Huzoor (aba) began the sermon by saying that he will continue to narrate the biographies of the martyrs of the Lahore attacks.

1. Abdur Rasheed Malik Sahib, son of Abdul Hameed Malik Sahib, belonged to the city of Lalamusa. His grandfather (paternal), Maulvi Meher Deen Sahib (rz) was amongst the 313 companions of the Promised Messiah (as). At the time of martyrdom, he was 64 years of age, was a moosi and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was an active member of Majlis Ansarullah (Secretary Wasaya and Secretary Talim-ul-Quran). He usually attended Jumma at Karak house, and it was after a long time that he went to Dar-ul-Zikr on this particular day. He told his wife before leaving for Friday prayers that Hadhrat Musleh Maud (rz) had said that once in a while, one should offer jumma prayers in the larger mosque. He was sitting in the main hall on the chairs; he called home and said that he had incurred a bullet wound in his leg. His wife said that while he was on the phone, she could hear the firing in the background. He had borrowed the phone from someone, and the contact subsequently ended. His wife (who is an active Lajna member and has demonstrated patience at this difficult time) says that he was a doting father. They have three daughters, and he never complained about not having a son. He gave his full attention to the daughters and provided them with religious and secular education. He also fostered a nau-mubai girl (who had accepted Ahmadiyyat as a result of his tabligh efforts) who used to work in their household. He also made arrangements for her marriage. He was a simple man, loving and caring, prayerful at all times, obedient to the system of Jamaat and a righteous soul. May Allah Almighty elevate his station in Paradise, Ameen.

2. Mohammad Rasheed Hashmi Sahib, son of Munir Shah Hashmi Sahib. He was the great grandson of a companion of the Promised Messiah (as) and his father was a general postmaster in Abbotabad. His house was burnt down during the riots of 1974 by the opponents. He was an employee of Radio Pakistan in Peshawar and was a newscaster, along with writing a column in “nawa-e-waqt”. He was 78 years of age at the time of martyrdom, was a moosi and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was an active member of Majlis Ansarullah (he was the sadr of his halqa for 16 years). He incurred three bullet wounds. He was a loving man, who had a soft corner for jamaat and a passion for service, and encouraged his wife and children to serve Jamaat as well. On Friday morning, he called the sadr of another halqa to inform him that he had some money that was entrusted to him and belonged to the jamaat, which he would return at the jumma prayers. This money was found in his pocket after he was martyred, and the currency notes had been pierced by the bullets as well. He was a very punctual and disciplined man. He had the desire to open a “salat centre” in Lahore, but the design for the center would not get approved. He took it upon himself to prepare the design all through the night, and got it approved. The non-Ahmadis had great respect for him too, who came to give their condolences at his martyrdom. He was a brave and courageous man. His halqa was doing very well under his leadership. Ata-ul-Qadir Tahir Sahib has written in a letter about him that he was a very friendly and hospitable man. He would always participate in the recitation of the Quran and poem. He had difficulty walking due to some weakness, but he was always ready to serve the jamaat in any capacity. He possessed an immense love for Khilafat and would participate in every scheme with great zeal. May Allah Almighty elevate his station in Paradise, Ameen.

3. Muzaffar Ahmad Sahib, son of late Maulana Ibrahim Qadian derwish. His father-in-law, Mian Ilam Deen (rz) was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as) and his father had the honour of being a teacher to the sons of Hadhrat Musleh Maud (rz). He was the Imam of his halqa and was the Finance Secretary for a long time (Dharampura). He was 73 years of age at the time of his martyrdom and he was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He would offer salat in Dar-ul-Zikr on a regular basis, and on this day also he left for jumma prayers. His son went to the Model Town Masjid Bait-ul-Noor. At 6pm it was found out that Muzaffar Sahib had been martyred, he was found in the morgue and had incurred five bullet wounds. Eye-witnesses say that when he was wounded, he remained busy reciting durood, and encouraged others to recite durood and istighfar as well. His wife says that he was in the habit of offering Tahajjud prayers since his childhood and never missed it, and encouraged his children to do the same. He would recite the Quran in a loud voice; in fact, he would recite the Quran after every salat. He would make arrangements to fast after every few days. He would request everyone to pray that Allah grants him a righteous end. He would fulfil his responsibilities and he would never tell a lie neither could tolerate it. Allah Almighty accepted his prayer and granted him the unparalleled status of a martyr. His sister who lives in Qadian (wife of Nazir Sahib) says the he had a friendly relationship with his son-in-law and was very kind to his sisters. His eldest daughter, who lives in Rabwah, says that during his two visits to her house, the recording of the Khilafat pledge was being broadcasted on MTA, and he stood up and recited the pledge in a loud voice both times as if there was no one else in the room. He also had the opportunity to perform Hajj in 1980. May Allah Almighty elevate his station in Paradise, Ameen.

