Note: The Alislam Team assumes full responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in this translation of the Friday Sermon.
(Delivered: 21 September 1923) (Published: Al-Fazl, 28 September 1923)
Topics: Prayer (Salat), Surah Al-Fatiha, Spiritual Decline, Obedience
After reciting the Tashahhud, Ta'awwudh, and Surah Al-Fatiha, Huzoor-e-Anwar said: Surah Al-Fatiha, which I have just recited, is the Umm al-Qur'an — that is, it is the root of the Holy Quran. Just as everything contained in the branches of a tree originates from the root — not in outward form, but in potential — so too does everything that manifests in the branches exist within the root in latent form. In the same way, all that is set forth in the Holy Quran is also summarised within this Surah. The fruit found on a branch does not exist in the seed in visible form, yet in essence it is all present within it. In this same manner, Surah Al-Fatiha stands as the root of the Holy Quran. All the subjects elaborated in detail throughout the Quran — all the flourishes, the fruits, the blossoms, the verdure and vitality of its meanings — are contained within Surah Al-Fatiha in seed form. One who possesses a keen and discerning eye can extract the meanings of the entire Holy Quran from Surah Al-Fatiha.
In worldly things, a seed's appearance gives no indication of whether the tree will be small or large, barren or fruitful, but the Holy Quran is distinguished by a unique excellence: this brief Surah contains the meanings of the entire Quran in such a manner that, upon reflection, all its subjects can be derived from it. This is a quality exclusive to the Holy Quran — that within its seed can already be found that quality by which we can gauge the whole Quran. From a grain of wheat, one cannot accurately estimate the nature of the tree; from a melon seed, one cannot truly know the melon — but the root of the Holy Quran is such a root from which we can form a perfectly accurate estimate of the entire Holy Quran. Although the words of Surah Al-Fatiha are very few, and its seven verses are so brief that even the shortest verse elsewhere in the Quran is longer than any verse of Al-Fatiha, yet it contains words whose meanings can never be exhausted over a lifetime, and subjects so vast that they can never come to an end.
The Promised Messiah (as)¹ has explained its meaning with such clarity that no one, unless they are obstinate and bigoted, could ever deny it. This Surah has been prescribed to be recited continuously in Prayer, and as I have mentioned, it is the root of the Holy Quran, containing within it the Quran's subjects. Among those subjects, one particular theme is set forth in this Surah which should always remain before the eyes of every Muslim. It is because of this very theme that this Surah carries such a profound effect that whoever recites it — whether Muslim or Hindu — their heart cannot remain unaffected, provided they understand its meaning. That theme must therefore always remain before the eyes of a Muslim.
That theme is this: there are two conditions of the human being. One condition leads him upward; it begins with Iyyāka na'budu (1:5) and ends with an'amta 'alayhim (1:7). The other condition leads him downward; it begins with maghdūbi 'alayhim (1:7) and ends with wa lad-dāllīn (1:7). These are the two paths shown to us: a Muslim is exhorted to choose the good path and avoid the bad, and to pray that Allah guide him along the good path and not the bad. This theme can be understood by every person, and at the minimum, this much meaning can be derived from this Surah by anyone: there is a good path — may he find it — and a bad path — may he be saved from it
Since a Muslim is so strongly urged to recite this Surah repeatedly, there must certainly be a reason and a purpose for it, otherwise the urging would be futile. The insistence on its continuous recitation indicates that there is a definite reason behind it. That reason is this: a human being is in reality always in danger, and is never free from peril. Since he faces a constant risk and is always in a position of vulnerability, he is urged to recite this Surah again and again and to keep its meaning ever before his eyes — so that he may be saved from that danger. This also teaches us that considering oneself safe and secure is foolishness. When a person begins to regard himself as protected and immune, that is the very first step toward his downfall.
Now I shall explain clearly the theme and meaning contained within this Surah to which I earlier alluded. The person who ascends upward — his first step is Iyyāka na'budu (1:5), and his second step is Iyyāka nasta'īn (1:5). The first step on the upward path is that one becomes a worshipper of Allah and obeys His commands — this is the first step on the path leading upward. Before this, there is a step of belief, which is expressed in the earlier verses preceding Iyyāka na'budu, but the first step of the practical portion begins with Iyyāka na'budu. In the practical portion, the very first step is worship and obedience.
