A UN human rights report on Tuesday highlighted the “Climate apartheid” the world is headed towards, where the rich escape the disastrous effects of climate change while the poor bite the bullet.
Philip Aston, the special rapporteur on extreme poverty to the UN Human Rights Council, panned out the failures of governments in effectively coping with climate change despite warnings from scientists since the 1970s, referring to “thirty years of [climate change] conventions” as having little effect and “an over-reliance on the private sector” conceivably leading to an apartheid of suffering between the rich and the poor.
The wealthy could “pay to escape overheating, hunger, and conflict, whilst the rest of the world is left to suffer”, he wrote. If governments neglect effective measures and rely solely on the private sector to contend with global warming, then, according to Aston, we could almost guarantee “massive human rights violations” where “hundreds of millions will face food insecurity, forced migration, disease and death.”
The reality is harsh. Climate change is only a mere brick within the colossal mansion of global tragedies constructed by humanity. Rifts between the rich and the poor are growing and climate change is another category that is aiding this gap in the society.
The Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa has pinpointed the upsetting consequences of disparity between rich and poor nations before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs at the Netherlands National Parliament in 2015 saying:
“In terms of international relations, a major source of conflict may well be the discrepancy between the rich and poor nations of the world.” However, addressing the solution, Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa has, and continues to, underline the cause of these destructive “discrepancies” – the absence of justice.
An underlying theme throughout the UN report was the vital role and responsibility of governments in acting, consequently reducing suffering of the underprivileged.
Much of the current fiasco of global issues boils down to the responsibility of those in authority – wars, poverty, national health issues and economic downfalls can wholly or partly be side-stepped if those in power not merely act, but rather do so with absolute justice.
The importance of unqualified justice and freeing ourselves from the shackles of vested interests is the Quranic antidote to global unrest Huzooraa has stressed for years on end.
Global warming will continue to destroy the bridge between the rich and poor and as Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa has expressed, advocacy for taking care of our planet is “an extremely precious and noble cause”.
Going “green” will most definitely aid in reducing the burden on poor nations, however, the same global cry we hear for climate change is needed for more critical issues at hand; addressing poverty head on, the global arms race, the chaos of wars and conflicts, the rise of nationalism, terrorism and the injustices by governments upon their populace.
A mere scan of the world’s news unearths the suffering, pain and destruction wars have caused throughout the world, especially in the Middle East. Yet the same cries and anguish in response to issues like climate change cannot be heard at a similar scale. Thus, as Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa has said, “On the one hand, we are trying to save the planet, yet with our other hand, we are senselessly destroying it.”
Global warming is another ingredient added to the cauldron of global unrest. Nevertheless, for lasting peace we cannot turn a blind eye to the problems that deserve our prime attention and as Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa has stressed, “If we are to leave behind a legacy of hope for our children, and bequeath a peaceful world to our future generations, we, irrespective of our religion or beliefs, need to urgently change our priorities.”
“He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance
and the Religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, even
if those who associate partners with God hate it”. (Surah al-Saff, Ch.61: V.10)
Technology in the modern age has evolved in leaps and
bounds providing mankind with platforms as were never thought of before.
This revolution in civilisation that started from the
basic invention of the telephone allowing for the communication of humans
across long distances has become increasingly expanded to the point where, at
the click of a button, whole messages can be transmitted across the entire
world in a matter of seconds.
With such an advancement, one wonders concerning the
reason for such rapid technological evolution in the past few years. What
purpose does this technology maintain in the modern day and age?
Islam explains the role of technology in the current age
as a medium through which it will be propagated and prevail over all other
religions of the world.
The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa was entrusted with
two important tasks: the perfection of the guidance and the completion of the
propagation of that guidance.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas
declared that the second task was to be fulfilled in his time and after him,
through his community. He said:
“It should be borne in mind … The perfection of guidance
from every aspect took place through [the Holy Prophet’ssa] first
advent, and the completion of the propagation of guidance was accomplished
through his second advent … This makes it clear that he will have a second
advent … [that] is now taking place. Thus, this is the time of the completion
of the propagation of guidance … Therefore, these advancements are in fact the
advancements of the Holy Prophetsa because through them, the second
part of the excellence of his perfect guidance is being completed.” (Malfuzat,
Vol. 4, p. 10)
In the years leading up to the appearance of the Promised
Messiahas, the Industrial Revolution was well underway. It was a
period of great technological development which began in the middle of the 18th
century and stretched as far as the mid-1800s.
This industrial revolution took place at such a rapid
pace, with such inexplicable and unimaginable technological creations that it
seems to have been done in quick preparation for a great transformation of the
world. Within a century, the living standards of the masses had undergone a
complete change to a level as had never been attained before.
The connection between the age of technological
advancement and the advent of the Promised Messiahas is staggering
and cannot be ignored. The Promised Messiahas once commented, “It is
a matter of principle that whenever a messenger appears in the world, all great
world events and revolutions that take place in his time are attributed to his
advent.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 9, p. 366)
These innovations were put in place by God Almighty so
that the prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa would attain fulfilment as
he had declared:
“The Hour [i.e. Judgment Day] will not come until time
draws near and a year becomes like a month, a month like a week, a week like a
day, a day like an hour, and an hour like a burning piece of wood” (Jami‘
al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Zuhd an Rasulillahsa)
Indeed, by way of trains, airplanes, cars, telegraphs,
postal services and printing presses, the world has become a global village,
making it possible to spread the teachings of Islam throughout the world with
unprecedented ease.
The Promised Messiahas wrote:
“O ye who yearn and thirst for truth, listen! … God has
Himself provided the means for fulfilling His prophecy that the message of the
Messiah will spread in the world like lightening and will encompass all four
corners of the earth like the light from a tower. The railways, telegraph,
steamships, excellent postal services, easy modes of travel and tourism and
other such means have been established to fulfill the prophecy that the message
of the Messiah will illuminate every corner like lightening. The true nature of
the tower of the Messiah that is mentioned in the Ahadith is that the Messiah’s
invitation and message will spread on this earth very quickly just as light or
sound from a tower reaches far.” (The British Government and Jihad, p.
18)
The Promised Messiahas was in constant
interaction with technology and considered all new innovations to be stepping
stones through which he could convey the message of God to mankind.
One of the greatest technological advancements was the
invention of the printing press which made the production and spreading of
books more efficient and easy, since scribes were no longer required to
meticulously handwrite every book.
Another invention of great significance of the Promised
Messiah’sas era was the camera that, according to Hazrat Ahmadas,
allowed people of Western origin to “… estimate the level of one’s spiritual
prowess … The reason I had my picture taken was to benefit from this medium in
calling others towards Islam”. (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, pp. 364-365)
The phonograph was a device which recorded and reproduced
sounds. This machine quickly gained fame and when it arrived in India, the
Promised Messiahas was highly enthusiastic about this invention,
remarking :
“Up until now, this phonograph has only been used for
fun, but in actuality, God has kept this invention for us and great tasks will
be carried out through it.” (Al Hakam, 10 November 1901, p. 4)
The advancement of technology has provided us such tools
and gadgets that we can watch MTA according to our own convenience, wherever we
want, whenever we want.
In his Friday Sermon of 11 November 2016, Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
“MTA is a medium to connect the Jamaat with Khilafat”
And, in our age, technology has become even more advanced
in the abundance of resources available for the propagation of Islam. Platforms
such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter allow for the spread of Islam
by merely liking or sharing a certain saying of the Promised Messiahas
or his Khulafa. Through resources such as the Al Islam, Al Hakam and the
Review of Religions websites, answers to allegations against the Islamic
philosophy may be found in as simple an act as typing the question into the search
bars.
Hence, technology has become very easy to garner our
interests. This era of technological advancement provides the Promised Messiahas
and his community with the necessary tools by which to propagate the message of
Islam to the corners of the world.
May Allah enable us all to understand the importance and
means of the proper use of modern day technology in order to bring about the
victory of Islam. Amin.
The
topic of iqamatus-salat – the observance of Salat – is based on just two
words, yet its subject matter entails a diverse ocean of wisdom and
understanding. These two words encompass a fundamental commandment of Allah the
Exalted; in fact, they entail the purpose for mankind’s creation and the means
of acquiring this purpose.
The first injunction for mankind mentioned
in the Holy Quran is to worship Allah. Islam has made it compulsory for Muslims
to observe a specified form of worship called Salat, one of the five pillars of
Islam and a fundamental requirement of faith.
The topic of iqamatus-salat
possesses a major significance in the life of a Muslim. It has been made the
responsibility of every Muslim that they firmly act upon this commandment,
enlightening themselves with its true understanding and fulfilling this purpose
of their life, when they hear the call:
“Thou, O soul at peace! Return to thy Lord
well pleased with Him and He well pleased with thee. So enter thou among my
chosen servants, and enter thou My garden.” (Surah al-Fajr, Ch.89:
V.28-31)
Significance of observing prayer
The observance of prayer is a fundamental
pillar of Islam, the fulfilment of which is obligatory upon every Muslim. In
the beginning of the Holy Quran, Allah says that true believing and virtuous
people are those who “yuqimunas-salat” – observe prayer. (Surah
al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.4)
Later on
in the Holy Quran, Allah emphatically states:
“… observe prayer, and be not of those who
associate partners with God.” (Surah al-Rum, Ch.30: V.32)
On the day of resurrection, when the
wrongdoers will be asked what led them to Hell, their answer shall be:
لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّيْنَ
“…We were not of those who offered prayers.”
(Surah al-Mudathir, Ch.74: V.44)
In the sight of Allah the Exalted, beloved
and accepted worshippers are those:
الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُوْنَ
“…who are constant in their prayer.”
(Surah al-Ma‘arij, Ch.70: V.24)
الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ
“Who are humble in their prayers.” (Surah
al-Muminun, Ch.23: V.3)
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
“And those who are strict in their
observance of prayer.” (Surah al-Ma‘arij, Ch.70: V.35)
Consistency in prayer, humility in prayer
and the safeguarding of prayers are the fundamental pillars of iqamatus-salat.
