Life of The Promised Messiah (as)

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Life of the promised messiah — H a z r at m i r z a g h u l a m a h m a d P e a c e b e u p o n h i m

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Life of the Promised Messiah as Originally published in Urdu as: Seerat Hazrat Masih-e-Mau‘ood as Written by Amatul-Hayee Ahmad First published in English in the UK, 2022 Published by: Islam International Publications Ltd.Unit 3, Bourne Mill Business Park, Guildford Road, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 9PS, United Kingdom Printed in UK at: © Islam International Publications Limited All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publishers.All photo(s) are subject to copyright by Makhzan-e-Tasaweer For more information please visit: www.alislam.org Cover Design: Mohsin Amjed ISBN: 978-1-8480-579-8 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISLAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LTD

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We have found every light by following the immaculate Prophet and whoever follows him will also find it and he will become so accepted of God that nothing will be impossible for him.The Living God, Who is hidden from people, will be his God and all false gods will be trodden under his feet.He will be blessed everywhere and Divine Power will be with him.Peace be on him who follows the guidance.Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad—the Promised Messiah as ( Sir a j-e-Mun i r , R uha n i Khaz a ’in, vol.12, p.82–83)

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Table of contents Foreword Family Tree of the Promised Messiah Family & Background Childhood Marriage & Children A Loving Father Prayerfulness Hospitality Physical Appearance & Dress Dietary Habits Love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad References Glossary Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4 Activity 5 Answers to Activities Publisher’s Note vii x 1 9 15 25 35 37 47 49 51 53 57 61 66 68 70 72 77 83

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foreword This book is another addition to the Children’s Book Series presented by Additional Wakalat Tasneef UK (Islam International Publications Ltd).This biographical series aims to educate children about the lives of holy personages in history.is an English trans- lation of the Urdu book Seerat Hazrat Masih-e-Mau‘ood as compiled by Amatul-Hayee Ahmad.The English rendering was carried out by Sarah Ammar of the Children’s Books Committee of Additional Wakalat Tasneef.Several people helped in preparing this publication including Nauman Hadi, Waseem Sayed, Bushra Shahid, Sardar Anees Ahmad, Maryam Bhatti, Nayab Noshaba Khan, and Rawan Malas.May Allah the Exalted bless them all for the roles they played in the publication process.Though this book is aimed at children, there is no doubt that the reader, whatever his or her acumen may be, shall benefit much from the incidents narrated in the following pages from the life of the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community—Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah as.

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I strongly encourage parents to read this book with their children, explaining, elaborating and helping them understand the importance and stature of the Promised Messiah as.Such books are a stepping-stone for further advanced reading about the through which the lives of our future generations can be shaped.Al-Haaj Munir-ud-Din Shams Additional Wakeelut-Tasneef June 2022 viii

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Ismatra (1886– 1891) Fazl Ahmad (1855–1904) Sultan Ahmadra (1853–1931) Hurmat Bibi Bashir I (1887– 1888) Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmadra (1889–1965) Sharif Ahmadra (1895–1961) Nawab Mubarakah Begumra (1897–1977) Married to Children of FAMILY TREE OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH

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Nusrat Jahan Begumra (1865 – 1952) The Promised Messiah as (1835–1908) Shaukat (1891–1892) Bashir Ahmadra (1893–1963) Mubarak Ahmadra (1899–1907) Amatun-Naseer (1903–1903) Amatul-Hafeez Begumra (1904–1987) Charagh Bibi Mirza Ghulam Murtaza

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Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian The Promised Messiah as

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FAMILY & BACKGROUND Allah the Almighty revealed the Holy Quran, His final Book, to the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as more than 1400 years ago.By 632 CE, Allah, the Almighty had revealed the last verse of the Holy Quran, and the teachings of Islam were complete.Despite the fact that Allah, the Almighty had revealed the Holy Quran, and had provided the Muslims with the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as , with the passage of time, the Muslims forgot the real teachings of Islam.However, Allah, the Almighty through His Mercy and Grace, had also informed the Holy Prophet s as of the com- ing of a man who would arrive centuries later to revive Islam.The Holy Prophet s as himself sent his salaam (greetings) to this person.That person

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2 was our dear Imam and leader, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian—the Promised Messiah as.Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) was born on Friday, 13 February 1835 in a small and remote village of India named Qadian.He belonged to the Barlas clan, who enjoyed great respect in their community.His ancestors had migrated from Samarkand (present-day Uzbekistan) and settled near the banks of the Beas River in northern India.One of his ancestors, Mirza Hadi Baig, was appointed as a judge (qazi) of this area.This settlement eventually became known as Qadian.The name of the Promised Messiah’s father was Mirza Ghulam Murtaza , a brave chief whose ancestors were also chiefs.While he was a skilled physician, his primary source of income was from being a landowner.Mirza Ghulam Murtaza was greatly sympathetic towards man- kind.Once there was an outbreak of cholera in Qadian, with people in the slums quickly falling prey to it in large numbers.Mirza Ghulam Murtaza was in Batala at the time, but when he heard the news, he left for Qadian right away.As soon as he arrived there, he called for the pharmacists in Qadian to meet him and developed a medicine by which Qadian was rid of cholera by the next day.

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3 On another occasion, the Raja of Batala, Teja Singh, became afflicted with a painful blister.When no treatment worked, he sent for Mirza Ghulam Murtaza whose treatment cured the Raja.As was customary at the time, the Raja offered Mirza Ghulam Murtaza a reward of a few villages and a large sum of money but Mirza Ghulam Murtaza refused as he provided such services only to please God.He said, ‘I consider accepting these villages a disgrace for my progeny and myself.’ During the Moghul rule in India, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s ances- tors held responsible posts at the royal court and had control over a large area around Qadian.At the rise of the Sikh rule in Punjab, his family started to lose control of this territory, which was eventually confiscated in the nineteenth century by the British Government in India.The Promised Messiah’s father wanted this land back and spent his entire life in litigation trying to regain possession of his ancestral estate.He spent a great deal of money and effort towards this end, but did not gain much.Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as was a dutiful son so, despite con- sidering such time better spent in the cause of Islam, he worked in

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4 Sialkot for four years upon his father’s instructions and helped litigate cases to regain these lost properties.During his childhood, the Promised Messiah as spent most of his time worshipping God.Due to this, his father would call him a masee- tarh, or one who spends most of his time in a mosque.The Promised Messiah’s father was worried about his son’s future, and wanted him to take an interest in worldly affairs.But as he neared the end of his life, he realized that the Promised Messiah’s attitude was correct.The Promised Messiah as states that his father, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza , would often recite a poetic verse of the grandfather of the Promised Messiah as, a line of which was: My destiny laughs at me whenever I embark upon a plan to do something! So Mirza Ghulam Murtaza bought an expensive piece of land, upon which he built a large mosque—known today as the Aqsa Mosque of Qadian; Minaratul-Masih * is located in the same compound.In his * Minaratul-Masih (the Minaret of the Messiah) is a white minaret beside the Aqsa Mosque in Qadian.The Promised Messiah as constructed this minaret under divine instruction to partly fulfil a prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.

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5 will, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza instructed that he be buried in a cor- ner of this mosque so that he could continue to hear God’s name five times a day.When the Promised Messiah established the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, many would deliver dars in the Aqsa Mosque.Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmadra * also completed the reci- tation of the entire Quran there.1 In this way, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza’s wish was fulfilled.The Promised Messiah as was in Lahore when God informed him through a dream, of his father’s approaching demise.The Promised Messiah as immediately went to Qadian and found his father some- what ill.God then revealed to the Promised Messiah as that his father would pass away after sunset and this is what happened.Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Murtaza passed away only a few days after the mosque’s com- pletion at the age of eighty-four.In a brief moment of distress, the Promised Messiah as thought how he would provide for himself as his father, who was his source of income, had now passed away.At that * Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra was the eldest surviving son of the Promised Messiah as from his second wife Nusrat Jahan Begum ra.In 1914, at the age of 25, he became the second Khalifah of the Promised Messiah as (Khalifatul-Masih II).He was also the Musleh Mau’ood (the Promised Reformer), whose advent was prophesied by the Promised Messiah as in 1886.

