A Publication of Lajna Ima’illah & Lajna Matters Nasiratul Ahmadiyya USA

22 Sha’ban 1434—26 Dhul Qa’dah 1434 Issue 3 - 2013 July - September 2013 Holy Qur’an Special Features The Glorious Qur’an The month of Ramadhan is that in which the Message from Sadr Lajna Qur’an was sent down as a guidance for Correspondence mankind with clear proofs of guidance and Reports discrimination. Therefore, whosoever of Khidmat-e-Khalq Matters you is present at home in this month let him Tarbiyat Matters fast therein. But whoso is temporarily sick Tabligh Matters or is on a journey, shall fast the same num- Publication Matters ber of other days. Allah desires ease for you, Nasirat Matters he does not desire hardship for you, and He Regional Matters desires that you may complete the number, Local Matters that you may exalt Allah for His having Urdu Section guided you and that you may be grateful. (2:186)

And remember when Luqman said to his son while exhorting him, ‘O my dear son! associate not partners with Allah. Surely, associating partners with God is a grievous wrong.’(31:14)

And lower to them (parents) the wing of humility out of ten- derness. And say, ‘My Lord, have mercy on them even as they nourished me in my childhood.’ (17:25)

O my dear son! Even though it be the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and even though it be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, Allah will surely bring it out; ver- ily Allah is the Knower of all subtleties, All-Aware. ‘O my dear son! Observe Prayer, and enjoin good, and forbid evil, and endure patiently whatever may befall thee. Surely this is of those matters, which require firm resolve. ‘And turn not thy cheek away from men in pride nor walk in the earth haughtily; Surely, Allah loves not any arrogant boaster. (31: 17 -19) Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 2 of 44

Ahadith Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet (saw) said: Allah the Lord of honor and glory says: All other deeds of man are for himself, but his fasting is purely for Me and I shall reward him for it. The fast is a shield. When any of you is fasting he should eschew loose talk and noisy exchanges. Should anyone revile him or seek to pick a quarrel with him, he should respond with ‘I am observing a fast.’ (Bukhari and Muslim) Narrated by Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra), said the Prophet of Allah (saw): “Shall I apprise you of three great sins?” We said ‘Aye, O Prophet of Allah.’ He said: “Hearken, the biggest sin is setting up equals to Allah, and then disobedience to parents and neglect of duty to them.” And leaving the cushion he was leaning against, and sitting up in an aroused manner, he said with great force, “Hearken, and lying!” And he repeated it so many times that we wished he had left it off at that and not strained himself so much. (Bukhari) Narrated by Hazrat Anas bin Malik (ra), said the Prophet of Allah: Respect your children and cultivate in them the best of manners. (Ibn Majah)

Writings of the Promised Messiah (as) The verse: The month of Ramadhan is the month in which the Qur’an began to be revealed (2:186), indicates the greatness of the month of Ramadhan. The Sufis have recorded that this is a good month for the illumination of the heart. One who observes the fast has frequent experience of visions in this month. The Salat purifies the spirit and the fast illumines the heart. The purification of the spirit means that one may be delivered from the passions of the self that incites to evil; and the illumination of the heart means that the gates of vision may be opened so that one may be able to behold God. (Malfoozat, Vol IV. p. 256) The third pillar of Islam is fasting. People are also unaware of the reality of fasting. The truth is one cannot talk about a place that one does not go to and is not aware about. Fasting is not merely staying hungry and thirsty; rather its reality and its impact can only be gained through experience. It is human nature that the less he eats the more his self and spirit is purified and his capacity for [spiritual] visions increases. The will of God is to decrease one kind of sustenance and to increase the other. A person who is fasting should always be mindful that he is not just required to stay hungry. On the contrary he should remain engaged in remembrance of God so that he can cut asunder ties of worldly desires and amusements and is wholly devoted to God. Hence, the significance of fasting is this alone, that man gives up one kind of sustenance which only nourishes the body, and attains the other kind of sustenance which is a source of comfort and gratification of the soul. (Translated from Malfoozat, Vol. 9, pp. 122 – 123)

Message from Sadr Lajna, Saliha Malik Assalaamo Alaikum My Dear Sisters, Many of us are genuinely surprised as we discover new and added benefits of fasting in the blessed month of Ramadhan. This year in the Friday Khutbaat of Ramadhan, Huzoor (atba) emphasized the need for us to use our experience of fasting to deeply reflect on our current spiritual status and to strive in the way of Taqwa by keeping the commandments of God in our hearts and in the practice of our daily lives. The powerful combination of fasting and worship opens a person to the process of inner change, which creates profound gratitude in the believer. Indeed this is the meaning of the verse “that you may be grateful” (2:186). Through the beautiful teachings of the Holy Qur’an and by following the excellent example of the Holy Prophet (saw), we may develop the capacity to refrain from every kind of ugliness of sin – great or small, especially as our perception of these things within us increases with the fasts. The real goal of fasting, however, is that this deep inner change should last in us and be constant. Now, while our experience of gratitude from Ramadhan is still fresh in our minds, let us all make a clear resolve to continue our striving for inner change throughout the year. It is my earnest desire that the blessings of Ramadhan continue for each of us and serve as a constant source of progress. May God grant us all the ability to do so, Ameen. 3 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

National Correspondence

Letters from the office of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Khamis (atba)

July 2, 2013 month of April 2013, Jazaka’Mullah, Dear Sadr Lajna Ima’illah USA, These reports highlight the activities carried out by the Lajna Ima’illah USA during this period. It is pleasing to Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu, read that there were many different events; as well as I acknowledged receipt of your of the March 2013 to regular classes were held. On the 24th of April, an Hazoor Anwar (atba), as he is abroad at present. Interfaith Dialogue conference was held at Washington State where members of May Allah the Almighty various faiths were able to bless Lajna Ima’illah, United express their views on ‘The States for all their sincere Moral Empowerment of efforts and may He enable Women’. Jazak ‘Allah you all to continue to serve the Jama’at and spread the Lajna Ima’illah, USA have beautiful message of Islam in made a special effort in the most effective and best implementing the Shura manner possible. Ameen. proposal on prayer by organizing a campaign called Please convey Lajna Section “Come to prayer, Come to UK, team’s love and Salaam prosperity”, which is the to all the sisters. theme for the regional and national Ijtema’s, Mash ‘Allah. May Allah bless you in your August 14, 2013 sincere efforts and enable you to fulfill your duties with zeal. Ameen. Dear Sadr Lajna Ima’illah Please convey my salaam to all the Nasirat and Lajna in Assalamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu, USA. I have received your Lajna and Nasirat reports for the

National Majlis-e-Shura Lajna Ima'illah 2013 When: October 25-27, 2013 Where: Masjid AL Nasar Mosque, Bridge Street, Willingboro, NJ 08046 phone#: (609) 877-2833. The meeting will begin on Friday after Salat-ul-Juma and conclude on Sunday afternoon after Salat-ul-Zuhr.

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Selection of Huzoor’s (atba) Sermons

Follow the Commandments of The Holy Qur’an July 26, 2013 Say, ‘Come, I will rehearse to you what your Lord has made inviolable for you: that you may not associate anything with Him as a partner and that you must treat parents with exceeding kindness, and that you kill not your children for fear of poverty – it is We Who provide for you and for them – and that you approach not foul deeds, whether open or secret; and that you kill not the life which Allah has made sacred, save by right. That is what He has enjoined upon you, that you may understand. And approach not the property of the orphan, except in a way which is best, till he attains his maturity. And give full measure and weight with equity. We task not any soul except according to its capacity. And when you speak, observe justice, even if the concerned person be a relative, and fulfil the covenant of Allah. That is what He enjoins upon you, that you may remember. And say, ‘This is My path leading straight. So follow it; and follow not other ways, lest they lead you away from His way. That is what He enjoins upon you, that you may become able to guard against evils.’ (6:152-154) As explained in the last Friday sermon, the month of Ramadhan and the Holy Qur’an have a particular affinity because the revelation of the Qur’an began in this month. However, this connection can only avail if our recitation of the Qur’an during Ramadhan is done in conjunction with reflecting over its directives and then these directives are made part of our lives. Otherwise we would not be fulfilling the objective of it being revealed in Ramadhan. The Promised Messiah (as) said: ‘The objective of the Holy Qur’an was to turn the savage state into humanness and then through good manners make people civilized so that matters could be resolved within the prescribed limits and directives, and then turn them into godly people.’ He also said: ‘It should also be remembered that the Holy Qur’an carries guidance for academic and practical accomplishments. As such, ‘Guide us on the right path’ indicates seeking knowledge while ‘The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings…’ refers to its practical implementation, so that the best and perfect results may be achieved. Unless a sapling grows and develops properly it cannot bear flowers or fruits. Similarly, any guidance that has does not have most excellent results, is a dead guidance.’ The Promised Messiah (as) said: ‘The Holy Qur’an is a guidance through which its follower attains excellence and he develops a connection with God Almighty. His good deeds, which are in accordance to the directives of the Holy Qur’an grow like a blessed tree, as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. They bear fruit which develop a distinctive sweetness and flavor.’ A distinct change comes about in a person who reads the Qur’an as it ought to be read and follows its commandments. High moral values are created and one becomes a civilized and godly person and God has likened this condition to a blessed tree ‘…It is like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches reach into heaven.’ (14:25) The Promised Messiah (as) said: ‘Elucidating this, Allah the Exalted likens such faith to a seed and tree here and deeds to watering and irrigation. The Qur’an gives the similitude of a farmer who sows seeds and calls it sowing the seeds of faith. There irrigation works and here, deeds work. It should therefore be remembered that faith without any deeds is like a garden without any water or streams. A tree will dry out if after planting it its owner does not pay attention to watering it. It is the same with faith. ‘And as for those who strive in Our path…’ (29:70), that is, do not think that small attempts are sufficient, this path requires great striving.’ (Translated from Tafseer of Holy Qur’an, Vol. II pp.757 – 758) Indeed, Ramadhan draws our attention to [spiritual] striving. While reflecting over the Holy Qur’an and while trying to understand it, we should also put its teaching into practice so that we become those fresh and verdant branches, which reach into heaven and which are connected to God. 5 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

In the verses recited at the start of the sermon God has drawn attention to a few directives. These directives guide us towards Taqwa and towards paying the dues of God and the dues of mankind. Although the translation of the verses would have made these directive very clear, but Huzoor (atba) mentioned them once again as a reminder:  Do not associate anyone or anything with God  Show kindness to parents, their mistreatment is forbidden  Do not kill your children for fear of poverty  Avoid every hidden and apparent indecency; in fact do not even go near it  Do not take life that God has made sacred  Do not go near the property of an orphan  When the orphans reach adulthood, hand over their property to them  Give full measure and weight with fairness  Be fair and just in all circumstances, no relative or dear one should be an  impediment in this  Fulfill your promises and pledges  Under all circumstances strive to stay on the right path. The first commandment forbids associating anyone with God. Which sensible person would associate partners with God, Who has created us and Who nurtures our mental, physical and spiritual capacities and gives us all the blessings? Yet, people do not understand and associate partners with God. They do not try to understand the significance of Shirk in depth. Each age and era has had people who have had this tendency and this is why the first message of Prophets of God is teaching against Shirk; indeed Shirk is an unforgivable sin. The Promised Messiah (as) said: Every sin is forgivable but associating partners with God is an unforgivable sin. ‘…Surely, associating partners with God is a grievous wrong.’ (31:14) and ‘…will not forgive that any partner be associated with Him…’ (4:48) Here, Shirk does not simply mean worshipping idols made of stone. In fact it is also Shirk to venerate worldly means and give importance to worldly idols. This indeed is Shirk. The example of sinning is like smoking Huqqah, giving it up is not that difficult and inconvenient while the example of Shirk is like taking opium, which is an impossible habit to break.’ (Translated from Malfuzat, Vol. 6 pp 18 – 19) The Promised Messiah (as) said: ‘Shirk is three-fold. The first kind is general idol-worship and worship of trees. This is a broad, common Shirk. The second kind of Shirk is when too much reliance is placed on ways and means, that is, saying ‘if such and such did not happen, I would have died’, this is Shirk. The third kind of Shirk is whereby one considers oneself to something compared to God. No one gets embroiled in the broad kind of Shirk in this age of enlightenment; however, in this time of material advancement, the Shirk of ways and means has increased a lot.’ (Translated from Tafseer of Holy Qur’an, Vol. III p 657) The Promised Messiah (as) defined worship as: ‘O people, worship the God Who has created you, that is, know that all your tasks come to pass through Him and rely on Him.’ ‘O people, worship the God Who has created you…He alone is worthy of worship and He is Living and you should love Him alone. Loyalty is in keeping a special connection with God and everything else should be considered nought in comparison. A person who holds his children or parents so dear that he remains concerned about them all the time also does a kind of idol worship. Idol worship does not only mean to worship idols like Hindus. Too much love is also a kind of worship.’ ‘O people, worship the God, Who is One and without any partner, Who created you and your forefathers. You should fear the Powerful God Who made the earth a place to rest for you and the sky a cover. Who sent down water from the sky to create varied forms of sustenance for you from fruits. Do not knowingly associate those very things Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 6 of 44

equal to Him which have been created for you.’ (Translated from Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, Vol. pp. 454 – 455)

