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. “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, “as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.” By the Grace of Allah the Exalted, we are given the opportunity to pass through yet another month of Ramadan, which began yesterday.
During this month, a large number of Muslims – in addition to fasting also come to mosques in order to offer prayers, including the taraweeh [voluntary prayers offered in the nights of Ramadan] prayer and their attention is drawn towards it. Our mosques also become more populated during these days as compared to other days.
Nowadays, the verse which I have just recited is often being played on MTA. It reminds us that the objective of the fasting, which has been prescribed is taqwa [righteousness]. The objective of fasting, which was prescribed for previous religions was also taqwa.
Today, the adherents of those religions do not have their teaching in its original form, nor do they act upon it and neither is taqwa present in them. However, Islam is an everlasting religion. It is a religion which shall remain until the Day of Resurrection. Its teaching is everlasting.
The Holy Qur’an is preserved in every corner of the world in its original form and serves as a guidance for those who are righteous. Those, who act upon its teaching will always be on the path of taqwa and is a guidance for them.
Moreover, in the latter-days, God Almighty sent the Promised Messiah (as) for our reformation, for the propagation of the Holy Qur’an and drawing our attention towards acting on its teachings and also to reveal the paths [for us to follow]. He has enabled us to believe in him.
Thus, it is a huge responsibility upon us Ahmadis that we understand the essence of fasting and try to reach the objective of fasting, which is also the aim of Ramadan i.e. inculcating taqwa and continuously progressing in it. In the subsequent verses [from that which was recited in the beginning],
The details and guidelines pertaining to the commandments regarding fasting have been mentioned. Reciting the Holy Qur’an, following the commandments of Allah the Exalted and paying attention towards supplications have also been mentioned. However, the summary of all this has been mentioned in this one word of the verse, that the objective is righteousness.
Thus, make special efforts in this month by acting upon the commandments of Allah the Exalted and by paying attention to His worship so that your actions may assist you in adopting these things into your lives forever. Thus, during the month of Ramadan, when we try to attain righteousness,
Our attention will also be drawn towards the various aspects of worship. If we fast whilst adhering to righteousness, our attention will be drawn towards safeguarding ourselves from vices and towards seeking and acting upon the commandments of God Almighty. If we are not refraining from vices,
Whether they are affecting ourselves or causing distress to others, we should be aware that the purpose of fasting will only be fulfilled by abandoning such practices. If we are not doing so, if we are not abandoning them, then the objective of fasting will not be achieved. That is the meaning of taqwa.
Despite fasting if we harbour arrogance, if we pride ourselves unnecessarily on our actions and other matters related to us, or that we have the habit of self-admiration whereby we desire others to praise us, or that we like that our subordinates flatter us and we become happy at this fact,
Then this does not constitute as taqwa. If we are not refraining from fighting, quarrelling, telling lies and spreading disorder during the fasts, it cannot be [considered as] righteousness. If we are not spending our time during the fasts in worship, supplications and virtuous deeds,
It can neither be considered as righteousness, nor are we fulfilling the purpose of the fast. Thus, the very act of abstaining from vices and performing virtuous deeds during Ramadan enables a person to achieve the purpose of fasting. Furthermore, if a person endeavours to achieve this with steadfastness and perseverance,
He enables himself to truly achieve the purpose of fasting. Otherwise, he is merely starving himself. The Holy Prophet (saw) has said that God Almighty has no need for one to starve themselves if they are not achieving these objectives. Some people deceive [others] in the name of fasting, whereas they are not starving themselves.
They make it appear as if they are observing the fast, whereas they are not in fact doing so. There are people who have no control over their eating and drinking as they are unable to refrain from food and drink for even a few hours for the sake of God Almighty.
How can such people then restrain themselves in other matters? Only yesterday a survey was published in the newspaper in relation to Muslims observing the fasts here [in the UK]. The conclusion that was drawn was that the majority of the youth
Merely fast as an act of pretention and that they are completely unaware of the purpose of fasting. A Christian or a non-religious person, a non-Muslim, interviewed a youth who said that indeed, he observes the fast by having Sehri [pre-dawn meal] with his family in the mornings.
