Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2017
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah. Come to Prayer.
Come to Prayer. Come to success. Come to success. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is none worth of worship except Allah. May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon you.
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. We observe in the western and developed world today that far-right groups,
political parties and nationalist organisations are rapidly gaining influence and importance. Analysts have written a great deal on this and say that the current left-leaning governments do not have a strict enough stance on immigration policies
and this has caused the current situation, as has some other factors. However they say the breaking point causing all this is Muslims and it is said that Muslims should be banned from entering these countries as they do not integrate
in the local society, they segregate themselves and practice their religion of Islam – which in their view is an extremist religion. Or they say that if Muslims want to live here then they must give up their religion
and traditions and adopt their customs and lifestyle instead. If Muslims do not implement this, then they say that it proves that they do not wish to integrate; and that if Muslims maintain or desire to maintain their individual identity and religious values,
it equates to them being a threat to the country. These are absurd and ignorant statements. They say that the minarets of the mosques of Muslims are a threat to us, the Hijab the Muslim women wear are a threat to us,
Muslim women or men not shaking our hands is a threat to us [and so on]. In the UK there are hardly any politicians who express such sentiments however there is a great clamour raised in other countries on this issue.
On a daily basis we hear statements given by politicians on this. They try to prove their point by saying that proof of Muslims being a threat to us can be established by the fact that extremism and lawlessness are at a peak in Muslim countries,
and the majority of attacks by extremists in Western countries are being committed by Muslims. Whilst everything else they say is simply anti-Islamic rhetoric, sadly, this particular statement is true that there is extremism in Muslim countries and
there are also attacks that are committed here. This allegation has also been handed to them on a plate by Muslims themselves. As I have said, this is because terrorism and extremism are
greatly prevalent in Muslim countries and attacks do take place here as well. This is irrespective of the fact that extremist and rebel groups in Muslim countries obtain their weapons from Western nations.
Certain powers have very shrewdly strengthened the hand of these groups so that these groups then are able to fulfil their objectives, which leads to increased anti-Islamic sentiments and maliciousness against Islam.
On the one side governments are supported in overt and covert ways, whilst on the other side they provide assistance to the rebel and extremist groups through some means or the other. Without this support no government nor group would
be able to sustain their fight for such a long period of time. It is with regret that whenever Muslims are inflicted with harm, it is always through the actions of Muslim themselves, through their own schemes, rebellions, usurping the rights of one another
and giving precedence to their own interests over the national interests. And, because they have forgotten the teachings of Islam and are ignoring their true purpose. Instead they should have focused on improving their spiritual condition
and following the commands of Allah and His Messenger (saw) the Muslim rulers, politicians and scholars running greedily after materialistic pursuits and seeking respect and honour from only the world.
The Muslim scholars have, under the guise of religion, played and continued to play their part in pushing the Muslim community at large further into abyss of darkness. Instead of reflecting on circumstances of the time, the promises made by Allah the Almighty and
the urgent need this situation called out for, and instead of searching of that person who was foretold to appear by Allah the Almighty Who said that this person would restore faith even if it ascended to the Pleaides [a constellation of stars]
and would reestablish the structure of Islam and rejuvenate the faith of Muslims. Not only are they negligent of this, but rather they so vehemently oppose the One sent by God, that go to the maximum extent to oppose him wherever they can in Muslim countries
and even amongst non-Muslims. They have transgressed in enmity and malice to such a degree which knows no bounds. In fact, they are exceeding all limits in their cruelty and oppression of the followers of
the One who was promised to appear by Allah the Almighty. In Pakistan the vast wave of persecution and cruelty exists with the protection of the Law. For many years, rather many decades I should say, this oppression has persisted.
In some other Muslim countries also, Ahmadis are the victims of hardships by people being fearful of the Mullah and cruel officials. In other places the situation has relatively improved, but who knows for how long.
May Allah bestow His Grace and may Ahmadis always remain in safety. However nowadays this persecution is intensifying in Algeria. The police is capturing them, the courts issue verdicts as they please and imprison Ahmadis.
Some Ahmadis are being issued with punishment of one to three years of jail time. And all of this is only because they said that they accepted the Imam who was foretold to appear.