Further explaining the reality of worship, the Promised Messiah (as) said: ‘The real reason for the creation of mankind is worship. Just as it is stated elsewhere: ‘And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.’ (51:57). True worship is when man removes all hardness and crookedness and makes the terrain of his heart as clear as a farmer clears his field…as collyrium or kohl is ground extremely finely so that it can be put in the eyes. Similarly, a state of worship is when the terrain of the heart is free of grit, pebbles and unevenness and is so clean that it embodies pure soul. If a mirror is cleaned in this manner one can see one’s face in it and if soil is thus treated, all kinds of fruits grow in it. Therefore, if man, who has been created to worship God, cleans his heart and does not let any grit, pebbles or unevenness remain in it, God will be seen in it. I say again that God’s love will grow and flourish therein bearing sweet and wholesome fruits, which will be eternal. ’ The Promised Messiah (as) also said that it is only possible to stand before God in a special state of humility when there is an exceptional connection with Him. And the love has to be mutual, between the Creator and man. Love of God should be so intense and so true that it should burn away human frailties, just like lightening burns away anything that it strikes, and spirituality should take over. This is the reason for our creation and this is the reason for experiencing Ramadhan and this is the standard of worship that the Promised Messiah (as) has taught us. Once this standard is attained, man is free from all kinds of Shirk. May God enable us to worship in this manner this Ramadhan. The second commandment is about kindness to parents. The sequence of these directives is natural because after God it is the parents who look after us and nurture us. God has stated: ‘Thy Lord has commanded, ‘Worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with thee, never say unto them any word expressive of disgust nor reproach them, but address them with excellent speech.’ (17:24) Sometimes complaints are received from parents of educated and level-headed people that not only do children not pay the dues of their parents but are in fact unfair to them. Sisters write in that brothers even raise their hands to the parents especially in matters of property settlement. If parents manage the settlement of property in their lifetime the offspring turn nasty. These examples are also found among us and parents are left dispossessed. In this country adolescents turn to rudeness in the name of freedom. Generally speaking after a certain age youngsters are considered independent here, but freedom here has no regard to the degree of seniority, which is in fact ignorance. The beautiful teaching of Islam is not to express any disgust to parents, rather repay their kindness with kindness although it is not really possible to repay the kindness of parents. The beautiful teaching of Islam teaches the prayer: ‘My Lord, have mercy on them even as they nourished me in my childhood.’ (17:25) This indeed should be our standard. This prayer can be said for parents even after they have departed from this world for elevation of their station in the Hereafter. The Promised Messiah (as) said: ‘God has commanded that you do not worship anyone save Him and are kind to your parents. Rububiyyat (Divine quality to sustain and nurture) is a wonder! A baby does not have any kind of strength and his mother takes great care of him in that state and the father gives the mother support in her undertakings. Out of His sheer grace, Allah the Exalted has made two sources to look after fragile creation and has placed a ray of love in them out of the luminosity of His love. However, it should be remembered that parents’ love is limited and God’s love is real. Unless hearts are inspired by Allah the Exalted, no person, be he a friend, a peer or a ruler, can love another. It is the secret of the perfect Rububiyyat of God that parents love their children so much that they bear all kind of pains most sincerely while caring for them, so much so that they do not even hesitate to die for the life of their child.’ ‘…never say unto them any word expressive of disgust nor reproach them, but address them with excellent speech.’ That is, do not speak offensively to your parents and do not say something to them, which does not regard their position. This verse is addressed to the Holy Prophet (saw) but in reality the message is intended for the Ummah because the Holy Prophet’s (saw) parents had passed away in his childhood. This directive has a hidden message that a wise person can decipher; that here the Holy Prophet (saw) is addressed and is being asked to respect his parents and keep their esteem in view in everything he says to them. So how much more should others respect and regard their parents! The second verse also refers to this concept: ‘Worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents…’. That is, your Lord has commanded that 7 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

you worship Him alone and are kind to your parents. This verse enjoins those who worship idols that idols are nothing and idols do them no favors, they did not create them and did not look after them in their infancy. If God wished to warrant worship of another save Him, He would have asked parents to be worshipped because they sustain and nurture on a worldly level and everyone, even birds and beasts protect their young ones in their infancy. Therefore, after God’s Rububiyyat, they [parents] too have a Rububiyyat and the strength of this Rububiyyat is also from God Almighty.’ (Translated from Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, Vol. 3 pp. 59 – 60) This is the status of parents, which must be kept in view. Hadith relates that the Holy Prophetsaws said that disgraced be that person who experienced old age of his parents and did not earn Paradise by serving them. The next commandment is: ‘…you kill not your children for fear of poverty…’. This has many connotations. The beauty of the teaching of Islam is that first offspring are enjoined to treat parents kindly and not say anything harsh to them. Even if one does not like what they say, one should be kind and obedient. Next, parents are commanded to carry out excellent upbringing of their children and not let poverty come in the way. Pay such attention to education and training of children that they do not end up being spiritually dead. When God gave parents the status of Rububiyyat, He made it obligatory on them to look after their children and not kill them. Of course, no sensible person would kill his children apart from the odd unbalanced, unhinged one or those who have forgotten God. Here, one keeps hearing of mothers killing their children with the help of their boyfriends and in underdeveloped countries one hears of parents burning themselves to death along with their children out of utter despair and an unstable mind-set. One meaning of ‘…you kill not your children…’ is not giving them good upbringing. Some do not give enough time and attention to their children due to business commitments and mothers complain that as fathers are not home children go off track. When children reach the teenage years, they do particularly need the presence and friendship of fathers as they learn wrong from outside influence. This is moral killing of one’s children. Fathers may say that their time is taken by working hard to make a living for their children but what good is wealth that causes children to lose their way? Another instance of this, which is prevalent in the western world and can also be found in our Jama’at, is that mothers go out to work or do not pay attention to the family home and spend their time elsewhere. When children come home there is no one to look after them. These women say they work to meet household expenses and when they return home tired, they do not pay attention to the family and neglect them, which gravely affects children. Quite a few women work only to earn money for themselves. Some working women say that they have to go out to work because of their idle husbands. Such husbands need to fear God, being sources of ‘killing their children.’ Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) once said that if an expectant woman is not provided sufficient dietary requirements and thus weakens the unborn child, this too is ‘killing’. The term also connotes family planning out of fear of poverty. Termination of pregnancy is only allowed when the mother’s health is in danger, and not for any other reason. God states: ‘…it is We Who provide for you and for them…’ and ‘…Surely, the killing of them is a great sin.’ (17:32) True Muslims can never take such steps. Let alone great sins, they avoid even the smallest of sins. Children should be given time and attention. Their education, affiliation with the Jama’at, good, pious upbringing should be given importance. The home environment should be made conducive to pious upbringing so that children can grow up to be useful members of society. It is certainly the responsibility of parents to bring them up in an excellent manner and to educate them well. Rather than follow their own preferences, parents should give time and attention to their children. Fathers cannot say it is a mother’s job to bring up children and mothers cannot say it is a father’s job. It is of course for both of them to bring up their children together. Children receive the best upbringing when both mother and father are playing their respective roles. Here [in the west] there are many single parent families and children are being ruined. Schools are weary of such families, as are the police. Children who go the wrong way early on in life often go on to join the criminal fraternity. It is a cause for concern here that the divorce rate is also increasing among us and it ruins children when divorce takes place in families with children. Parents should sacrifice their egos and preferences for the sake of their children. May God enable all of us to practice the commandments of the Holy Qur’an during Ramadhan. Three commandments [from the verses recited at the start] were explained in today’s sermon, the rest will be explained another time.

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Report on 65th Jalsa Salana USA Lubna Malik, Assistant General Secretary Lajna Ima’illah By the Grace of Allah the Almighty, Jama'at Ahmadiyya USA successfully held its 65th Jalsa Salana at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, PA. Friday Afternoon: The formal proceeding of Jalsa Salana commenced on June 28, 2013, with the flag hoisting ceremony, after which Naib Ameer and Missionary in Charge, Maulana Naseem Mahdi Sahib delivered the Friday sermon. The Jalsa program started in the late afternoon after the Friday prayers, with opening remarks from respected Ameer Jama’at USA, Dr. Ahsanullah Zafar Sahib, followed by excellent speeches from the men’s section which were relayed to all the guests. Ameer Sahib included a special speaker who spoke eloquently in Spanish and English about the process that people go through when they are searching for God and his experience of accepting Islam, Ahmadiyyat. There were many inspiring speeches on congregational Salat, the divine support of Khilafat and the spread of Ahmadiyyat worldwide. In the evening there was an informative Rishta Nata program for marriageable candidates and their and, a special class for Waqfe Nau children. Sadr Lajna Ima’illah, Saliha Malik Sahiba, and Naib Sadr, Amatul Mussawir Ahmad Sahiba, presided over the girls’ Waqfe Nau session. The first day of Jalsa concluded with Maghrib and Isha prayers. Ladies Session on Saturday: The ladies’ session on Saturday was presided by Sadr Lajna USA, Saliha Malik Sahiba. The recitation and translation of the Holy Qur’an (24:36-39) introduced our main theme: “Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth…” and the poem by the Promised Messiah (as)– ‘He is the One who sees you all the time’. Then we heard two captivating and informative speeches on “The Attribute of Allah – Al Nur” and “Holy Prophet’s (saw) Example of Tolerance.” Another poem was beautifully recited emphasizing remembrance of God, followed by two speeches on “Raising Children in Today’s World” – one in English on ‘The Early Years’ and the other in Urdu on ‘Preteens and Beyond’. National Secretary Taleem, Mubarika Shah Sahiba, announced those Lajnat who had qualified for the talent

Jalsa Report Jalsa awards for outstanding achievements in academics, and those who qualified as certified Holy Qur’an teachers. National Secretary Muavina Sadr in charge of Media Watch, Shahina Bashir Sahiba, announced those members from Lajna and Nasirat who had achieved outstanding participation in the Lajna initiative of Jihad of the Pen and they received certificates of appreciation. Sadr Lajna Saliha Malik recognized the long years of service and loving support for Lajna rendered by sister Aliyyah Shaheed who turns 100 years this year by awarding her a certificate of appreciation. The morning session concluded with Zuhr and Asr prayers. The last session of the day started in the late afternoon with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an reminding us not to forget Allah, followed by the beautiful poem – ‘Do not break your Pledge’. This session included two compelling speeches on “Finding God in Everyday Life”, which was given from the view point of Lajna ages 15 – 25 and “The Road Less Traveled”, which was a moving account of one member who had accepted Islam, Ahmadiyyat. We then heard an English group poem, during which the sisters who had accepted Ahmadiyyat in the past year came on the stage to be welcomed by all. Sadr Lajna, Saliha Malik, gave them each a token of appreciation. To close the session, Sadr Lajna USA delivered a speech, “We have heard a Crier calling unto Faith.” It focused on the importance of recognizing that the ‘Second Coming’ has indeed taken place. The signs of the Latter Days are crying for attention that this is the time for the Promised Messiah (as) prophesied by all religions. We are blessed to have accepted him. She said, “The purpose of the

