Shura: Withstanding the test of time
The Lahori Jamaat and Khilafat: Revisiting the century-old debate
Page 4
Page 5
Metacognition and ‘muhasabah’: Why thinking about your thoughts matters
Lajna Imaillah UK holds Peace Symposium 2026
Page 7
Page 6
THE WEEKLY
A
www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 17 July 2026 | Issue CDXXXV Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7396
FIFA World Cup 2026: The World Cup of double standards?
As the 2026 World Cup nears its climax, we can all agree that the standard of football on display has been breathtaking. Yet off the pitch, a series of incidents involving players, officials, journalists and supporters has cast a shadow over this year’s tournament. Getting déjà vu? This is not the first time controversy has surrounded this global tournament. When Qatar hosted the World Cup four years ago, there were concerns raised around freedom of expression and the appalling exploitation of workers, some of whom had died while building the tournament’s infrastructure. The Times dubbed it “the most controversial World Cup ever.”1 Front pages and social media feeds were flooded with discussions about Qatar’s hosting of such a prestigious event. The German national team made global headlines by covering their mouths before their opening match in protest.
The message seemed clear and cogent enough. Host nations should expect to be held to the highest standards. Alas, this year has not lived up to those standards. Intriguingly though, it has failed to garner comparable or arguably sufficient outrage. In fact, I would hazard a guess that many of those watching the games would not be aware of the succession of troubling incidents that have unfolded.
The incidents Uncomfortable reports have emerged regarding the treatment of certain nations and officials. The Iraqi national team, returning to the World Cup for the first time in four decades, arrived in Chicago, only for star striker Aymen Hussein to be detained and questioned for almost seven hours at O’Hare Airport. The team’s photographer, Talal Salah, was also held for more than ten hours before ultimately being refused entry,
with no comprehensive explanation.2 The Iranian delegation suffered even greater disruption. More than a dozen members of the team’s support staff, including senior football officials, were denied US visas, forcing the squad to base itself in neighbouring Mexico and creating the logistical absurdity of commuting into the US on matchdays.3 Iranian players were reportedly not permitted to remain in the country overnight. Even FIFA officials have not been absolved. Omar Artan, the Somali referee selected by FIFA after being named Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025, was denied entry into the United States despite holding a valid visa and official tournament accreditation.4 On the topic of visas, prior to the tournament the International Sports Press Association reported5 that accredited African journalists were unable to secure visas to cover the tournament.6 This was despite a record 10 African nations qualifying this year. Meanwhile, US State Department data shows that tourist and business visa refusal rates exceeded 40% for citizens of several World Cup-qualified nations, including Senegal, Ghana, Iran, Uzbekistan and Egypt, raising concerns that many supporters would struggle to attend.7
FIFA’s response Taken individually, each of these incidents might be explained away by the optimists among us. Viewed together, however, it is difficult to be so sanguine, as they seem to reveal a pattern. Let it be clear. Apprehension stems not Continued on page 3
Hadith-e-Rasul – Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
Charity with the greatest reward َ ُ َ َ َّ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َﺣ َّﺪﺛ َ َﻨﺎ ُﻣ َﺣﺪﺛ َﻨﺎ ﻋ ْﺒﺪ،ﺎﻋﻴﻞ ِ ��ﻮﺳﻰ ﺑﻦ ِإ ْ َ َّ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ُ َ َ َّ َ �� ﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ،اﺣ ِﺪ َﺣﺪﺛ َﻨﺎ،ﺎع ِ اﻟ َﻮ ِ �رة ﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﻌﻘ َ ُ َ َ َّ َ َ ُ َ ��� َﺣﺪﺛ َﻨﺎ أﺑُﻮ ﻫ َﺮﻳْ َﺮة ـ رﺿﻰ ا،أﺑُﻮ ز ْرﻋﺔ َّ َ ٌ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ���اﻟﻨ ِ� ِّ� ﺻﻠﻰ ا ﻋﻨﻪ ـ ﻗﺎل ﺟﺎء رﺟﻞ ِإﻟﻰ َ َ َّ ُّ َ َّ َ ُ َ َ َ َ َ �ﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ ﻓﻘﺎل ﻳﺎ رﺳﻮل ا�� ِ� أى اﻟﺼﺪﻗ ِﺔ َ َ َْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ َ َ ْ َ ٌ �ِ �َ ﺖ �� أﻋﻈ ُﻢ أ ْﺟ ًﺮا ﻗﺎل � أن ﺗﺼﺪق وأﻧ ْ ُ َْ ْ َْ َ َْ ٌ َ ُ ُ َ َو�� ﺗ ْﻤ ِﻬﻞ، ��ﺸﻰ اﻟﻔﻘ َﺮ َوﺗﺄ ُﻣﻞ اﻟ ِﻐ َﻨﻰ،�� �ِ � َ َ َ ُ َ ُْ َ ُُْْ ََ َ َ َّ َ ،ﺖ ا��ﻠﻘﻮم ﻗﻠﺖ ﻟ ِﻔ�� ٍن ﻛﺬا ِ ﺣﺘﻰ ِإذا ﺑﻠﻐ َ ُ َ َ ََْ َ َ َ ُ َ �� وﻗﺪ �ﺎن ﻟ ِﻔ�� ٍن،وﻟ ِﻔ�� ٍن ﻛﺬا Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that a man came to Allah’s Messenger (sa) and asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (sa), which charity brings the greatest reward?” He replied, “That you give in charity while you are healthy, reluctant to part with your wealth, fearing poverty and hoping to become wealthy. Do not delay until your soul reaches your throat and then say, ‘So much is for such-and-such a person and so much is for such-and-such a person,’ when it has already become the property of such-and-such a person [through inheritance].” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab az-zakat, Bab fadli sadaqati sh-shahihi s-sahih, Hadith 1419)
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words
Only Servants of the Faith Are Truly Deserving of Our Prayers If anyone took up the pen to support the cause of Allah or made any other effort Continued on page 3