Lajna Matters Nasiratul Ahmadiyya USA

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

17 Shavval 1433 - 19 Safar 1434 Issue 4 - 2012 October 2012 - December 2012 Special Features Holy Qur’an The Glorious Qur’an Message from Sadr Lajna Those who follow the Messenger, the  Correspondence Prophet, the Immaculate one, whom Selected Sermons Khidmat-e-Khalq Matters they find mentioned in the Torah and Tarbiyat Matters the Gospel which are with them. He en- Tabligh Matters joins on them good and forbids them Publication Matters evil, and makes lawful for them the Handicraft Matters good things and forbids them the bad, Ijtema/Camps and removes from them their burden  Nasirat Matters and the shackles that were upon them. Local Matters Urdu Matters So those who shall believe in him, and honor and support him, and help him, All members are and follow the light that has been sent asked to make use of down with him — these shall prosper. the resources pro- 7:158 vided by Jama’at and Lajna in order to improve their reading and their comprehen- O ye who believe! Respond to Allah, sion of the Holy and the Messenger when he calls you Qur’an. All Majalis that he may give you life, and know that are requested to Allah comes in between a man and his spend 10-15 minutes heart, and that He it is unto Whom you during their General Meetings to improve shall be gathered. 8:25 their Tarteel.

Ahadith Hadhrat Umar al Khattab says, ‘The supplication remains suspended between heaven and earth until someone invokes blessings upon the Holy Prophetsaw, no part of it goes up to be presented before Allah the Almighty. (Tirmidhi)

Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Amr Bin al ‘As narrates that he heard the Holy Prophet saw say: When you hear the caller of Adhan, repeat the words that he is saying. Then invoke Allah’s blessings upon me. He who invokes Allah’s blessings upon me, Allah will grant him His Mercy ten-fold’. Then he said, ‘Whoever begs Allah that He may grant me wasilah – which is one of the grades of Paradise, which Allah will grant one of His servants, and I hope that I am that one – my intercession for such a one will become permissible. (Sahih Muslim) Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 2 of 28

Writings of the Promised Messiahas It is my personal experience that to obey the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, with a sincere heart and to love him, ultimately makes a person beloved of God. God creates in his heart a burning for His Own love and such a one, withdrawing his heart from everything else, leans towards God and his affection and desire remain only for God Almighty. Thereupon a special manifestation of Divine love falls upon him and bestow- ing upon him the full color of love and devotion pulls him towards itself with great force. He then over- comes his passions and from every direction extraordinary works of God Almighty appear as signs in his support and to help him (Haqiqatul Wahyi, p. 65).

Once it so happened that I was completely absorbed in invoking Allah’s blessing upon the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for a long period of time because I was certain that the paths of reaching Allah the Almighty are very narrow and cannot be found except through the intermediation of the Holy Prophetsaw. After a period of time I saw a vision that two water-men entered my house, one from the interior side and one from the exterior. On their shoulders they were carrying water skins filled with the light Divine. They said: ‘This is a consequence of the blessings you invoked upon Muhammadsaw’ (Haqiqat-ul- Wahyi p.128, footnote 3).

Through invoking blessings upon the Holy Prophetsaw… It is my personal experience that Divine Grace in the shape of wonderful light proceeds in the direction of the Holy Prophetsaw, and is absorbed in to his bosom and then issuing there from numberless streams of it reach everyone deserving them according to his capac- ity. Certainly no grace can reach anyone without the agency of the Holy Prophetsaw. Invoking blessings on the Holy Prophetsaw brings into movement his throne from which streams of light issue. He who desires to obtain the Grace of God Almighty should invoke blessings on him persistently, so that Divine Grace might be brought into motion (Al Hakam, 28th Feb 1903, p.7).

Message from Sadr Lajna Saliha Malik In the months of October and November, members have been busy with organizing special Seerut un Nabi Jalsas with invited guests, in response to our beloved Hudhur’satba direction. We have eagerly listened to speeches and poems describing his beautiful character, his love of Allah and his noble and tireless service for mankind especially with regard to women and the down trodden, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him until the end of time.

Let us remember that the Holy Prophet of Islamsaw gave women their dignity and rightful status in all societies for all ages. We therefore should always be especially diligent in showing our gratitude in our obedience to Allah and his Messenger, and by being consistent in offering durud prayer. My dear sisters let us never forget that this honor and respect was granted to women though the careful observance of Purdah and Hayaa. May Allah enable us to realize this gift and be those who uphold the value of Modesty through this careful observance for the benefit of all: our families, our community, our society and ourselves. “Present the beautiful teaching of Islam to the world through your practice” (Khutba 9/21/2012). And tell others from the heart of your experience.

Bless O Allah, Muhammad and his people as Thou didst bless Abraham and his people. Thou art indeed the Praise- worthy and Exalted. Prosper O Allah Muhammad and his people as Thou didst prosper Abraham and his people. Thou art indeed the Praiseworthy and Exalted. 3 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012

National Correspondence

Date: Oct. 2, 2012 Dear Sadr Lajna Imaillah USA, Assalamalaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatahu I have received your National Report of departments, along with the Lajna and Nasirat reports of May 2012 respectively. Jazakamullah. Your report gives a much detailed account of the activities carried out in the relevant shobas. Members have been active in Taleem and Tarbiyyat work, whereby regular workshops and Qur’an classes were held. Considerable efforts have also been made by members in Tabligh work and Khidmate Khalq services within the community. The regional events and ijtemas were successful and addressed key issues regarding cultural differences in today’s society. Overall your report is reflective of a hard working Lajna who are clearly focused on accomplishing further improvisation in all Jamaat work. May Allah Almighty bless you all in your sincere efforts and enable you to achieve greater successes. Please convey my salaam to all Nasirat and Lajna in the USA. Wassalam. Yours sincerely. Selection of Hudhur’satba Sermons

Promote the True Character of The Prophet saw – A Friday sermon delivered by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V atba, September 28, 2012 http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2012-09-28.html Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih said that when he came for Friday Prayers last week he saw a large number of reporters had gathered. Upon inquiring Ameer sahib told him that they had come to observe the Ahmadi response in light of the Muslim reaction to the hurtful film in USA. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih replied that his sermon was going to be on the same subject and he would give a discourse on what the response should be. It was God’s work that He had attracted such a large number of reporters and had also put in the heart of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih to give a discourse on the subject. The plan was to give the Friday sermon on a different subject and it was only a day earlier that it was changed to this subject. What followed proved that this happened with God’s succor. Although only a limited amount can be said in the limited [allocated] time, yet the intended message was widely received by others in addition to the world of Ahmadiyyat. After Friday Prayers as Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih was leaving, Ameer sahib told him that the gathered media wished to ask him some questions. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih said that he had said what he wished to say in his sermon. He said he had also observed that the media was watching and listening to the available translation and taking photographs. However, they had been seated and awaited Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih, so he went to speak to them with the thought of upholding the honor of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and felt that if the message about Islamic teaching could be conveyed in a better light, meeting the media was good. Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 4 of 28

