May 2014 Editor: Nasir Ahmad B.A. LL.B.

IN MEMORY OF JALAL-UD-DIN AKBAR IBN-I ABDULLAH, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Vol. No. 7, Issue No. 20

PageCONTENTS

Editorial Note... 2

Hazrat Ameer visits Fiji, New Zealand and Australia; New Executive of the UK Ahmadiyya Centre, London; UK Delegation to the Centenary Celebrations in The Hague, Holland. 2

Training Programme for Imams at the UK Ahmadiyya Anjuman. 3

Free Gift of the English translation of the Qur’an on E-Book 4

Brief life history of Lifetime Achievement Awards Holders: Mrs. Bano Anwar, Mr. Yakoob Ahmad 6

The Faith of a Muslim 9Shaikh Muhammad Tufail

Mother’s Day 11

What Mother’s Day means to an American Muslim 12

Interfaith Search, Suva, Fiji 13Jalal Ud Dean (Fiji)

Islamic Concept of Healthy Food 14Habiba Anwar

What Others Say – Dr. Ikram Jahangiri, Huma Khalid 18

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Editorial Note...

Hazrat Ameer visits Fiji, New Zealand and Australia

Hazrat Ameer Dr Abdul Karim Saeed, and Mr Amir Aziz Azhari, the General Secretary of the Central Anjuman, left for Fiji on 16 April 2014. At the end of their visit to Fiji, Mr Amir Aziz returned to Pakistan.

Mian & Begum Umar-i Farooq and Br Najib Sadiq from Lahore joined Hazrat Ameer in New Zealand.

Afterwards, on the last leg of his tour, Hazrat Ameer visited Australia and returned to Lahore on 5 May 2014.

*

New Executive of the UK Ahmadiyya Anjuman, London

During the monthly meeting of the UK Ahmadiyya Anjuman, held on 6 May 2014, Dr Zahid Aziz, Election Officer, announced the following new office bearers, who were unanimously elected:

• Mr Shahid Aziz, President• Mr Mushtaq Ali, Secretary• Mr Azhar-ud-Din Ahmad, Treasurer• Members: Mr Ross Mahmood, Mr Nasir Ahmad and Mr Yahya Saqib

The house also unanimously decided to make our respected sister, Mrs Jermelia Khan, who had been President of the UK Jama‘at for the last 40 years, Life Patron of the Jama‘at.

Dr Zahid Aziz paid glowing tributes to Mrs Khan’s selfless and commendable services to the Jama‘at from its inception. She managed single-handedly most of the affairs of the Mission House and ar-ranged various events. She has been trying to involve all segments of the Jama‘at, and especially the youths, in running the Anjuman and the Mission House. She has always been very kind, polite and encouraging in enlisting the cooperation of the members and has been extremely good in her closing remarks at the end of each meeting and other special programmes and events.

We congratulate our respected and learned sister on her well-deserved life-patronship and hope her contribution in this capacity will prove as effective and valuable as during her stewardship as President. May Allah keep her in health and strength in the days to come.

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The house also appreciated Mr Mudassar Aziz’s valuable and productive service in recording and relaying speeches and uploading them onto the Virtual Mosque website and making them promptly available for a wide audience of listeners and viewers.

The members also warmly thanked Mrs Riffat Aziz for the hard work she puts into printing and posting the monthly Light, the Urdu Al-Noor, and the Muslim News.

*

UK Delegation to the Centenary of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement and the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the

Stichting Ahmadiyya Anjuman held in The Hague from 7-9 May 2014

A delegation of seven members of the UK Jama‘at, led by Mr Shahid Aziz, attended the convention to celebrate the Centenary of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement organised by the Holland Ahmadiyya Anjuman at the Paukerlaan Mosque in The Hague, Holland. The delegation also comprised Dr Zahid Aziz, Mrs Fauqia Aziz, Mr Mustaq Ali, Mrs Nazaara Ali, Miss Adeeba Ali and Mr Azhar-ud-Din Ahmad.

The group also attended the 25th anniversary celebration of the Stichting Ahmadiyya Anjuman. Mr Shahid Aziz and Dr Zahid Aziz both delivered speeches at the events held at the Paulkerlaan and the Kepplerstraat Mosques.

After the functions in The Hague, Mr Shahid Aziz, Dr Zahid Aziz and Mrs Fauqia Aziz left for Suriname. Mr Shahid and Dr Zahid Aziz will stay in Suriname for two weeks to deliver a series of lectures about the message and objective of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

*

Training programme for Imams at the UK Ahmadiyya Centre

The UK Jama‘at is regularly relaying its Friday sermons and other speeches delivered at its monthly meetings through Ustream. These are also available on the website, virtualmosque.co.uk.

The Jama‘at has encouraged and trained Mr Mudassar Aziz and Mr Yahya Saqib to deliver Friday ser-mons. Every year a Forward Planner is prepared, and includes senior and junior speakers, even for Eid gatherings. More persons are needed for the Friday service, and in order to train more youths,

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they are being encouraged to take a more active part, especially for Fridays. Since April, two more young persons have come forward: Mr Inshaal Ahmad delivered two Friday sermons at the Berlin Mosque, and Ms Habiba Anwar delivered the Friday sermon at the UK Ahmadiyya Centre in London.

