THE PERFECT BOOK

SAYINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD

EXTRACTS FROM THE HOLY QUR'AN

GEMS OF BEAUTY

WRITINGS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH THE MESSIAH SAID

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We have made it a Qur’an in clear, eloquent language that you may understand. [Holy Quran 43:4]

In this verse of Surah Al-Zukhruf Allah says that the Holy Qur’an has been revealed in a clear language so it is our duty to recite, learn and think about the verses for our own benefit. The book of Allah, is full of knowledge and wisdom relating to everything in the world. It has the secrets of gaining nearness to Allah and keeping away from bad things. It also contains knowledge about the universe and its contents. Unless we study and understand the Holy Qur’an we will not be able to draw the benefits from its guidance.

Hadhrat Ibn Abbas , a companion of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad reported that the Holy Prophet said:

The case of one who does not learn any portion of the Qur'an is like that of an abandoned house [Tirmidhi] An abandoned house serves no purpose. In fact it becomes dusty and dirty. It becomes host to harmful beings. It decays as time goes by. It becomes ugly and an eyesore for others. So by comparing someone who doesn’t learn anything from the Qur’an to an abandoned house our Master, the Holy Prophet of Islam has warned us the state we could be in if we do not try and learn any portion from the Holy Qur’an at all. Our minds will be empty and this empty space will be filled by bad thoughts which will lead to bad actions. This will cause us to drift away from Allah which is against the purpose of our life.

One of the principal causes of people going astray in this age is that in the eyes of most people the greatness of the Holy Qur'an no longer prevails. [Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol 3, page 452] The Promised Messiah summarises very beautifully the reason for people going astray, which is the cause of almost all problems in the world. As people discarded the teachings of Qur’an, Satan influenced them causing grief, anger and war in this world. It is our duty as Ahmadiyya children to learn the Holy Qur’an and to teach the world that the only way to save ourselves from the problems in the world is by following the true teachings of the Qur’an.

“A N

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WITH

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OF IT

’S YOU

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ALIFA

TUL M

ASIH

II – FOU

ND

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F AH

MA

DIY

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MU

SLIM Y

OU

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ASSO

CIA

TION

Wassalam,

Nasir Khawaja atfal@khuddam.org.uk

MESSAGE FROM MOHTAMIM ATFAL

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Welcome to the Spring edition of the Tahir Magazine 2012. I would like to thank all Atfal and parents who gave their positive feedback and supported the previous edition of the Tahir Magazine that was for Autumn 2011. We have tried to make the Tahir magazine interesting and informative for you, so if you have any ideas on how we could improve it, don’t hesitate to let us know. This edition aims to be even better than the previous editions so I hope you gain benefit from it. I have visited many regions across the UK in the past few months and have had the opportunity to meet many Atfal from across the country. I have been very impressed with the behaviour and levels of tarbiyyat amongst you all. Please keep up this good practise. Remember that we live in the same country as Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih , and that our standards of behaviour and conduct should be higher than that of those Atfal that live in other countries. Feel free to contact myself and the Chief Editor of the magazine at anytime. Finally, I request you to please pray for the success of Majlis Atfalul Ahmadiyya UK and for our beloved Khalifa from whom we derive many blessings.

This edition is dedicated to our National Atfal Ijtema 2011. It also includes lots of articles and pictures on various topics. We include helpful advice and guidance for our Atfal to become visionaries and leaders in modern-day Britain. To help us make this magazine a success, send us your views, comments, articles and pictures. Please remember the large Editorial Team and everyone involved in this Magazine in your special prayers. Without further ado I present to you the second edition of the Tahir Magazine, for Spring 2012. Take a look and see for yourself. Wassalam, Zubair Ahmed tahirmagazine@atfal.org.uk

SADR MKA UK

FAHIM ANWER

MOHTAMIM MAA UK

NASIR KHAWAJA

SECRETARY ISHAAT MAA UK

MUBARIZ AHMEDI

CHIEF EDITOR

ZUBAIR AHMED

EDITORIAL TEAM

DR MAHMOOD AHMAD

DR TAYYIB HAYAT

IRFAN HANIF

GHALIB LONE

OSAMA HAMID

DR IMRAN HANIF

TAHIR SHAH

HASSAN TARIQ

PROOFING

WAQAR AHMEDI

Tahir Magazine is the official

magazine of Atfalul Ahmadiyya UK,

the children's organisation of the

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community .

The views expressed here by

contributors may not represent the

views held by Atfalul Ahmadiyya UK,

or of the Ahmadiyya Muslim

Community.

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CONTENTS SPRING 2012

ARTICLES FROM ATFAL ACROSS THE UK

HONEY IN ISLAM

A QUALITY OF GREATNESS: HUMILITY

WORLD LEADING MUSLIMS

Welcome to the Tahir Magazine, Spring Edition 2012. From your feedback we know that you enjoyed the previous edition which was sent out last year with its new, fresh look. We received positive comments from Atfal and their parents and we aim to build on that success by producing this really dynamic and interesting edition for Atfalul Ahmadiyya UK.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FROM YOUR KHALIFA TO YOU

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DOCTOR

EASTER UNCOVERED

CHARITY CHALLENGE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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“It is important to recite the Holy Qur’an. Some of you with great tenacity ask me to conduct your “Ameens” (Ceremony for finishing the Holy Qur’an). Many Ameens are conducted at the ages of six, seven or eight. Some children are even finished with reading the Holy Qur’an for the first time at the age of five. I will have to tell your parents sitting here that unfortunately after this (ceremony) takes place they do not emphasise the regular recitation of the Holy Qur’an by their children as they should. Parents should give this importance and children should concentrate on this matter themselves. Whether they are at the age of ten or eleven or even if they are nine years old they should recite the Holy Qur’an regularly. Even if they recite half a Rakuh daily. If you develop the habit of reciting the Holy Qur’an regularly then you will slowly start to understand it.

