1

-ul-Fitr

2011

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful

The HOPE Bulletin helliphelliphellip

Health Ongoing Projects Education

wwwaaiilorg

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Akbar Abdullah Editor On behalf of The HOPE Bulletin Team I extend our sincere gratitude to Hazrat Ameer Dr amp Professor Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha Sahib and to everyone who has submitted their Eid-ul-Fitr messages greetings and photographs that have enabled us to put together this special edition of The HOPE Bulletin for your reading and viewing pleasure For those who were not able to meet our deadline we still encourage you to send in your material and we will inshaa Allah publish it in our regular monthly magazine We also acknowledge with thanks the Central Anjumanrsquos website as the place where we obtained the section dividers used in this issue They were taken from httpaaiilorgcards As usual we look forward to your continued support and we most cordially welcome your feedback

AUSTRALIA Report by Muhammad Ameen Sahu Khan on celebrations The Sydney Jamaat celebrated Eid-Ul-Fitr on Tuesday 30th August Congregational prayers were held at the Wentworthville Community Centre Muhammad Ameen Sahu-Khan the Editor of the Anjumanrsquos tri-annual publication Bashshaar led the Eid namaaz and delivered the khutbah The president Mrs Nur Jehan Alam extended to the congregation her eid message and greetings and those she had received from our jamaats and individuals abroad Hazrat Ameer Sahibrsquos excellent message was also read to the congregation by the president The function concluded with members greeting one another and sharing a wide spread of refreshments

Muhammad Ameen Sahu Khan Editor Bashshaar ASSALAAMU ALEIKUM WA RAHMATULLAHE WA BARAKATAHU

EID MUBARAK

May this festive occasion bring you and your family boundless happiness and joy and may it be a harbinger of success excellent health peace of mind and the very best of everything in this world and in the Hereafter With love and best wishes Ameen (and Mumtaz)

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Akbar Abdullah Editor On behalf of The HOPE Bulletin Team I extend our sincere gratitude to Hazrat Ameer Dr amp Professor Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha Sahib and to everyone who has submitted their Eid-ul-Fitr messages greetings and photographs that have enabled us to put together this special edition of The HOPE Bulletin for your reading and viewing pleasure For those who were not able to meet our deadline we still encourage you to send in your material and we will inshaa Allah publish it in our regular monthly magazine We also acknowledge with thanks the Central Anjumanrsquos website as the place where we obtained the section dividers used in this issue They were taken from httpaaiilorgcards As usual we look forward to your continued support and we most cordially welcome your feedback

AUSTRALIA Report by Muhammad Ameen Sahu Khan on celebrations The Sydney Jamaat celebrated Eid-Ul-Fitr on Tuesday 30th August Congregational prayers were held at the Wentworthville Community Centre Muhammad Ameen Sahu-Khan the Editor of the Anjumanrsquos tri-annual publication Bashshaar led the Eid namaaz and delivered the khutbah The president Mrs Nur Jehan Alam extended to the congregation her eid message and greetings and those she had received from our jamaats and individuals abroad Hazrat Ameer Sahibrsquos excellent message was also read to the congregation by the president The function concluded with members greeting one another and sharing a wide spread of refreshments

Muhammad Ameen Sahu Khan Editor Bashshaar ASSALAAMU ALEIKUM WA RAHMATULLAHE WA BARAKATAHU

EID MUBARAK

May this festive occasion bring you and your family boundless happiness and joy and may it be a harbinger of success excellent health peace of mind and the very best of everything in this world and in the Hereafter With love and best wishes Ameen (and Mumtaz)

3

Eid greetings from Mohammed Zafrullah

Wishing you a very Happy Eid Mubarak

May the Mercy amp Blessings of the Almighty be

with you your family and friends during this

auspicious Eid Blessings Day and continue to be

always and May Allah (swt) have accepted all our

prayersduas during this blessed month of Ramadan

4

[Photos courtesy Nur Alam]

CANADA Ahamed Hosein President OAAIIL Toronto

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful 71 I Allah am the best Knower the Truthful 72 A Book revealed to thee mdash so let there be no straitness in thy breast concerning it mdash that thou mayest warn thereby and a Reminder to the believers 73 Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and follow not besides Him any guardians little do you mind 74 And how many a town have We destroyed So Our punishment came to it by night or while they slept at midday 75 Yet their cry when Our punishment came to them was nothing but that they said Surely we were wrong-doers

4

[Photos courtesy Nur Alam]

CANADA Ahamed Hosein President OAAIIL Toronto

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful 71 I Allah am the best Knower the Truthful 72 A Book revealed to thee mdash so let there be no straitness in thy breast concerning it mdash that thou mayest warn thereby and a Reminder to the believers 73 Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and follow not besides Him any guardians little do you mind 74 And how many a town have We destroyed So Our punishment came to it by night or while they slept at midday 75 Yet their cry when Our punishment came to them was nothing but that they said Surely we were wrong-doers

5

76 Then certainly We shall question those to whom messengers were sent and We shall question the messengers 77 Then surely We shall relate to them with knowledge and We are never absent

Assalaam O Alaikum Hazrat Ameer Sahib amp Brothers and Sisters of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat worldwide It is with great pleasure on behalf of the Toronto Jamaat I extend to one and all EID MOBARAK May Allah accept our Prayers amp our Fast during the month of Ramadan amp shower His Choicest Blessing on us for the effort It is time for us to unite and work together for the Blessing of all mankind Let us use our resources to expand the knowledge of the virtue of True Islam to our Brothers and Sisters Mankind is yearning for a better life in this troubled world and we have the tools to accomplish this goal May the Message of Peace be with us all Wassalaam O Alaikum Yours truly Ahamed Hosein President OAAIIL (Toronto Canada)

In Toronto we had a wonderful month of Ramadan We celebrated Eid ul Fitr on Tuesday 30th August 2011 Our Imam Bio Khan led the Eid Namaaz Maulana Kemal Hydal gave the Eid Kutba and the President outlined the coming activities for the next few months

Maulana Kemal Hydal delivering the Eid khutbah

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[Photos courtesy Ahamad Hosein] Vancouver Canada

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[Courtesy Ray Buksh]

10

FIJI ISLANDS Eid message from Abdul Nasim President AAIIL Fiji

ldquoIt is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West but righteous is the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophets and gives away wealth out of love for Him hellip and keeps up prayer and gives the due charity hellip These are they who are truthful and these are they who keep their dutyrdquo (2177)

Dear Hazrat Ameer and all the members the Jamaats globally Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji it gives me tremendous pleasure to convey our Eid Mubarak to all of you Alhamdulillah all praise is due to Allah Who has allowed us to complete a month of fast in obedience to His command Allah Subhanutallah tells us in verse 2183 that fasting is prescribed for us so that we may guard against evil and in verse 2185 we are told that Allah desires ease for us and not hardship Merciful Allah has facilitated and made it easy for us to complete the fast and I am sure we have done all the duties imposed on us and have guarded against all evil thoughts and actions Most of the requirements during the Ramadan apart from such things as eating and drinking are the duties imposed on us for our everyday life In the verse 2177 which I have quoted above Almighty Allah tells us that righteous is the one who believes in Allah the Last Day the angels the Book (Holy Quran) and the prophets as well as to keep up prayer and give due charity These are obligations not only during Ramadan but throughout our lives We have of course given these things top priority during Ramadan and now that we have been able to comply with these requirements letrsquos pray that we can keep the spirit of Ramadan in our minds every day and fulfill these duties on daily basis so that we can seek Allahrsquos pleasure in this life as well in the Hereafter Please convey our EID MUBARAK to all the members and their families Wassalam Abdul Nasim President Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji

Eid greetings from Fazal Haq Imam Masjid Noor Suva My Respected Brothers and Sisters Asslam-o-Alaikum wrbk

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[Photos courtesy Ahamad Hosein] Vancouver Canada

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[Courtesy Ray Buksh]

10

FIJI ISLANDS Eid message from Abdul Nasim President AAIIL Fiji

ldquoIt is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West but righteous is the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophets and gives away wealth out of love for Him hellip and keeps up prayer and gives the due charity hellip These are they who are truthful and these are they who keep their dutyrdquo (2177)

Dear Hazrat Ameer and all the members the Jamaats globally Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji it gives me tremendous pleasure to convey our Eid Mubarak to all of you Alhamdulillah all praise is due to Allah Who has allowed us to complete a month of fast in obedience to His command Allah Subhanutallah tells us in verse 2183 that fasting is prescribed for us so that we may guard against evil and in verse 2185 we are told that Allah desires ease for us and not hardship Merciful Allah has facilitated and made it easy for us to complete the fast and I am sure we have done all the duties imposed on us and have guarded against all evil thoughts and actions Most of the requirements during the Ramadan apart from such things as eating and drinking are the duties imposed on us for our everyday life In the verse 2177 which I have quoted above Almighty Allah tells us that righteous is the one who believes in Allah the Last Day the angels the Book (Holy Quran) and the prophets as well as to keep up prayer and give due charity These are obligations not only during Ramadan but throughout our lives We have of course given these things top priority during Ramadan and now that we have been able to comply with these requirements letrsquos pray that we can keep the spirit of Ramadan in our minds every day and fulfill these duties on daily basis so that we can seek Allahrsquos pleasure in this life as well in the Hereafter Please convey our EID MUBARAK to all the members and their families Wassalam Abdul Nasim President Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji

Eid greetings from Fazal Haq Imam Masjid Noor Suva My Respected Brothers and Sisters Asslam-o-Alaikum wrbk

7

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[Photos courtesy Ahamad Hosein] Vancouver Canada

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[Courtesy Ray Buksh]

10

FIJI ISLANDS Eid message from Abdul Nasim President AAIIL Fiji

ldquoIt is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West but righteous is the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophets and gives away wealth out of love for Him hellip and keeps up prayer and gives the due charity hellip These are they who are truthful and these are they who keep their dutyrdquo (2177)

Dear Hazrat Ameer and all the members the Jamaats globally Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji it gives me tremendous pleasure to convey our Eid Mubarak to all of you Alhamdulillah all praise is due to Allah Who has allowed us to complete a month of fast in obedience to His command Allah Subhanutallah tells us in verse 2183 that fasting is prescribed for us so that we may guard against evil and in verse 2185 we are told that Allah desires ease for us and not hardship Merciful Allah has facilitated and made it easy for us to complete the fast and I am sure we have done all the duties imposed on us and have guarded against all evil thoughts and actions Most of the requirements during the Ramadan apart from such things as eating and drinking are the duties imposed on us for our everyday life In the verse 2177 which I have quoted above Almighty Allah tells us that righteous is the one who believes in Allah the Last Day the angels the Book (Holy Quran) and the prophets as well as to keep up prayer and give due charity These are obligations not only during Ramadan but throughout our lives We have of course given these things top priority during Ramadan and now that we have been able to comply with these requirements letrsquos pray that we can keep the spirit of Ramadan in our minds every day and fulfill these duties on daily basis so that we can seek Allahrsquos pleasure in this life as well in the Hereafter Please convey our EID MUBARAK to all the members and their families Wassalam Abdul Nasim President Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji

Eid greetings from Fazal Haq Imam Masjid Noor Suva My Respected Brothers and Sisters Asslam-o-Alaikum wrbk

8

[Photos courtesy Ahamad Hosein] Vancouver Canada

9

[Courtesy Ray Buksh]

10

FIJI ISLANDS Eid message from Abdul Nasim President AAIIL Fiji

ldquoIt is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West but righteous is the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophets and gives away wealth out of love for Him hellip and keeps up prayer and gives the due charity hellip These are they who are truthful and these are they who keep their dutyrdquo (2177)

Dear Hazrat Ameer and all the members the Jamaats globally Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji it gives me tremendous pleasure to convey our Eid Mubarak to all of you Alhamdulillah all praise is due to Allah Who has allowed us to complete a month of fast in obedience to His command Allah Subhanutallah tells us in verse 2183 that fasting is prescribed for us so that we may guard against evil and in verse 2185 we are told that Allah desires ease for us and not hardship Merciful Allah has facilitated and made it easy for us to complete the fast and I am sure we have done all the duties imposed on us and have guarded against all evil thoughts and actions Most of the requirements during the Ramadan apart from such things as eating and drinking are the duties imposed on us for our everyday life In the verse 2177 which I have quoted above Almighty Allah tells us that righteous is the one who believes in Allah the Last Day the angels the Book (Holy Quran) and the prophets as well as to keep up prayer and give due charity These are obligations not only during Ramadan but throughout our lives We have of course given these things top priority during Ramadan and now that we have been able to comply with these requirements letrsquos pray that we can keep the spirit of Ramadan in our minds every day and fulfill these duties on daily basis so that we can seek Allahrsquos pleasure in this life as well in the Hereafter Please convey our EID MUBARAK to all the members and their families Wassalam Abdul Nasim President Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji

Eid greetings from Fazal Haq Imam Masjid Noor Suva My Respected Brothers and Sisters Asslam-o-Alaikum wrbk

9

[Courtesy Ray Buksh]

10

FIJI ISLANDS Eid message from Abdul Nasim President AAIIL Fiji

ldquoIt is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West but righteous is the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophets and gives away wealth out of love for Him hellip and keeps up prayer and gives the due charity hellip These are they who are truthful and these are they who keep their dutyrdquo (2177)

Dear Hazrat Ameer and all the members the Jamaats globally Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji it gives me tremendous pleasure to convey our Eid Mubarak to all of you Alhamdulillah all praise is due to Allah Who has allowed us to complete a month of fast in obedience to His command Allah Subhanutallah tells us in verse 2183 that fasting is prescribed for us so that we may guard against evil and in verse 2185 we are told that Allah desires ease for us and not hardship Merciful Allah has facilitated and made it easy for us to complete the fast and I am sure we have done all the duties imposed on us and have guarded against all evil thoughts and actions Most of the requirements during the Ramadan apart from such things as eating and drinking are the duties imposed on us for our everyday life In the verse 2177 which I have quoted above Almighty Allah tells us that righteous is the one who believes in Allah the Last Day the angels the Book (Holy Quran) and the prophets as well as to keep up prayer and give due charity These are obligations not only during Ramadan but throughout our lives We have of course given these things top priority during Ramadan and now that we have been able to comply with these requirements letrsquos pray that we can keep the spirit of Ramadan in our minds every day and fulfill these duties on daily basis so that we can seek Allahrsquos pleasure in this life as well in the Hereafter Please convey our EID MUBARAK to all the members and their families Wassalam Abdul Nasim President Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji

Eid greetings from Fazal Haq Imam Masjid Noor Suva My Respected Brothers and Sisters Asslam-o-Alaikum wrbk

10

FIJI ISLANDS Eid message from Abdul Nasim President AAIIL Fiji

ldquoIt is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West but righteous is the one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the prophets and gives away wealth out of love for Him hellip and keeps up prayer and gives the due charity hellip These are they who are truthful and these are they who keep their dutyrdquo (2177)

Dear Hazrat Ameer and all the members the Jamaats globally Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji it gives me tremendous pleasure to convey our Eid Mubarak to all of you Alhamdulillah all praise is due to Allah Who has allowed us to complete a month of fast in obedience to His command Allah Subhanutallah tells us in verse 2183 that fasting is prescribed for us so that we may guard against evil and in verse 2185 we are told that Allah desires ease for us and not hardship Merciful Allah has facilitated and made it easy for us to complete the fast and I am sure we have done all the duties imposed on us and have guarded against all evil thoughts and actions Most of the requirements during the Ramadan apart from such things as eating and drinking are the duties imposed on us for our everyday life In the verse 2177 which I have quoted above Almighty Allah tells us that righteous is the one who believes in Allah the Last Day the angels the Book (Holy Quran) and the prophets as well as to keep up prayer and give due charity These are obligations not only during Ramadan but throughout our lives We have of course given these things top priority during Ramadan and now that we have been able to comply with these requirements letrsquos pray that we can keep the spirit of Ramadan in our minds every day and fulfill these duties on daily basis so that we can seek Allahrsquos pleasure in this life as well in the Hereafter Please convey our EID MUBARAK to all the members and their families Wassalam Abdul Nasim President Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (Lahore) Fiji

Eid greetings from Fazal Haq Imam Masjid Noor Suva My Respected Brothers and Sisters Asslam-o-Alaikum wrbk

11

By the Grace of Allah the Holy month of Ramadan is over with all of its Blessings May Allah accept our good deeds and forgive the wrong doings in this month On behalf of members of AAIIL(Fiji) and my family I wish you all a very HAPPY EID May Allah shower blessings and bounties of this day on you and your all family I also pray that this Eid brings joy to the whole world and Allah protects all nations and faiths during these trying times of trials and tribulations for humanity May this day bring peace solidarity and pleasures in your lives Ameen Yours Sincerely Fazal Haq

Eid greetings from Jalal Ud Dean AssalaamuAlaikum Eid is the time to forget all the worldliness and enter into the presence of Allah and to have His Holy Presence in us that our lives may be full with joys of Heaven May Allah bless you richly and keep you in His presence and fill your heart with riches untold Eid Mubarak

Report on Eid service in Fiji by Rizwan Deen On the 31st of August 2011 Muslims in Fiji celebrated Eid At the AAIIL Fiji masjid prayers commenced at 9 AM and the prayer was lead by Fazal Haq After the prayers Fazal Haq gave a brief sermon about the purpose of Eid and the significance of the month of Ramadan Fazal Haq reminded the jamaat that the ending of Ramadan should not be seen as a reason for us to revert to our old ways and forget God Ramadan if anything should be seen as an opportunity for us to correct ourselves and to get closer to God Ramadan is opportune time for each of us to reflect on our lives and make changes for our own betterment and for those around us Wasalaam Rizwan

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

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[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

20

[Photos courtesy Rizwan-ud-Dean]

GERMANY Report on Eid celebration by Yasir Aziz Dear Brother Akbar Abdullah Sahib Assalamu alaikum Thank you very much for your call it was really nice talking to you I hope everything is fine at your end Please find a brief report of Eid ul Fitr at Berlin Mosque as below Eid was celebrated in Berlin on 30th of August 2011 We organized Eid prayers in the Mosque whereas the subsequent lunch was organized in the Mission house Approximately 55 people were present for the Eid prayer and it was a nice function The Khutba e Eid was delivered by Shaikh Khalid Iqbal Sahib younger brother of renowned Maulana Tufail sahib ndash Imam Woking Mosque He emphasized the

21

importance of Ramadan during the Khutba and he also emphasized on the aspect that Islam is a religion of peace and humanity After the Eid prayer lunch was arranged at the Berlin Mission house which is adjacent to the Mosque All the families brought food with them and then we all had lunch together A few pictures of the event are attached herewith for your information and record Best regards Yasir Aziz

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[Photos courtesy Yasir Aziz]

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[Photos courtesy Yasir Aziz]

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HOLLAND

Eid greetings from Sandra Ilahibaks

Eid greetings from Tasnim Moenne and family

Our dearest FamilyFriend On the Holy occasion of Eid Ul Fitre Heres wishing that the blessings of Allah may light up your day and lead you to Happiness and Peace EID MUBARAK Warm regards Dad Mom Shiraz amp Tasnim Moenne

Eid celebration at AAIIL Netherlands courtesy Haroen Badloe

Haji H Ramdhan Naib Imam AAIILN

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S Kasiem Chairman AAIILN Haji H Badloe Lecturer at Dutch Institue for the

Advancement of Islamic Studies (NIBIS)

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Cultural evening

Gaffoer Member AAIILN youth arm

M Rahiembaks I Gaffoer amp H Badloe

S Hausil

26

Iftar and Eid Milan courtesy Dr Sahied Boedhoe

Iftar

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Eid

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Sports DayEid Milan

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S Kasiem Chairman AAIILN Haji H Badloe Lecturer at Dutch Institue for the

Advancement of Islamic Studies (NIBIS)

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Cultural evening

Gaffoer Member AAIILN youth arm

M Rahiembaks I Gaffoer amp H Badloe

S Hausil

26

Iftar and Eid Milan courtesy Dr Sahied Boedhoe

Iftar

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Eid

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Sports DayEid Milan

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Cultural evening

Gaffoer Member AAIILN youth arm

M Rahiembaks I Gaffoer amp H Badloe

S Hausil

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Iftar and Eid Milan courtesy Dr Sahied Boedhoe

Iftar

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Eid

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Sports DayEid Milan

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Iftar and Eid Milan courtesy Dr Sahied Boedhoe

Iftar

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Eid

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Sports DayEid Milan

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Eid

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Sports DayEid Milan

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Sports DayEid Milan

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35

INDIA

Report by Shaukat Ali Co-ordinator AsiaPacific Region Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu Alhamdulillah we are delighted to report that Eid al-Fitr was celebrated in India on 1 September 2011 The Prayer and Khutba at our Centre in Delhi was led by our Head Muballigh Mufti Mumtaz Alam and attended by our members and a few neighbours Members prayed for the peace progress and prosperity of the Jamaat and Muslims in India and abroad After the prayers members visited our late President Marhoom Abdul Ghaffar sahibrsquos residence as well as another senior member who left this world during the year Marhoom Muhammad Saleemrsquos residence to offer prayers for the departed souls They also visited other Muslim brothers and sisters as part of our propagation activities The members were very thankful to some our brothers and sisters from Australia and Thailand for giving part of their Zakaat whereby funds were distributed to about 100 needy families in different parts of India Eid al-Fitr Prayers and celebrations were held at all our branches throughout India on 1 September 2011 As was done at Delhi members prayed for peace removal of obstacles progress and prosperity of the Jamaats throughout India and abroad By the grace of Almighty Allah there was harmony and goodwill among the various communities throughout India and no untoward incident took place

Bhaderwah

36

[Photographs courtesy Shaukat A Ali]

Srinagar Kashmir

[Photos courtesy Dr Khurshid Tareen]

36

[Photographs courtesy Shaukat A Ali]

Srinagar Kashmir

[Photos courtesy Dr Khurshid Tareen]

37

INDONESIA Report by Shaukat Ali Co-ordinator AsiaPacific Region Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu During my recent conversation with brother Iwan Yusuf Secretary General of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Indonesia he informed me that Eid al-Fitri Prayers were held and the day was celebrated throughout Indonesia and the festivities continued for a several days without any incidence Members participated in the Prayers in very large numbers and after the prayer gathering they all visited their family members and each otherrsquos residences Our members always pray for peace tolerance goodwill progress and prosperity of the members the country and Muslims in general Indonesia has public holidays on such occasions and members are able to visit family members relatives and friends in other parts of the country as well Several days of festivities were held peacefully throughout Indonesia without any problems for the minority communities We pray for the blessings of Allah upon all our brothers and sisters in Indonesia and pray that the situation remains as such in the future Brother Iwan Yusuf is having kidney problems and we pray that Allah tarsquoala grants him speedy and complete recovery which leaves no ailment behind ndash aameen

NEW ZEALAND

Greetings from Shabir Buksh General Secretary AAIIL NZ Dear Br Akbar Assaalamu alaikum On behalf of the President Board members and families of the NZ Jamaat I would like to wish each and every member of our worldwide Jamaat a very Happy Eid-Ul-Fitr We will be celebrating Eid-Ul-Fitr on Tuesday 30th August The prayer service will commence at 830 am Inshah Allah We will all surely miss Chacha Saheeb Hussein May Allah swt shower His choicest blessings on each and every one Wassaalam Shabir Buksh

38

Dear Br Akbar Eid prayers were held at Br Adilrsquos residence Prayers commenced at 830 am I led the Eid prayers Our president Br Abid welcomed and thanked everyone for attending he then delivered his speech and messages from Hazrat Ameer and Br Shaukat I then delivered the Eid Khutba Br Iraz did the dua at the end KH Shabir

39

40

41

42

43

44

PAKISTAN Amir Aziz General Secretary AAIIL Dear brothers and sisters Assalamu Alaikum On behalf of members of AAIIL and my family wish you all a very Happy Eid May Allah shower blessings and bounties of this day on you and your family Eid celebration provides an opportunity to think about those who are not as privileged as we are We should keep in our mind the lesson we learnt from the Holy month of Ramadan that is to be masters of our cardinal desires and serve humanity to the best of our abilities

39

40

41

42

43

44

PAKISTAN Amir Aziz General Secretary AAIIL Dear brothers and sisters Assalamu Alaikum On behalf of members of AAIIL and my family wish you all a very Happy Eid May Allah shower blessings and bounties of this day on you and your family Eid celebration provides an opportunity to think about those who are not as privileged as we are We should keep in our mind the lesson we learnt from the Holy month of Ramadan that is to be masters of our cardinal desires and serve humanity to the best of our abilities

