Huzur gave a discourse on the verity of the mission of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in his Friday sermon today.

Huzur said the effects and characteristics of prayer are manifested during times of trial and tribulation and the truth of the matter is that our God is recognised through prayer. Huzur said without turning to Him and praying to Him the claim to have faith is meaningless. It should be the distinction of each Ahmadi to reach God through prayer and not just turn to Him in adversity but also in comfort and prosperity. However the belief of true believers is strengthened during difficult times and they make leaps of faith and try greater than before to seek God’s pleasure. Difficulties enhance their worship and remembrance of God. Such is the revolution the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) brought about among Ahmadis and as long as we adhere to this we will continue to absorb Allah’s blessings.

Huzur read an extract from the noble writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) which explained that between the supplication of a prayer and its acceptance great big misfortunes come to pass. However, those who are firm of faith can sense Allah’s support even in these difficult times and have the insight that Divine help does come. They are thus inspired to pray and supplicate even more. One should never get anxious and have negative feelings that Allah is not ‘listening’ to one’s prayer. Huzur said indeed turning to Allah is the distinction of a true believer and hard times further enliven one’s worship of God.

Huzur said these days it seems that an operation has ensued to harass Ahmadis in some countries. It is borne out of jealousy and has engulfed certain groups and governments to take certain steps against the Ahmadis. Huzur said the ‘fire’ of jealously was to flare up in the times of the Messiah, both among the non-Muslims and Muslims. Among the non-Muslims because they were not to take in Islam’s progress in the days of the Messiah and among the mullah because he was to fear losing his power and his pulpit and was to collude with outside forces. Huzur said may Allah give sense to the Muslims who are shooting themselves in the foot. If they try and fight the decree of Allah they will perish. However, they declare the Kalima albeit apparently so we should pray for them.

Citing verse 4 of Surah Al Jummah (62:4) Huzur said here Allah states about the latter-days and ends the verse on the words describing the two Divine attributes Al Aziz and Al Hakeem (The Mighty, the Wise) thus declaring that none can stop what the Mighty and Wise God decrees and that His message will reach where He wills it to reach no matter the hindrances and impediments those who envy put in the way.

Huzur said Ahmadis of the countries where persecution is meted out should pray for steadfastness and should further turn to Allah so that they may witness triumph at the earliest. Those Ahmadis who are in apparent peace and live in other parts of the world should pray for their brothers. Indeed believers are like one body, if one part of the body is in pain the entire body feels it. As for Ahmadis, well, they should feel the pain of any human being. When we will pray with sincerity God will remove our anxiety. Our opponents think their hindrances will impede our progress. If our Community was a man-made affair, it would have long perished considering the opposing uproars that have been raised against it in the past century. However, we have advanced each time the opposition sought to crush us. The persecution and opposition in Pakistan has opened ways of great advancement for us.

These days opposition in Pakistan is regurgitating. At every chance false court cases are filed against the Ahmadis. A court case was filed against a thirteen year old Ahmadi boy alleging that he beat up a Maulwi. Huzur said this is mischief; their objective is to harass and scare the young generation of Ahmadis to an extent that if they stay Ahmadis at all, they are reduced to dormant Ahmadis. By putting restrictions on our programmes in Pakistan they think they have succeeded in distancing our younger generation. These senseless people have no clue that they cannot blow out the light that is illumined by Allah. Huzur said he receives deeply sincere letters from young men of Pakistan who are eveready to honour the pledge they take and who are making great sacrifices and shall continue to make sacrifices, the opposition can never succeed in wavering our steadfastness. Huzur addressed the young men and said they should take their connection with God from strength to strength; this indeed was the glory of each Ahmadi young man, man, woman and child.

Huzur said similarly in India the mullah is harassing the Ahmadis; people who are only Muslims in name, with no knowledge of the Qur’an or Salat, are only aware that Ahmadis are Kafir. The Ahmadis, Huzur said, should continue to turn to God and do what it is that they are required to do. Huzur said they are bent on opposing us because they are consumed with envy that even after the death of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) a hundred years of Khilafat are completing whereas they had written us off a long time ago.