In this issue we are publishing their photos and hope to include the text of their sermons in the next issue.

***

Free Gift on E-Book

English Translation of

the Holy Quran with Abridged Notes

Without Arabic Text

By Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali

(Revised Edition 2010)

Edited by Dr Zahid Aziz

Visit www.lahore.ahmadiyya.org

Some features of this edition extracted from the PrefaceThe English translation of the Holy Quran with extensive explanatory footnotes, by Maulana Muhammad Ali (d. 1951), was first published in 1917. It was the first English translation and commentary by a Muslim to be generally available in the world. The 1917 and several subsequent editions were printed in England and distributed from the Woking Muslim Mission at the Woking Mosque in England. This work remained the only Muslim English translation for several years. It was widely acclaimed as being an accurate, faithful, and true rendering, one which was desperately needed. It influenced all the major later English translations.

Maulana Muhammad Ali’s translation was not merely an academic or literary exercise. It was done to refute the vast mass of misrepresentations of Islam by its Western critics, to convey the faith-reviving and heart-inspiring light of Islam to the world, to show how Islamic teachings are applicable to solving the problems of modern times, and to teach and guide both the Western-educated Muslims and English-speaking new Muslim converts. Towards the end of his life, Maulana Muhammad Ali thoroughly revised his translation and commentary, the revised edition being published in 1951. The translation was made simpler and the commentary was brought up to date with the changed circumstances prevailing after the Second World War.

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The language of the translation was solemn and dignified, as befits a Divine scripture, yet it was also plain and easy to understand, aimed at the level of an educated reader having a reasonable standard of English. However, due to changes in the usage and teaching of English in the second half of the twentieth century, such a reader today is much less familiar with certain forms and styles of literary expression used in the translation than was the case with previous generations.

To bring the language closer to the general readership, it became necessary to replace some expressions by more modern forms. This has been my aim in producing the present updated version of the transla-tion, while showing reverence to the original work and remaining as close as possible to the language used by Maulana Muhammad Ali.

The factor of greatest assistance during this editing work has been that the Maulana has himself in some places used more modern terms and in other places older styles to translate the same original words. Utilising this, I have been able to select his own phraseology to replace the older expressions. Thus, in the work of updating the translation in various places, I have applied the wording used by him elsewhere if such could be suitably found.

The most noticeable change is the replacement of the second person singular forms, ‘thou’, ‘thee’, ‘thy’, etc. by ‘you’ and ‘your’. In fact, in the Preface to his first edition published in 1917, the Maulana wrote: “I have, however, given up the antiquated ‘thou’ (except when the Divine Being is addressed)”. In that edition he added a marginal column on the left of the translation, in which he indicated whether ‘you’ in the line of text opposite was the singular ‘thou’. In his revised 1951 edition, he removed this margin as unnecessary and used the ‘thou’ forms within the translation itself. I have reverted to the usage of the 1917 edition, but have employed the convention that whenever ‘you’ is in the singular the letter y is printed in italics as in: you, your. When God is addressed, which is always in the singular in the Quran, I have also used “You”, with capital “Y”, instead of “Thou” and “Thee”.

The next most prominent change is also a reversion to the first edition, and that is in the use of the negative. In the revised 1951 edition the Maulana has used constructions such as “you know not”, “they see not”, etc. I have restored the style of his 1917 edition in which these are of the form: “you do not know”, “they do not see”, etc.

In clarification of certain points, I have consulted not only the 1917 edition of the Maulana’s English translation but also his Urdu translation with extensive commentary known as Bayan-ul-Quran. I would also mention that in case of some verses I have compared other English translations of the Quran, old and new, to form a judgment as to the most suitable level of language.

It is clear that Maulana Muhammad Ali produced his translation to the highest standard of literary schol-arship and he used words, expressions, phrases and styles that reflect the original Arabic with great precision, perhaps unmatched by any other English translation. In my effort to update its language, and bring it closer to current usage, it was inevitable that in some places its high literary level would be reduced and the new expressions employed be somewhat less precise than those which they replace.

Maulana Muhammad Ali had also produced two editions of his translation without including the Arabic text and with much condensed footnotes, in order to make available a handier book for the general reader. Following the same approach in the present work, the Arabic text has not been included, and the

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footnote content has been abridged although not nearly by the extent of reduction in the Maulana’s two editions. Taking the footnotes from his revised 1951 edition (as also found in its subsequent reprints), I have eliminated the detailed lexical discussion of the range of meaning of words and the explanation of the variety of views about the interpretation of the text. Only the conclusion reached by the Maulana as to the explanation of the verses is retained. Occasionally the abridgment has required some insignificant re-phrasing of his original words.

Those who wish to benefit from the Maulana’s full, scholarly commentary are referred to the reprints of his 1951 edition.

At certain points in the footnotes it was necessary to make some further comment on a text, due mainly to issues and questions that have arisen in recent years. To meet this need I have added my own com-ments, marked as Editor’s Note. These occur within existing footnotes and also as additional footnotes. … The introductory notes at the head of the chapters have had to be abridged considerably and therefore they have been re-worded.

As in the two editions produced by the Maulana which do not include the Arabic text, I have laid out the translation in continuous running form, not starting each verse on a new line. However, for ease of reading as well as comprehension I have divided most sections further into paragraphs. …

This edition carries an Introduction consisting of a life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and some in-formation about the Quran, its teachings, and the history of its compilation, all taken from writings of Maulana Muhammad Ali as indicated there.