Extract from the keynote speech at the Atfalul Ahmadiyya Ijtema Germany, 17th September 2011

When you start to understand the Holy Qur’an then you will start to understand the responsibilities of an Ahmadi Muslim child and how to fulfil them. Then you will be able to serve your religion and society in the appropriate manner. You will be able to fulfil your responsibilities toward Allah, toward your government, toward your elders and toward your colleagues. Reciting the Holy Qur’an is very important. Thirteen to fourteen year old children should develop the habit of reciting the Holy Qur’an with translation. If this habit is created in you now then when you are older you will develop into people with the abilities such that people recognise that you will be one of those people who play an important part in the rise of the Jamaat. These people will be a part of the growth that Allah has destined for Jamaat.”

“It is important to

recite the Holy Qur’an” “Then you will be able to

serve your religion and society”

FROM YOUR KHALIFA TO YOU

A QUALITY OF GREATNESS: HUMILITY

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The following incident was written by Maulana Bashir Ahmad Rafiq Sahib, who is the former Imam of Masjid Fazl (London Mosque). He narrated: In 1976 Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih III was visiting the UK and staying at the mission house in London. Chaudhry Sahib lived in a small flat at the top of the mission house, overlooking the Mahmood Hall. Chaudhry Sahib had been suffering from the flu and had been bedridden for a few days and meals were being taken upstairs to him. One day Huzur indicated that he needed to see Chaudhry Sahib to discuss an important matter. Huzur said that as he is unwell, I should go up and tell Chaudhry Sahib that he will come up and see him shortly. I sent my son upstairs to inform Chaudhry Sahib that Hudhur was coming upstairs and to our surprise he said most emphatically "No, that is unacceptable". I was quite taken aback and said that I couldn't understand the problem as Huzur was probably on his way upstairs as we spoke. Chaudhry Sahib pulled himself up and said "You must go down and delay Huzur and I will be down shortly". I again remonstrated and asked why it was such an issue as Huzur had already indicated that he was coming upstairs. Chaudhry Sahib turned to me and said "He is the Khalifatul Masih, and I am his disciple, it would be totally inappropriate for Huzur to come upstairs to see me. I will be the one who comes down, and that is final".

I went downstairs and Huzur was already in the doorway of his office about to climb the three flights of stairs to Chaudhry Sahib's flat. Huzur fell silent after I conveyed Chaudhry Sahib's message and I could see that he had been moved by Chaudhry Sahib's words. He then went outside and waited for Chaudhry Sahib to come down from his flat, still dressed in his dressing gown so as not to delay his beloved Huzur by getting dressed up himself he came and met Huzur and they had their meeting.

“He is the Khalifatul Masih and

I am his disciple”

“I could see that he had been

moved by Chaudhury Sahib’s words”

SIR CHAUDHRY ZAFRULLAH KHAN SAHIB

FEATURE

In the English countryside on the 16th, 17th and 18th of September 2011 hundreds of Ahmadi children gathered for the annual National Atfal Ijtema UK. The scene was set by workers who spent days and nights preparing for one of the most historic and record-breaking events in the history of Atfalul Ahmadiyya UK. This year organisers packed an exciting and fast-paced schedule into the three days which all Atfal from across the country enjoyed. FRIDAY The three-day convention started with Jumu’ah prayers on Friday afternoon and was followed by a discussion forum which all Atfal present were given the opportunity to sit with Mohtamim Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya UK, Nasir Khawaja Sahib, and discuss contemporary issues ranging from social, religious and personal topics which was ended with a interactive discussion on the impact of the London riots on our society.

SATURDAY Saturday morning started early, with the awakening of the birds and animals surrounding the area our atfal too woke up to participate in congregational Tahujjad and Fajr prayers led by Hani Tahir Sahib. After a short sleep after Fajr prayers the Atfal gathered in the main Atfal area and were split into their respective age groups, namely Nasir, Tahir, Bashir and Noor, to start the national academic and sporting competitions. In the academic competitions alone there were 406 competitors which meant you had to be at the top of your game to get that coveted first prize.

SATURDAY – Q&A SESSION AND BARBECUE On Saturday afternoon the Atfal were given the opportunity to interact with and learn from one of the most highly regarded scholars of our Jamaat. A dynamic question and answer session was scheduled with the Imam of the London Mosque, Maulana Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib, where various religious topics were covered with Atfal asking questions ranging from the meaning of life to careers advice and everything in between. Imam Sahib was so impressed with the level of interest and maturity of the Atfal that he promised to come back and hold a forum in the future, insha’Allah. 6

ATFAL IJTEMA 2011 REPORT

This year there was a record-breaking attendance over the three days with 1,100 Atfal attending from all parts of the UK. This was the highest ever attendance at a national event held by Atfalul Ahmadiyya UK. During all three days the Atfal enjoyed the presence of representatives from UK charities, British Army and Navy as well as the assault courses, 50ft high rock climbing wall, photo exhibition and the basic first aid demonstrations by paramedics. The prize distribution ceremony took place on Sunday with over 100 academic prizes awarded to the elite Atfal in the country. After the prize ceremony all Atfal listened to the speech by Ameer Sahib UK which detailed inspirational anecdotes from the life of early Prophets and then the live feed from Germany where the keynote address of the Ijtema’s was being delivered by Hadhrat Ameer-ul-Mumineen to both the German and UK convention. This keynote address explained the roles and responsibilities of each tifl living in the Europe and the importance of their attachment to Khilafat. The closing address was an incredible way to conclude the Ijtema and provided the impetus and motivation for Majlis Atfalul Ahmadiyya UK to move forward to bigger and better events in the future.

