Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2017
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah. Come to Prayer Come to success
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is none worthy of worship except Allah. Peace be upon you all, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah He is alone and has no partner
and I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is His Servant and Messenger After this I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Gracious, the Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us in the right path The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure,
and those who have not gone astray. The blessed month of Ramadan came and has already swiftly passed by. Despite the long days and intense heat – particularly this time round, even here hottest temperatures were recorded
and the majority of the people or at least those of them, who met with me, expressed that they did not feel the fasting that much or that despite the severe weather, they felt it relatively less. However, this alone is not enough, that we say that
“this time, the fasting went by with exceptional ease or comfort.” If they went by [in this manner], then it is due to the Grace of Allah the Almighty upon us, that He got us through these days with ease.
Or even if we felt the hunger or thirst slightly, even then it is not enough to just say that we only felt the hunger or thirst slightly and not to a great extent. We should rather evaluate ourselves and
see as to what we have achieved during these blessed days of Allah the Almighty. Whether the fasting went by with ease of with slight difficulty, [the experience alone] does not fulfill the purpose.
The purpose will only achieved if we see and evaluate as to what we have achieved. In these days, this month of Ramadan, Allah the Almighty descends from the seventh Heaven to the lower Heaven. Allah the Almighty, in these days,
listens to the supplications of His servants by coming closer to them. In these days, Allah the Almighty Himself, becomes the reward for those who fast. In these days, Allah the Almighty shackles satan.
What have we done to benefit from these acts of Grace and Mercy of Allah the Almighty? Or what resolutions have we made? What promises have we made in order to follow the commandments of Allah the Almighty, to live by His teaching and to forsake previous shortcomings
and to what extent have we brought upon changes in ourselves? Thus, these evaluations shall draw our attention towards seeking the permanent Grace of Allah the Almighty and towards endeavouring to bring upon permanent changes in our conditions
and will make us always draw from the blessings of Allah the Almighty. Thus, this endeavour is necessary. If we have adopted regularity in prayers only due to Ramadan and afterwards we are going to become lazy again,
then this does not constitute to acting upon the commandments of Allah the Almighty. If our regularity in Friday prayer is going to be limited to the month of Ramadan only, then this does not constitute to acting upon the commandments of Allah the Almighty.
If we have considered the recitation of the Holy Qur’an to be necessary only during Ramadan and afterwards we are not going to pay attention to it, then this does not constitute to acting according to the will of Allah the Almighty.
If durood [sending blessings upon the Holy Prophet (saw) ] and zikr [remembrance of Allah] are going to be limited to Ramadan only, then this is not what Allah the Almighty merely requires from us.
If we tend to morals and other good deeds only during to Ramadan, considering it a compulsion, then this is not what Allah the Almighty requires from us. In fact, Ramadan is like a training camp. Ramadan has been prescribed so that
you can increase in the good deeds that you are already acting upon. Every Ramadan that concludes, should have elevated us to new levels of worship and righteous deeds. Then we should become those who establish new and high standards of worship and righteous deeds.
Allah the Almighty demands from us that we tread upon these good deeds with steadfastness. Allah the Almighty has given the injunction of aqeemus salaata that is to observe prayer; observe prayer on time with due diligence! Allah the Almighty states:
Watch over Prayers, and particularly the middle Prayer. Every Muslim is aware of the fact that five prayers are obligatory and thus the injunction is to safeguard all five prayers and particularly the middle prayer. Allah the Almighty is aware of man’s nature
and thus He has placed particular emphasis on the middle prayer. Salat-ul-Wusta means the middle prayer or the most important prayer i.e. such a time when the significance of that prayer increases.