And they accepted him because it was the instruction of Allah and His Messenger to do so. There are over 200 Ahmadis currently either in jail, who have either been punished,
or who are awaiting verdict on their punishment in police custody, or who have been put in detention. All of them have professed that despite these hardships they are facing, they will never renounce their faith.
Thus when an Ahmadi announces that he or she will give precedence to all commands of Allah and His Messenger over all else and are prepared to make the greatest of sacrifices for this, then no one can hinder them away from their faith.
Yet those who commit cruelties in the name of Islam and in the name of Allah and His Messenger, should remember that Allah watches over the oppressed and the prayers of the persecuted are reaching His Throne.
When the Court of God issues its verdict then both this world and the next will come to complete ruin for the oppressors. Thus they should fear the decree of Allah and instead of committing transgressions
upon the Ahmadis, they should look at their own conditions. They should see that by becoming a means to defaming the teachings of Islam, are they fulling the purpose of life outlined by Allah the Almighty?
If they truly held a pain and passion for Islam, that is the Muslim scholars who issue fatwas (religious edicts) followed by rulers and the judges of the courts, then they would have united in the face of the current predicament
of Islam where it is being assaulted with criticisms from all directions. They would think that on one hand God has promised for Islam to spread in the entire world, but here we see the opposite happening and Islam is being defamed by these actions.
What is the reason here? Will victory be achieved through the extremist and terrorist groups? Did God ever say that through bloodshed and massacre Islam is to be spread? Does Islam not possess arguments and reason through which it can be propagated?
Will Islam be served only by killing with a sword opposing sects, innocent people of other faiths, as well as innocent children, women and the elderly? If this is their mentality – and we see the many of the Muslim scholars are committing extremists acts which
reflect that this is their way of thinking, then they are the people who disobey the injunctions of Allah and His Messenger (saw). They will never gain success through his approach but indeed such actions
will most certainly make them liable to the chastisement of God. Whilst they continue to perpetrate cruelties against Ahmadis and wrongdoings Islam’s name, and believe they will achieve success based on their governments and power,
they should remember that, one day, they will have to present themselves before God and will have to answer for their oppression and persecution. The state of the Muslims at the present time is a very strange one.
On one side is the group of so-called Maulvies and also the extremists and terrorists who, in the name of Islam, are causing strife in all directions against both Muslims and non-Muslims. On the other side are those who in reaction to such groups
and under the Western and worldly influence, have become disconnected with religion. Rather than presenting the excellences of the teaching of Islam confidently, they are either disconnected or are afraid. Instead of advocating the qualities of the teachings of Islam
and refuting the discourses of worldly people, they readily agree with them and present wrong interpretations and explanations of Islamic teachings to try and justify what they believe is its actual meaning in order to placate them.
For them, the fear of the world supersedes the fear of Allah. Similarly there are some political leaders who, even if do not agree with the Maulvies, still fear losing their seats of power and are afraid the Maulvies incite people against them.
Thus such individuals have no link with religion whatsoever. Out of cowardice and to fulfil their dominant worldly objectives, they choose to remain silent. Albeit every group among the Muslims who has rejected the one sent by Allah has
become far removed from the commands of Allah and His Messenger (saw). In terms of Maulvies who use the name of religion to expand their business, they hurl the allegation against the Promised Messiah (as) that, God forbid,
he claimed to be the Messiah and Mahdi to start up a business for financial gain. Whereas the truth is these Maulvies have found an easy way to earn money as a business, which is to simply oppose he Promised Messiah (as).
They have no argument, thus you will often observe that they simply resort to hurling verbal abuse. Nonetheless, either it is those who use religion in order to make financial gains from it or those who give less importance to religion due to their worldly pursuits.
All of these people are just Muslim by name and have no affiliation with true teachings of Islam. In such circumstances, Ahmadis need to reflect over this because they have accepted the Imam of the age and therefore a huge responsibility has been placed on them.
The opponents are going to continue to perpetrate cruelties against us and eventually so will those who have drifted away from faith and do not believe in God Almighty when we speak out against their ill-practises
which they commit in the name of freedom or enact laws for them. When we speak against them that is when they will also begin to oppose us. In such circumstances will we become fearful and remain silent,
or will we falter in our faith and agree with whatever they say? If we do this then, what is the benefit of entering in the Bai’at of the Promised Messiah (as)?