Similarly, the offering of prayer in congregation and its timely observance,
and the fulfilment of all the conditions with firm assiduousness are essential
for the fulfilment of iqamatus-salat.
Regarding the consideration of time, the
Quran states:
“Watch over prayers, and the middle
prayer, and stand before Allah submissively.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.239)
In other words, the more engagements to
which one is tied, the greater the significance becomes of observing prayers on
time. Abandoning all other engagements, granting precedence to the prayer and
assembling for its observance on time is in actuality the true meaning of iqamatus-salat.
This shall be the apparent expression of the oath which every Ahmadi Muslim, by
the grace of Allah, undertakes; namely that “I shall give precedence to my
faith over all worldly affairs.”
It is mentioned in a Hadith, “One who does
not offer his prayers intentionally has committed infidelity” (Majma
al-Zawaid, Kitab al-Salat) and in another Hadith, “On the day of
resurrection, the first thing one shall be called to account for is the prayer”
(Sunan al-Nisai, Kitab al-Salat). Elsewhere in the Hadith, it is
mentioned that the thing which separates a believer from an infidel is the
observance of prayer. Furthermore, it is stated, “Salat is the pillar of
religion.” (Shuab-ul-Iman, Al-Salat)
In other words, Salat is the foundation of
Islam, without which the edifice of faith cannot remain erect.
The books of the Promised Messiahas
are replete with resounding instructions pertinent to the observance of prayer.
For entrance into the Jamaat, in the ten conditions of Bai‘at (initiation)
formulated by the Promised Messiahas, the third condition states
that every individual who does Bai‘at:
“Shall regularly offer the five daily
Prayers in accordance with the commandments of God and the Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa.”
Then the
Promised Messiahas writes:
“Whosoever does not observe the five daily
prayers, is not of my community.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 31)
The
Promised Messiahas further states:
“Prayer is the Right of Allah; fulfil it
well … Even if the entire house is destroyed, let it be, but do not discard the
prayer. The Holy Quran speaks of two paradises, one of which is the paradise of
this world, which is the prayer”. (Malfuzat, Vol. 6, p. 370)
Significance of prayer
The
entire Holy Quran is full of the emphatic mention of prayer. Prayer possesses
central significance in the prophetic traditions, the Sunnah and there is
abundant mention of prayer in the Hadith of the Holy Prophetsa as
well. Benefitting from all three of these means of guidance, and becoming
saturated by that fountain of knowledge and understanding, the beautiful manner
in which the Promised Messiahas, the Imam of the Age, has mentioned
prayer is a faith-inspiring exposition and one that should be pondered
upon.
The Promised Messiahas has
stated:
“In reality, Salat is but a name for
plunging into a fire, and after plunging into a fire of Divine love and fear of
Allah, to burn one’s being and burn everything except Allah; and it is but a
name for such a state wherein God, and only God remains in sight; and man
progresses to such a state wherein he speaks when God wishes, and walks when
God wishes; the whole of his moving or remaining still, his performing an
action or abandoning an action begins to conform to Allah’s will and the ego is
annihilated.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 10, p. 314)
The Promised Messiahasstates
on another occasion:
“Prayer does not imply that prayer which is observed by the common people as a mere tradition, rather, prayer is that by which the heart of a person is tendered and falls before the Divine threshold becoming so immersed that it begins to melt”. (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 402 [new edition])
Then he states:
“What is
meant by prayer? It is a supplication that is humbly entreated by extolling His
holiness [tasbih], praise [tahmid] and sanctity [taqdis],
and seeking his forgiveness [istighfar], and by invoking salutations
upon the Holy Prophet [Durood].” (Noah’s Ark, p. 110)
Furthermore,
the Promised Messiahas writes:
“What is prayer? It is to present one’s
humility and supplications and weaknesses before God and to desire the
fulfilment of needs from Him; at times, to stand before Him respectfully, to
pay homage to His magnificence and fulfil his commandments; at times, to fall
before him in prostration with complete humility and modesty, to implore one’s
needs from Him – this is Prayer. Just like a beggar, to praise Allah saying,
‘You are like so and you are like such and such.’ To express His magnificence
and majesty and inducing His mercy, then imploring of Him.” (Al Hakam,
31 March 1903, pp. 7-8)
He then
states:
“A prayer in which there is no humility,
no attraction towards God the Exalted, no weeping supplication before God the
Exalted, is in itself a deficient prayer. Prayer is that in which one feels
pleasure in supplication. Stand before God the Exalted with such attention that
a state of emotion overcomes you, as if an individual is detained in a dreadful
lawsuit and a verdict of imprisonment or hanging is to be announced. What is
his state before the judge? Similarly, one should stand before Allah with a
fearful heart. A prayer in which the heart is at one place, while the thoughts
are somewhere else, and the mouth says something, is a curse, which is thrown
back in the face of man, and is not accepted. Allah the Almighty says:
‘So woe
to those who pray but are unmindful of their prayer [Surah al-Ma‘un, Ch.107:
V.5-6].’ True prayer is that which feels pleasurable. It is this very prayer,
in the description of which, it has been said that prayer is the spiritual apex
– Mi‘raj – of a believer. Prayer is the means of spiritual progress for
a believer.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, pp. 44-45 [new edition])
True meaning of iqamatus-salat
The
phrase used in the Holy Quran for the observance of prayer is iqamatus-salat.
This phraseology has not been used in the Holy Quran merely once or twice;
rather, it has been used 47 times, by which one can fathom its significance and
greatness. The word “iqamah” is a complete and eloquent word that houses
a world of meanings.
In Tafsir-e-Kabir,
Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, the Second Khalifa of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, has mentioned various meanings of Iqamatus-Salah:
1. Regular observance of prayer
“The
meaning of iqamatus-salat is to observe prayer regularly because the
meaning of Qama ‘alal amri means to remain constant in something.
Therefore, the meaning of yuqimunas-salat would be that ‘they do not
desist in offering their prayers’. A prayer wherein there is a discontinuation
is not considered true prayer in Islam, because prayer is not of temporary
deeds, rather, it is considered a complete deed if there is no cessation from
the first prayer after repentance or after reaching an age of maturity, until
the last prayer before one’s demise. All the prayers of those people who tend
to miss their prayers in between are rejected. Therefore, it is the obligation
of every Muslim that when they reach an age of maturity, or when Allah enables
them to do so, from that time until their demise, they should not miss a single
prayer, because prayer is equivalent to meeting Allah, and he who refrains from
meeting his beloved, passes a judgement contrary to his so-called claim of love
by himself.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 104)
2. Observance along with the fulfilment of
all requirements
“The
second meaning of iqamah is of equilibrium and rectitude, i.e., the
virtuous offer their prayers according to its apparent conditions, and do not
break the rules set for it. For example, in a state of health or in the
availability of water, they offer their prayers after performing ablution, and
even then, they perform their ablution properly according to the conditions set
by the Shariah. Similarly, they offer their prayers at the appointed time, and
perform the actions of qiyam, ruku, sajdah and qa‘dah
correctly. They recite the appointed passages and prayers upon their proper
place properly and correctly. Therefore, they pay consideration to all the
apparent conditions and fulfil them properly.
“At this place, it should be
remembered that although the Shariah states that the prayer should be offered
with its set conditions, this does not mean that when the fulfilment of these
conditions is not possible in extreme circumstances, one should abandon the
prayer altogether. The prayer itself is in any case precedent to the conditions.
If someone does not have clean clothes, they may offer their prayers in dirty
clothes, and especially, to abandon the prayer on the basis of suspicion is
completely illogical … Until the fulfilment of the conditions is possible, to
disregard them is a sin. However, when it is impossible to fulfil the
conditions, to abandon prayer due to their unavailability is a sin, and such a
person shall not be considered excused, rather they shall be considered those
who abandon the prayer.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 104)
3. To erect a falling prayer
“The third meaning of iqamah is to
keep something upright, i.e. the worshipper does not let their prayer fall.
They remain forever adamant in offering their prayer correctly and as per the
stipulated conditions. If in one’s prayer, someone … is assailed by thoughts of
difficulty, they should not be dismayed and should not consider their prayers
useless, because Allah the Exalted only expects sacrifice from His servant to
the extent of their capacity. Therefore, those worshippers whose thoughts
remain dispersed, if they continue to try and beautify their prayers and remain
attentive, they will be striving to keep their prayer upright whenever it
stumbles. Allah the Exalted shall not waste their prayers, rather He shall accept
them and shall include one who endeavours to erect their prayer among the
virtuous.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol.1, p. 105)
4. To encourage and motivate others for
prayer
“Another meaning of ‘yuqimunas-salat’
is that the virtuous encourage others to pray, because one manner in which to
erect something is to make it common and to encourage others to it. Therefore,
the virtuous who act upon yuqimunas-salat are those who, in addition to
praying themselves, keep instructing others to pray as well, and make those who
are negligent prompt and vigilant.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol.1, p. 105)
5. Prayer in congregation
“Wherever
the Holy Quran has enjoined prayer, it has instructed for prayer to be offered
in congregation. Nowhere is it ordered that one simply offers prayers alone. It
is evident therefore that prayer in congregation is a significant principle of
faith, rather the Holy Quran … states that prayer is only observed correctly if
offered in congregation, unless there is an uncontrollable restraint. As such,
an individual who abandons prayer in congregation, except in the case that they
are ill, out of town or other Muslims are not present, even if they offer their
prayer at home, it shall not be accepted, and they shall be considered as one
who abandons the prayer.
“In the
Holy Quran … the actual instruction is that the compulsory prayers be offered
in congregation, and prayer in solitude is permitted only under extreme
circumstances. If one cannot offer the prayers standing, they are permitted to
do so whilst sitting. However, just as if someone who possesses the ability to
stand and pray but does so whilst sitting, they shall be considered a sinner,
similarly, one who can offer the prayer in congregation, but does not offer
their prayer in congregation, they too shall be considered a sinner.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir,
Vol. 1, pp. 105-106)
6. To offer prayer with complete
attention, togetherness and vigilance
“Another meaning of ‘yuqimunas-salat’ is also that the prayer be offered in a lively manner and with vigilance, because thoughts are dispersed as a result of laziness and negligence, and the essence of prayer is lost.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol.1, p. 106)
An important matter
With
regard to iqamatus-salat, it should be remembered that for a Muslim to
observe prayer on their own is not sufficient, rather prayer must be
established as a communal worship, and this system should continue generation
after generation.
