Huzoor recited the following verse at the start of his Friday sermon:
‘Verily, he alone is worthy of maintaining the Mosques of Allah who believes in Allah, and the Last Day, and observes Prayer, and pays the Zakat, and fears none but Allah; so these it is who are far more likely to counted among the guided.’ (9:18)
The sermon was delivered from Maryam Mosque, Galway, Ireland on the occasion of its inauguration.
With the grace of God Muslim Jama’at Ahmadiyyat was enabled to inaugurate its first mosque in Ireland today. May God bless the building and establishment of this mosque in every way! Although the mosque is small in size, yet it announces that here followers of the Muhammadan Messiah will worship five times a day. This mosque will announce that a mosque is a place where dues of God and mankind are fulfilled and it is not a place for evil and disorder and it is built to worship Lord of all the worlds. The Lord who bestowed His Rububiyyat (Divine quality of sustaining and nurturing) on all the people of earlier times, Who bestows is today and shall continue to bestow it in future for always and ever. His Rububiyyat is not specific to any one body of people rather it is for all the worlds and the cosmos. From this perspective, the mosques of the Muhammadan Messiah announce that if spiritual insight of Rububiyyat is to be obtained, it can only be done by joining the Jama’at of the Muhammadan Messiah. They build mosques to remove evil and disorder of the world and to promote reflection on the beautiful teaching of Islam which is based on love, conciliation and peace. This is the teaching that the world today is in great need of. Indeed the world is not in need of war and armaments! Our mosques announce that the hearts of those who come here are free from any thoughts of usurping rights of others. Our mosques are a sign and a focal point of the fact that those who come to these mosques give every kind of sacrifice for the rights of others. And in this regard while they have compassion for their own, even the enmity of the enemy does not stop them from being just and fair! These mosques declare that Islam is the biggest standard-bearer of religious freedom and for this purpose doors of our mosques are always open. There is no restriction on any person who worships the One God from worshiping in these mosques, whether he is Muslim or not. Every Ahmadi who comes to our mosques announces that according to the teaching of the Holy Qur’an it is the responsibility of every true Muslim to protect places of worship of all religions and this is as important for him as protection of mosques is! Our mosques also draw attention that a true believer is loyal to his country and there are countless other requisites that are put upon those who truly associate themselves to mosques so that the rights of God and mankind can be fulfilled in the real sense.
All of the above has been enjoined in the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) repeatedly drew attention to it as indeed he fulfilled rights of God and rights of mankind and established blessed models. History bears witness that on one occasion when it was their prayer time, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) let some visiting Christians worship in his mosque. This is the real teaching of Islam which the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) taught to implement in this age and Huzoor gave a few examples of it as mentioned above. The Imam of the age instructed to spread this teaching and had expectations of us and said that wherever you will build mosques with this point of view you will open new avenues of introduction of Islam and Tabligh. He said people will be inclined to Islam and its beautiful teaching will enamour them and you will grow in numbers! And this is the objective with which we should build mosques as indeed we do. This is the teaching which is broadcast by the media today and draws people to it. The man in the street as well as important leaders and politicians both notice that on the one hand are extremist groups who carry out violence and indiscriminate murder and mayhem and on the other hand is this Jama’at which makes efforts for love, harmony, conciliation and peace. On the one hand are the mosques of the so-called Muslims where in the name of God and His Messenger abuse and foul sentiments are relayed and on the other hand are mosques where only peace and conciliation is talked about and slogan of Love for all hatred for none is raised. These matters attract them and they are curious about the difference between two kinds of Muslims. This leads them to get information about the Jama’at on the internet.
Huzoor said that he had the opportunity to meet some Irish Parliamentarians day before yesterday. One of them said to Huzoor that the efforts of the Ahmadiyya Jama’at for establishing human values and peace cannot be seen among other Muslims. He said that he had found this information by looking in great detail and he wished that the Jama’at also builds a mosque in Dublin so the love and the high values also spread in Dublin which is his city! Thus God leads people to look at the other side of the picture; which is the true and real picture of Islam as presented by the Jama’at of the true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
We should not suffice on being delighted at having built a mosque and the fact that the world has seen it on MTA. A reception will be held this evening when academics and other guests will have the chance to see the mosque and they will praise the beauty of the mosque and at other times more people from this city and other cities may come to visit the mosque. You may be delighted that so many people have visited the mosque and thus you have attained your objective. This is not so. There are many other aspects to this which lay a huge responsibility on you and each Ahmadi should know how to fulfil this. Just as Huzoor explained what our mosques announce and declare. Otherwise our claims will be hollow and we will be deceiving the world; our life’s objective is to please God and we will not be paying attention to that.
