Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2015
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God 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]
These are two verses from Surah Al-Hashr, and their translation is: “O ye who believe, fear Allah and let every soul look to what it sends forth for the morrow. “And fear Allah. “Verily, Allah is Well-Aware of what you do. “And be not like those who forgot Allah,
“and whom He has consequently caused to forget their own souls. “It is they that are the rebellious” [Al-Hashr: 19-20] We observe that generally speaking, the root cause of all vices is when a person considers any vice,
Or bad deed to be trivial or small and does not make a concerted effort to resist committing them and nor gives due attention towards them. It is precisely this indifference towards smaller evils that leaves a person to committing major vices, as they slowly but gradually neglect virtues
And they neglect reaching the standard of performing good deeds required of the believer. Their fear of God diminishes and they depart from Taqwah (righteousness). And no longer do they hold complete faith in the life after death. In essence whilst they claim to have faith,
In practice they continue to discard the prerequisites of faith. In the eyes of God, they no longer remain momins (believers). In the aforementioned verses, Allah Almighty draws the attention of believers towards this reality. Emphatically, Allah the Almighty admonishes the believers that you have in this world today;
Your enjoyments, activities of interest, comforts, luxuries and worries for the relationships with your family, friends and relatives, should not be your main focus and concern. Rather, your primary concern should be preparing for what you will send forth tomorrow. Your most important priority and worry should be
Attaining the required standard of faith in God the Almighty and of Taqwah (righteousness and fear of God). Your chief concern should focus on your life after death and the account of yourself that you will have to present. Only when you act upon all of this will you truly improve your morals.
And this moral improvement will not be merely superficial but will be with the view of the purpose of pleasing Allah the Almighty. Your moral progress and claim to be a true believer will only then become a reality when you keep in sight your life in the next world at all times.
In the sight of God the Almighty, you will only then have certain selfless and true faith in Him when you keep the Hereafter constantly in view. And when you strive to please God Almighty and act upon His commands. The Promised Messiah (as) commenting on the first verse that I recited says:
“The verse means: ‘O you who believe, always fear God and be mindful ‘and attentive of what you are preparing to present in the Hereafter. ‘Fear that God Who is the Greatest and the All- Knowing, Who looks over your every action.’ In other words, God the Almighty is all aware of what you do
And will certainly reject your insincere and debased actions. So every single one of us needs to strive to the utmost to understand this command of Allah the Almighty and fully endeavour to act upon it. We should adopt Taqwah (fear of God) and always keep an eye on our actions.
We need to be mindful of those deeds which will help prepare us for the life to come. Allah Almighty sees to the furthest depths of our hearts and is fully aware of everything we do. So he cannot be deceived by actions which are only done outwardly.
Rather, as the Promised Messiah (as) has said: “God the Almighty distinguishes between people who perform actions honestly and dishonestly “He will completely reject maligned and impure actions.” Therefore, it is a matter of hugely serious concern for a believer to be
Constantly worried about the Hereafter where he or she will be held to account for their actions. We should not, like non-believers, consider this world to be everything. Instead, to attain real success and prosperity we should adopt the path of Taqwah . Hadhrat Khalifahtul Masih I (ra) says:
“A formula for success told to us by Allah Almighty is that “man should worry about the Hereafter today. “Man will thereby adorn his life in this world and the next. “Then by acting upon the teaching of the Holy Quran, [Arabic] “A person attains success and prosperity in not only this life
“but also attains the blessings of God the Almighty and prosperity in the life to come.” We can never prepare the provisions for the life in the Hereafter unless we get ready for it in this life from now. I would also like to mention in this reference that the verses under discussion
Are also recited at the time of the Nikkah , [the Islamic announcement of marriage.] These are the final verses recited at the Nikkah announcement. In the verses recited at the Nikkah announcement Allah the Almighty has drawn attention to
Various matters and said that after joining together in marriage, the couple should should take care of their blood relations and also be mindful of their responsibilities. If honesty is always adopted, they will be able to constantly fulfil their duties, perform good deeds and maintain their relations.
