Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2016
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God 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. “O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on Friday, “hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business. “That is better for you, if you only knew.
“And when the Prayer is finished, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah’s grace, “and remember Allah much, that you may prosper. “But when they see some merchandise or some amusement, “they break up for it, and leave thee standing. “Say, ‘That which is with Allah is better than amusement and merchandise,
‘and Allah is the Best Provider’.” [62:10-12] Where Allah Almighty has ordained fasting as obligatory, there He says ‘for a fixed number of days’. At the start of Ramadan many would have thought – how will we get through these 30 days of fasting, for the long summer days would make it extremely difficult?
However, as Allah Almighty has said [fasting is prescribed] for ‘a fixed number of days’ and thus one can get through this period. Today is the 25th day of fasting and many have written to me that ‘the time has rapidly passed by without us even realising’.
In truth when Ramadan begins one feels that the days are very long but as he or she progresses through the month, they do not even realise how fast the days go by. Today is the last Friday of Ramadan and there are four or five days left of Ramadan depending on where one is,
And we should all collectively strive to swiftly progress in these remaining days and makeup for any deficiencies in acquiring the benefits of Ramadan. We should pray that Allah Almighty covers our faults and weaknesses, that He may grant us mercy and that He may not deprive us of the blessings of Ramadan.
As mentioned, today is the last Friday of Ramadan. In general terms this is called ‘Jummatul Wida’ [the farewell Friday]. Generally Muslims believe that in the last Friday of Ramadan all prayers will be answered. Furthermore, that by participating in this last Friday, it fulfils the dues of
All the prayers missed in the year, the Friday prayers and all other forms of worship. However this is not the concept held by a true Momin (believer). This is a completely wrong perception. For an Ahmadi – a true believer, such beliefs make a mockery of the religion.
It is a great favour of Allah Almighty upon us that He enabled us to accept in this era His Chosen One, the True Servant of the Holy Prophet (saw). He came and rid us of all of these erroneous beliefs and concepts and
Taught us about the true concept of Ramadan and also the true teachings of Islam. He showed us the ways to attain nearness to God the Almighty. The Promised Messiah (as) was once asked a question in a gathering – amongst the Muslims
Is the concept that on Jummatul Wida, they offer four Rakats [units] of the prayers and call it ‘Qazaa-e-Umri’ (fulfilling missed prayers of a lifetime). The purpose is that it compensates for all previous prayers missed – so is this true and is there any evidence for this? Is this appropriate?
Hearing this, the Promised Messiah (as) responded, “This is a pointless endeavour.” He said, “One who intentionally does not offer prayers throughout the year “thinking he will offer them on the Qazaa-e-Umri, is a sinner. “However, there is no harm for one who is remorseful and repents and
“offers this prayer with the intention of not missing any prayer in the future. “In such an instance, I will offer the same response as Hazrat Ali (ra).” The Promised Messiah (as) describing the incident of Hazrat Ali’s (ra) response says,
“Once, a person was offering his prayer when in fact it was not the time of prayer. “Someone said to Hazrat Ali (ra) that he was the Khalifa of the time and therefore “why was he not stopping this person who was offering his prayer at the wrong time?
“Hazrat Ali (ra) replied, ‘I fear I may be held accountable under the verse of the Holy Quran, ‘Hast thou seen him who forbids a servant of Ours when he prays?’ [96:10-11]. “Meaning, ‘Hast thou seen him who forbids a servant of Ours when he prays?’.” After citing this reference, the Promised Messiah (as) stated,
“If he offers it out of repentance and as a way of recompense, then let him do so. “Why do you stop him? “After all, he is only supplicating by offering those four Rakats [units] of prayer, “although he certainly shows weakness in character.”
Only God has the knowledge of one’s intentions and that is why Hazrat Ali (ra) was cautious and keeping in view of that what God Almighty has mentioned in the verse, ‘Hast thou seen him who forbids a servant of Ours when he prays?’, he did not stop the person [from praying].
