Huzur continued with the subject of Rizq (provision/sustenance) and Divine attribute of Al Razzaq (The Provider) in his Friday Sermon today. Huzur said as he had mentioned last week Allah declares that He alone is the Provider of all creation and for man, who is the most eminent of all creation, Allah provides material as well as spiritual sustenance. Allah states that if the believers put their trust in Him He provides from sources that those who do not believe have no concept of.

Huzur said Ahmadis write to him from various countries of the world about their experiences of how Allah has blessed their business and is bestowing them beyond their hopes. This increases their faith. Fact is that it is a sign of a true believer that when he/she receive a blessing his/her attention is promptly drawn to Allah in thankfulness. Explaining further, Huzur cited verse 13 of Surah Luqman (31:13) – ‘And We bestowed wisdom on Luqman, saying, 'Be grateful to Allah: and whoso is grateful, is grateful only for the good of his own soul. And whoso is ungrateful, then, surely, Allah is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.’ Huzur said when Hadhrat Ibrahim (on whom be peace) had prayed for his progeny he had also supplicated for them to be grateful:

'Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in an uncultivable valley near Thy Sacred House - Our Lord, - that they may observe Prayer. So make men's heart incline towards them and provide them with fruits that they may be thankful.’ Surah Ibrahim verse 38. Huzur said when a believer observes Allah’s blessings he is grateful and this causes an increase in his taqwa (righteousness) and indeed it should. Allah then bestows further blessings, with His grace He increases their Rizq. He has this dealing with those who have enhanced belief or those who endeavour to enhance their belief. The increase in the Rizq of a believer is not accidental but is in accordance with Divine promise: ‘And remember also the time when your Lord declared: 'If you are grateful, I will surely bestow more favours on you; but if you are ungrateful, then know that My punishment is severe indeed.' Surah Ibrahim verse 8. Huzur said it may be said about those who do not believe that in accordance with the law of nature their hard work bears fruit and they are thus rewarded, however, for a believer, when along with hard work there is belief and taqwa then the reward is much greater and even if there is some lapse in the effort made, Allah makes up the deficiency.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that Allah has declared that He is the Razzaq of one who adopts taqwa. Huzur said it was his personal experience as well as Ahmadis write to him that when their harvest is greater than the non-Ahmadis they are asked what extra effort did they make to get a greater yield. Their answer is that the one tenth or the one sixteenths of their income that they give in the cause of Allah is their ‘extra’ bit and it is this that brings the blessings.

Citing verse 4 of Surah Al Talaq (65:4) Huzur said Allah provides for those who are righteous from unexpected means. This extraordinary blessing has a condition; when Allah manifests His attribute of Al Razzaq for His servant then His servant too should make effort in adopting and adhering to taqwa.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that one who will shun the smallest of sins for fear of Allah will be saved from trouble by Allah. With reference to this Huzur said he wished to draw attention towards the social benefits system that some Western governments provide to the unemployed or those on low income to bring their standard of living to an acceptable level. Some Western countries are most generous with these benefits and the British government is also commendable in this respect. However, Huzur said there are some who claim these ‘benefits’ despite having a small business or an employment which is perhaps not obvious. There are some who drive taxi-cabs but take the ‘benefit’. Huzur said this is outside the parameters of taqwa. By not declaring their income these people are thieving the government of its tax revenue. They also usurp the tax paid by the law-abiding citizens and of course far from taqwa, they commit falsehood. No matter how few people do this, not only they distance themselves from Allah they also bring down the repute of the Community. Huzur said by giving wrong information they gain a few pounds [sterling] but by their actions they state that God is not their provider. The government is aware of these things and sooner or later gets of know about these people and it closes in on them. Huzur said the government is aware that Ahmadis do not defraud the benefits system. If they change their mind then their trust in the Community will come to an end. Huzur said he has told Ameer sahib that if he finds out about anyone who indulges in this deception then their chanda should not be taken. The cessation of their chanda will not make any difference to the Community at all and at least whatever funds we offer in the cause of Allah will be pure. Huzur said if one does not consider Allah as Razzaq then Allah’s religion is in no need of one’s money. Huzur enjoined that if one fully believes in Allah as the Provider then His blessings are great and this in turn generates contentment and once one is content one does not eye the wealth of another and this fosters taqwa. Huzur said it was his prayer for everyone that may Allah save us from all kinds of greed.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that one sign of the righteous as stated in the Holy Qur’an is that Allah frees him/her from what is disagreeable in the world and Himself becomes his/her Guarantor. Huzur added that one should be steadfast during adversity to attain God. If trust is put in Allah then He will certainly provide help. He is so Gracious that He repeatedly draws our attention to ways and means of purifying and thus enhancing our Rizq: ‘…whatever you give in Zakat, seeking the favour of Allah - it is these who will increase their wealth manifold.’ Surah Al Rum verse 40. Huzur said one may say that even if one claims some benefits money [inappropriately] at least one pays chanda on it, so it does not matter. Huzur said Allah does not wish such money spent in His cause. He states: ‘O ye who believe! Spend of the good things that you have earned, and of what We produce for you from the earth; and seek not what is bad to spend out of it…’ (2:268). Huzur reiterated that money earned by wrong means cannot be pure. He said if one is taking benefit due to any misunderstanding one must desist. Indeed Allah states a sign of believer in the Holy Qur’an that his/her Rizq would be pure by declaring that they: ‘spend out of what we have provided for them;’ (2:4) Huzur said thieves, robbers and hoarders all make a living, can they say their livelihood comes from Allah? In Pakistan people make money through unwarrantable means and then say Allah has granted them, whereas their wealth is made from satanic sources. In Pakistan big business people have the words ‘Haza min Fazle Rabbi’ (with the grace of my Lord) written in front of their houses. Huzur said Inna lillahe. The politicians are also looting the country. Reiterating his earlier point Huzur said each Ahmadi should ensure that their income is through pure means. If they wish to increase their income they should try giving in the name of God and then observe what results it brings. Huzur said some people write to him that they pledged chanda not able to foresee their income or have employment difficulties, such people can review their chanda with taqwa. Citing (2:216) Huzur said a believer always tries to spend as much as possible in the way of Allah. Certainly there are some who bear hardship but do not lessen their chanda.

