Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2018
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 displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. Although Spain is undoubtedly amongst the Western countries, but in terms of economic stability, it is counted among the less stable countries of Europe.
Employment opportunities, wages and the quality of life is far less as compared to other European countries such as France, Germany , Holland or UK etc. and this is usually what is asserted. However, in spite of these things, compared to Pakistan,
The economic conditions are far better for those people here who have emigrated from Pakistan. That is why many Pakistanis also come here for business or employment purposes. As far as Ahmadis are concerned, when they emigrate from Pakistan, they do so due to two reasons;
The foremost of those is the prevalence of restrictions placed upon religious activities and a lack of religious freedom for Ahmadis in Pakistan. The second [reason] is for the betterment of their economic situation. The majority of those who migrate to this country apply for asylum
Or try to gain visa for permanent residency by stating that the conditions for Ahmadis in Pakistan are not such that they could freely pronounce themselves as Muslims or undertake acts of worship or follow religious practices in accordance with their faith. Some people state their conditions truthfully as they file their cases
But some also conjure stories, albeit less in this country and more so in other European countries of the West, however this is unnecessary. I have said many times that if one mentions truthfully the atrocities committed against us in Pakistan in the name of religion and merely states that:
“Living in Pakistan under such circumstances puts me “under extreme psychological pressure which is akin to continuous torture.” Then usually, the authorities or the judges understand this and hence adopt a helpful and sympathetic attitude. Thus, whilst putting forward ones case, there is no need to formulate exaggerated statements
Under the pressure of other people or their lawyers. Likewise, one’s statement should be consistent from the outset right to the end, instead of altering it, which could lead the authorities to suspect possible fabrication. In any case, an Ahmadi should safeguard themselves from lying.
Allah the Exalted has equated lying to shirk [associating partners with God]. One can never expect from an Ahmadi that they would commit shirk. On the one hand he [an Ahmadi] claims that: “I am at the forefront in proclaiming the Oneness of God the Exalted
“and in coming into the servitude to the Holy Prophet (saw) “and that I believe in the Imam of the Age, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi (as).” However, on the other hand, he does not protect himself against this fundamental sin, which is the foremost duty of a believer in the Oneness of God.
Thus, every Ahmadi should analyse themselves in this regard in order to assess whether or not they are undertaking any step for worldly gains, which will render us extremely sinful in the eyes of God the Exalted. Thus, as I have said, once we have emigrated from our homeland in order to safeguard our faith
And in order to remain firm on our faith, then we must give the utmost priority to the commandments of Allah the Exalted. We should see as to what our preferences are after having accepted Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. If these preferences are not in accordance with the commandments of God the Exalted
Then we have failed to achieve the purpose of our migration. However, if these [preferences] are in accordance with this [the commandments of God] then we have achieved the purpose of our migration. Furthermore, in this case we will also be the recipients of the blessings of Allah the Exalted.
If our very foundation is based on a lie and if we have made the attainment of the world our sole objective, then we will not be the recipients of the blessings of Allah the Exalted. Those who believe in the unity of Allah and worship Him can never associate any partners with Him.
The people who have understood the purpose of their creation understand that their primary objective is to acquire the pleasure of God the Exalted. We should always remember that our objective is not to attain the world and to be engrossed in worldly affairs. Nor is this the purpose of the creation of a believer.
Only if we try to achieve the purpose of our creation set out by Him in order to attain the pleasure of God the Exalted, will we be able to acquire true success and fulfil the purpose of entering this world. We will most certainly acquire this world and its blessings
As Allah the Exalted does not deprive those who march towards Him of religious and worldly blessings. Allah the Exalted does not deprive those who strive in order to acquire His pleasure of the blessings of the world. As a matter of fact, Allah the Exalted has taught this prayer
To seek from Him the good of this world as well as the hereafter, as Allah says: [Arabic – Holy Quran 2:202]. In relation to this the Promised Messiah (as) states: “A person is in need of two aspects for his prosperity; “firstly, to remain safeguarded from all difficulties,
“adversities and trials etc. which befall him in this temporary worldly life. “Secondly, to be safeguarded from sins, evils and spiritual ailments, which lead him away from God.” There are two [necessary] aspects for a person. Firstly, worldly hardships and ailments and secondly, spiritual hardships and ailments.