The Quranic verse recited at the start mentions the qualities of those who come to mosques and populate them. This is applicable from the Ka’ba to all those mosques which are populated by people who have the qualities mentioned in the verse. Allah the Exalted states elsewhere about those who are included in believers: ‘…But those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah…’ (2:166) No worldly love can control them and they continue to spend their lives in order to attain love of God. They do not forget love of God to make worldly gains because love of God demands that His commandments are practiced, it demands that He is worshipped. It cannot be one makes excuses like one’s employment etc. to miss one’s Salat and lies are told to gain material benefit. One should stop and reflect whether one’s love of God is more or one’s love of worldly benefits. If love of worldly objects is taking one away from commandments of God, then love of the world is gaining ground.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘It should be known that the sense of honour of God Almighty does not want a believer’s love for Him to have love of another associated with it. Belief is very dear to us and it can only be safeguarded if we do not associate anyone else in our love of God.’
Every Muslim acknowledges love of God and the Prophet and is ready to kill and get killed for this. We will never hear a Muslim say that he does not love God and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Yet how many abide by the commandments of God and the Prophet? Let’s just take Salat. We need to reflect and see if we offer Salat with its due requisites. Many say they offer three or four Salat a day, many offer their Salat in such haste it appear as if they are unburdening themselves. Salat is source of gaining Divine nearness and is an expression of love of God. If we do not adorn the way in which we offer it, we are not fulfilling the requisite of our love for God.
It is stated about those who believe that when they are called regarding what God and His Messenger command, they say: we hear and we obey. We need to self-reflect about this matter. This alone will tell us about our condition. The Holy Qur’an has given countless commandments which the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has referred to as 700 commandments and has said that one who does not abide by them is distancing himself from the Promised Messiah. Our faith will be complete when we will abide by all these commandments. Verbal profession of belief in the Hereafter is made but many among us simply pay lip service to this. If belief in the Hereafter is real one shuns many things. We are aware of worldly laws and they prevent us from doing many things. Yet we take many wrong steps because we do not think about the Hereafter. We offer Salat to seek worldly objectives; we go to mosque out of concern as to what people will say! Those who have faith go to mosque for the sake of God and make financial sacrifices to attain pleasure of God and do not fear anyone except God. Indeed, God says that those who do not make hollow claims of faith can witness Divine help and succour and every way opens up for them paths of success.
It is a favour of God on Jama’at Ahmadiyya that He has granted it believers who do not merely claim to have faith rather pleasure of God is their objective and this is the secret of the progress of the Jama’at. In order to be part of this each one of us needs to self-reflect at all times so that no Ahmadi man or woman is deprived of this blessing. Our fears should not be about this world but should be borne of our love of God and our aspiration not to displease Him.
Now that this mosque is built the eyes of the world will be on us. We should self-reflect more than ever and should make our utmost efforts to adapt ourselves to the commandments of God then alone will we be able to guide those who will be drawn to this mosque. New avenues of Tabligh will open as indeed they are opening. People will visit this mosque as people all over the world visit our mosques. Due to the global situation curiosity about Islam has increased greatly. When people will see the real picture of Islam from our practices they will certainly be impressed. The responsibility of those who live here has increased. Huzoor said he was reiterating this because now the Ahmadis of Ireland have been given exposure. Once the Irish Jama’at was small and no one knew about it. Now the beautiful building of this mosque and its high minaret is introducing the Jama’at to the world every day. The reception taking place this evening will InshaAllah take this introduction to all sections of society. Newspapers have started writing a little about us and this coverage will increase. The mosque will not only garner attention from the people of Galway, people from other cities will also pay attention to it and when they will get the opportunity they will also visit it. This has been our experience in other places.
Scope for Tabligh will broaden and for this Ahmadis will have to improve their knowledge and try to bring their practices in line with the expectations the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had of us. These expectations are based on the commandments of the Holy Qur’an. We should establish such models that the world is drawn to us. This European country is still inclined to religion a great deal where rich and poor all identify themselves as Christians and consider it to be the way to salvation with reference to Jesus (on whom be peace). We have to tell them that according to our teaching Jesus (on whom be peace) was a true Prophet of God who accomplished what God entrusted him in an excellent manner and then departed from this world. The One and Only God is the source of real power and He is the Lord of all the worlds and it was Him that Jesus (on whom be peace) worshipped along with his pure chaste mother. Then, in accordance with the prophecies of earlier Prophets the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) came with the complete and last Shariah. And now it is this complete Shariah which is the source of salvation and it is through it that one can adorn one’s worldly life as well as the Hereafter. However, this cannot be attained with mere claims rather it has to be demonstrated through our practices that the proof of Islam as a living religion is that in subservience of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) the Promised Messiah’s advent has taken place. He has connected us to God; the God Who listens and accepts our prayers and Who is showing His Signs in accordance with His promise. Now a living connection with God can only be made through the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace)!
