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 Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, ever Merciful The translation of these verses is as follows: “In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. “The Praiseworthy, the Lord of Honour. “The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, “The Forgiver of sin and the Acceptor of repentance, Severe in punishment, “the Possessor of bounty.
“There is no God but He. Towards Him is the final return.” The second verse is Ayatul Kursi. Its translation is as follows: “Allah – there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. “Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep.
“To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. “Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission? “He knows what is before them and what is behind them; “and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases.
“His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not; “and He is the High, the Great.” These four verses, including the Bismala, are from Surah al-Mu’min and the other verse, as I have already alluded to, is Ayatul Kursi, which is a verse from Surah al-Baqarah.
In these verses some of the attributes of Allah the Exalted have been mentioned and also His Greatness and Grandeur. Regarding the importance of these verses, we find the following saying of the Holy Prophet (saw) in Ahadith: It is narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
“Whoever recites from “Ha Mim” – up to – “ilaihil maser” of Surah Al-Mu’min “and Ayatul Kursi [2:256] in the morning, “he will be protected as a result of it until he enters the evening. “And whoever recites them in the evening, he will be protected until the morning as a result of it.”
“Ha Mim” is the second verse of Surah al-Mu’min, the first one being bi-smi llāhi r-Rahmānir-Rahīm, which has been made clear by the translation. Then there is “Ha Mim”, which is from among the Hurūf muqattaāt [separately placed letters]. It is stated that “Ha Mim” stands for the words “Hameed” and “Majeed”.
Hameed means the Praiseworthy, Who alone is deserving of true praise. In other words, it is only God the Exalted, Who is the Praiseworthy. The Promised Messiah (as), elucidating the word ‘Hamd’ states: “It should be clear that Hamd is praise which is offered “in appreciation of commendable action of one worthy of praise:
“it means lauding one who has done a favour of his own volition and according to his own choice. “The true reality of Hamd is that it is only for the Being Who is the source of “all Grace and Light and exercises Beneficence intentionally and “not in ignorance or under compulsion.”
He alone is praised or deserving of true praise, Who exercises beneficence but not due to any compulsion or any vested interest. Rather, He continues to bestow countless favours. The Promised Messiah (as) further states: “All these meanings of the word Hamd are found only in Allah, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.
“Indeed, He is the true Benefactor and from Him proceed all benefits from beginning to end, “and for Him is all glorification, in this world and in the hereafter “and all praise that is bestowed on others returns to Him.” This means that, even if one praises someone other than Him
Then [it should be remembered that] the One Who made them worthy of being praised or enabled them to do something, worthy of praise, is also the Grace of Allah the Exalted. It was Allah the Exalted, Who enabled them to do something, which accords them praise.
Further elucidating the term Hamd, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “Hamd is verbal praise offered to honour a mighty and noble being for His acts of beneficence. “Perfect praise is the exclusive prerogative of the Lord of Majesty. “The ultimate goal of every kind of glorification, be it in a small or a large measure,
“is our Lord Who guides the misguided and exalts the lowly “and is the object of praise of all who are praiseworthy.” It means that those, worthy of praise are all occupied with His praise. Elucidating the term Hamd even further, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “There is yet another direction in the word hamd,
“and that is that Allah, the Exalted and Lord of blessings, says, ‘O My servants, know Me through My attributes and recognise Me through My excellences. ‘I certainly do not suffer from any defect or shortcoming like other inferior beings.
‘Nay, My Praiseworthiness far exceeds the highest limits of praise rendered by those who praise Me. ‘You will not find in the heavens or the earth any praiseworthy feature not to be found in My Being. ‘If you tried to count My excellences you would not be able to number them,
‘even if you spent great effort and took pains like those dedicated to their work. ‘Search well then if you can shed light upon a praiseworthy merit that you do not find in Me ‘or can discover an excellence that is beyond Me and My Presence.
‘If you feel that way then you have no knowledge of Me and are bereft of vision.’” Thus every praise is only due to Allah the Exalted. “He further states: ‘I am known through My glories and excellences and the heavy clouds saturated ‘with My blessings indicate the plenitude of My bounties.