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6 moment, Allah, the Almighty revealed the following words of the Quranic verse to him: ُ اَلَیْسَ اہللُ بِکَافٍ عَبْدُہ Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? 2 After that, the Promised Messiah as knew that Allah, the Almighty would always take care of him.He had the words of this revelation inscribed on a ring in Amritsar at a cost of five rupees.This same ring came in the possession of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra by casting lots, after the demise of the Promised Messiah as.Since then, every Khalifah of the Promised Messiah as has worn this ring.You may have seen this ring on the right hand of the current Khalifah—Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih V aba.Charagh Bibi was the mother of the Promised Messiah as, belong- ing to a noble Mughal family of Hoshiarpur.She was always pleased at the arrival of guests and would send food for eight people if asked to send for four.She was greatly compassionate to the poor, loving them like a mother.When the Promised Messiah as was a child, he would never

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7 demand anything from his parents.So, his mother would make sure his needs were met, but this lasted only in her lifetime.In reality, God Himself provided for his needs from the very beginning.The Promised Messiah as says: ادتباےسرىتےىہاسہىںىمرىمےدنےٹك وگد ںىم رىتى راہ ںىم لثم ِ لفط ِ رىش وخار From the very beginning, my life was spent under Your care; I remained in Your lap like a suckling infant.3 The Promised Messiah as loved his mother deeply.One of his Companions, Hazrat Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani ra, observed the Promised Messiah as on a walk to his ancestral cemetery.He proceeded towards his mother’s grave with much eagerness, and stood in prayer there, with his Companions for a very long time.4

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CHILDHOOD During his childhood, the Promised Messiah as often visited his mater- nal relatives.After claiming to be the Reformer of the age, whenever his maternal family visited Qadian, they would reminisce about his pious childhood.Nawab Mubarakah Begum ra, the eldest daughter of the Promised Messiah as, narrates that the Promised Messiah as particularly liked meethi tikkiyan * because it reminded him of his mother.He, however, preferred them for his children, rather than for himself.He would ask his wife Hazrat Nusrat Jahan Begum ra—whom the Jama’at affectionately refers to as Hazrat Amman Jaan ** —to make these patty cakes which the chil- dren would enjoy with relish.The Promised Messiah as had a twin sister, Jannat Bibi, who died in her infancy.In addition, he had one sister and two brothers.His elder brother was Mirza Ghulam Qadir.His sister Murad Begum was married to Mirza Muhammad Baig of Hoshiarpur but she was widowed at a very * A deep fried dessert, made with flour, clarified butter, sugar, cardamom powder, milk, sesame seed, desiccated coconut, and semolina.** Meaning respected mother.

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10 young age.She spent her time in remembrance of God until the end of her life.His second brother had passed away in infancy.5 During his childhood, the Promised Messiah as took part in activi- ties like swimming and horse-riding, but he loved walking most of all.He would walk briskly for many miles at a time and continued to do so even when he was over seventy years old.He also exhibited special traits as a child.Once, he asked his cousin, ‘Pray for me that God grants me Salat.’ 6 On another occa- sion, when he was visiting his mother’s family in Aimah, a pious man Ghulam Rasool, upon observing him, said: ‘If anyone deserves to be a prophet in this age, this lad indeed should be one’.7 Despite formal education not being customary during the time of the Promised Messiah as, his family hired teachers for his educa- tion.When the Promised Messiah as was six or seven years old, a man named Fazl Ilahi taught the Promised Messiah as the Holy Quran and Persian.When the Promised Messiah as was ten years old, a teacher named Fazl Ahmad taught him the basics of Arabic.At the age of sev- enteen or eighteen, Maulawi Gul Ali Shah taught him grammar, logic and philosophy.He also studied some books of traditional medicine from his father.8

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11 Since the family of the Promised Messiah as revered education, their home had a vast library.The Promised Messiah as would remain busy in reading.The Holy Quran was his favourite book, reading repeatedly and reflecting upon its meaning.He would then pray: O Allah! This is Your word.I will understand it only if You explain it to me.Hazrat Mirza Sultan Ahmad ra, the eldest surviving son from the first marriage of the Promised Messiah as, narrates that the Promised Messiah as may have read the Holy Quran about 10,000 times.9 To demonstrate the truth of Islam, the Promised Messiah as exten- sively studied all faiths, then published articles to prove Islam’s truth- fulness.The Promised Messiah as would study with such concentra- tion that his father occasionally had to stop him to protect his health.The Promised Messiah as also read various newspapers, Akhbar-e- Aam being his favourite.He would fully read a newspaper and, if he found anything against Islam, he would send his response to it.Thus, he simultaneously carried out both extensive reading and writing.We will narrate an incident which demonstrates the grand purpose of the Promised Messiah as.Once there was a cricket match among the

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12 students in Qadian and some elders also watched it to encourage the children.A son of the Promised Messiah as asked him, ‘Father, why don’t you go to play cricket?’ His reply was, ‘They will return after the game but I am playing such cricket which shall continue till the Day of Judgment!’ 10 This does not mean that the Promised Messiah as dis- couraged children from playing games.In fact, he encouraged them but he also disliked wasting time.God Almighty had revealed to him: ایک ی ا اجےئ اگ.ی ہ ںیہن ٰی ےہ سج اک وتق اضعئ � ع�یس وت وہ You are the Isa [Messiah] whose time shall not be wasted.11 He wrote more than ninety books, delivered lectures, and wrote arti- cles in Urdu, Arabic and Persian.He also read and replied to hun- dreds of letters a day; proofread his own manuscripts and arranged for their publication.He personally met and advised a large number of people on a daily basis; cared for his guests; frequented the mosque for the five daily Prayers; and conducted the affairs of the Jama’at.All of this was only possible due to the special grace of God Almighty.Nawab Mubarakah Begum ra states: Laziness was never seen in his work.Allah, the Almighty, had blessed his time with such abundance that one is amazed

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13 thinking about it now.One wonders if those days and nights were of twenty-four or forty-eight hours in duration? He would write both sitting down during the day and while walk- ing.Mostly he would write walking to and fro.A bottle of ink would be kept on a small table.He used a fine, chisel-edged nib and dipped it [in the ink] while walking and kept writing— all the while listening to others talk, responding to them, pre- scribing medicines to people.… It was as if his pen was in the hand of the Gracious God.Had it been anyone besides him, they would have lost track at the slightest interruption.12

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MARRIAGE & CHILDREN According to the custom of those times, the Promised Messiah as was first married at fifteen or sixteen years of age.His wife was Hurmat Bibi, the daughter of his maternal uncle Mirza Jami’at Baig.God Almighty blessed him with two sons from this marriage: Mirza Fazl Ahmad and Mirza Sultan Ahmad ra.Mirza Sultan Ahmad ra received the title of Khan Bahadur.This is a title of respect and honour that was given by the British to those who performed faithful service to the empire.He also gained literary prominence.* According to God’s will, the Promised Messiah as married again in 1884 into a notable Syed family of Delhi.His second wife was Sayyedah Nusrat Jahan Begum ra.She was the daughter of Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab ra.In a revelation, God Almighty addressed this great lady as ‘My Khadijah’.Hazrat Amman Jaan ra, got married to the Promised Messiah as at seventeen years of age and became a mother figure for the entire Jama’at, sharing in people’s miseries and misfortunes.* He did not take the oath of allegiance to the Promised Messiah as during his lifetime but later undertook Bai’at at the hand of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II ra.

