Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2014
In last week’s Friday Sermon, I spoke with reference to reforming one’s actions or tarbiyyat and the responsibilities of the missionaries, including Waqf-e-Zindagis (life devotees) and also presidents and office holders. I was speaking about how they need to play their respective roles
In trying to help remove impediments in the path of practical reformation. And what aspects are required to achieve this, for which a missionary and office holders need to apply and act upon themselves, and then also explain to the Jama’at and demonstrate to them.
Here I should make clear that those ulema (scholars) and those preachers that lived in the era of Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud, (may Allah be pleased with him), included the Sahaba , the companions of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), and those who had obtained tarbiyyat from the Sahaba ,
The standard of their relationship with Allah the Almighty, their belief and conviction was most certainly at a very high level. They did not have deficiencies in these matters; if there were any shortcomings, which Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) drew their attention towards,
It was that their priorities need to change or that the emphasis given to doctrinal matters should similarly be given to the significance of practical reformation; in light of the signs of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), personal connection with Allah the Almighty, and obedience to Khilafat and respect to the Nizam-e-Jama’at.
The members of the Jama’at require training in light of these things. We observe today, however, that we do not reach the required standard in these matters. Hence, when I say that the missionaries and the office holders need to abide by these things themselves and then explain to the other members of the Jama’at,
This point holds special significance. In other words, you need apply this upon yourselves. Act upon it yourselves and establish your own examples. This is of utmost importance. Only then will your counsel towards practical reformation be truly effective. In last week’s Friday Sermon, the means of developing strength of will power,
And the means of overcoming deficiency in knowledge were outlined. However, the third aspect in this matter was not explained – the means to remove deficiencies in our actions or how the strength of our actions can increase. I will say some things on this topic today. As has been mentioned in previous Friday Sermons,
External remedies or supports are required. This can be explained, in other words, that someone else’s help is needed. For practical reformation, this support is of two types or there is a need of two types of supports; one entails supervision and the other entails force and coercion.
Supervision means to constantly keep someone under your eye and to constantly supervise to ensure that he does not perform any bad act. We observe this type of supervision in worldly matters also. In homes, parents supervise their children. In schools, teachers in addition to teaching the students, also play the role of supervisors.
Sometimes government officials also carry out forms of supervision and in instances; they inform others that we are going to carry out supervision. On the roads to control traffic, there are permanent cameras and boards. This is also an act of supervision. The parents who make their children target of cruelties are given warnings;
They are told that they will be supervised. If their bad behaviour towards their children becomes excessive, then the social services say that they will remove the children. In these developed countries, this is very common. In fact, according to my view, this goes beyond the appropriate bounds,
Leading to parents, out of fear of children or this department, even hold back from appropriate restrictions and reprimanding of their children. As a result, at times the children also go astray. So, in worldly matters, this supervision also becomes the means of harm and damage at times.
In marital relations, at times supervision is conducted due to bad relationships. Prisoners are also supervised. So, in short, the purpose of all these forms of supervision is to prevent people from committing such acts, which can create disorder or to carry out reformation.
So, supervision is a means of reformation under the law of every society. Religion also draws our attention towards this for the purpose of practical reformation. Man is saved from committing many bad deeds through this, because society is looking over him. His parents are supervising him within their respective circles.
It is also the work of the missionaries to supervise others within their circles. It is also essential for the rest of the Nizam o the Jama’at to act as supervisors within their respective circles. Further, when one keeps this teaching of Islam in view
That every supervisor will be questioned regarding his responsibility of supervision, not only will those be reformed who are being supervised, but the supervisors themselves will be led to reform. So, for practical reformation, supervision is an effective means. The second thing which is necessary for reformation is force.
Here someone may think, that on one hand we say that there is no compulsion in matters of faith. On the other hand, we say that for practical reformation, force is proposed. So it should be clear that this force has no relation with either accepting or rejecting a religion;
Each and every person is free to accept or leave whatever religion he wishes. Islam is explicitly clear about giving this right. Here force is for those who associate themselves with religion and then do not follow or break its laws.
