Friday Sermon
27 May 2022
Khilafat: A divine promise
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
Today is 27May. For the Ahmadiyya Community, this day is known as Khilafat Day. Every year, we commemorate Khilafat Day by holding gatherings on or around this day. However, why do we do this? We ought to remain mindful of the answer to this question at all times and we should also inform our children and future generations to reflect upon the reason behind doing this.
This day [Khilafat Day] began on 27 May 1908, when Allah the Almighty – in accordance with His promises – blessed us by establishing the institution of Khilafat within the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The Promised Messiahas was vouchsafed a promise by Allah the Almighty in relation to the progress of the Jamaat was fulfilled on this day. The Promised Messiahas had been preparing his Jamaat for some time that no one could escape death. Even prophets, once they had completed their mission, returned to Allah the Almighty.
The Promised Messiahas repeatedly reminded his Jamaat that the time of his return to his Creator was nigh. However, along with this, he would also give the glad tidings that the Community established by the Promised Messiahas would flourish and spread and that the promises made by Allah the Almighty to him would certainly be fulfilled; and that the Jamaat would progress by the grace of Allah, and no one could hinder it. In one narration, the Holy Prophetsa has made reference to his own era and also the era of the latter days, i.e. referring to the time of the Promised Messiahas and also mentioned the establishment of the institution of Khilafat after him.
In a gathering with his companions, the Holy Prophetsa stated:
“Prophethood shall remain among you as long as Allah shall will”, i.e. the Holy Prophetsa would remain among the companions. “Then, He will bring about its end and follow it with Khilafat on the precepts of prophethood”, i.e. a rightly guided Khilafat will be established, which will precisely follow in the footsteps of prophethood, “and it will remain as long as Allah shall will and then bring about its end.”
For some time now, I have been mentioning accounts of the Companionsra that participated in the Battle of Badr, which also included the Rightly Guided Caliphs. These days, accounts of the life of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra are being narrated. Throughout the accounts relating to the Khulafa, it is clear as daylight that in their role as the Khalifa, all of them worked selflessly, followed the traditions of the Holy Prophetsa and made the Holy Quran their guiding principle. In other words, they tried to remain firmly established on the precepts of prophethood throughout.
Nevertheless, continuing with the words of the Holy Prophetsa, he stated that a tyrannical monarchy would then follow according to Allah’s decree and that people would be dejected and perturbed. When this came to an end, something even worse in the form of monarchical despotism would follow it according to Allah’s decree.
And history bears testimony to this. As a matter of fact, even until today, the Muslim rulers, who have become distant from faith, are treating their citizens in the same way, be they political rulers or kings. Regardless of whichever party they belong to, whoever takes the reins of the government, they become immersed in materialism. Nevertheless, the Holy Prophetsa says that once all of this befell the ummah, the mercy of Allah the Almighty would be re-kindled and He would put an end to this era of tyranny and oppression. Following this, Khilafat on the precepts of prophethood would be established. After saying this, the Holy Prophetsa remained silent. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 6, p. 285, Hadith 18596, Alim-ul-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)
The prophecy made by the Holy Prophetsa regarding a time when cruelty and oppression would end was relating to those people who would pledge allegiance to the “Khatam-ul-Khulafa” [Seal of the Caliphs], the Promised Messiah and Mahdias and would act in accordance with his teachings. Allah the Almighty has established this system [of Khilafat], but if the people do not come under its fold and persist in their stubbornness, then the only outcome is exactly what the Muslims are witnessing today.
May Allah the Almighty grant these people wisdom and foresight, and may they become those who recognise the true servant of the Holy Prophetsa, as opposed to becoming those who, by rejecting him, increase in their cruelty towards the community of the Promised Messiahas.
Nonetheless, it should be clearly understood that the Holy Prophetsa remaining silent after stating that “in the Latter Days, there would be Khilafat established amongst you on the precepts of prophethood” denotes that this establishment would remain for a very long time.
Owing to not understanding certain aspects, some people allege that the silence denotes that this establishment – i.e. the Khilafat established after the demise of the Promised Messiahas – would come to an end quickly.
