Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

...... The HOPE Bulletin ………..

Health, Ongoing Projects, Education

(Vol. 6:11) May 2012 AAIIL Worldwide Edition Editor: Akbar Ibn Abdullah CALIFORNIA JAMA‘AT PROJECT: APPROVED BY THE CENTRAL ANJUMAN, LAHORE

Professor Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed Fifth Ameer of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement

About the Cover: Portrait of Hazrat Ameer Professor Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed, the current Ameer and President of the worldwide Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, seen without his traditional headgear.

Photograph courtesy aaiil.org.

INTRODUCTION

On the cover page you will see a photograph, without the traditional headgear, of Hazrat Ameer-i-Qaum, Professor Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha Sahib, the fifth Ameer and President of the worldwide Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at .

We notice an interesting mark on the center of Hazrat Ameer-i-Qaum’s forehead. This mark is a gift of Allah which Hazrat Ameer earned by his piety and countless hours of sincere meditation. May Allah ( swt ), with His bountiful mercy and graceful blessings, grant Hazrat Ameer strength, stamina and a long healthy life so he can continue to serve the worldwide Jama‘at with his sacrifice and dedication for a long time to come. Aameen .

The present Ameer-i-Qaum was preceded by Dr. Asghar Hameed Sahib (the fourth Ameer ), Khan Bahadur Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan, S.K. (the third Ameer ), Maulana Sadruddin Sahib (the second Ameer ) and Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali Sahib (of the blessed memory, the first Ameer and the founding father of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam, Lahore). May Allah be pleased with all of them. Aameen .

During the tenure of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali Sahib and Maulana Sadruddin Sahib, missionaries were sent from Lahore to the then worldwide missions and Jama‘ats , so essentially it was not necessary for the Ameers themselves to travel abroad to energise the foreign Jama‘ats .

This scenario changed after the World War II. Due to foreign exchange restrictions in Pakistan, the Central Anjuman could not sustain the cost of maintaining missionaries abroad, which in turn prompted the foreign Jama‘ats to make their own local arrangements for Imams to meet their spiritual needs.

The new situation warranted the Ameer-i-Qaum at Lahore to travel to various Jama‘ats abroad to energise them. In this respect, Khan Bahadur Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan, S.K. (may Allah be pleased with him) was a pioneer. He not only visited the existing Jama‘ats but helped form new ones. JazakAllah!

Dr. Asghar Hameed Sahib, the fourth Ameer , in his short tenure as Ameer-i-Qaum , could not visit any foreign Jama‘at due to his illness. In his place, Mian Fazl-i-Ahmad Sahib, the Chairman of the Foreign Missions at the time, made several visits abroad.

Thanks be to Allah that our fifth Ameer-i-Qaum has the stamina and determination to make frequent visits to the foreign Jama‘ats in all parts of the sphere. He has been a boon to the host of members in our overseas Jama‘ats who have not visited Lahore and perhaps may not do so in their lifetime.

Wherever Hazrat Ameer-i-Qaum visited, whether to participate in overseas conventions or otherwise, he energised the Jama‘ats JazakAllah! For the benefit of their members, we respectfully urge the officials of all the foreign Jama‘ats to encourage and welcome Hazrat Ameer-i-Qaum to visit them periodically. 2

May Allah ( swt ) bless you all and keep you under His protection and care at all times. Aameen .

JAMA‘AT NEWS

Hazrat Ameer delivers Friday’s khutba at the Central Mosque

On Friday, May 18, 2012 Hazrat Ameer delivered the Khutba-i-Jumuah at the Central Mosque, Darus Salaam, Lahore. The khutba was broadcast live from Lahore for the benefit of the worldwide Jama‘ats on U-Tube around 1:30 PM Pakistan standard time. The presentation and photography were remarkable. However, we concur with Brother Shahid Aziz, General Secretary of the UK Jama‘at , that the acoustics within the confines of the Mosque needed some improvement.

JazakAllah! The live broadcast of Khutba-i-Jumuah is a regular feature. You may view the weekly proceedings from Jamiah Darus Salaam, Lahore online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/atc2009

Dr. Zahid Aziz of United Kingdom creates a new website

A new website dedicated to the life and work of Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi Sahib has been created by Dr. Zahid Aziz of the United Kingdom. JazakAllah! In order to access this website, kindly go to the link www.abdulhaq.info

While describing this new website Dr. Zahid Aziz wrote:

“This website has been created to provide a record, as complete as possible, of the life, work and writings of Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi. It is at an early stage of construction as yet. In one of its sections, Urdu articles written by the Maulana, mostly published in the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement paper Paigham Sulh, are being provided in the form of images of the relevant pages from the original publications. Much of this vast material, spanning more than fifty years from the early 1920s to the 1970s, has not been publicly available since the first publication of the original magazines. Books written by the Maulana have already been available online at the central website of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement www.aaiil.org .”

Masih Mau’ood Day meeting planned at the Oakland Mosque, U.S.A.

