Friday Sermon
22 March 2024
Ramadan and the Holy Quran
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa recited verse 186 of Surah al-Baqarah and stated:
The translation of this verse is as follows:
“The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed as a guidance for mankind with clear proofs of guidance and discrimination. Therefore, whosoever of you is present at home in this month, let him fast therein. But whoso is temporarily sick or is on a journey, shall fast the same number of other days. Allah desires ease for you and He desires not hardship for you, and He desires that you may complete the number, and that you may exalt Allah for His having guided you and that you may be grateful.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch. 2: V. 186)
In this verse, Allah the Almighty has outlined the importance of the month of Ramadan as being “that in which the Quran was revealed as a guidance for mankind.” In this Book, Allah the Almighty has encompassed every aspect of guidance and outlined every path for mankind to advance towards Allah the Almighty. It warns against all of Satan’s paths, gives guidance towards current and future matters, cautions against their dangers and how to be protected from them, and teaches the methods of tackling atheism. It has cautioned us against shirk [associating partners with Allah] and how one can protect themselves from it. In short, Allah the Almighty has mentioned every current, past and future matter in the Holy Quran and He has mentioned all those methods by which one can increase their relationship with God Almighty and the ways of remaining steadfast upon His guidance are all outlined in this final and complete sharia [law]. Thus, fortunate are those who make this magnificent Book their code of conduct, act accordingly and adorn their worldly lives as well as their ultimate fate. If you adopt the truth and remain steadfast upon it, you will witness the loving treatment of Allah the Almighty towards His servants.
Hence, this is the importance of the month of Ramadan, as Allah the Almighty has revealed to us a perfect sharia during this month and in this Book, we have been taught about the obligation of fasting and various other methods of worship. If we consider its importance to be limited to the fact that fasting was made obligatory therein and that the Holy Quran was revealed during this month, then that is not sufficient until and unless we gain a deep understanding of this complete Guidance and make it our code of conduct. We Ahmadis are fortunate in that the true servant of the Holy Prophetsa, the Promised Messiah and Mahdias, has granted us this profound understanding. Hence, for this, we must read his books and commentaries so that we can understand this magnificent Book and Guidance and act upon it.
Tomorrow is also the Promised Messiah Day wherein we hold jalsas with great regularity, and expound upon the fulfilment of the Promised Messiah’sas advent according to the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa and the promise of God Almighty; various speeches are delivered on this topic. But, the progress of faith cannot be limited to just this. Rather, it is also of paramount importance to read the literary treasures that the Promised Messiahas has granted us in light of the Holy Quran, act upon them, and make them a part of our lives, without which our faith cannot be complete. The Promised Messiahas taught us that through the divine attribute of Graciousness, God Almighty has bestowed an enormous favour upon us by revealing a scripture as noble as the Holy Quran to the Holy Prophetsa.
Now, it is our duty to benefit from this and to make it a part of our daily lives. Hence, we should give special attention to this. By simply fasting, offering our daily prayers and offering some optional prayers alone, we cannot fulfil the rights of Ramadan. Rather, to read the Holy Quran carefully, to search for its commandments and act upon them is also essential. It is necessary and of great importance to search for its commandments, and it is this very search which will make us go from being recipients of God’s graciousness to witnesses of His Divine mercy as well.
In order to show us the ways of gaining a deeper understanding of the Holy Quran, and how to derive benefit from its blessings, the Promised Messiahas has left for us countless discourses and writings, reading and acting upon which can enable us to partake of the Holy Quran’s blessings in the truest sense.
I will also be presenting a few extracts from these writings. When it comes to the importance of reciting the Holy Quran, I wish to say that it is incredibly vital, especially during the month of Ramadan, when everyone should strive to recite at least one full part [juz’] of the Holy Quran daily so that they can complete an entire reading.
During the month of Ramadan, Hazrat Gabrielas used to go over however much of the Holy Quran had been revealed up until that point, with the Holy Prophetsa. In the last Ramadan during the lifetime of the Holy Prophetsa he went over it with him twice. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab fadha’ili l-qur’an, Bab kana jibrilu ya‘rudu l-qur’ana ‘ala n-nabiyysa, Hadith 4998)
Hence, every person should be mindful of the importance of reciting the Holy Quran.