Can we say all this to others without any hesitation or will we have to think before we utter them? Will we wonder what if the other person challenges us on acceptance of prayer does our condition merit accepting such a challenge? What is our connection with God? Are we spending our lives in His fear and love and in accordance with His commandments? If not, then how can we invite others and tell them the one who was promised to come has arrived? Will people not ask us what changes has the Promised Messiah brought about in us that we are inspiring them to bring pure changes in their lives? They can ask us if we have forged sufficient connection with God to be able to invite them to this way! They can say that your faith teaches you to fulfil the dues of God by worshipping Him in fact the Holy Qur’an states that worship is the objective of life and this is why humans were created. They can ask how many times we offer Salat in congregation. They can tell us that although we have built a beautiful mosque its real beauty is owing to the condition of worshippers for that is what enhances it. They can ask if we offer five daily Prayers in the mosque. They can question us if we fulfil the dues and rights of mankind. The Holy Qur’an call us the best of people who have been created for the good of others because we enjoin good and forbid evil. The questioner can question us if we attain our objective merely by enjoining good and if not then we should first self-reflect and see if we practice what we preach? They can ask us that while we talk about maintaining good conduct with relatives and people, are our own actions in accordance with it? They can say that we talk about honouring trusts and pledges but do we abide by honouring our trusts and pledges one hundred percent? They can say that we mention sacrifice and humility but do we demonstrate it in our word and deed? They can question us about our claim that Islam teaches thinking well of others and ask if we practice this in our daily lives? They can say that although we say that Holy Qur’an teaches honesty but they have caught us telling lies for worldly benefit. Those who are around us can very well say this. They can ask us that you maintain that Islam teaches repressing anger and it teaches pardoning others but do you practice this in your daily lives? They can say that we tell them that the Islamic teaching of justice is beautiful and its standard is so high that even the enemy’s enmity should not provoke us to injustice; however, do we have this standard and resolve to pardon others? They can say that all the Quranic commandments we tell them are very good but do we practice them? They can say that while we maintain about other Muslims that they have not accepted the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and this is reason they are in the state they are in and are killing each other and are not an illustration of : ‘…tender among themselves…’ (48:30) and are in fact the opposite of it. However, you, who have accepted the Promised Messiah, according to you, all your actions should be in line with the Holy Qur’an! How else can you invite us to a spiritual and lofty revolutionary change? We are the same as you? What is the difference between us?
When an Ahmadi is known as an Ahmadi his responsibilities increase greatly. He does not remain just an Ahmadi but becomes a representative of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and this is why the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) once said that once you are associated with us, do not bring us in disrepute. This is a most significant point which every Ahmadi should keep in view and by doing so they will become ambassadors of Ahmadiyyat and others will be attracted to their message. By becoming representatives of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) we would be fulfilling the dues of Tabligh and will be helping the world to adorn their worldly lives and their Hereafter and we will garner God’s grace and blessings. Great efforts need to be made in this regard; the five daily Prayers should be offered in congregation and in a beautiful manner, dues of mosques should be fulfilled, along with obligatory Prayers, optional Prayers should be offered to forge connection with God. There is a great need to pay attention to fulfilling the dues of mankind, both men and women need to understand and appreciate their responsibilities.
We eagerly tell the residents [of Ireland] that we have named this mosque after Hazrat Maryam who is very dear to them as the mother of Jesus (on whom be peace). However, she is not just dear to us as the mother of Jesus (on whom be peace) but also because God looked upon her with love owing to her piety and righteousness and He told believers to adopt qualities of Hazrat Maryam. Hazrat Maryam protected her chastity out of fear and love of God, she was perfectly obedient to God and was a truthful person. God has enjoined every true believer to adopt the qualities of Hazrat Maryam, which are the quality of a true believer.
Addressing girls and women Huzoor said that if the people of Ireland only respected Hazrat Maryam but did not try to adopt her qualities, then this was weakness on their part. True Muslim men and women should try to become as truly obedient as Hazrat Maryam was and abide by commandments of God. One of these commandments is that of modesty and purdah as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. Along with worship of God we should also be mindful of our modest clothing.
May God enable everyone to live their life in accordance with His pleasure and enable them to become true believers! Rather than drown in worldly affairs we should pay the dues of worship of God and also pay each other’s dues.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘I say truthfully that this advent has been brought about by Allah the Exalted for the fortunate. Blessed are those who avail of it. Those of you who have forged a connection with me should never be proud and feel that you have attained whatever you needed to attain. It is true that compared to the rejecters who have displeased God with their intense rejection and contempt you are closer to being auspicious. It is also true that by being positive in your stance you have been mindful of protecting yourself from the wrath of God Almighty. However, the truth is that you have come to the water spring which God Almighty has created for eternal life at this time, however, you are yet to drink the spring water. Seek enablement from the grace and blessings of God Almighty to be satiated because nothing can happen without God Almighty. I know for certain that whoever will drink from this spring will not be ruined because its water is life-giving and it saves from ruination and protects against satanic attacks. What is the way to satiate from this spring? Indeed, to restore the two obligations given to you by God Almighty and to fulfil them. One of them is the right of God and the other of His creation.’
Huzoor prayed that may God always enable us to fully seek the beneficence of this water spring and then in turn also give its beneficence to the world.