After this packed Saturday the Atfal were treated with a barbecue organised by Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya where all regions were showing their culinary talents with food for all. The barbecue was attended by leaders in society including senior Jama’at officials and respected Ameer Sahib UK.

SUNDAY Sunday morning began with all Atfal sleeping on site offering their Tahujjud and Fajr prayers then enjoying a hearty breakfast at 8am. All Atfal then broke into their age groups to finish some of the finals for both academic and sporting competitions. Then by 1pm the Atfal reconvened in the main Atfal tent for the final session and prize distribution which was the pinnacle of the convention as they were eager to know who won and lost as well as waiting for the concluding address by our Khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad .

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By Zubair Ahmed [Chief Editor]

ATFAL IJTEMA 2011

There will follow thereafter monarchical despotism to last as long as Allah shall will and come to an end upon His decree. There will then emerge Khilafat on precepts of Prophethood.“ Our Beloved Imam of the time, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad writes in The Will; For it is essential for you to witness the second manifestation, and its Coming is better for you because it is everlasting the continuity of which will not end till the Day of Judgment. And that second manifestation cannot come unless I depart. But when I depart God will send that second manifestation for you which shall always stay with you just as promised by God in Brahin-e-Ahmadiyya. Khilafat establishes the authority of Allah on earth and the Khalifa strives to uphold that authority within the community of followers. For the believers, Khilafat is an embodiment of Allah’s Unity, as they choose to take divine authority through the person of the Khalifa. The believers partake of the blessings of Khilafat by holding firm to their faith and practices, united under him. Dear brothers we are very lucky to be Ahmadi Muslims and to be guided by the our beloved Huzur we should also pray for him and the success of the Jamaat under his guidance. We should be very thankful to be a part of the Jamaat in the UK as this gives us an opportunity to meet our Huzur two or three times a year and may Allah enable us all to obey the commandments of our Khalifa and all of his Mahroof decisions. Ameen.

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Allah says in The Holy Qur’an: Allah had promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then who so is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious. [Surah Al-Nur, Verse 56] After Prophethood, Khilafat is the most important institution in Islam. Khulafa are ultimately appointed by God through His Divine guidance. And though Khilafat had disappeared, it has been re-established as prophesised by The Holy Prophet, Muhammad . The Holy Prophet also said; "Prophethood shall remain among you as long as Allah shall will. He will bring about its end and follow it with Khilafat on the precepts of prophet hood for as long as He shall will and then bring about its end. A tyrannical monarchy will then follow and will remain as long as Allah shall will and then come to an end.

By Affan Ahmad [Hertfordshire]

OBEDIENCE TO KHILAFAT

“He will bring about its end and

follow it with Khilafat”

Age: 13

ARTICLES FROM ATFAL ACROSS THE UK

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Five hundred years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad , a Kurdish Muslim leader was born, a leader who would go on to define the history of Islam as we know it. This man was Hadhrat Salahuddin Ayubi. Born in the year 1138, he was a key figure in the famed Crusades of the Middle Ages between the Muslims and the Christians, whose leader at the time was none other than the fabled Richard the Lionheart. Due to Hadhrat Salahuddin’s great leadership and military prowess, the Muslims were able to win the Battle of Hattin, against the Kingdom of Jerusalem which allowed them to re-claim Palestine which had been taken 88 years earlier. This was, perhaps, Hadhrat Salahuddin’s greatest military success, one which enabled him to expand his ‘empire’ or ‘sultanate’ to most of the countries in the Middle East. As a result, understandably, he was, and still is, held in very high regard by not only Muslims, but Europeans too. The greatness of this leader of the Muslims is encompassed with his relationship with the very man he was so against, Richard the Lionheart. Although a lot of people were killed, both leaders had enormous respect for each other. It is alleged that once during fighting, Richard lost his battle horse, and upon hearing of this, Hadhrat Salahuddin sent him two replacement horses at once.

We can see that even though the two sides were bitterly opposed, the respect Hadhrat Salahuddin had towards the opposition leader was clearly evident. This was a very brief historical perspective of Hadhrat Salahuddin’s life. However, although it is very interesting and exciting to learn about the actions of such a leader, the significance of this must also be noted. If it were not for Hadhrat Salahuddin, the religion of Islam could and would very likely have been very different to what it is today. If the Christian Crusaders had their way, then there was a very real chance that a lot of direct harm could have been dealt to Islam. However, Islam is the divine religion, as Allah says in the Holy Qur’an in Surah Al Mai’dah, “This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”

Hadhrat Salahuddin Ayubi

“Due to Hadhrat Salahuddin’s

great leadership”

