UPCOMING EVENTS Sept. 1-3 Jalsa Salana USA. Please register ASAP. Aug. 6 Sunday at 11:00 am: Auxiliaries Meeting Aug. 13 Fajr Prayers. All children and adults requested to attend. July 28 30 Jalsa Salana UK Quran Class every Friday evening between Maghrib and Isha prayers on Aug. 4 and 11. See inside for information on Hazoor s visit to the East Coast. Baitul Zafar Envoy A U G U S T 2 0 0 6 S H A W W A L / D H U L - Q A D A H 1 4 2 6 A. H. Welcome Our Beloved Imam to USA and New York Amir Sahib Writes: All Ahmadis in America are excited about the expected visit of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Al-Khamis scheduled for August. This is the time also for prayers and reflection, driven by the force of expectations. V O L U M E 1 9, I S S U E 2 0 Each one of us must consistently pray for the success of this visit, being that Huzoor s tours are generally to understand and foster understanding, which can only happen with Allah s Grace. Huzoor wishes to see observant Ahmadis and an observant Jamaat, and may it please Allah to guide us in the best way. Ameen. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Huzoor s Visit 2 Talim 3 Baitul Zafar Envoy 86-71 Palo Alto Street Holliswood, NY 11423 Tarbiyyat 3 Lajna Meeting 4 Ansar Report 5 Khuddam Report 5 Jalsa Canada 5 Baitul Zafar Envoy and Nawae Zafar is a monthly bilingual newsletter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of New York. For further information contact: Baitul Zafar. 86-71 Palo Alto Street. Holliswood, NY 11423. Tel: 718 479-3345. On the web: http:// www.ahmadiyya.us. 2006
AUGUST 2006 PAGE 2 Baitul Zafar Envoy 86-71 Palo Alto Street Holliswood, NY 11423 Tel: (718) 479-3345 Fax: (718) 479-3346 E-mail: BZEnvoy@hotmail.com For a copy of this newsletter online, please visit www.ahmadiyya.us, then click on the New York home page Editor: Sara Nayyar Technical Assistant: Ishaq Rosiji Distribution: Khurram Bajwa Publication Secretary: Manzur Sikder Juma led by Huzoor The Juma that Hazoor will lead in Willingboro will be shown live at Baitul Zafar at 1:00 pm, so please note the new time. Also, please note that Juma in Manhattan will not take place during the Jalsa weekend, on Sept. 1. Etiquette and Protocol of Meeting Huzoor The Jamaat has provided the etiquette and protocol that all members must observe when meeting Huzoor and follow instructions that are required by all Muslims when coming to the Mosque for Salat or Juma. Ensure you have heard these instructions at the Hulqa and Jamaat meetings, and let your children know about it as well. Mulaqaats for NY Members Meetings with Huzoor will be held at Baitur Rehman on Sunday Aug. 27. For those who will meet in the morning session, reporting time is 8:30 am for the first batch. The afternoon batch is to report at 4:00 pm. Mahmood Ahmad Sahib will notify all members who have been approved for the Mulaqaats. Huzoor s Program Huzoor will lead Juma prayers on the East Coast at the following locations: Friday, August 18 Willingboro Mosque at 1:00 pm Friday August 25 Baitur Rehman Friday Sept. 1st at the Jalsa Gah Huzoor will lead Salat at the Willingboro Mosque from Aug. 17th through Sept. 2nd. Waqfe Nuh class will take place on Sunday evening, Aug. 20th at Willingboro. This class is for boys and girls under 12 years old. New York Program Please get back to us to confirm actual timings, but plan to be at Baitul Zafar at 4:00 pm on Monday, Aug. 21, Inshallah. It is important that each and everyone be there to welcome our beloved Imam to New York. Directions to Willingboro and Baitur Rahman DIRECTION FROM BAITUL ZAFAR TO MASJID AL-NASR, WILLINGBORO, NJ Waqre Amal All members are requested to report every Sunday for waqre amal before Huzoor s arrival, and Khuddams are to report to the Willingboro Jamaat every Saturday before Huzoor s arrival there. Willingboro Preparations Assistance to Willingboro Jamaat We will extend our assistance to the Willingboro Jamaat in general Kadmate Kalq, security, and Ziafat services, as well as MTA services, so please let your name be included. Jazakallah. Take I-95 South/New