Lajna Matters A Publication of Lajna Ima’illah

Lajna Matters

A Publication of

Lajna Ima’illah

&

Nasiratul Ahmadiyya

USA

Sha’baan 1436 Issue 2 - 2015 May 2015

Special Features

The Glorious Qur’an

Message from Sadr Lajna

Correspondence

Reports

Taleem Matters

Tarbiyat Matters

Khidmat-e-Khalq Matters

Tabligh Matters

Publication/IT Matters

Nasirat Matters

Regional Matters

Local Matters

Urdu Section

All members are

asked to make use of

the resources

provided by Jama’at

and Lajna in order to

improve their reading

and their

comprehension of the

Holy Qur’an. All

Majalis are requested

to spend 10-15

minutes during their

General Meetings to

improve their

Tarteel.

Holy Qur’an

Allah has promised to those among you who

believe and do good works that He will

surely make them Successors in the earth, as

He made Successors from among those who

were before them; and that He will surely

establish for them their religion which He

has chosen for them; and that He will surely

give them in exchange security and peace

after their fear: They will worship Me, and

they will not associate anything with Me.

Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they

will be the rebellious.

And observe Prayer and give the Zakat and

obey the Messenger, that you may be shown

mercy (Surah Al Nur, 24: 56-57).

And hold fast, all together, by the rope of

Allah and be not divided; and remember the

favor of Allah which He bestowed upon you

when you were enemies and He united your

hearts in love, so that by His grace you

became as brothers; and you were on the

brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from

it. Thus does Allah explain to you His

commandments that you may be guided

(Surah Al Imran 3:104).

The response of the believers, when they are

called to Allah and His Messenger in order

that he may judge between them, is only

that they say: ‘We hear and we obey.’ And

it is they who will prosper (Surah Al Nur 24:

52).

2

Ahadith

In a well known Hadith, the Holy Prophetsaw is reported to have observed: “Prophethood shall remain

among you as long as God wills. Then khilafat on the pattern of prophethood will commence and remain as

long as He wills. A corrupt monarchy shall then follow and it shall remain as long as God wills. There shall

then be a tyrannical despotism, which shall remain as long as God wills. Then once again khilafat will

emerge on the precept of prophethood” (Masnad-Ahmad, Mishkat, Chapter Al-Anzar Wal Tahzir).

Abu Hurairahra relates that the Holy Prophetsaw said: “He who obeys me obeys Allah and he who disobeys

me disobeys Allah, and he who obeys my appointee obeys me and he who disobeys my appointee disobeys

me (Muslim).

Hazrat Abu Musa Asharira relates that the Holy Prophetsaw said: “The relationship between one believer and

another is like that between different parts of a building, one part strengthens another.” Then he gripped his

fingers of one hand between those of the other by way of illustration (Bukhari and Muslim).

Writings of the Promised Messiahas

So dear friends! It has always been the way of God Almighty to show two manifestations on His Power. He

thereby demolishes two false joys of the opponents. It is impossible that He should now change this long

established Divine practice. Grieve not therefore at what I am telling you. Nor should you be heartbroken

as you are destined to witness the second manifestation of His Power. And this second manifestation will be

better for you as it is everlasting and will remain unbroken until the Day of Judgment. And the second

manifestation cannot occur until after I am gone. But once I have departed, God will bring about for you

the second manifestation of His Power and it will remain with you forever (The Will, p. 10).

I came from God as a manifestation of His Power. It is God’s wish that all people of pious nature living in

various parts of the world – regardless of whether they belong to Europe or Asia – be brought together

under the banner of Tawheed (The Unity of God). It is His intention that all His servants be gathered into

one religion and it is for the fulfillment of that goal that I have been sent into this world. So strive for that

goal, but always with gentleness, high morals and with prayers (The Will, pp. 11-12).

Let the greatness and the glory of God sink deeply into your hearts. Declare His Unity not only with your

tongues but also with your actions, so that He, through His actions may show you His mercy and blessings.

Guard against malice and show true compassion to all creation. Tread every path of virtue as you know not

from which one you will be accepted (The Will, p. 14).

3

National Correspondence

Message from National Sadr Lajna Ima’illah, Saliha Malik

My Dear Sisters,

Let us reflect for a moment on the blessings of Khilafat! I know we all realize that words of gratitude will

utterly fail to fully pay that due and our hearts will be bursting with appreciation. Just compare for a second

the sad state of the Muslim world, still waiting for the coming of the Messiah and his Khulafa to guide them

back to the true Islam. It is only by the immense Grace of Allah that we have accepted the Imam of the

Latter Days and are being gathered together at the hands of his Khulafa to understand the Unity of Allah. It

is life changing, awe-inspiring! We are awakened by the presence of God in him to mend our lives, cleanse

our hearts of every kind of rancor and shirk, and become purposeful, devoted people:

They will worship Me and they will not associate anything with Me (24:56).

The gathering of people is certainly a miracle of God. We can see that without His Help, mankind does not

gather, but rather splits into hopeless factions and is lost in material and egotistical pursuits. Even families

divide.

Every day, but especially this Khilafat Day let us reflect upon our practical demonstration of our own

personal love for Huzooratba:

Keep him in our heartfelt prayers always

Listen intently to his weekly Khutba to awaken our conscience so that we strive our utmost to follow his guidance

Declare ourselves to be his advocate, his good workers in the cause of Allah, serving mankind.

Remember that our longed for peace and security promised through Khilafat can only be ours when we

wholly align ourselves with Khilafat in word and in deed. Through Khilafat we put aside our differences,

quiet our egos and stand shoulder to shoulder in love and prayer and service. On Khilafat Day, let us fill our

mosques in gratitude and be counted as those who say la baiq… I am here!

Friends, my last advice would be that all blessings are in Khilafat. Prophethood is a seed after which

Khilafat spreads its benevolence in the world around. Hold on firmly to true Khilafat and spread its

blessings in the world. Allah would be merciful to you and would bless you in this world and in the

hereafter (Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra Alfazl, 20th May,

1959).

4

Date: 2-9-15 Dear Sadr Lajna Imai’llah USA, Asalaamo Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

I have received your activity report for the month of September 2014, Jazakamullah.

Your reports demonstrate the many activities that took place during September. Jazakamullah. The main highlight of this month were the Ijtemas held on both the East and West Coast Regions, events that were fully participated and attended by members, Mash’Allah.

Lajna and Nasirat were presented with the theme of ‘Meeting the Messiah.’ This important subject was addressed in a variety of ways which enabled members to appreciate the importance of the Promised Messiahas, his teachings and their role as Ahmadi ladies and girls. Another key gathering this month was the Interfaith Seminar held in Buffalo on the 14th September. This conference focused on the topic of ‘The concept of God in Modern Times.’ This was a theme that was well received by members and the 60 non-Ahmadi guests alike and it was featured in a local newspaper article the following day. Jazakamullah Tallah.

May Allah enable Lajna Imai’llah USA to continue to succeed in all their sincere endeavors. Ameen.

Please convey my loving salaam to all the Nasirat and Lajna in the USA. Wasalam.

Date: 2-18-15

Dear Sadr Lajna Imai’llah USA, Assalaamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu

I have received your activity report for the month of October 2014 and the Tehrik-e-Jadid report for 2013-2014, together with your request for prayers, Jazakamullah.

Your report demonstrates Lana members attended interfaith sessions and by the Grace of Allah four Bai’ts took place. Alhamdulillah. It is pleasing to learn that the Jalsa Seerut-Un-Nabisaw was organized as well as a National Sihat-e-Jismani health webinar on ‘Good Nutrition to Prevent Disease,’ with good attendance. Jazak’Allah.

May Allah strengthen the faith of the new comers, bless you for your sincere efforts and enable you to

perform your duties with zeal. Ameen. Please convey my loving salaam to all the Nasirat and Lajna Imai’llah members in the USA. Wasalaam.

Date: 3-16-15

Dear Sadr Lajna Imai’llah USA, Assalaamo Alaikum

Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu.

I have received your report for the month of November 2014, together with your request for prayers, Jazakamullah.

Your report demonstrates that interfaith meetings were conducted and by the Grace of Allah, five Bai’ts took place. Alhamdolillah. It is pleasing to note that the Science Association organized a symposium for members on the topic ‘The Holy Qur’an and Science’ and that a Nasirat Tarbiyat Camp was held on the theme ‘Meeting the Messiah.’ Jazakamullah.

May Allah strengthen the faith of the new comers, bless you for your sincere efforts and enable you to perform your duties with zeal. Ameen. Please convey my loving salaam to all the Lajna and Nasirat in the USA. Wassalam.

Date: 4-10-15

Dear Sadr Lajna Imai’llah USA, Asslaamo Alaikum wa

rahmatullahe wa barakatuhu.

I have received the Lajna Imai’llah and Nasirat USA activity report for December 2014, the Annual Waqfe Jadid report 2014 and your request for prayers. Jazakamullah.

By the Grace of Allah, the West Coast Jalsa was successful in every respect and you were able to meet the members of the Southwest Region during your visit. I pray Allah accepts the sacrifices of all those members who participated in the ‘Waqfe Jadid’ Scheme, may Allah bless them and their families with health, happiness and prosperity. May Allah grant Lajna Imai’llah USA greater opportunities to serve the cause of Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam.

I pray that Allah accepts all your sincere and pious prayers and rewards you and your members abundantly. Please convey my loving salaam to all the Nasirat and Lajna Imai’llah members in the USA. Wasalam.

Letters from the office of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Khamisatba

5

Essence of Conscious Nation Building - February 13th, 2015

The subject of today's Friday sermon was derived from a sermon of Hazrat Musleh Maudra on communal

flaws and shortcomings.

Shortcomings are of two kinds, individual and communal just as good qualities are also both individual and

communal. It should be remembered that flaws and shortcomings develop due to the influence of the

environment. Just as seed cannot germinate without soil and even if it did it would wither away very soon,

shortcomings and virtues, which are borne of flaws and good qualities are influenced by environment,

making environmental factors a necessary element.

