Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2016
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. [Arabic 2:187] ‘And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: ‘I am near. ‘I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me.
‘So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way.’ [2:187] By placing this verse of the Holy Quran almost in the middle of the verses which contain the commandment of fasting, its conditions and other injunctions regarding it, God Almighty has drawn our attention towards
The special relationship between the month of Ramadan and the acceptance of prayers. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) explaining this relationship states, ‘Just as fasting teaches Taqwa [righteousness], in the same way it also provides a means of attaining the nearness of God Almighty’.
Thus, Ramadan cannot become a month of acceptance of prayers unless no effort is made in trying to live a life of Taqwa [righteousness] and making this month a means of attaining the nearness to God Almighty. And, once this happens then the relationship forged with God Almighty
In the month of Ramadan will not only be limited to the month of Ramadan, rather it will continue to manifest its effects as a result of this permanent change. This is what God Almighty has also mentioned in this verse that ‘I am near’.
The Holy Prophet (saw) has stated that in this month, Satan is chained and God Almighty draws closer and descends to the lowest heaven but who are those whom He draws closer to? It is those who feel the nearness of God Almighty, or desire to feel His nearness
And therefore pay heed to His words. They seek to adhere to God Almighty’s commandment, ‘so they should hearken to Me’. They try to search for God Almighty’s commandments and say Labaik [here I am O Lord!] in order to fulfil them. They have complete faith and certainty that God Almighty is All-Powerful
And that if they were to pray to Him while obeying His commandments and showing complete devotion, He would surely listen to their prayer. Thus, there is no doubt that when man prays to God Almighty, He says that ‘I am near. ‘I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me’
And especially in this month I have come even closer, therefore ‘you should supplicate to Me.’ However, before supplicating to me in order to have your prayers answered, you must fulfil the conditions which are hearken to Me and obey My commandments – this is the condition.
And, also that you should have perfect belief and certainty in all My Powers.’ Thus, those who say that they pray but their prayers are not answered, have they ever carried out their own analysis as to what extent they adhere to the commandments of God Almighty? If our practical conduct is not there
And our faith is merely exercised as a ritual, then it is wrong of us to say that we have supplicated to God Almighty but He has not accepted our prayer. Explaining the conditions which God Almighty has stipulated, the Promised Messiah (as)states that the first thing God Almighty
Has said is for people to develop such a state of Taqwa [righteousness] and the fear of God Almighty so that He will listen to their prayer. One should develop Taqwa and the fear of God Almighty, only then will God Almighty listen to one’s prayers.
The second is to have belief in God Almighty but what kind of belief? That is, to believe that God exists and that He alone is the All-Powerful and the All-Mighty. One should have belief that God exists and is the All-Powerful,
Even if one has not experienced God’s existence and all His strengths and powers, and whether or not one has been granted the knowledge of God Almighty’s Existence and His powers. In other words, if one has such faith in the unseen then God Almighty will
Grant such a person with the insight whereby one can eventually experience God Almighty’s existence, His powers and the acceptance of payers. However, one needs to first strengthen one’s faith, then God Almighty takes a step closer and also provides the signs and evidence.
In various places, the Promised Messiah (as) has explained in great detail the conditions for the acceptance of prayers, its rules and its philosophy, etc. At this moment in time, I shall present some extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiah (as) from which we can gain a deeper understanding
Of this subject and we can also make this month a means of attaining the nearness of God Almighty. And, while doing so, this will also enable us to increase our knowledge and insight, join those who have found true guidance and partake from the true blessings of Ramadan.
Some people think that whatever prayers they have made, they must all be answered. I have already explained this briefly that God Almighty has laid down certain conditions for the acceptance of prayers which are incumbent upon us to fulfil. Further explaining this in regards to the principles of prayer and that,
At times, even after fulfilling all the conditions, the prayer of such people does not get answered in the way they wanted. The Promised Messiah (as) states: ‘The principle regarding prayers is this: In the acceptance of prayer, ‘God is not subservient to our desires and estimates.
