Friday Sermon | 10th February 2023





Friday sermon delivered on 10th February 2023 by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper), from Masjid Mubarak in Islamabad, Tilford, UK.

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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 (sa) is the Messenger of Allah

I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) 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 worthy of worship except Allah Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is One and has no partner. and I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) 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 displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. In the previous sermon, I mentioned extracts of the Promised Messiah (as) regarding the importance and distinction of the Holy Qur’an. Continuing on with this today, I shall mention some further extracts. Whilst explaining the excellences and importance of the Holy Qur’an

In his book, “A Gift for the Queen” which the Promised Messiah (as) wrote on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria wherein the Promised Messiah (as) conveyed to her the message of Islam, the Promised Messiah (as) wrote,

“The Qur’an is filled with similar deep wisdom and surpasses the Gospels in teaching true piety. “In particular, the lamp that enables the vision of the true and unchanging God “is borne only by the Qur’an. “If it had not come in the world then only God knows

“how much the number of people who worship other created beings would have sky-rocketed. “Therefore, it is a matter of gratefulness that the Oneness of God, “which had disappeared from the earth has been established again.” Who else was there in that era, who conveyed the message in this manner to the Empress of India

And spoke about the teachings of Islam with such courage? Today, those who did not even possess the courage to speak about the greatness of Islam and the Holy Qur’an, claim that God-forbid the Promised Messiah (as) and his Jama’at dishonour the Holy Qur’an. On the other hand, the non-Muslims, upon witnessing their conduct,

Have become so blinded in their opposition that since they cannot deny the greatness of the Holy Qur’an, therefore in order to attain some kind of satisfaction and vent their anger, they burn copies of the Holy Qur’an. For example, these incidents have been taking place in Sweden

And have taken place in the past in other Scandinavian countries as well. If the Muslims accept the Imam of the age and understand the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and act upon them, then the non-Muslims would never have the courage to dishonour the Holy Qur’an in this way.

May Allah the Almighty guide such people! Whilst elaborating on the fact that it is only the Holy Qur’an that can grant guidance, the Promised Messiah (as) says: “Islam is such a blessed and God-revealing religion “that if any person chooses to follow it truly and acts upon the teachings,

“guidance, and admonitions contained in the Holy Word of God Almighty-the Holy Qur’an- “he would behold God in this very life. “(People often ask how one would see God in the next life, “(the Promised Messiah (as) says that if one acts on the teachings of the Holy Qur’an

“(they would be able to see God in this very life) “For the recognition of that God, “who is hidden from the sight of the world behind thousands of veils, “there is no other means except the teaching of the Qur’an. “The Holy Qur’an guides towards God Almighty through reason and heavenly Signs

“in a very easy and simple manner.” If one acts on these teachings then such signs would be manifested whereby one would learn of the existence of God. The Promised Messiah (as) further says: “It possesses a blessing and magnetic power “which perpetually attracts a seeker of God towards God, “bestowing light, peacefulness, and satisfaction.

“And a true believer in the Holy Qur’an does not-like the philosophers- “merely hold on to the conjecture “that there ‘ought to be’ a Creator for this most ingenious universe; “rather, acquiring a personal insight and being honoured with a holy vision, “he sees with the eye of certainty that that Creator ‘actually exists.’

“He who is bestowed the light of this Holy Word does not merely guess “like those who rely upon dry reason alone that God is One without partner, “but through hundreds of brilliant Signs “which grasp him by the hand and pull him out of the darkness, “such a person actually witnesses for himself that-

“in reality-God has no associate in His Being nor in His attributes. “And not only this; such a one is able to practically demonstrate to the world “that he believes God to actually be such, “and the majesty of the Oneness of God so fills his heart that in his estimation-

“when placed in contrast to the will of Allah- “the whole world amounts to no more than a dead insect and indeed to nothing at all.” With regards to the fact that the Holy Qur’an contains the perfect guidance both intellectually and in man’s conduct,

The Promised Messiah (as) writes: “It ought to be remembered also that “the Holy Qur’an gives guidance for the perfection of knowledge and practice. “(It contains knowledge and also imparts advice on one’s practical conduct) “Accordingly, in the words (ARABIC – Guide us to the path) “the perfection of one’s knowledge is alluded to,