In his home the Sehri and Iftari [evening meal] were prepared regularly. The youth’s mother is sixty four years old and suffers from diabetes. She also observes fasts and despite this, she regularly prepares various things for them for Iftari.
However, the youth said that the truth of the matter is that due to the influence of the society or in order to show his family members, he pretends to fast and he had also eaten Sehri in the morning that day. However, he had eaten fish and chips for lunch
And he said that there are thousands of youths like himself who observe fasts in this manner. Hence, this is the reality of the fast for some people. Furthermore, even if some people starve themselves the entire day, they do not pay attention towards prayers and worship as they should do.
They offer a few formal prayers and that is it. They pay no heed towards the commandments and restrictions of God Almighty. Such fasts do not fulfil the purpose of attaining righteousness, which God Almighty has laid out. Thus, after having believed in the Promised Messiah (as)
It is a great responsibility upon our shoulders as Ahmadis to try and do justice to the fasts as God Almighty has commanded; to try and understand what righteousness is and how we can achieve it. The Promised Messiah (as) has informed us on various occasions who a righteous person is.
The true comfort and pleasure is acquired through righteousness and not through worldly pleasures and he has also explained in what manner we should perform virtuous deeds. In order for a person to become a true believer, he must perform every deed of his
In accordance with the desire of God Almighty and in order to acquire His pleasure. This is the very aspect which distinguishes a believer from a disbeliever. The Promised Messiah (as) also told us that a person should excel in the understanding of God Almighty.
Every coming day should allow us to progress in our comprehension of Allah. We should not become stationary at one place, nor should we become like those people who observe fasts due to the influence of society and as an act of pretention as mentioned in the example I just presented.
Rather we ought to excel in righteousness. Nevertheless, I will now present various extracts of the Promised Messiah (as) in relation to righteousness. Whilst admonishing us to tread on the path of righteousness in order to attain the pleasure of God Almighty,
As well as mentioning the fact that righteousness is the essence of all Holy Scriptures, the Promised Messiah (as) mentions his revelation and states: “Yesterday (in other words, he is making a mention of the Jalsa), on 22nd June 1899, “I repeatedly received this revelation from God Almighty that if you become righteous
“and tread on the subtle paths of righteousness, God will be with you.” The Promised Messiah (as) stated: “This created a great sense of agony in my heart “as to what I should do so that our Jama’at adopts true righteousness and purity.” The Promised Messiah (as) further stated: “I supplicate in such great abundance
“that I am overcome by fatigue and weakness during my supplications “and at times I faint and reach a state of near death.” The Promised Messiah (as) continues: “Until a Jama’at does not become righteous “in the sight of God Almighty, it cannot be endowed with Divine succour.”
The Promised Messiah (as) stated: “Righteousness is the essence of the teachings “of all Holy Scriptures and that of the Torah and the Gospels. “Through one word alone the Holy Qur’an has manifested the grand desire “and pleasure of God Almighty (i.e. in the word righteousness).”
The Promised Messiah (as) then says: “I am contemplating to separate truly righteous people, “those who give precedence to faith over the world and those who have devoted themselves to Allah “from among my Jama’at and entrust them with some form of religious duties. “Following that, I will be the least concerned about those people
“who are continuously engulfed in worldly matters and problems “and those who spend their days and nights in search for the futile world.” Thus, this was his agony that every member of his Jama’at should tread on the path of righteousness, instead of being troubled by the mere plights of this material world.
Following this, turning our attention to the fact that the essence of the Shari’ah [Islamic law] is in fact for us to tread on the path of righteousness and that if we desire for our prayers to be accepted we should tread on the path of righteousness,
The Promised Messiah (as) states: “One should adopt the path of righteousness “as it is righteousness that can be considered as the essence of the Shari’ah [Islamic law].” He is addressing Ahmadis and states: “If you wish to summarise the Shari’ah [Islamic law], “its essence can merely be righteousness. “Righteousness has many stages.
“However, if a person treads on the initial stages of righteousness “with the intention of seeking the truth and if he does so with perseverance and sincerity, “he is able to acquire the higher stages [of righteousness] due to his honesty “and search for the truth.”