‘Look at how children are so dear to their mothers and the mother wishes ‘that no harm comes upon her child. ‘However if a child cries and wrongly insists upon wanting a sharp knife ‘or a bright flame of fire, would the mother, despite her true love and passion,
‘Ever allow that her child burns by putting the hand the flame ‘or cuts his hand by placing it upon the sharp edge? Certainly not. ‘Based upon this principle, we can understand the principle for the acceptance of prayer. ‘I myself have the experience in this matter that whenever there is
‘any harmful element in the prayer, then that prayer is never granted acceptance. ‘It is very easy to understand that our knowledge is not certain, nor is it correct. ‘We do many things, presuming as per our estimation, that they are blessed ‘and good and expect a blessed result thereof.
‘However they eventually turn into a hardship and a source for grief and cling onto us. ‘Therefore, in regards to our desires, we cannot assert that they are all correct, ‘for man is weak and forgetful (it is part of human nature to sometimes forget or err)
‘therefore, it should be, and is the case that some of our desires are harmful, ‘and if Allah fulfils such desires, then it clearly would be contradictory to ‘His attribute of mercy.’ Thus, a person feels [the prayer should be answered] however that desire of his bears harmful consequences for that person.
If God Almighty was to accept it then this will go against His mercy. God Almighty wants to show mercy to the person who supplicates to Him. However, if He were to accept every desire of man, even if it causes the person harm, then that that opposes His status of being Merciful.
The Promised Messiah (as) further states: ‘It is absolutely true that Allah listens to and accepts the prayers of His people. ‘However, not every single prayer is granted acceptance since man makes a prayer ‘under the influence of his desires and does not take into account the outcome and ‘result of the prayer he makes.
‘However Allah, who is the True Well-Wisher and is considerate of the outcomes ‘of matters, rejects such a prayer that would be harmful were it to be accepted ‘(man cannot foresee the end result but God Almighty, Who is the True ‘Well-Wisher of His creation and wants what is good for the person,
‘is full aware of it and can see what is going to happen and can see harmful ‘consequences of [the prayer]. ‘And so, in view of them, He rejects the prayer and sees the betterment of man in ‘the rejection of that prayer). ‘Thus, this rejection is in actuality the acceptance of the prayer.
‘(when a prayer is rejected by God Almighty that in itself is a form of acceptance ‘because God Almighty knew that such prayer was not beneficial for that person) ‘So, Allah accepts those prayers that would not be of any harm if they were
‘accepted, and also accepts those prayers in the form of rejection which would be harmful ‘(those prayers which are beneficial are accepted just as they are, but those which ‘can be harmful to the person are rejected and that in itself is a form of acceptance).’ The Promised Messiah (as)states:
‘I have received this revelation many a times that ‘I shall answer all your prayers’. In other words, it could be said that it means ‘every prayer that is beneficial in ‘essence will be accepted’ Not every prayer will be accepted, rather all those prayers which are beneficial will be accepted.
Thus, at times, God Almighty listens to the prayers of His prophets and saints and at other times, He does not accept them. However, the reason for not accepting them is because they are not beneficial and can have harmful effects because God Almighty is the knower of the unseen and knows better.
Furthermore, explaining that one should also ponder over one’s actions and belief, the Promised Messiah (as)states: ‘It is a truth that he who does not do good deeds for the acceptance of his prayer ‘does not pray (along with prayer, one’s actions are also important), ‘in fact [such a person] tries God Almighty.
‘(If one only prays but physically makes no effort, then that is not prayer, rather it is testing God Almighty) ‘Therefore, before making supplication it is necessary to put forth every effort ‘and that is the meaning of this prayer.
‘First a supplicant should check up on his beliefs and actions for it is the way of ‘God Almighty that reform comes in the shape of means which ‘He makes available in some form or another. ‘(For reformation to take place, it is necessary for certain means to also be available
‘and He makes these means available in some way or another). ‘Those people should ponder over this verse who believe that once a prayer is ‘made there remains no need for any means (once a prayer has been made then ‘there is no need for any means [to fulfil it].