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16 Furthermore, in the beginning of the Promised Messiah’s minis- try, as there was no particular guest accommodation.All guests stayed in the Promised Messiah’s house.The Promised Messiah as named his house Darul-Amaan, * also commonly referred to as Darul-Masih.** Hazrat Amman Jaan ra would tend to their needs—never expressing any disapproval.Hazrat Amman Jaan ra offered her Salat with poise and grace and regularly engaged in istighfar.She would do most chores with her own hands.She detested complaining and back-biting.Five of her children passed away very young but she remained resilient.She was so thank- ful to God that, regarding her, God Almighty said to the Promised Messiah as: دخا وخش وہایگیا.God has been pleased.13 God Almighty blessed the Promised Messiah as and Hazrat Amman Jaan ra with ten children: * House of Security ** House of the Messiah

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17 1.Ismat (15 April 1886 to July 1891) 2.Bashir I (7 August 1887 to 4 November 1888) 3.Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra (12 January 1889 to 7 November 1965): He became Khalifatul-Masih II in 1914.He was the same Promised Son about whose birth God Almighty informed the Promised Messiah as.After a forty-day period of continuous prayers, the news of the brith of this son was given in the form of a prophecy known as the Prophecy of the Promised Son.In this prophecy, God promised a son to the Promised Messiah as who would be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge.The destinies of nations would depend on him.He was given the title Musleh Mau’ood, meaning a reformer whose advent has been promised.The fifty-two signs relating to him in the prophecy were fulfilled in his fifty-two years of khilafat.He is also known by the name of Fazl-e-Umar.4.Shaukat (1891 to 1892) 5.Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra (20 April 1893 to 2 September 1963): In a revelation to the Promised Messiah as, God revealed that he was given the title Qamarul-Anbiyaa (Moon of the Prophets).

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18 6.Mirza Sharif Ahmad ra (24 May 1895 to 26 December 1961): In a dream concerning him, the Promised Messiah as was told: ا.ی وہ ابداشہ آ� Here comes the King.14 Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmad ra is the paternal grandfather of our current Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V, Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba.7.Mubarakah Begum ra (2 March 1897 to 23 May 1977): Regarding her, the Promised Messiah as received the revelation, ‘Nawab Mubarakah Begum’.As God had foretold that she would be married into a Nawab family, she was married to Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan ra of Malerkotla.She spent her child- hood in the company of the Promised Messiah as, even her bed was close to that of the Promised Messiah as.She states, It is a great favour of my dear God upon me that I have committed to memory—in great detail—a large num- ber of details about him [the Promised Messiah as]; especially his blessed visage, his manner of sleeping and waking up, his pacing back and forth, his writing,

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19 offering his Salat and manner of speech.The memory of the Promised Messiah as that has always been present in my heart has not let me forget him, even now, it is as if I am seeing him with my own eyes.15 Nawab Mubarakah Begum ra had true dreams from her childhood and the Promised Messiah as would often ask her to pray for him.8.Mirza Mubarak Ahmad ra (14 June 1899 to 6 September 1907).9.Amatun-Naseer (28 January 1903 to 3 December 1903).10.Amatul-Hafeez Begum ra (25 January 1904 to 6 May 1987): The revelation Dukht-e-Kiraam of the Promised Messiah as refers to her.16 دُتخ ِ رکام The daughter of noble ancestors.17 Here are a few incidents from the lives of those five children of the Promised Messiah as who passed away at a young age.Ismat was the eldest daughter of the Promised Messiah as.Bashir I [ Awwal ] was born after her and passed away just a few months later.

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20 Regarding Sahibzadi Ismat, Nawab Mubarakah Begum ra narrates that Hazrat Amman Jaan ra told her: When your older brother—Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad—was born, Ismat was asleep.The maidservant woke her up and said, Wake up Bibi, your Bashir has arrived.Ismat probably remembered Bashir Awwal often after his demise.18 The Promised Messiah as loved Mubarak Ahmad dearly.A day before his birth, the Promised Messiah as was told by revelation that the boy would die young.Accordingly, Mubarak Ahmad passed away at the age of eight.He is buried in Bahishti Maqbarah, Qadian.Mubarak Ahmad ra learned to read and write Urdu, and to recite the Holy Quran.He exhibited such signs of goodness and virtue in his childhood that people used to address him by the name wali [friend of Allah].Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II ra states that as chil- dren, they once wanted to raise hens.At the time, Mir Muhammad Ishaq ra, the brother of Hazrat Amman Jaan ra, and Bashir Ahmad ra, both kept hens.So, they would visit these pens and collect their eggs to hatch chicks; they ultimately hatched one hundred hens.They would leave early in the morning to open the pens.Then they would

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21 count the eggs and proudly compete with each other regarding the number of eggs laid by each of their hens.Mubarak Ahmad ra would enthusiastically join in as well.When Mirza Mubarak Ahmad ra fell ill, someone saw a dream that he was getting married.When the dream was narrated to the Promised Messiah as, he said: Its interpretation is death.However, some interpreters [of dreams] have stated that if the dream is fulfilled in real terms, it sometimes dispels the evil news.So, come! Let us get Mubarak Ahmad married.Doctor Syed Abdus-Sattar Shah ra, a Companion of the Promised Messiah as, was staying in the Gol Kamrah —a room in the house of the Promised Messiah as.His two and a half year old daughter Maryam was also there.The Promised Messiah as asked her mother to prom- ise Maryam to Mubarak Ahmad ra in marriage when the two became of age.The mother readily agreed and the nikah or the marriage announcement took place.However, God’s will prevailed, and Mirza Mubarak Ahmad ra passed away on 16 September 1907.

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22 The Promised Messiah as wrote some verses for his tombstone which are recorded in his book of poetry, Durr-e-Thamin, one verse of which reads: ڑكٹا ابمرك ادمح وج اپك لكش اور اپك وُخ اھت اک ر � �جِگ رك انب ِںى ر ںیہن زَحَ وك دل امہرے ےہ وۂا ےسدُجا مہ ج آ وہ Mubarak Ahmad, the darling of my heart, pure of countenance, and pure of heart; He has departed from us today making the heart sad.A photo of Mirza Mubarak Ahmad ra.He was a son of the Promised Messiah as who passed away in childhood at the age of eight in 1907.

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23 Maryam later grew up to become a daughter-in-law of the Promised Messiah as when she married Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II ra.She would also become the mother of Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, 19 Khalifatul- Masih IV rta—that is why she is also called Umme Tahir.After Amatun-Naseer, passed away, the Promised Messiah as took her body to the graveyard and carried her in his arms to the place of burial.All these incidents show how compassionate he was as a father and the respect he had for his children.20

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A photo of the Promised Messiah as with his son Sahibzadah Mirza Sharif Ahmad ra.

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A LOVING FATHER The Promised Messiah as paid particular attention to his children’s upbringing.He would nurse them during sickness, console them for hours, tell them stories, morally nurture them and fervently pray for them.When his eldest daughter Ismat , fell ill in Ludhiana, the Promised Messiah as busied himself in her treatment as if it were not possible to live without her.When she passed away, however, he immediately accepted God’s will.21 He looked after Mirza Mubarak Ahmad ra in a similar manner, and even got some small birds to cheer him up.22 Once, Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra placed a piece of brick in a pocket of the waistcoat that the Promised Messiah as was wearing.The Promised Messiah as said, while Mir Hamid Ali ra was massaging his legs, ‘I have had some pain in my ribs for some days now.’ Upon looking, Mir Hamid Ali ra found that piece of brick which had been poking his side.The Promised Messiah as had forgotten about it and said, “ Oh! Mahmood had put it in my pocket and had told me not to take it out since he wanted to play with it.’ 23

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26 Once, when Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra was around three years old, he became fond of sugar.He would come to the Promised Messiah as with his hand held out, saying, Abba Chitti — indicating that he wanted white sugar.Often, the Promised Messiah as would be busy writing a book but, upon this request, would get up to give the child some sugar before returning to his work.This would happen several times a day.24 The Promised Messiah as loved his children, but he also corrected them when needed.Once, the Promised Messiah as was in his room along with Hazrat Amman Jaan as.Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra made a mention of Mirza Nizam Din, an enemy of the Promised Messiah as and addressed him only as Nizam Din.The Promised Messiah as admonished him and said, ‘ Miyan, after all he is your uncle; you should not address him just by his name.’ 25 On another occasion, Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra was trying to catch a bird that had accidentally flown into the house.He had all the doors closed when the Promised Messiah as, who was leaving for Friday prayers, saw him.He said, ‘ Miyan, one should not