A CUT ABOVE THE REST WORLD LEADING MUSLIMS

As we can know, something which is a direct result of Allah’s actions cannot be destroyed, even if the whole of humanity rises up against it. Therefore, in order to safeguard the perfect religion, Allah chose Hadhrat Salahuddin to lead the Muslims away from the darkness of the Crusaders and into the light of being able to profess their religion openly and without any need for secrecy. It is obvious that Allah was with him all the time and it was only due to Allah’s divine help and His acceptance of supplications, Hadhrat Salahuddin was able to accomplish the things he did. Another reason for Hadhrat Salahuddin’s importance can be seen with the way his legacy still stands today. Although some of us may not know about him as much as other, more influential people such as the Prophet Muhammad , The Promised Messiah and the Khulafa; he still holds great significance in the lands which he previously commanded. An interesting fact that the eagle seen on the emblems of many Arab countries including Egypt, the UAE, Iraq and Yemen is in fact the Eagle of Salahuddin. It was adopted by such countries as a symbol of unity, the unity which Hadhrat Salahuddin had managed to obtain more than 800 years ago. His legacy is not only isolated with the Middle East; indeed, in 1898, the German Kaiser Wilhelm II went to Hadhrat Salahuddin’s tomb to pay his respects and donated a new marble sarcophagus to the mausoleum where he is entombed.

The utmost humility and God-fearing nature of Hadhrat Salahuddin is perfectly epitomised at the event of his death as a result of fever, in 1193. Being one of the most influential people on the globe at the time and having an empire which included most of the Middle East, you would have assumed he was extremely rich. However, when he died, all he had was 1 piece of gold and 47 pieces of silver; he had given most of his wealth away to his poor citizens. This highlights the generosity of the man as he spent it in the way of Allah and gave it to those who needed it most. Therefore, Hadhrat Salahuddin risked his life and empire only to please Allah and to safeguard the religion of Islam. May Allah enable us to follow in his footsteps and to sacrifice all we have for the sake of Ahmadiyya Islam. Ameen. By Osama Hamid [Features Editor]

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SEND YOUR ARTICLES TO TAHIRMAGAZINE@ATFAL.ORG.UK TO BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT EDITION OF

THE MAGAZINE

“It is obvious that Allah

was with him all the time”

“you would have assumed he

was extremely rich”

A CUT ABOVE THE REST

How does the Holy Qur’an guide us? Allah says that the Holy Qur’an is a book of shif’a which means ‘healing’ and reh’m meaning a ‘mercy’ for all of mankind. Each verse of the Holy Qur’an helps Muslims in every situation in life, for example when one feels upset or really wants something from Allah. In the Holy Qur’an lots of foods are mentioned for good health and well-being.

Honey in a nutshell.. Honey helps cure all illnesses for example, it helps to sooth a sore throat and improves our physical mind and body amongst other many other benefits as you shall see.

What is honey? Honey is a 100% pure and natural sweetener made and stored in honeycombs by the honey bees. Nearly 1 million tonnes of honey is produced worldwide every year.

How is honey made? Honeybees collect pollen and nectar with their long tongues, like straws. They store it in their stomachs and carry it to the beehive. Honeycombs are symmetrically shaped as hexagons - this is the most efficient shape for the bees' living and storing of food. A colony of bees consist of 20,000-60,000 honeybees and one ‘Queen bee’. The Queen Bee is the busiest of all and lays up to 2,500 eggs per day. She can live up to 5 years. Worker honey bees are female, live for about 6 weeks and do all the work. Honey bees communicate with one another by “dancing”. While inside the bee’s stomach for about half an hour, the nectar mixes with the proteins and enzymes produced by the bees converting the nectar into the honey.

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HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE HONEY IN ISLAM

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What are its benefits? Honey is a miracle food; it never goes bad. It gives us good health. Honey is nature’s energy booster. Honey is a great immunity system builder.

Where is honey mentioned in the Qur’an and what does it say about it? It is mentioned in the 16th chapter (Surah an Nahl) which means ‘The Bees’. Allah commands bees: to “Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build… in which (honey) is a healing for all” [Holy Quran, 16: 69-70]

Did the Holy Prophet mention honey? Yes he did! In the 7th century, he explained how unique honey is. It is narrated in a famous Hadith book called, Sahih al Bukhari: “Honey is a remedy for every illness and therefore I recommend to you all in your remedies, the Qur'an and honey” [Bukhari]. So, we can see that honey is not simply just any ordinary food, but a special food designed by Allah to cure human illnesses.

What does science say? Scientists have proven that honey contains antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and is also used for wound-healing purposes. Manuka honey for example, is a popular ‘healing’ honey because it comes from bees that have been busy pollinating the Manuka trees grown only in New Zealand. It is notably a rare and pure honey.

What is the future for honey? In 2008, scientists claimed there would be a rapid decline of honeybees, and could become extinct due to certain diseases. In his Friday Sermon of 19th December 2008, Huzur explained that Allah mentions in the Holy Qur’an, that honey will never become extinct, but may be taken away from people uncertain areas as a form of punishment.

By Ghalib Ahmed Lone [Features Editor]

HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE

The AMA Charity Challenge was first organised in 1985 and this year represents the 27th anniversary of AMA’s Challenge. In that time it has raised over £1 million for charitable causes. This year the event will be held on Sunday 13th May 2012 at the historic Tower of London. We met up with last year’s top fund raiser and below is his exclusive interview for the Tahir Magazine.