So on the one hand, one deems himself to be a part of the Nizam-e-Jama’at, yet on the other hand, he breaks its rules. Now if this is a case, then most certainly a firm stance will be taken. And this is what force means here.
If you want to remain a part of the Nizam, then you will have to act upon its teachings, otherwise you could be reprimanded, there could be a penalty and restrictions placed and the purpose of all these things is to reform. This is so that weakness in strength of actions can be eliminated.
When Nizam-e-Jama’at hands out punishments, then the actual purpose is for reformation. The purpose is not to disgrace anyone or to needlessly place anyone in distress. This force is also applicable in worldly governments; people are given punishments, they are placed in prisons and there are other forms of penalties, some even give physical punishments.
The purpose is always to maintain the peace in society and to prevent people from harming others. In fact, even those who harm themselves are given punishments. During these different forms of punishments, various means of reformation are utilised; even if someone is given capital punishment,
Then this force is used because the murderer took someone’s life and if the murderer is set free, then societal peace could be destroyed and many other murderers may be produced. So, therefore, by punishing the murderer by death, leads to many such people reforming themselves
Or many such people hold themselves back from performing an act, which could lead to harming or killing others. So, thus this force and coercion is also an aspect of reformation, and this is practiced in the world. Through the force of worldly people or through worldly punishments that entail force,
Has no relation with faith. However, when coercion is applied to one who associates himself with the religion and, under a religious system, he is punished or reprimanded or he is punished in any way; whether it is a penalty, another form of punishment or some types of restrictions.
At times in the Jama’at there are restrictions emplaced upon chanda givers. Although a person may be forcibly stopped from performing a task, but alongside this, a person’s attention is drawn towards those acts which are pious acts or pure deeds, and if a person performs them because he is fearful of punishment,
Or to avoid the anger of the Khalifa of the time or displeasure of Allah the Almighty, and gradually, faith develops in his heart and starts to increase. And he shuns vices and he happily starts to become one who performs virtuous deeds. Thus always remember that to develop the habit of performing good deeds,
Different means have to be used. Without using these techniques, one cannot be successful in reforming actions. So, therefore, it is extremely important to utilise these techniques, that is to develop faith and proper knowledge. Both these matters were mentioned in the previous Sermon.
To supervise and to use a firm stance are two aspects that I have just mentioned with reference to producing strength of action. These are the four ingredients without which reformation is very difficult. If we analyse in depth, then we observe that there is a section of people in the world
Who do not possess strength of faith; that is to say, they do not have that standard, which is necessary to reform one’s actions. If the strength of faith is instilled in the heart of such people, then their actions are reformed. There is also a section of the people,
Who, as a result of a lack of knowledge become prey to sins. Correct knowledge is required for this. There is a section of people, who for the performance of virtuous deeds are dependent upon other people. So there are these three types of people and they can be helped in two ways,
Or it can be said that external help can be given in two ways; one is through supervision. I have just explained this, that if somebody is supervised, then he desists from evil and his attention is turned towards virtues. However, those who are completely fallen in morals, who do not desist despite supervision,
Until they are punished, they cannot reform. So it is necessary for the Jama’at to utilise all four means for reformation. And the remedy for each person’s ailment is different depending on the nature of his ailment. It is necessary to remember, during that era when the religion has neither government nor the sword,
In such an era, all these four remedies are necessary. So as has already been mentioned in the last Friday Sermon, that for the first means of remedy, tarbiyyat should be carried out and instil strength of faith. For this, signs of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace),
His revelations, his relationship with Allah the Almighty, and the spiritual revolution created within his followers by virtue of him, should all be mentioned. They should be told of the benefits of attaining nearness to Allah Almighty. As I also said in last week’s Friday Sermon, that in this era,
When Satan is carrying out huge attacks and assaults, there is an essential need for all these matters. It is vitally important to mention these things. All these things should be mentioned repeatedly, consistently and regularly. It is necessary to explain how a person can attain the love of Allah the Almighty.