Next Huzoor gave some facts and figures of Maryam Mosque. Its foundation stone was laid by Huzoor in September 2010. It is situated in a plot a little less than three quarters of an acre which was purchased in 2009 at a cost of €515,000 and a further €1,100,000 was spent on the building work. The mosque and the main hall combined have the capacity to hold 200 worshippers and parking facility is also available. The location is very good, there is a close by racecourse with horse racing tracks which stages a festival which is attended by 40,000 people. The mosque can be seen clearly from the racecourse and this will increase exposure of the mosque. Maryam Mosque is in a busy area which is passed by hundreds of people every day. There is a close by student accommodation and Galway airport is ten minutes’ drive away. Two adjoining properties were later purchased by the Jama’at and they also offer good accommodation. May God bless this complex in every way and may people of Ireland be enabled to fulfil the obligations of the mosque.
Note: The Alislam Team assumes full responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in this translation of the Friday Sermon.
أَشْھَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَا شَرِیکَ لَہٗ وَأَشْھَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُہٗ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ
أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ- بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ۔ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ۔ مٰلِکِ یَوْمِ الدِّیْنِ۔ اِیَّا کَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِیَّاکَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ۔
اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ۔ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْھِمْ غَیْرِالْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْھِمْ وَلَاالضَّآلِّیْنَ۔
اِنَّمَا یَعۡمُرُ مَسٰجِدَ اللّٰہِ مَنۡ اٰمَنَ بِاللّٰہِ وَالۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَاَقَامَ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَاٰتَی الزَّکٰوۃَ وَلَمۡ یَخۡشَ اِلَّا اللّٰہَ فَعَسٰۤی اُولٰٓئِکَ اَنۡ یَّکُوۡنُوۡا مِنَ الۡمُہۡتَدِیۡنَ (Al-Tauba: 18)
The translation of this verse is: He alone can maintain the Mosques of Allah who believes in Allah, and the Last Day, and observes Prayer, and pays the Zakat and fears none but Allah; so these it is who may be rightly guided.
Alhamdulillah, today Allah the Almighty is granting us the opportunity to offer the Friday Prayer in the first mosque of Jama'at Ahmadiyya Muslima in Ireland. May Allah the Almighty bless the construction and establishment of this mosque in every respect. Although it is a small mosque, it is a proclamation that the followers of the Messiah of Muhammad will, from here, declare the Oneness of the One God five times a day, and will attend it to perform the worship of the One God five times a day. From this mosque they will raise the call that mosques are places for fulfilling the rights of Allah the Almighty and His creatures, and not the haunts of any mischief and disorder. These mosques are built for the worship of that God who is Rabb al-'Alamin (Lord of all the worlds), who manifested His Rububiyyat (Providence) for the people of all ages. Who, in the past, manifested His Rububiyyat for the material and spiritual progress of every nation. Who, even today, is benefiting the world through His Rububiyyat, and who in the future will continue to bestow and benefit His blessings forever. His Rububiyyat is not exclusive to any particular nation, but rather is for all the worlds and all of creation.
Therefore, in this regard, the mosques of those who believe in the Messiah of Muhammad are meant to proclaim that if one is to obtain the recognition of Allah the Almighty's spiritual Rububiyyat, then this can only be truly attained by those who join the community of the Messiah of Muhammad. We construct these mosques to declare that, in order to remove the disorders of the world, you should reflect upon this beautiful teaching of Islam, which gives a message of love, affection, reconciliation, and peace. These mosques are for the proclamation that the world is in need of love, affection, and brotherhood, not of war and strife, nor of sword and cannon. Every mosque that we construct proclaims that the heart of one who comes to this mosque is pure of all kinds of oppression and thoughts of usurping the rights of others. These mosques of ours are a sign and centre of the fact that those who come here are ready to make every kind of sacrifice for the fulfilment of the rights of others, and in making sacrifices for the fulfilment of these rights, just as their hearts are filled with feelings of mercy for their own, so too the enmity of an enemy does not stop them from fulfilling rights and meeting the demands of justice. These mosques that we construct are a proclamation that Islam is the greatest champion of religious freedom, and for the demonstration of this, the doors of our mosques are open to everyone. Every person who worships one God is not barred from worshipping in the mosque, irrespective of whether he is a Muslim or a non-Muslim. Our mosques and every Ahmadi who comes into them proclaim that, according to the Qur'anic teaching, it is the responsibility and duty of every true Muslim to safeguard the places of worship of all religions, and the fulfilment of this responsibility is just as essential for him as protecting his own mosque. Our mosques also draw our attention to the fact that loyalty to one's country is also a part of a believer's faith. A believer cannot be a believer until he is loyal to his country and nation.
