Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (ra) (1889-1965)
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Huzoor (ra) said:
A friend has just recited a portion of the Holy Quran, the final verse of which states:
قُلۡ مَا یَعۡبَؤُا بِکُمۡ رَبِّیۡ لَوۡ لَا دُعَآؤُکُمۡ
In this verse, Allah the Exalted commands: “O Messenger (sa), proclaim to these people on My behalf: ‘What need does your Lord have to care for you, if a continuous practice of supplication is not upheld on your part?’” (Surah al-Furqan, Ch.25: V.78)
God Almighty does not need us
If a person reflects on their existence, it becomes evident that God Almighty is in no need of them whatsoever. Generally, people harbour the misconception that by offering prayers, giving charity, paying zakat and performing hajj, they are doing God a favour. It is often observed that when some unwise individuals are struck by adversity, they complain, wondering why God has afflicted them, although they observe their prayers and adhere to other religious commandments. It is as though they feel in their hearts that God Almighty has wronged them. The Promised Messiah (as) used to relate the account of a man whose son passed away. When a friend visited to offer his condolences, the bereaved father burst into tears and cried out, “God has committed a grave injustice against me!” It was as though he believed God Almighty had wrongfully deprived him of his rightful due. Yet, one must reflect: what right has a human being ever established over God Almighty? It is profoundly perplexing that when adversity strikes, those who take pride in their observance of salat, fasting, zakat, hajj and their taqwa and piety are often the very ones who lament that God has treated them unfairly. By contrast, consider [Ghalib], that wine-drinking poet of India, who was altogether heedless of religion. In a moment of truth, despite being habituated to drink, he receives a divine intimation in his heart from Allah the Exalted and exclaims:
جان دی دی ہوئی اسی کی تھی
حق تو یہ ہے کہ حق ادا نہ ہوا
[“I yielded my life, though the life was His due; the truth is, the debt remains unpaid.” (Kanz-ul-Matalib Sharh Diwan-e-Ghalib, Natiq Gulauthvi, Lucknow: 1968, p. 80)]
Truth about our worldly possessions
One must reflect: from where did anything that departs from a person originally come? Consider your own standing; what is there that you can truly call your own? A man says he has a wife, but from where did she come? He claims to have children, but who granted them to him? Likewise, a house, land and all other possessions that are considered one’s own; where did they come from? If one earnestly contemplates the reality of these things, it will easily become evident that these possessions do not truly belong to man. Rather, they are gifts and bestowals from God Almighty and the Bestower retains the right to reclaim them whenever He pleases. In truth, a gift, by definition, is something which is not taken back. However, everything granted to man in this world will, without exception, be taken back. This demonstrates that man does not even receive true gifts in this world. Instead, all things are given merely as a temporary loan for his use and, therefore, the One Who has lent these things retains the right to reclaim them at will.
The two dimensions of du‘a, i.e., calling
God Almighty states:
مَا یَعۡبَؤُا بِکُمۡ رَبِّیۡ لَوۡ لَا دُعَآؤُکُمۡ
“Who do you think you are? Why would the Almighty concern Himself with a mere, insignificant human being?” Everything in this world ultimately culminates in God Almighty, as He states:
اِلٰی رَبِّکَ مُنۡتَہٰٮہَا
“There is no entity and no soul whose ultimate chain does not end with God Almighty.” (Surah an-Nazi‘at, Ch.79: V.45)
Since the ultimate end of all things rests with God Almighty, then if God Almighty does not Himself reach out to man out of His grace, what inherent significance does man hold that He should care for him?
The phrase لَوۡ لَا دُعَآؤُکُمۡ [lit. “Were it not for the calling of yours…”] carries two meanings. The first is, “if God Almighty does not call you”; the second is, “if you do not call upon Him.”
- Understood in the first sense, the verse signifies that had He not, of His own accord, made it binding upon Himself, saying, “I shall ‘call’ you” – that is to say, grant you prosperity and progress – then you could accomplish nothing. He Himself has made this incumbent upon Himself out of His grace; otherwise, man has no inherent right.