And it is necessary to explain that once a person receives the love of Allah the Almighty, then Allah the Almighty treats him in very special ways. How did the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) explain this to us? New Ahmadis, who are converted from different nations,
Including Africa, and Arabs in particular, write their accounts. They have transformed after reading the books of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and this has increased their faith. Through reading these books, their doctrinal misconceptions were removed. From a doctrinal perspective, they increased their knowledge and found new paths of faith.
However, the strength of their faith was instilled within them as a result of seeing the signs of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), understanding the essence of his revelation, and also by developing a close relationship with Allah the Almighty.
Allah the Almighty, then showed them some signs and manifested to them His nearness. Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), relating the signs of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), his revelations, and also the importance of having a close relationship with Allah the Almighty,
Which can also brighten the rays of faith within our hearts. Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says in his own manner that “Jesus (peace be upon him), may remain alive in the Heavens, “for his remaining alive in the Heavens is not as damaging to us
“as the concept of God dying in our hearts. “So what is the point of placing so much emphasis “upon the death of Jesus (upon whom be peace), “when in the hearts of people you are killing the concept of God “and you are making no effort to re-establish it.
“Allah the Almighty is the Living, the Self- Subsisting. He never dies. “However, for some people the concept of God dies.” Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), with reference to Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him), relates:
“There was a teacher of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him), “who lived in Bhopal. “So the teacher says that once he saw in a dream that outside of Bhopal, Bhopal being a city in India, “there is a bridge there, there is a leper.
“Apart from being a leper, he is blind, his nose is cut off, and his fingers have withered off. “His entire body is full of pus and there are flies hovering over him.” “I felt repulsion looking at this person” and I ask, “Sir, who are you?” So this leper replied that, “I am God.”
Hearing this reply, I became extremely terrified. I said that, “You are God? “Up until today, all the prophets who came to the world always taught “that Allah the Almighty is the Most Beautiful, “and no one and nothing is more beautiful than Him.
“So do we love God Almighty with this perception of what He looks like?” So, the leper replied that, “Whatever the prophets said until now is correct. “I am not the real God. I am the God of the people of Bhopal.
“In other words, according to the people of Bhopal, this is how I am perceived.” So in their hearts there was no importance of God left whatsoever. So God does not actually die, but when a person forgets God altogether, then in his heart the concept of God dies.
Here I should also explain to the youngsters that it should not be inferred from this that because this is how people became, that God took this shape, and that this is the end of the matter. In fact this was actually the reflection of those who had forgotten God,
Just as a person sees his reflection in the mirror; this is the essence. So in the dream the form of that person he had seen, was actually a reflection of the people who had forgotten God. Spiritually speaking they had become lepers. So such people also reach this sorry end.
God forbid, Allah the Almighty has not died and abandoned them. To people who consider God as such, He sometimes punishes them in this world also. Allah the Almighty does not move aside and leave them alone, in fact He also punishes them in this world.
In numerous places Allah the Almighty informs us that these people go to Hell because they are forgetting God. So, through this example no one should assume that having forgotten God the Almighty, or by considering Him to be powerless, nothing will happen and that would be the end of the matter.
In fact, Allah the Almighty takes retribution, He meets out punishment, and when His wrath ignites, then nobody can stand before His anger. So in this respect, this is no ordinary matter that one forgets Allah the Almighty, and then assumes that the matter comes to an end there.
Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that “it is strange that our scholars make an effort to prove the death of Jesus (on whom be peace), but they do not make an effort to make God come to life.
