The Friday sermon today was based on some observations of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the blessed life of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace).

The Promised Messiah's (on whom be peace) regard for his follower Mir Hamid Shah Sahib predated his claim. In the days when the Promised Messiah was almost compelled to find employment on the insistence of his father, he went to the town of Sialkot to work in the legal courts there. Hamid Shah Sahib's father Hassam ud Din Sahib was from Sialkot and this is where the connection was first forged. Once when the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) revisited Sialkot after his claim Hassam Sahib was delighted and personally arranged for the Promised Messiah's accommodation in a house. The roof top of the house did not have a ledge and owing to this the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) decided to return to Qadian. It was of course customary to sleep on roof tops during summer nights. And Hadith relates against sleeping on roof tops which do not have ledge. The message was sent to the entourage who were agreeable on whatever was asked of them but when the news reached Hassam Sahib, he could not accept it. He personally went to see the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and passionately submitted to him that if the house was not suitable any other house that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wished to stay at could be made available but asked him not to leave. He said if the Promised Messiah was to leave it would be a source of great humiliation for him. He plead with such zeal that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) went silent and then said that he would not leave!

Once a person came to see the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and presumed to advise him on how to get self-absorbed religious leaders to agree on something. For example, he said, it should be put to important religious leaders by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that Christian belief on death of Christ has caused Islam great damage. And they should be asked how it could be responded to. In other words, the person suggested that words should be fed to the religious leaders so they may assume they are the ones who have come up with the answer. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) told him that had his claim been borne of human scheming, perhaps this is exactly how he would have dealt with the matter but since he had announced with the commandment of God, he had proceeded to do it exactly as he had been Divinely instructed!

A revelation of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) reads: '…Threaten me not with fire, for fire is my servant and indeed the servant of my servants.' (Tadhkirah, p. 507, 2009 edition). In 1903 a Muslim changed his religion to Hinduism and wrote a book about it. Hazrat Maulana Nur ud Din (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a rebuttal to his book. This rebuttal would be read out to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). When it reached the point where the apostate enquires that if fire could be cooled off for Hazrat Ibrahim (on whom be peace) why could it not be cooled off for others and the response of Hazrat Maulana Nur ud Din (may Allah be pleased with him) that the word fire was used as a metaphor here for opposition, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) remarked, there was no need to give this interpretation! He said God had also called him Ibrahim, he could be put in fire and tested! Hazrat Maulana Nur ud Din (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote exactly this saying you may put our Imam in fire, God would save him just as God saved Hazrat Ibrahim (on whom be peace).

The point that Hazrat Maulana Nur ud Din (may Allah be pleased with him) had initially written in his manuscript about the fire of Ibrahim being a metaphor for opposition was mentioned to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) as a very exquisite view at another time as well. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) countered this and spoke of the (aforementioned) revelation he had received. He cited the miracle of the plague and said it struck all around us but we remained safe from it, small wonder then if Hazrat Ibrahim (on whom be peace) was saved from fire!

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that only the views of Prophets of God are correct about miracles and others cannot reach what Prophets personally experience. Indeed, holy persons who are devoted to God can understand matters up to a point but not to the extent Prophets can! He said he had received perhaps a thousand revelations (at the time of writing) but all these revelations could not even measure up to revelations received by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in a single night!

During the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) it was often talked about as to who his favourite was. Some said it was Hazrat Maulana Nur ud Din Sahib and others said it was Maulana Abdul Karim Sahib.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said once he heard the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) pay great tribute to Maulana Nur ud Din Sahib in the family home. He said Hakim Sahib (his way of addressing Maulana Nur ud Din) was a blessing of God for him and if he did not acknowledge this it would be ingratitude. He cited his ubiquitous lessons on the Holy Qur'an and his commitment to people as a physician. Indeed, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has written elsewhere that Hazrat Maulana Nur ud Din Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) operated in synchronisation with the Promised Messiah like the pulse. Yet, if any of his reference was to be presented along with a reference of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) it would be highly inappropriate.

