, he would remember those who
were needy and send them clothing
and blankets so that they could keep
warm. He did this regardless of
whether the needy person was a
friend, enemy, Muslim or Hindu.
When someone came to visit him from
a far and when time came for them to
return home, he would offer to pay
their return travel fare.
Sheikh Muhammad Naseem Ahmad
was an orphan who had been brought
up in the care of the Jama`at and who
worked for a newspaper. At the birth
of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II’s (ra)
first son, Naseer Ahmad (who later
died in infancy), the Promised
Messiah requested the services of
Naseem Sahib’s wife as a wet nurse.
When speaking to her, he inquired as
to Naseem Sahib’s income, and upon
determining that he found making
ends meet difficult, the Promised
Messiah (as) discretely placed a small
bundle of money in Naseem Sahib’s
room.
Nihal Singh was a virulent opponent
of the Promised Messiah (as). He had
even resorted to suing the Promised
Messiah (as). During the litigation,
one of the female relatives of Nihal
Singh fell ill and musk was required
as her remedy. Having been
unsuccessful through other avenues to
obtain the remedy, Nihal Singh came
to the door of the Promised Messiah
(as) to ask for it. As the Promised
Messiah (as) always kept Greek and
Western medicines on hand, hurriedly,
the Promised Messiah obtained the
exact amount of musk that was
required and delivered it into Nihal
Singh’s hands.
Poor and simple rustic women often
came to the doorstep of the Promised
Messiah (as) to call upon him for aid.
Instead of ignoring them or sending
them away, the Promised Messiah (as)
always responded to their calls and
came out to see them. The women
came asking for medicine, which he
would give to them, or they would
relate their domestic hardships to him,
to which he patiently listened. On one
occasion, despite being under pressure
to complete the writing of an
important paper which was to be
delivered at a
conference, the
P r o m i s e d
Messiah (as)
tended to the
concerns of
these women
for almost
three hours.
The Promised
Messiah (s)
w a s
compassionate and kind towards
children. He would often sit on a
simple cot to listen to children’s
stories or to study while they played
around him. On many occasions, the
children would inadvertently or
clumsily shove him towards the end
of his cot and would cause him
physical discomfort. However, he
always endured this disturbance with
patience and never got annoyed. On
one occasion, a small child fell
critically ill and had died while being
transported by his elderly mother to
Qadian. The Promised Messiah (as)
led his funeral prayers, and these
prayers were so long that the
participants began to feel dizzy. When
asked afterwards as to the reason for
such lengthy prayers, the Promised
Messiah (as) stated that he did not
want to end his supplications until
Allah had provided him with the
assurance that the child would be
granted entry into Paradise, which He
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 10
eventually did, and upon receipt of
such assurance, the prayer was
ended.
The Promised Messiah (as) owned a
large amount of land. Each year, a
portion of the crop yield was set
aside for the personal consumption
of the workers of the land with the
remaining yield going to the
Promised Messiah (as) and his
family. One year the rainfall yielded
a poor crop and those who worked
on the land claimed that it was
sufficient only for their personal
consumption. Therefore, they
suggested that the Promised
Messiah’s (as) share be obtained from
the crop of the following year only.
The Promised Messiah (as) agreed,
and the following year, the crop yield
was so abundant that making up for
the pervious year’s insufficiency
posed no problem. Hadrat Khalifatul
Masih V advised that a lesson should
be drawn from the Promised Messiah
(as) in this regard and that Ahmadi
landowners, particularly those
residing in the Province of Sindh,
Pakistan, should follow his model,
especially when dealing with workers
who come from the Thar region.
The Promised Messiah (as) felt
compassion and kindness for animals.
On one occasion, he found young
Mahmood Ahmad (later Hadrat
Khalifatul Masih II, ra) trying to trap
birds by shutting the door of the
veranda behind them so they could
not escape. The Promised Messiah
(as) forbade him and stated, “Young
man, one does not catch the birds that
are around the house. One who does
not have compassion does not have
faith.” On another occasion, he saw
children attempting to strike a stray
dog that had entered his home and he
restrained and scolded them.
Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkoti’s
apartment was situated directly above
the Bai't-ud-Du`a and he would often
overhear the supplications of the
Promised Messiah (as). Maulvi Sahib
often remarked as to the heart-rending
nature of these supplications, and on
many occasions, the pain and anguish
exhibited by them greatly alarmed
him. Even though the plague had
been sent by Allah as a sign of the
truthfulness of the Promised Messiah
(as), amongst his most fervent prayers
was that people be spared from the
suffering caused by it and that they
instead be brought to see Allah’s light
and comprehend His truth. Indeed,
throughout his writings, the focus of
the Promised Messiah (as) was to
achieve the spiritual reformation of
people and to save them from Allah’s
wrath. The prayers of the Promised
Messiah’s (as) for people are evidence
of his having lived in accordance with
the model and standard set by the
Holy Prophet (sa).
Due to the acceptance of the prayers of
the Promised Messiah (as), the Nur-e-
Muhammadi (the spiritual light of the
Holy Prophet (sa)) is spreading
throughout the world. As the
servants of the Holy Prophet (sa), we
must also pray for people in the
manner that the Promised Messiah
(as) prayed, adopt the teachings and
model of the Holy Prophet (sa) and
convey his message to the world. As
the purpose of the Promised Messiah’s
(sa) advent was to spread the Nur-e-
Muhammadi, we must join together
and raise the slogan raised in the Holy
Qur ’an at 3:53, “Nahnu
Ansarullah” (“We are the helpers of
Allah”), and ensure that we are
amongst those who assist in spreading
this spiritual light. May Allah enable
us to do so! Amen!
Guidance from Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah strengthen his hands) 11
The world was engulfed in spiritual darkness when the noblest human being, the Seal of the Prophets, Hadrat Muhammad (sa) was divinely commissioned. There wasn’t a country of the world at that time that was free from idol-worship and superstition. The Jews had come to regard their religious scholars and divines as “Lords, beside Allah”, whereas the Christians were worshipping Jesus and Mary. There was no limit to materialism and object-
worship; the whole world had become morally corrupted.
At such an hour, the mercy of God desired to once again cause the world to reverberate with the truth; so He sent Hadrat Muhammad (sa). He achieved the eradication of associating partners with God, and idol-worship, from Arabia and firmly established the Oneness of God.
He preached to the monarchs of his time, all over the region, by writing letters to them. Subsequently, his successors (khulafaa) continued the preaching and dissemination of the message of Islam such that the golden period of Islam stretched over a period of three centuries, since the advent of the Holy Prophet (sa).
It was followed by the period of spiritual “Dark Ages” (Faij-e-A`waj) and by the 13th Century
the world was once again engulfed in spiritual darkness. At such an hour, Allah, the Exalted, sent the Promised Messiah (as) and fulfilled His promise that:
Verily, We Ourself have sent
down this Exhortation and most
surely, We will be its Guardian
(al-Hijr 15:10)
The Promised Messiah (as) brought down the true faith that had ascended to Pleiades, so to speak, and established a community of millions of devoted followers, who are engaged in disseminating the Holy Qur’an and Islam in the whole world and, in so doing, it continues to offer sacrifices of life, wealth, and honour.
There are some of them who
have fulfilled their vow, and
some who still wait …. (al-Ahzaab 33:24)
After being divinely commissioned, the Promised Messiah (as) revived Islam, proved that Hadrat Muhammad (sa) was the ever-living Prophet and Messenger of God, and demonstrated that the Holy Qur’an was the ever-living and universal Word of God.
God, the Exalted, granted me the good fortune of living humbly in the service of the Promised Messiah (as) for a number of years. I had come to Qadian for the Annual Conference (Jalsa Salana) of the year 1893 A.D., and when 1894 began I was in Qadian. I remained in the
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
The Magnificence of the Messiah of Muhammad (sa) Hadrat Sufi Ghulam Muhammad (ra)
The Magnificence of the Messiah 12
presence and service of the Promised Messiah (as) from 1895 up until his passing away in May 1908. I have had the opportunity to listen to the divine discourse of purity from the blessed lips of the Promised Messiah (as), almost on a daily basis, and witnessed the fulfilment of many divine Signs during his blessed lifetime.
The fulfilment of the prophecy regarding Abdullah Aathim and, following his avoidance to take an oath, his death in the 7th month; the assassination of Pandit Lekhram foretold in the prophecy of the Promised Messiah (as); the Promised Messiah’s writing a treatise to be
read out at the Great Religions Conference in Lahore: its being read out accordingly, and witnessing the fulfilment of the prior prophecy that the essay will remain victorious above all others; the Promised Messiah’s extempore delivery of the Revealed Sermon (Khutbah Ilhamiyyah) in Arabic language, in an eerily impressive tone of voice; his delivering speeches, in December, on the occasions of Jalsa Salana, in a manner that was completely free from any affectation of delivery style, or any contrived aloofness of manner; his walking about in the pathways of Qadian and, during every morning-walk, his relating the fresh Revelations from God;
continuing his blessed discourse while proceeding on his morning walks, sometimes in the direction of the east, sometimes towards the west; the occasion of his sending his essay at the conference held by the Arya Samaj at the Vach’hovaali mosque—and, prior to that, his listening to me, read out the whole essay, in obedience to him, as we sat at Qadian’s Mubarak Mosque; and, when the Arya lecturers cast aspersions on the fair name of the Holy Prophet (sa), the Promised Messiah’s denunciation, in view of his sensitivity to any instance of profaning the Holy Prophet’s name, as to why did not the Ahmadi participants, present at
The Magnificence of the Messiah 13
that conference, immediately walk out in protest?; the earthquake of 4 April, 1905 that occasioned the Promised Messiah’s temporary relocation within the precincts of the garden; during the rampant epidemic of plague, the Promised Messiah’s declaring: ‘Not even a rat within our house will have the plague’; the divine promise through the (Arabic) Revelation: “I will certainly protect whoever is within the precincts of your house”, and, in c o n s e q u e n c e , Q a d i a n ’ s remaining free from fulminating incidence of the plague; launch of a newspaper by an opponent Arya resident of Qadian and the
Promised Messiah’s prophecy regarding his destruction, and its fulfilment; witnessing the rising death toll of the “leaders-of-proclamation-of-disbelief” in the Promised Messiah, as they fell victim to the plague; Pir Mehr Ali of Golrah’s acceptance of the Promised Messiah’s challenge to write a competitive response to his book, E`jaz-ul-Masih, and the scandalous discovery of Pir Mehr Ali’s plagiarism in that piece of writing, and the consequent notoriety that humiliated him; instituting of a legal case against the Promised Messiah (as) in Jhelum, by a vehement opponent, Karam Din of Bheen, occasioning the Promised Messiah’s journey to Jhelum and the consequent
conversion to Ahmadiyyat by thousands of people; the Promised Messiah’s staying at Gurdaspur on account of legal cases instituted against him by the opponents, and witnessing the transfer orders, and even demotion, of the iniquitously disposed judges who were assigned to adjudicate the Promised Messiah’s case; the incident of walling-off of the Mubarak Mosque by the opponents, to make it inaccessible to the worshippers, and its subsequent demolition; the income-tax case; the legal cases instituted by Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalavi; the Promised Messiah’s delivery
of lecture in Lahore (now known as “Lecture Lahore”) and in his proclamation that he was also in the image of Krishna, during his lecture at Sialkot (now known as “Lecture Sialkot”) — I am an eye-witness to all these incidents and Signs..
I have also witnessed the process of writing of books by the Promised Messiah (as). Imagine, for a moment, writing a book in Arabic language is underway; and renowned scholars and those adept in literature are proofreading the script written by the Promised Messiah (as). They are unable to find certain words, written in the script, in well-known Arabic lexicons. When they report this to the
Promised Messiah (as) he says: Let it stay the way it is; this is how I was told by God. Several c a l l i g r a p h e r - s c r i b e s simultaneously work day and night to transcribe the written script. There were certain books that were authored within a matter of a day and a half, and their printing and distribution was accomplished within just a few days.
When the Promised Messiah (as) was granted divine revelation, or when he was divinely apprised of certain future incidents, he would immediately arrange for it to be publicized through quickly printed announcements
in the form of leaflets. The Promised Messiah included a b i l i n g u a l p u b l i s h e d announcement, in English and Urdu languages, along with his to-be-published book, A’eena-e-Kamalat-e-Islam (i.e., A Mirror of the Miraculous Feats of Islam). In this announcement, he addressed himself to all the living leaders of the nations of the world, and priests, pundits, and maulvis that: Islam is the only true religion; all other religions were untrue. You can ascertain the truth of Islam by living in my company for a while.
The Promised Messiah (as) would write a book in Arabic language then, for a designated
The Magnificence of the Messiah 14
period of time, he would continue to present his challenge to all to write competitively with such eloquence vis-à-vis his miraculously inspired writing. But none dared come forward to accept the writing challenge. The Promised Messiah (as) was divinely taught, within the span of just one night, 40,000 words and word-roots of Arabic language. He issued a challenge to competitively write, opposed to him, the commentary of a portion of the Holy Qur’an, selected randomly by drawing lots. But no one could step forward to take him up on that.
I have witnessed that his writing as well as his speech were always reinforced by the divine help. His personal mannerism was characterized by complete simplicity; he did not have even a shadow of any affectation or any contrived aloofness of manner. While sitting inside the mosque, he would occasionally utter the prayerful phrase, Subhaan Allah (i.e., Allah alone is free from all weakness or blemish) and he would lightly strike his hand on his thigh.
I had an opportunity to ponder over all scenarios in the apparent daily life of the Promised Messiah (as). He was a great well-wisher and empathiser of his followers. I had the opportunity to position myself in close proximity to him when he would pray after conducting the oath of allegiance (Bai`at) for someone, to hear what, and how, he prayed. He would begin with Surah Al-Faatiha, followed by the invocation of blessings and salutations of peace for the Holy
Prophet (sa), i.e., complete Dorood Sharif, as we recite in the daily prayers; then he prayed in the following words [Arabic]: “O our Lord! Forgive them their sins, and have mercy on them; and make them steadfast in their God-fearing and their faith.”
The Promised Messiah’s getting up and sitting down; his walking and moving around; his treatment of his followers whether at his house or outside;
his sleep as well as his being awake; his travelling as well as his stay; his hospitality and exercising great care in ensuring the comfort of his guests as well as those on a journey; and his conversing with people in a kind and compassionate manner—everything was purely for the sake of God. (Translated from:
Daily Al-Fazl, Qadian; 5 December
1941, pp. 10-11 - Translation by Dr.
Saleem Rahman)
The Magnificence of the Messiah 15
[Following is the text of a
presentation delivered at the Jalsa
Salana Canada, held on July 7-9,
2006, in Mississauga, Ontario:
Editor]
“And those who say, ’Our Lord,
grant us of our wives and children
the delight of our eyes, and make us
a model for the righteous.” (25:75)
Recently, a rising trend of Ahmadi
marriages ending in divorce has
been noticed. This is an alarming
situation. For the community of the
Promised Messiah (as), even one
marriage failing is one too many
and should be a matter of great
concern for us.
What are the reasons? Why do
marriages fail?
The reasons for the failure of
marriages relate to the mutual
interaction of the spouses and in
most of the cases are:
Lack of consideration and sacrifice:
The wife wants to have light in the
bedroom at nighttime; the husband
wants no light.
Lack of magnanimity, lack of `afv
i.e. forbearance: The wife makes a
petty mistake, the husband, who
should have ignored it, mentions
and criticizes her conduct.
Other reasons include, lack of
patience, lack of tolerance, hot
temper, verbal and physical abuse,
pride and a superiority complex.
Laying too many restrictions: Some
husbands have a mistaken view that
if they exercise strict control over
their wives, it will help them to be
more respected and cared for. This
is far from reality! With a harsh
discipline, one can force one’s wife
to obey; but, one cannot receive love
and respect from her.
Lack of help: The husbands
consider it against their dignity to
help their wives in their daily
routine work, washing the dishes,
vacuuming, cleaning after the
infant, etc., etc.
Lack of Trust: Too much
interference with the way wives run
the expenses of the home. Some
husbands investigate what was
spent and where.
By far, most of the bitterness that we
find in our family lives is due to our
failure to exercise tolerance and
show consideration for the wives,
insisting on being right, insisting on
getting what is due to us and not
caring for what is due from us. The
truth is that long-term loving
relationships cannot be built on
such a mean spirited outlook
towards family life.
Sacrifice, being ready to forgive, and
being on the look out for doing a
favour here and there, are needed to
nourish the family relationships.
But it is difficult to find enough
motivation for such consideration in
a God-less society, in which what
matters, is only “me, myself and I.”
Only divine teaching and a very
strong motivation, to earn Allah’s
pleasure in doing so, can enable the
spouses to show compassion and
respect on a daily basis. It is only
thus that we can find peace and
happiness in our homes.
The Holy Qur’an gives excellent
guidance to the believers at various
places on how to make our
marriages successful. It exhorts
them to “treat them (their wives) in
an excellent manner:” (4:20)
This divine injunction makes it an
important religious duty for the
believers to show kindness to their
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
Life of the Promised Messiah (as) 16
Life of the Promised Messiah (as) – Treatment of Family
Lal Khan Malik, Naib Amir II, Canada
spouses. In these few words has
been laid down the foundation of a
happy family life.
This divine guideline is visible in
the most vivid form, in the glorious
life of our beloved master, the Holy
Prophet Muhammad, may peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him!
That is why Allah enjoins us to
follow his excellent model by
saying:
“There is an excellent model for you
in the Messenger of Allah, for him
who hopes to meet Allah and the
Last Day and who remembers Allah
much.” (33:22)
The Holy Prophet (sa) emphasized
this subject by declaring:
“The best among you is he who
treats his family best, and I am the
best of you in terms of treating my
family.” (Tirmidhi)
By saying so, the Holy Prophet (sa)
has laid down the high standard of
morals in our family relationships.
None can hope to be considered a
decent believer if his treatment of
his family is wanting.
The best example of how the
excellent model of the Holy Prophet
(sa) be followed in our age, is the
glorious life of Hadrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the
Promised Messiah and Mahdi,
peace be upon him.
He was so particular in following
the Perfect Model of the Holy
Prophet (sa) that in every situation,
his first consideration would always
be ‘how did the Holy Prophet (sa)
do it?’
This afternoon, I am going to
present before you, some glimpses
from the sacred life of Hadrat
Ghulam-e-Ahmad, the great Servant
of Ahmad (as), on how he followed
the Perfect Exemplar (sa) in the
treatment of his family.
Through these glimpses, we shall be
able to see, how the Holy Prophet
(sa) would have acted in similar
circumstances. Also, we will be able
to see where we stand, in our own
lives, with reference to the supreme
level of nobility established by the
Holy Prophet (sa).
Ahmadiyya Culture:
If there is such a thing as
Ahmadiyya Culture, it would be a
culture based on the pedestal of the
lofty moral standards established by
the Perfect Exemplar (sa). This
Ahmadiyya Culture should be seen
in Ahmadi homes, in the lives of
men and women, in their daily lives
– homes where spouses are loved
and treated with kindness and
respect.
Instances from the Life of the
Promised Messiah (as):
You may already know some of the
incidents that I am going to relate
from the life of the Promised
Messiah (as). That should not
matter. When you love someone,
you love to listen about your
beloved. You love to listen to the
same things, again and again.
Secondly, the purpose is not to tell
stories, it is to ponder over these
examples and compare our own
conduct, in similar circumstances,
with the excellent conduct of the
Promise Messiah (as).
Freedom of Women in Early
Muslim Society:
I start with an interesting incident
from the blessed life of the Holy
Prophet (sa). Hadrat Umar (ra) was
discussing something with his wife.
She forcefully argued with him her
point of view. He exclaimed, in
astonishment, “Despite being my
wife, you are so forceful in your
arguments with me!” She
responded, “Umar, times have
changed. Wives of the Holy
Prophet (sa) freely discuss things
with him and they support their
point of view without any fear.
And, the Holy Prophet (sa) lets
them do that!” Hadrat Umar (ra),
raised in a male-dominated Arab
society, found it difficult to adjust to
the degree of freedom and equality
offered by the Holy Prophet (sa) to
his wives and thus, through his
model, to the women in general.
But, did this freedom, granted to
Muslim women, in early Islam, last
through the ages? Alas! With the
misinterpreted notion of hijab and
Life of the Promised Messiah (as) 17
purdah, some part of the freedom
and equality granted to women was
withdrawn by Muslim societies,
under the influences of local
cultures and women were restricted
to homes, so much so that a women
was not allowed to even walk in
public with her husband.
Walking in Public with Husband:
An interesting incident will
illustrate how embarrassing it was if
one’s wife were to walk with him in
a public place.
The Promised Messiah (as)
abolished all those unjust
restrictions of purdah, which had
come to be imposed on Muslim
ladies in India under the influence
of the Rajput Hindu Culture. He
encouraged his wife, Hadrat Amma
Jan (ra) to go for a walk with
himself or, sometimes, with other
ladies.
During a journey, the Promised
Messiah (as) was waiting, for the
next train on a railway platform.
Hudhur’s wife, Hadrat Ummul
Mo’minin (ra) was with him.
Hudhur (as) started walking on the
platform with her. This was a
strange, unimaginable spectacle for
Hadrat Maulawi Abdul Karim Sahib
Sialkoti (ra) who had particularly
puritan views. Feeling very uneasy
on what the people would think and
say about what the Promised
Messiah was doing in public, he
approached Hadrat Hakim Maulawi
Nooruddin Sahib (ra) and said,
“Maulawi Sahib, please request
Hadrat Sahib that Begum Sahiba be
seated on the side. Friends and
foes, all sorts of people, are present
on the platform. What would the
people think?”
Hadrat Maulawi Hakim Noorud-
Din Sahib (ra) said, “What Hadrat
Sahib is doing is right. I cannot say
anything to Hudhur. If you are so
uneasy, you can go and talk to
Hadrat Sahib yourself.” With some
hesitation, Maulawi Abdul Karim
Sahib approached the Promised
Messiah (as) and submitted his
suggestion that Hadrat Begum
Sahiba be requested not to walk
with Hudhur (as).
Hadrat Sahib said, “Maulawi Sahib,
I do not consider anyone’s honour
more important than the honour of
the Holy Prophet (sa). The wives of
the Holy Prophet (sa) and his
companions used to accompany
them in battles; they used to carry
water for them and they did the
nursing duty. I do not consider my
honour and nobility higher than
their honour and nobility. Rather it
Life of the Promised Messiah (as) 18
Mubarak (Blessed) Mosque, Qadian
is a matter of great honour for us to
follow their model.
What would the people say? Would
they say: Mirza Sahib is walking
with his wife! Well, this is fine with
me. I do not believe in such
restrictive purdah that a women
may not even walk with her
husband.”
Obviously, Maulawi Abdul Karim
Sahib was very embarrassed. When
he returned where his friends were
waiting for the report as to what
had transpired, Hadrat Maulawi
Nooruddin Sahib (ra) asked him,
“Maulawi Sahib, did you get your
answer?” He said, “Yes, I got it!”
A Spoiled Dish:
How many a time, peace of a home
has been shattered just because the
husband did not like the meals
prepared by his wife! This foolish
reason is responsible for ruining the
peace of many families. Let us see
how the Promised Messiah (as)
handled a similar situation.
Hadrat Ummul Mo’minin (ra)
relates an incident of the early
period of her marriage. She
says:
“In the beginning when I came from
Delhi, I learnt that Hadrat Sahib was
fond of gur ke chawal, i.e. sweet rice
made with dried molasses.
Intending to give him a pleasant
surprise, I arranged for cooking of
the dish. I got some rice and added
four times the amount of gur, i.e. the
dried molasses. It became a thick
sticky mass. When I took the pot off
the stove and put the rice in the
plate, I was shocked and deeply
saddened when I realized that the
rice had been ruined. It was almost
mealtime and there was no time to
prepare something else. I was not
sure what to do?
In the mean time Hadrat Sahib came
in. When he saw my face, I was
close to tears due to the
embarrassment and the shock that
there I was with a ruined dish for
Hudhur. When he saw what had
happened, he laughed and said:
“Are you distressed because the rice
did not turn out good?”
Then he said: “No, this rice is very
tasty. It is cooked according to my
taste. I like it when it is more sweet.
It is very good.”
And then he ate happily. Hadrat
Sahib said so many things to make
me happy that I felt happy
too.” (Seerat Hadrat Amma Jan,
page 14)
Extra Care for Wife’s Point of View:
The Promised Messiah (as) used to
consider Amma Jan (ra) as one of
the signs of God and whatever she
used to say, he tried his best to fulfill
it. He used to say that wives should
be treated with extra care.
Let me relate an incident about the
caring nature of Hudhur (as). In
Darul-Masih, there was a courtyard.
In the summer, at nighttime,
Hudhur and all his family members
used to sleep in that courtyard. But
in the rainy season, it created a lot of
problems, because all the beds
needed to be taken into the rooms.
Therefore, Hadrat Amma Jan
proposed that a roof should be put
on a part of the courtyard. Thus, a
verandah should be made so that
when it rains, all the beds should be
pulled under it. Hudhur ordered
that this should be done. Hadrat
Maulawi Abdul Karim Sahib (ra)
and a few other companions, who
also lived in the same house,
suggested that this should not be
done as it will ruin the beauty of the
courtyard. But after listening to
every one, Hadrat Sahib said,
“That’s fine. But, since my wife is
one of the signs of Allah and she is
the mother of my sons about whom
God has given me glad tidings,
therefore, I listen to whatever she
says. This verandah should be
constructed.”
More Light in the House:
Hadrat Amma Jan herself tells a
story that when she came newly to
Qadian, she was used to sleeping
with the lights on. But Hudhur was
used to sleeping with the lights off.
When she would go to sleep,
Hudhur used to put out the light.
When she would wake up at night,
the darkness would cause her
anxiety and Hadrat Sahib used to
put on the light again. Eventually
Hudhur got used to sleeping in the
light. Then it so happened that all
the corners of the house were lit,
stairs, bathroom, all the rooms,
courtyard, all the places were lit and
a servant was specially appointed
for this purpose. Sometimes Hadrat
Amma Jan used to remind Hudhur
with love that:
“Do you remember the time when
you could not sleep in the light and
now if all the corners of the house
are not lit, you cannot sleep?”
Hadrat Sahib would smile with
happiness, in agreement.
Life of the Promised Messiah (as) 19
Value Opinion of Wife:
Hadrat Maulawi Abdul Karim
Sialkoti (ra) had a very keen sense of
observation. He has written in his
concise compilation “ Seerat Masih
Mau`ud (as)” that he had the
vantage point of observing the
domestic life of the Promised
Messiah (as), as he lived in a part of
his house for a long time. He
writes:
“The women of the country-side
who visited frequently observed the
conduct of the Promised Messiah
(as) with amazement because it was
totally different from the way they
had seen other people behave
towards their wives. They used to
say: “Mirza Sahib respects the
opinion of his wife a lot.” (Seerat,
page 18)
Doing Common Household Tasks:
The Promised Messiah (as) had no
hesitation in doing common
household work. When he would
find that people of the house were
engaged in various tasks, he would
get up and complete his personal or
household tasks. If he would notice
that the cleaner had not applied
disinfectant in the washroom, he
would himself do that. He would
move the cots and make up beds.
During summer at nighttime, in
case of sudden rain, he would not
wake up the children and would
himself carry their cots, under the
verandah, with the help of another
person.
Ignore Weaknesses:
Once Maulawi Muhammad Ahsan
Amrohi (ra) was staying in Qadian,
in a room in the new guesthouse.
He sent a boy to the Promised
Messiah (as) asking for some
charcoal for heating, since it was
very cold. The Promised Messiah
(as) asked Hadrat Amma Jan (ra) to
give some coal to the boy. She was
busy in doing something else,
therefore, she could not attend to
Hudhur’s instructions immediately.
There was heavy rain and it was
very cold. The Promised Messiah
(as) left what he was doing and
went to the storeroom and gave
some coal to the boy.
Being a Husband is a favour of
Allah
Hudhur used to say:
“We consider it a matter of great
shame that, despite being men, we
should quarrel with women. God
made us men and this, in fact, is a
great favour of Allah on us.
Gratefulness, in this respect, is that
we treat the womenfolk with
compassion and kindness.” (Seerat
p. 18)
Complete Trust in Wife:
The Promised Messiah (as) reposed
complete trust in his wife. He
would never ask for an account of
the home expenses, whether the
whole amount had been spent or
not. If it was spent, what for was it
spent? Or, why too much was
spent? Show me the detail of the
expense account, etc., etc. Allah had
granted him such a generous heart
that such thoughts could not find
any place in it. (Mujaddad A`zam,
p. 1274)
Ignore imperfections of Wife:
The Promised Messiah (as) used to
say that one should ignore all
imperfections of one’s wife, short of
indecency. (Malfoozat, Edition 2003,
Nazarat Nashro Isha`at Qadian
Vol. I p. 307)
Patience and Benevolence for Wife:
The Promised Messiah (as) never
asked Hadrat Amma Jan (ra) why
she had not carried out such and
such of his instructions or why did
she not care for proper preparation
of his meals. His degree of patience,
for ignoring such lapses, was
astonishing to the people around.
Hadrat Maulawi Abdul Karim (ra)
says:
“Some times the Promised Messiah
(as) would express his wish for a
particular meal and in view of his
illness a special diet was needed for
him. He would not eat the regular
meals, waiting for the special dish
he had requested. The dish would
sometimes not arrive till it was time
for the next meal. Hudhur would
very softly ask whether the dish was
ready. When he would be told that
the dish could not be prepared due
to such and such reason, he would
just give a smile and again become
Life of the Promised Messiah (as) 20
busy in his work, as if nothing had
happened.” (Seerat p. 31)
“Our friends should not behave in
this manner!”
On mention of a member of the
Jama`at that he had treated his wife
harshly, Hadrat Sahib was greatly
displeased. He said:
“Our friends should not behave in
this manner.”
“Our friends must shun such
behaviour.”
During one of his visits to Amratsar
in connection with the debate with
Deputy Atham, one day Hadrat
Sahib was suffering from a
headache. A large number of
members of the Jama`at had
assembled to see him. Hudhur (as)
came out to see them, despite being
indisposed. During the
conversation, Munshi Abdul Haq
Sahib of Lahore suggested that
Hadrat Sahib should give due
attention to his diet. Since he is
engaged in intellectual and
scholarly work, hard work for long
hours, special nutritional meals
must be prepared for him every day.
Hudhur (as) responded, “Yes, you
are right and we have, on occasions,
mentioned this also. But the
womenfolk are so busy in their
daily household routines that they
do not care much for other matters”.
Here, Munshi Abdul Haq Sahib (ra)
had a chance to stress his point. He
said, “Hudhur, you do not give such
instructions with enough emphasis.
You do not use your ru`b,
(commanding influence). I make
special arrangements for my meals,
and, it is not possible that my
instructions are ignored. There is
not even a slight deviation from
what I demand. Otherwise, we
shall resort to other measures
(Warnah hum doosari tarah khabar
lay lein).”
Maulawi Abdul Karim Sahib says:
“I was keenly listening to Munshi
Sahib and was feeling very happy
that this may result in some benefit
for our Beloved Master. I wished to
support Munshi Sahib’s approach. I
said:
“Yes, Hudhur, Munshi sahib is right.
You should also get your
instructions followed with full
force.”
Hadrat Sahib looked at me, smiled
and said:
“Our friends must shun such
behaviour.” (Seerat p.19)
We can imagine the embarrassment
of Maulawi Abdul Karim Sahib (ra).
Loud Remark for Wife:
Hudhur talked on this subject
further for some time. He said:
“….The way I feel is such that once I
called my wife in a loud voice, and I
felt that the loud voice was the
result of the sorrow of my heart.
But, despite this, I did not utter even
one harsh word. After this, I did
istighfar for a long time and in
complete humility offered nawafil
and offered some Sadaqa (charity)
also, because I realized that this
mistreatment of my wife was the
result of some hidden disobedience
of Allah.” (Seerat p.20)
Concern on knowing of
Mistreatment of Wife by Someone:
The Promised Messiah (as) used to
urge his followers that they must
treat their wives and other relatives
kindly. If he would know that one
of his followers had mistreated his
wife, he was greatly distressed.
Once Hadrat Maulawi Abdul Karim
Sahib Sialkoti (ra) was displeased
A view of Qadian in 1945
Life of the Promised Messiah (as) 21
with his younger wife and he
scolded her angrily in a loud voice,
which was overheard by the
Promised Messiah (as) in the lower
level of the house. He was very
much disturbed. The same night,
the Promised Messiah (as) received
the revelation: “This is not the right
conduct! Abdul Karim, leader of
Muslims, should be stopped from
this behaviour.”
Interestingly, the next morning
Maulawi Abdul Karim Sahib was
feeling ashamed for this misconduct
and people were congratulating him
on having received the title of
‘Leader of Muslims’ from Allah.
(Mujaddad A`zam p. 1286)
Regular Supplications for Wife:
Hudhur said: “I regularly make
some supplications: First, for myself
that Allah may enable me to serve
His cause in such a way that His
Honour and Majesty may become
manifest and that He may enable
me to earn His pleasure. Secondly,
for my wife that Allah may grant me
delight of eyes from her and that
she may follow the paths of His
pleasure. Thirdly, for my children
that they all become servants of
faith. Then, for my sincere friends,
one by one, and then for all those,
who are in my community, whether
we know them or we know them
not.” (Seerat p. 38)
The Conclusion:
These incidents from the life of the
Promised Messiah (as) provide the
standard of good conduct of an
Ahmadi husband towards his
family. We should compare our
own conduct against this measure.
An important part of paradise,
which has been promised to the
believers in this world, is the
peaceful and caring atmosphere of
our homes. This atmosphere can be
achieved and maintained only by
following this noble example.
Let us pray that Allah may enable
me and enable each one of us, to
follow the example of the Promised
Messiah (as) in following the
Excellent Model of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (sa) in treatment of our
families! Ameen!
Tombstone on the sacred grave of the Promised Messiah (as)
Life of the Promised Messiah (as) 22
Hoshiarpur city and the nearby
village of Baroti is my ancestral
home that I left as a child with my
parents, in 1947, and migrated to
Pakistan in the wake of the partition
of the British Indian sub-continent.
I always had a great wish to visit
my ancestral home and I would
pray for its realization. In December
2006, Allah accepted my prayers
and I was able to fulfill my wish.
Alhamdolillah.
After visiting Pakistan in mid-
December 2006, I entered India on
December 26 through Wagha-Atari
border. Jama`at volunteers, on both
sides of the border, facilitated my
entry for which I am grateful. From
Atari, I boarded a bus to Qadian
that was arranged by the Jama`at. I
reached Qadian just after the time of
maghreb prayer and was put up in
the UK Guest House, since Canada
Guest House was allotted to guests
from Kashmir this year.
I recall visiting Qadian with my
parents in my childhood, although
my recollection of it is hazy. I have
some recollection of how Hadrat
Khalifatul Masih II (ra) used to
deliver quite long and inspiring
speech on the last day of Jalsa,
which continued to sunset time, and
the lights would be turned on. I can
also recall my parents visiting and
meeting Hadrat Mufti Muhammad
Sadiq (ra) and Maulana Abual Ata
Jallandhry during Jalsa days. In my
adult life my late wife
Bushra and I visited Qadian
at Jalsa in 1977 when I
made a brief speech about
the activities of Canada
Jama`at at that time.
The December 2006 visit
was, in fact, a nostalgic visit
to Qadian after about 30
years. This time I saw the
addition of four guest
houses (Canada, USA, UK
and Germany)
in one walled-compound
and a very impressive and
spacious Sarai Tahir (Tahir
Inn), just across from the
guesthouses, which can
comfortably accommodate
over 6,000 guests.
One highlight of 2006 Jalsa
Salana, in my view, was the
presentation of Sheikh Saeed
Ahmad (a maternal grandson of
Maulvi Muhammad Hussain
Batalvi, an opponent of the
Promised Messiah) during the
speech of Maulana Ghulam Nabi,
Missionary Incharge of Kashmir.
His speech title was: The Truth of
the Promised Messiah (as) in the
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
My Nostalgic Visit to Hoshiarpur 23
My Nostalgic Visit to Hoshiarpur
Dr. Ijaz Qamar
Light of Prophesies of Warning and
Good News. I had seen this
gentleman, Sheikh Saeed Ahmad,
earlier in the Ahmadiyya mosque in
Jaranwala (near Faisalabad,
Pakistan) in my college days. I
came to know from the speech of
Maulana Ghulam Nabi that
government of the day had gifted
some agricultural land to Maulvi
Muhammad Hussain Batalvi in a
village (chak # 123) near Jaranwala
and his family had settled there.
