Following Tashahud, Ta‘awuz and the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aa) said that the powers today that are trying to oppose religion are in full force. It is said that the teachings of religion are outdated and not for this era. They emphasise that religious teachings should change for the new era.

They say that firstly, religions talk of outdated aspects, thus we should change ourselves, considering the new enlightenment. They express that religions need to change some of their teachings in order to stay updated with the new era.

Huzoor^(aa) said that these so-called “enlightened” teachings that religion should accept spread immoral concepts among children.

Some religious people accept this notion and voice the need to change religion. Within the Christian world, this discussion does take place and some scholars agree to change parts of the Bible. Huzoor^(aa) said that this is so due to lack of true understanding. If one has full belief that Allah speaks today, then such thoughts will not arise.

We firmly believe that the Holy Quran is the book of Allah, and He has promised to safeguard it. Other religions do not have their original teachings, and so they can change their books if they desire. However the Holy Quran’s teachings were never changed and will remain until the Last Day.

By sending His prophet, Allah has safeguarded the teachings of the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran covers all topics; it covers academia, science, the rights of Allah and the rights of people. Therefore, we should never ever be in any complex about the Holy Quran as it is enough for us. There is no need for a new “enlightenment” within the Holy Quran.

These people who accept the need to change the Quran have simply not pondered over the Holy Quran. If they have, then they have only read the commentary of people who could not reach the depths of the Holy Quran.

We need to challenge such people. The Holy Quran has mentioned everything; it has established our rights.

People who oppose religion say that it teaches to worship and pray – as a result, this gives way to laziness. They are pointing towards Islam when they raise this objection. Huzoor^(aa) expressed that Allah has said that He has created men and Jinn for His worship and at the same time He has said that there would be no need to care for us if we did not pray and seek forgiveness. Therefore, from this we deduce that Allah does not need our prayers. Worship is for our own benefit, not Allah’s.

Those who object against Islam say that Islam does not safeguard human rights. Huzoor^(aa) said that today he shall mention those rights that the Holy Quran has established, they are for every age and are the key to real peace.

These people, in the name of rights, have created disorder in the world. They accuse Islam for halting rights. The Holy Quran is a complete book and it has mentioned the rights of Allah and the rights of man.

Hazrat Amirul Momineen^(aa) said, “Today, I will talk about the rights of man”.

Hazrat Amirul Momineen^(aa) mentioned a verse of the Holy Quran that says to worship Allah and not to worship others. At the same time, the Quran commands to take care of humanity; including relatives, neighbours, travellers, the poor and servants etc.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said, “He who does not thank people, does not thank Allah”. In this age, the Promised Messiah^(as) said that the Shariah has two main areas – the rights of Allah and the rights of man. The rights of Allah include His worship and not to ever worship anything else. The rights of man, the Promised Messiah^(as) said, is to truly take care of people, causing them no pain whatsoever.

Hazrat Amirul Momineen^(aa), quoting the Promised Messiah^(as), said that people should spend day and night to correct their morals. People should think good of others, rather than thinking ill of them. By doing so, one will develop love, unity and strength amongst their brothers and sisters. Huzoor said that lots of people have no care for their fellow beings; if someone is left hungry, they care not for them; if someone has financial issues, they never care to spend their own wealth for them.

Huzoor^(aa) mentioned a recent survey that showed how charity is given mostly by religious people and Muslims are those who give the most charity. Worldly people do not spend out of their own wealth to serve the poor.

When one works for Allah and helps their weak, less fortunate brothers and sisters, their faith increases. The Promised Messiah^(as) said that if man does not help others, he slowly turns into an animal, not caring for others.

The Promised Messiah^(as) said, “Be kind to all of humanity, no matter who they are”. He said to “never constrict the circle of your kindness.”

Huzoor^(aa) then mentioned specific rights that Allah has set up. Referring to a verse, Huzoor^(aa) said that in the Holy Quran, Allah greatly emphasises kind treatment towards parents, especially when they reach old age.

Expounding on this further, Allah mentions how a mother passes through great pain to give birth to her child. Allah then talks of the kind treatment and friendliness one should have with their parents, even if they act harshly.