“(i.e., the Holy Qur’an is a perfect book, “(the teachings of which guide a person to the right path) “while the perfection of one’s action is indicated in the words “(ARABIC – The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings)” In order to progress in one’s actions,

The prayer of those who have been bestowed with God’s blessings has been taught, and this blessed group of people were mentioned in last week’s Friday Sermon, i.e., the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, the Righteous. Examples of such people are present even in this time who have attained guidance

And on whom Allah the Almighty bestows His grace. The Promised Messiah (as) further says: “When a plant is put into the ground, “it cannot flourish and bear fruits until it grows completely. “Similarly, if a guidance is devoid of the finest and most superlative results,

“then such guidance is dead, and it possesses no strength or power to nourish and develop. “For example, if after completely following the Vedas “a person can never expect to attain everlasting deliverance and salvation, “and if they cannot be freed from the process of becoming bugs and insects,

“to receive eternal pleasure, what use is such guidance? “The Holy Qur’an, on the other hand, is such guidance which, if followed, “enables a person to attain the highest levels of excellence. “Such a one begins to develop a true relationship with God Almighty

“to the extent that their good deeds-performed in accordance with the guidance of the Qur’an- “begin to flourish and bear fruits in the similitude of a pure tree, “as described by the Holy Qur’an; and they develop a unique kind of sweetness and taste.”

The Promised Messiah (as) says: “The Holy Qur’an is a pure book, “which appeared in the world at a time when disorder was rife “and many erroneous doctrines “with regards to one’s beliefs and practices had become firmly rooted. “Almost the entire world was engulfed in evil morals and practices.

“It is towards this that Allah the Almighty refers to in the verse: “(ARABIC) “Meaning that everyone; whether they were people of the book or otherwise “had become immersed in their misdeeds and a complete corruption had swept across the earth. “Thus, in such an era, God Almighty refuted all erroneous beliefs

“by sending down the Holy Qur’an, a complete and perfect book for our guidance, “which contains rebuttals of all false religions. “From the entire Qur’an, He singled out Surah Al-Fatihah, “which is read in every rak’a (unit) of every prayer five times a day “and by means of this indicated towards all of their beliefs.

“He states: (ARABIC) All praise is due to that God, Who has created all the worlds; “(ARABIC) Which means that God creates for one without them trying “and bestows things upon man before he has even exerted any effort for it. “This occurs through God’s attribute of Rahmaniyyah (The Gracious)

“(ARABIC) Which means that God grants reward for one’s actions “(God rewards for what one does, if one prays to Him, He will answer those prayers) “(ARABIC) God is the “Master of the Day of Judgement” “(There is reward and punishment in this very life as well as the in the Hereafter.)

“All the various sects in the world have been covered in these four attributes.” Deliberate over the fact that if one offers the five daily prayers, they will develop a deep understanding. Elaborating on the idea that the Qur’an is also a miracle, the Promised Messiah (as) says:

“The true nature of a miracle is this: “A miracle refers to an extraordinary phenomenon “the like of which an opposing party is unable to produce, “although superficially it may appear to be well within human capabilities, “just like the miracle of the Holy Qur’an

“which was presented before all the inhabitants of the land of Arabia. “Thus, although superficially it seemed entirely within human capacity, “the entire population of Arabia was frustrated in their efforts to produce its like. “Therefore, to understand the essence of a miracle, “the text of the Holy Qur’an is a shining example.

“It may appear, at a cursory glance, to be a literary composition just as human literature is. “However, with respect to its eloquent expression; “with respect to its exceptionally delectable, pure, and florid diction, “everywhere meticulously adhering to truth and wisdom; “moreover, with respect to its brilliant arguments

“which triumph over the entire world’s opposing arguments; “and, even further, with respect to its compelling prophecies- “it is such a matchless miracle that despite the passage of thirteen hundred years, “no adversary has been able to challenge it to this day, “nor does anyone have the ability to do so.

