Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 129
Khilafat Centenary On the evening of August 5 th , a reception was arranged by the East Coastjama'ats at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The guests included officials from the United Nations, well-known physicians, members of the media, university professors and city dignitaries. Huzur ra met with the guests and answered their questions, thereby spreading the message of the Islam on an international level. . . . . Huzur ra a book about the city and a beautiful bouquel Huzur ra thanked the Mayor and presented him with a copy of the Holy Qur'an with Eng li sh translation, which he accepted with gratitude. Huzur ra had regularly advised Ahmadi women about pardah (observing the veil), since he was very particular that this Islamic tradition never be violated. Therefore he was conscious of this issue at Annual Convention as well. The physical arrangements were such that the hall being used was divided with a curtain, but because of the elevation of the stage, the women were visible. When Huzurra arrived at the stage, he was visibly upset at the setup. After the departure of the Mayor, Huzurra asked the management to resolve the problem otherwise he would not deliver the speech. With this remark Huzur ra left the stage. The stage was lowered immediately and the proceedings resumed. Opening Session of Convention Left to right: Gurdaspuri Sahib, Huzur' 0 , Mian Ibrahim, Masood Jehulmi After the recitation of the Holy Qur'an, Rashid Ahmad, then National President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, offered On August 6 th Huzurra left New York for Madison, New Jersey to attend the annual convention. Over 600 members attended the convention and everyone present was given a chance to shake Huzur'sra hand. The convention was held at Drew University, Huzur ra delivered the Khutba Juma and combined Zuhr and Asr prayers. He recited verses 1-5 of Sura Al-Maidah, and , while expounding on the excellence of Qur'anic teachings, urged the Jama' at to pledge their obedience to the Divine Commandments, and never try to evade obedience; therein lies the key to success. Al-Fa zl Oct ob er 4, 1976 Inauguration of Convention: Huzur ra inaugurated the annual convention at Drew University at 3: 15 pm. Prior to delivering the opening address, the Mayor of Madison, Mr. Robert Whine, welcomed Huzur ra on behalf of the residents of Madison, and declared that Huzur's visit was a memorable occasion. The Ma yor also presented the welcome address, expressing his happiness at Huzur's ra visit and re-iterating the importance of obedience to Nizam-e-Khilafat (system of line of succession to a prophet of God) Huzurr a, then delivered a heartwarming opening speech, explained the mission of Hadhrat Masih Ma'ud as and the blessings of Nizam-e-Khilafat. He lead dua (silent pra y er) and the session concluded. Third Session of the Convention The session started at 10 am, and this humble one was the chair of the session. Bashir Ahmad Rafiq respected Muzaffar Ahmad and Dr. Khalil Ahmad Nasir delivered speeches. The Chair for the women's program was respected Rashida Begum Sahiba, Sadr Lajna USA. Hadhrat Begum Sahiba addressed the Lajna and advised them to offer a practical example of Islamic teachings. Con cl uding Session of the Convention: