The journey of Islam Ahmadiyya in Petauke, Zambia: From humble beginnings to widespread recognition
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Accounts of 1924: A new missionary to London and the Khalifa’s vision for effective tabligh
The True Revolution –
UK’s assisted dying bill: A profound ethical debate of our time
Part VI
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THE WEEKLY
www.alhakam.org AL HAKAM | Friday 22 November 2024 | Issue CCCXLIX Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (ARC), 22 Deer Park Road, London, SW19 3TL, UK info@alhakam.org | ISSN 2754-7396
Beating the winter blues and optimising the colder months We’ve all experienced it. That subtle, or not-so-subtle, shift in mood as winter approaches. The extra effort it takes to get out of bed. Motivations dwindle as the days get colder and darker in what we commonly know as “winter blues”. There is only one culprit at play here: reduced sunlight. As daylight hours decrease, our body’s circadian rhythm becomes disrupted, leading to a significant drop in serotonin – the neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood. Moreover, the lack of sunlight causes a decrease in vitamin D production and disrupts melatonin levels, which further impacts our emotional and physical well-being. In more severe cases, this change is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The nature and severity of SAD varies from person to person. For some it may be mild, while for others it can be severe and have a significant impact on their day-to-day life. (“Seasonal affective disorder”, www.nhs.uk) The symptoms might sound all too relatable: persistent low mood, loss of pleasure in normal activities, reduced energy, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep patterns (sleeping more than normal and having trouble waking up), and increased appetite – particularly for carbohydrate-rich foods.
So, how do we properly face these challenging months? First and foremost, we have to recognise that our mental health is just as important as our physical health. The way we wrap up warm to protect ourselves from the cold, we should also take steps to protect our emotional well-being. The importance of not isolating oneself and keeping social connections as a way to ward off feelings of stress, anxiety and depression has been emphasised by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa: “Socialise with people, whether it is
at home, in internal Jamaat gatherings, or externally in the wider world.” (“Mental Health - Question on Anxiety & Depression”, www.youtube.com) Exercise is one of the most important things we can do. It doesn’t have to be extreme fitness regimens – simple, consistent movement can change everything. There are even many ways to stay active whilst remaining indoors when the weather becomes too extreme. Home-workout routines that require minimal equipment can be easily integrated into daily life. But Continued on next page >>
Hadith-e-Rasul – Sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
Allah’s nearness to His servants
َ ُ َ َ ّٰ ﻋ ْﻦ أ�ِ� ﻫ َﺮﻳْ َﺮة ـ رﺿﻰ ا��� ﻋﻨﻪ ّٰ ُ َّ َ َ َ َ اﻟﻨ ِ� ّ� ﺻﻠﻰ ا��� �ﻠﻴﻪ ـ ﻗﺎل ﻗﺎل َ َ َ َ ّٰ ُ ُ َ ﻳَﻘﻮل ا�� ُ� ﺗ َﻌﺎﻟﻰ أﻧﺎ ِﻋ ْﻨﺪ:وﺳﻠﻢ َ َ ُ ََ َ َوأﻧﺎ َﻣ َﻌﻪ ِإذا،�ِ� ﻇ ِ ّﻦ ﻋ ْﺒ ِﺪي ََ َ ََ ُُ ََ َْ ﻓ ِﺈ ْن ذ� َﺮ�ِ� �ِ� ﻧﻔ ِﺴ ِﻪ ذ� ْﺮﺗﻪ،�ِ�ذ� َﺮ ََ ْ َ ُُ ََ َ َْ َ �� ذ� ْﺮﺗﻪ ﻣ � � � � ﺮ ٍ ِ ِ � و ِإن ذ،��ِ �ِ� ﻧﻔ ُ َ ْ َ َ ََ َو ِإ ْن ﺗﻘ َّﺮ َب ِإﻟ َّﻰ،�ْ ��� ﺧ� ٍ� ِ� ْﻨ ٍ �ِ� ﻣ ُ ََ ْ ً ﺖ إﻟ َ ْﻴﻪ ذ َِر َو ِإ ْن،ا�ﺎ ِ ِ ْ� ِ ِﺸ� ٍ� ﺗﻘ َّﺮﺑ َ َ ََ ُ ََ ً ً َ ﺖ إﻟ َ ْﻴﻪ ﺑ ،ﺎ�ﺎ ِ ِ ْﺗﻘ َّﺮب ِإﻟ َّﻰ ذ َِرا�ﺎ ﺗﻘ َّﺮﺑ ً َ َ ُ ََ ََ .َو ِإ ْن أﺗﺎ�ِ� ﻳ َ ْﻤ ِ�� أﺗ ْﻴ ُﺘﻪ ﻫ ْﺮ َوﻟﺔ
Hazrat Abu Hurairahra narrated: The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Allah the Exalted says: ‘I am as My servant expects Me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself; and if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than theirs. If he draws near to Me by a hand’s span, I draw near to him by an arm’s length; if he draws near to Me by an arm’s length, I draw near to him by a fathom’s length; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-tawhid, Bab qawlillahi ta‘ala ‘wa yuhazzirukumullahu nafsah, Hadith 7405)