Another highlight of Jalsa 2006, in
my view, was a speech in the
Punjabi language by Maulvi Giani
Tanvir Ahmad on the subject of
Ahmadiyyat: The True Islam. Being
a Punjabi myself, I enjoyed this
speech thoroughly. This was my
first time listening to a speech
delivered in Punjabi from the stage
of Jalsa Salana.
On December 29, I left Qadian for
Hoshiarpur, which is located at a
distance of about two hours by taxi
cab, in the company of Maulvi
Nasrul Haq, Missionary of
Hoshiarpur. We reached his
residence and the Jama`at Mission
House located on Bank Bazar (near
Old Kanak Mandi) by noon, well in
time for the Friday prayer. This
blessed and historic house is the
same house where the Promised
Messiah (as) spent 40 days in 1886
in seclusion, supplicating to Allah,
due to His command. This was a
very emotional visit for me, being
my first ever visit, to this house
which I had not had an opportunity
to visit although it was located in
my ancestral city.
This building consists of
several different parts. On
the street level are small
shops owned by non-
Muslims and a portion of
the upper level is owned
by the Jama`at. The old
staircase is also in the
possession of the Jama`at
but now it does not lead to
the street, and it is
functionally closed. A
garage-type room is also in
possession of the Jama`at.
The upper level, which is
in possession of the
Jama`at, has two sections.
One section is used as the
Missionary’s residence
and its opposite side
consists of a verandah and
two adjoining rooms in
east-west directions, which are used
as a mosque. Out of these two
rooms, the western room (about
12x12 ft) is the historic room where
the Promised Messiah (as) did
“chilla”—a 40-days solitary retreat
for supplication to God in pious
seclusion, following the command
of Allah, the Exalted. I spent 24
hours, out of my stay in Hoshiarpur,
in these two rooms.
The year of 1886 was a year of
momentous incidents, full of Allah’s
blessings, in which the Promised
Messiah (as) saw splendid
manifestations of special signs from
Allah. He was divinely informed of
many future happenings, including
the birth of a Promised Son to him,
which the world came to know as
Hadrat Mirza Bashirudin Mahmud
Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II (ra).
The Promised Messiah (as) had a
long time wish and intention to
spend 40 days in special
supplication, like Hadrat Musa (as)
did in his life, at a place where no
body knew him so that he could
concentrate without human
disturbance. In 1884 he had
intended to go to Sojanpur (district
Gurdaspur) for that purpose but
that journey was postponed
according to the will of Allah. He
wanted for the divine light to guide
him in the selection of the place to
which he would go. Allah revealed
to the Promised Messiah (as) in
Urdu “tumhari uqda kushaee
Hoshiarpur mein ho gi”, (your
conundrum will be resolved in
Hoshiarpur). As a result, in January
1886, the Promised Messiah (as) left
for Hoshiarpur in the company of
Hadrat Maulvi Abdullah Sanori,
My Nostalgic Visit to Hoshiarpur 24
Entrance to the house from the street
Hadrat Sheikh Hamid Ali and Mian
Fateh Khan (may Allah be pleased
with all of them). Hudur stayed at
the upper floor of the house which
at that time was owned by Sheikh
Mehr Ali.
Because the Promised Messiah (as)
had already become widely known
due to the publication of Braheen-e-
Ahmadiyya, people had wished to
meet him in person. For that reason
he had made public announcement
through handbills (flyers etc.) that
no one should meet him for 40 days
and that afterwards he would stay
there for 20 days when public will
be able to meet him.
After the passage of 40 days of
secluded supplication, the Promised
Messiah (as) issued a leaflet on
February 20, 1886, in which he
noted a number of prophecies about
himself, his progeny, his relatives,
his friends, and about Sir Syed
Ahmad Khan as well as about
Maharajah Daleep Singh. His
prophecy about the Musleh Mau`ud
(the Promised Reformer) was
especially highlighted.
According to Hadrat Maulvi
Abdullah Sanori (ra), (see, Seeratul
Mahdi, Vol I, narration No. 88) he
and his other two companions
stayed in the lower portion of the
building. The Promised Messiah
(as) gave instructions to them that
no one would take the initiative to
speak to the Promised Messiah
unless he himself spoke to someone
to ask for something. There would
be no other conversation. The
Promised Messiah’s meals would be
brought to him, upstairs. (This
author saw this historic staircase
which is not in use now. Instead a
new staircase has been built, which
opens onto the Bank Bazar at the
street level.) Hudur also instructed
that he would offer his daily prayers
by himself, but for Friday prayers
he asked them to locate a mosque
that was not very much frequented.
So a small mosque situated in a park
was found outside Hoshiarpur city.
Hudur used to deliver a short
sermon and would quickly return to
the house just after the Friday
prayer.
According to Hadrat Maulvi
Abdullah Sanori (ra), he would go
upstairs to deliver food to the
Promised Messiah (as). Once, the
Promised Messiah (as) said to
him,”Mian Abdullah, these days
numerous doors of Allah’s blessings
have been opened for me and
sometimes Allah converses with me
for an extended period of time. If
these are written down on paper,
they will cover a lot of pages.”
After 40 days of devotional worship,
a number of people were waiting to
meet the Promised Messiah (as).
Some people exchanged religious
discourses with him, the most
famous one being a debate with
Pandit Murlidhar, an account of
which is given in the Promised
Messiah’s book entitled “Surma
Chashm Ariya”.
After staying for a total of two
months in Hoshiarpur, the Promised
Messiah went back to Qadian, using
the same route that he had used for
coming to the city of Hoshiarpur.
On the way back, Hudur stopped at
the tomb of a holy person that was
situated in a small garden, about 5
to 6 miles from Hoshiarpur, and
offered prayer at his grave. There he
saw in a vision, the saintly person
who was buried in that grave 100
years ago. He gave a verbal
description of his appearance saying
that he had big eyes and was of
somewhat dark complexion. This
description of the holy man was
confirmed by the caretaker of the
tomb, who had heard about it from
his forefathers.
While staying in this blessed house,
I toured the vicinity in which the
Promised Messiah (as) had moved
about. There is an open area (called
old Kanak Mandi) just a few steps
My Nostalgic Visit to Hoshiarpur 25
Entrance to the room of
"Solitary Retreat"
down the Bank Bazar where he held
a Jalsa after his “chilla”. Now this
area is occupied by some make-shift
shops and a transport terminal for
rickshaws.
Then, in the company of Murabbi
Nasrul Haq Sahib, I went to my
ancestral village Baroti. This village
belonged to our extended family of
the Rajput clan and at the time of
the partition of India we all left and
only a few working class Hindus
(now called adhartis) were left
behind. This village, located 5 miles
North-East of Hoshiarpur, is nestled
in a very serene and picturesque
setting of the foothills of Koh-e-
Shiwalik (a part of the Himalayan
range), with housing on the sloping
hills and the farm land on the plains
below. A history of the area is
contained in a book entitled A
Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of
the Punjab and North-West Frontier
Province complied by H.A Rose
(1919, Low Priced Publications,
New Dehli). The village history goes
back to the Mughal Muslim period
in India. During the ruler Mahmud
Ghaznavi’s time, there were various
fights that resulted in conquering
and re-conquering of territories, as
was the case at that time. In that
period of history there was a person
by the name of Rana Mal (a
descendent of Nipal Chand, later
called Naru Khan) who had five
sons, who divided the territory
under their control. One of his sons
by the name of Bhojo got various
villages and one of them was our
village Baroti.
My father, Chaudhry Dost
Muhammad Khan (M.A. Gold
Medalist – Aligarh University, B.T. –
Punjab University) was the pioneer
of Ahmadiyyat in our village, and in
fact in the Hoshiarpur district of
that time, by joining the Jama`at in
1931. He made history soon after
1931 by organizing a successful
propagational conference (tablighi
jalsa) in the village of Baroti, against
heavy odds. My father has written
in his personal diary that Maulvi
Badruddin of Faizullah Chak (near
Qadian) was the featured Ahmadi
speaker who explained the message
of Ahmadiyyat very effectively.
On this visit to my village, I was
able to see the site of the above-
mentioned jalsa and also the
location of our home and those of
our extended family, which we had
evacuated back in 1947. I was an
elementary school child at that time
and have just a hazy memory of
these ancestral sites. I was able to
find an elderly person in the village
who became my tour guide for two
hours I was in the village. It was
another emotional moment for me
when I saw the wells and a pond
from where we used to draw water.
Now with the span of over half a
century, the village had significantly
progressed, with running tap-water,
electricity, roads and telephone
lines.
After I concluded my visit to my
village, I returned to Hoshiarpur
city and visited the clock-tower and
the nearby school which I had
attended. Luckily, I found a teacher
on the school premises who took me
around the school building and
reminded me of the class room
where I used to have wood working
class (it was called “manual
training” in those days).
Then I stayed in the room next to
the room where the Promised
Messiah (as) had done his chilla in
1886. Saying obligatory prayers and
nawafil in the Promised Messiah’s
room was a spiritual experience of
unfathomable proportions. The next
day, I headed for Pakistan via Atari-
Wagha border in the company of
Murabbi Nasrul Haq Sahib. On the
way, I made a brief stop in
Jallandhar city where my father
taught high school and my sister
Akhtarun Nisa Begum obtained her
Maulvi degree from the well-known
Madrasa-tul-Binat. Seeing our old
house where we resided in
Mohallah Pakka Bagh (near Rainak
Bazar Chowk) and the school I went
to was another occasion for my
personal recollection of old times.
I am deeply grateful to Allah for
providing me with the opportunity
to undertake this journey to
Hoshiarpur and its vicinity, where
the Promised Messiah (as) had spent
two months on a Divine mission.
References:
Life of Ahmad, Part 1 By A.R. Dard,
M.A. (A Tabshir Publication 1948),
p.108.
Hayat-e-Tayyiba (Urdu) By Hadrat
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Saudagarmal
(Nazarat Nashro Isha`at, Qadian,
2001), p.63-64
My Nostalgic Visit to Hoshiarpur 26
And those, who hearken to their
Lord, and observe Prayer, and
whose affairs are decided by mutual
consultation, and who spend out of
what We have provided for them,
(42:39)
Sh r is an Arabic word for
"consultation." The word Sh r is
derived from connotations of giving
one’s opinion after having purified
oneself. According to the above
mentioned verse of the Holy
Qur’an, the true believers are those
who observe prayer and who
consult in communal matters, who
reflect and then give an opinion and
once a decision is made they
cooperate and employ all their
strengths to implement it.
While Islam enjoins representative
democracy, it also requires
submission to those in authority.
This is a more traditional approach,
characteristic of many centuries of
Islamic history.
Sh r is a key principle of
governance in Islam. However, a
true Sh r can only exist with
guidance from Khilafat. In the Holy
Qur’an, two modes of consultation
are mentioned. In the one, the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (sa) is asked to
consult with his companions, but
ultimately, to decide on his own. In
the other, the community of the
faithful is described as the one that
(among its other attributes)
administers its affairs by mutual
consultation. For the first one,
consultation is mandated but is not
binding; whereas for the second, it
is depicted as constituting the very
process by which are reached
binding decisions on public matters.
Similarly in the first mode, the
Prophet (sa), and by interpretation
his representative, is personally
involved, while in the second mode,
it is the community deliberating on
public matters collectively.
The Holy Qur’an states:
“And it is by the great mercy of
Allah that thou art kind towards
them, and if thou hadst been rough
and hard-hearted, they would surely
have dispersed from around thee. So
pardon them and ask forgiveness for
them, and consult them in matters
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
Dr. Syed Muhammad Aslam Daud
Secretary Majlis Shura Canada
Majlis Sh r
and whose affairs are decided by mutual consultation
Majlis Sh r 27
of administration; and when thou
art resolved, then put thy trust in
Allah. Surely, Allah loves those who
put their trust in Him.” (3:160)
Following the above commandment
of Allah, the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (sa) used to seek
consultation and confer with others.