All such people are gravely mistaken. The Promised Messiahas himself has clarified that this institution is one that would remain. The promises made to the Promised Messiahas by Allah the Almighty will surely be fulfilled. Even if the heavens and the earth are rent asunder, there is nothing that can prevent divine promises from being fulfilled.
Nevertheless, whilst clarifying that the institution of Khilafat is one that will remain established, the Promised Messiahas says to members of the Jamaat:
“So dear friends! since it is the practice of Allah, from time immemorial, that God Almighty shows two Manifestations so that the two false joys of the opponents be put to an end, it is not possible now that God should relinquish His practiceof old. So do not grieve over what I have said to you”, i.e. about the news of his demise, “nor should your hearts be distressed. For it is essential for you to witness the second Manifestation also, and its Coming is better for you because it is everlasting the continuity of which will not end till the Day of Judgement. And that second Manifestation cannot come unless I depart. But when I depart, God will send that second Manifestation for you which shall always stay with you just as promised by God in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya.” (The Will [English translation of Al-Wasiyyat], p. 7, 2005 Edition)
The words of the Promised Messiahas wherein he says that this is a promise from God Almighty and that the second manifestation, or in other words, Khilafat, would remain until the last day means that such people will continue to be born who shall safeguard and protect Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. Thus, fortunate are those among us who remain attached to Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and teach their progenies to do the same, and unfortunate are those who desire to confine Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya to a period of time or those who harbour such thoughts. Such people will, as always, face failure and be unsuccessful. This has been demonstrated through the history of the community, where the enemies met with failure at the time of the election of the first and second Khalifa.
Nevertheless, whilst further elaborating on the fact that Khilafat will remain established, the Promised Messiahas states:
“And this promise”, i.e. the promise about the establishment of Khilafat, “is not regarding my person; rather, the promise is with reference to you, as God [addressing me] says, ‘I shall make this Community who are your followers, prevail over others till the Day of Judgment.’ Thus, it is inevitable that you see the day of my departure, so that after that day the day comes which is the day of ever-lasting promise. Our God is He Who keeps His promise and is Faithful and is the Truthful God. He shall show you all that He has promised. Though these days are the last days of this world and there are many a disaster waiting to happen, it is necessary that this world continues to exist until all those things about which God has prophesied come to pass.”
And there are still countless promises made by Allah to the Promised Messiahas which are yet to be fulfilled. The Promised Messiahas says:
“I came from God as a Manifestation of Divine Providence and I am a personification of His Power. And after I am gone, there will be some other persons who will be the manifestation of the second Power of God.” (The Will [English translation of Al-Wasiyyat], p. 8, 2005 Edition)
Thus, the promises of Allah the Almighty to the Promised Messiahas about the rejuvenation and progression of Islam – and all other promises which he was foretold will, insha-Allah, surely come to fruition; those promises will surely be fulfilled. The Community will see the day that Islam is victorious, insha-Allah. The Community will also witness its own progress, insha-Allah. Those who remain attached to Khilafat will become recipients of the favours and grace of Allah the Almighty. The Ahmadiyya Community will spread across the world, and this is precisely what the Promised Messiahas has also said.
Therefore, whilst expounding upon the victory of the Community, the Promised Messiahas states:
“This is the way of God. And ever since He created man on Earth, He has always been demonstrating this divine practice. He helps His Prophets and Messengersas and grants them success and predominance, as He says:
كَتَبَ اللّٰهُ لَاَغۡلِبَنَّ اَنَا وَرُسُلِيۡ
“[‘Allah has decreed: “Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers.”’ (Ch.58: V.20)] And the word ‘predominance’ is meant that as Messengers and Prophets desire that God’s will is established in the world and no one is able to oppose it, so, in turn, does God demonstrate with powerful signs their truthfulness as well as the truth they wish to spread in the world. He lets them sow the seed of it [the truth], but He does not let it come to full fruition at their hands […] rather, He reveals yet another dimension of His Might and creates such means by which those objectives, which had to some extent remained incomplete, reach the stage of perfection.” (The Will [English translation of Al-Wasiyyat], p. 6, 2005 Edition)
These prophecies and promises which Allah the Almighty has vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas shall reach completion, and this will happen through the system of Khilafat which is continuing after his demise. Allah the Almighty will enable this Community to progress and indeed He is doing so. He Himself is guiding people. He establishes their bond with Khilafat, and is forming this association even today, otherwise it is beyond human capacity to do such a thing.
