Friday Sermon - Biography of the Martyrs of Lahore (Part III)

Biography of the Martyrs of Lahore (Part III)

Summary of Friday Sermon

Delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad ^at, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

June 25 ^th, 2010

NOTE: Alislam Team takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in this Synopsis of the Friday Sermon

Huzoor (aba) delivered the sermon from Germany. He started by paying gratitude to Allah Almighty at the occasion of the 35th Jalsa Salana being held in Germany and continued by praying for the success of this event. May this Jalsa be a source of blessings for all of us and infuse a spirit of renewed faith in all of us, Ameen. Huzoor (aba) reminded everyone that the goals for which the Jalsa was inaugurated by the Promised Messiah (as) should always be kept in mind and those goals were to understand the reality of bai’at and progress in our faith, to give precedence to the love of Allah Almighty and His Beloved Messenger (saw) above all else, to progress in righteous deeds, to increase our knowledge and understanding by listening to the morally uplifting speeches, to foster love, affection and brotherhood amongst each other and to pray for those brothers and sisters who have departed from amongst us, fulfilling their pledge, during the past year. Therefore, during these three days, we should set these objectives before us and implement them in our lives; only then can we benefit from such spiritual events.

Huzoor (aba) also reminded that in order to attain these objectives, try to not only practice but also pray for yourself to make progress in your spiritual state, and remember all those Ahmadi Muslims in your prayers as well, who live around the globe, that may Allah Almighty keep each and every one of them in His shades of Mercy and Protection, especially the ones who live in Pakistan. These days, the situation in Pakistan is getting worse by the day for Ahmadi Muslims and the opponents of the Jamaat are being given the freedom to do as they please. May Allah Almighty grant them the steadfastness in face of this adversity and bestow on them the strength to uphold their faith, and may He protect them from all types of evil, and accepting their sacrifices, may He show His miraculous signs in their favour, Ameen.

Huzoor (aba) also elucidated about the Jalsa organization, by reminding everyone that there are many different departments working collaboratively during the event to make this a good experience for the attendees. Every officer of every department is serving the guests of the Promised Messiah (as) selflessly, and among these volunteers are men, women, young, old, and children. Each of them make every effort to fulfil their duties by the grace of Allah Almighty. Therefore, Huzoor (aba) reminded the attendees to cooperate with these volunteers, and follow the rules and regulations for the maximum benefit of the event. If a volunteer draws the attention of a guest towards a certain matter, the guests should cooperate to the best of their ability. The volunteers have been briefed about being very respectful and courteous to the guests. The second important issue that Huzoor (aba) drew attention towards is that all guests should be fully aware of their surroundings and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Security arrangements have been put in place, but despite those, the antagonist element is present everywhere and trying to harm or at least spread uneasiness among the Jamaat members. Such adversaries may attempt to enter the Jalsa area by deceiving the Security team. Guests are requested to fully cooperate with the Security team. If they require you to undergo security checks ten times, even then you must cooperate with them. Do not consider it to be a matter of disrespect or insult; in fact, this is for your own security. Therefore, do not make it an ego issue. Guests from outside the Jamaat will only be allowed to enter the premises if they meet the security parameters or the organizational guidelines. May Allah Almighty protect each and every one of you and enable you to derive maximum benefit from the Jalsa, Ameen.

Huzoor (aba) then turned towards the main topic of the sermon which is to continue with the biographies of those Ahmadi Muslims who were martyred on 28 May 2010, in Lahore, Pakistan as follows:

1. Khalil Ahmad Solangi sb., son of Naseer Ahmadi Solangi Sb., whose forefathers belonged to a small town close to Qadian, called Khaara. His paternal grandfather, Mohammad Bakhsh Solangi Sahib (rz) was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as). After the partition, the family moved to Gujranwala. Khalil Sahib graduated from Govt. college Lahore with his electrical engineering degree, and was employed with Wapda for 5 years, after which he joined his father’s business. After his demise, he established his own business. In 1997, he moved to Lahore and continued his business. Due to some issues he was facing, he moved to the USA, which he did in 2009. He served the Jamaat in various capacities, as Nazim Atfal, as Qaid (zila) and Qaid (halqa), Zaeem Majlish Ansarullah (Lahore), Mushawarat board (member and president), General Secretary (Lahore). At the time of his martyrdom, he was 51 years of age, was a moosi and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. One month prior to the event, he had arrived in Pakistan on a business-related trip. On the fateful day, he went to the Masjid for Jumma prayers, and after the onset of the attacks, he remained under the staircase with other Jamaat members for about one hour. He might have safely reached the basement, but saw a wounded Ahmadi brother, and went to save his life, when a bullet pierced through the left side of his heart and he was thus martyred. He was able to call his son Shuaib Solangi, and told him about the terrorist attack, and requested him and the rest of his family members for prayers.

