Friday Sermon
23 December 2022
The need for the Imam
After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
Today, Jalsa Salana Qadian has commenced and the Jalsas across various other countries in Africa are also being held. May Allah the Almighty bless the Jalsas, which are being held in all these countries, in every aspect. God willing, the other countries of Africa will also participate in the address that will be delivered for the Jalsa in Qadian on Sunday – the last day of the Jalsa. There are seven or eight countries and we will also try to include them here live, via MTA. Nevertheless, as people in these countries have gathered together and will be listening to this sermon as well; and a special atmosphere has been created in order to listen to it closely, I have thus deemed it appropriate to relate, in the words of the Promised Messiahas about the purpose of his advent and the purpose of establishing the Jamaat and also the various advice that the Promised Messiahas has bestowed upon us. Many of those who have recently joined Ahmadiyyat and the young generation of Ahmadis will be attending these Jalsas as well, and they may not be familiar with this guidance explained in the words of the Promised Messiahas. It is important for them to be aware of this so that they can strive, particularly during these days, to increase their faith, conviction, sincerity and devotion and to seek the help of Allah the Almighty in order to realise the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiahas and to understand their responsibilities.
What was the purpose of establishing the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and why was its establishment necessary in this era? Mentioning this, the Promised Messiahas says:
“How blessed is this era that God Almighty, out of His sheer Grace, has desired to provide support for Islam during such turbulent times in order to demonstrate the greatness of the Holy Prophetsa and thus, through support from the unseen and owing to His Grace, He established this movement. I would ask those who possess heartfelt pain for Islam, and have some respect and regard in their hearts for it to tell me a time when Islam has experienced such abuse and the Holy Prophetsa and the Holy Quran have been insulted to such an extent? I am also extremely saddened and experience heartfelt anguish at the condition of the Muslims. Sometimes I become restless due to the pain of knowing that the Muslims do not have even the slightest bit of shame in order to feel this humiliation.
“Did Allah the Almighty not desire for the Holy Prophetsa to be honoured in that despite so much abuse and profanity levelled against him, would He still not establish a heavenly movement [to combat it]? And would He not spread the grandeur and purity of the Holy Prophetsa throughout the world by silencing the opponents of Islam? And would he not do this despite the fact that He and His angels send salutations upon the Holy Prophetsa? Thus, at this time when the Holy Prophetsa is being dishonoured, it was necessary that He invoke this salutation upon him. And Allah the Almighty has indeed done this through the establishment of this Community.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 5, pp. 13-14)
Thus, as those who have accepted the Promised Messiahas and entered this Community, it is our responsibility to not only reform our own moral conditions, but also send salutations [Durood] upon the Holy Prophetsa. Especially these days, there should be special attention paid to reciting Durood.
When we send Durood on the Holy Prophetsa as much as possible, we will be fulfilling the objective that the Promised Messiahas mentioned for establishing the honour and grandeur of the Holy Prophetsa.
Furthermore, stating the purpose of his advent, the Promised Messiahas says:
“God sent me to re-establish the lost grandeur of the Holy Prophetsa and to demonstrate the truths of the Holy Quran to the world. All of this work is taking place, but those whose eyes are covered, cannot see. This movement is shining bright like the sun and there are so many people who are witnesses to its signs. If these signs are all gathered in one place, they will outnumber the troops of any emperor’s army.”
The Jalsas that are being held today across various countries of the world and the thousands of Ahmadis participating are also one of these signs.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“There are so many signs of the truthfulness of this movement that it is difficult to even mention them all. Since Islam was severely maligned, therefore, God Almighty demonstrated the greatness of Islam just as emphatically.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 5, p. 14)
Then, the Promised Messiahas says:
“This era also calls for a spiritual battle. The war with Satan has commenced and Satan is attacking the fortress of Islam with all his weapons and schemes and he desires to defeat Islam. However, God Almighty has established this Community in this era in order to defeat Satan once and for all in this last battle.”
Hence, this reminds every Ahmadi of their responsibilities. The Promised Messiahas states:
“Blessed are those who recognise this. Now there only remains a limited time in which one can receive blessings. Soon the time will come when God Almighty will illuminate the truth of this movement brighter than the sun. That will be a time when accepting faith will not be a means of spiritual reward, and doors to repentance shall close upon them. Whoever accepts me now must start a great fight against their inner self. They will see that at times they will have to leave their family and efforts will be made to obstruct their worldly pursuits. They will receive verbal abuse and be cursed, but they will be rewarded by God Almighty for all these things.”
