Islamabad, Tilford, 29 June 2023: At approximately 10:30 BST, on Thursday, 29 June 2023, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived at the Mubarak Mosque to lead the congregation in Eid-ul-Adha prayer and then deliver the Eid sermon.
After the Eid prayer, Huzooraa recited the tashahud, ta‘awuz, Surah al-Fatihah and verse 38 of Surah al-Hajj:
لَنۡ یَّنَالَ اللّٰہَ لُحُوۡمُہَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُہَا وَلٰکِنۡ یَّنَالُہُ التَّقۡوٰی مِنۡکُمۡ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ سَخَّرَہَا لَکُمۡ لِتُکَبِّرُوا اللّٰہَ عَلٰی مَا ہَدٰٮکُمۡ ؕ وَبَشِّرِ الۡمُحۡسِنِیۡنَ
“Their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him. Thus has He subjected them to you, that you may glorify Allah for His guiding you. And give glad tidings to those who do good.”
Huzooraa said Eid-ul-Adha is also named the Eid of Sacrifice. Ahmadis in Pakistan have to sacrifice their sentiments too – Ahmadis truly know what it means to sacrifice one’s life for Allah’s sake. That’s why spending on animals to sacrifice according to the commandments of Allah and the Holy Prophetsa is a huge happiness and honour for Ahmadi Muslims. However, in Pakistan, Ahmadis cannot sacrifice animals on Eid-ul-Adha. The police and other authorities have – for many years – made particular efforts to ensure Ahmadis do not sacrifice any animals on Eid-ul-Adha and ensure intense punishments for any who do. Ahmadis, therefore, have to go through severe fear and persecution. According to the law in Pakistan, Ahmadis are allowed to legally sacrifice animals within the four walls of their homes yet despite this, due to fear of clerics or their own enmity, police officers and others do not even allow this.
Huzooraa said this persecution cannot last for long. Sooner or later they will come under the grip of Allah. However, for Ahmadis, it is essential they convert their pain into fervent prayers. “Prayer has great power”, Huzooraa emphasised. The heartfelt and fervent prayers of Hazrat Hajirahra and Hazrat Ismaelas and their trust in Allah caused a spring to gush forth from the ground and transformed a barren land into a city that ultimately became the centre of Islam. Therefore, on Eid, we should not just focus on sacrificing an animal. The true essence of this sacrifice is to get Allah’s pleasure and to attain taqwa. When Hazrat Ibrahimas told Hazrat Ismaelas, “In a dream, I have seen myself sacrificing you”, in return, Hazrat Ismaelas said “O father, do that what you have been commanded” and both father and son were ready for the sacrifice for the sake of Allah. When we sacrifice an animal we should also keep in mind that we are doing so for Allah’s pleasure and to attain taqwa, as did Hazrat Ibrahimas and Hazrat Ismaelas.
The Promised Messiahas has said that Allah wants mankind to sacrifice in His way with all their powers and abilities. To exemplify this, sacrifices of animals have been put in place – however, their meat and blood do not reach Allah, rather, one’s taqwa or righteousness reaches Him. In other words, fear Allah so much as if you have died in His way. And as one sacrifices an animal with their own hands, in the same way – metaphorically – they should sacrifice themselves for Allah, meaning they should fear him and excel in taqwa.
Huzooraa said vain and extravagant displays of sacrificing expensive animals are shown on TV channels in Pakistan. Huzooraa said that on the one hand, there are economic struggles in Pakistan and on the other there are expensive animals being sacrificed. If these people paid their due taxes with integrity and lived a truthful life then the rise of costs in Pakistan would be curtailed. Without the fear of Allah – taqwa – there is no hope, Huzooraa said.
If Ahmadis want to receive the pleasure of Allah, then they must introspect and see their own levels of taqwa. If we have a good standard then Allah will reward us. Huzooraa said we should all pray that Allah enables us to carry out the animal sacrifices of Eid and destroys the enemies’ plans and that Allah grants us true taqwa – the taqwa that the Holy Prophetsa preached and that the Companionsra adopted and practised; the very same taqwa which the Promised Messiahas revived and preached. If we do so, then the persecution and enmity against Ahmadiyyat will be destroyed.