On May 26, 2012 many of our worldwide Jama‘ats plan to commemorate the 104 th death anniversary of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, Mujaddid of the 14 th century, Imam Mahdi, and the Promised Messiah.

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We received an announcement from Sister Jannifar Khanoum, Personal Assistant to Maulvi Mohammad Mustafa, Imam of the Oakland Mosque, that the Jama‘at members of the San Francisco Bay Area will assemble at the community mosque in Oakland on Saturday, May 26, 2012 for Hazrat Sahib’s anniversary memorial. Inshaa Allah , we will publish activities of the day in our next issue of The HOPE Bulletin .

To mark the occasion of the death anniversary of Hazrat Mirza Sabih, we have taken from the Central Anjuman’s website an extract on the circumstances of his death and the transport of his body to Qadian for burial, as is given below:

“At the age of seventy-three, he was still wielding his pen in the cause of Islam with the energy of a man of thirty. He had just finished the last lines of his Message of Peace, outlining the possible basis of an everlasting peace between the Hindus and the Muslims, when suddenly he fell ill at 10 p.m. on the evening of the 25th May, with an attack of diarrhea, to which he succumbed at 10 a.m. on the morning of 26th May, 1908. The Civil Surgeon of Lahore certified that death was not due to an infectious disease, and it was on the production of this certificate that the authorities permitted the carrying of his body to Qadian, where it was consigned to its last resting-place, on the 27th May.”

Appreciation of Br. Shaukat A. Ali’s propagation work

JazakAllah! Brother Shaukat A. Ali, Coordinator, Asia–Pacific Region, is a dedicated worker. He maintains contact with various Jama‘ats in his vast region via internet and satellite phone. Besides frequent visits to the Jama‘ats in the sphere of his region, he also issues periodical newsletters and spiritual articles for the information and benefit of members. Recently he circulated three letters which we forwarded to the readers. We are pleased to publish some of the feedback we received on our mailings.

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Captain Abdus Salam Khan, Cucamonga, CA, U.S.A. Thank you for circulating these three letters, and thank you Brother Shaukat Ali for hitting the nail on the head.

I am reminded of an incident in the life of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali Sahib that happened during the Jalsa Salana in the early forties. As Hazrat was delivering his inaugural address in the Jalsa , in walks Maulvi Sana’ullah Amritsari accompanied by a band of his followers and sends a chit to Hazrat. Hazrat puts the chit on the table and continues his address. Sann’ullah again sends a chit and again Hazrat disregards it and puts on the table.

Finally, when the third chit came, Hazrat Maulana exclaimed: “I am continuously being challenged by the Reverend for a debate on the truth of Mirza Sahib. I am against such debates, for each party would later claim that they won the debate. Let me suggest to the Reverend that let both of us jointly select a field of missionary activity in India and let each party go to the area and do proselytizing work for a year. After a year, let both parties present their report to an impartial panel. The party that comes out on top would be the winner!” Hearing this, Maulana Sana’ullah quietly left the gathering, making it clear that he had no

4 stomach for positive work.

More power to your elbow Brother Shaukat Ali.

Capt. Abdus Salam Khan

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Ahmed Saadat Sahib, Lahore, Pakistan Assalam- o- Alakum:

How are you Brother Shaukat and thank you so much for all these wonderful articles.

May Allah help us all the time... Ameen Sum Ameen .

Kind regards, Ahmed Saadat

98 th anniversary of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam, Lahore

Brother Jalal Ud Dean of Suva, Fiji reminds us that the first one hundred years anniversary of the founding of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam, Lahore is fast approaching. This will give cause to all our worldwide Jama‘ats to stage another celebration.

Brother Jalal Ud Dean wrote:

Assalaamu'Alaikum Wr Wb

In just a few days, on 2nd May 2012, the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam (Lahore) will achieve another milestone, its successful and prominent existence as the true followers of the 14th Century (Hijri) Mujaddid, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of India. After demise of the 14th Century (Hijri) Mujaddid Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of India in 1908, and later after demise of Hakim Maulana Noor ud Dean in 1914, Muslim stalwart Maulana Muhammad Ali in his most upright and brilliant thinking, registered the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i- Islam (Lahore) in India (then) on 2nd May 1914 as a separate Ahmadiyya society. That places our society in existence for 98 consecutive years. This vital separation by Maulana Muhammad Ali as the AAII(L) was essentially necessary to prevent the sway of Ahmadiyya members into incorrect followership of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad (son of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of India) who claimed that his father the 14th Century (Hijri) Mujaddid, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of India was a Nabi, when factually and fundamentally, the 14th Century (Hijri) Mujaddid, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad never ever claimed so.

Wassalaam,

J. U. Dean

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IN MEMORIAM

A tribute in memory of Ebrahim Suleiman of South Africa by Ch. Akthar Masud

“Demise of a friend”

I am saddened to hear the news of the passing away of my friend Suleman Ibrahim, and the memories of the time I spent with him and his family members flashed vividly on the screen of my mind.