The Promised Messiahas continues, “But when the other era will come and the world will become drawn to this movement, as forcefully as water falling from a high mount (i.e. when the era of success will come), and when no one will reject it, then what will be the point of profession belief at such a time? (What sort of acceptance will it be at such a time?) Accepting at that time will not be a courageous act. A reward is always given after a time of pain and sorrow.”
The Promised Messiahas then states, “When Hazrat Abu Bakrra accepted the Holy Prophetsa he gave up his authority in Mecca, yet God Almighty granted him a great kingdom in the earth. Hazrat Umarra then carried the mantle of humility and did so in a manner akin to [the Persian saying] i.e., ‘we have set sail in the water and whatever is destined will come to pass.’ When he accepted the Holy Prophetsa this was his condition, but did God Almighty withhold any part of the reward due to him? Not at all! If Man makes even the slightest of efforts for God, they do not leave this world without first being rewarded. However, the first condition is to make an effort. It is mentioned in a Hadith that when Man walks towards God, God runs to him. Faith means to believe in something that is unseen. A person who spots the crescent moon is considered to have a sharp eye (that is to say, if one sees the moon in its first phase they will be considered to have sharp eyesight) but a person who makes a clamour over spotting a full moon is considered mad.” (Malfuzat [1984],Vol. 5, pp. 25-26)
Thus, fortunate are those who are accepting the Promised Messiahas today, and attain the love of Allah the Almighty after facing opposition. Then, whilst explaining that it is insufficient to merely profess acceptance, rather, the real purpose is to bring about a pious change and to tread on the path of the Oneness of God, and it is only then that one becomes the recipient of His grace, the Promised Messiahas states:
“One who searches for Allah the Almighty, purely out of fear of Him, and prays for the difficulties in this matter to be resolved, then according to the law of God Almighty:
وَالَّذِيۡنَ جَاهَدُوۡا فِيۡنَا لَنَهۡدِيَنَّهُمۡ سُبُلَنَا
“‘And as for those who strive in Our path – We will surely guide them in Our ways.’ (Surah al-`Ankabut, Ch.29: V.70) He shall Himself take hold of their hand and show them the path and grant them satisfaction of heart. However, if their hearts are already filled with darkness, if prayer is cumbersome on their tongues, and if their beliefs are contaminated with idolatry and innovations, then what kind of prayer is this? What kind of plea is required to bring about a good outcome? Until one closes the doors to all unlawful paths and hopes, with a pious heart, sincerity and earnestness, and extends their hand towards God Almighty, they will never be worthy of receiving the succour and support of God Almighty. However, when they fall at the threshold of Allah the Almighty and pray to Him alone, then this state of theirs will attract His help and mercy. Allah the Almighty can see the depths of a person’s heart from the heavens, and if it contains even an iota of darkness, idolatry or innovation in any part of his heart, then their prayers and worship will be thrown back in their faces. But if He sees that their heart is pure of selfish desires and darkness, He shall open the doors of mercy to them, bring them under His shade and Himself be responsible for taking care of their needs.”
The Promised Messiahas states, “Allah the Almighty has established this Community with His own hands, and we see that many people join who have certain objectives. If their objective is met, then it is all well and good, otherwise, they are unheedful of their faith and belief.” Some people only pledge allegiance for a certain purpose. Whilst further expounding upon this, the Promised Messiahas states in another place:
“Selfish desires are a form of idolatry. They place a covering over one’s heart. Even if one pledges their allegiance [bai’at], it may still cause them to stumble. Our movement requires that one abandons all selfish desires, and they tread the path of perfect unity. They must earnestly search for the truth, otherwise, if there comes any change in what they desire, then at that time they will separate themselves. Was it for money and wealth that the companions accepted the Holy Prophetsa? No.”