4. Mian Mubashar Ahmad Sahib, son of Mian Barkat Ali Sahib who performed Bai’at in 1928. He is from the family of Mian Nooruddin Sahib (Companion of the Promised Messiah (as)). He was a resident of Kharian, district Gujrat and moved to Lahore in 2008. He was a distributor for Coca Cola, but his business met with a grave fate in the riots of 1974, when his business was looted. During this situation, he was driving towards Wazirabad from Rabwah after delivering mail for Jamaat, when he was met with rioters in Chiniot who attacked his car and tried to hurt him. His driver however drove away. Again, his car was attacked in Gujranwala, and finally he reached home after midnight. The situation in those days was very unfavourable for Ahmadis, and those who made trips for Jamaat work made great sacrifices; and he was always ready to make sacrifices in the way of Jamaat. He started his business in 1998 again and started distribution for Coca Cola. Some people came to him and said that you are famous for your honesty, as he would never sell any imitation merchandise. These people suggested that if he includes 2 imitation bottles in the crate, he would increase his profits and become a millionaire. Of course, he did not pay heed to their advice and never gave into such greed. He would however be very hospitable to those who would offer him such fraudulent counsel, and would tell them that he did not need any such corrupt advice. He was Ameer Jamaat for 6 years (Tahseel Wazirabad). His son, Qamar Ahmad, is a Missionary in Benin. He was 65 years of age at the time of martyrdom, and he was a moosi, who was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He remained on the floor during the attacks, and was injured when a grenade was blasted near him, which wounded him in the neck and caused severe bleeding. He phoned his nephew and told him that he was injured and had incurred five or six bullet wounds. He was an extremely soft-hearted and prayerful man, who looked after his subordinates. He would pray for anyone who was in distress. His wife of 39 years says that he never spoke unpleasantly with her and never scolded the children. If the wife ever complained, he would say that she should pray for herself, as he does for himself. He would not tolerate backbiting in the house and would stop someone if they had started it. His landlady in Gujranwala, who is not an Ahmadi, said that it was her fortune that such a righteous person as Mubashar Sahib was her tenant, and I pray that my children would become like him. He was active in Tabligh. He would often say that I am an unworthy person; I pray to Allah that he may grant me success by conferring upon me the passing marks of 33%. Huzoor (aba) adds that God Almighty accepted his prayers in the best way and granted him 100% marks by bestowing him with the status of a martyr.

5. Fida Hussain Sahib, son of Bahadur Khan Sahib. He was from Kharian, District Gujrat, and was born there. His parents passed away within a month of each other’s demise, when he was only 4 years old. He was a cousin of Mian Mubashar Ahmad Sahib (mentioned above), and lived in the guardianship of this household because he was orphaned at an early age. He was never married. At the time of martyrdom, he was 69 years of age and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. Usually, he would sit outside in the courtyard due to his mild handicap, but on the day of the attacks, he sat on the chair inside the main hall; he incurred 35 bullet wounds when the terrorists started shooting, and was martyred on the spot. May Allah Almighty elevate his station in Paradise, Ameen.

6. Khawar Ayub Sahib, son of Mohammad Ayub Khan Sahib. This family was originally from Gilgit, but Khawar Ayub Sahib was born in Bhera, District Sargodha, and after completing year 10, he moved to Lahore in 1978, where he found employment in Wapda. Currently he was working as accounts and budget officer. He performed bai’at in 1984. He was 50 years of age at the time of martyrdom, was a moosi and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was Secretary Waqf-e-Nau and Muhasib. He would often offer jumma prayers in Dar-ul-Zikr. On the day of the attacks, he was sitting in the main hall and incurred two bullet wounds, one near the heart, and the other in the knee. He called home at around 2:15 pm saying that the terrorists had attacked the mosque and requested for prayers. Later, his wife tried to establish contact, and he repeated his request for prayers, but afterwards, he was martyred. His wife says that he was a true gentleman and made arrangements for offering prayer in congregation. He had great organizational skills, paid special attention to the upbringing of children, had a passion for service to humanity and was loyal and sincere to Khilafat. Ilyas Khan Sahib writes that in 1984 when he was employed with Wapda, he moved to Lahore, from Bhera to our household in Rehmanpura. He was not an ahmadi at that time; however, our house evidently had an ahmadi atmosphere. He became part of the household and frequently made the same criticism against ahmadis that are parroted by the mullahs, so much so that we would encourage him to ask more questions, as this was his habit. Once, Barkatullah Sahib, a missionary, had organized a question and answer session, which was attended by Khawar Sahib, and Barkatullah Sahib specifically asked him to pose any questions, to which he said he had no more questions, and performed Bai’at some time later. His relatives at the time kept insisting that he should give it some more thought, but he was firm in his position and said that if they continued to oppose his decision, he would write to Khalifatul Massih and complain that his relatives were becoming an impediment in his way of performing Bai’at. After becoming an ahmadi, he made great spiritual progress in the way of attaining righteousness.

