Friday Sermon
21 April 2023
The strive to achieve Taqwa
After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Today is the last Friday of Ramadan. The month of Ramadan is now concluding and there are many people who had the intention to make special efforts to offer worship during Ramadan and to bring about a transformation within themselves, but were unable to act in accordance with what they had planned. There are a number of people who write such letters to me, and, today, the last day of Ramadan shall also come to an end after a few hours.
Friday is a blessed day during which there is a special moment for the acceptance of prayers. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jumuah Bad al-Sa’atu allati fi Yaum al-Jumuati, Hadith 935)
Hence, even if we did not spend our days of Ramadan as we had wished, or as a believer should spend them, then we should make a pledge for the remaining time today and pray that Allah the Almighty overlooks our shortcomings, has mercy on us, and enables us to follow that path in our lives that Allah the Almighty desires of us.
Allah the Almighty is most Gracious; He has not stated that the special moment for the acceptance of prayers on Friday is exclusive to Ramadan, rather this is a general blessing of Fridays. Hence, we ought to make this oath in our prayers today that even after this Ramadan, we will continue to elevate the standard of our righteousness and strive for it; that we will continue to endeavour to attain the nearness of Allah the Almighty and worship Him with sincerity from one Friday to the next. [We should pledge that] we will spend the period between two Fridays in prayers and virtuous deeds, give precedence to faith over the world and that until the following Ramadan, we will continuously try to follow the routine we made in this month – but were unable to follow owing to certain reasons – in order to bring about a pure reformation within ourselves. These are the deeds that develop true righteousness. Furthermore, if we sincerely worship and perform virtuous deeds for the sake of Allah’s pleasure, then for the efforts that we were able to follow through on during this Ramadan, Allah the Almighty, Who is more Gracious and Merciful than anyone else, will continue to shower us with His blessings.
Thus, what truly matters is righteousness. What truly matters is consistently acting in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty. What truly matters is the fear of God Almighty and seeking His pleasure. If one has developed this and if we have not reverted to immersing ourselves in this materialistic life where we forget to give precedence to faith over the world, then Allah the Almighty will accept the prayers and efforts we made in order to transform ourselves during this Ramadan and He will continue to bless us. Hence, this is a fundamental point that we should always remain mindful of.
Every Ahmadi should remain mindful of acquiring this objective at all times. Moreover, once we tread the path of righteousness in our own lives and seek the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, then we will be setting an example for our children and offspring, which will instil the spirit of offering virtuous deeds from one generation to the next.
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, we have pledged allegiance to the Imam of this age and the ardent devotee of the Holy Prophetsa. The essence of the conditions in our pledge of allegiance is to always be mindful of righteousness. The Promised Messiahas has emphasised this to us in order to bring about such a transformation within our lives that is not limited to a single month every year, or for which the efforts are not limited to one month every year. Indeed, Allah the Almighty has created the conditions whereby a pious environment develops in the month of Ramadan in order to acquire lofty standards of righteousness. However, He has done this so that after every Ramadan, we continue to acquire the subsequent stages of righteousness. He has not done this so that after every Ramadan, we regress back to our lower standards once again.
