January 2014 Editor: Nasir Ahmad B.A. LL.B. Vol. No. 7, Issue No. 18 Calligraphic Design: Late Abdul Ghafoor Saqib (See Condolence Note inside) Allah and Muhammad
CONTENTS Page An Apology 1 Annual Du aiyya 2013 1 Sad Demise: Mr. Abdul Ghafoor Saqib, Lahore. Colonel (Ret d) Hanif Akhter Malhi, Lahore. Mrs. Haneefa Kassam, Ontario, Canada. Mrs. Hajrah Khan, Canada. 2 What Others Say: Jalal Ud Din, Suva, Fiji 4 News from the Berlin Mosque, Germany: Ahmed Saadat 5 My Way Back to the Mosque in Berlin: Mrs. Mahmuda Giesen, Berlin 5 Why I Accepted Islam: Ms. Margit Fuck 5 Glimpses of Mrs. Mahmuda Giesen and her husband s visit to the Berlin Mosque and other Groups 6 News from India: Shaukat A. Ali, Thailand 8 Formatting and Designing: Erwan Hamdani, Jakarta Photographs: Ahmed Saadat An Apology We owe an apology to our readers for not publishing the January issue on time. The main reason for this is that our email account was hacked. Anybody, therefore, whose email has not been included in this issue of the Bulletin, is asked to send the email again. Annual Du aiyya 2013 The Annual Du aiyya Gathering was held at Darus Salaam, Lahore from 25 to 29 December 2013. The International Consultative Committee Meeting took place on the 30th. This annual spiritual gathering was very successful in spite of the current uncertain law and order situation in Pakistan. It was also 100 years of the founding of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Anjuman in Lahore in 1914. We are thankful to Allah and to the devotion of our delegates from foreign countries, who undertook long journeys to grace this occasion with their presence. Our special thanks go to members from the USA, Holland, Trinidad, Suriname, the United Kingdom and Indonesia for responding to the invitation. The Central Anjuman highly appreciates the visit of our two worthy elders from Trinidad: Br Enayat Mohammed, Chairman of Ahmadiyya Muslim Literary Trust, and our learned brother, Kalamazad Mohammed, Imam of the Fireburn Mosque and a distinguished literary figure of Trinidad. Imam Kalamazad Mohammed s most important work is translating the commentary of the 27th and 30th parts of Anwarul Qur an by Dr Basharat Ahmad. His contribution at the Du aiyya will be published in the February issue.
Our special thanks go to Br Yatimin A. S who took a month s leave from his educational institute, MINNI, to do basic work of translating of the Urdu book Ikhtilaaf Silsilah-i Ahmadiyya into Indonesian. The book was written by Mr Amir bin Abdul Aziz Al-Azhari, General Secretary of the Lahore Central Ahmadiyya Anjuman. It will be finalised by Bro. Yatimin in Indonesia and publish it there/ We hope the recent visit of Hazrat Ameer and the General Secretary will go a long way in bringing closer cooperation between the Centre and the Indonesia Jama at, especially regarding the publication of the Indonesian translation of the Qur an and other books clarifying the wrong concepts about the Ahmadiyya Movement and the exaggerated interpretation about the claims and beliefs of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement put forward by Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, second Head of the Qadian Section. * * * Sad demise Mr Abdul Ghafoor Saqib, Lahore Mr Abdul Ghafoor Saqib, a very dear uncle of Hazrat Ameer Dr Abdul Karim Saeed Sahib, died on 7 January, a week or so after undergoing a lung operation. He was a very devoted Ahmadi, and an active member of the General Council and the Executive Committee of the Central Ahmadiyya Anjuman, Lahore. He retired as Chief Executive Officer in the Administration of the Lahore Development Authority. Besides being a distinguished administrator, he was a talented artist with special interest in Qur anic calligraphy. From his early youth he had natural inclination towards portrait drawings. With the passage of time, however, he developed a greater interest in Qur anic calligraphy. It seems the Divine words instilled in him artistic dimensions in this field and it became a passion with him. Starting with miniature drawings of Qur anic verses, he ventured to design fascinating full-length paintings of some well-known verses of the Qur an with such a beautiful combination of colour and design that even a person who was not very conversant with art could easily make out the Qur anic verse out of the complex design of the paining and would feel special inspiration by just looking at it. We will try to give more details about Br Saqib s artistic achievements in some future issue. For now, we are reproducing one piece of work which will give you some idea of his calibre and richness in producing superb design with a combination of colours projecting hidden meanings of the Qur anic verses in his own artistic style. May Allah grant him peace and comfort in the hereafter and may He also favour him with special grace for producing with utmost devotion Divine words in colourful and fascinating designs. Br Saqib s janaza prayer was led by Hazrat Ameer, and the body was laid to rest in the Ahmadiyya graveyard in Darus Salaam, New Garden Town, Lahore. A large number of Br Saqib s relatives, admirers, friends, members of the Jama at, coming from as far as from Peshawar, and staff members of the Lahore Improvement Authority attended his funeral prayer and paid their last respects by joining in the funeral. Colonel (Ret d) Hanif Akhter Malhi, Lahore A brave soldier and a keen student of languages, Colonel (Ret d) Hanif Akhter Malhi served the Pakistan Army with dignity and honour. Page 3