Thus, it is essential to draw our attention towards virtuous deeds with steadfastness, be they trivial or profound virtues. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “God Almighty says “(Arabic – Holy Quran 5:28). “In other words, God Almighty accepts the prayers of the righteous. “This is His promise and there are no contradictions in His promises.
“He does not break His promise as He says: (Arabic – Holy Quran 3:10) “Thus, righteousness is a key component for the acceptance of prayers. “It is a fundamental condition, which cannot be removed. “In any case, righteousness is fundamental to the acceptance of prayers.”
The Promised Messiah (as) stated: “If a person desires for his prayers to be accepted, “whilst he is in [a state of] ignorance and misguidance, “will he not then be [considered to be] reckless and ignorant? “Therefore, it is essential for every member of our Jama’at to tread on the path of righteousness
“as much as possible so that they may experience the pleasure of the acceptance of prayers “and so that they may increase in faith.” Thus, in order to draw the benefits of Ramadan, the fundamental guideline is that our fasts and every deed of ours should be performed for the sake of acquiring righteousness.
Many people say that we have prayed abundantly, however, our prayers have not been accepted. They should first take a look within themselves and see whether their faith is preserved and whether they are treading on the path of righteousness or whether worldly affairs have overcome them.
Thus, this is also a condition for the acceptance of prayers. He (as) says: “In actuality there are grand promises for the righteous ones “and it is an established fact that God Almighty is the Guardian over them. “The people who claim to be the associates of the Divine Court are simply lying
“and are not righteous. “They live a life of disobedience and immorality. “They transgress and become enraged “and they attribute to themselves the status of sanctity and nearness to God.” The mention here is of so called saints because Allah Almighty has set a precondition of righteous in order to attain sainthood.
“He also sets another condition or one can say “that He shares a sign of righteous people by saying: “(Arabic) “ ‘And God is with them’ that is to say that God grants His support to those who are righteous. “The proof of Allah Almighty’s companionship can be found in is His support.”
If Allah Almighty continues to provide help, it means that He is with us. “The first door of sainthood has been closed and now the second door of disobedience “and divine support has closed in this manner also. “Remember, not only do they say that the promise of communion with Allah Almighty has ended,
“rather these people desire to shut the door to His help as well.” He (as) says: “Bear in mind that the support of Allah Almighty “can never be granted to the impure and disobedient ones. “It is dependent upon righteousness. “The help of God is for the righteous.” The Promised Messiah (as) says:
“A person is overtaken by difficulties and hardships “and there are various necessities that have to be met. “Righteousness is the key ingredient in order to resolve such issues.” If such issues are to be resolved, then this can only take place through righteousness and through this, solutions can be found. He (as) further says:
“In one’s life, righteousness is the source of deliverance from hardships and other trials. “Allah Almighty says: (Arabic). “God creates a way out for a righteous person from every difficulty “and He grants ways of liberation from hardships from the unseen. “He provides for such a person in a manner that they cannot comprehend.
“Therefore, one should offer this prayer a lot and should also keep in mind (Arabic). “If a person remembers this then their attention can always stay focused “on treading the path of righteousness.” The Promised Messiah (as) says: “Now ponder over what man desires from this world.
“His greatest desire is to attain comfort and prosperity in this world “and in order to achieve this, God Almighty has decreed one way “and that is the path of righteousness. “In other words it is called the way of the Holy Qur’an or it is labeled as the right path.
“One should not say that the disbelievers also have worldly riches and possessions “and they are embroiled in the luxuries of this life.” The Promised Messiah (as) says: “I say to you truthfully “that they seem happy to the worldly person. “They may seem satisfied in the sight of a shameless materialistic individual,
“those who are only devoted to the world, “but in reality they suffer from a burning anguish and misery. “You may have witnessed this on their expressions, however I can see it in their hearts. “They are entrapped with chains, iron collars, and a blazing fire. “They are confined in chains.
“As it is stated: (Arabic – Holy Quran 76:5) “That is – ‘Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers “ ‘chains and iron-collars and a blazing Fire’ The Promised Messiah (as) states: “They cannot approach virtue “because of the chains created by God.