Hence, as I have mentioned, the Promised Messiahas has been sent to elevate our standards of righteousness and to transform us and he has repeatedly encouraged us to do this. On one occasion, the Promised Messiahas stated:
“I have been sent so that truth and faith may be revived and righteousness may inspire the hearts. This is the ultimate purpose of my advent.” This was the very reason for which the Promised Messiahas was commissioned. He further said: “I have been told that heaven will once again draw near to the earth after having become distant.” (Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, pp. 293-294 footnote)
These are the matters that we need to always keep in mind. The era of the Promised Messiahas, which is in the form of Khilafat on the precepts of prophethood, is one that will continue till the Day of Judgement in accordance with the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa. And it is the followers of the Promised Messiahas who, whilst remaining firm on the truth, shall safeguard their faith and attain its lofty ranks. However, this cannot be achieved by simply performing virtuous deeds for one month, or simply having the desire to do so, or by praying and having a particular attachment to prayer for just one month or by populating the mosques for the entirety of just one month. In fact, if one has accepted the truth and has pledged their oath of allegiance to the Promised Messiah and Mahdias, then one should make a particular effort to elevate the standard of their faith. When one attains this then they will be counted amongst those who have a special bond with the Promised Messiahas. Those who have understood the purpose of their Bai’at and tried to do justice to it are the ones regarding whom Allah the Almighty stated to the Promised Messiahas:
“I am with you and with the members of your family.” (Tadhkirah [English], p. 1016)
In order to become one’s beloved, the most basic condition is that one should adhere to what they say and lead their lives in accordance with their will. Allah the Almighty [in this revelation] declares that He shall be with the loved ones of the Promised Messiahas. Thus, when Allah the Almighty Himself becomes the support of an individual, then one no longer has any other need. Fortunate are those amongst us who have attained this standard in their faith, whereby they forever enjoy the support of Allah the Almighty. The life of one who has Allah the Almighty by their side improves in this world and the next.
Thus, we need to fulfil the objectives of the Promised Messiahas while instilling righteousness within ourselves. However, this can only happen when we remain steadfast in trying to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. In this extract, the Promised Messiahas states that then the heavens shall come closer to the earth. The heavens become close to the earth and we attain the closeness of God Almighty and become the recipients of His grace when we follow the path that the Promised Messiahas has explained to us in light of the Quran and Sunnah [practice of the Holy Prophetsa]. We shall be counted among those fortunate people upon whom Allah the Almighty showers His blessings and whose prayers are heard by God Almighty. It is only when we witness these signs in our own lives that we will have the ability to confidently invite others to accept that if they want to establish a living relationship with God Almighty and strengthen their faith, then they have to accept the Promised Messiahas, who is the true servant of the Holy Prophetsa. However, this can only be possible if we attain the high standards of righteousness and then continually remain established upon them. It is then that we shall witness the signs of Allah the Almighty’s blessings. Thus, those among us who have understood this principle and lead their lives by adopting the high standards of virtue and righteousness, or at least make an effort in this regard, shall witness the signs of Allah the Almighty’s blessings. Each and every one of us can witness these signs if they lead their lives by following the paths of righteousness in accordance with the commandments of Allah the Almighty.
What is true righteousness? What are the traits of the one who treads upon the path of righteousness? How does Allah the Almighty treat such a person? In relation to this, the Promised Messiahas states:
“True righteousness and ignorance cannot coexist.”
This is a fundamental principle that a righteous person cannot be ignorant of. A truly righteous person will be devoted to their worship and also fulfil the rights of their fellow humans. Hence, this is the fundamental point that we must always bear in mind.
The Promised Messiahas then says:
“True righteousness is accompanied by a light, as God the Exalted, has said:
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِنۡ تَتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ یَجۡعَلۡ لَّکُمۡ فُرۡقَانًا وَّیُکَفِّرۡ عَنۡکُمۡ سَیِّاٰتِکُمۡ
[and]
وَیَجۡعَلۡ لَّکُمۡ نُوۡرًاتَمۡشُوۡنَ بِہٖ
“That is, O ye who believe, if you remain steadfast in righteousness and hold fast to it for the sake of Allah, with firmness and perseverance, He will distinguish you from others. (The Promised Messiahas has written an explanatory translation. If one remains steadfast in righteousness and holds fast to it for the sake of Allah, then God Almighty will make a distinction between the righteous and others. What will the difference be?)