The Promised Messiah (as) came and told us that we must adhere to the commandments of the Allah the Almighty and follow the example of His Prophet (saw). We must never lose faith and nor create disorder on the earth. Along with this,
we must also remember that we have to propagate the message of Allah to every part of the world, so that the Unity of God be established and the beautiful teachings of Islam are spread
all over the world and the majority of the people of the world are convinced of its teachings. In order to accomplish this, the Promised Messiah (as) stated that Allah the Almighty has
given us the guidance in the Holy Quran and we must adhere to it which is: [Arabic, Holy Qur’an (16:126)] “Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation “and argue with them in a way that is best.”
Thus, instead of raising the sword like the so-called Ulema [scholars] and as other extremis do it is necessary that we use sound arguments or the purpose of Tabligh [preaching], in order
spread the beautiful teachings of Islam and to teach the wisdom behind the Islamic injunctions. Nowhere has Allah the Almighty said to spread Islam in this manner. Certain ill-practices which religion deems to be unlawful, and in fact are immoral and sinful acts,
are becoming widespread in some of the developed countries, or the laws of the land seek to safeguard those practises. If we are to speak against them but we feel that the concerned party become angry
at what we have to say then we can temporarily avoid speaking against it and simply walk away by conveying the greeting of peace as that will be the most wise act to do at the time.
However, this is not because we have become fearful due to a legislation being passed, or that we simply agree with whatever they say because the party in question will become angry.
If someone were to become fearful of them or come under their influence and agree with what they say then this is something completely wrong and such a person will also be partaking in that sin. The Promised Messiah (as) states that: [Arabic, Holy Qur’an]
“the verse ‘and argue with them in a way that is best’ does not mean that we should become so weak “in our stance and compromise in agreeing to something that is completely wrong”. Thus, wisdom does not mean to that one should show cowardice,
rather it is to express the truth without creating ny kind of disorder. Or, one should express himself in such a way that it does not create any disorder and yet he does full justice to the message he wishes to convey.
Thus, a Momin [believer] should be aware of the difference between showing cowardice and wisdom. The commandments of Islam which deem a practice to be unlawful must clearly be declared as
unlawful but at the same time we must not take the law into our own hands and create disorder. Further expounding on this, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “When you engage in a debate then do so with wisdom
“and goodly exhortation in a civilised and gentle manner. “Indeed, in this era there are countless ignorant and foolish Maulvis [Muslim clerics] “who owing to their ignorance believe that it is an act of great virtue to
“spread Islam through the Jihad of the sword. “They lead a life of obscurity and hypocrisy, “however this is a completely erroneous concept and the Holy Quran cannot be “held blameworthy for their misconception.”
If they such things then this is a misconception on their part and the book of Allah the Almighty cannot be blamed for this. He (as) further states: The truth does not equire the use of force,
in fact using force proves that the spiritual arguments are weak. Allah the Almighty revealed to the Holy Prophet (saw) that [Arabic, Holy Qur’an] ‘Have patience, then, as had the Messengers of strong determination’.
Thus, he should show more patience than the collective patience of all the previous messengers of strong determination put together. Allah the Almighty further stated, ‘There is no compulsion in religion’. [Arabic, Holy Qur’an()]
He then stated, ‘Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation’ and also ‘and those who supress anger, and pardon men’. In other words, Momin are those who supress their anger and forgive those who perpetrate
cruelties against them and they do not respond to indecency in an indecent manner. Therefore, can such a God reveal a teaching wherein it states to kill those who deny your faith and steal their wealth and loot their homes?
In fact, the initial wars of Islam were fought because it was an injunction of Allah, so that those who raised the sword to perpetrate cruelties died by the sword and they faced the consequences of their actions. He (as) further states
“Where does it state that one should go around killing the disbelievers with the sword? “This is a concept that has been introduce by the ignorant Maulvis and the unwise “Christian clerics and has no truth to it whatsoever.”
