Note: The Alislam Team assumes full responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in this translation of the Friday Sermon.
(Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad(ra), Khalifatul Masih II — 11 April 1924 | Published: Al-Fazl, 22 April 1924)
Topics: Ramadan fasting, fasting, Ramadan, prayer, spiritual development, nearness to God
After tashahud, ta'awwudh, and the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, Huzur(ra) recited the following verse:
"And when My servants ask thee about Me, [say:] I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way." — Al-Baqarah 2:187
Huzoor(ra) then said: As you are all aware, the blessed month of Ramadan began five days ago. It is the month in which the bounties and mercies of Allah the Almighty descend in abundance. And the Quran, which had been revealed before, was re-revealed upon the Holy Prophet(sa) in the month of Ramadan.1
Among the acts of worship, the fasts of Ramadan appear, outwardly, to be almost entirely free of any external, physical form. Consider Hajj: it entails a journey undertaken for its sake, and the pilgrims have specific supplications which they recite on their way to and during the performance of Hajj — that is the outward form of Hajj. Prayer, likewise, contains tasbih, tahmid, ruku', sajdah, qiyam, and qa'dah, and by virtue of these elements, prayer possesses an outward form. Moreover, as far back as recorded history can tell us, the matter of sadaqah and zakah is ancient, and the practice of aiding the poor and destitute has been in place since time immemorial — it too has an outward form, since the needs of the needy are met in a visible and tangible way.
But in fasting, there is nothing outward. Rather, its effect falls upon the inner nature of a person. And because this effect is hidden, some people regard fasting as a punishment. They say that God has prescribed fasts in order to punish people by keeping them hungry and thirsty.
Since no specific prayers are recited nor any particular acts are performed during the fast, those who are unacquainted with the true reality of fasting find the time from morning to evening exceedingly burdensome. They suppose that God simply wishes to keep them hungry and thirsty, and that beyond this there is no other purpose or benefit in the fast. An ordinary person, devoid of spirituality, cannot receive more than this understanding of fasting in his heart. This is precisely why most people generally regard the fast as a chore and a burden — whereas in reality the fast is not a burden at all, but rather a great means of attaining spirituality and nearness to God.
If one were to view the fast only in its apparent, outward dimension — that is, as mere hunger, thirst, and an unnecessary delay in one's daily affairs through God's command — even then I say that the fasts are a magnificent act of worship before God, and a supreme means of earning His pleasure. For even if the fast had no other benefit whatsoever, is it not itself a benefit that the one who fasts endures hunger and thirst for the sake of God? And to remain hungry and thirsty for the sake of God and in obedience to His command is itself a great act of worship.
But the fast contains within it great wisdoms, one of which is that through fasting a person trains his body to such a degree that should he ever be called to go forth in the path of God, he can, without hesitation and without regard for the discomfort of hunger and thirst, rise and obey the command of God with wholehearted willingness.
The analogy is exactly like that of a soldier placed on a swift horse with several trenches dug in his path, who is told to gallop across them. He knows that his life is not in danger from any enemy, and that the government fears no attack from an external foe — yet knowing all this, he still risks his life and crosses those deep trenches. Why? Because through this he is given practice, so that when his country is attacked by an enemy or must attack another, he can fight with courage and valor. If he had not been trained in this way from the beginning — if he had not been made to cross deep trenches, had not been accustomed to bearing hardship and toil — he would certainly flee at the moment of need. And even if he did not flee, he would accomplish nothing of note.
No sensible and intelligent person objects to this, saying that soldiers should be employed as clerks or put to some other work, and that it is wasteful to put them through such hardship and expense without purpose. If a fool were to say such a thing, he would be answered: these soldiers are being prepared to face danger; they are being made brave and courageous; they are being habituated to enduring hardship — so that when the time of need comes they may confront the enemy with valor and not turn their backs in the midst of battle.
