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۔

A question that is nowadays being spread in the minds of youth especially, and in society generally, with more intensity than before, by those who are against religion—or due to lack of proper guidance, they have distanced themselves from religion and even from God—is this: If one has good morals, or if worldly education leads to good morals, then what is the need to follow religion? Religion also makes this claim, or those who follow religion say that it teaches you good morals. So morals have developed in us without religion. Rather, it is also said that the morals of the majority of worldly people are better than the morals of those who follow religion. And Islam is particularly targeted in this regard.

The majority of other religions have become almost indifferent in matters of religion. Islam is the only religion whose adherents express belief in their faith, or even the majority of non-practicing Muslims openly call themselves Muslims and associate themselves with religion. This is why the real attack is on Islam, and in an effort to distance people from religion, attempts are made to poison the minds of our children and youth by presenting various arguments in different ways. Especially in Western countries, the style of education encourages inquiry and research, and this is a very good thing—attention should be given to this—but proper methods should also be employed. In any case, when young people or those entering youth approach their family members, their parents and elders, seeking solutions to the various questions created and arising in their minds, either the parents do not have time to answer due to their financial and social needs and engagements, or they lack knowledge, and therefore, instead of answering their questions, attempts are often made to suppress them. As a result, children entering youth also come to think that religion—even if it is Islam—claims to be true and a solution to all problems, but in terms of the times, it has no practical solution or answer. Or it also happens that there is a discrepancy between the actions of elders and the teachings given to children. Children remain silent for a time listening to the teachings, but when they get freedom, they distance themselves from religion and then fall into the grasp of those who take them away from religion. This is why, despite the beautiful teachings of Islam and it being a living religion, there are now people among Muslims as well who deny religion and God. So in such circumstances, each one of us needs to pay attention to how we can make ourselves practitioners of religion and how we can also look after our future generations. There is no doubt that Islam is a perfect religion and has provided solutions to various problems. The Holy Quran is a complete and perfect Book, and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) presents its perfect model before us. And this model created a revolutionary change in the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). They understood religion, they understood morals, and they also achieved material progress. But they also gained the understanding of keeping everything in its proper place—where religion should be placed, where morals stand? what material progress is?

So our youth, children entering youth, and especially the elders should remember—because the responsibility of looking after future generations lies with the elders—that we should try to understand the relationship between the correction of morals, material progress, and religion, and then mold our lives accordingly. If elders understand this point, they will be able to look after the next generations. If youth understand this point, the paths of religious and worldly progress will open for them, and they will come to know how beautiful the teachings of Islam are and that those who speak against it are liars. This issue, which is raised today with greater intensity by the irreligious or anti-religion people, is not something new. Such questions have been raised from time to time before as well. Those who object to religion have always raised this issue and similar matters from which objection to religion could be proven, because they have never tried to understand religion in its true form. And the so-called religious scholars, by producing self-made wrong solutions or by not understanding the religion in its true form, have further confused the educated class. In this age, Allah the Almighty has bestowed this favor upon us that He has sent the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) to remove the confusions of these issues. He (peace be upon him) created in us the understanding to comprehend these, and understanding these issues and finding their solutions became easier for us. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) once delivered a sermon in this light, and in it he explained what is the relationship between the correction of morals, material progress, and religion, and how does Islam view it? And how did the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explain to us through his actions and practical example what its reality is? So as I said, you delivered a sermon on this subject and shed brief light on it. Benefiting from it, today I will present this subject before you.

We tell the world—and it is certainly true—that Islam is such a religion that Allah the Almighty prescribed or revealed while keeping human nature in view. Keeping in mind that Islam is the religion of nature, Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says:

"Religion, morals, and those needs of man that relate to his body are so intertwined that it is difficult to distinguish between them. That is, a person who believes in religion cannot separate morals from religion. Nor can he say that religion has made me indifferent to and independent of the world, so these are not my needs. If this thinking exists that I no longer need anything, then the wheel of human progress, that is, material progress, stops. As if all these things are interconnected—religion, morals, and material progress—but despite this, there is also a difference between them. Those who do not believe in religion try to free themselves by saying that good morals and material progress are human needs. But a true Muslim will say that there is also a need for religion because that shows the way to reach God.