The Promised Messiahas has stated with regard to the following verse of the Holy Quran:
شَھۡرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِيۡۤ اُنۡزِلَ فِيۡہِ الۡقُرۡاٰنُ
[“The month of Ramadan is that in which this Quran was revealed.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V. 186)]
“This is the very Quranic phrase by which the profound importance of this month becomes evident.” In other words, this is the blessed month in which such a grand scripture was revealed. The Promised Messiahas states, “The Sufis have stated that this is the perfect month for the illumination of the heart, (meaning this is the ideal month to illumine the heart and earn God Almighty’s nearness). One experiences many spiritual visions in this month. The daily prayers purify the self and fasting ready the heart for Divine manifestations. The purification of the self means that one grows distant from the inner passions of the carnal self.” This means that one becomes far-removed from the evil and sinful thoughts that arise in their heart. And, readying the heart for divine manifestation refers to the door of visions being opened so that one may behold God. It is in this way that a person is granted nearness to God.”
The Promised Messiahas goes on to say, “this is exactly what is meant by the words:
اُنۡزِلَ فِيۡہِ الۡقُرۡاٰنُ
[wherein the Quran was revealed] – and there is no doubt regarding this.” (Malfuzat [2022] Vol. 3, p. 424)
Through the blessings of acting upon the commands of the Holy Quran and through acts of worship, one can indeed achieve this station [of nearness to God].
Then, on one occasion while drawing our attention to the importance of reading and understanding the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas states:
“I reflected over the word ‘Quran’ and it became evident to me that this blessed word in itself contains a magnificent prophecy. The prophecy is that this book alone is the Quran, i.e., a book that is worthy of being recited, and there will be a time when this will be the case even more so than before. In the era when other books will also be recited alongside the Quran, the Quran alone shall be worthy of being recited so that the honour of Islam may be saved and falsehood may be uprooted; other books will deserve to be forsaken completely. This is also the meaning of Furqan [distinction]. In other words, this book alone shall stand to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and no other compilation of Hadith, or any other book for that matter, shall be equal in value or stature.”
Then, the Promised Messiahas stated:
“Now forsake all other books and read the Book of Allah day and night. Truly devoid of faith is the one who does not turn to the Quran and who remains engaged in studying other books day and night. Our community ought to become absorbed with heart and soul in studying and reflecting upon the Holy Quran and should not let themselves become overly preoccupied with studying the Hadith. It is most regrettable that the Holy Quran is not given the same attention, nor studied, as the ahadith are. At this time, if you employ the weapon known as the Holy Quran, you shall be victorious. No darkness will be able to stand in the face of this light.
“I say that in reality, this is the only weapon which is effective even now and will continue to be so. In the initial era of Islam, this alone was the weapon in the hand of the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions. Felicitation upon felicitation to those people who did not hesitate even in the slightest in holding fast to this very book as the treasure of their faith and who passionately and joyously accepted this Furqan and spiritual light.” (Tafsir Hazrat Masih-e-Mau‘udas, Vol. 1, pp. 647-648)
Explaining the fact that the Holy Quran was revealed at a time which stood in dire need of it, the Promised Messiahas states:
“The age in which the Holy Prophetsa appeared stood in dire need of a great heavenly reformer and spiritual guide, and that the teachings he brought were certainly true and met all the needs of the time and encompassed all the requirements of the age. So effective and forceful was his teaching that thousands were drawn towards the truth, and the words:
لَا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ
“[There is none worthy of worship but Allah] were engraved upon their hearts. The ultimate purpose of Prophethood—which is to impart teachings that lead to salvation—was accomplished to perfection [by the Holy Prophetsa]. This is far more than what any other Prophet had ever achieved.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, [English] Parts I & II, pp. 131-136)
Thus, this final law-bearing Book came at a time when the circumstances of the time demanded for it and it purified hundreds of thousands of hearts and continues to do so till this day. Those who seek to partake of its blessings should make an effort for this.