Among the gathered media there were newspaper reporters as well as TV reporters. BBC’s Newsnight repre- sentative was there and another from the BBC. New Zealand national TV as well as French TV was also repre- sented. The New Zealander had the first chance to question and asked what was the message Hadhrat Khali- fatul Masih wished to give. He replied that it had just been given in his sermon, which the media had listened to with the translation provided. A discourse had been given about the high station of the Holy Prophetsaw. His high station and his blessed model were worthy of emulation for every Muslim. The enraged reaction of the Muslims [to the films etc.] was in a way right although in places it had manifested wrongly. The station that we hold the Holy Prophetsaw in our hearts cannot be perceived by a worldly person. That is why they have no in- sight into the deep hurt it has caused us. The New Zealand reporter stressed and repeatedly mentioned that Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih had spoken se- verely in his sermon and had said that all these people would go to Hell. He was replied that people who acted in this manner towards the beloveds of God and did it persistently, mocking and deriding them, then God’s decree also comes to pass and He chastises them. The reporter did not say anything [in response] to this but appeared somewhat frightened. His report was broadcast on New Zealand national TV. It was the first time that a Jama’at news item was broadcast on New Zealand national TV and the local Jama’at was quite pleased about this introduction. In the news item the words of the English translator of the sermon regarding ‘these people would go to Hell’ were also included. In isolation and out of context this phrase could have had a nega- tive effect. Unlike other non-Muslim reporters it was fair of this reporter that Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih’s own words spoken during the interview saying that we do not approve of violent protests and rioting and an Ahmadi Muslim would never be seen in a disorderly act were also included in the item. The report also said that Ahmadis were a minority Muslim community and were persecuted by Muslims and said that it remained to be seen what effect, if any, the words of their Khalifa would have on other Muslims apart from the Ahmadis. The report also featured footage of violent protests and maulvis raising slogans. Through this report the true message of Islam reached New Zealand and other countries via their websites. Even if we had tried, we could not have conveyed the message on this scale. The New Zealand Jama’at should now try and take this message all over. Similarly, the message would have been heard in countries around New Zealand. They should try and plan extensive programs regarding the blessed life of the Holy Prophetsaw. The Newsnight reporter present said that he had seen the film and there was nothing in it to merit the reaction. He also said that the Friday sermon was also quite detailed on the subject and in places harsh words were used to refute what was simply humor. Such is the state of their morals. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih told him that he did not know how he had viewed the film and what his standard was but the love and reverence that Muslims had for the Holy Prophetsaw could not be understood by him. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih told him that although he had not seen the film but one or two things that someone who had seen the film had related to him were unbearable and in light of them Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih could not possibly dare see the film. He said his blood boiled by merely listening about them. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih asked him that if someone verbally abused his father and said vulgar things about him what would his reaction be? He was told that the station of the Holy Prophetsaw was much higher than this for Muslims. When the reporter mentioned the film again, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih again reminded him what his reaction would be if someone were to say something similar about his father. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih asked for an answer in a yes or no, but none was forthcom- ing. Although Newsnight did not report this but the phrase ‘what if someone was to verbally abuse your father’ was picked up by other media and commented on. An English language Pakistani newspaper presented the viewpoint of Ahmadiyya Jama’at very well with reference to the Friday sermon and meeting with the press. Again with reference to this phrase, which was highly commended, some online commentators also said that Mirza Masroor Ahmad had not said something unusual, all sensible people said the same thing. An Ahmadi wrote to Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih that he had heard and read all reports and comments on 5 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012

Selection of Hudhur’satba Sermons this subject and no one other than Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih had drawn attention to invoking blessings and salu- tations (Durud) on the Holy Prophetsaw. Some reports mentioned that those who are called non-Muslims have shown the correct response. Thus true Islam was very well publicized in the world and the world of Islam and the rest of the world were given the message about the correct Islamic response. It was a special blessing of God that this received the coverage that it did. Had we planned to do this, we could not have managed on the wide scale that it happened. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih said: ‘Now, this message needs to be taken further and this wide coverage should be availed of. This is the task of every local Jama’at and every Ahmadi. As far as instruction regarding the modus operandi from the center is concerned, I have instructed publication of the Friday sermon. This instruction and method would take a short while to reach Jama’ats. However, all the Ahmadis who are listening to me should avail of this opportunity provided by God. For one, as I mentioned in last Friday sermon, present the beautiful teaching of Islam to the world through your practice. In conjunction with the related central office and Ja- ma’ats should promptly translate the Friday sermon in their native language and publicize it extensively and also mention the press [coverage]. The Islamic viewpoint should be taken to every intelligent person. It should also be stated that if people are interested in the beautiful aspects of the blessed life of the Holy Prophetsaw we provide books written in light of the facts and history. Website addresses should also be given; the main website address should be given which has all these books online. As I said I have already given instructions and some have also suggested that the worldwide publicity with reference to the Friday sermon and the questions and answers with the press should be fully utilized to highlight aspects of the blessed life of the Holy Prophetsaw and it should be taken advantage of. Books on the blessed life of the Prophet, which have been translated in English, should be given to local librar- ies in the English-speaking world. In addition, if they have to be given free to certain communities, this can be done, especially those books, which, as I said have been translated in English or other languages; these should be distributed abundantly. For example, the book by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (may Allah be pleased with him) ‘Life of Muhammad’, published in English, also the book by Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra on the blessed life of the Prophet has been partly translated in English. The rest of it should also be translated and quickly published by the publication department. As I said, the book by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IIra ‘Life of Muham- mad’ is a comprehensive book that briefly covers all aspects of the blessed life. Originally, it was part of ‘Deebacha Tafseerul Qur’an’ citing history as well as biography [of the Prophet]… it highlights every aspect of the life of the Holy Prophetsaw. It should be published on an extensive scale. Vakil ul Isha’at Tasneef should report on into how many languages it has been translated. If it is not in stock, it should be promptly published. I think a German translation also exists and perhaps also in French. In any case, a report should be submitted. We are going to present the beautiful aspects of the blessed life of the Holy Prophetsaw to the world. This is our task and should be discharged with determination. Today only the Ahmadiyya community can do this task with love. For this, efforts should be made for all kinds of programs; seminars should be held as well as con- ventions to which others should be invited in maximum numbers. And as I said, my last Friday sermon should be translated in every language and published in a small pamphlet form and distributed as a campaign in the manner peace leafleting was done. But this should not take too long. This task can be done within a week to ten days and should be thus undertaken. Big countries can easily manage this publication task. These people are neither desisting now nor will they do it in future. Seeing the general reaction of the Muslims, it appears they are in pursuit of further hurting our sentiments and are spreading their wicked way from one coun- Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 6 of 28

try to another. A few days ago a Spanish newspaper also made these caricatures and published them in the name of humor saying it was a reply to the reaction of Muslims. We have to make concerted efforts to si- lence these people and at least let the decent and educated people know that this wrong way is destroying peace. So that as much as possible we can uncover their wickedness and inform the world about it.’ Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih said that recently here in the UK and in the Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated all year round. When the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria took place the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote a book by the name of ‘Tohfa e Qaisariyyah’ and sent it to the Queen. While he had praised the fair and just rule of the Queen in the book, he had also given the message of Islam and also drawn attention towards inter-faith links and respect of religious holy persons and Prophets to promote peace in the world. He had also detailed the ways to keep peace. At the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth, a volume of beautifully bound translation of ‘Tohfa e Qaisariy- yah’ was sent to her. The related royal department sent Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih a letter of thanks saying the book had been added to the Queen’s collection and that she would read it. Whether the Queen reads it or not, we have tried to carry out our responsibility. Today, the disorder in the world is the same as it was then. In fact in some ways it is worse. These people are carrying on attacking Islam and attacking the person of the Holy Prophetsaw and deriding him and are increasing in this. Therefore, the message of the Promised Messiahas is much needed. The part where he draws attention to respect of religion and stresses the importance of holding conferences should also be published and distributed as a pamphlet. The message will perhaps cover four to five pages. This task should also be done promptly. The Promised Messiahas has stated that if a person tries to spread a false law in the name of government and tries to present him as a worker of the government, the governmental ap- paratus comes into action and takes steps against such a person or group. How can it be possible that God sees wrong associated to Him and stay silent? When Prophets claim to be from God and their communities also grow, it proves that they are from God and those who are from God should be respected so that world peace is maintained. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih read the following extract from the book Tohfa e Qaisariyyah (A Gift To The Queen): Therefore, this law is part of the eternal practice of Almighty God that He does not grant respite to a false prophet. Such a person is soon seized and suffers his punishment. In view of this, we shall honor and accept as true all those who claimed to be prophets at any time, and their claim was established and their religion became widespread and flourished over a long period. If we should discover mistakes in the scriptures of their religions or should observe the misconduct of their followers, we should not attribute these faults and shortcomings to the founders of these religions, inasmuch as the perversion of scriptures is possible and it is possible that mistakes of inter- pretation might find their way into the commentaries. But it is not at all possible that a person should fabricate lies against God and claim to be a prophet and then put forward his own compositions as the word of God falsely, and yet God should grant him respite like the righteous and allow him wide acceptance worthy of the truthful. This is our task, which should be discharged with determination. Therefore, this principle is an ultimate truth and endless blessing, and withal lays the foundation for conciliation, in that we affirm the truthfulness of all prophets whose religion has been well-established, has survived for a long time period and has had millions enter its fold. This is a very blessed principle. If the entire world were to adhere to this fundamental principle, thousands of disorders and blasphemies, which disturb the peace among general public, would be eradicated. It is apparent that people who consider the adherents of a religion to be following a person, who, in their view, is a liar and fabricator, lay the foundation of many tribulations. They certainly com- 7 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012