This
issue is so important that Allah the Exalted especially instructed his beloved
Holy Messengersa:
“And enjoin prayer on thy people, and be
constant therein.” (Surah Taha, Ch.20: V.133)
It
should be remembered that every individual who attributes himself to the Holy
Prophetsa and makes a claim of love and devotion to him, is included
in this injunction. To continually instruct members of the household to offer
prayer is a responsibility and a quality which is greatly liked by Allah the
Exalted. Whilst alluding to Hazrat Ishmaelas, Allah the Almighty
states:
“He used to enjoin Prayer and almsgiving
on his people, and he was well-pleasing to his Lord.” (Surah Maryam, Ch.19:
V.56)
It is necessary to keep this aspect of iqamatus-salat
in consideration, for it is the means of securing a good family and good
children.
A beautiful prayer
Iqamatus-salat is such
an excellent quality and so very necessary for a true Muslim, that the prayer
which Hazrat Abrahamas offered for this purpose was so liked by
Allah the Blessed and Exalted that He made it a part of the Holy Quran, thus
preserving it for all eternity. In this manner a message has been given to
every individual of the Muslim Ummah (Community) that if we wish to acquire maqam-e-Ibrahim
(the lofty status of Abrahamas) in our worship, if we wish to attain
maqam-e-mahmud (the highly commended status), then it is incumbent that
we fasten this Abrahamic prayer to our soul. Not only should a Muslim adopt iqamatus-salat
in their own life, but wish and pray for the same in the lives of one’s future
generations as well.
What a beautiful prayer it is, which has
been taught to us:
“My Lord make me observe Prayer, and my
children too. Our Lord! Do accept my prayer. Our Lord, grant forgiveness to me
and to my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning will take
place.” (Surah Ibrahim, Ch.14: V.41-42)
A few points of wisdom
I
present two points of profound wisdom from the Promised Messiahas
that shed further light on the topic under discussion. Firstly, in order for a
Muslim to establish their prayer, sacrifice is necessary. The strictness and
discipline inflicted upon the soul also becomes a means of reward and
blessings. The Promised Messiahas states:
“Opposing the self is also a form of
worship. When man is sleeping, he desires to sleep more, but he opposes the
self, and goes to the mosque. This opposition is also worthy of reward.” (Malfuzat,
Vol.2, p. 552 [new edition])
Secondly,
in a youthful age, when one’s health is good and the body is strong, one should
especially pay attention to worship. The Promised Messiahas
states:
“If he spent this period [i.e., the period
of his youth] in the worship of Allah, the reformation of the self and
obedience to God, the fruit which he shall reap is that in his old age, when he
shall be unable to perform any worship, and inactivity and tardiness shall
overcome him, the angels shall continue to record the same prayer, fasting,
Tahajjud [pre-dawn prayer], etc. which he used to offer in his youth. And this
is the grace of Allah, that despite the fact that he is unable to perform
deeds, God considers him exempt and the same deeds are recorded in his
account.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 199 [new edition])
Seven stages in the spiritual journey of the
observance of prayer
There
are seven stages in the spiritual journey of the observance of prayer. The
right of the establishment of prayer can fully be offered only after one passes
through these stages. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra has
elaborated upon this exquisite topic in a remarkable manner. He states:
“The first stage, below which there is no
stage whatsoever, is that man offers his five daily prayers regularly. A Muslim
who offers his five daily prayers and does not break in between acquires the
lowest level of faith.
“The second stage in prayer is that all
five prayers are offered at the stipulated time. When one offers his five daily
prayers on time, he steps to the second ladder of faith.
“The third stage is that the prayer be
offered in congregation. By the congregational observance of prayer, man steps
to the third ladder of faith.
“The fourth stage is that man observes the
prayer whilst understanding its meaning. An individual who does not know the
translation of prayer should learn the translation and observe prayers.
Moreover, one who does know the translation should offer the prayer slowly,
until he understands that he has done justice to the prayer.
“Then, the fifth stage is that man becomes
fully engrossed in the prayer. Just as one plunges into water, man should
plunge into his prayer, until he acquires one of the two ranks: either that he
is seeing God, or if not, he firmly believes that God the Exalted is seeing
him.
“After this, the sixth stage of belief is
that an individual offers the nawafil (voluntary prayers). One who
offers the nawafil expresses to God the Exalted that he has offered his
obligation but he has not yet become satisfied by them, and he says, ‘O God, it
is my desire to remain in Your royal court beyond the times of
obligation.’
“The seventh stage of belief is that man
not only offers his five daily prayers and observes the nawafil, but
also prays Tahajud (Late night/pre-dawn prayer) during the night. These are the
seven stages by which prayer is deemed complete.
“Hence, it is necessary for an individual
to attain these seven stages. It is the responsibility of every individual that
he observes prayer on time. It is the responsibility of every individual that
he observes the prayer in congregation. It is the responsibility of every
individual that he observes the prayer whilst understanding it, after learning
its translation. It is the responsibility of every individual that in addition
to the obligatory prayer timings, he offers the nawafil during the night
and day … Then every individual should offer his obligatory and supererogatory
[nawafil] prayers with such assiduousness that even his nights become
days.
“Similarly, one should try to acquire the
greatest possible advantage from the supplications of Tahajud. Until and unless
one does not safeguard his prayers in this manner, for one to think that one
can please God is nothing more than a fallacy.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 6,
pp. 135-136)
Curing insipidity in prayer
When
alluding to the topic of iqamatus salat, the question can arise that if
one finds no pleasure in offering prayer, how can one familiarise oneself with
it? The answer has been provided most beautifully by the Promised Messiahas:
“Whenever such a state persists that the
love and pleasure which was once felt in prayer no longer remains, one should
not tire, and should not be dismayed and lose strength but should be concerned
as to how this lost wealth can be reacquired, and the cure is taubah, istighfar
(repentance) and supplication. One should not abandon prayer due to insipidity,
rather they should increase prayer even further. Just as when an alcoholic is
not intoxicated, they do not abandon drinking, but drinks more and more, until
finally, they experience pleasure and satisfaction; likewise, someone who feels
insipidity in prayer, should offer prayer in further abundance, and it is not
appropriate to tire. Ultimately a state of pleasure shall come about through
that very insipidity.
“Look at how deep one must dig into the
earth to acquire water; those who tire are left deprived, while those who do
not ultimately acquire it. Therefore, in order to attain that pleasure, istighfar,
an abundance of prayer and supplication, readiness and steadfastness is
necessary.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 432 [new edition])
The
Promised Messiahas has not only prescribed supplication in order to
acquire pleasure and attention in prayer, but has also taught the specified
words which are to be prayed:
“One should supplicate before Allah the
Exalted in extreme emotion and passion, saying, ‘Just as You have endowed us
with the various pleasures of fruits and other things, let me once taste the
pleasure of prayer and worship as well.’” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 163 [new
edition])
In other words, one should supplicate in
the following words:
“O God, I receive the pleasures of this
world every day; grant me the pleasurable taste of worship once as well.”
Then one
should stand in every rak‘ah of the prayer and supplicate in the
following words:
“O Allah the Exalted, the Omnipotent, the
Possessor of Majesty, I am a sinner and the poison of sin has affected my veins
to such an extent that I am devoid of emotion and attention in prayer. Forgive
me my sins with Thy blessing and grace, and forgive me my lapses, and soften my
heart, and place Your greatness and Your fear, and Your love in my heart, so
that my hard-heartedness may be dispelled, and I am granted attention in my
prayer.”(Fatwa Hazrat Masih-e-Maudas, p. 37. [1935])
Then the
Promised Messiahas states that one should pray in the following
words:
“O Allah, you see how blind I am, lacking
sight, and at this time I am in a complete state of death. I am aware that soon
hereafter, I shall receive my calling and will return to you. At that time,
there shall be none who will be able to stop me. My heart is blind and
ignorant. Send down such a flame of light upon it, as Your love and attraction
are developed in it. Bless me in such a way that I am not raised without sight
and do not become amongst the blind.
The Promised Messiah went on to state:
“When one supplicates in such a way with continuity, they shall see that such a time will come when something of heaven will descend upon their insipid prayer, which shall produce emotions.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 616 [new edition])
Ever since the initial stages of his appointment to the exalted status of Khilafat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has repeatedly laid stress on supplication, worship and especially iqamatus-salat. I present two of these instructions as a reminder:
“Worship Allah the Exalted and worship Him
as is His right. Do not associate anyone with Him. During the timings of prayer,
as is His instruction, keep your full attention towards the prayers. Your
engagements or other excuses should not become a hindrance in your offering
prayers. Do not leave your prayers because of your work; rather, leave your
work for prayers. This is also a form of hidden Shirk [associating
partners with God] because if you leave your prayers for your work, this means
that your worldly engagements are dearer to you than the worship of your
God.” (Friday Sermon, Baitul Futuh Mosque, 21 January 2011)
Then, Huzooraa states:
“Every individual who wishes to become a
worshipping servant of Allah the Exalted, wishes to acquire His nearness,
wishes to purify himself and his future generations, wishes to save himself
from the onslaughts of Satan, there is only one method, and that is, pay
attention to worship, and the most important aspect of this is the
congregational prayer.” (Al FazlInternational, 28 January 2005)
Till now,
a brief explanation on the details of iqamatus-salat has been
provided. Now let us see the actual examples of iqamatus-salat in the
real world. The personality, which the Creator of the universe, Allah, has
presented as a perfect model is that of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.