The Holy Quran enables one to reach a stage of perfection in knowledge and deeds. It is not just based on mere claims, in fact, the actions of the pious Muslims to this day are a testament to this. In relation to this the Promised Messiahas states:
“Here it should be borne in mind that those who believe in reason alone are as defective and deficient in action, faithfulness, and sincerity of conduct, as they are deficient in knowledge, enlightenment, and certainty. Their group has not produced any such exemplars from whom it can be proven that they are faithful and elect servants of God like millions of holy ones whose blessings were so manifested in the world that through the preaching, admonition, prayer, attention, and interacting fellowship of each one, hundreds of people became pure of conduct and men of God, and completely turned to their Lord so as to pay no attention to the world and its contents. They severed themselves altogether from the delights, comforts, joys, renown, pride, properties, and kingdoms of this world, and followed that path of righteousness whereby hundreds of them lost their lives, (i.e., a passion of sacrifice was instilled in them for the sake of their faith and Lord) thousands of heads were cut off, and the earth was drenched with the blood of hundreds of thousands of holy ones. But, despite all of these calamities, they showed such fidelity that, like devoted lovers, they remained smiling while their feet were shackled, were joyful while suffering pain, and were grateful in the midst of misfortunes. They abandoned their homes out of the love for that very One [God], chose disgrace instead of honour, bore calamities instead of comfort, accepted poverty in place of wealth, and were content with indigence, isolation, and destitution over every kind of relationship, association, and kinship. They put seals [of testimony] on the existence of God by letting their blood be shed, having their heads severed, and sacrificing their lives. Through the blessing of truly following the Word of God, such special light was generated within them as has never been found in others. These people were not only found in the past; rather, this exalted group continues to appear among the followers of Islam and has repeatedly confuted and silenced its opponents by its enlightened existence. Thus, I have conclusively proven to the deniers that, just as the Holy Quran conveys one to the highest degree of perfection in the ranks of knowledge, in the same way, one also attains perfection in the ranks of conduct through it. The signs and light of being accepted by the One True God have always appeared—and continue to appear—in those who follow this Holy Word, (if one truly adheres to it then they will be able to attain these standards) but they never appear in the others. In conclusion, this proof which one can observe with one’s own eyes, is sufficient for a seeker after truth; that is, those heavenly blessings and divine signs are found only in the perfect followers of the Holy Quran, (such signs can only be seen by those who perfectly follow the Holy Quran) and all other sects who renounce the True and Holy Revelation—whether Brahmus, Aryas, or Christians—are deprived and destitute of this light of truth. Hence, I myself take the responsibility for satisfying every denier, provided such a one—being ready to embrace Islam sincerely—takes the trouble of approaching me for seeking the truth with good intention, steadfastness, patience, and sincerity.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya [English], Part 4, pp. 91-92, Footnote 11)
Thus, whosoever seeks to attain this guidance with true sincerity, their intellectual and physical faculties shall increase. This is the claim of the Holy Quran and the Promised Messiahas announced that they should come to him to learn from him and he shall teach them.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“How grave an injustice that the nation should follow a materialistic people, and abandon the principles of Islam and forsake the Quran, which transformed savages into humans, and then humans into godly people. Those who wish to see Islam in a better state, as a living Faith, by making the Western world their ideal, (i.e. they think that the Western world has made great progress and want to follow its lead) cannot succeed. Only those will succeed who follow the Holy Quran (i.e, they will attain success in their secular life, religious life and in the Hereafter. Worldly people only have aspirations for success in this world but if one wants to attain every kind of success then that is only through the Holy Quran). Success is impossible and inconceivable if one forsakes the Quran. These people are pursuing an imaginary hope in search of success. Keep the examples of the Companions before you. When the Companions followed the Prophet of God, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and gave precedence to religion over worldly affairs, all of the promises made to them by Allah the Almighty were fulfilled. Initially, the opponents would mock the Companions and say that those who cannot even leave their homes with freedom claim that they shall be given kingdoms (They speak whilst in hiding and yet talk about being granted kingdoms.) However, when the Companions lost themselves in obedience to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, they attained all that of which they were long deprived. They loved the Holy Quran and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and strove to obey and follow him, day and night. They would not even follow the disbelievers in their customs and traditions. (They completely abandoned them.) As long as Islam remained in this state, it enjoyed an era of prosperity and success. The secret in this was:
خدا داري چہ غم داري
“[When God is yours, how can you suffer any grief?]
“The key to the victories and triumphs of the Muslims was faith as well.”
Today, those standards of faith do not exist and it is just mere claims. However, if one wants to attain this prosperity then they have to increase their level of faith. The Promised Messiahas states:
“Salah-ud-Din was confronted by a swarm of attacks, but to the very end, no one was able to defeat him. His intention was to serve Islam. Hence, for a period in time, this era prevailed. However, when Muslim kings began to follow a course of sin and impiety, the wrath of Allah Almighty struck them, and gradually they began to suffer such a decline that now you can see the current state of affairs (i.e., of the weak state of Islam). In my view, the people’s assessment of this malady is one with which I disagree. Further, the remedy that is proposed to cure this disease will prove even more dangerously harmful.” This is because their solution is that they ought to follow the Western world if they want to progress and pursue their knowledge. Indeed, one should seek knowledge but one should make the Holy Quran as their guiding principle. The Promised Messiahas further states, “Until Muslims turn to the Holy Quran, they will not develop true faith, they will not become healthy. Honour and success will only be attained on the path from which it was achieved in previous times.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 3, pp. 50-51)
Thus, progression in your faith and conduct will not come by following worldly people; rather, it will come by following the Holy Quran. Then, regarding Muslims becoming heedless of the Holy Quran and becoming indolent in reading the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas states with great anguish:
“Allah the Almighty sent the Holy Prophetsa, who came and presented that God to the world, Who the human conscience and human nature desires, and Whose complete details are found in the Holy Quran, which is the true book of God Almighty.”
