The Light & Islamic Review
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"Call to the path of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with people in the best possible manner. " (Holy Quran 16: 125) • Exponent of • Islam Presents and the Islam as: Lahore The Light Ahmadiyya PEACEFUL Movement & Islamic Review TOLERANT for over RATIONAL seventyjive INSPIRING years.• May - June 1997 • Hazrat Ameer Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan - Recollections by some of those whom he inspired. Vol. 74 CONTENTS No. 3 ■ A true servant of Allah - by Mrs. Samina Sahukhan, Columbus, Ohio. 3 ■ The soul at rest - by Dr. Mohammad Ahmad, Columbus, Ohio. 5 ■ In memory of Hazrat Ameer - by Miss Sarah Ahmad, Lahore. 6 ■ Our late leader, friend and shining example - by the Editor. 8 ■ Lessons in the Quran - 3 Translation of Mr. N. A. Faruqui's Mu 'arif-ul-Qur'an, by Dr. Mohammad Ahmad, Columbus, Ohio. 11 ■ Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan in photographs from around the world. 13 ► Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha 'at Islam Lahore Inc. U.S.A. ◄ 1315 Kingsgate Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221-1504, U.S.A. www.alahmadiyya.org 2 THE LIGHT • MAY - JUNE 1997 The Light was founded in 1921 as the organ of the AHMADIYYA ANJUMAN ISHA. AT ISLAM (Ahmadiyya Association for the propaga About ourselves. tion oflslam) of Lahore, Pakistan. The Islamic Review was published in England from 1913 for over 50 years, and in the U.S.A. 1980 to Ahmadiyya Anjuman lsha 'at Islam Lahore has branches in the following countries: 1991. The present periodical represents the beliefs of the world-wide branches of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam, Lahore. U.S.A. Canada. U.K. Germany. ISSN: 1060-4596 Holland. S0111/i Africa. Editor: Dr. Zahid Aziz. Format & Design: The Editor. India. Indonesia. Circulation: Mrs. Samina Sahukhan, Dr. Noman I. Malik. Australia. Fiji. I Trinidad. Guyana. Articles, letters and all enquiries should be sent to: Suriname. 'The Light', 1315 Kingsgate Road, Columbus, The Movement has members and supp I OHIO 43221 - 1504. U.S.A. orters in many other countries as well. In Berlin, it has a large historical mosque E-mail: [email protected] constructed in the mid-1920s. http://members.aol.com/aaiil WWW: Acliievements: Beliefs and aims. The Anjuman has produced extensive The main object of the A.A.1.1.L. is to present the true, original literature on Islam, originally in English and Urdu, including translations of the message of Islam to the whole world - Islam as it is found in the Holy Quran with commentaries. These Holy Quran and the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, obscured books are being translated into other lan today by grave misconceptions and wrong popular notions. guages, such as French, German, Spanish, Islam seeks to attract the hearts and minds of people towards the Russian, Chinese and Japanese. truth, by means of reasoning, good moral example, and the natural The Anjuman has run several Muslim beauty of its principles. It neither aspires to gain political power, nor missions around the world, including the allows the use of force in support of the faith. first-ever in Western Europe. The Movement's unique contribution to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), our Founder, arose Islamic thought is summed up on the left. to remind the world that Islam is: History: International: It recognizes prophets being raised among all 1889: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad nations and requires Muslims to believe in them all. Truth and founded the Ahmadiyya Movement. goodness can be found in all religions. God treats all human 1901: Movement given name Alimadiyya beings equally justly, regardless of race, nationality or religion. after Holy Prophet Muhammad's other famous name Ahmad. Peaceful: Allows use of force only in unavoidable self-defence. 1905: Hazrat Mirza appoints central body Teaches Muslims to live peacefullyunder any rule which accords (Anjuman) to manage the Movement. them freedom of religion. 1908: Death of Hazrat Mirza. Succeeded Tolerant: Gives full freedom to everyone to hold and practise by Maulana Nur-ud-Din as Head. any creed or religion. Requires us to tolerate differencesof belief 1914: Death of Maulana Nur-ud-Din. and opinion. Ahmadiyya Anjuman lsha'at Islam founded at Lahore as continuation of Rational: In all matters, it urges use of human reason and the original Anjuman. Maulana knowledge. Blind following is condemned and independence of Muhammad Ali elected as Head. thought is granted. 