Or, it is the Muslim clerics who claim to be the so-called advocators for the cause of Islam or those who oppose Islam make such claims. i.e. that kill the disbelievers However, it does not mention this anywhere. Thus, this is the true teaching of Islam which
other Muslims do not follow because either they do not have the desire to spread the message of Islam or as the Promised Messiah (as) stated that this idea has taken root because of the foolish and ignorant Maulvis .
However, we must propagate the teachings among the Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Thus, every Ahmadi should pay attention to this in their respective social circles. Previously, these people harboured an extreme view of the Islamic teachings within them but lead
a life of hypocrisy and duplicity, but now there are certain groups who openly voice their views. It is not only against the non-Muslims but they are attacking fellow Muslims and defaming Islam. They are all united in their opposition against Ahmadis but the different sects
and groups are fighting one another also. In such circumstances, the responsibilities of an Ahamdi have significantly increased. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “Remember that a person who is harsh and becomes enraged, cannot utter wise and meaningful words.
“The heart that flies into a rage and quickly gets out control “is deprived of wisdom and understanding. “The lips of the unrestrained and foul mouthed become unfortunate and “kept away from the spring of perceptiveness, rage andwisdom cannot coexist.”
He (as) states “The one who rages in a fit of fury, has a dull mind and brain. “He is never given victory or success in any field. Anger is half insanity. “When anger becomes full fury, it can become complete insanity.”
Anger is half insanity and when this intensifies then it can transform into complete insanity. Therefore, when a person becomes angry and insane then he cannot utter words of wisdom and this is precisely what we observe in the non-Ahmadis.
The Muslim clerics display this kind of conduct everywhere and this in fact is also defaming the name of Islam. They are not just against us but when we do Tabligh [preach]
and propagate the true teachings of Islam to the world, then the opponents of Islam always say that that though you may be peaceful the majority of the other Muslims do not consider you as Muslims therefore how can you be considered as the representatives of Islam?
Therefore, in these circumstances, our challenges have significantly increased. Every Ahmadi must realise that their responsibilities in that their every action and deed is a reflection of Islam. If a person is not doing active Tabligh even then his every word
and action should be conveying the message of Islam. Whilst doing Tabligh, we must keep in mind the wisdom of Hazrat Ali (ra). He stated that the heart has certain desires and inclinations as result of this at times the heart
is willing to listening to something and on other occasions it is not. At times, a person is ready to listen and sometimes he does not wish to listen to anything, thus one should enter into the hearts of people
while taking one’s inclinations of the heart into consideration. Therefore, one should assess the situation at the time as to whether the person is willing to listen to you and then speak accordingly. Thus, we need to adopt this kind of wisdom.
The Promised Messiah (as) has also given guidance regarding this. He (as) states “One should ponder over what they wish to say and keep it concise. “Delving into long debates and deep discussion has no benefit.”
He (as) further states “One should convey his point in a few words which goes straight “into the ear and if ever the opportunity arises in the future then he can expound upon it”
However, all of this is only possible when one is constantly in contact with the other person. Those who oppose faith, seek to challenge the laws of God, and in the name of freedom are trying to portray their ill-practises as moral.
However, we must respond to them with wisdom and by remaining constantly in contact with them. For instance in Australia there are certain people whose enmity has grown to such an extent
that say that Muslims who do not shake hands with the opposite gender should be deported. However, Ahmadis should address this issue with wisdom in their respective enviornments and social circles.
Or, certain people oppose the Hijab and in certain other countries they are against the construction of mosques and minarets. A politician from Holland said that all the Muslims should be expelled or all the Muslims
belonging to a particular country should be expelled. The President of USA also wants to ban Muslims of certain countries. Consequently, even though the anti-Islamic movements are behind all of this and some Muslims groups are assisting them,
however, the majority of the people are unaware of the true teachings of Islam. Therefore, all those Jamaat’s that have a substantial amount of members – where they have an opportunity to spread the message in an effective manner –
should organise effective programs which explain the peaceful message of Islam, alongside their traditional programs. In the countries where anti-Islamic movements are gaining momentum, if there is anyone that can work in an organised manner to break their might, it is the Ahmadiyya Community.