The Promised Messiahas further states, “At this time, I will separate those people who are not Muslims, and will only speak about those who are Muslim, and I only address them.
اِنَّ قَوۡمِي اتَّخَذُوۡا ہٰذَا الۡقُرۡاٰنَ مَہۡجُوۡرًا
“‘O my Lord, my people indeed treated this Quran as a discarded thing.’” (The Holy Quran, 25:31)
The Promised Messiahas further states: “Always remember that the Holy Quran is the fountainhead of all true blessings and is the true path to salvation. It is the fault of these people that they do not act upon the Holy Quran. Among those who do not act upon it, there is a particular group who do not believe in the Holy Quran, and do not consider it the Word of God Almighty. These people are extremely far [from God], but those who believe that the Holy Quran is the Word of God, and that it is the means of salvation, if they do not act in accordance with it, then how strange and unfortunate a matter this is. There are many among them who haven’t even read it their entire lives. Thus, the example of such people who are completely unmindful and careless of the Word of God Almighty, is like a person who knows that such and such a fountain is incredibly pure, sweet, pleasant, and that its water is an elixir and cure for many diseases; he certainly believes in this, but despite knowing this, despite being thirsty, and being afflicted by many ailments, he does not go to the water.”
It is a fountain of such water that also quenches thirst, and is a cure, but one doesn’t go to it. How unfortunate are such people!
The Promised Messiahas further states, “So how unfortunate and ignorant are these people! They should have drank from this fountain, and upon becoming satiated, they would have attained delight from the pleasant and healing water. Yet, despite having the knowledge, they are so far away that they are completely unaware of it. They remain far from it until death comes to bring about their end (that death comes to some of them, but they do not pay attention to the Holy Quran).
“This person’s condition serves as a lesson and admonishment for us. The condition of Muslims is in this state right now. They know that the key to all this progress and advancement is the Holy Quran, upon which they wish to act, but they don’t even care about it. A person who has sympathy and is a well-wisher; and does have sympathy alone but calls them towards God’s commands and His divine will, he is called a great liar and a deceiver. What more of a pitiful state for a nation is there than this?”
Referring to the Promised Messiahas, who was sent by God in this age to spread the teachings of the Holy Quran; he is called a liar, one who forges lies [against God], and is cursed at. They are increasing their opposition. Then how much more of a pitiful condition will these people stoop to?
The Promised Messiahas states:
“The Muslims should have, and it is still necessary for them, to consider this fountain an extraordinary blessing and give it its due worth. Giving it its due worth means to act in accordance with it, and then witness how God Almighty removes their problems and difficulties. If only the Muslims understood and reflected that Allah the Almighty has created this righteous path for them, and that they should tread upon it and derive benefit from it.”
The Promised Messiahas states:
“Certainly remember, that whoever believes in Allah the Almighty with a sincere heart, and acts in accordance with His Holy Book, and obeys the Holy Prophetsa, then Allah the Almighty blesses them with innumerable blessings. Such blessings are given to them, which are far greater than the blessings of this world. One of them is the forgiveness of sins as well; that is, when they turn back and repent, then God Almighty forgives their sins. Others are completely deprived of the benefits of these blessings, because they do not even believe that sins are forgiven through repentance. Some of them even believe that whatever happens, they will be reincarnated (which is the belief of some Hindus), and forgiveness cannot be given. According to the rule of the Christians, if you commit sin after believing in the blood of Christ, then the crucifixion cannot give you any benefit, because the Messiah will not be put on the cross twice. So then, isn’t it clear that the path to forgiveness and salvation for these two is closed because the committing of sins cannot stop? (This continues to happen; humans continue to falter.) If they do not thank God Almighty for His provision then this is a sin, and if they remain heedless, then this is a sin as well. And they will be reincarnated according to the sins they committed, or the Messiah will not be put on the cross again [to save them]. Thus, they will have to completely sink into despair. (In other religions, if sin is committed, then they must despair for there is no path to forgiveness.) But Allah the Almighty has not given this teaching to the Muslims; for them, the door to repentance is always open.
“When one turns towards Him, and after acknowledging their sins, they ask to be forgiven, and thereafter intend to do good deeds, then Allah the Almighty forgives them.
“This is why I proclaim that one should listen attentively to what I say. It should not be that you merely listen but derive no benefit from the words and they do not even reach your hearts.”
Hence, listen to these words and allow them to penetrate your hearts. Do not let them only reach the ears. The Promised Messiahas continues, “No. Rather, Listen with full attention, give these words a place in your hearts, and demonstrate that you have not listened to them superficially. Their effect should not be limited to just that moment; instead, they should have a deep impact.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 7, pp. 181-183)
Their effect should not remain only in the moments that one is sitting listening to the sermon, but they should be acted upon later as well. To act upon them means to read the Holy Quran, to inculcate this habit during Ramadan, to make it a lasting part of one’s life, and to act upon its teachings.