However, if the final decision is
contrary to the counsel and the
opinions given, then Allah
commands the Prophet (or in the
present day, the Khal fa) to put his
trust in Him and stay firm on his
decision.
The Holy Prophet (sa) said that the
one who is consulted is a trustee
and the one whose brother seeks his
consultation and he gives it to him
without due integrity betrays him.
He enjoined his followers to consult
those who are sensible and who are
sincere worshippers, be they men or
women. The Holy Prophet (sa)
himself used to take advice from
both men and women.
Choosing the first Caliphs by Sh r
The first form of Majlis Sh r
(Consultative Body) was held at the
demise of Holy Prophet
Muhammad (sa) in 632 CE to
discuss his succession. Hadrat Abu
Bakr (ra) was selected with mutual
consultation as his successor.
Hadrat Umar Bin Khattab (ra), the
second successor of the Holy
Prophet (sa) established a splendid
system of administration for the
Islamic state including the
establishment of Majlis Sh r as a
consultative advisory body to the
Khal fa. In the light of Qura'nic
guidance and the blessed model of
the Holy Prophet (sa), Hadrat Umer
(ra) said that there is no Khilafat
without Sh r . Hadrat Ali (ra) also
said that counsel should be sought
from those who are sensible and
those who worship God.
During and after Hadrat Ali's (ra)
tenure as Caliph, the Muslim
community fell into civil war. Power
was eventually grasped by the
Ummayad caliphs and then by the
Abbasid caliphs. However, a few of
the later caliphs had anything but
nominal control over the many
Islamic States. There were also rival
caliphates in Egypt and Al-Andalus,
which included most of today’s
Spain. Later, the rulers of the
Ottoman empire claimed the
caliphate which was ultimately
dissolved in 1924.
None of the later caliphs or rulers of
early Islam, after the righteous
caliphate, were chosen by Sh r ;
most came into authority by
inheritance or by the sword. In
practice, most Muslim rulers at that
time were autocratic, listened only
to powerful advisors and clergy, and
rejected advice they did not like.
One can cautiously attribute their
failure to the lack of existence of a
pious Majlis Sh r .
Sh r and Contemporary Muslim-
Majority States
Some Muslim-majority states, like
Turkey, are secular democracies or
cons t i tu t iona l monarchies
(Morocco). They could thus be said
to be ruled by one version of Sh r .
Other states are dictatorship,
secular, monarchic, or clerical. The
bicameral Parliament of Pakistan is
officially called the Majlis Sh r ,
although the Constitution uses
various spellings of the term. In
Egypt, the Upper House of
Parliament is known as the Sh r
Council. Most members are elected
for a six-year term; however, all real
power is held by the President.
Saudi Arabia was given a Sh r
council in 1993 of which there are
now 120 members. All real power is
held by the King, who is elected by
family members, with no input from
the populace. Oman also has a
Sh r Council, but its members are
appointed by the Sultan and they
Majlis Sh r 28
can only offer advice, which may be
refused if the Sultan so pleases. Iran
also practices Sh r where the
leader consults with other clergies.
Majlis Sh r in Jam `at
Ahmadiyya
In Jam `at Ahmadiyya, Majlis Sh r
is an advisory consultative council
of the Jam `at. This institution was
established in 1922 by Hadrat Mirza
Bashirudin Mahmood Ahmed,
Khal fatul Mas h II (ra).
International Majlis Sh r normally
convened annually to submit its
recommendations to Hadrat
Khal fatul Mas h on such matters of
international importance, as might
be entrusted to it through the
members of the Jam `at through
their Am rs and Maj lis ` mila.
Apart from International Majlis
Sh r , every country now holds its
own National Sh r annually to
discuss and advise the National
Am r on matters of national
importance. The National Am r then
forwards these recommendations to
Hadrat Khal fatul Mas h for his
consideration and approval. The
first Majlis Shura of Canada Jama`at
was held on December 24, 1977. It
was also the first day of Jalsa Salana
Canada.
Members of Majlis Sh r
Majlis Sh r is composed of the
Pres idents and e lec ted
representatives of the local Jam `ats,
members of the National Majlis
` mila (including Central
Missionaries working in any
capacity) and other national office
bearers.
Proceeding of Majlis Sh r
The format of the session of Majlis
Sh r is as follows:
• After the inaugural address by
Hadrat Khal fatul Mas h, or his
representative as the case may be,
a report of the Majlis Sh r of the
previous year is presented by the
Secretary Sh r .
• The minutes of the previous
regular annual Sh r are
confirmed by the Majlis Sh r .
• The approved agenda for the
current meeting is presented by
Secretary Sh r .
• If it is an election year (to elect
office bearers of the Jama`at), then
national office bearers are elected
for a 3-year term.
• If required, sub-committees are set
up for detailed consideration of
the items/proposals on the
agenda. It is to be noted that all
the proposals on the agenda which
could be submitted by any
Auxiliary organization, Jama`at, or
National Majlis `Amila are
reviewed and approved by Hadrat
Khalifatul Masih.
• The sub-committees submit their
reports to the Sh r for discussion
and formulation of its
recommendations.
• After discussing the proposal and
the report of the sub-committee,
the Majlis Shura then formulates
its recommendations by majority
vote.
The Am r submits the proposed
recommendations to Hadrat
Khal fatul Mas h for his
consideration and decision. Hadrat
Khal fatul Mas h, at his pleasure,
g e n e r a l l y a c c e p t s t h e
recommendations made by the
majority. However, if he is of the
view that a recommendation ignores
a principle, he explains the principle
and rejects the recommendation. He
may also, at his discretion, accept
the proposal in a modified form.
Etiquettes of Majlis Sh rAll delegates and participants are
expected to observe certain rules
and etiquettes of Majlis Shura,
which is regarded as a highly formal
session. During the proceedings,
delegates speak when they are
invited to do so. For secretarial
purposes, they should clearly state
their full name and the Jam `at they
represent. They should seek
permission from the chair by raising
their hands before leaving the
council while in session and can
leave if the permission is granted.
During the proceeding of the Sh r ,
members should engage themselves
in Istighfar (seeking Divine
forgiveness) and invoke blessings
on the Holy Prophet (sa), and try to
keep one’s mind clear of any
worldly thoughts.
Participation in the Sh r should be
purely for the sake of Allah and one
should be clear-headed and
engaged in prayer throughout the
proceedings. In addition to the
above, the following should be
specially observed during Majlis
Sh r :
• The intention should never be to
convince others of one’s opinion
and others’ opinions should be
carefully listened to.
• The delegate should not give an
opinion on someone’s behalf and
should not concur merely because
of whose opinion it is. One should
give an opinion in view of
whatever is under discussion with
the best possible assessment and
judgment.
• The delegate should not be hasty
to form an opinion.
• The delegate should not follow
emotions; rather facts and figures
Majlis Sh r 29
should be kept in mind and
positive supportive arguments
should be presented.
• The delegate should only speak in
the best interest of the religion and
the community keeping in mind
that the objective is to propagate
Islam.
• All advices should be based on
Taqwa (fear of Allah).
• The delegate should be mindful of
the sanctity of the Sh r and
continually seek Divine help.
• Those who are not official
delegates may also attend the
Sh r , with permission, as
“Observers.” However, they are
not permitted to speak or
participate in discussions.
The system of Sh r is in place
under the guidelines of the Holy
Prophet (sa). Therefore, the final
decision lies with the Khal fa and
the Sh r assembly is only entitled
to ‘propose’ issues rather than make
decisions. However, a significance
of the Sh r is that it provides the
Khal fa a yardstick to gauge the
condition of various countries from
the advice and counsel he receives.
Three Major Benefits of Majlis
Shura
Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
has pointed out three major benefits
of Majlis Sh r :
• The Khalifatul Masih is able to get
advice from members of Jama`at
and thus members of the Jama`at
are able to become part of
decision-making process.
• Due to Majlis Sh r , members of
the Jama`at become aware of
things of national interest and are
able to assist in the progress of the
Jama`at.
• Members of the Jama`at get
practical training of decision
making and the system of the
Jama`at. Majlis Sh r is most
significant in helping the Nizame
Jam `at (Administrative system of
the Community) and the Nizame
Khilafat. People who are elected as
delegates are prospective advisors
to the Khal fa, therefore, much
care is needed in electing the
delegates while electing members
to participate in the Sh r and
represent a particular Jama`at.
Those who clearly and evidently
appear undeserving or those who
seek self-promotion should not be
chosen at all.
The responsibility of the Sh r
delegates is not just for the two or
three days of the Sh r conference,
but for the whole year until the next
set of representatives are chosen.
Therefore, they need to continually
self-reflect; they ought to be sincere
worshippers of God who stand firm
on Taqwa.
Once the recommendations of the
Majlis Sh r proposal are approved
by Khal fatul Mas h then it is the
duty of all the representatives to
ensure and assist in its
implementation.
Majlis Sh r 30
Abder Rahman III of Spain is
arguably the most distinguished
and brilliant Moorish ruler, having
reigned for 49 years over a vast and
wealthy empire. However, when he
died in 961 CE he left behind a piece
of paper on which he gave a brief
yet poignant account of his life:
I have now reigned about 50 years
in victory or peace, beloved by my
subjects, dreaded by my enemies,
and respected by my allies. Riches
and honours, power and pleasure,
have waited on my call, nor does
any earthly blessing appear to have
been wanting to my felicity. In this
situation, I have diligently
numbered the days of pure and
genuine happiness which have
fallen to my lot. They amount to
fourteen.
Throughout almost a half century in
the seat of power and glory, Abder
Rahman III only experienced two
weeks of happiness. How is it
possible that a man who had so
much in this world received such
little joy from his life?
Unfortunately, people today have
more in common with Abder
Rahman III than they realize. On
average, 3 million Canadians have
serious depression. A report
published this year discovered that
in British Columbia the use of
prevalent antidepressants has gone
up dramatically from 1996 to 2004.
In fact, in 2002 the U.S. Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality
found that two antidepressants
were in the top 10 prescription
drugs bought that year; Americans
spent $2.2 billion on Paxil and $2.1
billion on Zoloft. People are
struggling to be satisfied and happy
with their lives, and this is going to
be a difficult battle that will not be
won through antidepressants. This
is because the World Health
Organization has predicted that by
2020 depression will be the second
leading cause of disability
worldwide after heart disease. Is
“pure and genuine happiness”
really so elusive?
Most research to date has focused
primarily upon negative states of
the human mind (anxiety,
depression, neurosis, etc) and great
advancement has been made in
understanding the intricacies of
these complex psychological states.
However, in the past decade alone
there has been a concerted effort to
focus scientific research on
happiness. Positive Psychology is
the new branch of psychology that
has been created for this new
direction that science is taking.
Today, economists, biologists and
psychologists are diligently working
to uncover the secret behind leading
a fulfilling and satisfying life. There
is great promise that true happiness
is not as elusive as it seems.
ECONOMY OF HAPPINESS
Economists have always measured a
country’s progress through its GDP
(Gross Domestic Product), which
gauges economic activity. However,
the shortcomings of such a measure
has become a leading concern in this
field, and research has been done to
establish new and more realistic
ways of quantifying a country’s
well-being that take into account
factors such as human and
environmental welfare rather than
just monetary factors. Bhutan is one
country that has really made great
strides to find ways of measuring its
happiness.
Bhutan is an east Himalayan
Buddhist monarchy with a
population of approximately
800,000 people and unfortunately
one of the least developed countries
in the world. It was not until the
late 1990’s that television and the
Internet were allowed into the
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
In Search of Happiness 31
country. However, its relatively
poor status in comparison to much
of the rest of the world is of no
concern to the Bhutanese, as this
country is obsessed with its state of
happiness. The government of
Bhutan is worried about the affect of
globalization on its country and is
therefore, concerned about
protecting its unique culture. This is
why the government is committed
to establishing its GNH (Gross
National Happiness) rather than
improving its GDP and it believes
that “GNH is more important that
Gross National Product.” GNH is
based upon social, environmental,
and health indicators to better
accurately represent the real
conditions of society. As a measure
of progress, GNH is based upon
four values: the promotion of
equitable and sustainable socio-
economic development, the
presentation and promotion of
cultural values, the conservation of
the natural environment, and the
establishment of good governance.
In Bhutan, the fulfilment of these
values will work to ensure the
country’s overall happiness.