They should implement the commands of Allah the Almighty and His messenger and this alone will give them a life of success and prosperity. Then, further emphasis is given that if one always keeps in mind the life to come, they will in turn always keep in view the commands of Allah and His messenger.
There are a multitude of injunctions of Allah the Almighty and His messenger that help to make one’s domestic life beautiful. If one ponders on this, it is clear that this will benefit the person him or herself. As Hazrat Khalifah tul Masih I (ra) said:
“This will adorn one’s life in this world and in the Hereafter.” One’s family life in this world will become like paradise and by following the commands of Allah the Almighty, he or she will also receive the rewards of the next life.
This benefit will not be limited to one’s own person, rather his or her children will also in this way tread on the path of piety. As such a true believer who acts in this manner will not only beautify their own life after death
But they will also strive to become the guarantor of the beautiful life in the Hereafter for the future generations. In fact, not only do they strive but also they in reality become the guarantee for this. Because when one acts in this way, it results in their children also leading a virtuous life.
So if the families who are ruining their homes on the smallest and pettiest of issues would instead ponder and reflect on the commands of Allah the Almighty, they will not only guarantee peace in their own households, but they would also be providing the proper training and tarbiyyat to their children
And will be guiding them to treading on the path of Taqwah . Thus, they will help beautify the lives of their progeny and will be helping them attain the blessings of this world and the Hereafter. Those, who due to worldliness are destroying their homes
On the most trivial of matters should reflect and ponder. The future generations are not just your children, but they are also an asset of the Jamaat and the nation. It is the responsibility of parents to show the future generations the right way and this can only happen when parents try
To follow the commandments of Allah Almighty and His messenger. May Allah the Almighty enable everyone to do this. This was one aspect towards which Allah Almighty has directed the attention of every believer in order for them to strive in this regard and
Through which they will be able to prepare and beautify this life and the next for themselves and their children. There are countless occasions in our lives when we do not act with Taqwah (righteousness) and we forget about the Hereafter. We consider the resources and necessities of this world as everything.
Unconsciously, we give precedence to worldly support over support by Allah the Almighty. Then, due to our inabilities, weaknesses and laziness, we destroy our future in this life and also disregard the future of the hereafter. We do not think of the dreadful consequences our actions can cause.
Once Hazrat Khalifah tul Masih I (ra) directed the attention of the Jamaat in the following brief words that, “A believer should consider beforehand the consequences of whatever actions he or she performs”. When a person is enraged, he feels like he can kill someone and he resorts to cursing out loud.
However, he or she should reflect on what the consequences of his or her actions will be. If a person keeps in view this principle, then they will be granted the ability to tread on the path of Taqwah (righteousness). If we observe, we notice that all bad deeds and sins are committed
Because the devil or Satan forces himself in our minds. Vices are performed because a person chose to neglect the consequences of his or her actions. It is very uncommon that those who kill and destroy or those who sin would ever confess to their crime and surrender themselves
To face the consequences of their actions. The condition of madness as portrayed by them is almost a permanent condition. When any normal and sensible person comes out of this state, they try to protect themselves. It is a different affair with habitual criminals who are beyond this.
Here, Allah the Almighty is not speaking of those who are habitual transgressors or are completely insane. On the contrary, Allah the Almighty says to those to claim to have believed that it is a sign of a believer to always keep one eye on the future. While elaborating on how can one remain alert
And conscious of the consequences for the future, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) says that a person should believe in [Arabic], that ‘whatever you do, Allah Almighty is well aware of it’. If a person believes that there is an All-Aware, omniscient king or emperor Who witnesses every evil act, treachery, deceit, laziness
And mischievous behaviour and He will recompense for every action accordingly, then this person can be saved. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) states that you should develop faith in this manner. There are many people who are neglectful and slack towards their obligations in their employment, work or labour.
By acting in this manner, their income is no longer Halal (or lawful), that is, those who are apathetic towards their worldly affairs and do not fulfil its due rights means that they have also destroyed their future and the income they received is also no longer Halal (or lawful).