Huzooraa said that by Allah’s grace, with the spread of Ahmadiyyat, Ahmadis also go to Hajj where they can, and fulfil their worship. However, all Ahmadis should also focus on their spirituality. They should inculcate absolute humility before Allah and as a result, they will be able to understand the religion that the Holy Prophetsa brought to this world. Otherwise, their faith will be a mere ritual they would be following from their elders.
Huzooraa said our enemies have no true understanding of Islam, they are engulfed in arrogance and the show of power as a result of which they persecute Ahmadis. They do this in the name of the Holy Prophetsa yet this is all show and has no connection with the Holy Prophetsa. Those who persecute Ahmadi Muslims have no connection with Islam.
On the other hand, Huzooraa urged Ahmadis to bow before Allah and to show utmost humility before Him. It was the result of the humility and prostrations before Allah of Hazrat Ibrahimas and Hazrat Hajirahra that resulted in the birth of the Holy Prophetsa. Ahmadi Muslims should follow this example as followers of the Promised Messiahas. Whilst traversing the paths of taqwa, we should try to understand the religion of the Holy Prophet Muhammadas. If Ahmadis do this, they will see the blessings of Allah.
Commentating on verse 38 of Surah al-Hajj, the Promised Messiahas said that we should focus on our actions and understand that through good deeds our sacrifices are accepted by Allah; good deeds mean those actions that fulfil the rights of Allah and the rights of His creation. One cannot persecute people and at the same time say they believe in Allah. Those who persecute in the name of Allah and His Messengersa should keep in mind that the longer they are able to do this, the stronger Allah’s punishment will be.
“Islam” means to be ready to sacrifice everything for Allah. But this sacrifice requires pure love and pure love requires true and perfect understanding. This is what Allah points towards in Surah al-Hajj verse 38 – that neither the meat nor the blood can reach Allah, rather the spirit in which this sacrifice is done reaches Allah. How blessed is the person who understands Allah’s message.
The way to know if someone has reached the true understanding of Allah and has developed Allah’s love and fear in their heart is that one is saved from every sin. Even if a sin is committed, a believer should immediately carry out istighfar and turn to Allah. A believer always has Allah’s love in their heart, they always keep in mind that Allah is watching them, that Allah knows the condition of their heart and such a believer desires that no act of theirs displeases Allah. The Promised Messiahas said this condition is the true Islam that one should follow. Once one reaches this stage, they are ready to sacrifice everything for Allah; their every action is for Allah’s sake. This is the true sacrifice of Hazrat Ismaelas. Merely sacrificing animals and eating their meat is not the true essence of Eid-ul-Adha. Huzooraa said if we achieve the true essence of sacrifice, we will witness great blessings in our lives.
Huzooraa said Ahmadis should most definitely carry out animal sacrifices and there are still a few days of Eid left and those who wish to carry out these animal sacrifices can do so by contacting the Jamaat. This animal sacrifice is a sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa and his Companionsra. In fact, the Holy Prophetsa would even give sacrifices on behalf of poor Muslims. Huzooraa said those living in well-off countries do not realise the happiness of those in poor countries when they receive meat from the sacrifices carried out on Eid. Many have not eaten meat for very long periods of time due to their poverty.
Speaking on the philosophy of sacrificing animals, the Promised Messiahas said that merely performing salat and fasting without their true purpose in mind and their essence brings no blessings and has no benefit. Yogis also carry out physical exercises but these exercises have no effect on their spirituality. This is why Allah said that the meat and blood of the animals do not reach Him. Allah does not desire the shell, he desires the kernel. But why then is there an animal sacrifice in place? In response, the Promised Messiahas said that there needs to be a physical interaction as well, which affects the soul. Both coincide with one another. Both physical and spiritual representations are required. The Promised Messiahas said the body affects the soul and therefore there are physical acts of worship. The body and the soul affect one another. The Promised Messiahas said if we replicate the condition of crying physically, then we will begin to cry naturally – this is the same with feelings of happiness.
In the end, Huzooraa asked all Ahmadis to pray for their spiritual conditions, and for an end to the persecution against Ahmadis – particularly in Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, Algeria and for those in prison for their faith. Also pray for the martyrs of Ahmadiyyat and their families, and that the ummah accepts Islam Ahmadiyyat and that all Ahmadis are ready for any sacrifice that is required from them. Amin.
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)