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27 catch the birds living in one’s own home.The one who has no mercy has no faith.26 Both the Promised Messiah as and Hazrat Amman Jaan ra trusted their children, encouraging them to never do anything against their wishes.For instance, the Promised Messiah as was once sitting in a room on the roof of his house.One of his Companions, Hazrat Sayyed Fazl Shah ra, was also there peeling almonds.Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra , who was about four or five years old at the time, entered and collected all the almonds in his lap.The Promised Messiah as was watching this.He said, ‘He is such a good child.He will not take a lot.He will take only one or two and will put back the rest.’ The child complied immediately and left with only one or two almonds.27 Once, the Promised Messiah as went for a walk with some of his Companions.Along the way, was a fallen tree.Some of the Companions cut off a few twigs to be used for cleaning teeth and handed one to Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra.He inno- cently offered it to the Promised Messiah as saying, ‘ Father, have a miswak ’—meaning the twig.Huzoor as smiled and said, ‘ Miyan, first

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28 tell me with whose permission have these twigs been taken?’ Upon hearing this, everybody threw their twigs on the ground.Thus, in a most endearing manner, Huzoor as pointed out that one should never take anything without permission, even if it is lying on the ground.28 Regarding prayer, Hazrat Nawab Mubarakah Begum ra states, ‘When I was a young girl, Huzoor would ask me many a time to pray for one of his tasks.’ Such behaviour encouraged the habit of praying in the children, and having their prayers accepted.29 He would also ask other children of the Jama’at to narrate their dreams to him, some of which he would record in a diary.Once, Manzoor Sadiq , the son of Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq ra, had a dream in which he saw a number of goats being slaugh- tered.Upon hearing this, the Promised Messiah as had one goat slaugh- tered for each of his family members by way of sadaqah [almsgiving].He said, A believer sometime sees a dream himself and sometimes oth- ers are shown such dreams for his sake.The Promised Messiah as would also tell his children moral stories, such as the following:

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29 There was a bald man and a blind man.An angel of God Almighty came to the bald man and asked him what he desired.The bald man wanted wealth and hair on his head.So the angel passed his hand over the bald man’s head, and with God’s grace he grew hair and also gained wealth and servants.Then the angel went to the blind man and asked him the same question.The blind man asked for his vision to be restored, and also for wealth so that he would not be dependent on oth- ers.When the angel passed his hand over the blind man’s eyes, his eyesight returned and he too gained a lot of wealth.Later Allah, the Almighty, sent the same angel disguised as a beggar to test the bald man.When the beggar asked the bald man for alms, he scolded the beggar harshly and said that there were many like him who roamed about begging.The angel passed his hand over the bald man’s head.As a result, he lost both his hair and his wealth! Then the same angel visited the man who had been blind but could now see and was very rich.Disguised as a beggar, the angel asked him for alms.The man said that everything had been given to him by Allah, the

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30 Almighty, and the beggar could also have some of it.At this, Allah, the Exalted, bestowed even greater wealth upon him.30 The point is that one should always be grateful to Allah, the Almighty and serve his creation.Once during Muharram, the Promised Messiah as gathered all his children and told them the painful story of the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain ra, the beloved grandson of Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.He wept while doing so.Such was his love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as and his family.Hazrat Maulawi Hakeem Noor-ud-Deen, Khalifatul-Masih I ra, narrates that he often saw the children of the Promised Messiah as with other children, sitting on his bed with the Promised Messiah as pushed to the very edge.In their innocent, childlike way, they would tell him long stories of crows, frogs and sparrows and the Promised Messiah as would listen to them as if they were recounting stories from Masnavi Rumi! The Promised Messiah as arranged for his children learn the Holy Quran at an early age.Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad ra was taught the Holy Quran by Hazrat Hafiz Ahmadullah ra.Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra, Mirza Sharif Ahmad ra and Nawab Mubarakah

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31 Begum ra were all taught the Holy Quran by Hazrat Pir Manzoor Muhammad ra, the author of Qa’idah Yassarnal-Quran.* On 3 November 1901, the Promised Messiah as held the Aameen ceremony of these children in which his friends, orphans and the poor were all treated to a feast.He also wrote a special poem on the occasion which was published in Durr-e-Thamin.A few verses of this poem are as follows: دل ےک ارامں ی ہ ےہ آج متخ رقآں ےلکن � رقابں ےک ہنم ی رے ریت � ی ںیم دن ی � ا ی داھک� وتےن Today [Mahmood] has finished the Quran; thus are satisfied all my heartfelt desires.It is You Who have shown me this day.May I be sacrificed to the Countenance of You.اے ریمی رے رب نسحم ویکی ورکن وہ رکش ااسحں ْ سُبْحَان َ مَن ْ یَّرَانِی ك ابمر رك روز ی � O my Compassionate Lord, how can I express thanks for this Favour.Make blessed this day; Holy is He Who watches over me.31 While the children of the Promised Messiah as were all a manifes- tation of God’s signs, he never celebrated their birthdays.This was * Hazrat Pir Manzoor Muhammad ra mainly wrote the Qa’idah for teach- ing the chidren of the Promised Messiah as.

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32 because he fully obeyed the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as —who never did such a thing.The Promised Messiah as would also playfully tease young children in a gentle, loving manner.Sometimes, he would silently catch hold of a child’s ankle without talking to him, or if a child was lying down he would tickle his foot.Mirza Bashir Ahmad as says that he experienced this many times.He would show great compassion to everyone.Sometimes the Promised Messiah as would be busy in writing some important arti- cle when rustic women would knock on his door.Demanding his attention to address their needs, they would say, ‘Mirza Ji! Open the door!’ The Promised Messiah as would stop working and get up as if an officer had issued a command.Sometimes they would take an hour of his time, but he never expressed any frustration and listened atten- tively to them.In this regard, Hazrat Maulawi Abdul Karim Sialkoti ra states: A most important article was to be written urgently.I hap- pened to be with the Promised Messiah as by chance.I saw him standing firm and ready like some European on duty.He had five or six boxes open before him and was distributing medicine

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33 into small bottles, and syrup into others.This activity lasted for about three hours and medicine was dispensed continuously.After the engagement had ended, I commented that precious time had been wasted.The Promised Messiah as replied most calmly, ‘This too is a religious activity.These are poor people.There is no hospital here.I keep many English and Greek med- icines with me for their sake.This is a most rewarding thing to do.A believer should not be lazy or careless in such matters.’ 32 Hazrat Nawab Mubarakah Begum ra states: The Promised Messiah as felt great happiness in serving others.An old lady by the name of Maaee Taabi lived in our house.She suffered from chronic headaches.The Promised Messiah as was most mindful of her needs and would provide her with medicines and instructed that she be given almond syrup.I would often grind almonds to make Maaee Taabi her syrup and receive blessings in return.I had the feeling that the Promised Messiah as was also pleased with me for doing this service.Hazrat Maulawi Abdul Karim Sialkoti ra was a very close Companion of the Promised Messiah as.After his demise, the

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34 Promised Messiah as took great care of his widow, who was called Maulawiyaani, and would humour her greatly.She loved me a great deal and would have me stand on her legs as massage so as to relieve the pain in her legs.The Promised Messiah as would often ask me if I had done so.At his saying, I did this gladly and Maulawiyaani would hold my hand the whole time so that I would not fall down.33 The Promised Messiah as also paid attention to seemingly minor aspects of life such as: ● In Urdu, a rainbow is called qaus-e-qazah.The Promised Messiah as told the children to call it qausullah (Allah’s bow) as qaus- e-qazah literally means the bow of Satan.● He instructed one not to point the tip of a knife or scissors towards anyone nor to hand it to someone with the razor edge towards them.● He said not to throw a stone towards anyone, lest it injures them.● He instructed that during wrestling one should never kick anyone, lest that kick strikes someone in a delicate area.● He also disliked for children to fast at a young age.34

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PRAYERFULNESS The Promised Messiah as considered praying, in addition to the oblig- atory Prayers, a powerful weapon.At home or when travelling, the Promised Messiah as would designate a particular area for his prayers; which would be called Bait-ud-Du’a.The Bait-ud-Du’a in his home in Qadian was built in 1903.There would always be a specific time in his daily schedule for prayers.The Promised Messiah as began every important task with prayers and istikharah.The Promised Messiah as also liked one to pray in his own words during Salat.Hazrat Amman Jaan ra narrated that he would recite the following prayer abundantly in addition to durood and istighfar: سبحان هللا وبحمده سبحان هللا العظيم Subhanallahi wabi-hamdihi, subhanallahil-azeem * In a revelation, God taught him the prayer: ْ ْرُصُْنِیْ وَارْحَمْنِی خَادِمُکَ رَبِّ فَاحْفَظْنِیْ وَان ءٍ رَبِّ کُلُّ شَیْ * Translation: ‘Holy is Allah Almighty with His Praise, Holy is Allah Almighty the Most Great.’

