Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivers a faith-inspiring address from the ladies Jalsa Gah at Jalsa Salana UK 2021
Hadeeqatul Mahdi, 7 August 2021
At around 12:30 pm, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa arrived at the Lajna marquee. Upon arrival, Huzooraa briefly enquired Sadr Sahiba Lajna Imaillah UK about the attendance before taking a seat at the stage. Huzooraa then greeted everyone with assalamo alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. The session then started with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by its Urdu translation from Tafsir-e-Saghir:
اِعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّمَا الۡحَیٰوۃُ الدُّنۡیَا لَعِبٌ وَّ لَہۡوٌ وَّ زِیۡنَۃٌ وَّ تَفَاخُرٌۢ بَیۡنَکُمۡ وَ تَکَاثُرٌ فِی الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَ الۡاَوۡلَادِ ؕ کَمَثَلِ غَیۡثٍ اَعۡجَبَ الۡکُفَّارَ نَبَاتُہٗ ثُمَّ یَہِیۡجُ فَتَرٰٮہُ مُصۡفَرًّا ثُمَّ یَکُوۡنُ حُطَامًا ؕ وَ فِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ عَذَابٌ شَدِیۡدٌ ۙ وَّ مَغۡفِرَۃٌ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَ رِضۡوَانٌ ؕ وَ مَا الۡحَیٰوۃُ الدُّنۡیَاۤ اِلَّا مَتَاعُ الۡغُرُوۡرِ – سَابِقُوۡۤا اِلٰی مَغۡفِرَۃٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ وَ جَنَّۃٍ عَرۡضُہَا کَعَرۡضِ السَّمَآءِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ۙ اُعِدَّتۡ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَ رُسُلِہٖ ؕ ذٰلِکَ فَضۡلُ اللّٰہِ یُؤۡتِیۡہِ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ ذُو الۡفَضۡلِ الۡعَظِیۡمِ – مَاۤ اَصَابَ مِنۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٍ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ لَا فِیۡۤ اَنۡفُسِکُمۡ اِلَّا فِیۡ کِتٰبٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ نَّبۡرَاَہَا ؕ اِنَّ ذٰلِکَ عَلَی اللّٰہِ یَسِیۡرٌ – لِّکَیۡلَا تَاۡسَوۡا عَلٰی مَا فَاتَکُمۡ وَ لَا تَفۡرَحُوۡا بِمَاۤ اٰتٰٮکُمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ لَا یُحِبُّ کُلَّ مُخۡتَالٍ فَخُوۡرِ
“Know that the life of this world is only a sport and a pastime, and an adornment, and (a source of) boasting among yourselves, and (of) rivalry in multiplying riches and children. (This life is) like the rain the vegetation produced whereby rejoices the tillers. Then it dries up and thou seest it turn yellow; then it becomes broken pieces of (straw). And in the Hereafter there is severe punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah, and (His) pleasure. And the life of this world is nothing but (temporary) enjoyment of deceitful things. Vie with one another in seeking forgiveness from your Lord and for a Garden the value whereof is equal to the value of the heaven and the earth; it has been prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messenger. That is Allah’s grace; He bestows it upon whomsoever He pleases, and Allah is the Lord of immense grace. There befalls not any calamity either in the earth or in your (own) persons, but it is recorded in a Book before We bring it into being — surely, that is easy for Allah — That you may not grieve over what is lost to you nor exult because of that which He has given to you. And Allah loves not any selfconceited boaster.” (Surah al-Hadid, Ch. 57: V. 21-24)
Next, an Urdu poem of the Promised Messiahas, in praise of Allah the Almighty, was presented.
Then, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa came to the podium and once again conveyed his salaam to everyone. He then recited, Tashahhud, Ta’awwuz, Surah al-Fatihah and delivered a faith-inspiring address, a brief summary of which is as follows:
Nowadays, such a notion of so-called freedom has taken hold in the name of enlightenment, which, rather than ensuring enlightenment, is in fact a means of pushing people further into the darkness. It is a superficial and shallow concept, that nobody has even cared to assess its real impact and compare its supposed benefits and harm. Aspects of this so-called freedom and enlightenment have more harm than benefits. It is being completely ignored that in the name of this so-called enlightenment and freedom, the future of posterity is being jeopardized. It is not only causing people to fall into the pits of darkness but also pushing their future generations into them. This so-called freedom is being extensively propagated and exploited through social media. It is being presented in a way that people seem to have given up their faculty of thinking, which would enable them to realise as to what destruction they are calling upon themselves. When worldly people try to save themselves from evil, they fall into another evil, for their spiritual eyes are closed. Moreover, worldliness and a detachment from religion have pushed people so far away from religion, that they do not even wish to take religion into any consideration.
As for the religion of Islam, generally, very harsh criticism is levelled against it. Islam is particularly targeted in this regard. The teaching of Islam is described as outdated, which does not have any room in this modern world. This is what is said about Islam. However, in fact, it is only the religion of Islam, that has teachings that stipulate the rights of everyone in the society. It gives guidance on freedom and on its bounds and limits. It also guides us as to how there can be a balance between the two.
Today, I would like to speak on certain matters related to women. Generally, an allegation is raised against Islam that it does not give rights to women. This criticism is unfounded and stems from ignorance of the teachings of Islam.
The most fundamental Islamic principle with regards to rights is that one should not merely emphasise gaining more rights. Rather one should also pay full attention to fulfilling the rights owed to others in order to establish an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in society and everyone should also fulfil their respective obligations. Where on the one hand, Islam explains the rights of everyone, on the other hand, it also expounds everyone’s responsibilities. Islam does not only tell women that they should attain their rights, but it also warns them with regards to realising their status and safeguarding themselves from all evil. This is the all-comprehensive teaching of Islam which truly establishes the rights of every section of society and guarantees freedom. This teaching cannot be matched by any other religious teaching or worldly law.
As I mentioned earlier, today I will speak on the rights, responsibilities and status of women with reference to the teaching of Islam. Allah the Exalted has given commandments about women at countless places in the Holy Quran, the practical example of these commandments is found in the blessed life of the Holy Prophetsa, which demonstrates how he established the honour of women. Moreover, in this age, the Promised Messiahas drew our attention to establishing the honour and respect of women. When we study the matters related to the rights of women that are mentioned in the Holy Quran which were further explained to us by the practical example and the sayings of the Holy Prophetsa, and then elucidated by the Promised Messiahas and then interpreted by the Khulafa in light of those explanations, then there remains no reason for any Ahmadi lady to think, upon listening to anti-religionists, that Islam does not give them their due rights.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has outlined the rights that Islam bestowed upon women in his commentary of Surah al-Kauthar in his Tafsir-e-Kabir. He made it clear, in light of the teachings of the Holy Quran, that the women’s rights that Islam had established, were not present in any previous scripture. Rather, one can say that they were not present in any worldly law. The Holy Quran does not only recognise the rights of women but rather there is such a strong emphasis on them that a whole avenue of knowledge has been opened to us and we can gain evergreen guidance from it.
Huzooraa then outlined the Islamic teachings on marriage in Islam, on the rights owed to the family, on the just and kind treatment of women and the equal spiritual rewards for women in Islam.
In the end, some poems [taranas] were recited in various languages by the ladies, which was an extremely emotional sight. Huzooraa listened to the taranas before proceeding to the men’s Jalsa Gah to lead the Zuhr and Asr prayers, after which he returned to his residence.