He was an extremely loyal and devoted Ahmadi, who made many financial sacrifices. Since his youth, he had the opportunity to serve the Jamaat in a variety of offices. He also had the good fortune to have a mosque constructed in Gujranwala. He was a hard-working man, righteous in deeds, paid great attention to the religious and secular education of his children, highly obedient to the system of Khilafat, and would always seek Huzoor’s counsel before starting any new venture or making any decisions. His obedience and devotion are an example for all. He would help the unemployed whenever and howsoever possible. His domestic life as a husband and father was unmatched. He never turned a needy person away. He would always give good counsel, with a jovial personality, full of life and would always serve the Jamaat with a smile on his face. He had great skills to delegate work and get results from his workers. He was a soft-hearted man with excellent virtues, who was always ready to help others, in whatever capacity was required. At Jalsa Salana Qadian, he was usually in charge of the transportation department and fulfilled his duties wonderfully, always with a smile. In 2009, he came to Qadian from USA specifically to offer his services in the transportation department, and helped the travellers from Pakistan who were making the journey to Qadian. Huzoor (aba) said that he had personally known him since the days of being in Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya. He would always display complete obedience and cooperation with headquarters, and he would answer summons whenever he was called upon without giving a second thought to the situation (normally, businessmen do not leave their affairs). On his way to his last trip to Pakistan, he stopped over in UK to have a meeting with Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih V (aba), when he expressed his grave concern over the fact that some children whose ancestors have offered great services and sacrifices in the way of Allah are not active in Jamaat as they should be. During the discussion, he gave factual information and good counsel regarding these issues.

The former Ameer Sahib of Gujranwala writes regarding Solangi Sahib that he used to say that when it comes to Khilafat, there is no significance of any friendship or relationship. In 1974, when the situation for Ahmadis became unpleasant, he was very young at the time. When some of his relatives exhibited weakness, he left the house to take shelter at the current Ameer Sahib’s house, and performed duties there to serve others. He also spent generously in the cause of Allah. Once, he was ready to acquire a property worth 50 lakh Rupees (which could not be acquired due to some reasons) for the Jamaat. However, he did pay 44 lakh rupees for another property which is now serving as salat center for Jamaat. Only a short time before this, he had paid a considerable amount towards another mosque, but he never brought that up. At the occasion of Khilafat Jubilee, he contributed 10 lakh rupees towards the guest house that was built by Lahore Jamaat. He was on the forefront not only in financial sacrifices, but also donated his time whenever needed. He was always seeking opportunities to serve jamaat in general, the elders of the jamaat, the office bearers of jamaat and those who had dedicated their life to the service of jamaat. He never displayed any pride over his financial status, on the contrary always proved to be a humble and modest man.

2. Ijaz Nasrullah Khan sb., son of Chaudhry Asadullah Khan sb. He was the nephew (brother’s son) of Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan sb. and was the cousin of Chaudhry Hameed Nasrullah Khan sb, who is the former Ameer of Lahore. He had the opportunity to serve jama’at in various capacities and to work with four different Khulafa-e-Ahmadiyyat. His father, Chaudhry Asadullah Khan sb., was the former Ameer of Lahore. He received his primary education in Qadian, graduated in matriculation from Lahore and received his formal education in the field of law from a university in London, after which he practiced law in UK for a few years; and then on the counsel of Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih III (rh) returned to Pakistan. He settled in Islamabad and worked till his retirement in 1984, after which he dedicated his time solely to the service of Jamaat in various offices: he was the former ameer of Islamabad, naib ameer of Lahore, he was member of qadha board, and a member of the fiqha committee. At the time of his martyrdom, he was 83 years of age, he was a moosi and he was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. On the fateful day, he got ready for the jumma service, but felt weak. Regardless, he had breakfast, and told his son he wanted to go to the mosque at noon for the sole reason that he does not like to cross over people already sitting there to reach the first row. He then left with his son and his grandson for the mosque. His son insisted that he should take care of his grandson because he had to go for his duty, but Ijaz Nasrullah sahib asserted that the son should stay with the father (by God’s grace, both the son and the grandson are safe). He was sitting next to the mihrab in the first row, and he received bullet wounds in the stomach. When someone asked him to go towards security, he said that he has prayed for martyrdom. The deceased lay next to Ameer Sahib. Maulvi Basheeruddin Sahib saw in a dream, that a big white car descends from the sky and he hears someone say that I have come to take you away. Ijaz Nasrullah sahib would habitually offer Isha prayers and go to bed early, and wake up at 1am for tahajjud prayers. He would request everyone to pray for “khaatima bil khair” (a righteous end). He deeply loved the system of Khilafat, he would encourage people to serve in the way of jamaat, he had a passion to do tabligh (propagation of Islam Ahmadiyyat) and at the end of such sessions, would apologize to everyone if he had offended anyone unintentionally. He had sponsored an orphan child, for whom he would send provisions regularly. Once, a young man came from Rabwah, who had studied up to the seventh standard. Chaudhry Sahib instructed his daughter-in-law to make the same provisions for his education as for her own children. His son states that it was his intense desire to pay his chanda vasiyyat during his lifetime, and by the grace of God, he was able to fulfil his desire three years prior to his martyrdom, and only a few days before his martyrdom, he paid all his chandajaat that were due. During his stay in Islamabad, at one point he was working as a Registrar at the Monopoly control Authority, when he received a file with an intercession from the Prime Minister of that time. He did not approve that file because he found a legal infringement and returned it to the Prime Minister, which infuriated him and he sent back a message to Chaudhry Sahib saying that he should comply or be prepared to face charges. When this issue reached Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih III (rh), he said that if the person is courageous, he should face the situation, and if he is cowardly, he should resign. When this message was received, Chaudhry sahib refused to resign as he had nothing to hide, on which charges were laid against him, and he was discharged off his duty without any reason. He wrote to Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih III (rh) requesting him for prayers. The next day after Fajar, when he was strolling in the garden, he met with the current Ameer Sahib of the time, Chaudhry Abdul Haq Virk Sahib who said that he had been praying for him when he had heard a voice saying “Celebrate your vacations”. When the government was overturned by the military coup, his file was examined and his job was re-instated, with a message saying that the previous two years that he had been inactive would be considered as extended leave of absence (a vacation). Thus was fulfilled the dream in his favour, and the wonderful aspect in this was that if his position was taken away by an opponent of the jama’at, it was re-instated by another opponent of the jamaat. His son also said that he was requested to change his car for security reasons and should use alternative routes to visit the mosque. Chaudhry sahib had no reservations in taking these measures, but he outright rejected the proposition that he should sometimes miss the jumma service. He said that the worse course of action the enemy could take was to cause his martyrdom.