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36 O my Lord everything serves You.So O my Lord, protect me and help me and have mercy on me.He was made to understand that this prayer was highly effective in this day and age.The Promised Messiah as advised his daughter Mubarakah Begum ra: You should pray whenever you wake up or even when you change sides [while sleeping].

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HOSPITALITY When the Promised Messiah as claimed to be the Reformer of the Age, Qadian was a small, remote, unknown village.Despite there not even being a railroad track that had reached Qadian, news spread far and wide and people came to Qadian in droves.In this regard, God revealed to him, َ وَسِّع ْ مَكَانَك Enlarge your house.35 This was in order to accommodate those who would come to meet him out of love.At another time, it was revealed to him by Allah Almighty that so many people would come to him that the road on which they would travel would become rutted.Hazrat Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani ra was a Companion of the Promised Messiah as from Hyderabad, Deccan.A poor student at the time, he travelled to Qadian for the first time in 1893.It was already evening when he reached Batala, about twelve miles from Qadian.There were no means of transport from there on and he did not fully know the way.He was also carrying some vegetables and his belongings

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38 in his hands.He got lost on the way and after asking for directions from those whom he met on the way, he finally reached Qadian in the early morning.There, he met Mir Hamid Ali ra, a Companion of the Promised Messiah as, who had him stay in the Gol Kamrah which is a room in the house of the Promised Messiah as.Upon hearing of arrival, the Promised Messiah as personally visited Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani ra and had an elaborate meal served to him.The Promised Messiah as spent a good amount of time with him.He asked about his journey to Qadian and the anxiety that he must have experienced upon losing his way.The Promised Messiah as then went and brought the bedding himself, saying, ‘ Hamid Ali, feed him well and arrange the bedding here.’ After all the instructions had been carried out and Irfani Sahib ra had laid down to sleep, Hamid Ali ra started to massage his legs, saying the Promised Messiah as had instructed him to do so, as he must be very tired.36 Hazrat Maulawi Abdul Karim Sialkoti ra once came to Qadian dur- ing the month of June.As he lay down to rest, the Promised Messiah as laid down beside the bed on the floor.Maulawi Sahib immediately sat up as a sign of respect.Huzoor as smiled and said,

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39 I was only keeping watch over you.The children were being noisy, and I was trying to stop them lest your sleep be disturbed.37 Hazrat Dr.Hashmatullah ra, who later became the personal physician of Hazrat Musleh Mau’ood ra, was a resident of Patiala and in 1907 came to Qadian to attend the Jalsa Salana.* At the end of the final session in Mubarak Mosque, a meeting of Jalsa officers was convened.Dr.Hashmatullah ra had last eaten in the morning and did not go for dinner in the Langar Khana ** with the other Jalsa attendees, lest the meeting began before he got back.The meeting ended at 11:45 at night, by which point the Langar Khana had closed.So, Dr.Hashmatullah ra went to sleep without eating anything.Sometime later, he heard a knock at the door and the voice of someone saying that the Langar Khana had been opened for those who had not eaten.So he went and ate whatever was offered alongside two other guests.Around nine o’clock the next morning, it became known that Allah, the Almighty had informed the Promised Messiah as through revelation about the hungry guests.Shaikh Abdul Haq ra, * Annual Convention ** Communal Kitchen

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40 who worked as an assistant in Dar-uz-Ziafat, writes about this inci- dent in a letter.He mentions that in the 1907 Jalsa, some Companions slept hungry one night.Around 10:30 at night, Huzoor as received the revelation: َّ بِي ُّ اَطْعِمُوا الْجَآئِع َ وَالْمُعْتَر َّ ُّهَا الن ی َ َآ ا ی O Prophet, feed the hungry and the distressed! 38 Immediately, he got up to search for those who had gone to sleep without eating.In the morning, the Promised Messiah as came to the old stairs of Mubarak Mosque and asked for Hazrat Hakeem Noor- ud-Deen ra.When he arrived, the Promised Messiah as told him, Maulawi Sahib, last night’s revelation was caused by the miser- able plight of some friends which reached the throne of God so quickly, shaking it to the point that the command to feed them was communicated through revelation.39 Dr.Hashmatullah ra confirms that on that night he really was very hun- gry, and the hunger was only due to being busy in Jama’at work which moved the throne of God.This incident shows God Almighty’s desire for the Promised Messiah as to honour and dignify his guests because in the future many people would eat at his table.Today, his Langar

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41 Khana serves the guests of the Jalsa in every country where the Jama’at has been established.The Promised Messiah as also gave detailed instructions to Miyan Najm-ud-Din, who was in charge of the Langar Khana: There are many guests here, you know some of them but do not know others.Therefore, it is proper to treat and serve all of them with respect.Since it is winter, serve them tea.No one should suffer any discomfort.I trust you to provide every com- fort to the guests, therefore serve them well.If any residence is cold, arrange for wood or coals (to be lit) there.40 The Promised Messiah as also exhibited special concern for other hos- pitality-related issues: ● The same kind of food was cooked for all members during the Jalsa, as the Promised Messiah as did not like for anyone to be given preferential treatment.He would say: ‘ All (guests) are equal to me.There cannot be any distinction or differentiation on this occasion.’ ● Despite the above, guests were also served food they were

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42 used to.For example, if anyone came from Madras, Bengal, or Kashmir, the Promised Messiah as made sure that they were served rice.He would say, ‘How will they learn about religion if they do not have good health?’ ● Langar Khana workers were required to report the arrival of any guest directly to the Promised Messiah as.● Upon arrival, guests were immediately served tea, lassi, or any other drink depending upon the weather.If preparation required time, they were served milk, bread or fruit until then.● The Promised Messiah as never wanted the guests to leave after a short while.Once, Hazrat Munshi Zafar Ahmad Kapurthalvi ra came for a visit.Each time when he requested leave, the Promised Messiah as would tell him to stay more and not leave so quickly and so he ended up staying for a long time.Hazrat Maulawi Abdul Karim Sialkoti ra says: ‘This quality is a sign of his truthfulness.A liar grows anxious within a day lest the truth of his situation becomes evident.But since God sent the Promised Messiah, he had no such fear.’

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43 ● To promote informality, the Promised Messiah as would have mangoes and mulberries brought in from his personal orchards and share them with his guests.● The Promised Messiah as would have food packed for those leaving on a journey.Hazrat Pir Siraj-ul-Haq ra, another devoted Companion of the Promised Messiah as, narrates that an elderly Sikh gentleman lived in a village near Qadian and was about twenty years older than the Promised Messiah as.The man often visited Mirza Ghulam Murtaza , the father of the Promised Messiah as, who would sometimes send for the Promised Messiah as to come and meet the gentleman.The Promised Messiah as would arrive with his eyes downcast, greet his father and sit at some distance from him.His father would address the Promised Messiah as as maseetarh and complain that he did not have a job, nor any earning and would softly say, Alright, I will have him appointed as a clergy of some mosque.He will get ten mounds of grains at least! Once, that same Sikh gentleman came to visit the Promised Messiah as while he was sharing a meal with his Companions in the Gol Kamrah.