The Promised Messiah (as), in view of this, has also issued the same Fatwa [edict] but also made it clear that such a person shows weakness in character. If one offers four Rakats [units] of prayer with the intention that he repents and he will not miss any prayer in future, then it’s ok.
However, if the intention is not to bring about reformation, then such a person is a sinner. Therefore, there is no concept of Qazaa-e-Umri in the Ahmadiyya Community. We have accepted the Imam of the age and we have accepted with the condition that
We shall abstain from [harmful] innovations and give precedence to faith over worldly pursuits. Therefore, if we are to give precedence to faith then how can we miss any prayer or Friday prayer? If we have any concept of ‘Jummatul Wida’ [the farewell Friday], it is completely different.
And that is the concept a true Ahmadi should have, which is, that we bid farewell to this Friday with a very heavy heart and with the thought and prayer that it is not the Friday we are bidding farewell to, rather we are bidding farewell to this month and these blessed days.
Since Friday [Friday] is a means of gathering everyone together and this is the last Friday of the month of Ramadan, therefore we all gather together and pray to God Almighty that after passing through these days and Fridays, and the blessings which we have received in Ramadan, may we remain firm on them and
Through all our faculties and abilities, welcome the next Ramadan. This should be our thought. We never bid farewell to loved ones because they are leaving us and we are no longer going to remember them and will cut ties of all our memories of them.
Our loved ones, who depart us forever, we do not erase our memories of them. In fact, in order to keep their memories alive, one strives to continue on their good works, or does good deeds in their honour. If they are Momin, they will pray for them and a person certainly cannot just
Completely forget about one who leaves temporarily from one city to another, or one country to another due to some commitment or the purpose of work. Nowadays, we can make use of the conveniences such as phone, text messages and
Other forms of messages, in fact through Skype, one can even hear the voice of their loved ones and also see them and observe their movements. Hence, we never say, “Farewell” to a loved one because for the next year or two
You will not be remembered and you will not be in our hearts and we will forget all about you; who you are and who you were. We will see if your rights should be fulfilled or not when we will meet again.
We will see if we should continue to treat you in the same loving manner or not. Has anyone witnessed this occurrence in worldly relations? If someone would ever do this, people will call that person insane. However, when it is the question of that Being who is the most Beloved,
Who is Lord of all the worlds, Who nourishes us, Who grants us everything, Who is Gracious, Who is Merciful, Who says that complete your faith in Me, Who says that, “Do not break the relation of love and nearness with Me”, Who says that, “Accept what I have to say for
“I am the One Who loves you more than all [your] loved ones and “I am the one who has the right to be loved the most”. Who says that, “Keep My memories alive.” And if one were to say to Him that,
“Oh Allah, thank you for Your favour that You helped us go through a fixed number of days “dedicated to Your remembrance, Your worship and fasting. “However, now we have been relieved from our duty and this all comes to an end. “The matter has been closed.
“Which God and which Allah? Now we say farewell to You from this Friday. “And with this farewell, we are about to forget You completely for a year. “Now, after a year when Ramadan comes again, “we again shall try to remember You through our worship and other virtuous deeds.
“And, providing we are alive and healthy, “we shall make a paltry effort to try and fulfil whatever rights we can of Yours.” “If during the month of Ramadan, there were any shortcomings in our worship and good deeds,
“then ‘Jummatul Wida’ [the farewell Friday] is yet to come, we shall gather together on that day and “fulfil Your right and recompense Your provisions and favours.” If a person were to think like this or express this view, people would surely call him insane.