Selection of Hudhur’satba Sermons

mit the crimes of defamation and speak of the prophets with extremely disrespectful words, going as far as employ- ing abusive language, and disrupt harmony and peace among the general public; notwithstanding that their esti- mation is wrong and they are transgressors in the eyes of God with regard to their disrespectful views. God, who is Merciful and Beneficent, does not like that a liar should prosper unfairly and then put people in doubt by establishing his own religion. Nor does He allow that, in the eyes of the world, a person be raised to the level of true prophets while he is a fabricator and a liar. Therefore, this principle lays down the foundation of love, peace and harmony, and supports moral values, in that we consider all those prophets true who appeared in the world— whether in India, or Persia or China or any other country. God instilled their respect and grandeur in the hearts of millions and made firm the roots of their religion, which remained established for centuries. This is the principle that the Quran teaches us. In light of this principle, we honor all religious founders who fall under this de- scription whether they are the founders of the religion of the Hindus, or the religion of the Persians, or the religion of the Chinese, or the religion of the Jews or the religion of the Christians. Unfortunately, our adversaries cannot treat us this way, and they do not bear in mind the pristine and unalterable law of God that He does not give that blessing and honor to a false prophet that He bestows upon the true one. The religion of a false prophet does not take root and does not last long as does the religion of a truthful prophet. Therefore, people subscribing to this kind of belief—who defame the prophets of other nations by declaring them false—are always enemies of peace and harmony, because there is no greater mischief than abusing the elders of other nations. Sometimes a person would rather die than hear disparaging words for his elders. If we have an objection over the teaching of a religion, we should not attack the honor of the prophet of that religion or mention him in an unseemly manner. Rather, we should object only on the current practices of that nation. We should be certain that the prophet whom God Almighty has graced with the honor of acceptance by millions, and whose acceptance has continued for centuries, is thus firmly proven to be from Allah. If he were not the beloved of God, he would not have achieved so much respect. It is not the practice of God to grant honor to a fabricator, to spread his religion among millions, and to safeguard the fabricated religion for a long time. Therefore, a religion, which spreads in the world, takes root, and finds honor and long life, cannot at all be false in its origin. Therefore, if anything in that teaching is found objectionable, it can either be because the teachings of that prophet have been altered, or because a mistake has been made in the explanation of his teachings. It is also possible that we may not be justified in our objections. It may be observed that some priests raise objections about certain tenets in the Holy Quran, even though they believe them to be true and as the teachings of God according to the Torah. Therefore, such objections are due to one’s own mistake or due to haste. In summary, welfare of humanity, peace, harmony, righteousness, and fear of God call for adhering to the principle that we do not declare such prophets as false concerning whose truth the opinion of millions of people for centuries has been established, and they have been supported by God since time immemorial. I am confident that a seeker of truth, whether Asian or European, will cherish this principle, and will profoundly regret that he did not believe in it all along. I place this principle before Her Majesty, the Queen, the Empress of India and England because only this principle can spread peace in the world. This is our principle. Islam is proud to be unique in subscribing to this beautiful and handsome principle. Is it befitting that we malign the sages to whom God has subjugated a world and kings have been bowing to them for centuries? Is it befitting that we be distrustful of God, thinking that He wants to deceive people by giving the status of the truthful to the liars, making them the sages of millions, giving their religions long lives and showing heavenly signs in their favor? If God Himself were to deceive us then how could we differentiate right from wrong? This is an important tenet: a false prophet should not achieve the grandeur, acceptance and greatness as that of a truthful one. Prosperity should not result from the plans of liars as it does from the activities of a truthful Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 8 of 28

one. That is why the first sign of the truthful is that perpetual support is with the truthful, and God plants his religion in the hearts of millions, and grants it long life. Therefore, keeping in view the day of our passing away and the day of recompense, we should not malign such a great sage; rather, we should garner true respect and true love for a prophet who carries such signs. This is the first principle, which God has taught us. Through this we have become inheritors of a great moral code.’ (‘A Gift to The Queen’, pp. 5 – 9) Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih said that in terms of practice, Islam is the leading religion of the world whereas in terms of numbers it is the second. Others should try and respect the Holy Prophetsaw otherwise it could lead to disorder. We respect other religions of the world and accept God commissioned their holy persons and this is only because of the beautiful teaching of the Qur’an, which the Holy Prophetsaw gave us. In spite of the fact that those opposed to Islam use offensive words for the Prophetsaw and make his crude caricatures, we do not use any wrong words for any Prophet of other faiths nor do we disparage them. Yet by targeting Muslims the others disturb world peace. They provoke and incite and when some Muslims are inflamed, they say Muslims are extremists and all manner of action should be taken against them. They dare to do this because there is no unity in the Muslims. As for us Ahmadi Muslims, whom God has gathered on the hand of the Promised Messiah and Mahdias should show the world the way to guidance and the ways of peace and security. The message of the Promised Messiahas read out earlier should be abundantly publicized. Worldly people do not know the station of the Holy Prophetsaw that we have in our hearts. They cannot appreciate how much a true Muslim loves him. 1400 years ago, Hassaan bin Thabit expressed his ardent love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) as: ‘O Muhammadsaw you were [like] the pupil of my eye that I am blinded of today. Whosoever may die now, I feared your death alone.’ In this age, the Promised Messiahas has inspired great love for the Prophetsaw in our hearts. In his celebrated ‘Qaseeda’ (eulogy) he thus expressed his ardent love for the Prophetsaw: A group of people has seen you whilst a whole nation has been informed about [you] That full moon that has captivated me! They weep fervently upon remembrance of [your] beauty; yearning And aching from the misery of separation And I see the hearts desperately anxious in agony And I see the tears flowing from the eyes’ The closing couplet of the Qaseeda says: ‘My body [yearns to] fly to you, so intense is my desire that it [has] soared high Would that I had the power to fly! Such are the lessons in love that we have been taught about the Holy Prophetsaw and these worldly people say what does it matter, it is only light humor. When morals are declined to this degree that rather than ascend they reach the lowest ebb is when world peace is destroyed. Our task is to promote the blessed life of the Prophetsaw as much as possible. In order to prepare for this every Ahmadi should read the book ‘Life of Mu- hammad’; it covers all the main aspects of his blessed life. In addition, in accordance with personal academic ability and discernment other books on his blessed life should also be read and the world should be informed through networking, through articles and pamphlets about the beauty and grace of the Holy Prophetsaw. May God enable every Ahmadi to do this important task and duty and may He give sense to the world so that sensible people dismiss those who perpetrate vulgar and wicked derision and show enmity so that the world peace is not disturbed and the world is also saved from Divine wrath. May God make it so. 9 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012

Impressions of the 2012 UK Jalsa from the USA Lajna Delegation: A handful of American Ahmadi women attended Jalsa UK as guest delegates, with Sadr Lajna Imaillah USA, Saliha Malik Sahiba. We were hosted at the new Jamia in Hazelmere. Our stay, our experience at Jalsa and our Mulaqat with Hudhur remains profoundly embedded in our hearts. We all felt newly inspired and motivated to practice our faith and to serve our Jama’at here in America with more devotion. Following are some extracts of our impressions:

At Jalsa UK one is overwhelmed in recognizing the real growth of our Jama'at. Whereas we may see one or two converts in our local Lajna/Jama'at in a year's time, at the UK Jalsa you see first hand the growth that is occurring all around the world. Native faces from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, Turkistan, Guate- mala, Libya, Samoa, Egypt, and African countries and on and on demonstrate the true international brother- hood of Ahmadiyyat. The international Bai'at, a symphony of different languages, all offered in tearful devotion is a deeply emotional experience…

I am still feeling the effects of the Jalsa UK. Seeing the fulfillment of Promised Messiah’sas revelation "I will cause thy Message to spread to the corners of the earth." I was reminded of my hajj experience where I saw the faces of the world, gathered for the worship of One God. The difference being the love, joy, kindness and unity I consistently find when near our Khalifa. It is something I have never seen or felt anywhere else I have traveled…

Now I can appreciate more than ever how unique a community we are and how special a gathering Jalsa is. I felt the world coming together and although I'm meeting new and different people I feel like it's the same heart I'm introduced to again and again. Even in my personal circle of new and old friends - I see how the blessings of Khilafat establish real love between people who would otherwise be strangers. From as far as Gua- temala to Germany, Zimbabwe to Trinidad, from Norway to Colombia, I have met and found sisterhood in its purest sense.