But if every prayer has been made obligatory by Allah the Almighty and is of equal importance then why has the ‘middle prayer’ been mentioned in particular. The reason is because during certain times of the prayers man gives preference
to his personal work or for the fulfilment of worldly desires. Some people find it difficult to offer the Fajr [morning] prayer therefore to wake up in the morning to offer the Fajr prayer draws them closer to Allah the Almighty
and thus becomes the most important prayer for them. Some owing to their work or business find it difficult to offer the Zuhr or Asr prayer and so the importance of that particular prayer increases. Thus, whenever man strives to fulfil the worship of Allah the Almighty,
then Allah the Almighty values that effort and rewards the person. The bounties of Allah the Almighty are limitless and so He immensely rewards those who endeavour in His path.
When man breaks down the idols of his worldly and personal desires and draws closer to God Almighty then there is no limit to the bounties of His grace. Allah the Almighty has drawn our attention towards prayer through various references
and has not restricted this to the month of Ramadan only. Regarding the prayers, Friday Prayers and Ramadan, the Holy Prophet (saw) has given an instruction which a believer and one who has the fear of Allah the Almighty in the heart should always bear in mind.
The Holy Prophet (saw) stated: “The five daily prayers, “from one Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer and one Ramadan to the next Ramadan “are an expiation for the sins committed between them, “so long as one refrains from committing any major sins.”
Here, it is clearly explained that the five prayers become an expiation for sin. When one strives to offer his five daily prayers on time and refrains from committing sins in the period between each prayer
then Allah the Almighty forgives any minor errors or weaknesses of a person. However, this is providing that one offers these prayers on time and while fulfilling the rightful dues of prayer. Similarly, the importance of the Friday prayers has been made evident.
Just as the five daily prayers are important and we have been commanded to offer them on time and in return Allah the Almighty out of His grace forgives the minor sins that one commits, in fact if one properly observes the prayer
then Allah the Almighty has promised that one is then also able to abstain from indecency and other ills, but nonetheless the Holy Prophet (saw) stated that just as the five daily prayers are obligatory, in the same way the Friday Prayer is obligatory.
Also, Allah the Almighty forgives the minor sins and errors committed between one Friday Prayer and the next. However, one should not infer from this that they are permitted to commit the lesser sins and that Allah the Almighty will forgive them.
Rather, it means the errors which are committed due to human weaknesses but the observance of prayers, regularly offering the Friday Prayers and seeking repentance for sins and also pledging that one shall not commit that sin again, then Allah the Almighty forgives them.
Regarding the importance of regularly observing the Friday Prayers, the Holy Prophet (saw) stated: “Whoever intentionally does not attend three consecutive Friday Prayers, “Allah the Almighty sets a seal on their hearts.” In another tradition it states that the heart is darkened. Therefore, everyone must try
and understand the importance of regularly offering the Friday Prayers. Today, is the last Friday Prayer of the month of Ramadan and many of you have perhaps decided to come to this large mosque and offer their Friday Prayers
due to it being the last Friday of the month. Or, there are some who think that the last Friday Prayer [in the month of Ramadan] has to be read and therefore they read it.
The members of the Jama’at are repeatedly reminded of the importance of the Friday Prayer and now there must only be a small proportion of people who show negligence regarding this, but those who do show negligence should be concerned
after hearing this instruction of the Holy Prophet (saw) . Allah the Almighty has not stated that simply offer the Friday Prayers during the month of Ramadan or offer the last Friday Prayer of the month of Ramadan and you shall be rewarded,
in fact He has explained the importance of every single Friday Prayer. Allah the Almighty states: [Arabic, Holy Qur’an 62:10] “O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on Friday, “hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business.
“That is better for you, if you only knew.” Thus, this is a commandment for every believer and one who proclaims his belief [in God] that he should make special arrangements for the Friday Prayers and should leave off all other work and business.
One should leave off all his work, business, trade and worldly gains and benefits and only focus on offering the Friday Prayer. Allah the Almighty states that if only you knew that this is better for you
and contains blessings and it is this that will also bless your work/business. The Holy Prophet (saw) stated that a seal is set on the hearts of those who intentionally miss the Friday Prayer and these are the people who falter in their faith.