People do think like this and though they may not verbally express it but their actions however do. This can be determined from the attendance of the last Friday of Ramadan and the ones after it. If that is the case, then it would be said that such a person is ignorant,
Does not even have the slightest of knowledge about faith and nor any faith in God Almighty. Thus, a true believer cannot hold such a view; a ‘Momin’ is far superior to this. A Momin is one who continues on the virtuous deeds as told by God Almighty and is filled with
Emotions of gratitude towards Him and passes Ramadan in order to win the pleasure God Almighty. And so, according to the commandments of God Almighty, when he bids farewell to the month of Ramadan, he does so with a heavy heart. [Saying] ‘”Although we are nearing to the end of Ramadan,
“however, we shall always keep its memories alive in the heart. “We will continue to remind ourselves of all the good things that have been learnt during Ramadan. “The focus towards worship that has been created during Ramadan “shall forever remain alive and we shall never cease in seeking Your nearness.
“We have witnessed the wonders of Your love; “for when we walked towards You, according to Your promise, You ran towards us.” Therefore, how can it be possible that we keep alive the memories of our worldly relations but forget about the memory of the One, Who loves us the most,
And forget about His favours? God Almighty bestows His favours in unique ways. How great a favour is this of His that after bidding farewell [to Ramadan], in order to keep these memories alive and to save us from forgetting them, He has provided means to remind ourselves of these wonderful memories by
Having the Last Friday [of Ramadan] come again after seven days. Indeed, there is a yearlong wait for the next Ramadan, however God Almighty has not deprived us from His love and His rewards. By placing the Jummah [Friday] after every seven days, God Almighty has enabled us to
Acquire the same blessings which we get from ‘Jummatul Wida’ [the farewell Friday]. The Holy Prophet (saw) has stated, “There is a time on Friday wherein “whatever prayer is made by a Muslim while standing in worship is accepted, “however that moment is very brief.” The duration of this moment,
Lasts for the same period on normal Fridays as well as the last Friday of Ramadan. Therefore, after today, we are not going to be distanced from these moments of God’s nearness, rather we will find the opportunity after seven days again.
He is not a true believer, who bids farewell to the virtuous deeds and such moments of acceptance. A true believer never bids farewell to virtues. A true believer never moves away from God Almighty, in fact he is always in search for such means through which
He can always be mindful of the virtuous deeds and the ways in which he can reach God Almighty. The paths that leads towards God Almighty are not limited; all virtues lead to God Almighty. Thus a Momin seeks to search all possible ways and does not just depend on Friday and
That when Friday comes he will find means of reaching God Almighty. In fact, informing us of the ways in which we can meet God Almighty as quickly as possible and win His pleasure, the Holy Prophet (saw) stated, “Five daily prayers becomes a means of atoning the sins committed between one Friday and
“the next and between one Ramadan and the next – providing one refrains from the grievous sins.” Thus, in order to attain the nearness of God Almighty, we have been provided with the means of communicating five times in the day. Through these prayers, we will be able to communicate with God Almighty,
Seek His forgiveness and attain His mercy – providing we do not intentionally and brazenly commit grievous sins. You should attend every Friday Prayer and try to benefit from that moment wherein one’s prayer is accepted and you will be able to abstain from evil and progress in virtuous deeds.
The progress you have made in Ramadan should be continued throughout the year and abstain from sins, as a result you will receive God Almighty’s mercy and forgiveness throughout the whole year, and you will be saved from the hellfire.
Thus, every one of us should make a pledge that this Friday and this Ramadan should be one that draws our attention towards safeguarding our prayers and offering our Friday prayers. And, we shall make a strong effort to continue on the virtuous deeds which we have learnt during this Ramadan until the next Ramadan.
Thus, we need to make a pledge that the attention which has been drawn towards our worship and virtuous deeds during this Ramadan should continue, so that we are constantly rehearsing and training for the welcoming of next year’s Ramadan. So that when we enter the next Ramadan, we have already gone to another level.
From that point we can set new goals and targets in order successfully pass through the next Ramadan and to continue progressing further and to attain the nearness of God Almighty and to develop a deeper insight of His existence.