40

41

42

43

44

PAKISTAN Amir Aziz General Secretary AAIIL Dear brothers and sisters Assalamu Alaikum On behalf of members of AAIIL and my family wish you all a very Happy Eid May Allah shower blessings and bounties of this day on you and your family Eid celebration provides an opportunity to think about those who are not as privileged as we are We should keep in our mind the lesson we learnt from the Holy month of Ramadan that is to be masters of our cardinal desires and serve humanity to the best of our abilities

41

42

43

44

PAKISTAN Amir Aziz General Secretary AAIIL Dear brothers and sisters Assalamu Alaikum On behalf of members of AAIIL and my family wish you all a very Happy Eid May Allah shower blessings and bounties of this day on you and your family Eid celebration provides an opportunity to think about those who are not as privileged as we are We should keep in our mind the lesson we learnt from the Holy month of Ramadan that is to be masters of our cardinal desires and serve humanity to the best of our abilities

42

43

44

PAKISTAN Amir Aziz General Secretary AAIIL Dear brothers and sisters Assalamu Alaikum On behalf of members of AAIIL and my family wish you all a very Happy Eid May Allah shower blessings and bounties of this day on you and your family Eid celebration provides an opportunity to think about those who are not as privileged as we are We should keep in our mind the lesson we learnt from the Holy month of Ramadan that is to be masters of our cardinal desires and serve humanity to the best of our abilities

43

44

PAKISTAN Amir Aziz General Secretary AAIIL Dear brothers and sisters Assalamu Alaikum On behalf of members of AAIIL and my family wish you all a very Happy Eid May Allah shower blessings and bounties of this day on you and your family Eid celebration provides an opportunity to think about those who are not as privileged as we are We should keep in our mind the lesson we learnt from the Holy month of Ramadan that is to be masters of our cardinal desires and serve humanity to the best of our abilities

44

PAKISTAN Amir Aziz General Secretary AAIIL Dear brothers and sisters Assalamu Alaikum On behalf of members of AAIIL and my family wish you all a very Happy Eid May Allah shower blessings and bounties of this day on you and your family Eid celebration provides an opportunity to think about those who are not as privileged as we are We should keep in our mind the lesson we learnt from the Holy month of Ramadan that is to be masters of our cardinal desires and serve humanity to the best of our abilities

45

May this day bring peace solidarity and pleasures in your lives Yours truly Amir Aziz General Secretary AAIIL

Eid Greetings from Mudassar Aziz Dear Brother and sisters Assalamo alikum Eid Mubarik to all of you Mudassar Aziz and Family Lahore Pakistan

The Center

46

47

48

49

[Photos courtesy Amir Aziz]

50

Rawalpindi Jamalsquoat

Waiting for the sermon to begin Tahir Sadiq President delivering the khutbah

51

Exchanging greetings after sermon

[Photos courtesy Muhammad Ali]

SOUTH AFRICA

Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL As Salamu Alaikum We had a very good Eid with the grace of Allah We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Hazrat Ameer and all the Jamaats families and loved ones a blessed Eid-ul-Fitr Was Salaam Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL (SA)

46

47

48

49

[Photos courtesy Amir Aziz]

50

Rawalpindi Jamalsquoat

Waiting for the sermon to begin Tahir Sadiq President delivering the khutbah

51

Exchanging greetings after sermon

[Photos courtesy Muhammad Ali]

SOUTH AFRICA

Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL As Salamu Alaikum We had a very good Eid with the grace of Allah We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Hazrat Ameer and all the Jamaats families and loved ones a blessed Eid-ul-Fitr Was Salaam Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL (SA)

47

48

49

[Photos courtesy Amir Aziz]

50

Rawalpindi Jamalsquoat

Waiting for the sermon to begin Tahir Sadiq President delivering the khutbah

51

Exchanging greetings after sermon

[Photos courtesy Muhammad Ali]

SOUTH AFRICA

Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL As Salamu Alaikum We had a very good Eid with the grace of Allah We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Hazrat Ameer and all the Jamaats families and loved ones a blessed Eid-ul-Fitr Was Salaam Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL (SA)

48

49

[Photos courtesy Amir Aziz]

50

Rawalpindi Jamalsquoat

Waiting for the sermon to begin Tahir Sadiq President delivering the khutbah

51

Exchanging greetings after sermon

[Photos courtesy Muhammad Ali]

SOUTH AFRICA

Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL As Salamu Alaikum We had a very good Eid with the grace of Allah We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Hazrat Ameer and all the Jamaats families and loved ones a blessed Eid-ul-Fitr Was Salaam Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL (SA)

49

[Photos courtesy Amir Aziz]

50

Rawalpindi Jamalsquoat

Waiting for the sermon to begin Tahir Sadiq President delivering the khutbah

51

Exchanging greetings after sermon

[Photos courtesy Muhammad Ali]

SOUTH AFRICA

Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL As Salamu Alaikum We had a very good Eid with the grace of Allah We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Hazrat Ameer and all the Jamaats families and loved ones a blessed Eid-ul-Fitr Was Salaam Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL (SA)

50

Rawalpindi Jamalsquoat

Waiting for the sermon to begin Tahir Sadiq President delivering the khutbah

51

Exchanging greetings after sermon

[Photos courtesy Muhammad Ali]

SOUTH AFRICA

Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL As Salamu Alaikum We had a very good Eid with the grace of Allah We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Hazrat Ameer and all the Jamaats families and loved ones a blessed Eid-ul-Fitr Was Salaam Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL (SA)

51

Exchanging greetings after sermon

[Photos courtesy Muhammad Ali]

SOUTH AFRICA

Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL As Salamu Alaikum We had a very good Eid with the grace of Allah We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Hazrat Ameer and all the Jamaats families and loved ones a blessed Eid-ul-Fitr Was Salaam Ebrahim Mohamed AAIIL (SA)

52

Ebrahim Mohamed giving the closing dulsquoa

[Photo courtesy Imam Ebrahim Mohamed]

SRI LANKA

Eid greetings from Ahmad Abdul Aziz

My dear Respected brothers and sisters Eid Mubarak to all of you and your family members

Please remember me and my family in your prayers

AA Aziz

SURINAME Eid greetings from Robbert Bipat President SIV

Dear Members of all Global Jamaats

Asalaam-u-alaikum

On behalf of all the members of the Surinaamse Islamitische Vereniging AAIIL Suriname I would like to wish you and all your members a very blessed Eid-Ul-Fitr

In the world where great stress is put against our beliefs we are obliged to cooperate with each other in order to achieve the higher divine goals which were put forward by our founder Hazrat Mirza Ghulam

53

Ahmad Let us take this opportunity to get to know each other in a better way and put aside all small and meaningless differences

May Allah also bless you and all members of your Jamaats eternally and I pray that He will give me the opportunity to meet you all one day

Eid Mubarak Robbert Bipat

Indian Ambassador among people receiving food and ssdaqua fitr

The US Ambassador in discussion with Robbert Bipat

54

[Photos courtesy Robbert Bipat]

Eid greetings from Mary and Khalil Ghafoerkhan

A Joyful Idul-Fitr

EID MUBARAK

May Allah bless you and brightens up your life

Mary and Khaliel

54

[Photos courtesy Robbert Bipat]

Eid greetings from Mary and Khalil Ghafoerkhan

A Joyful Idul-Fitr

EID MUBARAK

May Allah bless you and brightens up your life

Mary and Khaliel

55

THAILAND

Eid message from Shaukat A Ali Co-ordinator AsiaPacific Region Bismillah-ir-Rahman-i-Rahim (In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful)

O you who believe obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not make your deeds null ndash you are the uppermost ndash and Allah is with you and He will not bring your deeds to nothing Life of this world is only an idle sport and play and if you believe and keep your duty He will give you your reward (4733-36)

Dear sisters and brothers Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuhu Alhamdulillah The blessed month of Ramadan has come to an end very quickly but I am sure most of you must have read the entire Holy Quran at least once during the month in a language that you are able to understand and have tried to act upon the recommendations and prohibitions While we are looking forward to celebrating Eid al-Fitr in a few days it is also time to review and reflect on what we have done and achieved during the month In the verses which I have quoted above Allah tarsquoala tells us to obey Him and the Messenger of Allah and not to make our good deeds such as fasting worthless As long as we continue with good deeds we will be uppermost as Allah will be with us However Almighty Allah also tells us that we can enjoy this worldrsquos life but if we maintain our duty as laid down by Him He will reward us Allah is the Beneficent and the Merciful and therefore He tells us what are obligatory for us to adopt and gives us the option to either comply with those and earn rewards in this world as well as in the Hereafter or to deny what He has prescribed and face the consequences Our option is also to either remain as ldquosubmittersrdquo or ensure that Allah accepts us as ldquobelieversrdquo (4914) We are told ldquoand keep your duty to Allah surely Allah is returning (to mercy) again and again Mercifulrdquo (4912) ldquoAnd if you obey Allah and His Messenger He will not diminish anything of your deeds Surely Allah is Forgiving Merciful The believers are those only who believe in Allah and His Messenger then they do not doubt and struggle hard with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allahrdquo (4914-15) In compliance with the duty imposed on us and in obedience to our Creator we kept fast strengthened our faith prayed five times a day as well as Tahajjud and gave due charity Apart from fasting these are duties and obligations not only for the month of Ramadan but for every day of our lives In the verses quoted above and in many other verses Almighty Allah tells us repeatedly that He is Merciful and returns to mercy again and again He is also Forgiving Protector Helper and Answerer of prayers We should therefore seek His forgiveness protection help and guidance and ldquostruggle hard with our wealth and lives in the way of Allahrdquo all the time in order to be successful Let us pray that these are ingrained in our lives so that we become doers of good deeds all the time and not only during Ramadan - aameen Hazrat Ameer Prof Dr Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha sahib has also asked me to convey his Salaams and Eid Mubarak to all of you His inspiring Eid Message should have reached you by now We pray for the blessing of Allah upon all of you We also pray that Almighty Allah guides all mankind so that there is peace harmony tolerance goodwill and greater understanding among all communities

56

Please convey our Salaams and Eid Mubarak to your loved ones as well as the members EID MUBARAK Wassalam Shaukat 27 August 2011

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Eid greetings from Roshni Mohammed AAIIL Trinidad and Tobago

The Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha at-I-Islam Inc Trinidad and Tobago

will like to wish you and your family

Almighty Allahs choicest blessings on the occasion of Eidul Fitr 2011

Eid greetings from Hamza Rafeeq Bro Akbar Assalamu Alaikum Thanks for your kind wishes On behalf of my family and the Trinidad Jamaat I will also like to convey Eid greetings to you your family and your Jamaat Regards Hamza

hellip There were about 300 persons present and it was a joyous occasion Wassalam Hamza

56

Please convey our Salaams and Eid Mubarak to your loved ones as well as the members EID MUBARAK Wassalam Shaukat 27 August 2011

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Eid greetings from Roshni Mohammed AAIIL Trinidad and Tobago

The Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha at-I-Islam Inc Trinidad and Tobago

will like to wish you and your family

Almighty Allahs choicest blessings on the occasion of Eidul Fitr 2011

Eid greetings from Hamza Rafeeq Bro Akbar Assalamu Alaikum Thanks for your kind wishes On behalf of my family and the Trinidad Jamaat I will also like to convey Eid greetings to you your family and your Jamaat Regards Hamza

hellip There were about 300 persons present and it was a joyous occasion Wassalam Hamza

57

Members of the Jamaat arriving for the Eid Salaat at Fireburn Mosque Headquarters of the Ahmadiyya

Anjuman Ishaati Islam in Trinidad

Getting ready for Salaah Standing is Imaam Iqubal who delivered the Khutba

Nadeem Hydal Shahnaaz Bissessar Hamza Rafeeq his wife Harsha and children Faheema Ali ndash children of Maulana Kemal Hydal Nafeesa Farzana and Salma

58

Children getting gifts for Eid

UNITED KINGDOM Eid greetings from Shahid Aziz Editor The Light UK AA all lsquoId Mubarak to everyone from the UK jamaat May Allah bless our efforts in Ramadan Shahid

Eid greetings from Azhar Uddin Ahmad Dear Brother Sister Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakaatohu EID MUBARAK TO ALL OF YOU PLEASE REMEMBER US IN YOUR PRAYERS AZHAR SAMIRA AND KIDS