7. Mohammad Shaikh Younus Sahib, son of Shaikh Jamil Ahmad Sahib. Although he was born in India, he migrated to Rabwah in 1955, from where he passed his matriculation exams. His father performed Bai’at during the Khilafat of Hadhrat Musleh Maud (rz) and was among the Dervish. He was an active member of Sadr Anjuman and was retired in 2007, when he moved to Lahore to live with his son, and was serving as Secretary Islaah-o-Irshaad and Tabligh. At the time of martyrdom, he was 63 years of age, was a moosi and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. He would go to the mosque ahead of jumma time, and on that day, he reached the mosque at 11am and sat in the first row. His son was in the other hall. He was among the first ones to be wounded and incurred bullet wounds in the chest and the head, and then received fatal wounds in the ribs from the grenade blast. Shaikh Sahib saw in a dream a vision of Rabwah, a beautiful pavement decorated with carpets, where the Khulafa are seated on large chairs, and Hadhrat Promised Messiah (as) is seated on the largest one. And he said that he himself was seated nearby. He was absolutely devoted to Khilafat, offered five daily prayers, and despite being a heart patient, he went to the mosque to offer prayer, irrespective of the weather. His eyes would tear up when he would pay gratitude to Allah for the blessings He showered, and had great faith in God. He was regular in offering Tahajjud, and with the minimal wages he had, he would try to help others in any way possible. He led a simple life, and participated in essay writing competitions, which bore him prominent positions. He was involved in dawat ilallah. His wife says that they were active in a small village for about 6 years, where they held quran classes and when they were met with opposition, they had to stop this. However, their efforts bore fruit.

8. Masood Ahmad Bhatti Sahib, son of Ahmad Deen Bhatti. His forefathers were from a town in District Kusoor. His paternal grandfather performed bai’at in 1911-12. The family moved to Lahore in 1975, and he worked with his father as a contractor. He received his education up to the matriculation. He was a brave and courageous member of Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. Two of his brothers were also involved in the business with him, and one brother is the president of a halqa in Lahore. At the time of martyrdom, he was 33 years of age, and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was offering the sunnah prayers before Jumma when the attacks began and the terrorists began firing. He took off his vest and bandaged his neighbouring companion, who was wounded, and comforted him. Displaying great courage, he then tackled one of the assailants and was able to immobilize him, but the other terrorist fired at him and martyred him.

9. Haji Muhammad Akram Virk sahib, son of Chaudhry Allah Ditta Virk Sahib. His forefathers were from district Shaikhupura and had performed bai’at during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (as). Later on, the family moved to Alipur, district Kusoor, where he was born and received his education up to matriculation. In the 1950s, the family moved to Lahore. He retired from his employment in 1996. He served the jamaat in various capacity throughout his life. At the time of martyrdom, he was 74 years of age and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr, where he was sitting in the fourth row and was martyred by the firing of the assailants. His father had presented their ancestral home to the Jamaat, which is being utilized as a murrabbi house these days. He was a hard-working man, despite his age, he would help the other members of the household and the children, and was an honest person.

10. Mian Laeeq Ahmad Sahib, son of Mian Shafiq Ahmad sahib. His forefathers were from Ambala, where he was born and at the time of partition, the family moved to Lahore, from where he received his education. At the time of martyrdom, he was 66 years of age, and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was serving as secretary Ishaat in the Canal Park halqa. He was sitting in the third row in the chairs in the main hall, when he was critically wounded by the firing. He was being taken to the hospital, but was martyred en route in the ambulance. He had bled profusely as no one was being attended to for up to three hours. He was a simple man of few words, he never hurt anyone, would offer tahajjud prayers, and was friendly with his children at home. May Allah Almighty elevate his station in Paradise, Ameen.