Jersey Turnpike. Take Exit 5. Immediately after exit make a left at the first traffic light onto Rt. 541 North. Go up approximately 2 miles and take the exit for 295 South. On 295 S take Exit 45B for Willingboro, and you will be on Rancocas Beverly Rd. Cross the first traffic light and make a left at the second traffic light. DO NOT PROCEED TO THE MOSQUE, BUT FOLLOW SIGNS FOR CAR PARK, WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DROP-OFF PEO- PLE AND TAKE THE SHUTTLE TO THE MOSQUE. Please note that due to lack of parking and to avoid congestion, all members, including the handicapped, will have to travel to a nearby parking area and take a shuttle from there. The drivers of the cars may have to drop their passengers at the drop point and park in another larger parking area. Shuttles will be provided from that parking lot as well. Taking all this into consideration and the traffic patterns of New Jersey, please provide yourself ample time to get there on time. Bathroom and other facilities may be limited, so please come prepared for all eventualities. While there, extend your full cooperation and assistance to the volunteers of the jamaat and accept all inconveniences as a challenge, trying to work around it cheerfully. Jazakallah. DIRECTION FROM BAITUL ZAFAR TO MASJID BAITUR RAHMAN, SILVER SPRING, MD Take New Jersey Turnpike/I-95 South. Take Exit #33B/MD-198 WEST onto Sandy Spring Rd/MD-198 toward Burtonsville. After about 6 miles turn left onto Good Hope Rd. The masjid entrance is on your right.
AUGUST 2006 PAGE 3 Tabligh Report Tahir Class Exam Results According to Huzoor s instructions regarding tabligh in small towns, the program we are initiating is very successful. In June, for 11 hours, we were in the Flushing (Flea Market) area. The Richmond Hill area was also visited for tabligh purposes for about two hours. Also in June, with regard to Huzoor's plan about tabligh in small towns, we were in Harlem for five hours. In July, another 9 hours were spent in Flushing (Flea Market) for tabligh. We also spent 6 hours in Harlem, two hours in Richmond Hill, and 11 hours in Flushing (Flea market). On July 16, eight hours were spent in Harlem. Also, two hours were given to the Richmond Hill area. On July 22, five hours were again spent in Flushing (Flea Market). Another four hours were spent in Jamaica Methodist Church. The total amount of books sold in this month was $285. 323 copies of Review of Religions were personally sent to Head of Religion Dept's. in Universities. 16 different books were also mailed out to people who requested them. 1,000 postcards about Jesus were distributed. There is not enough progress in the one-to-one tabligh system. Huzoor is coming, and our motives seem to be out of place in regards to tabligh. So please think, if Hazoor asks us if we re doing good in tabligh, would you know the answer? And why? Please ponder over these few words. Thank you. Abdul Ghafoor The following are the results of the Tahir examination at the end of the school year: Kindergarten 1. Anusha Hamid 2. Alina Ahmad 3. Baria Ahmad Boys I 1. Shomik Alam 2. Danaiel Mahmood 3. Ali Bhatti Boys II 1. Shabir Ahmad 2. Samar Nasir 3. Faiz Nasir Boys III 1.Tamur Hamid 2. Sufwan Akbar 3. Tahir Ahmad Girls I 1. Umra Ahmad 2. Shanze Hamid 3. Amatul Mariam Girls II 1. Aisha 2. Maryam 3. Mahaam Girls III 1. Khulood Sharif 2. Maryam Ahmad 3. Baria Ahmad Tahir Camp Talim Talim ul Qur an class has been going on every Friday. In the month of August, members will travel to Willingboro and for the Jalsa, so the class will not take place in the second half of the month. Tahir Class Requirements The report cards are being sent out to the parents with the hope that they will take time to work on the subjects that need improvement with their children on a regular basis. When the semester starts in September, it must be noted that the children must know the following in order to continue in the same class or to move to a higher class: Level III: At least 10 suras, of which at least 5 must be with translation. The first 17 ayats of Sura Bakrah with translation. Salat