Of course, there are critics of GNH,
who do not believe that it is a
proper scientific measure as it is
quantitative; however, this is where
other countries, especially Canada,
have offered their assistance to
Bhutan in finding scientific methods
of measuring the country’s overall
happiness. Canada, as well as the
Netherlands, France and Germany,
are all supporting the GPI (Genuine
Progress Indicator), which is a
qualitative measure in tandem with
the GNH and proves that happiness
can be measured on a large scale.
The GPI takes into account the
economic value of human, social,
and natural factors on top of
manufactured and financial capital.
It assigns value to things like
environmental quality, population
health, livelihood security, equity,
free time, educational attainment,
unpaid voluntary and household
work. What is innovative about GPI
is that it balances the costs of
economic activity (such as sickness,
crime, pollution, family breakdown,
resource depletion) to the benefits,
which is more realistic than the
GDP as studies have shown that
people are more affected by losses
rather than gains in their decisions.
In other words, GPI answers the
question of whether or not
economic development harms or
improves welfare of people.
Although there is still a long way to
go before GPI is an established
indicator, it holds great potential for
uncovering what actually makes a
country happier and healthier.
BIOLOGY OF HAPPINESS
In terms of biological research, the
sensation of happiness and related
mental states, such as hopefulness,
optimism, and contentment, have
been found to be centred in the left
prefrontal cortex of the brain (an
area of the brain behind the left
forehead). Dopamine is a brain
chemical that plays an important
role in what makes us feel happy. It
is released in the frontal cortex as a
natural reward for the body
In Search of Happiness 32
World Health Organization has predicted that by
2020 depression will be the second leading cause
of disability worldwide after heart disease.
Real time quotes at a stock exchange
whenever we do a certain activity
such as eating, thereby reinforcing
feelings of pleasure so that we
remember and repeat the activity—
this is also why this chemical has
been central to drug addiction
research. Happiness, like the high
from any type of addiction, is
fleeting and does not last long. For
example, when a person eats,
dopamine is released and they begin
to feel good, but eventually they
will start to feel hungry again.
Although science is still struggling
to understand whether the
prefrontal cortex creates sensations
of happiness or if it just reflects
one’s general emotional state,
behavioural geneticists have been
trying to figure out if a “happiness
gene” exists. Thus far, they have
determined that everyone has a
hedonic set point, which is our
individual level of happiness.
Everyday our feelings of happiness
fluctuate up or down, but we each
have a unique stable mid point to
which our happiness level returns.
Behavioural geneticists are
interested in how much of the
difference between our hedonic set
point is due to our genetic makeup.
Essentially, the question they are
trying to answer is how much of our
happiness is under our control.
Some scientists believe that genes
contribute 80% to our hedonic set
point, while others propose that it is
only 50%. Regardless of this debate,
it is clear that there is no specific
“happiness gene” and it is not
hereditary the way that eye colour is
for example. Happiness is an
“emergent property,” which means
that it is a combination of many
genes combined. Therefore,
geneticists think that it is the
arrangement of these genes that
determines our behaviours,
emotions and basic personality
traits. What remains to be studied
then is the interaction of these genes
with each other and also with the
world. However, there is a caution
that should be highlighted in
regards to the genetics of happiness.
If happiness levels are set points
that are influenced mostly by genes,
then it can be concluded that it is
impossible to improve your level of
happiness. Such a conclusion raises
the question of personal
responsibility. For example, it can
be claimed that a person who has a
negative personality cannot
improve because they are born this
way. Such an assumption about
genetic research is dangerous for
society, because it can be easily
misconstrued and people may
assume that random chance has a
part to play in our happiness, thus
removing personal responsibility
from the individual. This is why it
is important to stress that most
scientist believe that our
environment contributes at least
50% to our hedonic set point and
therefore, it is possible to improve
our happiness no matter what level
our genes start us out at. This
branch of genetic research is
beginning to show that happiness is
not a state that we are born with,
but rather something that we can
affect and change.
However, there is no doubt that by
understanding the neurophysiology
of happiness and how positive
emotions affect the body overall
great advancement can be made in
In Search of Happiness 33
What makes a person happy? Is it possible to
increase your level of happiness?
What do you think: [email protected]
Reviewing MRI scan of the human brain
how to lead a healthy life. Several
studies that have already been
conducted have uncovered
fascinating details about how
happiness can drastically affect a
person’s life. For example, it has
been shown that “happy people”
develop 50% more antibodies than
average in response to the flue
vaccine. Happiness has also been
shown to reduce the risk or limit the
severity of cardiovascular disease,
pulmonary disease, diabetes,
hypertension, colds, and upper-
respiratory infections. It seems that
happier people have lower levels of
stress chemicals in their body. Stress
chemicals like cortisol have been
linked to abdominal obesity, Type 2
diabetes, high blood pressure, and
autoimmune disorders. In one
study, after following 1300 men for
ten years, it was found that the rate
of heart disease amongst the
optimists in the group was half of
that of those who did not call
themselves optimists. There have
also been studies where people were
asked to keep a daily journal listing
what they were grateful for each
day. Those who see life as a gift and
display gratefulness have been
shown to take better care of
themselves. All of the research to
date shows that positive emotions
make the immune system function
better, help battle disease, and
ultimately ensure that we live
longer.
PSYCHOLOGY OF HAPPINESS
Obviously then there are positive
affects of happiness on our physical
well-being; however, we are still
back to the difficult question of
where happiness comes from. What
makes a person happy? And is it
possible to increase your level of
happiness?
I recently asked several of my
family and friends what they think
is happiness. The responses I
received were predictable in some
cases and surprising in others. A
few were worldly notions (money,
music, candy, sunshine, shopping),
but most responses revolved around
familial relations and having a life
of peace, security, and freedom from
worldly pains and worries. My
interviewees were of all various
ages, cultures, and religions and in
different stages of life, so
understandably they generally had
vastly different responses. Let me
ask you to please take a moment
and consider what you think is
happiness.
Now that you have your answer,
you will be surprised to learn what
it reveals about your level of
happiness. To begin to even answer
the question of what makes people
happy, it is first important to
understand what does not make a
person happy. And unfortunately
for most of the people who
responded to my email studies have
shown that a lot of what we would
assume would make a person
happy, such as money, family,
youth, and sunny days, in reality do
not do much for our level of
happiness. Dr. Edward Diener of
the University of Illinois has been
studying what does and does not
make people satisfied with life for
the past twenty years. When it
comes to wealth, he has shown that
once a person’s basic needs are met,
their satisfaction with life does not
increase with additional income. As
for the young, they are not as happy
as is popularly believed. Studies
have shown that people under 20
years have the highest rates of
depression. Older people are
actually happier and they are less
prone to dark moods. And finally,
for all those who are holding on to
their single status for dear life,
generally speaking married people
are happier than single people,
physically and socially. A report
published by the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention showed that
married people are less likely to be
in poor-to-fair health, smoke or
drink heavily, or suffer from such
health problems as headaches and
serious psychological distress. Also,
Diener has demonstrated that
people who are generally lonely and
lack social interaction with others
stand the most to gain from
marriage. This is because people
that are positive and content with
life tend to get married and stay
married.
Obviously then, understanding
happiness is not as simple as one
might assume; however, neither is it
as complicated as you may be
thinking now. The Greek
philosopher Aristotle believed that
In Search of Happiness 34
A person who incorporates religion into daily life is
better off in two important ways: a greater
frequency of positive emotions and a greater overall
sense of satisfaction with in life.
there are four levels of happiness,
which begin with short-term
happiness that is gained through
self-serving activities and end with
lasting happiness that is achieved
by serving others. The first and
lowest level is immediate but short-
term happiness that is gained
through pleasurable activities that
appeal to the senses like eating your
favourite food or drinking tea on a
cold day. The second is happiness
that we achieve after reaching goals
that we set for ourselves. Of course,
the happiness that we receive after
reaching that goal does not last very
long. It is only when we turn our
attention to the world outside of
ourselves and contribute to society
that a lasting happiness seems
possible. Aristotle believed that we
could receive a lot of joy from
helping and serving other people.
This is why the final level is about
living life for an important purpose
outside of our own existence (for
example, peace, justice, etc). Here,
we are contributing to a cause that is
larger than ourselves and serves to
help a lot of people. In this respect,
the happiness we can achieve in this
level is limitless and one that
outlasts us.
After reading Aristotle’s theory, I
noticed a correlation with Hadrat
Mirza Tahir Ahmad’s (r.h.) book
Absolute Justice, Kindness, and Kinship
—The Three Creative Principles,
where he explains in great depth the
three stages of human relationships
as listed in the Holy Qur’an:
“Indeed Allah requires you to abide
by justice, to treat with grace and to
give like the giving of kin to
kin” (16:91). The first stage is Adl or
absolute justice where what a
person does is balanced by an equal
reward; this is the least that Allah
expects of us. One level higher than
this is Ihsan or kindness where we
voluntarily grant someone more
than his due through an act of
beneficence. And finally, the highest
level we can attain is Ita’i Dhil-
Qurba, which is to spontaneously
treat others with such grace and
overwhelming benevolence just as
one would treat their own family. In
his analysis of this verse, Khalifatul
Masih IV (rh) demonstrates that
only through a gradual evolution
through these stages of justice can
human relationships reach a level of
peace, security, and ultimate
happiness.
Scientific research today validates
much of Aristotle’s theory as, thus
far, psychologists seem to think that
there are two things that will make
us happy: religion and then friends.
It may be astonishing but scientists
believe that religion will make a
person happy. Studies have found
that religious people are less
stressed and happier than non-
believers. Apparently religion
shields followers from worrying,
and they are better able to cope with
crises. The more that a person
incorporates religion into their daily
life (attending service, praying,
reading scripture, etc) and the
greater their religious certainty is
(ie: their faith in God and the truth
of their beliefs) the better off they
are in two important ways: they
have a greater frequency of positive
emotions and they have a greater
overall sense of satisfaction with
their life. A 2002 study at the
University of Illinois found that the
happiest 10% of students (and those
with the fewest signs of depression)
were the ones with the strongest ties
to their friends and family and who
also had a commitment to spending
time with them. As Diener has said,
“Word needs to be spread. It is
important to work on social skills,
close interpersonal ties and social
support in order to be happy.”
HAPPINESS IN ISLAM
Although science is pointing to both
religion and friends as a source of
happiness, it is only seeing the signs
of the true source, which from the
Holy Qur’an we learn is really
Allah. What science has only
revealed now, Allah clearly told us
15 centuries ago in the Holy Qur’an:
“Those who believe and do good
works—happiness is decreed for
them, and an excellent place of
return” (13:30). With every study
that is done on happiness, the
validity of Islam teachings will only
continue to be proven. It is
surprising to learn that a person’s
wealth, spouse, and kids do not give
them lasting happiness, but these
findings only lend support to the
Holy Qur’an where humankind has
been repeatedly told that the life of
this world is fleeting and therefore,
so is any happiness this world can
potentially give us. For eternal and
lasting happiness we need only to
turn to the Creator of this world,
Allah Almighty, Who has cautioned
us that “The love of desired objects
like women and children and
stored-up reserves of gold and
In Search of Happiness 35
“Those who believe and do good works—happiness is
decreed for them...(Holy Qur’an 13:30)
silver, and pastured horses and
cattle and crops, appears attractive
to people. All this is the provision
of the hither life; and it is Allah
with Whom is an excellent
abode” (3:15). To think of happiness
in relation to objects is indicative of
our consumer culture: the more we
have the happier we seem.
Unfortunately, this could not be any
further from the truth. If we take a
moment to think about it, those
things that we assume to give us
happiness may do so for a short
while, but that joy never lasts; it is
always an imperfect happiness. For
example, a greater income may be
followed by a whole new set of
problems while our children may
not be as academically inclined as
we would like them to be. The
Promised Messiah (as) has clearly
explained the plight of those who
seem to be happy because of their
wealth and luxurious lifestyle:
What does a man wish for in this
world? His greatest wish always is
that he should live a comfortable
and peaceful life. For this, there
is only one way open to him and
that is the way of Taqwa; in
other words, it is called the way
of the Holy Qur’an or the Siraat-
i-Mustaqeem [the right path].