“That is, you shall be blessed with a light that will accompany you wherever you go. That is to say, this light will illuminate your actions, words, faculties, and senses. Your intellect will be illuminated and there will even be light in the things about which you speculate. There will be light in your eyes, in your ears, in your tongues, in your speech, and in every state of movement and repose. The ways along which you walk will be lit up. In short, all your ways, the ways of your faculties and your senses will be filled with light, and you will walk altogether in light.” (A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, pp. 177-178)
Thus, this is the standard that a true believer and a righteous person needs to try and attain. Even if the month of Ramadan has passed, we can still try to achieve this. Fortunate will be those among us who attain this rank, whereby Allah the Almighty has complete influence over our words and deeds and our every deed is carried out in order to attain His pleasure. Our every movement and every action would be done to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. When this happens, it is only then that we can partake in the spiritual light of Allah the Almighty. Instead of chasing after the glamour and attractions of this world, our objective shall be solely to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. Thereby fulfilling the objective of the Promised Messiah’sas advent and trying to fulfil our oath. If we do not desire to make this pious change in our lives, nor make any effort in this regard, then our claim [to have accepted the Promised Messiahas] would not be true. Also, the virtuous deeds performed in the month of Ramadan would be of no benefit.
Thus, we ought to constantly analyse ourselves as to whether we are continually striving to attain righteousness, which the Promised Messiahas explained to us in light of the [above mentioned] verse of the Holy Quran. If we are striving to change our lives in accordance with this, then indeed we are ready to challenge Satan. And Allah the Almighty shall also bestow His help in our efforts to challenge Satan and cause every onslaught of his to be unsuccessful and ineffective. In this current age, Satan has surrounded us from all sides and it is not possible to escape from his grip without the help of Allah the Almighty. However, Allah the Almighty helps those who adhere to righteousness.
We should always remember that this era is in particular an era of attacks from Satan; he is attacking with all his ploys, tactics and weapons. They are such dangerous attacks, the likes of which have never been seen before. Thus, in such circumstances, one needs to particularly prostrate before God Almighty. Whether it is TV, social media, or other programmes, or the children’s school and their programmes, Satan has created such a dangerous environment through his deceptive ways that it is impossible to escape without the help of God Almighty.
Presently, the greatest concern is safeguarding our children and future generations from the attacks of Dajjal and Satan. For this, one needs to pay particular attention and every Ahmadi parent needs to make an effort in this regard, as well as the Community’s administration. Every Ahmadi who has reached the age of maturity and possesses understanding should try to attain the highest levels of righteousness while prostrating before Allah the Almighty and seeking help from Him, so that through Allah the Almighty’s help they can challenge the attacks of the Dajjal [Antichrist]. We should not become relaxed after Ramadan and sit comfortably, in fact, we should make a particular effort to increase our Quranic knowledge so that a special environment remains established within our homes. We should safeguard our prayers and pay particular attention to them in order to remain protected from the attacks of Satan and the Dajjal.
On one occasion, while mentioning the ploys and schemes of Satan, the Promised Messiahas stated:
“It should be noted that the Dajjal [Antichrist], which means ‘the one who misleads’, in reality, refers to the one who is the embodiment of Satan. It was written in the earlier scriptures in regard to the Latter Days that many a battle would ensue with Satan during this period, but Satan would eventually be defeated. (This hope has been instilled that adhering to righteousness and standing up in this way, will result in Satan being defeated.)
“Though Satan was subdued during the time of every Prophet, it was only in a virtual sense. It was really destined for the Messiah to truly subdue him. God Almighty has promised victory of such magnitude that He said:
جَاعِلُ الَّذِیۡنَاتَّبَعُوۡکَ فَوۡقَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اِلٰی یَوۡمِ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ
“That is: ‘I will keep your true followers dominant over others till the Day of Judgement.’”