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44 He was told that the Promised Messiah as was busy and that the old man could meet him when he came out.Without any fear or hesi- tation, the old man called in a loud voice, ‘Mirza Ji, come outside.’ The Promised Messiah as immediately came out, without even putting on his turban, and greeting the man with a smile, inquired, ‘ Sardar Sahib! Are you well and happy? You have come after a long time!’ The man replied, ‘I am content, though old age has weakened me.Mirza Sahib, do you even remember the past discourses of the older Mirza Sahib? Had he been alive today, he would have seen this bus- tle; how his maseetarh son sits like a king, and how influential people come from far and wide to serve him!’ The Promised Messiah as lis- tened with a smile and then replied, ‘Yes, I do remember all of that.It is all Allah’s bounty; it is none of our doing.’ Then, with great warmth, the Promised Messiah as told the Sikh gentleman to wait until some food was arranged for him.The Sikh gentleman wept as he recounted this conversation and kept saying, ‘ Had Mirza Ghulam Murtaza been alive, what a sight he would have witnessed.’ 41 Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra states: Sethi Ghulam Nabi was a very noble and humble Ahmadi, who

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45 belonged to Chakwal but had a shop in Rawalpindi.He told me that he once went to Qadian to visit the Promised Messiah as during the winter.It was raining when he reached Qadian in the evening.During the night, around midnight, when he had retired after dinner, someone knocked on his door.When he opened the door, he saw the Promised Messiah as holding a glass of warm milk in one hand and a lantern in the other.Sethi Ghulam Nabi was embarrassed at this gesture.Huzoor how- ever, said most kindly, ‘Someone has sent this milk.I thought that you may be in the habit of drinking milk, so I brought it for you.’ Sethi Ghulam Nabi narrates that his eyes welled up with tears at the wonderful manner of the chosen Messiah of God, who went to great lengths and found such pleasure in serving even his servants.42

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A historical group photo of the Promised Messiah as with his Companions.From the right standing: Abdul Hameed s/o Shaikh Rahmatullah, Hakeem Fazl Ilahi, Munshi Taj Din, Mir Nasir Nawab Dehlavi, Mir Hamid Shah, Master Ghulam Muhammad Sialkoti, Hazrat Sahibzadah Mirza Bashir- ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad.(On chairs) Shaikh Rahmatullah, Maulawi Abdul Karim, The Prom- ised Messiah as , Maulawi Ghulam Hassan Pishawari, Hazrat Hakeem Maulawi Noor-ud-Deen ra (on his lap Sahibzadah Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra ).(Seated on the floor) Khalifah Rasheed-ud-Din, Seith Ismail Adam, Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, Mirza Khuda Bakhsh, Shaikh Maula Bakhsh, Shaikh Abdur Razzaq s/o Shaikh Abdur Rahman (may Allah be pleased with them all).

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PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND DRESS The Promised Messiah as was a little above average in height with a somewhat heavy appearance.He had large eyes which were usually cast downwards, a glowing complexion, and a forehead without wrin- kles.He had a straight posture, was strongly-muscled, and had a fair wheat-like complexion which turned red when he laughed.He pos- sessed straight, shiny hair which reached his ears, and had a dense beard.43 The Promised Messiah as usually wore a kurta or shirt, a waist- coat, a coat, and an amaamah.He also always kept a handkerchief, which was slightly larger than average size.In its corners, he would put some musk and any medicine that he would be taking.He would wear socks in winter.He wore traditional shoes.When going out, he carried a walking stick, but never leaned on it.He always changed his clothes into a night dress before going to sleep.44

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A historical group photo of the Promised Messiah as with his Companions.Standing from right: Munshi Karam Ali, Maulawi Abdullah Arab, Maulawi Muhammad Ali, Miyan Miraj-ud-Din Omar, Hakeem Fazl Din Bhervi, Hakeem Muhammad Hussain, Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, Mufti Fazl-ur-Rahman, Bhai Abdur Rahim.(On chairs) Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, Sahibzadah Mirza Bashir Ahmad, Sahibzadah Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad, the Promised Messiah as (Sahibzadah Mirza Sharif Ahmad on his lap), Hazrat Hakeem Maulawi Noor-ud-Deen, Maulawi Abdul Karim Sialkoti, Pir Manzoor Muhammad.(Seated on the floor) Pir Siraj-ul-Haq Nomani, Maulawi Hakeem Qutb-ud-Din, Maulawi Sher Ali, Malik Sher Muhammad, Unknown, (may Allah be pleased with them all).Photo taken in June 1899.

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DIETARY HABITS The Promised Messiah as would eat whatever food was brought to him, expressing his liking for whatever was served, but he ate very little.Generally, he would eat chapatti, breaking it into small pieces; his fingers would never dip in the gravy.There would always be some chapatti leftover, which his Companions ate as a blessing.Hazrat Nawab Mubarakah Begum ra states, He ate puris and parathas [type of Indian breads] filled with lentils, which were best made by Hazrat Amman Jaan ra —thin yet large.The Promised Messiah as enjoyed anything similar to this if placed before him.45 He would also eat bread, biscuits and rusks.He ate flatbread made of cornflour.Meat was cooked in his house, but the Promised Messiah as liked lentils more.All kinds of dishes and every variety of vegetables were served at his table.Among birds, the Promised Messiah as pre- ferred the meat of partridges and doves.He sometimes ate pilau but liked the rice well-softened.If sick, he would eat boiled rice.The last meal served to him on

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50 the evening of 25 May 1908, was with boiled rice.Whenever there was writing to be done, he would especially ask for firni [rice pud- ding] or jaggery rice to be cooked for him.He would drink milk reg- ularly to maintain his energy, and would drink it in three or four small portions.Among fruits, he liked grapes, bananas from Bombay, oranges from Nagpur, apples, melons, Saroli mangoes, and sugar cane.However, he ate whatever fruit was brought to him.During the mulberry season, he would often eat those brought from his personal orchard and share them with his Companions during the evening walk.He never ate alone.If he was at home, he would eat with his fam- ily.When among his Companions, there would be twenty to twen- ty-five people eating with him.If anyone from among those who ate regularly with him was absent, he would set aside their share of food.He would always wash his hands before and after eating.During the winter, he would use warm water for washing his hands and dry them using a cloth or towel.46

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LOVE FOR THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD The Promised Messiah’s eldest son, Hazrat Mirza Sultan Ahmad ra narrates: The one thing I had particularly observed in my father was that he could not tolerate anything against the Holy Prophet s as.If someone said anything disrespecting the Holy Prophet s as , his face would become red and his eyes would reflect anger.He would get up and leave such a gathering immediately.He adored the Holy Prophet s as to his core.I have never seen such love in anyone else.47 The Promised Messiah as once said: The last admonition is that we have found every light by fol- lowing the immaculate Prophet and whoever follows him will also find it and he will become so accepted of God that noth- ing will be impossible for him.The Living God, Who is hidden from people, will be his God and all false gods will be trodden

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52 under his feet.He will be blessed everywhere and Divine Power will be with him.Peace be on him who follows the guidance.48