‘Such ignorant people should realise that prayer in itself is a means ‘(prayer is in itself is a concealed means in order to achieve the desired effect) ‘and it gives rise to other means.’ Prayer in itself is a means and when person’s prayer is accepted,
It causes the other means to come into effect in order to complete the task. If someone is need of a loan, some money or needs someone’s help then God Almighty provides him the help through a means and creates ease for him, however nothing descends from the heavens.
If someone needs money, they will not descend from the heavens, in fact some means will be created and prayer is also a means in itself which God Almighty has created. The Promised Messiah (as)further adds: ‘The words, ‘Thee alone do we worship’ coming before the word, ‘Thee alone do
‘we implore for help’, which is a prayer, is particularly explaining this fact. ‘(First, it states, ‘Thee alone do we worship’ and then, ‘Thee alone do we implore for help.’ ‘We first pray and then ask for help and thus seeking help along with ‘the prayer draws our attention to the means).
‘Hence, this has always been the way of God that He always creates means. ‘To quench thirst, He provides water, and to satisfy hunger He provides food and ‘He does this all through the system of cause and effect (there is always a means for it).
‘This is how this system has always been, and these means are indeed created. ‘God Almighty has two names, Allah is Mighty, Wise. ‘Mighty means He can do anything (He has the power to do anything) ‘and Wise meaning He is the One who does everything according to wise ‘judgement, proper need and right circumstances.
‘There are many qualities that are found in vegetables and minerals. ‘Take the example of Turbad and scammony [a purgative Indian root]; ‘even a few grams can cause loose bowels. ‘Allah has the power to cause loose bowels without the use of any means
‘and He has the power to quench thirst without water. ‘However, it was necessary that He made us aware of the wonders of His system ‘because the more knowledge a person gains of it, the more a person becomes able ‘to attain God’s closeness through the knowledge and awareness of His attributes.’
God Almighty has created all of these things and it was necessary to also give insight of their qualities and specialities because they have also been created by God. When one’s knowledge increases of the things God Almighty has created, it equally increases his knowledge of His attributes
And becomes capable of having a greater understanding of it. This is the practise of a religious person, while an atheist considers his knowledge to be everything however a Momin is able to develop an even greater understanding of God Almighty’s attributes and powers through the increase in his knowledge.
Explaining the philosophy of prayer at one place, the Promised Messiah (as) says: ‘When a child is hungry he is completely helpless and feebly cries for milk. ‘This generates milk in the breasts of the mother. ‘The child does not know what prayer is
‘and so how does his wailing generate milk? This is a universal experience. ‘Sometimes the mother does not perceive the presence of milk in her breasts, ‘and sometimes it is dried of milk, yet as soon as the child’s harrowing cries ‘are heard by the mother, milk is drawn.
‘There is a link between the child’s cries and the milk being drawn. ‘I say truly that when a person cries and wails in the same manner before ‘Allah the Almighty, then the Divine milk of mercy is stirred and begins to pour in.’ The Promised Messiah (as) then further explains this subject.
The example given of the mother and the child encapsulates the philosophy of prayer. Man should in his nature supplicate with this in view and when he develops this characteristic, he will be shown the manifestation of the acceptance of prayers by God the Almighty.
The Promised Messiah (as)says: ‘To supplicate is innate in man and to respond is ‘Divine and he who does not believe or understand that God answers prayers, is a liar. ‘The example I gave of the child provides excellent illustration of how prayers are answered
‘Rahmaniyyat and Rahimiyyat are not two separate attributes. ‘One can never abandon one and acquire the other. ‘It is not possible to acquire one without the other. ‘Rahmaniyyat requires us to develop strength to derive the grace of Rahimiyyat
‘( Rahmaniyyat develops the strength in a person to beseech for ‘and acquire Rahimiyyat ) ‘One who does not do this denies the grace of God. ‘This is the meaning of Iyyaaka N’abudu – that we worship You alone considering
‘all the physical provisions and means you have bestowed on us (Whilst we pray the apparent provisions and means are one means of the prayers and the second is creating and bringing to action those things which have been assigned for us for those actions) ‘The tongue is made up of nerves, veins and muscles.