Thus, in order to become a true follower, one must adopt righteousness and act on his teachings. The Promised Messiahas further says:
“Therefore, Satan is battling with full force in these Latter Days, but the final victory will indeed be ours.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, pp. 73-74)
God-willing. Allah the Almighty has promised to protect and grant victory to the Promised Messiahas against Satan and Dajjal. The Promised Messiahas received this revelation two or three times, however, those who demonstrate true obedience to him and adhere to his teachings will be the ones who truly benefit from it. In relation to this, the Promised Messiahas stated:
“It is true that my followers shall remain dominant over my opponents until the Day of Judgement. However, what one ought to ponder over is that not everyone who pledges allegiance at my hands shall be counted amongst my followers. Until they instil the true spirit of obedience within them, they cannot be counted as my followers. To obey means that one should demonstrate complete obedience, as if to say, they have become wholly immersed in their obedience; it is only then that the word ‘to obey’ shall be fulfilled in the true sense. From this, it is evident that God Almighty has decreed to establish a community for me that is completely devoted in their obedience to me and follows me in every aspect.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 8, p. 299)
Allah the Almighty shall indeed grant a community like this, whether it is us or some others, whether it is now or in the future, or those who came before us, or whether it is just a few of us or a majority from among us, but nonetheless, he shall be granted a community. This is a promise of Allah the Almighty.
These words are such that they shake one to the core. It is imperative that we evaluate ourselves and reflect on our standards of obedience. Are we striving to become the recipients of the prayers offered by the Promised Messiahas for his community and for those who truly accepted him? Are we striving to attain the grace of Allah the Almighty that was promised by God to the Promised Messiahas for his followers? Are we striving to achieve the standard of righteousness that the Promised Messiahas desired of his community’s members? If not, then these few prayers offered during Ramadan will be short-lived. Our worship and weeping for a few days will not make us deserving of the favours promised by Allah the Almighty to the Promised Messiahas.
Elaborating further on this, the Promised Messiahas writes in his book, Noah’s Ark;
“Let it be clear that to affirm the covenant of Bai’at with the tongue alone amounts to nothing unless it is practised with full, heartfelt resolve. (True determination and prayer are required for it to be considered complete.) Thus, whosoever fully acts upon my teachings enters that house of mine, concerning which God Almighty has promised in His Word:
اِنِّیْ اُحَافِظُ کُلَّ مَنْ فِیْ الدَّارِ
“That is, ‘I shall protect everyone who is within the four walls of your home.’” (Noah’s Ark, p. 17)
Thus, in order to safeguard against every trial and calamity, the Promised Messiahas enjoined us to follow his teaching and sincerely strive to come under the refuge of Allah the Almighty. Then you would witness how Allah the Almighty protects you from the onslaughts of Satan and the Dajjal [Antichrist]. In fact, as a result, Allah the Almighty would arm us with the necessary weapons to defeat Satan. Not only will we remain protected, but we will be capable of attacking Satan, thereby perpetually repelling him, safeguarding against the onslaughts of the Dajjal and destroying it.
On one occasion, the Promised Messiahas stated:
“Beware! It (i.e., Satan) won’t die by simply saying that Satan has died with your tongue. You must demonstrate through your deeds that Satan has died. The death of Satan should be evident in your deeds, not in your words.” One should not simply proclaim verbally that Satan has died; rather, one’s every action, every deed and every state should exhibit the fact that they are fighting against their Satan. The Promised Messiahas further states:
“It has been promised by God that Satan will die completely in the time of the last Messiah. Though Satan accompanies every person, the Satan of the Holy Prophetsa had become a Muslim [i.e., had submitted to the will of God].”