- The second interpretation is: what concern does Allah the Exalted have for you if you do not bow before Him with humility and meekness and say, “We have no right; if You bestow a favour, it is merely Your gracious exaltation of the lowly.”
Indeed, these two approaches constitute the path by which one attains righteousness [taqwa], progress and ultimate success. All advancement in this world is achieved through the diligent practice of these two tenets.
1. When the servants ‘call upon’ their Lord
Supplication [du‘a] does not mean merely raising one’s hands and saying, “O God, grant me such-and-such advancement,” or spending one’s whole life with a rosary in hand, repeating, “Allah, Allah.” Rather, true supplication entails an effective deployment of all the resources that God has provided for a particular task. For instance, to have children, God has established a natural process whereby a person needs to marry someone of their choice. Thus, if an individual does not get married but continues to pray for offspring, such supplication cannot be accepted. This is because the very essence of supplication requires one to first utilise all God-given resources and, alongside it, invoke God Almighty for success.
Then, consider, for example, how the government has established money-order forms; anyone wishing to transfer money from one place to another must fill in this form. This is an assistance the government provides to its citizens for sending money elsewhere. It has prescribed this method. However, if a person does not use this method but instead invents a method of their own – for instance, placing banknotes inside a book of poetry and leaving it at the post office with instructions to deliver it to a certain place – they cannot derive any benefit from the government’s assistance. This is because the method to seek the government’s help in transferring money elsewhere is either to send a money order or to use registered post.
Likewise, consider the process of filing a case in a civil court, which requires the payment of a specified court fee. Suppose the court fee is Rs 25 and a person does not pay this amount but instead burns a Rs 50 banknote, claiming that they have spent twice as much money and thus their case should be heard. Such a request will be rejected because the individual has not adhered to the formal procedure established by the state for initiating legal proceedings.
Similarly, Allah the Exalted has established distinct practices and processes for the proper conduct of every task. For example, supplication requires a specific process; the moral upbringing of children is governed by its own system; business affairs and employment are overseen by different and specific systems. One of the principles governing supplication [du‘a] is this: when a servant “calls upon” God – that is, when they act through the means He has appointed for progress – He hears them and grants them progress. A clear example of this principle can be observed in the peoples of Europe. They mastered the sciences, undertook research, exercised great effort and made discoveries and inventions. In turn, God Almighty granted them worldly success. This is because God has established this means for attaining such success: to labour diligently and, through sustained effort, seek discovery and innovation. The Europeans sought His help through this means and He heard their “du‘a” – that is, He granted success to their striving. Thus, they were given power, wealth, fame, awe and splendour, for they acted upon the means that Allah the Exalted had appointed for the attainment of such things.
Conversely, those who do not follow the due process, no matter how much effort they put in, will not reap any rewards for their misdirected hard work. Consider, for example, an entertainer who spends his entire day wandering the streets, parading a monkey for the amusement of the public. Though his physical labour may be much greater than that of a trader, the income the entertainer generates is nowhere near that of the trader. Why? Because the entertainer did not avail themselves of the system that God has put in place to earn considerable wealth.
Thus, one essential way to make progress in this world is to “call upon” God; that is, to make a full and proper use of the resources and avenues that God Almighty has provided for material advancement.
2. When God ‘calls’ His servants
The second meaning of this verse is to consider what would become of a servant if God Almighty did not “call” them. The example of servants “calling upon” God has already been given regarding the people of Europe or the Hindus in India, who achieved progress by utilising the resources and means appointed by God Almighty for such progress. However, the example of those who are “called” by God Almighty is that of the Prophets. The Holy Prophet (sa) led a private and secluded life; he would retreat to the Cave of Hira for worship and had abandoned all the means that lead to worldly progress. Then, one day, an angel of God appeared and said to him, “Rise, your Lord calls you.” God Almighty brought him out of seclusion and made him a sovereign. He was granted such immense success that his influence shaped religion, nation, civilisation and society. The true followers of the Holy Prophet (sa), without attending universities or conducting experiments in laboratories, became the teachers of the world in every domain. In whichever field they pursued, they surpassed the entire world.