Name: Daniyal Durrani Age: 14 Qiadat: Mosque Region: Muqami Award: Top fundraiser

The Charity Challenge 2011 was hosted by the Midlands Region in the location of Leamington Spa which, for Daniyal, was a welcome change of scenery from London. Daniyal thought that “the event was brilliant and really well organised. The route was well planned and went through some really interesting places”. It was his first time in Leamington Spa and “as an inner-city boy from London, it was a fantastic opportunity to see the beautiful countryside and new places”. Sounds like it made for a great day out for Daniyal! When asked about the route, he said that “it was challenging in parts with a good mix of high ground and low ground. There were some uphills that were tough and some downhills that were much easier but as a regular sportsman it didn’t make me that tired”. It got me thinking that either this Tifil is naturally fit, or he must have done some well thought out preparation. It turns out that Daniyal would “go on regular morning jogs with friends”.

I asked how he made the time for it? “Saturday and Sunday mornings were always easy to get 30 mins to 1 hour of jogging in and the half term gave me loads of extra time to do some more jogging”. Interestingly, Daniyal would visit different parks each time to give himself the opportunity to run on lots of different terrains so that when the Charity Challenge came around, he was well prepared! Being suitably impressed by Daniyal’s physical state, I asked him about the fundraising side of things that lead to his award. “raising over £500 was fun as I focussed more on collections – that way you get the money there and then”. So what did he do? “I went on regular door to door collections with my Dad and collected at Fazl Mosque at namaz times”. He recalled a short story: “Huzoor used to see me regularly collecting for charity at namaz time and decided to give me a big donation straight from his own pocket! What a blessing that was!”

PROFILE

14

INTERVIEW CHARITY CHALLENGE

14

I leave you with some top tips from last year’s winner Daniyal Durrani: 1. Start jogging with a friend on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Make the most of your extra time in the half term holiday. 2. Keep a steady jogging pace, keep going and push yourself! Daniyal says that “…the greatest athletes push themselves hard to get to the top…” 3. If you can, or with help from someone older, set up a justgiving website. 4. Spread the message to all your school friends, teachers and neighbours.

CHARITY CHALLENGE 2012 POSTER COMPETITION

THE POSTER SHOULD…..

ADVERTISE AND PROMOTE THE EVENT

BE NON-ELECTRONIC ON A4 OR A3

BE CREATIVE AND EYE-CATCHING

WINNERS WILL HAVE THEIR POSTERS IN ALL MISSION

HOUSES ACROSS THE UK

THE WINNING POSTERS WILL ALSO BE PUT UP AT THE

EVENT IN LONDON

SUBMIT YOUR POSTER TO:

ATFAL OFFICE, BAITUL FUTUH,

181 LONDON ROAD, SM4 5HF

OR BY HAND TO YOUR NAZIM ATFAL

FOR MORE INFO EMAIL:

KHIDMATEKHALQ@ATFAL.ORG.UK

CLOSING DATE: 15TH APRIL 2012

5. Start collecting as soon as possible asking friends, family and neighbours. Collecting as a group can be a lot of fun! For more information on the Charity Challenge 2012, please contact your local or regional Nazim Atfal or drop me an email at khidmatekhalq@atfal.org.uk. See you on Sunday 13th May at the Tower of London.

INTERVIEW

Dr Hammad Khan Sahib is a consultant neonatologist, which is a hospital doctor who’s main work is treating and looking after sick newborn infants on the intensive care unit. He is also the national Mohtamid (General Secretary) of MKA UK and works in Humanity First International. He agreed to take time out of his busy schedule to do this exclusive interview for the Tahir Magazine Spring edition. Describe how a typical day at work is for you? I normally leave for work at 6.30am and cycle all way there. The working day starts with a handover from the team of night doctors. After this I conduct a ward round. This means I take the group of doctors and nurses who are working that day round to see all of the babies who are on the intensive care unit. We examine all of the babies make plans on their care, speak to the parents of the children and explain what is happening to them. Many of the children that I look after are extremely unwell. They often require help with their breathing from a ventilator or medication to support their hearts or kidneys. Some of them are suffering from dangerous infections that we have to treat with antibiotics. Many of the babies that I look after are born premature; some as many as 4 months early. Some of my patients weigh less than 500 grams (less than half a bag of sugar) – these babies need huge amounts of help before they are well enough (and big enough!) to go home. Some babies are born with problems with their hearts, brains or intestines and need specialised treatments including surgery before they can go home. The ward round finishes at around lunch time. After a short break we do whatever jobs need doing including any procedures that need to be done on the babies. We can be interrupted at any time by the labour ward if they are expecting the birth of a child who is unwell or if a child is born and has some difficulties with its breathing, or if a child is born prematurely. In these circumstances a team of doctors and nurses from the intensive care unit will go to the labour ward (where babies are born) and we will give the baby whatever treatment it needs and then bring it to the intensive care unit for continuing care.

“I pray for every one of my patients that Allah should give me the ability to help them get better”

“I normally leave for work at 6:30am

and cycle all the way there”

16

INTERVIEW A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DOCTOR

On some days I will have an out-patients clinic in which I will see babies who have been on the intensive care unit before and have gone home. I see them to check on their progress and adjust any treatments they may be having at home. At around 8 o’clock in the evening we will handover to the night team and I will complete my paperwork and cycle home. I really enjoy the work that I do. It can sometimes be difficult and painful. It is heart-wrenching to see babies who are extremely unwell and see their families in distress. But I am grateful that I have been given the privilege and by Allah’s grace have been given the knowledge and ability to help them. I pray for every one of my patients that Allah should give me the ability to help them get better and give their parents the strength to cope with the illness of their child. The best part of my job is when a baby is well enough to go home. It is extremely heart-warming to see parents take their children home for the first. Sometimes they leave after weeks or months on the intensive care unit requiring machines, medications, tubes and monitors to keep them well, and the care and attention of doctors and nurses as well as the grace and mercy of Allah to get them better. What qualities are required to be successful at this job? The job that I do requires patience, the ability to work hard in difficult circumstances and the ability to talk to parents and explain the illness of their child in a sympathetic and clear way. What advice would you give to Atfal who want to become doctors in the future? For anyone who wants to become a doctor my main advice would be work hard. Focus on your goal, pray hard every day, act with humility and always help your fellow man.