I first came to know the late Suleman Ibrahim when he came to the U.S.A. along with Mr. Rashad Khan, Attorney, for making financial arrangements for meeting the costs of the Case Sheikh Muhammad Jasiem vs Sheikh Nazim and the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa . It was probably at the end of 1986 that they came to Ohio to meet Dr. Noman Ilahi Malik and Dr. Abdullah Jan about meeting the costs of that Case and from Columbus they flew to California to talk to me about assisting them in preparation of the Case, both in legal and doctrinal matters. They stayed in California for two days and I found that Mr. Suleman Ibrahim had a very friendly demeanour and was a jovial person.

Then after a few days I was summoned by them to Cape Town, S.A. to assist in preparation of the Replication to the defendants’ response to the plaintiff’s Case.

The defendants in their written statement had raised as many as 15 doctrinal matters which they considered had justified their action leading to the dismissal of Sheikh Jasiem from the job of Imam and Khateeb of a Masjid under the control of the Muslim Judicial Council. It was an important stage in the Case as issues had to be framed on the basis of pleadings of the parties and Mr. Rashad Khan did not deem fit to file Replication without the assistance of a representative of the Central Anjuman. Hence, I was directed to go to Cape Town to do the needful. During my five days stay Mr. Suleman Ibrahim visited every evening and spent some time with us. I started liking the man for his frank, straightforward and jovial nature.

In 1987, when the hearings of the Case commenced, the late Maulana Hafiz Sher Muhammad Sahib arrived in Cape Town and the next day Mr. Shahid Aziz, Secretary of the UK Jamaat , and I arrived in Cape Town to assist Hafiz Sahib, who was to appear as an expert witness on behalf of the Plaintiff. Hafiz Sahib was lodged at Rashad Khan’s home and Mr. Shahid Aziz and I were made to lodge at Mr. Suleman Ibrahim’s residence which was located in a town in the suburbs of Cape Town. Mr. Shahid Aziz stayed about a month and had mainly assisted as a translator in the hearing of Hafiz Sahib’s evidence and then had to return to the UK to his job from which he had taken about a month’s leave. Daily, after the hearing, we used to go to Rashad Khan’s residence and will return to Mr. Suleman’s residence for passing the night. We felt quite at home, enjoying the hospitality of the whole family at his home.

After Mr. Shahid Aziz’s departure I stayed at Mr. Suleman Ibrahim’s residence for another six months as I had to take the position of translator in place of Mr. Shahid Aziz. The Case was being heard on a daily basis for four consecutive days with a one hour break for lunch, and the cross-examination of Hafiz Sahib by Mr. Doberman, the advocate of the defendants, took about two and half months.

Mr. Suleiman Ibrahim used to drive us to Court every day and stay in the Court till the completion of the hearing, and after dinner and Maghrib and Isa prayers at Rashad Khan’s residence he used to take me to his home. Then the evidence in chief of Dr. Mahmud Ghazi of Faisal University of Islamabad was

6 recorded by the Court, which took about a month’s time, and then his cross-examination by Mr. Daviliers, the Plaintiff’s advocate, took more than two months.

This probably was the longest-heard Case in the history of the Supreme Court of Cape Town Province of South Africa. The reason was that fourteen out of sixteen issues on which the parties expert witness had to give evidence in chief and then answer the cross-examination were about the doctrinal matters where the Ahmadies and non-Ahmadies had differences of beliefs and both the parties had filed more than 384 Exhibits from the writings of the scholars, both past and present, of the Muslim world. Hafiz Sahib was asked by the Plaintiff’s Advocate to remain available to prepare him for cross-examination of the defendant’s witnesses on each issue as it came for hearing. He had also required me to be available in the Court in case he needed any assistance on any point.

Thus, both Hafiz Sher Muhammad Sahib and I were to remain in Cape Town till the completion of the hearing of the Case and I kept enjoying the hospitality of Mr. Suleman Ibrahim and his family, and during all this time Mr. Suleman Ibrahim kept company with us, now and then telling jokes which made us laugh, which was a boon after having passed the whole day in Court in a serious and tense mood.

During my stay with Mr. Suleman Ibrahim I discovered another aspect of his life. He was not only politically active in his area from where he was an elected Councillor, but he was a philanthropist as well. Often I saw some poor Black families coming to him for financial help, and even him paying for their medicines. He will take some sick persons to Dr. A.H. Mahatr’s Clinic for treatment and in addition to paying for their medicine’s cost, he will also give them some money for buying food which was required for nourishment during their illness.

I also came to know that after the dismissal of Sheikh Jasiem from the job by the Muslim Judicial Council, Mr. Suleman Ibrahim was paying him on a monthly basis. In addition, he purchased a car for a young convert to Islam to be run as a taxi cab for his living. That young man also used to take his food at Mr. Suleman’s residence. Later on, Mr. Suleman informed me that he had purchased a number of cars for some poor persons of his area who share their daily income with him on an equal basis and that is the source of his income. This service to humanity was a special feature of his life, which was not known to many.