3. Chaudhry Hafeez Ahmad Kahlon sb Advocate, son of Chaudhry Nazeer Hussain sahib Sialkoti. His family also belonged to Sialkot. He secured an LLB degree after which he practiced law as a professional career, first in Sialkot and then moved to Lahore where he worked as an advocate in the Supreme Court. At the time of martyrdom, he was 83 years of age, and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor mosque in Model Town. On the fateful Friday, he was sitting in the main hall, and received bullet wounds in the chest when firing began. Efforts were made to revive him, but he was martyred on premises. He was a soft-natured man, who never scolded anyone, and was kind to the servants at home. He was regular in offering salat and would often go to the mosque to offer congregational prayers. One of his sons, Nasir Ahmad Kahlon Sahib is the Naib Ameer of Australia Jamaat. He was a righteous man, who would work for free for those who could not afford to pay a lawyer’s fee, and in addition, he would help them financially. During the martial law years in Pakistan, he helped close a case filed against a Lajna member for using certain religious terminology in her exams. Many non-Ahmadi acquaintances and even adversaries came to pay their respects and offer condolences at his martyrdom. One of the judges called his office to offer condolences. The secretary asked him to pray for the departed soul. The judge said that he could offer condolences but could not pray for the forgiveness of an Ahmadi soul. He was regular in offering salat, and despite the weak eyesight, he would walk to his halqa masjid to offer maghrib prayers. He would recite the Quran for hours. When his grand-daughter was told about his martyrdom, the mother said to the little girl that her grandfather had gone to be with Allah. The little girl has such a deep impact of his recitation of the Quran that she said that he would be reciting the Quran while with Allah as well. Huzoor (aba) said that this is the impact an Ahmadi should have on young children by leading a practical example for them.

4. Chaudhry Imtiaz Ahmad sb., son of Nisar Ahmad Sahib, whose paternal grandfather, Chaudhry Mohammad Boota sahib of District Gurdaspur, was the sole person from his family to perform baiat in 1935, due to which he faced much persecution so much so that his grave was exhumed, and he was re-buried on his own property. After partition, the family moved to Sahiwal and then to Lahore. At the time of his martyrdom, he was 34 years of age, was a moosi, and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was serving the jamaat in various capacities and was a member of the shura at the time of his martyrdom. He was on duty at the main gate on the left side of the Masjid. At the onslaught, he ran to capture the assailants, but received bullet wounds in his head and chest due to which he was among the first ones to be martyred. Ever since his childhood and youth, he would participate in jamaat programs. Whenever he was given charge of the security duty, he would fulfil his obligations in an outstanding manner. He was regular in offering salat, both his kids were in the waqf-e-nau scheme, he had great respect for all office-bearers of jamaat, he possessed great leadership qualities and had an intense desire to dedicate his life for the cause of jamaat; in fact, he would perform his security duties thinking of it as temporary waqf. On the first page of his diary, he had written a quote which reads: “Cowards die again and again; A brave soul dies only once.” His sister who was visiting them earlier from the USA requested him to write something in her diary, so he wrote something in Urdu which roughly translates as follows: “This passion and intense affection that we possess has been inspired by the prayers of the Messiah (as)”. Prior to his martyrdom, he had a dream in which he was told that he did not have much time left. After the dream, he made every effort to train his wife to become more independent and even established a business for her. He would offer tahajjud prayers and would go to the masjid for fajar prayers. One day, when he arrived home past midnight, and woke up early for tahajjud, his wife asked him to take some rest, to which he replied that he was not worried about resting in this world, he was worried about taking rest in the next.