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coming of the Messiah (as) was to restore faith to the world. Therefore in our sincere practice his purpose lives on.” She quoted the Promised Messiah’s (as) powerful words: Who is my companion? Who is dear to me? He who recognizes my station… He who is grafted onto me is grafted onto Him from whom I have come…. I hold a lamp in my hand. Any person who comes to me will certainly partake of the light of this lamp (The Victory of Islam). The evening programs included a very well attended ‘social’ for Lajna ages 15 – 25 in which they discussed contemporary scenarios involving both social and college life and their relationship to the Jama’at. This led to discussions on the decisions and choices they would have to make on a daily basis. The girls participated most thoughtfully and shared pizza and cupcakes together. The second day of Jalsa concluded with Maghrib and Isha prayers. Jalsa Booths: Apart from the program, there were other attractions to Jalsa Salana. These included various booths set up for the benefit of our sisters, such as First-Aid, Homeopathy, Book Stall with a variety of Jama’at books available for purchase, Waqf-e-Nau – to provide guidance to the waqifat and their mothers and a Rishta Na’ata booth to counsel and help mothers with children of marriageable age. This year, at very short notice, several young budding scientists took part in a Science Fair competition, initiated by the men’s Science Association. Their entries were very well prepared and presented. The young scientists ranged from ages 7 – 26, all received a certificate of participation. As always, the Handicraft booth presented an impressive exhibition of arts and crafts. The booth displayed and sold items made especially for the exhibition by Lajna members. Some custom made items from Pakistan were also a part of the huge selection. The booth carried jewelry, clothing, burqas, cushion covers, table runners, tea cozies, quilts and Kaffan Kits. Fundraising was also a popular aspect of this Jalsa. The busy stalls sold delicious pizza, kulfi, soft drinks, water, sports beverages, samosas, pakoras, papri chaat, candy/snacks and kabob rolls. Closing Session: The Jalsa concluded on Sunday, June 30, 2013 with a joint morning session delivered from the men’s side and relayed to all. The first important speech centered on Tarbiyat, “The Best Model Leading to Divine Mercy and Love”. However, the highlight of our Jalsa was that our program was then interrupted with a live relay of our beloved Huzoor’s closing address from Germany. Huzoor (atba) delivered his closing address to three countries simultaneously holding their Annual Jalsa: Germany, USA and Israel. It was a most exhilarating feeling to be a part of such an extraordinary moment and being united to the Khalifa in this way. Huzoor (atba) shared moving accounts of how people from all over the world had accepted Ahmadiyyat because of powerful dreams and visions they had had of the Promised Messiah (as). The third and final day of Jalsa was concluded with Zuhr and Asr prayers. Alhamdulillah, this Jalsa left a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of all the attendees. The main focus remained the blessed act of attending Jalsa to progress spiritually, as worldly concerns diminish in such an atmosphere. However, members also found the opportunity to reconnect with other Ahmadi families from all over the country and from outside of the USA; another important purpose of Jalsa. It is our earnest prayer that Allah Ta’ala enables us to benefit fully from the bounties and blessings of Jalsa USA 2013 throughout the year, Ameen! To express her gratitude for receiving a certificate of appreciation Sister Aliyyah Shaheed sent Lajna a poem that she had written to commemorate 50 years of Lajna Ima’illah. Please remember Sister Aliyyah in your prayers. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 10 of 44

Message to “International” Lajna Ima’illah, Rabwah, By Aliyyah Shaheed

‘Tis our 50th Anniversary! The “Congratulations” that are pouring in What a special day for those of you And to sing the praises, “Allaho Akbar” Who do not just “belong” to Lajna And “ Alhamdulillah.” Ima’illah

But have toiled throughout the years, We are of American Lajna can say Remained steadfast, supported the schemes “Alhamdulillah” too, for we have some Of Lajna Ima’illah and our Khalifa, Members who have remained steadfast For many years and helped in many ways This is a momentous occasion, a time to To support the cause of Ahmadiyyat and Praise Allah for researching the mile- Lajna. stone. We salute this 50th anniversary with a This is a time to remember those who Poem Made many sacrifices and have gone That we hope will make us ponder and To meet their Creator. Reflect.

This is a time for those of you who are Are you an active member of Truly members of Lajna Ima’illah Lajna Ima’illah. To sit back, enjoy the greetings that The kind that would be missed? Are due. Or are you just contented that your name Is on the list? 11 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

Do you attend the meetings? Support the schemes You know right from wrong. And mingle with the flock? Or do you stay at home and criticize and Are you an active member of Knock? Lajna Ima’illah

Or do you just belong? Do you ever go to visit a member who

Is sick, We pray that Allah may enable us to And lend a helping hand? Mould our lives in accordance with the Or leave the work to just a few, Teachings of Islam to the best or our Then talk about Ability, and empower us to make The clique? more And more sacrifices for Get busy, sisters, with the schemes of Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Lajna Ima’illah. ~The American Lajna Ima’illah Come to the meetings and help with hands And hearts.

Don’t be just a member, But take an active part. Think this over sisters. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 12 of 44

Jalsa Highlights

Day 2—Taleem Awards 13 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 Tarbiyat Matters

“Our Lord, grant us of our spouses and children the delight of our eyes, and make us a model for the righteous.” (Holy Qur'an 25:75) This beautiful prayer has been given to us by Allah in the Holy Qur'an to enable us to make our family life into a heaven on earth. This prayer should be memorized at a young age by every Ahmadi Muslim and then should be recited with heartfelt commitment throughout one’s life. However, marital harmony is not achieved by prayer alone. It requires a good deal of effort and sacrifice on the part of the participants and their families. Forgiveness and overlooking faults of each other are qualities, which play an important role in maintaining good marital relationships, and these attributes of Allah Ta'ala, Al Ghaffar the Forgiver, and Al Sattar the Concealer of faults, are discussed in context of marital harmony in the third quarter of the 2013-2015 tarbiyat syllabus, which begins in October 2013. Hazrat Amman Jan (ra) gave the following advice to her daughter at the time of marriage:

 Never conceal any acts nor perform acts which you think need to be concealed from your husband. Whether your husband can see you or not is not the point. The point is that Allah can see you. Eventually the matter comes out in the open and the wife loses her reliability and her worth. If something is done against his wishes, never try to hide it. Inform him clearly, as that is the way to retain respect. Hiding it leads to disgrace and disrespect.

 Do not argue with him when he is angry! If he is angry with you or a child, and you know that he is at fault, even then do not respond to him. When he calms down, gently let him know the truth and make him realize his error. The woman who argues with her husband when he is angry loses her respect. It will be a great disgrace if he uses harsh words to her in his anger.

 Consider his dear ones and their children as your own dear ones. Never think of harming anyone even if he is doing wrong to you. You should have good will in your heart for all, and do not take any action in revenge against anyone. Then you will always behold God doing good to you.

(Sirat Hazrat Amman Jan, Part II, pp. 167-168, compiled by Mahmud ‘Ali ‘Irfani) Some additional advice:

 Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Listen without criticizing.

 Don't always insist on being right. It is always better to do the right thing than to get acknowledgement.

 Be the first to apologize - sincerely.

 Give encouragement and praise freely. It is better to give than to receive. Appreciate the things your spouse does and verbalize these often. Don't take your spouse for granted.

 Be willing to do the things your spouse wants to do. Be willing to do the things yourself that you want your spouse to do.

Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 14 of 44

PERSONAL TARBIYAT GOALS SURVEY According to the directions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (atba), periodic surveys are conducted to assess our individual level of religious practice. The data from the survey conducted in December 2012 is given below. 1798 Lajna members participated in the survey, which is only 42% of the 4238 active members to whom it was emailed. The results show that Lajna Ima’illah USA needs to improve in all the areas surveyed, especially offering Salat five times a day, reciting Holy Qur'an daily and listening to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’s Friday sermons regularly. May Allah Ta'ala enable us to better ourselves and increase our personal devotion to Him. Ameen.

PERSONAL TARBIYAT GOALS SURVEY DECEMBER 2012 Total # of responses 1798

% Response of active Lajna 42% # Of Salat offered daily I offer Salat in congregation 5 / day 59% 3-5 times a day 13% 3-4 / day 28% 1-2 times a day 26% 1-2 / day 12% Occasionally 61%

I recite Holy Qur'an I listen/read Friday sermon Daily 43% Every week 59% 1-3times a week 29% 1-2 a month 25% less than once a week 28% less than once a month 16%

I observe minimum purdah I attend Lajna meetings Always 79% Regularly 71% Only to mosque/meetings 19% Sometimes 26% Never 2% Never 2%

I offer extra 2 nawafil I offer voluntary fasts Regularly 34% Regularly 13% Sometimes 46% Sometimes 33% Never 19% Never 54%

PARTICIPATION Congratulations to the following Majalis who achieved 80-100% participation in this survey: Phoenix, Boston, Baltimore, Dallas, RTNC, Virginia South, Ft. Worth, Binghamton, Orlando 15 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 Khidmat-e-Khalq Matters

By the Grace of Allah, Lajna has been providing social services to their members and the communities around them. Several chapters are volunteering on a regular basis at adopted shelters, providing food to them. Lajna is actively serving in/on several projects of Humanity First, and they are actively participating in various Jama’at projects. Some of the chapter highlights are as follows:

Research Triangle, NC: Lajna assisted our Houston North, TX: Lajna collected items that were needed by Hu- adopted shelters WWCM Food Pantry with manity First for Moore, Oklahoma victims. The items included cash, non-perishable food, toiletries; Newborns in band-aids, bed sheets, food, and toiletries. Approximately, $500 was Need with preemie outfits & blankets; Carrying collected. One Lajna member went to Oklahoma to drop off the Place by preparing food and serving many needed items to the Humanity First booth. needy families.

Silicon Valley, CA: The Phoenix, AZ: The Lajna Lajna operates the Human- Houston South, TX: Lajna cooked food for the Ansar Buffalo, NY: During the ity First food pantry, which members aided in efforts to Ijtema. They also donated month of Ramadhan, Lajna provides food to five fami- help refugee families from $110 to Humanity First. provided food and donated lies on an ongoing basis. Pakistan. fans to a local shelter.

Kentucky: Donated 99 food items to Beth- Boston, MA: The Lajna served community meals in a soup kitchen. any House Abuse Shelter. Donna Huff, the The Lajna also facilitated immigration for a mother with three daugh- house manager, sent a letter of appreciation ters and walked her through the many local resources. to the Kentucky Sadr.

Miami, FL: The Hepburn Shelter publishes a monthly Detroit, MI: The Lajna donated cans to Humanity First. 1,000 plus newsletter. They featured Lajna volunteer activities. Five cans were collected for Gleaners Food Bank. Three boxes full of tokens of appreciation were given to the Lajna, based upon various feminine and hygiene products and various items for baby use the number of volunteer hours served. were donated to Haven Domestic Abuse Shelter for children and women.

Queens, NY: The Lajna participated in volunteer service at the Queens Botanical Garden to help clean up debris from the trees and walkways surrounding the Garden. The Lajna and Nasirat also took part in selling fundraising tickets for Humanity First. The Lajna sold 140 tickets raising $700 a total for Humanity First. They also collected art supplies, such as, crayons, markers, paints, and notebooks to fill up at least two large boxes to ship to Art Feeds Healing Oklahoma Campaign to help with the tornado devastated areas.

LA Empire Inland, CA: The Lajna held a very successful Food Drive throughout Ramadhan for our adopted Shelter, Foothill Family Shelter, which serves as a transitional facility for homeless adults and children. They collected over 250 lbs. of food plus toiletries. The shelter staff were given an Eid present in appreciation for serving the community. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 16 of 44

Khidmat-e-Khalq MattersTabligh Matters

Dallas, TX: In response to the devastating tornado in May 2013 that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, Dallas Lajna members quickly mobilized themselves to provide whatever help and support they could. More than $2,000 worth of donations was collected including new clothing for infants, children, men and women, bedding and toiletries, diapers and formula, and blood sugar testing meters were sent to Humanity First to be distributed among the needy victims. Lajna members also donated their time for a total of one hundred hours, and two members went to Moore, OK and volunteered for four days for Humanity First.

Zion, IL: Lajna Ima’illah organized their first “Feed the Hungry” event supported by the Northern Illinois Food Bank and financed by the Jama’at and a local Ahmadi family. With the Grace and Mercy of Allah; 461 individuals were served in the parking lot of the Zion Mosque, Alhamdulillah. The Northern Illinois Food Bank provided the food delivered by a refrigerated truck to the mosque. For four hours, a total of 53 Jama’at members volunteered for this humble cause by unloading the truck, setting up the tables and food items, registering individuals for food pick-up, providing seating and water to the community, assisting them in carrying their food items, cleaning up the area and building relationships with the community, Mash ‘Allah. We had 24 Lajna and 6 Nasirat volunteers. Due to our good faith efforts in serving with other organizations, 13 non-Ahmadi members also volunteered to help. In addition, the Jewel Grocery Store donated three shopping carts for us to use and Wal-Mart donated tote bags for the guests to carrying their food items. We purchased $1,000 worth of food through the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Note: Zion’s population is 24,000. 21.1 % of Zion residents live in poverty. According to a community assessment performed by the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center: This small town is identified as a food desert (lack adequate access to fresh foods and vegetables). We pray that Allah enables Zion Lajna and Jama’at the ability to answer the need of the Zion community by hosting another feed the Hungry event soon, Insha’Allah. 17 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

Special Ramadhan Projects

Research Triangle, NC: Over the course of Ramadhan Lajna took part in several causes and helped donate many items to those in need. This included nonperishable goods to an adopted charity, Western Wake Crisis Ministries Food Pantry and delivering handmade cards with brownies to a local fire station. They also collected toiletry items for a women's substance abuse rehabilitation organization and made get well cards. Baby outfits and fleece baby blankets were also collected for Newborns in Need. The lajna also helped cook meals for Carrying Place Meal, a foundation for families in crisis counseling. Baypoint, CA: Lajna donated items to a children's hospital in Oakland and made travel kits for the patients, worth about $200. Silicon Valley, CA: Lajna collected and delivered food to Second Harvest Food Pantry and served food at Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen. Potomac, MD: Lajna members cooked a dinner for guests of the Frederick Soup Kitchen. They also donated salads, bread, drinks, desserts, and paper products for guests at Sophia House, a women’s shelter in Rockville, Maryland. Lajna members helped the Nasirat and Atfal prepare bagged lunches for the Beacon House men’s shelter in Frederick, Maryland. The boys and girls had stations set up to make sandwiches and fill the lunch bags. The local newspaper covered this event. Sophia House, the Frederick Soup Kitchen, the Frederick Food Bank, and Beacon House are all adopted shelters of the Potomac Lajna. Milwaukee, WI: Lajna members provided food to a shelter each week during the month of Ramadhan, collected non-perishable food items, volunteered at two food banks, where they labeled 5,616 cans and packed 280 boxes, and made sandwiches for a memorial service at a Sikh temple. Brooklyn, NY: One thousand pounds of food was sent to “Feed the Hungry Children,” which served 334 hungry children and their families. Lajna members bought groceries for needy sisters during this holy month and participated in making sehris and Iftaaris for members who were sitting for Itakaaf. Detroit, MI: Lajna adopted this shelter in early 2000, which serves abused women and children. In May, they sent a "wish list" that included various items to be used by women and children. The donated items included flip- flop slippers, baby bottles, diapers, toilet rolls, laundry detergent, baby oil, water bottles, etc. The Haven Shelter director was very appreciative of the Lajna's generosity. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 18 of 44