It is beyond human capability to tie the members of the Community with the Khalifa of the time in such a strong bond the like of which is unparalleled. Allah the Almighty does not just connect the hearts of people with Khilafat of those who are Ahmadis from before; rather, He also connects to Khilafat the hearts of those who later join the fold, and those who newly convert and have not yet received full moral training.
This is solely the work of God Almighty. After pledging allegiance, they demonstrate the same level of sincerity and devotion to the Promised Messiahas. They show the same sincerity and devotion for the completion of the Promised Messiah’sas mission. They demonstrate the same level of devotion to Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya which was established after him, and they continue to demonstrate this.
If the manner in which people pledged their allegiance to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira was not by the special help of Allah the Almighty, then what was it? Aside from a few hypocrites – who are to be found in every community – everyone continued to increase in their devotion and love for Khilafat.
As for the hypocrites, he reprimanded them severely and put them in their place, whereby they no longer had the courage to even raise their heads.
Thereafter, during the election of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra – in spite of the commotion caused by those same opponents who acted with hypocrisy during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira but remained within the Community – the members of the Community called out the name of Hazrat Mian Sahib, Hazrat Mirza Mahmud Ahmad Sahibra and pledged their allegiance to him as the second Khalifa. This was despite the tumult, mischief and disturbance of these people. The world then witnessed just how quickly the Community continued to progress. Mission houses were opened around the world, mosques were constructed and literature was disseminated. The mission for which the Promised Messiahas came further flourished.
Then, in the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, Allah the Almighty blessed the Community with further advancements despite the severe attack from the government of the time [i.e. the Pakistan Government]. Those who claimed that they would reduce every member of the Jamaat to carry a beggar’s bowl, themselves departed this world in a pitiable state.
Later, new avenues of progress opened during the era of the Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and Allah the Almighty demonstrated new signs of His aid and support. New doors for spreading Islam were opened. Those who sought to cut the hands of the Khalifa of the time themselves had their hands cut and their bodies were pulverised into the air, but the Community never stopped making progress. The scope of outreach increased. MTA was launched, through which the message of the Community began to reach every home. This is the progress towards the fulfilment of the promises of Allah the Almighty vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas. If these are not the fulfilment of the promises made by Allah the Almighty, then what else can it be?
Allah the Almighty also manifested His aid and support during the era of the Fifth Khilafat. Within MTA, new avenues were opened for propagating the message of Islam and completing the mission of the Promised Messiahas. Seven, eight new channels were launched in different languages, whereas before there was only one. Various programmes were then translated into different languages of the world. MTA reached all those corners of the earth where it previously had not, and the message of Ahmadiyyat and the true Islam began to reach people living in these countries and areas in their local language, and through this, hundreds of thousands of pious natured people were provided the opportunity to accept Ahmadiyyat. Furthermore, aside from MTA and radio programmes, Allah the Almighty has been guiding people Himself and enabled them to accept Ahmadiyyat through dreams and various literature etc.
If we study the history of Ahmadiyyat, we find many instances during the lifetime of the Promised Messiahas of how Allah the Almighty Himself guided people to accept the Promised Messiahas. The same was the case in the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira and Allah the Almighty would guide people Himself. Many pious souls continued to join the fold of the Jamaat. Then during the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, similar incidents took place.
In those families where Ahmadiyyat has been established for a long time, accounts continue to be narrated as to how Allah the Almighty bestowed the opportunity upon their elders to accept the truth. The same is witnessed during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. Even in the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, Allah the Almighty guided pious souls to accept Ahmadiyyat. All of this was as a result of the promises vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas by Allah the Almighty. During the era of every Khilafat, the Jamaat continued to expand. Even in the era of the Fifth Khilafat, Allah the Almighty has continued to bestow His blessings in the same manner. Allah the Almighty is opening ever new avenues for tabligh and is opening the hearts of more and more people to listen and accept the message of the Promised Messiahas – which is the message of the true Islam. Such events transpire which show that the event could only have happened as a result of divine help. Otherwise, simply through human effort, people would never accept in this way.