Let nobody think that the
disbelievers also possess a lot of
wealth and they also live a
comfortable life, rather they are
engrossed in luxuries, which
make them intoxicated. I tell you
the truth, these people seem to be
happy only to those who are
materialistic and who can only
see the surface of things. The
fact is that they are experiencing
an intense burning and pain. You
have only seen their faces, but I
look to their hearts. It is as if they
are chained and they are burning.
God says, “Verily, We have prepared
for the disbelievers chains and iron-
collars and a blazing fire” (76:15).
They cannot turn to virtue. They
are so burdened under the chains
that they seem to be worse than
beasts. They are looking towards
the worldly gains and they always
incline towards the earth. In the
heart of their heart they have a
burning. If their amassed wealth
decreases or they do not achieve the
desired success, they are greatly
despaired and they feel a type of
burning. At times, while passing
through this kind of circumstance
they run mad and knock on the
door of the courts. There is no
doubt about it that he who only
cares for worldly gains (he who is
irreligious) is always having a sort
of burning; he lacks satisfaction and
contentment. It is just like an
alcoholic who takes one peg and
asks for another. He feels a sort of
burning. The same is the case of the
person who cares for nothing but
worldly gains. His fire of greed
cannot be quenched even for a
moment. The real happiness is the
lot of the Muttaqi [a righteous
person] alone to whom God has
promised two paradises. A Muttaqi
can find happiness in a thatched hut
while a worldly person cannot get it
in grand and huge castles. The more
he gets, the more troubles he has to
confront. You must remember that
true happiness is never the lot of a
worldly person. Do not think that
abundance of wealth and gorgeous
dresses are the source of happiness.
It definitely is not so. The
fountainhead of true happiness is
Taqwa. (Malfoozat, Vol. 1, p. 420-423)
It can be easy to understand how
one’s wealth does not ensure
happiness as we all know that
money comes and goes, but what is
more difficult to reconcile with one’s
heart is the notion that our family
cannot give us lasting happiness.
However, in The Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam, the Promised
Messiah (r.a.) has explained the true
nature of our love for our family
and friends clearly:
In Search of Happiness 36
The fountainhead of true happiness is Taqwa.
Promised Messiah (as)
It is the attraction that the True
Creator has implanted in the nature
of man. The same attraction comes
into play whenever a person feels
love for another. It is a reflection of
the attraction that is inherent in
man’s nature towards God, as if he
is in search of something that he
misses, the name of which he has
forgotten and which he seeks to find
in one thing or another which he
takes up from time to time. A
person’s love of wealth or offspring
or wife or his soul being attracted
towards a musical voice are all
indications of his search for the True
Beloved. As man cannot behold
with his physical eyes the
Imperceptible Being, Who is latent
like the quality of fire in everyone,
but is hidden, nor can he discover
Him through the mere exercise of
imperfect reason, he has been misled
grievously in his search and has
mistakenly assigned His position to
others. (pages 52-53)
It must be remembered that the
reason why we aim to tread the path
of taqwa is to worship Allah. And it
is only through taqwa that we can
increase our level of happiness. To
search for Allah and to find Him is
the innermost yearning of the
human soul and this is the real
object and goal of life. It is only
when this goal is attained that we
can enjoy perfect peace of mind and
everlasting happiness.
It is no wonder then that scientific
research is beginning to finally
acknowledge the importance of
religion that believers have
understood all along. Studies have
shown that religion is beneficial for
four reasons. First is the social
support that a religious organization
gives. A person not only has a
strong connection with others, but
they also have the belief that God
will take care of them. We have
only to look at our own Ahmadiyya
Community as the perfect example
of this. As an international
organization, we are established in
over 180 countries in every
continent of the world. As
impressive as this is, what is more
remarkable is that an Ahmadi can
travel anywhere in the world, and
have comfort in knowing that they
have a friend in their foreign
surroundings, with Ahmadiyyat
being the only thing in common
between them.
Second is spiritual support that
gives us a sense of a connection to a
community by doing good works
through charity, prayer and
meditation. There has been much
research done, especially on
Buddhists, that has found that the
prefrontal cortex I discussed earlier
is highly active during meditation.
It is obvious then that there is a clear
correlation between meditation and
happiness. The Ahmadiyya
Community, as large and
widespread as it may be, is blessed
with a strong social network
because of the spiritual bond that
ties its members together. The bond
is so strong because we observe the
five pillars of Islam, individually
and as a community. These acts of
worship are the Kalimah or the
verbal Declaration of Faith (“There
is none worthy of worship but
Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah”), observance of Salat five
times a day (preferably in
congregation), the paying of Zakat,
performing Hajj or pilgrimage, and
finally, fasting for the month of
Ramadhan.
Thirdly, religion gives people a
sense of purpose and meaning. It
has been found that those who
believe in life after death are
significantly happier. Repeatedly in
the Holy Qur’an, Allah has pointed
to the insignificance of this world:
“And whatever of anything you are
given is only a temporary
In Search of Happiness 37
Can money buy happiness? [email protected]
enjoyment of the present life and an
adornment thereof; and that which
is with Allah is better and more
lasting. Will you not then
understand?” (28:61). It is only for
the believers to recognize that this
world is not for them, that their
happiness lies in the hereafter. On
the Day of Judgement, Allah the
Gracious, the Ever Merciful, will say
to His true believers:
O My servants, there is no fear for
you this day, nor shall you grieve.
Enter the Garden, you and your
companions, delighted and joyful.
Dishes and cups of gold will be
passed round to them and in them
will be all the heart desires and in
which the eyes delight. Therein will
you abide. This is the Garden to
which you have been made heirs,
because of that which you
practised. Therein for you is fruit in
abundance of which you will eat.
(43:69-74)
It is no surprise then that believers
are happier than non-believers.
This world is not paradise, and it is
not the place of a true believer.
There is a hadith that beautifully
demonstrates this:
Abu Sa’id Khudri relates that the
Holy Prophet (s.a.) said: “Allah, the
Lord of honour and glory, will call
the dwellers of Paradise and they
will respond: Here we are, our Lord,
and all good is in Thy hands. He
will ask them: Are you happy? They
will answer: Why should we not be
happy, our Lord, when You have
bestowed upon us that which You
have not bestowed on any of Your
other creation. He will say to them:
Shall I bestow upon you even better
than that? They will inquire: What
could be better than that? He will
say: I bestow upon you My Pleasure
and I shall never hereafter be wroth
with you.” (Bokhari and Muslim)
And finally, religion encourages the
avoidance of risky and stressful
behaviour, and thereby, simplifies
our life. This is most true in the case
of Islam where Muslims have been
given clear guidance for all aspects
of their lives in the Holy Qur’an.
For example, Allah Almighty has
instructed Muslims to “Recite that
which has been revealed of the Book
and observe Prayer. Surely, Prayer
restrains one from indecency and
manifest evil; and the remembrance
of Allah is the greatest virtue. And
Allah knows what you do” (29:46).
A second source of guidance is the
Ahadith, which are the words
spoken by the Holy Prophet (sa) or
the descriptions of incidents related
to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) life. The
following is a hadith that
emphasizes the fundamental acts of
worship in the lives of all Muslims:
Abu Ayub Khalid ibn Zaid Ansari
relates that a man asked:
“Messenger of Allah, tell me that
which will cause me to be admitted
to Paradise and will keep me away
from the Fire.” He answered:
“Worship Allah and do not
associate anything with Him.
Observe Prayer; pay the Zakat and
join the ties of kinship” (Bokhari
and Muslim).
As Ahmadis, we have been further
blessed with guidance from our
beloved Promised Messiah (as) and
the institution of Khilafat. As our
present Khalifah, Hadrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmad (aa.), has
explained, it is through the
leadership and knowledge of the
Khilafat that Islam enjoys many
blessings and is guided on the right
path.
They give instructions in spiritual
matters asking [Muslims] to
populate the mosques, to establish
Prayers, to give proper training to
the children, to strengthen moral
values, to foster courage and
perseverance. They also make
appeals for inviting others towards
Allah and making financial
sacrifices. All these need to be
followed unfailingly. In other
words, they fall in the category of
obedience to the good. No Prophet
or Khalifah shall ever ask you to do
a n y t h i n g a g a i n s t t h e
commandments of God or against
the dictates of wisdom. They will
In Search of Happiness 38
not ask you to jump into fire or
drown yourselves in the ocean.
Not only is the Khalifah important
for the health of the whole
community, but for each individual
on a personal level. It is incumbent
upon every Ahmadi, children and
adults alike, to form a relationship
with the Khalifah even if it is just by
writing regularly to him. Only by
telling him about the good and the
bad in our lives can we have peace
in our own lives, because his
spiritual support and guidance will
lead us to happiness.
Therefore, it is very clear in Islam
that there is nothing or anyone that
will give us greater pleasure in this
world than Allah. Again, Allah has
clearly explained:
Keep in mind that the life of this
world is only sport and pastime,
and a display, and a subject of
boasting among yourselves, and
rivalry in multiplying riches and
children. It is like vegetation
produced by the rain which rejoices
the tiller. Then it dries up and takes
on a yellow colour, then it becomes
broken particles of stubble. In the
hereafter there is severe
chastisement and forgiveness from
Allah and His pleasure. The life of
this world is but illusory
enjoyment. (57:21)
If this world will not last, how can
we expect that it will give us
happiness that will last? It is Allah
Who is synonymous with
happiness, not wealth, family, or
anything else. This is why we have
been told, “And call not on any
other god beside Allah. There is no
god but He. Everything will perish
but He. His is the judgment, and to
Him will you all be brought
back” (28:89). And we have been
told to “Put thy trust in the One
Who is Ever Living and is the
Source of Life, Who dies
not” (25:59). By placing our trust in
Allah (in regards to all aspects of
our lives) we are bringing peace of
mind to ourselves and freedom
from worldly grief. As it is written
in the Holy Qur’an: “Behold:
indeed, those who are Allah’s
friends, they have no fear, nor will
they come to grief” (10:63). The road
to happiness may not be a smooth
ride, and we may make mistakes
along the way, but once we
recognize the importance of Allah’s
role in our lives, we just may have
more than 14 days of “pure and
genuine” happiness in this world
and eternal happiness in the next.
In Search of Happiness 39
We have firm belief that the Holy
Qur’ n is the word of God and
science is the act of God and that the
two cannot contradict each other.
On the basis of the scientific
concepts held so far about light
energy and darkness believers used
to amaze and the opponents
criticize the following verse of the
Holy Qur’an where darkness is not
mentioned as mere absence of light
but as another type of non-luminous
energy created and put beside light,
the luminous energy:
All praise belongs to Allah Who
created the heavens and the earth
and brought into being darkness
and light; yet those who disbelieve
set up equals to their Lord. [6:2]
Another verse of the Holy Qur’ n
draws our attention regarding light
and darkness:
So He completed them in the form of
seven heavens in two days and He
revealed to each heaven its
functions. And We adorned the
lowest heaven with lamps for light
and provided it with the means of
protection. That is the decree of the
Mighty, the All-Knowing. (41:13)
According to this verse, only the
lowest Heaven has luminous
energy, i.e., light. This means that
some kind of non-luminous energy,
i.e., darkness, exists in the six
Heavens superimposed above the
lowest one.
The concept of ‘darkness’ in our
minds, so far, was mere absence of
light. Darkness is not considered as
an entity itself. We know that light is
an observable energy in the
universe which can be created and
diminished. On the contrary, it was
widely accepted that darkness
cannot be created. Until recent past
even scientists held the same
concept about darkness and they
were unaware of any other form of
energy.
Another view held about darkness
is that absolute darkness cannot be
attained. Scientifically it is only
possible to have a reduced amount
of light. Darkness, in science, is a
relatively low level of light. A dark
object reflects fewer visible photons
than other objects, and, therefore,
appears dim in comparison. For
example black paint does not reflect
visible light and appears dark, but
white paint reflects all visible light
and appears bright.
Scientists recently confirmed the
existence of "Dark Energy", a
mysterious repulsive force that acts
in opposite to gravity. As the
distance increases the attractive
gravitational force decreases but this
mysterious repulsive force
increases. This repulsive force is
pushing galaxies apart; the greater
the distance the greater the
repulsion. Scientists today do not
know what this "Dark Energy" is,
but they know that it exists
independently and that it is causing
the entire universe to expand at an
increasing rate.