“They are quelled [under these chains] like animals and beasts or even worst than that. “Their sight is always fixed towards the world and they continue to incline towards it. “At the same time they also suffer from a burning anguish. “If their wealth decreases or their plans are not as successful as they desired,
“they burn with anguish to the extent of madness and at times they visit courts aimlessly.” The Promised Messiah (as) further states: “It is a fact that a person of no faith is not safe from torment. “Such a person burns from within and we witness many things in this regard
“and also have read similar stories in the newspapers.” He (as) then says: “The reason for this is such a person cannot find peace and tranquility “which are a direct result of pleasure and contentment [from righteousness]. “For example, a drunkard drinks and asks for more, and continues to do so.
“In this way he is burning from within. “Similarly, a worldly person also continues to burn from within “and their desires cannot be quenched all of a sudden. “True prosperity is only for the righteous and Allah Almighty has promised “that for such a person there will be two paradises.”
Elaborating further on the fact that true happiness and pleasure can only be achieved through righteousness, the Promised Messiah (as) says: “A believer can find true comfort in a hut “which a worldly, covetous person can never find even in a very grand palace.”
“If one possesses contentment and righteousness and desires to attain the pleasure of Allah “then he can even survive in constraint conditions. “He can attain pleasure and comfort whereas the richest of people cannot attain such pleasure.” He (as) further says: “The more one acquires of the world, the more troubles he faces.
“Hence, always bear in mind that true comfort and pleasure is not attained by a worldly person. “Do not think that having an abundance of wealth, luxurious clothes “and extravagant food can be a means of happiness. “Of course not! Rather it depends on one’s Taqwa (righteousness).
“Thus one can infer from all of this that without true Taqwa “one is unable to acquire comfort and happiness. “So one should know that there are many types of Taqwa “which are spread like the cobwebs of a spider.
“That is to say that they are ranged like the web of a spider and like fine threads. “Taqwa is rooted in all the parts of a human being, i.e. “all the faculties of man such as one’s beliefs, words and morals.
“There must be Taqwa in ones beliefs, in one’s words and in one’s general behaviour.” With regards to fasting there is a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet (saw) said that the one who fasts should always keep his tongue pure
And if anyone argues with him then he should merely say ‘I am fasting and cannot answer you’. The Promised Messiah (as) says: “Whatever one utters is a delicate matter indeed. “At times one may say something which is completely void of Taqwa but makes one happy
“as he has said such and such a thing, yet it is certainly something very evil. “From this a fable comes to mind that a saintly person was invited by a worldly person to eat.” “Now one should observe the subtleties to this, not only did he profane and quarrel,
“he also displayed selfishness and ostentation. “These errors of the tongue, or rather sins which are committed by the tongue “are as a result of a lack of Taqwa and it is the same with these things.” The Promised Messiah (as) says: “A saintly person was invited by a worldly person to eat.
“When this saintly person arrived to eat the arrogant worldly person told his servant “to bring the tray which we brought from the Hajj “and then said bring the other tray which we brought from the second Hajj, “then he said bring the one from the third Hajj as well.
“The saintly person said to the worldly person that “you are very pitiful, with these three sentences you have ruined your three Hajj’s. “Your Hajj’s were as an outward display “and not for the sake of attaining the pleasure of Allah, they were void of Taqwa.”
The Promised Messiah (as) states: “The saintly person then said the reason why you uttered so “was to show that you have performed three Hajj’s. “This is why God Almighty has taught us to control one’s tongue “and refrain from uttering useless and meaningless words.”
Hence, we have not only been commanded to refrain from injuring others with our words. To show off and be selfish also lead one far away from good deeds and from Taqwa. So in this regard we must also pay great attention. The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“God Almighty has taught us (Arabic – Holy Quran 1:5) “It may have been that man could reply upon his own strengths “and subsequently become distant from God. “This is why immediately (Arabic – Holy Quran 1:5) has been taught.
“That is to say that do not think that the worship you perform is out of merit of your own strength. “By no means is it such, rather as long as one does not have the succour of God Almighty
“and God does does not grant you the strength to do so then one can do nothing. “Then (Arabic – Holy Quran 1:5) or (Arabic – Holy Quran 1:5) has not been stated “because this would seem like one gives preference to oneself, it would be one’s own expression
“that I am doing carrying out an action, whereas this is against Taqwa.” The Promised Messiah (as) says: “Taqwa incorporates the whole of mankind, “whereas the tongue is something which can lead someone far astray from it.” That is to say that Taqwa is required in all matters and affairs.