This is an example that has been established through the Sunnah. If we wish to overcome Satan, then we must tread according to this Sunnah. The Promised Messiahas further states:
“Similarly, God Almighty had promised that Satan would be completely uprooted in this age [of the Promised Messiah]. You already know that Satan runs away from لا حول [La haul]. But it is not so naive that it would run away merely because of your لا حول. (It will not be that if one recites لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰہِ that Satan will run away.) It would not run away even if لا حول is recited like that a hundred times . The fact of the matter is that those who are permeated by لا حول in every particle of their being, and who constantly beseech God Almighty alone for help and assistance, and who continually receive the blessings from Him—are the ones who are saved from Satan. (This should emanate from the heart whilst understanding its meaning. It should not be mere lip service.) And those are the people who will achieve success.”(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, pp. 74-75)
Then, in one gathering, the Promised Messiahas stated:
“God Almighty has begun the Holy Quran with a prayer and has ended it with a prayer as well. This signifies that man is so weak that without the grace of God, one cannot be cleansed. […]”
The Promised Messiahas mentioned this in one of his gatherings. In a different report, there is another statement wherein it says:
“Do not consider yourself to be pure, because nobody can become pure unless God purifies them.”
Nonetheless, the Promised Messiahas further says:
“[…] Aand without His help and assistance, one cannot excel in virtue. (If one wishes to excel in piety one requires the help of God Almighty.) In one hadith, it is said that all are dead except for the one who is revived by God, and all are lost except for the one who is guided by God, and all are blind except the one who is granted sight by God. In short, the truth is that the shackle of worldly love remains as a chain wrapped around one’s neck until one is bestowed the grace of God. Only those shed it who are blessed by God, but it should be kept in mind that even the grace of God needs supplication. (If one wishes to attain the grace of God, then one must supplicate for it as well.) Do not imagine that supplication is only the babbling of some words. On the contrary, supplication is a kind of death after which life is gained, as is expressed in a Punjabi couplet:
جو منگے سو مر رہے
مرے سو منگن جا
Meaning one who begs has to die first and one has to die first to be able to beg. If one is brave enough to accept death, then one can beg. The Promised Messiahas further states:
“Supplication has a magnetic effect. It attracts grace and blessings. What kind of supplication is it when one continually repeats:
اِہۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِیۡمَ
“with the tongue while he is preoccupied with the mundane thoughts of how he is going to make such and such a transaction, or such and such a task remains unfinished, or something should have happened that way, or he would do this if the situation changed that way? This is just squandering one’s life. Until one gives precedence to the Word of God and acts in compliance with it, his prayers are merely a waste of time.”
One ought to read the commandments Allah the Almighty has ordained for us in the Holy Quran. We read them in Ramadan and also listened to them in the various lessons. One ought to look at those and act upon them. Then the life one leads will be a fulfilling life. Their lives will become like those upon whom Allah bestowed His grace.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“It is clearly written in the Holy Quran:
قَدۡ اَفۡلَحَ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ فِیۡ صَلَاتِہِمۡ خٰشِعُوۡنَ
“Meaning that when the heart of a person is melted in the course of supplication; and he throws himself down before the Divine threshold with such devotion and sincerity as if he is totally lost in Him; and while abandoning all other thoughts, he begs grace and succour only from Him; and he is able to attain such concentration of mind that a kind of pathos and poignancy is created—then the door of success is flung open […]”
Only those believers succeed whose prayers are filled with fervency and humility. Only when the heart completely melts in this way can the door to success be opened. The blessings and succour of God Almighty arrive when one prays to Allah the Almighty, turning sincerely to Him.
The Promised Messiahas says:
“[…] Aand thereby the love of the world is cooled off. This is so because two loves cannot coexist in one place. So it is said:
ہم خدا خواہی و ھم دنیائے دُوں
ایں خیال است و محال است و جُنوں
“Meaning, claiming to have a love for God and the world simultaneously is wishful thinking; it is impossible, these two things cannot co-exist, it is sheer insanity.” The Promised Messiahas further states:
“This is why God says right after it [the above mentioned Quranic verse] that:
وَالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ عَنِ اللَّغۡوِ مُعۡرِضُوۡنَ
“[And who shun all that is vain]
“Here, ‘vain’ implies the world. Once Man starts to experience pathos and poignancy in his Prayers, then the love of this world is cooled off in his heart. It does not mean that he then quits his job, farming, or trade, etc. He starts to shun those mundane activities that involve deceit and distract him from God.”