Likewise, one purpose of fasting is that a person should practice enduring hardships in the path of God. And it is a clear matter that one who, without any real cause, puts his life at risk, will certainly put his life at risk when a genuine cause arises — he will not shrink from it in the least. Therefore, even if it were assumed that fasting is nothing more than a name for remaining hungry and thirsty and enduring such discomforts, these would still be in the nature of practice, and they take place over a limited period of time — this is nothing compared to the distress of remaining hungry and thirsty at the hands of an external enemy. If Muslims are not accustomed to it, they will be overcome with anxiety. Just as a soldier who has not been given battle practice becomes dismayed at the sight of the battlefield, so too if Muslims are not trained through fasting to endure hunger and thirst, they would likewise be overcome with anxiety.
If it is asked: a soldier practices putting his life at risk because his government fears enemies, but what danger faces a Muslim for which he should put himself through hardship? — the answer is this: every Muslim is trained through fasting to protect Islam.
Fasting is thus an important duty among the obligations of Islam, and for the fulfilment of this duty we must prepare our children from an early age, so that when they grow up they do not shrink from fasting. Some children who are not acquainted with the reality of fasting — why they remain hungry and thirsty — do not fast when they grow up. But those who know the reality of fasting never behave in this manner.
I must say with regret that many people who do not fast offer the excuse that they do not fast because it causes them discomfort. The example of such people is exactly like that of a wounded man who says he will not let the doctor operate because it will hurt, or a feverish man who says he will not take quinine because it is bitter — when in fact it is precisely the pain of the operation that expels the foul matter from the wound, and it is precisely the bitterness of the quinine that kills the malarial parasite. Since the very purpose of fasting is to prepare your bodies to endure those hardships which you may one day have to endure in the path of God, how great a foolishness it is to say: "We cannot fast because it causes discomfort." If even now you cannot endure so much discomfort, how can one hope that when some great hardship must be borne for the sake of Islam, you will be able to bear it? If you do not accustom yourselves in this way, you will be of absolutely no use when the time of need arrives.
Observe what the result is of not being accustomed to something. Nowadays, if someone has to go even a short distance, he starts looking for a carriage — and sometimes says: "I could not go at that time because I could not find a carriage." But in the time of the Holy Prophet(sa), the Companions would travel sixty miles on foot. I do not say this to compare sincerity, nor do I mean it as a comparison of dedication — rather, I mean to point out that you cannot walk long distances because you are not accustomed to it, and they could because they were accustomed to it. The same applies to everything. A person who is not accustomed to enduring hunger becomes overwhelmed when he has to go without food.
Often when I go on journeys — the purpose of which is generally to accustom myself to hardship — some people accompany me who are not used to the difficulties of travel, who do not get the same comforts as they do at home. They become distressed and cannot bear the hardship because they are unaccustomed to it. But those who have previously traveled with me do not show any anxiety whatsoever. So Ramadan trains us for an important matter: that if an occasion arises where one must go hungry for the sake of religion, we may be able to remain hungry for six months even. But those who are not habituated become overwhelmed.
Observe: those who in childhood are not accustomed to prayer flee from prayer when they grow up, and if they try to pray, they cannot do so with the excellence of those who have prayed since childhood. An Englishman from America wrote a letter to my son Nasir Ahmad. He wrote: "I saw your picture offering prayer in a prayer book — I am amazed that you can sit in tashahud. Despite all my efforts I cannot do so." Now it is not that this Englishman has less sincerity. He even proved his sincerity to such an extent that he accepted Islam, leaving his friends and relatives behind, heedless of his government, his country, and other ties. The matter is simply that because he is not accustomed to sitting in tashahud, he cannot do it. But our small children sit with us in tashahud for hours. Are children more sincere than that Englishman? No — they are accustomed, and he is not. Habit thus prepares a person for difficult tasks. Islam prepares a person for sacrifice, and one purpose of fasting is also this.
Furthermore, the great virtue of Ramadan is that through it one attains nearness to God. Many people say that the Holy Prophet(sa) told us that prayers are accepted in Ramadan, yet our prayers are not heard. The answer to this is that because they do not produce in their supplications that sincerity which is a condition for the acceptance of prayer, and because alongside a physical change they do not make the spiritual change that is necessary for supplication, their prayers are not answered. The soul and body are so interrelated that each affects the other. Observe: the Holy Prophet(sa) has forbidden men from wearing jewellery and silk clothing2 — because these are things which create in the body a disposition toward ease and comfort, and this affects the soul.