Thus, a person should continuously try to remain safeguarded from both of these. The Promised Messiah (as) stated : “The good of the world is to remain safeguarded “from every form of evil, indecency and dishonour, both physically and spiritually.” Further elaborating on [the word] ‘Rabbana’ [our Lord], the Promised Messiah states:
“Observe, Allah the Exalted says: [Arabic – Holy Quran 2: 202). “Here He has used Rabbana [our Lord].” In relation to this, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “The truth of the matter is that “there is a subtle indication towards repentance in the word Rabbana [our Lord].
“When a person says Rabbana [our Lord], he completely inclines towards Allah the Exalted.” The Promised Messiah (as) then states: “The reason for this is that the phrase ‘Our Lord’ “requires [and implies that] a person has left other gods which he had previously created,
“and turned towards this Lord. Furthermore, this word cannot be uttered “from the heart of a person but with a true anguish and fervour.” When a person recited ‘Rabbana’ [our Lord] in its true sense, it is uttered with an anguish. There are people who say ‘Rabbana’ [our Lord]
And offer this prayer superficially and they do not do so whole heartedly. Only if a person offers this prayer whole heartedly will the words of ‘Rabbana’ [our Lord] be uttered in its true sense. Furthermore, according to the Promised Messiah (as), the word ‘Rabbana’ [our Lord] cannot be uttered
Until there is a state of true anguish and fervour. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “The fact of the matter is that a person creates “multiple gods for themselves. “He has utmost faith in his schemes and deceptions, as those are his very gods.
“If he is proud of his knowledge or power then that is his god. “If he is proud of his beauty or wealth then that is his god. “In short, there are thousands of such gods which are attached to him. “Until he does not forsake them, bow his head before the One True Lord
“and fall at His threshold reciting the heart-melting prayer of ‘Rabbana’ (Our Lord), “then he cannot understand the nature of the True Lord. ” As I have mentioned that people say we do supplicate ‘Rabbana’, however the true supplication of ‘Rabbana’ is only attained when we do so with the resonating sounds of anguish
That melt the heart and when one knows full well that : “When I say ‘Rabbana’, “’I am addressing the One, Unrivalled God, Who is my Lord’.” The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Only when this happens can he understand “his True Lord and can supplicate to Him.
“Hence, [once this is achieved] only then can one can admit to their sins before Him with pain “and fervour, repent and address Him saying ‘Rabbana’, “as in, ‘You were in fact the True God, ‘yet out of our error we wandered away; ‘but now we have abandoned those false gods
‘and we sincerely proclaim your Providence and come to Your threshold.’” Hence, this is the state of prostrating before God earnestly and worshipping Him and of understanding the purpose of one’s creation, which the Promised Messiah (as) wishes to see in all of us.
When we give due right to calling our Lord in this manner then we shall attain the bounties of the world and of the Hereafter. In fact, man asks for the blessings of the world in order to attain the blessings of the Hereafter,
Such as health so that one can perform the worship of God Almighty. Health is a worldly blessing and among all good things, if man has good health then accordingly he can perform the worship of God Almighty. If he has wealth then he can make sacrifices for the sake of his religion
And have the opportunity to fulfil the due rights of the creation of God. Therefore, we must always keep this principal in mind. There was mention of paying the due rights to worshipping, so we should remember that we can only make the efforts to do so when we fulfil the objectives of our creation
In accordance with the commandments of God Almighty. In this regard God Almighty states: [Arabic – Holy Quran 51:57] “And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.” Thus, when we examine the commandments of Allah one after the other,
[we come to know that] each one of them draws our attention towards not forgetting God Almighty. Your worldly pursuits should not make you heedless to the remembrance of Allah, nor should you aim to only fulfil your worldly desires and attain the world.
Regarding this the Promised Messiah (as) states in one place: “God Almighty says that ‘I have only created the Jinn and the men so that they may recognise Me and worship me.’ “So in light of this verse the true purpose of man’s life is to worship God Almighty, “understand Him and to become His.