He was a keen student of the Qur an and had a passion to deliver dars-i Qur an and religious talks. He never missed Friday prayers, even when he had knee problems. He belonged to a well-known Malhi family of Baddhomalhi, Dist. Sialkot. May his soul rest in peace and may Allah grant him forgiveness and a special place in Paradise. Mrs Haneefa Kassam, Ontario, Canada We are sorry to announce that Mrs Haneefa Kassim passed away on Wednesday 8th January 2014 at 3 pm in Ontario, Canada. Sister Haneefa, aged 83, had been ill for some time, recovered for a while, but took ill again for the last time. Allah may shower His choicest blessings on the departed soul and grant patience and forbearance to the members of the bereaved family. Mrs Hajrah Khan, Canada Mrs Hajrah Khan, wife of the late Mr Amjad Khan, and mother of Mr Iqbal Khan, Advocate, passed away on 4th January 2014, at 6 pm in Canada, and was interred there. May she enjoy peace in the hereafter and may Allah grant the members of the family fortitude to bear this bereavement. * * * What Others Say Jalal Ud Din, Suva, Fiji Thank you for the Nov.-Dec. issue 2013 of the HOPE. It carried photographs and brief report of the visit of Hazrat Ameer and Br Amir Aziz to Indonesia. I must say that I am very impressed with the progress of the Indonesia Jama at. The 66th anniversary of the PIRI Educational Board of Ahmadiyya Anjuman (Lahore) Indonesia giving glimpses of its religious and educational progress is highly encouraging. It is commendable that in spite of the anti-ahmadiyya wave in Indonesia the Jama at there has been able to continue its religious and literary activities. We in Fiji take pride for the amazing progress made even in that far off place and mostly with their own resources. Notwithstanding the adverse conditions, the Indonesia Jama at has been able to publish several editions of the Indonesian and Javanese translations of the English translation and commentary of the Qur an by Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali and works of other elders of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. I am extremely pleased that Hazrat Ameer and the General Secretary have been asked by the Central Executive Committee to visit various Jama ats abroad. From the brief report published in the HOPE, Ahmadis in Fiji are impressed by its sister organisations such the Indonesia Jama at. 4 Page
News from Berlin Mosque, Germany Activities at and visits to the Berlin Mosque continue as usual in spite of extreme cold. Ahmed Saadat, the acting Imam, has been regularly sending us his reports. Some glimpses of the visits have been included in this issue. We will try to include the remaining reports and photos in the February issue which we hope will be interesting and surprising too. We are thankful to our very learned Sister Dr. Gerdien Jonker for sparing time out of her busy schedule by helping Bro. Ahmed Saadat on important occasions. Her views about Islam published in the Light of 24th July 1960 at the time of entering the fold of Islam entitled Why I accepted Islam is being reproduced in this issue. My Way back to the Mosque in Berlin Mrs. Mahmuda Giesen, Berlin For the first time I came in contact with Islam through the Lahore Ahmadiyya Mosque in 1960. At that time Mr. Muhammad Yahya Butt was the Imam of the Mosque. He explained to me the teachings of Islam and explained to me that every religion teaches that there is only One God. And so Jesus Christ is only a prophet and not a son of God. That was one of the good reasons that touched my heart and I joined the brotherhood of Islam. This is briefly how I became a Muslima and adopted the name Mahmuda. I penned down my thoughts about Islam and how it inspired me in the Light of July 1960. The great Imam Yahya Butt stayed as Imam at the Mosque in Berlin for 27 years for some time with his family and four children. My family and Imam Butt during this long period were in close contact and enjoyed some wonderful gatherings and occasions until he left in 1986/87. Somehow after Imam Butt left Berlin we could not keep contact with any of the Imams at the Mosque afterwards. Luckily in November 2013 we came to the Mosque on the Open Day and went inside and was amazed to see that it was renovated and maintained very well and we were inspired to see its colourful and artistic arches. The new young Imam Mr. Ahmed Saadat welcomed us. It was interesting to recall old memories with him and he was also excited to see a Muslim sister visiting the Mosque after such a long time. We will try to keep contact with him and enjoy the serene surrounding of the Mosque and offer congregational prayers. WHY I ACCEPTED ISLAM It teaches universality of the Light of God By Margit Fuck I was always interested in foreign countries and their religions, especially in Arabic countries. I therefore attended last winter two courses at the Public High School, Berlin. First The Five World Religions and secondly the Arabic Courses to learn Arabic language. Lectures on different religions were given by Mr. Robert Koch. Besides the lectures the whole class was taken to different churches, synagogues and all Buddhist Temples in Berlin. I visited all these religious centres and heard all the lectures and realised that all these religions did not believe in One God alone, but they had associated so many other gods with Him and they did not worship Him alone but they worshipped several other gods and even their spiritual leaders. Moreover I found that every religion limited the light of God to their own group and did not believe in the light accepted by others. Page 5