They do not instil that spirit which produces insight into the existence of God. Our greatest effort should be made to show God alive and to forming a connection with God the Almighty. If we form a living connection with Allah the Almighty,
Then however much noise is made by those who consider Jesus (on whom be peace) to be alive, our faith can never become corrupted or hinder, because God the Almighty, will take care of us at every step. So, indeed the death of Jesus (on whom be peace),
Khatme Nabuwwat(the Seal of Prophethood) and all other doctrinal matters, are extremely important to have knowledge of. It is also necessary to stay firm upon them with reasoning, not without proof. However, for practical reformation we have to form a connection with Allah the Almighty; we have to adopt those means,
Which the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) showed us in this era. We have to eliminate the disparity between our words and our deeds. What we preach to others – we have to analyse to what degree we practice this ourselves. Today, with the grace of Almighty Allah,
There are various Jamias in the Jama’at Ahmadiyya around the world where missionaries are trained. Many children are entering into these Jamias to become missionaries. In Pakistan, in particular, very large numbers are entering into Jamias. A huge amount of these include the Waqf-e-Nau.
It happens at times that larger quantities reduce the quality. At times, examples emerge and come to light that efforts are not made to attain the required spiritual standard. In fact, as a result of certain bad acts, and as a result of not having the proper adequate knowledge
Of what the sanctity of a missionary should be; if they commit certain wrong acts, they are sometimes relieved from Jamia. So this era is where the progress of Jama’at Ahmadiyya is impending, in order to prepare for it, those who are going to become missionaries must prepare themselves.
It is no ordinary task that will be entrusted to them. Establish a relationship with Allah the Almighty from now and make efforts to a far greater degree than before. Put before you the signs that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) showed to us
And the teachings of Islam that he once again demonstrated to us. Do not only limit yourselves to remembering doctrinal matters. A scholar has written to me from Qadian that the open conventions that were held to respond to the allegations of the opponents, are not held today.
In these gatherings, repeated attacks were made when replying to the opponents which left them flabbergasted. That is fine; it is good this used to occur. The opponents’ allegations should be responded to. In fact, their allegations should be rebutted emphatically with arguments. However, it is of even greater importance and necessary
That our scholars and missionaries should understand the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). They should have progressed in their spiritual state and condition to such a degree that each one of them should have individually become a sign for others.
They should make efforts for this; in fact, they should progress and become a sign, and seeing this good example, others should enter into the Community. Sometimes people observe a good model and enter the Community; however, I have to say with regret that this standard has not been produced.
This is why many of the scholars in India had to be relieved. It seemed as if many of them had been overcome by worldliness. So the writer of this letter and each and every one of us needs to analyse what our responsibilities are.
Scholars and missionaries need to see how much effort they have made to instil faith in people. We should not be satisfied and pleased by mainly giving dry arguments to impress people and to rebut the non-Ahmadi maulvis. This is not all that we should be happy by.
In fact, we have the living signs and miracles of Allah the Almighty with us. Through this, we should show the existence of Allah Almighty to the world. We should convince the hearts of people through the practical testimony that is with the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace).
Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) gave an example: If the sun has risen and somebody says, what proof do you have that the sun has risen? The other person gives arguments and reasoning that the sun rises at this and this time, sunset happens at this and this time,
Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that “a person who gives arguments in this context is foolish. “The simple solution is to respond to the person asking for the proof of the sun being risen, “by putting his hand below his chin, lifting it upwards, and saying look, the sun has risen.
“Arguments are not required here. “The response to your foolish statements is to show the sun itself.” So now, Allah the Almighty is manifesting in all His Glory and Majesty. With all His attributes, He has already manifested Himself before the world. Through the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), with all His beauty,
He is present before us in His majestic glory. So it is the work of the preachers that instead of being foolish people who give arguments of the sun having risen, prove the truth through the fresh signs shown through the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace),
And the practical testimony that is with us at all times and at every moment. However, we must still fashion our condition in accordance with the pleasure of Allah Almighty. Strengthen the practical strength of the Community; present all these matters before the men, women and children of the Jama’at repeatedly.
Inform them that, by virtue of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), how Allah the Almighty’s Majesty and Glory manifested. Explain to them the means of attaining nearness to Allah the Almighty, and how love of Allah the Almighty can be acquired.