Orlando, FL: Lajna and Nasirat members donated more to help our neighbors in need and sent groceries and personal hygiene items to "The Sharing Centre of Sanford, FL.” They also donated to the "Food4Kids Backpack Programme of North FL". Silver Spring, MD: The lajna delivered food for 50 people to the Grassroots Crisis Center every week. It consisted of a four-course meal, with one main dish, two side dishes, and dessert. Central VA: By the grace of Allah, CVA Lajna provides lunch every month to a local shelter, Embry Rucker Shelter. A special Iftari was provided on behalf of Lajna and Nasirat of Central Virginia to the shelter residents. In addition to this, shampoos, bandages, toothbrushes and several other toiletry items were donated. Philadelphia, PA: Sisters prepared food for Iftari’s every night. The Lajna also prepared dinner twice, during Ramadhan for homeless families at the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Money was raised to build two wells in Guatemala through Humanity First. Boston, MA: The Lajna assisted in the planning and preparations for the 2nd Annual Ramadhan Interfaith Guest Dinner hosted by the jama’at. Guests of the event applauded the efforts of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, whose guiding principle is "Love for All Hatred for None", in gathering leading religious/public representatives for interfaith dialogue. “It is so good to have positive experiences as an interfaith community. So much negativity comes through the media,” said one spokesperson. A dinner was served and was enjoyed by all who attended. The event provided a unique platform for inter-religious dialogue and the sharing of experiences over dinner that exemplified the meaning of true “interfaith.”

Brooklyn, NY: In August, 38 Lajna members came together for an Eid gathering in which they enjoyed games such as Bait Baazi and the Islamic version of musical chairs. Pizza was served and all children were given goodie bags. Central VA: An Eid Milan event was held for Lajna and Nasirat in which Nasirat transitioning to Lajna were recognized with certificates and presents. Nasirat who attended classes with Murabi Sahib at our mosque, during Ramadhan were also recognized with gifts. In the end a slide show from our Meena bazaar was shown to the audience. The event concluded with silent prayer and lunch and Salat. 19 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

Tabligh Matters

The months of July and August were spent entering the month of Ramadhan, partaking of a spiritual journey through daily recitation of the Holy Qur’an, praying, serving mankind, and self-reflection then exiting the month of Ramadhan, Insha’Allah, as a better person. We were reminded in Surah Al-Taghabun (64:9): “Believe, therefore, in Allah and His Messenger and in the Light which We have sent down. And Allah is Well Aware of all that you do”. According to the commentary, the Light is revelation, wisdom, spiritual enlightenment, insight, Divine Knowledge and discernment, which the Holy Prophet (saw) was specially gifted in. One goal of the Lajna National Tabligh program is to take that Light of Allah and reach out to women, youth, and children in our society and then encourages our contacts to adopt faith. As a result of observing Ramadhan; we prayed, “O my Lord, make my entry a good entry then make me come forth a good forth coming. And grant me from thyself a helping power” (Bani Israel17: 81). Similarly, the Holy Prophet (saw) prayed that his departure from Mecca and entry into Medina be blessed and as a result, many people embraced Islam. Insha’Allah, our observance of Ramadhan caused our faith to be strengthened and Allah to bless our work in the area of Tabligh. As we depart from the month of Ramadhan may Allah grant us His help. Below describes a few examples of what Lajna Ima’illah USA was doing with the help of Allah.

Dhiya Bakr, National Tabligh Secretary Independence Day Events

Georgia: The jama'at conducted the Muslims for Loyalty campaign on the Fourth of July at three locations. The Lajna organized the Fourth of July celebrations in Marietta (Cobb County), which was held in a convention hall in Marietta. Alhamdulillah the booth was well decorated with banners, flags, and balloons. Pins, Muslims for Loyalty flyers, brochures and flags were given to the visitors. Face painting and henna services were provided to the children. Several dignitaries stopped by and expressed their appreciation of AMC efforts. A reporter from Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) specifically came to our booth and took pictures of our banners. A sign-up sheet was set up to offer classes about information on Islam and 'Spiritual Benefits of Fasting'. Several people signed up for classes. One Muslim lady who visited the booth said; "I am glad that there are Muslims who are removing misconceptions about Islam." Three groups have invited AMC to come and speak to their respective congregations and talk about our community. May Allah open up more doors for us to convey the message of Islam & Ahmadiyyat in the best of manner and enable us to utilize them to attain Allah’s pleasure, Ameen. Houston North, TX: HCC-TV's Global Outlook program aired on June 14 and 15. By the grace of Allah an Ahmadi Lajna member was interviewed. Please visit http://www.interfaithhouston.blogspot.com/ to watch the first interview of the program by Saadia Faruqi. Insha’Allah, Lajna Ima’illah USA will continue to have opportunities to do Tabligh. Ameen. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 20 of 44

Dallas, TX: The Dallas jama’at held its Independence Day celebrations in Glendale Park Dallas, which was co- hosted with the New Leaf Family Church and was held in the district of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson who is a strong supporter of our community. Many Lajna members attended and socialized with the women of this church. After some light refreshments, there was a recitation from the Holy Qur’an, a reading from the Bible, and some speeches. The women at this event were very friendly and hospitable and were very interested in learning about Muslim women and the system of our Jama’at and Lajna. It was a successful event with many women showing interest in attending future Lajna events at our mosque. About sixty guests attended this event. There was also extensive local media coverage by Fox 4 News, which interviewed several women including some Lajna members, which was later shown on the evening news. Alhamdulillah, our Media Watch representative also wrote an article on Independence Day, which was published on July 7 in the Lubbock- Avalanche Journal. Dayton, OH: On the Fourth of July, Lajna and Nasirat set up a tent in a local park where the main Fourth of July celebrations were to be held, as part of the Muslims for Loyalty Campaign. Lajna set up signs inviting people to get free face painting and free henna. In addition, they set up a table with free crafts for kids. One table was set up where children were given free toys made on the spot using an origami technique. All children were also given free toys as gifts. The visitors were given literature that was displayed on a nearby table. Copies of the Holy Qu’ran, Life of Muhammad (saw) and Woman in Islam were amongst some of the reading material given out. Within three hours, all of the literature was handed out. Silver Spring, MD: On the Fourth of July, about 100 Silver Spring Lajna and Nasirat gathered for an indoor picnic at Baitur Rehman Mosque to celebrate Independence Day. It was wonderful to see Ahmadi Muslim women and children dressed in red, white, and blue to celebrate the birth of our nation. Children sang patriotic songs, played games, and made crafts. We enjoyed burgers and grilled chicken. The children also participated in a flag hoisting ceremony and waved their flags as they took pride in being a part of the United States of America.

Other Notable Tabligh Events Baltimore, MD: Lajna Sadr Baltimore, Aziza Khan Sahiba, presented the book Basics of Islam and Ahmadiyyat to 60 people in a Jewish retirement community. Many questions were asked specifically about the concept of "Jihad.” The audience wanted to learn more and asked us to provide books on Islam for their library. Sadr Lajna Baltimore and Baltimore Secretary Tabligh, Maryam Yahya Sahiba, also presented the topic "The 5 Pillars of Islam" at an inter-faith gathering at a member’s house. Eleven members of the audience were Christians. We were received with great enthusiasm and dinner was served afterward. Lajna members distributed the pamphlets Muslims for Peace, Women in Islam, and Muhammadsaw Messenger of Peace. 21 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

Columbus, OH: The women of a local church invited Lajna members to a prayer breakfast. Sadr Lajna Columbus, Laeeqa Mirza Sahiba, was invited to speak on the topic of the event, “Women’s Role in the Ministry” along with speakers from other church groups. Alhumdulillah, the meeting went well and lots of questions were answered. Baypoint, CA: We held a successful interfaith conference, held open houses at our mosque in which we invited guests every Saturday in the month of Ramadhan, and by the grace of Allah a family converted to Islam, during Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah! San Diego, CA: Lajna members organized a “Muslims for Loyalty” barbeque. Representatives from the Poway Interfaith Team, the Interfaith Workers Justice Committee of San Diego, and local residents attended this event. Lajna participated in face painting and henna tattooing for guests. Lajna from San Diego attended a meeting with the Poway Interfaith Team where Lajna introduced the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. One Lajna member led the closing prayer by reciting the translation of Surah Fatiha and briefly explaining the verses. Students from San Diego State University visited the San Diego Salat Center. Lajna members answered their questions about Islam and Ahmadiyyat and distributed literature. Two interfaith leaders and one Catholic nun attended Dars-ul-Qur’an and Iftaar dinner at the San Diego Salat Center. Research Triangle, NC: Two successful "Muhammad (saw) Messenger of Peace" conferences were held at Meredith College and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A total of 200+ guests attended. Dinner was served and copies of Life of Muhammad (saw) and a sermon of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (atba) were given to all guests. Queens, NY: Secretary Tabligh Lajna Queens, NY Sister Rehana Nayyer sent a copy of The Holy Qur’an and donated five other Jama’at books to the Stony Brook Library Brooklyn, NY: Six non-Ahmadi members have been coming to the Brooklyn mosque during the month of Ramadhan. One of them has shown a lot of interest in the community and Brooklyn Lajna have given her books such as Pathway to Paradise and referred her to the Lajna website and alislam.org. Central VA: Lajna invited a ladies’ knitting group from the Fairfax Presbyterian Church to luncheon at Masjid Mubarak. The group, called “The Purly Gators”, knits hats, mittens and prayer shawls, for the sick, needy and homeless. Their group leader shared their projects with us and had a knitting session while we discussed various topics from world peace to the upbringing of children. We also shared prayers about peace with each other. It was a very productive event, which brought us closer and strengthened our relationship with this group. Lajna had an interfaith potluck lunch with ladies from New Life Church. We talked about peace in the world and they shared prayers from their scripture and we shared prayers from the Holy Quran and prayers of the Holy Prophet (saw). We also explained the meaning of the attribute “Lord of all the Worlds” as described by Huzoor (atba) in his recent address in Beverly Hills, CA. We enjoyed the dinner and shared recipes with each other. During Ramadhan the Lajna invited ladies from New Life Church to Iftari at the mosque. A few of the ladies from the church kept a fast and opened it with us and performed prayers behind us. We discussed spiritual and physical benefits of fasting in the light of the teachings of Islam. York/Harrisburg, PA: Lajna hosted members of the Unitarian Congregation for an Iftari and dinner at the Hadee Mosque, which included listening to the dars and observing the salat. They were given a tour and Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 22 of 44

presented with gift bags. They were ecstatic about their experience and would like to return soon for another visit. As a result of their experiences, they have decided to hold their regional conference at our mosque next year. Detroit, MI: Jama'at hosted an Open House during Ramadhan at Masjid Mahmood. Lajna assisted in organizing the event under the leadership of local Secretary Tabligh, Sister Reema Butt. Other Lajna members helped in sending the invitations, set up of the program, and attending to the guests. Nasirat also helped with the program. People of different religions and members of interfaith groups and other guests were invited to attend, observe, and to join us at the breaking of the fast. Many visitors came and were interested in our religious practices. Approximately fifty guests attended and about two hundred Jama’at members were there. Lajna also organized an exhibition displaying various artifacts and information on Prophet Muhammad (saw), houses of worship, prophethood, teachings of science and Islam, the Qur’an, Islamic culture, and the journey of Ahmadiyyat to the USA and Rochester Hills. The guests showed a great interest in the exhibits and asked many questions. During the dinner the guests and the hosts socialized and many of the guests were eager to find out more about Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Dallas, TX: On June 17, two Lajna members met with Reatta D. Forte, a conciliation specialist with the US Department of Justice, at our mosque. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce the Jama’at to her and to enhance the understanding of the Department of Justice of minority groups and to help prevent future hate crimes. After a brief introduction of the Jama’at, we spoke to her at length about the activities of our Jama’at, specifically our involvement in our local community. We explained how Lajna are responsible for and run their own educational and moral training programs as well as our community involvement through volunteer work such as serving local shelters. She was very interested in our Lajna work and wants to attend any future programs and interfaith meetings we organize. We also discussed the Blasphemy law in Pakistan, the Anti-Ahmadiyya ordinance, and Islam’s teachings about prophets of other faiths and God as Lord of all the worlds. Our guest mentioned that she was so glad and excited to actually talk to women as this is the first time she has seen women from the Asian community attending a meeting with her at a mosque. Rochester, NY: Members of Rochester Lajna met with one of the Pentagon’s Major Generals; Major General Karen Dyson. The General was pleased to see that our Lajna were playing an active part in society. Lajna members expressed the gratitude they feel towards America: that it has given them not only respect and educational opportunities but also freedom of religion. We also introduced the General to the teachings of the founder of the Community, his loyalty to his country, the concepts of jihad, and terrorism. We emphasized Huzoor’s (atba) tireless efforts in promoting peace by cautioning western governments, Israel, and Iran to pursue peaceful avenues of dialogue. Finally, the Lajna president presented the General with a gift of the Holy Qur’an, the Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, and Huzoor’s lecture at Capitol Hill. This wonderful meeting ended with hugs, well wishes and handshakes. Alhamdulillah. Silicon Valley, CA: Silicon Valley Chapter held their Annual Ramadhan Dinner on July 20. 140 guests attended it. The guests got an opportunity to learn about the significance of fasting and about Ahmadiyyat by breaking the fast together and enjoying the Iftari and dinner. 23 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