The Promised Messiahas continues, “If one analyses the lives of the companions, they will not find a single such incident because they never did such a thing. Pledging allegiance to me means only to repent, whereas in the time they pledged allegiance, it meant being prepared to lose their lives (i.e. referring to the companions. I have narrated the accounts of the companions for a long period of time in the Friday sermons, in which it was mentioned how they would lay down their lives.) On the one hand, they would pledge their allegiance, and on the other hand, they would give up all their wealth, possessions, honour, respect, lives and property, as if they no longer had possession over anything, and their hopes had been cut off from the world, and any desire they had for any sort of respect, honour and authority had finished. The thought did not even cross their minds that they would become rulers and conquerors of lands, rather, they distanced themselves from any kind of hopes and desires, and with full contentment. They were always prepared to endure every pain and suffering in the way of Allah the Almighty, to the extent that they were even ready to lay down their lives. Their state was such that they were absolutely cut off from this world, but it is a separate matter that Allah Almighty still granted them His bounties and favours; and chose those who sacrificed everything in His path.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 5, pp. 396-398 [with footnote])
Then, whilst giving further guidance that the purpose of establishing the community is to establish true unity and love for God Almighty, the Promised Messiahas states:
“What does it mean to love God? It is to give precedence to the pleasure of Allah the Almighty over your parents, partners, children, yourselves, and everything else. It is stated in the Holy Quran,
فَاذۡكُرُوا اللّٰهَ كَذِكۡرِكُمۡ اٰبَآءَكُمۡ اَوۡ اَشَدَّ ذِكۡرًا
“‘Celebrate the praises of Allah as you celebrated the praises of your fathers, or even more than that.’ (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.201) It is worth noting that Allah Almighty did not reveal this injunction so that one calls God ‘father’. Rather, He taught this so that one does not stumble like the Christians and to stop the Muslims from calling God by the name ‘father’. If one then claims that the love of the father is then inferior, then this allegation is refuted by the words:
اَوۡ اَشَدَّ ذِكۡرًا
“‘or even more than that.’ If ‘or even more than that’ was not present, then such an allegation could stand, but these words have resolved this issue.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, p. 188)
Thus, this is the love for Allah the Almighty that should be instilled in a believer’s heart; a love for God that destroys the love for all worldly ties. We should assess ourselves to see whether we are trying to develop this love within us. Do our hearts desire and yearn for this love? Whilst further expounding upon this love and its standards, the Promised Messiahas states:
“In order to establish the true Unity of God, it is imperative for one to fully experience the love of God Almighty. True love for Allah the Almighty can only be affirmed through action; a matter can never become pleasant and sweet simply by calling it sweet (nothing can become sweet simply by likening it to sugar). Similarly, if a person verbally claims to have an affinity for another, yet at a time of hardship and need, he does not come to the help and aid of his friend, then he is not a true friend. In the same way, to verbally affirm the Unity of God Almighty and claim to love Him is of no benefit; in such a matter, one must demonstrate this through their actions instead of making a verbal declaration. In no way does this mean that a verbal declaration is not necessary. Certainly not. What I mean to say is that a verbal declaration must be affirmed through one’s actions. For this reason, it is necessary that one devotes their life to God. That is to say, God Almighty should take precedence over everything else; His commandments should take superiority over all other matters; the faith established by Him should be more important than everything else and its adherents should give precedence to it over all worldly matters.”
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“This is Islam, and this is the very purpose for which I have been sent. Thus, those who do not approach this spring that God Almighty has established for this grand purpose will be among the unfortunate ones. If a sincere seeker wishes to achieve his true purpose, he should advance towards the spring and drink from it. This cannot be accomplished without first completely disregarding one’s own sense of honour and falling at His Divine threshold. One must pledge that even if they lose their eminence in the world and face a mountain of troubles, they will not leave God.” No matter what happens, they will never forsake Allah the Almighty. “One must be prepared to offer every sacrifice for the sake of God Almighty. It was Abraham’sas exemplary sincerity that he was even prepared to sacrifice his son. The objective of Islam is to produce many such Abrahams. Thus, all of you should strive to become like Abraham. I tell you truthfully not to become mere disciples but saints. Endeavour to achieve this objective even if the journey is difficult.”