Then you will see that those youngsters who are inclined towards imitation in worldly matters, will become those who submit before God Almighty. Then it will not be just a few missionaries and scholars who will rebut non-Ahmadi maulvis. In fact, these good examples that will be established by men, women and children,
Will attract the world towards them. So thus, the first and foremost need is to give attention towards our practical condition. Attach yourselves with the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and then the greatest need is to show complete obedience to Khilafat. It is this that will strengthen the Jama’at and increase spiritual progress.
Recognising Khilafat and having true perception and understanding of it, should be developed in the Jama’at, that every decision of the Khalifa of the time should be readily accepted by all. And there should be no impediment in the heart; no reservation should be harboured in the heart. Developing correct insight and perception into Khilafat
Is also amongst the important responsibilities of the missionaries. It is also the task of office holders to give attention towards this. Examples are brought up where people say that the Khalifa of the time has done this wrong, made a wrong decision, or such decision should have been made in this way.
Some decisions of the Qadha are objected to, or it is said that, “Why has this been appointed to this position? “This person should have been appointed instead.” They say that that Khalifa of the time is fully aware of this person, but has closed his eyes to him, despite having knowledge of him.
So there are just a handful of people who say these things; however, they disturb the environment. As I have said before, if missionaries and office holders at every level, of every auxiliary organisation and Jama’at understand this responsibility, then some of the misgivings created in peoples’ hearts would never emerge.
It is especially the work of missionaries to explain to them that all blessings are in Nizam. When Allah the Almighty desires to curse a body of people, He removes the Nizam from them. When every person comes to have knowledge of this, then some people who stumble will be saved from stumbling.
A section of such people always remains, even if they are just a handful, who consider themselves to have knowledge of everything. They sit here and there and speak around, and say that the Khalifa is not God; he too can make mistakes, just like normal human beings. Yes, this is correct.
However, Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) gave an excellent response to this. If Khilafat is true, then this response given by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (may Allah be pleased with him) is applicable at all times, if one has faith in Khilafat, that Khilafat is a blessing given by God Almighty.
He states that God the Almighty says, that “He ultimately establishes in the world the decisions that the Khulafa make.” Allah says, “and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them”, (24: 56).
In other words, God swears that He will establish in the world the faith and the principles, which the Khulafa want to establish. So, thus these matters should be instilled in the heart of every member of the Jama’at. And it is the task of the missionaries and learned people
To try to infuse this in every person’s heart. So understand this responsibility, become fully absorbed in the task of making the blessings and beneficence of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) evident to people. Repeatedly relate the living signs of God Almighty to all.
Inform people of the means of attaining nearness to Allah Almighty; and that obeying the Khalifa in every situation and submitting to Nizam has great significance. This significance should be made evident to all. When this is achieved, the misgivings in the heart will be eliminated.
Through this, the number of people who remove these doubts and ill thoughts, or the people whose misgivings will be removed will become so large that all seeds of disorder will die its own death. Every aspect of practical reformation will come to be seen in the Jama’at
And this is a major objective of the advent of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). Remember that knowledge of the issues and doctrine of Khatame Nabuwwat and the death of Jesus (peace be upon him) are important to know, it is important to know how to respond to the allegations of the opponents.
However, it is also important to instil good practices and knowledge of Allah the Almighty, and efforts are needed in this light. So the efforts that we are making externally, to the same, in fact to a greater degree, we must make an effort internally. Our spiritual purity, our practical reformation, God willing,
Will bring about greater revolutionary changes than our Tabligh efforts. Hadhrat Musleh-e-Maud’s (may Allah be pleased with him) statement is certainly extremely significant, where he says that, “if they, the scholars and the missionaries reform their hearts, and instil knowledge and love of Allah Almighty in people’s hearts,
Then tens of millions of people will enter into the fold of Ahmadiyyat. Allah the Almighty says Himself: “When the help of Allah comes, and the victory, And thou seest men entering the religion of Allah in troops. Glorify thy Lord, with His praise, and seek forgiveness of Him.”