5. Ijaz-ul-Haq sb, son of Rehmat Bakhsh Sahib. He was from the family of Hadhrat Ilahi Bakhsh Sahib (rz) who was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as). The family belonged to the town of Patiala, district Amritsar. His father was employed with the Railway and lived in Lahore. He was working as a satellite technician for a TV channel. He was 46 years of age at the time of his martyrdom and he was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. On the day of his martyrdom, he repeated the pledge at the occasion of Khilafat Centenary that was being broadcasted on MTA. He offered jumma prayers at Dar-ul-Zikr usually, and on that day as well, he came to the masjid straight from work. He was sitting under the staircase, and when the attacks began, he called home and asked his brother to bring the weapons to the masjid straight away. He was also simultaneously reporting to his TV channel on the phone when he received bullet wounds which were being sprayed in his direction and was martyred instantaneously. He was a sympathetic and hospitable man, who was kind and courteous to everyone. He was regular in paying his chandajaat, and would participate in all financial schemes with great zeal. Nazim Atfal of his halqa says that at any occasion when he would take his children for waqar-e-amal, he would always be grateful to him when he brought his children back home, saying that it was because of him that the children had the opportunity to serve jamaat.

6. Shaikh Nadeem Ahmad Tariq sb. son of Muhammad Mansha Sahib. His forefathers were from Chiniot, and went to Calcutta for business. After 1947, his father went to Dhaka from Calcutta from where he moved to Lahore in 1971. Nadeem sahib’s wife is also from Calcutta and is the granddaughter of Muhammad Yousuf Bani Sahib. Nadeem sahib started his business of dealing in spare parts after completing his degree in ICom. He was 40 years of age at the time of martyrdom, was a moosi and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He would always offer jumma at Dar-ul-Zikr, and would stay till the live telecast of Khutba sermon from UK on MTA. On the fateful day, he was sitting close to Ameer Sahib, and his left arm had received a bullet wound due to which the arm was swollen. It appears that he was martyred due to severe bleeding. He was a soft-natured man, peace-loving, decent and would never hurt anyone. At the time of salat, he would call home from work to remind his children to offer salat. Huzoor (aba) said this is the responsibility of an Ahmadi father towards his children to inculcate a relationship of the children with Allah and to draw their attention towards prayer and supplication. He would travel a distance of 4 km to offer congregational prayers. Huzoor (aba) added that perhaps a distance of 4 km seems insignificant in Western countries where the roads are paved, but in Pakistan, it can be quite cumbersome to travel these distances. He would offer tahajjud prayers and would participate in financial schemes. He had the opportunity to offer financial help to meet the needs at the halqa level. He would offer his motorcycle for jamaat work whenever requested, and would himself take a rickshaw to work. He would serve his fellow human beings on a regular basis. Huzoor (aba) added that the whole family is very consistent in the service of mankind.

7. Amir Lateef Piracha sahib, son of Abdul Lateef Piracha. His father was from Sargodha and was an active member of the amila there. He had a close relationship with Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih III (rh), who would often stay at their residence during his journey. His maternal grandfather performed bai’at at the hands of Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih I (rz). Amir Sahib received his primary education from Sargodha, and graduated with a degree in MBA from Lahore. He was regular in offering jamaat chandajaat and sadqaat and would serve his elders. He also had the opportunity to work with the former Ameer sahib of Sargodhar, Mirza Abdul Haq sahib. During the attacks, he called his brother and told him that he was surrounded by the bodies of martyrs. His face had received wounds as if someone had hit him with the gun and also had grenade shrapnel wound on his arms. He was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was an extremely honest and trustworthy man. He was so well-reputed for his honesty that jewellers would entrust him with highly valuable items. He never hid the fact that he was an Ahmadi. He looked after his father who remained ill for a long period till his demise. He looked after his mother also, who is very ill. He would participate in all financial schemes and donate towards sadqaat and charities as well without letting others know about it. He would bring patients from his ancestral hometown of Sargodha to Lahore and have them treated free of cost to them. He had a great zeal for making personal sacrifices, he was regular in offering salat, regular in reciting the Holy Quran, and regular in offering tahajjud prayers. He brought a gift of 4 new suits for his mother a few months before his martyrdom. His mother said that she had enough suits already, to which he replied that who knew how long he was going to live, so he would like to see her dressed in the suits he had brought for her.