The responsibility for all aspects of this revision rests with me, and I crave forgiveness from Allah as well as from the readers of this edition for any flaws in this production.

Zahid Aziz

September 2010

***

Introducing Lifetime Achievement Award Holders

Mrs Bano Anwar, London, UKMrs Bano Anwar, London, UK Sister Arjumand Bano Anwar was born in the village of Chehr, Mansehra, District Hazara.

Her late father, Mr Habib-ur-Rehman Sadiq Sahib, owned sizeable land in the village and was well-re- spected for being kind, hospitable and helpful. He took a keen interest in the welfare of the village and was very active in campaigning for the Hazara division of the Muslim League Party—the party that eventually led the partition of India and Pakistan. During

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his youth, Sadiq Sahib spent a con- siderable number of years pursuing business in Calcutta, which was a flourishing business centre at the time, as well as in Bombay. After retirement, he offered his services to the Central Anjuman in Lahore and worked hard in the initial stages of the founding of the Darus Salaam Colony in New Garden Town, which is now the new headquarters of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement.

Sister Bano married Mr Muhammad Anwar in April 1970. After completing a Masters degree from Peshawar University, Mr Anwar worked in Government High schools in Mansehra, Peshawar, Uggi, Ayyubiya and Chitraal. During his service, he underwent difficult trials due to increasing religious discrimination and prejudice in the country. As a devoted Ahmadi, he went to Lahore and offered his services to the Central Anjuman to serve the cause of Islam. Both he and Sister Bano stayed at Ahmadiyya Buildings, Lahore for one and a half years.

In March 1981, he was sent to the UK as an Imam of the UK Ahmadiyya Mission. At that time, the centre was in Tooting, London. In August 1982, the new centre at 15 Stanley Avenue, London, was founded, and it was from here that Mr Anwar went to Guyana in 1986 to attend an international Ahmadiyya Convention where he became the victim of an assailant on 9 April 1986. His body was taken to Lahore and buried in the Darus Salaam Ahmadiyya Cemetery.

During her married life, Sister Bano was a very kind and supportive partner to Mr Anwar, and her companionship during difficult times in Pakistan and in England played a pivotal role in his propaga- tion work, which included organising meetings and looking after guests and managing the affairs of the UK Mission House.

On the eve of the Centenary of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement held in Lahore in December 2013, Sister Bano was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Hazrat Ameer Dr Abdul Karim Saeed for her extreme devotion and dedication to the cause of the Movement in the UK.

The UK Jama‘at appreciates the Central Anjuman’s generous gesture.

Besides being a dedicated lady looking after the UK Jama‘at’s Mission House in Wembley, London, Sister Bano is an ideal mother. She has brought up her only daughter, Habiba, so well that Habiba is outstanding in education and manners and is as equally dedicated to the cause of the Movement as her mother. She delivers learned contributions during the UK Jama‘at’s monthly meetings. But, in May, Habiba delivered two Friday khutbahs. Her sermons and her recitation of the Arabic text of the Qur’an were commendable.

May Allah bless Mrs Bano Anwar and grant her a long and healthy life so that she continues her ded-ication and hospitality and keeps the Mission House a place of peace and comfort in days to come.

May He also bless Mrs Anwar’s daughter, Habiba, with health and happiness.

*

Mr Yakoob Ahmad, Lahore, PakistanMr Yakoob Ahmad was born on 20 April 1942.

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His parents hailed from the village of Pidri near Amritsar, India. His father, Mian Allah Ditta, was a very dedicated Lahori Ahmadi, who joined the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement at the hand of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali in 1935.

Mian Allah Ditta first worked for almost 15 years in a pharmacy in Neela Gumband, near Anarkali Bazar, Lahore. Later on, he got a job in another pharmacy near Muslim Masjid, Lahori Gate, Lahore. It was from there that he used to walk down to Ahmadiyya Buildings, Brandreth Road, to attend the Friday congregational prayers. Unfortunately, he was seriously injured in a traffic accident in 1980 and subsequently died.

In 1947, Yakoob Ahmad’s family migrated to Pakistan. His uncle, Mr Siraj-ud-Din, was in the Army and it was due to his efforts that the family was able to safely move to Pakistan. They first set-tled in Sheikhupura, where the young Yakoob Ahmad passed his primary school examination in 1950. After residing there for six years, the family moved to a rented house in Yakke Wali Street, Baghbanpura, Lahore. As a result of moving from one place to another, Yakoob Ahmad passed his sixth class from Government High School, Baghbanpura in 1956. The family then moved to the vil-lage of Salamatpura, near Baghbanpura. Finally, his father was able to purchase a five-marla plot of land in a locality called Nai Abadi, Mominpura on G. T. Road. In 1961, Mr Yakoob Ahmad passed his Matriculation examination.

When Maulana Ahmad Yar Sahib was General Secretary of the Central Ahmadiyya Anjuman, Mr Yakoob Ahmad’s father took Yakoob Ahmad to Ahmadiyya Buildings and asked Maulana Ahmad Yar Sahib to employ him. In 1961, Mr Yakoob Ahmad joined the service of the Central Ahmadiyya Anjuman, Lahore, as a junior clerk working in the publication department, called Darul Kutub Islamia, Lahore. From the very beginning he used to arrive daily at the office on his bicycle.

