Editor: Nasir Ahmad B.A. LL.B.October 2016

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

Vol. No. 11, Issue No. 10

INAUGURATION OF LAHORE AHMADIYYA MOSQUE IN AMSTERDAM 2Henk Nassier, Amsterdam

THE QUR’AN A HIDDEN JEWEL – NOT A BOOK OF HATE 2Iain Dixon, Manchester

LECTURE TOUR OF GUYANA AND SURINAME 4Dr. Zahid Aziz

STRENGTH IN HUMILITY 5Danyaal Saqib

OVERCOMING HARDSHIPS 8Yahya Saqib

KINDNESS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR 11Talha Adnan B.Sc. Engineering

FOR PHOTOS PLEASE SEE PAGES 15-24

PageCONTENTS

O GOD! GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE.O GOD! GRANT ME THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN.

O GOD! GRANT ME THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.

O GOD! IT IS ONLY IN ACCEPTING YOUR WILL WHEREIN LIES PEACE AND BLESSINGS.

— SARAH JOSEPH, OBE.

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INAUGURATION OF LAHORE AHMADIYYA MOSQUE IN AMSTERDAM

HAZRAT AMEER DR. ABDUL KARIM SAEED

HEAD OF THE LAHORE AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT IN ISLAMPERFORMED THE OPENING CEREMONY ON 18TH SEPTEMBER 2016

BRIEF REPORT BY BRO. HENK NASSIER, PRESIDENT, AMSTERDAM JAMA ‘AT, NETHERLAND

The Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’at-i Islam, Amsterdam (Netherland) was establishment on 17th September, 1978. This Mosque was in operation for the last 38 years and was situated at Gerard Doustraat 70 in Amsterdam. Amsterdam, being the capital of Netherland, and in particular the part where our mosque was located, became very busy in time. We started facing accessibility and parking problems. Also the space which we had at our disposal was rather small and on important occasion it became too congested and stuffy. For years, therefore, the desire was cherished to seek another location for our mosque. With the help of Allah, the Almighty, we got the opportunity in 2016 to fulfil our long-cherished wish. Since March 2016, our mosque is located in a very beautiful and spacious building in a more quiet part of Amsterdam at Oeverpad 300 in Osdorp. Our new mosque is named As-Sabr. The mosque is easily accessible and parking is free. Residents in the area and immediate surroundings and indeed all those who endorse the ideas of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement are welcome on Fridays to perform congregational prayers. Our mosque is located just opposite to the police station on Meer en Vaart in Osdorp and is recognizable by the dome. We also have a space available to be rented out for religious meetings, lectures, etc. Hazrat Ameer Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed, Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, honoured us by performing the inaugura-tion of the new mosque on Sunday, September 18, 2016. Hazrat Ameer did the official inauguration speech and led the thanksgiving prayer to mark the opening. Jazakallah

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THE QUR’AN A HIDDEN JEWEL – NOT A BOOK OF HATEBY IAIN DIXON, MANCHESTER

(Text of talk delivered on the eve of Eid al-Adha celebrated on 11th September, 2016 at the Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre, Wembley, London. We are thankful to Bro. Iain for providing the text. – Ed)

Assalamu alaikum!“It is an honour as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ to be standing in your mosque today. May I wish you all today a joyful Eid. “Eid Mubarak!” I would like to speak on the subject “ The Quran......dis-covering a hidden jewel, not a book of hate.” Many today say Islam is a religion of violence, and the Quran is a book of hate. But I have taken the time to spend precious moments with Muslim friends, and to read the Honoured Quran for myself..... and I have come to different conclusions. If you want to know about carpentry......don’t ask a butcher......go to the carpenter! If you need to know about plumbing.......don’t ask an artist or a nurse......ask the plumber! In the same way I chose not to

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educate myself about Islam from the news and the media....But to read the Honoured Quran for myself. I would say to all critics of Islam.......don’t burn the Quran......READ the Quran!! It is such a positive book. It speaks positively about God, about Jesus, and about my scriptures. It truly is a hidden jewel, not a book of hate.