Moreover, there are many of us who have yet to cross many stages to attain the nearness of God. We cannot say that we have passed all these stages. If we only wait for Ramadan in order to pass these stages,
Then it will take many years and we may not be able to achieve our goals and targets. Not only will we not be able to achieve our goals, in fact a yearlong of inactivity will take us back down to the level we were stood on day one.
The sermons which I have delivered in this Ramadan have been on Taqwa [righteousness], prayers and adhering to the commandments of God Almighty – the most important commandment of all which is of worship, as that is the purpose of our lives,
Similarly to pay focus on fulfilling the rights of one another and demonstrating high morals, etc. After every Friday Sermon, I received letters from many people stating that the sermons served as a reminder and in light of the Promised Messiah’s (as) extracts they have gained a better understanding of the subject.
However, these words will only prove to be beneficial when we make them a part of our lives. As I mentioned earlier with reference to the Ahadith that every Friday is important. The importance of Friday is neither due to Ramadan nor the last Friday [of Ramadan], in fact the significance of Ramadan lies in
Focusing towards attending all the Friday prayers and offering the five daily prayers. The month of Ramadan comes as a reminder that the interest developed for congregational prayer and virtuous deeds, should continue with the spirit we have developed, and protect it till the next Ramadan.
The verses of the Holy Quran which I recited before you, God Almighty has spoken of the importance of Friday [Friday]. The translation of these verses are, “O ye who believe! when the call is made for Prayer on Friday, “hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business.
“That is better for you, if you only knew.” The translation of the next verse is, “And when the Prayer is finished, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah’s grace, “and remember Allah much, that you may prosper.”
And the translation of the last verse, which is also the last verse of Surah Al Jummah is, “But when they see some merchandise or some amusement, “they break up for it, and leave thee standing. “Say, ‘That which is with Allah is better than amusement and merchandise, ‘and Allah is the Best Provider’.” [62:10-12]
Therefore, attention has been especially directed here towards attending Friday prayers. When you hear the call to prayer for Friday, or as everyone knows these days [the time for Friday], clocks are accessible and time is set [for prayers]. Look at the clock.
When it is time for Friday Prayers, close all your affairs and businesses and go for Friday prayers. Friday sermon is also part of prayer. Do not be lazy in this regard that, “We will get there before the prayer starts and will join in”,
Rather, one should strive towards reaching on time for the sermon. In this day and age Allah Almighty has granted us- here, I would like to mention in passing, rather it is a very important thing to mention, the facility of MTA. The time for Friday in some European and African countries is the same.
Since it is on the same time then the sermon of the Khalifa of the time should be heard. It is Allah Almighty’s favour upon us that through this facility He has provided another means for the unity of the Community.
Ahmadis should also listen to the sermon in places where the timing of the Friday is different. If not live, then they should listen to the recording. And those who deliver sermons, should take the detailed excerpts or in places where missionaries deliver sermons,
They should read it out to their Communities the same day or the week after. If we go towards the West, then its morning time there. They listen to the sermon early in the morning. They can read it out the same day. In the East, the day has passed and
It is evening time there or the time has passed, and so they can read it out next week. This is a great source of creating unity within the Community. In fact, the time of the Promised Messiah (as) and Friday, Allah Almighty through MTA,
Has also made sermons of the Khalifa of the time a part of the affiliation between them. Then in the second verse Allah Almighty made it clear that if you have things to do, you can do them before or after Friday.
When you will specially come for Friday, relieving yourself from all your other works, then you will become heir of Allah Almighty’s bounties and blessings for your worldly affairs also. Therefore, it is not only wrong to not attend Friday as your worldly affairs will get affected, rather, it is also harmful for you.
It is up to God the Almighty to make something bear fruit and bless it. For this reason keep in mind that if you do not accept Allah Almighty’s commandment then He says that your work will not be blessed and if you accept it then your effort will be blessed.
