Friday Sermon
11 October 2019
Building of mosques and our responsibilities
After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited verse 18 of Surah at-Taubah and then stated:
After a long period of time, Allah the Almighty has enabled the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in France to construct another mosque. By the Grace of Allah, there is a large number of converts and non-Pakistani Ahmadis in this city of Strasbourg, or rather 75% of the Jamaat are not of Pakistani origin. By the grace of Allah, they are very sincere and loyal and Allah the Almighty has now also granted them a mosque. Now, the Ahmadis residing here can forge an even stronger relationship with the Community than before. May Allah the Almighty enable them to do so.
I will now present the translation of the verse recited at the beginning.
“He alone can keep the Mosques of Allah in a good and flourishing condition who believes in Allah, and the Last Day, and observes Prayer, and pays the Zakat, and fears none but Allah; so these it is who may be among those who reach the goal.” [Surah al-Taubah, Ch.9: V.18]
Allah the Almighty has mentioned the characteristic of those who build mosques and populate them which are that they believe in Allah i.e. they have firm and complete faith that God Almighty is the Fountainhead and Master of all powers and that all else beside Him is of no value. Hence, it is vital to prostrate before Allah the Almighty and to worship Him in order to attain this level of faith. Allah the Almighty increases them in faith and in their level of belief, who bow down before Him.
Moreover, belief in the Hereafter is another characteristic or a condition that Allah the Exalted has outlined for those who come to mosques because it is belief in the Hereafter that encourages one to worship Allah the Almighty in order to attain His pleasure. Elucidating on this matter, on one occasion the Promised Messiahas stated:
“Belief in the Hereafter serves as a means to attain divine insight and divine insight cannot be attained without the awe and fear of God. Thus, remember that when a person begins to doubt the Hereafter, this puts a person’s faith in danger and taints the prospects of a good end.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 53-54)
In other words, under such circumstances, one is no longer guaranteed a good end, nor is there certainty that such an individual will remain faithful. Thus, a true worshiper and one who populates mosques never entertains any doubt in his heart about the Hereafter and remains ever inclined towards Allah the Almighty in order to attain a good end.
Only those individuals can truly derive benefit from constructing mosques and populating them who observe the prayer. Moreover, they proclaim that they have not merely constructed a mosque to show others that they too have a mosque, rather it becomes their duty to offer the five daily prayers. [In this verse] Allah the Almighty has mentioned that one must observe prayer, and by observing prayer it means to offer them in congregation.
Then attention has been directed towards paying the Zakat [almsgiving] and offering financial sacrifices. Hence, offering sacrifices for the propagation of the religion of Allah the Almighty and to fulfil the rights of the creation of Allah should be distinct qualities of those who populate mosques. All of this is done so that the fear of Allah the Almighty increases in our hearts and so that we try our level best to acquire His pleasure.
Allah the Almighty states that those who fulfil these conditions are the ones who will be considered amongst the guided ones. Hence, we should always pray for this and strive in order to achieve this whilst prostrating before God Almighty.
Both, the new Ahmadi converts and those who are Ahmadi by birth ought to bear this in mind, in fact, those who have been Ahmadis for a long time, especially those that have come from Pakistan, have a greater responsibility of being mindful of the fact that they have to establish good examples for the new Ahmadis. Therefore, whilst adopting this mind-set and acting in accordance with these commandments, one ought to pray that Allah the Almighty may grant them the ability to populate the mosques and be counted amongst those who are the guided ones.
It should not be the case that owing to our negligence and weaknesses we ruin our life in this world and the Hereafter as a result of not acting in accordance with this commandment of Allah the Almighty, which is regarding those who populate the mosque.
May Allah the Almighty have mercy on us, protect us from going astray, continue to guide us on the right path and always keep our intentions pure and virtuous. May we fulfil the rights of God and become those who convey the message of God’s religion to the people of this area.
After having constructed this mosque, may we act in accordance with the guidance of the appointed Promised Messiahas, and thus make this mosque a means for the propagation of Islam. May God Almighty shower His blessings upon us and enable us to fulfil the saying of the Holy Prophetsa in which he stated that whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah the Almighty, He will in turn build a similar house for him in paradise. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Salat, Hadith no. 450)
Thus, may Allah the Almighty enable us to become true believers and continue to shower His blessings upon us.