Huzoor^(aa) said that Allah says to uphold the rights of parents always. In a Hadith, it is mentioned that a man came to the Prophet^(sa) and asked who he should be the most kind to. The Holy Prophet^(sa) thrice said his mother and in the end, said his father.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said the most beloved act in the sight of Allah is worshiping Allah, then acting kind towards parents, then jihad in the way of Allah.

Once a man came to the Holy Prophet^(sa) and sought permission to go on Jihad [by the sword]. The Holy Prophet^(sa) told him that his Jihad was to stay back and serve his parents.

Hazrat Amirul Momineen^(aa) said that those who supposedly promote rights today are taking the rights of parents away. If parents admonish their children or try and correct their children, such organisations raise their voices. Huzoor^(aa) said that people are fed up and are now raising their voices, saying that such notions are nonsense and parents should be able to raise their own children.

The Promised Messiah^(as) said that first man should take care of his mother. The Promised Messiah^(as) said that the Holy Prophet^(sa) would praise Hazrat Awais Qarni^(ra) who could not visit the Holy Prophet^(sa) due to his service to his mother. The Holy Prophet^(sa) only sent his specific salutations of peace to two people, Hazrat Awais Qarni^(ra) and the Imam Mahdi.

In the name of so-called freedom, governments are taking away the rights of parents. Allah has also granted great rights of children. Allah says not to kill your children from fear of poverty. Killing children means not to educate them, not to fulfil their needs etc. In another instance, the Holy Quran commands not to kill children due to poverty as it is God Who grants them provision and killing them is a great sin.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said to respect children and give them a good upbringing. The Prophet^(sa) also said that the best gift a father can give his children is to grant them a good upbringing.

Regarding a good upbringing of children, the Promised Messiah^(as) said that people really desire children, but do not provide a good upbringing; they do not pray for them or exert any effort for their upbringing. Huzoor^(as) said that he prayed for his children everyday. People do not stop their children when they act immorally. Children should be made a healthy part of society.

Islam set the rights of children whose parents have divorced and these rights are better than any law present today. Allah says that a (divorced) mother should fulfil two years of weaning if the father desires. At the same time, the father has the responsibility of providing provisions for the child and the mother. Huzoor^(aa) explained this verse further and said that the rights of women and the child are strongly upheld in this verse. By establishing such rights, divorces will not be a means of great enmity and disorder as rights of the child, the mother and the father are upheld.

The Holy Quran lays great stress upon protecting the rights of orphans. Drawing on the Quran, Hazrat Amirul Momineen^(aa) discussed the various responsibilities of society in upholding the rights of orphans, protecting their wealth and giving them a good upbringing. This is the great teaching of Islam.

Then there is generosity and kindness towards children. The Holy Prophet^(sa) upheld the rights of even the children of enemies. The Prophet^(sa) admonished an army who had killed children.

Today, governments are separating mothers and children in nations of the world. With this, they still believe that it is Islam that is taking away rights.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said that he who is not merciful towards children is not one of us.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) laid great emphasis on the care of daughters. He said not to hate daughters, as they are the ones who love more than anyone else.

On one occasion, when a man hit his child, the Promised Messiah^(as) was very upset with this and expressed his dislike for this act. Huzoor^(as) said that if people prayed for their children with the same passion as when they scolded them, they would realise the blessing in this and the change it brings.

The Promised Messiah^(as) also said that children should be taught lessons. If they are not, then they will grow with bad habits. Huzoor^(as) said that these are balanced teachings.

Allah has taught us a prayer for our wives and children in the Holy Quran, which results in a better atmosphere.

Rights have been established for divorced women. The Holy Quran commands men not to act unjust when divorcing women, rather they should act with great kindness and forgiveness.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aa) expressed that even some Ahmadis did not follow these commands set in the Holy Quran. When they are presented in court cases within the Jamaat, they act wrongfully.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said that the best wealth of the world is a pious wife. Then he said that the best among you is he who is best toward his wife and that he was the best towards his wife. Hazrat Aisha^(ra) related that the Holy Prophet^(sa) would assist in chores of the household and when it was time for prayers, he would leave for worship.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said that a believing man should not dislike a believing woman. If he dislikes one aspect, he will like another.

