Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2015
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) says: “Remember, man should remain in constant supplication and prayer, “at every moment and circumstance.” Secondly, he should act upon “And the bounty of thy Lord, proclaim” [Holy Qur’an 93:12] and constantly remind himself of the favours of God the Almighty.
This increases love of God and instils a passion within to submit and obey him. Indeed, we witness Divine favours and bounties on a daily basis, and this should increase our love of God, and draw attention to proclaiming his blessings. However, when I am on tour, the bounties of God increase manifold.
Allah infuses his blessings into the various programmes, conveys the message of Islam to many more people than usual and causes the hearts of people to be stirred. I was recently on a tour of Germany, and although the main purpose was to attend the Jalsa,
God the Almighty created various means to introduce the reality of Islam to people and spread its teachings to them. As mentioned, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that man should remain constantly engaged in supplication. Most certainly, we would be unable to progress even an inch without prayers.
We should always pray sincerely and may Allah the Almighty enable us to pray with due justice. Then he says: “Along with prayers, when we witness the bounties of God descending, when we witness God manifesting His attributes in different ways many times more than our meagre efforts,
It becomes necessary to constantly remember God’s favours upon us, and to relate them. This then infuses love of God into the hearts of the true believers. It also stirs passion in their hearts towards submitting and obeying God which in turn attracts further bounties and blessings of God.
And so, God’s favours descended on Germany Jalsa and other programmes during the tour. And the message of Islam Ahmadiyya, was disseminated on a very large scale and widespread in the country. This should incite us to proclaiming God’s bounties. Germany Jama’at should especially be extremely grateful for the blessings showered by God.
This gratitude should lead up to submitting to God in humility, so that God increases his favours on us. We cannot affect the hearts of others without the Grace of God. Unless God wills, man cannot move the hearts of others. One may try a hundred thousand times,
But will fail to effectively convey his message, unless God desires for him to do so. Sometimes a passionate speech does not inspire others, whereas a simple speech delivered in a moderate tone does. This is what we experience during the Jalsa. The non-Muslims in attendance expressed their feelings,
And I will briefly mention some of these at this time. With the Grace of Allah the Almighty, many people came to Germany Jalsa from Eastern Europe and neighbouring countries. Many are non-Ahmadi and non-Muslims come due to their acquaintances with Ahmadis
To learn the truth and often are so inspired by the servants of the Imam of the time, that they decided to join the community and take the Bai’at, the oath of allegiance. This year also, delegations were in attendance from Macedonia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Latvia, Russia, Hungary, Lithuania, Croatia and Slovenia.
From neighbouring European countries including: Belgium, Holland, France, Sweden, Spain and Italy new Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis also participated. Similarly, Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis living in Germany, originally from Russian countries, and also from Turkey attended in large numbers. Meetings were held with all of these people and question and answer sessions were held.
I shall present the sentiments expressed by some. 16 people attended from Albania, out of whom two took the Bai’at, after listening to the Jalsa. One friend participated with his wife, both of whom are in the field of law. He is an Ahmadi, however his wife took the Bai’at after participating in the Jalsa,
And after a meeting; all praise belongs to Allah. She remarked that her experience at the Jalsa was extraordinary, where she witnessed love, sincerity, selfless service and devotion. This, she said, had deeply touched her heart. She relates that her husband, who is also a lawyer like her,
Had been preaching to her for some time. The beauty of Ahmadiyya was embedded in her heart as a result. However, she had now accepted Ahmadiyyat with full conviction. This lady was crying throughout her meeting with me. She is not elderly, rather, she is quite young.
As such, there is a great heed among the youth towards recognising the reality of Islam. Another person, Ibrahim Sahib, announced during the Mulaqaat that he had accepted Ahmadiyya and took the Bai’at to join. He says that, “Although I had greatly delayed taking the step, “today I joined Ahmadiyyat with full conviction
“and I am absolutely sure I made the correct decision. Another person from Kosovo said that he attended the Jalsa Salana last year. However, he noticed an exceptional improvement and enlargement in the arrangements at this year’s Jalsa. In short, these improvements and increased scale of Jalsa are due to the grace of Allah.