In the death of Mr. Suleman Ibrahim we have lost a gem of a man. May Allah rest his soul in eternal peace. Ameen .

PRAYER & HEALTH NEWS

Members mourn the sad passing away of Sister Khurshid Bibi Marhooma

Captain Abdus Salam Khan, Cucamonga, California, U.S.A. Dear All, ASA.

The sad news of the passing away of another noble soul reached me this morning when I logged and saw the announcement.

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May her soul rest in peace in the highest reaches of heaven.

Please convey the Los Angeles Jamaat’s condolences to the bereaved family.

She had the distinction of standing fast during the 1974 onslaught on the Ahamdis in Hazara district and who, because of their steadfastness, became the deserving subjects of the verse:

“Innul lazeena qawloo rebbana-nullaho summa istaqamoo tatanuzzal alihoum al-malai'kato al law takhafoo wa la tehzanoo wub-sharoo bil jannatul-latee kountoum too'a'doon.”

(Those who said: Our Lord is Allah, then steadfastly tread the right path, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not nor be grieved and receive good news of the Garden that you were promised” (41:30).)

May Allah grant her this promised place in the Garden. Amen .

Your brother in grief, Capt. Abdus Salam Khan

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Jalal Ud Dean, Suva, Fiji Islands Dear Br JAK Assalaamu'Alaikum Wr Wb.

Thanks for the very sad advisory. “Inna Lillahe Wa Inna Ilehi Rajewoon.”

The AAII(L) has lost yet another very important human-capital. Although I have never met her but from reports received, she was indeed the main pillar of strength and encouragement of her home and so extended to the AAII(L).

The general administrative architect in the making up of any well-structured family is always the mother in that home. The Holy Qur’an is very concise to this point:

Holy Qur’an 9:71: “And the believers, men and women, are friends one of another. They enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.”

Holy Qur’an 30:21: “ And of His signs is this, that He created mates for you from yourselves that you might find quiet of mind in them, and He put between you love and compassion. Surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect.”

Holy Qur’an 16:97: “Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We shall certainly make him (or her) live a good life, and We shall certainly give them their reward for the best of what they did.”

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Shaukat A. Ali, Coordinator, Asia-Pacific Region

Dear Br. Amir Aziz, Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuh.

We are deeply saddened to learn that our pious and devoted sister Khurshid Bibi has left this world to meet with our Maker. Inna-lillahe wa Inna Ilaihi rajioon.

We pray that Allah ta’ala grants her soul eternal peace and a place in the highest pedestal of Jannat-ul Firdous among His chosen ones - aameen .

We also pray that Almighty Allah grant the surviving members of her family strength, solace and sabr to bear this sad and irreparable loss at a time of great anguish.

Please convey our heartfelt sympathy and sincere condolences to her loved ones.

Allah hafiz, Shaukat

Request for du‘a-e-shifa from Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Muhammad Ali, the former acting Imam of the Berlin Mosque, requests du‘a-e-shifa for his beloved father. The members of our “Global Prayer Circle” are requested to please raise their hands in fervent prayers for the complete shifa and early recovery of Brother Muhammad Ali’s father. May Allah have mercy on him. Br. Ali wrote:

Assalamo Aliekum .

I hope you will be fine. Kindly forward my request to all brothers and sisters in our worldwide Jamaat to pray for a fast recovery for my father. He has developed a complicated problem in his spine and as a result he will be on treatment for his ailment. The treatment accompanying prayers will be InshaAllah very helpful.

Thank you very much in advance for forwarding the message.

Wassalam Muhammad Ali

Our request for du‘a-e-shifa

In the month of May “Mothers Day” is celebrated in many parts of the world. We request the members of our “Prayer Circle” to pray for the mothers of Jalal Ud Dean and Nizam ud Dean of Fiji, Muhammad Ali of Pakistan, Dr. Zahid and Shahid Aziz of the United Kingdom, Parveen Abdullah of the U.S.A., and all the mothers in our worldwide Jama‘ats .

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Please also pray for Sisters Haneefa Sahu Khan of Canada, and Sharmeen Baji of Pakistan. May Allah (swt ) have mercy on all of them. Ameen .

Kindly also pray for the health and welfare of Hazrat Ameer, Akbar Abdullah, Muhammad Ali’s father, and all other ailing brothers and sisters in our worldwide Jama‘ats.

HEALTH INFORMATION [Courtesy Yahoo Health Services]

Ten Heart Attack Symptoms You’re Most Likely to Ignore

1. Indigestion or nausea One of the most oft-overlooked signs of a heart attack is nausea and stomach pain. Symptoms can range from mild indigestion to severe nausea, cramping, and vomiting. Others experience a cramping-style ache in the upper belly. Women and adults over age 60 are more likely to experience this symptom and not recognize it as tied to cardiac health.