I will mention a few incidents which will demonstrate how Allah the Almighty has inclined people’s hearts towards accepting Islam Ahmadiyyat; and how He shows them the truthfulness of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and fills their hearts with the love of Khilafat.
Guinea-Bissau is a distant country situated in Africa; a resident there, Abdullah Sahib, who was previously a Christian, says:
“Some time ago, I saw a dream in which I saw a person with a white beard, who was wearing a turban and was addressing a congregation. People were listening to the address in complete silence.”
He further says, “The person was delivering the sermon in a very simple manner, which was completely different to the way our people deliver sermons.” When he woke up, he did not understand the dream and he forgot about it.
A few days later he saw a similar dream and owing to this, he was able to vividly recall the face of the person in the dream. He then saw a third dream. In the meantime, he tried to investigate who the person in the dream was, but he was unsuccessful. Coincidentally, one day, he went to one of our mosques in the nearby town of Farin. It was a Friday, and the members of the Jamaat were listening to the Friday Sermon on MTA. Upon seeing me [on MTA], he immediately asked the muallim, “Who is the person delivering the sermon?” The muallim replied, “He is our Caliph”. Upon this, Abdullah sahib sat down and quietly listened to the sermon.
After the Friday sermon, he offered the prayers with the rest of the congregation. When the prayers had finished, he stood up and said, “Today, I accept Islam,” and then said, “God Almighty showed this man to me in three separate dreams and this left a deep imprint on my soul. I was in search of him for a long time, and so by chance, today, I came to your mosque, and saw your Caliph. I saw the same face in the dream and the same scene in which people were sat quietly listening to a sermon. And so I enter the fold of Islam Ahmadiyyat.”
This is how a person living in a far-off place was guided [to the truth], in that he was first shown a dream and then Allah the Almighty created the means for him to witness the physical fulfilment of that dream.
Some people question as to why they do not experience such things. This is the grace of Allah the Almighty; He guides whomsoever He pleases. But in order to receive this [blessing], one has to have a virtuous nature and to bow down before God. Undoubtedly it must be due to one of his virtues that Allah the Almighty guided him in this manner.
Amir Sahib of the Gambia writes:
“There is a lady by the name of Sister Fatu Sahiba who is almost 60 years old. She says that a group belonging to an Islamic organisation visited her area and began speaking against the Jamaat, saying that Ahmadis were disbelievers and would never enter Paradise; [they advised that] there should be no dealings with them [i.e. Ahmadis] at all. Most of the people in the village accepted what they said, but this woman says that she became worried and began to pray for Allah the Almighty to guide her in this matter.
A few days later, she saw a dream in which she saw the members of the same Islamic organisation that visited her village; she saw that despite the fact that their eyes were shining bright like the stars and they were holding copies of the Quran in their hands, but they were complaining that they could not see the text of the Quran. Upon this they began making a commotion that Allah the Almighty had caused them to lose their sight, and owing to this they would not be able to earn a livelihood, and they have been humiliated and left in ruins.
She says that she saw in the dream that the members of the same organisation desired to shake the hand of the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Community, but they were unsuccessful in this, and they admitted that undoubtedly Ahmadiyyat was true, but if they accepted Ahmadiyyat, they would lose all their followers. Nonetheless, in the morning, this woman narrated this dream to her family. Some people allege that Africans have less understanding of matters – but nevertheless, her interpretation of this dream was that despite their eyes shining brightly, they were unable to see the writing in the Holy Quran, this meant that they had completely strayed off the right path.”
Thus, some people who accept Ahmadiyyat experience such extraordinary incidents which clearly proves that it is the special support of Allah the Almighty which enables them to see such insights.
Guatemala is a country in South America; Veronica Sahiba – who lives in San Marcos, which is approximately 250 kilometres away from our mosque [in Guatemala], close to the Mexican border – says:
“10 years ago, I saw a person in a dream who told me that the path of truth is Islam. He said to me to read the Holy Quran, to which I said that I did not know how to read the Quran. However, that person said, ‘You can read the Quran.’”
The next morning, when she woke up, she informed her husband and father about her dream, but they said, “Islam is not the path of truth, it is a religion that teaches terrorism.” All of them were Christians.