Houston North, TX: Lajna were invited to discuss Islam with the Bridgette’s Place organization. The dialogue focused on Purdah, stereotypes, religious freedom, discrimination, culture, terrorism/violence and Islam. The meeting ended with the ladies asking the Lajna what they could do to present a more accurate picture of Islam to society and remove stereotypes. Lajna also held weekly interfaith iftars for women in the local community. A local television station interviewed Houston North Secretary Tabligh about her interfaith work in the community and she also gave a sermon at a local church on the topic of The Holy Quran. She was also invited to give 2 presentations to 200 high school students. Her talk highlighted the basic beliefs of Islam before going into the commonly held stereotypes about Muslims such as women's rights, terrorism, purdah, etc. Each presentation was 45-50 minutes long. The students were very receptive and asked some tough and pertinent questions. They were ready to learn and happy to have their stereotypes shattered. The teacher provided the following feedback: "It was our pleasure to have you! The kids were catching each other on all their various stereotyping all day and not hesitating to correct one another. And they were full of praise for you and Islam”. When asked how their opinion of Islam and Muslims changed after the presentation some students made these comments:

"At first I was prejudiced, but now I know a lot more."

"I had seen Muslim women as oppressed until I saw the presentation." I used to think all Muslims hated Christians but now I know it is just an ignorant stereotype."

Dallas, TX: The Lajna had the opportunity to take part at a stall during the Plano Asia Festival held on May 4, 2013. There were many other religious & cultural organizations present at the festival. We handed out various flyers and books including the Holy Qur’an with English and Spanish translation, several copies of Life of Muhammad, Jesus in India, several copies of “Muslims Sunrise,” a few copies of “Review of Religion,” CDs of Holy Qur’an recitation, flyers including Ahmadiyyat, Jihad, Muslims for Loyalty, Life, Peace, and the True Teachings of Islam. By the grace of Allah, we were able to answer many questions and concerns visitors had about Islam, Prophet Muhammad (saw), and Promised Messiah (as). Details of our website, the location of our local mosque, and that of our headquarters were also provided. Part of the message we conveyed was the theme of peace, true teaching of Islam, and the characteristics and life of Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). A few people also inquired about our location and were interested in engaging in some type of interfaith dialogue.

Lajna Participate in Peace Conference Dallas, TX: On May 4, 2013 three Dallas Lajna members attended "A World of Women for World Peace Conference" led by Congresswoman Bernice Johnson. The conference was to enable peace around the world with the effort of women. Congresswomen Bernice Johnson's office extended the invitation, and we kindly accepted. The speakers spoke of the Palestinian plight and the rise in tension between Iran and Israel. We made personal contact with two of the speakers. The first was Dr. Hind Jarrah who is the co-founder and former President of the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation (TMWF), a non-profit, educational, philanthropic, outreach and social service organization dedicated to empowering Muslim women and their families. The second is Nazanin Boniadi, who is an actress and an official spokesperson for Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), and has worked at a grassroots level and appeared on international TV and radio programs to campaign for the rights of disenfranchised populations across the world. In particular, she has been very involved in safeguarding human rights by participating in events that bring attention to the unjust conviction and treatment of Iranian youth, women, and prisoners of conscience. We also made contact with a number of people who attended and discussed the plight of Ahmadis across the world. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 24 of 44

Media Watch Matters

By the Grace of Allah, the Lajna Media Watch team USA has been actively participating in the jihad of the pen and have been publishing articles on a regular basis. The local Lajna Media Watch teams in some Majaalis are now conducting their own workshops to help motivate and train those members who are either already writing or publishing and those who are new to the team. On May 20, 2013, the GA/SC Lajna held their first local workshop and National Muavina Sadr for Media Watch, Sister Shahina Bashir, participated in parts of the workshop via Skype. She gave a brief introduction about the work of Lajna Media Watch and explained how to write letters to the editor. She also answered general questions from the membership. On June 16, 2013, the Silver Spring, MD Lajna Media Watch team also held a local workshop, which was attended by Sister Shahina Bashir. This year at the Jalsa, writer’s awards were presented to a few Lajna Media Watch team members. Since the recipients were unable to receive their awards in 2012 due to some unforeseen circumstances, awards for both 2012 and 2013 were presented at this year’s Jalsa. Awards were presented in two categories: Fazl-e-Umar award was given to those writers who published ten articles or more and the Sir Ch. Zafrullah Khan award was presented to those who published at least seven articles. Special awards were also given to Nasirat.

For 2012 and 2013, Fazle Umar writer’s award was The 2013 Sir Zafrullah Khan writer’s award was presented to: presented to: Seher Chowdhry of VA Central 1. Ayesha Khan of GA/SC 2. Saima Ahmad of GA/SC The young writer’s award for 2012 was presented to: 3. Saadia Faruqi of Houston North 1. Ilhaam Husain of Pittsburg/PA 4. Mansura Minhas of Miami/FL 2. Shireen Younus of Baltimore

For 2012, Sir Zafrullah Khan writer’s award was The young writer’s award for 2013 was presented to: presented to: Saima Sheikh of Dallas 1. Shanze Hayee of Minnesota 2. Shireen Younus of Baltimore/MD

Lajna Media Watch members published several articles on the topics of patriotism in conjunction with Independence Day and Ramadhan. Here are some samples of the articles published:

http://channahon-minooka.patch.com/groups/jaziba-bahris-blog/p/july-4th_8f2d1c60 http://suwanee.patch.com/groups/s-ahmads-blog/p/independence-day-celebrations--muslims-for- loyalty_623bb22b http://www.berkeleyside.com/2013/07/11/ramadhan-for-this-cal-student-is-a-time-for-self-reflection/ http://www.saritaagerman.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-sharing-blessing-of-ramadan.html

Please follow Lajna Media Watch on Twitter @lajnamediausa.

If you have any questions or would like to write for the media, send your request to Sister Shahina Bashir at [email protected]. 25 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

Lajna Ages 15-25 Matters

Detroit, MI: As part of the East Midwest Regional Tarbiyat Camp and Sports Tournament, Lajna ages 15- 25 created an interactive seminar called ‘My Peers & I.’ The format of the program was an interactive seminar designed not to discuss the typical peer pressure we generally experience; instead, it was focused on self-reflection and our ability as individuals and as a group to empower ourselves to influence those around us. Visual aids such us laminated tools and “kudos” gifts were utilized. Most of the session was a conversation the participants had with themselves and their peers through reflection on their real life role models and letter writing to themselves which the organizers promised to mail to them in 30 and 90 day intervals. The participants were given tote bags with personalized notebooks with the flyer of the program on the cover, Lajna pens, and token gifts to exchange with others. Research Triangle, NC: Lajna 15-25 took part in a swimming/sleepover event and discussed upcoming volunteer activities for UNC Horizons. The lajna prepared and contributed various food dishes and snacks. They also organized and prepared a farewell get together for some of our refugee sisters who were moving to a different Jama’at. They served food at our local adopted shelter for homeless families, donated paper products, drinks, cooking food & dessert, and helped set up/clean up. As part of the tarbiyat activities they engaged in daily self evaluation and listening to Friday sermons regularly. During Ramadhan an extra effort was made to complete at least one reading of the Holy Quran. Central VA: Alhamdulillah, we held a lovely graduation Iftar at the Masjid. We celebrated all of our graduate’s achievements from high school, college, grad school, and medical school. Graduates were reminded to be thankful in Ramadhan, especially for the ability to study and achieve a higher education.

The meeting ended with Iftaar and Salat in congregation. Sadr Lajna Central Virginia gave each graduate and postgraduate a medal to recognize their achievement and each one explained their degree. All graduates from high school and beyond received a "congrats" balloon as a gift. We enjoyed the potluck with some great conversation and laughs. Alhamdulillah there were 14 girls in attendance. San Diego, CA: One Lajna member age 15-25 from San Diego gave a presentation called “Jihad against Immodesty.” Lajna also participated in a regional camp where they moved furniture for a shelter and packed food for a food bank. LA Inland, CA: Under the guidance of our Handicraft Department, youth worked tirelessly during Ramadhan to hold a very successful fundraiser for Humanity First's "Water for Life" project. Items sold included costume jewelry, bangles, and other accessories donated by Lajna members. Their sincere efforts raised almost $1,500 by the grace of Allah. Georgia/SC: Lajna members volunteered for the Fourth of July Jama’at event (Muslim for Loyalty) Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 26 of 44

and decorated the guests with henna and face painting. One Lajna member attended an eight hour disaster training course for the Red Cross. These sisters continue to present the main points of Friday sermon in the meetings. Cypress Houston, TX: The Lajna had a day out with ice-skating and lunch. Lajna members age 15-25 shared testimonials about observing purdah in everyday life during a tabligh session and participated in a workshop on the blessings of Khilafat on Khilafat day. They also welcomed Nasirat joining Lajna and presented them with scarves and the Lajna workbook. Mash’Allah, our Lajna won an inter-Jama’at essay writing competition about the life of the Promised Messiah (as). Dallas, TX: Khuddam/Ansar arranged a potluck Iftari in Ramadhan for younger members of the jama’at, in which the group viewed a video on the topic of women pursuing an education/career and marriage. A healthy discussion then followed where the girls discussed the advantages and challenges of trying to balance a family/work life. They continued with a discussion comparing their lifestyle with those of non- Muslims in their same age group. Various social issues affecting today’s youth were discussed as the group explored the challenges of growing up as Muslim women in the West. The evening concluded with a wonderful Iftari, with dishes prepared by each attending member. Insh'Allah these Lajna members will strive to be models of goodness and compassion. California, Northwest Region: The annual Tarbiyat camp was attended by 20 Lajna ages 15-25. The camp attendees were taught by Missionary Rizwan Sahib and some of the topics covered were The Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Islam, and the history of Ahmadiyyat, current challenges and the Islamic lifestyle. The girls also enjoyed rock climbing one afternoon. Baypoint, CA: Our Lajna went to a Tarbiyat camp and helped out in the food bank. Also, five young Lajna completed reading the Holy Qur’an in the month of Ramadhan. Houston North, TX: The girls met in June at a local recreation center to bowl. The girls bowled in a private area and taught each other helpful hints on how to make a strike. Although our bowling skills were poor, the activity sparked a lot of laughs and helped the girls break out of their shells. During lunch, each girl discussed one Condition of Bait and how it was important to her. Then, because Ramadhan was only a month away, each of the girls came up with one goal that she would accomplish during Ramadhan. We addressed difficulties in accomplishing spiritual goals and the girls helped each other come up with ideas to resolve those obstacles. Every Friday, Lajna ages 15-25 conduct a weekly book after Jummah on The Life of Muhammad. Discussions centered on the life of the Holy Prophet (saw), the condition of Arabia during the advent of the Holy Prophet, and modern day controversies about Islamic traditions. The Lajna were given salat/fasting/Qur’an charts. The girls were asked to make one goal that they could achieve during Ramadhan and record each day if they met their goal. The girls made a competition out of this activity and shared whether or not they had met their goals. Baltimore, MD: Mahtab Anjum and Ayesha Khan, presented a panel discussion at our local Ijtema on "Keeping your prayers in check", especially for High School or College students. Ayesha Khan presented a special activity “Major World events & the role of Khilafat Ahmadiyya as a Light for the world." 27 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 Local Matters

Detroit, MI: As part of the East Midwest regional Tarbiyat Camp and Sports Tournament, Lajna held a workshop that was preceded by reflection on Sura Al-Nisa Verse 37.It began the dialogue about our relationship with our fellow beings and our responsibilities and the sphere of those responsibilities. This led to the discussion on community and what comprises a community. The role of service to mankind as a primary motivator to do good deeds and to win the pleasure of Allah was discussed, followed by group reflections. The program continued with a dialogue on the spiritual, physical, emotional, and health benefits of having positive relationships with family and friends and of being of service to others. The session ended with the distribution of bookmarks, on the back of which Lajna were asked to write down their name and to write down one small goal that they could easily accomplish. This was just to help them understand that even though they are positive members of their community, they should always strive to take further steps, towards a higher goal. Orlando, FL: Lajna members are pairing up with a 'Friday sermon buddy'- each pair watches / listens individually to the sermon each week and then shares and discusses the main points via phone, text, or email - whatever works best for both members. They also send these points to the local Tarbiyat Secretary. The personal contact helps in part to decrease our vast distances between members, to get the more active ones in contact with less active ones and encourages everyone to listen regularly to Huzoor’s (atba) guidance.