8. Mirza Zafar Ahmad sb., son of Mirza Safdar Humayun Sahib. He was born in Mandi Bahauddin. It was his paternal grandfather who became the first ahmadi in the family after performing bai’at at the hands of Hadhrat Musleh Maud (rz). He completed his matriculation from Lahore, and then went to Lyalpur for further studies, but had to quit due to facing certain difficulties at the university. He then went to Karachi, where he received a diploma in mechanics after 3 years of study. He also studied for another year, and then was employed in Karachi for 1 year, after which he left for Japan. Since 1981, he was working as an engineer for solar energy and stayed in Japan for 21 years. He had the opportunity to serve jamaat in various capacities. When the Mission House was shut down in Tokyo, he offered his own house to be used as Jamaat center. In 1983, he had the opportunity to go to Korea for waqf-e-aarzi, and in 1985, he attended Jalsa Salana UK as a representative of Japan jamaat. In 1993, he climbed a peak as Sadr khuddam ul Ahmadiyya and also recited the adhan on the summit. In 1999, his wife and himself came to UK for the foundation-laying ceremony of Masjid Bait-ul-Futuh as representatives of Japan jamaat. In Japan, he served as Sadr Tokyo, Finance Secretary Tokyo and as Naib Ameer from 2001 to 2003. At one occasion, Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih IV (rh) expressed his pleasure for Zafar Ahmad sahib by remarking that it was his wish that all the members of Jamaat Ahmadiyya Japan should become more like Zafar Ahmad sahib. During his 21 years of stay in Japan, he made efforts of furthering his education, and then moved to Pakistan in 2003, where he lived in Cavalry Ground, and his house there also served as Namaz Center. He was 56 years of age at the time of his martyrdom, was a moosi and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He always sat in the first row at the masjid. On this fateful day, he sat in the first row as usual, near Imam Sahib, and received bullet wounds in the back of his head, and was thus martyred. He was completely devoted to Khilafat. Whenever he had the opportunity to visit UK, it was his utmost effort to offer all prayers behind the Khalifatul Massih. He would listen to the sermons very attentively, and if for some reason, he missed a live sermon, he would not rest till he had listened to the recording of it. He was a true model of the motto “Love for all, hatred for none”. He was a simple man, who was trustworthy, would always keep his promise and always prepared to make great sacrifices. He was an excellent husband, and would even offer to cook on occasion. He would be mindful of very minute needs of his wife and would never complain. Malik Munir Ahmad Sahib writes from Japan that when he arrived in Japan, he was still single, and was a simple man, conservative nature, pleasant personality, always ready to serve in the way of Allah. He was always prepared for and would never say no to Jamaat work; in fact, if he was assigned with any projects, he would carry out his duties extremely honestly and responsibly. He was respectful to all office bearers, young or old. Before leaving Japan, he had dedicated his life for jamaat work. Maghfoor Ahmad Munir Sahib (a mubaligh who now resides in Rabwah, and who has previously lived in Japan) writes that his services during his stay in Japan were nothing less than those of a waqf-e-zindagi, in fact, it would not be incorrect to say that his services were exemplary for all to emulate. He was in the forefront of financial sacrifices and dedication of time towards serving jamaat. He served as Honorary mubaligh, secretary finance and sadr jamaat Tokyo. He was completely devoted to the establishment of Khilafat. He would supplicate with great fervour during salat. On hearing of the plight of others, he would get teary-eyed.

9. Mirza Mahmood Ahmad sahib, son of Akbar Ali Sahib, resident of District Narowal. His paternal grandfather Hadhrat Anayatullah Sahib (rz) was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as). He worked for the department of telephone and retired from his employment in 2008. He had been living in Lahore for 35 years. At the time of his martyrdom, he was 58 years of age and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor mosque. He would usually offer jumma prayers in this mosque. On the fateful day, he received a bullet wound in his forehead, which martyred him instantaneously. He was always ready to serve the Jamaat, and had the opportunity to work under the waqf-e-aarzi scheme several times. He was an extremely kind-hearted, hard-working and simple man. His son, Qaiser Mahmood Sahib was present with him during the attacks, and he remains safe. Four days before his martyrdom, his wife saw in a dream a beautiful garden with a cool breeze and springs running through it. In it is a beautiful palace. Mahmood Sahib says in the dream that I have built a house for you, but I will stay in this palace. The palace was filled with pleasing perfume and aroma. May Allah Almighty elevate his status in Paradise, Ameen.