Such a person avoids those worldly actions that are against the commandments of Allah the Almighty.
Explaining this point further, the Promised Messiahas mentioned in another gathering:
“Allah the Almighty states:
رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلۡہِیۡہِمۡ تِجَارَۃٌ وَّلَا بَیۡعٌ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِ اللّٰہِ
“Meaning that: There are those of Our servants who do not forget Me even for a moment in their big business enterprises. One who has a relationship with God is not called a worldly person. A worldly person is one who does not have God in his mind.”
Describing the attributes of the servants of God, the Promised Messiahas states:
“The result of crying, beseeching, begging, and showing humility before God is that for such a person, the love of his faith becomes his priority over everything else, such as the love of the world, greed, covetousness, luxury, and opulence. (This is the definition of giving precedence to one’s faith over worldly pursuits.) This is because, as a matter of principle, one virtuous deed attracts the next, and one sinful act incites the next. When they show pathos and humility in their Prayers, it leads them to instinctively shun vanity, and they escape this foul world. The love of this world is cooled off and the love of God is aroused within them.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, pp. 75-78 with footnote)
Their prayers incline them towards righteousness. Despite having worldly responsibilities, those do not become their main objective, as I mentioned in a previous sermon while explaining لا الٰہ الَّا اللّٰہ. Their purpose, desire and beloved is Allah the Almighty.
This is the standard we must achieve in order to eliminate our Satan. If we recite لا حول to ward off Satan, then at every moment, it should be firmly engrained in our minds that God Almighty is the Master of all ability and power. So much as a leaf cannot fall without the command of Allah the Almighty. Most of us will say that this is our belief, and we accept this, but when the time comes to put this belief into practice, other fears, worldly concerns, loves and desires prevail over the love for Allah the Almighty.
Therefore, true faith in Allah the Almighty and true worship of Allah the Almighty should impact both our physical conditions and our souls. When this becomes our standard of worship, then our apparent and fundamental morals will also progress to new heights. The hearts, minds and spirits become purified. By coming under the protection of Allah the Almighty, one becomes safeguarded against the various attacks and trickery of Satan. One achieves those levels of worship which cannot be infiltrated by anyone, aside from Allah. Along with doing justice in offering prayers and worship, we should bear in mind that it has been mentioned in a hadith that prayer is the essence of worship. (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 7, p. 367)
When we strive to achieve this essence, we will become those who do justice by offering prayer and worship. We will become those who attain nearness to Allah the Almighty. We will become those who bring about a revolution in our souls and our physical beings; otherwise, mere physical prayer renders no benefit. There are countless people who offer prayers and go to the mosque to worship but then exceed all bounds of committing injustices and cruelties. These terrorist organisations and so-called clerics commit every sort of injustice in the name of Allah the Almighty and His Messengersa. These people have destroyed the peace of the world. They are crueller than the worldly people who commit injustices for worldly purposes. Their injustices are for worldly pursuits, whereas these people commit injustices in the name of the Most Gracious and Most Merciful God and the Messengersa of God, who was a mercy for all peoples. Their evil example should propel Ahmadis to establish examples of Islamic teachings at the highest level. Our prayers, worship and supplications should be to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. If we achieve this purpose, then we will have honoured our oath of allegiance to the Promised Messiahas and will also have reaped the blessings of Ramadan. With regards to what our prayers should be like and how we can do justice to offering our prayers, the Promised Messiahas states:
“Thus, it should be remembered that salat is the very thing that helps ease all difficulties and wards off all calamities. But this salat does not mean the salat that common people offer as a ritual. Rather, it is that salat in which a person’s heart becomes tender while prostrating at the threshold of God, so much so that it becomes captivated as if the heart is melting. Moreover, it should also be understood that salat is to be guarded not because God is in need of it (our prayers and the safeguarding of our prayers is not because God is in need of our prayers). God has no need for our salat. He is:
غنی عن العالمین
“That is, He is not in need of anything. This means that Man is the one who needs salat. It is axiomatic that man desires good for himself (the truth of the matter is that man desires good for himself), and this is why he seeks help from God (a person seeks help from God for his own betterment). Establishing a bond with God means obtaining real goodness and virtue. If the entire world turns against such a person and seeks his destruction, it can cause no harm to him because God would destroy tens of millions for his sake if He needed to. God destroys millions in exchange for that single individual. Remember, salat is something that causes worldly and spiritual affairs to be set right (provided one offers prayers solely for Allah the Almighty and fulfils the rights owed to worship), but most who pray are cursed by their salat.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, pp. 80-81)
May Allah the Almighty enable us to fulfil the rights owed to prayer. May the standard of prayers never result in Allah the Almighty’s displeasure. May we become recipients of the favours of Allah the Almighty. May we build a relationship with Allah the Almighty, thereby partaking in the promises vouchsafed by Allah the Almighty to the Promised Messiahas. May we inculcate the habit of worship in our children such that it will guarantee not only their salvation, but the salvation of generations to come. When this is achieved, then, as the Promised Messiahas has stated, no deceit in the world or Satanic attack will be able to halt our progress. Even if the world makes thousands of plans to ruin and destroy us, it will not be able to cause us any harm. In fact, as the Promised Messiahas has stated, Allah the Almighty could destroy millions of people for the sake of His servants. Thus, we must strive to attain the love of Allah the Almighty and His pleasure, and truly elevate the standards of our worship. The Dajjal will certainly be destroyed in this era. This is a promise made by Allah the Almighty to the Promised Messiahas, and there is no doubt about it. It would be our good fortune if we, by raising our standards of worship and improving our conditions, become a part of those who fulfil the due rights of being part of the community of the Promised Messiahas. One method prescribed by the Promised Messiahas to duly fulfil this right is to demonstrate the utmost fervency and humility and to weep when offering supplications. In other words, to weep and express complete anguish and through humility, God Almighty will enable one to achieve this.
Thus, one should strive to achieve this rank. And how can one go about doing this? The Promised Messiahas states:
“None of your days or nights – —indeed not even a single moment of your life – —should be without supplication.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 10, p. 82)
Thus, when we achieve this state, we will become recipients of the grace of Allah the Almighty, and every onslaught of Satan and the Dajjal [Antichrist] will be rendered futile and ineffective. May Allah the Almighty enable us to follow His teachings and those of the Holy Prophetsa, and spend our lives in accordance with the desires of the Promised Messiahas, thereby fulfilling the right of our pledge of allegiance. May the pleasure of Allah the Almighty be our sole purpose. May we pledge never to rest until we are able to bring about a pure transformation within ourselves, such that our conditions conform to the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. May we never allow Satan to overcome us or our children and progeny. May we strive for this and endeavour to take all the measures that Allah the Almighty and the Holy Prophetsa have taught us in order to achieve this. May we also strive to rid the world of Satan and the Dajjal. May Allah the Almighty enable us to do so.
Pray for the Ahmadis in Pakistan that Allah the Almighty may protect them from the evil ploys of the opponents and may He turn their evil ploys back onto them. The Ahmadis residing in Pakistan should pray for themselves with great fervency and anguish. It should not be limited to just three or four days or a week. In fact, one ought to pray continuousally and pledge to transform their lives in accordance with the pleasure of God Almighty. Pray for the Ahmadis in Burkina Faso, Bangladesh and Algeria and for the Ahmadis living in every country of the world. May Allah the Almighty protect every Ahmadi from the evil ploys of the opponents. May He increase the faith and conviction of every Ahmadi. May Allah the Almighty enable us to make a pious transformation within ourselves and also grant us the opportunity to pray and may He accept the prayers as well.
(Official Urdu transcript published in Daily Al Fazl International, 12 May 2023, pp. 2-7. Translated by The Review of Religions.)