“The best part of my job is when a

baby is well enough to go home”

DR KHAN WORKING ON A SICK BABY

INTERVIEW

‘O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be among the truthful.’ The Holy Quran says truthfulness is the most important quality for a Muslim. The Holy Prophet Muhammad said to the Muslims, ‘I order you to be truthful, indeed truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. And beware of falsehood, as it leads to sinning and sinning leads to the Fire.’ [Sahih Muslim] In a Friday sermon in 1989, the Khalifa said that all Ahmadi children should be in the habit of speaking the truth; they should never lie even in a joke. Honesty will help you to do great things because all good habits begin with honesty. May Allah help us to be among the truthful. Ameen.

By Fareed Ahmedi [Tahir Region]

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TRUTHFULNESS

The word Khalifa means, among other things, a successor, a vicegerent, one who has been appointed to take the place of the one before him, and a substitute. The plural of this word also means inheritors of God’s favours. Before we can explore the blessings of this great institution, one must understand what Khilafat is. Is it just confined to the Khilafat that we perceive and understand today? To answer this question we turn to the Holy Quran. The Word of Allah speaks of different types of Khilafat. Firstly, Prophets are also known as Khalifas or vicegerents.

Allah declares, “(We said) O David, we have made thee a Khalifa in the earth”. [Holy Quran,38:27] The greatest Khalifa of God, Hadhrat Muhammad Mustafa left us with a legacy of immeasurable and unending Blessings. He brought about a change in human enhancement the like of which is unparalleled in history and indeed shall remain unchallenged till the end of the days. This Prophet addressed the most demoralised, immoral, corrupt and debase of human kind, and raised the very same people to the heights of moral and spiritual excellences that were unheard of. Once more the Blessings that the Arabs and the world enjoyed through his untiring efforts due to the Grace of Allah are unparalleled and shall remain unequalled till the end of the days. Once established, and if Allah so wills, prophethood is augmented with success by means of the bestowal of Khilafat. It is this very Khilafat, which is charged with the duty of disseminating the law, as revealed to the Prophet, to followers and converts of the following age. The institution of Khilafat thus halts the demise of a teaching. We can see throughout the religious world the decline and corruption of the word of God. It is only in Islam and the Prophethood of Muhammad that we see the safeguarding of the word of God. Khilafat continues today under the reawakening of Islam brought about by the greatest Khalifa of Muhammad , namely the Promised Messiah, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad . The potent teachings of Muhammad , which had become distant memories and twisted into folklore, were rekindled by the Promised Messiah, back to its former glory and splendour. Thus the safety of mankind depended entirely on the shoulders of the institution of Khilafat. May Allah continue to give this wonderful blessing lasting life, light and radiance. Ameen.

BLESSINGS OF KHILAFAT

By Rihan Tahir [East Region] Age: 15

Age: 7

FROM ATFAL ACROSS THE UK ARTICLES

A translation of an Urdu couplet which highlights the importance of truthfulness is as follows: “Truth can never be hidden based on false presumptions. Just as an origami flower cannot give fragrance.” God Almighty says in The Holy Qur’an: “That is God’s Commandment. And whoso honours the sacred things of Allah, it will be good for him with his Lord. And cattle are made lawful for you but not that which has been announced to you. Shun therefore the abomination of Idols, and shun all words of untruth.” Here in this verse, falsehood has been placed as such a lowly sin that it is compared to idol worship which is the most hateful thing to Allah. In the fields of Karbala, Husayn did not falter at falsehood but gave his life for the sake of the truth he believed in. In the same way Afghanistan, Sahibzada Abdul Lateef Shahid gave his life for the sake of the truth of Ahmadiyyat. The Promised Messiah has said: “Falsehood is a poison; do not take it!” Today, falsehood is prevalent in the world and Allah has established Ahmadiyyat as the only beacon of light in the world. We need to conquer this world with the power of truth because truth is that weapon which can annihilate any enemy. This is that truth through of which every prophet that has ever come has established himself and his message in this world. This is that outstanding moral quality, the base of which our beloved role-model the Holy Prophet Muhammad was attributed to be Sadiq- The truthful.

The translation to another Urdu couplet is as follows: “Always keep truthfulness dear to you because nothing except truthfulness matters.” May Allah enable us to walk on the path of truthfulness and make the actions and personality of the Holy Prophet a model for our moral and spiritual upbringing. Ameen.

