Note: The Alislam Team assumes full responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in this translation of the Friday Sermon.
Delivered: April 13, 1923
Topics: Core Ahmadi Beliefs, Living God, Practical Benefit from Faith, Islam Under Attack from All Sides, Proportionate Prayer, Divine Help Through Humility, Material Means with Spiritual Trust, Collective vs Personal Calamity
After recitation of the Tashahhud, Ta'awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazoor (may Allah be pleased with him) stated:
Due to illness, I can neither speak loudly nor at length. However, my responsibility is so great that it compels me to draw your attention to those duties which have been placed upon you by Allah Almighty. We are Muslims, and furthermore, we are Ahmadis. This means that the reality of Islam which the Prophet Muhammad (saw) made clear and manifest to the world, and which later became hidden from the world, has again become our lot through Hazrat Ahmad (as). We have found it.
By virtue of being Muslim and Ahmadi, we hold the conviction that the God whom we believe in is alive, not dead. We do not say, as some communities do, that God used to speak before but does not speak now. We do not say, as other communities do, that there was once a time when the doors of nearness to Allah were open, but now they are not. We do not say, as other communities do, that there was once a time when God's powers were manifested, but now they are not. We do not believe, as other communities do, that Allah Almighty made the law of nature and then withdrew His hand, and now He is inactive.
We neither consider Allah, as some ignorant and foolish communities do, to be limited and confined like a created being, requiring death, birth, food, and drink. Nor do we say that the attributes of Allah Almighty never existed before and now they have come into being. Rather, we have always believed in His attributes. We believe that the essence of Allah Almighty is pure and free from begetting children. For any human or animal form to clothe His being would be contrary to His dignity. If He appears before His creation, He does so with the manifestation of majesty, glory, power, and might—not by taking on a human form.
And we believe that He still speaks today just as He spoke before. And He still displays His power just as He did before. Just as His doors of nearness were open before and those near to Him were the inheritors of His blessings, so too are they still open, and the same blessings can be obtained. These are not peripheral matters for us that believing or disbelieving in them would be the same. Rather, these are the fundamental issues on account of which we have engaged in conflict with different communities and have separated ourselves from them.
If we struggle with Hindus, it is because of these very beliefs. If we wage war with Christians, it is purely on the basis of these beliefs. If we have a dispute with Jews, it is also because of these beliefs. If we are separate from Sikhs, it is because of these beliefs. If we have war with Zoroastrians, it is for these beliefs. Our conflict with Parsis also concerns these matters. Otherwise, we are all children of one ancestor. What is the reason we have cut ties with them? Solely because of these beliefs.
Then, because of some of these very beliefs, those who call themselves Muslims are also separated from us. If these beliefs were not there, there would be no difference between us and them. The foundation of difference and dispute is these beliefs. This is why we have chosen separation from them. When someone's beliefs are corrupted, we are compelled to separate from them.
Therefore, these are not peripheral matters but fundamental principles and extremely important issues on account of which we have taken up conflict with the material world. So now, if we ourselves become weak in these very beliefs and do not derive any practical benefit from them, what could be more unfortunate and ill-fated than this? Is there any doubt about the misery of a person who fights the entire world for the sake of these beliefs but makes no effort to gain practical benefit from them? Such a person is certainly losing hold of reality.
For example, if we were to maintain connection with Hindus or Christians, the benefits we could obtain would be a reality. Or the benefits that could come to us from association with Jews and Zoroastrians and non-Ahmadis would be a real reality. But if we know the reality of only a word and grasp its meaning, that is merely a verbal benefit, not a real one. So think about it: if we have obtained only verbal benefits from these beliefs, what benefit is that? Remember: real benefits can only be sacrificed when something greater is obtained in their place.
I ask you: to what extent have you given practical form to these beliefs, and to what extent have you derived real benefit from them? If our difference with non-Ahmadis is that Allah Almighty still displays His power and hears and speaks now just as He did before, what practical benefit have we gained from this? If you say that we pray to Him in our troubles, remember that even those who deny God turn toward Allah Almighty in times of personal calamity.
I have often given the example: when an earthquake occurred in 1905, there was an atheist Hindu in Lahore. Frightened by the earthquake, he ran away crying, "Ram, Ram!" When the earthquake subsided, he was asked: "You used to say there is no God. What has happened now?" He replied, "It was a habit; it came out of my mouth." But in reality, it was not a habit. He used to curse God. But when he saw personal danger, he involuntarily cried out "Ram, Ram" because the pressing concern of danger suppressed artificial thoughts, and the hidden testimony within man of the existence of the Almighty became manifest on his lips. But once the time passed, it was all forgotten.
Therefore, turning toward God in times of personal calamity is not a distinguishing characteristic of a believer. Rather, in such times even an atheist turns toward Him. True conviction, faith, and trust are known when a person turns toward God in times of collective calamity. When a community turns toward Allah Almighty in such times and benefits from this, it proves what relationship that community has with Allah Almighty.
What is the difference between Muslims and Hindus? It is this: they do not pray in times of collective calamity. Instead, they go and bow at shrines and graves, making vows and requests to the dead. We people are fighting the entire world for these beliefs. If we do not take full benefit from them, it will be a matter of great regret. I draw the Community's attention to engage especially in prayers. The entire world is attacking at this moment. For many years, Christians have been waiting for an opportunity to devour Muslims. They have now attacked and are converting many people from Islam.
What has happened is the result of Muslims' own laziness and heedlessness. But they have no relationship with Islam. They have no concern whether they or their children become Christian. If anyone can feel the pain of this and these attacks, it is we who have accepted religion as religion and embraced truth by seeing its reality. What pain does it matter to others?