If they have true faith then one will never abandon the Friday Prayer over worldly gains. Regarding those who attend the Friday Prayer on time and regularly, the Holy Prophet (saw) stated: “On Fridays the angels are stood at every door of the mosque.
“They register the name of the first person who enters the mosque “and continue to write the names of people who enter “until the Imam sits down after delivering the Friday Sermon
“after which they close their registers and remain occupied in listening to the remembrance of God.” In another tradition, the Holy Prophet (saw) states: “On the Day of Judgment, people will be sat “before God Almighty in the order according to their attendance of the Friday Prayers”
i.e. first, second, third, fourth, etc. Therefore, those who habitually come late to the Friday Prayer, they too need to pay attention to this. Today, due to the Friday Prayer of Ramadan people have specially come early and sat here
but generally even here I have observed that only half of the mosque is filled when I enter and then gradually people come and [the mosque] gets filled by the end of the sermon or just a few minutes before the end.
Therefore, attention must be paid to this even during the normal days. In regards to the Friday Prayers, I would also like to mention that the Friday Prayer is obligatory only for men however if the women can come then that is also good
and is a source of earning extra reward and therefore they can also attend. In fact, at times because the mother is attending the Friday Prayers therefore the importance of offering the Friday Prayer is also instilled in the children.
However, as an obligation, it is only incumbent upon men to attend the Friday Prayers in the mosque. Regarding this the instruction of the Holy Prophet (saw) is very clear. The Holy Prophet (saw) stated:
“To offer the Friday Prayer in congregation is obligatory upon the Muslims, “except for four types of people: slaves, women, children and those who are ill.” These are four types of people upon whom it is not compulsory.
There used to be slaves during that time but no longer exist now, however those who work as employees in these countries they should inform their superiors/managers and seek permission to take leave to offer the Friday Prayer. Some people have tried and were granted permission.
If it is not possible then then they should look to get together with three or four other Ahmadis close to their workplace and offer their Friday Prayers. [The Friday Prayer] is not obligatory for women,
however I would particularly say to women with small children that they should take extra care and not bring them to the mosque for the Friday Prayer because their crying and noise can disturb the prayers of others
and also they cannot listen to the Friday Sermon properly. However, to attend the Eid prayer is compulsory for all, including women, men and children. They should certainly attend the [Eid prayer].
If they [mothers] have small children then there is a special area allocated here for them and in places where there is no such provisions for a separate area then they should sit on one side with their children and listen to the Eid sermon
even if they are not praying. Today large numbers have come here for the Friday Prayers. This is why I am drawing attention to the fact that men must take special care to safeguard the offering of Jumu’ah [Friday Prayer].
Discoursing on forgiveness of sins in the interval between two Ramadans, the Holy Prophet (saw) says: Allah the Almighty forgives our minor sins in between Ramadans. However, it should be clear that that Holy Prophet (saw) explains the ways to attain this forgiveness in a sequence.
First there is Prayer, then Friday Prayer and then Ramadan. This sequence dispels the misconception that performing worship just once a year during Ramadan is sufficient to attain forgiveness for one’s sins. Rather, this order sheds light on the fact that
one cumulatively offers the five daily prayers and then enters the 7th day, the blessed day of Friday, to offer the Friday Prayers. He or she further continues to offer the Friday prayers throughout the year, and finally enters Ramadan and gains beneficence from its blessings.
One who prays five times a day will bring him or herself closer to Allah the Almighty and these prayers will testify that “Your servant presents himself before You out of fear and love, “five times a day in prayer to attain forgiveness from major sins.”