Then Allah Almighty says that your businesses and worldly affairs and sporting activities should not stop you from offering Friday. We see these things particularly in this age. As I have stated, this age has a special relation with the time of the Promised Messiah (as).
For this reason particularly, there is guidance that your businesses which are no longer local – in the past businesses and trade were on a local level. It is true that caravans were set out for business, however, whatever they used to bring back was limited to one city. Now businesses are not local, rather,
They are international and for this reason they keep a person more engaged. Your sporting activities and worldly engagements do not consider the limitations of time. Thus, a believer has to be cognisant of the importance of Friday during these activities
Because the foremost priority of a believer is to obtain the pleasure of Allah Almighty. And this is what a believer’s priority should be. The companions of the Holy Prophet (saw) were completely purified because of the Holy Prophet’s (saw) holy spirit and
For them [seeking] the pleasure of Allah Almighty was their foremost priority. For this reason it is inconceivable that due to [their] businesses and sporting activities they would miss Friday prayers. Local businesses and sporting activities can be adjusted according to the Jummah times as well.
This is certainly a depiction of the environment of our time. It is a depiction of the Promised Messiah’s (as) time. When prioritising faith becomes insignificant and prioritising worldly affairs is given precedence. People will be consumed with businesses and sporting activities 24 hours a day. Distances in the world will be reduced.
When through the media, while sitting at home all sports and pastimes and entertainment will always be accessible. Allah Almighty says that during that time if you prioritise appropriately then remember that you will be the one to obtain the bounties of Allah Almighty.
Certainly, whatever Allah Almighty has it is a lot more than worldly businesses and means of providing comfort to heart. And Allah Almighty grants every type and means of sustenance. Every kind of provision is received through Him. He is the One Who bestows sustenance.
Therefore, if you will safeguard your Friday Prayers [Jummah] while obeying His commandments, you will be amongst those who receive blessings in their worldly sustenance as well. Therefore, we should keep this importance of Friday Prayers at the forefront. We are those people who have accepted the Promised Messiah (as).
It is not appropriate for us to limit our Friday Prayers to Ramadan or The Farewell Friday. To further elaborate upon the importance of Friday I will present sayings of the Holy Prophet (saw) Mentioning the importance and blessings of Friday on one instance the Holy Prophet (saw) said that,
“Angels stand on every door of the Mosque on the day of Friday and “they write down the name of the person who comes to the Mosque first. “Similarly, they prepare a list of people according to those who arrive first until
“the time when the Imam finishes the sermon and sits down. Then they close their register.” Therefore, those who arrive at the last moment due to their worldly affairs, are counted amongst the last ones to arrive and their reward is very little.
In some places this reward is mentioned that those who arrive in the end get a reward which is worth a chicken’s egg and those who arrive first get a reward which is worth a camel. Hence these examples are to explain that you should not think that
When a person arrives in the mosque and has to wait a little, that time has gone to waste. No, rather, it is making such a person deserving of reward who comes early and it is distinguishing those who arrive early from those who arrive late.
Those who arrive early sit in the mosque and remember God. This is surely something that facilitates nearness to Allah Almighty. Its importance has been mentioned by the Holy Prophet (saw) in the following manner, “On the day of Judgment, people will be sat before Allah Almighty
“according to their attendance at Friday Prayers. That is, first, second, third, then fourth.” The narrator says that the Holy Prophet (saw) said that, “In terms of sitting in the court of Allah, even the fourth person will not be far away.” On another instance, the Holy Prophet (saw) said that,
“You should come to offer prayers and you should sit near the Imam. “A person becomes left behind [from entering] paradise “by staying in the back even though he is amongst the inhabitants of paradise.” Therefore, all these sayings of the Prophet (saw) show us the importance of Friday Prayers.