Local Ijtemas Dallas, TX: On May 5, Dallas Lajna and Nasirat held its 19th annual local Ijtema on the theme “Hayya alas Salat, Hayya alal Falah.’ After a recitation from the Holy Qur’an and the pledge, the competitions began with the Nasirat Holy Qur’an memorization portion, followed by Lajna Holy Qur’an memorization and poem competitions. Before breaking for lunch and a Salat, a Tarbiyat workshop on Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVatba’s sermon “Jihad Against Immodesty” was conducted. In the afternoon session, a PowerPoint Presentation on Salat was presented. Handicraft competitions for embroidery and knitting were also held; both enjoyed the activities. Before concluding the Ijtema with prize distribution and dua, Nasirat had their banner presentation and Tarana. Alhumdolillah, the Dallas local Ijtema was a success with very good participation in all categories and very good attendance as well. Northern Virginia: The second Lajna and Nasirat Ijtema was held in May, at Masjid Mubarak on the theme of ‘Hayya Alas Salah, Hayya Alal Falah.’ There were three competitions for Nasirat and Lajna: Tilawat, Nazm and Speeches and a dessert competition. There was also a jeopardy session for both Lajna and Nasirat. The quiz material was prepared from ‘Remembrance of Allah’ by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II (rz) and ‘The Basics of Religious Education’ on salat. After the awards, Secretary Taleem National, Mubarika Shah, was requested to give the concluding Address in which she congratulated us on a successful Ijtema. The total attendance at the Ijtema was 115 Lajna Members, 19 Nasirat and 15 Guests. Feedback forms were distributed and collected for the improvement of future Ijtema’s. Detroit, MI: The local Lajna and Nasirat Ijtema on the theme ‘Hayya alas Salat, Hayya alal Falah’ was held in June. The Nasirat competition started first. The competition categories were: Hifz-e-Quran, speech, Qaseeda, and Nazm. Everyone who competed did very well and we heard some very thought provoking speeches. Trophies were awarded to first, second, and third places. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 28 of 44

Research Triangle, NC: The local Lajna Ijtema with the theme of "Come to Prayer! Come To Prosperity!" was held with a Salat presentation, skits on fulfillment of prayer in your daily life, Holy Quran memorization competition. Lajna ages 15-25 made presentations on the training of women in financial matters, the physical benefits of prayer prioritizing prayer over worldly matters. Georgia, SC: The Lajna Ijtema was held in June on the theme ‘Hayya alas Salat, Hayya alal Falah.’ There were many competitions such as: speech, poem, recitation of the Holy Qur’an, memorization of the Holy Quran, quiz, and handicraft competition for fundraising. Baltimore, MD: Lajna gathered at Gun Powder Park in June 2, 2013, where we held our monthly meeting, enjoyed a picnic and went for a walk. The lajna has been participating in Yoga/Pilates exercises 4 days a week at the mosque, which has been very productive. The purpose is to have healthy habits, which lead to a healthy life style. Mariam Yahya, Kishwer Anjum and Sabiha Jameel, along with the help of other sisters made handicraft items such as aprons, oven mitts, Bags/purses, as well as Koran covers for sale at the 65th Jalsa Salana. Sister Khadija Fouad held online Holy Quran classes including translation and correct Arabic pronunciation. Georgia/SC: Lajna held a Seeratun Nabi Jalsa; four non-Ahmadi guests attended this Jalsa. We recited the Qaseeda and listened to a speech entitled, ‘The Holy Prophet’s (saw) patience and tolerance towards all mankind’. Queens, NY: In June, the major local TV channel QPTV came to Bait –uz- Zafar to get some insight on the role of Women in Islam. Sister Fatimah Mahmood, Bushra Butt Sahiba, and a member of Queens Lajna, Bariah Ahmad, were among the members who touched on the topic during the four-hour interview. The same journalist from QPTV who had interviewed our Lajna members a few days prior attended the Fourth of July Ceremony at Bait uz Zafar and stated that the new generation would be molded well with the morals and principles that a Muslim woman follows. Research Triangle, NC: Lajna held a Meena Bazaar and invited non-Ahmadi friends and neighbors as well. Seven guests, mostly of the Christian faith came. There were various stalls set up; food, handicraft, books, various translations of the Holy Qur’an were displayed as well as Mehndi (henna) stall. The guests purchased and enjoyed the different cuisine, which prompted many questions. Some guests were also fascinated with the handicraft stall and bought some Pakistani outfits. The art of henna was also very intriguing for some and they had different designs made on their hands. A brief explanation was provided on the set up of our learning center and our auxiliaries. Many guests purchased items as well as kindly donated to our 'local mosque fund'. Guests were given a copy of the book ‘Life of Muhammad’ and a copy of Huzoor’s sermon on the true love for the Holy Prophet (saw) as a gift. Milwaukee, WI: Lajna performed a self-reflection exercise to evaluate sisterhood, attendance, community service, commitment, and treatment of the guests of the Promised Messiah (as). Dallas, TX: Dallas Lajna held its annual picnic/BBQ on May 12 for Lajna and Nasirat at Lewisville Lake, TX, which had ample room for games and activities as well as a covered picnic area. Lajna members enjoyed BBQ’ed kebabs and chicken with naan, chutney, and salad. Young children and Nasirat enjoyed dipping their feet in the lake to cool off and wading in the shallow waters while playing games. 29 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

The lajna also held their second annual Meena Bazaar in June. We had a wonderful turn out and a marvelous mouth watering menu, thanks to all generous Lajna members who cooked and donated the food. We had beautiful decorated stalls of clothing, jewelry, bangles, bedding, household items just to mention a few! Central VA: An Eid Milan event was held for Lajna and Nasirat in which Nasirat transitioning to Lajna were recognized with certificates and presents. Nasirat who attended classes with Murabi Sahib at our mosque, during Ramadhan were also recognized with gifts. In the end a slide show from our Meena bazaar was shown to the audience. The event concluded with silent prayer and lunch and Salat.

Research Triangle, NC: We celebrated Khilafat day at our Jama’at picnic. We listened to the Jama’at program and Nasirat gave brief a presentation. All members participated in games and exercise activities. All had fun! We welcomed a new refugee family from China. Members presented a welcome package and are continuing to help them settle.

San Diego, CA: Lajna held their local Ijtema in June that included competitions in Qur’an, speech, and religious knowledge, as well as games. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 30 of 44

Regional Matters

Midwest Regional Sports and Tarbiyat Camp Detroit once again had the honor of hosting the fourth Annual Regional Sports and Tarbiyat Camp very successfully. Participants came from Columbus, Dayton, Indiana, Pittsburgh, and of course Detroit. The event started with the march past and the opening ceremony. Sister Dhiya Bakr, the National Tarbiyat secretary, was our chief guest. The sports events started on Saturday morning and went into Sunday morning. It was followed by the awards ceremony. Alhamdulillah, this year Pittsburgh won the trophy!

Activities for the Nasirat were obstacle race, musical chairs, relay race, 1st Place in Photography: Iffat Jahan basketball, tug of war, and mission impossible, while the Lajna had musical chairs, table tennis, basketball, beach volleyball, etc. There was a special competition for photography.

Southeast Semi-Regional Lajna/Nasirat Ijtema 2013—Miami/Orlando Majaalis By the grace of Allah, Miami & Orlando Majaalis held their semi-regional Ijtema in May, at Baitul Naseer Mosque in Miami, FL. The theme was “Hayya alas Salāh, Hayya alal Falah- Come to Prayer, Come to Prosperity!” The Southeast Regional Sadr, Bushra Salam Bajwa, presided over the Ijtema. The Ijtema began with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, followed by the pledge and an introduction to the theme of the Ijtema in which Regional Sadr shared a warm letter from National Sadr Lajna Ima’illah USA, Saliha Malik, regarding the Ijtema. The Ijtema held competitions for both Lajna and Nasirat in memorization and recitation of the Holy Qur’an, memorization of prayers from Taleem workbook, speech competition and Nazm competition. Some of the highlights of the Ijtema were: Power Point / Interactive session -- ‘Come to prayer, how Salat promotes purity of mind and modesty versus common youth environments,’ Meena Bazaar, Lajna and Nasirat quiz on Salat and a variety of games.

31 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

National Midwest Lajna & Nasirat Ijtema 2013

Summary

The National Midwest Ijtema on ‘Hayya Alas Salah, Hayya Alal Falah’ took place at Bait-ul-Jaamay Mosque in Glen Ellyn, IL, on August 18-20, 2013. Respected National Sadr Lajna Ima’illah USA, Saliha Malik Sahiba, presided over the event and five National officers and all three Regional Sadran were also present. The Overall attendance was very good with 233 members on Friday, 318 on Saturday, and 357 on Sunday. Alhamdolillah, 18 Majaalis from all Midwest regions participated, East Midwest, South Midwest, and West Midwest. It was a great success! Highlights of the Ijtema included workshops and presentations:

 “Small Steps towards successful Marriage” conducted by Lajna ages 15-25 years  Impromptu speeches  “Life of the Promised Messiah (as)”  “Ya Ayyuhal Ladheena Aamanu-A Qur’anic Call to Action and Distinction”-by National Nau Mubayat Secretary, Tamara Rodney  “The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his practice of Salat”  Lajna ages 15-25 had lunch with Respected Sadr Sahiba  “Salat-The Purification of Soul and Mind”  “Basics and Etiquette of Salat”-with skits and presentation  Honoring Nau Mubayat in the region from the pioneers until current, with a moving presentation on the Third Condition of Bai’at from National Nau Mubaiyat Secretary, Tamara Rodney.  Nasirat Tarana and Quiz competition conducted by Nasirat on: ”Are you smarter than a Nasira” Our Ijtema concluding with inspiring words from Respected Sadr Sahiba:  As four new Majalis were established in place of Chicago West, Sadr Sahiba emphasized the importance of building communities on Taqwa and Prayer.  With the recent help of Jalsa and Ramadhan let us strive to keep away from Backbiting and causing disturbance and instead embrace each other in loving sisterhood.  She concluded with A Humble Prayer from Promised Messiah (as), which stirs all hearts to seek forgiveness and practice humility. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 32 of 44 Handicraft Matters

Handicraft Competition Results 2013 Below are the results for the 2013 Jalsa Salana Handicraft Competitions held in Harrisburg, PA.

Sewing Embroidery 1. Zion, IL 1. RTNC; Willingboro, NJ 2. Central VA; Philadelphia, PA 2. Central VA; Milwaukee, WI

Honorable Mention: Honorable Mention: A. Queens, NY A. Potomac, MD B. Dallas, TX B. Georgia C. Pittsburgh, PA Handicrafts Crochet and Knitting 1. Harrisburg, PA; Seattle, WA 1. Rochester NY 2. Georgia; Silver Spring, MD 2. Dallas, TX; Seattle, WA Honorable Mention: Honorable Mention: A. LA East, CA A. Central VA B. Albany, NY B. Brooklyn, NY C. RTNC C. Laurel, MD D. Oshkosh, WI

This year, by the Grace of Allah, 28 chapters participated in the competitions. All of the items submitted were of excellent quality and workmanship. The judges had a very tough job trying to determine the winners, with the common consensus being that our Lajna is extremely talented, accomplished and creative in the fine arts!

The following Lajna chapters participated in the competition this year:

Albany, NY Kentucky Rochester, NY Baltimore, MD LA East, CA RTNC Brooklyn, NY Laurel, MD San Jose, CA Central Jersey Long Island, NY Seattle, WA Central VA Milwaukee, WI Silver Spring, MD Chicago West, IL Orlando, FL Syracuse, NY Dallas, TX Oshkosh, WI VA South Fort Worth, TX Philadelphia, PA Willingboro, NJ Georgia Pittsburgh, PA Zion, IL Harrisburg/York, PA Potomac Houston Cypress, TX Queens, NY Media Watch Matters

33 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 Publication Matters

Jazakumullah for all your contributions for the Lajna Matters and we look forward to more for the next issue. If local Ishaat secretaries need help with compiling their contributions, please contact [email protected]. The fall issue will be out soon, Insha’Allah. If you would like to write for the Ayesha, please contact [email protected]. For receipt books and to order additional Taleem & Tarbiyat workbooks, please contact [email protected]. As always, we look forward to your comments and feedback! We are looking for sisters who are interested in writing and editing. If you have a strong background in this, please contact [email protected].