An allegation is raised against Ahmadis that, God forbid, we alter the Holy Quran. Nowadays, lawsuits are brought against Ahmadis under this very law by the clerics in Pakistan. I shall quote directly from the words of the Promised Messiahas who states:
“The Holy Quran is the means of receiving the divine law and salvation. Altering this would be a severe sin. How peculiar would it be that we raise the very same allegation against the Jews and Christians but then treat the Holy Quran in the same manner? I am further disappointed and astonished that the Christians – whose book is actually altered and interpolated – try to prove that it has not been changed, whereas we ourselves are worried about making alterations.” That is to say, those whose books and older scriptures have been altered, claim that they have not been distorted, whereas our own actions, etc. are such that we are making alterations. The Promised Messiahas continues, “A liar is impure and wicked. (The Promised Messiahas presented his own point of view and stated that you claim that the Holy Quran has been altered?) Impure and wicked is a liar, and to alter the words of Allah Almighty is also a form of lying, so one should refrain from it.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 7, pp. 168-169)
Therefore, our teaching is that one should abstain from any sort of alteration in the Holy Quran, for the one who makes alterations is impure and wicked. Hence, those who raise allegations against us should understand that would we wish to be counted among the impure and wicked by making alterations?
With regards to the Holy Quran being a perfect book, the Promised Messiahas states:
“I am dedicated to the service of the Quran, the Quranic commandments and the pure religion of the Holy Prophetsa, and have devoted my entire life to this path. Moreover, I firmly believe that salvation is not at all possible without the Holy Quran—which is the perfect, complete, and comprehensive Book—and without its perfect obedience, and without following the Holy Prophetsa. I believe that anyone who adds or subtracts anything from the Quran or refuses the yolk of obedience of the Holy Prophetsa, is an infidel and an apostate.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, p. 394)
Thus, this is a response to all the allegations that they [opponents] level against us. The Promised Messiahas then says that one can discover the path to salvation from the Holy Quran and is illumined by means of it. The Promised Messiahas made it absolutely clear that there is no other book through which one can attain guidance and be illumined aside from the Holy Quran.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“The true guide is the Holy Quran. By following the Holy Quran, the paths to salvation are illumined and one reaches the loftiest stages of prosperity in this very world:
وَمَنۡ کَانَ فِيۡ ہٰذِہٖۤ اَعۡمٰي فَہُوَ فِي الۡاٰخِرَةِ اَعۡمٰي وَاَضَلُّ سَبِيۡلًا
“(‘But whoso is blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter, and even more astray from the way.’ [The Holy Quran, 17:73])
“For the one who wishes to strive in order to attain true cognisance and does not confine themselves to mere verbal traditions, they should be clear that there is only one path to attaining hidden verities, and that is to show complete obedience to the Seal of the Prophetssa, and to make the teachings of the Holy Quran one’s guide and leader.” The Promised Messiahas has written in Arabic here. The Promised Messiahas says that one should strive and not confine themselves to verbal traditions alone, meaning not always giving references of Hadith. It should be clear that in order to attain hidden verities, they must show complete obedience to the Seal of the Prophetssa, and to make the teachings of the Holy Quran one’s guide and leader. [The Promised Messiahas further states:] “For this reason, there are many among Christians and Hindus who expend their energy in different disciplines and yoga, owing to which they render their bodies useless. They spend years in jungles and go to the extremities in these exercises. (They carry out extensive exercises.) They become totally cut off from any pleasures. Yet despite all this, they are not endowed with the special light which the Muslims have been bestowed with, despite performing fewer exercises and not following asceticism. (They cannot acquire those traits, but if they followed the Holy Quran they could.) Thus, it is evident that the right path is what has been taught by the Holy Quran. There is no doubt that if a person repents, is remorseful, and spends ten days acting on the commandments of the Quran, they will see light descending upon their hearts, [as it were]. This aspect particular to Islam is something that is proven, (it is not the case that it is something that needs to be tested); rather, hundreds of souls have partaken of this blessing.” (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 1, p. 549, Second Edition)
There are hundreds of examples of those who have tried this method and reaped its blessings. It is not a mere verbal claim; rather those who have acted on it have enjoyed the blessings. And there are hundreds of thousands of such examples.,
Thus, it is incumbent upon us to ponder over this matter more than before and also instil this importance within our progenies. The Promised Messiahas has explained that people generally do not have true faith in God Almighty and that even those people who profess belief in God are in a weakened state. Keeping human psychology in mind and basing proofs upon the teachings of the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas says:
“Dear friends! The reason why man has become audacious is because indolent man does not have true conviction in God Almighty, nor does he believe in God’s punishment [of the Hereafter]. Otherwise, by nature, man is cowardly.” Man usually displays cowardice. Giving an example, the Promised Messiahas says: “Observe, if living under one roof a few people are seated and suddenly an earthquake strikes, every single one of them would run outside. The reason for this is that every single one of them is convinced that if they remain seated a few more minutes under the roof, death will be certain (as the roof would cave in on them). Since those who commit sin do not have conviction in God’s existence nor believe in His punishment, that is why they commit sin brazenly. Those who seek salvation in fictitious and superficial ways of attaining salvation, become even more daring in committing sin. This is because finding fictitious ways will not grant a person conviction. But the person who develops firm belief that God exists and that a sinner will not escape punishment, then provided that knowledge is absolute and not merely superficial, that person will undoubtedly save themselves from the path of sin. The true philosophy of salvation is that which has been explained by the Holy Quran; accept it, if you so wish.” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 422-423)
Thus, if a person tries to act upon the commands of Allah the Almighty and to develop perfect faith, they will be saved, otherwise, it is a difficult task. The Promised Messiahas states:
“So, blessed are those who wage war with their inner selves for the sake of God. And wretched are those who war with God for the sake of their own souls, and act against His will. He who ignores the will of God for the sake of his inner self will never enter heaven, (meaning he will not attain the nearness of Allah the Almighty). Strive hard so that not even a single dot or iota of the Holy Quran may testify against you and cause you to be punished. For even the smallest particle of evil is punishable. Time is short and there is no telling how long one shall live. Make haste—for twilight will soon descend. Consider over and over what you shall present before God, lest it be deemed so inadequate that it is no more than waste, no more than a foul and defiled offering unfit for presentation before the Royal Court.” (Noah’s Ark [Kashti-e-Nuh], p. 41)
May Allah the Almighty enable us to truly understand and act upon the teachings of the Holy Quran. May we always be among those who are grateful to Allah the Almighty and derive benefit from His teachings that He has bestowed upon us. May Allah the Almighty increase us in our faith, conviction and fear of Allah the Almighty. May we always live in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Quran and not just limit this to the month of Ramadan. If we do this it is only then can we say that we have tried to do justice to our pledge of allegiance with the Promised Messiahas, who was sent in servitude of the Holy Prophetsa for the rejuvenation of Islam and to establish the sovereignty of the Holy Quran upon us. May Allah the Almighty enable us to partake of the blessings of the Holy Quran in this month of Ramadan and enable us to continue benefiting from it after this as well.
Remember the Palestinians in your prayers. In addition to the war, children and the innocent are also losing their lives because of hunger and illness. Now, even UN organisations are saying that this famine is the result of human action, which is due to the cruelty and stubbornness of the Israeli government. If access is granted and aid could quickly be delivered, then even now there are chances for improvement.
Also, pray for the Sudanese people; may Allah grant understanding to their leaders and those in power. People there are also dying of hunger and illness. They are inflicting cruelties on their own people. This is all because they are seeking to fulfil their personal interests and have forgotten the Quranic teachings and they refuse to accept the one sent by God in this era. Similarly, the same is happening in various other Muslim countries as well and their situation is also very deplorable, where governments are inflicting cruelties upon their own people and fighting amongst themselves. May Allah the Almighty have mercy on them.
Also, pray for the Ahmadis in Pakistan and Yemen who have been imprisoned due to their faith. Pray for the general conditions in Pakistan that may Allah the Almighty keep the Ahmadis under His protection.
After the Friday prayer, I shall lead some funeral prayers in absentia as well.
The first mention is of Dr Zaheer-ul-Din Ahmad Sahib from the USA, who passed away recently.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
He was the son of Sahibzadi Amatul Rashid Begum and Mian Abdul Raheem Ahmad Sahib. From his mother’s side, he was the great-grandson of the Promised Messiahas and Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Noor-ud-Din, Khalifatul Masih Ira and the grandson of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. From his father’s side, he was the grandson of Hazrat Professor Ali Ahmadra, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. The deceased attained a medical degree and also served in the army. He later opened his own medical clinic in Rabwah and helped many poor people of the local area and people derived great benefit from his clinic. He had the opportunity to serve in Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Ansarullah as Muhtamim and Qaid. Ever since he moved to the USA, he had the opportunity to serve as the National Secretary Talim-ul-Quran. He had a unique bond with Khilafat, full of love and devotion. I also observed that after I became Khalifa, he greatly expressed this relationship with me. He would always write for prayers and would also always request prayers before starting any work. He worked very diligently and passionately in the department of Talim-ul-Quran. His wife, Rizwana Sahiba, says, “He had boundless love for the Holy Quran and he regularly recited it. Even in the car whilst travelling, he would either recite the Holy Quran himself or ask one of his children with him to recite and would then also correct their recitation.”