In short, there are countless matters that demand of those who are truly attached to mosques, that the right of mosques is fulfilled when the rights of Allah the Almighty and His creatures are fulfilled in the proper manner. And the command to do all these things has been given to us by Allah the Almighty in the Holy Qur'an, and our Master and Leader Hadrat Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has repeatedly drawn our attention to the doing of all these things and through his actions and his beautiful example (Uswa Hasana) fulfilled the rights of Allah and the rights of His creatures (Huquq Allah and Huquq al-'Ibad). For establishing human values and for the establishment of love, security, and peace, he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) set his own examples. These are not merely matters of words; rather, history bears witness that on one occasion, he permitted the Christians to worship at the time of their worship in his mosque, "Masjid Nabawi". (Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hisham, page 396, Amr al-Sayyid wal-'Aqib wa Dhikr al-Mubahalah (Salatuhum ila al-Mashriq), published by Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001). And this is the very true Islamic teaching which, in this age, the true servant and true devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has commanded us to apply to ourselves. This is the very true Islamic teaching and practice, a few examples of which I have presented. Commanding us to act upon and spread these teachings, and expecting this from us, the Imam of the age, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi Ma'hud (peace be upon him) said that with this thinking, wherever you build mosques, you will continue to open new avenues for the introduction and propagation of Islam. People will turn their attention towards Islam. Its beautiful teaching will captivate them, and thus your numbers too will continue to grow. (Adapted from Malfuzat, volume 7, page 119, edition 1985, published in England)
Hence, this is the very purpose for which we should build our mosques, and which we do build. This is the very teaching which today, by seeing through the media and gaining knowledge of it, the world is turning towards us. From a common man to great leaders and statesmen, when they observe that on one side there are extremist groups who are engaged in violence and indiscriminate killing and destruction, and on the other side there is a Jama'at that is striving for love, affection, reconciliation, and peace. On one side there are mosques of so-called Muslims, from which expressions filled with abuse and filth are made in the name of Allah the Almighty and His Messenger, and on the other side only matters of peace and reconciliation are spoken of, and the slogans of "Love for All, Hatred for None" are raised. Certainly, these matters draw attention to themselves. People develop curiosity as to why there is a difference between these two types of Muslims. And then this curiosity inclines them, through today's modern media, the internet, etc., towards trying to obtain information about Jama'at Ahmadiyya.
The day before yesterday, I had the occasion to go to the Dublin Parliament. I also got the opportunity to meet some Members of Parliament. One of them said that the manner in which Jama'at Ahmadiyya strives to establish human values and for the establishment of peace is not seen among other Muslims, and that he had taken this information about the Jama'at after going into great depth. And he said that having taken all this information, I now wish for Jama'at Ahmadiyya to soon build a mosque in Dublin as well, so that this message of love and lofty values may also spread in this city, which is my city. So in this manner, Allah the Almighty is telling the world not to form a wrong opinion about Islam by seeing only one side of the picture, but rather to also see the other side of the picture, which is the true side, and which today is being presented by the Jama'at of the true servant of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Hence, we should not become happy merely on the fact that we have built a mosque here, and that today the world has seen your mosque through MTA. You too have become able to tell the world that we also have a mosque. There will also be a function in the evening, insha'Allah, in which the educated class will get the opportunity to see your mosque, and these people will praise the beauty of the mosque, or perhaps the praise has already begun. Or, at various times, perhaps various people from this city as well as from outside will come to visit the mosque, and you will become happy that so many people or so many groups have visited, and you will simply assume that we have achieved our objective. This is not so. As I said, there are many things that you are proclaiming with this mosque. All these matters should place a very great responsibility upon you. Hence, every Ahmadi residing here should focus on these responsibilities, as to how this responsibility is to be fulfilled.
As I have already explained, what the role of a mosque is and what is proclaimed from our mosques. How we are to fulfil the rights of Allah and also the rights of His creatures. If there is no attention towards their fulfilment, then our claims too will be hollow. Our slogans and proclamations too will be deceiving the world. We will merely be pleasing the people of the world through verbal claims and propaganda, but our attention will not be towards the very purpose of our lives, which is to please God and to mold our deeds in accordance with His pleasure.
In the verse that I recited at the beginning, Allah the Almighty has also described the qualities of those who maintain the mosques. The scope of this verse extends from the Ka'bah to every mosque that is maintained by people who possess those qualities mentioned in this verse. Those who are included among the believers. Among those believers whose standards of faith Allah the Almighty has described in one place as follows. He said اَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلّٰہ. That is, the love of believers for Allah the Almighty is the greatest. No other worldly love overpowers them. They continue to strive throughout their lives to attain the love of Allah the Almighty. It is not the case that they forget the love of Allah the Almighty in order to attain worldly gain. The love of Allah the Almighty demands that His commandments be acted upon. It demands that He be worshipped. It is not so that a person forgets his prayers under the pretext of his work. That he resorts to lies in order to derive financial benefit. While doing such things, a person should think: is my love greater for Allah the Almighty or for worldly interests? If worldly things are taking him away from the commandments of Allah the Almighty, then the love of the world is overpowering. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) says in one place:
"It should be known that the jealous love of God Almighty in His essential love does not desire that any believer should associate anyone with Him (i.e. Allah). The faith which is dearest to us can only be safeguarded if we do not associate anyone with Him in our love." (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, volume 2, page 534, letter no. 120, Letters to Hadrat Munshi Rustam Ali Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him), published by Nazarat Isha'at Rabwah)
Hence, this is a matter of great consideration. As far as words are concerned, every Muslim says: I love God, I love the Messenger. This is why they become ready to kill and be killed. We will never hear from the mouth of any Muslim that he does not love God or His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). But how many are there who act upon the commandments of God and His Messenger. Take only the matter of prayer. We need to take stock as to whether we offer our prayers by fulfilling their rights. There are many whose answer is that they offer three prayers or four prayers. Then there are many who hasten so much in the performance of prayer that it is as though they are getting a burden off their neck. Prayer, which is the means of bringing one closer to God Almighty and of expressing love for Him. If we are not performing it with care, then we are not fulfilling the demands of love. Then concerning the believers, Allah the Almighty says that when Allah and the Messenger call them about some decision, or command them in some matter, they say: we hear and obey.