God of loveI would like to share some impressions of my thoughtful reading of the Quran. I had been told that in the Quran Allah is not portrayed as a God of love. But I noticed that Surah 11:90 tells us clearly “ Surely my Lord is merciful, loving, kind.” I noticed also that the beginning of every chapter of the Quran ( except

for one chapter I think ) begins with the words “In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful.” Are these qualities not expressions of love? Despite being told repeatedly that Allah is not a God of love, I discovered that Allah is referred to in the Quran as ‘Al Wadud’, which means ‘the loving one’. Another misconception that I heard often was that Allah was a moon god! This didn’t make sense to me, because I read in Surah 41:37 “Adore not the sun , NOR THE MOON, but adore Allah who created them.” In the Quran, Allah is clearly referred to as the creator of the universe. The more I read the Quran, the more I see a ‘reflection’ of what the Bible teaches in many instances. It is like gazing into a clear pond and seeing a reflection of my face on the surface of the water. Many of the teachings of the Bible are reflected in the pages of the Quran.

Only One True GodOne of the things that stood out for me is that the Quran teaches that there is only one true God. This is an echo of what the Bible teaches. Deuteronomy 6:4 tells us clearly that “the Lord our God, is one Lord”. We also read in Isaiah 44:6 “I am the first and the last, besides me there is no God.” Like a pure river of truth flowing through every page of the Bible, we have revealed to us the greatness of the one. Just as a car is steered by just one driver, so too this universe is steered by the One True God. Looking up to heaven, Jesus prayed: “ This means eternal life, knowing you, the only true God, and the whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”- (John 17:3). I have a collection of different language translations of the Bible at home. I noticed in my Arabic Bible, that the word for God is ‘Allah’. In Genesis 1:1 it says:”In the beginning “Allah” created the heavens and the earth. In John 3:16 we are told in the Arabic Bible that “Allah” so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. This fact destroys the common argument that Allah is the God of Muslims alone! Once I visited a church in Malta, and the congregation were singing songs to.......Allah!!!

Major themes of the Qur’anAnother thing I hear, is that the Quran is a book of hate. But in my thoughtful reading of the Honoured Quran, I discovered something very different. Surah 77:45 tells us: “ Thus do we reward the doers of good.” I also read verses like Surah 7:199 “ Take to forgiveness, and enjoin good.” Kindness, goodness, forgiveness.......these are major themes in the Pages of the Quran. Why do people say the Quran is a book of hate? Rather than a book of hate, the Quran becomes a book of hope. Each one of us is affected by hardship, sickness and pain. The Quran paints a beautiful picture of something better to come. We read in Surah 14:48 about the day when “the earth is changed to a new earth, and the heavens too.” This is a beautiful promise, and echoes the Bible account which says: “ And I saw anew heavens and a new earth.......and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no

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more death, neither sorrow, nor crying. Neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said: Behold, I make all things new.”- Revelation 21:1-5. And finally, I am impressed by the Quran that it is saturated with references to Jesus! He becomes the mouthpiece of Allah.... “ Mary, Allah gives you good news of a word from him, whose name will be Messiah” (19:30). Again we read of his miraculous birth as the angel announces to Mary “ I will give you the gift of a pure son.”- Surah 19:19. And that purity can be ours too. Jesus becomes a precious pearl displayed magnificently in the pages of the Quran. People hate Muslims. People hate the Quran. But I want to say to you all, I love Muslims. You are my friends. You are not to be fearful of me. I have Muslim friends who I pray for regularly. Sometimes I fast and pray too, if they are going through tough times. I help them in practical ways, and seek to be an encouragement to them always. I love the slogan used by your Jamaat.......ISLAM......I Shall Love All Mankind. I would add to that and say Islam means to me personally.....ISLAM ......I Shall Love All Muslims! Be blessed!

Eid Mubarak!

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LECTURE TOUR OF GUYANA AND SURINAMEBRIEF REPORT BY DR. ZAHID AZIZ

Five persons from Suriname, Br.. Shahid Aziz and myself, went to Guyana on Friday 30th September, returning on Monday 2nd October. We went by car and ferryboat. From Suriname were: Mr. Ishaac Roshan (son of late Roshan Ghani) and his wife Josie Roshan, Dr Robbert Bippat, Mr Rafik and Sjaikh Kasiem. The car belonged to Mr Roshan and his wife, and Mr Roshan did all the driving.

First we went to Nickerie from Paramaribo on Thursday 29th September. Our Jama’at has four mosques there, one of which is under construction, which is fund-

ed by Mr Isaac Rohsan. In the evening Mr. Shahid Aziz and I presented speeches in the main Jama’at mosque in Nickerie.

Nickerie to GuyanaOn Friday 30th September, we drove from Nickerie to the Guyana border. Here you have to cross by ferry, and it takes more than one hour. Also you have to pass through immigration and customs on both sides, which on the Guyana side took a long time.