That is, one should strive to raise their own rank. One should not settle merely as a disciple and follower, rather, they should elevate their own rank to that of saints; others should regard them as pious individuals worthy of being followed. The Promised Messiahas further states:
“Endeavour to achieve this objective even if the journey is difficult. Ultimately, this journey ends in peace and comfort, however, it is necessary that you enter through its doors with minimal load. If you carry a large weight on your head, it will prove very difficult to enter.” In other words, this weight is the load of worldly desires and priorities that a person carries, whereby the world becomes more important than their faith. Thus, the journey becomes difficult. If one desires to make this journey, then the load of worldly ties that cause one to give precedence to the world over faith must be discarded. “If my community wishes to please God, then it should discard this load. You must remember that if you do not demonstrate devotion and sincerity, then you will be considered a liar and not a truthful person in the court of God Almighty. In such circumstances, one who abandons devotion for treachery will be destroyed even before the enemy. God Almighty cannot fall for deception, nor does anyone have the power to mislead Him. Thus, you must foster true sincerity and honesty.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, pp. 188-190)
Along with establishing the unity of God and instilling love for Him, it is also necessary to develop love for those beloved to God Almighty, through whom He imparted the teachings of His unity. Therefore, explaining the importance of building a relationship with the Holy Prophetsa and establishing his honour and greatness, the Promised Messiahas states:
“Allah the Almighty has established this community so that the prophethood and honour of the Holy Prophetsa can be re-established.” The Promised Messiahas presents the example of those who are absorbed in the veneration of past saints and worship their graves. They claim to also be absorbed in their love for the Holy Prophetsa whilst at the same time they label us as disbelievers. They proclaim that, God forbid, Ahmadis are guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Prophetsa. In reference to such people, the Promised Messiahas states:
“If one declares one’s love for someone, yet there are thousands of other people whom they love in the same manner, what distinguishes their declaration of love from the others (if a lover declares his love, yet he has many other beloveds, then what is special about the one to whom he has professed his love)? If these people are truly devoted in their love for the Holy Prophetsa (those who claim that they love the Holy Prophetsa), then why do they worship countless shrines and tombs?” They devote themselves to many shrines and give offerings, offer prayers, and in fact, they also fall to prostration [to the graves].
The Promised Messiahas further states, “They travel to Madina but they also travel to Ajmer and other shrines with their heads uncovered and feet bare. They consider passing through the gate in Pakpattan [a city in Pakistan famous for the shrine of a saint] enough to attain salvation. Some have erected flags, while others have adopted other methods. A Muslim shudders at the sight of their gatherings and events, wondering what they have innovated.”
These practices are very common in the subcontinent, in India and in Pakistan.
“If God Almighty did not have any honour for Islam and had Himself not declared:
اِنَّ الدِّيۡنَ عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ الۡاِسۡلَامُ
“[i.e., Surely, the true religion with Allah is Islam (Surah Aal-e-`Imran, Ch.3: V.20)]
“And:
اِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا الذِّكۡرَ وَاِنَّا لَهٗ لَحٰفِظُوۡنَ
“[i.e., Verily, We Ourselves have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian. (Surah al-Hijr, Ch.15: V.10)], then Islam would surely have been destroyed today. On the contrary, Allah the Almighty’s honour manifested and His promise of mercy and protection demanded that someone be raised as a reflection of the Holy Prophetsa and re-establish his prophethood in this era. Thus, God established this community and raised me as a prophet and the Mahdi.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, p. 92)
The Promised Messiahas states that he has been raised as a prophet and the Mahdi.
Thus, it is our responsibility to clearly distinguish ourselves from all others and to demonstrate extraordinary standards of love for God and for the Holy Prophetsa. Only then will we be able to fulfil our pledge of allegiance. We must try to continuously glorify God and invoke blessings upon the Holy Prophetsa.
Whilst reminding us to try and develop sincerity and devotion the likes of the companions [of the Holy Prophetsa], the Promised Messiahas states:
“Since God Almighty established this community and has manifested thousands of signs in its support, He intended to make this community like that of the companions and bring about the era of Khair al-Qurun [Best of centuries]. Those who enter this community also become among the
اٰخَرِيۡنَ مِنۡهُمۡ
and so they should abandon their false practices.” To become an Ahmadi, one must rid themselves of all false practices and turn their full focus toward God Almighty. “They should be averse to the age of darkness, (i.e., the age of misguidance). Islam has passed through three eras: the first was the [enlightened] three centuries, followed by the period of misguidance regarding which the Holy Prophetsa referred to by saying:
لَيْسُوْا مِنّيْ وَلَسْتُ مِنْهُمْ
“That is, ‘the people of that period are not of me, nor am I of them’. The third era is that of the Promised Messiah, which is connected to the time of the Holy Prophetsa. In fact, this era can be considered the era of the Holy Prophetsa himself. Even if the Holy Prophetsa had not mentioned the era of darkness, we possess the Holy Qur’an which states
وَّاٰخَرِيۡنَ مِنۡهُمۡ لَمَّا يَلۡحَقُوۡا بِهِمۡ
“This clearly demonstrates that there will be a time that will not resemble that of the companions. In other words, the people of that era will not follow the practice of the companions. History tells us that during that period of a thousand years, Islam faced great challenges and adversities. The religion began to decay and except for a select few, the majority had abandoned Islam. As a result, many sects, like the Mu’tazilah and those who rejected the divine law emerged.”