Environments are also of two types; one kind only affects individuals and does not influence everyone in a

community. For example, lands in specific areas are specifically good for growing certain crops. Like there

are areas in Pakistan where fragrant Basmati rice is grown and which cannot be replicated elsewhere. Virtue

or evil also develop due to specific situations on a communal level and results in the rise or fall of nations.

Individuals can improve and progress through effort but an individual's effort cannot impact communal

good or evil. An individual is only an element of a community and a communal shortcoming cannot be

rectified by reformation of just one element.

If swallowed, toxins will impact one's entire body adversely just as good, wholesome food impacts one's

body in a positive way. Thus communal virtue or communal evil impacts the entire community. A whole

certainly impacts all its elements and the principle is that benefit or loss to a whole is beneficial or adverse

for every element. An individual can correct himself but the entire community needs to reflect and make

effort for communal reformation. While it is important for each individual to self-reflect it is also important

to reflect on communal shortcomings and rectify them. There can be no success without collective remedy!

Governments make efforts to avoid loss from natural disasters etc. And where governments do not take

action, as it was in last summer's floods in Pakistan, people suffer greatly. If governments do not take

precautionary measures and are not conscientious, communal loss can intensify.

Hazrat Musleh Maudra said that with reference to the Ahmadiyya Jama'at, it can be beneficial if the Jama'at

reflects over national shortcomings and remedies them. Harmful innovations in religion can spread badness

and erroneous beliefs influence everyone and this can also negatively impact culture. However, we are

Muslims and consider the Holy Qur'an to be the Word of God and believe its teachings to be flawless.

Indeed, flawless teachings do not have any adverse impact. So, are all Muslims free from badness? Generally

speaking most Muslims are embroiled in badness. This is indeed worth reflecting over in the light of the fact

that the Holy Qur'an is free from any flaw and has brought the perfect religious law. Much of what the Holy

Qur'an states has come to pass and God's declaration that its teaching is free of flaw is also truthful. The

Selection of Huzoor’satba Sermons

6

question arises, where does the deficiency lie? It is of course in understanding the teaching incorrectly and

in practicing it incorrectly.

These errors may have crept in by the erroneous understanding of religious scholars past and present. These

scholars have their points of view but the nation follows them blindly even though some among them are

highly educated. And thus shortcomings and flaws crept into communities, environment had its effect; the

adverse effect of other religion’s cultures was adopted and cultural aspects were deemed religious aspects!

We are fortunate to belong to the Jama'at of the Promised Messiahas. However, we too are not completely

safe. People with different viewpoints enter the Jama'at and some new scholars interpret matters according

to their own mind-set. Of course it is not forbidden to do so; however, there are some principles, which

need to be followed in this regard. In order to avoid promoting any erroneous concept scholars should

express their views in subordination to Khilafat. With the grace of God, our Jama'at is generally free from

such issues but there is need to be constantly aware of this.

We should reflect and see what communal shortcomings people of other faiths or those of no faith have.

Physical distances have decreased in the world and good qualities and shortcomings of all can be seen clearly

and indeed have an impact on each other. Our environment definitely affects us. Parents may impart their

own values to their children but environment also affects them and children spend a large part of their day

at school. At home too 'friends' can be made through other means who can have a negative impact on

children and adults alike. Children do not listen to parents and some parents react badly and are oppressive

to the children and this leads to children losing respect for their parents. These shortcomings and flaws do

not remain individual flaws, they become communal ills and homes are broken. Parents kill their children

spiritually as well as physically. Some Ahmadis are also being influenced by the communal ills of the

Western world. Before these shortcomings affect us any further we need to heighten our efforts to rectify

them. All parts of Jama'at Ahmadiyya should think collectively and plan to eradicate these ills right away

before the ills of the Western world creep into us as communal ills. We have pledged and declared to

remedy the world of its ills. How could this be if the very people who are to cure become afflicted?

In general our Jama'at has mosques and centers all over the world but there are some areas where there are

only a few Ahmadi homes and instead of offering their Salat together Ahmadis offer it at home. This

happens because some are busy while others combine their Salat due to their hectic work schedule. There is

not much focus on congregational Salat and there is too much inclination to combine Salat, as if these

aspects are becoming our communal shortcomings. There is a critical need to remedy this. This flaw is not

individually based but is heading towards becoming a communal failing and shortcoming. The significance of

congregational Salat has declined. Although Ahmadis offer their Salat at home with deep tenderness and

humility which perhaps other Muslims do not but other Muslims are very regular in going to the mosque

even if they do it for pretense. And of course once in the mosques they utter nonsense about the Jama'at,

which is creating ills among them whereas our objective to go to the mosque is to remove our ills. We need

to pay attention that mosques are filled and populated by true believers. Not offering Salat in the mosque or

combing Salat becomes that much more perilous on a communal level when we note that children are losing

7

the significance of congregational Salat and some even say that Salat is offered three times a day (due to

combining). Urgent reflection and planning is required everywhere in this regard otherwise this could

become a communal ill for our next generation! And one ill leads to another and faith remains all but in

name with its spirit lost. There is a great need to make every endeavor to avert spiritual illness.

Those who take precautionary measures remain somewhat safe from apparent ills. Thus, we need to take

precautionary measures. After reforming ourselves we need to constantly safeguard against such ills. We

should ponder on the areas where ills have entered in the lives of other Muslims and they have lost the way.

We should not go with the flow; in fact we should mold situations to suit us. We need to remain connected

with Khilafat and we also need to keep in touch with MTA and our website alislam.org. They provide us the

true teachings. It is worth remembering the Muslims were given a Book like the Holy Qur'an yet they have

so many ills and shortcomings. Indeed, due to their misunderstanding of the Holy Qur'an, Muslims

developed a great shortcoming. There is no doubt that the Holy Qur'an is a perfect Book and will be a

source of guidance till the Day of Judgment.

Indeed, there is also no doubt that God Who is the Creator of the human mind knew that if the mind is not

trained to think it loses its functions and loses its capacity to develop. Therefore, although God made the

Holy Qur'an flawless and perfect, He left one part of each commandment therein for the human mind to

work out. Some of its principles are clear and decisive while other aspects need the human mind to reflect

and think so that the human mind does not become redundant. The Holy Qur'an has been revealed in words

and phraseology, which promote deliberation, which in turn results in unfolding of knowledge. If this was

not so, the Holy Qur'an would have been clear to understand for all without any reflection. The Divine

Will behind this was not to let the human mind become redundant and stunted. However, there are some

rules and regulations, some principles regarding this. In this age the Promised Messiahas has guided us about

them and has given us his own interpretations and commentaries, which should always be kept in view. And

those who wish to look for new points in the Holy Qur'an should do so in line with the Promised Messiah'sas

guidance.

The Holy Qur'an is a perfect Book and it has everything in it but only those are granted guidance from it,

who read it, reflect over it and try and put it in practice. It informs us of individual and communal ills as

well as good qualities. For the teaching of people of the latter days and to widen their thoughts and to show

them light and grant them the ability to understand the Qur'an, God has declared in it that He would send

His chosen person in latter days. However, those who do not reflect on it have rejected the one sent by

God and are thus deprived of the expansive knowledge of the Qur'an. They are lost in ignorance and bring

disrepute to Islam. Such acts of other Muslims should spur us even more to not only look at what is

apparent but while understanding the spirit of Islamic teachings we should eradicate every ill before it

becomes communal.

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2015 LAJNA MENTORING CONFERENCE

By the sheer grace of Allah, the Almighty, approximately 235 participants, from Majaalis all over USA attended the annual Lajna Mentoring Conference (LMC) 2015, from March 27-29, at Masjid Bait-us-Samee, Houston TX. The main purpose of this year’s meeting was to introduce the new Lajna Program of 2015- 2017, by the National Secretaries of all departments. Other highlights of the Conference include:

Materialism and Islamic Values – This program was given by National Secretary Tarbiyat, Aziza Rahman Sahiba. She emphasized that a society obsessed with materialism causes failure to worship God, neglect of the poor and excessive indulgence in vain pursuits. Whereas, a person’s self-worth is achieved by contributing to one’s community and true happiness lies in turning to God, “Aye! It is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts can find comfort: Those who believe and do good works — happiness shall be theirs, and an excellent place of return” (Holy Qur’an 13:29 -30).

Lajna /Nasirat online monthly report: National Assistant General Secretary, Lubna Malik Sahiba, and National Secretary Nasirat, Laeeqa Mirza Sahiba, gave a walkthrough of the online report.

Spirit of Sacrifice: National Secretary Tehrik-e-Jadid, Tazeen Ahmad Sahiba, included amazing incidents of financial sacrifices made by the women of the Promised Messiah’sas family and Lajna Ima’illah in various countries. The women were responsible for building beautiful mosques and the Lajna Hall in Rabwah. She generated enthusiasm in donating to our own, much-needed Lajna Hall.

Introduction and Overview of Rishta Na’ata Department: Regional Sadr West Midwest and Rishta Na’ata team member, Samina Ijaz Sahiba, gave the background of Rishta Nata; its formation, objectives and purpose, and insight into the exact process for using this department. Regional Sadr Southeast and Rishta Na’ata team member, Bushra Salam Bajwa Sahiba spoke on the appropriate conduct and tarbiyat needed to pursue a Rishta. This was followed by a panel consisting of Sadr Lajna Imai’llah, Saliha Malik, Rishta Na’ata Liaison, Aziza Rahman, and team members, Samina Ijaz and Bushra Salam Bajwa.

AMSAW - Ahmadi Muslim Students Association for Women: National Secretary Taleem Mubarika Shah Sahiba, highlighted the importance of this new initiative and explained how students can get started to form an association in their college.

Review of Religions: National Secretary Tajneed, Nakasha Ahmad Sahiba, stressed the importance of this magazine, encouraged members to subscribe and together with Sister Aliya Latif also introduced the new Women’s Section of this journal.