The Holy Prophetsa fulfilled the right of iqamatus-salat so beautifully
that Allah testified that his prayers, his worship, his living and dying were
all for His sake, the Lord of all the worlds, and even the enemies of the Holy
Prophetsa publicly announced “Ashiqa Muhammadun Rabbahu”,
that Muhammadsa has fallen in love with his Lord. The Holy Prophetsa
stated, “O People! I like three things from this world, but I tell you that qurratu
aini fis-salat [the delight and pleasure of my eyes is in the observance of
prayer].” (Sunan al-Nasai, Kitab Ishrat al-Nisa)
In iqamatus-salat, the perfect
example of the Holy Prophetsa is spread throughout his life. The
system of congregational prayer began since the inception of Islam, after
which, throughout the whole of his life, the Holy Prophetsa did not
let any lapse interfere in this obligation, whether in a state of travel or
residence, health or illness, or in a state of war or peace. In a state of
travel, the Prophetsa would stop the travelling caravan and shorten
or combine the prayers. In the case of rain, he would also offer his prayers
upon his ride, and would not let any excuse interfere with observing
prayer.
On one occasion the Holy Prophetsa
was severely wounded after falling off a horse. It was impossible for him to
offer his prayers while standing, but the Holy Prophetsa did not
like that he should miss the congregational prayer and led the prayer while
sitting (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab as-Salat). At the Battle of Badr, the
supplications which the Holy Prophetsa made in a small pavilion, to
this day, warm the hearts. The state of his engrossment was such that his
mantle would fall off his back again and again, but this worshipper of the One
God was above all that and remained engaged in his invocations. In the Battle
of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa was weakened by severe wounds. He was
also grieved by the martyrdom of seventy of his Companions, yet the Holy
Prophetsa offered his prayers in congregation even on that day, as
per his custom.
Due to the engagements of war during the Battle of Ahzab, when the Zuhr and Asr
prayers could not be offered on time and the sun declined, due to his exceeding
love for iqamatus-salat, the expression which spontaneously came to the
blessed lips of the Holy Prophetsa was that Allah destroy this
enemy, due to whom a delay had occurred in their prayers.
Another aspect of iqamatus-salat is
fear and humility. This magnificence was at its peak in the prayers of the Holy
Prophetsa. With eyes of perception, just observe the young man who
would abandon the attractions, beauty and pleasure of this world, and retire to
the cave of Hira in complete solitude to find pleasure of heart in worship. In
the darkness of the night, he would enlighten the rays of spirituality with his
worship and would strain his soul.
Someone asked Hazrat Aishara,
the blessed wife of the Holy Prophetsa, to narrate the state of the
Holy Prophet’ssa prayer. She responded, “Where shall I find the
words to describe the beauty and length of those prayers?” (Sahih
al-Bukhari, Kitab as-Saum). The Holy Prophetsa would
stand in prayer for so long that his blessed feet would become swollen. When
someone suggested that he should take rest, he responded by saying, “Shall I
not be a thankful servant to my Lord?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab
al-Tahajjud)
The state of his prostrations to Allah
were also something to behold. The narrator relates that the state of the Holy
Prophetsa in prostration was like a pot fervently boiling upon the
stove, or like two millstones in a grinder hitting each other. To think of this
causes the body to tremble and the following supplication comes from the heart,
“The emotion that existed in the supplications of Muhammadsa, if
only a glitter of it were granted to my prostrations as well.”
Hazrat Aishara was the dearest
and most beloved wife of the Holy Prophetsa. She narrates:
“One night, when I woke up, I noticed the
Holy Prophetsa was not in bed. I thought, perhaps he had gone to the
house of another wife. As I looked here and there, I found the Holy Prophetsa
had left his comfort and bed, and was on the ground, prostrating at some
distance and was engaged in supplications. When I saw this, I was very
disappointed at myself and I said to myself, ‘O Aisha, what thoughts are you
preoccupied with, whereas look at the state in which the Messenger of Allah is
in.’” (Al- Nisai)
In another narration it is mentioned that
she found the Prophetsa prostrating in a nearby graveyard in the
darkness of the night.
Hazrat Aishara mentions another
incident:
“One night the Holy Prophetsa
came to my house. That night, the Holy Prophetsa was to spend the
night with me. When the Holy Prophetsa entered the quilt in the cold
winter night, he said, ‘O Aisha. Do you permit me to spend this night in the
worship of Allah?’ I responded, ‘I desire your happiness; I happily grant you
permission.’ Therefore, the Holy Prophetsa immediately stood up,
performed his wuzu and began to offer prayer, and he spent the whole
night in worship and invocations, until his place of prostration became damp
with tears.” (Suyuti)
With regard to prayer, the attachment and interest of the Holy Prophetsa was such as even in his final illness, he was suffering from a severe temperature, and was drifting in and out of a state consciousness. In anxiety, he would ask again and again, “Is it time for prayer?” He was told that the companions were waiting for him in the mosque. To decrease the severity of his temperature, he asked that cold water be poured on his body, and as he got up to go to the mosque, he fell into a state of unconsciousness again. Upon regaining consciousness, he once again asked about the prayer. He was told that the companions were waiting in the mosque. He had cold water put on his body again. The temperature fell to some extent, but he became unconscious again. Afterwards, when his physical state improved, he placed both hands on two Companions and went to the mosque in such a state that his feet were being dragged behind him. The Holy Prophetsa led the prayers sitting beside Hazrat Abu Bakrra [later to become the first Khalifa of Islam] and thus set such an example of iqamatus-salat that it shall remain unparalleled till the end of time.
Let us
study the state of iqamatus-salat (observance of Salat) in the blessed
life of the Promised Messiahas in light of only a few examples.
The most luminous aspect of the life of the Promised Messiahas was his love for Allah. His whole life was absorbed in this very love and observance of worship, and prayer was his spiritual food. His observance of prayer (5 times a day) in congregation was unparalleled. In the days of his youth, he was referred to by some family members as a masitar, i.e. the one whose time is primarily spent in the mosque engaged in worship. Hazrat Pir Siraj-ul-Haq Numanira writes:
“I presented myself before the Promised
Messiahas in 1882 and remained in his presence until a few months
prior to his demise. I always found the Promised Messiahas compliant
to the observance of congregational prayer. (Tadhkiratul Mahdi, p. 70)
It is narrated by Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqrathat two or three years prior to the demise of the Promised Messiahas, whenever the Promised Messiahas could not come out for the salat al-Maghrib and salat al-Isha prayer, he would gather the women and children in the home and offer the prayers in congregation. (Speech at Jalsa Salana, 1930)
In his early days, the Promised Messiahas
would keep Hafiz Muinuddin with him for the sole purpose that in this way, he
would receive the opportunity to offer prayer in congregation. During the
lawsuits that he faced, the Promised Messiahas never missed a
prayer. He would seek permission from the court and offer his prayers on
time.
The Companionsra of the
Promised Messiahas have painted a wonderful image of the prayers of
the Promised Messiahas. There is a narration of Hazrat Hafiz Hamid
Alira that the Promised Messiahas would offer his prayers
with great preoccupation and interest. He would repeat the words “Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqim”
(Guide us in the straight path) very often and would repeat the words “Ya
Hayyu ya Qayyumu birahmatika astagheeth” (O Living and Self Sustaining
Allah, I beseech Thy Mercy). He would repeat these words again and again with
great emotion and passion as someone asks for something of his superior, whilst
weeping, asking for his desired item again and again. Generally, his
prostrations before Allah in prayer were very lengthy and at times it seemed
that he would melt and flow away in his emotions.
Another description of the prayer and
supplication of the Promised Messiahas is found in a narration of
Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira. He narrates that it was the
days when the plague was rampant in Punjab and people were falling prey to this
disease. This was the plague which had been manifested as a sign of the
Promised Messiah’s truthfulness, but due to his love for mankind, he was
engaged in prayer for them. The way the Promised Messiahas was
praying astounded Maulvi Sahibra and he said:
“There was such grief and emotion in this
prayer of the Promised Messiahas that the heart of the listener
melted, and the Promised Messiahas was weeping at the Divine
threshold in such pain just as a woman in childbirth. Upon listening more
attentively, I noticed that the Promised Messiahas was praying for
the salvation of mankind from the punishment of the plague. The Promised
Messiahas was saying, ‘If these people are destroyed in this
chastisement, who shall worship you?’” (Sirat Masih-e-Maud, Vol. 3, p.
395)
In addition to Tahajud, the Promised
Messiahas would sit in complete seclusion for the worship of Allah
during a part of the day. In his last years, when he had Baitul-Dua built, he
would shut the door and sit inside for about two hours and engage himself in
the worship of Allah. Many a time, in search of seclusion, he would go out and
would sit and worship his Lord in seclusion.
Another aspect of salat is that when the time for prayer arrives, it should be given precedence over all other engagements. I present a beautiful example of this from the life of the Promised Messiahas. Hazrat Syeda Nusrat Jehan Begum Sahibara, the blessed wife of the Promised Messiahas, states that the Promised Messiahas said to her:
“Once, I travelled for a lawsuit. Other
cases were being dealt with while I waited under a tree outside. Since it was
time for prayer, I began to offer my prayer right there. However, during my
prayer, I began to hear my name being summoned by the court, but I continued
praying. When I completed my prayer, I noticed an attendant of the court
standing next to me. As soon as I completed it, he said, ‘Mirza Sahib!
Congratulations, you have won the case.” (Sirat-ul-Mahdi, Vol. 1,
p. 14)
Despite being in severe pain and illness, the Promised Messiahas always paid due regard to salat. I present one example of this.
The Promised Messiahas was authoring a book called Nurul-Haqin response to a book written by a Christian. Only four or five pages had been written when the Promised Messiahas was struck with a severe headache. The pain increased so much that the Promised Messiahas could not come to the mosque for three days. On the fourth day, after feeling slightly better, he came for the salat al-Fajr prayer and offered the congregational prayer with great difficulty whilst sitting. The state of his illness was such that the Promised Messiahas was heavily perspiring, and he was so weak that after the prayer, he could not even sit any longer and lay down in the mosque. (Tadhkiratul Mahdi, pp.48-49)
Hazrat Sardar Begumra, wife of
Hazrat Sardar Imam Bakhsh Qaisaranira, narrated an inspiring
anecdote. She stated:
“One day, Huzooras [the Promised Messiahas] developed renal colic. Among other treatments, he himself or his wife, Hazrat Amma Janra, fomented the painful spot with pieces of clay, heated on fire. He was very restless because of the pain; he would lie down on the bed and then sit up. Just at that moment, the Azan for salat al-Asr prayer was called. Huzooras, the chosen one by God, tied up a heated piece of clay on to the painful spot and offered Salat. Thus, he demonstrated that although disease is inevitable, Salat is obligatory.” (Al Hakam, 21 September 1934)
The great care of the Promised Messiahas
regarding the issue of iqamatus-salat reminds us of the perfect example
of the Holy Prophetsa at every step. The soul is entranced to see
how this true servant followed his Master, the Holy Prophetsa at
every step. Furthermore, his state is such that after fulfilling his
responsibility of worship to the maximum limits of his capacity, he still felt
embarrassment and shame.