Huzur said there has been strong opposition in Indonesia for the past few years now. Ahmadi homes and Ahmadi mosques have been vandalised and burnt. In light of the persistence opposition and the way our Jama’at handled the matter the federal government made a treaty. The news of this pact spread to the internet via a newspaper. Huzur said some Ahmadis expressed themselves, admitting that they did not have the requisite knowledge, that in order to curb the mischief if we had to agree to certain things we should. They cited the reference of the incident of ‘Treaty of Hudaibia’ in which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had agreed to erase the words ‘Prophet of God’. Huzur explained that first of all it was the Prophet himself who had erased the letters, something that Hadhrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) could not bear to do. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had explained that the treaty was being made with people who did not believe him to be a Prophet of God. Huzur said we have no business adopting flattery and take a step that would be embarrassing for the true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). We consider Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani to be the Messiah and the Mahdi and we have no significance without this. Our beauty is in entering his community having accepted him as the Messiah. It is him who has taught us the ways and means to be absorbed in the love of the Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be on him) and it was the Prophet himself who had given him the title of Messiah and Mahdi. Should we give up calling him Messiah and Mahdi to temporarily please others? Should we, despite being cognisant of all the Signs that have appeared in support of his truthfulness, try and appease the world? Be those who reject Divine testimony? Should we on one hand believe in the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) but on the other hand not believe the revelation that was given to him which said ‘Certainly you are the Promised Messiah and the Promised Mahdi who was awaited?’

Huzur said denying the Messiah and the Mahdi is denying the Ahmadiyya concept. Huzur said the context in which a newspaper published the news in Indonesia gave people a chance to raise a hue and cry that Ahmadis have changed their viewpoint and do not consider Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad a prophet but consider him a Mujaddad (a reformer). In its communication with the government of Indonesia the Indonesian Jama’at did not even hint the above as indeed no Ahmadi can ever entertain this thought. Huzur said the Indonesian Jama’at is a Jama’at of the highest order and their sincerity is second to none. Accepting the clauses in the treaty with the government did not denote any weakness of faith, however, as the words of Messiah and Mahdi were not specifically used in it, the newspaper got a chance to appear smug.

Huzur said he had clearly repudiated this in one of his Friday Sermons and the newspaper also clarified the issue but this gave the Lahore Movement a chance to show their inflexibility. Huzur said he would reiterate to the Lahore Movement and those who have not taken the pledge of allegiance to Ahmadiyya Khilafat to have some fear of God in terms of what our stance about the Promised Messiah is. Huzur remarked who has progressed in leaps and bounds: those who accept the Anjuman or those who consider Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Messiah and the Mahdi? Who is established in 189 countries of the world? Who has Allah’s practical testimony with them? Those who accept him as a Messiah or those who consider him a guru? Huzur went on to read an extract from the writing of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) elucidating his own truthfulness as the Messiah and as a prophet. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) explained that the only instance in which he denied prophethood for himself was with regard to being a bearer of a new Shariah but said that he had knowledge of the Unseen from Allah and that he was indeed a prophet. Huzur asked does this leave any room for doubt. Huzur said with the greatest of respect he would ask his lost brothers to come and join in the spiritual revolution and take the message of this zilli (in shadow of/in subordination) prophet to the corners of the world. Huzur said if any one is witnessing the fulfilment of Divine promises it is those who accepted him as a prophet and then went on to accept his Khilafat as well. Their message is reaching the far corners of the world on the airwaves and no power on earth can stop the manifestation of the Divine revelation he received, ‘I shall take your message to the corners of the earth.’ Huzur said many impediments and hindrances have come in spreading this message, however, Allah’s help and succour has always come and truly taken this message to the corners of the world. Temporary difficulties should not dishearten us for Allah’s promise to His Messiah is with us.

Huzur said recently many powerful Arab governments got together and blocked our MTA 3 Al Arabia satellite channel. This was borne of jealousy and done with no regard of courtesy and without prior warning. Huzur said many anxious messages were received from the Arab world, both from the Community and outside the Community over this sudden cessation of broadcast. However, Huzur said the people who wrote in would now know, through his sermon, why this came about. Citing verse 55 of Surah Al e Imran (3:55) Huzur said indeed Allah is the Best of planners, people made plans and schemes against the first Messiah and now they are making plans and schemes against the Messiah of Muhammad, however, we have Allah’s assurance, Who helps us in ways that we cannot even imagine. Huzur said the Al Arabia satellite was closed down for perhaps a day. Following this, we contacted a European satellite company and took them on board; this company has an even larger coverage. These are the ways of Allah. Temporary impediments come and indeed shall continue to come but no Ahmadi should be disheartened and should in fact further turn to Allah, fulfil our fardh (obligatory prayers) and also turn to nawafil. Engage profusely in remembrance of Allah, as this alone will open doors to triumph for us.

With our Khilafat Centenary approaching the envier will envy us even more. They grieve that Khilafat has been snatched away from them while we are enjoying its fruits. Some of our opponents now openly declare that the Muslim world cannot carry on without Khilafat. Huzur read an excerpt to this effect.

Huzur remarked if only these people abandoned their inflexibility and observe that the Imam Mahdi who they await has indeed come and his Khilafat is also now firmly established and no other Khilafat ‘on the precept of prophethood’ can now be established.

Huzur said while we pray that may Allah protect us from all their evils and keeps us steadfast, we should also pray for them for they have strayed from the truth. We should pray that may Allah enable them to adhere to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). May Allah make it so.