‘Those who believe in Me as comprehending all perfect attributes and all excellences and ‘attribute to Me whatever perfection they observe anywhere and whatever glory ‘they can conceive of in the highest flights of their imagination and ascribe to Me ‘every grandeur that their minds and vision may observe and every power
‘that is reflected in the mirror of their thoughts, ‘are indeed the people who are treading the paths that lead to true recognition of Me. ‘They have grasped the Truth and they will be successful.’ “Thus, may God Almighty keep watch over you, and so prepare yourself to seek earnestly
“for the attributes of Allah, the Glorious, and reflect over them like deep thinkers.” This is so because it is only by understanding the attribute of Hamd that one can truly comprehend other attributes. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Seek diligently and ponder every aspect of perfection, searching for it in every overt
“and covert manifestation of this universe as a greedy person occupies himself “relentlessly with the pursuit of the object of his desires.” Exert the utmost effort like an ardently desirous person in order to recognise the blessings of Allah the Exalted,
In order to know His attributes and in order to find the ways of praising Him. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “When you arrive at the comprehension of the fullness of His perfection “and begin to perceive His fragrance, it is then that you have found Him.
“This is a mystery that is unveiled only to those who are earnest seekers of guidance. “This then is your Lord, your Master, Perfect in Himself, “comprehending all perfect excellences and worthy of all praise.” All glory and all praise or all features worthy of praise are found in Him.
Thus, it is this comprehension of the attribute of Praiseworthiness of Allah the Exalted, that we must achieve, so that we may comprehend His other attribute too. Then, Allah the Exalted states that He is “Majeed”, the Lord of Honour and the Noble.
The nobility of Allah the Exalted is not like the nobility which we attribute to human beings in that such person is very noble or referring to an older person as being noble. Rather, when we are referring to Allah the Exalted it implies that
He is most Praiseworthy and Exalted, the height of which cannot be reached by any person. That Being, Who has no limits to His blessings. He gives and continues to do so and does not fatigue. Thus, whilst reciting this verse,
These meanings of Allah the Exalted being the Lord of Honour should be kept in mind; firstly the meaning of Hamd [praise], followed by the meaning of Him being the Lord of Honour. Following this, He states that He is Aziz, the Mighty.
In other words, He possesses powers and is mightier than all mighty ones. He is unable to be defeated. It is impossible to defeat Him. Every honour belongs to Him. His worth and value is immeasurable. He is dominant over all things and no one can be like Him.
This is the meaning of ‘Aziz, i.e the Mighty. Following this, He states that He is Aleem, the All-Knowing. He possesses knowledge of all things; those that have come to pass and those that are yet to occur in the future. Nothing is hidden from Him and His knowledge completely encompasses everything.
Thus, it is God, Who has revealed this book i.e. the Holy Qur’an; Who has revealed this final [religious] law. He has placed therein the knowledge for all times to come. Now, every form of protection and triumph can only occur and be acquired as a result of truly acting in accordance with this.
He further states that He is the Forgiver of sin i.e. He forgives sins. Hence, one should submit to Him and seek forgiveness for his sins. The Promised Messiah (as) has elaborated upon this in several places in that a person should continuously seek forgiveness for his sins.
On one occasion, the Promised Messiah (as) stated: “The light, which a person acquires, is temporary.” In other words, any form of religious or spiritual light is temporary. “In order to keep and maintain it forever, Istighfar, seeking forgiveness, is required.” The Promised Messiah (as) stated:
“The reason for prophets to continuously seek forgiveness is that they are aware of these facts “and they fear lest the cloak of light, which they are endowed with, be snatched away.’ The Promised Messiah (as) states: “The very meaning of Istighfar, seeking forgiveness, is that the light,
“which has been acquired from God Almighty, may remain protected and be increased. “The five daily prayers are also a means of acquiring this.” Formal prayer is also an aspect of acquiring forgiveness and attaining this light. The reason for this is that during prayer, a person repents, begs to be pardoned
And seeks forgiveness from Allah the Exalted. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “This is in order for a person to open up his heart and beseech God Almighty every day. “A person with insight and understanding is aware of the fact that the formal prayer is a ladder and
“it is the supplications, which are offered with fervour and devotion during the formal prayer, “through which he is able to be cured from these ailments.” In other words, supplications are essential for every form of spiritual and physical ailments. Furthermore, one should seek forgiveness during supplications
And the formal prayer is also a part thereof. Thus, when the Holy Prophet (saw) instructed us to recite these verses, a mere recitation will not be of any benefit. Rather, we must also transform our practical state and pay attention towards ourselves as to how we are to offer Istighfar, seeking forgiveness,
And how we are to protect our prayers in order to be safeguarded ourselves. Further elaborating on Istighfar, the Promised Messiah (as) stated on one occasion: “The very meaning of Istighfar, is that one should not commit any sin outwardly “and that the capacity to commit sin may not become visible.”