By the tongue one can go far away from Taqwa, in that one can display arrogance and by the tongue one adopts Pharaoh-like qualities, i.e. they begin claiming to be very important people. In the same way by the tongue one’s hidden good deeds turn into boasting and one can be harmed quickly by this.
The Promised Messiah (as) states: “We learn from a hadith that the one who protects his private parts “and his tongue from all evil is guaranteed Paradise. “Unlawful gain do not cause as much harm as does lying. “One should not infer from this that unlawful gains are a good thing
“and that only lying and dishonesty are harmful.” So do not think unlawful gains to be something good, it is a grave error to do so. The Promised Messiah (as) further states: “What I mean by this is that if one is driven by necessity
“to eat the flesh of swine then this is a separate matter “as permission has been granted by God Almighty in such circumstances, “but if through his tongue if he issues the edict [that eating] swine is permissible, “then he strays away from the sphere of Islam.”
The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Such a person permits “that which God Almighty has deemed unlawful. “Thus, it is clear from this that the harm of the tongue is very dangerous, “therefore a believer must strive to control his tongue “and to not allow any such words to be uttered which are against Taqwa.”
The Promised Messiah (as) says: “Control your tongues otherwise your tongues will control you “and you will speak in vain.” Many of us would have increased our Zikr Ilahi (remembrance of Allah) during fasts. Your increase in remembering Allah should correspond with a decrease in engaging in idle and unnecessary conversations.
You should make efforts towards achieving this so that you can attain the purpose of righteousness and fasting. Then the Promised Messiah (as) says: “Always reflect on to what extent have you increased in righteousness and purity. “The Quran is your benchmark for this. “Among the hallmark of believers, one Allah the Almighty has described
“is that Allah frees a believer from the obscenities of life “and becomes His guardian and benefactor. “As Allah the Almighty says (Arabic). “He who fears Allah, He delivers Him a path out of every affliction “and He provides him with provisions beyond his comprehension.
“In others words, another sign of a believer is that Allah the Almighty removes him “from dependence on nefarious needs and Himself provides for him.” Useless and vain desires are removed from a believers heart or do not even cross a believer’s mind.
This too is a characteristic of a believer and a mark of how Allah the Almighty treats believers. “For example, a shop keeper thinks that he cannot conduct his business without resorting to lies. “Hence he does not desist from lying and believes that this is the only recourse for him.
“However this is entirely incorrect as Allah the Almighty becomes the Protector of a believer Himself “and saves him from situations in which he feels compelled to lie.” In others words such situations do not even arise in which he would have to speak an untruth.
Remember when someone forsakes Allah the Almighty, then Allah the Almighty leaves Him. When Allah the Almighty leaves someone then surely Satan establishes his relationship with such a person. Then the Promised Messiah (as) says: “Do not think that Allah the Almighty is weak, rather He is All-Powerful.
“When you trust in Him for any matter then He certainly will come to your aid. “(Arabic) “Allah the Almighty is sufficient for He who puts his trust in Him. “However it is the followers of religion who are addressed in the preceding verse. “Their concerns and worries were all for the religion
“and they left all their worldly matters in the hands of God. “Hence, Allah the Almighty reassured them that He is with them. “In short one of the blessings borne out of Taqwah (righteousness) for a believer is “Allah the Almighty alleviates him from difficulties and grants him sincerity.”
In other words, for a person who possesses proper righteousness, Allah the Almighty removes his worldly problems and tribulations as well, so that it does not prove hindrance in his religious duties. Some say that their worldly problems and afflictions are so severe that it renders them unable to give time towards religious affairs.
However if they have true righteousness, Allah the Almighty will Himself resolve their worldly troubles and grant them the ability to serve the religion. The Promised Messiah (as) explains how there are two aspects to piety and how Allah the Almighty treats those who carry out virtues. He (as) says:
“All virtues carried out by man are divided into two “firstly are obligatory virtues and second are supplementary virtues. “However the second aspect, supplementary, is something man must also participate in. “Obligations are those which are mandatory, “for example if one takes a loan from someone it is compulsory to repay it.