1951: Death of Maulana Muhammad Ali after fifty years of glorious service to Inspiring: Worship is not a ritual, but provides living contact the cause of Islam. Maulana Sadr-ud with a Living God, Who answers prayers and speaks to His Din (d. 1981) becomes head. righteous servants even today as in the past. 1981-1996: Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan, an Non-sectarian: Every person professing Islam by the words lii eminent doctor and religious scholar, led iliiha ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur rasal Alliih (There is no god but the Movement, at a time of intense Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) is a Muslim. persecution and opposition. A Muslim cannot be expelled from Islam by anyone. 1996: Prof. Dr. Asghar Hamid, a distin He also taught that no prophet, old or new, is to arise after the guished mathematician and Islamic Holy Prophet Muhammad. However, Mujaddids will be raised by scholar, becomes Head of Movement. God to revive and rekindle the light of the faith of Islam. THE LIGHT • MAY - JUNE 1997 3 On the life of the late Hazrat Ameer Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Tributes by various men and women whom he inspired Sher Mohammad sahib (may Allah grant him para A true servant of Allah dise). Although we were very close to Hafiz sahib and deeply involved in the Jamaal affairs, it was by Samina Sahukhan, Columbus, Ohio Hazrat Ameer's visit to Vancouver in 1982 that greatly increased our commitment to the Jamaat. He It is with great sadness and a deep sense of loss that stayed at our house for four days. His goodness, I am writing about our beloved late Hazrat Ameer, spirituality and kind and caring temperament imp Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan sahib, affectionately known ressed us deeply. We had never before seen such a to us as Jaanji, for this commemorative issue at his saintly person. When he left, our whole family felt death. lnnii lilliihi wa imui ilaihi riiji'iin - indeed very sad andmissed him badly. During his short stay we are Allah's and to him is our return. I developed a strong bond with Hazrat Ameer, and I have already published a brief history of Hazrat began to correspond with him regularly and keep in Ameer's life in the December 1996 issue of touch with him by phone. Basharaat-e-Ahmadiyya, our news magazine, and In 1984 when my husband Yaseen was going another account of his life by Dr. Zahid Aziz has alone to attend the Convention in Suriname, I found appeared in the November-December 1996 issue of out that Hazrat Ameer was coming to the Convention The Light and Islamic Review. In this article I would to open the Mosque in Paramaribo. Thereupon I like to focus on how Hazrat Ameer inspired and immediately booked my ticket to Suriname, as I was influenced me by his goodness and spirituality to very eager to see him again. come closer to Ahmadiyyat and Islam. During the Convention, I personally experienced Hazrat Ameer, for his whole life, faithfully lived that special trait of Hazrat Ameer's character, that he up to his pledge to "Hold religion above the world". cared forevery member of the Jamaat irrespective of For the last fourteen years that he was our Ameer their social standing. Once during the morning (leader), we all felt that through him we had a direct session I could not find a place to sit, and was connection with Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. With standing to one side in the Convention hall listening Hazrat Ameer's death, this last living link has been to the speeches when Hazrat Ameer spotted me and severed. Our feeling of sadness and loss at his death immediately asked brother Rahman Libed, who was is compounded by the realization that our direct sitting next to him, to call me and made me sit by his connection with Hazrat Mirza sahib has been broken side. On another occasion when I fell ill during the and that the blessed spiritual era of the Great Convention, he came especially to see me in spite of Mujaddid has ended. his busy schedule. Hazrat Ameer attended all the I joined the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in activities from fajr to late at night for the ten days of 1969, three years after I had embraced Islam. In 1974 the Jalsa. He went around meeting everyone I migrated to Canada fromFiji with my family.There personally and holding discussions. He kept up this we formed the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jamaat (comm gruellingpace forthe duration of the Jalsa in spite of unity) in Vancouver at the urging of the late Hafiz his 84 years. He also invited Yaseen and me to attend 4 THE LIGHT • MAY - JUNE 1997 the U.S.A. Convention which was going to be held a lated into German, and by the grace of Almighty month later in California. We again had the good Allah, we have published eight books in German fortune of spending several days with him and including The Religion of Islam and A Manual of Yaseen was privileged to be asked by Hazrat Ameer Hadith by Maulana Muhammad Ali. to lead the maghrib and isha prayers.