Questioner: Peace be upon you. In the Holy Qur’an, I have seen—especially printed by the Taj Company—the word is Mu’anaka, just like Waqf-e-Lazim.
Huzoor (rh): Yes, yes.
Questioner: But we never see in our…
Huzoor (rh): No, no, no Mu’anaka is done there.
Questioner: Yes, but I’ve seen in those…
Huzoor (rh): Non-Ahmadis?
Questioner: They stand up and embrace each other.
Huzoor (rh): Do they? I don’t know that, I don’t know that.
Questioner: So have they introduced it afterwards?
Huzoor (rh): I don’t know whether this is a custom—this has ever been a custom in Arabic countries or not. Not to your knowledge? Not in Syria and Palestine, etc.?
Questioner: I’ve seen in Lahore at least.
Huzoor (rh): Where?
Questioner: In Lahore, I’m saying—in ghair Ahmadi mosques.
Huzoor (rh): This is the first time I have come across this. This is a new speech—never heard of it before.
Questioner: They stand up and embrace each other at that time.
Emcee: Jamil came in from Kuwait last time.
Huzoor (rh): What?
Emcee: Jamil—Jamil Chowdhury—came in and he said the same thing. He said it is practiced in Kuwait.
Huzoor (rh): In the Sheikhdom?
Emcee: Yes, in Sheikhdom. When the prayer is finished, then whoever is on your right hand there—embrace him and shake the hand with him, you know.
Huzoor (rh): No, no, no—he’s not talking of that at all. Emcee: Yes.
Huzoor (rh): What he says is that during the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, after some verses, the word Mu’anaka is written. And when you read those verses, you wrap up the Holy Qur’an, find someone to do Mu’anaka—hug him—and then return and start reading from where you left. That is what he’s saying.
Emcee: No, I misunderstood, sir. I misunderstood. I thought perhaps it’s after the prayer or something. I’m sorry, sir.
Huzoor (rh): Yes, please. Is that what you wanted to say?
Questioner: Yes, actually.
Huzoor (rh): So you went there at some wrong time—when he was in search of someone with whom you could do Mu’anaka. So you went there and he did it with you. Is that right?
Questioner: Yes, actually. The mosque which is near to our house. So I was passing there and I saw them standing there.
Huzoor (rh): And he called you and he said, “Come on and do Mu’anaka.” Very interesting.