He continued to serve, and for almost 20 years he worked as a senior clerk. His job was to sort out orders, pack them and take them to the Post Office. Meanwhile, Mr Nasir Ahmad, who was Manager of Publications, encouraged him to act as his copyholder while proof-reading various publications. In this way he not only increased his knowledge but was able to gain some experience in proofreading as well.

In 1980, the Publication Department was shifted to the new headquarters in Darus Salaam, New Garden Town, Lahore. Here, Mr Yakoob Ahmad had the chance to do some managerial work, as well. For almost 52 years now he has worked in this department. By the grace of Allah, he is not only selling and despatching books, but he is also proofreading when it is required. He now manages almost every job at the Book Depot.

He is very humble, hardworking and responsible person. On the eve of Annual Du’aiyya in December 2013, the Central Anjuman, in recognition of Mr Yakoob Ahmad’s dedication and valuable services to the Book Depot, honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award and a special cash bonus of Rs. 50,000.00.

May Allah keep Mr Yakoob Ahmad in good health.

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What Islam Can Teach the West…

The Faith of a Moslem

by Maulana Sheikh Muhammad Tufail

(Carolyn Scott, correspondent at the Catholic Herald, talked to Sheikh Muhammad Tufail, Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque, Woking, Surrey, UK on 3 August 1973. We are reproducing the interview from the archives of CatholicHerald.co.uk.

Thirty years ago Maulana S. M. Tufail passed away on 26 April 1984. Glimpses of his passion for Islam can still be seen in his simple and forceful talks and writings. – Ed.)

“Man has been created to face difficulties,” says the Koran. Without unhappiness, there is no proper understanding of happiness.

“I have gone through the valley of doubt,” says Shaikh Muhammad Tufail. “But that is very import-ant. You have to discover the truth for yourself. You can’t take it from your parents or your teachers or your friends. You must find it for yourself. Then, whatever you truly believe, that is what truth means for you.”

Shaikh Tufail comes from Pakistan. When he was in his early twenties, studying for his M.A., he wanted to be a journalist or to go into the army like his friends. He wanted to write and travel and make speeches. “Intellectually I was just able to understand what Islam meant,” he says. But that was not enough. “Man is made of something more than the intellect. One day I was lying down and asking myself, ‘Who is God?’ Suddenly, I heard the call to prayer from the minaret: ‘Allahu Akbar’ — ‘God is the Greatest of all!’ I jumped from my bed and said: ‘That is the answer.’ There is a tradition of the Prophet about God: ‘If a person walks one step towards Me, I walk ten steps towards him.’ ”

Shaikh Tufail joined a missionary order within the Moslem community; missionary in a propagating rather than a proselytising sense. Today, he says, wherever he lives, he feels at home. He works closely with the World Congress of Faiths, and believes that people of different religions should work towards mutual understanding and tolerance.

Although Moslems and Christians differ over many basic tenets — the doctrines of the Trinity, in-herited sin and the divinity of Christ — he often tells the story of Muhammad himself, who allowed Christians to hold a church service while staying at his invitation in the mosque. Officially, Shaikh Tufail is allowed the title Al-Haji before his name, because he has made the pilgrimage to Mecca and the Ka‘bah, the shrine said to have been built by Adam and rebuilt after the flood by Abraham and Ishmael. The pilgrimage is physically exhausting, and it made a great impression on him.

“When we perform the Hajj — the Pilgrimage — we shed all signs of outward distinction. Rich and poor, Chinese, Indians, Europeans, everyone puts on the same simple clothes — two white sheets joined together. When we pray, we stand shoulder to shoulder. Also, one night we sleep out in the open, lying on the ground together. We are reminded again and again that we are all equal in the sight of God.”

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Shaikh Tufail lives with his wife and family near the large Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking. Eight hun-dred Moslems live in the Woking area; more than 60,000 in London, over 1,000 of them English. At festival times, over 2,000 people pack into the Woking Mosque, and around 20 to 30 attend every Friday lunchtime to pray and worship.

The word Islam means “surrender.” Moslem means “submitted to God.” In its lowest forms it can mean abject acceptance, but “surrender must be spontaneous and voluntary. There is no lack of incentive. It is a positive utilisation of whatever life gives you.”

Shaikh Tufail does not call himself a mystic, although “sometimes in my heart, the mystic in me is there.” Instead, he quotes a Moslem mystic, who, asked how he understood God, he said: “By not knowing Him.”

The Koran lists 99 attributes of God. “But,” it says, “all his names are beautiful.”

Shaikh Tufail says: “We cannot understand God, but we can understand His attributes. Every chapter but one in the Koran opens with the words: ‘God is Merciful and Compassionate.’ “

“These are not mere words,” says Sheikh Tufail. “We must be merciful and compassionate also. God is loving and He is forgiving; we must be loving and forgiving too. God is our Sustainer, and if God sustains us, we are free from depending on anyone else.

“We all pray. Whenever we ask for help, whether we are conscious of it or not, we are putting ourselves in a state of prayer. When a child cries, the mother runs towards it. When a person cries for help in darkness, the Divine guidance comes to the rescue.

“On a higher level, you become conscious of your Creator, your Lord, your Sustainer. You want to have a special relationship with Him, and you pray to Him.”

The Koranic word for worship is ibadah (service). “Prayer without service has no meaning at all. According to the Koran, if you go to the mosque and pray, but do not attend to the needs of an orphan, then your prayer is worthless.”

The five daily calls to prayer, he likens to a five-times-a-day snack — a reminder and a discipline.

Music and dancing are rarely incorporated in worship. The frenzied ecstasy of whirling dervishes is discounted as much as the extremes of the Black Moslems.

“The only spiritual experience we may have is through prayer and devotion. We must confine our-selves to experiences which uplift and bring out nobility of character.”

The materialism of the West he finds difficult to understand. “I feel a little out of place at times,” he says.

“I find what we call a ‘coolness in the eyes.’ ” One day, he hopes, as he puts it, to return home to spend the winter of his days in Pakistan. “When I was there recently I found myself walking in a

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street where there was mud, and it brought back memories of my childhood. I thought, ‘I am at home in this muddy place.’ ”

Asked recently if he saw God everywhere, God in the gutter, he said: “When we say God is every-where, we mean ‘divine law’ is at work everywhere. There is life in the gutter, and so God’s laws are at work there. That is no disgrace. The sun shines everywhere. And if the rays of the sun fall on the mud, it does not mean that the sun has become foul.”

(Courtesy: Asma Tufail, Cambridge)

***

In the Light of the Revealed Scriptures…

Mother’s Day

Respect and bedience to Parents

Compiled by Riaz Ahmadali, Paramaribo, Suriname

The Bible“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and you may live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1-4).

“But if any widow has children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God” (1 Timothy 5:4).

Manava Dharma Shastra“The trouble that a mother and father endure in giving birth to human beings cannot be redeemed even in a hundred years. He should constantly do what pleases the two of them” (2:226).

The Quran“And thy Lord has decreed that you serve none but Him, and do good to parents. If either or both of them reach old age with thee, say not fie to them, nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say: My Lord, have mercy on them, as they brought me up (when I was) little. And give to the near of kin his due and (to) the needy and the wayfarer, and squander not wastefully” (17:23, 24, 26).

“And We have enjoined on man goodness to his parents. But if they contend with thee to associate (others) with Me, of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not. To Me is your return, so I will inform you of what you did” (29:8).

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This verse, while signifying the importance of obedience to parents, warns against attaching over-im-portance even to a filial duty. It shows that when an important duty clashes with a still higher one, the former is to be sacrificed to the latter.

“We have enjoined on man the doing of good to his parents. His mother bears him with trouble and she brings him forth in pain. And the bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months. Till, when he attains his maturity and reaches forty years, he says: My Lord, grant me that I may give thanks for Thy favour, which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do good which pleases Thee; and be good to me in respect of my offspring. Truly I turn to Thee, and truly I am of those who submit. These are they from whom We accept the best of what they do and pass by their evil deeds – among the owners of the Garden – A promise of truth, which they were promised. And he who says to his parents Fie on you! Do you threaten me that I shall be brought forth, when generations have passed away before me?” (46:15-17).

Obedience to parents is placed next to submission to Allah, for among fellow-beings none has a greater claim upon a person than his parents. Moreover, obedience to parents is the seed from which – if the child is properly taught this lesson – springs the great obligations of obedience to all constituted authority.

Prayers for parents“Our Lord, grant me protection and my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning comes to pass” (14:41).

“My Lord, forgive me and my parents and him who enters my house believing, and the believing men and the believing women” (71:28).

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)Hazrat Asma (ra), daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr, related: “My mother came to visit me while she was a pagan and she expected love from me. I asked the Holy Prophet: ‘Shall I gratify her wish?’ He said: ‘Treat her as she expects from you’ ” (Bukhari, 51:29).

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What Mother’s Day means to one American Muslim

Mothers’ Day celebrated throughout the world

By Rafiq A. Tschanan

In its current form, what we know as Mother’s Day is a secular American holiday, the celebration of which cuts across religious and cultural lines. This Sunday, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, atheists, agnostics and others will honour the female caregivers in their lives with varied tokens of appreciation.

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In fact, Mother’s Day is not an exclusively American holiday but rather recognized in many countries across the world. In Egypt, for instance, “Eid al-Umm” — which literally translates from Arabic as “Festival of the Mother” — is celebrated in March. Similar festivals take place in a number of other Muslim-majority countries, including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, Tunisia, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, to name a few.

This is not surprising, however, since the religion of Islam places high regard on the status of moth-erhood. Having grown up in an observant Muslim household, my mother often reminded me of this well-known hadith, or narration, involving the Prophet Muhammad whom Muslims consider as the seal to God’s long line of spiritual Messengers:

“A man came to the Prophet Muhammad and said, ‘To whom should I be dutiful?’ Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Your mother.’ The man said. ‘Who is next?’ Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Your mother.’ The man further said, ‘Who is next?’ Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Your mother.’ The man asked for the fourth time, ‘Who is next?’ Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Your father.’

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Interfaith Search, Suva, Fiji

By Jalal Ud Dean, Chairperson, Suva, Fiji

Interfaith Search Fiji held its regular monthly gathering on 10th April 2014, from 7 pm - 9 pm. The venue was Kabir Hall, 18 Viria Road, Suva. The gathering discussed the subject of reward and pun-ishments dealt with by various scriptures and as a consequence Heaven and Hell shall be the fate of the people accordingly in the life hereafter.