In other words, the occasion which may lead a person to commit a sin should not occur and nor should that capacity develop. “This is also the true purpose of the Istighfar, seeking forgiveness, “of the prophets in that they are innocent, however,
“they offer Istighfar, in order for this capacity to not manifest itself in the future. “Furthermore, Istighfar has another meaning for the common people “and that is that the wrongdoings and sins that have already come to pass “may God protect them from their evil consequences, forgive those sins “and also safeguard them from committing further sins.” The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Nevertheless, it is necessary for a person to remain ever engaged in Istighfar. “Famine and various forms of trials, which descend upon the earth,
“indicate that people should engage themselves in Istighfar, seeking forgiveness.” Thus, when a person is encircled by difficulties, or when Ahmadis pass through hardships, they should pay attention towards prayers as well as towards Istighfar. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Istighfar, does not mean repeat the words of (Arabic) I seek forgiveness from Allah.
“The reality of the matter is that the truth has been concealed from people “as a result of having a foreign tongue to Arabic. “Arabs were well aware of these matters. “However, in our country as a result of a foreign tongue, many truths have remained concealed.
“There are many people who say that we offered Istighfar in such quantity “and praised and glorified God a hundred or a thousand times. “However, when you question them about the meaning of Istighfar, they are unable to answer. “They remain dumbfounded.
“A person should continue to truly seek forgiveness within his heart with the intention “that he may not have to bear the punishment of the wrongdoings and sins he has already committed. “Furthermore, he should continuously implore God Almighty within his heart for help “so that he may be enabled to act virtuously
“and so that He may safeguard him from wrongdoings in the future. “Remember full well that words are of no benefit. “One may seek forgiveness in his own tongue that God the Exalted may forgive his previous sins, “protect him from committing sins in the future and enable him to act virtuously.
“This is true Istighfar, seeking forgiveness. “There is no need for a person to wander about uttering the words of Astaghfirullah, “Astaghfirullah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, whilst the heart is completely unaware of this. “If offering Istighfar, seeking forgiveness, does not develop tenderness, fervour, passion
“and the fear of Allah the Almighty within the heart, it is of no benefit.” It should develop a passion within the heart. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Remember that only those words reach God, which are uttered from the heart. “One should offer many supplications to God Almighty in his own tongue.
“This leaves an impact upon the heart as well. “The tongues merely testifies to the state of the heart. “If a sense of passion is developed within the heart and “the tongue also expresses this passion, it is very good. “However, if supplications are offered merely with the tongue and not with the heart
“then these are in vain and useless. “Indeed, supplications offered from the heart are true supplications. “If a person continuously prays to God Almighty and offers Istighfar, “seeks forgiveness, within his heart prior to the time of tribulations, “those tribulations are removed by the most Gracious and Merciful God.”
It should not be that a trial, difficulty or hardship befalls a person and he begins to pray. One should pray even prior to this, as a result of which the Promised Messiah (as) said that the most Gracious and Merciful God removes these tribulations.
However, once a tribulation befalls a person, it is not removed. Thus, one should continuously offer supplications and Istighfar, seeking forgiveness, prior to facing tribulations. If a person does so, God protects him at the time of trials. The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“Our Jama’at should manifest a sign of distinction. (There should be a difference). “If a person returns [home] after having done the Bai’at, pledged initiation, “and does not demonstrate any sign of distinction; “if he treats his wife as he did before and treats his family and children as he did previously,
“then this is not good. “If after pledging initiation the same indecency is upheld, if the same ill treatment is meted out “and if the same condition remains, then what is the benefit of pledging initiation? “Following the pledge of initiation,
“one should demonstrate such an example to others as well as his relatives and neighbours, “which will force them to say that he is not the same person anymore. “Remember full well that if you perform a deed after having purified yourself, “others will most certainly be awestruck by you.
“How great was the impact of the Holy Prophet (saw)? “Once, the disbelievers became apprehensive that the Holy Prophet (saw) would pray against them, “upon which all of these disbelievers went to the Holy Prophet (saw) collectively “and said that Huzoor, please do not pray against us.