“Of all the books in the world, the Holy Qur’an holds the distinction “of expressing miraculous prophecies in passages that are themselves miraculous- “being full of truth and wisdom-with the highest degree of fluency and eloquence. “In short, the primary and principal purpose of a miracle

“is to demonstrate the difference between right and wrong or true and false. “Such a distinguishing phenomenon is called a miracle or, in other words, a Sign. “A Sign is such a vital matter that without it, “it is not possible to fully believe even in the existence of God Almighty,

“nor is it possible to reap the fruit that can be attained with full certainty. “It is therefore evident that the fundamental truth of a religion “is linked to the knowledge of the existence of God Almighty. “One of the necessary and important essentials of a true religion is that

“it should possess the Signs that conclusively and definitively prove the existence of God Almighty, “and that it should possess such an overwhelming force “that unites the hand of its follower with the hand of God Almighty “it is not sufficient for the perfect cognition of God to merely look upon creation

“and feel the need of a Creator without becoming informed of His actual existence. “(it is not enough to merely think that there ought to be a creator) “Those who are confined to this degree cannot develop a true bond with God Almighty, “nor can they purify their selves from carnal passions.

“(if one simply learns that there is a God, that is not enough to purify their souls, “(nor can one form a connection with Him) “If anything can be understood from this, it is only to the extent that “this impregnable structure and perfection ought to have some Creator; “not that the Creator actually exists.”

I.e., there ought to be a creator of the universe and all that we see around us. One ought to have certainty of this. And once a person gains knowledge about the God Who we worship, then one can form a true connection with Him. Subsequently one will be drawn towards acting on His commands

After which one will turn towards purifying their soul. The Promised Messiah (as) states: “It is evident that simply feeling the need is a conjecture “which cannot merit the same rank as actually seeing, “nor can it produce the holy effect of witnessing first-hand. “(there is a big difference between estimation and actually seeing something)

“Therefore, any religion which stops man’s cognition of God “short at the incomplete destination of just ‘ought to be’ “cannot be the remedy to his practical condition. “In reality, such a religion is a dead religion; “entertaining hope of any pure transformation from it is wishful thinking. “It is evident that rational arguments alone

“cannot embody the complete evidence for the truth of a religion, “and this is not the kind of seal that any counterfeiter is incapable of forging; “rather, this can be understood as nothing more “than the alms bestowed by the ordinary fountain of reason.”

One can present rational arguments or one can make great statements based on their intellect, but this is not enough unless a person recognises the attributes of Allah and derives benefit from them. The Promised Messiah (as) continues: “Who then will decide whether the rational arguments written in a book

“have their origin in revelation or have been plagiarised from some other book? “And even if, suppose, they have not been plagiarised, “how can they serve as an indisputable proof of the existence of the Exalted Maker? “And how can a seeker of truth be fully satisfied

“that the rational discourse alone will definitely lead towards God, “and how can he be satisfied that it is absolutely free from error? “(i.e., they are such signs that lead one to God, or are completely free from error)

“Thus, if a religion simply presents some rational or philosophical arguments as a proof of its truth “and is unable to show heavenly Signs and miraculous phenomena, “the follower of such a religion is either self-deceived or a deceiver. “He will die in darkness.

“In short, even the existence of God Almighty cannot be proven with certainty “solely through rational arguments, “let alone the truth of any religion be proven through them. “Further, until a religion takes upon itself the responsibility to address this issue- “proving and demonstrating God’s existence with complete certainty-

“that religion amounts to nothing of value whatsoever, “and unfortunate is the one who is seduced by such a faith. “The mark of curse is branded upon the forehead by every religion “which cannot advance human cognition to the level at which one can- so to speak-see God.”

Thus, this is the stage that we should try to reach. Recognise God through His signs and by forging a personal relationship with Him as opposed to simply relying on reasoning alone. As a result of this, the truth that becomes manifest for a person will be the real truth.

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, there are examples within the Ahmadiyya Jama’at whereby even those people who did not follow any religion and atheists became convinced of the existence of God. They were presented with logical arguments, but when they were told about the signs and about the incidents,

They accepted (the truthfulness of) religion and Islam. There are even people like this here in the West. For example there was one such individual who was an atheist living in Belgium. He was originally from Indonesia but had settled in Belgium. He pledged allegiance and told me himself that

He not only accepted the existence of God through logical arguments, but also because of the incidents and through (seeing) signs. He said that he was left with no option but to accept Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. He said that since Ahmadiyyat had shown him the right way, he became an Ahmadi Muslim.

The Holy Qur’an makes a declaration that it is a guidance for the righteous. Regarding this, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “The point of wisdom concealed in these verses is that God Almighty has said: “(ARABIC) “Meaning that, this is the Book that has come into existence out of the knowledge of God Almighty.