Then every Friday will bear testimony that “After desisting from major sins for seven days, Your servant enters the day of Friday “- which Your beloved Prophet (saw) said that it contains a time when prayers are accepted
“and thus he presents himself before You while longing for the acceptance of prayer.” The month of Ramadan will testify, “O Lord! Your servant enters Ramadan fulfilling its right, “whilst desisting from sins and performing pious deeds,
“in the hope that the Lord will bestow on His servant “the blessings of the ten days of mercy, forgiveness “and attaining refuge from the hellfire.” Allah the Almighty, Who is all-Merciful and the Generous, thus bestows His blessings on His servant
and encompasses him or her in His cloak of mercy to give protection from the ambushes of Satan. Therefore, fortunate are those who observe their prayers, Friday Prayers and fulfil the due rights of fasting and enter into the protection of Allah the Almighty
and purify themselves through this special environment in the month of Ramadan. Such purification which enables them to always fulfil the rights of God Almighty’s worship. Furthermore, particular attention is developed in Ramadan towards reading and listening to the Holy Qur’an.
Many people try to complete one whole reading of the Holy Qur’an as this was the Sunnah [practice of the Holy Prophet (saw)]. However, giving greater attention and importance in Ramadan to reciting the Holy Qur’an
should lead us to habitually reading some portion of the Holy Qur’an [after Ramadan] daily. Where Allah the Almighty draws our attention to the importance of prayers and the different prayer times, there He also says: [Arabic, Holy Qur’an 17:79]
“and the recitation of the Qur’an in Prayer at dawn. “Verily, the recitation of the Qur’an at dawn is specially acceptable to God.” Therefore, the reciting of the Holy Qur’an has not been assigned to only a specific time period;
rather the [general] significance of reading the Holy Qur’an has been highlighted by its mention alongside offering prayers. When reading the Holy Qur’an it is necessary to also consult the translation of the Qur’an so that it can be understood.
This will enable us to grasp the commandments of Allah the Almighty. Reading the Holy Qur’an regularly is especially important in this day and age when those who call themselves Muslims have forgotten its teachings. The Promised Messiah (as) further draws our attention by saying:
“Those who honour the Holy Qur’an will be honoured in the heavens.” Who wishes to be honoured in the heavens? One will be granted blessings by Allah the Almighty when they regularly recite the Holy Qur’an and study His commands.
Allah the Almighty further states that if you want to obtain success and prosperity, immerse your tongues with His remembrance. Once you have completed the Friday Prayer, you should engage in the remembrance of Allah as this will bestow you with success.
Always keep this importance of the Holy Qur’an in view and then never allow slackness in reciting the Qur’an to creep in. Similarly, the attention you have developed towards engaging in remembrance of Allah will only benefit you when you sustain this practice after Ramadan also.
Other virtues and morals should also be adopted. We, Ahmadis, are fortunate that Allah the Almighty has enabled us to accept the Bai’at [pledge of allegiance] of the Promised Messiah (as). The Promised Messiah (as) has at every opportunity and in every way guided us
towards our reformation, towards following the straight path and towards always turning to Allah and implementing His every command. What did the Promised Messiah (as) expect from us? He has repeatedly stated that those who have entered his Bai’at
should constantly seek to reform themselves through worship and displaying the highest moral standards. At one place the Promised Messiah (as) says: “A person is not worthy of the help and support of Allah the Almighty unless, “with all sincerity and devotion of his heart,
“he closes the door to all wrongful paths and eliminates all inappropriate and impure desires “and then spreads his hands before Allah the Almighty. “When man falls upon the throne of Allah the Almighty and beseeches Him, “his state attracts the help and mercy of Allah.
“From the heavens, Allah the Almighty sees right through every part of man’s heart. “If any part of man’s heart contains darkness, Shirk or harmful innovations, “such a person’s prayers to Allah are thrown back onto his face.
“If Allah observe that one’s heart is pure of any type of carnal desires and darkness, “He opens the doors of mercy to him, “covers him in His shade and takes responsibility for his nurturing and protection.”