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“I admit that there has never been an era that has been deprived of the blessings of Islam, however, the number of saints and pious people during this middle period was extremely low. Due to this, they were unable to stop millions of people who were misguided from the right path and left Islam. Thus, the Holy Prophetsa, through his prophetic insight, saw into that time and named it “Faij A’waj” – The Era of Misguidance. Now, however, Allah the Almighty has decided to establish a large community of people who will be counted amongst the companions. Nonetheless, because the laws of nature established by God Almighty decree that such a community of people can only see gradual progress, my community will also progress slowly, similar to that of crops. Just as crops grow slowly and flourish with time, so too will this community. And its purpose and objective can be likened to a seed that has been planted in the earth. The lofty objectives and lofty purposes that Allah the Almighty desires for this community are far away; they cannot be reached until this community develops the excellence that Allah the Almighty has willed for it; one’s declaration of the Unity of God should be in an excellent manner; their devotion to Allah and practice of remembering Him should be extraordinary; they should fulfil the rights of their brethren in a manner that is exceptional.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, pp. 94-95)
Hence, these are the objectives we must strive to accomplish. Only then can we witness the progression of our community.
Then, whilst drawing our attention to pay particular focus on the recitation of the Holy Quran and to carefully ponder over it, the Promised Messiahas states:
“One ought to remember that the Holy Quran has conferred a favour upon the earlier divine scriptures and prophets by portraying their teachings in a rational manner, whereas previously they were presented as mere tales. I truly say that no one can attain salvation from these tales and stories until they read the Holy Quran. This is because it is the Holy Quran alone that occupies the lofty status of being:
اِنَّهٗ لَقَوۡلٌ فَصۡلٌ ۔وَّمَا هُوَ بِالۡهَزۡلِ
“That is, “It is surely a decisive word. And it is not a useless talk.” (Surah at-Tariq, Ch.86: V.14-15)
“It is a balance, a guardian, a light, a means of cure and a mercy. Those who read the Holy Quran and deem it to be a mere tale, have not truly read the Holy Quran and instead have dishonoured it. Why have our opponents become so extreme in their opposition? This is because we seek to demonstrate that the Holy Quran, just as God Almighty has stated, is filled with spiritual light, wisdom and insight. However, they seek to reduce the importance of the Holy Quran as being nothing more than mere tales. We cannot allow this. Out of His sheer grace, God Almighty has revealed to me that the Holy Quran is a living and radiant book, hence, we do not give any consideration to their opposition. Thus, I have repeatedly advised those who have forged a bond with me that God Almighty has established this Community in order to reveal the truths that we can only attain through the Holy Qur’an. (We can only understand this through the Holy Quran.) Without this, all of one’s actions in life are completely devoid of spiritual light and radiance. I desire to reveal the qualities of Islam to the world through its practical truths and I have been appointed by God for this very purpose. Therefore, read the Holy Quran extensively, but not as mere tales, rather as a philosophy [of life].” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, p. 155)
Every Ahmadi ought to ponder over the meanings [of the Holy Quran] and its commentary. Then, whilst drawing attention towards virtuous deeds and what defines a virtuous deed, the Promised Messiahas states:
“In the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty has prescribed righteous deeds along with professing belief. An action is considered righteous when it is free from all blemishes. Always remember that thieves lie in wait to steal one’s actions. Who are they (i.e who are these thieves)? They are ostentation, (i.e. when one performs an action to show others,) vanity, (one becomes pleased with one’s own actions after performing them or that they have performed such and such virtue) and similarly many other types of vices and sins that one commits. These are all considered ‘thieves’ and they invalidate one’s deeds. Righteous deeds are those that are free from even the mere thought of injustice, pride, ostentation, arrogance and usurping the rights of others. Just as one can be safeguarded due to their righteous deeds in the hereafter, similarly, one can be safeguarded through them in this world as well.