There is an incident in the era of the
Promised Messiahas when a dancer, who was invited to a non-Muslim’s
home for a wedding, sang and danced all night long. When the Promised Messiahas
was informed of this, he enquired, “Why don’t you find out how much this poor
lady earned for the night?” It was discovered that she earned five rupees. When
the Promised Messiahas came to his companions the next morning, he
said:
“I was embarrassed all night long that
this lady worked so hard for a mere five rupees. We receive thousands and
thousands, nay, countless gifts and rewards from our benefactor and protector,
Allah the Exalted and we still do not work as hard. Similarly, when I hear the
security guard at night, I become embarrassed that he watches guard all night
long for a mere four or five rupees a month. He does not even rest during the
shorter nights; he does not care about the cold or rain. On the other hand,
some of us sleep so negligently in comparison to him. Man should do justice to
himself in his own heart.”(Al Fazl, 16 August 1998)
The final action of this blessed
individual was prayer. In his last moments the Promised Messiahas
became very weak. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra, his son, describes
these last few moments:
“When the time for morning prayer arrived [the Promised Messiahas] asked in a faint voice, ‘Is it time for prayer?’ A servant responded, ‘Yes Huzooras, it is time.’ Upon hearing this, the Promised Messiahas touched the sides of his bed, to perform tayamum [an alternative for ablution when water is unavailable] and intended for prayer whilst laying on the bed, but fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, Huzooras enquired again, ‘Is it time for prayer?’ It was said that, ‘Yes Huzooras, it is time.’ Then he intended for prayer again and offered his prayer whilst lying there.”(Silsila-e-Ahmadiyya, Vol. 1, p. 177)
This point is especially worthy of
remembrance, that there is a very close relationship between iqamatus-salat
and the institution of Khilafat. In Ayat-ul-Istikhlaf, by stating “ya‘budunani
la yushrikuna bi shay‘a” (They will worship Me, and they will not associate
anything with Me. [Surah al-Nur, Ch.24: V.56]), Allah has promised the
believers that through the blessings of Khilafat, they shall observe their
worship merely for the pleasure of Allah the Exalted. The community of
believers, under the shade of Khilafat shall become a community of worshippers,
and every individual of this community shall be an exemplary model of the
divine injunction of iqamatus salat. Therefore they shall receive a
reward for standing firm upon the wholehearted unity of Allah the
Exalted.
Today, God has placed the crown of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya upon this community; we have been granted this great reward. Therefore, O lovers and devotees of Khilafat! Come, let us express our gratitude for this divine blessing and let us express our attachment, loyalty and obedience to Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya by making a resolute intention that we shall apply the divine order of iqamatus salat upon ourselves in such a manner that every aspect of this topic holds true to our personalities. May prayer become our soul food. May prayer become the delight of our eyes and may our hearts find pleasure in prayer. May Allah make it so that we stand firm on this oath with a true heart, firm determination and true loyalty such as every one of our prayers falls true to every level of iqamatus-salat. May we remain alive with lively and life-giving prayers, and may we hand over our lives to our Lord whilst offering such acceptable prayers.
A brief selection of the blessed quotations of the Promised Messiah, Imam Mahdias and his Khulafa
Sayings of the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias
Regularity in prayers
“Offer prayers with commitment to regularity. Some people offer only one of the daily prayers. They should remember that there is no exemption from prayers.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 172)
Essence of Salat
“Salat definitely and surely dispels evils. Salat is not just going through certain postures. The essence of Salat is the supplication that has pleasure and bliss in it.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 103)
Fervency in prayer
“Fervency is essential in Salat. Unless the heart is lit with intense fervour, one does not get pleasure and bliss in Salat.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 287)
Affirmation of unity of God
“Being inclined to someone other than Allah is to break away from Him … Salat is indeed the name of practical affirmation of the unity of God.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 107)
Salat – The best educator
“Salat is the best educator and the most excellent means of teaching perfect servitude … Be dutiful to Salat in such a way that, not only your body or tongue, but also all the intentions and passions of your soul entirely become Salat.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 108)
Man’s talisman
“Salat is man’s talisman. It provides opportunity to supplicate five times a day; one of those supplications may well be heard. Therefore, Salat should be offered in a very decent way, and that is what I like so much.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 396)
Salat and peace
“The greatest criterion of man’s pious life is Salat. He, who keeps crying out to God in Salat, lives in peace.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 402)
Offering Salat on time
“By nature, I like that Salat be offered at its prescribed time and this question of Salat on time is very dear to me. Even when it is raining heavily, I wish to off er Salat on time.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 45)
Make your Salat decent
“Man can never achieve nearness to Allah without practicing iqamusslat (observance of salat). He ordered aqeemussalat (observe prayer) because salat tends to falter and those who comply with iqamusslat they benefit from its spiritual form.… I have admonished my Jama’at to offer salat decently and that too is supplication.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 346)
A believer’s treasure trove
“Salat is a treasure trove of supplications granted to a believer … People do not value Salat these days and have thus distanced themselves from Allah. Salat is a pinnacle [mir‘aj] of the believer and from that does he get satisfaction of heart.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 348)
Salat and life
“Salat, in fact, is a supplication to the Lord of Glory, without which one cannot survive nor get security and happiness.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 615)
Salat dispels weakness
“Salat is the good deed which dispels satanic weakness and that is what we call prayer.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 679)
Salat and love of God
“Perpetuate love for, and the grandeur of, God in your hearts; and there is nothing more effective for that than Salat.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 681)
Salat and inheritance of heavenly blessings
“Salat is an instrument for security against sins. It is a characteristic feature of Salat that it drives one away from sin and evil deeds. Therefore, seek that sort of Salat and try to mould your Salats accordingly. Salat is the essence of blessings. Favours of Allah are attained through Salat. Therefore, perform it decently that you may inherit Allah’s blessings.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, p. 103)
Salat is a vehicle
“For the one who wants to meet Allah and desires to reach His court, Salat is the vehicle by which he can get there quicker. He who abandons Salat cannot reach there.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, p. 189)
Key to supplication
“Salat is the key to acceptance of supplication. When you offer Salat, supplicate during that and do not be unmindful.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, p. 222)
Best incantation
“There is no incantation better than Salat … It dispels all sorts of sorrows and worries and resolves difficulties … In my view, Salat is the best of all incantations; it should be performed properly and decently.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, pp. 310-311)
Blessings of Salat
“The Salat taught by the Holy Prophetsa is that when performing, one joins the abdal [saints], sins part with him, his prayers get accepted and he attains nearness to God.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 43)
Congregational prayer and unity
“Congregational prayer … is for unity so that all those offering Salat be counted as one unit. The philosophy, underlying the instruction that all should stand together, is that those who are more enlightened may strengthen the lesser ones by infusing their light in them … Those from one ward should offer congregational prayers in the mosque of their locality five times a day. That will lead to mutual exchange of morals and intermixing of spiritual light, thereby removing all weaknesses. It will also create fellowship and mutual love … that being the basis for unity.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 101)
Salat and advancements
“Some people achieve such degree of perfection that Salat becomes a kind of food for them … without which they feel severe anguish and restlessness. However, Salat gives them a special joy and comfort. A righteous believer gets pleasure in Salat. Therefore, Salat should be performed in a decent and orderly manner. Salat is the basis and ladder for all spiritual advancements. That is why it is said that Salat is a believer’s pinnacle [mi‘raj].” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 605)
Salat and truth
“Salat dispels evils; it has a spirit of truth in it and has an effect of beneficence.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 45)
Recipe for overcoming difficulties
“A complete and unfailing recipe to overcome difficulties and hardships that has been tested by millions of righteous persons does exist. What is that? It is the recipe called salat.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 9, p. 20)
Salat, faith and worldly matters
“Salat is such that it puts everything in good shape – the worldly matters as well as faith … By performing Salat, one is saved from all kinds of wrongdoings and immodesty. Therefore, your day and your night, in fact any moment, should not be bereft of prayers.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 403)
Each and every word of Salat is supplication
“Salat, in fact, is supplication. Each and every word that one utters during Salat aims at supplication. One who is not attached to Salat should prepare to face torment. One who does not supplicate brings himself to ruination. A sovereign is announcing repeatedly, ‘I relieve the distressed of their troubles; I resolve their problems; I am very merciful; I help the destitute.’ However, if a person who is in trouble passes by him, does not pay attention to his announcement, nor does he mention his problem to him to seek his help will ruin himself. That is how God is. He is prepared to provide comfort to man all the time only if one pleads for it. For the acceptance of prayer, it is essential that one avoids disobedience and supplicates enthusiastically, because fire is produced only when a flint strikes against another one forcefully.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 54)
Short quotations
“The pleasure of Salat is superior to every worldly pleasure.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, p. 592)
“Salat dispels thousands of faults and is the means of nearness to God.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 292)
“Salat is the basis and ladder for all [spiritual] advancements. That is why it is said that Salat is a believer’s pinnacle [mi‘raj].” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 605)
“Salat is the thing that relieves one of all hardships and dispels all misfortunes.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 402)
“So, offer the five daily prayers in such fear and with such complete attention as though you were actually beholding God Almighty.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 25)