“Since His knowledge is free from ignorance and forgetfulness, “this Book is free from every doubt and confusion. “And since the knowledge of God possesses the perfect power to make human beings perfect, “therefore, this Book is perfect guidance for the righteous. “It elevates them to the station

“that is the highest pinnacle for the progress of human potential.” Then whilst explaining who a righteous person who attains guidance is, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “God says in these verses that the righteous are those “who believe in the Unseen God, establish Prayer,

“spend a portion of their possessions in the way of God, “and believe in the Holy Qur’an and the earlier Scriptures. “It is they who are guided and will attain salvation.” This is the definition of a righteous person. With regards to the Qur’an containing the (teachings of the) perfect religion,

The Promised Messiah (as) states: “It is an established fact “that the Holy Qur’an has done justice to establishing a most perfect religion, “as Allah the Almighty states: (ARABIC) ‘Today, I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you

‘and have chosen for you Islam as your religion and am pleased with it.’ “Hence, after the Qur’an, no other book has the right to take precedence over the Qur’an, “because everything that man is in need of can be found in the Qur’an. “And now, only the door of divine communion is open,

“but one does not receive this of one’s own accord. “Rather, one can only partake of this pure and Holy discourse, “which contains divine succour as well as hidden verities, “when one purifies their soul and follows the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (sa).”

It is regretful that our opponents do not wish to listen to these words of wisdom and they raise allegations against us that we alter the Holy Qur’an – God forbid. In his book, Chashma-e-Marifat, the Promised Messiah (as) writes regarding the fact that the Holy Qur’an is a spiritual remedy by saying:

“The Holy Qur’an is a Book so full of wisdom that “it has brought out the accord between the principles of spiritual medicine, “that is to say, the principles of religion “which are truly spiritual medicine, and physical medicine, “and this accord is so fine

“that it opens the doors of hundreds of insights and verities. “It is only that person who can interpret the Holy Qur’an truly and perfectly, “who ponders the principles laid down by the Holy Qur’an “in the light of the system of physical medicine.

“On one occasion I was shown in a vision some books of expert physicians “(Allah the Almighty guided the Promised Messiah (as) Himself. “(He was shown the books of some physicians which contained discourses “(on the principles of medicine, philosophy and the six core principles of health, etc.

“(Among these books, one was of the expert physician Qarshi) “and it was indicated to me that these Books contained a commentary on the Holy Qur’an. “This shows that there is a deep relationship between the science of (physical) bodies “and the science of religion and that they confirm each other.

“When I looked at the Holy Qur’an, keeping in mind the books that dealt with physical medicine, “I discovered that the Holy Qur’an sets out principles of physical medicine “in a most excellent and eloquent manner.” i.e., one can derive help from the Qur’an for both physical and spiritual ailments.

In order to be able to deliberate over the Qur’an and to attain cognisance of God one must listen to the directives of the Imam of the age and to read his literature. Then, stating the fact that one can only form a true connection with Allah the Almighty by means of the Qur’an,

The Promised Messiah (as) says: “It should be borne in mind that “human beings can never recognise God, who is Absolutely Hidden, “merely through their own faculties, until He Himself reveals His Being through His Signs. “A true relationship with God the Exalted can never develop

“unless that relationship is created exclusively through the instrumentation of God. “Carnal temptations cannot be removed from the soul “until a light from the Omnipotent God enters the heart. “Behold! I present first-hand testimony that “such a relationship can only be possible through following the Holy Qur’an.

“The other scriptures are now devoid of the spirit of life. “There is now only one book under the canopy of the heavens “that reveals the countenance of that True Beloved; that is, the Holy Qur’an.” Thus, by acting on the directives of the Holy Qur’an,

One can see the countenance of God Almighty, as it were. This is something that we, as Ahmadis, ought to ponder over. How many of us can say that we follow the commands of the Holy Qur’an and ponder over its meanings?