This income was obtained through deception. Therefore, this verse directs our attention to remain focused and attentive of our future contains great breadth in its meaning. And it refrains a sincere believer by holding him or her back from approaching even a small weakness or sin.
Therefore it is imperative to develop within us the certain belief that Allah Almighty is looking over our every action. And we should also have the belief that He dislikes any type of deception that we commit regardless of how minute we consider it to be for the sake of gaining profit,
Or that we are apathetic in our behaviour towards our work, or if we are on purpose do not complete our job as promised with the intention that maybe in this manner we will be able to pressurise someone and gain more profit. So keep in mind that Allah Almighty dislikes such things.
If Allah the Almighty dislikes such things then the recompense of such actions as Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) has said is in the form of punishment. Therefore by instructing a believer to be mindful of the tomorrow, a believer’s attention has been directed to tread on the path of righteousness when dealing with
Familial matters to societal, business, national, international and in fact all affairs. The one who does not tread on the path of Taqwah (fear of God) should keep in mind that they will come under the wrath of God the Almighty. Man should not think that religion has no link with worldly affairs.
A believer is commanded to tread on the path ofrighteousness; and it is necessary in the path of righteousness to perform all religious and worldly duties according to the commandments of Allah the Almighty. Sometimes a person thinks about safeguarding themselves from a trial of incurring worldly loss.
They think that they should gain material profit regardless of what method is adopted. However, it should be kept in mind that any deceitful method adopted to gain benefit can take one away from religion and faith. Something which appears to be a mere worldly matter, in fact becomes a spiritual trial.
As I have stated before, it slowly takes one away from religion and God. For this reason, a believer should always keep in mind that spiritual trial is far greater than worldly trials. Due to which this life and after-life are both ruined for a person. Therefore we should examine our hearts continuously
And be mindful of the consequences of our every action in order to be cognizant of the fact that God Almighty is watchful over our every action. When this thought is developed then a believer becomes a sincere and true believer or he or she starts to move toward becoming one.
In order to attain this standard, there is no need to only look at Community or any auxiliary reports or to rely on such methods. Everyone can examine their own self to see if they are up to the standard, that standard
In which they feel before performing any action that God the Almighty is watching over them, that “If I am performing this action with a sincere intention to receive the pleasure of Allah the Almighty then Allah the Almighty has also promised for a manifold reward in return”.
And if the intention is evil, then a person should think that “I can come under the chastisement of Allah the Almighty” When every one of us fulfils their obligations and responsibilities with this thought and will strive in this way, then the general standard of Taqwah of the Community will be raised
And this standard will continue to rise and will be witnessed as it rises itself. There will be no difficulties and issues regarding the office of tarbiyyat, neither will there be any problems for the office of Amooreama or the Qaza.
There will also be no need or worry to send reminders to other offices. Therefore we should examine our hearts at every single moment, from the morning until the night. There is an absolutely critical need to protect ourselves from satanic attacks.
If these good thoughts do not to come to mind, then it is due to Satan. It is Satan’s role in making a person forget and show neglect. If God Almighty is forgotten, then it is Satan who causes this.
If a person is not worried about the Hereafter, then it is Satan who makes a person forget it. It is Satan who says to forget that God Almighty, is watching over you. If we analyse this we observe that most people do not think that
God Almighty is watching over their every action and what could happen as a result. And all of this happens as the Holy Prophet (saw) said because Satan flows in the blood of a human. There are many diseases which harm a person for this reason,
As he or she is inflicted with an infection and it circulates in the blood. Gradually the infection spreads and after a certain point it begins to have a detrimental effect on the body. A person does not realise in the beginning that the disease has attacked. On the contrary, if someone is very cautious,
After being negligent about it for some time, when a person finally decides to visit a doctor, even some doctors fail to initially diagnose that a disease is circulating in the blood. And these viruses appear as I mentioned earlier, from the environment when sometimes there are germs and viruses which are transmitted.