Most cases of stomach ache and nausea aren’t caused by a heart attack, of course. But watch out for this sign by becoming familiar with your own digestive habits; pay attention when anything seems out of the ordinary, particularly if it comes on suddenly and you haven't been exposed to stomach flu and haven’t eaten anything out of the ordinary.

2. Jaw, ear, neck, or shoulder pain A sharp pain and numbness in the chest, shoulder, and arm is an indicator of heart attack, but many people don't experience heart attack pain this way at all. Instead, they may feel pain in the neck or shoulder area, or it may feel like it’s running along the jaw and up by the ear. Some women specifically report feeling the pain between their shoulder blades.

A telltale sign: The pain comes and goes, rather than persisting unrelieved, as a pulled muscle would. This can make the pain both easy to overlook and difficult to pinpoint. You may notice pain in your neck one day, none the next day, then after that it might have moved to your ear and jaw. If you notice pain that seems to move or radiate upwards and out, this is important to bring to your doctor’s attention.

3. Sexual dysfunction Having trouble achieving or keeping erections is common in men with coronary artery disease, but they may not make the connection. Just as arteries around the heart can narrow and harden, so can those that supply the penis -- and because those arteries are smaller, they may show damage sooner. One survey of European men being treated for cardiovascular disease found that two out of three had suffered from erectile dysfunction before they were ever diagnosed with heart trouble.

4. Exhaustion or fatigue A sense of crushing fatigue that lasts for several days is another sign of heart trouble that’s all too often overlooked or explained away. Women, in particular, often look back after a heart attack and mention this

10 symptom. More than 70 percent of women in last year’s NIH study, for example, reported extreme fatigue in the weeks or months prior to their heart attack.

The key here is that the fatigue is unusually strong -- not the kind of tiredness you can power through but the kind that lays you flat out in bed. If you’re normally a fairly energetic person and suddenly feel sidelined by fatigue, a call to your doctor is in order.

5. Breathlessness and dizziness When your heart isn’t getting enough blood, it also isn’t getting enough oxygen. And when there’s not enough oxygen circulating in your blood, the result is feeling unable to draw a deep, satisfying breath -- the same feeling you get when you’re at high elevation. Additional symptoms can be light-headedness and dizziness. But sadly, people don’t attribute this symptom to heart disease, because they associate breathing with the lungs, not the heart.

6. Leg swelling or pain When the heart muscle isn’t functioning properly, waste products aren’t carried away from tissues by the blood, and the result can be edema, or swelling caused by fluid retention. Edema usually starts in the feet, ankles, and legs because they’re furthest from the heart, where circulation is poorer. In addition, when tissues don’t get enough blood, it can lead to a painful condition called ischemia. Bring swelling and pain to the attention of your doctor.

7. Sleeplessness, insomnia, and anxiety This is an odd one doctors can’t yet explain. Those who’ve had heart attacks often remember experiencing a sudden, unexplained inability to fall asleep or stay asleep during the month or weeks before their heart attack. (Note: If you already experience insomnia regularly, this symptom can be hard to distinguish.)

Patients often report the feeling as one of being “keyed up” and wound tight; they remember lying in bed with racing thoughts and sometimes a racing heart. In the NIH report, many of the women surveyed reported feeling a sense of “impending doom,” as if a disaster were about to occur. If you don’t normally have trouble sleeping and begin to experience acute insomnia and anxiety for unexplained reasons, speak with your doctor.

8. Flu-like symptoms Clammy, sweaty skin, along with feeling light-headed, fatigued, and weak, leads some people to believe they’re coming down with the flu when, in fact, they’re having a heart attack. Even the feeling of heaviness or pressure in the chest -- typical of some people’s experience in a heart attack -- may be confused with having a chest cold or the flu.

If you experience severe flu-like symptoms that don’t quite add up to the flu (no high temperature, for example), call your doctor or advice nurse to talk it over. Watch out also for persistent wheezing or chronic coughing that doesn't resolve itself; that can be a sign of heart disease, experts say. Patients sometimes attribute these symptoms to a cold or flu, asthma, or lung disease when what’s happening is that poor circulation is causing fluid to accumulate in the lungs.

9. Rapid-fire pulse or heart rate One little-known symptom that sometimes predates a heart attack is known as ventricular tachycardia, more commonly described as rapid and irregular pulse and heart rate. During these episodes, which come on suddenly, you feel as if your heart is beating very fast and hard, like you just ran up a hill -- except you didn’t. It can last just a few seconds or longer; if longer, you may also notice dizziness and weakness. 11

Some patients confuse these episodes with panic attacks. Rapid pulse and heartbeat that aren’t brought on by exertion always signal an issue to bring to your doctor's attention.

10. You just don’t feel like yourself Heart attacks in older adults (especially those in their 80s and beyond, or in those who have dementia or multiple health conditions), can mimic many other conditions. But an overall theme heard from those whose loved ones suffered heart attacks is that in the days leading up to and after a cardiac event, they “just didn’t seem like themselves.”

