Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2019
Peace be upon you all, please be seated. Peace be upon you all. May the peace and blessings be upon you all. We will begin with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Sebastien Atta’ul Hai Sahib. We are going to start with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an by brother Sebastian Ata-ul-Hae.
Peace be upon you all Translation, Chapter Al-Hujarat, verse 14. “O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; “and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognize one another. “Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, “is he who is the most righteous among you.
Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware.” JazakAllah. Dear Huzoor and invitees, I’m going to present to you in a few words the Ahmadi Muslim community. The Promised Messiah (as), Hazrat Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community wrote that “My desire, my wish, is to serve humanity.
“This reflects my vocation, this is my faith, this is my aspiration in every instance, and this is my voice.” This sentence could largely summarize the work of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. While the movement of the Islam Ahmadiyya was born in 1889 in Qadian, in India,
No one could have thought that this movement would have reached more than 30 million followers. It’s because our community, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community put in place the faithful vision of its founder, which was to serve humanity, that such a number could be reached.
More precisely, the goal for which Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) chose was to reconcile man with man, and man with God. After the death of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) in 1908 many Khalifas took the reigns of the community of Islam Ahmadiyya successively,
The current Khalifa who has done us grace with his presence today and his Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (ra). Ahmadis represent a movement in Islam who aim to revitalize the teachings of Islam by presenting the Islamic principles such as the Holy Qur’an presents them, but equally such as how
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) put them into practice. The community is presently in more than 200 countries and reflects the benevolent message of Islam wherever it is found. His Holiness the Khalifa (ra) intervened in several places around the world,
Such as the European Parliament, the Capitol Hill in the United States, the British Parliament, the Parliament of the Netherlands and a number of other major institutions. More recently, in many countries under his leadership we have launched campaigns of the true Islam which aims to discard misunderstandings about Islam.
Thus our community presents many conditions so that everyone can rely on this campaign to believe in the unity of Allah, to believe in Islam’s universal message of peace, to believe that it does not impose any punishment for being loyal to his country of origin,
And believing in the separation of the mosque and state and that jihad is that of the word. Our community has a production for prologues in terms of books and literature which is the foundation of the community since the Review of Religions was set up in 1902
By the Promised Messiah (as) Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian. In France, the Ahmadiyya Community was founded in 1924 when Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad (ra), second Khalifa, after Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) paid a visit to the Grand Mosque of Paris, shortly before its inauguration in 1924.
Then in 1949 there was the first Bai’it. In 1984, the fourth Khalifa visited France for the first time. In 1985 there was the purchase of Baitus Salam. Then in 1981 the first Jalsa Salana, which is the annual conference that you are participating in today, took place.
Today the Community in France has its own mosque which is located in Saint-Prix, Val-d’Oise. Another which awaits its inauguration in Strasbourg and this land today that you have visited is located in Trie-Château, a small town which you have gotten to know.
Recently, we have developed close connections with the Mayor and this allows me to invite Mr. Mayor of Trie-Château to come say some words. After a brief presentation of the Jama’at, I requested the respected Mayor; Mr. David, to come and say a few words about our Jama’at. Hello ladies and gentlemen,
I am very happy and very honoured to receive the Khalifa in our small community of Trie-Château, a small rural community. For us, it’s an important event to have a message of peace, for the health of our community and to link with your community Ahmadiyya.
So, I hope that this congregation despite the bad weather will allow you to enjoy this place, which is a place close to Paris but also pleasant. And I hope that you will be able to know us and make us known.
So, I really want to thank this association and especially the Caliph for his presence. Thank you very much. Huzoor, the Mayor says that, “I am honoured to receive beloved Huzoor (aba) in this little town. “It is very important for us to build bridges in between communities and more specifically,
“with a community that promotes peace. “And I hope that you will enjoy this congregation “and again I am saying that I am very thankful to Huzoor for coming in this little town that is Trie-chateau.” Our next speaker is the Doctor Annelise Defaix, who is from the Paris University
And who is a sociologist for the South West Asian department, and who has met a few Ahmadis a couple of times. Our next speaker is Doctor Annelise Defaix. She is working as a sociologist in a research department of South Asia that is part of the Paris University
And she has met some Ahmadis, couple of times. Peace be upon you all So I am a sociologist specializing in Muslim minorities. Thank you for this exceptional event. Thank you to the Khalifa for inviting me. So I have known Ahmadis for 10 years.