58

Children getting gifts for Eid

UNITED KINGDOM Eid greetings from Shahid Aziz Editor The Light UK AA all lsquoId Mubarak to everyone from the UK jamaat May Allah bless our efforts in Ramadan Shahid

Eid greetings from Azhar Uddin Ahmad Dear Brother Sister Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakaatohu EID MUBARAK TO ALL OF YOU PLEASE REMEMBER US IN YOUR PRAYERS AZHAR SAMIRA AND KIDS

59

Eid sermon delivered by Dr Jawad Ahmad at the Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre Wembley England on 31st August 2011

Ramadan ndash The Month of Realisation Resolution and Compliance

ldquoYou are the best nation raised up for men you enjoin good and forbid evil and you believe in Allahrdquo (3109) ldquoAnd surely you have the sublime moralsrdquo (684) ldquo(On the day of reckoning) We shall seal their mouths and their hands will speak to Us and their feet will bear witness as to what they earnedrdquo (3665) ldquoSurely Allah enjoins justice and doing of good to others and the giving to the kindred and He forbids indecency and rebellion He admonishes you that you may be mindfulrdquo (1690)

I thank Allah for providing us with yet another opportunity to get together and celebrate this blessed day of Eid This day has special significance for all of us who have kept the fast and tried to engage ourselves in as much voluntary prayers Quranic recitation and supplication as possible Ramadan is a month of special significance when good deeds and prayers are multiplied manifold in reward and more so it provides us with an opportunity to live our lives as close to the Islamic teachings as we possibly can It is quite surprising that in this blessed month we perform our five daily prayers fasting voluntary supplications as well as late-night or Tahajjud prayers in spite of our usual busy and hectic daily routine In a way this is a month of training and annual refreshing that Allah has so kindly prescribed for us During this month Allah also provides us with strength and courage to invigorate our fine qualities and make our lives virtuous and sublime and earn the mercy and blessings of Allah for this life and the life hereafter In medicine when we are presented with an illness we have to consider how this was caused in the first place We need to know the exact stage of the disease and then according to the diagnosis we prescribe a

60

treatment plan If the patient is compliant then we can see the results in either controlling the disease or curing it The word ldquocompliancerdquo is very important because controlling or curing the disease mainly depends on the compliance of the patient A doctor can make the best diagnosis and prescribe the best treatment plan with the most modern equipment and medical know-how but if the patient is not prepared to comply with it or for one reason or another the action plan is not followed then it cannot help the patient in any way In subsequent visits when a doctor looks at certain results he can easily judge whether the medicine prescribed is having the desired effect in controlling the disease or not or whether something is wrong with the dosage of the medicine or if the patient is not complying with the instructions This alerts the doctor to find out where the problem lies Hopefully we can all say that we have been compliant in this month as far as possible and we hope and pray that one whole monthrsquos exercise should give us strength and conviction that we can carry on this exercise in our daily lives And that is the object and message of Ramadan We all believe that the message of Allah and the five pillars of Islam are prescribed by the All-Wise Allah for our physical and spiritual progress but unless we adopt them in our daily lives with the same amount of conviction as we follow the instructions of a doctor only then can we see the results And if the results are not there then the compliance on our part is lacking in some way for which we are to be blamed and not the prescription prescribed by Allah as He says in the following verse at the very start of the Holy Qurrsquoan

ldquoI Allah am the best Knower This Book there is no doubt in it is a guide to those who keep their dutyrdquo (21-2)

Let us go back to the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) when the Last Sermon was delivered It was and still is a landmark in the history of Islam as far as universal human rights and morals are concerned Jabl-e Rahmat or the Mount of Mercy in Makkah was the venue from where the Divine human charter was announced which made each and every believer responsible to maintain justice guarantee humane treatment to women avoid exploitation practice brotherhood shun discrimination on the basis of colour race or religion be ready for accountability and hold fast to the commandments of Allah and the precept of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) in order to evolve a universal and egalitarian society It was on this occasion that Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) the following momentous announcement

ldquohellipThis day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you and chosen for you Islam as a religionhelliprdquo (The Quran 53)

And with this the Divine prescription for human guidance was completed At this point a well-known Urdu couplet by the late Maulana Zafar Ali Khan comes to my mind which portrays the beauty of this Divine light of guidance which shined forth from the Cave of Hira and is gaining lustre and glory with the passage of time

ldquoWoh shamalsquo ujaala jis ne kiya chaalis baras tak gharon mein Ik roz chamknay waali thi woh dunya kay darbaron meinrdquo

The light which was lit in a cave for 40 years was destined to glow one day in palaces all over the world Now the figure of 40 is significant It is the stage when a person gets maturity in thought and action Fasting for 40 days seems to be a universal practice Prophet Moses and Prophet Jesus (may peace be on them) fasted for 40 days Our beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) according to authentic traditions received the first revelation in the Cave of Hira after fasting for 40 days This was besides what he

61

practised during 40 years prior to the time when he was commissioned by Allah to be the Prophet to deliver to the world His Universal Message In these 40 years his unblemished character and unique service to the people of his community earned him the title of Al-Amin the most trustworthy and honest person But Allah regards the Holy Prophetrsquos character as ldquothe most sublime moralrdquo ldquoIn-na-ka la lsquoa-laa khu-lu-qin lsquoa-zeemrdquo (Surely you have the sublime morals) ndash (684) Fasting has been the universal institution prescribed by Allah for all men appointed for the reformation of mankind and their followers The Holy Qurrsquoan testifies to it in the following words

ldquoO you who believe fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may guard against evilrdquo (2183)

Now coming to the light which was revealed by Allah on the heart of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) for the guidance and reforming his people ndash its resplendence and gradual glow destined to spread in the East as well as the West ndash has been beautifully described in the Holy Qurrsquoan in the form of a parable in the following inspiring words

ldquoAllah is the light of the heavens and the earth A likeness of His light is as a pillar on which is a lamp mdash the lamp is in a glass the glass is as it were a brightly shining star mdash lit from a blessed olive-tree neither eastern nor western the oil whereof gives light even though fire does not touch it mdash light upon light Allah guides to His light whom He pleases And Allah sets forth parables for mankind and Allah is Knower of all things - that light is in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and His name to be remembered within them Therein do glorify them in the mornings and the evenings men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of the poor-rate ndash they fear a day in which hearts and the eyes will turn about that Allah may give reward for what they did and give them more out of His grace And Allah provides without measure for whom He pleasesrdquo (2435-37)

After describing this Allah mentions the responsibilities of the people who are entrusted to derive benefit from the light and to carry the flame onward

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali has explained the significance of this parable in his commentary of the Qurrsquoan as follows

ldquoAllah is called here the Light of the heavens and the earth because He has manifested hidden things and brought them into existence

In this parable Islam is represented as a likeness of the Divine light ndash the light placed high on a pillar so as to illuminate the whole world a light guarded by being placed in a glass so that no puff of wind can put it out a light so resplendent that the glass itself in which it is placed is as a brilliant star It should be noted that the religion of Islam is repeatedly spoken of as divine light in the Holy Quran lsquoThey desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will allow nothing except the perfection of His light though the disbelievers are aversersquo ( 932 618)

Hence it is of Islam that the parable of Divine light speaks The blessed olive from which the light is lit and which stands here for a symbol of Islamhellip The reference seems to be to the welding together of East and West in Islam a prophecy which is now approaching its fulfilment in the awakening of the west to the truth of the principles of Islam Therefore it is our duty to keep that flame of Islam burning in our hearts and carry it to the four corners of the world with sacrifice zeal and convictionrdquo

Now I would like to discuss briefly how the light of Islam dispelled darkness from among the people of

62

Arabia We know that the pre-Islamic period is usually called the Period of Ignorance The word ignorance generally conveys the meaning of utter lack of knowledge and understanding But Islam not only brought knowledge and enlightenment but revolutionized the whole social and moral behaviour and pattern of Arab society This is what a well-known Christian author Karen Armstrong has tried to explain in her book entitled Muhammad ndash A Prophet for our Time She writes on page 79 of her book

ldquoThe chief vice of the kafirun or disbelievers was Jahiliyya Muslims have traditionally used this term to refer to the pre-Islamic period in Arabia and so it is usually translated as lsquoThe Time of Ignorancersquo But although the root jahl has some connotation of lsquoIgnorancersquo its primary meaning is lsquoirascibilityrsquo an acute sensitivity to honour and prestige ignorance excess and above all a chronic tendency to violence and retaliation Jahili people were too proud to make the surrender of Islam (ie to submit to the will of Allah) Why should a karim moderate his behaviour and act like a slave (or lsquoabd) praying with his nose on the ground and treating the base-born like equals The Muslims called Abu l-Hakam their chief enemy lsquoAbu Jahalrsquo not because he was ignorant of Islam ndash he understood it all too well ndash but because he fought Islam arrogantly with blind fierce and reckless passionhellip

Instead of succumbing to the Jahili spirit the Quran urges Muslims to behave with hilm a traditional Arab virtue Men and women of hilm were forbearing patient and merciful They could control their anger and remain calm in the most difficult circumstances instead of exploding with rage they were slow to retaliate they did not hit back when they suffered injury but left revenge to Allah Hilm also inspired positive action if they practised hilm Muslims would look after the weak and disadvantaged liberate their slaves counsel each other to patience and compassion and feed the destitute even when they were hungry themselves Muslims must always behave with consummate gentleness and courtesy They were men and women of peace lsquofor true servants of the Most Gracious are they who walk gently on the earth and who whenever the jahilun address them reply ldquopeacerdquo (salam)rsquo rdquo

Towards the end of the book the Christian writer talks about reconciliation between Christians and Muslims in view of the present tense situation in the world and how the powerful personality of the Prophet of Islam can play a positive role which may seem impossible but can certainly bring peace Please note that this author is the only living Christian writer on Islam whose 10 books have been translated into Urdu and are very popular in Pakistan She writes

ldquoThe brief history of the twenty-first century shows that neither side has mastered these lessons If we are to avoid catastrophe the Muslim and Christian worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another A good place to start with is the figure of Muhammad ndash a complex man who resists facile ideologically-driven categorization who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name ndash ldquoIslamrdquo ndash signified peace and reconciliationrdquo

Karen Armstrong has also referred to Chapter 25 Luqman verse 63 and has called Muslims as ldquomen and women of peacerdquo The complete English translation of the verse is ldquoAnd the servants of the Beneficent are they who walk on the earth in humility and when the ignorant address them they say Peacerdquo Throughout her book she has used the word hilm (or kindness) as against Jahiliyya (or arrogance) In fact peace or salam is the crux of Islamic teachings In other words it is the spirit of peacefulness which permeates throughout its teachings and practices For instance the moment we wake up in the morning we say Assalamo alaikum (Peace be on you) to the people at home At the end of each five daily

63

prayer and in all ritual prayers we say Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullah Again in the sitting posture before the end of the prayer we send salutations and blessings not only on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his followers but also on Prophet Abraham and his followers Are the Jews and Christians not followers of Prophet Abraham Then why do we believe that in the final triumph of Islam people of other faiths will be killed Similarly when we meet each other anywhere we greet each other with Assalamo alaikum Even when we visit any graveyard we say Assalamo alaikum yaa ahlal qaboor (Peace be on you O inmates of the graves) to the deceased persons This kind gesture has struck a Christian writer But the big question is Why has it not become the hallmark of our character We verbally utter these words scores of times during the day but its spirit has not touched our hearts and has not brought any change in our behaviour The month of Ramadan comes every year to remind and rekindle this kind gesture of humiliation and well-being in us so that it may become part and parcel of our way of life Allah wishes us to realise the significance of these fine qualities by repeatedly referring to the accountability of our actions ndash actions of our mouths actions of our hands actions of our feet This is how the Qurrsquoan draws our attention to it

ldquoThat day We shall seal their mouths and their hands will speak to Us and their feet will bear witness as to what they earnedrdquo (5565)

In short all the principles and practices of Islam are aimed at creating realisation in a person to shun evil do good deeds maintain justice and promote human welfare In the second sermon on every Friday on both Eids and even on every solemn occasion such as the performing of marriages we repeat these objects as an essential part of the sermon The purpose is to keep on reminding a Muslim that all his worship and good deeds must have these objectives in view and such a life of virtue and humane service will earn everlasting rewards in the form of Paradise The English translation of the Qurrsquoanic verse recited on these occasions is as follows

ldquoSurely Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good to others and the giving to the kindred and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion He admonishes you that you may be mindfulrdquo (1690)