These are the standards that we need to constantly and always strive to attain. Our worship should be done devotedly and sincerely for Allah alone. We should maintain these standards of worship after Ramadan as well so that we can remain under God’s shade at all times
and obtain the manifold blessings of His protection and nourishment. Expounding on what he expects from us after entering his Bai’at, the Promised Messiah (as) says: “The purpose of those who enter this Movement and establish a connection with me as my follower
“is to reach the loftiest standards of virtuousness, good conduct, righteousness “and that they desist entirely from the slightest form of disorder, “corruption, mischief and depravity. “They should be regular in offering their five daily prayers,
“should refrain from ever being dishonest, should never hurt anyone’s feelings with their tongue “and should avoid all types of sin and evil. “Such a person should never let even the thought cross their minds of being malicious, “cruel, disorderly or of creating discord.
They should abhor carnal desires and improper conduct and become pure hearted and humble servants of Allah the Almighty devoid of any evil or mischief. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Every wicked act is not worth refuting.
“That is why one should adopt the habit of forgiveness and pardon.’’ It is not necessary to retaliate to every dispute or quarrel and therefore the Promised Messiah states that we should adopt patience and tolerance.
Thus, we are commanded to inculcate these attributes as part of our nature. Hence in order to avoid quarrels it should not be the case that only during Ramadan an individual says: [Arabic] “I am fasting, therefore I cannot quarrel with you”,
rather one should use the training of Ramadan to adopt this as part of their morals. Whilst expanding on this, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “Your hearts should be free from deceit, your hands should not commit any atrocities, “your eyes should be untainted with filth.
“Aside from guidance and sympathy for mankind one should not harbour anything inside them.” One should have sympathy for all those people that tread on the right path, and one should refrain from seeing any act of indecency. The Promised Messiah (as) continues by saying:
“If you fashion yourself according to that what God states, “then rest assured that God too will be yours. “God Almighty shall remain awake for you as you sleep. “God shall watch over your enemy and frustrate their designs, while you are unmindful of him.”
Thus, it is vital to be mindful of these directives. One such aspect that the Promised Messiah (as) reminded us constantly was that if we are not mindful of these commands, then simply performing the Bai’at [oath of allegiance] is not enough.
I will now present some extracts of the Promised Messiah (as), which will highlight the worry with which he issued these guidelines. Each individual can analyse their own state as to how much they are acting on these guidelines or implementing them.
The Promised Messiah (as) states: “You, therefore, will not be accepted by God unless you are the same inside and out. “If you are above others, have mercy on the lowly and do not look down upon them.
“If you are learned, counsel the ignorant and do not degrade them with disdain.” It should not be the case that in order to exhibit your knowledge you humiliate the other. The Promised Messiah (as) further states:
“If you are wealthy, serve the poor, and do not treat them with arrogance and self-conceit”. If God Almighty has blessed you with provisions and a position of authority, one should use that to help people, rather than showing arrogance.
The Promised Messiah (as) then states: “Dread the ways of ruin and always be fearful of God. “Adopt righteousness and worship not His creation. “Cut asunder from everything to turn to your Master. “Turn your hearts away from the world and become wholly His;
“live for Him alone and, for His sake, hate every impiety and sin, for He is Holy.” Since God Almighty is pure, therefore if one wishes to establish a connection with Him, then they must abandon every form of sin and immorality. The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“Let every morning bear witness that you have spent the night in righteousness, “and let every evening bear witness that you have spent the day with the fear of God. “Be not afraid of the curses of the world, for they shall vanish before your eyes like smoke
“and cannot turn day into night. “Fear instead the curse of God which descends from heaven and uproots its victims in both worlds.” The Promised Messiah further states: “You cannot save yourselves with hypocrisy, (you cannot act in pretence and think that it will save you.)
Why? Because, “Your God is He who sees the innermost depth of man. “Can you then deceive Him? No, never. So become straightforward, clean, pure and truthful. “If even a particle of darkness is left within you, it will dispel all your light.”
If there is even a shadow of darkness in your heart, it will diminish your light. The Promised Messiah (as) continues by saying: “And if you possess even the slightest arrogance, hypocrisy, self-conceit or sloth, “you are not worthy of being accepted. Be careful, lest a few accomplishments
“delude you to think that you have sufficiently fulfilled your purpose. “For God desires a complete transformation in your being” If we have accepted the Promised Messiah (as), and wish to become a true believer then we must transform ourselves.