“A truthful person most certainly leaves others in awe. “You should perform virtuous deeds after having purified yourself completely “and do so merely for the sake of God, “you will most certainly leave an impact upon others and leave them awestruck.” Hence, there is a need to do Istighfar, seek forgiveness,
And to obtain the understanding of its spirit and essence. Prayers and various ways of remembering God are beneficial when it’s coupled with consistent effort towards improvement. People often ask me to share short prayers that they can offer on a consistent basis. Short prayers prove beneficial when one’s obligations are also being fulfilled.
Firstly, offer your prayers. When prayers are being offered on time regularly with utmost passion then the different forms of remembering God will prove beneficial. Then the attribute of Allah Almighty that has been mentioned is that he is Qabil Taubh, one who accepts repentance.
Taubah means to turn towards Allah Almighty whilst seeking forgiveness for one’s sins. Therefore, when a person presents himself before Allah the Almighty while taking an oath to never sin again and always strive to safeguard oneself from evil deeds, then Allah Almighty accepts the repentance of such a person who turn towards Him
With this level of passion and [pure] intention. Regarding this, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “What day is more eminent and more blessed than Jummah, Friday, and the days of Eid? “I can tell you that it is the day when someone is pardoned by Allah Almighty.
“Such a day is better than all other days and is far superior than any Eid. “Why? Because on this day, the account of the sins of a person which can lead them “towards hell and the wrath of God is wiped clean and all their sins are forgiven.
“In actuality, what other day could bring a person more joy or equate to the happiness of Eid “than that in which one is saved from everlasting hell and Divine wrath? “The sinner who repents, who had previously turned away from God and
“had become a target of His wrath, they will now due to His Grace get close to Him. “The hell and punishment are moved away from them. “As Allah Almighty states: “There is no doubt that Allah the Almighty befriends those who turn towards Him “with repentance and He loves those who seek virtue. “Not only does this verse reveal Allah Almighty loves those who turn to Him with repentance, “rather we also learn that sincere repentance is conditional to true purity and cleanliness.”
Sincere repentance has to be coupled with true purity. One should have a firm intention to not commit a sin in the future. Repentance will only be accepted when this happens and there is virtue and purity. The Promised Messiah (as) continues to say:
“It is a prerequisite to separate oneself from every type of immorality and filth “otherwise there is no benefit in merely repeating the words of repentance. “Hence, the blessed day when a person seeks repentance for their misdeeds “and takes a sincere oath of reconciliation with Allah Almighty,
“and bows down in obedience to His commands, “then there is no doubt that they will be saved from the punishment “that was being prepared in retribution for their evil deeds. “In this manner, they obtain something that they had no hope or expectation for. “You can imagine how happy a person would become
“if they attain their objective in a state of utter disappointment and despair. “Their hearts would feel revived and it is for this reason this has been mentioned in the Hadith. “We learn from the Hadith and the previous scriptures that “when a human being escapes [spiritual] death caused by sin
“and obtains a new life through repentance, then Allah the Almighty is pleased with that. “In reality, it is something to celebrate if the previous state was such that he was trapped “under the burden of sins and surrounded by destruction and death was nigh.
“The wrath of God was ready to annihilate him but suddenly he turns towards God Almighty “repenting his sins and evil deeds that would have separated him from God. “It is at such a moment when God is pleased and the angels also celebrate in the heavens
“because Allah the Almighty does not desire for any of His servants to be destroyed, “rather He desires for them to enter peace and security “after seeking forgiveness for any apparent shortcomings and weaknesses. “Therefore, keep in mind the day when someone seeks forgiveness for their sins
“as such a day is indeed very blessed and holds greater importance than other days “because they obtain a new life and are brought closer to God Almighty. “In light of this, today when many of you have you taken oath (i.e. Bai’at), “when you sought God’s forgiveness for your sins
“and you took the oath to safeguard yourselves from future sins as much as possible. “Such a day is the day of repentance. “And I have firm conviction that in accordance with the promise of Allah the Almighty “that the past sins of every single person who has repented sincerely comes under: “Meaning, such a person is like the one who has never sinned. “However, I say again that one should tread on this path with true purity and virtue. “This repentance should not be mere lip service, rather it should be supported with actions.
“It is not an insignificant matter when the sins of a person are forgiven. “Rather it is something extraordinary.” The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Ponder, when man is affected by even the slightest error or mistake of another, “sometimes his malice continues to run through generations.