In order to achieve this, every Ahmadi must first and foremost evaluate the condition of their prayers as to whether or not they are mindful of offering the five daily prayers regularly and also whether or not they are offering prayers in congregation. It is not sufficient to merely claim to have a built a mosque and consider this alone to be a means of securing an abode in paradise, rather in order to achieve this, faith must be accompanied with deeds. It is also necessary to follow the commandments of Allah the Almighty. It is also imperative to do true justice of being in the Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas.
Each year, Muslims build thousands of mosques, however, if sermons are delivered on sectarianism instead of discussing how one ought to have fear of Allah the Almighty and fulfil the rights of His creation; if discussions are merely held on personal vested interests; or if the so-called scholars are giving rise to harmful innovations which have no relevance with the traditions of the Holy Prophetsa, then such mosques do not lead towards paradise in the sight of Allah the Almighty and His Messengersa.
Thus, to fulfil the rights of a mosque, to make it the means of leading a person to paradise and to have a house built for oneself in paradise are huge responsibilities. Therefore, every Ahmadi should understand these responsibilities, try to act in accordance with them and endeavour to fulfil the due rights of a mosque. Furthermore, it is necessary to understand and act in accordance with the guidance granted to us by the ardent devotee of the Holy Prophetsa, who has guided us in this era on how to become a true Muslim, how to fulfil the rights of our worship and mosques and how we can fulfil the rights of the creation of Allah the Almighty. Only then will we be able to say that we have firm and complete faith in Allah the Almighty; we have complete faith and certainty in the Day of Judgement; we establish our prayers in order to acquire the pleasure of Allah the Almighty and that we also sacrifice our wealth in order to fulfil the rights of the creation of Allah the Almighty.
The only fear we should have is the fear of God because we have love for Him; we do not fear anything in this material world, nor do we love any worldly object in the same manner as we love Allah the Almighty; we are those, who sacrifice their worldly interests for the sake of our faith and religion.
I will present some of the guidance of the Promised Messiahas, which he has given us in order to become true Ahmadis and true servants of Allah the Almighty.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“None of the faculties (such as hands, feet, eyes, the mind) endowed by Allah Almighty have been granted to man so that they may be wasted; rather, their discipline and proper use is the true means by which they are nourished and developed (how can they be nourished? This is through their proper use and not through any misuse of them). This is why Islam has not taught that the faculties of virility be slaughtered completely or that the eye be gouged out. Instead, it teaches their proper use and the purification of one’s inner self.”
It does not teach that since a person will be inclined towards leering, therefore the eyes should be removed, rather they should be used appropriately, it should not be the case that one should destroy their faculty of virility. Rather the true deed is to use them in a pious and appropriate manner.
“In this respect, Allah the Almighty states:
قَدْ اَفْلَحَ الْمُوْمِنُوْنَ
‘Surely, success does come to the believers.’
Then, after illustrating the life of a righteous person, God Almighty draws a conclusion in the following words:
وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ ھُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنْ
‘And it is they who shall prosper.’”
First God Almighty explained the qualities of a believer and stated:
قَدْ اَفْلَحَ الْمُوْمِنُوْنَ
And then stated:
اُولٰٓئِکَ ھُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنْ
“That is to say, those who tread the path of righteousness; those who believe in the unseen; those who establish or set upright their Prayer when it begins to fall as it were; (i.e. when other thoughts appear during the prayer, they maintain their concentration again) those who give from that which is bestowed to them by God; those who, irrespective of their own thoughts and desires, believe in all the divine scriptures sent by God, (since God has stated to believe in all the scriptures, they believe in them), such people ultimately attain to the level of certainty. It is these very people who are truly guided and who tread a path that goes on to lead a person to success. Therefore, it is such people who are triumphant and who shall reach their final destination, and who have been delivered from the perils of the journey before them.”
The Promised Messiahas then says:
“Hence, from the very outset, Allah the Almighty has given us a teaching of righteousness and bestowed upon us a book, which also provides counsel on how to develop piety. And so, let my community grieve, more than anything else, over whether they possess righteousness or not.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 35)
How can one determine whether or not they possess Taqwa [righteousness] and who is truly a muttaqi [righteous person]? Expounding upon this, the Promised Messiahas states:
“The Word of God states that the righteous are those who walk with humility and modesty, and do not speak arrogantly (i.e. they are humble and have no sign of arrogance in them). They speak as though they were a lowly person addressing their senior. In any case, we should act in a manner that brings about our prosperity. None can claim a monopoly over Allah Almighty, for He desires righteousness alone. One who adopts righteousness shall attain a lofty status.”