IT Matters

Lajna Ima’illah - USA Website

http://www.lajnausa.net Please visit the website frequently for upcoming events, updates in your region and departmental news. Make a frequent use of Lajna Website resources during your General, Halqa and Nasirat meet- ings/Classes. Please send your feedback to [email protected] . Mabroor Jattala National IT/Website Dept. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 34 of 44

Nasirat Highlights January 2013-March 2013

Tajnid: 843 Number of meetings held: 330 # of Majalis involved in Workshops: 14 Average Attendance: 68% # of Majalis involved in Sihate-Jismani activities: 41 Average % of report received: 90% # of Majalis involved in Handicraft/cooking activities: 33 # of Majalis involved in Khidmat-e-Khalq activities: 52 # of Majalis involved in Urdu/Arabic classes: 39 # of Majalis involved in Tabligh activities: 32

Qaida Completions Holy Qur’an Completions Saania Zafar- GA/SC Insia Ahmad- VA-Central Aiman Asif- TX-Houston North Zara Mahmood- Queens Sofia Ahmed- TX-Fort Worth Samar Rana- LA East Uroosa Sohail- CA-Silicon Valley Dania Ahmad- Austin Zoya Chaudhry- CA- Silicon Valley Alisha Kahloon- Tulsa Amna Malik- TX-Houston North Salma Rizwaan - RTNC Sitwat-tul-Muntaha- Zion Raazia Faizan - RTNC Mariama Bah- Zion Hassan Shuja Khan - RTNC Khaira Latif- Zion Nasira and Rabeea Rehman - Orlando, FL Afshan Anjum- Zion Innaya Virk - Silver Spring, MD Fizzah Ahmad- Milwaukee Saba Ali - Buffalo, NY Areeba Ali -Buffalo, NY

Aqsa Aslam, Northern VA Syeda Fiza Rizvi, Northern VA Hasbee-ullah Oresanya - Cypress Houston

Rizqat-ullah Oresanya - Cypress Houston Abiha Iqbal - Cypress Houston Alina Iqbal - Cypress Houston

Durenab Mehmood - Cypress Houston Farooq Agoro - Cypress Houston Abdur Raheem Oresanya - Cypress Houston

Danish Ahmad - Cypress Houston Tuba Malik - Alabama, Tennessee Zainab Chaudhry - Silicon Valley, CA

35 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 Nasirat Matters

Detroit, MI: As part of the East Midwest Regional Tarbiyat and Sports Camp, the Nasirat were asked to reflect on their relationship with Allah through various means. Each chapter in the Midwest region selected a medium to reflect on their relationship with Allah. The mediums included PowerPoint Presentations, model/Dioramas, poster boards, storybooks or skits. Boston, MA: The Nasirat volunteered at the Boston Rescue Mission Long Island, NY: The Nasirat discussed the importance of daily recitation of the Holy Quran and feeling good about dressing modestly

Houston North, TX: Khidmat-e-Khalq Secretary tasked the girls with an assignment to collect the Children's Eid Fund. She requested the girls to contact the Lajna from their halqas. The girl who collected the most money would receive a prize. Alhamdulillah, the total Nasirat/Lajna collection was $768.

Silver Spring, MD: The Nasirat conducted a field trip to National Geographic Museum.

Georgia/SC: Nasirat went ice-skating and made crafts using duct tape. They also celebrated Khilafat Day where one Nasira gave a speech.

Alabama/Tennessee– The Nasirat gathered items and donated clothes and books to the Purple Heart Charity, an agencies that assists disabled veterans.

Queens, NY: The Nasirat held a workshop on Inter-religious peace and harmony.

Detroit, MI: Nasirat participated by reciting a very beautiful Nazm at the Jama’at Khilafat day meeting.

Northern VA: Mother’s Day Cards were prepared along with the discussion on the Hadith "Paradise lies Under the Feet of the Mothers" in celebration of Mother’s Day. A potluck lunch was held along with the meeting for mothers. Nasirat helped prepare the food or snack Items for the Potluck lunch.

Queens, NY: Four nasirat sang the national anthem on America's Independence Day Celebration at Bait -uz Zafar, New York on the Fourth of July. A nasirat also recited the poem 'God Bless America'.

Research Triangle, NC: Nasirat participated in the Lajna/ Nasirat combined Ijtema in May. Holy Quran memorization and recitation competitions were held. Nasirat made Waqf-e-Jadid and Tehrik-e- Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 36 of 44

Jadid money boxes as a craft project, played games and enjoyed putting Mehndi (Henna) on hands. Nasirat had a field trip to a Science and History Museum in June after which they all enjoyed an ice cream treat. Central Virginia: Nasirat participated in a Meena bazaar. Nasirat set up many stalls and sold lemonade, baked goods, and fruit cups. They demonstrated their artistic talent by applying mehndi to the young and the old. Nasirat also participated in several different sporting events during the Meena bazaar. The day was fun filled for all. Cypress Houston, TX: Nasirat took part in an essay writing competition about love for our country in reference to the Fourth of July celebration held by the Jama’at. Milwaukee, WI: Five Milwaukee Nasirat helped label and pack 5,616 cans of corn for Feeding America and 280 boxes for Hunger Task Force. Houston North, TX: Jama’at organized a Khilafat Day in May, at Baitus Samee Mosque. Before the actual proceedings of Khilafat Day, the Nasirat wrote letters to Huzooratba requesting prayers. All the Nasirat from Houston North recited a group Tarana in praise of Khilafat and listened to speeches on the topics of "Khilafat and our responsibilities”. Northwest Regional Nasirat Summer Camp 2013 Nasirat ul Ahmadiyya of California Northwest region held their Regional Summer camp at Baitul Baseer in Milpitas, CA in June. Alhamdulillah, 28 Nasirat from three chapters, Silicon Valley, Oakland and Bay Point, participated in the camp. They actively took part in sports, arts and craft and cooking activities. Several workshops were held over the course of two days:

 Nasirat were introduced to Monotheistic and Polytheistic religions and their comparison.

 A Tabligh workshop gave the Nasirat an opportunity to learn about the importance of Tabligh and how they can help in Tabligh efforts by way of example.

 A workshop about the Women in Islam helped them learn about the lives of some great women throughout Islamic history. Nasirat shared their personal thoughts about their favorite women personalities in Islam at the end of the workshop.

 A brief history of Ahmadiyyat was presented through a short and informal discussion.

 In the health and fitness workshop Nasirat learned the benefits of exercise.

In the evening, Nasirat wrote letters to Huzoor (atba) asking for prayers for success. In addition to the workshops, Nasirat took part in a cooking class and learned to make some sweet and savory dishes. They made tie & dye scarves in their art activity. They also decorated glass jars to be used as money jars for their Nanhi Mujahid scheme. The program ended with a slide show of the activities the girls had been enjoying for the past two days. After Dua, Nasirat left for a trip to a nearby bowling facility. They enjoyed two games with pizza and drinks. Everyone was very happy and thanked Allah for a successful and memorable summer camp. 37 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 Nasirat Matters

Dallas, TX: This year the credit goes to the Nasirat who also helped in the fundraising at the local Lajna/Nasirat Ijtema. The Nasirat set-up their own salon, bakery, jewelry stall, fresh juice, and toy shop. They raised $125. They had such beautiful colors of nail polish with nail art designs, that even the Lajna had their nails done! Their bakery sold delicious cupcakes and chocolate covered Oreo balls, which they baked and decorated. Small and colorful boxes filled with candy were also up for grabs. In their jewelry shop, they sold beaded bracelets and necklaces, which our very talented Nasirat made just for the Meena Bazar. The toyshop had a few items, which were donated by Nasirat including dolls, books and stuffed toys. The fresh juice shop was selling ice-cold Pina colada, which was also a big hit! Dallas, TX: In June, the Dallas Nasirat went on a fun filled trip to the Dallas Perot Museum of Natural Science. They went on a "Journey through the Solar System", a bone rattling ride on an" Earthquake Platform" and a voyage deep down into the earth to experience what it takes to dig for natural gas. Coming face to face with remains of huge dinosaurs, jumping up and down on musical stairs, donning lab coats to conduct biological experiments, and running against virtual competitors were among the many exciting activities. After more than four hours the Nasirat were told that it was time to have some lunch and go home. The girls arrived back at the mosque, tired but happy and ready to be picked up by their parents.

Baltimore, MD: Early in the summer Nasirat planted flowers and bulbs at the new mosque, Bait ul Kareem.

Cypress Houston, TX: The Nasirat planned a day out for ice-skating for Nasirat and mothers followed by lunch.

Houston North, TX: One major upcoming project with the Nasirat was the memorization of Salat. Since each Nasira was at a different stage of learning, all the Nasirat had a pretest, after which each Nasira received an individual goal checklist to memorize for two months. Each week during the two-month period, Nasirat kept record of what they had learned so far. It was discussed with the Nasirat and the mothers that if the girls memorize their specific goals, they would get to have a fun outdoors activity. All the Nasirat who participated in the Nasirat test did exceptionally well and got a treat to go to IT’Z, a fun indoor activity place. At IT’z, Nasirat first had a buffet lunch in a reserved area under “Ahmadiyya Muslim Commu- nity.” Later, each girl got one and half hour of unlimited games, which included Bumper Cars, Monkey Jumps, Rock Climbing, Disk’O, and video games and then a 40-point fun card to spend on other games. After IT’Z, one of the Nasirat’s mothers gave a nice treat to the attendees at Munchies, a frozen yogurt place. A few Nasirat gathered at Munchies, while the others headed home after a fun-filled day!

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Special Ramadhan Nasirat Activities Research Triangle, NC: Nasirat participated in 'special Ramadhan Khidmat-e-Khalq' projects with Lajna each week. They made 'Thank You' and 'Get Well' cards for service men and sick children in the hospital. They donated food, toiletry items and clothes for different charities. They made blankets for the 'Newborns in Need' project.

LA Inland Empire, CA: Nasirat served dates and water to those fasting at Iftaar during the month of Ramadhan.

Queens, NY: Queens Nasirat presented a group poem (Qaseeda) that was highly appreciated at an iftari program held in the NY Hall of Science, that was attended by Muslims throughout the region.

Cypress Houston, TX: Mash’Allah, 80% of our Nasirat took an active part in speeches during Ramadhan. Five Nasirat held Ameen ceremonies in Ramadhan and a copy of the Holy Qur’an was given to them. The nasirat were given educational awards for their academic achievements on Eid day.

Silver Spring, MD: During the month of Ramadhan, Nasirat participated in a Good Deed Star Reward. The purpose of the program was to encourage children to be regular in coming to Masjid, listening to Dars, offering salat in congregation, being helpful with serving food at Iftaar, cleaning up the mosque and being kind and respectful. On the last day of Ramadhan, the children who earned the most stars were awarded prizes.

Central VA: Children’s Classes with Respected Murabbi Sahib: During the month of Ramadhan, Central Virginia Majlis were blessed with the presence of Missionary Rizwan Khan Sahib, who held children classes, which the nasirat attended with enthusiasm. These classes were spiritually uplifting for our nasirat; they learned the split word translation of Salat. The Nasirat were tested every week on the memorization of these words. By the grace of Allah all the nasirat performed extremely well on these tests. Stories of early Islam were heard and Nasirat discussed what lessons can be learned from these stories. These classes have been highly beneficial for the Nasirat.

