Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2017
Peace be upon you. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah. Come to Prayer. 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 Allah
He is alone and has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is His Servant and Messenger After this I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Gracious, the Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us on 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. Today the Jalsa Salana [Annual Convention]of Bangladesh begins.
I am not due to address the concluding session of Bangladesh Jalsa this time around, and hence they expressed their wish for me to say some things to them during my Friday Sermon.
With the Grace of Allah Almighty, the Bangladesh Jama’at [Community] is a very sincere one. This is a country where Ahmadis have sarifced their lives – around 12 or 13 have been martyred.
They have and continue to endure hardships, yet their faith and conviction in Ahmadiyyat – the true Islam – is very resolute, with the Grace of Allah. May Allah Almighty continuously strengthen their faith.
The Jalsa Salana (Annual Convention) Sierra Leone has also started today. They were worried by the weather and also had security concerns and requested prayers that their Jalsa is blessed in every respect. May Allah Almighty also bless their Jalsa.
We should always bear in mind that we need to constantly remember the spirit of the purpose for which these Jalsas are held and strive to attain it. This applies to any country of the world Bangladesh, Sierra Leone,
other places in Africa or elsewhere. What is this purpose? The Promised Messiah (as) has explained this objective on difference occasions regarding Jalsa. I hope that at the inauguration of the Jalsa Bangladesh and Jalsa Sierra Leone,
the extracts of the Promised Messiah (as) in this regard were heard by all. All Ahmadis around the world should constantly keep these objectives in view, for these objectives are not limited to just three days,
rather it is the entire life purpose of an Ahmadi Muslim. Thus we should always keep these objectives before us. The Promised Messiah (as) said that one of these objectives is to develop Zuhd and Righteousness.
These are not temporary, but rather qualities that are meant to be adopted on a permanent basis. Coming to Jalsa should in instil in one the true perception of the fear of Allah Almighty, which is also an enduring trait we should adopt.
This is not a fear which frightens one out of terror or being scared, but instead is the fear of upsetting the one you love. Attending Jalsa and experiencing the spiritual atmosphere should develop within the attendees, gentleness and kindness for one another.
It should increase mutual love for the sake of attaining Allah Almighty’s pleasure. It should develop such ties of brotherhood, which are praiseworthy in the eyes of the world who come to see such examples as the true demonstration of the teachings of Islam.
The Promised Messiah (as) has also made us realise that it is necessary for his followers to display humility and modesty and completely uproot arrogance and conceit. Wherever Ahmadis reside, they should achieve spiritual progress
and then spread Islam’s true teachings to their fellow countrymen. If opposition exists, it can never destroy our mission. We must continue Tabligh (preaching) with wisdom everywhere, and this is our objective. Today Islam is being defamed in all directions.
In Muslim countries Muslims themselves are thirsty to shed the blood of other Muslims. The actions of the Muslims are far- removed from the teachings of Islam. In such a predicament we, Ahmadis, have to inform the world of the beautiful teachings of Islam.
The most important thing required to achieve this, is to establish our relationship with Allah. It is to pray to Him in prostration and to beg Him alone for help for our work to be blessed.
We need to establish our practical examples in displaying good morals, so the world comes to know that if they wish to observe the highest standards of worship according to Islam, they can find it practiced among Ahmadis.
If they want to see the highest standards of fulfilling the dues of mankind and displaying good morals, they can witness it in Ahmadis. These Jalsas are not just held for three days to gather Ahmadis and teach about the religion.
Rather they are held so that Ahmadis can experience the spiritual atmosphere that is created in the three days so that the rust can be removed from their hearts. The Ahmadis living here may certainly have strong conviction in the doctrines [of Ahmadiyyat].
And as I have mentioned, this is why the Ahmadis of Bangladesh have even given up their lives. However, Allah Almighty desires for each one of us to elevate our practical conduct to the loftiest standards in this, the era of the revival of Islam.
You should be regular in the prayers according the ways taught by Allah Almighty. You should strive infuse the true spirit of the prayer within you. I have discoursed on this topic in great detail in my last two Friday Sermons.
Fulfil the dues of the rights of others utilising all your capabilities and capacity. As was mentioned, one of the objectives of the Jalsa is to develop Zuhd and Righteousness. The Promised Messiah (as) explaining the meaning of Taqwah [Rightesousness] says:
“Taqwah means to abstain from the smallest and finest paths of vice and immorality. “Remember however, that it is not piety when one merely claims that they are pious “on the basis of not looting anyone’s wealth and possessions, not usurping anyone’s rights,
“not committing theft, not committing adultery and not illicitly glancing at others. “Such ‘piety’ is laughable in the eyes of the knowledgeable or philosophers. “This is not piety, but rather is a joke, because if he commits these vices such as robbery, “he will be punished.
“Thus piety is not what is worthy in the eyes of the knowledgeable or philosophers. “True piety is to serve mankind and show absolute loyalty and sincerity in the way of Allah, “to the extent that one is prepared to give up his life.