This should lead the administration to becoming even more grateful to God. A 62-person delegation attended the Jalsa from Macedonia, among whom were 14 Christians, and 27 were non-Ahmadi Muslims. They reached after making a long journey of roughly 2000 kilometres, taking 36 hours.
Two among them were TV journalists, who filmed various scenes at the Jalsa. They also recorded interviews and afterwards said that upon their return, they would produce a TV programme for broadcast. A guest from Macedonia said: “after attending the Jalsa, I am now leaving with its memories.
“The arrangements of the Jalsa were so expansive “that any organisation would barely be able to perform them. “In fact, I would say that even a large country “would not be able to organise a programme of this standard.” Another gentleman from Macedonia said: “It is the first time I have met such nice people.
“What has impressed me the most is the message of Islam which I have received from here. “The messages that you have displayed on the walls are not limited to just text. “In fact, you put them into practice. “This has had a profound effect upon my heart.”
Then, Tony Sahib, a guest from Macedonia said: “As a journalist, I have participated in many programmes around the world. “However, this was better than all of them. “Everything had been very nicely organised and there was discipline too. “What impressed me the most is that everyone is equal in the sight of God.
“Everyone had patience and there were no disputes due to difference of faith, nation, and language. “As a non-Muslim, this is a matter of great significance for me.” Another guest from Macedonia said: “this is the first time I have attended the Jalsa Salana;
“everything was new to me and I never knew that such a community exists in Islam. “After having attended this Jalsa, I find myself intellectually in a better state. “I have acquired more knowledge of Ahmadiyya and experienced it too. “I feel as if I am part of this community.
“For such a large number of people to gather, “and then to provide for their needs, is indeed a huge task.” He also had the opportunity to meet me and said: “I will ponder over all the things you have said, “and see what are the differences between us and the Ahmadis.”
That in fact, was his question: what is the difference between an Ahmadi and a non-Ahmadi? So he said: “I have really liked everything you have said. “My message for the community is that you should send missionaries to my country
“and other countries where the community has not been established and tell people about Ahmadiyya.” Such demands are not just the odd case, in fact they come from many places. A guest from the delegation from Macedonia said: “It is the first time I have had such a close interaction with Muslims.
“I have heard speeches regarding the teachings of Islam. “The Muslims here have given us such a welcome, that it seemed as if they had always known us.” A gentleman from Bosnia said that before he had never had a strong link with the community, but after having met the Head of the Ahmadiyya community,
He has undergone an extraordinary change. His respect for the community, and particularly for Khalifatul Masih has increased greatly in his heart. A Russian family came from Sweden. They brought a friend with them who had accepted Ahmadiyya in 2013, but did not get the opportunity to meet me.
After meeting me, he became very passionate, and kept expressing that he thought he would not be able to meet me due to the busy schedule. But the opportunity arose and he was in very high spirits. The missionary writes that on the way to the Jalsa,
He would ask to stop so that he could stretch his legs and walk, as he suffered from leg pains. However, on the way back, he completed the 17 hour journey without any breaks. After arriving home, when he was asked why he did not stop,
He said: “I did not even realise that my legs had any problems, because of the blessings of Jalsa.” Also, a member of the Croatian delegation said: “prior to coming to the Jalsa, I read the present Head of the Community’s book,
“ World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace . I also read Khalifatul Masih’s keynote address, “delivered at the peace symposiums in 2014 and 2015. “I had the impression that the leader of the community was strict in certain matters, “and would have a strict temperament. “However, these impressions disappeared after meeting him.”
She has started to conduct further research into the community. A friends from Hungary attended the Jalsa. He has served in different ranks in the police force, and he now serves the community by working in a fund named after their Prime Minister, and is Christian by faith.
Expressing his emotions, he said: “Everyone, whether big or small, “were greeting one another with salaam and meeting each other with love. “Although I could not understand the language, “their facial expressions suggested that they were distributing love.
“I have travelled the world and never have I seen such scenes anywhere in the world like this. “The Jalsa has had a strange impact upon me. “I will certainly tell my friends and family about the Ahmadiyya Community’s Jalsa.” Peter Sahib is also from Hungary and is Jewish by faith;
The missionary from there says that before attending the Jalsa, whenever they would speak with regards to Islam and Judaism, he would often become argumentative. However, since meeting me, he has said: “You people do not only believe in ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’,
“in fact I have also observed that you practise this motto.” He has now said that whenever the community requires anything in Hungary, he will cooperate with the community. Thus, these are the changes that God the Almighty causes. Ismael Sahib was part of the delegation from Hungary.
He was from Burkina Faso but now lives in Hungary. He accepted Ahmadiyya a short while ago in Hungary and wanted to attend with his two daughters. His wife is Hungarian, and said that she would not allow her daughters to go alone,
Because she did not know what kind of Muslims he was taking them to. Therefore, the grandmother of the daughters also came. The impact of the Jalsa, which was bound to have an effect on them, indeed did. But it also had a great effect on their grandmother too.
She saw the various proceedings of the Jalsa and was shown the video entitled: ‘One Community, One Leader’, and that too had a great effect upon her. Before entering the Jalsa hall, she said she had not brought anything with her to cover her head.
Therefore, she asked for a head covering from the ladies, and covered her head. During the meeting with me, she was very emotional and said: “this is a completely different world that I am witnessing.” And all her reservations have gone away.
A friend from Germany, Suleman Sahib, who is from the Central Republic of Africa, says: “I received an invitation for the Jalsa, “and thought that there would be no more than 50-100 people attending the event, “in which there will be a small discussion and some food and drink, “after which everyone would go home.
“However, my view has completely changed since coming here. “There were people gathered in their thousands, “and I just cannot come out of the enchanting experience of the Jalsa. “Everything here is mesmerising and your method of preaching is unique.
“If they continue to preach in this way, then only a highly unfortunate person can reject it.” One person who came from Montenegro, Rageb Sahib said: “I heard the speeches, saw the arrangements and it was an extraordinary event.” Rageb Sahib also said: “It is a commonly held belief among the Muslims in Montenegro,
“that God forbid, the Ahmadiyya Community does not accept the Holy Prophet (saw). “However, when one closely observes the community, “it is immediately evident, that this is a complete lie which the Maulvis have circulated.” Another friend from Morocco, who now lives in Belgium says: “I cannot explain my emotions.
“It was such a spiritual atmosphere that has left an impression to the core of my soul. “I have witnessed a true image of Islam here.” He says, “My perception of Ahmadiyya has completely changed “after meeting the Khalifa of the time and listening to his speech.
“May God enable me to do the Bai’at so that I become a servant of faith, “and spread the message of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) across the world. A German guest said that this was the first opportunity for him to learn about Ahmadiyya.
He then said about me that whatever I have said is the truth. “And if all of mankind starts to adhere to this, then peace will establish in the whole world. “I have learnt about Islam far more than I have expected, “and I have received great pleasure from it.”
A new convert from France who lives in Algeria did the Bai’at only three weeks ago, and says, “I was a Muslim but was not steadfast. “Yesterday, after reading the Friday prayer behind Khalifatul Masih, “I sought great pleasure and cried for the first time in my prayer.
“Prior to accepting Ahmadiyya, all my affairs were in a state of limbo, “but ever since I have become Ahmadi, everything has been rectified. “I witness the signs of God the Almighty every day.” A student says, “Prior to coming to Jalsa, “I had a very negative impression of Islam because of electronic media
“but found everything to be different after listening to the speeches and programmes of Jalsa. “Everyone’s attitude was so positive and I am witnessing the true Islam through your image.” Similarly there are many other impressions. A lawyer from Lithuania says, “I have been greatly impressed after attending the Jalsa.
“I have listened to the addresses of your Khalifa. “It is a new experience for me regarding Islam. “Here I have learnt about the reality of the teachings of Islam. “I am grateful to you, and as a lawyer I will fully support you “in terms of allowing your legal right to practice in Lithuania.”
One person from Bosnia said that, “Khalifatul Masih presented a clear concept of the living God. “It is only the Ahmadiyya Muslim community today which claims that there is a living God “and has the ability to prove it as well. “You explained this concept to us in easily comprehensible language and an excellent manner.”
A Muslim person that lives on the border of Germany and Belgium said that before attending the Jalsa in Germany, he did not take religion and the Jama’at seriously. He said, “I had a complete change of heart by attending the Jalsa.
“The community I never took seriously showed me the best days of my life “in the shape of the Jalsa Salana.” Then he mentioned a long dream of his. A new German Ahmadi, Patrick, says that, “Today I have the honour of taking the oath of allegiance, the Bai’at.
“What motivated me to do so was the English address of the Khalifatul Masih to German people. “Through the Khalifa, I saw genuinely love in the Ahmadiyya Muslim community “and my heart is full of love and the light of understanding.”
A Syrian gentleman whose father is Ahmadi used to live in Russia with his father. He is in Holland these days pursuing his studies. His father used to preach to him about the Ahmadiyya Muslim community but he was not convinced enough to take the oath of allegiance.
Before the Jalsa, he used to hold question and answer sessions with our missionaries every day. Our missionaries used to give him proof about the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) but he was not convinced. At this, our missionary-in-charge told him to pray. The Syrian gentlemen said, “I do pray.”
So our missionary said, “You need to pray with extreme passion and anguish “that Allah the Exalted grant you the right path.” After the second day of Jalsa, I gave an address and held a meeting with the German guests. I do not know if he attended that meeting or not.
Anyway, on the day of my address, he said to our missionary that, “Please can you show me just one proof of the truthfulness “of the Promised Messiah from the Holy Qur’an.” The missionary in charge showed him evidence. He also showed him many prophecies and the progress of the Jama’at.
The Syrian gentlemen said that, “I wish to take the oath of allegiance now “because God has shown me a sign.” He said during the night he prayed to God with extreme passion and anguish. He saw in his dream when he slept at night that
There was a big wall on which the words Al-Ahmadiyya was written in bold letters and there was an exceptionally bright light emitting from this. And as I was addressing the German people, the Syrian gentlemen asked for a sign from God
And wished he could have an opportunity to stand close to the Khalifatul Masih. After a short while, he felt like he was dozing off and then he saw himself standing next to the Khalifatul Masih on the stage. This made him appreciate the truth.
He said he asked for evidence from the Holy Qur’an just to be doubly sure. However the truth had been revealed to him with his prayers and this dream. He was fully convinced therefore he took the Bai’at, the oath of allegiance. A gentleman of Algeria says that, “Every time I attend the Jalsa,
“it increases my faith in an exceptional manner. “I see the signs of the victory of Allah in many ways. I feel as if I am in paradise. “This is because everyone offers each other prayers of peace “despite coming from different backgrounds and speaking different languages.”
This is what Allah has said in the Holy Qur’an that believers will offer each other the offering of peace. A Christian delegate from Italy said that he was the general secretary of an organisation called the Religions for Peace. He has significant connection in the Vatican City.
He has authored many books on Catholic theology. He seemed to have a good impression of the Jalsa Salana. He wrote an article in his magazine when he went back to Italy which thousands of people read. He wrote in his article that, “I have to accept that the atmosphere in the Jalsa was astonishing.
“When you see written in bold letters ‘love for all, hatred for none’ “the first question in your mind is, are these people really Muslim? “There is no doubt that these people are definitely Muslim. “The atmosphere of Jalsa was full of unity.
“I saw with my own eyes thousands of people belonging to different nations; “young, old, children and families were presented in an extremely organised community. “What impressed me particularly was hundreds of people were working there “voluntarily without any reimbursement. “The person that used to take me to Jalsa from my hotel explained to me
“that he has taken leave for two weeks without pay to take me to Jalsa.” About me, he says he was impressed by my speeches. He says, “His speeches guide one to the right path “and he promotes love, brotherhood, unity and national harmony.” He also published his detailed article in Italy.
