Stuttgart, 3 September 2023: At approximately 16:00 local time, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived for the bai‘at ceremony, Zuhr and Asr prayers and the concluding session of Jalsa Salana Germany 2023.
After taking bai‘at of the attendees in the main hall, Huzooraa led Zuhr and Asr prayers, which was followed by the formal concluding session. Huzooraa called Hafiz Zakir Muslim Sahib to recite a portion of the Holy Quran. Hamid Iqbal read out the Urdu and Stefan Härter Sahib read out the German translation of the verses. Huzooraa then invited Murtaza Manan Sahib to read an Urdu poem of the Promised Messiahas.
Huzooraa then invited National Secretary Talim to announce the names of Ahmadi graduates who achieved outstanding results and achievements in their educational pursuits during the years 2019-2023.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa then came to the podium to deliver the concluding address. After reciting tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Huzooraa said that he had been narrating various rights that Islam awards for the last few years in Jalsa Salana UK. Huzooraa said he would continue this theme.
Huzooraa said that with regard to business, loans and financial dealings, Islam has clear injunctions. Huzooraa recited Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V. 283:
“O ye who believe! when you borrow one from another for a fixed period, then write it down. And let a scribe write [it] in your presence faithfully; and no scribe should refuse to write, because Allah has taught him, so let him write and let him who incurs the liability dictate; and he should fear Allah, his Lord, and not diminish anything therefrom. But if the person incurring the liability be of low understanding or be weak or be unable himself to dictate, then let someone who can watch his interest dictate with justice. And call two witnesses from among your men; and if two men be not [available], then a man and two women, of such as you like as witnesses, so that if either of two [women] should err [in memory], then one may remind the other. And the witnesses should not refuse when they are called. And do not feel weary of writing it down, whether it be small or large, along with its appointed time[of payment]. This is more equitable in the sight of Allah and makes testimony surer and is more likely to keep you away from doubts; [therefore omit not to write] except that it be ready merchandise which you give or take from hand to hand, in which case it shall be no sin for you that you write it not. And have witnesses when you sell one to another; and let no harm be done to the scribe or the witness. And if you do [that], then certainly it shall be disobedience on your part. And fear Allah. And Allah grants you knowledge and Allah knows all things well.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.283)
Huzooraa said this verse had great detail and was clear. By following these injunctions, not only would financial dealings be smoother, but peace would be established in society as well. Huzooraa said people often quarrelled with one another in these matters, and in today’s age, the so-called educated world has realised rules and regulations need to be written for these financial matters. However, Islam promulgated these rules in detail at the very outset.
With regard to the importance of paying loans, Huzooraa presented the following hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairara in which the Holy Prophetsa said:
“A man of the Children of Israel asked another man of the Children of Israel to lend him one thousand dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, ‘Allah is sufficient as a witness.’ The second said, ‘I want a surety.’ The former replied, ‘Allah is sufficient as a surety.’ The second said, ‘You are right,’ and lent him the money for a certain period. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach it in time for the repayment of the debt, but he could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted one thousand dinars in it and a letter to the lender and then closed (i.e., sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said. ‘O Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me, but I told him that Allah’s guarantee was sufficient and he accepted Your guarantee. He then asked for a witness and I told him that Allah was sufficient as a Witness, and he accepted You as a Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could pay his money but could not find one, so I hand over this money to You.’ Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile, he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor’s country.
“One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came to him, bringing one thousand dinars and said, ‘By Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to get one before the one I have come by.’ The lender asked, ‘Have you sent something to me?’ The debtor replied, ‘I have told you I could not get a boat other than the one I have come by.’ The lender said, ‘Allah has delivered on your behalf the money you sent in the piece of wood. So, you may keep your one thousand dinars and depart guided on the right path.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2291)
Huzooraa said this was the level of faith a debtor should have in the one who was taking the debt. These are the standards that should be within each one of us; it is then that we will be fulfilling the pledge of bai‘at we have taken.
Speaking about those who are in debt, Huzooraa also narrated the following hadith:
It was narrated from Mihjan that Hazrat Uthmanra heard the Holy Prophetsa say:
“Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His a person who gave more time to a debtor who was in difficulty or waived a debt for one who had a lot of debts.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 532)
Huzooraa said that contrary to the above standards, in today’s age, people act with deceit and falsehood and create disorder in terms of loans.
Hazrat Aishara narrated:
“The Messenger of Allahsa often used to seek refuge (with Allah) from debt and sin. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, how often do you seek refuge from debt?’ He said: ‘Whoever gets into debt speaks and lies, and makes a promise and breaks it.’” (Sunan al-Nisa‘i, Hadith 5454)
Of course, the prophets would never act in such a way, but in this narration, he was giving a lesson to his ummah.