“This is why it is said here [ ARABIC] “Meaning that Allah Almighty is with those who refrain from evil “and along with it they also perform good deeds.” The Promised Messiah (as) further states that “Remember that simply refraining from evil
“is no quality in itself unless one practises good deeds with it. “There will be many who have never committed adultery, murder, theft or robbery, despite this, “they have not demonstrated any example of sincerity and devotion in the way of God.”
Although they have not committed any of these transgressions, they have also not displayed any example of devotion in the way of God Almighty which is worthy of any kind of praise and nor have they rendered any kind of service to humanity
and thus have performed no good deed. “Therefore, it would be extremely foolish one to count someone among the pious on this basis “because these are transgressions and refraining from them does not make one a Friends of Allah.”
He (as) states “It is the practise of Allah Almighty that He punishes those in this very world “who do wrong, steal, engage in treacherous acts and accept bribes “That person does not taste death until he has been punished and
“this punishment is generally mete out through some means or the other. “Remember therefore that such an act alone does not equate to piety.” He (as) states “Taqwa is the lowermost standard and can be likened to the example of a plate
“which has been thoroughly cleaned so that exquisite and the best foods can be laid upon it. “However, can it fill one’s stomach if the plate is well cleaned “but left without food being placed on it? Certainly not.
“Can the empty plate satiate one with food Certainly not. “Similarly, is in the case of Taqwa” He (as) states “What is Taqwa [righteousness]? “Taqwa is to merely cleanse the vessel of the Nafs-e-Amaraa [The Self that Incites to Evil].”
Nafs-e-Amaraa is a state that consistently incites one towards evil and wherein a person does not feel any kind of remorse after having committed a wrong.
Thus, Taqwa is to cleanse the vessel of Nafs-e-Amaraa and once this has been cleansed an person begins to refrain from committing evil, this is only the lowermost standard of Taqwa.
However the food that is then placed in this plate, is in fact the virtuous deeds which Allah has taught us and includes fulfilling the rights we owe to God and also to His creation.
He (as) states “Virtuous deeds is the food that is placed inside the vessel which then strengthens “one’s faculties so that they reach a stage whereby virtuous deeds emanate from within them.” We should strive in performing good deeds in order to strengthen the faculties which Allah Almighty
has endowed us with as this will enable us to fulfil both the rights of God Almighty and man. He (as) states “It is to reach a stage whereby virtuous acts emanate from within
“and so that one can also attain the highest level of nearness to Allah Almighty.” When both these aspects are enacted and one begins to adopt virtuous deeds then subsequently the level of Taqwa will increase as well as the nearness to Allah.
Worship is extremely important for a true Muslim. What is prayer? What is worship and do prayers display miracles? How should one worship and supplicate and what should its condition be like?
What are the methods that one should adopt in order to identify the reality of prayer and how can one attain the nearness to Allah Almighty by employing these methods? What role does the prayer play in this regard? Explaining this the Promised Messiah (as) states
“Prayer is the elixir which turns a handful of dust into pure gold.” Such is the effect that prayer should have that it should be able to turn dust into gold. “It is water which washes away inner impurities.”
But what should be the condition of this prayer? He (as) states “With such prayer the soul melts.” The prayer should emanate from within the heart “and flows like water to fall prostrate on the threshold of the Holy One.
“It stands in the presence of Allah, bows down and prostrates before Him. “The prayer taught by Islam is only its reflection.” Thus, when prayer emanates from the heart, then at times the soul is stood
while in a state of anxiousness and at times it bows and sometimes falls into prostration. There are various states the soul undergoes and its physical manifestation is evident in prayer which has been taught by Islam.
“The standing of the soul signifies that it shows readiness to suffer every hardship “and to obey every command for the sake of God. The bowing down of the soul (i.e. to perform Ruku) “before God means that, by renouncing all other love and relationships.”
There can be no stronger relationship of love than the love of God. “It has turned to God and belongs to Him alone. “Its prostration is that it falls on the threshold of God and,
“forsaking all personal thoughts, loses the very identity of its existence.” Nothing remains of one’s own and one becomes wholly devoted to God Almighty. He (as) says that “‘This is the kind of prayer which connects one with God.”
If a person wishes to learn about the reality of prayer then this is the kind of prayer which establishes communion with God People often say that they have prayed a lot, but not found God, this is the necessary condition.
“And this is the prayer that Islamic Shariah [La has to some degree been depicted in “the prescribed daily Salat so that physical prayer may inspire spiritual prayer. “God Almighty has fashioned man in such a way that the soul influences the body
“and the body in turn influences the soul. “When the soul is melancholy, the eyes shed tears; and when the soul is joyous, “the face glows with happiness and one even at times feels like laughing.
“Similarly, whenever the body is afflicted with pain or distress, the soul also partakes in it. “When a cool breeze enlivens the body, the soul feels it too. “Thus, the object of the physical form of worship is that, through mutual relationship
“between body and soul, the soul may move towards the Holy One “and engage in spiritual standing and prostrating.” The physical act of Qiyam [standing] and Ruku [bowing] should ultimately achieve a status
whereby it becomes a spiritual Qiyam and Ruku . Consequently, it is the soul that is actually performing Sajda [prostration] and Ruku [bowing] and the physical expressions of happiness and sorrow should also be reflected in the soul.