11. Mirza Shabal Munir sahib, son of Mohammad Munir sahib. His great-grandfather Ahmad Deen sahib (rz) was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as) and his father owned a business (sound system). At the time of martyrdom, he was 19 years of age and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He had completed his BCom degree and was pursuing his BBA, and was a very active member of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya. He was sitting with his younger brother, Shahzad Munir in the main hall near the mihrab after offering sunnah prayers when firing began near the mihrab first. At this time, he left the main hall, but returned shortly and sat near the door, where his brother also joined him. He called home and spoke to his friends also. In the mean time, a terrorist entered from the minaret, and started firing which resulted in the martyrdom of many worshippers. He was bleeding profusely, and did not respond when his brother tried to talk to him. His brother tried to bandage his wounds, but could not do it due to severity of wounds. He breathed his last after half an hour. His brother says that he displayed great courage, and did not say a word despite the pain he was in; in fact, it seemed as if he was happy that his brother was saved. One of his friend writes that he was highly devoted. At one occasion, he was approached at 11:30 at night for some jamaat work and he left right away to offer his services. He would also offer his car for jamaat use whenever he had it. He was a simple man. Another friend writes that after his martyrdom, he saw Shaawal in his dream, and on asking where he was, he responded that I am here and I am very happy where I am. May Allah Almighty elevate his station in Paradise, Ameen. The martyrdom of such young men reminds the youth to stay true to their pledge, by sacrificing their own life and urging the others to never shy away from their pledge.

12. Malik Maqsood Sahib, son of S.A Mahmood Sahib. His paternal grandfather was from Batala and his maternal grandfather was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as) and was from Bhopal. His grandfathers (paternal and maternal) and his mother were companions of the Promised Messiah (as). He was born in Bhopal and raised in Qadian, where he received his education from TI College. His family moved to Lahore eventually. At the time of martyrdom, he was 80 years of age, was a moosi and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was serving as Secretary Talim-ul-Quran and auditor in his halqa. His grandson says that he was sitting in the main hall in the second row. At the instruction of murrabbi sahib, he exited to the courtyard, but when his grandson saw him, he was lying on the floor with his fingers in the ears, and showed no movement, and had probably already been martyred, as he had incurred many bullet wounds. He was regular in the five daily prayers and would offer tahajjud prayers too, would pay his chandajaat on time, would study the jamaat books, would watch MTA and listen to Huzoor (aba)’s sermons and addresses. He was an expert in accounts. Once, when he was still very young in Qadian, there was a competition amongst the friends to see who would reach the mosque first for the morning prayer. In order to win the competition, he left for the mosque at 2:30am. His son, Tabassum Maqsood Sahib, who is a lawyer, is doing a waqf in Rabwah these days.

13. Chaudhry Mohammad Ahmad Sahib, son of Dr. Noor Ahmad. His paternal grandfather and father performed bai’at in 1921-22, and the family belonged to Faisalabad. His father worked with Dr. Mir Mohammad Ismail Sahib (rz) as a junior doctor. He received his primary education from Faisalabad up to matriculation, and then joined the Air Force, where he received training for two years and was then employed there. He participated in the 1965 and 1970 wars. During 1965, when a bomb loader stopped working, he urged others to carry the bombs on their shoulder and did the same for the purpose of loading. Despite such services, the so-called patriots today feel that Ahmadis are not loyal to the country. These are the men who offered many sacrifices for the sake of their country. He also went on several trips abroad for training. He was retired in 1971, but served as the head of the bomb squad till 1985. At the time of martyrdom, he was 85 years of age, was a moosi and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. He would often offer his Jumma prayers there, and would prepare his clothes for the jumma on Thursday evenings. He would leave for jumma by noon. On the day of the attacks, a young man saw him bleeding in the second or third row, when he called the young boy towards him and asked him to tie a cloth around his abdomen, where he had incurred bullet wounds. He also instructed the young man to offer water to the other wounded men. He also offered some advice to other men on how to save themselves as he was an expert in the field. He also received a bullet wound in his neck. He was taken to the Jinnah Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds and attained martyrdom at 8pm in the evening. One of his relatives dreamt a couple of days before the event that Lahore was under attack. Huzoor (aba) added that many people had such dreams in Pakistan and abroad, pointing to these events. He did not hold malice towards anyone and was in good health. He was regular in offering salat and recitation of the Quran. He loved his children. He was a good sportsman (kabbaddi and football). He was highly devoted to Khilafat. His daughter writes that according to an eyewitness, her father was sitting on the chairs and was listening to the sermon which had just started, when the firing started. He remained seated, as if trying to gauge the situation. When the terrorist approached and fired in his direction, he was wounded. When the terrorist turned around to reload his gun, despite the wounds, he tackled the terrorist at his neck and disabled him. Another man came to his help, and then other Khuddam came to help. He had incurred a few bullets in the meanwhile and was bleeding profusely, but despite these wounds, he gave instructions on how to diffuse the bomb and tied the hands and legs of the terrorist. He was a brave man who bore the wounds with great courage and attained the status of martyrdom.