Having crossed over to Guyana, the President of Guyana Jama’at, Mr Isaac Khan, received us at the border. Georgetown is a drive of more than two hours from there. In Georgetown, Bro. Mansoor Bakhsh welcomed us. In the evening he showed us the Central mosque in Brickdam.

On Saturday there was a gathering at the Georgetown Mosque after Maghrib and Isha prayers. Mr. Shahid Aziz and I gave speeches. Here we presented the Jama’at with five copies of the Revised 2010 English translation of the Quran, and a few copies of some other books such as ‘Islam, Peace and Tolerance’ etc.

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Georgetown to EssequiboOn Sunday we along with Bro. Mansoor Bakhsh drove from Georgetown to the ferry port for going to Essequibo. We boarded a small speedboat. Some other members from Guyana also joined us at the boat terminal. The speedboat takes more than half an hour to cross a huge river. A minibus had been booked on the other side which took us to the Jama’at gathering at Essequibo, and this journey was another one hour or so. The venue was an open hall. Some 300 members gathered there, and speeches were made by local Jamaat officials, Dr Robbert Bipat, Mr. Shahid Aziz and myself. The function was from 10.00 am to 12.30, after which lunch was served.

We then returned to Georgetown, again first taking the minibus, then the speedboat and then our own car. On return the speedboat journey was extremely bumpy and we bounced up and down quite a lot, since the boat is quite small, not much bigger than a large car. The gathering in Essequibo was very inspiring, not only because of the number of people, but also their attachment and devotion to the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama’at.

We left Georgetown very early on Monday morning around 6.00 am, reached the ferry port, crossed back to Suriname and stopped in Nickerie. In the evening we drove back to Paramaribo, reaching there around 9.45 pm

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STRENGTH IN HUMILITYDANYAAL SAQIB

(Text of talk delivered at the monthly meeting held at the Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre, Wembley, London on Sunday 6 September 2016)

“And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth; it is prepared for those who keep their duty: Those who spend in ease as well as in adversity, and those who restrain their anger, and pardon men. And Allah loves the doers of good to others” (3:132, 133).

Prayer leads to submission and humilityPrayer in Islam is a key to submission and humility. Even in the earliest revela-tions to the Holy Prophet as much stress was laid on prayer to God as on service to humanity, perhaps more on the latter. In fact, prayer is meaningless if it is not accompanied with service to humanity. Elsewhere in the Qur’an it has been regarded an uphill road, “And have we not pointed out to him the two con-spicuous roads? But he attempts not the uphill road. And what will make you comprehend what the uphill road is? It is to free a slave, or to feed in a day of hunger, an orphan nearly related, or the poor man lying in the dust” (90:11-16).

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Muslims are required to develop the quality of humility: “And go not about in the land exultingly …”(17:37); “And turn not your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting-ly. Surely Allah loves not any self-conceited boaster” (31:18).

Humility, in fact, should be deeply rooted in a Muslim’s heart because of the five daily prayers. And along with humility, selflessness is another great quality with which Islam arms every Muslim to fight the battle of life.

Good morals and good manners are, according to the Qur’an and Tradition, the real test of a man’s excellence. “The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is best of you in conduct” (49:13). The Holy Prophet used to say: “The best of you are those who have the most excellent morals” (Bukhari 61:23).

Unity and brotherhoodUnity and brotherhood is a fundamental concept of Islam. The Muslims were, however, particularly exhorted to be kind to one another and to help one another. Believers are frequently described in the Quran as brethren, and the quality of being “merciful among themselves” is expressly mentioned in the Qur’an (48:29).

Some of you might have listened to an inspiring audio clip on Youtube about doing good with humil-ity and patience. I would like to share its English translation with you. And I quote:

Humility and kindness“However good are your intentions, people judge you by what you do outwardly and however good may be your outward actions, Allah knows you by your intentions. Always try to compromise because a little humility is better than breaking relationship for ever. If you have nothing to give, just bring a little smile on your lips, this will be the most precious gift of all. A person never forgets two faces: One who supports you when in difficulty and the other who forsakes you when in trouble. Never be angry with a person who hurts you because it is a law of nature that a tree whose fruit is very sweet people do throw stones at it. Relationship grows when people bear each other patiently. If you start looking for an unblemished person, you will find yourself bewildered. Never de-spise a person who shows much concern for you, otherwise one day you will realise that while collecting stones you have lost a precious pearl. While helping a person never look towards his face, may be his obliged face may sow a seed of pride in your heart. Never hurt some ones’ feelings, because even if you say sorry, scar of pain remains in his heart, just as the whole remains in the wall in spite of the nail being taken out. Try your best that every moment of your life is spent in doing good to all,