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
Dark Energy & the Holy Qur’an 40
Dark Energy & the Holy Qur’anAnsar Raza, Professor Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada
The magazine ‘Scientific American’
for February 2007 contains an article
on “Dark Energy”. This article is
written by Christopher J. Conselice,
an astronomer and lecturer at the
University of Nottingham in
England, where he recently moved
from the California Institute of
Technology.
He states that only in very recent
past the dark energy has been
discovered. He states.
“Only in 1998 did astronomers
discover we have been missing
nearly three quarters of the contents
of the universe, the so-called dark
energy—an unknown form of energy
that surrounds each of us, tugging
at us ever so slightly, holding the
fate of the cosmos in its grip, but to
which we are almost totally blind.”
He further states in that article:
“Ironically, the very pervasiveness
of dark energy is what made it so
hard to recognize. Dark energy,
unlike matter, does not clump in
some places more than others; by its
very nature, it is spread smoothly
everywhere. Whatever the location
—be it your kitchen or in
intergalactic space—it has the same
density, about 10-26 kilograms per
cubic meter, equivalent to a handful
of hydrogen atoms.”
It is now a widely known scientific
fact that the universe is constantly
expanding. This fact is another
testimony of the truthfulness of the
Holy Qur’ n which has informed
more than 1400 years ago that this
universe is ever-expanding.
And the heaven We built with Our
own powers and indeed We go on
expanding it. [51:48]
The dark energy is discovered when
the astronomers realized that the
rate of expansion of universe is
increasing. Mr. Conselice states:
“They reasoned that it [the
expansion] should be slowing down,
as the inward gravitational
attraction exerted by galaxies on
one another should have
counteracted the outward
e x p a n s i o n … O n e p o s s i b l e
conclusion is that different laws of
gravity apply on supergalactic
scales than on lesser ones, so that
galaxies’ gravity does not, in fact,
resist expansion. But the more
generally accepted hypothesis is
that the laws of gravity are
universal and that some form of
energy, previously unknown to
science, opposes and overwhelms
galaxies’ mutual attraction, pushing
them apart very faster. Although
dark energy is inconsequential
within our galaxy (let alone your
kitchen), it adds up to the most
powerful force in the cosmos.”
Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IV (ra) in
his great book, “Revelation,
Rationality, Knowledge and Truth”,
has described the scientific
knowledge of the Holy Qur’ n
revealed upon the Holy Prophet (sa)
more than 1400 years ago and
proved today by modern science as
valid. The topics he has discussed
are: The Qur’an and Cosmology;
Entropy and the Finite Universe; the
Qur’an and the Extraterrestrial Life;
Origin of Life and its Evolution;
Nuclear Holocaust; Genetic
Engineering and many prophecies
of the Holy Qur’ n fulfilled in this
modern age. Now, in addition to
this, by the grace of God, once again
the act of God, i.e., science, has
proved the truthfulness of the word
of God, i.e., the Holy Qur’ n, by
acknowledging the existence of dark
energy and dark matter in the
universe. Now, we know,
scientifically, that darkness is not
mere absence of light, rather a
creation in itself as enunciated by
All h, the Creator in His Holy Book,
Qur’ n, revealed more than 1400
years ago to an unlettered Prophet
(sa).
Dark Energy & the Holy Qur’an 41
The Heart Nebula
Humanity First is an international
humanitarian relief organization
working to provide disaster relief
and community development
services to several poverty-affected
communities in Canada and around
the world. To achieve this objective,
help and support is provided in the
form of basic necessities with the
ultimate goal to build self-
sustaining communities in the
longer run.
Humanity First Canada has
launched various projects within
Canada and in other under-
developed countries. In Canada,
“Feed a Family Program” and “Feed
the Homeless Program” have
already been started. On the
international front, a detailed
program is being formulated to
execute the plans for following
programs:
Water for Humanity
Vision for Humanity
Computer Training Institutes
in Africa
Vocational Training
Orphan Care
In Canada, Feed the Homeless
Program was launched by
Humanity First on the eve of
Christmas 2006. “The area of
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
“Feed the Homeless Program”an initiative by Humanity First
Feed the Homeless - Humanity First 42
downtown was selected
as most of the homeless
people live in and
around that area”
explained Dr. Aslam
D a u d C h a i r m a n
Humanity First Canada.
While commenting on
the details of the
program, he said,
“After initial survey, it
was decided to prepare
soup and bread for
about 200 people. HF
team coordinated with a local
organization that helped us in
identifying the exact places for food
distribution and also gave us some
other items like warm clothing etc
for distribution.”
HF team started distribution of food
on the evening of 24th of December.
The food was distributed through a
mobile kitchen van with Humanity
First banners on it. There were
different spots for distribution of
food. Mirza Naseem Ahmad, Project
in-charge giving details of the
program said, “We were shocked to
see people in this country living
under the bridges, parks, narrow
dirty streets where we were even
feeling afraid to go. In most of the
cases, homeless
people were
waiting for any
humanitarian
aid on those
places.”
The recipients
were very
pleased with
the service. The
homeless were
satisfied with
the food and
were clearly impressed by the
courtesy and nice gesture offered by
the volunteers of Humanity First.
“The timing of this service couldn’t
have been better as most of the
shops and other charitable
organizations were
closed because of the
Christmas Eve.” said
one homeless.
Humanity First team
traveled over 80
kilometers before
serving the last
recipient at about 2:00
a.m. The same service
was repeated on the
Christmas day.
This experience was such a success
and encouraging that Humanity
First has decided to make this
program as a regular event and run
it on a regular basis in various parts
of the province on as and when
needed basis.
Feed the Homeless - Humanity First 43
In this straight forward, easy to read
book Jill Rigby gives practical
everyday examples and options on
“how to” best deal with what may
be the most challenging and
rewarding of all roles we may play
in this world – being Parents.
In light of the verse from the Holy
Qur’an, chapter 6 verse 141, this
book is recommended to help
achieve knowledge and apply it to
practical day to day skills and
activities. The verse reads, “Losers
indeed are they who slay their
children foolishly for the lack of
knowledge…”
It has also been narrated by Hadrat
Abu Umamah that the Holy Prophet
(sa) said, “The parents are the
Heaven or Hell for their children”.
This clearly indicates the powerful
influence we as parents play in
shaping, and building our children’s
characters. It also reminds us that
we play a very crucial role in
creating an atmosphere of love,
respect, harmony (Heaven) in our
homes or quite the opposite.
With regards to raising children, the
author of this book places full
responsibility squarely on the
shoulders of parents. It is up to us
parents to rise to the challenge of
creating an atmosphere that
replicates Heaven on earth by
fulfilling our responsibilities to our
children. One of the very refreshing
themes throughout the book is how
Rigby consistently drives from
Islamic teachings. She places God as
the highest priority in any family
and encourages prayer. “Let the
children catch you talking to God”.
For us, this very clearly reminds us
to set the example of offering
prayers five times a day, following
the articles of faith, and reading the
Qur’an on a daily basis. In other
words, set the example you expect
from your children or perhaps
better said, BE the person you want
your children to become!
Further more, it reminds me of a
quote which I find to be very true
and helpful when talking about
raising children “Remember, we are
not raising children, we are raising
young adults.” The point here being
that when we focus on what we
want our children to become, we
start treating them, teaching them,
respecting them and praying for
them differently.
The book covers some of the
challenges children face and reveals
how desperately they are seeking
answers to the truth in how to deal
with these challenges. Some very
important life lessons come from
this, and as a result, “respectful
children”. However these results are
conditional. The condition is that as
parents we must be willing to do the
following:
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
Raising Respectful Children 44
Raising Respectful Children In A Disrespectful World
Book Review by Maqbool Sheikh
You must be willing to follow
God’s principles.
Be the person you want your
children to become.
Find contentment so your
children can be filled with
gratefulness.
Abandon old notions of building
self-esteem, and enroll your
family in the School Of Respect.
Help your children find their
purpose and use perseverance to
fulfill that purpose.
Use encouragement to motivate
your children.
Set boundaries without building
walls between you and your
children.
Do all you can to protect and
shield your children from the
garbage of our culture.
Engage your children in
meaningful activities, not useless
entertainment.
Listen with your heart to your
children’s needs.
Rigby then describes what the
current situation is, asking “where
have all the parents gone?” She
suggests that parents today have
abdicated their responsibility to
“parent” in favour of pursuing other
interests. Our community is not
immune from this phenomenon. I
am sure you are all aware of
families who fall into this category,
and perhaps you can relate to those
parents who are so busy working,
chasing money to pay a mortgage
that they end up neglecting their
family, and our future! This reminds
me of another quote which
emphasizes the point, “The
Raising Respectful Children 45
answers are simple. It’s parents who
are difficult.”
In order to better understand this
next section I highly recommend
you read the full description in the
book. The following is a brief
outline of the key goals and related
training suggested by age. The
stages are as follows:
The book goes on to cover how we
should deal with the negative
influence of visual images and
messages seen in movies, television
and on the Web. She gives a specific
check list of practical advice on
protecting children from accepting
deviant behaviour as “normal.”
The book ends with thoughts on
how to engage your children versus
“entertaining” them, teaching them
gratefulness, not greediness and
what may be the most powerful tool
of all – listening to our children.
This is a must read for all parents
and parents to be.
According to Dr. Laura Schlessinger
– Internationally Syndicated Talk –
Show host and author – “This is the
book every parent should read to
ensure that their children become
blessings to the world”
It is critical that we all fulfill our
obligations as parents and raise
respectful children because they are
our future, our next generation, and
they will be the future leaders of
our Jama`at. It is our duty to leave
this world a better place than when
we came, and by reading,
understanding and implementing
the practical advice found in this
book we are one step closer to
achieving this goal.
We learn from this book that not
only do we need prayers; we must
have and provide a structure to our
children. This book is affordable and
available online at Chapters.ca.
Published by Howards Books, a
division of Simon and Schuster, it
retails from $12.99 to $18.99 and can
easily be found by typing in the title
or author: “Raising Respectful
Children In A Disrespectful World”
– Author Jill Rigby.
I end this review by reminding
myself and you that the most
important thing we can do in this
Jihad – this struggle, is to earnestly
pray for ourselves and our children.
Chapter 25, verse 75 states: And
those who say “Our Lord, grant us
of our wives and children the
delight of our eyes, and make us a
model for the righteous.”
Raising Respectful Children 46
Announcement:
"Insha`Allah, this year the
National Majlis Shura Canada
will be held on April 28-29, 2007
at Masjid Baitul Islam. A number
of important proposals will be
discussed.
As members of the Jama`at you
are invited to attend this blessed
event as "Observers". At Shura
you will have the opportunity to
learn about the system of the
Jama`at and see how the
delegates, representing their
respective Jama`ats, participate
in the planning of Jama`at
activities and its ongoing
progress. Members of the
Jama`at are also requested to
pray for the success of this
important event.
If you are interested in attending
the National Majlis Shura as an
"Observer", please forward your
name through your Sadr
Jama`at."
Dr. Syed Aslam Daud, Secretary
National Majlis Shura Canada.
Corrections:
Following picture was taken on
the occasion of Jalsa Musleh
Mau`ud in Delhi. It was held in
1944. Incorrect date appeared in
last issue of the Gazette.
Our reader Mr. M. Ziaul Haque
Jattala has provided additional
information on an historic
picture published in last issue of
the Gazette . He confirmed that
"... the person on the left is an
Italian who was a prisoner of
war from "Youl camp". The
P.OW Camp was located near a
village named "Youl near
Dharam Shala” in the
mountainous area of Punjab.
He was an Engineer by
profession and due to his good
behavior was allowed a two
weeks leave from the camp
where during the stay he got
hold of some books of the
Jama`at as such books of all the
religions were distributed by
prison authorities to the P.O.W's
He decided to come to Qadian
for a visit where in Dar ul Ziafat
he was made to share a room
with me for the purpose of
providing him a translator.
His name was "Piano-peo". He
accepted Ahmadiyat at the
hands of Hadrat Khalifatul
Masih II (ra) and was named as
Muhammad Farooq."
A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A
Announcements 47
Announcements
The 1882 revelation of the Promised Messiah (peace be
upon him) continues to be fulfilled in every corner of the
World. By the Grace of Allah,
two guest houses have been built by the Canada Jama`at
to better serve the guests of the Promised Messiah (as).
By the Grace of Allah, construction of the Baitun Nur Mosque in Calgary is
progressing on schedule .