His daughter Salmanah says, “Even after my marriage, he would regularly teach me the translation of the Holy Quran over the phone. During the holidays, he would teach his grandchildren the Holy Quran himself. Another commendable quality of his was that he would immediately apologise upon making even the smallest mistake. He would also invite new converts to joyous occasions and advised his children to do the same.”
His son-in-law, Mirza Nabil Ahmad, says, “He would greet everyone with immense love and affection. He would advise us to regularly offer prayers in congregation and recite the Holy Quran, and abided by this himself. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he would gather everyone in his entire household and lead them in prayer. He always said, ‘If you ever have a problem, write a letter to the Khalifa of the time.’”
His daughter, Muflihah, writes, “He told us, ‘Always have a positive outlook; put your trust in Allah, think positively about others, show humility, and admit to your mistakes.’”
Similarly, his niece also mentioned these very qualities and also wrote that anyone who comes to offer condolences expresses that he spoke very lovingly and was very benevolent.
Farhad Rana Sahib, a missionary, writes, “I knew him since I was 15 years old. He helped attach me to the Jamaat. In fact, it was because of him that I dedicated my life.”
Chaudhry Waseem Ahmad Sahib writes, “Once, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh assigned us a task to complete a project in 1974. The deceased worked with great diligence and humility. Sometimes, he would be up all night, working. He took great care of and served the sick. Apart from paying for their treatment, he would give them money to purchase medicines as well. He especially looked after the poor and was extremely hospitable.”
He was my cousin, so I observed him in his home. Even during the days that Jalsa would take place, his parents would especially extend their hospitality and indeed, when both parents are like this then this has a positive impact on the children. During the days of Jalsa, they would vacate their home and reserve it for the guests, and they themselves would sleep in a tent outside. Their entire home would be full of guests. This pious nature was passed onto him as well.
The second mention is about Hasan Abideen Agha Sahib, who was a Syrian residing in Canada. He passed away recently at the age of 80 years.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
His son Abdul Qadir Abideen writes, “My father was born in a Sunni household. Thereafter, he became a Shia. My elder brother, Bashir Abideen, came to know about the Jamaat through MTA. He was impacted by the Jamaat’s commentaries and elucidations on different matters after which he was convinced about the truth of Ahmadiyyat. He then started speaking about this at home. My father, brother and I debated for about two months until we too became satisfied and filled out the form for the pledge of allegiance.” He further writes, “My father was held in great regard by my sisters, and because of him, they too accepted Ahmadiyyat and the whole family joined the Jamaat.”
Later, their house became the headquarters for the Jamaat there. There, they would preach the message of Ahmadiyyat, offer prayers, and also offer the Friday prayers. He also had the opportunity to serve as the Local President of the Halb chapter in Syria. He offered the tahajjud prayer [pre-dawn, voluntary prayer] regularly, and also read the books of the Jamaat on a regular basis. He possessed excellent moral qualities and deeply loved Khilafat. He had great regard for and reverence for missionaries. He led a simple life and was very hospitable.
His wife, Zubaidah Sahiba, says, “He possessed lofty morals and was a great husband. He would help me with my tasks around the house. He maintained a loving relationship with my siblings and close relatives. He always advised our children to be truthful, and trustworthy, and to treat others with love. He also advised them to be hospitable. He would always offer the tahajjud prayers and regularly give alms.”
One of his grandsons is studying at Jamia Ahmadiyya. He says, “My grandfather was very humble, patient, and content. I also observed him to be regular in offering the tahajjud prayer. He regularly recited the Holy Quran, and showed love to everyone. He was also exceptionally forgiving and overlooked the faults of others.”
Musleh Shanboor Sahib, a missionary, writes, “One of his prominent qualities was that he was content with limited resources. Even during financial difficulties, he never asked anyone for help. In fact, if he had some money, he would give it away in financial contributions. He never desired to be dependent on anyone. If he ever needed to go anywhere, to the market to purchase something, we told him many times that we would take him in our car. However, even in the winter, he would walk to the market. Rather, even in his final days, when walking had become difficult for him, I saw him walking to the market in the cold. He never liked to depend on anyone, and he was a very grateful person.”
Hafiz Abdul Waheed Bhatti Sahib says, “I always found the following prophecy of the Promised Messiahas to be fulfilled in the being of Hasan Abideen Sahib:
يَدْعُوْنَ لَکَ صُلَحَاءّ الْعَرْبِ وَ اَبْدَال الشَّامِ
[‘The righteous ones of Arabia and the devotees of Syria call down blessings on you.’]