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1.H ay a t-e- T ayyabah, Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir, p.1-44, Naz- arat Nashr-o-Isha’at Qadian, April 2017 2.Haqiqatul-Wahi , Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.107, English translation, published by Islam International Publication Ltd.2018 3.Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5, p.157, Ed.1, English transla- tion, published by Islam International Publications 4.H ay a t-e-Ahmad, Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, vol.1, p.221, Nazarat Isha’at Rabwah 2013 5.H ay a t-e- T ayyabah, Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir, p.9, Nazarat Nashr-o-Isha’at Qadian, April 2017 6.H ay a t-e- T ayyabah, Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir, p.11-12, Nazarat Nashr-o-Isha’at Qadian, April 2017 7.H ay a t-e- T ayyabah, Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir, p.11-12, Nazarat Nashr-o-Isha’at Qadian, April 2017 8.H ay a t-e- T ayyabah, Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir, p.11-12, Nazarat Nashr-o-Isha’at Qadian, April 2017 9.H ay a t-e-Ahmad, Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, vol.1, p.172-173, Nazarat Isha’at Rabwah 2013 10.S i rat Hadrat Mas ih -e-Mau‘ u d as , Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, p.385 11.Haqiqatul-Wahi , Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.112, English translation, published by Islam International Publication Ltd.2018 12.Te h r i r a t-e-Mub a rakah, p.219 13.Tadhkirah, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.999, English translation, published by Islam International Publication Ltd.2018 REFERENCES

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54 14.T adhkirah, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.911, English translation, published by Islam International Publication Ltd.2009 15.Te h r i r a t-e-Mub a rakah, 216-217 16.H ay a t-e- T ayyabah, Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir, p.79-80, Nazarat Nashr-o-Isha’at Qadian, April 2017 17.Haqiqatul-Wahi , Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.277, English translation, published by Islam International Publication Ltd.2018 18.Te h r i r a t-e-Mub a rakah, p.236-237 19.T a b‘ i n A sha b-e-Ahmad S i rat Umme-Tahir , Malik Salahuddin M.A 20.S i ratul-Mahd i , vol.1 , Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra , p.203- 204, Nazarat Isha’at, Rabwah, 2008 21.S i rat Hadrat Mas ih -e-Mau‘ u d as , Hadrat Maulana Abdul Karim Sialkoti ra , M.M Tahir & Azhar Choudhry, p.55-56, Mississauga 22.Dhikr-e- H ab i b, Hadrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq , p.171 23.S i rat Hadrat Mas ih -e-Mau‘ u d as , Hadrat Maulana Abdul Karim Sialkoti ra , M.M Tahir & Azhar Choudhry, p.40-41, Mississauga 24.H ay a t-e-Bashir , Shaikh Abdul Qadir.p.45-46 25.H ay a t-e-Bashir , Shaikh Abdul Qadir.p.49 26.Saw a ni h Fa d l-e-‘Umar , vol.1, Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad rta , p.85, Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, 1975 27.Saw a ni h Fa d l-e-‘Umar , vol.1, Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad rta , p.80-81, Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, 1975 28.Saw a ni h Fa d l-e-‘Umar , vol.1, Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad rta , p.82, Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, 1975 29.Te h r i r a t-e-Mub a rakah, p.69-70 30.H ay a t-e-Ahmad, p.198

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55 31.Mahmood’s Aameen, p.4, Ed.2016, English translation, pub- lished by Islam International Publications 32.S i rat Hadrat Mas ih -e-Mau‘ u d as , Hadrat Maulana Abdul Karim Sialkoti ra , M.M.Tahir & Azhar Choudhry, p.36, Mississauga 33.Te h r i r a t-e-Mub a rakah, p.217-218 34.Te h r i r a t-e-Mub a rakah, p.227-229 & 286-288 35.Haqiqatul-Wahi , Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p.102, English translation, published by Islam International Publication Ltd.2018 36.S i rat Hadrat Mas ih -e-Mau‘ u d as , Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, p.146-148 37.S i rat Hadrat Mas ih -e-Mau‘ u d as , Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, p.156 38.Badr, vol.7, no.1, January 9, 1908, p.1, 3; al-Hakam, vol.12, no.1, January 2, 1908, p.3 39.The Daily AlFazl , p.5, 20 March 2007 40.S i rat Hadrat Mas ih -e-Mau‘ u d as , Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, p.163 41.S i ratul-Mahd i , vol.2, Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra , p.366- 368, Nazarat Isha’at, Rabwah, 2008 42.S i rat-e- T ayyabah , Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad ra , p.62 43.Dhikr-e- H ab i b, Hadrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, p.31 44.H ay a t-e- T ayyabah, Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir, p.455, Naz- arat Nashr-o-Isha’at Qadian, April 2017 45.Te h r i r a t-e-Mub a rakah, p.28 46.S i rat Hadrat Mas ih -e-Mau‘ u d as , Shaikh Yaqoob Ali Irfani, p.49-55 47.S i rat-e- T ayyabah , Hadrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, p.28-29 48.Sir a j-e-Mun i r , R uha n i Khaz a ’in, vol.12, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as , p.82-83

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glossary Aameen Ceremony: a happy occasion celebrating the first reading of the Holy Quran.Bahishti Maqbarah: heavenly graveyard established by the Promised Messiah as.Bait-ud-Du’a : literally means, ‘house of prayer’.It is the name of a small room in the house of the Promised Messiah as where he would pray alone.Chapatti: homemade flat-bread.Cholera: a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water.Dars: a reading from the Holy Quran accompanied by its explanation.Dar-uz-Ziafat: the guest house established by the Promised Messiah as.The phrase literally means ‘the house of hospitality’.Firni: rice pudding from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling milk, sugar and rice.Gol Kamrah: lit.round room.A room in the house of the Promised Messiah as.Hazrat: his/her holiness—used as a title of respect.Huzoor: your holiness Istighfar: an Arabic phrase which means seeking forgiveness from Allah the Almighty.

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58 Istikharah: the mode of praying in which one asks for guidance from Allah the Almighty on a certain matter.Jama’at: community of believers.Although the word Jama’at may be used for any community, in this book Jama’at means the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.Khan Bahadur: a formal title of respect and honour, which was con- ferred exclusively on Muslim and other non-Hindu natives of Brit- ish India.Lassi: a traditional yogurt-based drink that is popular in the Indian subcontinent.Masnavi Rumi: is a classic Persian book written by Jalal-ud-Din Mu- hammad Rumi, a Persian poet, sufi and theologian.Meethi Tikkiyan: a simple dessert made by making a dough of flour, sugar and water, then frying small portions of it in ghee or butter.Miswak: a teeth-cleaning twig made from the Salvadora Persica tree.Miyan: a term of respect used as a way of addressing someone.Muharram: the first month of the lunar calendar during which a grandson of the Holy Prophet s as , Hazrat Imam Hussain ra was mar- tyred by the forces of Yazeed Bin Muawiyya upon his orders.Parathas: in Indian cooking, a flat round piece of unleavened bread fried on a griddle.Puri: pl.puris—a small round piece of bread, deep fried, and served with meat or vegetables.

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STUDY GUIDE

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Question 1: Who was the Promised Messiah as and what was his mission as given to him by God Almighty? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 2: When and where was he born? ________________________________________________________ Question 3: What were the names of his parents? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 4: What is the name of the mosque that was constructed by his father? ________________________________________________________ Activity 1

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62 Question 5: What is the well-known revelation he received at the death of his father? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 6: What was the name of his twin sister who passed away a few days after birth? ________________________________________________________ Question 7: What games and sports did he participate in during his childhood? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 8: What was his goal from a very young age? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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63 Question 9: What was the name his father used to call him and what does it mean? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 10: What subjects did he learn in his childhood? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 11: How many books did he write? ________________________________________________________ Question 12: What were the names of his first and second wife and how many children did he have through each marriage? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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64 Question 13: What does the word Musleh Mau’ood mean? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 14: What was the most prominent quality in his pure character? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Question 15: What were some of the values he instilled in his chil- dren? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 16: How did he instil the habit of praying in his children? ________________________________________________________

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65 ________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ __ ________________________________________________________ Question 17: What did his children learn before any type of school edu- cation? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 18: What type of stories did he tell his children? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Question 19: Which famous book contains the poem written by him on the occasion of the Aameen of his children? ________________________________________________________ Question 20: What kind of food did he eat? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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66 Pick the correct answer true or false: Question 1: The Promised Messiah as was born on Friday 13 Febru- ary 1839.Your response: True False Question 2: The Promised Messiah as was born in Qadian.Your response: True False Question 3: Allah the Almighty revealed to the Promised Messi- ah as Is not Allah sufficient for his servant?.YOUR RESPONSE: True False Question 4: The name of the Promised Messiah’s mother was Charagh Bibi.YOUR RESPONSE : True False activity 2

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67 Question 5: The Promised Messiah as had one sister and two broth- ers.YOUR RESPONSE : True False Question 6: The name of the Arabic teacher of the Promised Messiah as was Fazl Ahmad.YOUR RESPONSE : True False Question 7: The main purpose of the treatment that Mirza Ghu- lam Murtaza provided to the Raja was to earn some money to restore the lost reputation of his family.YOUR RESPONSE : True False

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68 1.The Promised Messiah’s childhood was different from ordinary children.Explain how.activity 3

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69 2.What do you know about the Raja Teja Singh’s story on page 3?