14. Ilyas Aslam Quraishi sahib, son of Master Shafi Aslam Sahib. His family belonged to Qadian and then moved to Gujranwala. His father was a missionary who served the Jamaat well. His brother Mohammad Aslam sahib was among the derwish of Qadian. He was employed with a bank, from where he retired at the post of Assistant Vice President. At the time of martyrdom, he was 76 years of age, was a moosi and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. He was the Sadr of Johar Town halqa. He was seated in the first row in the second hall. When the terrorists began firing, he tried to keep the door of the second hall closed with the help of other worshippers, but incurred heavy wounds during the firing through the door. He was martyred around 4pm in the evening. He was a simple and righteous man, who was always thankful for the blessings. He was a prayerful man and served Jamaat with great zeal. He was an affectionate father, regular in prayers and tahajjud, always smiling and very friendly. He would never complain if someone approached him for jamaat work, even if he was sleeping at the time. He always gave counsel to always remain loyal to Jamaat and Khilafat.

15. Tahir Mahmood Ahmad Sahib, son of late Saeed Ahmad sahib. The family belonged to Muzaffar garh. His father performed bai’at in 1953 and moved to Lahore in 1993. After completing his matriculation, he was employed in the private sector, and went to Malaysia for training (he was slightly mentally impeded). At the time of martyrdom, he was 53 years of age, and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. He went to see sadr of his halqa before jumma, who took him along to Masjid Bait-ul-Noor; normally he went to the other namaz center for jumma or occasionally attend jumma at Dar-ul-Zikr. This was his first jumma at Bait-ul-Noor. He received 2 bullets in the chest and 1 in the forehead. He was a brave man and devoted to Jamaat. He used to say that he was not afraid of bullets, and knew he would be martyred. He was well-renowned in the neighbourhood and would be the first to say salam to everyone on the street.

16. Syed Irshaad Ali sahib, son of Syed Samiullah Shah Sahib (who served as principal of Jamia Ahmadiyya also). His paternal grandfather Khaslat Ali Shah Sahib and his maternal grandfather Mir Hamid Shah Sahib were both companions of the Promised Messiah (as) and were among his special friends. The ancestral home in Sialkot was where the Promised Messiah (as) used to stay during his visits to Sialkot. This ancestral home was donated to the Jamaat. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he appeared for some exams, after which he was employed as Assistant Director in the Labor Department, from where he retired as Deputy Director. He was serving as Secretary Finance in Model Town. At the time of martyrdom, he was 80 years of age, was a moosi and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. Before leaving for Jumma, he was resting with his hand on his chest, saying that he felt like resting on that day. Then he got up and prepared to leave for Jumma, saying that he was leaving and he repeated saying that he was indeed leaving. He was sitting in the courtyard of the mosque on the chairs, and when the firing started, he was martyred. He received three bullet wounds. In a recent experience, he heard the words “inni rafe’oka wa mutawaffeeka”. Huzoor (aba) says that perhaps the person narrating this incident recorded the words incorrectly and the words should actually read “inni mutawaffeeka wa rafe’oka”. Anyways, he was not able to understand the words. About 15-20 days before the incident, he also heard in another experience: “We receive you with open arms with red carpets”. In another vision, he saw that a chariot stopped in front of his house, and he hears that Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (rz) has arrived. His relatives said that he was worried that he was not able to serve the Jamaat like his forefathers. He was a jovial man who had a passion for serving others and would look after his relatives in particular.

17. Noor-ul-Ameen Sahib, son of Nazeer Waseem Sahib. He was born in Rawalpindi, and completed his matriculation there, and joined the Navy. His paternal grandfather was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as) and his maternal grandfather served as Ameer Jamaat Hyderabad and was martyred. He was an active member of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and for a long time, was in charge of monitoring the closed-circuit system installed in the mosque. He also went to live in Karachi for some time. At the time of martyrdom, he was 39 years of age, and was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He called home during the attacks and said that I can leave this place if I want to, but I was assigned duty at this spot. He was sitting behind the dish antenna where a grenade was detonated, due to which he was martyred. His wife says that he possessed many a great virtues, and would pay specific attention to the upbringing of the children, especially the waqf-e-nau children. When he spoke to his wife on the phone, she asked him to leave the place but he said that he could not leave the many people who were in the same situation as him behind. He participated enthusiastically in Jamaat work.