‘(The tongue has got nerve endings inside it and has saliva). ‘If our tongue was not made this way, we would not have been able to speak. ‘If any muscle of the tongue is pulled, the tongue ceases to work straight away.
‘In the same way we have been given a tongue for supplicating to express the ‘sentiments of the heart (we been given tongues to manifest ‘the feelings in our hearts through speech). ‘It will be our misfortune to never supplicate with our tongues. ‘There are numerous diseases of the tongue, and if inflicted with,
‘it immediately renders a person even mute or speechless. ‘Thus it is the immeasurable grace of God that he has given us tongues. ‘Similarly mutations to the ears can render one completely deaf. ‘In one’s heart forms humility and humbleness ‘and faculties of reflection and thinking etc.
‘- however illnesses and disease can render these faculties almost entirely null. ‘You can observe that people with mental illnesses have ‘many of their faculties completely made redundant.’ Thus does not all of this compel us to honour the blessings and bounties granted to us by God?
If we do not use our faculties that God has bestowed upon us through His perfect Grace, it would make us deniers of God’s Grace (we would surely be ungrateful to God and would be rejecting His blessings). ‘Remember therefore, that if we leave our faculties and abilities unemployed
‘and untouched and then pray, such prayers will be entirely worthless ‘(we need to activate the God-given faculties, qualities and strengths granted to us ‘(and give attention to the provisions and means provided to us to ‘(use those faculties – then we should pray.
‘(If we pray devoid of this – the prayers would be without of any benefit whatsoever.) ‘Having taken no benefit from the first gift of God how will avail of the others? (The provisions and means given by God are His gift.
To utilise them and then pray is the only way we can avail of them and derive benefit). Explaining that we see examples of the acceptance of prayers in the law of nature, the Promised Messiah (as) says: ‘In short we find examples of the acceptance of ‘prayers in the law of nature.
‘God the Almighty reveals fresh signs in every era. ‘Hence he has taught the prayer: ‘ Guide us in the right path . ‘The path of those on whom Thou Hast Bestowed Thy Blessings.’ This is God’s Will ‘and law and no one can change it.
‘From ‘ Guide us in the Right Path’ we derive that we should perfect our actions ‘(We should perfect our deeds by taking them to the highest standard possible). ‘A reflection on these words reveals that we are commanded ‘to pray this asapparently we have been instructed to pray.
‘ Guide us in the Right Path’ is teaching us to supplicate ‘(‘ Guide us in the Right Path’ appears to be teaching us to beseech God the Almighty). However it is preceded by ‘ Thee alone do we worship and
‘Thee alone do we implore for help .’ This tell us to derive benefit from this. ‘That is to say, to navigate the stages on the right path, utilise your faculties correctly. ‘And beseech the Help and succour of God the Almighty (utilise all the God-given
‘faculties and abilities to walk along the right path and beseech ‘God the Almighty for His help). ‘Thus the physical means are necessary as well. ‘He who abandons them denies the Grace of God.’ The Promised Messiah (as) then says: ‘There are numerous diseases of the tongue,
‘and if inflicted with, it immediately renders useless and a person can ‘even become mute or speechless. ‘Everything is dependent on God’s Grace. ‘Humility and modesty are developed in the heart and we have been ‘granted the faculties of thinking and reflecting. ‘Remember if we leave these faculties and abilities unemployed
‘and disused and then pray; such prayers will be completely worthless ‘and ineffectual, because when the first gift from God is not availed of then ‘what benefit will one gain from any other gift of God. ‘Hence ‘ Thee Alone do We Worship ’ placed before ‘Guide us in the Right Path’
‘means that we have not wasted and made redundant the bounties ‘and faculties already bestowed by God the Almighty upon us. ‘Bear in mind that the quality of Rahmaniyyat is that it enables ‘one to benefit from the blessings of Rahimiyyat
‘When God the Almighty says: Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer : ‘they are not merely an expression of words rather they demand man to elevate himself. To beseech and supplicate is a quality innate in man.