Once, a person asked the Promised Messiahas to pray for him to escape the debts he owed. In response, the Promised Messiahas exhorted him to recite a lot of istighfar as it removes difficulties and enables one to be successful.
A Jew once came to demand the loan he had given to the Holy Prophetsa. He was extremely harsh in his demeanour, which angered the Companionsra. However, the Holy Prophetsa told his Companionsra to calm themselves as he owed the Jew the loan and the Jew had the right to demand it. Observing these high morals of humility and restraint, the Jew accepted Islam.
In another narration, the Holy Prophetsa was asked to offer the funeral prayers of someone. The Prophetsa asked if the deceased died in a state of debt to which he was informed that he only owed two dinars. The Prophetsa said he would not offer the funeral prayers as the person still owed money to someone. Hazrat Alira paid the loan so that the person could have the honour of having his funeral led by the Prophetsa. The Prophetsa therefore led the person’s funeral and prayed for Hazrat Alira as well.
Huzooraa said this was the care the early Muslims paid in terms of helping those in debt; however, it is the responsibility of the one in debt to pay off their loans.
With regard to how the Prophetsa took care of those who sacrificed their lives for Islam, Huzooraa narrated the following hadith:
Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullahra narrated that his father was martyred on the day of the Battle of Uhud and was in debt and left six (orphan) daughters. Hazrat Jabirra, added:
“When the season of plucking the dates came, I went to Allah’s Messengersa and said, ‘You know that my father was martyred on the Day of Uhud, and he was heavily in debt, and I would like that the creditors should see you.’ The Prophetsa said, ‘Go and pile every kind of dates apart.’ I did so and called him (i.e., the Holy Prophetsa). When the creditors saw him, they started claiming their debts from me in such a harsh manner (as they had never done before). So when he saw their attitude, he went round the biggest heap of dates thrice, and then sat over it and said, ‘O Jabirra, call your companions (i.e., the creditors).’ Then he kept on measuring (and giving) to the creditors (their due) till Allah paid all the debt of my father. I would have been satisfied to retain nothing of those dates for my sisters after Allah had paid the debts of my father. But Allah saved all the heaps (of dates), so that when I looked at the heap where the Prophetsa had been sitting, it seemed as if a single date had not been taken away thereof.”
With regard to the rights of the general public, Huzooraa said that Islam established all their rights and referenced Surah al-Baqarah, verse 84:
“And [remember the time] when We took a covenant from the children of Israel: ‘You shall worship [nothing] but Allah and [show] kindness to parents and to kindred and orphans and the poor, and speak to men kindly and observe Prayer, and pay the Zakah’; then you turned away in aversion, except a few of you.”
All types of rights have been mentioned in this verse – the injunction is a command to take care of the whole of humanity, not just those close to us. The Muslims are told to establish these rights and to never forsake them.
Showing how Islam shows respect to people from all faiths, Huzooraa narrated the following hadith:
Hazrat Jabirra bin Abdullah narrated:
“A funeral procession passed in front of us and the Prophetsa stood up and we too stood up. We said, ‘O Allah’s Messengersa! This is the funeral procession of a Jew.” He said, “Whenever you see a funeral procession, you should stand up.”
Huzooraa said the clerics of Pakistan oppose this instruction of the Holy Prophetsa as they desecrate the graves of Ahmadis. Huzooraa said that due to these actions, Pakistan was also in a poor state of affairs.
Huzooraa said that the Holy Prophetsa taught a Muslim must like for another Muslim brother what they themselves preferred:
“No one of you becomes a true believer until he likes for his brother what he likes for himself.”
In another narration, the Holy Prophetsa said no race had superiority over another.
The Promised Messiahas also emphasised this point in the fourth condition of the bai‘at: “That he shall not inflict injury on any of Allah’s creatures.” The Promised Messiahas also said that to help and show compassion to humanity is a great form of worship and a potent means of gaining the closeness of Allah. However, he noted that people did not pay attention to helping others, and mocked those who did.
Huzooraa said it was the responsibility of Ahmadis to uphold these morals and then teach them to the world as well.
The Promised Messiahsa said that the faith of one who serves and helps humanity is protected by Allah. However, this service should be from the heart, not for show and public display. There are lots of people who act for public display.
Huzooraa referenced the following hadith:
“Hakim bin Hizam reported to Urwa bin Zubair that he said to the Messengersa of Allah: ‘Do you think that there is anything for me (of reward with the Lord) for the deed of religious purification that I did in the state of ignorance?’ Upon this, he replied: ‘You accepted Islam with all the previous virtues that you practised.’”