Then, when a person worships Allah, he earns the right to ask something of Him. Only when he becomes a servant can he be entitled to seek assistance. In Iyyāka na'budu, the person says to Allah: "I become Your servant." Now, to become a servant requires detachment from the world, and after that detachment, one needs provisions, which he seeks from his Master. And from the Master comes assistance of two kinds: one is that He gives the servant the tools for his work — as a labourer is given a basket and equipment — and the other, in recompense for the service, is that He arranges for the sustenance of the servant and his family. In the same way, the Muslim's second step is to seek divine assistance (istiānat). Having pledged his servitude, he asks: "Grant me the provisions for service and sustenance." He first says: "I am Your servant, I am ready for Your service." Then the next stage is: "Very well — now tell me what I must do. Give me full guidance as to what I should do."
For example, first the provisions are given, and once they are in hand, he says: "Now tell me what is to be done." So when the Muslim says Ihdinā al-sirāt al-mustaqīm (1:6), it is as if he is saying: "The provisions have been received; now show me what I must do." When the straight path is shown to him, he comes to know his purpose and task. After seeking divine help, he attains noble character and spirituality. So the Prayers, fasting, and similar acts are declarations of this kind: "We have come, and give us the means to use what was first given to us." First the capacities are given, then the duties are made known.
After this comes the fourth station — an'amta 'alayhim (1:7). The meaning of al-sirāt al-mustaqīm (1:6) is that one be shown a path that is in accordance with His will. Now, a Master's will can be of different levels — there is a lower will and a higher will. By saying an'amta 'alayhim, the person prays: "Guide me on that path by walking which I may attain Your highest will, by which I may become Your friend." For in the world there are two kinds of servants: ordinary servants, and those servants who become the friends of their master. So the Muslim prays: "In my service, guide me along such a way that I become Your friend." There is no station beyond this.
Now, how does one descend from this height? The station of maghdūbi 'alayhim (1:7) is the first step downward — meaning, one departs from being a worshipper. One who departs from worship becomes among the maghdūb 'alayhim, and this is the first step on the path leading a person downward. The station of departure from Iyyāka na'budu (1:5) is maghdūbi 'alayhim — such a person is negligent in worship. The one who falls from the station of Iyyāka na'budu may still have correct beliefs, but becomes negligent in practice, and thus arrives at the station of maghdūbi 'alayhim.
Then, the second step downward is dāllīn (1:7) — meaning, one arrives at a condition in which he has no awareness at all of what he is supposed to do. He is, so to speak, entirely obliterated. Dāllīn means those who are lost and wiped out — their name and trace, from the standpoint of religion, is erased. In the maghdūb 'alayhim there was still some trace remaining, but at this station even that is completely gone.
For example, the Jews worship, they acknowledge the Law — however wrongly they may proceed, they do follow some path or another. But Christians declare the Law itself to be an outright curse; no aspect of the Law has any effect upon them. So abandoning the outward commandments and failing to properly fulfil them is called maghdūb 'alayhim. If a master tells a servant to do a task and the servant instead keeps doing something else — however much he may work — by going the wrong way he incurs his master's wrath. For instance, if we appoint someone as a preacher and he goes off and keeps quarrelling all day, he has not done the work for which we appointed him.
So the Jews appear in appearance to be observant of the Law, but if one were to live with Christians for even ten months, one could not figure out what religion they profess. The first step downward is maghdūb 'alayhim, so that community which does not properly fulfil worship is maghdūb 'alayhi — even if it does other things very well. For example, a person who does not pray but gives financial contributions — he will be maghdūb 'alayhi. A servant and worshipper means one who works in accordance with the master's will. Likewise, a worshipper means one who worships in accordance with God's will and follows His commands — not one who acts according to his own will. If he does not worship in accordance with God's will, then no matter how much he prostrates his nose to the ground, he cannot be called a worshipper. For example, the Hindus perform very severe acts of worship, but they do not act in accordance with God's will — hence they are among the maghdūb 'alayhim. So it is only one who follows the Law who will be called a worshipper and will enter among the an'amta 'alayhim. The major outward commandments of the Law are Prayer, Fasting, Hajj, and Zakat, and of these the greatest pillar is Prayer. One who abandons this greatest pillar — Prayer — is in reality abandoning Islam itself. As long as he does not pray, he is a liar and a hypocrite. His participation in other activities holds no value; his debates, his financial contributions, his religious work — none of it carries any weight before Allah. In my view, as far as I have reflected upon it, I have arrived at this conclusion: a person who prays, however deeply he may have fallen into faults, still has a means of salvation and deliverance. But a person who does not pray — however many other good deeds he may perform — remains at risk.