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70 From the names given below of the family members of the Promised Messiah as fill in the correct word in the blanks then find the same words in the wordsearch given on the next page: Charagh Bibi Jannat Bibi Murad Begum Ghulam Murtaza Mirza Ghulam Qadir 1.________________ was the father of the Promised Messiah as.2.________________ was the mother of the Promised Messiah as.3.________________ was the brother of the Promised Messiah as.4.________________ was the sister of the Promised Messiah as.5.________________ was the sister of the Promised Messiah as.activity 4 - wordsearch

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71 R N T V N H I Q I A T H H L M P A L G W A N W H A A K S F I J H B H H J R M R F R M I J R V S C U W R A U I Y W D A A Z F N J L A D I L Q X L R V L A Q W D A I H A K D Y W X R S G T L R M L H R L E X L T E A H O B Y M K N G Q V J A O D I U H A R U A K L O G L A X H R L C H A R A G H B I B I D F K A I U G T N N A E L B J P I O M B N A A I D M K A U M I S D Q I A J Z A I M A I U L A H K A B W N A U J Y I G A X Z O V D T W U Z G A L E A N J A L N I A N T V N H B Q I A T H H L R N A L E W D N W H A A K S F U N H B E A J R M R F R M I J P A S C R W R A U I Y W D A A C J N U O A D I L Q X L R V L D Q M D G I H A K D Y W X R S A T L R Y L H R L E X L T K B L

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72 Clues Across 2.Hazrat Mirza ________ son of the Promised Messiah as whose revealed name was Qamarul-Anbiyaa which means Moon of the Prophets.4.Sahibzadi ________ daughter of the Promised Messiah as who passed away before age one.6.Sahibzadi ________ daughter of the Promised Messiah as who passed away at the age of one year.9.Hazrat ________ Begum daughter of the Promised Messiah as about whom God foretold that she would be married into a Nawab family.10.Sahibzadah Mirza ________ son of the Promised Messiah as who lived a little over 8 years and got married to Maryam Begum.Clues Down 1.Hazrat Mirza ________ son of the Promised Messiah as who be- came the second Khalifah.3.Hazrat Mirza ________ son of the Promised Messiah as concern- ing whom, the Promised Messiah as had a dream: ‘Here comes the King’.Activity 5 - crossword

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73 5.Sahibzadi ________ daughter of the Promised Messiah as who passed away at the age of 2-3 years.7.________ Begum daughter of the Promised Messiah as about whom the revelation Dukht-e-Kiraam was revealed.8.Sahibzadah ________ son of the Promised Messiah as who passed away at the age of one year.

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74 2 1 4 7 9 3 6 8 5 10

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ANSWERS

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Answers to Activity One A1.Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian was Hazrat Masih-e-Mau’ood, the Promised Messiah, whose mission was to revive Islam.A2.He was born on Friday February 13, 1835 in Qadian, India.A3.His father’s name was Mirza Ghulam Murtaza and his mother’s name was Charagh Bibi.A4.The Aqsa Mosque in Qadian.A5.The revelation was in Arabic ٗ دَہ ْ سَ اللّٰہُ بِکَافٍ عَب ْ اَلَی and is translated as; ‘Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?’ A6.The name of his twin sister was Jannat Bibi.A7.Swimming, horse-riding, and athletic exercises.A8.He said to his maternal cousin, ‘Pray for me that Allah grants me ANSWERS TO ACTIVITIES

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78 Salat.’ This shows that from a young age his goal was to be regular in Salat.A9.His father used to call him a maseetarh meaning one who spends most of his time in a mosque.A10.In his childhood, he learned Arabic, Persian, grammar, logic, philosophy and medicine.A11.He wrote more than ninety books.A12.His first wife was Hurmat Bibi.He had two sons from that marriage.His second wife was Nusrat Jahan Begum ra.He was blessed with ten children; out of whom five passed away in childhood.Three sons and two daughters attained a long life.A13.The word Musleh Mau’ood means a reformer whose advent has been promised.A14.The most prominent quality in the pure character of the Promised Messiah as was his complete obedience to the Holy Prophet s as.

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79 A15.Some of the values he instilled in his children were truthfulness, honesty, respect for elders, love for the young, and service to humanity.A16.He asked them to pray for an important task to help develop the habit of prayer.A17.His children learned to read the Holy Quran before any other school education.A18.He told his children stories with a moral lesson.A19.The poem is found in the book Durr-e-Thameen.A20.He ate whatever was served to him.Among the foods he ate were chapatti, lentils, bread, biscuits, rusk, flat-bread, rice, vegetables and meat.In desserts, he liked firni and jaggery rice.

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80 Answers to Activity Two 1.False —The Promised Messiah as was born on Friday 13 February 1835.2.True 3.True 4.True 5.False —The Promised Messiah as had two sisters and two brothers.6.True 7.False —The main purpose of the treatment that Mirza Ghulam Murtaza provided to the Raja was not to earn money.He helped the Raja purely out of compassion.

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81 Answers to Activity Four R N T V N H I Q I A T H H L M P A L G W A N W H A A K S F I J H B H H J R M R F R M I J R V S C U W R A U I Y W D A A Z F N J L A D I L Q X L R V L A Q W D A I H A K D Y W X R S G T L R M L H R L E X L T E A H O B Y M K N G Q V J A O D I U H A R U A K L O G L A X H R L C H A R A G H B I B I D F K A I U G T N N A E L B J P I O M B N A A I D M K A U M I S D Q I A J Z A I M A I U L A H K A B W N A U J Y I G A X Z O V D T W U Z G A L E A N J A L N I A N T V N H B Q I A T H H L R N A L E W D N W H A A K S F U N H B E A J R M R F R M I J P A S C R W R A U I Y W D A A C J N U O A D I L Q X L R V L D Q M D G I H A K D Y W X R S A T L R Y L H R L E X L T K B L

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82 Answers to Activity Five U M H M O D A M A H S A E N A S A E D D I U R B A 2 B R A S I I 1 B R U H H M A D K A 4 A M A T N 7 A T M A D U A R A K H A H 9 N A W A B 3 S A H M H D K 6 S H U R I F A D H S I 8 B R A W W A L M L T U H Z E E F 5 I S M T H O A A 10M

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Publisher's note Please note all references provided are from the Urdu edition and thus, are mostly books, periodicals or addresses published in Urdu.We have added the references to the Holy Quran citing the name of the s u rah [i.e.chapter], followed by a chapter number: verse citation, e.g., S u rah al-Jumu‘ah, 62:4.Salutations are recited out of respect when mentioning the names of Prophets and holy personages.These salutations have been abbreviated and inserted into the text where applicable.Readers are urged to recite the full salutations for the following abbreviations: s as s allallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam , meaning ‘peace and blessings of Allah be upon him’, is written after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.as ‘alaihis-salaam , meaning ‘peace be on him’, is written after the names of Prophets other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.ra raziyallahu ‘anhu/‘anhaa/‘anhum , meaning ‘Allah be pleased with him/her/them’, is written after the names of the Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as or of the Promised Messiah as.

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84 rta rahmatullah ‘alaihi/‘alaihaa/‘alaihim , meaning ‘Allah shower His mercy upon him/her/them’, is written after the names of those deceased pious Muslims who are not Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as or of the Promised Messiah as.

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