10. Shaikh Mohammad Akram Athar Sahib, son of Shaikh Shamsuddin Sahib, resident of district Gujranwala. All the relatives of the family passed away when the plague spread, and after which Shamsuddin Sahib moved to District Sargodha. He also had the honour of serving Hadhrat Promised Messiah (as) and Hadhrat Musleh Mauood (rz) although he performed baia’t at the hands of Hadhrat Musleh Maud (rz). The father-in-law of Akram Sahib, Khwaja Muhammad Sharif Sahib (rz) was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as). At the time of martyrdom, he was 66 years of age, and he was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He sat on the chairs in the hall when firing began, and he received bullet wounds in the head and the ribs, due to which he was martyred. About two to three months prior to his martyrdom, he had a dream and he said that the time of his death was near. He started to remain very quiet since then. His daughter-in-law had a dream in which she saw a hall in Rabwah that belonged to Majlis Ansarullah, which she has never seen before. She received three gifts which she then took to Lahore. Huzoor (aba) said that the funeral prayers for the martyrs were held in the Majlis Ansarullah halls also. He had a passion for tabligh and would go to a nearby town to propagate the message, and would take Al Fazal with him. He also campaigned against smoking, and would stop people from smoking wherever he saw them. He would advise them to substitute their cigarette for another type of food instead. He was regular in offering tahajjud prayers. He possessed many virtuous characteristics. He was a prayerful man and would supplicate for others be taking their names. He was regular in paying chandas, in fact, whenever he would receive his salary, he would go to the finance secretary to pay the chanda. Huzoor (aba) added that this is the proper way of paying chanda rather than falling behind in paying it, and on following up with these people, some say that we fell behind because the finance secretary did not remind them. Huzoor (aba) said that it is the responsibility of each individual to stay up-to-date with their chandajaat. During the Khilafat Centenary year, he took part in the essay-writing competition and he secured ‘A’ grade in it.

11. Mirza Mansoor Baig Sahib, son of Mirza Sarwar Baig sahib. His forefathers belonged to a town in District Amritsar. His paternal uncle Mirza Munawar Baig sahib, who had performed bai’at before 1953, was martyred in 1985 by an enemy of the Jamaat. Mirza Mansoor sahib owned a bridal wear boutique. At the time of his martyrdom, he was 29 years of age, was a moosi and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor mosque. He was serving the jamaat as secretary publications, nazim tehrik-e-jadeed and in the security squad. On the fateful Friday, the qaid Khuddam called him twice to remind him to go for jumma to perform his security duty, to which he replied that he should not worry and if need be, he would be the first to receive the bullet. He was performing duty at the main gate and he was the first to receive the bullets when the assailants opened fire and he was martyred on the spot. He had a dream on the same day that he was being beaten and that black-coloured dogs were chasing after him. He was always ready to serve the jamaat and was obedient to the nizam-e-jamaat. He was soft-hearted man with a pleasant nature. He was regular in offering daily salat. His wife is expecting their first child. Huzoor (aba) prayed for the baby to be born: may Allah Almighty grant them a virtuous and righteous child who attains a long and healthy life, Ameen.

12. Mian Mohammad Muneer Ahmad Sahib, son of Maulvi Abdus Salam Umar Sahib. Muneer Sahib was the paternal grandson of Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih I (rz), born in the house of his maternal grandfather Mir Muhammad Saeed Sahib in Hyderabad, India, who had performed bai’at at the permission of the Promised Messiah (as). Due to his conversion to Ahmadiyyat, many households in Hyderabad came into the fold of Ahmadiyyat. Muneer Sahib earned his bachelor’s degree from Lahore in 1962. At the time of his martyrdom, he was 70 years of age and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. On the fateful day, he left for the mosque later than his normal time, which was around noon, and reached the mosque at 1pm. He was sitting on the chairs next to Gen. Nasir in the first row. While trying to shut the door so that the assailants could not enter the hall, one of them jammed the door with his rifle and kept firing. He received a bullet wound in his head, due to which he was martyred. Ten years prior to these attacks, he had a dream in which he saw that a grave had been prepared next to the grave of Hadhrat Umar Farooq (rz) and on inquiring, he was informed that this grave was prepared for him. This dream was fulfilled at his martyrdom, since was from the progeny of Hadhrat Umar Farooq (rz) and both had their martyrdom in common. His daughter dreamt that her father came to her and asked her to prepare his room and clean it up. She did as she was told in the dream, and a few days later, some guests arrived who wished to see the room of her martyred father. His son says that at the time of his Nikkah, an issue arose in which some jamaat members tried to show him as part of the Lahori jamaat. When the issue was taken to Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih III (rh), he very kindly stated that this man has no need to re-initiate his pledge, since he was the grandson of that man who was the beloved of the Promised Messiah (as) himself and who stood for Khilafat as a shield. Henceforth, Maulana Abul Ata Jalandhari Sahib performed his nikkah. One of his relatives writes that he was a compassionate man, helped the needy and the poor, was extremely hospitable, would visit the sick, help the poor to wed their daughters, and would pay for the tuition of the poor. He was so hospitable that if a guest would visit his house, he would not let him leave without serving a meal. He was regular in offering tahajjud prayers.