“Also, to recompense one’s piety towards you with piety is obligatory. “If someone acts virtuously towards you, then you should respond in kind and fulfil their rights. The Promised Messiah (as) says: “This obligation does not mean “that that you are showing any favour to return someone’s kindness with similar kindness.”
In fact it is a duty to return someone’s goodness in kind and is a right of the other person upon you. The Promised Messiah (as) says: “In addition to these obligatory virtues are the supplementary ones. “These are those virtues which are additional, for example beyond showing kindness to someone,
“you show them an even greater degree of compassion and concern in return. “So you may return someone’s act of goodness with an equal act of goodness, “however this here entails to show kindness to someone beyond what was shown to you “this is ‘Nawafil’ – or supplementary virtue. “These are supplementary to obligations.
“Through this one’s obligations are perfected and become complete and reach its pinnacle, “as a person extends the scope of their virtuousness.” The Promised Messiah (as) says: “The AuliyaUllah (friends of Allah) too, perfected their obligations through supplementary virtues. “For example, in addition to Zakat they give other forms of Sadaqaat (charity).
“Allah becomes the Wali (friend) of such persons. “Allah the Almighty states that His friendship reaches a point “to where He becomes a person’s hands, feet and even tongue through which he speaks.” The Promised Messiah (as) then says: “The fact of the matter is that when a person purifies himself of selfish passions
“and eradicating his ego he develops within the determination to follow the Will of God. “Such a person’s actions are never inappropriate rather his every action is done “in accordance to the Will of Allah the Almighty. “When man is embroiled in tribulations his actions are done contrary to God’s Will.”
As soon as one faces difficulties he begins to act against God’s Will. “and contrary to God’s pleasure. “Such a person is driven by his passions and desires. “For example a person commits an action out of rage “which leads to litigation against him or criminal cases.
“However, if one ensures that they do not commit any action “unless they have consulted the Book of God Almighty “and he turns to the Book of Allah on every issue, “then certainly he will find guidance and advice from it. “As is said: (Arabic – Holy Quran 6:59)
“Nor anything green or dry, but is recorded in a clear book.” In other words the Holy Quran has clearly outlined every virtue and vice and all will be safeguarded who act upon it. If we resolve to obtain all guidance from the Book of Allah
Then surely you will extract the necessary advice from it. When you face afflictions in your worldly matters or if you commit a transgression it is a result of not obeying the commands of Allah. Man will fall deeper into difficulties if he leads his life without resorting to the Holy Quran as a guide
And without keeping in view the commands of Allah the Almighty. Here a distinction should be made that in religious matters Allah the Almighty places man in trial and He says that He does so to test man’s piety. Hence, the Promised Messiah (as) says that prophets most of all are put through trials.
On the other side are worldly affairs which man faces tribulations in, which are borne out of him possessing a materialistic and worldly outlook. Although he professes himself to be a believer, he fails to make an effort to follow the commands found in the Holy Quran.
This consequently embroils him in afflictions and he endures tribulations. Then the Promised Messiah (as) says: “One who is consumed by his passions and desires will certainly inflict harm and loss.” It is further expounded here that one who follows his egotistical wishes will suffer loss in his worldly affairs.
“On the other hand, God Almighty states that those who are His walis [saintly people], “converse with Him, walk with Him and work with Him, “in other words they are wholly devoted to Him. “Thus, the less one is devoted to God Almighty, the further he is away from God.
“However, if he is devoted to God Almighty “just as God Almighty has stated then one cannot measure the level of their faith. “In support of them, God Almighty states: “(Arabic) ‘One who opposes My wali, opposes Me.’ “Such people who come forward in virtuous deeds
“then God Almighty Himself supports His wali and completely destroys the enemy. “Look how great the stature and rank of a wali is “that he is so close to God that to cause any torment to him is akin to causing torment to God,
“thus how great of a helper would God be for such a one.” Advising us on living a life of humility and meekness, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “A condition for those who wish to be counted amongst the righteous “is that they should lead a life of humility and meekness.