So this is the difference in thinking—how we should view these things and how we should connect their relationship with each other. The remaining religions are becoming dead. Islam is the only religion that proves their interconnection. But the majority of Muslims, not understanding the reality of religion, have connected things related to morals and things related to materialism with religion in such a wrong way that, going to the extreme of excess, instead of presenting religion beautifully and drawing people toward it, they have become those who distance people from religions. Going down from prayer and fasting to morals and worldly needs—whether it is the establishment of an organization or the holding of a gathering—scholars generally say that in our view, these are part of Islam, and one who does not participate in them is a disbeliever and apostate." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 17, Pages 462-463)

Now we see this very thing in the Islamic world. Then, beyond disbeliever and apostate, wars begin. Every sect has its fatwas, and this is why various extremist groups are committing carnage by creating their own code of conduct or so-called law to enforce their Islam. In Syria, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, their self-made laws in the name of religion are causing bloodshed. A French journalist was released from the so-called Islamic government established in Syria and Iraq—I mentioned before—he saw certain things there, their actions, their laws, and according to whatever knowledge of Islam he had, or whatever he had read of the Holy Quran, or whatever knowledge of Hadith he had, he asked some people there that some of the things you are doing are not according to the Quran and Hadith. The response of the operatives or officials of this so-called Islamic government with whom he dealt, or the officers, was that we do not know what is in the Quran and Hadith. This is our law and we are acting according to it. So in this way, they have created distortion in the teachings of Islam.

What is happening in Yemen is for this very reason—that by calling fatwas of their liking religion, aerial attacks are being carried out on innocents. Fine, one party is also wrong and the other party is also wrong, but the solution is not that innocents should also be killed without cause. Rather, if we look at Islamic history, we see this, and this is what is happening to this day: such and such Maulana has this religion and such and such scholar has this religion. That is, every scholar and Maulana has also made his own religion. In this way, in Islam—that is, in the Islam of these people that they are practicing—no reality has remained, and for this very reason, following these scholars and fatwa-givers, the majority of Muslims have also gone far from Islam. In the name of spirituality and religion, who knows what is happening.

In contrast to this, those who are far from religion and the so-called progressive Western people try to make spirituality and morals part of the material world. Even if they consider revelation, they say it is part of human activities. When they consider morals, it is from the perspective that it will bring worldly benefit to man. Morals are also for worldly benefit, and if they consider religion, they will say that this is how people of lower type who are uneducated or less educated, to some extent, are saved from crimes in the name of religion. That is, if any benefit can reach these people in the name of religion, it is only this much that there is some moral improvement in them because they have fear of religion—even if the right religion is adopted. But their contention is that those who already have morals, what need do they have for religion?

But upon reflection, it will be known that materialism, morals, and religion are so close that an ordinary person does not know where one boundary begins and where it ends. To understand this, we reflect on and observe the blessed life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the material reformer of the world, the moral reformer, and the spiritual reformer. His (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) blessed life is comprehensive of all. If on one hand he commands that "Prayer is the essence of worship," on the other hand, he also emphasizes the perfection of spirituality. It is not just that one prays and the matter is solved; rather, its stages must also be traversed, and spirituality must also be enhanced. The relationship of prayer between Allah the Almighty and the servant is like the relationship between a child and mother. The meaning of prayer is to call. The caller calls when there is certainty that someone will help me. No one calls his enemy for help. When we pray or want to pray, how should we view it? In the view of Hazrat Musleh Maud, three things are necessary to be found in prayer:

First, that one should believe in the heart that my request will be accepted. Second, one should have the confidence that He whom I am calling has the power to help. Third, there is a natural attachment (that is, toward Allah the Almighty or toward whomever one loves) that turns man away from all other attachments and takes him only toward Him. The first two are rational points, because if there is no certainty that the call I am making will be heard, and there is no confidence that He whom I am calling has the power to help, then it is foolishness to call him for help. Then prayer is a useless thing. The third matter is natural attachment or natural love that closes the eyes to everything else and takes one only toward the Beloved. For this, there is the example of the child and mother, as given before. The child has a natural relationship with the mother; regardless of whether the mother can help the child or not, he calls only her. So much so that a child drowning in the sea, who knows that my mother cannot swim, yet if the mother is near him, he will call only the mother for help and will not call anyone else. This is an emotional relationship. Regarding this, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Prayer is the essence of worship." That is, without prayer, a person's faith cannot be perfected. Thus, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has declared the relationship between the servant and Allah the Almighty to be the relationship of child and mother—that rush toward Him with eyes closed, go to Him.

Then the second thing is morals, in which we see that in the life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), there are such fine moral aspects that even one looking with a keen eye cannot see them—cannot reach them unless guided by him.

Now, there is good treatment of wives and the expression of love. This is also very necessary to keep the home environment pleasant. This is one of the basic morals. To what extent did he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) carefully consider the matter of wives? It is related about him that when one of his wives drank water from a vessel, when he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had to drink water, he would place his mouth at the spot from where she had drunk. This is a very small thing, but what a fine point it is that human love is expressed not only through big things but through small things. Then, not only this—if we study his life, we come to know that in major matters of morals too, he gave such teachings and showed such an example that looking at it, it seems that all his life he only studied morals and kept teaching them. The mutual relations of mankind, the mutual relations of relatives, the details of a person's own personal character, avoidance of lying, dishonesty, suspicion—all matters are such in which his example and teaching are perfect and complete, and no person, even getting twenty lifetimes, can show such an example as the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has shown us.

Then the third thing is materialism. In this, we see that the teaching of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also guides us in this direction. For example, for urban life, roads must be kept open. There is an arrangement for cleanliness of water. When cities are established or new settlements are founded, great engineers and thinkers think about them and pay attention to them. He drew our attention to this. Regarding the cleanliness of paths, he drew our attention to it. Regarding making houses open and airy, he drew our attention to it. He drew attention to all material and worldly things, whether they are governmental affairs or civilization or trade or industry. He described everything at its proper occasion, and we get great details of it from his life. But despite this, unlike today's religious leaders, he did not declare everything to be part of religion.

For example, there is an incident related about him that some farmers were putting the male pollen into the female of their date palm trees. (Date palm plants have separate male and female) He happened to pass by there. He said: What harm is there if you do not mix it like this? Through the wind, the male and female can also mix by themselves. People stopped mixing it. That year or the next year, when this was not practiced, the fruit was very little. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked the reason, and people said: O Messenger of Allah! You yourself had forbidden it. He said: I did not give a command. You people know these worldly matters better than me. Hazrat Musleh Maud says that here, as if the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) separated materialism from religion. It was also the tongue of God's Messenger that had said what is the need of mixing, and the same tongue would also tell us the commandments of Allah the Almighty. But despite it being the tongue of God's Messenger, he declared materialism to be materialism and said that you know these matters better. But today's mullahs—even if an impossible thing comes out of their mouths—not accepting it raises the question of being expelled from the circle of Islam and being a disbeliever and apostate.

On the other side, there is this Western or so-called progressive group. In their view, neither is it necessary to believe in religion, nor is there respect for religious teachings, nor is there sanctity of morals. They consider everything to be material. So much so that Hazrat Musleh Maud writes that their philosophers of that era said that the question is not how God created the world, but how man created God. God forbid. In their view, the question of God is the result of human evolution. Even if God's existence is a reality, still it is the final link of mental progress, nothing else. In their view, man wanted to find a good example. When he could not find a fine example among humans, he established a mental image outside of humans. He established an image in concepts. In establishing this image, man's first effort was not so successful, but as he reflected more, he progressed more, until he prepared a perfect image, and its name is God. This is the concept of God according to the philosophers of that era, and even now some say this. Hazrat Musleh Maud says that in this way, these people have also declared God to be part of materialism. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 17, Pages 463-466)