Another great benefit obtained during the days of fasting is that those who ordinarily cannot rise for tahajjud prayers also find the opportunity during Ramadan, for they rise for the pre-dawn meal (suhur) and thus have the opportunity to offer tahajjud. Even children, in the joy of fasting, rise and offer at least two raka'at of tahajjud. Outside of Ramadan, only those who find delight and pleasure in tahajjud rise for it — but in Ramadan, young and old alike receive the opportunity for tahajjud. Ramadan is therefore a great blessing, for it grants the general populace the opportunity for tahajjud and a special time for supplications.
The Holy Prophet(sa) has said that in the month of Ramadan, Allah the Almighty comes to the lowest heaven (sama' al-dunya) to listen to the supplications of His servants, and says: "O My servants, pray — I am listening."3 By God's coming to the lowest heaven, it does not mean — God forbid — that God has a body and draws close in a physical sense. Rather, it means that He even listens to a supplication that is weak in sincerity and low in spiritual power. The more sincerity in a supplication, the greater its power, and the higher it is able to ascend. The weaker it is, the lower it remains. The meaning of the Holy Prophet's (saw) statement is that in Ramadan, even those prayers that are not capable of ascending very high are also accepted by God.
Prayer is the believer's arrow — he shoots it forth. It is related that a certain holy man had a house near the house of a minister of the king. At the minister's house, music, song, and dancing went on throughout the night, causing distress to the neighbours. Since he was a courtier of the king, no one dared stop him. One day, the holy man went to him and told him that this behaviour was causing great hardship to the neighbours. The minister said: "I will not give up my pleasures for the sake of your sleep. Go report it to the police." The holy man said: "It would be better if you desisted, otherwise I shall seek help from the sihamu'l-layl — the arrows of the night." The minister asked what these were. The holy man said: "They are the prayers of the night." This was said with such earnestness and sincerity that the man trembled, and he repented, saying: "I will make no more noise in the future — please do not shoot the arrows of the night." Prayer, then, is an arrow, and the harder an arrow is shot, the farther it travels; if released gently, it does not travel far — it falls nearby. The prayer of a believer of firm faith, offered with fervor, humility, and submission, will be like that forceful arrow which, by virtue of its speed and power, reaches far — such a prayer will reach the Divine Throne. And the prayer of one of weak faith will be like the arrow that falls nearby — it will reach the lowest heaven, but in Ramadan, even this will be accepted.
The seven heavens signify seven degrees. Whatever degree a prayer is, it is heard at the heaven of that degree. There are thus seven kinds of prayer. Those people of weak faith who do not possess such spiritual strength that their prayer reaches the Divine Throne — when they pray in the last portion of the night, God accepts even their prayer. This is the meaning of God being on the lowest heaven, and the meaning of being on the Throne is that God hears a very exalted prayer and accepts that arrow which travels with great force. Otherwise, God is even closer than the jugular vein.
Those who are in the habit of prayer and have tasted the sweetness of answered supplications know how excellent the last portion of the night is for prayers, and what delight is found in it. If even a particle of that delight could somehow be communicated to other people, they would sacrifice their nighttime rest and sleep for the sake of attaining it. Some ignorant people say regarding Ramadan fasts: what is the need for rising at suhur and remaining hungry and thirsty all day? One should make some modification — eat not a full meal but just a light snack, perhaps tea or some fruit. And the Babis say fasting should begin from later in the day. But such a fast is exactly like a person from whom nose, ears, and eyes have been cut out and it is said: "This is a human being."
The soul and life of the fast is the time of suhur and the offering of tahajjud. Thus a fast begun after a meal later in the day would be a lifeless fast, one devoid of spirit. The time of suhur is the very time when God comes to the lowest heaven. So if this spirit is removed from the fast, what benefit can be had from its mere shell? If a person does not rise at suhur and does not offer tahajjud, what benefit is there in remaining hungry and thirsty? Without the soul, the body is a lifeless thing — and from a lifeless thing, nothing is gained but decay and stench. A son buries his father's body, a friend buries his companion's body once the soul has departed, because keeping that body is not useful but deeply harmful. Likewise, keeping such a dead fast devoid of spirit not only yields no benefit, but causes actual harm — for the one who keeps it will think he is advancing in spiritual degrees, whereas in fact he will be falling further back. True spiritual progress can only be attained through that fast which has a soul — and the soul is present only in the fast as prescribed by Islam.