In my humble view Ramadan provides us with an opportunity to practise though on a small scale all that is good for strengthening our inner self and to fulfil our moral and social obligations Brothers and sisters Ramadan in a way provides us with a touch of every practical aspect of Islamic teachings which if put into practice in our daily lives will definitely make it peaceful and rewarding I would like to end this sermon with these inspiring supplications of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) which were presented by my grandfather the late Maulana Aftab ud Din Ahmad Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque Woking at the World Congress of Faithrsquos meeting held in Cambridge University in 1938

ldquoO God You are the Author of peace and from You comes peace Blessed are You O Lord of Glory and Honour

O God Bring affection between us and reform us and open for us the paths of peace and take us out of the spheres of darkness into light and save us from overt and hidden sins and bless us in what we hear and in what we feel And accept our repentance For surely You are He Who accepts repentance

O God We ask of You steadfastness in our pursuits We ask of You the intent for good action and power to thank You for Your benevolence and the power to render You devoted service We ask of You the tongue that speaks truth and the heart that entertains no misgivings and the gift of

64

fellow-feelingrdquo Rab-ba-naa ta-qab-bal min-naa in-na-ka an-tas sa-mee-lsquoul lsquoa-leem O our Lord Accept our supplications as You are the best in accepting prayers and You are the best Judge Who knows what is good or harmful for us Thank you for your patience and I wish you all a very hearty Eid Mubaarak

Eid al-Fitr 2011 at Wembley UK by Shayaan Ahmad (age 9)

Everyonersquos face lit with joy and happiness along with greeting each other with Eid Mubarak The room shone brighter with all the colourful clothes followed by the prayers the teachings of God echoed in the Masjid The aroma of the food made me hungry but I had learnt patience during Ramadan Soon the luscious creamy Ras Malai arrived with an extremely sweet taste and then came the thick Seviyyaan which was so delicious But it all quickly came to an end to wait another year

65

Giving zakat by Irfaan Ahmad (age 11)

In the Qurrsquoan Allah has taught us to give Zakat or poor-rate During Ramadan we fast We do this because Allah has commanded us in the Quran and also it helps us to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us I am sure that all year round we give charity However during the month of Ramadan we all give more because we are undergoing the feelings that unfortunate people would experience Today I will recite chapter 2 verse 263 in which Allah reminds us how to give charity ldquoA kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury And Allah is Self-Sufficient Forgivingrdquo Now I will explain it briefly ldquoShowing kindness is better than charity followed by injuryrdquo means that if you are not able to give charity and you cover up the plight of those suffering with kind words then this is better than giving charity followed by hurtful words For example if you gave pound100 to a less fortunate person than yourself then you keep reminding them of the time you helped them so that they are humiliated it would have been better if you had been kind to them when they were in desperate need ldquoAnd Allah is Self-sufficient and Forbearingrdquo When Allah says that He is Self-sufficient He means that He is not dependant on anyone or anything Again when he says that He is Forbearing He means that He is Merciful so He will forgive us if we try to follow the path of Allah Conclusion I hope we all feel encouraged to implement what Allah has revealed to us and to give Zakat with the best of intentions which I am sure all of us will Now all that there is left to say is Eid Mubarak

66

67

68

69

70

60

treatment plan If the patient is compliant then we can see the results in either controlling the disease or curing it The word ldquocompliancerdquo is very important because controlling or curing the disease mainly depends on the compliance of the patient A doctor can make the best diagnosis and prescribe the best treatment plan with the most modern equipment and medical know-how but if the patient is not prepared to comply with it or for one reason or another the action plan is not followed then it cannot help the patient in any way In subsequent visits when a doctor looks at certain results he can easily judge whether the medicine prescribed is having the desired effect in controlling the disease or not or whether something is wrong with the dosage of the medicine or if the patient is not complying with the instructions This alerts the doctor to find out where the problem lies Hopefully we can all say that we have been compliant in this month as far as possible and we hope and pray that one whole monthrsquos exercise should give us strength and conviction that we can carry on this exercise in our daily lives And that is the object and message of Ramadan We all believe that the message of Allah and the five pillars of Islam are prescribed by the All-Wise Allah for our physical and spiritual progress but unless we adopt them in our daily lives with the same amount of conviction as we follow the instructions of a doctor only then can we see the results And if the results are not there then the compliance on our part is lacking in some way for which we are to be blamed and not the prescription prescribed by Allah as He says in the following verse at the very start of the Holy Qurrsquoan

ldquoI Allah am the best Knower This Book there is no doubt in it is a guide to those who keep their dutyrdquo (21-2)

Let us go back to the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) when the Last Sermon was delivered It was and still is a landmark in the history of Islam as far as universal human rights and morals are concerned Jabl-e Rahmat or the Mount of Mercy in Makkah was the venue from where the Divine human charter was announced which made each and every believer responsible to maintain justice guarantee humane treatment to women avoid exploitation practice brotherhood shun discrimination on the basis of colour race or religion be ready for accountability and hold fast to the commandments of Allah and the precept of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) in order to evolve a universal and egalitarian society It was on this occasion that Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) the following momentous announcement

ldquohellipThis day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you and chosen for you Islam as a religionhelliprdquo (The Quran 53)

And with this the Divine prescription for human guidance was completed At this point a well-known Urdu couplet by the late Maulana Zafar Ali Khan comes to my mind which portrays the beauty of this Divine light of guidance which shined forth from the Cave of Hira and is gaining lustre and glory with the passage of time

ldquoWoh shamalsquo ujaala jis ne kiya chaalis baras tak gharon mein Ik roz chamknay waali thi woh dunya kay darbaron meinrdquo

The light which was lit in a cave for 40 years was destined to glow one day in palaces all over the world Now the figure of 40 is significant It is the stage when a person gets maturity in thought and action Fasting for 40 days seems to be a universal practice Prophet Moses and Prophet Jesus (may peace be on them) fasted for 40 days Our beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) according to authentic traditions received the first revelation in the Cave of Hira after fasting for 40 days This was besides what he

61

practised during 40 years prior to the time when he was commissioned by Allah to be the Prophet to deliver to the world His Universal Message In these 40 years his unblemished character and unique service to the people of his community earned him the title of Al-Amin the most trustworthy and honest person But Allah regards the Holy Prophetrsquos character as ldquothe most sublime moralrdquo ldquoIn-na-ka la lsquoa-laa khu-lu-qin lsquoa-zeemrdquo (Surely you have the sublime morals) ndash (684) Fasting has been the universal institution prescribed by Allah for all men appointed for the reformation of mankind and their followers The Holy Qurrsquoan testifies to it in the following words

ldquoO you who believe fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may guard against evilrdquo (2183)

Now coming to the light which was revealed by Allah on the heart of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) for the guidance and reforming his people ndash its resplendence and gradual glow destined to spread in the East as well as the West ndash has been beautifully described in the Holy Qurrsquoan in the form of a parable in the following inspiring words

ldquoAllah is the light of the heavens and the earth A likeness of His light is as a pillar on which is a lamp mdash the lamp is in a glass the glass is as it were a brightly shining star mdash lit from a blessed olive-tree neither eastern nor western the oil whereof gives light even though fire does not touch it mdash light upon light Allah guides to His light whom He pleases And Allah sets forth parables for mankind and Allah is Knower of all things - that light is in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and His name to be remembered within them Therein do glorify them in the mornings and the evenings men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of the poor-rate ndash they fear a day in which hearts and the eyes will turn about that Allah may give reward for what they did and give them more out of His grace And Allah provides without measure for whom He pleasesrdquo (2435-37)

After describing this Allah mentions the responsibilities of the people who are entrusted to derive benefit from the light and to carry the flame onward

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali has explained the significance of this parable in his commentary of the Qurrsquoan as follows

ldquoAllah is called here the Light of the heavens and the earth because He has manifested hidden things and brought them into existence

In this parable Islam is represented as a likeness of the Divine light ndash the light placed high on a pillar so as to illuminate the whole world a light guarded by being placed in a glass so that no puff of wind can put it out a light so resplendent that the glass itself in which it is placed is as a brilliant star It should be noted that the religion of Islam is repeatedly spoken of as divine light in the Holy Quran lsquoThey desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will allow nothing except the perfection of His light though the disbelievers are aversersquo ( 932 618)

Hence it is of Islam that the parable of Divine light speaks The blessed olive from which the light is lit and which stands here for a symbol of Islamhellip The reference seems to be to the welding together of East and West in Islam a prophecy which is now approaching its fulfilment in the awakening of the west to the truth of the principles of Islam Therefore it is our duty to keep that flame of Islam burning in our hearts and carry it to the four corners of the world with sacrifice zeal and convictionrdquo

Now I would like to discuss briefly how the light of Islam dispelled darkness from among the people of

62

Arabia We know that the pre-Islamic period is usually called the Period of Ignorance The word ignorance generally conveys the meaning of utter lack of knowledge and understanding But Islam not only brought knowledge and enlightenment but revolutionized the whole social and moral behaviour and pattern of Arab society This is what a well-known Christian author Karen Armstrong has tried to explain in her book entitled Muhammad ndash A Prophet for our Time She writes on page 79 of her book

ldquoThe chief vice of the kafirun or disbelievers was Jahiliyya Muslims have traditionally used this term to refer to the pre-Islamic period in Arabia and so it is usually translated as lsquoThe Time of Ignorancersquo But although the root jahl has some connotation of lsquoIgnorancersquo its primary meaning is lsquoirascibilityrsquo an acute sensitivity to honour and prestige ignorance excess and above all a chronic tendency to violence and retaliation Jahili people were too proud to make the surrender of Islam (ie to submit to the will of Allah) Why should a karim moderate his behaviour and act like a slave (or lsquoabd) praying with his nose on the ground and treating the base-born like equals The Muslims called Abu l-Hakam their chief enemy lsquoAbu Jahalrsquo not because he was ignorant of Islam ndash he understood it all too well ndash but because he fought Islam arrogantly with blind fierce and reckless passionhellip

Instead of succumbing to the Jahili spirit the Quran urges Muslims to behave with hilm a traditional Arab virtue Men and women of hilm were forbearing patient and merciful They could control their anger and remain calm in the most difficult circumstances instead of exploding with rage they were slow to retaliate they did not hit back when they suffered injury but left revenge to Allah Hilm also inspired positive action if they practised hilm Muslims would look after the weak and disadvantaged liberate their slaves counsel each other to patience and compassion and feed the destitute even when they were hungry themselves Muslims must always behave with consummate gentleness and courtesy They were men and women of peace lsquofor true servants of the Most Gracious are they who walk gently on the earth and who whenever the jahilun address them reply ldquopeacerdquo (salam)rsquo rdquo

Towards the end of the book the Christian writer talks about reconciliation between Christians and Muslims in view of the present tense situation in the world and how the powerful personality of the Prophet of Islam can play a positive role which may seem impossible but can certainly bring peace Please note that this author is the only living Christian writer on Islam whose 10 books have been translated into Urdu and are very popular in Pakistan She writes

ldquoThe brief history of the twenty-first century shows that neither side has mastered these lessons If we are to avoid catastrophe the Muslim and Christian worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another A good place to start with is the figure of Muhammad ndash a complex man who resists facile ideologically-driven categorization who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name ndash ldquoIslamrdquo ndash signified peace and reconciliationrdquo

Karen Armstrong has also referred to Chapter 25 Luqman verse 63 and has called Muslims as ldquomen and women of peacerdquo The complete English translation of the verse is ldquoAnd the servants of the Beneficent are they who walk on the earth in humility and when the ignorant address them they say Peacerdquo Throughout her book she has used the word hilm (or kindness) as against Jahiliyya (or arrogance) In fact peace or salam is the crux of Islamic teachings In other words it is the spirit of peacefulness which permeates throughout its teachings and practices For instance the moment we wake up in the morning we say Assalamo alaikum (Peace be on you) to the people at home At the end of each five daily