Houston North: During the month of Ramadhan, our Nasirat along with the Nasirat of Houston South and Cypress Houston presented speeches on various topics at the weekends after Maghrib prayers. Some of the topics included: Importance of Salat, Fasting, Holy Quran, Patience, Keeping Good Company, and Attribute of Allah-Al-Wasi. Besides speeches, the Nasirat also collected and donated money for “Our Children to Your Children” Eid Gift Fund out of their own allowances. Alhamdulillah, Houston North Nasirat collected approximately $150 for the fund. All the Nasirat also helped out in clean up after each Iftari. Mash’Allah, one Nasira and her Lajna sister cleaned the entire mosque every Thursday during the month of Ramadhan. 39 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013

Births Sabiha Sadaf of Baypoint, CA had a baby girl in May. Her name is Mahnoor Mahmood. Fakhira Essam and Essam Arshed from Lehigh Valley Jama’at were blessed with twin baby girls Suha and Zuha. Saira Chaudhry and Dr. Asad from Lehigh Valley were blessed with a baby boy Ismael (Waqfe Nau). Wajeeha Shah and Dr. Usman Shah from Lehigh Valley Jama’at were blessed with a baby girl Seher Shah. Nadia Malik and Dr. Ata Malik from Lehigh Valley Jama’at were blessed with a baby boy Sabeeh Malik Qureshi (Waqfe Nau). Naseema Nasreen and Luqman Bashir of Brooklyn were blessed with a son Shahzaib Luqman on July 9, 2013. He is the grandson of Manzoor Ahmed. The family requests prayers for the newborn. Mansura Ghaffar and Abrar Hossain of Brooklyn were blessed with a daughter, Aminah Raeesa Hossain, born on August 7, 2013. Aneesa Kausar and Abdul Qadoos of Brooklyn were blessed with a son, Ayaan Areesh, born on June 1, 2013. Mahmud Ahmad Ennin and Khadija Iyore Ennin of Brooklyn were blessed with a daughter, Jennah Esosa. Omar Sultan Raja & Zainab Naila Din of Central VA were blessed with a baby boy, Danial Rayhan Raj. Nouman Ahmad and Sadia Ahmad of Central VA were blessed with a baby daughter, Manal Ahmad. Newly migrated Lajna member, Surraiyya Asif from Thailand, was blessed with a baby girl, Tehmeena Eesha. (Waqfe Nau). Mehmood and Naeema Rana, Boston Chapter, had a baby boy named Usman Muhammad Rana. Sadia and Tariq Waheed of Orlando, FL were blessed with their second child, Zaina Aliyya Waheed. Mr. & Mrs. Mansoor Ahmad of Queens, NY were blessed with a baby boy. Mr.& Mrs. Amish Darr was blessed with a baby girl. Rabia Khan of Northern VA was blessed with a daughter. Uzma Ahmad of Northern VA was blessed with a Daughter. Antoinette Bashir of Rochester, NY is blessed with a baby boy, Zaid. The baby is the grandson of Nusrat Jahan Bashir of Philadelphia. Summer and Saqib Mangla of Columbus, OH were blessed with a baby girl, Aatikah Mangla Farrah and Nasir Khan of Columbus, OH were blessed with a baby girl, Zareena Khan Shehla Ahmad of Southern Virginia requests prayers on being blessed with a baby boy named Hazeem Ahmad by Hazooratba. (Waqfe Nau) Sister Fatima Nabeel and Dr.Nabeel of Cypress Houston were blessed with twin baby girls. Afisat and Ahmed Adewusi of Baltimore, MD were blessed with a beautiful baby boy, Abdul Malik. Sonia and Zeeshan Aslam were blessed with a beautiful baby boy; named Zameer Aslam. Momin and Sabiha Syeda Bhatti of Harrisburg, were blessed with a baby girl, Zoya Mansura. The baby is the grandchild of Missionary, Maulana Shamshad Sahib and our dear Regional Sadr, Naseerah Bhatti Sahiba. Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 40 of 44

Requests for Prayers

Gazala Sirajee of San Diego, CA requests prayers for her brother-in-law, Mahmood Hassan Sirajee, former Amir of Chittagong Jama’at (Bangladesh), who recently underwent heart surgery The mother of Sister Zeba Malik has passed away. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Members are requested to pray for the family. Please keep Mr. and Mrs. Mir Iftekhar Ahmed of Brooklyn/Staten Island, NY and all members of the jama’at in your prayers. Kishwar Malik of Central Virginia has been ill for a long time, please remember her in your prayers. Prayers are required for the good health of Sister Naeema Latif, National Sadr 3. Please keep our dear sisters Salma Ghani and Sister Aliyyah Shaheed and Shakoora Nooriah in your prayers. Please remember Nasreen Rana Sahiba of Georgia/SC in your special prayers. May Allah give her complete health. Ameen Please remember Khalil Malik Sahib of Silicon Valley, CA, husband of Sister Nasreen Malik, as he is very ill. Dr. Abdul Aziz's wife of Baypoint, CA recently had brain surgery. It was successful; we request prayers for her good health. Majeeda Shah of Baypoint, CA requests prayers for her mother's health. Many families in Research Triangle, NC are in financial difficulty and requesting prayers. Please remember respected elderly member Shamim Azam Sahiba in your prayers. Prayers are requested for: Bashir Rajput Sahib, of LA Inland Empire, CA husband of Sister Mubarka Rajput Sahiba and mother of Sister Tahira Gulzar Sahiba. Prayers are requested for Respected Brother Abid Haneef Sahib and Respected Sister Saliha Haneef Sahiba who are dear members of the Boston Chapter.. Dr. Muhammad Abdul Khaliq, President of Minnesota Jama'at; seriously ill and in ICU for some time (daughter Mahmooda is a member of Orlando Majlis) Bushra Khan is recovering from knee surgery. Sameera Basith of Columbus OH is recovering from back surgery. Please pray for the speedy recovery of these sisters. Please remember our dear and faithful members in your prayers. Especially Sister Latifa Ilyas of Baltimore, MD, who is a very loved member of our community. She suffered a heart attack at this year’s Jalsa Salana, and has been in and out of the hospital for some time. Presently she is in a home for the elderly. She is weak and needs our prayers. Brother Hamza, who has been ill for several years now. He is and has been a very dedicated member of our community. Words cannot express what they both mean to our Baltimore Community. Sister Bushra Fouzi is presently in Pakistan, due to the loss of her older sister. May Allah grant her sister the highest status in heaven, forgive her shortcomings and grant peace to the deceased's families.

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The Passing Away of Hazrat Sahibzadi Amatul Rasheed Begum Sahiba Letter of Condolence and Resolution Our hearts are full of immense sorrow at the passing away of Hazrat Sahibzadi Amatul Rasheed Begum Sahiba in Potomac, Maryland on September 20, 2013. Inna Lillahe wa Inna Ilaihe Rajeoon. Hazrat Sahibzadi Amatul Rasheed Sahiba was the granddaughter of the Promised Messiah (as), granddaughter of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra), daughter of Hazrat Musleh Maoud Khalifatul Masih II (ra), sister of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh), wife of late Mohtaram Mian Abdur Raheem Ahmad Sahib (Waqfe Zindagi) and maternal aunt of our beloved Imam Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib, Khalifatul Masih V (atba). Hazrat Sahibzadi Amatul Rasheed Begum Sahiba was an eminent person in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at who led an exemplary pious life. She rendered service to the Jama’at throughout her life serving in various capacities including but not limited to Sadr Lajna Karachi, Regional Sadr Sindh Province, National Secretary Exhibition/Handicraft, Pakistan, National Secretary Wassaya, Pakistan. Hazrat Sahibzadi Sahiba also served as an advisor to Lajna Ima’illah USA for several years. It was upon her request to her father, Hazrat Musleh Maoud Khalifatul Masih IIra that Nasiratul Ahmadiyya was founded. In addition to her exceptional services to the Jama’at Ahmadiyya and her deep love for Khilafat, Hazrat Sahibzadi Sahiba was known for her loving nature and pleasant disposition, deep religious conviction, and her lifelong efforts to help those that were less fortunate. Her demise will be deeply felt by all righteous servants of Islam, and especially so by her family. We, the members of Lajna Ima’illah, USA offer our deepest condolences to Syedna Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (atba), and the family of Hazrat Aqdas Masih-e-Maoud (as) on this sad occasion. Hazrat Sahibzadi Sahiba leaves behind one son, Dr. Zaheeruddin Mansoor Ahmad Sahib married to Rizwana Zaheer Sahiba, and three daughters; Amatul Baseer Ahmad Sahiba married to Dr. Mir Daud Ahmad Sahib, Amatun Noor Ahmad Sahiba married to late Dr. Abdul Shamin Ahmad Sahib and Amatul Hai Ahmad Sahiba married to Dr. Khaled Ahmad Ata Sahib. Hazrat Sahibzadi Sahiba also had 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren and an adopted daughter Ferzana Shehzad married to Shehzad Ahmad. We pray earnestly to Almighty Allah to elevate the station of Hazrat Sahibzadi Amatul Rasheed Begum Sahiba in the Hereafter and grant fortitude to all her beloved ones to bear this loss. Ameen. We, also hereby resolve to:

 Affirm and reiterate our belief in the Decree of Allah with which we are, and shall ever remain, content.

 Affirm and reiterate our servitude and solidarity with Khilafat-Ahmadiyya and Syedna Hazrat Khalifatul Masih (atba).

 Strive to emulate the blessed conduct of late Hazrat Sahibzadi Amatul Rasheed Begum Sahiba who served as a role model as well as a beacon of light for countless maid-servants of Allah. Saliha Malik, Sadr, Lajna Imaillah, USA September 25, 2013 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 42 of 44 Lajna Highlights May 2013— July 2013 Outreach (Average Number of People/ Meetings Guests) Active Tajnid as of July 2013: 4,312 # People preached to: 1,350 /mo Total # of Meetings Held: 61 # Needy served outside the Jama'at: 2,327/mo # of KK services provide inside Jama'at:609/ % Average Attendance: 42% mo Total # of Halqa Meetings: 80 Tabligh Average Percentage of Active Members # of Bai’ats Obtained: 2 Active in 1– Milwaukee, Philadelphia Da'ee ilallahs: 520/month Alhamdolillah! Khidmat-e-Khalq: 1,178/month Listening to Khutba/MTA: 2,131/month Learning Qur’an Nazira: 1,712/month

Congratulations to:

Majaalis with Average Active Member Attendance at Meetings > 50% from May 2013 to July 2013: Alabama/Tennessee, Baltimore, Bay Point, Binghamton, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cypress Houston, Dallas, Fitchburg, Georgia/South Carolina, Kentucky, Merced, New Orleans, Orlando, Oshkosh, Phoenix, Research Triangle, San Diego, Syracuse, Tucson

Majaalis with Average Active Members Listening to Huzoor’satba Friday Sermons > 75% from May 2013 to July 2013: Baltimore, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Cleve- land, Dallas, Hartford, Kentucky, LA East, LA Inland Empire, LA West, Las Vegas, Lehigh Valley, Merced, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oshkosh, Research Triangle, Sacramento, Tucson, Tulsa, VA Central, VA South, Washington DC

Majaalis with Average Active Members Learning Holy Qur’an Nazira > 50% from May 2013 to July 2013: Baltimore, Bay Point, Binghamton, Brooklyn, Cypress Houston, Dallas, LA East, Laurel, Merced, New Orleans, NJ North, Oakland, Orlando, Oshkosh, Queens, Research Triangle, Rochester, Sacramento, San Diego, Syracuse, Tucson, Tulsa, VA Cen- tral, Washington DC, Zion 43 of 44 Lajna Matters 3rd Quarter Issue, 2013 Local Matters

Recognition Samiya Ijaz of San Diego graduated from high school and was awarded the Girl Scouts Gold Award for her role in creating Humanity First’s “Sight for Life” project

Palvasha Noor of LA Inland Empire successfully memorized the 30th part of the Holy Quran with the help of online Quran classes.

Bareah Alam, of Brooklyn/Staten Island, NY, graduated summa cum laude from Wagner College on May 24, 2013, with a bachelor of science in chemistry with minors in history and English.

Sania Noreen Ahmed of Brooklyn, NY, graduated from Brooklyn Col- lege. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology with a minor in political science. She also received the Phi Beta Kappa Award.

Atiqa Nasir of Brooklyn, NY, graduated from the City University of New York, Bernard Baruch College, with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology with a minor in sociology.

Monsura Sirajee of San Diego delivered the commencement address for the religion department of her university in which she discussed the importance of education in religion.

Marriam Azam was asked by her Religious studies Professor to give a presentation on the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to 160+ students.

Arfah Majeed, Sumbul Jattala, Ghazala Khan, Naila Choudhry, Tahira Farooq of LA Inland Empire, CA gradu- ated from High School.

Asma Ahmad of LA Inland Empire, CA graduated with a Bachelors degree in Nutrition.

Raabia Waraich of LA Inland Empire, CA graduated with Bachelors degree in Psychology.

Samia Ahmad of LA Inland Empire, CA graduated with Bachelors degree in medicine.

Khalida Bakr of Zion, IL graduated from Carthage College with a Bachelor of Biology degree.

Madiha Khan of Zion, IL graduated from Lake Forest College with a degree in English Writing and Arts. She also received an honor of distinction in her thesis.

Ramla Walker-Hakeem of Zion, IL graduated from the College of Lake County with an Associate Degree in Communications.

Nadia Shams of Zion, IL received a Masters in Education with a teacher certificate in addition to her previous Master of Science Degree.

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Lajna Matters

22 Sha’ban 1434—26 Dhul Qa’dah 1434 Issue 3- 2013 July- September 2013

A quarterly publication of Lajna Ima‘illah and Nasiratul Ahmadiyya, USA

An Auxiliary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

This issue of the Lajna Matters was compiled under the guidance of National Sadr Sahiba, Saliha Malik and with assistance from the National Lajna Publications Team. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Lajna Matters Publications Team:

Farzana Safiullah Publications Secretary [email protected]

Bushra Mirza Editor, Lajna Matters [email protected]

Abeeha Alam Associate Editor, Lajna Matters

Aeman Bashir Layout, Lajna Matters

Mabroor Jattalla Urdu Section, Lajna Matters [email protected]