The Promised Messiahas states:
“The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or Abraham, on whom be peace, did not receive honour by any inheritance. Although we believe that Abdullah, the revered father of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was not an idolater, but it was not on this account that the Prophet of Islam was conferred his prophethood. Prophethood was endowed to him by divine grace due to the virtues present in his nature. This is what drew in God’s grace. It was sincerity and righteousness which led Abraham, on whom be peace, the Father of the Prophets, to sacrifice his son without hesitation. Even he himself was cast into a fire. Just reflect upon the sincerity and devotion of our Chief and Master, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The Holy Prophetsa stood firm against all forms of evil. He bore diverse trials and tribulations, but did not care in the least. It was this sincerity and devotion which moved Allah the Almighty to shower His grace. It is for this reason that He states:
اِنَّ اللّٰہَ وَ مَلٰٓئِکَتَہٗ یُصَلُّوۡنَ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ ؕ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا صَلُّوۡا عَلَیۡہِ وَ سَلِّمُوۡا تَسۡلِیۡمًا
‘Allah Almighty and all His angels send blessings upon the Messenger. O ye who believe! You also should invoke blessings and peace upon the Prophetsa.’ [Surah al-Ahzab, Ch.33: V.57)” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 37)
Thus, we have been commanded that if we wish for our prayers to be granted acceptance then we must recite the Durood [invoking salutation on the Holy Prophetsa]. Without reciting the Durood, one’s supplications cannot reach to the heavens and nor can one attain any form of success. Therefore, in order to improve one’s standard of worship and to attain the nearness of God Almighty, one must recite the Durood. Indeed, one who recites the Durood will naturally be mindful of the noble example of the Holy Prophetsa.
What did the Holy Prophetsa say regarding the prayers and what instruction did he impart to his followers? The Holy Prophetsa stated that Salat was the delight of his eyes. (Sunan Al-Nisai, Kitab Ashrat-ul-Nisa, Hadith no. 3391)
Similarly, the Holy Prophetsa established such an example in regard to fulfilling the rights of Allah’s creation that the likes of which cannot be found. The Holy Prophetsa did not show any concern for his own personal welfare, rather whatever he had, even if the wealth was equal to the size of a field, he would distribute it amongst people and anyone who came to him seeking help, would never leave emptyhanded. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fadhail, Hadith no. 2312)
Aside from this, the Holy Prophetsa was always willing and ready to extend his hand to help mankind. Therefore, when one recites the Durood whilst keeping in view the noble example of the Holy Prophetsa, only then can one’s attention remain focused on seeking to emulate the perfect examples established by the Holy Prophetsa. When one develops this condition then God Almighty, owing to our expression of love by reciting the Durood on the beloved Prophetsa of God, accepts our supplications. It is only then that we can attain the nearness of God Almighty and demonstrate meekness and humility; and become counted amongst those who tread on the path of righteousness and it is these people who will ultimately prosper.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“If one possess only verbal claims then remember that this is of no benefit. In order to succeed, one must adopt Taqwa (if one wishes to succeed then they must become a righteous person). True Taqwa enables one to attain the cognisance of God Almighty and to adhere to His commandments.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 232)
In regard to the reality of prayer and describing the condition of true prayer, the Promised Messiahas states:
“There are many people who verbally profess their belief in God. However on further investigation it becomes evident that they are in fact atheists. The reason for this is that when they are busy in their worldly pursuits, they overlook the wrath and grandeur of God. Hence, it is vital that every single one of you should pray to God Almighty to seek true cognisance of His existence. However, that can only be attained when one realises that abandoning God is tantamount to death.
“When one prays to abstain from sin, at the same time one should never forsake the measures required to achieve this. To seek prayer and to exert one’s own physical efforts are both essential. You should eschew every assembly and gathering that incites one to commit sin.”
Every one of you can assess for himself that which kind of gatherings, meetings, television programmes, etc. incite one towards sin and therefore must be abandoned. One must not only abandon them but also pray in this regard because it is only owing to the grace of God Almighty that one can abandon such ills.
“Behold! Unless one has the succour of God Almighty, one can never evade those trials that are destined for him.
“Prayer which is offered five times in the day alludes to this very truth in that until it is not protected from one’s inner passions and thoughts it will certainly not be considered true prayer. Prayer certainly does not mean to simply go through the physical motions and to offer it merely as a ritual or as a customary practise. Prayer is where one’s heart feels the soul melt and in an extreme state of fear falls at the threshold of God.