“It is evident that man is not in the position to decide the purpose of his own life “because nor did he come into this world by choice, nor will he return by choice. “In reality he is a creation, but the One Who created him “and granted him greater and loftier faculties than beasts”
In comparison to other creatures He created man as the noblest of all creatures. “Can be the one Who declares the purpose of His creation. “Whether someone understands this or not, there is no doubt that the purpose of man’s creations
“is to worship God Almighty, attain understanding of Him and to completely lose oneself in Him.” When man keeps this purpose in view, they become true believers and such persons also obtain the acceptance of God Almighty through worldly blessings. One’s intellectual capabilities, physical strengths, and a good financial standing
Or modern inventions and the worldly grandeur should not make us oblivious to the purpose of our creation. One’s health, wealth, intellectual ability nor the attraction of worldly objects around us should overpower us to the extent that we abandon the purpose of our creation.
As I stated earlier, the majority of Ahmadis migrated to this part of the world because of their faith, due to the religious restrictions imposed on them in their country. Hence, this should always be kept in mind.
Ahmadis proclaim that after a sustained period of darnkness, the radiant sun of Islam was to rise in the era of the Promised Messiah (as) in accordance with the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (saw). This sun would bring the hearts of Muslims out of darkness into the light of the true teachings.
It would bring them towards true Islamic teachings which are pure from innovation and he was to inform the non-Muslims about the beautiful teachings of Islam as well. It is the duty of every Ahmadi that after migrating here you should strive to fulfil this important obligation.
Ahmadis everywhere should inform others in their surroundings about the true Islam. The morals and standards of worship of every Ahmadi should be such that it should attract the attention of others. Where such things will distinguish Ahmadis from others, it will also be a source of propagating the message to the local people here.
There is a need for every Ahmadi to first understand this purpose of creation then convey it to others and direct their attention towards it. We must acquaint the world with the fact that the purpose of worldly blessings provided by Allah
Is not to take one away from Him, rather, these blessings are here to draw us closer to Him. Hence, such blessings should be utilized in moderation, otherwise one will head towards destruction. Four or five years ago, the world did not envisage the fact that
It was heading towards destruction, or was not ready admit to this fact. However, today the situation is completely different. The main cause of this is because they think that the progress of western nations will save us and we will be able to recover from any possible loss.
Those who think in such a manner are wrong. When there is destruction as a result of a war, the well-established governments initially aim to recover from the adverse effects. The countries that are not as established, some of which are European countries, may experience even worse conditions.
Hence, Ahmadis everywhere should focus their attention towards gaining the pleasure of Allah Almighty and should strive in this regard. It is only the Grace of Allah the Almighty that can save the world from destruction and in order to soak up His blessings there is a need to follow all the orders
That He has instructed. Only through prostrating before Him can we please Him. Every Ahmadi should remember that simply believing in the Promised Messiah (as) is not enough to enable you to acquire the rewards of this world and the hereafter, nor can it save you from the punishment of the hellfire.
In fact, by accepting the Promised Messiah (as) it places an even greater responsibility to fashion our lives according to the pleasure of God Almighty. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Remember that simply doing the Bai’at [oath of allegiance] is of no benefit; “God Almighty is not pleased with this practise
“until one does not adhere to the true essence of Bai’at. “Until then this Bai’at is not the true Bai’at and is merely a ritual. Therefore, it is essential “to make an effort towards fulfilling the true purpose of the Bai’at.” What is its true purpose? The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“It is to adopt righteousness and to carefully read the Holy Quran and deeply ponder over it, “and then act according to it because this has always been the practise of God Almighty “that He is not pleased by mere speech and verbal utterance.
“In fact, in order to attain the pleasure of God Almighty it is essential “to adhere to the commandments of God Almighty “and to refrain from that which He forbids.” One should refrain from that which He has prohibited.
“This is evidently clear because we observe that even man is not simply pleased with mere words, “rather he too is pleased with actual service rendered towards him.” The Promised Messiah (as) says: “The difference between a truthful Muslim and a dishonest Muslim
“is that a dishonest Muslim only conjures plans but does not fulfil them. “Instead a truthful Muslim sees any plans to fruition rather than making statements. “Thus, when God Almighty sees that my servant is offering their worship for my sake “and is benevolent towards my creation, at that point He sends down his angels,
“thereby making a distinction between a true Muslim and a false one, “in accordance with His promise.” Therefore, it is vital for every single one of us to strive to become a true Muslim. One should derive benefit from the fruits and blessings of this world in a manner
That one becomes the recipients of the blessings in the hereafter. We should fulfil the due rights of our worship. Since we have been forced to leave our countries due to our faith, whilst settling here we should strive to act on the teachings of our faith.
May Allah enable every single one of us to achieve this. 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.