I met them in Indonesia for the first time, where they are persecuted. They made a big impression. I also found them in Cambodia. I have been visiting the community in Saint-Prix for three years because I wrote a religious minority atlas for the Ahmadi chapter.
While the country is experiencing an unprecedented crisis with its Muslims the message we were given today by the Khalifa gives us comfort in our hearts and the spirit to get out of this dark country. Islamophobia is commonplace in France, but peace and love are inseparable. Peace be upon you.
Huzoor, she said, she has met Ahmadis in Cambodia, many times and then after, she met some people in Saint-Prix. Since 3 years, she has written the Minority Atlas. She was in-charge of the section related to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. She also said that, “While our country France is facing a crisis
“without precedent with our Muslim brothers, “the message of peace and tolerance that Beloved Huzoor (aba) is promoting, “is something that gives us comfort in our hearts. So I hope that the peace will succeed InshaAllah (God willing).” Our next speaker is Doctor Katrine Langewish
Who is an anthropologist in charge of African studies at the University of Johannes Gutenberg. Our next speaker is Dr. Katherine Langewish, she is an anthropologist and is the in-charge of African studies in the University of Joannas Gutenberg. Good evening. I met the Ahmadiyya Community in Burkina Faso West Africa
In a hospital that the community has there. I then continued the connections and actions of the community in France, then in Germany and in other countries. As an anthropologist I am interested in the social actions of the community and also of the humanitarian organization, Humanity First.
And I find this all-in fact remarkable to observe this parallel between a spiritual quest and social engagement of this community. And thus I am thrilled today to participate in your conference in the presence of the Khalifa. You may be able to enjoy a book which was published in Burkina Faso
And one chapter of this book is about Ahmadiyya in Burkina Faso. Huzoor, Katherine says, “Good evening, the first time I met your Community was in Burkina Faso “while you were building a hospital and then after I specifically follow all your Community actions, “social actions and I was interested in your social skills.
More particularly, I studied Humanity First.” She said that she found it remarkable the fact that our Community is actually combining a spiritual revival with a social action revival, she also says that she is very proud to be part of this conference.
In the end Huzoor, she mentioned the fact that she wants to give Huzoor (aba) a book, that she has written in which she wrote a chapter about Ahmadis, and she wanted to give it to you. Now, Huzoor it is with my honour, to request beloved Huzoor (aba) to address our guests.
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, ever Merciful. All distinguished guests,
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all. First of all, I would like to thank all of our guests for having joined us for today’s event which is purely a religious function, organised by a Muslim community. In recent years the horrific and brutal atrocities of certain so-called Muslim groups have caused
Immeasurable levels of pain and anguish in different countries, including here in France. Such attacks can only be condemned in the strongest possible terms and our prayers and sympathy are always with the victims of such heinous crimes. The true teachings of Islam have nothing to do with terrorism and extremism;
Rather Islam is a religion of peace, love, tolerance and reconciliation. The word ‘Islam’ literally means peace and security and so a true Muslim is a person who is himself peaceful and who strives to establish peace and harmony in the world. At a very basic level Muslims are instructed to greet other people,
Be they Muslims or non-Muslims with the words ‘Peace be upon you’. which means ‘Peace be upon you’. The Islamic greeting is a gesture of good will, conveying peace and security to the recipient. Indeed, I have seen many non-Muslims who have Muslim friends or acquaintances
Who also choose to greet in the Islamic way by offering peace or “Salaam”. Anyway, it simply cannot be that our faith teaches us to receive every person with a message of peace and security and at the same time it requires us to give up the rights to oppose them
Or violently give up arms against them. It is impossible that Islam could have such contradictory teachings. Therefore, let it be clear, that all forms of extremism and violence are completely against Islamic teachings. To understand the true nature of Islam, it is important to reflect upon the time of the founder of Islam,
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), when he claimed to be the Prophet of God, he and his followers were subjected to relentless and barbaric persecution. A few of the early Muslims were from relatively well off or well-regarded families, but the vast majority were poor members of society, including slaves.