During the UK Jalsa everyone I encountered demonstrated a high level of dedication and standards of excel- lence that remain unsurpassed. This example and the blessings from Allah assured the great success of the Jalsa, Mash’Allah. I am deeply grateful to all those who spent countless hours preparing for and serving the guests of the Promised Messiahas. The entire experience has left me with a desire to return in 2013 and to be of service to others as I have been served, Insh’Allah. Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 10 of 28

Being in the presence of the Khalifa feeds the soul. The impact has left me with a renewed certainty about the truth of Ahmadiyyat and with a stronger belief in Allah…

The experience of Jalsa and our Mulaqat with Hud- huratba has restored my energy for faith and my life’s purpose as an Ahmadi, Jazak’Allah!

When the penetrating sound of many tongues filled the air and drove through my being to the very core, as we re-

cited our pledge of allegiance – I knew that I have only one purpose and that there is only One God.

One thing stood out clearly, that followers of the Promised Messiahas from all corners of the world have the deepest love for our Khalifa. The energy of love abounded everywhere we went. The hospitality was extraordinary and the spirit in which those volunteering their time to make the Jalsa a success was one of “joy in servi- tude.” We heard repeatedly with offers of help “you are the guests of the Promised Messiahas.”

I finally gave myself permission to feel abundantly and overwhelmingly happy. While I wanted to be respect- ful of the ideals and the intent of the Jalsa Salana, which is a gathering for spiritual contemplation and re- newal, for me this ended up being a somewhat gleeful event, and an emotionally uplifting experience. Rather than feeling somber, and introspective things kept making me smile, laugh, trust in Allah. If I was hungry, there was food. I lost my watch and the next day; there it was in Lost and Found. I saw a dear old friend, and I felt that no time had passed. I was interviewed for an "Emotions of the Jalsa" report and while I feared I would not be able to speak, the words (and tears) flowed out…

I am deeply grateful to Allah T’ala for the extraordinary opportunity of being at Jalsa UK. We stood side by side and bowed down in prayer with thousands of women from all over the world. The message of Love for All Hatred for None took on a new meaning…

My sincerest gratitude and Prayers for my brothers and sisters who generously volunteered their time, attention and love to those of us delegates. I have never experienced so much kindness, love and generosity in my entire life as I had at the Jalsa UK 2012. 11 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012

Masjid Mahmoud of Detroit was

the venue for this year’s National Majlis-e-Shura Lajna Ima’illah USA, which was attended by 247 delegates, 17 observers, 4 guests and many volunteers, who served the attendees most dili- gently. The president of the De- troit Jama’at gave an inspiring Friday Sermon extolling the role of Muslim women as custodians of paradise for their generations. He warmheartedly welcomed all the attendees to Detroit and en- sured full co-operation of the Detroit Jama’at to guarantee a smooth running of the program.

Highlights and Presentations of Majlis-e-Shura

 The respective subcommittee chairs presented the implementation reports on last year’s Shura proposals.  The Shura Secretary presented all of the Shura proposals for 2012 including the ones, which had been accepted for deliberations by the National Amila and subsequently approved by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masihatba.  Four subcommittees were formed to discuss the proposals selected for this year.  Sadr Lajna, Saliha Malik Sahiba, engaged the remaining attendees in an informative health presentation, which gave well-researched measures on diet and healthy living to prevent the onset of Cancer.  In the third session the subcommittee chairs presented the committees’ rec- ommendations for the shura delegates to deliberate and comment upon and to give the final vote.  With the elections for National Sadr Lajna, the Majlis-e-Shura 2012 came to a conclusion.  The non-Shura sessions included:  A local Sadrs Training Quiz on implementing various aspects of the Nizame Jama’at at local level from National Secretary Tehriq e Jadid, Tazeen Ahmad Sahiba.  A presentation on the efficient and appropriate uses of online commu- nications and how to make the most of the Lajna Website, from Na-

Majlis e Shura Lajna Ima’illah 2012 Ima’illah Lajna Shura e Majlis tional Muavina Sadr, Mabroor Jattala Sahiba. Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 12 of 28

 How to improve reporting from National Assistant General Secretary, Hala Khur- ram Sahiba  The proper procedure for submitting material to the various Lajna publications from National Secretary Isha’at, Farzana Safiullah Sahiba  “There should be no Compulsion in Religion” – a captivating presentation from National Secretary Tarbiyat, Aziza Rahman Sahiba, on the recent addresses of Khalifatul Masih Vatba. Hudhur called upon us all to realize that, “An Ahmadi woman and an Ahmadi girl have been created to bring about a change in society, not merely be a part of it”  “Exploring New Avenues of Tabligh” was a heartfelt message from National Secre- tary Tabligh, Dhiya Bakr Sahiba, who spoke about the need to represent our beliefs and our community through our dedicated observance of Purdah and to tell others about our experience of faith.  “Review of Religions” – the importance of subscribing to this important journal from Sadr Lajna Toledo, Nakasha Ahmad Sahiba Sadr Sahiba expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all the volunteers who put countless hours of service in the meticulous planning and running of this important meeting. Her concluding address on “Love for All Hatred for None” reminded us to establish true sisterhood in our local communities so that we can live according to our motto. She referred to the Quranic verse, “Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he between whom and thyself was enmity will become as though he were a warm friend” (41:35), making a point that we should rise above our egos, reach out to each other and work together for the sake of Allah and for the good outcome of our community. Sadr Sahiba shared the following words of the Promised Messiah as: “The reality of Islam is to present one’s neck to God like a sacrificial lamb; to give up one’s own designs and to be devoted to the designs of God and His pleasure, to lose oneself in God and to impose a type of death upon oneself, to be dyed in the personal love of God and to obey Him entirely for the sake of that love.” By this sacrifice may we come close to Allah and beseech His help in all our affairs. May Allah the Almighty grant us the strength to make our communities shine with His Light.

Please visit our Lajna website http://lajnausa.net/web/majlis-e-shura-2012 to view the non-Shura presentations.

Hifza Hayee, National General Secretary

Hudhuratba approves the election of Lajna Sadr, USA The current Sadr Lajna Ima’illah – Sister Saliha Malik, was elected and approved by Hudhur atba for a second term, Alhamdulillah! 13 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 Tarbiyat Matters

Which is better, an orange or a date? One answer to this question can be found in the following hadith: A believer, who recites the Qur’an and acts on it, is like an orange which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of the believer who does not recite the Qur’an but acts on it is like a date that tastes sweet but has no smell. And the example of the hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like a sweet basil, which smells good, but tastes bitter. And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an is like a colocynth (bitter apple), which tastes bitter and has a bad smell (Bukhari, Muslim). So which is better, a person who has a discernible aura of righteousness or one whose goodness becomes apparent only with close contact? Which would you rather be? Regular recitation of the Holy Qur'an uplifts the status of a righteous person to that of one who is not only righteous, but draws others to the right path also. However, in today’s busy world, it is easy to neglect this simple but most rewarding act of worship. The Holy Prophetsaw emphasized: “The one who reads a single letter from the Book of Allah will be rewarded with one good deed. (Know that) a good deed is multiplied ten times over. I do not say Alif Laam Meem is one letter. Verily, Alif is one letter, Laam is one letter, and Meem is one letter” (Tirmidhi). What a wonderful and effortless way to multiply one’s good deeds! Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, in his book, “Remembrance of Allah,” has said that recitation of the Holy Qur'an is one of the best ways to remember Allah and has given advice on how to instill and improve this habit in ourselves and in our children. His advice is summarized as follows: The Holy Qur’an should be recited regularly and according to a set plan. Fix a portion for daily reading, however small, rather than picking up the Holy Qur’an once in a while and reading at random. Whatever amount you have decided, the determined quota of reading must be recited daily without any lax- ity. Reciting after Fajr prayer is most pleasing to Allah Ta'ala. Irregular reading does not yield any benefit and indicates lack of enthusiasm. Try to read with understanding. The Holy Qur’an should not be recited hurriedly. Slow recitation enables understanding, and shows proper respect for the Holy Qur’an. If you do not understand the meaning of the Holy Qur’an, learn the meaning of a portion of the Holy Qur’an and include that portion in every recitation. This shows sincerity and good intention, which will be rewarded by Allah Ta'ala. Perform ablution before recitation if possible. The eighth and final quarter of the tarbiyat syllabus begins in January with the theme of “Love of Allah through Devotion to the Qur’an.” The assigned Friday sermon is “The Glorious Holy Qur’an” delivered by Hadhrat Khali- fatul Masih Vatba, on 4th September 2009. It is an inspiring and uplifting sermon, which emphasizes the importance of understanding the Holy Qur'an. May Allah enable us to achieve our goals of improving our recitation, knowledge, understanding and practice of the Holy Qur'an. Ameen. Aziza Rahman, National Secretary Tarbiyat Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 14 of 28