“To whatever extent possible in one’s own efforts, one should try and instil a state of intense fervour and supplicate with complete humility to become free from insolence and sin which is found in one’s nature. Such is the prayer which is full of blessings. If one perseveres in this way then soon a moment shall appear, either in the day or in the night, where one shall witness that a spiritual light has descended upon their heart and the brazen nature of Nafs-e-Amara [the soul that incites to evil] has reduced. Just as a snake carries venomous poison so too does the Nafs-e-Amara [the soul that incites to evil] and thus He Who has created it also has its antidote.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, p. 123)
In other words, it is God Almighty Alone, Who can safeguard one from such ill, thus one should always seek the blessings of Allah the Almighty.
Expounding on the importance of prayer, the Promised Messiahas states that Salat is the essence of prayer and without it one cannot fulfil the due rights of Allah the Almighty. Thus, one should remember that without Salat, or adhering to the methods prescribed by God Almighty, one cannot fulfil the due rights of God Almighty. Also, Salat entails various conditions which must be fulfilled. Whilst observing Salat, one should always remember that they should stand before Allah the Almighty with utmost respect and courtesy; humility; full concentration and seek the blessings of God Almighty.
Further expounding on the condition of Salat, the Promised Messiahas states:
“Once I was pondering over the difference between Salat and prayer [in general]. In the Hadith, it states that:
اَلصَّلوٰۃُ ھِیَ الدُّعَاءُ۔ اَلصَّلوٰۃُ مُخُّ الْعِبَادَۃ
‘Salat is a form of prayer and it is the essence of prayer.’ When a person prays solely for worldly material, it is not called Salat.”
A person supplicates, attends the mosque, begins to offer the five daily prayers and demonstrates fervency in his prayers, but the reason is only because he faces certain worldly difficulties. Therefore, if one only prays for worldly gains, it cannot be called Salat.
“However, when one prays with the intention to seek communion with God Almighty, win His pleasure and stands before Allah the Almighty with utmost courtesy, humility and concentration, but not for his own personal reasons, rather to seek the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, that is, when it is called Salat.” One does not seek for any personal gains, rather his objective is to seek the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. “True prayer is when a sincere and holy relationship is established with God and the worshipper”, this is the means through which one can attain the nearness of God Almighty, “and safeguards one from inappropriate things. The main objective is that one should seek the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, thereafter it is permissible for one to pray for their worldly needs.”
Thus, one should first pray to attain the pleasure of God Almighty and then they may pray for their worldly needs because they too can only be attained through His grace.
“This is so because at times, one’s worldly difficulties can affect one’s religious affairs, particularly during such difficult and challenging times through which the world is passing.” When a person is weak and facing difficulty, then their worldly affairs can be the means for them to stumble. Thus, one should first forge a relationship with Allah the Almighty and then also pray for their worldly needs as well.
The Promised Messiahas states, “The word ‘Salat’ alludes to burning just like something burns in fire. Thus, one’s level of fervency in prayer should be similar to this state of burning. When one reaches this state as if one is nearing death that is true Salat.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, pp. 367-368)
Thus, this is the reality of Salat which we should all try to attain; may God Almighty grant us the opportunity to do so.
Further explaining this, the Promised Messiahas states:
“If one claims to be a believer then it is essential for them to offer prayers. It is wrong to only offer Salat only three or four times and yet claim to be a believer because Salat is the very root of faith. One who is empty of this root is like a hollow tree which will be uprooted at the mere blowing of a breeze.” The Promised Messiahas states, “Just like on a hot day, clouds gather together and it begins to rain; similar is the case of one’s Salat. The intense passion of faith enables one to accomplish what they are seeking for. Salat is when one stands before Allah the Almighty with intense fervency and passion and courtesy. Despite being a servant of God, if a person then shows negligence, then God Almighty is self-sufficient (and He shows no concern). Any nation will only survive so long as they remain focused on forming a relationship with God Almighty. Prayer is the foundation of faith. Some foolish individuals question why does God Almighty need our prayers?”