That if you propagate your religion by preaching, then just a handful of people will come to you. However, if you do istighfar and glorify God, and eliminate sin from your Community, then people in troops and multitudes will join you, and they will enter your fold.
So, that scholar who writes to me that we used to vanquish the opponents in debates – this will not achieve that objective which will be achieved through practical reformation. So, give heed towards practical reformation. Try to become lieutenants of the Khalifa; try to become the helpers of the Khalifa.
We cannot just spend year upon year engaged in intellectual discussions. In fact, if we want to take the Jama’at towards advancement and progress, and Insh’Allah we will, then we will have to adopt some other method. And that method, as I have said, is practical reformation. So we need to beautify our actions.
We need to increase the standard of our honesty, trustworthiness, and truthfulness. We need to adopt legitimate means of income. We should not deceive the council for a small amount of money and put our honesty on the line, and then obtain benefits; or put false cases in order to obtain some money.
Whatever responsibilities are entrusted to us, we should do diligently with complete effort, undeterred and faithfully. If we act in this manner then, Insh’Allah along with the faith, the avenues of the world will open up to us. By the grace of the Almighty Allah, generally speaking,
The Jama’at has a good perception in the eyes of others. However, if for some trivial worldly gains, we let go to waste the standard of our honesty and trustworthiness, then every single person who commits such acts will be defaming the Jama’at.
So where, on the one hand, missionaries need to draw attention towards this, every member of the Jama’at needs to analyse and make an effort to practically reform, and the greatest weapon in this regard is that of prayer. We should keep this in view at all times.
We need to utilise this properly and take full benefit from this, and to do this we need to keep this command of Allah the Almighty before us, that “progress in your faith and follow that method to progress your faith that I have given.” So if this practice and prayer,
And prayer and practice go hand in hand, we will be able to truly reform. May Allah the Almighty, enable each and every one of us to achieve this. At the end, I would like to also draw attention to a matter which has caused restlessness for every true believer
And that is the state of the Muslim world, which is a cause of great concern. Today the Muslim Ummah are in great need of the prayers of the followers of the ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). So it is our duty to pray profusely for them.
The situation in Syria is going from bad to worse. The government has reached the heights of cruelty. The opposing group has also reached the heights of cruelty. Cruelty is being perpetrated from both sides. Children, women and older people are all being made targets of persecution.
Whether somebody is blameworthy or not, they drag away whoever they want and they leave them starving. They are given punishment. Some images have been shown, which makes one’s hair stand on end that a Muslim is committing so much atrocities against other Muslims, and are giving non-Muslims the opportunity to criticise Islam.
Recently, interviews of some fourteen or fifteen year old children were shown. They had been separated from their parents for some reason. They received nothing to eat and they just rummage here and there to get by.
When they asked a child aged twelve or thirteen what he would like to be when he grows up, he laughed and replied that “obviously I’ll become a criminal. We will become robbers, thieves, vagabonds, and terrorists. What else can we become so that we can take our revenge?”
In order to save their seat of authority, the government, or in order to gain a seat of authority, the opposition, are destroying their future generations. May Allah the Almighty bring retribution to the oppressors. And may He save the public from the domination of the oppressors and replace them with just rulers.
In Pakistan, extreme cruelty is also being perpetrated, especially against Ahmadis. They are being persecuted physically as well as mentally. The ordinary Pakistani is also being crushed in this cycle of oppression, and it appears that this situation will continue to intensify. These terrorists are also created by governments.
So this is why it is difficult to overcome them. So, it is only our prayer that can make these oppressors a warning for others. There is a need for profuse prayers that may Allah the Almighty remove the oppressors in Pakistan. Similarly, there are also other Muslim countries, like Egypt, Libya and others.
In almost every country, the circumstance is dire. May Allah the Almighty give these people wisdom. May Allah save them from the strong efforts to disgrace and defame Islam. May Allah the Almighty make whoever is carrying out tyranny, a sign of warning for others.
And may Allah the Almighty keep every Ahmadi living in these countries safe from their evil.