For this we ought to strive to our utmost. May Allah the Almighty enable us to do so. Then, the Promised Messiah (as) states: “It has been my personal observation and first-hand experience, “as well as the testimony of the truthful ones who have passed before us,

“that every step taken with sincerity and truthfulness in accordance with the Holy Qur’an “and the Holy Prophet (sa) possesses such an excellence, “that through means of it, the love for the One True God gradually becomes embedded in ones heart. “The spiritual power from divine converse illuminates the human soul,

“due to which one’s eyes are opened, “and they eventually witness the wonders of the world to come. “Thus, from that day forward that individual knows “with knowledge by certainty of reason that God exists. “Then, their certainty evolves until they progresses “from knowledge by certainty of reason to knowledge by certainty of sight,

“and then from knowledge by certainty of sight to knowledge by certainty of experience. “The one who believes in the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (sa), “at first does not attain a purification of soul, and falls into different types of sins. “Then, the mercy of God comes to their aid,

“and their faith is granted strength through miraculous means; “just as the Holy Qur’an states: (ARABIC) “Meaning that ‘the faithful are given glad tidings by Allah’; “in the same way, they also attain different forms of glad tidings regarding their own person. “And just as one’s faith gradually becomes stronger through these glad tidings,

“at the same time they gradually abstain from sin and advances towards good deeds.” The Promised Messiah (as) wrote a treatise on the superiority of Islam, which was read out in a Convention of the Arya Samaj. Mentioning the distinctive qualities of the Holy Qur’an. He states: “The distinct hallmark which human reason has declared

“in order to distinguish a Divine scripture can only be found in the Holy Qur’an. “In this era, all of the excellences which ought to be found in a Divine scripture “as part of its unique characteristics, are not to be found in any other book.

“It is possible that these excellences may have existed in them at some point in time, “however now they are not to be found. “Though we consider them to be revealed books, as explained earlier, “but, despite them being revealed, “they are now of no benefit owing to their current condition.

“They can be likened to a royal palace, “which is empty and desolate and all its riches and military might have gone.” Further expounding upon its unique excellences, the Promised Messiah (as) states, “Now I shall mention the unique excellences of the Holy Qur’an which are beyond any human effort: “Firstly, it contains extraordinary power

“which takes its followers from a stage of mere conjecture to absolute conviction. “(It is not just mere conjecture, “(rather one develops insight which leads to absolute conviction). “When one completely adheres to it, “then the power of God manifests in the form of miracles “and God converses with such a person.

“And through the means of Divine revelation reveals to him matters of the unseen. “I do not speak of these Qur’anic blessings as mere tales, “rather I present those miracles which were shown to me. “These miracles are almost 100,000. In fact, there are more than 100,000.

“God has stated in the Holy Qur’an that one who adheres to His Book, “they will not only have faith in the miracles mentioned in it “but they will also be granted these miracles. “Thus, I have personally experienced those miracles through the blessings of the Holy Qur’an

“which are beyond any human effort and purely an act of God. “The earthquakes and the plague which has ravaged the world “are among those very miracles which were granted to me. “These are not my miracles, rather they are the miracles of the Holy Qur’an

“because everything I am doing is through the power and spirit “granted to me through the Holy Qur’an.” The Promised Messiah (as) states, “Among the extraordinary powers of the Holy Qur’an “is that those who adhere to it are granted miracles and great signs.

“These signs are granted in such abundance that the world cannot compete with them. “Thus, I openly declare that if all the opponents, whether they be in the East or the West, “were to all gather in one place and challenge me in demonstrating such signs and miracles,

“I shall be granted victory over them by the grace and help of God Almighty. “This victory will not be because I have any superior power in my soul, “rather it is because God has desired “that I give proof of the extraordinary power of the Holy Qur’an

“and the spiritual strength and lofty status of His Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (sa). “And it is not owing to any personal quality, “rather it is purely due His grace that I follow this great Prophet (sa) and His powerful book “and have love for it and believe in this revealed book,

“which is known as the Holy Qur’an and is a manifestation of God’s powers. “The Holy Qur’an has promised that: (ARABIC) “And also: (ARABIC) “And also: (ARABIC) “In accordance to these promises, God has granted me all of this.” The translation of these verses is as follows: “Those who believe in the Holy Qur’an,

“they will be granted dreams and revelations containing glad-tidings “and they will be granted these abundantly. “Otherwise, on the rare occasion, any (ordinary) person could also see a true dream. “Nonetheless, a single drop is nothing in the face of an ocean; “a single coin is nothing in comparison to a treasury.

“Then, God further states that a perfect follower will be aided by the Holy Spirit. “In other words, their knowledge and insight will be illumined by a light from the unseen, “their spiritual visions will become immaculately clear, “their words and actions will be imbued with potency and their faith will strengthened.