In order to intimidate and strike fear into them, the disbelievers of Meccah inflicted grievous and brutal cruelties upon them. However, the prophet of Islam (saw), withstood the inhumane treatment and the unrelenting injustices with unparalleled level of patience and fortitude and counselled his followers to do the same. For example, on one occasion,
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) observed a Muslim husband and wife and their young son being beaten and tortured by non-Muslims. Despite the merciless abuse and vicious torture, the Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) urged them to show restraint and endure the horrific violence with patience.
He neither instructed them to retaliate nor did he invite his other followers to come and fight back his non-Muslims. Rather, he called on his followers to remain peaceful, even if it meant they lost their lives and he reassured them that their reward lay in the hereafter
– in the loving arms of Allah the Almighty. Thereafter, the Prophet of Islam (saw) and his companions continued to endure the relentless oppression for many years, until finally they migrated to the city of Medina so that they could practice their religion freely and live in peace.
However, it was not long before the disbelievers of Meccah pursued the Muslims to their new home and waged war against them. It was then, for the very first time, Allah the Almighty permitted the Muslims to fight back and this permission is mentioned in Chapter 22 verses 40-41 of the Holy Quran.
In these verses, Allah the Almighty proclaimed that permission to fight was granted because the Muslim were being attacked by people, who sought not only the elimination of Islam but who sought to destroy the institution of religion itself.
The Quran says, that if the Muslims were not permitted to fight back then no church, synagogue, temple, mosque or the place of worship of any religion would remain safe. Hence, when the Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) and his followers were forced to partake in wars and battles,
It was for the sake of defending the rights of all people. It was to ensure that Christian, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and the people of other faiths and beliefs had the right to worship as they pleased. If, as is often alleged, Islam permitted Muslims to spread its teachings violently
To conquer lands and try to eliminate other religions, then why would the Holy Quran explicitly state that it was the religious duty of Muslims to protect all religions and to safeguard the rights of their followers. The reality is that the early Muslims gave their lives in order to establish and enshrine,
Once and for all the principles of individual liberty, freedom of religion, freedom of belief. These freedoms are the cornerstones of the Islamic faith and have been preserved eternally in the Holy Quran, which has categorically declared in Chapter 2 Verse 257 that there should be no compulsion in religion.
What a clear and unequivocal statements in defence of freedom of thought, freedom of religion and freedom of conscious. During the time of the Prophet of Islam (saw) and his four rightly guided Caliph, the rights of the non-Muslims were never reserved
And nor were they pressured to accept Islam or to abandoning their traditions and beliefs. At every moment, of his life the Holy Prophet of Islam (saw) sought peace and promoted interfaith dialogue, mutual understanding and respect between the people of different communities.
For example, after migrating to Medina, he formed a treaty with the Jewish community and together they formed a system of government in which Prophet of Islam (saw) was mutually chosen as the head of state. According to the terms of the covenant,
The Muslims and the Jews pledged to cooperate and be faithful citizens of the state. The treaty guaranteed the rights of every individual individual to practice their religion and customs without fear of persecution or sanction. Never once did the Prophet of Islam (saw) deviate from the terms of the covenant.
On the other hand, there were some instances where the non-Muslims violated the treaty and they were sanctioned according to the pre-existing terms. Islam has never permitted its followers to spread their faith through the use of force, and nor does it permit Muslim governments
Or leaders to claim that only Muslims are permitted to live in their society. As I have mentioned, under the terms of the treaty of Medina, all people were free to practice their traditions and beliefs. That, that society was bound together by one overriding principle,
That irrespective of their religious beliefs, all members of society were duty bound, to be loyal citizens of the state and to refrain from all activities that could undermine the peace and security of society. Therefore, it would be entirely unjust to blame Islam for the misguided and malevolent conduct
Of the tiny minority of Muslims who defy its peaceful teachings. Those individuals, or groups, who become radicalised and who to seek their own interests through extremism and terrorism have nothing to do with Islam. They may try to justify their hate fuelled acts in Islam’s name, but all they do is defame
And besmirch the noble and peaceful teachings of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet of Islam (saw). From cover to cover, the Holy Quran is replete with enlightened guidance that instructs Muslims to avail every opportunity for attaining peace in the world. For example, Chapter 43 Verse 89-90 describes
The anguished and grief-stricken prayers of the Prophet of Islam (saw) in which he supplicated to Allah the Almighty that, the message of truth and compassion that he presented to his people was being rejected. In reply, Allah the Almighty instructed him to turn aside and continue to offer peace to others.