Building Bridges: Members of the Sisterhood Retreat core team talked about the ongoing efforts

undertaken by this group at the directive of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihatba and under the supervision of Sadr

National Matters

9

Lajna Ima’Illah, to bring back the second and third generation American Ahmadis, who have become distant from the Jama’at.

Annual Awards: An awards ceremony recognized the commendable efforts of outstanding service and achievements of the Lajna Majalis from October 2013-September 2014.

The Arc of the Messiah: Sadr Lajna Imai’llah, Saliha Malik Sahiba, concluded the spiritually uplifting mentoring meeting and drew attention to our new program, which includes the Ten Conditions of Bai’at. Diligent observance of these conditions is as if we have boarded an arc that will save us from the deluge of error all around. There are two main tasks for the community of the Promised Messiahas: self-reformation and Tabligh. Allah promises those who join the Messiah through such striving, “I shall Myself protect all those who are in this house” (Our Teaching).

NATIONAL MAJLIS-E-AAMILAH LAJNA IMA’ILLAH MEETING, JANUARY 23-25, 2015 NEW ORLEANS, LA

Members of Majlis-e-Aamilah Lajna Ima’illah USA came to New Orleans, LA for their National Aamilah meeting from January 23-25, 2015. The meeting was held at the beautiful mission house of New Orleans Jama’at, starting after Salat-ul Jumu’ah on Friday and concluding with Zuhr/Asr prayers on Sunday. We the members of National Aamilah are most grateful to this dedicated Jama’at for their hospitality. The hosts openheartedly served their guests for four days, as some Aamilah members flew in on Thursday evening. The National Majlis-Aamilah Lajna Ima’illah worked on various plans and projects for the year. They also took the opportunity to meet the Lajna and Nasirat members of New Orleans Majlis in an informal meeting on Saturday evening after Salat-ul-

Maghrib/Isha and dinner. Sadr Lajna Ima’illah met with the local Aamilah members separately as well, at lunch on Sunday. The whole experience of these meetings was very uplifting for all concerned. It is our heartfelt prayer that May Allah reward the New Orleans Jama’at with the choicest of His bounties, who opened their homes, the mission house and their hearts to make our stay a comfortable and pleasant experience, Jazak’Allah. Members of National Majlis-e-Aamilah Lajna Ima’illah USA

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Taleem Matters

Snapshot of Taleem Program for Next Two Years

The overall theme will be the Conditions of Bai’at.

Holy Qur’an – We will continue to study Surah Al-Imran through Nazira (learning correct reading and pronunciation), learning selected words, and answering questions. Questions can be answered using the Short Volume Commentary of the Holy Qur’an by Malik Ghulam Farid. The Five Volume Commentary can also be used as an additional source.

Hadith and Malfoozat – These will be related to the Condition of Bai’at being studied during the quarter. Ahadith are provided in the workbook. Malfoozat can be found in two books; 1) Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, 2) Conditions of Bai’at: Initiation into the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam by Lajna Ima’illah USA.

Salat – Continue learning and improving your Salat (including learning split-word translation). Complete Salat with split-word translation is provided in the workbook.

General Knowledge – The assigned books are Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi (by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vatba), Our Teaching (by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Promised Messiahas), and the Lajna Constitution. Books are available on the Lajna website.

Memorization of Prayers – Prayers are provided in the workbook.

Special Activity/Module – Every quarter there will be a special activity or module covered. Module related material will be provided on the Lajna website under Taleem. Special activities/modules that will be covered include holding Seeratun-Nabisaw Jalsas, Ramadhan-related activities, Nizam-e-Jamaat, Jesusas, Lajna as an auxiliary and why it was formed, and the Lajna Constitution.

Taleem Test – Will continue to have an annual test to reinforce what has been learned in prior year.

Holy Qur’an &

Hadith

Establishment of

Jama’at Ahmadiyya Organization of

Jama’at Ahmadiyya

Death of

Jesusas Salat

Prayers

12

Taleem Test Results By the grace of Allah, there was a significant increase in the number of Lajna members who participated in the test in 2015.

Taleem Test Participation by Region

Region Total Active

Tajnid * Total # of Test

Participants Participation

%

Central 1,063 673 63%

East Midwest 296 197 67%

Mid Northeast 589 362 61%

Northeast 488 339 69%

Northwest 279 177 63%

South 431 319 74%

South Midwest 121 54 45%

Southeast 240 198 83%

Southwest 449 373 83%

Upstate Northeast 269 204 76%

West Midwest 490 281 57%

Total US 4,715 3,177 67%

* The above participation percentage is calculated based on Active Tajnid. Using Total Tajnid of 5,431, the total US participation percentage would be 58%.

The majority of members participated in the online Taleem test. Alhamdullilah! The IT department has concluded its fifth year of the online Taleem Test. An additional 558 tests were taken online in 2015. We are extremely grateful to our IT department for the smooth running of the online test.

1404

1707

1733 2008

2170

2635

2541 2855

2861 3177

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

# of Members Participated in Taleem Test

13

AMSAW Update

By the grace of Allah, it has been one year since the founding of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association for Women (AMSAW). Thus far, 4 chapters of AMSAW have been established in California, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia, and more are on the way. AMSAW members have been busy setting up blood drives, table talks, and sister-bonding activities. If you are college or university student, contact us at [email protected] to ask how you can start an AMSAW chapter at your school.

Let us Get Ready for Ramadhan by:

1) Memorizing Ramadhan prayers

2) Focusing on Salat by learning split-word translation. Split-word Salat is provided in the Workbook.

3) Increasing Our Reading and Listening of the Holy Qur’an

Resources to help you get ready for Ramadhan, as well as additional Ramadhan-related information is available

at:

http://lajnausa.net/web/ramadhan-special

1160 1433

1811

2085

2643

0

1000

2000

3000

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Number of Members Who Took Taleem Test Online

14

The theme of the 2015-2017 Tarbiyat Syllabus, which began in April 2015, is “Conditions of Bai'at – the Ark of the Messiah.” Under Divine guidance, the Promised Messiahas established the ten conditions of Bai'at as an ark, which would save those who followed them from drowning in the flood of error, which is engulfing the world.

The first quarter covers conditions 1 and 3. The first condition of Bai'at stresses the Unity of Allah Ta'ala and the avoidance of shirk. While no Ahmadi Muslim would openly commit shirk, i.e. associate any partner with Allah Ta'ala, there is always the danger of committing “hidden” shirk. In this materialistic society, having more love in your heart for worldly pursuits and worldly possessions than for Allah Ta’ala can become a form of shirk.

The Holy Prophetsaw has taught us these beautiful prayers to fill our hearts only with the love of Allah: O Allah, bestow upon me Your love and the love of the one whose love would benefit me. O Allah! Grant me the things I love and make them a means of attaining Your favorite things. Help me to withdraw from the things that I am attached to and rather, guide towards those things that You love (Tirmidhi Kitabud Da’awat).

O Allah, we seek Your shelter from associating partners with You knowingly. We also seek Your forgiveness in case we commit this sin unknowingly (Musnad Ahmad, vol 4, p. 403).

The third condition of Bai'at stresses worship of Allah Ta'ala and the importance of Salat. In 1902, the Promised Messiahas wrote to one of his companions about achieving concentration during Salat. He wrote:

In Salat pray for yourself. Do not be content with superficial and inattentive Salat. As far as possible strive for concentration. If this is not present, recite this prayer in all the five daily Salats, when standing after every rakat:

O God Almighty, O the Lord of Power and Glory, I am a sinner. The poison of sins has penetrated to such an extent in my heart, flesh and blood that I am devoid of emotions and concentration in Salat. In Your mercy and Graciousness, forgive my sins and make my heart tender. Ingrain Your greatness, fear of You and love for You upon my heart, so that my hard-heartedness softens and I achieve concentration in my prayers (Fatwa Masih Maoud, p. 37).

REPORT OF LISTENING TO FRIDAY SERMONS - The following majalis have reported that more

than 75% of their membership listens to Huzoor’s atba Friday sermons regularly:

Size of Majalis December 2014 January 2015 February 2015

Small Majalis Kentucky, Charlotte, Fitchburg, Iowa, Bloomington

Merced; Kentucky; Charlotte; Las Vegas; Oshkosh; Bloomington; Iowa; Oshkosh.

Kentucky, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Oshkosh, Phoenix, Iowa, New Orleans; Fitchburg; Binghamton.

Medium Majalis Washington DC, Hartford, LA West, Bay Point, Zion

Fort Worth, Hartford, Zion

Richmond, Bay Point, Houston South, Hartford

Large Majalis Laurel, Virginia Central, Virginia South, Philadelphia, Dallas

Queens, Dallas, Laurel, Philadelphia

Queens, Dallas, Laurel, Philadelphia

Tarbiyat Matters

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The Holy Qur’an states that half of our faith is constituted by Khidmat-e-Khalq. The Holy Prophetsaw said

that Muslims are like one body. When one little finger hurts the whole body hurts. Similarly, if a sister is in

pain, every other sister should feel her pain and try to help her. Please review the Khidmat-e-Khalq

program with your members in this quarter so that everyone is made aware of the services and various

resources available to them. Give extra attention to seniors and people with special needs. By the grace of

Allah, many majalis continue to serve the members inside the community and are active in their outreach

services. Some of the chapters highlights for the months of January, February and March are as follows.

Kishwar Tahir National Khidmat e Khalq Secretary LA Inland, CA: Members organized and stocked the shelves for the disadvantaged children at the United Way Teachers Resource Center. Members visit the Church of Latter-Day Saints every month to make quilts for a humanitarian workshop.

Washington, D.C: Members mailed prayer charts, the book Seal of the Prophets, and Review of Religions to a prisoner on death row in Arkansas, who is studying them, learning Arabic and expressing his desire to follow the Khalifa. Members donated money and clothes to Purple Heart, Humanity First, and the Native American and Nature Conservancy.