“This is one of the branches of Taqwa through which we are to overcome unlawful anger. “To refrain from anger is the ultimate and most arduous stage “for many wise men and pious individuals. “Arrogance and pride are borne out of anger.” Arrogance and pride are a result of anger.
“One only becomes angry when he considers himself to be superior to the other. “I do not wish for the members of my Community to consider others to be superior or inferior, “or to look upon others with conceit and disdain.
“It is God alone that knows who among them is superior and who is inferior. “There is a risk that one who carries such contemptuous disposition “that it may sprout like a seed and become the means for one’s destruction. “Certain people meet those superior to them in a very courteous manner
“but superior is he who listens with humility to those who are in need “and comforts them and affords respect to what they say “and does not exhibit any kind of exasperation which could cause pain to the other. “God Almighty states: (Arabic – Holy Quran 49:12) “‘nor call one another by nicknames.
‘Bad indeed is evil reputation after the profession of belief’.” (Arabic) “And those who repent not are the wrongdoers.” The Promised Messiah (as) further states: “Do not call one another names out of aversion for the other as this is an immoral act.
“One who causes pain to others shall not die until he himself is inflicted with the same condition. “Do not consider your brothers to be lowly. “When all of you drink from the same fountainhead “then who knows who is destined for a greater share from it.
“One does not become honourable and respectable due to worldly principles. “One who is honourable in the sight of God is he who is righteous. “‘Verily, the most honourable among you, ‘in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. ‘Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware.’”
God Almighty is well aware of everything and knows whether one is showing true righteousness or merely for pretence. Since God Almighty has knowledge of everything, therefore the righteousness which He has commanded us to adopt must be done by assessing our conditions with great vigilance.
Elaborating upon how a believer who adheres to righteousness responds to any kind of success that he is granted and how a non-believer expresses himself, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “Always remember this principle that it is the duty of a believer that he feels humbled
“and instead praises God Almighty when he is granted any kind of success. “In other words, he attributes that success to God Almighty “and praises Him for bestowing His grace upon him. “In this way he progresses further and remains steadfast “in the face of every trial and attains faith.
“Generally observing, the success of a Hindu and a believer is similar in one respect “but remember that the success of a non-believer leads one astray “while the success granted to a believer opens the doors to further rewards. “The success of a non-believer leads him astray for he does not turn towards God,
“rather he considers his own efforts, intellect and wisdom to be his gods. “However, a believer is one who turns towards God and establishes a new connection “and thus after every success he develops a new relationship with God “and begins to further progress.
“(Arabic – Holy Quran 16:129) ‘Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous.’. “Keep in mind that the word ‘Taqwa’ has appeared many times in the Holy Quran “and its meaning is based on the preceding word. “Here, the word ‘Ma’ [with] precedes it, therefore meaning that one who gives preference to God
“then God shall give preference to him and will save him from facing any kind of humiliation. “It is my belief that if one wishes to save himself from every kind of disgrace and hardship “in this world then the only way is to become righteous and he will be in need of nothing else.
“Therefore, the success of a believer enables him to further progress “and he does not remain stagnant.” The Promised Messiah (as) further states: “Many accounts of people’s lives have been written in books wherein it states that initially “they had a very deep bond with this world,
“however they made a supplication which was accepted and “thereafter it led to a complete transformation in them. “Thus, do not show pride over the acceptance of your prayers and successes, “in fact show admiration to the grace and blessings of God Almighty.
“It is the grace of God Almighty that He accepted your prayers and do not just become joyful “and proud rather look upon the blessings of God Almighty. The Promised Messiah (as) says: “Upon earning success if one demonstrates courage and resolve,
“one is granted a new lease of life, from which one ought to derive benefit from. “One should progress in attaining the cognizance of God Almighty. “If one achieves success or their prayers are accepted, then this should increase them in their “understanding of the nature of God Almighty,
“because the greatest accomplishment which will be of benefit is the cognizance of God Almighty. “This can only develop by pondering over the Grace and Blessings of God Almighty. “Nobody can inhibit the Blessing of God Almighty.” The Promised Messiah (as) further says: “Occasionally extreme poverty can cause a person to experience great hardship.