The Promised Messiahas says:
“O foolish ones! God Almighty is not in need of anything, rather it is you who are in need of prayers and for God Almighty to turn His attention towards you. Every incomplete task can be accomplished if God Almighty is with you. Prayer can remove thousands of sins and become a source of gaining nearness to God Almighty.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7. p. 378)
To attain the nearness of God, to have one’s sins forgiven and to fulfil one’s uncompleted task is not restricted to prayer alone. In fact, regarding those who go to the mosque with sincerity and wait for the prayers, the Holy Prophetsa says that when a person remains in wait for the prayer in the mosque, it will be as if he is preoccupied in prayer. If a person remembers God Almighty whilst sitting in the mosque, it will be as if they are engaged in worship and the angels will send down their blessings on that person by saying: “O Allah, have mercy on him and forgive him, accept his repentance.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Masajid, Hadith no. 649)
How great is the reward for the one who offers their prayers in the mosque? The reward is not only for praying in the mosque, rather even the person who is waiting for the prayer to begin receives a reward from God Almighty, and the angels pray for that individual. Thus, we ought to show great concern in order to fulfil the rights of worship of such a benevolent God and attend the mosque for the five daily prayers.
Whilst explaining the fact that the purpose of religion is to establish unity and create one community, the Promised Messiahas says:
“Allah desires to make all mankind as if they were all one person. This could also be called a democratic singularity. Under this concept the diverse mankind could be considered as one individual. The purpose of religion is also that the human race be united in the form of the beads of a tasbeeh (rosary) through one thread.
“The congregational prayers, or Salat, is also for such unification so that all the worshipers are counted as one. The reason why we are prescribed to stand shoulder to shoulder is so that whoever has greater wisdom or spiritual charisma is able to influence the weak. It is hoped that spiritual influence of the wise will diffuse into the weak. The Hajj is also for the same plan.
Allah started the plan of democratic singularity by instructing that all Muslims of a locality should say the five prayers in congregation in the local mosque. So that the moral qualities can be exchanged and the wisdom and light replace weaknesses. By such interaction Muslims are introduced to each other and develop affection for one other. Such introduction is very important as that leads to affection which is the basis of the unification. To the extent that an enemy that one is aware of is better than a friend who he knows nothing about. When one meets a person in a foreign land and they become acquainted, then a natural affection is formed in the hearts. The reason for this is that when one is away from the location where the feud originated, which is only a temporary emotion, it then no longer exists and all that remains is their mutual acquaintance.
“The second Divine instruction is that on Friday for the Friday prayer Muslims should gather in the main mosque of the township. It is hard for all the people of the town to get together on a daily basis. Therefore, it was suggested that all the citizens of a town should at least weekly get acquainted with each other and promote unity.”
If, here, the distances are greater, then for those who have conveyance can easily come to the mosque every day. Furthermore, if one has the intention of populating the mosque, then they will also go to the mosque. Nevertheless, even if someone is living far and is compelled, then it is vital for them to come for the Friday Prayer.
“By such a scheme, eventually, all of them will unite in one body or singularity. Then on an annual basis Allah has prescribed that the Eid prayers be said at a regional level so that acquaintance and affection grows wider and helps in the process of democratic singularity.
“In the same theme, for the unity of the whole world, Allah has prescribed to perform Hajj at least once in one’s lifetime so that representatives of all people assemble together in the expanse of Mecca”, i.e. those who have the capacity to perform the Hajj ought to go for Hajj. “In summary, this is Allah’s desire that affection and love among mankind progresses.”
Then, regarding his opponents, the Promised Messiahas says that they are completely oblivious to the philosophy of Islam. Those who are opposed to Islam are unaware of the reality of these matters, yet they raise allegations against the five daily prayers and why Muslims have to offer Friday Prayer once a week and the purpose of the Eid prayers, etc. The Promised Messiahas says that there is a philosophy behind these prayers and we ought to bear it in mind. He further says:
“There is no carelessness in the commands of God Almighty and to abstain from them completely is never possible.” The Promised Messiahas says, “They are oblivious to the great philosophy of Islam. One may show negligence or carelessness towards fulfilling obligations of ones superiors in a worldly capacity, however, it is not possible to show negligence and to abstain completely from the commands of God. Irrespective of the level of faith of the Muslim, he will at least offer the Eid prayers. The benefit of all these gatherings is that spiritual radiance of one would have an impact on the other and thus would strengthen them.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, pp. 129-130)
When people meet and interact with one another, it certainly has an impact. However, this is for those people who are very weak in their faith. True faith is that one ought to offer their five daily prayers in the mosque.
Now that Allah the Almighty has granted you this mosque, you ought to exemplify the aforementioned example of unity by gathering together, especially those who have the ease of a conveyance. Derive the blessings of God by populating the mosque, then God Almighty will grant His favours. As mentioned previously that God Almighty appoints the angels to pray for the person who goes to offer the five daily prayers [in the mosque]. Furthermore, God Almighty has stated that prayer in congregation is 27 times more blessed. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Adhan, Hadith no. 645)
Thus, if God Almighty has outlined these favours and despite having the opportunity, we do not value them, then it will be most unfortunate. Every Ahmadi ought to ponder over this and they must strive to come to the mosque.