“and He demands from you a death where after He should revive you. “Hasten to make peace with one another and forgive your brethren their sins. “For he who is not inclined to make peace with his brother is wicked and will be cut off,
“because he is the cause of dissension. “Part with your ego in every way and do away with mutual grievances.” (One should let go of their ego and not have grievances with other).
“Be humble like the guilty, though truth be on your side, so that you may be forgiven. “Do not feed your vanity, “for those who are bloated cannot enter the gate to which you have been called. “How unfortunate is the one who does not believe in that
“which has come from the mouth of God and which I have set forth. “If you desire that God should be pleased with you in heaven, “unite with one another as though you were brothers from the same womb.
“The one who most forgives the transgressions of his brother is the more honourable among you. “Unfortunate is the one who is obstinate and does not forgive. “Such a person has no part in me.” The Promised Messiah (as) states, “An evildoer cannot attain nearness to God.
“One who is arrogant cannot attain nearness to God. “A wrongdoer cannot attain nearness to God. “He who is unfaithful cannot attain nearness to God. “Every such person who is not jealously protective for the sake of God’s name “cannot attain His nearness.”
The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Every impure eye is far from Him; every impure heart is unaware of Him. “He who burns for His sake will be delivered from the fire; he who weeps for His sake will laugh;
“and he who cuts asunder from the world for His sake will find Him. “Befriend God with a true heart, full sincerity and complete eagerness, “so that He too may befriend you. “Have mercy on your subordinates and your wives and your less fortunate brethren
“so that you too may be shown mercy in heaven. “Become truly His, so that He too may become yours.” The Promised Messiah (as) says: “No calamity visits the earth until there is a command from heaven,
“and no affliction is alleviated until mercy descends from heaven. “So, you would be wise to take hold of the root rather than the branch.” “An essential teaching for you is that you should not abandon the Holy Quran like a thing forsaken, “for therein lies your life.”
Always hold fast to the teachings of the Holy Quran. “Those who honour the Quran will be honoured in heaven. “Those who give precedence to the Quran over every Hadith and every other saying “will be given precedence in heaven.
“Today, there is no book on the face of the earth for mankind except for the Quran. “The sons of Adam have no Messenger and Intercessor “but Muhammad, the Chosen One, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
“Endeavour, therefore, to cultivate true love for this Prophet of glory and majesty, “and do not give precedence to anyone over him, “so that in heaven you may be counted as those who have attained salvation. “Remember, salvation is not something that will be manifested after death.
“On the contrary, true salvation exhibits its light in this very world.” “Who is the one who attains salvation? “Such a person is he who believes that God is true and that “Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is the Intercessor between God
“and all His creation, and that under the heaven there is no Messenger equal in rank to him, “nor is there any book equal in status to the Quran. “God didn’t desire that anyone should remain alive eternally, but this Chosen Prophet lives forever.”
After mentioning all these directives, the Promised Messiah (as) then stated that “One should “not think that on the surface of things they have performed the Bai’at. “Superficial things hold no value. Instead, God Almighty can see into man’s heart.”
Thus every single one of us should conclude their Ramadhan by vowing to always remember the directives of God Almighty and the Holy Prophet (saw) – which were elaborated by the Promised Messiah (as) – and then endeavour to adopt those in our lives.
If we do this only then can we say that we strived to spend Ramadhan according to the commands of God Almighty and Holy Prophet (saw). May Allah enable us to do so. After the prayer I shall lead two funeral prayers in absentia.
The first is of Mushtaq Zuhra Sahiba, wife of the late Chaudhary Zahoor Ahmad Sahib Bajwa. She passed away at 8:45 at night on 12th June in Rabwah, at the age of 91. To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.