A good rule of thumb, experts say, is to watch for clusters of symptoms that come on all at once and aren’t typical of your normal experience. For example, a normally alert, energetic person suddenly begins to have muddled thinking, memory loss, deep fatigue, and a sense of being “out of it.” The underlying cause could be something as simple as a urinary tract infection, but it could also be a heart attack. If your body is doing unusual things and you just don’t feel “right,” don’t wait. See a doctor and ask for a thorough work- up.

And if you have any risk factors for cardiac disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or family history of heart disease, make sure the doctor knows about those issues, too.

LESSON OF THE DAY [Courtesy Mohamed Haroun of Florida, U.S.A.]

“Beautiful Messages”

Stay away from anger. It hurts only you and nobody else.

If you are right, then there is no need to get angry, and if you are wrong then you don’t have any right to get angry.

Patience with family is love; patience with others is respect; patience with self is confidence and patience with God is faith.

Never think hard about the past; it brings tears. Don’t think more about the future; it brings fear. Live this moment with a smile; it brings cheer.

Every test in our life makes us bitter or better, every problem comes to make us or break us; the choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious.

Search for a beautiful heart not a beautiful face.

Beautiful things are not always good but good things are always beautiful.

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FEATURE REPORT [Courtesy Captain Abdus Salam Khan, Cucamonga, CA., U.S.A.]

Too Busy for a Friend...

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. “Really?” she heard whispered. “I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!” and, “I didn’t know others liked me so much,” were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Iraq and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. “Were you Mark’s math teacher?” he asked. She nodded: “Yes.” Then he said: “Mark talked about you a lot.”

After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

“We want to show you something,” his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.” Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him.

“Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it.”

All of Mark’s former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer of my desk at home.”

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Chuck’s wife said, “Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.”

“I have mine too,” Marilyn said. “It’s in my diary.”

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. “I carry this with me at all times,” Vicki said, and without batting an eyelash, she continued: “I think we all saved our lists.”

That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don’t know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION [Reproduced from A Spiritual Note , April, 27, 2012 edition]

Labour in Balance

Islam aims at creating a society in which peace and prosperity prevail among the citizens. This includes material progress, and for this purpose God has provided mankind with the natural resources of the earth [31:20, 2:30].

Asceticism An ideal society includes a flourishing economy and for this reason Islam encourages labour. However, it is possible that people get so involved in labour that they lose sight of the spiritual side of life. As a result, many unlawful and irresponsible means (corruption, gambling, etc.) might be used to earn as much money as possible, without hesitation.

To avoid this situation, some groups within various religions (including Islam) went to the other extreme and established the institution of Asceticism. The thought behind this is that people who seclude themselves from the temptations of the world, such as wealth and sex, will automatically achieve a pure, spiritual life. This, however, is not the view of Islam. The Quran states that God has established times for working and for rest: “We (God) made the night a covering, and the day for seeking livelihood” [78:10-11].

Man can only develop his moral self when he is exposed to the attractive and tempting things of life. He can make spiritual progress by making efforts to restrain these temptations.

Thus, Islam aims at finding a middle course and for this reason the Quran teaches the believers to pray for the good, both of this world and of the Hereafter [2:201]. Asceticism is not an Islamic institution; therefore, the Quran mentions it as being an invention of man [57:27].

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Spending Property Labour and the collection of wealth are not only necessary for the progress of society, but they play an important role for the individual, too. The Quran mentions property as being a means to support [4:5].

This support is not only for one's household, but, in fact, for every poor and needy fellow-man. Islam does not consider property to be the possession of an individual even if he has earned it with his own hands but property is considered as the possession of God, which has been entrusted to the people. For this reason, the Quran describes the true believer as one who spends of what God has given him [2:3]. By spending his property on his fellow-men, he tries to lessen their sorrow, he develops a feeling of compassion for them, and he learns that wealth is not everything in life. This last point is very important, for, as was mentioned earlier, the desire for more and more wealth can drive one to unlawful and irresponsible means to achieve it.

Always a place for God Labour and wealth are only a means to achieve certain goals and not the ultimate goals of life. One can earn as much money as one likes, there is no restriction on this, except that extravagance should be avoided [5:87-88, 7:31-32], for even if the roofs and stairs of his house are from silver and gold, as the Quran states, the Hereafter will be only for the dutiful believers [43:33-35].

The Quran describes these believers as:

Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the paying of the poor rate [24:37].

So even if you are busy earning money, God desires that you always have a place for Him in your heart and that you spend part of your property on your poorer brethren. Only in this way can a flourishing, peaceful society exist, which consists of righteous and pious people who earn and spend their property in a sound way.

PUBLICATION

Web link to The HOPE Bulletin on Central Anjuman’s official website

The aaiil.org Webmaster will place online, at http://bit.ly/2012hope , some selected issues of The HOPE Bulletin and some articles and special photographic supplements which do not carry any sensitive or confidential matters of our worldwide Jama‘at .