By Ibtisam Mirza [Masroor Region]

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TRUTHFULNESS

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THE MAGAZINE

Age: 14

ARTICLES

On Sunday the 8th of April 2012 a very important festival occurred which is a Christian feast and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ . This article aims to show you the reality of this festival and how we should react to it as Ahmadi Muslims living in the UK. Easter is an significant festival in the religion of Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, the story of Jesus’ life and death is described. It is told that the Romans sentenced Jesus to be killed by crucifixion and put him on the cross on a Friday. He was then buried in a tomb and then, according to the New Testament, he was brought back to life on the third day after his death. Christians all over the world celebrate Easter each year to commemorate this story. The Easter Festival includes Good Friday, which remembers the crucifixion, and Easter Sunday, which celebrates the resurrection. Although Easter is celebrated by most Christians today, there is no record of the early Christians ever celebrating Easter or any other festival based on Jesus’ life. Many people believe that the customs and timing of Easter originated from the Jewish festival of Passover. This festival, which Prophet Jesus and his disciples also celebrated, remembers the ancient Israelites who were freed from slavery in Egypt, led by Prophet Moses - a story which is explained in the Holy Qur’an. The Christian view is that Jesus was freed mankind from sin in the same way

that the Israelites were freed from slavery; it is believed that this view became what is now celebrated as Easter, which explains why the two festivals are celebrated so closely together. The celebrating of Easter has never been mentioned in any holy book and many of the customs of Easter today, such as Easter eggs and the Easter Rabbit, have nothing to do with the teachings of the Prophets or the word of God. Since the giving of Easter eggs has no link to religious teachings, it should not be confused with the true meaning of Easter. Instead, we can look closely at the Quranic stories that inspired the festival and study the examples shown by Jesus and Moses . Many Christians take part in the tradition of Lent, which takes place before Easter. In these 40 days, Christians spend more of their time in prayer, they fast and give up some luxuries to remember the suffering of Jesus in honour of the sacrifice of 20

FESTIVALS

EASTER UNCOVERED

CURRENT AFFAIRS

the 40 days he spent fasting in the desert. This tradition can be compared to our holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims also fast and pray in order to get closer to Allah. There are also periods of fasting in other faiths such as Judaism and Hinduism, which shows how other religions carry some aspects of God’s original word, even though the true meanings have been lost over time. As Muslims, we believe that Prophet Jesus survived the crucifixion and had not died when he was taken down from the cross. He spent 3 days recovering in the tomb and went on to live a full life and die a natural death in old age, We do not share the belief that he died on the cross and was Brought back to life on the third day. However, we can use this time to remind ourselves of the message of Jesus , who came as the Messiah to preach the word of God. We can also look at how Jesus reacted to the crucifixion, praying to God, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He prayed for the people who were crucifying him, through his pain and suffering, and we can also learn to forgive and pray for people who may have hurt us, instead of turning to revenge or anger. As Muslims, we believe that Prophet Jesus survived the crucifixion and had not died when he was taken down from the cross. He spent 3 days recovering in the tomb and went on to live a full life and die a natural death in old age, We do not share the belief that he died on the cross and was Brought back to life on the third day. However, we can use this time to remind ourselves of the message of Jesus , who came as the Messiah to

By Tahir Shah [Features Editor]

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preach the word of God. We can also look at how Jesus reacted to the crucifixion, praying to God, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He prayed for the people who were crucifying him, through his pain and suffering, and we can also learn to forgive and pray for people who may have hurt us, instead of turning to revenge or anger. With these similarities between Muslim and Christian practices, it is important that we can understand the true meaning of Easter and bring ourselves closer to our brothers and sisters of other faiths by focusing on the qualities of patience, humility and sacrifice that Jesus showed on the cross and throughout his life.

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THE MAGAZINE

CURRENT AFFAIRS

We held our regional Tarbiyyati class over the holiday period in January and had an excellent attendance. We had two National Secretaries with us for the two day event. Our Tarbiyyati class included discussion forums, Q&A session and sports. We also hold regular table tennis and football training at Glasgow Mosque.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

SCOTLAND

We organised an event to Yorkshire Mining Museum where 15 Atfal from the Region attended. We also had our regional Tarbiyatti Class in Baitul Samad Mosque where presentations were given on the Holy Qu’ran.

YORKSHIRE

On the 25th February 2012 we held our 2nd Regional North East Tarbiyyati class at Nasir Mosque, Hartlepool. With the help of National Tarbiyyati team, we set the main agenda of the day being the recitation of the Holy Quran. The total atfal at the event was 27 with 8 Khuddam helping throughout the day.

NORTH EAST

Our regional Tarbiyyati class was a successful event with two National Secretaries attending. We started the day by watching the Jalsa Salana Qadian on MTA in the morning and then had a presentation by a police officer and a Q&A session with our regional Murrabi Sahib and National Tarbiyyat Secretary. We then played indoor games in the afternoon.

NORTH WEST

Our regional Tarbiyyati class was held on Saturday 11th February 2012. Discussion forums took place with questions being answered by both National Tarbiyyat and Ta’leem Secretaries. We also held a Playstation 3 FIFA tournament for older Atfal and pass the parcel games for our younger Atfal. The attendance on the day was 54 Atfal from across the region.

MIDLANDS

Our regional Tarbiyyati class was a great occasion as we held discussion forums and presentations on Salaat and Wudhu by the regional Nazim and his team. We then had a Waqfe Jadid presentation by the National Secretary UK and had sports in the afternoon.

HERTFORDSHIRE

We had a trip to the British museum to see the Hajj Exhibition which was attended by 40 atfal who travelled together on the underground trains. We had lunch and prayed together on the trip, photos of the day have been put up on the website.

EAST

REGIONAL UPDATES

We held 3 football training sessions with an average attendance of 10 atfal. I brought in a Level 3 FA approved coach to run the regional team through football drills. We held our regional Tarbiyyati Class on Sunday 26th February 2012 and it was attended by both Mohtamim Sahib and National Tarbiyyat Secretary.