‘One who does not search for God’s answer (the acceptance of his prayers) is a transgressor. ‘Prayer is a state of ultimate tranquillity. ‘Alas what words can I use to explain to the world about this delight and bliss! ‘Only through personal experience can one feel this delight.
In brief, the first necessary ingredient of prayer is that one develops pious deeds ‘as well as strong belief (one should perform the good deeds which ‘God the Almighty has instructed us to and also foster vigorous faith and conviction). ‘One who does not reform his faith nor performs good deeds yet prays,
‘it is as if he is testing God the Almighty. ‘And so the ultimate purpose of the prayer ‘ Guide us in the right path’ is to beseech ‘God to elevate our actions to their highest possible level. ‘Then by saying ‘ The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings’
‘the subject has been made even clearer. ‘We beseech God the Almighty that we need the guidance of this right path – ‘the path of the blessed group (meaning guide us on the path of those who ‘You have rewarded and blessed). ‘And save us from the path of those who have incurred Your displeasure
‘(meaning – save us from walking on the path of those upon whom Your wrath descended. ‘May our actions always remain upright and never may we act in a manner ‘that is contrary to the commands of God the Almighty). ‘These are those people who incurred Divine wrath due to their misdeeds.
‘By saying ‘ those who have gone astray’ we have been taught to pray for God’s help ‘to be protected from evil people who strive to misguide others. ‘Also to pray that we are saved from not receiving God’s refuge,
‘from not availing of God’s Rahmaniyyat and as a consequence not benefit from His Rahimiyyat . ‘May we not be deprived from God’s help, mercy and grace and fall astray. ‘Thus ‘those who have gone astray’ draws our attention to this as well.’
Rebutting the secular notion that it is useless to wail and cry in supplication before God the Almighty, the Promised Messiah (as)says: ‘Some people believe that it is worthless to wail and cry in prayer before God the Almighty. ‘This is completely wrong and an utter falsehood.
‘People who say this do not believe in the existence of God, His attributes and Will. ‘Had they possessed true faith they would never have dared to say this. ‘All who have presented themselves to God the Almighty, ‘truly repented and submitted to Him have been bestowed with His grace.
‘How true has someone said (in a Persian couplet): ‘What kind of love is that when a lover does not look at the beloved. ‘O people, there is no pain and longing within you for the one with the cure is present. ‘Develop the anguish within you for God listens and answers.’
The Promised Messiah (as)says: ‘God desires for you to submit to Him with a pure heart. ‘The condition is only that you reform your condition according to how God wants to see you. ‘ So they should hearken to me’ (Act in the right way and bring about the true change
‘that makes you worthy of approaching God.) I say to you truly that God the ‘Almighty possesses amazing and wondrous powers. ‘His grace and blessings are unlimited. ‘However to see them you need to develop the perception to love. ‘If you hold true love, then God the Almighty profusely listens to one’s prayers
‘(and so develop such love for God the Almighty that leads to your prayers being answered. ‘If you have true love, then God will listen greatly to your supplications). ‘God the Almighty will also bestow His help and succour.’ How should a person condition himself to acquire true love of God the Almighty,
Which leads to Him listening to one’s prayers and attracting His nearness? The Promised Messiah (as) says: ‘The condition is that one should have true love and devotion for God the Almighty. ‘Love of God the Almighty involves one burning away his lowly life ‘thus transforming him into a pure person.
‘At this point he begins to see what he could not before ‘and hear what he never could previously. ‘In short for all the provisions God the Almighty out of his Grace has provided for us, ‘He has given us the capacity and faculties to acquire and derive benefit from them
‘(God did not just create means and provisions rather also ‘bestowed us with the capacity to avail of them). ‘If He had just given us the capacity and faculties but not the provisions ‘and means to avail of; this would be a flaw.