One Companion, [Hazrat Urwah (ra)] narrates that Allah’s Messenger (sa) once gave him a gold coin [dinar] and instructed him to buy a goat for sacrifice. He thought to himself that in Medina one coin would buy only one goat, whereas in a nearby village he might be able to buy two for the same amount. He therefore went to a neighbouring village and bought two goats for one coin. On returning to Medina, he was asked by someone whether he would sell one of the goats. He replied in the affirmative and sold one of the goats for one coin. He then returned to Allah’s Messenger (sa), presented him with the goat and also the coin and, when asked, related the whole incident. Impressed by his business acumen, the Holy Prophet (sa) prayed for him. As a result, although the Arabs were not known for their trading skills like the Iranians and Romans, this Companion became so successful that he would say, “Even if I bought dust, it would sell at the price of gold.” People would insist on entrusting him with their money for investment, even when he declined. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-manaqib, Bab 28, Hadith 3642, Maktabah Daruslam, Riyadh: 1999, p. 611)
This is the second meaning of the verse لَوۡ لَا دُعَآؤُکُمۡ. This progress did not come from their personal skills or efforts; it was purely the call of God. Through this divine summons, the Holy Prophet (sa) attained extraordinary success and, alongside him, his devoted followers also continued to progress. It was as if, when a man mounts a horse, his coat, trousers and other garments rise with him. [In the same way, the followers of the Holy Prophet (sa) ascended by virtue of their connection to him.] Such was the extraordinary progress of those people that it is said that Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) was once appointed as the governor of a certain region during the conquests in which Kisra’s [Chosroes] treasures were seized. On that occasion, he came into possession of a handkerchief which Kisra had used as a decorative item during his royal court appearances. On one occasion, Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) sneezed and used it to wipe his nose, then remarked, “O Abu Hurairah! How your fortunes have changed! There was a time when you would collapse from extreme hunger and people thought you were having an epileptic fit; they would strike you on the head with their slippers. And now, you wipe your nose with Kisra’s handkerchief!” (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-zuhd, Bab ma ja’a fi ma‘ishati ashabi n-nabiyy, Hadith 2367; Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab ar-riqaq, Bab kayfa kana ‘ayshu n-nabiyyi wa ashabih, Hadith 6452; Ibid., Kitab al-i‘tisami bi l-kitabi wa s-sunnah, Hadith 7324)
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) accepted Islam quite late, only about three years before the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa). To make up for the lost time, he devoted himself entirely to the Mosque, spending his days there so he could hear everything Allah’s Messenger (sa) said. As a result of this dedication, he would go without food, sometimes missing up to seven consecutive meals. People assumed he had already eaten, so no one offered him anything. He would occasionally faint from extreme hunger and, as was customary in Arabia at the time, people would strike him on the head with their slippers, thinking he was suffering from an epileptic fit. Such had once been his condition and yet he attained such eminence that even the ornamental handkerchief of so mighty a ruler as Kisra came to serve the purpose of wiping his nose.
The power of righteous companionship
This is another example of the second meaning of لَوۡ لَا دُعَآؤُکُمۡ. When the Holy Prophet (sa) advanced, those attached to his mantle advanced with him. It is like the court of a viceroy: even great nobles and men of rank may at times be unable to enter, whereas his attendant may do so. In the same way, those who form a bond with the prophets of God also advance. That is why Allah the Exalted has commanded: کُوۡنُوۡا مَعَ الصّٰدِقِیۡنَ [“Be with the truthful.” (Surah at-Taubah, Ch.9: V.119)], for when the doors of divine favour are opened to the truthful, those in their company are also granted entry.
Conclusion
Thus, in order to attain success in this world, a person must either strive with utmost effort and dedication or forge such a deep and sincere connection with God Almighty that He, out of His grace, Himself opens the paths to success.
(Address delivered on 12 September 1931 at the Ahmadiyya Mosque, Sialkot, British India; first published in Al Fazl, Qadian on 27 September 1931, pp. 6-7; subsequently reprinted as Duniya Mein Taraqqi Karne Ke Gur, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 16, pp. 309-316; headings added editorially; translated by Prof Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, UK)