Nonetheless, she says, “My heart was not content. I began researching about Islam on the internet and started learning about Islam myself.” One day, she went to the market and saw a lady wearing the veil. Seeing the lady in a veil she became curious; she met the lady and enquired about her attire. That lady responded, “I am a Muslim, and that is why I am wearing the veil.” Thus, this lady became an acquaintance and informed her about Islam in detail. The woman who she met [in the marketplace] was an Ahmadi.
Veronica Sahiba says, “After hearing about the teachings of Islam from her, I pledged allegiance [bai‘at], but my family members were not pleased. They would constantly raise allegations. I was unable to respond to them, so I said to her [the Ahmadi lady] to come over to my house and that I would gather my relatives. Thus, we had countless sittings in which we propagated the message of Islam.”
She not only pledged allegiance, but also began propagating the message. She gathered her friends and also gave them refreshments. One of her sons, who is becoming a lawyer and is in his final year of university, also pledged allegiance. She was so passionate and enthusiastic that she learnt how to read the Holy Quran on the internet. She even managed to memorise many chapters of the Holy Quran and using the audio – as she could not write Arabic – she wrote the entire Quran in Roman English.
Amir Sahib [Guatemala] says, “When I went on a visit, I saw her notebook. She wrote the entire Holy Quran by hand. And now she is learning the Arabic recitation and is writing it in Arabic.”
In this manner, Allah the Almighty is not only bringing pious souls into the fold of the Jamaat but is also fulfilling the promises He vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas that were to be fulfilled after his demise.
Indonesia is another distant country; a youth residing there was informed about [the teachings of] Islam Ahmadiyyat, as a result of which he immediately pledged allegiance. Noor Sahib, the Sadr of that Jamaat says:
“Before he left, I gave the youth some books as well as some brochures which had the picture of the Promised Messiahas. When the youth returned home, his father saw one of the brochures and asked him who was the man in the picture. He replied, ‘It is the picture of the Imam Mahdi. Last night, I saw in a dream that the Imam Mahdi had arrived.’” The youth was previously acquainted with the Jamaat. “‘For this reason I immediately pledged allegiance.’ Upon this, his father said, ‘I also would like to pledge allegiance.’” Allah the Almighty is enabling people to enter the Jamaat in this manner.
Zila Karim Sahib, who is a muallim in Burkina Faso, says:
“Hameed Sahib lives in our area and regularly listens to the radio and had close ties with the Jamaat. He would also give chanda [contribute to Jamaat funds], and in fact he became very regular in paying the chanda, yet when it was asked of him to perform bai‘at, he would avoid it citing one excuse or another.” Perhaps it was not the obligatory chanda, he would perhaps pay towards Tahrik-e-Jadid and Waqf-e-Jadid, or he would contribute to some other scheme or give as sadaqah. Nonetheless, he would give chanda and make financial sacrifices.
When I was in Ghana, I also saw that the landowners and farmers would come and give their Zakat amount to us saying that if they give the amount to their religious clerics, they would embezzle it, but they knew that the Jamaat would use it appropriately. In any case, this is also how people offer their financial contributions. One day, he saw in a dream that there was a gathering and some people were inside the four walls of the compound whereas some people were outside it.
He says, “I observed that the people inside the room were all Ahmadis. Upon this, I said to myself, ‘I am also with them, therefore I should also be allowed to enter.’ A sound then emanated, ‘Only those shall enter this room who have done the bai‘at. Since you have not performed the bai‘at, you cannot enter.’”
And so, the very next day, after witnessing the dream, he came and took the bai‘at. Despite the efforts of the people, they were previously unable to convince him to enter the Jamaat; however, since he possessed a pious nature, therefore Allah the Almighty did not allow him to be ruined, nor desired this for him. Thus, Allah the Almighty guided him in this way.
This is also an answer to those who raise the allegation that they do not experience any [true] dreams. One has to first purify themselves and remove all the [external] thoughts in one’s mind and supplicate and then Allah the Almighty also grants guidance.
There is a member from Mali, Muhammad Kone Sahib. He heard the Jamaat’s radio station and also those who speak against the Jamaat. Thereafter, he began to pray so that Allah the Almighty might guide him to the right path. He says, “After this, I saw an elderly person in my dream who was saying that whether one accepts now or later, every single person shall one day enter Ahmadiyyat.”