“Even if one person in the household carries out righteous deeds, the entire household is saved. Remember that until one carries out righteous deeds, their faith is of no benefit. A physician writes a prescription and it means that whatever has been prescribed therein ought to be taken. However, if one fails to use those medications and just keeps the prescription, then it will have no benefit.”
It is our duty to act upon the advice of the Promised Messiahas. This is important otherwise there is no benefit of one’s bai’at. The Promised Messiahas further states:
“You have sought repentance at this moment in time, now God Almighty wants to see how much you will purify yourself through this repentance. The time has come when God Almighty wishes to make righteousness a distinguishing factor. Many people harbour complaints against God Almighty, yet they do not look within themselves. It is the injustices of one’s own doings, otherwise God Almighty is Benevolent and Merciful.
“There are some individuals who are aware of sin, yet there are other individuals who are oblivious to it. For this very reason, God Almighty has ordained the recitation of istighfar [seeking forgiveness].” One does not know when they might say something that would be counted as a sin. “Hence, one should recite istighfar for every sin, whether that sin is visible or concealed, whether they have knowledge of that sin or not. Similarly, they should recite istighfar for the sins committed by their hands, feet, tongue, nose, ear and eyes. These days you should recite the prayer of Adamas, which is:
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَاۤ اَنۡفُسَنَا ٜ وَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الۡخٰسِرِيۡنَ
“[Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves; and if Thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, we shall surely be of the lost. (Surah al-A`raf, Ch.7: V.24)]
“This prayer has been accepted from its inception. Do not live your life heedlessly. A person who does not live heedlessly should have no worry for him to be placed in a great trial. No trial would befall an individual were it not for the will of God. As mentioned in the prayer that has been revealed to me:
رَبّ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ خَادِمُكَ رَبّ فَاحْفَظْنِيْ وَانْصُرْنِيْ وَارْحَمْنِيْ
[O my Lord everything serves You. So O my Lord, protect me and help me and have mercy on me.]
The Promised Messiahas advised us to also recite this prayer. The Promised Messiahas further states:
“Remember that wisdom comes about through the purification of the soul. The more one purifies their soul, the sharper one’s intellectual faculties become and an angel stands before such an individual and helps him. However, the mind of one who leads a life of sin can never be illuminated. Adopt righteousness for God is with you. Remain with the righteous, so that you may understand the true reality of righteousness. This is my objective and this is what I desire to establish in the world.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 4, pp. 274-276)
The Promised Messiahas states:
“Our Jamaat should always keep this advice in mind that they should remain mindful of what I say. I always reflect on the fact that worldly relationships are formed on the basis of beauty, family, wealth or power, etc. However, Allah the Almighty has no concern for this. He has clearly stated:
اِنَّ اَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ اَتۡقٰكُمۡ
“Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. [Surah al-Hujurat, Ch.49: V.14]
“God shall only save the righteous and destroy the rest. This is a very delicate juncture and it is not possible that both a righteous and evil person remain in the same place. Certainly, it can only be the righteous who remain standing and the evil one shall be destroyed. Since only God knows who is righteous, one ought to be greatly concerned. Fortunate are those who are righteous and unfortunate is he who is distant from God.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, pp. 238-239)
Hence, we should always strive to seek forgiveness and repentance and to seek refuge in Allah the Almighty and to be safeguarded from Satan. The Promised Messiahas states:
“After entering this Community, you should become a completely new person and live a new life. You should become completely different from what you were previously. Do not think that after making this change in the way of Allah, you will be left destitute or that you will gain many opponents. The one who holds fast to God Almighty is never left in need and never experiences days of ill-fate. When God Almighty befriends someone, and becomes his Helper, he has no concern even if the entire world becomes his enemy. If ever trouble befalls a believer, he never suffers, rather, those days are days of bliss and paradise and the angels of God Almighty take him into their laps like a mother. God Almighty Himself becomes his Protector and Helper and God is He Who possesses power over everything, He is the Knower of the Unseen and the Ever-Living and the All-Sustaining. Can anyone who holds fast to God be afflicted with hardship? Certainly not. God Almighty saves His true servants in such times in such a manner that the world is left astonished. Was the world not astonished when Prophet Abrahamas was put in the fire and came out alive? Was Prophet Noahas and his followers being saved from the flood an ordinary event? There are countless such examples and in this present era, God Almighty has manifested the signs of His power. A murder case was filed against me and a very prominent priest, who is a doctor, was the plaintiff, and the Arya and other Muslims helped him. However, in the end, what came to pass was what God had decreed and my innocence was confirmed.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, pp. 263-264)
Allah the Almighty removed these charges and granted him honour.