A doctor from Syria who attended the Jalsa said that, “I have never seen such an organised community before. “We have a problem organising six people and here there are nearly forty thousand people “and there was no pushing or shoving going on. “I have a deep reverence for the Promised Messiah and the Khalifa.
“I have read the book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya “and I swear upon God that in the 19th century no such book has been written “for the defence of Islam either in Arab or any other country.” May God enhance his understanding and enable him to accept the truth.
With the grace of God, there was an exceptional impact upon others from this Jalsa. I could only mention a few of these incidences and only as a very short summary. The blessings of Jalsa are extraordinary. At the same time some guests have given a critique of things we could do differently.
Guests normally give positive feedback but tend to get embarrassed to mention things that need improvement. One lady from Albania mentioned that women were wasting pitta bread and curry. There are lots of qualities in our ladies and they should try and overcome this weakness. The organisers in Germany, in particular Lajna, should raise awareness
And encourage those who are eating to not waste food. Similarly a lady from Macedonia said that the accommodation was too far and all this travelling made them tired. So the organization should try and house the guests closer to the Jalsa. Similarly the Officer of Jalsa Salana has noted a few things.
Indeed real progress comes when we realise our own shortcomings and try to improve these. It was noticed that people were not focused on cleanliness and threw rubbish anywhere. People should be mindful of that and should try and support each other to maintain cleanliness.
Regarding what some have said, it is only possible to cook one type of food in the Langar Khana . Some people have complained about this as they wanted pasta. The real sustenance of Jalsa is the spiritual sustenance.
Therefore, Ahmadis should not complain about this and should eat happily what is offered to them. This is how we do things. Only one type of food will be cooked. Sometimes the organisers take quite strict stands in some matters, which leads to difficulties for others.
They should use their judgment and if the need is justified then they should do their best to help which may mean not strictly following the rules. All workers should try to always be kind and do everything for the comfort of their guests. Overall the organisation of the Jalsa was excellent
And this time the Officer of Jalsa Salana and his team did a lot better than the last few years. Shortcomings are inevitable when organised at a big level but should be addressed. InshAllah, organisation will improve even further next time. May Allah the Exalted reward those workers who worked really hard.
On the first day there were more guests than expected therefore there were some challenges in providing bedding on the first night but that was resolved nicely. Last year’s issue with the sound system has been addressed with the grace of Allah.
Just as I always do, I am most grateful to the workers who served at this Jalsa. During the tour of Germany, along with the Jalsa, I inaugurated some mosques as well. I will briefly mention these. In Aachen, our mosque was inaugurated and a neighbour attended the ceremony.
The neighbour said he specifically came to this meeting because he had heard the address of the Khalifa to the European parliament. He wanted to see if the Khalifa promotes the teachings of peace only in front of important and influential leaders
Or if he gives the same message of peace to ordinary people as well, so he came to see if we have double standards. He said, “I heard the address of the Khalifa who has presented exactly the same policy “as he presented to the European parliament.
“He directed all to promote love for each other, to be kind, to be patient, “to show reserve and to enhance each other with righteousness. “All this has really impressed me.” Similar sentiments were expressed by the Mayor and other people attending. In the province of Hessen, a mosque was inaugurated – Baitul Wahid.
A Member of Parliament who was also District Commissioner expressed his views in his speech. He said, “The speech of the Khalifa has left a good impression on us. “You addressed the non-Muslims citizens directly “and drew attention to that they all belong to one God.
“Therefore they should try and be mindful of each other’s self-respect “and resolve differences by adopting peaceful means.” He said that this speech should be available on the Internet and he also requested the transcript of the speeches. A female German member of parliament said that,
“I am pleased that I am attending the inauguration of this mosque “and before that I also attended a mosque inauguration in Florsheim as well. “There are some doubts about the teachings of Islam today “therefore it is required that we all work together to promote the message of peace.
“The inauguration of the mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community here “tells us that we all wish to live here in peace, love and brotherhood. “The building of the mosque shows that Germany is the country for Ahmadis.” There are many other impressions of people.