Huzur drew attention towards a prayer of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him which he said is most significant in the current age. Its translation reads: ‘O Allah I seek from You knowledge that is beneficent/beneficial, provision (Rizq) that is pure and deeds that are worthy of acceptance.’

Huzur said in his last Friday Sermon he had said that one meaning of Rizq is share and a share can be good and bad both. Citing verse 83 of Surah Al Waqi’ah ‘And do you make the denial thereof your means of livelihood?’ Huzur said this Surah mentions that fortunate and the unfortunate people from the ‘earlier ones’ and the ‘latter ones’. The aforementioned verse cites those who make a living out of rejection [of the truth], they are devoid of any fear of God and only have fear of the world and they end up in the embrace of Satan. Some of these people have fear of the world and others who deem themselves to be religious scholars do not wish to believe the truth because they fear that by doing so they will lose the power they have over the masses through their ‘religious’ platform. In short the politician and the mullah deprive themselves of the spiritual sustenance that Allah has sent in this age due to their impure earnings. Their task remains only to reject the truth. Today wherever in the world there is opposition to Ahmadiyyat the politician and the mullah are together. The completion of a hundred years of our Khilafat has flared sentiments of jealously and malice among them. The politicians are not interested in religion however, if they do not listen to the mullah, they fear losing votes and losing Rizq that is not pure. On the other hand the mullah only fears loss of his earnings that he makes in the name of Madrassas and such like. Their Rizq is dependent on denying the truth and that is the reason why they reject the truth and make their living. Their end is as the Qur’an states in (56:95). In Pakistan as well as in Indonesia opposition against us is because of the alliance of the politicians and the mullah. They make fools out of the masses by inciting them to rise for their religious ‘honour’.

To the Ahmadis Huzur said be steadfast and patient and be prayerful. We have accepted the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and this makes us close to Allah and He gives glad tidings to those who are close to Him. Huzur said one despot in Pakistan had once proclaimed that he would reduce us to holding a beggar bowl. What happened to him is known to all, while the Community was granted financial extensiveness both on individual as well as communal level. Another despot tried to immobilize us in every sense of the word and indeed the world saw his end as well. Meanwhile, with the grace of God, ways and means of our progress and advancement were open wide. Allah has manifested in every possible way to be our Provider and our Master just as He states in (51:59) ‘Surely, it is Allah Himself Who is the Great Sustainer, the Powerful, the Strong.’

Huzur said post 27th May ’08 there has a rise in persecution against the Ahmadis in Pakistan. Ahmadi medical students, some of them in their final years, were expelled from a college in Faisalabad. The persecutors assumed that with their Rizq threatened these students might reject the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). In other cities Ahmadi houses are burnt. They assumed we would barter our faith. Little did they know we believe in the Powerful, Strong God.

To the Ahmadis in Indonesia Huzur said although they have not had a ban but a situation has been created which is tantamount to a ban. Ahmadis in Indonesia should focus on prayer. Allah’s grace has increased in Pakistan (despite the persecutions) and this will be replicated in Indonesia. Huzur said the time is not far when their cunning will rebound on them. Huzur asked all Ahmadis to pray for Ahmadis in Pakistan and Indonesia.

Huzur said next week he is going on a visit of USA and Canada. Keen preparations are being made there for the Khilafat Centenary and both countries will also hold their respective Jalsas. Huzur said people in the two countries have expressed their intense desire for Huzur to visit them. He said meeting in person does have many advantages. Huzur said this is his first visit to USA, may Allah manifest His help and succour during this visit and may the trip be blessed in every way and may all the objectives of the trip be fulfilled. Huzur said we are pledging new pledges for the new Century [of Khilafat] may Allah also infuse a new spirit in us. Huzur prayed that may Allah ease any difficulty of the journey.