Those who wish to modify the fast are unacquainted with the delight of tahajjud. Making a modification in the fast is like fashioning a new law for oneself — easy enough to do. But creating a new reality is difficult. It is easy to make a painting, but one cannot put life into a painting. Similarly, fasts can be invented — one can invent twenty different kinds — but the spirit that God has placed in fasting cannot be put into them. Such people do not know the soul and life that God has placed in Ramadan.
I say from my own experience: if even a portion of the delight and rapture found in a single tahajjud prayer had been granted to Baha'ullah, he would never have invented a new fast. That delight and rapture is such that a person does not wish to lie on his bed throughout the night and remain deprived of it. He will sacrifice his sleep and rest for the sake of attaining it — he would even accept death sooner than forsake it. To tamper with such a fast is to prove oneself utterly estranged from spirituality.
This very soul and life of the fast is the reason the Holy Prophet(sa) said that the reward of the fast is God Himself — and this is what God has declared in the Holy Quran. For He says: "And when My servants ask thee about Me" — when My servants ask, "We have kept fasts, we have remained hungry and thirsty — now tell us: where is God?" — tell them: "I am near" (Al-Baqarah 2:187) — that because of your fasting and your tahajjud, He has drawn close to you. And the Holy Prophet(sa) has explained this nearness by saying that in Ramadan He comes to the lowest heaven — meaning: in these days He has drawn near, so that He may hear your petitions swiftly. Whenever you wish, you can meet with Him.
The question then arises: how can we meet with Him? The way is this: just as when a person knows that someone is present nearby but cannot see him in the dark, he calls out: "Where are you?" — and the other answers: "I am here." Likewise, when you call upon God and say "Where are You?" — "I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me" — I will accept the call of the caller and answer: I am very near because of your fasting. See: if a dear one of yours were sitting in Batala, you would not call out to him from here. But if a friend were seated in the dark nearby and you did not know where, you would call out to him. Likewise, since Ramadan brings God near, God Himself declares: "Now call upon Me — I will accept the prayer of him who calls."
The foolish say: our prayers are not heard. But God declares: those who wish to meet Me, who seek Me, who wander in search of Me — by My own essence I swear that they shall certainly find Me. And elsewhere He says: "And those who strive in Our path — We shall surely guide them to Our ways" (Al-'Ankabut 29:70). Whoever strives to attain Me, I shall certainly meet him.
This is why the Promised Messiah(as) said that whoever sincerely seeks our truthfulness shall certainly find it. So when the purpose of human creation is to meet God, if a person strives for it, he shall certainly meet Him. For God declares: when My servant calls upon Me, I too will respond — but the condition for the meeting is that the servant follows My voice and walks behind it, so that he may reach Me. Sometimes a person hears the voice but does not follow it, and thus does not reach his destination. Therefore it is declared: following the voice is necessary for the meeting.
Then it is said: "So they should hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right way" (Al-Baqarah 2:187) — this does not mean belief in God merely as a being to be acknowledged, for one would have to believe in Him first in order to call upon Him. Rather it means that he should have certainty and tawakkul (trust) that he shall certainly reach God. Rushd has two meanings: first, istiqamah (steadfastness — a station from which one does not fall); and second, guidance. When he reaches that station from which he cannot fall, if at that moment all the people in the world become his adversaries and inflict every kind of harm upon him, his step will still not waver, and the governments of the world will not be able to move him from his place. He will never say: "Such a person did not help me," or "Such a difficulty arose, which caused my step to falter." Rather, in every form of hardship he will remain steadfast. What a great blessing this is which God has given you in Ramadan! You say: clothing is needed to be worn; bread is needed to drive away hunger; wealth is needed to be spent — and so on for many other things. But I say to you: your goal is to meet that God Who has created all of these things. If He is attained, then everything is attained. Who is the fool who, instead of the spring, would settle for a single glass of water, or instead of the treasury would prefer a few coins? So when the fountainhead and the treasury of everything is God, who would be so witless as to take worldly positions and honours in exchange for God and His Messenger? Therefore, in return for Ramadan, God is attained. You should strive to find God — and you should do so by calling upon Him at the time when God is near, and by following His voice, with certainty and trust that you shall certainly find God. Such a person shall never fail. Whoever says he did not find God — we shall say: he did not even try to find Him. God cannot break a solemn promise sworn by His own essence. It must be conceded that the deficiency lay in that person's striving.