This is despite the fact that it is a Friday during Ramadan, the last Friday of Ramadan or it is a Friday during normal days. The meaning of being left behind [from entering] paradise means that due to his laziness and not giving importance to Jummah,
A person is deprived of paradise despite all of his good qualities. Or he makes himself very distant from Allah Almighty. Due to his lack of importance towards Friday prayers, he starts to skip Jummah altogether. Regarding this the Holy Prophet (saw) warned about this in one place in the following manner,
He said that “Whoever misses three consecutive Friday intentionally, “Allah Almighty puts a seal on his heart.” Thus, it is a grave warning for those who are careless in offering the Friday prayers. To have a seal set upon the heart means that the individual will not have the opportunity
To carry out virtuous deeds, neither will he receive the love of God. Thus, it is evident from all Ahadith that every Friday is important and we should make every effort to observe the Friday prayer. Indeed, there are some who are compelled [not to offer the prayer] and
God Almighty has granted leave to others. God Almighty is not unjust. The Holy Prophet (saw) has stated those who are exempt from offering the Friday Prayers are the slave, women, children and the sick, as they fall under the category of those who are compelled [not to offer the prayer].
They are exempt from the Friday prayer and not expected to offer the Friday prayer or attend the sermon [in the mosque]. This should clarify the matter which some women write in and question, in fact they complain that sometimes the administration prohibit mothers with children
Coming to the Friday prayer due to the noise made by the children. The Holy Prophet (saw) himself has already excused these women and children. Therefore, if there is no facility for women and children to sit separately, then it is better if they do not come.
Besides it is not compulsory for women [to go to the mosque] but for men it is obligatory. On one occasion the Promised Messiah (as) was asked about the issue of women attending the Friday prayers. He replied by saying,
“How can I clarify a matter beyond that which has been defined by Hadith and Sunnah. “Since the Holy Prophet (saw) has exempt women from the Friday prayers, “it means that the command falls only on the men. “Thus, under any circumstances it is binding upon men.”
Unless one is ill or has a valid reason, observing the Friday prayer is essential. The Promised Messiah (as) The Promised Messiah (as) spoke profoundly on the importance of observing the Friday prayer and it was due to this importance that between 1895-1896 in India, he launched a campaign for
The government to permit a two hour leave from all official offices, for the Friday prayer. For this he even started obtaining signatures from fellow Muslims. At that point Maulvi Muhammad Hussain issued an advertisement stating that,
“This is a noble deed, but it should not be carried out by the hands of Mirza Sahib and “that I will carry on this task.” The Promised Messiah (as) replied by stating, “I have no wish for my name to be highlighted or be in the forefront, “you can continue this task.”
He therefore stopped the campaign, but neither Maulvi Hussain Sahib nor any other Muslims scholar succeeded with the campaign and it failed to progress. Nevertheless, on an occasion, the Promised Messiah (as) sent a memorial to the Viceroy of India,
Lord Curzon, in which he praised his abilities and thanked him for giving Muslims their due rights. He expressed gratitude at the fact that Lord Curzon returned the Imperial Mosque in Lahore to the Muslims for it to be used as a mosque. Similarly he released another mosque which was occupied by the railway union
As well as additional favours which are mentioned in the memorial. In all this the Muslims still have a yearning and, “They hope that the way their objectives have been fulfilled, i.e. the returning of the mosques “their yearnings will also be fulfilled by the same hands;
“and the yearning is that the Friday prayer is a great Islamic festival and “the Quran has specially mentioned it as a day of rest. “There is a specific chapter in the Quran which is called ‘Surah Jummah’.
” It contains the command that when the call for the Friday prayer is sounded i.e. the Azan “leave every worldly occupation and go to the mosque; “and offer the Friday prayer with all its requirements. “The one who does not act accordingly will be deemed as a grave sinner and
“it is well-nigh that he is expelled from the pale of Islam. “The amount of importance placed upon the Friday prayer and listening to the sermon “by the Holy Quran, the same stress has not even been placed on the Eid prayer.