In my estimation, a very great cause of the ruin of Muslims has been the abandonment of Prayer. To begin with, the wealthy class abandoned Prayer altogether, and those who do pray, do so at home. In general, people abandon Prayer over trivial quarrels. But as for our Jama'at, even the thought that any member of it might abandon Prayer is dangerous to entertain. In my view, whoever misses even a single Prayer in a year is a one who abandons Prayer (tārik al-salāt). Indeed, even if he misses a single Prayer over fifteen years — he is still an abandoner of Prayer, because in Prayer there is such delight and pleasure that on account of it, one can never miss a single Prayer. Once he has repented even a single time, if he misses even one Prayer thereafter, he will be called an abandoner. I have spoken here many times about the fact that many people do not pray in congregation — but the matter of congregational Prayer comes afterward; what is first necessary is that Prayer not be abandoned in any form whatsoever.
I have heard that certain individuals here who have, in appearance, left their homes and families and arrived here recently — do not pray. Although my heart does not accept that any member of our Jama'at could be one who abandons Prayer, the weight of this matter on my heart has been so heavy that today I have delivered the Friday sermon on this subject — despite the fact that I had intended to speak on an entirely different topic.
So bear this firmly in mind: there is no Islam without Prayer; no one can remain Muslim by abandoning Prayer. There is but one link between God and His servant, and that link is Prayer. So who is it that wishes to sever this link? The community that remains steadfast in Prayer will always remain safe. Look — a broken link belongs to neither side. You consider yourselves to be a link in God's chain. Tell me — if you are broken, to which side will you go? You will then belong neither to this world nor to religion. Prayer is the very first step of servitude to God. Whoever occasionally misses Prayer will be counted among the maghdūb 'alayhim and the dāllīn. So let those who have erred collect themselves and be concerned for their faith. I assure the one who abandons Prayer: he will never be granted the blessing of dying in a state of faith. Before death, some calamity will certainly befall him such that he will be deprived of faith, and in this way he will die without faith. Would you spend your whole life making sacrifices and then depart this world faithless at the time of death? Abandoning Prayer is therefore no trivial matter.
In general, those who pray and sometimes leave it do so as a matter of custom, out of social obligation, or for show. I specifically admonish the Jama'at here — and the farmers in particular — to abandon their laziness in Prayer. Pray for the sake of Allah, and then see what blessings Allah showers upon you. I say: no matter how great the loss — never abandon Prayer.
Some say Prayer slips from their memory. In my view, forgetting and thus missing Prayer is in reality the same as deliberately missing it. Would a mother whose child once slipped from her hand at a railway station and fell under a train ever again allow that child to be separated from her finger? Then how is it possible that a person forgets his Prayer? Or falls asleep before praying? If you see that lying down on the bed before Isha Prayer causes sleep to overcome you, why do you lie down in the very place where heedlessness overtakes you? If the terrifying vision of the punishment for abandoning Prayer were before your eyes, how could you sleep before the Prayer?
So one who repeatedly forgets is also equivalent to one who deliberately abandons Prayer, and repeatedly forgetting Prayer is equally dangerous. Therefore, guard yourself from this as well and hold firmly to Prayer. At the very least, let this distinction exist between us and others: that not a single one among us is without Prayer — let there be no abandoner of Prayer. Beyond this, it is also my belief that one who does not pray in congregation is also an abandoner of Prayer. May Allah grant us the ability to be true exemplars of obedience to Him, and at a minimum, that we be regular in performing Prayer in congregation.
References
¹ The Promised Messiah (as), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, explained the meanings of Surah Al-Fatiha extensively in his writings. See: Commentary on the Holy Quran — Surah Fatiha (compiled from his writings and pronouncements). Available at: https://new.alislam.org/library/books/quran-english-commentary-surah-fatiha
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