In another hadith, a person was blessed to accept Islam because he would feed birds. The Promised Messiahas explained that Allah does not waste good deeds:
Huzooraa said that today’s so-called Muslim clerics – like that of the Taliban – only defamed the image of Islam by calling unto killing and murder. As a result, they are in the wrath of Allah even today.
It is clear from the life of the Holy Prophetsa that many converted to Islam by merely observing the high morals of the Holy Prophetsa.
The Promised Messiahas said that if an Ahmadi sees their Hindu neighbour’s house burning and does not go and help them, they are not from his Jamaat. In the same way, if an Ahmadi sees a Chrisitan about to be murdered and does not help them, they are certainly not from his Jamaat. He said on oath that he had no personal enmity against anyone; rather, he had true sympathy with every human. He only desired the reformation of their religious beliefs.
Referring to the history of Islam, Huzooraa said the Khulafa of Islam carried out great services for the public. For example, Hazrat Umarra established a large river so that water and sustenance could reach all people and linked the sea to the Nile during his era. Hazrat Umarra also had various buildings and bridges constructed for the benefit of the public, including mosques, courts, army bases, roads and resting places along the road leading from Mecca to Medina.
Huzooraa said we should keep in mind that Islam was the first to establish these rights and give such benefits to the public.
Huzooraa stated that in order to uphold the rights of the general populace, government intervention in the market becomes permissible under specific circumstances and to a certain degree. Huzooraa said that Hazrat Umarra would ensure market price control and would see to it that the price of goods would not become too low, as that could undercut other vendors.
Once, Hazrat Umarra was walking through the market when he saw someone selling dried grapes at a very low price, which other vendors could not afford to do. Hazrat Umarra instructed that he should either take his goods away from the market or sell them at a similar price as other vendors of Medina, which was a suitable and reasonable price. (Islam Ka Iqtasadi Nizam, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 18, p. 53)
Then, Allah mentions in the Holy Quran that your should obey Allah, the Prophetsa and those in authority over you.
The Promised Messiahas says that “those in authority over you” in a physical sense can mean a king, and spiritually refers to the Imam of the Time.
Huzooraa said that even today’s Western governments, if they accommodate us, honour our rights, and grant us permission for the propagation of faith, then it is imperative to adhere to the general laws of the land here, provided they are not in explicit contradiction with the clear directives of Islam. Unlawful activities of any sort must never be undertaken under the premise that this is a non-Muslim government, so do as you wish.
Huzooraa then presented a hadith, which recounts an incident involving a military detachment sent by the Holy Prophetsa. The amir of the detachment tested the obedience of the soldiers by asking them to jump into a fire. Some were willing to do so, but he stopped them, saying he was joking. When this event was reported to the Holy Prophetsa, he stated that obedience should only be in matters that are in accordance with Allah’s commands (ma‘ruf). The Holy Prophetsa said to them: ‘‘Whoever among you commands you to do something that involves disobedience to Allah, do not obey him.”
With regard to the responsibilities of the rulers, Huzooraa quoted Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra who said rulers’ responsibility was to keep the benefit of the public in mind, including their protection, food, shelter, etc. The Holy Prophetsa said that everyone was a shepherd who was questionable about the condition of their sheep.
In another narration, the Prophetsa said:
“If any ruler having the authority to rule Muslim subjects dies while he is deceiving them, Allah will forbid Paradise for them.”
If Muslim governments kept these Islamic teachings in mind, then all these riots, disorders and wars would not take place between them. Huzoorsa said that giving social assistance to the public was an Islamic injunction that the Western world has adopted and the Muslim world has forsaken.
In a narration, the Holy Prophetsa said that if someone dies in the condition that they are leaders over a people and they deceive them, such a person will have heaven forbidden upon them.
Hazrat Abu Bakrra also emphasised and established a lot of rights for the general public and ensured that these rights were spread throughout the Muslim world. He ensured that members of other faiths were not attacked and their places of worship were protected. The payment of jizya was made easy for the non-Muslims as well.
Towards the end, Huzooraa prayed that Allah may give Muslim countries the sense to act upon these rights. Huzooraa said that to date, he had spoken about 25 categories of rights that Islam had established. It was the responsibility of every single Ahmadi to establish these rights and to spread this teaching throughout the world. It is essential we educate the world about the beautiful teachings of Islam – both to non-Muslims and Muslims.
In the end, Huzooraa led everyone in silent prayer and prayed that Allah may enable all the attendees to safely travel back and said we should all still be careful with regard to the Covid-19 virus.
After silent prayer, Huzoor announced the total attendance of Jalsa Salana Germany 2023 which was 47,237.
Various groups then had the chance to read taraney (choral poems) before Huzooraa.
Before departing from the hall, Huzooraa conveyed his salaam to everyone, concluding Jalsa Salana Germany 2023.