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Held under the auspices of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Promised Messiah and Mahdi (as). February 2, 1900 was the day of Eidul-Fitr. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, advised the members of the Jama’at to hold a meeting on that day and offer prayers for the success of the British government. In his address, he commented on the chapter An-Naas of the Holy Qur’an and reminded the audience of the duties they owed to the government, especially because of the goodness of the government which it had displayed in various ways. After the address, he told the gathering to pray for the victory of the British government in the battle that was being fought in Transvaal and then led a silent prayer for this purpose. Some amount was collected to be sent for the injured in this battle. This gathering of the Jama’at came to be known as the Prayer Meeting.

Syed Abul Aʻla Maudoodi, 1903-1979, founder of Jamaat-e Islami, religio-political party of Pakistan.

In this book, written in the year 1900, the author has strongly refuted the false notion that Islam teaches Muslim to wage a war against non-Muslims known as jihad. He writes: “Anyone who has eyes and reads the narrations in Hadith and looks at the Quran can realize it quite well that this form of jihad, which many savage-like people are pursuing, is not the jihad taught by Islam. In fact, these are criminal acts which are done through the arousal of base passions or in the vain hope of attaining paradise … Can it be a virtuous deed that there is a man going about in the market place, we have no connection with him so much so that we do not know his name and he does not know our name, but despite this we fire a gunshot at him intending to kill him? Is this religious behaviour?” Although written in the year 1900, this book reads very much as if it has been written for today to condemn the violent extremism of misguided Muslim groups.

“Malfuzat” refers to the holy and insightful words of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, on whom be peace, which he expressed verbally from time to time in his pure and holy gatherings or before congregations at the Annual Convention, for the purification of his followers and for their spiritual and moral training, thus enabling them to forge a living relationship with God; to teach the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Quran; to revive the religion of Islam and to establish the shariah of Muhammad, peace be upon him.