Huzoor^(aa) mentioned a revelation of the Promised Messiah^(as) that instructs men to act softly and with kindness towards their wives. Huzoor^(as) said to avoid divorce as it is greatly disliked by Allah. Huzoor^(as) said that divorce should not take place over trivial matters. Those who talk of rights in these countries, themselves do not take care of their women and often have extra marital affairs. The divorce rates here are very high.

Then regarding brothers and sisters, the Holy Quran teaches a prayer in which one prays for forgiveness for his brother. To uphold the rights of siblings, Allah commands to stay away from prejudice, backbiting and spying.

In a Hadith it is mentioned that the Holy Prophet^(sa) said, “One is not a true believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said not to have prejudice or hate between one another. It is not lawful for a believer to cease speaking to another believer for more than three days.

The Holy Quran lays great importance in upholding the rights of relatives and maintaining good relations with them. The Holy Prophet^(sa) said that he who wants more wealth, or more age should be kind towards his relatives.

The Holy prophet^(sa) said that those who do not take care of their relatives will not enter heaven.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) said that Gabriel relayed the importance of taking caring of neighbours to such an extent that the Prophet^(sa) began to think that maybe Gabriel would include neighbours within one’s will.

Huzoor^(aa) said that the Promised Messiah^(as) expressed that those who did not take care of the rights of their neighbours were not from his community.

The Holy Quran pays a great deal of attention in upholding the rights of widows as well. The Holy Prophet^(sa) said that the one who upholds their rights would be like the one participating in Jihad.

Huzoor^(sa) drew on Quranic verses to show how it upheld the rights of elderly people. Allah says to show kindness to elderly parents and not to scold them or tell them off.

The Holy Prophet^(sa) even took care of rights of the elderly during prayers. An elderly person complained to the Holy Prophet^(sa) regarding long prayers of an Imam. As a result, the Holy Prophet^(sa) firmly told his companions to keep prayers short as elderly people are present.

The Holy Prophet, at the conquest of Mecca, announced to the Quraish that their ignorance has now finished with the coming of Islam. He then read out a verse of the Quran that signifies unity among people and not differentiating between races. The Holy Prophet^(sa) forgave the whole Quraish tribe after they said that they expected the Holy Prophet^(sa) to act with kindness towards them at his conquest.

The Promised Messiah^(as) states that the Holy Quran highlights the need of acting fairly and with justice, even against enemies. It is hard to act justly towards those who kill your women and children, but the Holy Quran has demanded upholding the rights of enemies as well. Huzoor^(as) said that most people talk with kindness in front of enemies, but they do not uphold their rights. The Holy Quran does not merely mention love but talks of the level of love one should show.

The Holy Quran established the rights of servants and concubines with great detail. The Holy Prophet^(sa) taught to take great care of servants, to clothe them and feed with the same standard of one’s own clothes and food.

In his address, Huzoor^(aa) said that the Holy Quran teaches religious harmony as well. The Quran says not to mock or deride those things that the non-believers worship as in return, they would curse Allah. Regarding non-Muslims, the Holy Quran states not to fight those who do not oppose you, rather one should act with justice with such people.

The Promised Messiah^(as) said not to give any kind of pain to others. Huzoor^(as) said that a religion is not a religion in which kindness towards all is not taught. Our God has not differentiated between any nation, all people are given the same powers, the world is for every nation, the stars and the sun are for everyone, nature is for all, food and medicine is for all of humanity. This teaches us to become openhearted to all of humanity.

Huzoor^(aa) said that he could only mention a small number of rights the Holy Quran has upheld and this had taken a lot of time. Huzoor^(aa) expressed that the so-called freedom movements of today are not creating a harmonious and moral society; they are destroying society.

Huzoor^(aa) prayed that Allah grants such people sense and that they are saved from the wrath of Allah. At the same time, may we uphold rights in the true sense.

Huzoor^(aa) then led the congregation in silent prayer, he paid emphasis on praying for the world to be saved from the wrath of Allah.

Huzoor^(aa) then announced the total attendance of Jalsa Salana UK 2019 to be 39,829 people, representing 115 countries. 21,332 men and 18,497 women attended. Huzoor^(aa) mentioned that last year, 38,510 people attended Jalsa Salana UK.

(The Weekly Al Hakam, August 4, 2019)