The philosophers of that era had made this self-made God, and many among them also believed in this self-made God. But then the later philosophers or those called progressive, due to making such a material God, gradually distanced themselves from religion, and nowadays, due to the notion that God is a self-made thing, the present philosophers have gone toward atheism. Rather, in the name of education and enlightenment, the majority of those living in Western countries have denied the very existence of God and consider only morals and material progress to be everything. And the theories of these atheistic people are further fanned by today's mullahs, who have spread strange ignorance by making everything of theirs and every theory of theirs part of religion. So in this regard, if we look, today's scholars are also misguided, and those who consider religion to be materialism and deny it are also misguided. We Ahmadis are fortunate that the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saved us from these things and gave us such guidance that to know the real truth, he said: Look to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated this reality that in every matter, there should be moderation and giving its due right. This is the true religion. He said that indeed worship is extremely necessary—it is the purpose of creation—but also۔۔۔

"وَلِنَفْسِکَ عَلَیْکَ حَقٌ" "وَلِزَوْجِکَ عَلَیْکَ حَقٌ وَلِجَارِکَ عَلَیْکَ" حَقٌ"

"Your self has a right over you, and your wife has a right over you, and your neighbor has a right over you."

And to attain these, it is necessary for us to use three types of means. The first thing is prayer and turning toward Allah the Almighty and worship. Second, controlling the self, suppressing emotions, reflecting on human psychology. Third, it is necessary to be honest in one's work and profession and to acquire worldly and scientific knowledge. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 17, Pages 466-467)

If we reflect, for the right of the self, prayer and relationship with Allah the Almighty is necessary. Controlling emotions is also necessary. Sometimes emotions, becoming unbridled, deprive one of even the rights of one's self or incite one to commit oppression. By increasing our knowledge and being honest in our work, we can improve the spiritual, moral, and financial condition of our life. Similarly, for fulfilling the rights of family members too, there is prayer, control over emotions, and fulfilling material needs. Similarly, he said that your neighbor also has a right over you. That is, the fulfillment of the rights of society will also happen when we pray for it, fulfill their rights, understand their psychology, and accordingly convey the message of religion that is to be conveyed. This too is their right—that they be informed about religion. And then, through progress in our knowledge and hard work in our work, we will also collectively become partners in the progress of the country. This also falls under the rights of the neighbor and the rights of society. And when in society, everyone is striving with this thinking, that society will be the best model of spiritual, moral, and material progress of all kinds.

The reason for the miserable condition of Muslims is that they have not kept these things in mind by giving precedence to God, to God's religion—the things I have just mentioned—but have named their carnal emotions as religion. They have not given precedence to the religion that Allah the Almighty revealed; rather, if they had given it precedence, they would have taken care of the other things as well. By naming their carnal emotions as religion and acting upon it, the result is that, let alone telling others the beauties of Islam, following this self-made carnal religion, Muslims are killing Muslims. They neither got religion nor got the world. Except that they are stretching out their hands before worldly people for their every problem. This is what we see today in the Muslim world. Western nations may have subordinated religion to the world. In their view, religion is nothing; the world is everything. Indeed, these people are also misguided, but the purpose they understood, they achieved, even if the method is wrong. They obtained the world, but Muslims got neither religion nor the world.

In any case, for the reform of both these types of people, in this age Allah the Almighty has sent the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and Allah the Almighty sends His appointed ones in such circumstances who, by giving proper guidance, keep religion in religion's place and morals in morals' place and the world in the world's place. Apparently, they bring a spiritual message, but there is a deep connection between these three things, and perfection in spirituality necessarily leads to the correction of morals, and with the care of morals, the correction of materialism is also necessary. But this cannot happen—or it is not necessary—that one whose worldly affairs are correct gets everything in the world, that one who is progressing there also has correct morals, and that one whose morals are correct also has correct religion. The reason for this is that Allah the Almighty's intent is to bring man toward Himself. This is the purpose of his creation. So He has subordinated the correction of morals and material progress to religion so that one who pays attention to Him may get everything else automatically. Allah the Almighty says that a perfect believer attains all progress, but regarding those who are only worldly, Allah the Almighty says: "ضَلَّ سَعْیُھُمْ فِی الْحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنْیَا" (Al-Kahf: 105)—Their efforts are all wasted in the world. Hazrat Musleh Maud, giving an example of this, says that as if for the one who accepts spirituality—that is, for the one coming down from above—there is a ladder, but for the one going up from below, there is no ladder.