Thus, this has been destined by Allah the Almighty. Allah the Almighty has vouchsafed His promise to the Promised Messiahas, and just as the Promised Messiahas has also mentioned, the mission of the Promised Messiahas shall be fulfilled through the establishment of the blessed institution of Khilafat. Subsequently, he took the bai‘at.
A missionary in Guinea-Bissau writes that Usman Sahib is a member who recently accepted Ahmadiyyat. [Prior to his acceptance] he found out that many members of his family were accepting Ahmadiyyat. And so, he gathered some maulvis and went to their area so that they could oppose the Jamaat. Our muallim told them that they could certainly oppose them and no one would stop them; however, they should at least listen once to what their message was and thereafter they could oppose them through argumentation. The maulvis refused to come and listen to their message; however, Usman Sahib accepted their invitation and came to listen to what their message was. He was informed about the advent of the Promised Messiahas. It was a Friday when he arrived and at the time my sermon was being broadcast on MTA. They told him that if he had some time, he could listen to the Friday Sermon and he said that he would listen to some of the sermon as he had some time. When he began listening to the sermon, he completely forgot how much time had elapsed and ended up listening to the entire sermon.
After this, he stated, “The Ahmadiyya Jamaat cannot be disbelievers as is alleged by others. This is because your Khalifa is mentioning the life of a companion of the Holy Prophetsa and a Jamaat of disbelievers cannot do such a thing.” Thereafter, he stopped opposing the Jamaat and after some time, he also joined the Jamaat along with his family. He has not only joined the Jamaat, but he is also engaged in tabligh [propagation] and regularly pays his chanda. This is the impact which Allah the Almighty grants to the sermons of the Khalifa of the time.
A local missionary in Congo Kinshasa says that he started a tabligh campaign in an area. The non-Ahmadis began to oppose the Jamaat through very careful planning. After three months, Usman Sahib, who was among those who were opposing, contacted the mission house and stated that he wanted to join the Jamaat along with his entire family. When he was asked the reason for this, he said, “One day, my wife was watching satellite TV and came across your MTA channel. Since she knew that I was at the forefront of opposing Ahmadiyyat, she called me over and when I was about to say something against the Jamaat, my wife told me that I should watch the programme first and then speak.” At the time, my sermon was being played on MTA as well. “After listening to the sermon, I was convinced that what I had heard that day was indeed the true image of Islam and after listening to the Khalifa, I no longer had any doubts about the truthfulness of the Jamaat.”
This is not owing to any excellence on my part; rather, it is the manifestation of Allah the Almighty’s blessings of His divine promise vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas of fulfilling his mission through Khilafat.
The missionary in-charge of Guinea Bissau says that they preached in a village and many of its residents accepted Ahmadiyyat. However, four families refused to accept Ahmadiyyat. When our team went to the village to install MTA, the muallim also invited all those families who had refused to accept Ahmadiyyat and informed them that they had a Muslim channel and they should come and watch it as well whereby they will also be able to see the image of the Promised Messiahas as well as the Khalifa of the time. He says that when the installation was complete and the TV was turned on once again after the prayers, my sermon was being played on MTA at the time. The non-Ahmadis present began to attentively listen to the sermon. Since it was being played in the English language, the muallim told them that he would translate for them. They replied that though they could not understand what was being said, by God whatever the person was saying could not be a lie. If this was the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, then this Jamaat could not be false and they announced to accept Ahmadiyyat right away.
A muallim from Mali writes that a person visited their mission house and told them that he regularly listened to their radio channel and he wanted to take the bai‘at. The gentleman then filled out the bai‘at form. Since he was quite well-educated, he asked if there was literature in the French language, so that he could benefit from it and also give it to his friends. The muallim gave him the French translation of the book, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace which is a compilation of my various lectures relating to the establishment of peace. He opened the book immediately and when he saw the photo inside, he began to cry. He said that when he was in Gabon, he would often pray to God to be guided to the right path. At the time, he saw the Khalifatul Masih on countless occasions in his dream and he did not know at the time who that person was. He said that today he realised that his prayers had been answered and Allah the Almighty guided him.