Baltimore, MD: Members donated 109 lbs. of canned food to the Maryland Food Bank. A member served dinner to 250 homeless individuals at Baltimore Park. Some members donated a total of $1346 for a young Jama'at member in Rabwah who is an amputee and needed support with funds to receive an artificial leg. York/Harrisburg, PA: Members crocheted colorful hats and donated them to a cancer and blood disorder patient care facility. Other sisters donated items to Humanity First food pantry and a local food pantry and also helped five families. As part of Humanity First, Anila Bhatti, one of our Lajna members, participated in a mini-camp for Women's Health and research in Guatemala. They educated 380 women, provided 300 pelvic exams/cervical cancer screens, and detected 5 people who may have cancer or may progress to cancer if they had never checked. These families will be able to prevent serious health issues due to early detection. Virginia South: The Blood Drive hosted by Lajna members went very well, Alhamdulillah. There were a total of 45 donors and countless smiles! From the 45 donors 7 of them were our Lajna and the rest were non- Ahmadi friends. The Muslims for Life flyer along with a chocolate were given to all non-Ahmadi donors. Many people responded very warmly and left their contact information for future programs.

Khidmat-e-Khalq Matters

16

Columbus, OH: To kick-off 2015 with a new commitment to community service and Khidmat-e-Kalq, the Columbus Lajna organized a cleaning supplies/toiletries drive for Faith Mission of Ohio in January. Faith Mission is a non-profit organization that provides homeless and less fortunate individuals and families with food, shelter and donations. It strives to set people up with jobs, apartments and a new start at life. Part of this program involves providing people with move-in boxes when they are ready to set-up on their own two feet. They give those less fortunate boxes filled with food, cleaning supplies, toiletries, blankets, pots, pans and other household items for their new apartments. To contribute to this cause, the Columbus Lajna collected and donated over 250 items including toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products, shampoos, soaps, deodorants, toothpaste and much more. Faith Mission of Ohio is extremely grateful to Columbus Lajna for our donations signifying a long-lasting relationship between the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and Faith Mission, Insha’llah.

Orlando, FL: Members regularly visited a sister who was hospitalized. She was traveling to Chicago to visit family when she became ill and was hospitalized in Orlando. Alhamdulillah, she is recovering and members have been assisting in many ways. Research Triangle, NC: Members cooked and served food to the homeless families of the Caring Place, their adopted Shelter. Members visited an elderly Lajna member who is not well and cannot come to the mosque. Oshkosh, WI: One Lajna from Oshkosh went to Guatemala to volunteer for Humanity First. They provided 600+ women with free health clinics (cervical cancer screenings and pelvic exams) and education in rural communities in Guatemala. They discussed important topics with the women such as domestic violence, cancer, and mental health.

Milwaukee, WI: Lajna and Nasirat members had a craft day where we crocheted twenty infant caps to be donated to a local hospital Wheatan Fransican/St. Joseph’s Maternity Ward. With the help of our Sanato Dastkari secretary, sisters began the caps at the craft day and finished them at home.

Detroit, MI: One member helped her local library’s Teen Committee plan and execute “Operation Goody Bag.” Children decorated paper bags. The bags were then filled with various treats and delivered to the local police and fire departments in order to thank the men and women who kept the streets safe over the winter break. Michigan has one of the largest Muslim populations in America with a growing community in Oakland

County, MI. In an effort to better serve women of Muslim communities, Haven (a shelter for abused

17

women and children) reached out to a group of Muslim women to

assist in helping understand the Muslim culture, diversity within

the Muslim community, particular barriers and needs for Muslim

women who are seeking domestic violence support and building

awareness of its services in the Muslim Community. Six Lajna

members helped in developing a fairly extensive informational

guide titled Muslim Women: Religious and Cultural

Environment. After reviewing the guide and meeting with the group a few times, Haven requested a

training session for its employees and therapists. On March 26, 2015, six Lajna members held an extremely

well planned two hour training session. It included a powerful seven minute slide show on the rights of

women in Islam and the geographical, social, educational and economic environment of Muslim women.

The slide show was followed by a “Fact or Fiction” interactive session that prompted the Haven employees

to ask many thoughtful and interesting questions.

The session continued with a section on “Barriers

to Access” followed by “Building Awareness” of

their services. It concluded with a “Checklist” of

what Haven should be aware of or should ask Muslim

women who seek their help from them. Haven was also

given a prayer rug, Qur’an, scarf and child’s prayer cap

neatly wrapped in a box that they could give any Muslim woman to use while she

stayed with them. They promised to store the box in a safe and clean place and

give it the spiritual respect it deserves. Alhamdulillah, the program was a

great success. The audience was very impressed and the administration was

enthusiastic about implementing some of the suggestions made by the

presenters. Haven sent the following email the next day,

“Staff was blown away by your training and support yesterday. I’ve been

getting incredible feedback all morning and in my inbox (already!). Please thank everyone who

contributed from us, and I can’t wait to touch base again for a meeting about partnering to raise

awareness. You really got the wheels turning, particularly on our website. Thanks again, sincerely!

Emily Eisele, Prevention Education Specialist, Haven

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.

Willingboro, NJ: Members

served 32 families at their local food pantry.

GA/SC: Members set up rooms for 13 homeless families at the Pilgrimage United Church of Christ. They provided breakfast

and lunch to 13 people for one week.

Silicon Valley, CA: On March 27th, the Khidmat-e-Khalq secretary received a public services award by

Global Women Power.

Houston North, TX: Members cleaned and prepared the mosque for

the Lajna Mentoring Conference.

Pittsburgh, PA: Members donated

women's toiletries to a local women’s

shelter.

Queens, NY: Members raised $1522 for Humanity First. The donation was

sent to Guatemala.

Oshkosh, WI: Members volunteered at the Wisconsin Women's Resource Center.

Syracuse, NY: Members raised money for various local charities

and volunteered at local soup kitchens.

Las Vegas, NV: Members donated clothing and household items to Goodwill,

$475 to the Khidmat-e-Khalq fund, Humanity First, and Apex Run.

Laurel, MD: Members volunteered to clean Bait-ul-Rehman. They cleaned all the windows, doors, floors, stairwells,

and the kitchen.

LA East, CA: Members adopted a senior community residence where they

regularly volunteer.

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Cypress Houston, TX: Members attended and assisted Khuddam in the “Isis: Stop the Crisis” event by distributing fliers contacting professors, promoting the event online, and contacting the media. The event was held at the Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Baltimore, MD: One member, Tirzah Khan, introduced her school to Islam and Ahmadiyyat during a TEDx talk that she delivered on the hijab and why she is proud to wear it.

Syracuse, NY: Members participated in the 5th annual World Harmony Interfaith assembly. Lajna members partnered with members from St Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral to find and present similarities between Christianity and Islam.

Members also attended several Interfaith events:

“Mothers, Sisters, and Daughters: Standing on their Shoulders” presented by author Edwina Gateley at All Saints Church.

An event at Kings Ferry Presbyterian Church to discuss building relationships with other faith communities.

An event on ‘Women Leadership’ at the Turkish Culture Center.

North Jersey, NJ: Members organized a Black History Month event highlighting the lives of Abdul-Wahab Sahib of Ghana, Sister Naima Latif, Grammy winner Brother Yusuf Lateef, Brother Munir Hamid, Imam Azhar Haneef Sahib, and Samiyya Latif.

Silicon Valley, CA: The Lajna organized an event entitled "My Spiritual Journey: A Pathway to Peace," on February 28. We were honored to have National Sadr Sahiba, Saliha Malik Sahiba, speak at the event. In a very powerful narrative, Sadr Sahiba spoke about her spiritual journey towards Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Two other women spoke as well: one woman discussed meditation and yoga as her path of self-discovery, and the other woman spoke about her Pentecostal upbringing and work in social justice as her path of spirituality. Sadr Sahiba also answered questions from the audience on ISIS and how to tell a true prophet.

Members hosted a social lunch for a group from the Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. The group was introduced to Islam and Ahmadiyyat.

Queens, NY: A Lajna interfaith meeting was held on March 21st. The Lajna had invited six guest speakers

of different faiths and denominations to give their input on the theme of the event, which was, "The

Pathway to Peace." Twenty-five non-Ahmadi guests along with 40 Lajna members participated in the

program.

Oshkosh, WI: Members participated in a book club at the University of Wisconsin where they discussed

the book “Muslim American Women on Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity.” Members helped

the local Jama’at organize a "Saving the Savior" event on campus, which aimed to prove that Jesus survived

the crucifixion.

Tabligh Matters

20

Hartford, CT: A member published an article entitled "Love, Peace, and Islam" in the Hartford Courant regarding the Charlie Hebdo incident. Members assisted in organizing an event for local Ghanaian students from Smith College. Members were invited and attended a Mormon Church service.

Members attended:

A local book club: Daughters of Abraham.

8 members attended lectures entitled "Misconceptions of Women in Islam" and "Where Policy meets Humanity: Making Human Rights for Everyone."

8 members attended an interfaith event entitled "Demystifying Islam".

Las Vegas, NV: Members helped organize a Tabligh event for the Latino population.

Georgia/South Carolina: Members organized a women’s only Interfaith Tabligh event at Vintage 242

Church in Acworth, Georgia on the topic of The Second Coming of the Messiah. The Christian

speaker, Sharon Carrow, spoke about the Second Coming of Jesus from the Bible. Our Tabligh Secretary

spoke about Hazrat Mirza Ghulamas being the second coming of the Messiah and other prophets. An

informative question and answer session followed.

Detroit, MI: Members attended an event by Scribe Video Center that screened Muslim history films and contributed to the discussion. The Philadelphia Jama’at’s film was selected as one of the featured films.

York/Harrisburg, PA: Members organized an interfaith event entitled "Free Speech with Tolerance and Respect - My Faith's Perspective." Panelist consisted of guest speakers and a local Lajna member. The program was followed by a question and answer session.

Members attended an interfaith event where they gave a brief introduction to Ahmadiyyat and answered many questions about terrorism around the world and ISIS. Members distributed literature. Two members were invited to a Turkish Cultural Center to participate in a presentation made by the World Affairs Council on Freedom versus ISIS.