Other Muslims are not working towards highlighting the beauty of Islam and spreading its message. They do not have the systematic organisation, nor do they possess the knowledge to do so. This responsibility has been decreed for those who have accepted the Promised Messiah (as),
therefore every single person must understand the importance of this task. On one occasion The Promised Messiah (as) states “No matter how fiercely falsehood opposes “the truth, the might and power of truth equally gather pace.”
He (as) further stated: “This is a natural phenomenon, in that the more force “used to oppose the truth, the more it begins to glisten and radiate its glory.” He (as) continues by saying: “We have experimented with this fact and observed
“that wherever we have been vociferously opposed, in the same place a Jamaat becomes established, “whereas in places where people listen and remain silent, there is not much progress in that area.”
Thus, wherever we face opposition from the Muslims we see that it opens a way to introduce the Jamaat and thus there is further progress. In Algeria, perhaps our efforts to spread the message of Ahmadiyyat and
introduce the Promised Messiah (as) may not have given us exposure to the same degree as we have received from these lawsuits and the newspapers that have written against us. This is having a positive impact on those who have a virtuous nature.
Similarly in Non-Muslim countries, wherever there is a wave of Anti-Islamic sentiments, the Jamaat should do more to highlight the peaceful message of Islam. As I have mentioned that we must strive to the peaceful message of Islam,
and perhaps this may lead to further opposition from certain factions. Certain examples have come to light in which it is becoming evident that the opposition is increasing, from the Non-Muslims as well as [certain] Christian groups.
For example; in Western Germany the nationalists say many things against the Jamaat, however, this is having a positive effect on those people who possess virtuous hearts as well as increasing the awareness of the Jamaat.
Instead of being petrified by this we should feel happy and increase the speed of our efforts. Every Ahmadi should become part of spreading the message through their actions and habits. The Promised Messiah (as) states “In order to safeguard Islam and for the truth to become
“manifest, the first thing one must do is to become a model of what a Muslim is. “The second aspect to this is to spread the excellence and distinctions throughout the world.” May God Almighty grant us the opportunity to live our lives according to this.
May we become the personification of a true Muslim. Despite all the opposition, may we become those who exhibit the attributes and excellences of Islam and spread them to the world. May every single one of us become those individuals
who safeguard the true Islam and exhibit the truth. After the prayers I will lead some funeral prayers in absentia. The first funeral prayer is of Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Din Sahib of Qadian,
who was the son of Mr Aziz ud Din Sahib. He passed away on 15 March 2017 at the age of 97. ‘To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.’ His paternal grandfather was Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Vazeer-ud-Din Sahib,
who was part of the 313 companions mentioned by the Promised Messiah (as) in the books: Aina Kamalaat-e-Islam and the appendix of Anjaam-e-Atham. His paternal grandfather was the headmaster of a madrasa in Kangra.
In accordance with the prophecy of the Promised Messiah (as), a devastating earthquake struck in Kangra in 1905. However, his school and all students within the madrasa were miraculously saved. The deceased Hakeem Muhammad Din Sahib was born in 1920 in Mukerian,
which is situated in the district of Hoshiarpur. He completed his Matriculation examination from Lahore and Intermediate level from Qadian, obtaining a Munshi Faazal degree [higher level of education prior to university].
He went on to study in a medical college in Lahore for two years and also gained his degree in medicine from there. From 1939 to 1944 he served in the department of railways as the assistant station master.
Under the life devotee scheme launched in 1943 by Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra), Hakeem Sahib also submitted his application to devote his life, however, at that time he was advised by Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) to continue with the line of work
Nevertheless, having heard the sermon of Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra), it was his desire to dedicate is life and serve as a missionary. Owing to this desire of his and also writing constantly to Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra),
his request was eventually accepted and he was assigned as the missionary in charge of Bombay. Initially he worked as a helper to Maulana Abdur Rahim Nayyar Sahib, and then later he was made the missionary in charge.
Overall, he had the opportunity to serve for twenty five years in the field of preaching. Towards the end of 1972 he returned to Qadian and was initially assigned as a teacher in Madrasat-ul-Ahmadiyya, after which he served for twelve years as its headmaster.
