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Eid greetings

By Imran Hayee (Sadr Majlis Ansarullah, USA)

Dear Brothers,
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rehmatullah

I want to wish you and your families a very happy Eid. May Allah Ta’ala make this Eid a true blessing for us all and may He continue to shower His Choicest Blessings upon you and your families, Ameen.

This Eid is indeed a solace after spending the last two Eids in isolation. Inshallah, many of you will be able to go to the Mosque to offer Eid prayer in congregation. Due to the ongoing need for social distancing and other precautions, it may not be possible for you to hug each other, however, it will still be wonderful to see each other’s faces and interact after such a long time. Above all, this Eid gives us a renewed hope that the time is near when we will be able to come back to “normalcy”, Inshallah. 

What will we do when we return to this new normal? What lasting effect has this pandemic left on us and how has it prepared us to return to our normal lives? These are some of the questions that come to mind again and again as the world begins to recover. I, however, am not referring to our worldly lives, rather mainly to our spiritual lives. Will our spiritual life be the same, worse or better than the life we led before this pandemic? All of us hope for “better” to be the answer. Still, we all know that this also depends upon how steadfast we have remained throughout this trial and how much we have striven to strengthen our relationships with Allah Ta’ala during these difficult times, especially during this past Ramadan, the one before it, and the year in between.

To put this into perspective, let me share this quote of the Promised Messiah (as) from Malfoozat,

“I do admit that the Prophets and the other truthful persons have also, at times, to pass through grave hardships (what can be termed as calamities) but to think that that happens to them because of some of their sins is a great mistake and a sin. There is a vast difference between the calamities that befall the truthful persons and the dear ones of God and those who disobey Him and are sinners. The truthful persons are granted patience which makes these calamities and hardships a source of sweetness. They enjoy them; because these calamities become the cause of their spiritual uplift, for the calamities are most conducive to their spiritual advancement. They are like a ladder for them to make spiritual advancements. He who does not pass through this kind of calamities and hardships can make no progress whatsoever.”
(vol 7, pg 151)

My dear brothers, it is true that this past year has isolated us and adversely affected our worldly lives but I sincerely hope that it has had the opposite impact on our spirituality, making it stronger. And, Inshallah, we can gain further strength in the last few moments of this pandemic so that when we fully come out of it, we can see and feel the difference for the better.

May this Eid be a true Eid for us to celebrate this spiritual growth which we gained not only in this past Ramadhan but during this last year in its entirety and may you and your families enjoy the true blessings of Allah Ta’ala both in your worldly and spiritual lives. Ameen.

With love and prayers,

Wassalam,

Imran Hayee
humbly serving as Sadr Majlis 

Please watch an important video message from Qaid Talim ul Quran, Munir Malik Sahib here.

Tabligh opportunities in our daily lives

By Tarik Mahmood Chaudhary (Boston, MA Majlis)

A few years ago, I was traveling to Toronto, Canada, to see my mother and sister. It was late, I made a few stops along the way to fuel up with coffee or some kind of energy drink. This night I really wanted coffee. As it was close to 2:30am, nothing was really open at the service station except the convenience store.

There was no one in the store. I was looking for some kind of drink, other than coffee, since I don't really like convenience store coffee. Still, I longed for a cup of coffee. As I turned to go for the coffee machine, I ended up cutting off two older ladies. I immediately apologized and gave way for them to dispense their coffee first.

After getting my cup of coffee, I overheard the ladies speaking about some world events going on at the time. I believe we were six months into Trump’s presidency and there was much turmoil. I jumped into the conversation, to point out that maybe some immigration ban wasn’t so bad, then talked about the difference between Islam and ISIS.

The conversation extended to various topics, including some biblical references that allude to the differences of beliefs between Christians and Jews. I also brought the topic of the second coming of the Messiah (as). They remained absorbed in the conversation and seemed very intrigued to hear all this.

Eventually, I realized it was getting late, and I still had to drive many hours to get to Toronto. Before we parted ways, the two ladies asked me to say a prayer. So, I opened up the Quran app, turned to Surah Al-Fatiha. They asked that we hold hands, in silent prayer. I was reluctant at first, but given the gravity of the moment, I held their hands. And we formed a prayer circle. As I read the Surah, in English, I could see the ladies were very moved. In the end, they praised the Quran, and the message in Surah Al-Fatiha.

Upon leaving, they asked for a contact, so they could learn more about this truth they were exposed to. I directed them to a number of the local Jamaat, and alislam.org website.

Who were these two older women out at night, questioning me about matters of faith, and testing my knowledge and speech? At this time, I had just started my quest for knowledge of Islam and Ahmadiyyat. They were asking me that which I had just learned. It is as if they were meant to test my every move, behavior and responses. It was the beginning of Tabligh efforts for me, which rose in my heart like a shockwave. I say this, because shortly thereafter, I was formally involved in Tabligh efforts.

May Allah grant us strength and knowledge to do Tabligh in every interaction we have, even if it's silent Tabligh. Ameen.

Send us your stories of brotherhood, Ijtima memories, or any other inspiring experience that we can share with Ansar brothers via this e-newsletter.

Department of Publications Majlis Ansarullah USA

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   ♦  Editor