“Whosoever does not observe the five daily prayers is not of my community.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 31)
“For comfort and peace of mind, there is nothing better than Salat.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 402)
“In my view, Salat is the best of all incantations.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 3, p. 311)
“The real purpose and essence of Salat is supplication.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 234)
Sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira
Effect of Salat on practical life
“Offer Salat decently and let the effect of the pledge that you make during Salat be apparent on your practical life. Verbally, you say, ‘Iyyaka na‘budu’, (We are obedient to you), but are you steadfast in obedience? Supplicate and off er Salat; the two are not burdensome for the humble ones.” (Khutabat-e-Nur, pp. 365-366)
Etiquette of Salat
“Some people are lax in Salat in different ways:
1. They do not arrive on time
2. They do not pray in congregation
3. They are not mindful of Sunnah and Hadith
“Listen attentively! Nothing works well in this world for the one who is wasteful of Salat.” (Khutabat-e-Nur, pp. 365-366)
Salat – A remedy for sin
“Salat restrains from sin and is the remedy to abstain from sin only when offered decently. Wake up from your slumber, seeking salvation, and hasten when you hear the Azan.” (Khutabat-e-Nur, p. 166)
Salat – A magnificent thing
“After verbal affirmation, Salat is the most magnificent thing; if one wastes that, he has wasted his faith. Truly speaking, therein lies the difference between disbelief [kufr] and Islam.” (Khutabat-e-Nur, p. 281)
Sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra
Regularity in Salat
“Salat is the fountainhead of spirituality and a means of achieving nearness to God. Abstention from Salat is a poison that condemns man to an everlasting hell, thereby subjecting him to death after death. One should save oneself from that and be regular with Salat.” (Mashal-e-Rah, Vol. 1, p. 403)
Commitment to Salat
“It is our duty to make every member of our Jamaat committed to Salat and try so hard that not even a single member remains deprived of Salat.” (Mashal-e-Rah, Vol. 1, p. 220)
Iqamat (observance) of Salat
“Iqamat means offering salat in congregation, that is to say, merely offering Salat is not enough, rather it is essential to pray in congregation … Islam ordains observing Salat, not merely performing it [individually].” (Mashal-e-Rah, Vol. 1, p. 278)
Sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh
True Salat
“If one offering long Salat does not abstain from indecency and manifest evil, his Salat would not be true Salat because true Salat restrains one from indecency and manifest evil.” (Khutabat-e-Nasir, Vol. 1, p. 314)
Salat and real virtue
“Performing Salat, according to the conditions laid down by Allah, is real virtue.” (Khutabat-e-Nasir, Vol. 1, p. 273)
Sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh
Salat and security of life
“Make it your habit to offer five daily prayers. That is essential for the security of a believer’s life … Try to offer such Salat that pleases Allah, and thereby endears you to Him.” (Khutabat-e-Tahir, Vol. 1, p. 115)
Salat and households
“I admonish all households that they try, with utmost courage and effort, to create members who offer Salat regularly … The grace of those households wherein prayers are offered regularly will reach the corners of the world. Visitors from far away who stay with them will see a good model to follow … Decorate your houses in this way that they are filled with the worship and remembrance of Allah.” (Khutabat-e-Tahir, Vol. 1, pp. 285-287)
Salat and delivering rights
“If Salat is observed, the rights of Allah as well as the rights of people will be delivered; otherwise nothing will remain.” (Khutabat-e-Tahir, Vol. 2, p. 191)
Salat and fortitude
“Those who perform real Salat have unparalleled qualities of fortitude. When they suffer, the suffering does not prevail on them. They do not lament or bewail.” (Khutabat-e-Tahir, Vol. 2, pp. 377-388)
Sayings of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa
Safeguarding Salat
“Only guarding and supervising prayers will guarantee to keep us and our future generations free of sins and wrongdoings … If you want to save your children from falling into [these] filthy and obscene practices, then the best way is try to make them regular with prayers.” (Khutabat-e-Masroor, Vol. 3, pp. 372-373)
Salat and introspection
“Each one of us should try to assess continuously that we are not falling short in any way concerning the Salat.” (Mashal-e-Rah, Vol. 5, Part III, p. 134)
Salat and reward
“Forcing oneself to get up from the bed and go to the mosque for congregational prayer, attending prayers at the cost of one’s business is what makes one deserving of reward.” (Khutabat-e-Masroor, Vol. 3, p.23)
Salat and work
“When it is time for Salat, focus your attention fully on prayer as commanded by Allah. Your engagements or other excuses should not stop you from offering prayers. Do not neglect salat for the sake of your work rather stop your work for the sake of salat. Otherwise that is also a kind of hidden shirk.” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 3, p. 272)
The middle Salat (Salat-ul-Wusta)
“Be watchful over your prayers and ‘the middle one’ as well … Salat, the hour of which approaches when you are preoccupied with worldly engagements, requires special attention. Salat restrains one from indecency … By achieving excellence in Salat, one attains nearness to God and His love, without which he is like a tree that had its root cut off.” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol.6, pp. 281-294)
The excellence of worship during youth
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa states that the Promised Messiahas says:
“‘If he spent this period [of his youth] in the worship of Allah, the reformation of the self and obedience to God, he will be so rewarded in his old age, that when he will be unable to perform any worship and indisposition and lethargy will overtake him, the angels will continue to record in his name the same Salat, fasting, Tahajud, etc. which he used to perform in his youth. This is the grace of Allah that considering his disability, despite his failure to do anything, such deeds are recorded in his account’ [Malfuzat, Vol. 4, p. 199]. Thus, every Ahmadi, in a state of health, should try to be regular with their prayers; not only be regular, but they should also pay attention to congregational prayers.” (Khutabat-e-Masroor, Vol. 3, p. 24)
Pray in congregation
“Every Ahmadi, who has accepted the Promised Messiahas, and thereby counts himself to be one of the believers, should pay special attention to these matters. Firstly, strive to offer prayers regularly. As far as possible, try to offer the prayer in congregation. Then, adorn these [obligatory] prayers with voluntary prayers. In the context of Salat, I would like to make another point. Always remember that worship has a great connection with the institution of Khilafat. And what is worship? It is Salat. The verse that follows the divine promise of comfort and Khilafat for the believers, enjoins ‘Aqeemus-Salat’ [observe Salat] as well. Therefore, the first condition to acquire an established position and benefit from the institution of Khilafat is observance of Salat, because it is worship and Salat that will absorb Allah’s grace.” (Khutabat-e-Masroor, Vol. 5, pp. 148-151)
Interest and zeal for Salat
“These high standards of morality and taqwa [righteousness] cannot be achieved without divine help and guidance. Therefore, we should always seek Allah’s help with prayers. For that, fill up the Salat centres and mosques [with worshippers] in your area. With congregational prayers, not only will you achieve spiritual advancement but will also set an example for others to follow. Convey his guideline to all the office-bearers who are not present so that they also act upon it.
“As for planning to gather the people nearby for prayers, keep this in mind that the plan should be easily practicable. Some office-bearers become so enthusiastic about carrying out their responsibilities that they ignore the ground realities … They should try to maintain interest and zeal for prayers amongst the people and should not be overbearing. The people should be made to realise the need for the virtuous changes to take place in them as Ahmadis that would distinguish them from others. To bring about such positive changes, always pray that they are granted steadfastness.” (Al Fazl International, 6 July 2007, p. 2)
Parents’ own example
“Another important matter, rather the most important matter, is to inculcate the habit of five daily prayers in the children because faith without worship is no faith. The parents’ own example is most important in this regard. If they are regular with Salat, their children will be regular as well. Otherwise, their hollow words of advice will have no effect on the children.” (Khutabat-e-Masroor, Vol. 1, p. 144)
Joy and comfort in prayers
“If we submit our tearful lamentations to our Lord, He will surely listen to our supplications as promised by Him. First of all, bowing down to Allah the Almighty, we will have to direct our Salat and supplications exclusively to Him; that is the basic thing. If you get joy and comfort in Salat, then you have achieved everything. During the Salat, particularly supplicate in the words that we have been taught by the Holy Prophetsa. According to the Hadith, he used to pray:
‘O Allah, grant my soul its taqwa, and cleanse it thoroughly, and Thou are the best of all who can cleanse it.’ (The heart can only get cleansed by the grace of Allah.) [Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Dhikr].
May Allah grant us the ability to cleanse our hearts!” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 2, p. 220)
Majlis-e-Sehat UK was able to host
yet another successful International Masroor T20 Cricket Tournament from 18 to
23 June 2019.
The
tournament started in 2009 and ever since, the tournament has been taking place
every year in London. Many of these tournaments have been blessed with the
presence of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, may Allah be his Helper.
Teams began
to arrive on 16 June and the opening session took place on 18 June in Baitul
Futuh Mosque in London. The inauguration was chaired by Amir Jamaat UK, Rafiq
Ahmad Hayat Sahib. In his opening address, Amir Sahib spoke about the spirit of
true sportsmanship and how we should always be obedient to the Jamaat and
listen to and respect the management of the tournament.
This year,
22 teams participated in the tournament, with players travelling from many
different parts of the world. The teams this year were AMJ XI, Australia,
Australia A, Canada, Canada A, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Germany A, Holland, Ireland, Jamia UK, a team from the Middle East, Sweden,
Omair XI, USA, USA A, United Kingdom, United Kingdom A and PAAMA.
On 19 June,
the group stage matches commenced and in total, 19 out of the 20 matches were
played, with one match having to be cancelled due to heavy rainfall. The group
matches went on until Friday 21 June and in total, 47 group matches were
played.
On Saturday
morning, 8 quarter finals were played. In the evening, players partook in the
highlight of the tournament, which was the blessed opportunity for teams to
have their pictures taken with their beloved Imam, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa
and to have dinner in his presence. This was the climax and most anticipated
part of the tournament.
On this
day, the players also had the opportunity to pray Asr, Maghrib and Isha behind
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. This was the highlight this year for all
the players that took part in the tournament.
On Sunday,
23 June the semi-finals and final were played after which the prize
distribution ceremony took place. Amir Jamaat UK, Rafiq Hayat Sahib gave the
concluding remarks in which he reminded the players of the blessings of
Khilafat and the unity which is achieved through unity at the hand of
Khalifatul Masih.