Honour of Khulafa is in following the one whose Bai'at they have taken. If due to unawareness they make a mistake and anyone around them is aware of the matter, he should come forward and explain what the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had said on the subject.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that God had endowed him with great comprehension and he was also greatly capable of understanding the words of one sent from God but this did not signify that he could compete with one commissioned by God! He said if anyone presented a reference of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) along with a reference of his, it would be nothing more than his humiliation. It is also not necessary for a Khalifa to know everything. Indeed, Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know all Ahadith, similarly if anyone has knowledge of something the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said and shares it, it is very generous of them.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that errors in sentence structure and otherwise remained even after he had gone over a document himself. He explained that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was once asked why he sent proofs of his writings to Hazrat Maulana Nur ud Din Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) since he was not a qualified proof-reader. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) replied that Maulawi Sahib had very little time to spare, he attended to patients and did not have time to read books and the Promised Messaih (on whom be peace) wanted him to read his manuscripts so that he remained aware of the views.

If a Khalifa was to give an interpretation which appears contrary to the interpretation of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) he should be informed. If the Khalifa of the time considers that his interpretation could be gleaned from the Promised Messiah's interpretation, fine, or else he would correct his interpretation. It is not that there is any contradiction of views. There is no contradiction; the cause of any such occurrence would be unawareness.

A maulawi who opposed the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) used to warn people not to be deceived by Mirza Sahib by citing that the signs of the true Messiah were solar and lunar eclipses during Ramadan. These signs came to pass in the lifetime of the maulawi. He paced his roof top perturbed, muttering people will now go astray! He did not comprehend that indeed people were now going to be guided. In the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) Christians acknowledged that all the signs had been fulfilled but as far as his advent and claim was concerned they said that by coincidence a false person had made the claim at the right time!

Detractors and enemies of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) contended with him on every level including social boycott. Yet, when they came to him asking for forgiveness, he would always forgive. Once his opponents were apprehended and the magistrate said what was the point in detaining them if Mirza Sahib was to pardon them later! Indeed, when the culprits went to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and asked to be forgiven, they were!

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) relates the times stones were thrown at the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) when he accompanied his father as a 14/15 year old and stones hit him as well.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) promoted inter-faith debate. He put the idea to his opponents to hold a convention where everyone would explain the qualities of their faith. He realised that others had a right to propagate their faith just as much as the Promised Messiah had a right to propagate his.

In his passion to spread the message of Islam he wrote a letter to the Empress of India, Queen Victoria inviting her to Islam. Rather than show any displeasure, the Queen responded with a letter of thanks.

A Turk diplomat visited Qadian during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). He was collecting donations from Muslims to strengthen the Turkish government. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) honoured him as a guest and also advised him. He counselled about honesty, trustworthiness and said persecution of people should be shunned. He forewarned him about the state of affairs and told him that he had experienced visions with bad premonitions about treachery within Turkey. The diplomat did not take to this kind of advice very well and this gave way to a reaction in India. It was said that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had humiliated the Turkish government which was [at the time] the guardian of the holiest places in Islam, Makkah and Medina.

In response to this the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said you say Turkey safeguards Makkah and Medina whereas it is Makkah and Medina that are safeguarding the Turkish government. We consider that God is safeguarding Makkah and Medina from the Heavens. Indeed, if an enemy were to attack, human effort may be made in an apparent manner. But we firmly believe anyone who looked at Makkah and Medina with bad intent will be ruined by God. If God forbid such a time was ever to come when physical defence of these sacred places was needed the world would see how Ahmadiyya Jama'at would be at the forefront of sacrifice.

Two funeral Prayers in absentia were announced with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih paying tributes to the deceased.

Sameer Bakhota Sahib passed away of cancer on 24 February in Germany.

Chaudhry Bashir Ahmad Sahib passed away of cancer in Pakistan.