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Guilt Trip In the struggle of looking good or making others happy, many a times we trap ourselves in an unnecessary guilt and ignore our duties towards our children, parents, friends, community and even to our Creator, His Messengersaw and the Khalifa of the time. Do not feel guilty:

If you have to wake up your child from the cozy bed for Fajr prayer in the morning If you have to set some rules for the training of your children i.e. Salat times, homework time, social time If you have to say NO to your child If you have to cut short your conversation with a friend who calls right at the Salat time If you have to disassociate from the company of those who indulge themselves in backbiting, gossip, or in an idle talk If you have to walked away from a social gathering where Islamic values are being compromised, i.e. mixed gatherings If you have to take initiative to mend relationships with friends or relatives If you have to be the only one who stand in the crowd observing purdah, minding modesty and establishing Islamic identity without having an inferiority complex If you have to limit your budget and say I cannot afford… Contributed by: Mabroor Jattala

Media Watch Matters

A letter of a lajna member of the Central Virginia majlis regarding the shooting of Malala Yousaf was published in The Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/letters-to-the-editor-oct.-18-2012/article/2511019 - .UICDP8XA81M

As Christmas is approaching, guidelines on writing articles for this occasion have been developed. Please see the document that was circulated that gives instructions and background on the topic. All articles have to be sent to [email protected] for editing before submission to any news outlet. We want our readers that Jesusas is recognized as a prophet of Allah and has been mentioned several times in the Qur’an by name. Tie the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ with his place in Islam. You can write letters to the editor or op-eds explaining the importance and status of Jesusas in Islam. You should talk about the Ahmadiyya belief of Jesus’ death and mission if you are writing a larger article. However, if you are writing a letter you don’t have to go into the details about the crucifixion. There are several resources that you can use for information in your articles. The following links have been taken from alislam. Use the resources below as you need. You can search on alislam.org under the keyword “Jesus” and you will find more references.

1. http://www.alislam.org/library/jesus/index.html 2. http://www.alislam.org/egazette/articles/can-jesus-as-be-a-member-of-muslim-ummah/ 3. http://www.alislam.org/library/books/prophet-of-God/ 4. http://www.alislam.org/library/jesusinkashmir.html 5. http://www.alislam.org/library/links/death_eesa.html 6. http://www.alislam.org/library/books/jesus-in-india/preface.html 15 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 Khidmat-e-Khalq Matters

Lajna USA worked hard on many fronts: African Model village: Khalifatul Khamis atba asked Lajna USA to adopt one model village in Africa and donate $75,000 to this scheme. Alhamdulillah, Lajna USA collected and donated $ 187,760 in just two months, thus adopting two model villages! All 70 Majalis contributed towards this blessed Tehrik. To learn more about the Hudhur’s initiative, here is an informative link: http://www.alislam.org/v/6551.html. Click on the @15:59 for the English version.

Helping the Needy and newly migrated sisters 30 Majalis are helping Lajna who have recently migrated to the USA. The Dallas chapter in particular, has done an outstanding job of helping a widow and her 7-year-old daughter who were recently granted asylum in the USA. Eight sisters raised $4500 to help this sister. They helped her with her social security documentation and driver’s license application. Lajna from Dallas also raised $3,157 (contributed by 61 sisters) to help the widow buy a car and pay her insurance. Clothing Donations Dallas Majlis sent a shipment weighing about 200 lbs. to Qadian, India in order to help make a difference in the lives of many deserving sisters. LA East Majlis held a clothing drive and 30 boxes of clothes weighing 300 lbs. were donated to the Interna- tional Rescue Committee. Special Events The commission on the status women (CSW) invited Dr. Shanaz Butt to be the keynote speaker at their 3rd annual Bike-a-thon/Walk-a-thon to break the cycle on Domestic Violence.

On September 28, 2012, a lajna member of the San Jose chapter was given an award as a commissioner, for her outstanding public service in the Human Relations Commis- sion of Santa Clara County. 380 people, including some members from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, attended the annual breakfast event.

On National Make a Difference Day, St. Louis' lajna members participated in an interfaith community service project. Women from two congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and St. Louis' lajna members worked to collect donations for and volunteer 4 hours of their time to Lydia's House. Lydia's House is a "transitional hous- ing program in Eastern Missouri that is specifically for bat- tered and abused women and their children." (Lydia's House's website: http://lydiashouse.org) Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 16 of 28 Muslims for Life

Muslims for Life Campaign: All Lajna chapters worked very hard along with their fellow Jamaat auxiliaries, for this campaign, in order to reach the target of 11,000 collected pints of blood. All 70 Majalis participated in this campaign. Some Majalis did an outstanding job of organizing blood drives and arranging for Media coverage: Philadelphia: Five Lajna donated blood as part of our Jama'ats Blood Drive. Ten Lajna helped the Jama'at at the Red Cross Phillies Blood Drive. They passed out food to blood donors and helped the Jama'at sign up 336 people to re-donate more often.

Queens: Lajna members participated very actively in these drives. With the grace of God, over 560 units were collected throughout the New York area.

Boston: Lajna members joined hands with the American Red Cross at Fenway Park Stadium (home of the Red Sox baseball team), and volunteered at the largest single-day, multi-location blood drives across New England. Lajna members arrived in high spirits at 5.30 am at the Fenway Park stadium wearing ‘Muslims for Life’ t-shirts, and began volunteering by meeting and greeting donors. After 7 hours of volunteering, 748 units of blood had been collected.

Central Virginia: Many guests came from the neighborhood to the new Mubarak mosque. An open house and BBQ was arranged. Lajna also set a welcome table with Jama'at booklets and snacks. Lajna members and many guests also donated blood.

Silver Spring, MD: On September 22, 2012 Silver Spring, MD Lajna and Nasirat participated in the 22nd Burtonsville Day Celebration to show the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community's support at this neighborhood event. During the event's parade, Tabligh flyers were distributed with

messages about Muslims for Peace and Muslims for Life campaigns. A blood donation bus was arranged to collect blood donations. A booth for books and pamphlets was set- up, and Lajna participated in educating the local community on the message of Is- lam/Ahmadiyyat.

St. Louis: Lajna members worked with the local Jama’at to host a Muslims for Life, blood drive at Baitul Hafeez Masjid. Sisters helped get the word out to friends and family. The jama'at collected 7 bags of blood, an increase from last year’s Muslims for Life campaign.

Zion, IL: Lajna and nasirat participated in the Zion City Labor Day Parade with other Zion Jama'at members to raise awareness of the Muslims for Life campaign and the Ahmadi Muslim Community. Some Lajna and nasirat members rode in a float created by the Zion Jama'at. Other La- jna members followed the float by walking for 3 miles in the upper 90- degree weather. They distributed the Muslims for life flyers, candy, chanted "Donate Blood and save three lives.” There was a crowd of over 10,000 people. 17 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012

Feed the Hungry

By the grace of Allah, 69 Majalis are providing food to shelters, food banks and other organizations on a regular basis thus helping to eradicate hunger and poverty. Some of the chapter’s highlights are below. This program was launched in May 2012. Many Lajna members are working very hard to make this project successful. Several Majalis have arranged for fund raising events in order to contribute towards this project: Humanity First-Jalsa Food Drive. For more information about this program, please see http:// usa.humanityfirst.org/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=211 On September 29, Humanity First held its “Walk for Humanity” event in Liberty State Park, New Jersey. With the grace of God, a huge number of Lajna members and Nasirat from New York, New Jersey, Phila- delphia and Boston took part in the walk. Lajna and Nasirat completed the 3 mile walk and enthusiastically donated and helped raise funds for Humanity First and other participating organizations.