And even today we see that many infections are spread which were not detected from the start but gradually when these spread, then they are identified. However the most dangerous aliment in this day and age are spiritual diseases. The environment is replete with spiritual diseases
And man does not even know when Satan has entered his blood and started to spread the spiritual infection. Nevertheless the disease that is procured due to Satan circulating in someone’s blood, is far more dangerous than a physical disease. With a physical virus, adverse effects begin to take root
And the body starts to ache and a feeling of sluggishness takes over. Then slowly the disease or infection starts to spread. A person can feel the disease or virus themselves and thus visit the doctor and ask for medicine for his or her illness. On the contrary, spiritual diseases are more dangerous,
Because when someone retreats from Allah the Almighty and comes under the attack of Satan, he or she does not feel that they are sick spiritually. Instead he or she considers themselves well. When the person’s friends and well-wishers find out about the sickness, they give them advice and counsel them.
Those who reach their pinnacle of their spiritual illness think that their dear ones and friends are wrong for saying that they are in the wrong and they consider themselves right. Therefore satanic attacks and spiritual aliments are far more dangerous than the physical ailments,
Because man in certain instances is not prepared for the spiritual treatment and cure. Even if others draw his attention towards a cure, he or she does not pay any attention to it. Thus a believer should assess the situation and adopt precautionary measures before any kind of ailment attacks him or her.
As I have said, spiritual aliments and diseases are rampant in this society. Therefore there is a constant need of practice in order to safeguard ourselves. There is a need to constantly seek a cure and adopt precautionary measures, as this is important for a true believer
And he or she should continuously endeavour for this. One should always remember that a believer is never devoid of the fear of God Almighty and it certainly should not be the case. It is narrated that whenever the Holy Prophet (saw) woke at night, he would supplicate with great humility and meekness.
Once Hazrat Aisha (ra) witnessing this condition of the Holy Prophet (saw), stated that “God Almighty has granted you forgiveness, so why do you worry so much and pray for yourself with so much humility and fear of God the Almighty?”
However as I have mentioned before, that the Holy Prophet (saw) stated that Satan runs in the bloodstream of every human, but the Holy Prophet (saw) had said that his Satan had become a Muslim. In other words, there was no question of any kind of spiritual ailment or illness
But in spite of this, he said that even his salvation was dependent on God Almighty’s Grace. And therefore he also needed to constantly prostrate before God the Almighty Thus if the Holy Prophet (saw) showed so much humility despite all of this,
Then who can say that they do not always need to remember the Hereafter in all their works, and that they do not need to seek God the Almighty’s blessings after doing any work. And so we need to be constantly alert. We need to constantly reflect upon ourselves and our actions whilst
Treading on the path of ‘taqwa’, righteousness. We need to constantly seek God the Almighty’s Mercy and we need to be constantly mindful of how to safeguard our faith and religion. And also in the second verse which I recited, God the Almighty has drawn our attention to not become
Like those who forgot God the Almighty, and so He caused them to forget their own souls. I gave the example of those who are spiritually ill who never consider themselves as ill. In fact when their sympathisers identify their illness and try to cure them,
The ill person thinks it is the sympathisers who are ill and insane. In other words, their spiritual aliment leads them to neglect, and thus prevents them from recognising the condition of their souls and the result is nothing but ruin and devastation.