18. Chaudhry Mohammad Maalik Sahib, son of Fateh Mohammad Sahib. He was a resident of Ghakkar Mandi from where he moved to Gujranwala and then to Lahore. His father passed away before his birth. When he was finishing up his matriculation exam, his mother gave her gold bracelet to him and said that he should continue his education. He did complete his bachelor’s degree. He was 93 years of age at the time of martyrdom, was a moosi, and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. His relatives say that since he had attained old age, he would forget things, and consequently, he had missed about 7 or 8 Friday prayers, but on this particular day, he insisted that he would go for jumma prayers despite being stopped. He was among the first ones to be martyred on that day sitting in the front row of the chairs. He never hurt anyone and had a great passion for reading and studying the books of the Promised Messiah (as) and would encourage his relatives to do the same. His son, Daud Ahmad sahib, narrates that when he completed his education (MA Economics), his father offered him to work for him, saying that I will pay you the same wages that you expect at your employment. I will hire you to read the books of the Promised Messiah (as). He raised the children with a deep sense of consciousness towards offering salat, and would wake them up at the time of adhan, and would offer salat in congregation. He never raised a hand on the children for their moral upbringing; instead he would pray for them and would say that this is compassion. He would cry in his tahajjud prayers and pray for his children. In 1974, when the family lived in Satellite Town Gujranwala, many Ahmadis congregated in their home for safety. He took great care of everyone during this difficult time. He was an extremely honest man, and could not tolerate anything but the truth. He initiated everyone in the family into the system of Wasiyyat.

19. Shaikh Sajid Ahmad sahib, son of Shaikh Ameen Ahmad Sahib. His family belonged to Bhera. He received his bachelor’s degree from Lahore, and was employed with MCB in Rawalpindi. After he was retired in 2003, he moved to Lahore to be with his children. He was a very responsible member of Majlis Ansarullah and was working as secretary talim-ul-quran. At the time of martyrdom, he was 59 years of age, was a moosi (his application had been approved) and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. Habitually, he would leave for jumma early and offer his salat with great reverence. He sat in the back hall of the masjid on that day. About fifteen minutes after the firing began, he called his son Shahzad Naeem to ask him if he was well, who said that he was fine. He then secured the doors with the help of other companions and stood in front of the doors to keep them closed (the locks on the door were defective), and this helped many others to reach safety. The terrorists however kept firing and the grenade that detonated caused his martyrdom. He was concerned about the marriage and the employment of his son, and on Friday, he had arranged for an interview for his son. He then asked him how the interview had gone [the son did secure the job afterwards]. He was very conscientious of the rights of his wife and children, and his family relatives as well as his in-laws. He had a soft temperament, was very obedient to the system of Jama’at and was deeply devoted to Khilafat. A non-Ahmadi acquaintance in the neighbourhood had a dream about him after his martyrdom, in which he hears him saying that I don’t know how I got here, but I am very happy where I am, I am satisfied.

20. Syed Laeeq Ahmad Sahib, son of Syed Mohiyuddin Ahmad, who was from Bihar (India) and a student at Aligarh University where he met an Ahmadi student who told him about the death of Jesus Christ (as) and the advent of the Promised Messiah (as) which enraged him so much that he smashed the Ahmadi student’s head, for which he was later embarrassed. When he approached a Maulvi by the name of Sanaullah Amritsari regarding these issues, he sent a few books containing nothing but slander and foul language, which encouraged him to study more about Ahmadiyyat and he performed bai’at after further research. Huzoor (aba) added that Maulvis today follow the same tradition, but instead of sending literature, they come on TV to spread their non-sense slander. Syed Laeeq sahib was a born ahmadi. After passing his matriculation exams, he went for further studies and did his MA in English from Putna University. He migrated to Lahore in 1969 and joined MCB, from where he retired some years later. He was 72 years of age at the time of martyrdom, and was a moosi. When he entered the mosque, he offered his sunnah prayers, and was sitting behind the murrabbi sahib, when terrorist started firing. He was fatally wounded and was martyred. He had a soft nature and a reserved personality. He had a deep love for the Jamaat but was not very vocal about it. However, if someone talked against the Jamaat or Khilafat, he would not tolerate it. On the contrary, he would converse with those who would talk in favour of Jamaat. His children are all highly educated and employed in their fields. He was very regular in offering Jumma prayers. Once, when his wife was sick and was hospitalized, he left her there and went to the mosque for jumma prayer, not worrying about whether he would see her again or not, but did not miss his Friday prayers.