LA Inland Empire, CA: Members attended the annual BAPs Women's Conference at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills. Members met with organizers and established contacts from the Southern California's South Asian community. Members also distributed fliers to invite the organizers to our upcoming interfaith event at the Mosque. One member organized an informal interfaith gathering at her home. Many different topics were discussed at this gathering. Everyone discussed the commonalities found in their faith.

Orlando, FL: One member spoke to female members of the Rotary Club of Tampa during a lunch meeting in March. Rotary Club members listened to and viewed a power point presentation introducing Islam and Ahmadiyyat. They posed questions about ISIS and the radicalization of Muslim youth. Attendees were given copies of Huzoor’s book, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace and Muslims for Peace pamphlets.

Pittsburgh, PA: Members helped with preparations for “Religious Founders Day” and were interviewed by the local newspaper.

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Willingboro, NJ: Lajna members engaged in several

Tabligh events:

They arranged a poster exhibition at the mosque to commemorate Black History Month. Early African American Ahmadis were also featured.

The Tabligh department organized an Interfaith Symposium at the Al-Nasr Mosque to initiate dialogue with people of different faiths on the topic of “Self Reformation – the Cure for Societal Ills”. Speakers from different Christian traditions, Judaism, the Sikh Religion and two Lajna members representing Islam all addressed this subject. Refreshments followed. All the guests received literature about Islam and Ahmadiyyat.

They also arranged a Tabligh Stall/ Book Exhibition at the Willingboro Public Library. 34 books and 15 fliers about Islam and Ahmadiyyat were distributed.

LA East, CA: Members regularly visit various state universities and community colleges to distribute literature on Ahmadiyyat and Islam. A Spanish-speaking member and her husband are actively involved with special Tabligh efforts with Spanish churches and communities around the Los Angeles area.

Central Jersey, NJ: The Ahmadi Muslim Student Association held a “Muhammadsaw, Messenger of Peace” conference at Rutgers University Student Center in New Brunswick. Lajna did four table talks at the college, distributed cookies, brownies, fliers, and books to promote “Muhammad: The Messenger of Peace” program.

Washington, D.C.: Members participated in a discussion about Purdah and its purpose to a Norwegian Ladies Club affiliated with the Royal Embassy of Norway.

Phoenix, AZ: The local Jama’at organized a visit by members of the Phoenix Redemption Church to the mosque. Members hosted 11 female church members and discussed how both congregations can work together for greater understanding and providing community services within the Phoenix Metro Area.

Virginia South: Twenty-two Lajna and three Nasirat members from South Virginia distributed more than 500 Flyers of “Muslims for Life and “Muslims for Loyalty” at Central Metro station and Franconia Springfield Station. The majority of the people responded very kindly and accepted the flier. A few people also stopped to encourage and support us for distributing them.

One member, Maarij Virk, gave World Crisis and Pathway to Peace to two teachers in her school. Both teachers seemed to be very interested in reading this book. Maarij also gave them a brief introduction about Ahmadiyyat.

Houston North, TX: There were several interesting Tabligh activities from Houston North:

The Tabligh Secretary offered four classes at Lone Star Community College on the topic of Islam and Muslims in the 21st Century. These are paid classes offered to the public as part of their Active

22

Learning Adults program.

Members regularly engage in monthly interfaith discussions at Barbara Bush Library on various topics.

Members attended an event highlighting ‘Sharia in light of the United States Constitution’. Respected Naseem Mehdi Sahib, National Vice President of AMC, presented the keynote speech. He addressed the Ahmadi perspective on Sharia and discussed the similarities between Islam and Christianity, citing Islam's views on Mary and Jesus, salvation and punishment of sins. When addressing similarities among religions, he paralleled the “Muslims for Life” and “Muslims for Loyalty” campaign goals with Islam.

Research Triangle, NC: Members were busy with the following activities:

Five members attended a book club hosted by the First United Methodist Women’s group, which is co-organized by the Lajna. They discussed the book, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. It was a very pleasant event.

For Masih-e-Maud Day: Lajna organized an interfaith event titled “Messiah & Mehdi of the Latter Days.” Members distributed invitations to neighbors and friends. Speeches were presented on the signs of the coming of the Messiah and their fulfillment, the character of the Promised Messiahas and examples of his kindness and compassion. Four guests attended, two from the Bahai faith and two were non-Ahmadi Muslims. Refreshments were served and conversations regarding faith continued. The guests received a gift bag containing Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam and Deliverance from the Cross.

Potomac, MD: Lajna members engaged in several Tabligh activities:

The Frederick halqa held a Seeratun Nabi program with 16 members, 2 non-Muslim members and an Ahmadi guest from Australia. Power points and interactive discussions were used to cover three topics: Life Sketch of the Prophetsaw, The Prophetsaw and Women’s Rights, and True Love of the Holy Prophetsaw. Guests and members asked several interesting questions to the panel. The guests were given gift packages. Everyone enjoyed a meal together.

The Germantown/Potomac halqa held a Seeratun Nabi program with 30 members and 20 non-Ahmadi guests. Two poems were recited; one was in Bangla, which was enjoyed by the non-Ahmadi Bangla guests. There were four brief speeches on: Importance of Darood Sharif, The Prophetsaw and Women’s Rights, The Prophetsaw’s Treatment of the Poor, and True Love of the Prophetsaw followed by questions and answers.

Three members attended our monthly interfaith book club with the Unitarian members. The Silver Spring tabligh secretary also attended. This month’s book was a Shia Muslim’s personal account of fasting in Ramadan. This opened a beautiful discussion with our book club friends about our personal experiences with fasting. They had a lot of questions, and it was a very enlightening and

23

enjoyable dialogue about Ramadan.

Columbus, OH: The Columbus Lajna presented a program entitled 'Islam Hijacked?' The speaker was Sister Sameera Basith, and there were six guests in attendance. While there were some questions, there were more statements made in which the guests were all agreed that better understanding of Islam was needed. They enjoyed the presentation and looked forward to other events from our community so that they could bring their friends.

Silver Spring, MD: The Potomac Sadr attended Silver Spring’s Soul to Soul event as their guest speaker for Islam. The topic was “Learning Through My Religion.” She spoke on her background and her personal faith journey and presented information on the Promised Messiahas and the conditions of bai’at. The program was very well attended, Alhamdulillah.

Dallas, TX The Tabligh department organized two Interfaith events with ladies from the Town North Presbyterian Church:

One topic was the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Bible regarding “Marriage and Love.”

The second was “Who is Jesus, Son of Mary?” They distributed verses from the Holy Qur’an pertaining to the topic as well as the book ‘Jesus in India’ by the Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas.

However their main event for this period was an annual Interfaith Symposium on the topic “Tolerance and Respect of other Religions.” They had four speakers from four different faiths: Hinduism, Unitarian Universalists, Judaism and Islam. The Tabligh Secretary spoke at the end on the complete level of tolerance Islam presents towards other faiths. There were 36 guests at this event. An interview, with the Tabligh Secretary, was published in the local Allen, TX newspaper. Articles were published advertising the event in Neighbors Go Allen, Frisco, and Plano (cities surrounding the Mosque). We placed advertisements in the city event calendars, as well as using Fun Asia Radio (local Pak/Indian radio station) to advertise the event a week before. The symposium concluded with a question and answer session followed by refreshments. The Ziafat Secretary with the help of the Aamilah members served an assortment of high tea items including tea/coffee and Pina Colada.

http://starlocalmedia.com/allenamerican/news/muslim-community-to-host-interfaith-symposium-in- allen/article_7039939c-bde1-11e4-898e-077046b89d20.html

http://yourfrisco.dallasnews.com/tag/ahmadiyya-muslim-community/

24

Research Triangle, NC: The local health secretary shared the healthy food webinar by going through the presentation and sharing more information on this topic. A guest also attended who shared information on local resources for obtaining locally grown organic food. She also shared information about local agencies that can help you grow your own fruit & vegetable garden. Everyone brought a healthy lunch item and shared the recipe with the group. The guest was a certified yoga instructor who led the Lajna through a session of meditation. She hopes to come again and lead us in some further yoga exercises.

Columbus, OH: The ladies of the Columbus Lajna enjoyed an interactive healthy cooking demonstration as part of their Sihat Jismani program. Our Sihat Jismani secretary Fauzia Asad led the group in preparing a delicious and practically oil-free stir-fry using such healthy vegetables as bok choy, carrots and mushrooms among other things. Zesty ginger and fresh garlic were among the seasonings used. Sisters participated by chopping vegetables, peeling garlic and ginger and other tasks. Everyone enjoyed eating it afterwards! Sisters were amazed at how little oil went into it and how quickly it was all ready to eat and how tasty it was!! Zion, IL: The Zion Lajna hosted a special presentation entitled Essential Oils: An Alternative Message of Healing. The special guest presenter Tiffany Weaver gave sisters a wonderful insightful overview of the curative healing properties found in essential oils. She brought with her several samples of the oils which are found in our natural plants. Many of these plant essences are derived from plants and flowers all over the world. Ms. Weaver's discussion focused on the connections between aromatherapy and holistic medicine. Aromatherapy and other holistic forms of treating illness are viewed by many as a means for humans to reconnect with the rest of the natural world. 22 Lajna members and 7 Nasirat attended this session. Every one participated in drinking lemon oil mixed in water for cleansing purposes and enjoyed different aromas of healing oils.

Health Matters

25

Detroit, MI: In order to raise funds for various Lajna activities, the Detroit meena bazaar is held every

year. As always, it was an exciting event in which people were able to enjoy a variety of foods as well as

shop for clothes and jewelry. The event included a selection of the latest Pakistani fashions, clothing

alteration services, the "Sukoon Spa," and foods ranging from lunch to desert items.