At times, a person laughs and sometimes he cries, in the same way one should also reflect these emotions in his relationship with Allah Almighty. “Since man has to strive for progress and such prayer too is a kind of striving.
“It is quite obvious that when two objects are linked together “and we pick up one of them, the other also moves. “But mere physical standing [Qiyam], bowing [Ruku] and prostrating [Sajda] is of no use.”
If one is only performing the Qiyam, Ruku and Sajdah superficially then it is of no use. “Unless effort is made so the soul also partakes in the of movements of Qiyam, Ruku and Sajdah. “However, this partaking depends upon true knowledge which in turn depends on Divine grace.”
Further elaborating upon this, the Promised Messiah (as) states “In order to attain the blessings from God Almighty, it is important to prostrate before him. “One should seek from him. When one receives true knowledge and perception from God Almighty,
“only then can that individual observe prayer in the true sense; “however, in order to achieve this one must strive and toil constantly. “Only when one strives and struggles can they attain the purpose of their creation.
“One attains true righteousness and worship, as mentioned in the extract previously, “when two things are fulfilled: the due rights of God Almighty and the due rights owed to mankind. “Only when one fulfils the due rights owed to fellow man
“can he or she attain true righteousness and true worship.” Explaining this the Promised Messiah (as) states: “The fact of the matter is that the most delicate and difficult stage is “pertaining to fulfilling due rights owed to mankind.
“People tend to offer their prayers, come to the mosque and even give financial contribution, “and even sacrifice their lives however, on many occasions there comes a time “when fulfilling the rights of our fellow man becomes difficult.”
He (as) continued: “In reality the matter of fulfilling our obligations towards fellow man “is a truly delicate one, because one has to face this trial constantly, on a regular basis. “One should tread very carefully in this regard.
“It is my belief that one should not show excessive harshness, even to an enemy. “Some people put all their efforts towards their ruin and destruction” They endeavour to annihilate their enemies.
“Then in this process they disregard all the limits of lawful and unlawful acts “and in their attempt to discredit them they invent false accusations. “They backbite in order to provoke others against them.
“Do inform me that how many vices and evils are borne out of these meagre trivial enmity? “Then when these vices produce offshoots.” One vice leads on to another vice, just as a child is conceived.
“When these offshoots multiply, what extent will it grow to?” He (as) states: “I tell you truly! “Do not hold any personal enmity against anyone. “Completely eliminate the habit of harbouring malice and rancour.
“If God supports you and you become completely devoted to God, “then He can make your enemies subservient to you. “However, if you have cut off all connection with God Almighty and have no relationship with Him,
“and you make disobedience to his commands your habit, “then there will not be an enemy of yours bigger than God Almighty. “One can withstand the enmity of people, however if God Almighty becomes the enemy of someone,
“then even if the entire world comes to your aid, it will be futile. “This is why you must adopt way of the Prophets. “It is God’s wish that you hold no personal enmity or grudge against any of your enemies.
“Remember this clearly! That one is only blessed with honour and dignity “when he harbours no personal enmity against anyone. “Indeed, in the case of upholding the honour of God Almighty and His prophet, where enimity arises
“that individual who disrespects and in fact harbours enmity against God Almighty “and the Prophet of God, you should consider them as your enemy.” At this point there is a clarification that certainly consider them your enemy, however
“considering them your enemy does not mean that you make false allegations against them “or devise schemes to cause them harm needlessly. “No! Instead you should distance yourself from them and leave the matter in the hands of Allah.
“If it is possible you should pray for their reformation. “and you should not start up a new argument or dispute with them. “These are the matters which relate to the purification of oneself.” Then explaining the incident of Hazrat Ali (ra) he said:
“Hazrat Ali (ra) fought an opponent purely for the sake of Allah Almighty. “Ultimately, Hazrat Ali (ra) felled the opponent and sat on his chest. “As soon as he did this, the opponent spat in the face of Hazrat Ali (ra), upon which he got up
and released him immediately and said ‘Until now I was fighting you only for the sake of Allah ‘but since you spat in my face there is now a personal stake in fighting you.
‘Therefore I do not wish to kill you due to any personal enmity of mine’. ” From this incident it is evident that Hazrat Ali (ra) did not consider an individual who harbours a personal grudge as his enemy.
This is a habit and disposition that our followers should inculcate in themselves. If someone increases his enmity for another due to personal greed or to cause the other individual pain, then there is nothing more that will invite the wrath of God.
Thus, one should not cause pain to anyone due to personal enmity. If you encounter someone who is an open enemy of God or His, you should move away from him, pray for their reformation and respond in the correct manner.
It should not be the case that just because he is an enemy, one should treat everything as incorrect and endeavour to combat on all fronts. This is also wrong. May God Almighty enable us to understand the true essence of righteousness,
and through his abundant Grace may He enable us to pray in a manner that would grant nearness to Him. May God enable us to understand the subtleties of fulfilling the rights of creation.
Every action of ours, be they worldly acts, should be completed with the intention to gain the pleasure of God Almighty should take precedence over all other things. May Allah 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 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.