‘If means and provisions were present but not the capacity to benefit from them, ‘what would be the benefit? However this is not the case. ‘God has given us provisions and means and also the capacity and faculties. ‘On the one hand He has granted us bread,
‘but on the other, also eyes, teeth, a stomach, liver. ‘All of these act in unison on the food. ‘Liver, stomach and intestines are all required to digest food. ‘If nothing enters the stomach then no blood can enter the heart.
‘How will Callus be made? How will the bad parts of the food leave the body ‘and be separated from the good parts which are cleansed and enter the blood? ‘First and foremost God Almighty bestowed His grace by sending a perfect religion
‘upon the Holy Prophet (saw) and made him the Seal of the Prophets. ‘He granted the Holy Prophet (saw) with the Last Book which is Perfect, the Holy Qur’an. ‘Until the Last Day no Book will be revealed ‘and no new Law-Bearing Prophet will appear with a new law.
‘Thus what immense laziness and ungratefulness it will be on the part of one with ‘resolute belief and thought if work is not taken from them ‘and they do not walk towards God the Almighty. Observe how in the very first part [of the Holy Qur’an] God the Almighty
‘has taught us such a way to tread on the blessed path and achieve our purpose.’ Thus, this is a method for mankind to derive benefit, as granted to us by the Holy Prophet (saw) and we should follow his practice. We have been granted a [magnificent] book in the Holy Quran
And we should be the ones to act on its teachings. In the very opening chapter (i.e . Surah Al-Fatiha ) God Almighty has explained the path of bounties in the most appropriate way. This surah [chapter] which is also known as Khaatamat-ul-Kitab [The Seal of the books]
And Umm-ul-Kitab [The Mother of books], clearly outlines the purpose of man’s existence and the means of achieving it. ‘Thee alone do we worship’ is the true requirement and desire of man’s nature. By placing it before ‘ Thee alone do we implore for help’
God Almighty has highlighted that first and foremost it is essential that as far as one has strength, courage and understanding, they must put their utmost in finding those paths by which God is pleased. Having employed all the God-given abilities, then one should pray to God for it’s completion and fruitful result.
What are the ways in which one can obtain the cognizance of God? Expanding on this the Promised Messiah (as)writes: “The truth of the matter is: ‘Man has been created weak’. Without the benevolence and grace of God Almighty nothing can be done. If there is no benevolence man cannot achieve anything.
His very existence, as well as the conditions of his upbringing and survival are all dependent upon the benevolence of God. Ignorant is the one who shows arrogance about his intelligence or understanding or prides over his wealth, because all of it is a gift from God Almighty,
Where would he be able to obtain it himself? It is important that while worshipping one recalls all of his flaws and limitations. The more he ponders over his weaknesses, the more reliant he will become on God’s help, which will in turn develop passion inside him.
(People often say that there is no inner desire to pray. For this one must ponder over his weaknesses and humility. Then he must pursue the necessary steps with all his effort. As a result he will develop passion inside. The Promised Messiah (as)states further:
‘Just like an individual who is afflicted with misfortune and suffers pain ‘and sorrow, calls out with passion and zeal and further asks others for help, ‘if he analyses his weaknesses and shortcomings and makes himself dependent ‘upon divine succour for every need of his, then his destitute spirit will fall
‘upon the divine threshold with zeal and will cry out saying ‘my lord, my Lord!’ If one ponders over the Quran then they will realise that God almighty has instructed us to pray in the very opening chapter: “Guide us on the right path, the path of those on whom thou hast bestowed thy blessings.’
Prayer is only complete when it contains wider benefit and interest and saves one from all harm and damage. (Only that prayer is correct which contains elements that help mankind or one that will benefit themselves and will safeguard against all types of harms that one can suffer from).