63

prayer and in all ritual prayers we say Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullah Again in the sitting posture before the end of the prayer we send salutations and blessings not only on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his followers but also on Prophet Abraham and his followers Are the Jews and Christians not followers of Prophet Abraham Then why do we believe that in the final triumph of Islam people of other faiths will be killed Similarly when we meet each other anywhere we greet each other with Assalamo alaikum Even when we visit any graveyard we say Assalamo alaikum yaa ahlal qaboor (Peace be on you O inmates of the graves) to the deceased persons This kind gesture has struck a Christian writer But the big question is Why has it not become the hallmark of our character We verbally utter these words scores of times during the day but its spirit has not touched our hearts and has not brought any change in our behaviour The month of Ramadan comes every year to remind and rekindle this kind gesture of humiliation and well-being in us so that it may become part and parcel of our way of life Allah wishes us to realise the significance of these fine qualities by repeatedly referring to the accountability of our actions ndash actions of our mouths actions of our hands actions of our feet This is how the Qurrsquoan draws our attention to it

ldquoThat day We shall seal their mouths and their hands will speak to Us and their feet will bear witness as to what they earnedrdquo (5565)

In short all the principles and practices of Islam are aimed at creating realisation in a person to shun evil do good deeds maintain justice and promote human welfare In the second sermon on every Friday on both Eids and even on every solemn occasion such as the performing of marriages we repeat these objects as an essential part of the sermon The purpose is to keep on reminding a Muslim that all his worship and good deeds must have these objectives in view and such a life of virtue and humane service will earn everlasting rewards in the form of Paradise The English translation of the Qurrsquoanic verse recited on these occasions is as follows

ldquoSurely Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good to others and the giving to the kindred and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion He admonishes you that you may be mindfulrdquo (1690)

In my humble view Ramadan provides us with an opportunity to practise though on a small scale all that is good for strengthening our inner self and to fulfil our moral and social obligations Brothers and sisters Ramadan in a way provides us with a touch of every practical aspect of Islamic teachings which if put into practice in our daily lives will definitely make it peaceful and rewarding I would like to end this sermon with these inspiring supplications of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) which were presented by my grandfather the late Maulana Aftab ud Din Ahmad Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque Woking at the World Congress of Faithrsquos meeting held in Cambridge University in 1938

ldquoO God You are the Author of peace and from You comes peace Blessed are You O Lord of Glory and Honour

O God Bring affection between us and reform us and open for us the paths of peace and take us out of the spheres of darkness into light and save us from overt and hidden sins and bless us in what we hear and in what we feel And accept our repentance For surely You are He Who accepts repentance

O God We ask of You steadfastness in our pursuits We ask of You the intent for good action and power to thank You for Your benevolence and the power to render You devoted service We ask of You the tongue that speaks truth and the heart that entertains no misgivings and the gift of

64

fellow-feelingrdquo Rab-ba-naa ta-qab-bal min-naa in-na-ka an-tas sa-mee-lsquoul lsquoa-leem O our Lord Accept our supplications as You are the best in accepting prayers and You are the best Judge Who knows what is good or harmful for us Thank you for your patience and I wish you all a very hearty Eid Mubaarak

Eid al-Fitr 2011 at Wembley UK by Shayaan Ahmad (age 9)

Everyonersquos face lit with joy and happiness along with greeting each other with Eid Mubarak The room shone brighter with all the colourful clothes followed by the prayers the teachings of God echoed in the Masjid The aroma of the food made me hungry but I had learnt patience during Ramadan Soon the luscious creamy Ras Malai arrived with an extremely sweet taste and then came the thick Seviyyaan which was so delicious But it all quickly came to an end to wait another year

65

Giving zakat by Irfaan Ahmad (age 11)

In the Qurrsquoan Allah has taught us to give Zakat or poor-rate During Ramadan we fast We do this because Allah has commanded us in the Quran and also it helps us to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us I am sure that all year round we give charity However during the month of Ramadan we all give more because we are undergoing the feelings that unfortunate people would experience Today I will recite chapter 2 verse 263 in which Allah reminds us how to give charity ldquoA kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury And Allah is Self-Sufficient Forgivingrdquo Now I will explain it briefly ldquoShowing kindness is better than charity followed by injuryrdquo means that if you are not able to give charity and you cover up the plight of those suffering with kind words then this is better than giving charity followed by hurtful words For example if you gave pound100 to a less fortunate person than yourself then you keep reminding them of the time you helped them so that they are humiliated it would have been better if you had been kind to them when they were in desperate need ldquoAnd Allah is Self-sufficient and Forbearingrdquo When Allah says that He is Self-sufficient He means that He is not dependant on anyone or anything Again when he says that He is Forbearing He means that He is Merciful so He will forgive us if we try to follow the path of Allah Conclusion I hope we all feel encouraged to implement what Allah has revealed to us and to give Zakat with the best of intentions which I am sure all of us will Now all that there is left to say is Eid Mubarak

66

67

68

69

70

61

practised during 40 years prior to the time when he was commissioned by Allah to be the Prophet to deliver to the world His Universal Message In these 40 years his unblemished character and unique service to the people of his community earned him the title of Al-Amin the most trustworthy and honest person But Allah regards the Holy Prophetrsquos character as ldquothe most sublime moralrdquo ldquoIn-na-ka la lsquoa-laa khu-lu-qin lsquoa-zeemrdquo (Surely you have the sublime morals) ndash (684) Fasting has been the universal institution prescribed by Allah for all men appointed for the reformation of mankind and their followers The Holy Qurrsquoan testifies to it in the following words

ldquoO you who believe fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may guard against evilrdquo (2183)

Now coming to the light which was revealed by Allah on the heart of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) for the guidance and reforming his people ndash its resplendence and gradual glow destined to spread in the East as well as the West ndash has been beautifully described in the Holy Qurrsquoan in the form of a parable in the following inspiring words

ldquoAllah is the light of the heavens and the earth A likeness of His light is as a pillar on which is a lamp mdash the lamp is in a glass the glass is as it were a brightly shining star mdash lit from a blessed olive-tree neither eastern nor western the oil whereof gives light even though fire does not touch it mdash light upon light Allah guides to His light whom He pleases And Allah sets forth parables for mankind and Allah is Knower of all things - that light is in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and His name to be remembered within them Therein do glorify them in the mornings and the evenings men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of the poor-rate ndash they fear a day in which hearts and the eyes will turn about that Allah may give reward for what they did and give them more out of His grace And Allah provides without measure for whom He pleasesrdquo (2435-37)

After describing this Allah mentions the responsibilities of the people who are entrusted to derive benefit from the light and to carry the flame onward

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali has explained the significance of this parable in his commentary of the Qurrsquoan as follows

ldquoAllah is called here the Light of the heavens and the earth because He has manifested hidden things and brought them into existence

In this parable Islam is represented as a likeness of the Divine light ndash the light placed high on a pillar so as to illuminate the whole world a light guarded by being placed in a glass so that no puff of wind can put it out a light so resplendent that the glass itself in which it is placed is as a brilliant star It should be noted that the religion of Islam is repeatedly spoken of as divine light in the Holy Quran lsquoThey desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will allow nothing except the perfection of His light though the disbelievers are aversersquo ( 932 618)

Hence it is of Islam that the parable of Divine light speaks The blessed olive from which the light is lit and which stands here for a symbol of Islamhellip The reference seems to be to the welding together of East and West in Islam a prophecy which is now approaching its fulfilment in the awakening of the west to the truth of the principles of Islam Therefore it is our duty to keep that flame of Islam burning in our hearts and carry it to the four corners of the world with sacrifice zeal and convictionrdquo

Now I would like to discuss briefly how the light of Islam dispelled darkness from among the people of

62

Arabia We know that the pre-Islamic period is usually called the Period of Ignorance The word ignorance generally conveys the meaning of utter lack of knowledge and understanding But Islam not only brought knowledge and enlightenment but revolutionized the whole social and moral behaviour and pattern of Arab society This is what a well-known Christian author Karen Armstrong has tried to explain in her book entitled Muhammad ndash A Prophet for our Time She writes on page 79 of her book

ldquoThe chief vice of the kafirun or disbelievers was Jahiliyya Muslims have traditionally used this term to refer to the pre-Islamic period in Arabia and so it is usually translated as lsquoThe Time of Ignorancersquo But although the root jahl has some connotation of lsquoIgnorancersquo its primary meaning is lsquoirascibilityrsquo an acute sensitivity to honour and prestige ignorance excess and above all a chronic tendency to violence and retaliation Jahili people were too proud to make the surrender of Islam (ie to submit to the will of Allah) Why should a karim moderate his behaviour and act like a slave (or lsquoabd) praying with his nose on the ground and treating the base-born like equals The Muslims called Abu l-Hakam their chief enemy lsquoAbu Jahalrsquo not because he was ignorant of Islam ndash he understood it all too well ndash but because he fought Islam arrogantly with blind fierce and reckless passionhellip

Instead of succumbing to the Jahili spirit the Quran urges Muslims to behave with hilm a traditional Arab virtue Men and women of hilm were forbearing patient and merciful They could control their anger and remain calm in the most difficult circumstances instead of exploding with rage they were slow to retaliate they did not hit back when they suffered injury but left revenge to Allah Hilm also inspired positive action if they practised hilm Muslims would look after the weak and disadvantaged liberate their slaves counsel each other to patience and compassion and feed the destitute even when they were hungry themselves Muslims must always behave with consummate gentleness and courtesy They were men and women of peace lsquofor true servants of the Most Gracious are they who walk gently on the earth and who whenever the jahilun address them reply ldquopeacerdquo (salam)rsquo rdquo

Towards the end of the book the Christian writer talks about reconciliation between Christians and Muslims in view of the present tense situation in the world and how the powerful personality of the Prophet of Islam can play a positive role which may seem impossible but can certainly bring peace Please note that this author is the only living Christian writer on Islam whose 10 books have been translated into Urdu and are very popular in Pakistan She writes

ldquoThe brief history of the twenty-first century shows that neither side has mastered these lessons If we are to avoid catastrophe the Muslim and Christian worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another A good place to start with is the figure of Muhammad ndash a complex man who resists facile ideologically-driven categorization who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name ndash ldquoIslamrdquo ndash signified peace and reconciliationrdquo

Karen Armstrong has also referred to Chapter 25 Luqman verse 63 and has called Muslims as ldquomen and women of peacerdquo The complete English translation of the verse is ldquoAnd the servants of the Beneficent are they who walk on the earth in humility and when the ignorant address them they say Peacerdquo Throughout her book she has used the word hilm (or kindness) as against Jahiliyya (or arrogance) In fact peace or salam is the crux of Islamic teachings In other words it is the spirit of peacefulness which permeates throughout its teachings and practices For instance the moment we wake up in the morning we say Assalamo alaikum (Peace be on you) to the people at home At the end of each five daily

63

prayer and in all ritual prayers we say Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullah Again in the sitting posture before the end of the prayer we send salutations and blessings not only on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his followers but also on Prophet Abraham and his followers Are the Jews and Christians not followers of Prophet Abraham Then why do we believe that in the final triumph of Islam people of other faiths will be killed Similarly when we meet each other anywhere we greet each other with Assalamo alaikum Even when we visit any graveyard we say Assalamo alaikum yaa ahlal qaboor (Peace be on you O inmates of the graves) to the deceased persons This kind gesture has struck a Christian writer But the big question is Why has it not become the hallmark of our character We verbally utter these words scores of times during the day but its spirit has not touched our hearts and has not brought any change in our behaviour The month of Ramadan comes every year to remind and rekindle this kind gesture of humiliation and well-being in us so that it may become part and parcel of our way of life Allah wishes us to realise the significance of these fine qualities by repeatedly referring to the accountability of our actions ndash actions of our mouths actions of our hands actions of our feet This is how the Qurrsquoan draws our attention to it

ldquoThat day We shall seal their mouths and their hands will speak to Us and their feet will bear witness as to what they earnedrdquo (5565)

In short all the principles and practices of Islam are aimed at creating realisation in a person to shun evil do good deeds maintain justice and promote human welfare In the second sermon on every Friday on both Eids and even on every solemn occasion such as the performing of marriages we repeat these objects as an essential part of the sermon The purpose is to keep on reminding a Muslim that all his worship and good deeds must have these objectives in view and such a life of virtue and humane service will earn everlasting rewards in the form of Paradise The English translation of the Qurrsquoanic verse recited on these occasions is as follows

ldquoSurely Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good to others and the giving to the kindred and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion He admonishes you that you may be mindfulrdquo (1690)