By the Grace of Allah, the Detroit meena bazaar this year was much

improved, Alhamdolillah! In spite of the single digit temperatures, lots

of people came, and enjoyed shopping for clothes and household goods,

and eating good food prepared by Lajna members. Alhamdolillah the

Nasirat also ran a very successful baked goods stand at the meena bazaar.

Thank you to all the Nasirat who participated in baking or selling goods,

and to everyone who helped in the cleanup and

setup of meena bazaar. Great job Nasirat, and

keep up the good work. Our girls made

beautiful cupcakes and other baked items to sell in the Nasirat Corner. Our

Sakoon spa and the new clothes stands were also very successful this year. The

household items stand did very well this year, thanks to the Lajna members who

donated items. Also, thanks to all those members who donated food to sell, and

to those who bought it. Jazakumullah to all

those who made it a success.

Long Island, NY: The Long Island Jama’at has established Lajna classes

under the Handicraft Department. It occurs every Sunday simultaneously

as Tahir Academy. Our Handicraft Department secretary is

predominantly in charge. She teaches basic computer skills, computer

programs, basic sewing, and basic décor. The picture is a wall décor

piece produced out of toilet paper rolls.

Virginia South: The Lajna and Nasirat members arranged a Meena Bazar in

January which included food, shopping and services such as Hina and Nail art. There were many vendors

who came with their clothes and jewelry.

Willingboro, NJ: The Lajna members have initiated a new project called “Crafts for a Cause.” In

handicraft classes, members learned to make tissue paper flowers. These beautiful colorful flowers were

donated to the victims of domestic violence at our adopted shelter of “Providence House Catholic

Charities.”

Handicraft Matters

26

Publication Matters

IT Matters

Jazakumullah for all your contributions for the Lajna Matters and

we look forward to more for the next issue. If local Ishaat

secretaries need help with compiling their contributions, please

contact [email protected]. If you would like to write for

the Ayesha, please contact [email protected]. The theme of the

next issue is Freedom of Expression in Islam.

For receipt books and to order additional Taleem & Tarbiyat

workbooks, please contact [email protected]. As always, we look

forward to your comments and feedback! We are looking for sisters

who are interested in writing and editing. If you have a strong

background in this, please contact [email protected].

Farzana Safiullah, National Publications Secretary

Lajna Ima’illah - USA Website

http://www.lajnausa.net

Please visit the website frequently for upcoming

events, updates in your region and departmental

news.

Make a frequent use of Lajna Website resources

during your General, Halqa and Nasirat

meetings/Classes. Please send your feedback to

[email protected].

Mabroor Jattala

National IT/Website Department

27

Southwest Regional Sports Tournament, Health Fair and Meena Bazaar On Saturday, March 14th, Southwest Region held a Sports Day, Health Fair and Meena Bazaar event to promote a healthy lifestyle in the community. A total of 270 Nasirat and Lajna members of four majalis attended and participated in the event.

Southwest Regional Sadr, Bina Majeed, welcomed everyone in her opening address and described the purpose of the event: to promote sisterhood bonding among members and awareness of good physical health. Our guest speaker, Teresa Anderson PA-C, gave the first presentation on Dermatology, which focused on maintenance of healthy skin for life. She drew our attention to various skin diseases and their prevention and distributed skin and health care products to all members. Dr. Naila Mubashir of LA Inland gave the second presentation on the healthy heart, which was very educational and informative. She raised the awareness of diseases and conditions of the heart and methods of monitoring a healthy heart.

Both presentations were followed by the expert's consultation and question/answer session. Dr. Aziza Rahman introduced AWSA (Ahmadi Women Scientists Association) and there was also a booth set up where Nasirat and Lajna members took part in various interesting science experiments.

Everyone took part in the parade with exclusive banners of the Southwest Sports Tournament. The sports included badminton, basketball, ping-pong, relay race, 7 stones and board games. Nasirat enjoyed water balloon fights, tag, jump rope and hula hoop. Both, Lajna and Nasirat had an incredibly enjoyable experience taking part in all of the various fun activities. There was a Meena Bazaar for the sale of a variety of delicious foods and drinks, as well as clothes and jewelry. A total of $1,114.40 was raised from the event and sent to National for the Lajna Hall scheme.

Bina Majeed, Southwest Regional Sadr

Regional Matters

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Welcome Our New Sisters!

Looking Ahead:

★ Here are some important Jama’at celebrations/events to put on your calendar:

Khilafat Day (Jama’at Celebration) - May 24, 2015 Ramadhan - June 18 – July 17, 2015 Eidul Fitr – July 18, 2015

Next New Member Book Club: Tuesday, May 26th 9:00-10:00 PM EST; The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam. Contact your Local Lajna Sadr for details and dial-in information.

Dayton, OH Ameena Al Khaliq

Queens, NY Nailba Kermani

Dallas, TX Ayesha Cheema

Tarbiyat Nau Matters

29

Lajna Highlights

Active Tajnid as of March 2015: 4,794 Average # of General Meetings per month: 79

Average % Attendance at Meetings per month: 41% Average # of Halqa Meetings per month: 98

Tabligh

# of Bai’ats Obtained: 3 Alhamdulillah! CA-LA East (1), MD-Laurel (1), TX-Dallas (1)

Member Highlights

Nasirat Highlights

January 2015- NATIONAL REPORT Statistical Summary

Tajnid 877 # Of Majaalis that did Khidmate Khalq Activities 52 # Of Majaalis with Nasirat 72 # Of Majaalis that did Tabligh Activities 37 # Of reports received 63 # Of Majaalis that held Workshops 15 % of reports received 88% # Of Majaalis that did Sihat e Jismani Activities 50 Nasirat test 2015 participation 716 0f 867

# Of Majaalis that did Handicraft/Cooking Activities 31

Average Attendance 69% # Of Majaalis that held Arabic/Urdu classes 26 Total Number of Meetings Held 116

Holy Qur’an and Qaida Completions

Sara Choudhary -VA Central Aleeza Mirza -Central New Jersey

Nomana Imran -VA South Asiya Khan -GA/SC

Amna Syed - Pittsburgh, PA Shanzeh Khan - GA/SC

Huda Chaudhry - Laurel, MD Alishba Naseeb - Queens, NY Kashif Ahmad - Queens, NY

Mariama Bah - Zion, IL Khaira Latif - Zion, IL

Neha Nawal Shahid – Dayton, OH Yumna Iftikhar - Houston South, TX

Nabeeha Ahmed – Orlando, FL

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Musleh Maud Day and Masih e Maud Day Highlights:

Oshkosh, WI: Lajna hosted the semi-regional jama’at organized Musleh Maud Day, which included Zion, Milwaukee Minnesota and Oshkosh Majalis. Lajna were responsible for preparing all Ziafat. A waqar-e-amal team got together the day before the event to set up the seating and areas for lajna. Over 150 members from the region attended.

Hartford, CT: Twenty-two Lajna members attended Musleh Maud Day and 34 attended Masih e Maud Day. They reviewed the book How to Be Free From Sin written by Promised Messiah. Lajna members organized Kulu Jamiya for Masih e Maud Day.

Pittsburgh, PA: Lajna and Nasirat members listened to speeches about the importance of these two days in our Jama’at and discussed how we can practically implement the good values that we learnt through these speeches in our everyday lives.

Houston North, TX: The Musleh Maud Day program was emotionally charged focusing on inspirational stories from the life of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-din Mahmood Ahmad Sahibra. Masih e Maud Day was held on March 22nd with participation from all Houston metropolitan Jama'ats. Not only was it a spiritual uplifting program with various speeches revolving around the life and the claims of the Promised Messiahas, but it was also a great way to enhance sisterhood with our fellow Houstonian Lajna members!

Washington, DC & GA/SC: Lajna participated at the Jama’at Musleh Maud day quiz, competing against Ansaar and Khuddam.

Other Local Highlights:

North Jersey, NJ: Lajna members got together to honor elderly lajna members. It was an inspiring and humbling afternoon for our chapter. Our esteemed guests of honor shared with us their journey into Ahmadiyyat the true Islam, and sacrifices and blessings that they were tested with.

Silicon Valley, CA:

Lajna hosted a potluck dinner at Bait-ul-Baseer for National Sadr Sahiba, Saliha Malik, who was visiting to speak at an interfaith symposium hosted by Lajna the next day. After dinner, there was an informal question and answer session with Sadr Sahiba on Tarbiyyati matters and commitment to faith followed by Salat.

Congratulations to Sister Sabuhi Siddique. She received an award from "Global Woman Power," a non-profit organization in the Bay area, which helps women of all denominations to start a business. The award was given with several other women of different fields who own their own businesses, e.g. beauty shop, driving school, school teacher, doctor, immigration lawyer, women active in public service and politics. Sister Sabuhi was given an award for her several years of public service in the Community. The ceremony took place on March 27 and there were more than 100 people present, mostly women.

During the Lajna meetings in February and March, members were given a presentation on etiquettes of dining and learned how to make jalapeno hummus.

Laurel, MD: The local Tarbiyat Secretary arranged a workshop with the title "Current Affairs" and discussed important points that were mentioned in the Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifa tul Masih Vatba. The key topics that were discussed during the workshop were: Freedom of

Local Matters

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speech according Islam, why the attack on "Charlie Hebdo" was not Islamic and wrong, Pope's and President Obama's response to this issue, and finally Huzoor's advice to Jama'at of invoking durood. In the end, there was a question answer session to address any issues regarding this event.

Queens, NY:

Lajna members attended Seeratul Nabi Jalsa. Panel discussions and speeches were made on different aspects of Holy Prophet's life. Some topics discussed were: Importance of reciting Durood, Cleanliness of Mind & Body citing the Holy Prophetsaw as the example, Married life of Holy Prophetsaw, and Morals of the Holy Prophetsaw. Two new members were introduced at the end.

Ta'limul Qur’an classes are held twice a week. Two new converts and one non-Ahmadi are actively participating along with other members. Cooking classes are held every other week at the mosque. A book club is held biweekly. Sports days are held every other week at a gym, in which different sports such as basketball, volleyball, soccer and tennis/badminton are played.