13. Dr. Tariq Basheer sahib , son of Chaudhry Yousuf Khan sahib. His father was a resident of Shakkargarh, and was the first to perform bai’at in the family. He went to live in Karachi at the guidance of Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih II (rz) to watch over the estate in Sindh. Dr. Tariq was born in Karachi. He received his primary education in Shakkargarh, and went to Lahore, where he did his MBBS and several other specialization courses, after which he served for 15 years in the Kusoor Hospital. He was serving as ASP in Mayo Hospital and was operating his own clinic in Kusoor. At the time of martyrdom, he was 57 years of age and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. At the time of the onslaught, he sat close to the mihrab in the main hall. He was wounded after the first grenade was detonated and martyred due to these wounds. His wife dreamt a few days before the martyrdom in which she saw a beautiful house floating in the clouds, and she saw her husband residing in it. In another dream she saw that during a devastating earthquake and storm, she is frantically running around searching for her husband, but cannot find him. He was a very fine-natured man, who was never harsh to anyone. He loved his children, specifically his daughters. He was compassionate towards his patients and was sympathetic to everyone around him. When his non-Ahmadi landlord heard the news of his martyrdom, he was so shocked that he fell unconscious. During the six years of leasing the house, he always went to the house of his landlord to pay the rent. Never once did the landlord have to remind him to pay the dues. He would read the books of the Promised Messiah (as) with great passion, was regular in paying chandajaat and had advised his wife to take out one part of his daily income for the poor and needy. He would listen to Huzoor (aba)’s sermons regularly and sometimes would listen to them again and again. One of his sons has also completed his MBBS degree, and was wounded during these attacks. Huzoor (aba) prayed for the complete recovery of his son, and for all those who were wounded during these atrocious attacks.

14. Arshad Mahmood Butt Sahib, son of Mahmood Ahmad Butt Sahib. His great-grandfather Abdullah Butt sahib was a resident of Sialkot. His grandfather Jaan Mohammad Sahib (rz) was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as). His father worked for the Air Force, due to which the family lived in various places as he was transferred. Arshad sahib completed his ICom degree from Lahore. At the time of martyrdom, he was 48 years of age and was martyred in Masjid Bait-ul-Noor. He was serving as Naib Zaeem Ansarullah and Secretary Tehrik-e-Jadeed. On the fateful day, he got ready for jumma service early and sat in the first row of the main hall, and received 3 to 4 bullets during the initial stage of the firing and was martyred instantaneously. He was regular in offering the five daily prayers, would recite aloud the Quran daily, he would perform his own work despite the weakness in the leg due to polio, he loved the establishment of Khilafat dearly, would pay chanda above and beyond his capacity, had studied various books of the jamaat and was a very prayerful man. May Allah Almighty elevate his status in Paradise, Ameen.

15. Mohammad Hussain Malhi Sahib, son of Mohammad Ibrahim sahib, resident of district Sialkot. His father was the first to perform baiat. For the past 34 years, he had been living in Lahore, and had the opportunity to teach in various jamaat schools. At the time of martyrdom, he was 68 years of age. He was an electrician by trade, and would not charge the needy or the poor for his services. He supervised the construction of the mosque of his halqa under his custody. May Allah Almighty elevate his status in Paradise, Ameen.

16. Mohammad Ameen Sahib son of Haji Abdul Kareem Sahib who was from Jammu Kashmir and performed bai’at in 1952. Ameen Sahib performed bai’at after his father. At the time of martyrdom, he was 70 years of age and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was sitting in the first row, when the grenade was detonated when he suffered wounds and received bullets. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but attained the status of martyrdom after 3 days on 30th May. Two days prior to the martyrdom, he woke up raising his hands and saying Allah-o-Akbar. He was a man who possessed many virtuous characteristics, was very hospitable and always ready to serve the jamat. He would participate in jamaat programs and competitions with great zeal.