Hence, every one of us needs to take stock of this standard. Only self-evaluation can tell us about our condition. The Holy Qur'an has given countless commandments, regarding which the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) has written in one place that they are seven hundred commandments. And whoever does not accept them, and does not try to act upon them, is moving away from me, severing his connection from me. (Adapted from Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza'in, volume 19, page 26)
Hence, our faith in Allah the Almighty will only be complete when we are acting upon the commandments of Allah the Almighty. Then we say that we believe in the Hereafter, but there are many among us for whom this claim of belief in the Hereafter is merely lip-service, because if the belief in the Hereafter were complete, then a person would refrain from many sins and from usurping rights. Out of fear of worldly law we refrain from doing many things, thinking what will happen if we are caught, and we even obey our officers out of fear of them. But many among us commit many wrong deeds because, despite the claim, we do not think about the Hereafter. Many among us, even if at times we are offering Prayers with humility, do so in order to pray for the attainment of our objectives. Worldly objectives are very many among them. Some come to mosques only because of the thought, what will people say, that he hasn't come to the mosque for so long. Allah the Almighty, however, says that those who maintain the mosques observe the Prayer for the sake of Allah the Almighty. Congregational Prayers, observance of them, performance at the proper time, are done for attaining the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. Their worship is for attaining the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. Their financial sacrifices too are for attaining the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. They have no fear of anyone other than Allah the Almighty. Allah the Almighty says that these are people who do not merely make claims of faith, but rather see the support and help of Allah the Almighty at every moment. Their every step is taken towards new and ever new paths of guidance. Every path opens for them the doors of success and salvation. It opens the doors of successes. This guidance leads them to successes. They are bestowed with successes. It is the favour of Allah the Almighty upon Jama'at Ahmadiyya that He has bestowed upon the Jama'at such believers whose objective is not merely to make claims of faith, but rather to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, and this is the very secret due to which Jama'at Ahmadiyya, as a whole, is advancing towards the heights of progress. Hence, in order to become a part of these favours, in order to fulfil the right of maintaining the mosque, as I have said, every one of us needs to constantly take stock of himself, so that no Ahmadi man or woman remains who is deprived of the blessings of this progress and of attaining the favours of Allah the Almighty. Our fears should not be worldly fears, rather, if there is any fear, it should be filled with the love that our beloved God should not become displeased with us. Hence, after the building of this mosque, when the eyes of the world will be upon us, then in fulfilling the demands of faith, we will have to take stock of ourselves more than before. We will need, more than before, to strive to mould our deeds in accordance with Islamic teaching, only then will we be able to properly guide those who, upon seeing the mosque, turn their attention this way.