Four months ago in connection with these visits to religious centres, I and my mother visited the Mosque with a large group of people led by M. Koch. The Imam of the Mosque, Mr. Muhammad Yahya Butt gave us a lecture and explained us a few aspects of the teachings of Islam. It was an appealing idea to me to know that the Muslims believe in One God alone, and that they do not limit the light of God to their own but believe in the light shown to other religious leaders before the Prophet Muhammad. I also found that Islam is a tolerant religion as it demands its followers to believe in all the spiritual leaders of the world such as Jesus, and Moses, and that it does not make any distinction between any of these prophets. The Imam in his talk said that Muslims accept and respect other prophets like Prophet Muhammad. This lecture had a great appeal to me and it made me interested to know more about Islam. So I, together with my mother, who also became interested in Islam, attended the Friday prayers and the discussion groups arranged by the Imam at the Mosque on Saturday evenings. We had many wrong ideas about Islam, but the more we came to the Mosque, the more we were convinced of the beauty of Islam. My parents and my grandparents have the Protestant-Lutheran Confession, so I was baptised and confirmed in the church. But since I have come to know of the true teachings of Islam, which appeal to me I am convinced that Jesus was a son of man sent by God as a prophet and was not the son of God as accepted by the Christians. I and my mother therefore have decided to accept Islam a faith easy to understand, and tolerant towards other religions. (The weekly Light, Lahore 24 th July, 1960) * * * Glimpses of visitors to the Berlin Mosque Mrs. Mahmuda Giesen and her husband at the Mosque 6 Page
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NEWS FROM INDIA... Thanks for Support to Members in India Shaukat A. Ali, Thailand. The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as the parable of a grain growing seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies (further) for whom He pleases. And Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing (Al-Quran 2:261). Dear sisters and brothers, Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu We pray that all of you are enjoying best of spiritual and physical health by the grace of Compassionate and Merciful Allah. We have reached the end of 2013. We know that you must be waiting for information on what has transpired since July 2013. As a result of our appeal response has been very encouraging and funds have come from members in Australia, Fiji, California, Vancouver, Holland and Malaysia. Consequently, our plans for the revised project for Delhi are progressing well. Inshaallah I will visit India again in January 2014 to review the activities and progress during the past year and finalize our plans and programmes for the year and beyond. The intention is to visit Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay), Indore and Delhi and a report will Inshaallah be provided in due course. Please pray for the success of the mission and for all those who are making tremendous sacrifices for the Jama at. In the meantime, you will be pleased to see the attached photos of our new school at Baraini village, in Bihar. Those who are not familiar with the geography of India, should note that it is about 1,200 kilometers from Delhi and it took us 22 hours by train to reach the village and a further 10 hours train ride to Kolkata (Calcutta) from there. You may be very surprised to note that there are many areas particularly in Bihar and Jharkhand, which are probably two of the poorest States in India, where there are no schools. It is absolutely shocking to note that Muslims in rural areas in general have been deprived of proper education and it was reported that as low as 4% of the girls get any education in those States. When some members from those areas brought this to our attention, we decided to start a school in the Community Hall at Baraini Village, 8 Page
Bhagalpur in Bihar about 8 years ago. There are about 150 Muslim families with over 400 children but there was no school in the vicinity. When we visited the village and saw the condition, we decided to buy a block of land for a school. Alhamdulillah, the building is virtually completed and some of the students started classes there about six months ago. It is encouraging to note that there are over 250 students, of which over 50% are girls. We are urging parents to send all their children to school so that there is no child labour. In view of the success of this project and requests from members in other areas, we have started two other schools in temporary premises this year; one at Barhari Village in Bihar and the other in Barharwah Village in Jharkhand; as you can see from the attached photos. Please pray that our membership in those areas continue to grow so that we can provide proper schools for them in the coming years. We must remain mindful of the fact that with the expansion of our activities and increases in our membership, the opposition has also grown. Therefore we have to be very careful on how, where and when to conduct our propagation activities or intensify our endeavours. Some of our members are still being subjected to severe trials and humiliation at the hands of the local Maulvis as well as their relatives and friends. In the meantime, you will be pleased to see the attached photos of our new school at Baraini village, in Bihar. Those who are not familiar with the geography of India, should note that it is about 1,200 kilometers from Delhi and it took us 22 hours by train to reach the village and a further 10 hours train ride to Kolkata (Calcutta) from there. You may be very surprised to note that there are many areas particularly in Bihar and Jharkhand, which are probably two of the poorest States in India, where there are no schools. It is absolutely shocking to note that Muslims in rural areas in general have been deprived of proper education and it was reported that as low as 4% of the girls get any education in those States. * * * CONTACT INFORMATION The HOPE Bulletin E-mail address: thehopebulletin@hotmail.com ISLAM stands for: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND www.aaiil.org www.lahore.ahmadiyya.org Page 9