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MIDDLESEX

Our regional monthly Newsletter has been published every month. Also our inter Qiadat Atfal Quiz League is still going strong and we also had a regional sports day on Saturday the 25th of February 2012 at the St. Michael’s ground. A trip to the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum took place as part of the Regional Tarbiyyati class. Around 85 Atfal participated in this trip. Our Second Regional Tarbiyyat class of the year was held in February. 146 Atfal out of 180 available attended equating to over 80%. This was a two day class. We also hold daily Quran classes where 25 to 30 Atfal attend. Waqare Amal sessions took place over the winter period where Atfal helped clear the streets around the Mosque.

MUQAMI

We have held four regional Tarbiyyatti Classes including a full day Annual Tarbiyyati Day. We have been running weekly discussion forums with the average attendance of 45 atfal. Three events of regional Waqare Amal have been organised in the mosque during February 2012 and the attendance was 12 Atfal in each event.

BAITUL FUTUH

We held a Ps3 competition and games day over the Christmas holiday which was attended by 25 atfal and two National Secretaries. On Thursday 16th Feb 2012, Atfal from across the region went by coach to the Hajj Exhibiton at the British Museum. On Sunday 12th Feb 2012, we held a Regional Atfal Taleem & Tarbiyyat class. On Sunday 11th Feb 2012, Atfal from the Region attended Tree Planting with Khuddam at Hadeeqatul Mahdi.

TAHIR

We organised a visit to the Mayday Hospital in West Croydon on the first of January 2012. We also held our regional Tarbiyyati class which was attended by National Tarbiyyat Secretary and we had a discussion forum on various Islamic topics.

SOUTH

We held our regional ijtema 2012 in Baitul Futuh which was attended by Mohtamim Sahib and his National Amila. The attendance at the regional Ijtema was 114 atfal and we held all academic and sports competitions. We have also just formed our regional football team which will compete in the regional Atfal league.

MASROOR

We held our regional Ijtema 2012 and were fortunate to have three national Amila members attend including Mohtamim Sahib. We held an interesting discussion forum on social and religious issues with National Tarbiyyat Secretary UK on the day. There was then a presentation on Waqfe Jadid and the upcoming Charity Challenge 2012.

SOUTH WEST

REGIONAL UPDATES

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3 2 1

5

7

8

4

6

1. I glide across water but I sometimes

come onto land. I quack but I am not a

swan.

3. I live in caves and use sonar. I love

dark places and have wings.

5. I have black and white stripes all

over my body.

6. I am 'King of the jungle' and my

roar will shake you.

7. I hop around all day. I keep my

baby in my pouch and live in Australia.

8. I can only fly in straight lines and i

am yellow and black all over.

ACROSS DOWN

2. I am the fastest land animal in the

world and I live in Africa.

3. I am grizzly and covered in fur. I am

tall and big.

4. I am long and thin and slither across

the floor. I have scaly skin and 'hiss'.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD:

ACROSS DOWN

1. DUCK

3. BAT

5. ZEBRA

6. LION

7. KANGAROO

8.BEE

2. CHEETAH

3. BEAR

4. SNAKE

Guess the animals in this crossword. Clues are below:

FUN SECTION

ATFAL CHANDA

Your Atfal chanda for the year is only £15 which includes £3 for Ijtema chanda, that is just over £1 per month. It is encouraged for you to pay at the beginning of the year rather than leaving it till the last second. You can pay your chanda to your local or regional Atfal Nazim.

TEHRIK-E-JADID

Tehrik-e-Jadid was launched by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II in 1934 to help spread the message of Ahmadiyyat throughout the world. For more than 75 years, funds collected through this scheme have enabled translations of the Holy Qur'an and the Promised Messiah’s writings, Mosques, Centres and has supported many Waqfeen–e-Zindagi (life devotees) abroad to spread the teachings of Islam. Be part of this blessed scheme and donate whatever you can today!

WAQF-E-JADID

On December 27th 1957 Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II started the blessed project called The New Dedication (Waqf-e-Jadid). Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II planned to create a network of Mualimeen (Teachers) who should be devoted to the upbringing of the members throughout Pakistan. This scheme was made world-wide in 1985 with the foresight of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV . There are three ranks encouraged for Atfal to achieve through this scheme, these are: Young Mujahid: £12 Saffe Dom: £25 Saffe Awal: £50 Please note that Atfal who reach the Saffe Awal rank are fortunate to have their names sent to Huzur for his special prayers.

YATAMA APPEAL

“And when other relations and orphans and the poor are present at the division of heritage, give them something therefrom and speak to them words of kindness.” [Holy Qur'an, 4:9] In his sermon Huzur said this about Orphans and the less fortunate: “The objective is to bring them up in a manner that they become the best part of society. Orphans can lose their potential due to inferiority complex.” At the end of this Sermon, Huzur Aqdas launched an appeal for the Yatama Scheme. The English summary of this is: “Therefore today Huzur made a Tehrik to all the Pakistani Ahmadis who live in USA, Canada, Europe and the UK to participate in this scheme. What greater glad-tiding can there be for a believer than that he/she will be given a place at the feet of the Holy Prophet Huzur said he has estimated that if each person of Ahmadi households of the UK, Europe, Canada and USA paid £7 to £10 per head annually towards this scheme a huge burden of the Yatama scheme can be met.” As members of Majlis Atfalul Ahmadiyya UK, we should be foremost in our response to Khilafat. Therefore we should participate in all the blessed schemes explained above.

INFORMATION

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FINANCIAL DONATIONS