After the mosque, new avenues of tabligh and the introduction of Ahmadiyyat, that is, true Islam, will open, and are indeed opening. As I have said, people will come, they will see. Wherever in the world a mosque of the Jama'at is built, people, schoolchildren, and other groups also come. These days, because of the actions of certain Muslims, the world's eyes are very much upon Muslims, therefore, as I have said, curiosity has greatly increased. When they see, through our deeds and our conditions, the true side of the picture of Islam, they will certainly be impressed. Hence, after building the mosque, the responsibility of those who reside here has further increased. This is why I am repeatedly saying that you are no longer hidden. There was a time when the Jama'at of Ireland was very small and no one knew of it. Now you people are no longer among those whom people do not know. The beautiful building of the mosque and its tall minaret are introducing you to the world every day. And today's inauguration, and in the evening, as I have said, insha'Allah, the function with non-Muslims or non-Ahmadis, will carry this introduction to every class. The newspapers have also begun writing something. Insha'Allah, more news will follow that will further inform the people of this country about Jama'at Ahmadiyya and about true Islam, and this mosque will not just remain a centre of attention for the people of Galway, but rather, people of other cities too will come to know about you and, if they get the chance, will also try to come here to see the mosque. This is our experience in various places. So, as I said, your tabligh will continue to expand. For this, every Ahmadi needs to prepare himself academically as well, so that he may give religious and academic answers, and there will also be the need to bring his practical conditions up to that standard at which the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) wishes to see us. And what that standard is, I have already mentioned previously. That standard is to act upon all the commandments of the Holy Qur'an. To set such examples that the residents of this place automatically turn their attention towards you. There is also a strong religious inclination in this country. This is a country in Europe in which even today the rich, the worldly, and the poor still refer to their being Christians and express that they are religious, and that with reference to Hadrat Jesus (add peace be upon him)?, they consider Christianity to be their religion of salvation. We have to tell them that, according to our teaching, Hadrat Jesus (peace be upon him) was a true prophet of Allah the Almighty, and that he departed from this world after carrying out, in the best manner, the task entrusted to him from Allah the Almighty. The Master of true powers and the Lord of all the worlds is the One and Unique God, whom Hadrat Jesus (peace be upon him) also worshipped, and whom his pure mother Hadrat Mary also worshipped. And, in accordance with the prophecies of earlier prophets, Hadrat Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has come from Allah the Almighty with the final and perfect Shariah. And it is this Shariah that is perfect and salvific, that brings one nearer to God Almighty, and is the means of beautifying this world and the Hereafter, but not merely by making claims, rather by acting upon this Shariah. We will have to tell them that the proof of Islam being a living religion is that, in following the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has come, who has united us with God Almighty. That God who hears our prayers and also accepts them, who, in accordance with His promise, is also showing His Signs. Hence, now the survival of the world lies in accepting this Promised Messiah. A living relationship with Allah the Almighty will only be created by coming into the embrace of this Promised Messiah. But can we say these things to others without any hesitation, or will we have to pause and think whether to say it or not? If another person challenges me regarding the acceptance of prayer, am I in such a state that I can accept it? Do I have a relationship with Allah the Almighty? Am I, while keeping in my heart the fear of Allah the Almighty and His love, striving to mould my life in accordance with the commandments shown by Him? If not, then how, as an Ahmadi, can I, without realising my responsibility and without fulfilling it, invite the world? How can I tell the world: O friends, the Messiah who was to come, has come?
Will people not ask me: what change has this Messiah created within you, that you are inviting me towards accepting this Promised Messiah by enticing me with the prospect of pure changes being created? How much of a relationship with Allah the Almighty have you yourself developed, that you are inviting me to accept the Promised Messiah by enticing me with the prospect of developing a relationship with Allah the Almighty? Your religion tells you to fulfil the right of Allah the Almighty by worshipping Him; rather, it is written in your Holy Qur'an that the purpose of human life is to worship God, and you have been created for this very reason. How many Prayers do you offer in congregation? You have built the mosque beautifully, but its beauty lies in the condition of those who pray. It is from them that its splendour shines forth even more. Do you people offer the five daily Prayers in the mosque? Do you fulfil the rights of the servants of Allah the Almighty? The Holy Qur'an tells you that you are Khair Ummat (the best of nations), raised for the benefit of mankind, because you exhort to good deeds and forbid from evil. Those who ask will ask us: does your purpose get fulfilled merely by exhorting? If not, then first take stock of yourselves as to whether you yourselves are also acting upon what you are saying. Those who ask will ask: you speak of good treatment of relatives and other people, but are your own actions in accordance with this? You speak of fulfilling your trusts and fulfilling your covenants; are you a hundred percent committed to fulfilling the right of trusts and fulfilling the covenants? You speak of sacrifice and humility, but is this manifest in every word and deed of yours? You say that Islam teaches us Husn-e-Zann (good thoughts of others), but have you applied this Husn-e-Zann to your daily life or not? You say that the Holy Qur'an strongly exhorts us to remain steadfast on truth, but on many occasions I have myself seen you resorting to lies for the attainment of worldly benefits. This anyone can say to us, if our deeds are before him. You say that Islam teaches us to suppress our anger and to deal with forgiveness. The teaching is very fine, but do you also manifest these matters in your daily affairs? You are telling me a very beautiful teaching of Islam, that for upholding justice and fairness, your standard should be so high that even the enmity of an enemy should not incite you to be unjust to him and to usurp his right; but are you striving to attain this standard of forgiving others and of establishing justice, and do you have the courage for it? All your commandments which you mention with reference to the Holy Qur'an are very fine and beautiful, but are you acting upon them? You say of other Muslims that they did not accept the Promised Messiah, which is why they are in this state where they are slitting each other's throats and رُحَمَآءُ بَیۡنَہُمۡ (tender among themselves) is not manifest from them, and they are doing the opposite of this. But you, who have accepted the Promised Messiah, every action of yours, according to your saying, should be in accordance with Qur'anic teaching. If not, then to what spiritual and practical revolution are you calling us? We are like you and you are like us. What is the difference between you and us? Hence, we should always remember that wherever an Ahmadi is known as an Ahmadi, his responsibilities increase greatly. He is no longer just an Ahmadi, but rather becomes a representative of the Promised Messiah. This is why the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: do not bring disgrace upon us by being attributed to us. (Adapted from Malfuzat, volume 7, page 188, edition 1985, published in England)
Hence, the effect of any bad deed of an Ahmadi is not limited only to his own person, but rather reaches the very person of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). This is a very important matter which every Ahmadi should keep before him, and when all this is kept before him, then every Ahmadi will become an ambassador of Ahmadiyyat. Every introduction will exalt him so much in the eyes of the world that the world will rush towards you. You will become a representative of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). You will become those who fulfil the right of tabligh. You will become those who beautify the world and the Hereafter of the people of the world. You will become those who absorb the favours of Allah the Almighty. Hence, for the attainment of this, we need to strive vigorously. We need to perform our five daily Prayers in congregation and with care. We need to fulfil the right of the mosque. We need to develop a relationship with God Almighty through Nawafil along with the obligatory Prayers. We need to give great attention to the fulfilment of the rights of God's creatures. Every Ahmadi man and woman needs to understand his and her responsibility.