Be kind and patientbecause life is never going to last but good memories are going to last for ever even after one is gone. Always remember if somebody tells you a good advice, because when value of a pearl is asked, nobody cares as to who took it out of the sea. Somebody asked a bird flying in the sky: Don’t you fear that you can fall down on the earth? He replied with a smile: I am not a human being who becomes proud on going up a little. I always keep my eyes towards the earth. Friends! Human being is a strange creature! He loses his

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health in order to amass wealth. Then in order to regain health gives away all his wealth. He wastes his present for the sake of future, and he weeps over his past while living in future. He lives as if he is not going to die ever, and dies as if he was never alive. Example of evil deeds is like going downhill; take a step and other steps follow in tempo. Doing good deed is like climbing a mountain; every step forward gets more difficult; but every step also takes one towards the peak. Never think as to why Allah does not accept your supplications immediately. Rather give Him thanks for not punishing you immediately for every evil deed committed. Never grieve for losses borne because Allah never takes back the bounty unless He grants better than the one lost. Relationships do not end on their own, these are always broken by man himself – sometime through hatred, some-times through indifference and sometimes through misunderstanding. It is our common observation that when something goes into our body, nobody can see it; similarly a man sees other’s weaknesses but cannot see his own. People always ask about the welfare of people who are quite well off, but people who are in difficulty and needs our attention, they are not only ignored but even their mobile numbers are deleted. When I studied lives of the people in general I realised that everyone does love somebody and then a day comes when he dies and is buried in the grave and had to leave his beloved behind. Then I thought why should not I love good deeds so that I am not left alone in the grave.

Forgiving and forbearingNever decide anything in a state of anger as one cannot see one’s reflection in a boiling water. Try to develop habit of forgiving people and exercise power of forbearance. It is all Allah’s beneficence that He connives at our evil deeds. If evil deeds of one another were made manifested to each other, then we would not be even coming to each other’s funeral to bury the dead. I do not understand why people avoid listening to what is true, but when someone is praised, even if it be outwardly, people listen to it and smile. O human being, observe patience! Difficult days will soon pass away. People laugh at you today, but tomorrow they will envy at you!”

Reward of good deeds reaches othersThe Holy Qur’an assures believers eternal peace and blessings not only for the doing of good deeds but also for their fathers, their spouses and offspring:

“And those who are steadfast, seeking the pleasure of their Lord, and keep up prayer, and spend of that which We have given them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good; for such is a happy abode in the hereafter – Gardens of perpetuity, which they enter along with those who do good among their fathers and their spouses and their offspring; and the angels will enter in upon them from every gate. Peace be to you, because you were constant – how excellent is then the final Abode!”(13:22,23).

At this point, I would like to quote English translation of two moving couplets, from a poem of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. It is about humility and how to attain love of God through it:

“He who lives in humility is the one who finds his Beloved. O seeker of truth! Try this prescription as well.“Give up conceit and vanity – that is what righteousness is.“Make yourself lowly and humble – therein lies the pleasure of Allah!”

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And I conclude this brief talk with a prayer made by a well-known British Muslima, Sister Sara Joseph:O God! Grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change.O God! Grant me the courage to change the things I can.O God! Grant me the wisdom to know the difference between the two.O God! It is only in accepting Your will wherein lies peace and blessings.

Do we really love Allah and His Prophet?My question to myself and to all of you is:

Is God our Beloved?Do we really love the Holy Prophet (sas)?Do we really adhere to the Call of the Imam of the Age to ‘Hold religion above the World?If so, and we do claim?Then let us look into our hearts, and make a resolution to believe and practice what Allah requires of us , what the Holy Prophet asked to do, and what we have pledged to the Imam of the Age!Amen.

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OVERCOMING HARDSHIPSMR. YAHYA SAQIB

(Text of talk given at the monthly meeting held on 18 June 2016 at the Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre, Wembley, London, UK)

I begin in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. I ask Allah to forgive me for every mistake I have done in my life. I pray to Allah to accept every good deed I do; in His Name, and I seek refuge in Allah from His punishment and from the whisperings of shaytan. And I also ask Allah to bless the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), his Family, and Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).

Problems in LifeThere are times in our life in which we feel that we are in deep grief and depression; going through trials, possibly losing hope, & at our worst, we may even be close to losing our Iman. During times like these, we find ourselves believing that our problems are worse than that of others, and that we are suffering unjustly.