“Such a person is in search of an opportune moment to take revenge from one generation to the next. “However, God Almighty is very Merciful and Kind. “He isn’t hard-hearted like man who does not even forgive the future generations “in taking revenge for a wrong made against him and desires to destroy them.
“That Merciful and Kind God forgives 70 years of sin instantly with the utterance of a word. “Do not think that His forgiving is of no benefit. “Nay, His forgiving in reality is full of benefit and “only those feel it fully who have sincerely repented.” Thus, this is true repentance which then administers protection.
If not then God Almighty states that we should also bear in mind that He is Severe in punishment. When man remains heedless to the commandments of God Almighty then He can also punish him. The Promised Messiah (as) further states: “He is also Zi Taul, the Possessor of Bounty, the One Who gives abundantly
“and the One Who goes beyond limits in giving benefit. “His giving has no bounds as He has all power, “He can give whatever He pleases because His treasures are limitless.” God Almighty says that if you remember these attributes of Mine,
Then you will continue to reap benefit as there is none else who possesses such strength. We must return to Him in this world and also after death. So when there is the awareness that eventually we must return to God
Then there will be more attention paid to doing good deeds and acting upon His commandments. Furthermore, when one’s state is such then surely God Almighty will keep him in His protection. Then there is the second verse to which the Holy Prophet (saw) drew attention towards on one occasion, which was regarding Ayatul Kursi.
It is mentioned in a Hadith narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Holy Prophet (saw) said, “Everything has a pinnacle and the pinnacle of the Holy Quran is Surah Al Baqarah. “It has a verse which is the chief of all the verses of the Holy Quran – that is Ayatul Kursi.”
Elaborating on this, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “Allah – there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining “i.e. He is God and there is none but Him. “He is the One Who is the life of each soul and the support of every being.
“The literal meaning of this verse is He alone is the Living God and “He alone is the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining God. “Hence, if He alone is the Living and Self-Subsisting then it is absolutely clear that “all others who seem to be living only alive through His life
“and whatever exists in the heavens and the earth only does so through His Being.” Whilst further explaining, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “One must know that the Holy Quran has presented two names of God Almighty “Al Hayy, the Living, and Al Qayyum, the Self-Subsisting.
“Al Hayy means God is Living and gives life to others. “Al Qayyum means He is Self-Subsisting and is the true means of subsistence of others. “The outward and hidden sustenance of everything is held these two attributes. “Hence, the word Hayy requires that He be worshipped. “This is a matter to be pondered upon.
“The word Hayy requires that He be worshipped. “Its illustration in Surah Fatihah is iyyaka na’budu, Thee alone do we worship. “Al Qayyum requires that we beseech support from Him. “It is expressed in the words iyyaka nasta’in, Thee alone do we implore for help.”
To remain alive physically and spiritually is to derive from the attribute of Hayy. So we must worship Him and ask for help in worshipping Him i.e. that God Almighty enables us to worship Him. “The reason why the word Hayy requires worship is He created “and after doing so He did not forsake it.
“For example, take a builder who has constructed a building. “His passing away will not harm the building in any way. (A man constructs a building. (If the one who constructs the building dies it will not affect the building in any way). “However, man’s need for God remains in all circumstances,
“which is why it is necessary for man to continuously ask Him for help “and this is istighfar, seeking forgiveness.” The subject of istighfar has been explained in detail before, that in order to continue to keep the light of God Almighty’s bounty there is need for istighfar
And this istighfar is a mode of worship and strength is gained through it. Then in regards to the matter of intercession in Ayatul Kursi, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “When man prays for others then this is also a kind of intercession
“and this should be the attribute of a believer which he should continue to act upon.” The Promised Messiah (as) states that without the permission of God there can be no intercession. “God Almighty has stated through the Holy Quran that the meaning of intercession is for one
“to pray for his brother that hefulfils his desire, or that an affliction is removed.” In other words to pray for whatever purpose he has been asked to pray for, and it be fulfilled. Or, if he is in some kind of affliction, then it is to pray for it to be removed.
The Promised Messiah (as) then states: “It is the command of God Almighty that the one who submits most before Him “should pray for his weaker brother that he also attain that rank. “This in essence is true shifa’at.
“So without a doubt we do pray for our brothers for God Almighty to grant them strength “and to remove their troubles and this is also an aspect of sympathy.” Then the Promised Messiah (as) states: “Since all of mankind is like one body, God Almighty has taught us over and again that
“despite the fact that it is His job to accept any intercession, “we must busy ourselves in interceding for our brothers – “continue to pray for them in a sympathetic manner for we all have rights over one another.