The Promised Messiahas says, “O ye people who consider yourselves members of my community! You will be counted as such in heaven when you truly tread upon the ways of righteousness. So, offer the five daily prayers in such fear and with such complete attention as though you were actually beholding God Almighty. Sincerely observe your fasts for the sake of God. Let everyone who is liable to pay the Zakat do so and anyone upon whom the Hajj has become obligatory and who face no hindrance ought to perform the pilgrimage. Do good in a handsome manner and discard vice with disgust. Bear well in mind that no action of yours, which is empty of righteousness, can reach God. Righteousness is the root of all goodness. No action that is rooted in righteousness will go in vain.”
The Promised Messiahas further says:
“Whenever harm befalls you, it will be from your own hands and not from the hands of your enemy. Even if you lose all honour on earth, God will bestow eternal honour upon you in heaven. So do not forsake Him.”
The Promised Messiahas continues, “You are the last community of God, so practice virtue at its best. Anyone of you who becomes slothful will be cast out of the community like a foul thing and will die in regret and will be able to do no harm to God. I gladly inform you that your God truly exists. Though all are His creation, but He chooses the one who chooses Him. He comes to the one who goes to Him. He bestows honour upon him who honours Him” i.e. to man. (Kishti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 19, p. 15)
May Allah the Almighty enable us to understand these heartfelt words of the Promised Messiahas and enable us to increase in our faith. May He enable us to fulfil the rights of worship and enable us to form an active connection with God Almighty, and may He enable us to keep this mosque populated.
I will now present some details regarding the mosque.
By the grace of Allah, a concerted effort was made for this mosque a few years ago and God Almighty granted us this site, which is a total of 2,640 square meters. There is an existing three-storey building which has 15 rooms and a large hall. In order to purchase this, a loan was taken from the Markaz [headquarters] at the time.
Amir Sahib [National President] says that now almost all of it has been repaid with the exception of 50,000 euros.
The council raised various concerns which were resolved in subsequent meetings. During various meetings with the mayor, the plans were submitted and, by the grace of Allah, they were approved. According to the plans and sketches that were submitted, the architect estimated that the cost of the project would be one million euros, which Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya France pledged to give and took this on as their responsibility. However, by the grace of Allah, this mosque was completed in 530,000 euros.
At present, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya France have given 350,000 euros and the remaining was paid by the Jamaat [headquarters]. Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya France have pledged that they will pay the remaining amount.
Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya have vowed to fulfil this and will, God willing, fulfil it, but why is the rest of the Jamaat abstaining from partaking in this? If this mosque has now been completed, then the Lajna and Ansar should work together to build a mosque and they ought to construct another mosque within three years.
For the construction of this mosque, a committee was formed consisting of Mr Aslam Doobory Sahib, Shahbaz Sahib and Muhammad Asim Sahib. According to their report, Mansoor Sahib has worked very hard in this project, may Allah the Almighty reward him.
The official capacity of this mosque is for 250 worshippers, which the council has worked out according to its calculations, there is also a car park for 50 cars, one office for the Jamaat, a office for Lajna, a library for men and women and there is adequate lavatory facilities. The large parking hall is covered and if there is ever an emergency, there is space for a further 125 people to offer prayers there. The pre-existing building contains 15 rooms which were renovated and now can be used.
This mosque is situated approximately 15 kilometres from Strasbourg. This is not a great distance whereby one cannot come to mosque, in fact one can easily reach. The covered area for the mosque and halls is 303 square meters. There is also a house for the missionary, as well as a four-bedroom guest house. Permission was not granted for the construction of a minaret, nevertheless, permission was given for a dome to be built, which sits at a height of 8 metres and is located to the right side of the mosque which looks very beautiful and is part of the mosque’s feature. Inside, however, all the features are present including a mihrab and the inside of the dome has also been adorned with calligraphy.
May God Almighty bless it in every respect and may He greatly bless the progeny and wealth of those Khuddam who sacrificed in order to construct this mosque. May this sacrifice not be limited to financial sacrifice alone; may God Almighty enable them to understand the spirit of populating mosques. May God Almighty elevate the level of worship of the Khuddam and also elevate the levels of worship of the rest of the Jamaat members.
(Original Urdu published in Al Fazl International, 1 November 2019, pp. 5-8. Translated by The Review of Religions)