Her father was Chaudhary Inayatullah Sahib who, at the age of fourteen took the pledge of allegiance at the hands of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra). Maulwi Ghulam Rasul Rajiki Sahib announced her Nikah to
Chaudhary Zahoor Ahmad Sahib, a life-devotee, in which he delivered a lengthy sermon mentioning some of God Almighty’s special favours. In any case, this was a long sermon. As a result of the Nikah ceremony, Ahmadiyyat further spread in her family.
God Almighty blessed the deceased with 3 sons and 2 daughters. One son, Zaheer Bajwa Sahib of America is a life-devotee. Chaudhary Zahoor Ahmad Bajwa Sahib served as a missionary in England. In 1955 he returned to Rabwah where he was appointed Naib Nazim Islaah-o-Irshad.
He also served as Nazir Zira’at [agriculture], Nazir Umoor-e-Aama [domestic affairs], for a long period he was the private secretary to Hadrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh). He also served as Nazir Taleem-ul-Quran and
at the time of his demise he was serving as the head of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya. Mushtaq Zuhra Sahiba spent her time with her life-devotee husband in an exceptional manner and she never made such requests which would trouble a life-devotee. She was married in 1944.
One year later in 1945 she was bestowed a son and when he was only one month old Chaudhary Zahoor Bajwa Sahib was sent to London as a missionary. Later, at the time of the separation of India and Pakistan, Bajwa Sahib was here in London
whilst his wife remained there and endured a very difficult period. Then between 1951 and 1955 his wife, along with Zahoor Bajwa Sahib stayed here in England. In those days the situation of missionaries and the community was such, financially in particular,
that they had to go through challenging times, yet they never complained and endured thus without any complaint. Initially they lived in the quarters of Rabwah and later made their home in the North of Dar-us-Sadr where she remained.
Since she belonged to a landowning family, different people would always visit, such as students from Rabwah coming to study, relatives and others, and would stay at her house. Her house was not particularly large, but there would always be 15 to 20 people staying there.
However, she would always entertain her guests with great attention. Her son writes her day would always start with the Tahajjud prayer, then after the Fajr prayer it was her habit to recite the Holy Quran out loud.
Soon after she would draw milk from the cows and other animals she owned. The less well-off people in her neighbourhood would come to have Lassi [yoghurt and milk drink]. Often there would be a long queue for the Lassi she offered.
Despite all this she would look after the house affairs, her social connections were very good even after doing all her chores. He further writes that she had deep love for the Holy Quran.
She studied the Holy Quran from the wife of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, Hadrat Maryam Siddiqa Sahiba as well as the translation. She would always meet people in a polite manner. I have already mentioned her honouring of guests.
Whilst she was living in London there were not sufficient funds for entertaining guests nor were there any hospitality arrangements, so she learned to bake and would bake for all the guests who came and ensured for all the provisions herself.
Haneef Mahmood Sahib, the Naib Nazir Islah-o-Irshad was writing a biography of Chaudhary Zahoor Ahmad Bajwa Sahib so he had regular contact with her. He writes that in spite of the fact that she came from a family of landowners,
when she married a life-devotee and lived with him, she led a very simple life. Servants were regularly available in her own home who would normally do all the tasks, however when she moved here she did everything with her own hands.
Whilst here in London she would often narrate how difficult the living situation was. In the winter she did not have the luxury of a heater and nor a heater nor coal to warm the room. She would do whatever was possible within the budget given.
They were difficult times indeed. She would tolerate the cold and only turn on the heater for a little while. Chaudhary Sahib was also a man of principles and he led a very simple life.
Then Haneef Mahmood Shaib writes that in 1955 Chaudhary Zahoor Bajwa Sahib was given the order to return from London to the centre [Rabwah, Pakistan]. In those days his wife was sick and the doctors advised for complete bed rest
but when the order to return came Chaudhary Sahib had begun preparing. People reminded him that his wife was ill and suggested that he should seek permission from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) to remain a little longer.
He replied in the negative as the order had been issued, therefore returning was imperative. His wife too began making preparations to return. She had no complaints despite her illness and also the fact that travel in those days was difficult.