Look at the Hindus on the other hand. Never before has a single person joined them, but today they are accepting thousands. The very community from which people have always left and never joined is now concerned with diluting Islam. The condition of Muslims is one of complete helplessness at this time. This attack is completely new and dangerous, and Muslims cannot think of any remedy for it.
The Sikhs have also begun to attack. Reports are coming from many places that many Muslims are becoming Sikhs. The Jewish people have also decided to engage in missionary work and have already begun in Syria. Therefore, at such a time, the condition of Muslims is like that of unclaimed property being divided among a gang of thieves. Islam is in a state of complete helplessness. Now, if our Community is sincere in its claims, it is its duty to come forward in defense of Islam.
Therefore, it is the duty of our Community to devote itself to prayers in proportion to the significance of this opportunity. We have no power, no strength, no wealth. We have only the Being of Allah through whom we can accomplish this work. The work is His to do, but He has commanded us to make preparations. Therefore, it is the duty of our friends to provide both material preparations and collections.
If it were not for Allah Almighty's command, I would consider it foolish and madness on our part to make preparations against such a great enemy. If we were to do such a thing without Allah's command, I would consider myself insane. But what can be done? Allah Almighty's law is this: His help comes after full preparation and struggle, so that the veil of the unseen is not lifted. For He conceals Himself from those unworthy of it, just as a woman conceals herself from those not related to her. Similarly, Allah conceals Himself from those unworthy and remains hidden from them until man himself strives and tears this veil asunder.
Therefore, it is His custom that He displays His power only when material means are employed, so that His help bears the color of the unseen. The believer should use material means, but the results that come forth from them are accompanied by divine support. As long as Allah Almighty's help does not accompany someone's effort, they cannot succeed. Even the smallest task is dependent on His grace. As long as Allah's grace does not provide support, man can do nothing.
Therefore, I especially draw the Community's attention to understand their responsibility and to engage in prayers proportionate to the importance of the matter. Let your hearts be troubled and let sighs come from your hearts that draw Allah's grace. Let you see one and only one refuge, and let the remedy for your calamity be solely the Being of Allah. When this is achieved, that is true faith and trust. Then even if the entire world quarrels with you and Allah is with you, the world is deceived. For your backer is that Being whose powers no one can match.
The key to success is divine help, and it is obtained through creating love and relationship with Him, through placing trust in Him and falling at His threshold. If you do this, then Allah will display majesty to you and display His power. Just as He fulfills your personal needs—you ask for food and He gives you food, you ask for water and He gives it to you, you need clothing and He provides it to you, you need wealth for your relatives and for yourself and He helps you through your property—in the same way, He will remove your collective calamities and you will be delivered from these troubles. He will give you help, and certainly He will, if you believe and place your trust in His Being.
Therefore, both those here and those elsewhere should especially make prayers and make them far greater than before. For every time and work has different requirements. Allah Almighty has placed in man a faculty of comparison whose function is to estimate how much need there is for each task and how much strength should be expended. This sense is beyond the five senses. For example, if a needle is to be lifted, a certain effort and strength is needed, but lifting a maund requires far greater effort and strength. A needle requires one kind of preparation and a maund requires another.
Therefore, this faculty of comparison tells man at each moment the right measure and in this way man's strengths remain protected. He does not expend strength unnecessarily, and for work requiring greater strength, he does not remain unsuccessful by expending little strength. Rather, by expending strength appropriate to each work, man succeeds in each task.
It is true that a believer prays at all times, but just as if someone were to use the strength of lifting a needle to try to lift a maund, they would waste their strength and it would be evident that their senses have become impaired—just as the sense of hearing becomes lost and such a person is called deaf—in the same way, if someone intends to do a great work with little strength, it must be admitted that they either lack the sense of comparison or it has become weak and defunct.
It is true that our Community prays, but the work that faces us today is not a hundredth part of what it was before. Therefore, the prayers we were making before are now very little in comparison. Make prayers far greater than that and engage in weeping and supplication until Allah Almighty's help is with you. Exert proportionate to the occasion. As long as you do not turn toward Allah Almighty with complete earnestness and sincerity, you will never receive His help and your effort will be in vain.
Do not think that we prayed before as well, for I have already explained that those prayers are in no way related to this current work. If you say that, then you have certainly not recognized the importance of this work. Therefore, begin prayers according to the importance of this work. Adopt humility and lowliness. If our Community understands this matter, then the doors of divine mercy will open for them, and just as I now find myself laughing at my own preparations, then the enemy will find themselves laughing—that God's Being is with us—while the foolish enemy fights against us.
This transformation will happen only through prayers, humility, and submissiveness. Therefore, engage in prayers and abandon self-worship. If you heed my words and generate such passion and earnestness as should be generated at such a moment, and seek help from Allah, then what is the enemy's existence that could stand before you? What are the preparations and what is the enemy's stew when compared with help from Allah?
At such a time, the victor becomes the vanquished and the vanquished becomes the victor. This transformation depends solely on divine help. We have already lost the world. If Allah is not found as well, then this would be our fate: neither here nor there. As has been said: "Allah is sufficient for us when the idols fail us."
Therefore, engage fully in prayers. I hope that our friends will especially pray. And it is through prayer that appreciation for the source of grace is developed. To merely say with the mouth that Allah hears, speaks, and displays His power—this is merely words. When along with these words there is actual observation and experience, and this experience is obtained through Allah's grace, and prayers draw down grace—then you have true faith.
Therefore, engage in prayers and practice humility and lowliness and act as a true believer, so that these signs are fulfilled and the glory of the One God is manifested, and disbelief and corruption are removed from the world, and peace and security reign in the world, and pure Tawheed spreads everywhere. Ameen.
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