Huzur said that in his last sermon he had given a discourse on the Divine attribute of Al Jabbar (The Subduer) and had explained the meanings of the word with reference to its use for Allah as well as when the word is used for man. The word signifies ‘One Who reforms’ when it is used for Allah. In this instance the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) taught us the prayer that each Muslim says during Salat between the two prostrations and the translation of which reads: My Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me and guide me and grant me security and make good my shortcomings and provide for me and raise me up.’ Therein the words ‘wajburni’ (make good my shortcomings) connote prayer for continual spiritual, physical and material reformation. We have been taught this prayer so that we may keep the Divine attribute of Al Jabbar in view and supplicate to Allah.

On the other hand, Huzur said the word is used for a person who forgets Allah and is tyrannical and seditious; especially those who reject prophets of God are included in this category.

Huzur further elucidated the matter by citing a few revelations of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). The first revelation Huzur cited was received in 1883, six years prior to the time the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) took his first bai’at. Its translation reads: ‘Repent and desist from sin and vice and transgression and reform yourself and turn to Allah and trust Him and seek His help with steadfastness and Prayer because piety repels evil.’ (Tadhkirah p. 107) Huzur said it illustrates the situation at the time of the advent of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and gives a message to turn to Allah through the hands of the one whom Allah had commissioned, that Allah’s will had come into motion and that the Messiah who was prophesised was about to make his claim and that his claim should not be rejected. Huzur said if the Muslims paid heed to this even today they would have Allah’s mercy. Simply being concerned about the occurrence of natural disasters is of no avail unless some practical steps are taken to back what is said. Allah also revealed to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) ‘Those who have repented and reformed, to them I shall turn and I am the One Oft-returning with Mercy.(Tadhkirah p.238).

Huzur said the advancement of our community should be sufficient for the opponents to appreciate the facts. May Allah open their eyes and grant each person of the ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to accept the Promised Messiah so that they attain salvation. Huzur said the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was deeply concerned about the ummah and the adage of his life was ‘O my Lord reform the ummah of Muhammad’. Huzur said the time is near when the majority of ummah will gather under the banner of the Messiah. However, the so-called ulema (religious scholars should be concerned that if they do not reform themselves they may come under Divine chastisement. On one hand they await the Messiah but on the other hand the reject the Messiah who has come and also scare the masses about his advent.

Huzur quoted a Pakistani religious scholar Dr. Israr, a staunch opponent of our community, as writing that the region of the Indian sub-continent has had many Mujjadad (reformers) hail from it in the past few hundred years, thus alluding that the Messiah may hail from this region as well. However, Huzur said, he fails to note that the Messiah has indeed already made his claim and heavenly and earthly signs have appeared in his support. Fact is that these people are blinded by their materialistic tendencies. Apparent scholarly people do not seem to understand Divine signs. These people are a testimony of the Quranic term of ‘deaf, dumb and blind’ (2:19). If their hearts are clean, if they are truly compassionate for the Muslim ummah they should turn to Allah and pray for guidance and reformation otherwise they will continue to be lost and no Messiah will come to rescue them from their troubles. Huzur prayed that may Allah reform them and may they be able to differentiate between the truth and the false.

Huzur said Allah’s support for the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) is clear and evident. Relating one of his dreams the Promised Messiah said in 1893: ‘I saw in my dream that someone told me that his name was Fateh and Zafar (victorious/triumphant) and then I uttered the following words (in Arabic) may Allah set all my affairs right.’ (Tadhkirah p. 305). Huzur said does this claim of Divine glad-tiding as well as the Divine support for his community spanning one hundred years not sufficient proof and evidence that he indeed is the one truthfully sent by God in this age?

One revelation of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) reads: ‘[O my God], bring about peace between me and my brethren. Regarding his fierce opponents he was informed, ‘…They will fall down in prostration before God Almighty saying: Our Lord, forgive us, we were in error. Then they will address me and say: We testify before Allah that He has exalted you above us and that we were in error. They will be reassured: No blame lies upon you this day. May Allah forgive you and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy. This will come about when great signs will be manifested…’ (Tadhkirah p. 856).

Huzur said our prayer is that Allah grants sense to people to accept the Messiah before any severe signs are manifested.

Citing verse 16 of Surah Ibrahim (14:16) Huzur read extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and explained that it is the way of Allah that those who are commissioned by Him are troubled by people not because that they are destroyed but because that they may absorb Divine help and succour. We note that the time spent by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in Mecca, where he met severe opposition, was longer than the time he spent in Medina. Each prophet of God was treated in this manner, firstly they were labelled as impostors and every term of abuse under the sun was used for them. The prophets endured all afflictions but when their opponents exceeded all limits then their destruction came about.

Huzur said may Allah have mercy on the Muslim ummah, the majority of which is turning to transgression and does not accept the Imam of the age. Then the non-Muslims have launched an offensive drive against the noble person of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), all these are ways that lead to destruction.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that the person who wishes to reform others should first reform himself. The sun gives off light but it acquired light first. It is very easy to censure another but very difficult to reform oneself. One who does not abide by what one says sincerely is like the gush of water coming down from the gutter-pipe, but one who sincerely practises what one says is like rainfall which is considered a blessing. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said according to him the best way to purify oneself was not to have any sense of arrogance, be it for one’s knowledge, one’s lineage or one’s wealth. Man is dependent on heavenly light at all times. The inner light also comes from above and rests on Divine grace. True spiritual cognisance is that a person does not consider him or herself to be anything and seeks Allah’s grace from Him. If such a person is granted Allah’s grace and has certainty of conviction then he or she should not feel any arrogance over it, rather the more he/she considers him/herself to be nothing the more spiritual light he/she will be granted.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that it should always be remembered well that only He can reform hearts Who has created hearts. Mere verbosity does not reform. One who has read the Holy Qur’an but has not realised that true guidance comes from God has not understood anything. The truth is that God can only be recognised through God and this cannot come to pass without an Imam because of the knowledge God grants him.

Huzur said many people outside of the Community listen to the Friday Sermons on MTA and write in acknowledging and appreciating what is said but they do not accept due to fear of the world, while there are those who have had the opportunity to accept the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) through MTA. Huzur said people should listen to what God has stated rather than fear the world.

For those of us who claim to have accepted the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) may Allah reform us by virtue of His attribute [of Al Jabbar] and enable us to turn to Him in humility and may we always derive beneficence from the spiritual light that always keeps hearts illumined.