The Arabic word ‘Amina’ means to believe and to give peace, and so Allah the Almighty instructed the Holy Prophet (saw) to convey the message of Islam and thereafter leave the matter in the hands of God and to continue to bestow the peace on those who rejected him.
The Holy Quran never once advocated violence or force against those who shun its teaching. Rather, it called on Muslims to exhibit tolerance and patience. Therefore, today so-called Muslims leaders or Islamic governments manifest extremism or fanaticism, the blame lies scarily with them.
Their deceitful and abhorrent behaviour through which the peace and harmony of the world is being shattered can never be justified and excused in any way. Islam’s teachings are categorical that violent conquest or forceful conversions are strictly prohibited.
Indeed, any act or conduct that is detrimental to the peace and security of society is forbidden. At every juncture, the Prophet of Islam (saw) manifested compassion and benevolence. He taught that a true Muslims is he from whose tongue and hands all others are safe.
He did not differentiate by saying Muslims should be sympathetic and kind to Muslims alone. Rather, he made it clear that they must protect and care for all members of society, irrespective of their differences of belief. Consequently, terrorists who commit suicide bombings, attack nightclubs, concert halls or stadiums
Or manically drive vehicles into members of the public are all guilty of violating the teachings of Islam in the most ghastly and barbaric fashion. Apart from enshrining freedom of belief as a core human right, the Holy Quran has also given many guiding principles
For day to day life through which people can live together peacefully, irrespective of their different backgrounds or beliefs. For example, Chapter 2 Verse 189 of the Holy Quran states about the fair trading and ensuring the integrity of all financial relationships or transactions. In this verse, Allah the Almighty has instructed Muslims
That they must never acquire wealth or property through means of deception; rather, Muslims are taught to be honest, trustworthy and to uphold the truth so that grievances and malice do not develop between different parties. Islam teaches that unfair dealing and unjust trading weakens this unity within society and destroys its peace.
Certainly at a time, when so much of the worlds disorder and suffering, both at an individual and collective level is based upon selfishness and greed. The principle of equity justice is crucial to maintain peace in society. Furthermore, in Chapter 83 verses 2-4 of the Holy Quran states,
“Woe unto those who give short measures, those who take by measure from other people take it full, but when they give to others by measure or weight, they give them less.” These verses affirm that those who are exploitative in business transactions,
Who try to short-change others, whilst demanding more than their dues in return, and who resort to deception and fraud are cursed and will be disgraced. The Holy Quran has also given detailed guidance regarding international relations and resolving the internal conflicts or those that arise between nations.
The Islamic focus is always on establishing sustainable peace, and eliminating enmities and rivalries. For example, Chapter 49 Verse 10 of the Holy Quran states, ‘That if two parties or nations are in conflict, ‘then their neighbours or neutral parties should seek to bring about reconciliation through mediation and negotiation’.
Those who intervene must remain impartial rather than trying to settle the outcome in their own best interest. If peace cannot be established, through dialogue or if any party subsequently violates the terms of the negotiated settlement, then the other nations should unite against whoever is perpetrating injustice and use force to stop them.
Once the aggressors adopt peace, they should not be humiliated and nor should unfair sanctions be levied be upon them. Rather, in the interest of fairness and long term peace, they should be permitted to move forward as a free society and given whatever support is required to rebuild their nation.
I believe that this outstanding Quranic principle is not just value to Muslims but is a universal principle for dispute resolution and, if acted upon, can prove a means of stabilising the world and developing lasting peace. Most regrettably many Muslim countries fail to abide by this Quranic injunction
And as a results they continue to be embroiled in senseless conflicts and seen perpetually engaged in the circle of violence and injustice. As mentioned, this verse also makes it clear that once peace has been achieved, the victor should not seek to crush or humiliate the defeated party.