“It is further stated that God will clearly distinguish between them and others. “That is to say, in comparison to the profound knowledge they will be granted “and in the face of the miracles and extraordinary wonders they will be bestowed, “other nations will be inferior.”

The Promised Messiah (as) further states, “Therefore, we can observe that “this promise of God Almighty has always been fulfilled since time immemorial, “and in this day and age, we are a witness to it.” Muslims ought to understand this, and we also ought to truly realise that the Allah the Almighty

Has sent the Promised Messiah (as) in this age with many signs. The manifestation of these signs continues even today. Those who truly follow the word of Allah the Almighty will experience the results in one way or another from Allah the Almighty Himself. The Promised Messiah (as) continues, “Thus, I have elucidated

“the extraordinary power of the Holy Qur’an whose potency impacts those who follow it. “However, the Qur’an is full of other miracles as well; “it foretold the progress, grandeur and victory of Islam “at a time when the Holy Prophet (sa) was wandering the wilderness of Makkah alone.

“He was accompanied only by a handful of poor, weak Muslims. “Furthermore, when the Roman Emperor was defeated by the Persians “and Chosroes took hold of a large portion of his kingdom, “even then, the Holy Qur’an put forward a prophecy that within a period of nine years,

“the Roman Emperor would be victorious in defeating the Persians. “This is precisely what transpired. “A similar exalted miracle is that of the splitting of the moon (Shaqq al-Qamar), “which clearly manifested Divine power. “It has been mentioned in the Holy Qur’an

“that the moon split into two with the gesture of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) finger, “and the disbelievers were witness to this miracle.” All these details are found in the book of the Promised Messiah (as) “Chashma-e-Ma’rifat” from which I have presented a few extracts.

In the same book, “Chashma-e-Ma’rifat”, the Promised Messiah (as) explains that the stories mentioned within the Holy Qur’an are, in fact, prophecies. He states, “All the stories mentioned within the Holy Qur’an are not mere tales, “but prophecies that have been written in the form of stories. “Indeed, the Torah only contains stories,

“however, the Holy Qur’an has deemed every single story “to be a prophecy in support of the Holy Prophet (sa) and Islam. “Even these prophecies – written in the form of stories – have been unequivocally fulfilled. “Thus, the Holy Qur’an is an ocean of knowledge and secrets and a sea of prophecies.

“It is impossible for anyone to come to certainty about God Almighty without the Holy Qur’an. “This feature is unique only to the Holy Qur’an, “which allows its true follower to remove the veil that exists between God and humankind. “Followers of other faiths beckon to a fictional god,

“whereas the Holy Qur’an reveals the face of the True Beloved “and fills the hearts of man with the light of certainty. “By virtue of the Holy Qur’an, God – Who is hidden from the entire universe – becomes manifest. “The condition is that one must truly adhere to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an.”

Then, the Promised Messiah (as) states that the Holy Qur’an comprises of two aspects, the first being stories and the other being commandments. He states, “The Holy Qur’an comprises of two aspects; “some things are presented in the form of stories, “while others are presented in the form of commandments and guidance.

“Those who are unable to distinguish between stories and guidance face great difficulty “and become proponents of finding contradictions in the Holy Qur’an “and thereby lose it in its practical form, “because as God Almighty states regarding the Holy Qur’an: “(Arabic, Holy Qur’an 4:83) ‘Had it been from anyone other than Allah,

‘they would surely have found therein much disagreement.’” The Promised Messiah (as) continues, “The fact that there are no discrepancies “has been deemed a proof of (the Holy Qur’an) being from Allah “(the fact that there are no inconsistencies means that it is from Allah).

“However, due to not distinguishing between the provident stories and guidance, “they create incongruities and then deem it as being from someone other than Allah. “Their understanding is pitiful.” As it was mentioned earlier, stories have been presented as prophecies and the commandments are separate from them.

If people try to understand them by combining them together, then they fall prey to misunderstandings. They do not possess the knowledge to understand, yet they allege that any commentary (of the Holy Qur’an) is a distortion. Whilst mentioning the lofty excellences of the Holy Qur’an’s teachings,

The Promised Messiah (as) states, “Among the lofty excellences of the Holy Qur’an are its teachings, “because they completely concord with the human nature and interests. “For example, the Torah teaches a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. “The Gospels say that there should be no retaliation to harm,

“in fact if someone strikes your right cheek then turn the other cheek. “However, the Holy Qur’an says, “(Arabic, Holy Qur’an 42:41) (“The recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; “(“but whoso forgives and thereby brings about an improvement, his reward is with Allah.”)