On should remember that generally a person forgets God the Almighty in three ways or there are three kinds of people who we generally observe in the world who are far removed from God the Almighty. Firstly, it is those who deny the existence of God the Almighty,
And boldly express their complete rejection with great confidence. There are a very large number of people these days who hold this view and regard themselves as very intellectual and take pride in their education. Through the media, the internet and other means, they continue to poison and influence
The minds of the youth who are susceptible to their views. Secondly are those, who do not have a true belief in the All-Powerful God, before whom they shall be presented one day, and will be answerable for their actions. However, they do still believe that there is a God,
Who has created the world and believe the entire cosmos operates under God the Almighty’s power. Yet despite having this knowledge, they fail to act upon God the Almighty’s commands. Thirdly are those who are so immersed in their worldly pursuits that they have forgotten
God the Almighty, and if they ever remember Him they offer the Salat, or they may supplicate but they are not regular in doing so. They pay no attention to the five obligatory prayers that God the Almighty has prescribed for a believer. Nonetheless those who forget God the Almighty,
Ultimately reach a stage of moral and spiritual decadence and no longer have inner peace. They think that their worldly pursuits will benefit them. Therefore they should carry them out first, and then the obligation of God the Almighty can be carried out later,
As they find comfort and ease more readily in their worldly gains. However Allah the Almighty has said He deals with such people that [Arabic]. He causes such people to forget their own souls and they can never attain any inner peace. God the Almighty has said to the believers that
If you have true ‘taqwa’ , righteousness, and if you are a believer and have faith and belief in His unity, then lead your life according to His conditions which He has commanded you to adhere. This includes looking at the consequence of everything one embarks upon
And having firm belief that God the Almighty is watching over everything one does. When a person adopts such a view, then the manner in which he conducts his works, completely changes and he feels, because of this, that the blessings of God the Almighty, have also increased for him.
I remember that when I went on a tour to Kenya, I met an experienced politician at a reception. He told me that he had met Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV, who had given him advice which has proved very beneficial. The advice was that before doing anything, remember that
‘God the Almighty is watching me, and He keeps a record of everything’. I cannot remember now whether the politician was a Muslim or Christian, but I think that he was a Christian. So now if he could benefit from this advice, then how much more beneficial will the advice be for a true believer
Who has particularly been enjoined by God the Almighty, to look at the consequences of his or her actions, and remember that the All -Knowing and All-Powerful God Almighty is watching over their every deed and action. Therefore all his actions should be carried out to win the pleasure of God the Almighty.
However if you do not have this thinking, then you will forget God the Almighty and in turn He will count you amongst the transgressors. Therefore by stating the word fasiq or transgressors here, God the Almighty has made it clear that if you do not act righteously
Or are not concerned about your next life, and do not follow God the Almighty’s commandments, then you will be counted among the transgressors. The transgressor is one, that oversteps the limits set by God the Almighty, who is embroiled in sins, who is disobedient and who is dishonest.
If we do not reflect ourselves and do not assess our actions, according to the standard set by God the Almighty, then it is a cause for great concern. Explaining this part of the verse, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I states: “Do not become like those about whom it is said [Arabic]
“that, it is those who have abandoned the fountainhead of all purity “and wish to succeed through their mischievous plans, cunningness, deceptive ploys, and scheming.” The meaning of rubabazi means like foxes as we say in the urdu phrase, ‘mischievous or clever like a fox’.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) further states that man faces many difficulties and has many requirements. He requires food and drink and has friends as well as enemies. However, a righteous person has a quality that in all circumstances, he or she takes great care not to let their relationship with God the Almighty, deteriorate.
In other words they constantly remember God the Almighty and give precedence to Him over all friends and over all kinds of benefits. He then stated the example that a friend who one relies upon heavily may not remain in the world or may be hindered at the onset of any difficulty or trouble,
That he can no longer aid the person. Then if someone has a great reliance on a particular ruler, it is possible that that ruler may be replaced and therefore cannot provide them with any help. Similarly those relatives and relations that one has great trust in,
That they may provide aid at a time of loss and difficulty God the Almighty may leave them in such a state that they can no longer provide any help. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) further states that never let go of your relationship
With God the Almighty for He can never be separated neither in this life nor in death. God Almighty remains with us in life and in death. He further stated that God the Almighty said “Do not become like those who have “cut all ties with God Almighty.
“Otherwise the result will be that you will be no longer safeguarded from sorrow “and will not find any comfort or calm. “In place you will face humiliation from all directions “and it is quite possible that this humiliation may come from your own friends
“who are those who cut their ties with God the Almighty. They are the transgressors, and the people who are empty of true faith. Not only are they weak in their faith but they also have no love for God’s Creation. That is to say, neither do they fulfil the rights of God
And nor do they fulfil the rights of man. Therefore every one of us needs to try and make every action of theirs according to the commands of God the Almighty. Instead of focussing on our temporary gains we should focus on the next life. May God the Almighty enable us 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.