Different names for such end-result places for compliance and non-compliance have been given. It was once again a captivating discussion. Regardless of God’s clear instructions given in various Holy Scriptures, some people choose to ignore those requirements. At the same time, others choose to fully obey the instructions from God. The details are given below in Section C by different segments of religious communities. After the brief history of Inter-faith Search Fiji, group discussion was held about the synopsis given in Section B. The recommendations given in Section D will be conveyed to the seniors of the Faiths involved.

Brief HistoryInterfaith Search Fiji was formed informally in July 1987, when in May 1987 a coup d’état came about in Fiji and relationships between ethnic groups were greatly disturbed and communities were isolated from one another. The purpose behind the formation of Interfaith as a collective group was to promote different religious faiths and give the groups the opportunity to have a better under-standing and knowledge about one another’s faith.

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The organisation was later formally registered and has a Constitution and has been managed by a Council. Council members are nominated representatives from various Faith bodies.

Whilst the presenters read simplified summaries of, and excerpts from, their scriptures, the rest of the audience listens very prayerfully, as if they were congregations actually inside their places of worship. The mixed Faith audience which convenes into discussion groups discusses each of the papers presented by mainstream Faith groups in Fiji. Discussion groups are selected by random numbering in sitting order.

There is no argument or belittling of any Faith, no preaching at all and no proselytizing. This forum facilitates independent assessment and appreciation of each paper by each group comprised of mixed Faiths.

The initiative behind such gatherings is searching for ways of building bridges of respect and under-standing among people of different religious traditions for the sake of the wider community, thus dismantling invisible barriers of divisions between Faiths and denominations.

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Islamic Concept of Healthy Food

Habiba Anwar M.A. LL.B.

(Text of a talk delivered at the Lahore UK Ahmadiyya Centre at Wembley, London)

“O men, eat the lawful and good things from what is in the earth, and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Surely he is an open enemy to you” (2:168).

“O you who believe, eat of the good things that We have provided you with, and give thanks to God if He it is Whom you serve” (2:172).

Role of food in building our personalityBefore I discuss these verses in detail, let’s look at food and health in general. Never is it more obvi-ous what a massive role food plays in our lives than in the month of Ramadan; there are times during your fast that you feel low on energy, you feel moody, a bit impatient with everyone around you. So, if abstaining from food can have such an effect on your personality, then to me it makes sense that the opposite is also true, and eating also has an effect on your personality.

In fact, a lot of nutritionists have been looking into this and there are new reports every day on how specific foods affect our emotions, concentration and energy, and if you want to get techni-cal, about how they influence our metabolism, hormones and neurotransmitters (which are mood chemicals that are produced in the brain). So there is simply no denying that what we consume

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has a huge impact on our health and wellbeing. This is something that is becoming increasingly important nowadays.

The NHS in Leeds has produced a white paper on “Islam and Health” in which it says:

• 40% of South Asian men smoke ciga-rettes, compared to 24% of men in general.• People from the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities are up to six times more likely to have diabetes than the gener-al population.

• 1 in 4 adults is now classified as obese in the UK.

In an article by Dr Muhammad Jaffar that I found in a 1928 issue of the Islamic Review, he talks about the way people justify their unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits by saying, “Well, our forefathers have been taking the same diet, and how could they have lived healthily if the present scientific de-nunciations of this diet are true?” That is similar to us saying, “Well, everyone else is eating burgers and chips every day and they seem fine, so why should I be concerned?” But, he says, if for a moment you apply the same argument to preventive measures against diseases, you’d realise the fallacy of this line of argument. You wouldn’t, for example, be in extreme pain and say that painkillers didn’t exist at the time of my ancestors so I’m not going to take any!

Do we have a choice?But people are always reluctant to make changes; it is just the way human nature is. We get comfort-able and feel weary about changing things about our lives, even when there is evidence in front of us that the change would be for the better. It can be hard to change even when you want to.

But, as I was preparing this speech and read through the verses that I opened with, what struck me was that we think we have a choice as to whether we choose a healthy lifestyle or not. But from what I’ve understood, no, we do not. We are being commanded by Allah to do so. I’ll re-read those verses to you: “O men, eat the lawful and good things from what is in the earth, and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Surely he is an open enemy to you” (2:168).

And: “O you who believe, eat of the good things that We have provided you with, and give thanks to God if He it is Whom you serve” (2:172).

We have two commandments to obey here: one is to eat what is lawful (that is, halal) and the sec-ond is to eat good things (what is tayyib). And, in fact, in most instances in the Quran where we are told to eat halal food, we are simultaneously told to eat what is tayyib, (i.e. pure and good). But very often we focus on the part that says to eat halal food (that is, food slaughtered in accordance with the prescribed rules laid out in the Quran, and food that is not forbidden). Seldom do we hear that Allah also commands us to eat tayyib food, even though in the Quran, the two are always mentioned together. We hear that XYZ nutritionist suggests we eat healthy this and organic that. We accept the science behind eating good food. But let me ask you this: How often do we think to ourselves, I have

Ms. Habiba Anwar, one of our learned lady speakers at the monthly meetings held at UK Ahmadiyya Anjuman Centre, Wembley, London delivered two Friday sermons on 16th and 24th May 2014.