Today, I am going to share a few simple truths with you, that can change your life for the better; but only if you implement the knowledge correctly:

Firstly; there is always someone suffering much more than you, going through worse trials than you; and the pain that person is suffering is likely much more severe than yours. I will advise you with the Holy Prophet’s advice. He said:

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“Look at those who stand at a lower level than you but don’t look at those who stand at a higher level than you, for this would make the favours bestowed upon you by Allah insignificant in your eyes.

How to face DifficultiesWhat is meant by this is that whenever you feel low because of something like another person being better looking than you, being wealthier, or healthier, you should rather look at those who have less than you, because in doing so will grant you a better understanding of your situation and you will appreciate the things which Allah has given you, more. Greed is a product of envy, and both are very dangerous selfish desires that will destroy you if you allow them to; therefore, we should not wish to be better off than another apart from in two cases:

First: “A man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously”.

And second: “A man whom Allah has given wisdom/ knowledge and he acts according to it and teaches it to others.”

This does not mean to envy others, but to wish to be great as these two types of people. Never wish to have more than what Allah wills to give you; never be unsatisfied with what Allah gave you; and never be ungrateful of what Allah has given you, because Allah might take away even the little that you have, and then for sure you will find yourself suffering from depression and anxiety. It will be at that time which you wish to have what you have now. But Allah SWT will act according to His Perfect Wisdom, He may choose to return to you what you have lost, or He may leave you as you are.

But remember, this: If you are content with what Allah has given you, and if you are grateful; then Allah will bless you with much more than what He already has. You will then see the true Mercy of Allah and only then you will know that it is a waste of time to grieve and worry about the things you don’t have. Your situation and mood will change and you will be much happier. Peace will follow you wherever you will go. The Messenger of Allah (sas) reported that Allah has said: “O man! Although you have enough for your living, you demand that which makes you insolent. In fact you are neither content with little, nor satisfied with much. Certainly, if you get sound in your body, safe in your life, and living having sufficient food for one day, then anything else is unimportant.”

He is successful who has accepted Islam, who has been provided for sufficiently and is content with what Allah has given him.

“The one among you who wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body and has his food for the day, it is as if the whole world were brought to him”. [Bukhari]

Acceptance of Allah’s willThe next truth is that, whatever is meant for you will come to occur, but whatever is not meant for you will not. You must accept Allah’s decree, whatever it is; but if you don’t, then prepare yourself for depression, anxiety, and sickness. You will never have peace of mind unless you accept whatever Allah has destined for you that which happened in the past and whatever is to happen in the future. Know that the more you accept Allah’s Will, the more peace He will send in your heart.

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If you accept the trials that Allah places upon you, while knowing that it is a test for your patience; then you should strive to be one of the best of those who are patient. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The best of faith is patience and generosity.”

The way to attain patience is to know and believe that the trial which has been afflicted upon you is for good purpose. But what should assure you the most is to know that you have been afflicted with this trial because Allah loves you. Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The greatest reward goes together with the greatest affliction. When Allah loves people, He tests them. All who are content with Allah’s decree receive His pleasure. Those who are angry receive His anger.” [Tirmidhi]

Allah is testing you in order to bring you closer to Himself, to protect you from misguidance; and with that to secure a place for you near Him in the Hereafter. Therefore do not grieve, nor be anxious; because you know that Allah loves you. This will grant tranquillity to your soul. You will be granted peace of mind and your heart likewise. So continue to exercise patience as Allah is pleased with those who are patient; because patience is the best sign of faith.

The final truth is that, Allah tests you with trials, only to bestow what you really deserve. The life we are living is a big test. Allah clearly says in the Qur’an why we are tested. “And Allah has created the heavens and the earth with truth, in order that every soul may be rewarded for what it has earned; and they shall not be wronged”. [Qur’an, 45:22]

The evil within you – the shaytan, is the enemy that wants to see you misguided.. He whispers and whispers with the hope to make you lose your Faith. He never stops until you defeat him. And he will lose hope when you will defeat him; and he will not bother you anymore. You can win against him, but only when you show true patience and sincere faith.

What is Taqwa or FaithTaqwa does not only mean a fear of Allah; it means also to love Allah, and to do sincere deeds. You will never have sincere deeds, unless your intentions are pure. And the pure intention is to do every deed only for the sake of Allah. What you should know also is that you must struggle to shun sin. Sins do not only decrease our faith, but they will also destroy us. But what is important is the struggle we make to shun sin and repent in case we give in to sin. Remember the following Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):

“When a person commits a sin a black dot is dotted on his heart. Then if that person gives up that evil deed and begs Allah to forgive him, and repents, then his heart is cleared ; but if he repeats the sin, then that dot increases till his heart is completely covered with it.” The Quran has used the word raan or rust for it: “Nay, rather, what they earned is rust upon their hearts”(The Qur’an 83:14).