Whenever he hugged me, he would say, ‘I love you because you are from the nation of the Mahdias.’ Whenever the Promised Messiahas was mentioned, he would spontaneously say ‘peace be upon him’ multiple times; his eyes would well with tears and he would say, ‘Through the true Islam, the Promised Messiahas has cleared up all the smoke that has spread everywhere in our times.’ He had a profound love for Khilafat.”
May Allah the Almighty grant him forgiveness and mercy and elevate his station.
The next mention is of Usman Hussain Muhammad Khair Sahib, who recently passed away at the age of 60. He had been living in Saudi Arabia. He learned about the Jamaat in 2007 through MTA, after which he pledged allegiance. He was originally from Sudan and later returned there. He had a [satellite] installed at home and then started preaching to his family and siblings. The rest of his family also accepted Ahmadiyyat; three brothers, a sister, his wife and children. He had not yet received a response of acceptance for his pledge of allegiance and so he wrote another letter with his pledge of allegiance along with his siblings and he was only at ease once he had received a response of acceptance for his pledge of allegiance. His home served as the Jamaat centre in Sudan and that was where the Friday prayers would be offered, MTA was watched and also the Dars would be given and Tafsir-e-Kabir would be studied. He was very generous in spending for the sake of the Jamaat. He would be very happy when Ahmadis visited. He never sought any help from the Jamaat in taking care of expenses and instead would spend out of his own pocket. Similarly, he never accepted any office in the Jamaat; whenever he would be requested to take on a role or an office, he replied, saying that it should be given to the youth so that they may have more of an opportunity to learn. The deceased’s wife and children are given to service just like he was. One of his daughters is a doctor, while his son serves in the finance department. His home was still being used as the headquarters, but since the civil war people have dispersed to different areas and communication has been cut off. I mentioned before as well, pray for their conditions to improve and that the Jamaat may be able to gather there once again. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
The next mention is of Muhammad Zahrabi Sahib from Algeria. He recently passed away at the age of 48.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
The president of the Jamaat writes, “The deceased suffered from cancer. He loved the Jamaat a great deal. He was very hospitable and was obedient to Khilafat. He worked in the army. His friends enjoyed visiting his home and despite his poverty, he would be very hospitable towards them. He also had to face a legal case, during which the judge asked him, ‘How can an Algerian like you follow an Indian person?’ He replied, ‘How can a country like Algeria be scared of an Indian person?’” In other words, if they looked down upon the Imam Mahdias, then why did they fear him so much? This is the state of clerics today; if they are not afraid of us, then why do they not allow us to speak openly? Why do they stop us from preaching? They are simply afraid that since what we are saying is true people will accept it which is why they try to attribute false and wrong things to the Jamaat and the Promised Messiahas.
Regarding his connection with Khilafat, he writes that when I told them to register [the Jamaat] in Algeria as a charity there were some people of the opinion that this should not be done, to which he said, “When the Khalifa of the time has sent an instruction, you should stop your arguments and start working.” Then he said to the president of the Jamaat, “We are with you, proceed.”
The next mention is of Saeed Ahmad Warraich Sahib, son of Abdul Hayy Warraich Sahib of Rabwah. He recently passed away. Ahmadiyyat was established in his family through his great paternal grandfather, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas. He was also charged with legal cases according to the report of Nazarat Umur-e-Amma. It was a false charge of blasphemy, as a result of which he was taken into custody and the case continued and he was later honourably released. He had the honour of remaining in custody for three years and two months. However, the opposition was so severe that even after being released he was not able to return home and so he remained in Rabwah.
The next mention is of Shahbaz Gondal Sahib, who was the son of Ahmad Khan Gondal Sahib. He was also from Rabwah and had been residing in Holland these days. He recently passed away in Holland.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
Ahmadiyyat was established in his family through his paternal grandfather, Khushi Muhammad Sahib of Nawab Shah, who pledged allegiance during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. In 1992, he had the honour of becoming a prisoner in the way of Allah. He was apprehended in Kotri based on false charges of blasphemy and propagation and his case continued for ten years. Although he was released after two to three months of remaining in custody; however, the case continued for ten years. He was regular in offering the five daily prayers and tahajjud prayers. He was at the forefront of service to the Jamaat and he would happily fulfil whatever task he was given.
May Allah the Almighty grant all of these deceased members His forgiveness and mercy and elevate their station. After the [Jumuah] prayer, I will lead the funeral prayers in absentia for them all.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 12 April 2024, pp. 2-8 Translated by The Review of Religions.)