Orlando-On Sep. 30th Lajna/Nasirat joined volunteers who packed meal bags for “Feeding Children Everywhere Inc.” - a social charity, which recruits volunteers to put together healthy meals for children. LA East- donated 200 lbs. of canned and non-perishable food to House of Ruth in Pomona (shelter for abused women). Detroit- donated over 10,000 lbs. of canned food to Gleaners Food Bank during the month of Ramadan. They collected approximately 1,800 cans of food and $1,275 for the Jalsa food drive for the “Feed the Hungry” Pro- gram. Miami- delivered meals for the seniors at Hepburn center. An article was published in The South Florida Sun Times. Potomac– Eight Lajna members cooked, served and cleaned up dinner for 89 guests at the Frederick Soup Kitchen. The meal was beef stew, rolls, salad, and cake. Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 18 of 28 Tabligh Matters

During Khalifatul Masih V’satba recent visit to the United States, he met with the Lajna National Amila members. After listening to a very brief report on the status of Lajna Ima’illah USA’s tabligh efforts, Hudhur Vatba stated; “extend your avenues of tabligh.” With the continued and most recent defamation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw we are reminded that one of our responsibilities is to educate mankind about the Holy Prophet saw. He was a mercy for mankind and his character was the Holy Quran personified. “Indeed, Allah requires you to abide by justice, to treat with grace and to give like the giving of kin to kin” (Al-Nahl 16:91). In addition, our Holy Prophetsaw stated: “There is no higher charitable endeavor than the propagation of knowledge” (Wisdom of the Holy Prophet, pg. 85, #10). Once again, Lajna Ima’illah USA is exercising ‘samina wa atina’ - I hear and I obey. Their tabligh efforts are being extended to new avenues. A few examples follow: Lajna Buffalo celebrated their 4th Annual Seminar, entitled, "The Culture of Religion" at the Millennium Hotel, Buffalo, NY. This seminar was very timely given growing challenges facing emerging cultures and religions in America and the world, and the fact that propaganda against Islam continues unabated. The first speaker was Dr. Enid Bloch, editor of the Jewish Muslim Friendship Magazine in Western New York. She spoke on How does Culture and Religion Shape our Concept of God? She emphasized that it was almost inevitable that all of our concepts of God – including those of people who claim not to believe in God – have in some way been shaped by the cultures in which we live, and especially by the languages we speak. The second speaker was Jean Campbell, Chair of Theology department at Mount Mercy Academy. She spoke about The Influence of the Gender of God. Jean's focus was not about who God is or isn’t but about how our references about God influence and determine how we perceive and relate to God and how we believe that our God relates to us; individually and communally. The third speaker was Dr. Lynn Brunner, Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies at D'Youville College. She presented her views regarding The Role of Globalization on Culture and Religion. Dr. Brunner mentioned more of them are meeting and talking with one another and our spiritual resemblances to one another are becoming more widely recognized due to globalization. The final speaker was Dr. Shanaz Butt, Professor and Associate Dean at University of Sciences, Philadelphia. Her presentation focused on Viewing Religion through Cultural Lenses. She mentioned that while many westerners believe that Islam is a religion that suppresses Muslim women and treats them as second-class citizens, these misunderstandings were not based on religious grounds; rather they were based on repressive cultural practices. Using Qur'anic references and life of Prophet Muhammadsaw, she logically refuted several repressive practices that have become labeled as Islamic teachings. Dr. Butt concluded that it was our moral responsibility to provide access and opportunity for education, support and empowerment of women so that it would result in positive change and lasting transformation. Interestingly, by the end of the seminar, the speakers and audience spoke mainly about the beauties of Islam, thus fulfilling one of our major objectives. Over the past 4 years, attendance and participation has steadily increased. This year, 165 people attended; 133 were non-Muslims guests. An article in the Buffalo News highlighted the positive impact of the event. It was especially gratifying to read its content and witness the respect with which a reporter who had been a stranger to our faith before this event portrayed Islam. With Allah's Help, the seed has been sown and has sprouted into trust, respect and friendship in the community, Alhamdulillah! Boston lajna assisted the Jama’at in organizing an auspicious Ramadan interfaith dinner, inviting civic and religious leaders from the local community. Over 150 guests including representatives from the Police De- 19 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 Tabligh Matters

partment, Fire Department, American Red Cross, multiple Christian churches and trusts, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslim organizations attended the event. Comments from the guests: President of the Congregation at the United Church of Christ Mr. Gilson, for instance, said of the Hebrew translation of the Holy Qur’an: “Very much ap- preciated the opportunity to learn more about the true intention of the Islamic faith. We are enlightened. I learned a lot and met some people to plan interfaith/ service projects with together.... and dinner was excellent!” Canton Police chief Mr. Ken Berkowitz applauded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s efforts to spread the peaceful message of Islam. He said “Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn about the Ahmadiyya Com- munity. I hope tonight is the start of a long friendship.” David Pales, (Retd. Director of Dept. of State) acknowledged the strength of the message delivered as “The power of your faith and love of humanity sustains us all.” Lajna also assisted the jama’at in inviting and hosting members of the Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Community from Millford, MA to this Iftar dinner to commemorate those who lost their lives during the attack on the Sikh Tem- ple in Wisconsin. Members of the Ahmadiyya community offered their sincere condolences to the Sikh community and held a silent prayer for those who lost their lives, and for the families and communities affected by the tragic event. Boston Chapter also demonstrated their solidarity and support for the Sikh Community of the greater Boston area by attending an interfaith service at Trinity Church in downtown Boston. Cypress Houston lajna invited African American Muslim sisters to an Iftari dinner in the month of Ramadhan. After Iftari and dinner, Maghrib and Isha prayers were offered followed by a short Dars for the guests. Houston North had three Lajna members meet with six members of a Christian church at Brigid’s Place to discuss the topic of why books, films and cartoons result in extreme reactions by the followers of the world's second largest religion. The discussion was informal and focused on the recent con- troversial movie on the Holy Prophetsaw. The overall reaction of the Chris- tians ladies was very positive and they remarked that whenever they encounter people defaming Muslims, they always defend the peaceful Muslim view. The Lajna Tabligh Secretary was invited to make a presentation about ‘Islam in America’ to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff at the Bush Intercontinental Airport. She spoke for two hours on issues relat- ing to Islamophobia, terrorism, women's rights, Islamic culture and much more. This project is an ongoing project with a Lone Star College professor who instructs TSA staff, and will Insha’Allah lead to similar presentations each semester. Georgia & South Carolina lajna held an interfaith meeting with Baha'i women in which two Lajna members made presentations on a woman's role and status in Islam as a mother and a wife. Lajna helped place five copies of the book, "Life of Muhammad," in a local central library. Potomac lajna started an interfaith book club with members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sil- ver Spring. The discussions at both meetings focused on spiritual searching, human understanding of God and other themes. The members have enjoyed the discussions and look forward to more. In addition, Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 20 of 28

members of the Unitarian Church have attended a blood drive at Baitur Rahman Mosque and a Lajna basketball tourna- ment and have been invited to our Seerat un Nabi program in November. Silver Spring lajna, in October, joined Jewish and Christian sisters at the Bait-ur-Rahman Mosque for a casual discussion on religious holidays. Lajna provided details and information on major Muslim events such as Ramadan, Eid-ul- Fitr, Eid-ul-Adhia, and Hajj. The Jewish sisters shared their beliefs and the origination of the Jewish holidays such as the Yom Kippur, Passover, and the Chanukah. Christian sisters shared their beliefs in celebrating Easter and Christmas Holidays. Similarities and differences on the religious calendars, times of prayers, and the Arabic/Hebrew languages were discussed. Central Virginia lajna held an Inter-faith session on the purpose and benefits of fasting in the month of Ramadan at Mubarak Mosque. Ladies from New Life Church were invited; 3 ladies from the Church kept the fast for the whole day. They talked about fasting in Islam and Christianity. Later, the ladies offered Maghrib prayer with them behind the Imam and enjoyed the Iftari and dinner. On this occasion, they were fortunate to have Tahira Sadiqa Nasir Sahiba, wife of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IIIra among them. She graciously answered all the questions of the guests and gave truly inspiring answers to all the participants. Lajna members attended a knitting session at the Presbyterian Church. They had an interesting discussion on raising children and shared Hudhur’satba address to the ladies at U.K Ijtema, which was very impressive to the Presbyterian ladies. The guests also gave their perspective and shared their experiences on raising children. Oshkosh lajna held their annual Ramadan Interfaith Iftari. Many guests were invited and a short presentation was made on the beauties and blessings of Ramadan and Eid ul Fitr.