We tell the residents of this place with great enthusiasm that we have named this mosque Mosque Maryam, because the people here have great respect for Hadrat Mary. We tell them that Hadrat Mary is also dear to you because she is the mother of Hadrat Jesus, but she is not dear to us only because of being the mother of Hadrat Jesus, rather, Allah the Almighty looked upon her with affection by also considering her standard of righteousness and taqwa, and told the believers: develop qualities like those of Mary. Mary safeguarded her chastity, and she safeguarded it because of the love and fear of Allah the Almighty. She was perfectly obedient to Allah the Almighty and acted upon His commandments. She was righteous and steadfast on truth. Hence, Allah the Almighty has commanded every true Muslim man and woman to adopt these qualities of believers. Here, I would also tell those Ahmadi girls and women that if the people here only respect Hadrat Mary, and only respect her, and do not try to adopt those qualities which were in her, then this is their weakness. A true Muslim man and woman should, like Hadrat Mary, while being the true obedient one of Allah the Almighty, try to walk upon the commandments of Allah the Almighty, and among these commandments, modesty and the veil are also a commandment, which Allah the Almighty has mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. Hence, along with the worship of Allah the Almighty, one should also pay attention to one's modest dress. May Allah the Almighty grant everyone the ability to live their lives in accordance with His pleasure and to become true believers. May He make us those who, instead of drowning in the world, fulfil the right of worship. May He make us those who fulfil each other's rights. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) admonishes us in one place, saying:
"I say truly that this is an event which Allah the Almighty has created for the fortunate ones," meaning the coming of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). "Blessed are those who benefit from it. You people who have established a relationship with me, never, never become arrogant in this matter that you have already attained whatever you were to attain. It is true that you are closer to felicity than those deniers who, by their severe denial and contempt, have angered God, and it is also true that you, by employing Husn-e-Zann, have endeavoured to save yourselves from the wrath of Allah the Almighty. But the truth is that you have come close to the spring which Allah the Almighty has, at this time, created for eternal life. Yes, drinking the water still remains. Hence, by the grace and mercy of Allah the Almighty, seek the strength that He may quench your thirst, for without Allah the Almighty nothing can come about." It is Allah the Almighty alone who grants the ability. "I know with certainty that whoever drinks from this spring will not perish, because this water gives life and saves from destruction and protects from the attacks of Satan. What is the way to be quenched from this spring? It is this, that you should restore and fully fulfil the two rights which Allah the Almighty has placed upon you. Of these, one is the right of God, and the other is of His creatures." (Malfuzat, volume 3, pages 184-185, edition 1985, published in England)
May Allah the Almighty always grant us the ability to fulfil this right, and may we become those who benefit more and more from this spring, and then become those who also let the world benefit from this spring. Let me also share some details of this mosque. There is interest in this in the world too. I had laid its foundation in September 2010, and the total area of the land is 2400 square metres, approximately three-quarters of an acre, just slightly less than three-quarters of an acre. In any case, the covered portion of the mosque is 217 square metres, and this place was purchased in 2009 at a cost of five hundred and fifteen thousand euros. There was also a house built on it. Then approximately eleven hundred thousand euros were spent on its construction. Combining the main hall and the other places, approximately two hundred people can offer Prayer in them. There are also two offices adjoining this mosque. As I mentioned, there was also a house consisting of three rooms, in which a kitchen etc. is also built. There is also parking space for seventeen cars. Then, along with this, this place has a very good location. There is a horse race nearby here, a racing ground from where this mosque is very well visible. A famous festival takes place here, and famous personalities also come to participate in this horse race. About forty thousand people from this area participate in it. And the view of the mosque from there is also very beautiful, so in this regard too, the introduction of the mosque will increase, because people from outside will also come here. And this is quite a populated area. Hundreds of people pass by here almost daily. A residence for students is also nearby here. Galway Airport is also at a distance of ten minutes. Along with this, two more houses have now also been purchased subsequently, which adjoin right at the back along the wall, and they too have good accommodation. In any case, may Allah the Almighty bless this whole complex in every respect, and may He grant the people here the ability to fulfil the right of this mosque.
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