“In fact the word shifa’at is derived from Shaf’ah which means even and is the opposite of odd. “Thus, man is only called a Shafee’ when out of complete sympathy he becomes even with another, “is completely lost in him and beseeches for his good health just as he asks for his own self.
“Bear in mind that no one’s faith can be complete “until sympathy is developed in the form of intercession.” There must be tremendous sympathy for one another. In fact, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “Faith has two perfect branches.
“One is love of God and the other is to love of mankind to such an extent “where one deems the troubles of others his own and to pray for them, “which in other words is intercession.” If we keep this point in mind when we recite Ayatul Kursi
Then the feelings of sympathy for mankind will further develop. When the Holy Prophet (saw) encouraged us to recite this, it was especially to establish relationships between the believers and also to develop sympathy in the hearts for mankind in general. Unfortunately, the Muslims today are thirsty for the blood of one another
And yet they claim that they act upon the teachings of the Quran and the Ahadith. In any case, we should remember that the right to true intercession was granted by God Almighty to the Holy Prophet (saw) and we have witnessed its scenes in his lifetime. Whilst explaining this the Promised Messiah (as) states:
“Only he can be an intercessor in the hereafter who has displayed its example in this world. “On the Day of Judgment he will be an intercessor. “This is what has been stated about the Holy Prophet (saw) that he will intercede
“and prove only he can become an intercessor who has displayed this example in this world as well. “So bearing this standard in mind if we look at Prophet Moses (as) he too can “also be deemed an intercessor as he repeatedly averted the impending punishments through prayers. “His Torah is witness to this.
“Similarly, when we look at the Holy Prophet (saw) it is clear that he was an intercessor. “In other words it is absolutely clear and it can be seen with a doubt as it was “the effect of his intercession which enabled the poor Companions to sit on the thrones,
“and it was the effect of his intercession which, “despite their upbringing in idol-worshipping and Shirk, “changed them into believers of One God, the like of which cannot be found in history. “Also, it was due to the effect of his intercession “that his followers continue to receive true revelations from God Almighty.
“God Almighty converses with them, yet how can this be proven through Jesus son of Mary? “What greater state of intercession can there be of our Master Muhammad Mustafa (saw) “that whatever we have attained through his beneficence cannot be achieved by our enemies?
“If our opposition accepted this test then the matter would be settled in just a few days.” At the end of Ayatul Kursi, two attributes of God Almighty have been mentioned; He is the High and none is loftier than Him in status,
He is the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth and the Most Great. No one can reach His greatness, grandeur and lofty status. His greatness encompasses everything and nothing remains outside it. The attribute of ‘Aly signifies His grandeur and the attribute of Azeem signifies His great status which no one can match.
Azeem also means that He encompasses everything and nothing remains outside it. Such is His greatness. Expounding on this last part of Ayatul Kursi, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “The verse regarding the sovereignty of God Almighty is: (Arabic) ‘His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth;
‘and the care of them burdens Him not; and He is the High, the Great’. “In other words, God’s Sovereignty encompasses all that which is in the heavens and the earth, “He carries them all and this burdens Him not. “He is High and no one can reach the depths of His knowledge.
“He is the Greatest and all else is inferior before Him. “This is the mention of His throne which has been used as a metaphor in order to “illustrate that the heavens and the earth are in the control of God “and He is superior to them all and His greatness is boundless.”
Thus, this is the great God Whose greatness is limitless. He encompasses everything and has no bounds, He encompasses everything. When one develops an understanding of these matters only then can one attain nearness to God Almighty and receive His protection.
When one strives to seek the protection of God Almighty then one will, and should, also fulfil the rights of God Almighty and His creation. When these rights are being discharged then God Almighty will also grant His protection. We should keep this subject in view and also that the Holy Prophet (saw) has stated
That one who recites these verses shall remain in God Almighty’s protection. It is not sufficient to simply recite these verses, in fact one should also ponder over them and adhere to them. One should also try and develop and deeper comprehension and understanding of these verses
Which has been granted by the Holy Prophet (saw) and mentioned in many places of the Holy Quran and have been expounded by the Promised Messiah (as). If one acts accordingly then one shall remain in the protection of God Almighty through His Grace.