Willingboro, NJ: Lajna and Nasirat members celebrated MLK Day arranged in coordination with the Adath Emanu EL Sisterhood (Jewish Women’s group). Lajna and Nasirat members participated in multiple activities to honor the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

LA East, CA: Lajna members formed their First AMSAW club at the University of California Irvine.

Central New Jersey: Four Lajna members knitted 19 hats and 3 collars that were sold in the meeting and raised $54. The money raised will be donated to a local shelter or food bank.

Washington, DC: Lajna members actively participate in Dars given by Murabi Sahib weekly, online Qur’an classes and book club biweekly, Yassarnal Qur’an classes and Islamic Story Time for toddlers once a week

Cypress Houston, TX: The Lajna held a local ijtema and took active part in competitions like Memorization of the Holy Qur’an, Poem competition, and musical chairs. They held a Meena bazaar for fundraising and a health/fitness video game challenge. During the Lajna Mentoring Meeting, members volunteered open heartedly and gave their time and homes to serve their guests to the best of their abilities.

Dayton, OH: Lajna members participated in local MLK Day Parade organized by the City of Dayton. The parade started at 9am and included a one mile walk in Downtown Dayton ending at the Dayton Convention Center. Lajna also visited the book stall organized by the Jama’at at the Convention Center, helped in distributing flyers for upcoming Muhammad Messenger of Peace Dayton Event and introduced Lajna Ima’illah to various other community groups present that day.

Houston South, TX: A Seerat-un-Nabi Jalsa was held with participation of approximately 42 Lajna members. This was an especially unique event, because most of the presentations including Hadith, Tilawat and speeches were from our younger members, Lajna 15-25! They included presentations on the Blessings and Importance of Durood and a review of Khutba Jumu’ah delivered by Huzooratba on 1/16/2015 in which Huzoor provided guidance on the Ahmadi response to current anti-Islamic views by honoring the Life of the Holy Prophetsaw.

Lajna members from Houston Metropolis Jama’ats cooked for approximately 300 people every day during the weekend of LMC. One lajna member baked 400 mini cupcakes for our guests for tea.

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Hartford, CT: Members prepared presentations on purdah, and the goals and objectives of Lajna Ima’illah.

North Jersey, NJ: Members assisted with preparation for a Black History Month event. They wrote

articles about Islam, women, and notable African Americans. These articles were sent to the local

newspaper.

Las Vegas, NV: Members presented a workshop on Honesty and Peace, and the shaping of peaceful inner

personality before marriage.

Buffalo, NY: Members organized an event that focused on the life of the Promised Messiahas and his love

for the Holy Prophetsaw.

Baltimore, MD: Lajna members, particularly high school students, focused on self-image during a

discussion session. The girls discussed their feelings about being a Muslim, observing hijab, and the concept

of dignity. They also analyzed verses from the Holy Qur’an and the Bible that pertain to observing purdah.

Georgia/South Carolina: Lajna members (ages 15-25) held a book discussion at the Global Mall. They

discussed the Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam.

York/Harrisburg, PA: Lajna members organized fundraisers

to support the Race Against Racism and redecoration of the

mosque’s nursery. They sold baked goods and art that featured

Islami c calligraphy.

Silicon Valley, CA: Lajna members enjoyed a special potluck

dinner with National Sadr Lajna, Saliha Malik Sahiba. They

enjoyed an informal discussion sharing the experiences they face at college and giving helpful suggestions on

how to deal with some of the pressures they meet. This pleasant evening took place at Local Sadr Lajna,

Saadia Ahmad Sahiba’s home.

Detroit, MI: Our young women participated in the Muslim Voices video screening at Wayne State

University. The purpose of the videos is to present the true history of Islam rather than allowing the media

to create a false impression of Islam.

Willingboro, NJ: Lajna members cooked and served breakfast for 25 families at Roland McDonald

House.

LA East, CA: Lajna members went on a hike and discussed protecting and maintaining modesty on social

media. One member of this group actively takes part in the Go Green recycling program.

Lajna ages 15-25 Matters

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Virginia South: By the grace and help of Allah Almighty, Virginia south Lajna ages 15-25 created a

presentation on the book, “World Crisis & Pathway to Peace,” a compilation of speeches and letters written

and delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadatba. Each letter/ speech was summarized and explained to

the general membership. These letters/ speeches stress the importance of peace and diplomacy. This

presentation was educational for all ages and was presented in

both English & Urdu.

By the grace and help of Allah Almighty, nine Lajna 15-25

went to volunteer at a local food pantry on Valentine's Day in

an effort to "Spread the Love" to those in need. Lajna

members ages 15-25 who are away at college, also

volunteered at local hospitals and clinics for the homeless.

Three Lajna members ages 15-25 provided free tuition to

students in their respective schools. Two Lajna members ages

15-25 gave rides to those in need.

The Lajna members held their first conference call book club.

They discussed the book, Essence of Islam.

With many of these young women home for Spring Break they went hiking together at Great Falls. It was a

great activity to promote health and fitness!

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Central Virginia: Alhamdulillah, we had a very successful Nasirat and Youth Ice Skating Trip to Reston Town Center in March. Twenty-two Nasirat members and four Lajna ages 15-25 attended the trip along with the Sadr Sahiba and a few Nasirat mothers. The trip was a reward for the Nasirat from the Lajna.

Zion, IL: The Nasirat of Zion held a one-day Taleem and Tarbiyat workshop and camp. The Nasirat had a quiz on the following topics:

Places of worship

Modesty in world religions

Basic teachings of other faiths

Differences between Ahmadis and Non-Ahmadis

Our Religion

Islamic Purdah

Muslim food

Religious tolerance

Jihad

Jihad with the pen

How we can start doing Tabligh

There was a small group session on Huzoor’satba Friday sermon of 10/21/05 on the topic ‘the Excellence of Reciting the Holy Qur’an’. In January, the Nasirat of Zion had a Taleem & Tarbiyat Workshop, which started with a recitation of the Holy Qur’an and the Nasirat pledge. They made 3 poster boards on:

Islam in the news

Why sleep is so important and what electronics do to us when we use them at night

Harms of lying

The Nasirat also had a yoga & Zumba class conducted by Sylvia Arellano. It was a good session that the girls enjoyed. Sylvia talked about the importance of physical activity, eating healthy, a balanced diet, drinking water and healthy skin tips with homemade remedies. This was followed by Salat led by Sadr Sahib and a potlock dinner shared by all (Quloo Jamee’a).

Nasirat Matters

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Chicago Southwest Camp: The girls conducted a ‘learning how to do Tabligh’ session. They were split into two groups. They were then asked to come up with questions such as a non-Ahmadi Nasirat asking the Ahmadi Nasirat to join the

Muslim kids in Friday prayer at school. The purpose, firstly, was for them to know that this type of situation can and will happen in school. Secondly, what will be the right response and thirdly how do you move

on and explain your religion to

them. We also had a hypothetical Christian, Jewish and Muslim group ask and answer question based on the truth of Hazrat Isaas. The Nasirat had a lot of fun putting on the skits for their mothers in the audience. Hopefully, they learned a lot to share with peers at school.

Oshkosh, WI: Nasirat members attended and participated in the Regional Musleh Maud Day and Regional Masih e Maud Day. At both of these events, they got first place in the quiz competition Mash’Allah. They also prepared a few couplets from the Qaseedah for Masih e Maud Day. They also prepared desserts for 150 guests attending the event.

Hartford, CT: Nasirat members presented posters and recited the Qaseedah for Masih e Maud Day. Nasirat members also prepared a presentation on the "History of Nasirat and its Objectives."

North Jersey, IL: Nasirat members have been busy learning Qur’an with classes held twice a week, book club once a month, and reading "Life of Muhammadsaw”. They also hold a “fun day” once a month, which includes cooking healthy recipes. Almost 75% are listening to Huzoor’s khutbaat.

Silicon Valley, CA: In February, Nasirat members and National Sadr Sahiba, Saliha Malik, had a get-together at Bait-ul-Baseer. Everyone participated in icebreakers games. It was a great experience. The girls asked a lot of questions (using a fun format of pass the parcel) which Sadr Sahiba generously answered. The girls shared with Sadr Sahiba ‘How they would change the world.’’

Detroit, MI: Nasirat members ran a very successful baked goods stand at the meena bazaar. They had beautiful cupcakes and other baked items that were made by them. The girls recited a beautiful and heartfelt poem at the Jama’at Seerat -un-Nabi jalsa. They collected 31 cans for the food drive in the month of January. The girls also arranged a Sports Fun Day. They were asked to come with their playing equipment, skates, and board games. They played basketball and had fun roller-skating. After eating delicious pizza, they helped in cleaning up the gym. 11 Nasirat members attended this event.

Detroit Jama’at celebrated Masih e Maudas Day where more than 20 Nasirat attended this event. The program started with the recitation of Holy Qur’an by a Nasira. Another gave a thought provoking presentation on the “Philosophy of Teaching of Islam”. Nasirat also participated in an interactive session at the end of the program.

An Interfaith Group of Troy, MI held a National Day of Prayer on

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May 7, 2015. The girls made a beautiful flyer for this purpose with the help of Lajna ages 15-25. They all enjoyed painting the canvas and making flowers by paper. The interfaith group used this flyer in their main invitation to the general membership. Queens, NY: Many girls attended and participated in the Nasirat Ijtema. They had a fun filled day and learned a lot! Three Nasirat members wrote articles and poems for the Al Hilal magazine. They also held a quiz. Arts & Craft competitions included decorating photo frames, making bowl balloons, and string art. Cooking competitions included decorating a cake, making sandwiches or pizza on a baguette and making cereal / granola bars.

Seven Nasirat members actively participated in making desserts for and Interfaith meeting which required a long process of melting, freezing and filling. They made chocolate cups with ice cream and whipped cream.