In my humble view Ramadan provides us with an opportunity to practise though on a small scale all that is good for strengthening our inner self and to fulfil our moral and social obligations Brothers and sisters Ramadan in a way provides us with a touch of every practical aspect of Islamic teachings which if put into practice in our daily lives will definitely make it peaceful and rewarding I would like to end this sermon with these inspiring supplications of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) which were presented by my grandfather the late Maulana Aftab ud Din Ahmad Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque Woking at the World Congress of Faithrsquos meeting held in Cambridge University in 1938

ldquoO God You are the Author of peace and from You comes peace Blessed are You O Lord of Glory and Honour

O God Bring affection between us and reform us and open for us the paths of peace and take us out of the spheres of darkness into light and save us from overt and hidden sins and bless us in what we hear and in what we feel And accept our repentance For surely You are He Who accepts repentance

O God We ask of You steadfastness in our pursuits We ask of You the intent for good action and power to thank You for Your benevolence and the power to render You devoted service We ask of You the tongue that speaks truth and the heart that entertains no misgivings and the gift of

64

fellow-feelingrdquo Rab-ba-naa ta-qab-bal min-naa in-na-ka an-tas sa-mee-lsquoul lsquoa-leem O our Lord Accept our supplications as You are the best in accepting prayers and You are the best Judge Who knows what is good or harmful for us Thank you for your patience and I wish you all a very hearty Eid Mubaarak

Eid al-Fitr 2011 at Wembley UK by Shayaan Ahmad (age 9)

Everyonersquos face lit with joy and happiness along with greeting each other with Eid Mubarak The room shone brighter with all the colourful clothes followed by the prayers the teachings of God echoed in the Masjid The aroma of the food made me hungry but I had learnt patience during Ramadan Soon the luscious creamy Ras Malai arrived with an extremely sweet taste and then came the thick Seviyyaan which was so delicious But it all quickly came to an end to wait another year

65

Giving zakat by Irfaan Ahmad (age 11)

In the Qurrsquoan Allah has taught us to give Zakat or poor-rate During Ramadan we fast We do this because Allah has commanded us in the Quran and also it helps us to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us I am sure that all year round we give charity However during the month of Ramadan we all give more because we are undergoing the feelings that unfortunate people would experience Today I will recite chapter 2 verse 263 in which Allah reminds us how to give charity ldquoA kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury And Allah is Self-Sufficient Forgivingrdquo Now I will explain it briefly ldquoShowing kindness is better than charity followed by injuryrdquo means that if you are not able to give charity and you cover up the plight of those suffering with kind words then this is better than giving charity followed by hurtful words For example if you gave pound100 to a less fortunate person than yourself then you keep reminding them of the time you helped them so that they are humiliated it would have been better if you had been kind to them when they were in desperate need ldquoAnd Allah is Self-sufficient and Forbearingrdquo When Allah says that He is Self-sufficient He means that He is not dependant on anyone or anything Again when he says that He is Forbearing He means that He is Merciful so He will forgive us if we try to follow the path of Allah Conclusion I hope we all feel encouraged to implement what Allah has revealed to us and to give Zakat with the best of intentions which I am sure all of us will Now all that there is left to say is Eid Mubarak

66

67

68

69

70

62

Arabia We know that the pre-Islamic period is usually called the Period of Ignorance The word ignorance generally conveys the meaning of utter lack of knowledge and understanding But Islam not only brought knowledge and enlightenment but revolutionized the whole social and moral behaviour and pattern of Arab society This is what a well-known Christian author Karen Armstrong has tried to explain in her book entitled Muhammad ndash A Prophet for our Time She writes on page 79 of her book

ldquoThe chief vice of the kafirun or disbelievers was Jahiliyya Muslims have traditionally used this term to refer to the pre-Islamic period in Arabia and so it is usually translated as lsquoThe Time of Ignorancersquo But although the root jahl has some connotation of lsquoIgnorancersquo its primary meaning is lsquoirascibilityrsquo an acute sensitivity to honour and prestige ignorance excess and above all a chronic tendency to violence and retaliation Jahili people were too proud to make the surrender of Islam (ie to submit to the will of Allah) Why should a karim moderate his behaviour and act like a slave (or lsquoabd) praying with his nose on the ground and treating the base-born like equals The Muslims called Abu l-Hakam their chief enemy lsquoAbu Jahalrsquo not because he was ignorant of Islam ndash he understood it all too well ndash but because he fought Islam arrogantly with blind fierce and reckless passionhellip

Instead of succumbing to the Jahili spirit the Quran urges Muslims to behave with hilm a traditional Arab virtue Men and women of hilm were forbearing patient and merciful They could control their anger and remain calm in the most difficult circumstances instead of exploding with rage they were slow to retaliate they did not hit back when they suffered injury but left revenge to Allah Hilm also inspired positive action if they practised hilm Muslims would look after the weak and disadvantaged liberate their slaves counsel each other to patience and compassion and feed the destitute even when they were hungry themselves Muslims must always behave with consummate gentleness and courtesy They were men and women of peace lsquofor true servants of the Most Gracious are they who walk gently on the earth and who whenever the jahilun address them reply ldquopeacerdquo (salam)rsquo rdquo

Towards the end of the book the Christian writer talks about reconciliation between Christians and Muslims in view of the present tense situation in the world and how the powerful personality of the Prophet of Islam can play a positive role which may seem impossible but can certainly bring peace Please note that this author is the only living Christian writer on Islam whose 10 books have been translated into Urdu and are very popular in Pakistan She writes

ldquoThe brief history of the twenty-first century shows that neither side has mastered these lessons If we are to avoid catastrophe the Muslim and Christian worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another A good place to start with is the figure of Muhammad ndash a complex man who resists facile ideologically-driven categorization who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name ndash ldquoIslamrdquo ndash signified peace and reconciliationrdquo

Karen Armstrong has also referred to Chapter 25 Luqman verse 63 and has called Muslims as ldquomen and women of peacerdquo The complete English translation of the verse is ldquoAnd the servants of the Beneficent are they who walk on the earth in humility and when the ignorant address them they say Peacerdquo Throughout her book she has used the word hilm (or kindness) as against Jahiliyya (or arrogance) In fact peace or salam is the crux of Islamic teachings In other words it is the spirit of peacefulness which permeates throughout its teachings and practices For instance the moment we wake up in the morning we say Assalamo alaikum (Peace be on you) to the people at home At the end of each five daily

63

prayer and in all ritual prayers we say Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullah Again in the sitting posture before the end of the prayer we send salutations and blessings not only on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his followers but also on Prophet Abraham and his followers Are the Jews and Christians not followers of Prophet Abraham Then why do we believe that in the final triumph of Islam people of other faiths will be killed Similarly when we meet each other anywhere we greet each other with Assalamo alaikum Even when we visit any graveyard we say Assalamo alaikum yaa ahlal qaboor (Peace be on you O inmates of the graves) to the deceased persons This kind gesture has struck a Christian writer But the big question is Why has it not become the hallmark of our character We verbally utter these words scores of times during the day but its spirit has not touched our hearts and has not brought any change in our behaviour The month of Ramadan comes every year to remind and rekindle this kind gesture of humiliation and well-being in us so that it may become part and parcel of our way of life Allah wishes us to realise the significance of these fine qualities by repeatedly referring to the accountability of our actions ndash actions of our mouths actions of our hands actions of our feet This is how the Qurrsquoan draws our attention to it

ldquoThat day We shall seal their mouths and their hands will speak to Us and their feet will bear witness as to what they earnedrdquo (5565)

In short all the principles and practices of Islam are aimed at creating realisation in a person to shun evil do good deeds maintain justice and promote human welfare In the second sermon on every Friday on both Eids and even on every solemn occasion such as the performing of marriages we repeat these objects as an essential part of the sermon The purpose is to keep on reminding a Muslim that all his worship and good deeds must have these objectives in view and such a life of virtue and humane service will earn everlasting rewards in the form of Paradise The English translation of the Qurrsquoanic verse recited on these occasions is as follows

ldquoSurely Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good to others and the giving to the kindred and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion He admonishes you that you may be mindfulrdquo (1690)

In my humble view Ramadan provides us with an opportunity to practise though on a small scale all that is good for strengthening our inner self and to fulfil our moral and social obligations Brothers and sisters Ramadan in a way provides us with a touch of every practical aspect of Islamic teachings which if put into practice in our daily lives will definitely make it peaceful and rewarding I would like to end this sermon with these inspiring supplications of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) which were presented by my grandfather the late Maulana Aftab ud Din Ahmad Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque Woking at the World Congress of Faithrsquos meeting held in Cambridge University in 1938

ldquoO God You are the Author of peace and from You comes peace Blessed are You O Lord of Glory and Honour

O God Bring affection between us and reform us and open for us the paths of peace and take us out of the spheres of darkness into light and save us from overt and hidden sins and bless us in what we hear and in what we feel And accept our repentance For surely You are He Who accepts repentance

O God We ask of You steadfastness in our pursuits We ask of You the intent for good action and power to thank You for Your benevolence and the power to render You devoted service We ask of You the tongue that speaks truth and the heart that entertains no misgivings and the gift of

64

fellow-feelingrdquo Rab-ba-naa ta-qab-bal min-naa in-na-ka an-tas sa-mee-lsquoul lsquoa-leem O our Lord Accept our supplications as You are the best in accepting prayers and You are the best Judge Who knows what is good or harmful for us Thank you for your patience and I wish you all a very hearty Eid Mubaarak

Eid al-Fitr 2011 at Wembley UK by Shayaan Ahmad (age 9)

Everyonersquos face lit with joy and happiness along with greeting each other with Eid Mubarak The room shone brighter with all the colourful clothes followed by the prayers the teachings of God echoed in the Masjid The aroma of the food made me hungry but I had learnt patience during Ramadan Soon the luscious creamy Ras Malai arrived with an extremely sweet taste and then came the thick Seviyyaan which was so delicious But it all quickly came to an end to wait another year

65

Giving zakat by Irfaan Ahmad (age 11)

In the Qurrsquoan Allah has taught us to give Zakat or poor-rate During Ramadan we fast We do this because Allah has commanded us in the Quran and also it helps us to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us I am sure that all year round we give charity However during the month of Ramadan we all give more because we are undergoing the feelings that unfortunate people would experience Today I will recite chapter 2 verse 263 in which Allah reminds us how to give charity ldquoA kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury And Allah is Self-Sufficient Forgivingrdquo Now I will explain it briefly ldquoShowing kindness is better than charity followed by injuryrdquo means that if you are not able to give charity and you cover up the plight of those suffering with kind words then this is better than giving charity followed by hurtful words For example if you gave pound100 to a less fortunate person than yourself then you keep reminding them of the time you helped them so that they are humiliated it would have been better if you had been kind to them when they were in desperate need ldquoAnd Allah is Self-sufficient and Forbearingrdquo When Allah says that He is Self-sufficient He means that He is not dependant on anyone or anything Again when he says that He is Forbearing He means that He is Merciful so He will forgive us if we try to follow the path of Allah Conclusion I hope we all feel encouraged to implement what Allah has revealed to us and to give Zakat with the best of intentions which I am sure all of us will Now all that there is left to say is Eid Mubarak

66

67

68

69

70

63

prayer and in all ritual prayers we say Assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullah Again in the sitting posture before the end of the prayer we send salutations and blessings not only on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his followers but also on Prophet Abraham and his followers Are the Jews and Christians not followers of Prophet Abraham Then why do we believe that in the final triumph of Islam people of other faiths will be killed Similarly when we meet each other anywhere we greet each other with Assalamo alaikum Even when we visit any graveyard we say Assalamo alaikum yaa ahlal qaboor (Peace be on you O inmates of the graves) to the deceased persons This kind gesture has struck a Christian writer But the big question is Why has it not become the hallmark of our character We verbally utter these words scores of times during the day but its spirit has not touched our hearts and has not brought any change in our behaviour The month of Ramadan comes every year to remind and rekindle this kind gesture of humiliation and well-being in us so that it may become part and parcel of our way of life Allah wishes us to realise the significance of these fine qualities by repeatedly referring to the accountability of our actions ndash actions of our mouths actions of our hands actions of our feet This is how the Qurrsquoan draws our attention to it

ldquoThat day We shall seal their mouths and their hands will speak to Us and their feet will bear witness as to what they earnedrdquo (5565)