May Allah the Almighty enable us to live our lives according to the advice and desire of the Promised Messiahas and may we truly bring about a pure change in our lives. The participants of the Jalsa in Qadian and in whichever other countries the Jalsas are taking place should especially spend their time praying. Pray that may Allah the Almighty enable us to fulfil the due rights of our bai’at. Similarly, every Ahmadi in the world should ponder whether they are fulfilling what the Promised Messiahas expected from us and the Jamaat. If we are not fulfilling this, then we must continually strive and pray for this. May Allah the Almighty give us all the opportunity to do this.
I shall now mention the details of some deceased members. Among these funerals, one is present here. Has the funeral arrived? The funeral that is present here is of Fazal Ahmad Dogar Sahib, who was serving in Jamia Ahmadiyya UK. He was the son of Chaudhry Allah Ditta Dogar Sahib. He passed away on 21 December [2022] at the age of 75.
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
The deceased was a musi and leaves behind his wife, Uzmah Fazal Sahiba, four sons and three daughters. He came to the UK in 1992 and took up employment. In 1999, he dedicated [waqf] his life and presented his services to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh graciously accepted his waqf and he had the opportunity to personally serve Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh for a long time. Thereafter, I appointed him to the Jamia Ahmadiyya UK and he carried out various duties and was then appointed as the person in charge of its library and he continued to serve in this role till his demise. The deceased played a very important role in setting up and preparing the library in Jamia. He also scanned and did the binding of all the editions of The Review of Religions that were published during the time of the Promised Messiahas and had copies prepared for the library. Similarly, he also scanned the original editions of Ruhani Khaza’in and made copies available [for the library]. His children mention that it was a great desire of his that his children always remain attached to Khilafat and always remain obedient to Khilafat. He would say that one can never retire from the service of Jamaat. “Waqf” means to serve till one’s last breath and he would ask me to pray for him that he be granted the opportunity to serve till his last breath. Indeed, Allah the Almighty accepted this wish of his and two days prior to going to the hospital, he continued serving by going to the library.
Hafiz Mashood Sahib, who is serving as a teacher in Jamia, writes:
“If it was said that Fazal Dogar Sahib truly loved Khilafat and was loyal and ready to sacrifice his life for it, then there is no exaggeration in this whatsoever.”
He continues:
“Fazal Dogar Sahib was a true life-devotee and we always saw him looking after and maintaining the library of Jamia Ahmadiyya UK as if it was like his own child. He would find old manuscripts and scan them and then beautifully have them bound and would then display them in the library. Undoubtedly, it is through his tireless efforts that the library of Jamia Ahmadiyya UK has a collection of more than 25,000 books and this was done despite extremely limited resources.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh also mentioned him in the sermon that he delivered on the occasion of the demise of my father, Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Mansoor Ahmad Sahib. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh expressed his gratitude to Fazal Dogar Sahib and praised his work.
He always served in the Jalsa duties. He served in Jalsa duties with me in Rabwah as well. I always saw him working with great effort and he would work day and night, without any concern for anything else. His son-in-law, Shahid Iqbal Sahib, who is Sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya in Switzerland, or perhaps served previously, says,
“Whenever I spoke to him, he would always ask whether I had offered my salat and he would always advise offering salat and draw particular attention to this.”
May Allah the Almighty grant him His forgiveness and mercy. May He enable his progeny to always remain attached to the Jamaat and Khilafat.
The second funeral is in absentia and is of Malik Mansoor Ahmad Umar Sahib, who was a missionary in Rabwah. He passed away recently at the age of 80.