“Muslims have always taken time off for the Friday prayer, since the beginning of Islam. “Similarly in this country [India] the same practice existed for a good eight hundred years ” i.e. when the Islamic monarchy was in power – Friday was a day of rest.” The Promised Messiah (as) wrote further in the memorial,
“This country consists of 3 communities: Hindus, Christians and Muslims. “The government has granted a day off to the Hindus and Christians “to observe their respective traditions; i.e. Sunday, given for them to practice their customs “which is a public holiday. The third community – the Muslims, however,
“are denied the chance of commemorating their day of celebration (i.e.Friday).” The Promised Messiah (as) then stated, “Among the list of bounties this government has showered upon the Muslims, if Friday “is declared a public holiday, then this favour will be worthy of being written in gold water.”
This was the pain the Promised Messiah (as) had for Muslims and for the observance of Islamic rituals as well as for the drawing people’s attention towards worship. The Promised Messiah (as) further wrote, “In reverence of this blessed day, if the government declares Friday to be a public holiday
“and if that’s not possible then even half the day, “then I fail to see anything that will appeal more to the hearts of the public than this.” In today’s world the Muslims and the so-called Muslim scholars allege that the Promised Messiah (as) was planted by the British,
However the Promised Messiah (as) drew the attention of the British government towards the religious rights of the Muslims. No other Muslim leader had the opportunity to do this. This was the job of the Promised Messiah (as) because to highlight the importance of Islam
Before the world and to implement true teachings in that age, was his responsibility alone. It was preordained to happen through him and was the duty delegated to him. This was the responsibility entrusted to him by God Almighty.
Thus, we, who are the ones who have claimed to be the followers of the Promised Messiah (as) must ensure that every action or speech of ours falls in line with the true teachings of Islam. We should pledge that the blessings brought about by Ramadan and those it leaves behind,
We will strive to make them a part of our lives. God Willing. We should not exhibit the true teachings of Islam for one month alone, in fact we should always fulfil our pledges made with the Imam of the age. I will now draw your attention to the fact that
This was indeed the age of the Promised Messiah (as) and then his special connection with Friday. What should our responsibilities be in this regard I will now present two extracts of the Promised Messiah (as). On one occasion he stated, “The blessing bestowed by God Almighty is this religion, which is known as Islam.
“Then within this blessing is the Friday, the day on which the all the blessings were fulfilled. “This points to the fact that the perfection of the blessing, “which was to take place in the shape of, ‘That He may cause it to prevail over all religions,’
“would also be in the form of a Friday. “That Friday has arrived because God Almighty has “specially linked that Friday with the Promised Messiah.” The Promised Messiah (as) reminds us by stating, “I tell you truly that this is a design which God Almighty has created for the fortunate ones.
“Blessed are those who draw benefit from it. Those of you who have forged an alliance with me “should never be proud of the fact that they have achieved what they intended. “It is true that compared with the disbelievers, who have displeased God with their adverse disbelief and blasphemy, you are closer to prosperity.
It is also true that through your pious thought have saved you from the punishment of God. The truth of the matter is that you have now come upon that fountain, which God Almighty has created for eternal life. Indeed, drinking from it is the only thing left to do.
Thus, implore from God that you have the opportunity to be immersed therefrom, for without God Almighty, nothing is possible. I know for certain that whosoever drinks from this fountain will not be destroyed because water bequeaths life and saves one from destruction and the attacks of Satan. How can one drink from this fountain?
Simply, by upholding the two rights He has established over you and by fulfilling those dues to your utmost; namely the rights owed to God and the rights owed to the rest of creation.” On this day we must all vow to become those individuals who fulfil the pledge of allegiance
And we will try our utmost to give Allah and others their due rights just as is expected from a believer and as outlined by God Almighty and which was expressed by the Promised Messiah (as). Also that we strive to inculcate in our lives the blessings gained in the month of Ramadan. God willing.
May God almighty grant us the opportunity to do so. 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.