He had the opportunity to serve as the head of the Qaza board, Sadr [head] Majlis Ansarullah of India, member and then later Sadr [head] of Majlis Karpurdaz. He was also made Nazim [In charge] Waqf-e-Jadid and from 2011 to 2014 he had the opportunity to
serve as Sadr of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya. In this respect he served in various capacities spread over a number of years. He had performed Hajj-e-Badl [a Hajj carried out on the behalf of another person].
He would recite the Holy Qur’an in an excellent manner and had a strong voice. Initially his Wasiyyat was set at one tenth, which he then stipulated at one seventh and eventually at one fifth.
He was a very selfless person and always served with the utmost humility and selflessness. He served under those that were very junior to him, yet he remained ever obedient in serving under those missionaries that were his junior.
May God Almighty elevate the status of the deceased. At present three of his daughters are in Pakistan and three are in India. He has two sons, both of whom are currently working for the Jamaat.
May Allah the Almighty also enable them the opportunity to fulfil their oath of allegiance with loyalty and sincerity. The second funeral prayer is of Fazal Ilahi Anwari Sahib, who was the son of Master Imam Ali Sahib.
He passed away in Germany on 4th March 2017 at the age of 90. ‘To Allah we belong and to Him is our return’ He was born in Bhera on 16th April 1927.
In 1946 he completed his FSc examination from Ta’leem-ul-Islam College in Qadian. In 1947 he devoted his life and after that he got his BSc from Government College Lahore in 1950. In 1951 he admitted into Jamiat-ul-Mubashireen [a five year course to train missionaries]
and after completing this he had the pportunity to serve for a lengthy duration. In 1956 he was sent as a missionary to Ghana where he served until 1960. Between 1960 and 1964 he served as a teacher in Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah.
From 1964 to 1967 he served as the missionary for West Germany. In 1968 he was sent to Nigeria, where he remained until 1972. In 1972 he returned again to Germany and served there until 1977.
In 1979 he served as the Secretary of Hadeeqat-ul-Mubashireen and as the Additional Nazir Islah o Irshad Ta’leem-ul-Quran. In 1982 he was sent as a missionary to The Gambia.
In 1983 he was transferred to Nigeria and served there until 1986, after which he was assigned as a teacher in Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah until 1988. He then served in Vakalat-e-Tasneef. He eventually retired in 1988 and moved to Germany.
During the disturbances of 1974 he assisted the Jamaat greatly by making arrangements for Ahmadis to move there and organised for their immigration process. This was highly appreciated by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh)
and many of the earlier settlers have written to me, for example Irfan Khan Sahib states: “He treated us in the manner a father would. “In those days the financial situation of the Jamaat was not exceptional
“and he was always mindful if we wasted any water. “During the ablution he would stand behind us and note whether or not we were wasting water.” He ensured that the youth (the majority of the people that migrated at the time were young)
remained firmly attached to the Jamaat and ensured for their moral training. He was very content [with what he had]. May Allah the Almighty elevate the status of the deceased and enable his progeny to continue his virtuous deeds.
He has also written a few books about the Dervaish of Qadian. The third funeral prayer will be of Ibrahim bin Abdullah Ugzul Sahib, who was the father of Jamal Ugzul Sahib of Morocco.
He passed away on 10th March 2017 at the age of 81. ‘To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return’. He performed the Bai’at [oath of initiation] in the year 2000.
His wife accepted Ahmadiyyat before him and was the one who encouraged him to perform the Bai’at. He would watch MTA regularly. He was regular in his five daily prayers and had a special love for the Holy Quran.
He was very kind hearted and would show compassion to all of his family members. He was never harsh in the upbringing of his children. He always kept his [extended] family together.
He was generous and would show kindness to his relatives. When he was financially stable he would help his brothers who were less privileged by including them in his trade business and try to improve their situation.
Hospitality was one of his special attributes and he would always welcome fellow Jamaat members. He was famous for his honesty even from an early age, to the extent that when he was in employment
in his youth, the owner would entrust him with all the trading goods and capital, to the amazement of all his co-workers. Towards the latter part of his life during the period of his illness, he would continuously enquire about the prayers.
May Allah the Almighty elevate the status of the deceased and grant steadfastness to all those who survived him, and enable them to remain attached to the Jama’at. 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.