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was a musi. He graduated from Jamia Ahmadiyya in 1970 and he also passed the Maulvi Fazil exam in Arabic. From 1971 to 1973, he studied at NUML University Islamabad, where he obtained a diploma in the German language. He initially served in various places in Pakistan and in January 1974 he was appointed to serve as a missionary in Germany. He served there for approximately a year and a half and then returned to Pakistan, where he served in various places. In October 1983, he was appointed to serve in Germany once again, where he had the opportunity to serve as the Amir and missionary-in-charge till 1986. During this period of service, he would teach the German language to the Ahmadis who were arriving in Germany to seek asylum and he would also assist them. He also served in the Rishta Nata department and he also taught the German language in Jamia. His total duration of service as a Waqf spans approximately 46 years. One of his daughters is Faiza Raees, who is the wife of Anees Raees Sahib, the missionary In-charge in Japan and one of his sons is Sabah-ul-Zafar Malik, who is a missionary. He has other children as well. May Allah the Almighty grant him His forgiveness and mercy.
The third funeral is of respected Isa Joseph Sahib, who was serving as a mu’allim in The Gambia. This funeral is also in absentia. He recently passed away in December at the age of 61.
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
The Naib Amir and missionary-in-charge [of The Gambia] writes that he was an extremely successful preacher. Although he did not graduate from Jamia Ahmadiyya, he was completely devoted to the Jamaat. He would always be ready to serve like a soldier. He would often say that he was a humble servant in the Promised Messiah’sas army and was ready to fulfil any instruction given by the Jamaat. During the Jalsa and other Jamaat programmes, he would always be with his Jamaat members and would help answer their questions and give them moral training. He further states that he would always admire the sacrifices rendered by the Ahmadis from Pakistan and would always pray for them and respect them. He had a very special bond with Khilafat. He would write for prayers and when he would receive replies, he would very lovingly mention this. He instilled the love for Khilafat amongst his children as well and would also advise them to write to the Khalifah of the time.
Syed Saeed Sahib, is a missionary currently serving in Sierra Leone and had previously served in The Gambia; he says that the deceased was born in Senegal, however, moved to The Gambia after completing his education in order to work. He taught French at the Nasir Ahmadiyya Secondary School. It was during this time that he accepted Ahmadiyyat. He continued to excel in his loyalty and sincerity. In 1997, upon the instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, all the central staff of the Jamaat had to leave The Gambia and he was appointed as the principal of the Nasir Ahmadiyya Secondary School. He served in this role in an outstanding manner. Later, he was made an area missionary and he continued to serve in this post till his demise.
Through the efforts of Isa Joseph Sahib many people entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat. He had a lot of religious knowledge. He acquired all of this knowledge through his personal study. He had very good relations with non-Ahmadis and thus many of the chief imams of the local areas respected him greatly. If anyone ever tried to oppose or create mischief against the Ahmadis in any area, some of these locals, who were good-natured people, would come to defend them, and the opponents would be silenced.
He further writes that one of his qualities was that he was very knowledgeable. He had read extensively, as I mentioned earlier. He had a deep understanding of the Jamaat’s literature. He had the opportunity to deliver a speech on several occasions at Jalsa Salana and he also wrote many articles for Jamaat publications. Humility was one of his main attributes. He also possessed a very sound opinion and would always be consulted in important matters and his suggestions would often prove to be the correct. He was regular in offering his tahajjud prayer and devoted to worship. He would often experience true dreams and whenever anyone would request him for prayers, he would advise them to first write to the Khalifa of the time requesting prayers and then he would also pray for them as well.
A missionary of The Gambia, Masood Sahib says that he had great passion for tabligh. He would travel for many hours in order to visit far-off villages. He was extremely courteous and always smiling. Irrespective of whether he was going through times of happiness or sadness, or if he was ill or worried, he would always be smiling. He would meet everyone with a smile on his face. He would meet everyone in such a warm and friendly manner that the other person would feel as if he was his special friend. He was very compassionate, gentle and kind. He would never speak ill of anyone or interfere in anyone else’s affairs. He would show utmost obedience to his superiors. He would look after his subordinates and give them courage. Whenever someone wanted to get in contact with him, they would find out that in his spare time, he would be out doing tabligh. He would have Quranic verses, ahadith of the Holy Prophetsa and quotes of the Promised Messiahas and the Khulafa related to tabligh and tarbiyat and also the pictures of the Khulafa on his WhatsApp status and would update these daily and he would also send them to his Ahmadi and non-Ahmadi contacts. He had a great passion for tabligh.
May Allah the Almighty grant him His forgiveness and Mercy and enable his children to continue his good deeds.
As I mentioned earlier, I shall offer their funeral prayers after the Friday prayer, insha-Allah.
(Original Urdu transcript from Al Fazl International, 13 January 2023, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)