Seerat un Nabi Jalsas

In response to Hudhur’satba message to speak about our True love for the Holy Prophetsaw many Ma- jalis invited guests to their Seerut un Nabi Jalsas that were held in October. Cypress Houston organized a Seerat un Nabi Jalsa in October in which many Non- Ahmadi Muslim sisters were invited. They showed a keen interest in the content presented and listened to all speeches with high interest. Boston lajna held a very successful interfaith Seerat un Nabi Day in commemoration of the Life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw, which followed just days after the atrocious movie had come in the news and Hudhur’sat Khutba. Al- hamdulillah, 29 guests attended the event. After the speeches on the beautiful character of the Holy Prophet saw there was a very engaging question and answer session. The guests were particularly interested to hear about the practice of Purdah and how Muslim women participate in the community and experience their faith. The lajna also addressed the issue of hurting others in the name of freedom of speech and that the proper reaction is through Jihad of the pen and not violence. Houston North held a “Conference on Muhammadsaw” in the aftermath of the offensive YouTube trailer “Innocence of Muslims,” to show people the true beauty of Prophet Muhammad'ssaw personality. Twelve guests and 45 Lajna members attended the conference from different faiths. The 2-hour conference included speeches on the Holy Prophet'ssaw character, hadith and his biography from independent sources. They also showed clips from MTA’s “Real Talk” special program defending the honor of the Prophetsaw. The conference included a question-answer panel and Lajna members shared their personal experiences on how the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammadsaw has influ- enced their lives. Guests were treated to lunch, and each was gifted with two books – “Seal of the Prophets – His Per- sonality and Character” by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and “Understanding Islam.” Dallas lajna held Jalsa Seerat un Nabi following a lajna meeting and covered unique topics related to the Holy Prophetsaw. Among these topics were "The Holy Prophetsaw in the eyes of non-Muslims", "The most gracious conduct of the Holy Prophetsaw towards children and family" and "Islamic Concept of Freedom of Speech and religion as explained by The Prophet Muhammadsaw." 21 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 Publication Matters

Jazakumullah for all your contributions for the Lajna Matters and we look forward to more for the next issue. If local Ishaat secre- taries need help with compiling their contributions, please contact [email protected]. Insha’Allah, you will be receiving your copy of the fall issue of the Ayesha very soon. If you would like to write for the Ayesha, please contact [email protected]. The next issue will be about the Holy Prophetsaw. We look forward to your comments and feedback! Farzana Safiullah, National Ishaat Secretary

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 meetings/Classes. Please send your feedback to [email protected] . Mabroor Jattala National IT/Website Dept. Lajna Ima’Illah - USA Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 22 of 28 Regional Matters

The East Coast Ijtema was held from Friday, August 31st to Sunday, September 2nd in Masjid Baitur Rehman on the theme: Choosing Islam when Culture Disagrees. There were stimulating workshops, visual and verbal presentations, case studies, quizzes, panel discussions, and skits.

On Friday, there was a video and PowerPoint presentation on ‘Defining what is religion and what is culture,’ an Impromptu Speech Competition, and a handicraft activity making friendship bracelets. The nasirat members held a Quran Competition followed by a workshop on ‘Defining what is religion and what is culture.’

On Saturday there was a presentation on ‘Salat - our best weapon to com- bat cultural pulls and temptations’, which highlighted Hudhur’satba Khutba given during his tour of America on “The Importance of Salat.” A carefully prepared Salat quiz followed, reminding us of the etiquette of prayer and how to establish the true prayer. They had a presentation on ‘Extravagance & the race for materialistic gains’ and a panel discussion on ‘Cultural traditions and behaviors and their impact on the Tarbi- yat of our children.’ In the evening, they held a social hour Mushaira/Poetry reading and a lajna 15-25 workshop on ‘What is popular isn’t always right and what is right isn’t always popular.’

The nasirat’s program on Saturday also included a presentation on Salat, a general knowledge quiz, Arts & crafts activities, brainteas- ers, and handicraft activities.

On Sunday, they had a presentation for both lajna and Nasirat members on ‘How to follow the straight path- Sirat e Mustaqeem.’ They concluded with a group poem by Na- sirat from all the regions.

Sadr Lajna Imaillah, Saliha Malik Sahiba, addressed the gathering in her closing comments on ‘Keeping Company with the Truthful’. The signs of a true believer are that they ‘hear and obey’. She stressed the importance of hearing the guidance and then acting upon it. She referred to Hudhur’s recent Address to the Lajna USA at Jalsa 2012 in which he exhorted us to bring about changes in ourselves by being those who hear and reflect upon ourselves, so that we can develop in courage and be instrumental in changing our society. She ended with the stirring words of the Promised Messiahas who exhorted us most passionately to be those who listen. With an attendance of over 725, which included members from five East Coast regions: Central, North East, Mid North East, Upstate North East and South East, the Ijtema was a very successful event, Alhamdulillah May Allah enable us to continue to hold such ijtemas in the future Insh’Allah. 23 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012

National Midwest Lajna/Nasirat Ijtema 2012 The National Midwest Ijtema on CHOOSE ISLAM WHEN CULTURE DISAGREES took place at Bait-ul-Jaamay Mosque in Glen Ellyn, IL, from September 14th to 16th. Respected National Sadr Lajna Ima’illah USA, Saliha Malik, presided over the event with five National officers and all three Regional Sadran. The overall attendance was very good with an average attendance of 255. Alhamdulillah, 16 Majalis 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:

 “Appearance & Actions: Importance of Modesty in daily life” conducted by Lajna ages 15-25 years  Impromptu speeches  “Islam vs. Culture: Misconceptions removed” - National Secretary Tabligh, Dhiya Bakr  “The Muslim woman’s sphere of influence within this Culture”  “What is popular isn’t always right and what is right isn’t always popular”  Team Building Activity on Creative Hijabs: Design a hijab for a professional and for a special occasions  Jeopardy on questions about Islam and Ahmadiyyat  Lajna ages 15-25 had lunch with Respected Sadr Sahiba  Honoring Nau Mubaiyat in the region from the 1970’s to the present day, including many moving sto- ries of their experiences.  Nasirat Tarana and Skits on: “How Lajna can be Role Models for Nasirat”  Our Ijtema concluding with inspiring words from Respected Sadr Sahiba:  Reminders from Hudhur’s Address to Lajna USA 2012  True signs of a believer – they ‘hear and obey’  They are the Truthful whose word and deed is one. Lajna 15-25 Matters

Cypress Houston lajna 15-25 held a event where they discussed many topics such as spirituality and the pro- hibitions in Islam regarding mixing with the opposite gender. The meeting was held in a very non-judgmental, relaxed atmosphere. Houston North held an Eid Party at one of the Lajna’s homes for the group to strengthen bonds with one another. Activities included games, discussions on peer pressure and social networking websites. Queens lajna recently started productive activity sessions at Mosque Bait us Zafar. Lajna members from ages 15 to 25 learned how to cut and sew shirts. Every Lajna member took home some samples and practiced. More upcoming activities have been planned like baking and knitting sessions. They hope that with the help of God Almighty these classes will prove to be very helpful and informative for our younger Lajna members. Cypress, Houston organized a Taleem event in which younger members of the lajna participated. The purpose of this event was to establish interaction between young members of the Jama'at. There was excellent participation. Detroit held an event where the main topics discussed were spirituality and issues related to the interaction with the opposite gender. They held a panel discussion on ‘My Muslim Identity in the West.’ Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 24 of 28 Lajna Highlights

June 2012 – September 2012 Outreach (Avg Number of People/Guests) Meetings #People preached to: 1,232/month Active Tajnid as of September 2012: 4,154 #Needy served outside the Jamaat: 4,308/month Total # of Meetings Held: 268 # of KK services provide inside Jamaat 1,743/month % Average Attendance: 30% Total # of Halqa Meetings: 230 Average Percentage of Active Members Active in Tabligh Da'ee ilallahs: 522/month # of Bai’ats Obtained: 9 Khidmat-e-Khalq: 1,283/month Alhamdolillah! Listening to Khutba/MTA: 2,331/month Alabama/Tennessee, Philadelphia, St. Louis 1 Learning Qur’an Nazira: 1,353/month Chicago East, Queens, Zion 2 Congratulations to: Majaalis that had Average Meeting’s Active Member Attendance > 50%: Baltimore, Binghamton, Dayton, Kentucky, Oshkosh, Research Triangle, Rochester, Sacramento, San Diego, Syracuse

Majaalis that Active Members consistently listened to Hadhur’satba Friday Sermons > 75%: Baltimore, Binghamton, Dallas, Fort Worth, Las Vegas, LA West, Merced, New Orleans, Oshkosh, Portland, Queens, Rochester, Sacramento, Washington DC