with word by word translation Must read Quran regularly. Level II: At least 10 suras Salat with word by word translation Must read Quran regularly. Level I: At least five suras and Salat. All students must report in September wearing the prescribed uniform: Girls: White shalwar (pants) and white shirt (Kameez) with green dupata (Scarf). Boys: White shalwar and white kameez or black trousers and white shirt and cover head with proper topi (hat). No baseball or other caps. All students must come with their notebooks, books, and Quran/Qaida. By the Grace of Allah, Tahir Camp restarted on July 1st and continued for four days at Baitul Zafar. This camp took place again under the instruction of Imam I.H Kausar Sahib. A total of 52 children participated in this camp. The purpose of this Tahir Camp was to pursue the education in Tahir class, while also engaging the children in many enjoyable activities. Tahir Camp began everyday at 10:00 in the morning. The day would initiate with a morning assembly instructed by Imam Kausar Sahib, in which the students would recite the prayers that were instructed by the present Hazur to recite everyday. Tahir Camp included subjects such as Quran, Salat, Prayers, Religious Knowledge, Speech, and Ahadith. Break was given around 2:00pm, and then Zuhr prayer. This was followed by lunch in which they served chicken, fries, sandwich, pizza, rice, and much more. After the break the kids who were from ages 7 to 11 had an urdu class preparation with Rashida Hamid. In this class there were both boys and girls who were under the age of 12. The girls who were from ages 12 and up had a special session with Dr. Salamat, in which she discussed hygiene, cleanliness, and how to take care of children. The boys who were from ages 12 and up had a special session with Farhan Ahmed who is a fire fighter. He discussed how to prevent fires at home, CPR lessons, and careers. The boys also had a special session with Dr. Karim Sharif, in which he discussed about role models, education, and the structure of the Jamaat. After the special session we watched a video of an Urdu class with the present Huzoor. We listened to the speech that were being recited by the kids in the Urdu class. Watching many videos of Urdu classes with Huzoor, we had a question and answer session with Ayaz Sahib on the videos we watched. The day would end after the Asr prayer, and the kids who wished to go to the park would spend their evening their and go home after Maghrib and Isha prayer. The children enjoyed playing sports in the park. (continued on page 4)
Tahir Camp (continued from page 3) The last day of Tahir Camp was July 4 th. On that day, the children had a test in each subject. After the test was graded prizes were given out to the three children from every group who scored the highest. In Group One, 1 st place was Hirra Muzaffar, 2 nd place was Faizia Sharif, and 3 rd place was Marium Amatul. In Group Two, 1 st place was Maryam Sadiqa, 2 nd place was Maaham Ahmed, and 3 rd place was Shabir Aziz Ahmed. In Group Three, 1 st place was Khulood Sharif, 2 nd place was Taimur Hamid, and 3 rd place was Naila Ahmed. After the prizes were given out, every child received a certificate for participating in this Tahir Camp. We all would like to give a special thanks to I.H Kausar Sahib for restarting this camp. Also, we give thanks to Farkhanda Ahmad, Rashida Hamid, Farah Ahmad, Farhat Ayaz, Rehana Ahmed, Dr. Salamat, Fouzia Rahman, Reaz Rahman, Hasan Bajwa, Mueen Ahmad, Saleem Cheema, Naeem Ahmad and his team, and Ayaz Sahib for making this camp successful. We hope in the future it will also be a success. Ameen. Naila Ahmed and Khulood Sharif Finance Amir Sahib writes: The issue of Chanda Wasiyat on capital gains/ profits from the sale of assets/property with significant increase in value since the purchase was brought to the attention of Hazrat Khalifatul Al-Khamis. Huzoor has directed that such gains would be considered as qualifying for the payment of Chanda Wasiyat. This fact should be noted by all. Amir Sahib reminds us that on the instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, the satellite fund remains an active part of jamaat chanda categories. Huzoor has pointed out that it is essential to maintain fund raising to adequately support the MTA transmission here and throughout. We will shortly send out letters giving you the budget that you specified for the current fiscal year with the hope that you will on a regular basis send in your contributions. You can also sign up via an online service to send your contributions monthly. Jazakallah. Al-Qur an: and observe Prayer and give the Zakat and obey the Messenger, that you may be shown mercy. (24:57) On July 9, at 3.40 am Tajhud Prayer was held at Baitul Zafar. Dr. Manzurul Sikder led the prayer. Later at 4.30 am, Fajr Prayer was read. Naseem Bajwa led the prayer. Darese Qur an was delivered by Dr. Sikder. As usual Tahir Sharif led the participants to light physical exercises designed by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih the IV (ra). Light breakfast was served at the end of the program. There is a lot of room for improvement in attendance of such blessed programs. Imam Sahib accompanied by Secretary Tarbiyyat visited families to promote good will and activation of the families. President Nazir Ayaz sahib also continued his visit to the families. A special program for kids and Itfal has been arranged at Baitul Zafar. After Maghrib prayer, every Wednesday ice cream is served to the participants. We request parents to bring children to the mosque, especially on Wednesdays. Sultan Ahmed Sandhu Secretary Tarbiyyat Tarbiyyat Regional Lajna Ijtema Approximately 200 Lajna members attended the North East regional Lajna ijtema on Sunday, July 9 th. The Ijtema, which was held in Queens, also included the Long Island, Brooklyn, and The Bronx jamaats. After breakfast, the Ijtema began with Quranic recitation by Rashida Hamid, pledge led by Bushra Butt, Hadith read by Nighat Ahmad, and a welcoming address in which Queens Lajna President Farkhanda Ahmad reminded us that the purpose of this auspicious day was to gain tarbiyyat through love and proper guidance and to better ourselves as Ahmadi Muslim women. The day went on to include two competitions, four workshops, and a Question & Answer session about Wasiyyat. The workshops were based on four important topics; Nizam-i- Jamaat which was conducted by Tehmeeda Ahmad, The Lajna Constitution held by Patricia Ahmad, Jalsa Etiquettes presented to us by Farah Ahmad, and the last workshop was regarding a Friday Sermon delivered by Khalifatul Masih V aba. This workshop was jointly conducted by the four Tarbiyyat secretaries of the participating jamaats. These informative workshops proved to be effective as well as engaging. The Question & Answer session regarding Wasiyyat was equally engaging as the four panelists answered any questions that were presented to them and went on to provide touching anecdotes demonstrating the blessings of Wasiyyat. The panelists included Farkhanda Ahmad, Zakia Mahmood, Naseem Cheema, and Muneera Alam. The winners of the Tilawat and Poem competition are as follows: Tilawat: Poem: 1. Binesh Nayab 2. Dania Ahmed 1. Farzana Ahmad 3. Naila Sulaiman Farah Ahmad 3. Shahana Sulaiman 2. Dania Ahmed/Aisha Sulaiman Alhamdolillah, The North East Regional Lajna Ijtema was a success and was enjoyed by all. Saira Bajwa
AUGUST 2006 PAGE 5 Another Ahmadi in the Police Force Udnan Ahmad, whose name we missed in the last issue, started his duties in the police force. May Allah bless him in his new endeavor. Jalsa Salana UK Zinda Bajwa Sahib represented our jamaat at the jalsa, and members got together at Baitul Zafar for the international bait ceremony. There were arrangements at Baitul Zafar for members to watch live proceedings of the jalsa. Jalsa Salana Canada Majlis Ansarullah Report Nayyar-E-Ahmadiyyat The recently published Urdu book Nayyar- E-Ahmadiyyat, (Light of Ahmadiyyat) written by Nematullah Basharat Sahib, is a detailed biography of the late Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyar, the first Ahmadiyya Missionary to West Africa, encompassing