21. Mohammad Ashraf Bullar Sahib son of Mohammad Abdullah Sahib. His forefathers were from district Lahore, who were involved in agriculture, but later moved to Raiwind where they started making bricks. It was his paternal grandfather, Choudhry Sikandar Ahmad sahib who performed bai’at. In 2004, he went for Umrah. He always encouraged his brothers to work for Jama’at. He was 47 years of age at the time of martyrdom, and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. He was the sole provider for his household. He was regular in offering Friday prayers. On the fateful day, he was sitting in the back hall and at the time of the attacks, he helped close the door by pressing his back to the doors to prevent the terrorist from entering the smaller hall. The terrorist then started firing through the doors, which wounded him fatally and he was martyred instantaneously. He was a decent and respectable man. He had a passion for propagating Islam (Dawat ilallah), and many non-Ahmadi friends participated in the namaz-e-janaza. And on 30th May, the maulvis announced in the newspaper Nawa-e-Waqt and Express News (TV channel) also broadcasted this notice that the nikah of all those non-ahmadis who participated in the namaz-e-janaza has been abrogated. Huzoor (aba) added that the maulvis have even made declarations on the abrogation of nikah of those non-ahmadis who conveyed their condolences (offering namaz-e-janaza is a far cry). After performing the Umrah, he had become very regular in offering tahajjud prayers. He would also recite the holy Quran regularly and would encourage his family members to do the same. He would tell his children to recite the Quran daily, even if it is only one line, but also read the translation because there is really no use without understanding what you have read.

22. Mubarak Ahmad Tahir Sahib son of Abdul Majeed Sahib. Although Mubarak sahib himself was from Lahore, his paternal grandmother was from Qadian. His father performed bai’at during the Khilafat of Hadhrat Musleh Maud (rz). He started working in the National Bank as a typist, but continued to further himself in his education, by earning a bachelor’s degree, and then a Master’s degree. He also took many training courses within the Bank, and was promoted to the position of Vice President and was soon due to be promoted to the position of Senior President. He also received the award of Best Employee of the Bank. He was the son-in-law of late Maulana Dost Mohammad Shahid, historian of Jama’at Ahmadiyya. He was 57 years of age at the time of his martyrdom and was a moosi. He was serving in the capacity of various jamaat offices at the time of his martyrdom. On the fateful day, he was accompanied by both his sons as they came to the Masjid Bait-ul-Noor to offer Jumma prayer. He stayed in the back hall whereas both sons sat in the front hall. When the terrorists started their firing, Murrabbi Sahib requested everyone to start dua, and he did exactly that. During dua, he incurred a bullet wound, piercing through his chest very close to the heart and he was martyred. He was a very sympathetic man. He would get along better with his subordinates as compared to his peers. He had made arrangements for a namaz center at his own house by constructing a designated area for it in the house. He had a great love for Jamaat. He would encourage his children to participate in Jamaat work, and he would have no issues with them if they would return home even at 3am in the night/morning after performing their jamaat duties. But for other work, their curfew was to return home by Isha. One of the great qualities he possessed was his generosity and would donate large amounts for humanitarian causes. He had great respect for the missionaries of Jama’at Ahmadiyya, and was very hospitable towards them. He was very social and friendly. Whenever possible, he would try to offer his own house to be used as namaz center.

23. Anees Ahmad Sahib, son of Munir Ahmad Sahib. The family belonged to district Faisalabad, but moved to Lahore later. After completing his matriculation exams, he worked in the computer hardware field in his Gulberg office. At the time of martyrdom, he was 35 years of age, he was a moosi and he was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He usually attended jumma prayers in Model Town, but he was running an errand on that specific day and ended up going to Dar-ul-Zikr for jumma. He was sitting next to his father near the mihrab when firing began. When his father told him to lie down, he said that I will go and help the others while you lie down. He was thus martyred by the spray of bullets being fired in his direction. He loved his wife and children and respected his elders and in-laws. He had a passion for serving others. He helped a friend by donating blood and when he asked for a loan for his treatment, about five thousand rupees, he gave him the money as qarz-e-hasana. He would encourage his son to participate in the Quran class, and would participate in jamaat work with great zeal. His younger brother Munawar Ahmad sahib was also martyred on this day.