Winners of the International Masroor T20 Cricket Tournament, Canada with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa
We hope and
pray that everyone who took part in this year’s tournament enjoyed the
experience of not only taking part in a friendly competition between Ahmadi
brothers but also gathering in the presence of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa
and offering prayers behind him.
We look forward to the next International Masroor T20 Cricket
Tournament. We request prayers for the management that we may be able to make
this tournament bigger and better, Insha-Allah.
Results from this
year’s tournament
Quarter Finals:
United Kingdom (176/8) V United Kingdom A (158/10)
USA A (126/10) V CANADA A (127/6)
Omair XI (130/8) V Germany (134/9)
Holland (153/9) V Australia A (134/10)
Germany A (220/5) V France (98/6)
Australia (131/8) V Canada (133/7)
Finland (0/0) V Jamia UK (0/0) – Jamia Ahmadiyya UK was
unable to attend due to exams
As we approach the dates for Jalsa Salana Germany, the preparations are surfacing and transforming into a giant event.
The frequency of meetings of different sections and departments of Jalsa is increasing and the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Germany – BaitusSubuh, Frankfurt – is hosting a new team with every coming day.
The duties of accommodation, security, Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, publication and external affairs are all practically visible and all offices are fully active in Jalsa arrangements.
MTA International Germany studios’ volunteers are busy day and night and instead of sleeping, the staff, both young and old, work diligently from the early hours of the morning till deep into the night.
Al Hakam spoke to Afsar Jalsa Salana, Mohammed Ilyas Majoka Sahib who is currently working between the Jalsa Gah at Karlsruhe and Baitus-Subuh, Frankfurt, organising arrangments for Hazrat Amirul Momineen’saa arrival and the arrival of the thousands of guests of the Promised Messiahas.
He informed us that preparations are being made with an expected figure of around 40,000 participants. Alongside arrangements for Jalsa Salana, the arrival of Huzoor’saa entourage, their welcome, stay, mulaqats, security and many more issues must be meticulously taken care of and these of course require the finest level of precision and coordination.
Afsar Jalsa Salana said that he and his team are totally depending on the help and succour of Allah and the prayers of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa.
This year, another challenging task ahead of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Germany is that normally, the Jamaat is given responsibility of the venue almost a week before the Jalsa dates. While the same is the case this year, however the main hall is being handed over to the Jalsa administration only 36 hours before Jalsa. Nonetheless, the teams in Germany are working hard to make things smooth on a minute by minute basis this year.
The local Jamaat is currently liaising with the local administration, security and fire brigade teams, for coordinating parking arrangements for over 4,000 vehicles.
As far as preparations and arrangements are concerned, we are aware of our weaknesses and limitations, however our sights are set on Allah, Whose support and help we witness every year, rather every day.
We eagerly anticipate welcoming our guests from different countries of the world and request the readers of Al Hakam to pray for a successful Jalsa.
Majlis
Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Finland organised its two-day annual Ijtema on 8-9 June in
Espoo.
Preparations for this Ijtema had started
in February when Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa granted us permission to
organise the Ijtema on the requested dates.
Khuddam were continuously motivated to
participate in educational and sports competitions. Some of the academic
competitions for example tilawat, nazm and speech were conducted beforehand in
Helsinki Salat centre.
On the first day, a combined Tahajud
prayer was offered at Helsinki Salat centre followed by breakfast for all
Khuddam. At 8am, the Ijtema officially commenced with the flag hosting ceremony
by the National Sadr Ata-ul-Ghalib Sahib and Sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Finland,
Waqar Javed Sahib.
The highlight of the Ijtema this year was
a message from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, which was read out by
Sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Finland in the first session. In his message, Hazrat
Amirul Momineenaa reminded Finnish Khuddam to draw their utmost
attention towards Salat and to offer it in congregation.
In the first session, academic
competitions for Khuddam and Atfal were held. Then in the afternoon, after Zuhr
and Asr prayers, lunch was served.
Sports competitions included 100-metre
race, relay race, sabit qadmi, football and tug of war. We also had new
additions such as miru dabba, team building race and hurdle race.
In the evening, Maghrib and Isha prayers
were offered, after which dinner was served. Many organisers stayed till late
at night in the sports hall to prepare for the next day.
The following day, after the Fajr prayer
and breakfast, Khuddam headed towards the volleyball ground where volleyball
matches were held. Therafter, all Khuddam and Atfal gathered for the final
session where prizes were distributed to position holders.
After the prize distribution ceremony,
Finland’s president of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya read out the message from Huzoor-e-Anwaraa
once again and thanked all the Khuddam who participated in the Ijtema.
May
Allah reward all the organisers and participating Khuddam and may Allah enable
us to fulfil the expectations of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa.
29 June 1931: Hazrat
Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Musleh-e-Maudra arranged a gathering
for extended family members in connection with the completion of the first
reading of the Holy Quran by seven of his children. Huzoorra also
wrote a poem for this occasion paying gratitude to Allah.
29 June 1938: Hazrat
Musleh-e-Maudra sent his son, Mirza Mubarak Ahmad Sahib to Egypt so
he could acquire knowledge of Arabic and excel his experience about agriculture
from the land of Egypt.
30 June 1928:
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra composed some 45 Arabic verses. This is quite
possibly his first ever attempt at Arabic poetry.
July
1918: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was in
Dalhousie. Huzoorra arrived on 22 June and returned to Qadian in
August.
1 July 1931: The
education of girls has always remained a salient feature of the Ahmadiyya
Jamaat from its beginnings. On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra
inaugurated the FA class for girls in Qadian.
1 July 1932:
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was blessed with powerful and unique
political knowledge. His acute observation benefited many in his era. On this
day, Huzoorra guided the masses by saying that if they followed the
Congress party’s call of civil disobedience in the days to come, it would harm
their cause and daily life and the people of India would disturb their
political cause.
1 July 1955: Hazrat
Musleh-e-Maudra delivered a Friday Sermon in the Hague.
1 July 1964: On
this day, a month-long Talim-ul-Quran class started in Rabwah.
2 July 1931:
Hazrat Mirza Sultan Ahmad passed away. He was the eldest son of the Promised
Messiahas. He remained obedient to his father but was not able to
join the Jamaat until his final years, during the second Khilafat. Hazrat Mirza
Sultan Ahmad was a civil servant and a recognised literary figure in poetry and
prose with dozens of books to his name.
2 July 1934:
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra announced the nikah of his son Hazrat Mirza
Nasir Ahmadrh. Huzoorra also announced the nikah of
Hazrat Mirza Mansoor Ahmad, son of Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra.
Huzoorra emphasised the importance and need of devoting lives for
the cause of Islam, especially for members of the family of the Promised
Messiahas.
2 July 1947:
Hazrat Hafiz Qudratullah reached The Hague from London to establish the
Ahmadiyya mission in the Netherlands. He rented a room and began his assigned
tasks.
2 July 1926:
Hazrat Dr Khalifa Rashiduddinra passed away. He was a loyal and
humble companion of the Promised Messiahas.
4 July 1932:
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra set off on a journey towards Lahore and
stayed there until 7 July.
4 July 1936:
Hazrat Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh arrived back in Qadian from London.
Earlier, within a month of getting married, he left India and proceeded for
postgraduate studies to England. In England, he obtained a Master of
Arts degree in Political
Science, Philosophy and Economics from Balliol
College, University of Oxford. Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmadrh went
back to England on 17 September to complete his studies.
4 July 1952:
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra drew the attention of members of the Jamaat
to practice patience and observe Salat to witness the manifestation of divine
help.
On
Saturday, 15 June 2019, Lajna Imaillah Nakuru Region in Kenya held their
regional Ijtema at their regional headquarters in Nakuru, while Majlis
Ansarullah Kenya Coast B region successfully held their regional Ijtema.
The programme was well arranged by the
team, which was led by Regional President Rehema Noor Sahiba. In attendance
were National Sadr Lajna Khadija Juma Sahiba and National Sports Secretary
Faiza Abdallah Sahiba.
The opening session for the Ijtema started
around 10am in the morning with tilawat by Samra Surayya Sahiba followed by
Lajna pledge by National Sadr. This was followed by an Urdu poem read by Soziah
Nasir Sahiba.
The opening speech was delivered by
Regional Sadr, Rehema Noor Sahiba, where she welcomed all attendees to the
Ijtema and urged all members in attendance to take this opportunity and gain
all blessings vouchsafed in the Ijtema and also to fully participate in the
Ijtema programmes and competitions. Thereafter, competitions started including
Hifz-e-Quran, tilawat, speech and nazm. A question and answer session on Islam
and the history of Ahmadiyyat was also conducted.
For the sports competitions, all members
gathered in the field and participated in various games.
Thereafter, all members gathered in the
mosque for the closing session, which began with tilawat by Idriss Sahiba
followed by the closing speech by the national president.
In her speech, she encouraged Lajna to
organise and hold meetings regularly and send monthly reports. All winners in
different competitions were awarded prizes this session. The Ijtema came to a
successful close with dua led by the national president. Attendance was
10 Lajna and 12 Nasirat.
On the same day, Majlis Ansarullah’s
one-day event began approximately at 11am with the recitation of the Holy Quran
delivered by Jureji Suleiman Sahib followed by the Ansar pledge by Regional
Nazim-e-Ala Hassan Esalano Sahib. A poem was then recited by Hamza Omar Sahib.
The Ijtema was chaired by National Sadr
Ansarullah Sameer Sheikh Sahib, who welcomed members to the Ijtema and urged
them to fully participate and be attentive to every speech and all
announcements.
He called upon Twalib Zubeir Sahib to
deliver the first speech of the Ijtema, which was on the importance of
financial sacrifice. In his speech, he stated that the Jamaat is a non-profit
organization, hence its finance solely depends on Chanda and other sacrifices.
Therefore, it is our duty as followers of the Promised Messiahas to
act upon this call of the Imam of the age and fulfill our pledges.
The second speech presented by Jureji
Suleiman Sahib was about the importance of prayer in the life of an Ahmadi. He
said that as followers of the Holy Prophetsa and the Promised
Messiahas, it is our duty to be mindful of our daily prayers and
every Ansar member should inculcate the same habit within their children and
family as a whole.