Nasma Sahiba is an Arab lady; she says:
“Two years prior to my bai‘at, I saw the image of the Promised Messiahas for the first time, and whilst addressing it …”. In fact, before narrating this, she had mentioned that “you spoke of a child who had scribbled some lines and had written, ‘Huzoor, I love you!’” She states, “Children do not lie and this incident had a deep impact upon my heart.” And so, she also took the bai‘at. She further narrates, “After some time, I looked at the photo of the Promise Messiahas and said, ‘Your features indicate that you are a pious person and cannot be a liar, but despite this I cannot testify to the fact that you have been divinely commissioned.’ Two years later, after doing further reading, I took the bai‘at in early 2016. However, despite this I harboured some doubts with regard to Khilafat. The Satan within me would question how I could allow a person who claimed to be the Khalifa to take control of my life; why should I write to him and inform him of my matters; what was the benefit of Khilafat? However, all these doubts were removed after reading Khilafat-e-Rashidah and Nizam-e-Khilafat and Obedience which were written by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. All the matters were explained in these. I then wrote a letter to you and upon receiving the reply, all my doubts were completely removed and I was convinced that Khilafat indeed followed in the footsteps of the Promised Messiahas.”
She further wrote, “The love which Allah the Almighty bestows in one’s heart is indeed deeply rooted and we cannot understand how this comes about.” She further wrote, “It is for this reason that the majority of the Ahmadis have love for the Promised Messiahas and for all the Khulafa just like children have [for their parents]. Prior to the bai‘at, I was unfamiliar with this kind of love.”
A circuit missionary from Nigeria says that during a question and answer session, a debate ensued that instead of adding the father’s name to the child, the child should be given the family name which had been passed down from generation to generation. Upon this, they were told that according to the teachings of the Holy Quran, the child should be attributed to by its father’s name. Some of the non-Ahmadis and those who had recently converted to Ahmadiyyat were not entirely satisfied by this response.
He says, “However, two days later, as you were delivering a sermon on the Companionsra, you related incidents [from the life] of Hazrat Zaidra bin Haritha and said that the Arabs began calling him ‘Zaid bin Muhammad’, at which time Allah the Almighty commanded that he should be called by his father’s name. Upon hearing this sermon, all the members of the Jamaat and the others became very happy as the Khalifa of the time had guided them in the matter which we had been discussing only two days prior. Some thought that perhaps in the span of two days, the missionary had relayed this news to the Khalifa of the time due to which he mentioned this; however, he assured them that he had not said anything.” He says, “We rejoiced at the fact that Allah the Almighty Himself provided the answer to our question. It was out of this happiness that a wealthy member of the Community purchased another large TV to watch MTA and asked for it to be put up in the Lajna portion of the mosque where the ladies sat, so that they were not bereft of the blessings of Khilafat. He then said that Khilafat spoke to the hearts.”
Who is the one establishing this connection with Khilafat in people from remote areas and Ahmadis from various countries and backgrounds? Surely, it is the support and help of Allah the Almighty, otherwise this cannot be fathomed by the human mind.
Then, there is Barifan Sahiba, a lady from Norway – she says that every true Ahmadi says, “Our beloved Huzoor resides in our hearts and before our eyes and we pray for him. Our only worry in the world is to make him happy and to come up with ways of helping to lighten his burden. You have stated in your sermons that the Companionsra used to protect the Holy Prophetsa by bearing the blows of arrows and would stand firm in the face of any onslaught. My eyes fill with tears upon imagining such instances and wonder what I would do if faced with the same situation” – she is an Arab. “Would I stand firm as well? I then pray that Allah the Almighty enables us to protect the Khalifa of the time and Khilafat with our hearts and our lives, by sacrificing our wealth and our progenies just like the Companionsra did [for the Holy Prophet sa]. For many years, I have been praying in my Salat that Allah the Almighty causes angels to descend upon you in numbers equal to the number of your worries and the responsibilities you bear, and for them to surround you.”
This is the connection of sincerity and loyalty which Allah the Almighty establishes in people’s hearts and, insha-Allah, Allah the Almighty will continue to grant the Community of the Promised Messiahas and Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya such people who increase in their loyalty and sincerity. Worldly people cannot understand this.