We are not alone in this world. If we seek His mercy and guidance, Allah will guide us and bless us. If we show anger and displeasure and grumble at the trials of Allah, then we will earn the His displeasure; and end up in despair and . But remember, if we repent, and submit to Allah’s will; then peace and happiness will follow us wherever we go. It’s not easy to achieve this, but with correct knowledge and faith, you will attain the patience you need to pass the tests.

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Remember! Always seek true knowledge. Dive deep in the ocean of knowledge, and collect every pearl that you come across. Have the Qur’an in your right hand and the Sunnah in your left; let Allah bless you with Wisdom; and guide you on the correct path of Islam. Know your purpose in life, and do not rush in making judgements. Only Allah can judge correctly, and seek guidance from Him. Be truthful when you speak, and do not speak about something or someone without knowledge. Know that whoever makes judgements on you, Allah will judge them. You should forgive those who hurt you, but if you can’t forgive, then try to forget them, and leave the rest to Allah. Put your complete trust in Allah, and rely fully upon Him alone. Do the best you can to seek correct knowledge, and Allah will guide you; worship Allah alone, and He will forgive you, and will elevate you in His eyes. And fear and remember Allah wherever you go, because if you forget that Allah is watching you constantly, then you will end up being ignorant and sinning. Learn from mistakes, and don’t hate people; but hate their actions. When we are in hardship, remember the words of Allah: “Surely with difficulty is ease, with difficulty is ease. So when you are free from anxiety, work hard and make your Lord your exclusive object” [Qur’an, 94:5-8].

At the end I would like you to remember these beautiful words of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas): “The happiness of the son of Adam depends on his being content with what Allah has de-creed for him, and the misery of the son of Adam results from his discontent with what Allah has decreed for him.” It is true that heart always derives contentment by seeking His mercy and pleasure through remembrance.

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KINDNESS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOURTALHA ADNAN B.SC. ENGINEERING

(Text of Friday sermon delivered at the Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre,Wembley, London on 21 October, 2016.)

“Have you seen him who belies religion? That is the one who is rough to the orphan, and urges not the feeding of the needy. So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their prayer; who do good to be seen and refrain from acts of kindness” (Holy Qur’an, Ch. 107).

Kindness for the love of GodThe emphasis on doing acts of kindness means to be helpful in all possible ways. It motivates our behaviour in two ways. Firstly, when somebody may ask you for help or maybe you offer to help him without him asking for it. Secondly, when you do not like a person for any wrong done to you, and you tend to desist from helping him, so either you help him or you may ask others to help him. The con-cept of doing good in Islam is over and above these considerations. It is a duty imposed by Allah irrespective of whether you like it or not. Such an act is for the love of Allah. This is the sort of kindness which Allah wants us to develop in our

attitude and behaviour. And salah, fasting and other rituals are prescribed as exercises to develop

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such a selflessness and outright love and sympathy for our fellow-beings. The kindness shown in obedience and love of God is called loving-kindness. It is through worship and complete submission to our Creator and Nourisher that we are blessed with spontaneous love for human beings. It is this loving-kindness for which we seek guidance from God in our daily prayers: It is You alone Whom we worship and it is You alone from Whom we seek help to keep us on the right path – the path of loving-kindness.

In the Opening Chapter, the Fatihah, the words ‘Rabbul ‘Alameen’ announce that God has enjoined this guidance for all human beings but has thus broadened a Muslim’s vision and behaviour towards his fellow beings. This love and kindness starts from one’s parents and extends to family members, near and far relatives, neighbours, the needy and companions in a journey, etc., as the Holy Qur’an says: “And do good to your parents and to the near of kin and to orphans and the needy, and speak good words to all men and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate” (2:83).

The Qur’an also shows concern for a section of people who deserve but do not ask for it: “For the poor who are confined in the way of Allah, they cannot go about in the land, the ignorant man thinks them to be rich on account of their abstaining from begging” (2:273).

Selflessness leads to highest level of humanitySelflessness transcends all sorts of material considerations and connects us to one another at the highest level of humanity. In the Qur’an this level is called “love of God”. It was to establish this love of God that the Holy Prophet was raised.

In the Qur’an Allah asks the Holy Prophet to convey the message that: “If you wish to love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you” (3:31). The Qur’an also tells us how to attract the love of God: “And do good to others. Surely Allah loves the doers of good” (2:195).