May Allah shower forgiveness and mercy on the deceased and elevate her status and enable her children to continue her good deeds. The second funeral is of Abdu Bakr Sahib of Egypt.
He passed away on 12th June at the age of 41 due to a heart attack. To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. Doctor Hatem Hilmi Shafi’i Sahib, the president of the Jamaat in Egypt writes that
the deceased took the oath of allegiance in 2011. He was a professor of Arabic and religious knowledge but he left his work and devoted his life in order to serve the community.
He was born in the south of Egypt in an extremely ignorant and prejudiced society. Despite this he valued reconciliation and despised harshness. Before entering the community the books of the present day clerics bemused him
to the extent he feared the religion that taught such wrong concepts – i.e. Islam, God forbid is incorrect in its teachings and stumbled on this conclusion whilst listening to the clerics. He was especially astonished in regards to the life of Jesus, salvation from the cross and death.
So much so that a Christian gave him some Christian channels so that via those programs he could come to accept the belief that Hazrat Jesus possessed such qualities which all other humans beings did not. In this pursuit he also came across MTA.
God was to grant him guidance. Mentioning his own oath of allegiance, the deceased mentioned an incident “I was watching a program in which I saw the late Mustafa Thabit Sahib.
“He was mentioning the fact that Jesus did not die on the cross but fell into a swoon. “Then he migrated to the east and died a natural death. “At that time I was sitting reclined when watching the TV.
“When I heard this I sat up straight and began listening to it with full attention. “This was the Al-Hiwarul-Mubashar program. “When the truth became clear to me I shouted out ‘God is Great! The truth has manifest itself!’
“I began to jump with joy and then Shareef Odeh Sahib announced a break in the programme “in which the Qaseedah [ a poem in honour of the Holy Prophet (saw)] “written by the Promised Messiah and Mahdi was going to be played.
“The couplet recited was [Arabic] “that is, ‘Surely I am from Allah the Powerful, the Greatest.’ “At the same time the picture of the Promised Messiah was shown, “thereupon I paused the programme and began concentrating on the picture.
“When I observing [the picture] I realised that in my dream, not long ago, “this was the face which I saw in the moon. “These were very beautiful moments and I am unable to express my joy in words.
“I began to watch more programmes. Three days later God Almighty clarified to me the mystery of “the death of Jesus, salvation from the cross and the migration.” After his pledge of allegiance, the deceased was thrown out by his work colleagues,
his fellow villagers, his friends and relatives and all who knew him put him in severe hardship yet he never wavered from the truth. Rather he grew stronger in his faith day by day and continued to be granted perseverance.
Four years ago he left teaching in school to dedicate his life in order to serve the community. He was very humble, kind, compassionate, well-mannered, loyal and extremely obedient. He was in-charge of the new converts in his country.
Allah granted him patience, etiquettes and the special ability to converse and convince others. He was absorbed in the obedience of God. He also had boundless love for Khilafat. Five years ago he married an Ahmadi woman. Apart from his widowed wife,
he leaves behind a four year-old daughter, Zainab and a two year-old son, Muhammad. By the Grace of Allah, his son is part of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme. May Allah have forgiveness and mercy on the deceased and elevate his status.
May He take full care of his wife and children and enable them to continue his good deeds. All praise is due to Allah. We laud Him, we beseech help from Him and ask His protection; we confide in Him, we trust Him alone
and we seek protection against the evils and mischief of our souls and from the bad results of our deeds. Whomsoever He guides on the right path, none can misguide him; and whosoever He declares misled, none can guide him onto the right path.
And we bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah. We bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O servants of Allah! May Allah be merciful to you. Verily, Allah commands you to act with justice, to confer benefits upon each other
and to do good to others as one does to one ‘s kindred and forbids evil which pertain to your own selves and evils which affect others and prohibits revolts against a lawful authority. He warns you against being unmindful.
You remember Allah; He too will remember you; call Him and He will make a response to your call. And verily divine remembrance is the highest virtue.