“Meaning the retaliation to an injury should be an equal injury, “however, whoever forgives a person who wronged them, “and this forgiveness results in the wrongdoers reformation “and teaches them to abstain from committing the same crime again, “then forgiveness is better than recompense, otherwise to punish would be more prudent.

“This is because people possess different natures; “there are some who, upon being forgiven, never commit the same crime again and abstain from it. “Then, there are others who commit the same crime even after being freed from imprisonment. “Hence, because people have different natures,

“the best teaching is that which has been presented by the Holy Qur’an. “The teachings of the Torah and the Gospels are not at all complete, “in fact those teachings only pertain to a periphery branch of the human tree “and both teachings can be likened to a law

“which is specific for a certain group of people or specific to a certain place. “However, the Holy Qur’an considers all the different natures of people.” I mentioned this example as well in the last Friday Sermon, however, that was in a different context.

Here, this example is being presented in light of the qualities of the Holy Qur’an. Then, the Promised Messiah (as) states, “This is a commandment of the Gospel.” He presents a second example. This is not the only example, rather, he presents other examples as well. The Promised Messiah (as) states:

“A commandment of the Gospel is that one should not cast a lustful glance towards women. “However, the Holy Qur’an says categorically not to look at women; “whether with a lustful eye, or not, as this might become the means for one to stumble.” They say that we were looking at them with pure intentions.

However, the Holy Qur’an says not to look at women even with pure intentions as this can become a means for one to stumble. “As a matter of fact, if the need arises whereby one must interact with them, “one can raise his eyes slightly, as opposed to leering at them with open eyes.”

That is, if a need arises, one should only look at them with their eyes slightly opened so that one does not see them completely. Following this, the Promised Messiah (as) said: “The Gospel says not to divorce one’s wife, unless she has committed adultery.

“However, in the Holy Qur’an, divorce is not confined to adultery. “Rather, if mutual enmity develops between husband and wife and there is no reconciliation, “or if, for example, there is danger to one’s life, “or if ones wife has not committed adultery, but takes steps towards it such as meeting other men;

“in all such cases, the judgement of the husband will suffice if he wishes to leave her. “Yet despite this, the Qur’an has strictly stated not to rush in the matters of divorce.” The Promised Messiah (as) states that the Qur’an has emphatically stated that one should not be hasty in matters of divorce.

We also find an answer here in relation to the misconception that men have unrestrained right to divorce. Some men believe this to be true and misuse it and are unjust as well. The Promised Messiah (as) said that one is not permitted to divorce without justification

And even then, one should try to avoid it. Following this, the Promised Messiah (as) said: “It is now evident that “the teaching of the Holy Qur’an is in accordance with human needs “and moving away from this will certainly cause problems at one point or another.

“For this very reason, some European governments had to pass laws on justifications for divorce.” Even in secular laws the justification and reason for divorce are given. They ask this in various cases as to what the reason for divorce is, why they are separating; all the evidence needs to be provided.

Nevertheless, the Promised Messiah (as) said that this is not an easy process and as such, they have had to create their laws as well. Worldly laws are created and abandoned and people make continuous efforts to improve them further. Despite this, various flaws remain.

However, the law of God Almighty is in absolute harmony with human nature. Here, I would once again like to clarify that not only men have the right to divorce, rather, even women can get a divorce owing to her like and dislike or for any other reason.

Furthermore, (in the case of a woman seeking divorce) if it is proven that the man has acted unjustly and is at fault, then they will also have to pay dowry and it is misconception to think otherwise. In such cases, they will have to pay the dowry and also fulfil all their due rights.

As such, men and women should not think that only men have been given the right (to divorce). When the subject related to the rights of women will be mentioned, this will be discussed in further detail. Nevertheless, this topic will continue. There are other statements of the Promised Messiah (as) in this regard,

Which I will mention from time to time. May Allah the Almighty enable us to act in accordance with the true teachings of the Holy Qur’an. 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 (sa) 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.

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