Thus an act of kindness brings forth three positive effects: 1) on your own self – a feeling of satis-faction by imparting love to one in need out of what Allah has blessed you with; 2) the beneficiary develops a sense of gratitude; and 3) perhaps the most positive of all will be on a passer-by who just happens to witness the act. This becomes a source of inspiration for others.

We all know that there is always somewhere a person who stands in need, and there is an oppor-tunity for kindness to make a difference. And this is what humanity is all about. A social thinker has beautifully explained how an act of kindness tends to initiate a humble start of bringing change: “When we treat people merely as they are, they will remain as they are. But when we treat them as if they were what they should be, they will become what they should be” (Thomas S. Monson, 1927).

Kindness educates and develops noble qualitiesLet me quote here some sayings on how kindness educates us, develops noble qualities in us and enables us to contribute something positive to our own selves and to the society as a whole:

“Your greatness is measured by your kindness, your education and intellect by your modesty, your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real calibre is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others.”“Kindness is indeed the backbone of love.”“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.”

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The Holy Qur’an has drawn out attention in a simple but positive way how good deeds improve one in making him a responsible person; that is, by contributing goodness to the society. This is what we call an attitude of social service – change for the better. Call it a healthy society. Call it a welfare society. Call it a progressive society. But such a society must give the highest regard to truth, good deeds and human welfare. The Qur’an gives us a guideline: “Surely good deeds take away evil deeds” (12:114). This is what Islam wants to teach us and this is how religious beliefs and acts intend to bring about the change in the mind and heart of a human being. In the words of the Qur’an, this process is called “hasanah” or goodness. And this is what Allah has asked us to always seek: “Rab-ba-naa aa-ti-naa fid-dun-yaa ha-sa-nah, wa fil aa-khi-ra-ti ha-sa-nah.” (O Allah grant us goodness in this world and goodness in the hereafter.)

Change in human attitudeFor Muslims, hasanah or goodness means reward. There is another word – thawaab – which has also been used in the Qur’an. But to get reward, the Qur’an tells us to do good deeds: “Allah’s reward is better for him who believes and does good” (28:80). How Allah rewards human beings for virtuous deeds is a vast subject. Presently I will briefly tell you how kindness or charitable acts bring about a wholesome change in our thoughts and actions. Glancing through Google I found one such finding which tells us: “Would you like to feel better and change your negative feelings into positive ones? All you need to do is to be kind to your fellow human being. Experience has proved that kindness acts as a natural anti-depressant. Being kind is a scientifically-proven way to improve your spirits.”

In his bestselling book The Power of Intention, Dr Wayne Dyer cites research that an act of kindness increases the serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is a natural chemical in your body that is re-sponsible for improving one’s mood. Many of the anti-depressant medications on the market today work by enhancing the body’s utilisation of serotonin. According to Dr Dyer, however, science has discovered that an act of kindness will increase the release of serotonin in your brain without the need for medication.

The interesting conclusions found are that serotonin levels are increased in both the giver and receiver of an act of kindness. In addition, anyone who witnesses an act of kindness also has an increase in serotonin levels. Thus kindness is a natural anti-depressant for the giver, the receiver, and the witness of human compassion.

A recent example in my own life illustrates the truth of the above findings. Days before this last Christmas, my bookkeeper came to my office to help with year-end accounting. Normally, she works in a focused manner, but on this particular day she was preoccupied. She told me of a young boy who wrote to Santa Claus asking only for a new bed. His bed was worn with holes in it, and all he wanted for Christmas was a new bed. No toys, just a bed. Too distracted to work on my accounting, my book-keeper picked up the phone and began calling furniture shops with the intention one would be willing to gift a bed for this child. Happily, one furniture store – Ikea – did. Just to be a witness to this episode brought tears to my eyes, enormous respect for my bookkeeper, and gratitude that Santa would bring a bed to this boy.

Barbara Fredrickson, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says, “We’ve had a lot of indirect clues that relationships are healing. What’s exciting about this study is that it suggests that every [positive] interaction we have with people is a miniature health tune-up.”

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For instance, being a good friend, and being compassionate toward others, may be one of the best ways to improve your own health.

The Holy Qur’an repeatedly urges believers to be maintainers of justice, doers of kindness and char-itable acts, to be gentle and forgiving in behaviour, for these are the people who earn the love and blessings of God. “Surely Allah enjoins justice and doing of good to others, and the giving to the kindred … and He exhorts you that you may heed” (16:90); “Those who spend in ease as well as in adversity, and those who restrain their anger and pardon men. And Allah loves the doers of good to others. Their reward is protection from their Lord and Gardens, wherein flow rivers, to abide in them. And excellent is the reward of the doers of good” (3:134, 136).