In short all the principles and practices of Islam are aimed at creating realisation in a person to shun evil do good deeds maintain justice and promote human welfare In the second sermon on every Friday on both Eids and even on every solemn occasion such as the performing of marriages we repeat these objects as an essential part of the sermon The purpose is to keep on reminding a Muslim that all his worship and good deeds must have these objectives in view and such a life of virtue and humane service will earn everlasting rewards in the form of Paradise The English translation of the Qurrsquoanic verse recited on these occasions is as follows

ldquoSurely Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good to others and the giving to the kindred and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion He admonishes you that you may be mindfulrdquo (1690)

In my humble view Ramadan provides us with an opportunity to practise though on a small scale all that is good for strengthening our inner self and to fulfil our moral and social obligations Brothers and sisters Ramadan in a way provides us with a touch of every practical aspect of Islamic teachings which if put into practice in our daily lives will definitely make it peaceful and rewarding I would like to end this sermon with these inspiring supplications of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) which were presented by my grandfather the late Maulana Aftab ud Din Ahmad Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque Woking at the World Congress of Faithrsquos meeting held in Cambridge University in 1938

ldquoO God You are the Author of peace and from You comes peace Blessed are You O Lord of Glory and Honour

O God Bring affection between us and reform us and open for us the paths of peace and take us out of the spheres of darkness into light and save us from overt and hidden sins and bless us in what we hear and in what we feel And accept our repentance For surely You are He Who accepts repentance

O God We ask of You steadfastness in our pursuits We ask of You the intent for good action and power to thank You for Your benevolence and the power to render You devoted service We ask of You the tongue that speaks truth and the heart that entertains no misgivings and the gift of

64

fellow-feelingrdquo Rab-ba-naa ta-qab-bal min-naa in-na-ka an-tas sa-mee-lsquoul lsquoa-leem O our Lord Accept our supplications as You are the best in accepting prayers and You are the best Judge Who knows what is good or harmful for us Thank you for your patience and I wish you all a very hearty Eid Mubaarak

Eid al-Fitr 2011 at Wembley UK by Shayaan Ahmad (age 9)

Everyonersquos face lit with joy and happiness along with greeting each other with Eid Mubarak The room shone brighter with all the colourful clothes followed by the prayers the teachings of God echoed in the Masjid The aroma of the food made me hungry but I had learnt patience during Ramadan Soon the luscious creamy Ras Malai arrived with an extremely sweet taste and then came the thick Seviyyaan which was so delicious But it all quickly came to an end to wait another year

65

Giving zakat by Irfaan Ahmad (age 11)

In the Qurrsquoan Allah has taught us to give Zakat or poor-rate During Ramadan we fast We do this because Allah has commanded us in the Quran and also it helps us to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us I am sure that all year round we give charity However during the month of Ramadan we all give more because we are undergoing the feelings that unfortunate people would experience Today I will recite chapter 2 verse 263 in which Allah reminds us how to give charity ldquoA kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury And Allah is Self-Sufficient Forgivingrdquo Now I will explain it briefly ldquoShowing kindness is better than charity followed by injuryrdquo means that if you are not able to give charity and you cover up the plight of those suffering with kind words then this is better than giving charity followed by hurtful words For example if you gave pound100 to a less fortunate person than yourself then you keep reminding them of the time you helped them so that they are humiliated it would have been better if you had been kind to them when they were in desperate need ldquoAnd Allah is Self-sufficient and Forbearingrdquo When Allah says that He is Self-sufficient He means that He is not dependant on anyone or anything Again when he says that He is Forbearing He means that He is Merciful so He will forgive us if we try to follow the path of Allah Conclusion I hope we all feel encouraged to implement what Allah has revealed to us and to give Zakat with the best of intentions which I am sure all of us will Now all that there is left to say is Eid Mubarak

66

67

68

69

70

64

fellow-feelingrdquo Rab-ba-naa ta-qab-bal min-naa in-na-ka an-tas sa-mee-lsquoul lsquoa-leem O our Lord Accept our supplications as You are the best in accepting prayers and You are the best Judge Who knows what is good or harmful for us Thank you for your patience and I wish you all a very hearty Eid Mubaarak

Eid al-Fitr 2011 at Wembley UK by Shayaan Ahmad (age 9)

Everyonersquos face lit with joy and happiness along with greeting each other with Eid Mubarak The room shone brighter with all the colourful clothes followed by the prayers the teachings of God echoed in the Masjid The aroma of the food made me hungry but I had learnt patience during Ramadan Soon the luscious creamy Ras Malai arrived with an extremely sweet taste and then came the thick Seviyyaan which was so delicious But it all quickly came to an end to wait another year

65

Giving zakat by Irfaan Ahmad (age 11)

In the Qurrsquoan Allah has taught us to give Zakat or poor-rate During Ramadan we fast We do this because Allah has commanded us in the Quran and also it helps us to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us I am sure that all year round we give charity However during the month of Ramadan we all give more because we are undergoing the feelings that unfortunate people would experience Today I will recite chapter 2 verse 263 in which Allah reminds us how to give charity ldquoA kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury And Allah is Self-Sufficient Forgivingrdquo Now I will explain it briefly ldquoShowing kindness is better than charity followed by injuryrdquo means that if you are not able to give charity and you cover up the plight of those suffering with kind words then this is better than giving charity followed by hurtful words For example if you gave pound100 to a less fortunate person than yourself then you keep reminding them of the time you helped them so that they are humiliated it would have been better if you had been kind to them when they were in desperate need ldquoAnd Allah is Self-sufficient and Forbearingrdquo When Allah says that He is Self-sufficient He means that He is not dependant on anyone or anything Again when he says that He is Forbearing He means that He is Merciful so He will forgive us if we try to follow the path of Allah Conclusion I hope we all feel encouraged to implement what Allah has revealed to us and to give Zakat with the best of intentions which I am sure all of us will Now all that there is left to say is Eid Mubarak

66

67

68

69

70

65

Giving zakat by Irfaan Ahmad (age 11)

In the Qurrsquoan Allah has taught us to give Zakat or poor-rate During Ramadan we fast We do this because Allah has commanded us in the Quran and also it helps us to empathise with those who are less fortunate than us I am sure that all year round we give charity However during the month of Ramadan we all give more because we are undergoing the feelings that unfortunate people would experience Today I will recite chapter 2 verse 263 in which Allah reminds us how to give charity ldquoA kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury And Allah is Self-Sufficient Forgivingrdquo Now I will explain it briefly ldquoShowing kindness is better than charity followed by injuryrdquo means that if you are not able to give charity and you cover up the plight of those suffering with kind words then this is better than giving charity followed by hurtful words For example if you gave pound100 to a less fortunate person than yourself then you keep reminding them of the time you helped them so that they are humiliated it would have been better if you had been kind to them when they were in desperate need ldquoAnd Allah is Self-sufficient and Forbearingrdquo When Allah says that He is Self-sufficient He means that He is not dependant on anyone or anything Again when he says that He is Forbearing He means that He is Merciful so He will forgive us if we try to follow the path of Allah Conclusion I hope we all feel encouraged to implement what Allah has revealed to us and to give Zakat with the best of intentions which I am sure all of us will Now all that there is left to say is Eid Mubarak

66

67

68

69

70

66

67

68

69

70

67

68

69

70

68

69

70

69

70

70

71

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Mohamed amp Akela Haroun ASSALAAMU-ALAIKUM A valuable RamadhanEid Gift from our family to yours May Allah (SWT) accept your Duas your Fasting your Salaat your good deeds and your Zakaat and may your Eid be most memorable Please accept by clicking on the gift pack below Insha-Allah

httpwwwquranflashcomenquranflashhtml Salaams AKELA amp HAROUN

Eid prayer and celebration at Oakland Mosque California This year Parveen and I joined the brothers and sisters at the Jamalsquoatrsquos Oakland California Mosque for prayer and Eid festivities The gathering took place on Tuesday August 30 2011 with the prayer proceedings commencing at 900 AM We were blessed with the presence of Brother Ikram Jahangiri son of the late Qazi Abdur Rashid Advocate who gave a brief lecture in English on Deen-i- Islam and on how to nourish our young children towards religious education Brother Ikram Jahangiri was followed by Brother Mohammad Mustapha Imam amp President of the Oakland Jamalsquoat who spoke in Urdu to welcome the devotees and explained the number of takbirs the Imam will recite in the beginning and the second rakat of the two rakats Eid-ul-Fitr prayer Then Imam Mustapha led the prayer and on completion Brother Hashmullah delivered a khutba in Urdu and Arabic The programme continued with Brother Zafar Abdullah President of AAIIL California USA who took the podium to read out the spiritual message of Hazrat Ameer Then Brother Jafar Ali Buksh Vice-President of Oakland Jamalsquoat welcomed the visiting guests and reminisced about his association with the late Master Muhammad Abdullah while they were in Fiji Finally before breaking for a sumptuous lunch Imam Mohammad Mustapha invited me to join him at the podium to distribute gifts and award certificates of merit to children for performances that took place during Ramadan-Al-Mubarik Eid-ul-Fitr prayer and celebration with the Jamalsquoat members in the Bay Area of San Francisco was quite a memorable experience for both Parveen and me JazakAllah Akbar Abdullah Editor The HOPE Bulletin

72

Before leaving for mosque Jaffar Abdullah reading Hazrat Ameerrsquos

Eid-Ul-Fitr message

Welcome and message of thanks by Jaffar Ali Buksh Takril and Question and Answers by Ikram Jhangiri

73

Dulsquoa by Mohammed Mustapha

74

Special guest Akbar Abdullah (r)

Children receiving certificates from Akbar Abdullah

75

Preparing hellip

76

Eid snacks

77

[Photos courtesy Jannifar Khanoum]

CONTACT INFORMATION

Akbar Abdullah Editor The HOPE Bulletin

Mailing Address PO Box 232811 Sacramento California 95823-0430 USA E-mail Address akbar_786usyahoocom

Telephone Number (773) 539-6892

ldquoISLAMrdquo stands for ldquoI SHALL LOVE ALL MANKINDrdquo

73

Dulsquoa by Mohammed Mustapha

74

Special guest Akbar Abdullah (r)

Children receiving certificates from Akbar Abdullah

75

Preparing hellip

76

Eid snacks

77

[Photos courtesy Jannifar Khanoum]

CONTACT INFORMATION

Akbar Abdullah Editor The HOPE Bulletin

Mailing Address PO Box 232811 Sacramento California 95823-0430 USA E-mail Address akbar_786usyahoocom

Telephone Number (773) 539-6892

ldquoISLAMrdquo stands for ldquoI SHALL LOVE ALL MANKINDrdquo

74

Special guest Akbar Abdullah (r)

Children receiving certificates from Akbar Abdullah

75

Preparing hellip

76

Eid snacks

77

[Photos courtesy Jannifar Khanoum]

CONTACT INFORMATION

Akbar Abdullah Editor The HOPE Bulletin

Mailing Address PO Box 232811 Sacramento California 95823-0430 USA E-mail Address akbar_786usyahoocom

Telephone Number (773) 539-6892

ldquoISLAMrdquo stands for ldquoI SHALL LOVE ALL MANKINDrdquo

75

Preparing hellip

76

Eid snacks

77

[Photos courtesy Jannifar Khanoum]

CONTACT INFORMATION

Akbar Abdullah Editor The HOPE Bulletin

Mailing Address PO Box 232811 Sacramento California 95823-0430 USA E-mail Address akbar_786usyahoocom

Telephone Number (773) 539-6892

ldquoISLAMrdquo stands for ldquoI SHALL LOVE ALL MANKINDrdquo

76

Eid snacks

77

[Photos courtesy Jannifar Khanoum]

CONTACT INFORMATION

Akbar Abdullah Editor The HOPE Bulletin

Mailing Address PO Box 232811 Sacramento California 95823-0430 USA E-mail Address akbar_786usyahoocom

Telephone Number (773) 539-6892

ldquoISLAMrdquo stands for ldquoI SHALL LOVE ALL MANKINDrdquo

77

[Photos courtesy Jannifar Khanoum]

CONTACT INFORMATION

Akbar Abdullah Editor The HOPE Bulletin

Mailing Address PO Box 232811 Sacramento California 95823-0430 USA E-mail Address akbar_786usyahoocom

Telephone Number (773) 539-6892

ldquoISLAMrdquo stands for ldquoI SHALL LOVE ALL MANKINDrdquo