Majaalis that consistently achieved Qur’an Nazira participation > 50%: Baltimore, Bay Point, Bingham- ton, Brooklyn, Central New Jersey, Cypress Houston, Dayton, Kansas City, Orlando, Queens, Research Tri- angle, Sacramento, San Diego, Washington DC

Nasirat Matters

Raameen Khan- York/Harrisburg Hannah Khan- VA Central Qaida Completions Sabeen Safi- York/Harrisburg Maiza Saqib- Washington DC Alisha Kahloon- Tulsa Myra Ahmad- Detroit Bukatun Noor- VA Central Abiha Iqbal- Cypress Houston Rukhsaba Zaman- Queens Amal Ahmad- VA Central Aleena Akhtar- Chicago West Huda Mahmood- Queens Zumra Wahla- Laurel Sara Omer- Dallas Sofia Wahla- Laurel Freha Khan- Phoenix Simrah Ahmad- Long Island Sarah Mirza- Syracuse Marina Khan- Long Island Seemal Ahmad- Syracuse Ana Ahmad- Houston South Mahidah Shahzad- Queens Nomana Butt- Miami Maheen Waqar- Dallas Maryam-ud-Din- Miami Sabahat Rehman- Cypress Houston Maryam Ijaz- San Diego Completion of the Haaniya Khan- Inland Empire Mishaal Ijaz- San Diego Adeena Baig- Chicago West Deya Ahmed- Minnesota Holy Qur’an Dua Ahmad- Oshkosh Jannat Kiyemba, Boston Diya Ahmed- Minnesota Haala Masroor, Boston 25 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012

Nasirat Highlights April-June 2012 Average # of Majalis involved in Tabligh activities: 16 Average # of Majalis involved in Workshops: 14 Tajneed: 829 Average # of Majalis involved in Sihate-Jismani activites:31 Average Attendance: 71% Average # of Majalis involved in Handicraft/cooking ac- Average % of report received: 78% tivities: 23 Average number of meetings held: 77 Average # of Majalis involved in Urdu/Arabic classes: 25 Average # of Majalis involved in Khidmat-e-Khalq activities: 47 Majalis Highlights CT- Hartford: Nasirat participated in cleaning a local highway. The Nasirat were in full purdah during this activity. They had an in depth discussion about celebrating birthdays. DC-Washington: Decorated bangles, flip-flops and hair clips. NC- Research Triangle: Participated in a 5K walk for Lupus disease. Participated in a Lajna organized Mother/ Daughter Tea event. MI-Detroit: Attended a meeting with Congressmen. OR- Portland: Discussed facing Western Holidays. NY- Queens: Nasirat made edible plants. They also made homemade pizza, soup and lip gloss. NY- Long Island: Nasirat discussed spiritual elevation and recovery. NJ- Central: Nasirat discussed how to handle stress when preparing to take a test. MD- Potomac: Volunteered in soup kitchen. VA- South: Helped clean local park. WI- Milwaukee: Nasirat discussed the benefits of water and ripe fruit. FL- Orlando: Nasirat made origami and various items out of clay. Georgia/SC: Nasirat helped Lajna donate food supplies for the Feed the Hungry Drive. Also joined with lajna to play games at the Jamaat Picnic and Eid-ul-Adhia Celebration. Brooklyn/ Staten Island Nasirat helping distribute flyers for the Mus- lims for Life campaign. Houston North: Eid celebration/fun day for the Nasirat with their mothers. They learned how to make and decorate cupcakes and played games such as “hot potato” and “captain may I” and charades. Nasirat of Houston North started a Toy and Book Drive as part of their Khidmat-e-Khalq Project for the last quarter of 2012. They created posters to be placed in the mosque, requesting donations (new or like new items only), to be sent to the Bait-us-Samee Mosque. They have just started this project, so please pray that they be successful in their efforts. Ameen. Potomac MD: During the month of Ramadan, our Nasirat prepared 200 bag lunches, which were donated, to Beacon House, a men's shelter in Frederick, MD. Silicon Valley: Nasirat went on a field trip to San Francisco’s Academy of Sciences. The group explored the various features of the Academy including the earthquake and animal exhibits, as well as watching a movie inside the planetarium. Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 26 of 28

Queens: Lajna members planned an apple-picking event in upstate New York. The goal of the activity was to create unity and a fun environment for Nasirat and Lajna members. More than 25 Lajna members and 10 Nasirat participated in this exciting activity. All lajna members got to collect apples with the help of Nasirat. Boston:, Nasirat and Lajna 15-25 from the Boston Chapter went on a field trip and enjoyed a day apple picking at Belkin Farms, in Natick MA. Nasirat and Lajna enjoyed walking the orchards and sampling the different apple varieties, and enjoyed a trip to see the animals, watch a magic show, and took a hayride around the farm. This event was organized, as a recreation activity to strengthen the bonds of sisterhood between Nasirat and Lajna 15-25. Queens NY: Nasirat enjoyed learning how to make tie and die shirts. More than 30 Nasirat participated in this col- orful activity and made their own T-shirts.

Detroit: The Nasirat took a field trip to a roller skating rink. Mothers and children both had a great time. Nasirat attended the regional Ijtema in Chicago. They learned about modesty beyond just wearing a headscarf. Nasirat participated in the “Feed the Hungry in America” project. Some notable achievements were:

 Inaya Butt collected 500 cans of food.  Amber Peron collected 300 cans of food.  Alina Ahmad raised $1,100 to feed the hungry in America.

Alina says: I was inspired to create this account on my 9th birthday. I realize that I have all the basic needs, clothes and toys. I am thankful for all that I already have and want to reach out and help other people in need. Alina you make us proud and inspire us to continue focusing and working on eliminating hunger. Jazak Allah!

27 of 28 Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 Local Matters

Births

 Salman and Summer Ahmad of Hartford had a baby boy named Yusuf Zainudin Ahmad  Usman and Hibba Sindhu of Boston had a baby boy named Affan Ahmad Sindhu  Amir and Kate Abdullah of Boston had a baby girl named Aliyah Abdullah  Mr. & Mrs. Sumbal Imran of Cypress, Houston had a baby boy.  Mr. & Mrs. Samina Masroor of Cypress, Houston had a baby girl.  Hiba Kiran of Detroit gave birth to a baby boy, Maaz Rashid Kiran. Alhamdulillah Maaz has been included in the Waqfe Nau scheme.  Grandson of Sister Khawar Lone of Detroit, Ayaan Jibran Mahmood, was born.  Nada Tahir of Detroit gave birth to her son Zuhair Ubayd Tahir, grandson of Kishwar Tahir.  Grandson of Sister Ayesha Mangla of Detroit, Kamran Sadiq, was born.  Saadia Ahmad of Detroit gave birth to her son Baasil Labeeb Ahmed.  Aneesa & Zaheer Choudhary of Philadelphia gave birth to their son Tauheed.  Saadia & Mohammad Khan of Philadelphia gave birth to their daughter Mishaal.  Neelofar & Affan Abdullah of Philadelphia gave birth to their daughter Aisha.  Homa & Luqman Raja of Philadelphia gave birth to their son Yusuf.  Faiza Sana Zubair and Zubair Ahmad Warraich, were blessed with the birth of a baby girl .  Shehla Piracha and Nasir Piracha were blessed with the birth of a baby girl .

Marriages May Allah grant the families health and happiness:

 The daughter of Sister Humaira Ahmad of Detroit, Aneeqa Ahmad, was married to Saad Syed.

 The son of Sister Farzana Ahmad of Detroit, Adeel, was married to Fiza Ahmad of Columbus.

 The son of Sister Sarwari Ahmad of Detroit, Ibrahim, was married to Salma Ahmad.

 The son of Sister Hamida Khan of Detroit, Masood Khan was married.

 The son of Sister Nasreen Akhtar of Detroit, Mobashar Ahmad, was married to Tooba Sharif of Toronto.

 The daughter of Mohammad Zafarullah Hanjra and Nilofar Zafar, Faiza Zafar of Houston North TX, who was married to Zubair Ahmad, son of Ijaz Ahmad & Farida Ijaz. Lajna Matters 4th Quarter Issue, 2012 28 of 28

Lajna Matters

17 Shavval 1433 - 19 Safar 1434 Issue 4 - 2012 October 2012 - December 2012

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]

Durre Sharif Associate Editor, Lajna Matters

Aeman Bashir Layout, Lajna Matters

Mabroor Jattalla Urdu Section, Lajna Matters [email protected]