I am sorry to say that most members of our Jama'at do not strive to find God in Ramadan in the manner they ought, and they do not devote themselves to supplication — otherwise hundreds of thousands of Ahmadis would become ghauth and qutb. Many of you have not yet adopted that disposition which is necessary for those who find God, nor have you cultivated in your hearts that certainty from which the love of God wells up. If you had developed that disposition and that certainty, you would certainly have reached very lofty stations of spirituality and would have seen the lamp of God's majesty burning bright.
It is regrettable that you have not appreciated the blessing opened for you, and have not availed yourselves of the grace that was available to you — otherwise by now many among you would have become saints and aqtab. I believe you are still sleeping and do not know how many ways of receiving blessings have been opened for you, and how many means of progress have been created for you. Some of you are pleased upon learning the arguments for the truth of the Promised Messiah, and think you have attained open-heartedness regarding his truthfulness. Some among you consider it sufficient that the issue of the death of [the Prophet] Jesus has been settled and none can match them in it. Some among you are overjoyed merely that their prayers are answered in certain worldly matters — yet all of these are pointers towards meeting God; through them, guidance toward God is provided. These are not the goals of human existence. When will that time come when you call out to God with your voice, and He says: I am very near for your meeting? You must advance toward God so that He may also advance toward you. God's way has always been that when the servant advances, God also advances. God advances far more toward the servant than the servant does toward Him — but the condition is that the servant must advance first. For God says: My majesty and greatness demand that you first advance toward Me; thereafter, My tenderness and love and your weakness demand that I also come. So you take one step forward — I shall take two steps forward. You walk — I shall run.
Our Jama'at must therefore appreciate Ramadan and understand that prayer is a heavenly weapon. Your supplication should be that you become lovers of God, and ask God for God Himself — that should be your true goal. Of course all things are asked of God, as the hadith states: even if the strap of your shoe breaks, ask God for it. But among all your supplications, the greatest goal should be the seeking of God and meeting with Him.
The Promised Messiah(as) has said that the Prophets are the instruments of God — their supplications are especially accepted. Likewise, those who are their successors: their supplications are also especially heard. One should benefit from them and have them offer supplications for the attainment of nearness to God, for that is your greatest goal. Just a few days ago I was informed that a certain man said to someone: what is the need to write to the Khalifa for prayers? But he does not know that the seat where the Khalifa sits is the seat of God's messenger. Moreover, it is a place where many people are close to God and listen to His voice, and every brick of this place is a testimony to the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah(as).
See — the Promised Messiah(as), during the case of Martin Clark, had also asked me to pray. My age at that time must have been close to ten years. He did not ask me to pray because I had great dedication — that was childhood. Rather he asked because God listens to the supplication of everyone, young or old, righteous or not. But when God's Prophet asks ten-year-old Mahmud to pray, who would consider it permissible to prevent thirty-five-year-old Mahmud from being written to for prayers? Whoever holds such a view — it is his blindness, shortsightedness, and darkness that require treatment. And that treatment is this: you yourselves also devote yourselves to supplication for the attainment of God, and also have those who are close to God pray for you. And let your true supplication be one: O God, we wish to meet You — where are You? And do not cease from this supplication until you hear "yarshudun" — "that they may follow the right way." You hear that in the past there have been saints and aqtab. But if you act upon this counsel, verily your children and your women too shall become aqtab and saints.
(Al-Fazl, 22 April 1924)
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