his acceptance of Ahmadiyyat, his missionary work in England and West Africa, his Jalsa Salana speeches, his poetry, and his family life. It is a must-read for those who would like to learn how the early Ahmadi Missionaries overcame adversity as they held the torch of Ahmadiyyat aloft in the darkest corners of the earth. It is available from The Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, 86-71 Palo Alto St., Holliswood, NY 11423, Phone: 718-479-3345. It is also available online at http:// store.alislam.org/na.html ( Online Store ) Alhamdolillah! Jalsa Salana Canada was successfully held from July 7-9 at the International centre, Toronto. The program started on Friday with Juma at the international center. Maghrib and Ishaa prayer was held at the Baitul Islam Mosque. The ladies program on Saturday included an array of spiritually uplifting, informative, emotional, and well-researched topics, presented by sister of different ages and professional and ethnic backgrounds. Topics of speeches included: Obedience to Khilafat and Its Blessings and Why Islam is Vital for the West? We Need Peace not War. The president, Sister Mirza, stressed the importance of attending Jalsa Salana. She said it s the foundation in gaining righteousness and nearness to Allah. The men s program on Sunday included many members of Parliament, such as Anne Mulvel, Mayor of Oakville, Hazel Mc Callion, Mayor of Mississauga, the Mayor of Bramton, and many more who gave great speeches and praised the Ahmadiyya Community for their honesty, generous donations, hard work, and taking care of the less fortunate. Guests of the Jalsa enjoyed meeting their friends and relatives. The people of the Jamaat in Canada are very nice, and they made every effort to provide comfort to the foreign guests, especially to my sister Zobida Picciano and I (it was her first visit to CA Jalsa). We enjoyed the program. It was very well organized, very clean, and the air conditioning was excellent. May Allah bless those whose hard work made this Jalsa possible and reward all who attended the Jalsa. Ameen. Halima Mohammed The monthly meeting was held on July 16th, with very poor attendance. The first educational paper has been received. Every Nasir is required to solve this paper. If any Nasir needs any help in solving the paper, please retrieve the help paper from the Ansar shelf in the office. Members are also requested to contribute to the U.K Jalsa Gah fund. All members are also requested to attend all meetings and Qur an classes on a regular basis. The next Ansar meeting will be held Inshallah on August 6th (Sunday) at 11:00 am in Baitul Zafar. Abdur Rahman Chaudhry MKA Ijtema Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya National Ijtema was held in Pouch Camp, Staten Island on July 14-16. By the grace of Allah, 60 (Atfal & Khuddam) attended this ijtema from Queens. 18 Khuddams participated in blood drive during the ijtema. Our members participated in both educational & sports competitions and won different prizes: Nazm (Urdu Poem): 3rd: Rizwan Ahmad Religious Knowledge: 1st: North East region (Manzur Sikder represented Queens majlis) Khuddam Sports Competitions: Kabaddi: 1st Volleyball: 2nd Tug of War: 2nd Atfal Educational Competitions: Recitation of the Holy Qur an: 3rd: Taimur Hameed Memorization of the Holy Qur an: 3rd: Safwan Akbar Consolation Prize: Taimur Hameed Speech: 3rd: Safwan Akbar General Religious Knowledge: 2nd: Safwan Akbar Hadith and Prayer memorization: (Award was given to all participants who memorized the Hadith & prayers) Taimur Hameed, Safwan Akbar Atiq Chaudhry Births *Mr. and Mrs. Hanif Iqbal were blessed with a baby boy. *Mr. and Mrs. Tahir Mahmood have been blessed with a baby girl. Tahir is the Hulqa Nigran for Baitul Zafar Hulqa. *Mr. and Mrs. Magroob Idrees had their first child, a baby girl. Congratulations to all of the parents, and may the newborns be a complete source of happiness! Marriage The marriage of Rizwan, son of Hamid Ahmad Sahib, was celebrated in New York. May Allah bless this marriage for the couple and the two families.