The wisdom in this is clear to see. Peace will not last if a vanquished nation is demeaned in any way. Rather, frustrations and grievances are bound to emerge amongst its leaders and public. Conversely, trust and mutual respect will develop, if the defeated nation is treated with compassion and justice.
However, today we repeatedly see that in the name of establishing peace, cruelties and injustices are perpetrated by dominant powers causing restlessness and animosities. It means that any peace deal or truce hangs by the most delicate of threads and is constantly at risk of breaking down.
Such instability is of benefit to no one except terrorist and extremist groups which prey on the frustrations of people and we have seen the consequences for many years. In both the East and the West, the blue skies of peace and prosperity have given way to heavy clouds of war and injustice.
Across much of the world, nations are being torn apart by dissension, revenge seeking and a desire to degrade others. This state of unrest will continue to increase; until and unless, international relations are based upon justice, and integrity and fulfilling the rights of others. As I observe the world today,
I can only pray that mankind does not continue to repeat the mistakes of the past. Instead let us learn from history, so we can build a better future for ourselves, and our coming generations. If we look back to the period after the First World War,
The League of Nations was formed, but it failed miserably in its task to maintain post-war peace. The reason for its failure was that justice and fairness did not prevail. Rather, alliances and blocks were allowed to form and certain nations were treated unreasonably and deprived of their dignity.
As a result, the most deadly war in the history of mankind, the Second World War, soon erupted. After 6 more devastating and chicaning years of bloodshed, the war finally came to an end, and the United Nations was established to maintain and preserve the peace and security of the world.
Despite its lofty goals and stated ambitions, the United Nation has also failed in its mission. Today, once again, blocks are rapidly forming. Society is becoming polarised. And rifts between nations are deepening by the day. Many countries Muslims and non-Muslims do not seem to comprehend the true value
Of peace or recognise the dangers lie ahead. Certainly the consequences of warfare today are potentially far deadlier than anything we have ever seen before because several nations have developed nuclear weapons. If any of those countries ever use the deadly weapons at their disposal,
They will not just be destroying the world as we know it, but will be ensuring that we leave behind the most horrific and devastating legacy of our children. If a nuclear war breaks out, generations of children will be born with mental and physical disabilities.
So, instead of contributing to their Nations, they will live miserable existences and will be a strain on society. Their homes will be filled with despair, their town will be filled with grief, and their nation will be consumed by misery.
They will be justified in cursing us in engaging in such selfish and senseless warfare that shattered their dreams, even before they were born. Thus, no one should be under the illusion that this world crisis we are passing through is trivial or something that will heal itself without us changing our behaviour.
Furthermore, the instability of the world will continue to increase, if the blame for lack of world peace and security continues to be laid at the door of Islam. Attacking a religion or its followers will only aggravate division. It will embolden extremists on all sides,
To rise above the surface and to further their efforts of stalking the flames of hatred between people of different communities and beliefs. As I have made it clear, if Muslim countries or terrorist groups perpetrate atrocities or cruelties, in the name of Islam, it is because they have disregarded their teachings,
And seek only to fulfil their, western interest. Today’s conflicts and wars have nothing to do with religion. Rather, they are all about gaining wealth, power and geopolitical dominance. In light of this, I pray from the depth of my heart,
That may the people of the world join together for the common good and work, with the spirit of unity, and foster mutual trust and understanding. Instead of blaming religion, or pointing finger at one another, let us focus all our energies on ensuring peace,
And leaving behind a safer world for those who follow us. Let it be, that our future generations come to remember us with love and affection rather than with hate and resentment. May every person and every nation come to fulfil the rights of one another,
And may justice and compassion prevail over all forms of injustice and conflict. With these words I thank all of you once again for joining us, thank you very much. As is the tradition of our community, we will conclude with a silent prayer. I request His Holiness to lead the prayer.
Huzoor it will be an honour for us if you could lead us in a silent prayer. Silent prayer please. Ameen.