It will not be wrong to conclude:1. That being kind is more important than being right.2. That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the means to help him in some other way.3. That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.4. That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.5. That one should keep his words both soft and tender because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

Some more phrases and proverbs to consider:“The basis of wisdom, after faith in Allah, is loving-kindness toward the people.”“He who is deprived of kindness is deprived of goodness.”“You must be gentle. Verily, gentleness is not in anything except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything except that it disgraces it.”

All prophets, sages and religious scholars of all religions have regarded kindness and humility as key to moral perfection. This is what the Bible says:

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewellery, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-5).“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

Allah sent more than sixteen million prophets and innumerable saints and reformers to show love and to teach love and to demonstrate love so that Allah may show His bounties of Grace.

“Rabb-ba-naa ta-qabb-bal minn-naa, inn-na-ka an-tas sa-mee-‘ul ‘a-leem.” O Lord, accept our prayers. You are Gracious in granting audience to Your servants and also in accepting their peti-tions.) Ameen.

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INAUGURATION OF THE LAHORE AHMADIYYA MOSQUE IN AMSTERDAM, NETHERLAND

Hazrat Ameer (right) with Bro. Nassier Henk (Centre) president of the Amsterdam Ahmadiyya Jama’at.

Front face of the new Lahore Ahmadiyya Mosque in Amsterdam, Netherland.

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People offering thanksgiving prayers led by Hazrat Ameer at the Inauguration of the new Mosque “Al-Sabr” in Amsterdam.

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VISIT TO NICKERIE, SURINAMEMr Mohamed Isaak Rosan is a contractor and president of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam in Meerzorg, Commewijne in Surinam. He lives in Commewijne. He is also uncle of our very energetic and devoted Bro. Sjaik Kasiem of Paramaribo, a grandgrand son of late Moulvi Ahmadali. Mr. Rosan helped financially in renovating 3 mosques in Nickerie. He also purchased land in the suburb of Nickerie for the fourth one. Sometime ago the land was earmarked by some people to build a mosque but then the plan was abandoned. Mr. Rosan not only purchased the land but built a mosque on it. The work is in the final stages

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VISIT TO ESSEQUIBO COAST JAMAATS, GUYANA

Mr. Mansoor Bakhsh, Imam of the Brickdam Mosque, Georgetown and Head of the Essequibo Jamaats (sitting in the front) in a

meeting at Essequibo Coast.

Mr. Ishaak Khan, president of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’at-i Islam, Guyana addressing a meeting at the mosque in Essequibo.

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VISIT TO BRICKDAM MOSQUE, GEORGETOWN, GUYANA

Delegation from UK travelling from Suriname to Guyana and is crossing Essequibo River in a motor-boat.

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Dr. Zahid Aziz and Mr. Shahid Aziz at the Muhammad Anwar Shaheed Memorial Library, Brickdam Mosque, Georgetown, Guyana.

Mr. Mansoor Bakhsh, Imam of the Brickdam Mosque, Georgetown addressing a meeting at the Mosque.

Moulvi Muhammad Rasheed, former Imam of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaa’t-I Islam Guyana (left) with Mr. Muhammad Ishaak

Rosan of Suriname.

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STAY IN SURINAME

Audience at the Central Mosque, Paramaribo, Suriname. Mr. Muhammad Ishaak Rosan of Suriname with a Hindu pundit who has embraced Islam in Essequibo, Guyana.

(This lecture tour by Mr Shahid Aziz and Dr Zahid Aziz was the second in a series. It was sponsored by Dr Robert Bipat, President of the SIV (Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’at-i Islam, Suriname), and organised by Mr Sjaikh Kasiem. Travel arrangements to Nickerie and Guyana were made mainly by Mr & Mrs Muhammad Isaak Rosan. We have been asked to convey thanks to these persons and to everyone else who, in any way, took part in organising and in providing facilities to the delegates from the UK. Jazakallah khair. – Ed.)

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Dr. Zahid Aziz (sitting) after delivering Friday khutbah at the Central Mosque, Paramaribo, Suriname.

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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.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The HOPE Bulletin E-mail address: thehopebulletin@hotmail.com

ISLAM stands for: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND

Photographs : Mr. Shahid Aziz and Dr. Zahid Aziz (UK). Mr. Nassier Henk (Holland).

Design & Formatting : Erwan Hamdani, Jakarta, Indonesia

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