Thus, this prayer i.e. from ‘Guide us on the right path’ up till ‘and those who have gone astray’ contains all the possible benefits for mankind and that is what is intended. It safeguards [mankind] from all harmful things that can destroy man. Accordingly, it should be remembered that the greatest prayers mentioned
Are not worldly prayers but prayers for faith. Therefore, our most important prayer should be to protect our faith. When one does this he opens the doors to attain the nearness of God upon himself and prayers are readily accepted. Explaining this point further – that true prayer is the one which is strengthens faith,
Which in turn lead to the nearness of God and acceptance of his prayers – the Promised Messiah (as) states: ‘I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me’ ‘means that I accept the forgiveness of the one who repents.
‘This is a true promise of God Almighty and He has declared this acceptable when ‘one seeks forgiveness with a virtuous heart. ‘If God did not ordain this, then obtaining forgiveness would have been a difficult task. ‘When one accepts [his mistakes] with full sincerity of the heart,
‘then God almighty fulfils all of those promises ‘which He has made with those who seek repentance. ‘From that moment onwards a bright light becomes manifest in his heart at the ‘point when man declares that he will always give precedence to faith over worldly pursuits.’
Out of all the ways of achieving the God’s nearness, God Almighty has declared the greatest method is to be found in the state of prayer. In this regard the Promised Messiah (as)states: ‘The fundamental objective ‘and purpose of prayer is for supplications. ‘Praying to God is in complete accordance to the laws of nature.
‘For example, we see that when a child cries and is in discomfort, ‘the perturbed mother rushes to give him milk. ‘The relationship between the Divine and creation has the same relationship, ‘which cannot be understood by everyone. ‘When man falls upon the door of the Almighty and adorns himself with the utmost
‘humility and meekness then presents his needs, the Benevolence of the Almighty ‘sparks into motion and mercy is shown to such an individual. ‘The divine milk of bounties and grace require such lamentation. If one desires to drink from the divine milk of bounties and grace and benefit from
‘God’s benevolence and mercy then one will have to cry out ‘with the utmost humility and meekness. ‘That is why one should cry before Him. ‘Thus, in this month of Ramadan when the majority are coming to the mosque, ‘and by the grace of Allah most are praying in congregation,
‘we should give attention to our voluntary prayers as well. ‘Similarly we should give priority to those prayers that will give precedence to our ‘faith over worldly pursuits and that will grant us nearness to God.’ These are the true supplications, all other worldly supplications should be secondary.
[If this happens] then God Almighty will fulfil our prayers for worldly pursuits Himself. At this point I would like to present a prayer of the Promised Messiah (as) which we should recite often in these days with the intention of attaining the nearness of God. The Promised Messiah (as) would supplicate the following:
“O Lord of all the worlds! I cannot be thankful enough for your bounties. “You are the ever Merciful and Benevolent One. “You have bestowed countless favours upon me. “Forgive my sins so I may be saved from destruction. “Inculcate in me your virtuous love so that I may know the meaning of life.
“Overlook my shortcomings and enable me to carry out those deeds which please you. “I ask from your benevolent countenance “to grant me refuge from your chastisement. “Have mercy upon me, and save me from the punishments of this life “and the hereafter, for every grace and bounty is in your hands alone.” Amen…Amen
May Allah enable us to understand the true meaning of prayer. May this Ramadan enable us to be included amongst those [who understand the meaning of prayer] and who have a clear understanding of God; those who listen to the commandments of God and act upon them
And those who put God’s pleasure in above their own desires in every deed, may we be counted amongst them. May our actions always be for gaining the pleasure of God. May we inculcate the true love of God in ourselves and may God protect us from
The trials of this world and in the hereafter. After the prayers I will lead two funeral prayers. The first one is of Mr Raja Ghalib Ahmad Sahib who was a long standing worker of the Jama’at, as well as being a poet and writer. He was well educated.
He worked as a civil servant and was the Chairman of the Textbook board of the Punjab. He died on 4th June 2016 at the age of 88 in Lahore. [To Him we belong and to Him we shall return]. He was born in 1928 in Gujrat.