“For this reason it is mentioned in the hadith, (Arabic) which means that poverty can distort ones “appearance or cause it to darken, or that poverty can distance an individual from faith.” The Promised Messiah (as) further says: “I have seen such people myself who “due to poverty have become atheists.
“Nevertheless, a believer never harbours ill suspicion against God “irrespective of the hardship that befall him. “Also, he deems the trial to be a result of his own conduct “and therefore seeks God Almighty’s Mercy and Grace. “Eventually, when the trial is removed and he sees his prayers fulfilled,
“he never forgets the time of hardship, rather, he always remembers the difficult times. “In short, if one believes that only through God Almighty one can achieve anything, “then adhere to righteousness. “Fortunate is the one who adopts righteousness in times of success and happiness
“and ill-fated is the one who stumbles and does not incline towardsGod.” The Promised Messiah (as) further says: “God Almighty safeguards the one “who adopts righteousness and assists them. Taqwa means to abstain from vice and Mohsinoon are those people who not only abstain from vice, but they also carry out virtuous deeds.
“God Almighty has further stated that (Arabic), i.e. “they are the ones who carry out the best of virtuous deeds in the most befitting manner.” The Promised Messiah (as) is explaining the commentary of this verse and says: “The phrase (Arabic) was revealed to me constantly.
“In fact, it was revealed to me so many times that I am unable to count. “God Almighty revealed this to me approximately two thousand times “and the reason for this is so that the members of the Community should not simply feel assured “that they have joined this Community,
“or that they should be confident in their profession of belief. “One can only gain the nearness of God and come under His protection “when one adopts true righteousness and also carries out virtuous deeds. “(Arabic) “The translation of this is ‘Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good’”.
The Promised Messiah (as) then says: “One can only gain the nearness of God and come under “His protection when one adopts true righteousness and also carries out virtuous deeds. “ (Arabic) Each day, God Almighty records the deeds of an individual.” The Promised Messiah (as) further says:
“Thus, man should also keep a record of their daily activities “and should deliberate as to whether “or not they have made any progress in carrying out virtuous deeds. “One’s today and tomorrow should not be the same. “The one whose today and tomorrow, with respect to performing virtuous deeds, is the same,
“then he has failed. “If an individual believes in God Almighty and has complete faith in Him, he is never wasted. “In fact, for that one individual, hundreds of thousands of people can be saved.” The Promised Messiah (as) then narrates an incident, “Once a saintly man was travelling on a ship.
“A storm arose in the sea with such ferocity that the ship was close to sinking. “However, through the prayers of that man, the ship was saved. “At the time of prayer God Almighty revealed to him “that everyone on the ship had been saved because of him.”
The Promised Messiah (as) then says, “This cannot be accomplished by mere verbal discourse, “rather one has to strive to achieve this.” The Promised Messiah (as) then says: “God Almighty has vouchsafed to me (Arabic) “ However in order for this to occur, everyone must adopt righteousness.” The Promised Messiah (as) further says:
“In order for my prayers to be accepted one must make themselves worthy. “Only then will my prayers be accepted for you and for this, righteousness is a vital component.” May Allah the Almighty enable us to fast and offer worship in this month of Ramadan
Whilst adopting righteousness and may this month of Ramadan bring blessings for the Jama’at, for all Muslims and the rest of the world. During these days, pray especially for the Ahmadis residing in Pakistan, as their hardships are increasing on a daily basis. May God Almighty shower His grace upon them.
May we fulfil the rights of fasting by adhering to righteousness and may we focus our attention on prayers. Likewise, may God Almighty have mercy on the Muslims and grant their leaders and clerics the insight to accept the Imam of the age.
Similarly, on a daily basis there are new reports that the sparks for world war are visible. As for the major powers, it seems as though they are heading towards a global catastrophe at great pace and there does not seem to be any sign of preventing this.
Therefore, may Allah the Almighty specially protect the Muslims and especially Ahmadis from the adverse effects of the war and also protect the general population from these adverse effects. If there are any chances for them to gain the nearness of God Almighty and there is hope for
Their reformation by which they can accept God Almighty, then may God Almighty create those circumstances by which they accept God Almighty and save themselves from destruction. 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 (saw) 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.