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to eat better because Allah has commanded me to? As a Muslim, as a believer, it is an obligation upon me to nourish myself with good food. How many of us think of eating well in that way?

Relationship between physical and spiritual conditionsIf you delve a little deeper you see that what is being said here is that there is a relationship between the physical and the spiritual conditions of human beings. The essence of the Quran is to provide guidance to us, almost like a syllabus for life, and every bit of guidance offered has some logic behind it. So think about it: why does God want you to eat good things? It is because what you eat has an effect on not only your physical well-being but your spiritual well-being too. I would love to have researched how food can shape character; perhaps another time, but one very basic and obvious point is that if you don’t eat properly, you won’t have the energy to fulfil duties and responsibilities for your physical sustenance and other requirements of your Lord, such as to pray.

In a way, food is used to test us, as well. Allah has laid down what is specifically prohibited for us to eat, and this kind of dietary practice is really a way for us to demonstrate our obedience to His word. Yes, today we have science also telling us that, for example, eating pork increases the chances of your arteries getting clogged up, and therefore putting you at greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc., but for Muslims, this science just provides more incentive not to eat prohibited foods, not reason. Allah has commanded us not to, and that is enough. We obey His commands out of love for Him and with faith that He has prescribed the best way of life for us.

Ramadan and regulation of dietThis is why Ramadan becomes a fantastic opportunity for us to rethink the role that food plays in our individual lives. During this month, we control one of our most basic instincts: hunger. And it is not always easy; especially during summer months it can be very challenging, but we persevere, and we learn how to manage such a fundamental physical need. Why? Ask anybody here why we do this, what will they say? Because of the health benefits? Because research now shows that fasting promotes better brain health? No. We acknowledge these benefits, of course, but we fast because Allah has commanded us to do so.

And it is during this blessed month that we can observe this commandment of His with such enthu-siasm and passion. Why not extend that to our everyday diet, at the same time recognizing doing so is also fulfilling a command from our Lord?

Foods used as parables to describe certain unseen conditionsLet’s talk about foods that are mentioned in the Quran.

I find it fascinating that in many descriptions of paradise, foods are used. For example, Surah Muhammad, verse 115 reads: “A parable of the Garden which the dutiful are promised: Therein are rivers of water not altering for the worse, and rivers of milk whereof the taste changes not, and rivers of wine delicious to the drinkers, and rivers of honey clarified.”

As it says at the start of this verse, the foods mentioned here are parables or metaphors, perhaps not to be taken literally as the Quran also states that the blessings of paradise are like none that we can imagine or that we have seen before. But what’s interesting is the choice of language here: it’s

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food that is used to evoke in our minds a sense of what paradise will be like, to make us think of something wonderful.

And at the same time, food is used to describe to us what hell would be like too. In Chapter 10 (Surah Yunus), part of verse 4 reads: “…for those who disbelieve, for them is a drink of hot water and a painful chastisement because they disbelieved.”

Again, perhaps this is not to be taken literally, but to evoke an image of something burning and painful; it is drinking of boiling water that is referred to.

We find this curious use of food to describe things in the English language as well. For example, we talk about being “hungry and thirsty for knowledge.” And we all know this one: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

What does good food mean?Elsewhere, we have mentions of good food. In Surah Al-Nahl, verse 11: “He causes to grow for you thereby herbage, and the olives, and the date-palms, and the grapes, and all the fruits. Surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect.”

Let’s look at the diet of the Prophet Muhammad (sas) as is described in the Hadith book of Imam Tirmidhi. It is said that he used to eat barley, which now we know is an amazing source of goodness, considered the best of grains, helping with things like lowering cholesterol, the risk of Type 2 diabe-tes, and so much more. He also used to eat dates; again, another food extremely rich in nutrients. He drank goat-, sheep-, and camel’s milk rather than cow’s milk, which I’m not sure we know whether it was intentional or an availability issue, but nowadays there’s a lot of research including a recent Harvard University study that suggests the hormones present in cow’s milk may not be good for humans. He liked pumpkin, cucumber, grapes, and melons.

Another interesting thing of note is that meat was not often consumed in the time of the Holy Prophet (sas). You had to personally sacrifice an animal before you had meat, and so meat was a sort of “luxury” food. Not to say that the Holy Prophet (sas) and his companions were vegetarians; certainly not, but it was not eaten as often as we do.

This links us to Chapter 7 (Surah Al-A’raaf) of the Quran, verse 31, which reads: “…eat and drink and be not prodigal.” (Prodigal being to do something recklessly or wastefully) and so some translators read this verse as: “eat and drink but waste not by excess.” I wonder if the amount that we consume would be considered excess!

Choice in healthy foodMy personal view, and it’s not a unique one—most of you will agree with me—is that the subject of health is extremely important, perhaps one of the most important, and something we need to talk about in our communities, in our mosques, because unhealthy diets are like an epidemic at the moment. Some of it is our own fault; some of it is about ease and availability. I have a friend who went on a diet in which she could eat anything as long as it wasn’t factory processed in any way. And I remember thinking, well what will she eat, everything is factory processed, from bread and milk to

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frozen foods and microwave meals. So it is a challenge in this day and age to actually be healthy, and to raise children that eat well.