The Light – UK Edition

To access current and previous issues, kindly click on the following weblink: http://www.ahmadiyya.org/

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In the May, 2012 edition of “The Light”, UK, we strongly recommend the article “Mothering Sunday and my perspective on motherhood” by Miss Bushra Ahmad of the United Kingdom. JazakAllah!

Comments by the Editor of The HOPE Bulletin on the French publication of The Light

Great effort! God bless you. For your information, French is spoken in the following countries of the world:

French is widely spoken, either as a first or official language, in several countries of Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Asian-Pacific region. Apart from being the national language of France, French is spoken in Switzerland (in the Swiss region called Romandie, to be specific), Belgium (in the Belgian region called the Walloons), Luxembourg, Valle d'Aosta in Italy and the principalities of Monaco and Andorra.

In North America, French is the official language of the Canadian province of Quebec, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, St Martin, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and the US states of Louisiana and Maine.

French is spoken in several African, Asian and Asia-Pacific countries, such as Algeria, Tunisia, the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville, formerly known as Zaire), Niger, Senegal, Haiti, Lebanon, Martinique, Vietnam, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Rwanda, the Seychelles, Togo, Mauritania, Morocco, Laos, Lebanon, Syria, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mayotte, the Reunion Island, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia and the union territory of Pondicherry in India (Pondicherry, Mahe, Karikal and Yanam).

About 150 million people of the world speak French; 60 % of those are found in France.

Publication of Bashaar (Bringer of Glad Tidings) from Australia

This esteemed journal is edited and sponsored by Muhammad Ameen Sahu Khan in loving memory of his wonderful wife, the late Begum Mumtaz Bano Sahu-Khan.

We strongly recommend the eight-page article, “Is Heaven reserved for the Muslims only?”, eloquently written by Sadr-Ud-Dean Sahu Khan of Australia, which appeared in the September-December, 2011 edition. JazakAllah!

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The magazine Noor-i-Islam published from Canada

This most informative and spiritual magazine is edited by our dedicated brother, Sadiq Noor, and is published regularly by AAIIL, Alberta, Calgary, Canada.

In the May, 2012 edition of this esteemed journal, we strongly recommend that you read the article on “Reward” sub-titled “Enduring patiently earns purge of sins”. JazakAllah!

Paigham-e-Haqq, a publication of AAIIL (Fiji)

This highly spiritual publication is published by Br Abdul Nasim, President of AAIIL (Fiji), edited by our dear brother, Mehboob Raza, Secretary of AAIIL (Fiji), and circulated by Br Imran Sahukhan, and generally contains spiritual writings of past and present eminent scholars of the worldwide Lahore Amadiyya Jama‘at. JazakAllah!

WHAT OUR READERS SAY

Correction of an error

In our March-April edition we wrote, “Board member of the AAIIL, Karachi, Pakistan appreciates our mailings” when we should have said “ Jama‘at member of the AAIIL, Karachi, Pakistan appreciates our mailings.” The Editor regrets this inadvertent error.

In one of our future editions, inshaAllah , we will provide more information for the benefit of our worldwide readers, with special emphasis on the making of a Jama‘at in Pakistan and how democracy works within the Jama‘at.

Encouraging feedback sent by Jalal Ud Dean of Suva, Fiji

We thank Br Jalal Ud Dean for his good wishes and encouraging words of comfort which give us vigour and resolve to render such yeomen service in furthering the cause of amity, harmony and unity amongst the worldwide Jama‘ats . We sincerely hope and trust that there are many more members in our global Jama‘at who share the same feeling as our dear brother Jalal Ud Dean of Fiji. May Allah bless him and his family. Aameen .

Br Jalal Ud Dean wrote:

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Assalaamu'Alaikum Wr Wb

Thank you very much for resumption of the HOPE Bulletin. Perhaps you deserved a break after all the hectic editorial building up. The HOPE is such a vital link to all outreaches of AAII(L), that not getting to read the HOPE during the gap, was like denial of a sick person from getting necessary supply of oxygen and blood transfusion. In this regards, I speak collectively and many of us sincerely appreciate the creativity that went behind the scenes to have a regular Ahmadiyya Lahore informational organ. Thank you all who had the necessary drive for its commencement.

Full Body Portrait of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Sahib, Promised Mujaddid of 14th Hijri: The full-body portrait of HMGA Sahib is indeed a rare photo-shot and not often put into circulation. Most people are used to his face only photo in an oval-surrounding frame.

Exponential Growth of AAII(L) in India: The exponential growth of AAII(L) in India has perhaps the most promising growth for Islam in any country known to us in this age. It shows that once the marketing strategy is correctly projected, the results are always positive.