May God Almighty enable us to lead our lives according to this. After the prayers I will lead a funeral prayer in absentia of Abidah Begum Sahiba, a resident of Nawabshah and was the wife of Professor Abdul Qadir Dahri Sahib. She passed away on 22nd January at the age of seventy five.
[Arabic] To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. Her father’s name was Niaz Muhammad Khan, who was a government official and served as Chief Commissioner in East Pakistan, then later moved to Karachi, however he was not an Ahmadi. The mother of Abidah Begum was an Ahmadi and from among her children
Only Abidah Begum was an Ahmadi. In 1963 she performed the Bai’at and by the Grace of Allah she did her Wasiyyat. After she completed her BA, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) arranged her marriage with Abdul Qadir Dahri Sahib. God Almighty bestowed her with five daughters and one son.
She served as Sadr Lajna [president of local auxiliary for women] of Nawabshah for a long time, then served as Sadr Lajna of the Nawabshah district for a lengthy time. During her time as Sadr she formed a good relationship with all her Lajna members.
To hold meetings she would travel great distances across the district to the most far off places. Despite having a noble background, she had a very simple nature and would always assist the poor and needy. She would always visit those Ahmadi families that were underprivileged.
She had a passion for propagating the message of Islam. In Nawabshah, about 70 women performed the Bai’at due to her preaching endeavours. She would teach the local children how to read the Holy Qur’an. Her husband had the opportunity to translate the Quran into Sindhi.
He served as the Ameer of Nawabshah, and later served as the Ameer of Nawabshah District. At present, their son is the Ameer of the Nawabshah district. She ensured that her children obtained the best education possible. She was thorough in her worship, incredibly fearless and courageous woman who always displayed patience.
She was very grateful and had a simple nature who would always exhibit passion and sincerity. She had a profound love and connection with Khilafat. Her son writes: “She would always endeavour to seek guidance from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih (aba), “to the extent that two years ago she became severely ill.
“Owing to her diabetes she developed an infection in her leg “in which it became necessary to amputate her leg. “She said ‘Until I receive permission from the Khalifa, I will not go ahead with the operation.’” Then for several days she waited for a response
And until she received a reply from me, she did not proceed with the amputation. After this she said that they can do as they wish to continue. Through the Grace of Allah the Almighty, after having performed Bai’at, despite being a woman [in that society], she exhibited such steadfastness that
When her mother passed away, her brothers buried her discreetly in a non-Ahmadi graveyard. Since her mother was a Moosia [part of the institution of Al-Wasiyyat], in spite of pressure from her brothers, she removed her mother’s body and brought it to Rabwah and subsequently arranged for the burial in Bahishti Maqbarah.
Through the Grace of Allah the Almighty she was very wise in all of her dealings. She was regular in attending the Jalsas [Annual Convention] of Qadian and UK. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) once told her son: “Are you aware that your mother is like an unsheathed sword for Ahmadiyyat?”
In 1985, after the ordinance was passed by Zia-ul-Huq, the Kalima, declaration of faith, began to be erased from Ahmadi mosques. Her love for the Kalima can be gauged from the incident that when the members of the Jamaat were instructed to write the Kalima in their homes,
She climbed onto the water tank and began writing the Kalima herself, despite being a woman and belonging to a noble family that was cautious of such behaviour. Even towards her final days, a short while before she passed away, her son says that she had difficulty in breathing, but she gave him money
And instructed him to pay her remaining Waqf-e-Jadid and Tehreek-e-Jadid promises. In order to provide a [satellite] dish to Ahmadi homes, she launched a scheme whereby she set up a committee In which the money would be passed on to a different member each month, and through that she would install a dish, thereby they could listen to the [Friday] Sermons. Her son-in-law, Mirza Hasan Imran sahib, who resides in Australia writes: “She was a brave and courageous woman
“who would always be ready to offer every sacrifice for Ahmadiyyat. “She was regular in reciting the Holy Qur’an and listening to the sermons.” Despite not knowing Sindhi, or in fact knowing Urdu properly, her English was of a very high standard, as she was the daughter of a civil servant
She studied in English medium schools, first in East Pakistan, then other places later on. Nevertheless, after marriage, she managed to find ways to adapt to all situations. She went on to learn Sindhi and would preach the message of Ahmadiyyat to her non-Ahmadi Sindhi relatives.
May Allah the Almighty bestow his forgiveness and have mercy on her. May He elevate her status and enable her children to continue her virtuous 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.