His father’s name was Hazrat Raja Ali Muhammad Sahib, who was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as) and entered the Jama’at by performed Bai’at at his hands in 1905. His father had the opportunity to serve as Nazir Maal and Nazir-e-A’ala in Qadian.
Mr Raja Ghalib sahib’s maternal grandfather was Mr Malik Barkat Ali Sahib. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Khadim Sahib who received the honour of being one of the Khalid-e-Ahmadiyyat , was his maternal uncle. He completed his Matriculation examination from Lahore. He completed his FA examination from Qadian
And then obtained his Master’s degree from Government College Lahore in Psychology achieving first position overall. In his capacity as an academic and poet he was a well-known and well respected figure in the amongst the countries elite academic and literary circles. Aside from Al-fazl his writings were published in national
And international newspapers in both Urdu and English languages. He started his career in the Pakistan Air Force, then joined the Punjab Education Department in 1962. He served in key positions such as; General Secretary, and as Controller of the board of Intermediate Secondary Education Punjab,
Chairman Board of Intermediate education Sargodha, Chairman of the Textbook of Punjab, and adviser to the Minister of Education are amongst his distinguished services nationally. His services for the Jama’at are equally lengthy. He served as general secretary, Ta’leem secretar and other positions in district of Lahore.
After 1974 he served as spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Jama’at on many occasions. He had the opportunity to held press conferences and issued press releases many times. He had written letters to many newspapers expressing his own opinion. Between 1992-97 he had the opportunity to serve as the director of Fazl-e-Umar Foundation,
Between 1974-85 he served as the director of Waqf-e-Jadid as well as Naib Sadr Nasir Foundation. He had a very calm and pleasant nature. He always had a strong connection with the Khalifa of the time and always showed respect to the office bearers.
May God almighty shower his mercy on him and raise his status. He did not have any children but adopted a girl. May God almighty grant her steadfastness. The second funeral is for Mr Malik Muhammad Ahmad Sahib who was a devotee of life. He passed away on 6th May 2016.
Both of these funerals where scheduled for last week but due to certain circumstances they could not be offered. [To Him we belong and to Him we shall return] He was the son of Hazrat Sheikh Fazal Ahmad Sahib Batalvi, who was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as)
He had a strong connection with the Khulafah and the institution of Khilafat. He was always obedient and worked tirelessly, always exhibiting loyalty. He would urge his children to adopt the same traits. He was very obedient to the admiration of the Jama’at, very pious, selfless and humble.
He would show courtesy to all his relatives. He was very compassionate and pious person. All his life he supported various households. He took the responsibility of provided certain children with an education which he fulfilled with excellence up until his demise. He was part of the 5000 Mujahideen of Tehreek-e-Jadid Office 1.
He would readily partake in mosque building projects as well as other financial schemes. He offered a piece of his land in Rabwah to the Jama’at. On 20th October 1945 he dedicate his life for serving the community. Initially he was working far [from Rabwah] but after dedicating his life he moved to Rabwah.
He worked in the building department (shooba Ta’meraat) from 1949 – 1955, from 1955 to 68 he worked as the Superintendent in Wakalat-e-Tabshir. From 1969 -1982 he worked as Naib Afsar Amanat, from 1982 to 1986 he worked as Naib Wakeel-ul-Maal Saani. He took retirement in 1985 but was re-employed in 1989.
Between 1986-1989 he worked as Naib Wakeel Ta’meel o Tanfeez. He served for approximately 47 years. After that he moved to Germany to spend time with his children. He was very regular in his daily prayers as well as in recited the Holy Quran.
He had in depth knowledge of the books of the Promised Messiah (as) By the grace of Allah he was a Moosi. He left behind 2 sons and 4 daughters. Laiq Ahmad Tahir Sahib, who is a missionary of our Jama’at is his younger brother.
Mahmood Malik Sahib who works in Al-Fazl International was his youngest son. May Allah have mercy on him and forgive him. May Allah enable his children and future generations to keep a loyal and faithful connection with the community as well as a strong bond with Khilafat. Ameen. 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.