This was followed by tilawat,
Hifz-e-Quran, Salat and adhan competition. Sports competitions were also
conducted, including 100-metre race.
The Ijtema came to a close with the final
session in which prizes were distributed by the National President of Majlis
Ansarullah, Sameer Sheikh Sahib.
He
delivered the concluding remarks in which he reminded members to adhere to the
five daily prayers to which Huzooraa repeatedly guides us. He said
that Ansar should try their best to offer prayers in congregation and be
regular in reciting the Holy Quran. He also urged members to constantly listen
to the Friday Sermons of our Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa on MTA and
other sessions. Lastly, he urged all members not to forget to fulfill their
obligations as Ansarullah. The Ijtema ended with silent prayer.
Khawaja
[Kamaluddin] Sahib arrived at Bombay [now Mumbai] and stayed there for a week.
He did not deliver any lecture during these days. Although he used to say that
his mission no longer needed the support of Chanda [monetary funds], he
privately appealed for Chandaon a number of occasions during his short
stay. It is not known if he collected anything or not.
Apparently, Khawaja Sahib seemed healthy
but he said that he was unwell. The doctor had also prescribed him to sit aside
and abandon all activities because of poor health.
In the given circumstances, Khawaja Sahib
constantly complained about his health, so it was not easy to have a regular
conversation with him and to have a detailed discussion on the issues of mutual
dispute was all the more difficult.
However, this humble one met him twice in
those days. We had incoherent discussions on the issues of mutual dispute; the
incoherency was due to the fact that whenever the conversation would ensue,
Khawaja Sahib would complain of suffering from extreme headaches and the
conversation would have to be halted. Either that or at times, someone would
come to meet Khawaja Sahib and he would discontinue the ongoing discussion and
begin to talk with that person. As a continuous coherent discussion was not
held with Khawaja Sahib, therefore I was unable to comprehend the actual idea
behind his disputes with the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.
Neither did Khawaja Sahib publicly
announce his adherence towards a particular stance nor did he speak against it.
So, we can say that in one manner Khawaja Sahib stands by the Lahori group
while on the other hand, he stands against it. Therefore, Khawaja Sahib has
even admitted on certain occasions that the Lahori Jamaat is also mistaken as
is, according to him, the Qadiani Jamaat.
Below is the summary of Khawaja Sahib’s
strange and unique discourse which was held during the discussion:
1. Speaking about the tabligh activities
of Hazrat Mufti Sahib and Qazi Abdullah Sahib, Khawaja Sahib half-heartedly
complemented the works of Qazi Abdullah Sahib while he expressed great
displeasure regarding Mufti Sahib. He said:
“It is not at all difficult in London to
persuade someone to accept the prophethood of any person and it is a common
practice that eminent persons are called prophets over there. For this reason,
certain people even call me a messenger and a prophet. Therefore, it is rather
insignificant if Mufti Sahib managed to persuade a few persons to accept the
prophethood of Mirza Sahib.”
Perhaps Khawaja Sahib forgot to use the
word “poison” during the course of the discussion and just because of the
enmity which he had for respected Mufti Sahib, the same work which he
previously considered as a deadly poison became a trivial matter.
2. Responding to the question as to why he
refrained from mentioning [the name of] the Promised Messiahas in
London, Khawaja Sahib gave two answers. Firstly, he said, “Maulvi Nuruddin
Sahib instructed me to only persuade [the people of] London to accept لَا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہ
[There is none worthy of worship accept Allah], but we even manage to convince
them to accept مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰہ [Muhammad
is the messenger of Allah].”
Secondly, he said, “How could we mention [the name of] Mirza Sahib in London? Mentioning [his name] would require us to present his prophecies … but the people of London do not understand these matters.”
I replied, “Are you unaware of the
manifest difference between the prophecies of prophets and non-prophets?” He
said that he was aware of it but considered it inappropriate at that time.
I asked him, “What did you say about the
Holy Prophetsa and how did you mention his name?” He said, “We do
not even distinctly present Hazrat Muhammadsa. Islam is against any
kind of distinction, therefore we mention [his name] in passing during
discussions. Thus, if we do not even present the Holy Prophetsa
openly, how can we mention [the name of] Mirza Sahib?”
This humble one deduced from Khawaja
Sahib’s discourse that either he lacks true faith in the prophecies of the
Promised Messiahas or if he believes in them, then he is unaware of
the difference between the prophecies of prophets and non-prophets. Yet if he
is aware of it, then he lacks the courage to present them or he has been
overawed by the soothsayers of London to the degree that he refrains from
presenting even the prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa. Keeping this
in view, the way he persuaded people to believe in the existence of the Living
and Self-Sustaining God is surprisingly difficult to comprehend!
Khawaja Sahib would give lengthy answers and
left very little time for me to ask questions, as a result of which he would
refute some of his own previous statements in the extensive discourse.
3. During the discussion on Sadr Anjuman
Ahmadiyya and its registered principles, Khawaja Sahib clearly admitted the
fact that it was he who prepared its manuscript and the article was also his,
and the Promised Messiahas just signed it. [He further said] that
utilising all his abilities of law, he had deliberately prepared that
manuscript so that the Anjuman could function exclusively and the series of
successorship may not advance.
4. Khawaja Sahib was asked as to why he
denounced Khilafat when he had himself published an announcement on behalf of
the Anjuman regarding Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira that the
directives of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin Sahib would be worthy of acceptance as
were that of the Promised Messiahas.In the same
announcement, he urged people to take Bai‘at at the hand of Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih Ira?
Answering this question, he replied that
even he wanted Mian Sahib [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra] to become
the Khalifa but Mian Sahib himself refused when people asked him.
I asked Khawaja Sahib, “What is the reason
for not accepting Hazrat Mian Sahib as the Khalifa now?” He replied by saying,
“I can have a conversation with you at another time perhaps. Currently, I am
experiencing another extreme headache.”
5. Discussing the issue of prophethood,
Khawaja Sahib said, “There is only a verbal dispute between the Jamaats of
Lahore and Qadian [concerning prophethood]. The sense in which Mian Sahib
[Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra] considers Hazrat Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad]
Sahib to be a prophet in his book Haqiqat-un-Nubuwwah [Reality of
Prophethood], in short, is that a new Shariah [divine law] is not mandatory for
prophethood and instead, receiving divine prophecies is a category of
prophethood as well. Hence, the meanings in which Mian Sahib has declared
Hazrat Mirza Sahib as a prophet in Haqiqat-un-Nubuwwah, we too consider
Hazrat Mirza Sahib to be a prophetin that sense.”
Regarding Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib’s book
Al-Nubuwwah fil-Islam [Prophethood in Islam], Khawaja Sahib said that
Mualvi Muhammad Ali Sahib claimed that a new Shariah was mandatory for
prophethood and making all efforts, he had only presented a single argument in
his widely extensive book, i.e. “And if there comes to you guidance from Me”
[Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.39]) and interpreted “guidance” as a new Shariah.
Khawaja Sahib did not outright reject
Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib’s book Al-Nubuwwah fil-Islam and its argument
in plain words. However, he carried out the above-mentioned discussion in a
tone which suggested his rejection. At that time, our friend Saith Ismail Sahib
and Shah Muhammad Khan Sahib were also present. Khawaja Sahib said something
peculiar during the discussion … He said that true faith denoted practice and
the true meaning of belief could not be fulfilled if it lacked practice.
The conclusion which he drew from that
discourse was that practice is a part of belief and the commandments of the
Shariah must be practiced, therefore the person on whom it is mandatory to have
one’s belief and whose denial makes one fall in the category of a non-believer,
he should be a law-bearing prophet. Hearing Khawaja Sahib’s ingenious scholarly
discussion reminded us of sihrun-mubin – plain magic – about which
people say that as Hazrat Mirza Sahib was not declared a magician by anybody,
therefore he is not that prophet or “Ahmad”whose coming was foretold in
(the verse):
يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ
“He who will come after me, his name will
be Ahmad.” (Surah al-Saff, Ch.61: V.7)
I asked Khawaja Sahib, “As you have
explained the wisdom behind the belief, please tell us the meaning of Shariah”,
but he did not pay heed to our question. Then I asked him, “Is there a separate
Shariah to have believe in God?” Khawaja Sahib replied:
تخلقوا باخلاق اللّٰہ
“Adopt the ways of God.” I then said,
“What is meant by having belief in the Promised Messiahas and a
mujadid [reformer]? Also, what is meant by believing in Jesusas,
Mosesas, all other prophets, angels, hell, heaven and the Hereafter?
Is there a separate Shariah of every prophet and is it mandatory for every
prophet to have a new Shariah?” Khawaja Sahib did not respond to this question
and it was said that Khawaja Sahib’s headache began to worsen.
Our friend, Shah Muhammad Khan Sahib began
to massage his head with oil and Khawaja Sahib lay down. I stayed seated in the
hope of resuming the discussion after he recovered and in fact to have some
more discussions on the issue of Khilafat.
Meanwhile, a person came to meet Khawaja
Sahib. He got up and spoke with that person for a significant period of time.
Fortunately, he did not experience any headache during that period. Despite having
a long discourse, his condition continued to improve. As it was a Sunday and it
was time for my lecture in the Ahmadiyya Hall, I left.
A
peculiar trait was observed in Khawaja Sahib in that he saw the Jamaat of
Qadian and the people of Lahore with the same lens. He does not mention the
name of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat before non-Ahmadis at first. However, if he does
mention it, then apart from saying that the Jamaat of Qadian is erroneous, he
moves on to say that the people of Lahore are mistaken as well, meaning that
both are treading the wrong path. In this manner, he responded to the respected
non-Ahmadi who came to meet him in my presence.
In one way, I am grateful to Khawaja
Sahib, but on the other hand, I am displeased; grateful in the sense that he
acted with patience when he came across the name and mention of Hazrat
Khaliftul Masih II and did not use any harsh words while talking with me,
however I complain … on the grounds that Khawaja Sahib did not show tolerance
when he came across the mention of Hazrat Mufti Sahib and, in fact, became
furious.