AUGUST 2006 PAGE 6 By the grace of Allah, MTA broadcast is now available on the internet. Now people around the world who have access to internet can watch Live MTA transmission with almost normal broadcast quality. MTA Live On The Internet Viewers can visit www.mta.tv and click on MTA LIVE link (Broadband 300, Dial-up 56) to watch the transmission. Windows Media Player may be needed and can be downloaded for free from the internet. MySpace MySpace (myspace.com) is a social networking web site that allows users to share messages, interests and photos with a growing body of friends. Users can send emails, post photos, post videos, listen to music, and write blogs; the site also includes classified ads and posting of events. It has become very popular among teenagers. MySpace and other similar sites have many dangers that parents should be aware of. These sites allow kids to share personal information and communicate with people all over the world. This makes them easy targets for child predators, child pornographers, hate group recruiters, and other unscrupulous individuals on the internet. Also, since the concept of MySpace is to link to online friends, kids might have friends on there that you wouldn t want them to be associating with. Since the internet has many dangers, parents should pay attention to what their children are doing online. Here are some simple tips for parents: *Always monitor what your kids are doing online *Talk to your kids about the dangers of the internet *Have the computer in a public space such as the living room where a grown up can keep an eye on it *For more information go to wiredsafety.org or wiredkids.org Hasan Shahid Humanity First Recognized as NGO The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on July 25 decided to grant Humanity First with a consultative status as an NGO. Initially, a consultative body had reviewed the application of HUMANITY First and came to a decision in May. A total of 57 different NGOs had applied and nearly 20 applications were approved. The decision in favor of Humanity First was unanimous. Initially India had raised some questions, and we had provided the answers by obtaining information from India HF and also from our Headquarters in UK. A brief description of this committee is as follows: The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations is a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It has 19 members who are elected on the basis of equitable geographical representation: 5 members from African States; 4 members from Asian States; 2 members from Eastern European States; 4 members from Latin American and Caribbean States; and 4 members from Western European and other States. The term of office of its members is four years. At this time the following countries were part of the committee. Cameroon, Chile, China, Columbia, Cuba, Ivory Coast, France, Germany, India, Iran, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, Turkey, USA, Zimbabwe. The Committee's decisions are considered recommendations, often in the form of draft decisions calling for action by the Council. Once an application from an NGO has been reviewed and approved by the Committee it is only considered recommended for consultative status. As soon as possible during its next meeting, the Economic and Social Council reviews these recommendations, takes note of the Committee's report and makes the decisions final. Mahmood Qureshi HULQA NEWS Baitul Zafar: Talimul Quran Class continues every Friday evening after Maghrib prayers. The attendance in recent weeks has been low. We encourage all members to participate in these stimulating and engaging sessions. Also, every Wednesday evening all participants to Maghrib and Isha prayers enjoy ice-cream at Baitul Zafar. All are invited to join in. Tahir Mahmood Howard Beach: The monthly meeting took place at the home of Hulqa Nigran, Mansoor Ahmed Sahib, beginning with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Amna Ahmed and a hadith about the status of mothers by Labeeba Chaudhry. The main focus of the meeting was a lecture by president Nazir Ayaz Sahib. Firstly he asked children how they were spending their summers and what they did throughout the day. He emphasized parents to be regular in performing Fajr namaz along with their children. He then spoke on the arrival of Huzoor (a.b.a.) in the U.S. He told us the schedule in which he would visit the east region. He spoke on the juma prayers in Willingboro and the mulaqats that were to be held there. The lecture was followed by a question and answer session. The meeting ended with refreshments. Massawar Ahmed Elmhurst: By the grace of Allah, the Elmhurst monthly hulqa meeting started with Tilawat recited by Naeem Ahmad. This was followed by Darse Quran delivered by Karim Sharif Sahib. He gave a brief commentary on the verses of the third Ruku of Surah Baqrah. He quoted various examples of the Promised Messiah (as) and the Holy Prophet (saw) to thoroughly explain the commentary behind the Quranic verses. Then Nida Nasir narrated a hadith of the Holy Prophet (saw). Then Bariah Ahmad recited a nazm. Next, Sana Nasir delivered a brief biography of her great grandfather Hazrat Mian Ahmad. She gave various accounts of her great grandfather s life that portrayed his noble and honest qualities. Then Maryam Sajid recited Surah Fatiha. Farhan Ahmad then sang a few couplets of the Qaseedah. Then, Naeem Ahmad read from Malfoozat about the coming of Messiah and the significance and importance of this great event. President Nazir Ayaz Sahib concluded our meeting by delivering some announcements, including about the upcoming visit of Huzoor. The meeting ended with silent prayer which was followed by the congregational prayers of Maghrib and Isha. Sadia Khulood Sharif Registration for Jalsa Salana 2006 Jamaat members are requested to proceed with the registration process for Jalsa Salana 2006 as soon as possible. The members should know that registration this time around is not just a registration; in addition, it will create a permanent Jamaat ID for the individual jamaat member. It will be a credit card-like card that one would be able to carry in one's wallet and use it as and when required during the jalsa and all the subsequent jamaat events henceforth. It will also help in adjusting and correcting the overall jamaat tajneed. Wasim Malik