17. Malik Zubair Ahmadi sahib, son of Abdul Malik Ahmad. He was a resident of District Faisalabad. His paternal grandfather, Malik Abdul Majeed Sahib (rz) performed bai’at during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (as) although he could not have the honour of meeting him personally. Zubair Sahib was employed in Faisalabad with Wapda, and after retirement, moved to Lahore one month prior to the attacks. His father’s name is mentioned among those who contributed towards the construction of the mosque Bait-ul-Fazal in Faisalabad. He had been offering prayer services in halqa mosques, but when he visited Bait-ul-Noor, he asked his son to bring him to this mosque for jumma since Ahmadis congregate here in large numbers. At the time of his martyrdom, he was 61 years of age, and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor mosque. He was sitting in the main hall, whilst his son was in the other hall. When the assailants started attacking the worshippers, he walked towards the wall. His son had been frantically looking for him but couldn’t spot him, whereas he himself saw his son and called out to him: Why do you run around like this? If we are under attack, we shall be among the martyrs right here. When the firing started in the hall, he received a bullet right in the heart, and was critically wounded. He was taken the hospital where he received the status of becoming a martyr. He was regular in offering five daily prayers and the tahajjud prayers, so much so that he used to say that if due to fatigue he was not able to wake up for tahajjud, it felt as if someone had woken him up forcefully. He would watch MTA regularly. When his son bought a car, he advised him not to listen to any type of music or radio in the car; instead he should recite “subhanallah” and invoke durood, as this was his own practice as well. His younger brother also said that when we were young, he would recite one dua in one portion of the footpath, another dua in another portion, and so he had designated different prayers for different portions. When his son said that he wanted to get his car insured, he gave him a sound advice. He said the insurers are weak and cannot protect you but Allah Almighty is The Ultimate Protector; I would suggest that you pay chanda equivalent to the amount of insurance every month, and so his son complied. He was a great athlete of the sport of boxing and had received many prizes.

18. Chaudhry Mohammad Nawaz sahib, son of Ghulam Rusool sahib. His ancestors belonged to a town in District Sialkot, and some of his family elders were the companions of the Promised Messiah (as) although his father performed bai’at during the era of Hadhrat Musleh Maud (rz) as a result of a debate arranged in their village. After completing his BA and B.Ed, he joined the department of Education and retired in 1991. He moved to Lahore in 1992, where he had the opportunity to serve as auditor of his halqa. He was 80 years of age at the time of his martyrdom and he was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He used to say that he had a special place for Dar-ul-Zikr in his heart because during the construction of this mosque, he had performed vaqar-e-amal there. On the fateful Friday, he wore a new suit and a new pair of shoes, and reached the mosque at 1pm. He was sitting in the main hall on the chair, when a grenade detonated and he was martyred. A few months prior to the event, his wife dreamt in which she heard: “Congratulations, your husband is alive.” He was an honest and straightforward man. He was healthy and active, and looked at least 20 years younger than his age. He was the captain of the rowing at Talim-ul-Islam College. He could speak several different languages. In addition to jamaat books, he would study religious books about other religions as well.

19. Shaikh Mubashar Ahmad sahib, son of Shaikh Hameed Ahmad sahib. His forefathers belonged to Qadian, and after partition, they moved to Rabwah. For the past 35 years, they were living in Lahore. His paternal grandfather Shaikh Abdur Rehman Sahib performed bai’at during the era of Hadhrat Khalifatul Massih II (rz), and Meher bibi (rz) who is a companion of the Promised Messiah (as) was his maternal grandmother. He was 47 years of age at the time of his martyrdom and he was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. On the fateful day, he sat in the rear hall in the third row. When the assailants attacked the mosque, he tried to keep the door closed, but received a bullet wound in his stomach which pierced through his body, and he was further wounded when a grenade was detonated, and his ear was bleeding as well. He survived the bullet wound, and was alive for about 2 or 3 hours after the wounds. He walked to the ambulance himself, but on the way to the hospital, he was martyred. On that Friday, he met with a few obstacles before he could reach the mosque, but Allah Almighty had chosen him to be among the martyrs, hence he arrived at the jumma service to receive his Divinely bestowed reward. He would usually take his father-in-law who was unwell to the jumma as well, but on that particular day, his father-in-law said he will not go, so he left alone. On his way, his car broke down so he took the car to the workshop, and walked to his place of work which was nearby. As he started to wrap up some of the work, there was a power outage, so he stepped out, where he met his brother. He asked his brother to take him for jumma, and as they were discussing this, the power came back, but both left for jumma. Perhaps if they had remained busy in work, they may have missed the jumma. His wife says that he was an exemplary husband. Their marriage took place about 20 years ago, and they lived in a joint family. He would look after every individual in the household and never gave anyone any reason to complain. His sister dreamt a few days prior that his brother was sitting in a white car which was floating in the sky. His daughter Maria Mubashar had a dream two days after his martyrdom that he is standing in the doorway, and smiling. She asks him how he is doing, to which he responds that he is well and happy. He was a simple man, with a kind heart, very sympathetic, loving and served the old and the young. He was loved by everyone.

Huzoor (aba) prayed for the martyrs that may Allah Almighty elevate their status in Paradise, may Allah Almighty be The Protector and The Helper of their wives and children, may Allah Almighty grant their parents (who are living) the patience to bear this great loss, may Allah Almighty protect and shield their future generations and enable them to remain steadfast and patient. May Allah Almighty keep everyone in the shades of His Mercy and Protection, Ameen.