But my point to you all today is this: Muslims should be leading the way in this regard. Our Holy Book tells us that Allah Himself commands us to eat well, making it an integral part of our faith. And when it comes to food, we fast for almost 18 hours a day in the summer. That is a real challenge. So if we can do that, purely out of love for Allah and obedience to Him, why is it so difficult for us to take better care of ourselves at all other times? Surely that’s much less of a challenge than fasting.

I’d like to leave you with a hadith from the book of Tirmidhi: The Holy Prophet (sas) is reported to have said: “Our bodies are a trust from God and we are accountable for how we look after our health.”

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What Others Say…

Dr Muhammad Ikram Jahangiri, USAI want to thank you and the HOPE Bulletin for publishing the outline of my speech on 27th December 2013, delivered in a video during the Annual Prayer Congregation of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Anjuman held in Lahore, Pakistan. The sole purpose of the presentation was, in the words of Maulana Muhammad Ali Sahib: “…my only excuse for making the ‘Selections’ is to give an impetus to the study of the Holy Qur’an, so that he who tastes of the cup may turn to the sweet fountainhead from which this cup is taken.” [“Selections from the Holy Qur’an” – Maulana Muhammad Ali, p. ii, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-i-Islam, Lahore, India, 1934.]

The said presentation was essentially an effort to draw attention to Hazrat Mirza Sahib’s explanation of the pertinent verses of the Qur’an. I would encourage readers to read the original writings of the Mujaddid which expound on various subjects in a fathomless ocean of wisdom.

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Mrs Huma Khalid, Lahore, PakistanThank you very much for remembering and sending me such a beautiful soft copy of Feb.-April 2014 issue of the HOPE.

I am very pleased to know about your grandson, that he delivered a lecture in the German language. I also read about Khadija Ahmad, who conducted the Tableau on the eve of the Annual Du‘aiyya.

The magazine is a well-composed one with a simple layout. I hope to get a copy of the HOPE every time it is published on computer. Thank you once again.

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Glimpses of activities in Pakistan, UK and GermanyInter-Faith Conference held on 27th March 2014 at the City Hall in Berlin. The Mayor of Berlin inaugurated it. Mr. Ahmed Saadat, Acting Imam, attended the Conference.

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Mr. Basharat Ibrahim, an old friend of the Mosque, holding copy of “Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in Europe” in which it is mentioned that some years ago he helped the Mission in publishing “Islam Today” from the Mosque.

Mr. Basharat Ibrahim with Mr. Ahmed Saadat outside the Mosque

Group of boys and girls who took part in producing the documentary and Tableau about the circumstances which led to the Split in the Ahmadiyya Movement in 1914. The script was written by Mr. Amir Aziz, General Secretary of the Central Ahmadiyya Anjuman, Lahore, Pakistan. Documentary was produced by Waqas Ahmad and the Tableau was directed and produced by Miss Khadija Ahmad, standing right at the front.

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In a recent publication “Islam in Berlin” brief history and photo of the Berlin Mosque has been published.

Imam Mahmud Taha Zuk of Poland and his sister with Mr. Ahmed Saadat. He has translated couple of booklets of Maulana Muhammad Ali in Polish.

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Dr. Marat M. Gibatdinov, head and research scholar of the Tartar Community at the Berlin Mosque consulting some old books in the Library of the Mosque. Dr. Gerdien Jonker, who is preparing a list of valuable collection of books in the Mosque is explaining significance of some of the books.

Group photo of the new Executive of the UK Ahmadiyya Anjuman.

Mrs. Jermelia Khan, president of the UK Ahmadiyya Anjuman almost for the last 40 years has been made life-Patron of the UK Anjuman.

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Ch. Saeed Ahmad, former Imam of the Berlin Mosque and his family members with Hazrat Ameer Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed after receiving the medal of Lifetime Achievement Award at his house in Islamabad, Pakistan.

TV team from Berlin taking interview of Mr. Ahmed Saadat. Views of the interview from inside and outside of the Mosque during the Friday congregation prayer.

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Various groups and individuals at the Berlin Mosque with Mr. Saadat Ahmed during the month of April 2014.

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blessings of Allah be on him). LOVE also generates peace and happiness in the society. Follow the commandments of ALLAH and His Messenger, the Holy Prophet MUHAMMAD and earn an ever-lasting life here in this world and in the Hereafter. May Allah bless you all.

Ahmad Nawaz, Hayward, California I have just finished reading the February 2013 issue of the HOPE Bulletin dedicated to the memory of the late Br. Akbar Abdullah. I must say that your team has worked very hard to collect facts about the life and contributions made by our late Br. Akbar. The formatting of the Bulletin and photographs have made it very impressive and visual. Br. Akbar deserved such a beautiful dedication. I wish to congratulate you for making the Bulletin more than just a news bulletin. The brief life history of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) by our new sister in the fold of Islam, Christiane Backer, is very impressive and shows how his Perfect Example has inspired her thoughts and behaviour. I am sure her book “From MTV to Mecca” must be worth reading. Thanks for introducing the autobiography of a highly popular figure in the Western media, who, by her own study, has adopted Islam, and is facing challenges with firm faith and conviction.

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ISLAM stands for: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND

Photographs : Mr. Ahmed SaadatDesign & Formatting : Erwan Hamdani, Jakarta, Indonesia