The 2nd South Africa Case (Part 2): It is indeed an excellent initiative to revive the history and reflect the great sacrifices many of our AAII(L) members had to make, ensuring that the 2nd South Africa not only gets successful in favour of AAII(L), but becomes a landmark judgement case, upon which decisions were made that AAII(L) are Muslims, after all the persecution AAII(L) members had to endure in many locations. Those of us who were following the case very closely, still remember that anguish, which we were experiencing and the then the pure joy when the final judgement was in favour of AAII(L). However, our much younger AAII(L) members were either not born or were little children then, are now given that renewal of opportunity to retrace the difficulties and appreciate the fairness of that landmark judgement. The other important point is existence of neutrality, which surrounded the court that there could not be any grounds of favouritism toward Lahoris, because the judge (from the name) was neither Sunni nor Lahori Ahmadi but a Jew.

The Green Thing: Whilst sarcasm may be the drive behind that story, the most important thing is that all those provisions of what Allah has provided for us - His creatures - we the simple people are not appreciating His Greatness and His Mercy - the hidden message in that article reflects the grace that Allah reminds us in Surah Al-Rahman (descriptiveness of modern gadgetry notwithstanding).

Marketing Islam and so to Ahmadiyya Lahore: It is very important that first and foremost strategy is to market Islam in its entirety to the not Muslim communities. That is vital. What we must avoid at all costs is to unintentionally confuse the not Muslim communities by stressing differences between different sects up front. It is only after they have comprehended Islam reasonably well to point of practicality that they may then be exposed to sectarian variations.

Wassalaam. Jalal Ud Dean

We commend Br Jalal Ud Dean for all the literary and other work he has been doing, more so since his retirement. His vast collection of literary work can be accessed from the following link at Central Anjuman’s website: http://www.aaiil.org/fiji/articles/articlesfiji.shtml.

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Nasir Ahmad of the UK sends a prayer for the success of The HOPE Bulletin

My dear Bro. Akbar Sahib, Assalamo alaikum.

It seems you are back in home. May Allah keep you in health and strength.

Your HOPE Bulletins are a source of inspiration and information of activities taking place anywhere in the world.

With thanks and prayers. Yours sincerely, Nasir Ahmad

Encouraging du‘a from Mohamed Haroun of Florida, U.S.A.

Dear Brother Akbar, Walaikum Assalam, Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuhuu:

I am so relieved to learn that you are fine and well. Kindly take your time and resume your wonderful task. You are definitely doing a very good job.

I hope and pray Allah continue to give you the strength and energy to fulfil this mission. Our love and salaam to all.

Allah Hafiz , Brother Haroun

Follow-up message from Jalal Ud Dean, Suva, Fiji

Thank you for updating. Your absence was really felt all over the globe. Now that you’ve resumed, we are on recovery path to normalcy.

Wassalaam. Jalal Ud Dean

Captain Abdus Salam Khan of California comments on our Mother’s Day coverage

Dear Akbar Sahib, ASA.

An interesting exchange happened yesterday (Mother’s Day) at a convenience store run by a Paksitani between a white customer and the Pakistani cashier. To the query by the customer why there were no

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Mother’s Day banners adorning the store, the cashier retorted: “You people honour your mother once a year, but for the rest of the year she is rotting away in an old people’s home , whilst we honour our mother all the time, asking her blessings when we leave for work in the morning and saluting and greeting her warmly when we return home in the evening.”

Sincerely, Capt. Abdus Salam Khan

HOPE MEMBER SERVICE

Recipe of the Month

Lamb Rogan Josh

Ingredients 600g Lamb cubed 3 tsp ginger and garlic paste 3 Tbsp oil 2 tsp salt 1 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp dhana 2 tsp ground jeero 2 Tbsp plain yoghurt 1 tsp chilli powder 2 medium onions finely chopped ¾ tin of peeled tomatoes Fresh coriander to garnish

Method of Preparation Add oil to saucepan on high heat until very hot. Now add in the finely chopped onions and stir fry until pieces soften and become translucent.

Then add the garlic and ginger paste and keep stir – frying fro 3 min to prevent burning until the mixture is golden brown. Add all of the ground spices and keep stirring whilst continuing to fry on high heat.

Then add the lamb and stir into the mixture fry on high heat for 5 min until the meat has fully browned.

Add in tinned tomatoes and mash the tomatoes into the mixture with a spoon, taking care to ensure that the plum tomatoes do not remain in chunks and stir into the meat mixture.

Allow to cook uncovered for 5 minutes before adding the yoghurt. Stir this in and then cook on high heat to bring to the boil.

Simmer and stir for every 30 min until meat is tender and gravy is thick.

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PHOTOGRAPHIC PRESENTATION [Contributed by Khalid Iqbal of the United Kingdom]

The Mehrab in the basement of Al-Aqsa Mosque is similar to one at Berlin Mosque.

Al –Aqsa Berlin Mosque

CONTACT INFORMATION

Akbar Abdullah Editor, The HOPE Bulletin Mailing Address : P.O. Box 232023 Sacramento, California 95823-0430, U.S.A. E-mail Address : [email protected] Telephone Number : (773) 539-6892

“ISLAM ” stands for “ I S HALL LOVE ALL MANKIND”

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