Virginia South: Twenty-nine Nasirat members held a camp in March attended during which they prepared for their upcoming Ijtema. They practiced Qirat, impromptu speeches and how to write articles on religious topics. Nasirat members 13 & above presented a Nazm and its translation at the Regional Masih e Maud Day.

Willingboro, NJ: In February, Nasirat members went on a bowling outing. The girls enjoyed a few hours of unlimited bowling games, socializing with each other and Pizza for lunch.

Dallas, TX: Nasirat members had a sleepover at the mosque in January. Fifteen Nasirat attended this event. They enjoyed a number of fun activities like board games, ping- pong, cooking Chinese chicken noodles and making cake pops. There was an interactive presentation on modesty in Islam, an “MTA documentary on Ahmadiyyat”, and a documentary on “The Life of Prophet Mohammadsaw.” The Nasirat did Waqar-e-Amal in cleaning the mosque, and offered Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr prayers in congregation.

Nasirat members went on a field trip to Jump Street Indoor Trampoline Park. It is a great place for kids to get their energy out! Nasirat thoroughly enjoyed two hours of moderate physical activity including trampoline jumps, a foam pit, rope swinging and dodge ball. Later they went to a restaurant for dinner. The trip gave them a good opportunity to socialize and bond with one another. LA East, CA: Nasirat members took part in baking cookies, brownies, cake pops & making smoothies for SW Regional Sports Day & Health Fair. Washington, DC: Nasirat members prepared bedazzled bags and T-shirts for the Ijtema. Cypress Houston, TX: Nasirat members attended a Qur’an class and Potluck dinner alongside Lajna and had a quiz on current Friday Sermons. The girls presented a speech on Musleh Maud Day. All of the Nasirat members participated in the online Taleem Test and they all participated in the local Nasirat Ijtema and took active part in competitions. The girls also engaged in health/fitness interactive video game challenges. They volunteered in several areas during the Lajna Mentoring Conference.

Dayton, OH: Nasirat members participated in local MLK Day Parade organized by the City of Dayton. The parade started at 9am and included a one-mile walk in Downtown Dayton ending at the Dayton Convention Center. The girls carried banners and visited the bookstall organized by the Jama’at at the Convention Center.

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By the Grace of Allah four new girls joined the Nasirat this quarter. Two are new converts. Nasirat arranged a welcome event for them in which they decorated their nasirat room in the mosque and brought treats to enjoy. A lajna member addressed all nasirat and told them some basic Islamic etiquette. As part of their taleem program Nasirat members made 'Paper Jewels' upon which they wrote the attributes of Allah and displayed them in the mosque. This was done by drawing, coloring and cutting out 3D geometric shapes on paper and writing the attributes of Allah on them. Houston South, TX: As part of the handicrafts/ cooking class session at the local ijtema, the girls made frozen banana bites. One of the Nasirat, Noorulain along with her mother, Majeeda Malik, participated in a five-day waqfe arzi in Merida, Mexico. They interacted with eight new converts. They heard stories and details of the resistance they faced from their family members. They also taught Yassarnal Qur’an and spoke about the importance of purdah. Moreover, they helped a poor lady in Merida. Houston North, TX: Nasirat members played a very active role during the Lajna Mentoring Conference held at Bait-us Samee Mosque in Houston. They helped with the set-up, clean up, and later served with the transportation and registration teams to facilitate the process. Nasirat also helped to craft the awards to be given out to the various majalis at LMC. They helped clear the mosque area of shoes and trash. It was great to see them all so excited and willing to help in any way they could. Even the little girls helped fold and put away 250 chairs nearly as big as them! The Nasirat and Atfal were befittingly treated at the end with candies, ice creams and drinks for their remarkable efforts. Nasirat members attended Masih e Maud Day and took notes during the various presentations and completed a Q/A worksheet that was designed to assure that each girl listened attentively. Research Triangle, NC: Nasirat members attended a Health day, where they learned some Yoga positions taught by a guest. They learned about healthy foods and also learnt how to grow Organic

Vegetables. They also made friendship bracelets and watched how to knit. They attended a Jama’at meeting held with a visiting Murabbi Sahib as well. All Nasirat attended the Lajna organized Masih-e-Maud Day.

They participated by presenting a poem of the Promised

Messiahas and listened to some informative presentations

regarding the

Promised Messiahas.

One nasira's article was sent to Al-Hilal. One Nasira helped

out at the Caring Place meal, serving the homeless families.

All Nasirat attended the Masih-e-Maud Day celebrated by

Lajna and participated by presenting a poem written by the

Promised Messiahas and listened to some informative

presentations regarding the Promised Messiahas. Four guests

were also present. After meetings and special events Nasirat also help with clean up by folding sheets, doing

dishes, vacuuming etc. RTNC Nasirat are always part of Lajna meetings in which they do presentations

from their syllabus, share points from current sermons of Huzooratba and participate in workshops.

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Births

Detroit, MI:

Nada Tahir was blessed with a son, Affan Hadi Tahir.

Saliha Ahmad was blessed with a son Muneef Ahmad. Muneef is part of the blessed Waqf-e-Nau scheme. May Allah guide and bless the child to a righteous path.

Oshkosh, WI: Faiza Bushra and Mirza Harris were blessed with a son, Mirza Jaazib Fazal Ahmed.

Hartford, CT: Maria Ahmed was blessed with a son Jazeb Ahmed.

Las Vegas, NV:

Humaira Sheikh and Faheem Nasar were blessed with a son.

Soofia Sabahat and Zahid Javaid were blessed with a son.

Silicon Valley, CA:

Sofia and Sajid Maqsood were blessed with a daughter, Saleha.

Maham and Muzaffar Malik were blessed with a daughter, Izzah.

GA/SC: Saima Ahmad was blessed with a son, Shaan Ahmad.

Laurel, MD:

Hana Malik was blessed with a son, Nyme Karamat.

Raashida Ahmad was blessed with a daughter, Alesha Hafeez.

Queens, NY: Mr. & Mrs. Kaiser Bhatti were blessed with a baby daughter, Aniya Ahmad.

LA East, CA:

Sabahat Rashid Momen and Rommel Muiz Momen were blessed with a son, Subhan Bashir Momen.

Sarah & Faraz Ahmad were blessed with a daughter, Nazaaha Mahum Ahmad.

Cypress Houston, TX: Samina Masroor was blessed with son, Ayaan Tayab Qadir.

Dayton, OH: Mubashir and Safeera Tahir were blessed with a daughter, Zoya Tahir.

Houston South, TX:

Humera and Wasim Ansari were blessed with a daughter, Arysha.

Dr Bilal Rana and Maham Khan were blessed with a son, Tahir Rana,.

Houston North, TX:

Quratul Ain Kashif was blessed with a daughter, Nabiha, who by the Grace of Allah is part of the

Waqf-e-Nau scheme.

Saba Khan was blessed with son, Amaan Ahmad Khan, who by the Grace of Allah is part of the

Waqf-e-Nau scheme.

May Allah bless the new arrivals and make them a joy for their parents and families and

guide them on the path of true righteousness. Ameen

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Requests for Prayers

Special Prayers are requested for our dear Sisters Aliyyah Shaheed, Shakura Nooriah and Salma Ghani. May Allah always keep them in His Loving Care.

Las Vegas, NV:

A special request for prayers for sisters Amtul Qayyum and Nadia Qadeer.

Baltimore, MD:

A special request for prayers for Sister Maryam Yahya and Brother Hamza. May Allah grant them full recovery and good health.

Virginia South,VA:

A special request for prayers for Sister Shehla Ahmad’s daughter Sajeela Ahmad (age 4) on completion of Yassarnal Qur’an and starting recitation of Holy Qur’an. May Allah enable her to get blessings of Holy Qur’an all her life. Ameen.

Washington, DC:

A special request for prayers for Sister Hameeda Haleem and her husband, Sister Sadiqa Hayee’s

mother and Sister Waseema Dar, as she will be having knee surgery.

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A quarterly publication of Lajna Ima‘illah and Nasiratul Ahmadiyya, USA

An Auxiliary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

This issue of the Lajna Matters was compiled under the guidance of National Sadr Sahiba, Saliha Malik and with

assistance from the National Lajna Publications Team. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

"I will give precedence to my faith above all

worldly objects"

Lajna Matters Sha’baan 1436 Issue 2 - 2015 May 2015

Lajna Matters

Publications Team:

Farzana Safiullah

Publications Secretary

[email protected]

Bushra Mirza

Editor, Lajna Matters

[email protected]

Abeeha Alam

Associate Editor, Lajna

Matters

Seher Chowdhry

Associate Editor, Lajna

Matters

Aeman Bashir

Layout, Lajna Matters

Lajna Matters

Publications Team:

Farzana Safiullah

Publications Secretary

[email protected]

Bushra Mirza

Editor, Lajna Matters

[email protected]

Abeeha Alam

Associate Editor, Lajna

Matters

Seher Chowdhry

Associate Editor, Lajna

Matters

Aeman Bashir

Layout, Lajna Matters

Lajna Matters

Publications Team:

Farzana Safiullah

Publications Secretary

[email protected]

Bushra Mirza

Editor, Lajna Matters

[email protected]

Abeeha Alam

Associate Editor, Lajna

Matters

Seher Chowdhry

Associate Editor, Lajna

Matters

Aeman Bashir

Layout, Lajna Matters

Lajna Matters

Publications Team:

Farzana Safiullah

Publications Secretary

[email protected]

Bushra Mirza

Editor, Lajna Matters

[email protected]

Abeeha Alam

Associate Editor, Lajna

Matters

Seher Chowdhry

Associate Editor, Lajna

Matters

Aeman Bashir

Layout, Lajna Matters

Lajna Matters

Publications Team:

Farzana Safiullah

Publications Secretary

[email protected]

Bushra Mirza

Editor, Lajna Matters

[email protected]

Abeeha Alam

Associate Editor, Lajna Matters

Seher Chowdhry

Associate Editor, Lajna Matters

Aeman Bashir

Layout, Lajna Matters

Mabroor Jattalla

Urdu Section, Lajna Matters

[email protected]