An Arab in Germany accepted Ahmadiyyat and his friends asked him, “How could you become a Qadiani?” The new convert replied, “There are a hundred Arabs here”, he was an Arab, “and none of you can agree on any matter. The Ahmadiyya Community has a single leader and it is according to his command that the Community moves, which is why its endeavours are blessed. So tell me, what extraordinary qualities do you possess which would cause me to leave them and join you?”
Thus, so long as every Ahmadi remains attached to Khilafat, they will continue to inherit the blessings of Allah the Almighty. In order to achieve this, we must ensure that our actions are in line with the teachings of God Almighty. It is only then that we will benefit from this bounty and this is what Allah the Almighty has promised; those whose faith is accompanied by actions which comply with ways outlined by God, they will continue to reap the blessings of Khilafat. In other words, we will reap these benefits when we have complete faith in Allah the Almighty accompanied by fulfilling the rights of His worship and when our every action is in search of attaining Allah the Almighty’s pleasure.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“In the Holy Quran, along with faith, Allah the Almighty has also instructed to perform good deeds. Good deeds are those acts which contain not the slightest bit of corruption.” He states, “If there is even a single person in a household who carries out good deeds, then the entire household is safeguarded. Think of it as such; if good deeds do not exist, then mere faith is of no benefit.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, pp. 284-275)
Hence, we must continuously analyse ourselves and remain vigilant lest Satan attacks us. Allah the Almighty enabled our forefathers to accept the Promised Messiahas or has enabled us to accept him. This is His favour, and in order to perpetuate the bounties of this favour, we must always strive to increase and protect our faith so that each one of us may partake of this bounty which was foretold by the Holy Prophetsa and which was promised by Allah the Almighty to the Promised Messiahas – that is the institution of Khilafat. Hence, we must continue to analyse ourselves so as to see the degree to which we have attached ourselves to Khilafat so that we may be united in establishing the unity of God Almighty in the world. At one instance, the Promised Messiahas states:
“Rejoice and be happy that the field of achieving nearness is vacant.” That is, the field of attaining nearness to God and drawing close to Him is empty. “Every nation is in love with the world and to what pleases God, the world pays no attention. Now is the time for those who wish to enter this door”, i.e. the door that leads towards God Almighty, “that they, mustering all their strength, show their mettle and win the much-coveted prize from God. Do not think that God will let you go to waste. You are the seed which the hand of God has sown in the earth. God says that this seed will grow and flower and its branches will spread in all directions and it will become a vast tree.” (The Will [English translation of Al-Wasiyyat], p. 12, English edition 2005)
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“God addressed me and said that I should inform my Jamaat that those who believe and their belief is not adulterated with worldly considerations and is free from hypocrisy and cowardice and is not found wanting at any stage of obedience, such people are the favourites of God. And God says that indeed these are the ones whose station is that of Truth.” (Al-Wasiyyat [English translation], p. 12, English edition 2005)
The Promised Messiahas has stated all of these things in his book, The Will, in which he also gave the glad tiding of the establishment of Khilafat. Hence, this statement of his indicates that every Ahmadi should have a connection of sincerity and loyalty with Khilafat and they are the ones who will rise to the level of doing justice to their oath of allegiance. It is only when this is achieved that we will be doing justice to commemorating Khilafat Day.
May Allah the Almighty enable everyone to do justice to their oath of allegiance and also reap the blessings of Allah the Almighty.
I would also like to briefly announce that today, Ghana Jamaat is commencing its Jalsa Salana. It is a two-day Jalsa on 27 and 28 [of May] and will be held at Bustan-e-Ahmad. Aside from this, they have arranged 119 centres across the country including five larger centres which will all be connected via audio and video link.
The Ghana Jamaat was established in February 1921 when Maulana Abdul Rahim Nayyar Sahibra departed from London and arrived in Ghana. Last year, Ghana Jamaat wished to celebrate their centenary but were unable to due to Covid. They have now decided to continue with their programme in 2022-23. May Allah the Almighty make their Jalsa blessed in every way and continue to increase Ahmadis there in sincerity and loyalty.
Similarly, the Gambia’s Jalsa Salana is also commencing today and will be held for three days. May Allah the Almighty bless this in every respect.
(Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 17 June 2022, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)