24. Munawar Ahmad sahib, son of Munir Ahmad Sahib. The family belonged to district Faisalabad, and he was Ahmadi by birth but for a period of time, he was inclined towards the Shi’a faith system, as he was raised by his maternal grandmother who was a Shi’a. He had a dream in which he saw Hadhrat Imam Hussain (rz) and Hadhrat Ali (rz) who testified to the truth of the Promised Messiah (as), and he performed bai’at again. He had a pious character and thus Allah Almighty guided him. He was very knowledgeable about Ahmadiyyat and had a zeal for propagation of Islam Ahmadiyyat, and mashaallah many bai’ats were performed due to his services. He had such a great passion for dawat ilallah that he would render maulvis speechless. At the time of martyrdom, he was 30 years of age, he was a moosi and he was martyred in Dar-ul-Zikr. He was serving jamaat as an office-bearer at the time. On the fateful day, he was sitting inside the mosque when the attacks began. He quickly crawled outside to close the main gates to prevent terrorists from entering the main hall. He also maintained contact on the phone with his relatives. He made an announcement to all worshippers that if anyone was carrying any kind of weapon, they should let him know. Huzoor (aba) added that the worshippers had gathered to offer jumma prayers, hence did not carry any weapons. The police at this time is quick in retorting at this time as to why Ahmadis did not make arrangements for their own security. Huzoor (aba) says that perhaps non-ahmadis carry weapon to a mosque, ahmadis do not. The police should just give up and declare that everyone should be responsible for their own security. Anyhow, when firing began inside, and people started getting wounded, he succeeded in serving them with water. He was looking for an opportunity to tackle the assailants, and as soon as he saw such an opportunity, he seized one of them who then blew himself up, which caused his martyrdom. He had learnt early on that his brother had also been martyred, but despite that, he continued to help others. For a long time now, hate-inciting posters were being pasted outside his home by young children, who are made pawns for such work. He would explain to the children that they should not participate in such work, and they would agree, but again the children were being brainwashed and they continued to do so out of pressure. A Jama’at member has written regarding a dream Munawar Sahib had seen about a month and a half ago, in which his deceased mother was saying to him that I have prepared a room for you here and I will send for you. Hafiz Muzaffar Ahmad sahib writes that Munawar Sahib had told his relatives beforehand that he would be martyred. In fact, when he got married last year, he told his newlywed wife on the first day that he would be martyred, so do not mourn afterwards.

25. Saeed Ahmad sahib, son of Sufi Munir Ahmad Sahib (whose namaz-e-janaza Huzoor (aba) was going to offer in abstentia after jumma prayer). His paternal grandfather was a companion of Hadhrat Promised Messiah (as). His family was re-settled in Lahore. He was 37 years of age at the time of his martyrdom and was martyred in Bait-ul-Noor. On the fateful day, he went to the mosque straight from work, and the terrorist had already started firing inside the mosque. Two terrorists who had arrived at the mosque on their motorcycle had abandoned it in front of the main gates, which exploded a few minutes later. He was standing nearby, and his body suffered burns due to the explosion. He was in the hospital for 8 days but could not recover, and thus was martyred on 5 June. One day before the incident, he called his sister in the village to request her to offer some food in sadqa. On Friday, he kissed his children and left for Jumma. His wife has shown several of his personal diaries in which he writes about his desire to attain the status of martyrdom and prays to Allah Almighty for this grand blessing. God Almighty indeed accepted this humble man’s prayer. The diaries also reveal his attendance at jumma prayers, his chanda donations, summaries of Friday sermons, and prayers for the residents of Takht Hazari (his hometown), where Ahmadis had been martyred some years ago. He was very conscientious of the rights of his parents and relatives. He would give sadqa to the poor on a regular basis. He had a designated box, in which he would set aside money on a regular basis, and then on his visit to the village, he would offer the amount collected to the needy. He was a loving man, who looked after his parents, his siblings, his wife and children. May Allah Almighty elevate his station in Paradise, Ameen.

Huzoor (aba) added a prayer for all the martyrs: May Allah Almighty provide for them a lofty station in Paradise, Ameen. All of them possessed a variety of virtues and qualities. May Allah Almighty accept their prayers in favour of their loved ones and grant patience and steadfastness to the relatives and family members they have left behind, Ameen.

Huzoor (aba) would also offer the namaz-e-janaza in abstentia of another waqf-e-zindagi, Dr. Mohammad Arif sahib (dervish Qadian), son of Mohammad Sadiq Sahib (dervish Qadian), who passed away on 13 June, at the age of 93. He served the Jamaat for 30 years to the best of his abilities in several offices. Among the many offices he served (the long list of which Huzoor (aba) mentioned in the sermon), he was also Afsar Jalsa Salana. When Huzoor (aba) went to Qadian in 2005, he was serving as Afsar Jalsa Salana and fulfilling his duties in a beautiful manner. He had a Masters in English and had a PhD from Guru Nanak University. He was a devoted and loyal man, who offered tahajjud regularly, and had a great love and devotion to Khilafat. He experienced true dreams and visions. He had foretold his wife that his end time was nearing. His kidneys and lungs were infected, he was treated with dialysis, and kidneys were working, but he could not recover fully to complete health, but he passed a difficult and long time of illness with great patience and fortitude. Huzoor (aba) said he always saw him with a smile on his face. In 1991, Huzoor (aba) himself performed duties at Jalsa Salana Qadian with him as a volunteer. Huzoor (aba) says that his love and devotion to Khilafat was visible in his eyes. He worked with full cooperation during Jalsa salana without expressing any anger with other volunteers, even if they were at fault. May Allah Almighty elevate his station in Paradise, Ameen.