One guest said, “It was difficult for me to have a good impression of Islam, “but the picture presented today by the Khalifa has made me see that “Islam is a religion of peace and promotes compassion. “This concept of Islam is in complete harmony with the teachings of the Holy Qur’an.”
One engineer who worked at the building of the mosque said that, “I agree with everything the Khalifa has said in his speech. “I was expecting this to be a typical ceremony in a church with lots of pomp and ceremony “but this was a very unpretentious function.”
There was significant coverage of this tour in the electronic media. Several newspapers published 88 news items regarding this altogether. The news was broadcast on eight different radio stations and four television channels. Therefore through newspaper, radio and television this message reached 106 to 107 million people.
Regarding Jalsa Salana Germany, it was reported 36 times in the news and the collective readership is roughly 32 million. Three different radio stations also relayed news about the Jalsa and these are quite well-known radio stations. Similarly four different television channels showed programmes regarding the Jalsa Salana.
And on the last day of Jalsa a female reporter interviewed me. That interview was to be published in the biggest online newspaper in Germany. Its publication is more than 17 and a half million. Therefore, altogether the message was relayed to approximately 34 million people.
Then regarding the inauguration of mosques, 50 news items were given in the newspapers and the readership of these newspapers is approximately 62 million. Two radio stations broadcasted regarding the inauguration of the mosque Baitul Wahid in Hanau. Along with that, the famous RTL channel in Germany interviewed me
And a news item of 2 minutes 23 seconds was relayed. Three newspapers published news about the mosque inauguration in Aachen. They have a readership of roughly 160,000. A foundation stone for a mosque was laid and this was mentioned in newspapers with a readership of nearly six million.
The ceremony of the inauguration of the mosque in Vechta was reported in four newspapers with a readership of approximately 2.6 million. A newspaper there, Die Zeit, published my interview and this has a readership of one and a half million. This is a weekly newspaper, which is published every Thursday since 1946
And 500,000 copies are sold and it has five million online subscribers. An Ahmadi journalist took my interview. With the grace of Allah, Ahmadis are also entering the field of media and taking the true message of Islam to the world. May Allah the Exalted grant them knowledge and understanding and blessings.
Therefore, Jalsa is a source or moral and spiritual training for the Ahmadis and many men and women write letters to this effect. At the same time, Jalsa gives an opportunity to present the true picture of Islam to others. This leads to people taking the oath of allegiance.
Many people who, according to the administration, are not ready to take the oath of allegiance were able to do so after meeting me and asking a few questions. So how can we possibly be grateful for all the blessings and kindness of God?
How can we possibly count all the blessings that God has granted us? May Allah the Exalted enable the community to benefit from these blessings. May these new converts get totally integrated into the community and may the blessings of Jalsa keep expanding.
May Allah bless all these people with the benefits of attending the Jalsa and may He make us truly grateful to Him. After the Friday prayers, I will lead the funeral payer of respected Rashida Begum Sahiba, wife of Mr Mohammad Deen Sahib Badr, Dervish of Qadian.
She passed away at the age of 77 on the 1st of June 2015. To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. She was from Dharwad, Karnataka. She was married to one of the 313 Dervish, Mr Mohammad Deen. She always advised her children to be pious, righteous
And always have a strong commitment to Khilafat. She was extremely content and faced the destitution of being Dervish and a big family. She left behind four sons and four daughters. Two of her sons are serving the community: Mr Mubashir Ahmad Badar, who serves as Vice President Amoomi and local missionary
And Mr Tahir Ahmad Badar as Naib Nazir of Baitul Maal (expenses). One of her sons-in-law is Mr Munir Ahmad Hafizabadi, Vakil-e-Ala Tehrike Jadid and her other son-in-law is Mr Shams Uddin is serving as a Muallim (teacher). She was a moosia and was buried in Qadian.
May Allah the exalted treat her with forgiveness and increase her status and grant her the paradise of his aberration. May Allah the Almighty grant her family fortitude and patience and enable them to carry on her virtues.