So it is known that in the world, for the attainment of these three matters, there are separate means, but there is also one common means, and that is to develop a perfect relationship with God Almighty. By striving for morals, morals will be attained. By striving for materialism, materialism will be attained, worldly progress will be attained. But the result of every effort will remain limited within that circle; it will not go beyond it. But those who correct their spirituality will get everything. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not take the pledge at the time of Bai'at that they would keep streets wide or do cleanliness or take care of other material things; rather, they recited "لَا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰہ" From this, morals were also corrected, and from the correction of morals, the world was certainly corrected. In that era, the standards of truth of Muslims were an example. Due to honesty in trade, worldly people would unhesitatingly entrust their trade to Muslims. Seeing justice to subjects, people wanted Muslims to be their rulers. In the time of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), on one occasion, Muslims had to leave Syria because at that time, due to the greater number of Roman armies, competition was difficult. But at that time, the Syrian people who were subjects wept and insisted that you people should not leave from here; we will help you; we will defend with you. Although the Syrians were also Christians and the Romans were also Christians. But it was this high morality and good administration of government that made Syrian Christians willing to help Muslims against the Christian government. So although kingship is a worldly thing, the kingship of Muslims was not worldly. This kingship came to them by the grace of religion, so it followed religion, and for this very reason, it had such virtues that despite religious differences, the subjects wanted the kingship of Muslims to remain established, their government to remain established. Although Muslims got kingship by the grace of "Lā ilāha illallāh Muḥammadur Rasūlullāh," it was not merely a verbal claim but came by the grace of true faith, because the one with merely a verbal claim loses even the world. But one who gets true religion—his morals are also corrected, and his world too. Would today's Muslim rulers understand this point and run their governments on this course? Hazrat Musleh Maud says that in the context of relationship with God Almighty, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) used to give the example of a merchant who deposited a large sum with the qazi of his city as a trust. He was going on a journey that he would take back upon return from the journey. When he returned and asked for his bag of money, the qazi sahib flatly denied: I have not kept any trust, nor do I keep trusts. What bag and what trust? The merchant gave many proofs, but the qazi kept denying: I have already said I do not keep trusts at all. Upon this, the merchant became distressed. Finally, someone told him that the king holds his court on such and such day, and every person has access to him. You too go and present your case. He did so. But because he had no proof, the king said that without proof, the qazi cannot be arrested. However, the king himself suggested a way: On such and such day, my ride and procession will go out through the city. That day, you stand near the qazi, because on the road, big people are present for reception. When I come, I will talk to you informally. You too show as if you are my friend. Do not be afraid that I am the king, something will happen. I will ask you that we haven't met for a long time. Then you tell me that first I was on a journey, then when I returned, a trust was deposited with a person, and a dispute is going on over it. I am trying to recover it. The king said that upon this, I will tell you right there in front of the qazi that for the resolution of this dispute, you should come to me. Then you say that alright, if no solution is found, I will come to you. So that day, when the king came, the merchant did just this. Questions and answers took place. The qazi too, who was present for the king's reception, stood listening to these talks. When the king's ride moved ahead, the qazi sahib came to the merchant and said: One day you came to me and mentioned some trust. My memory is weak. Tell me some identifying marks. So the merchant told the same marks he had told before. Now, since the qazi had seen the king's attitude and treatment, he immediately said: Why didn't you tell these marks before? The trust is safe with me. I'll bring it now. When friendship with a worldly king who has limited power can give man this status that great people fear him, then how is it possible that one has friendship with God Almighty and the world does not fall at his feet? So by attaining true religion, man can attain the entire world. The things that the Companions got through the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), they did not attain them in a worldly manner; rather, the world they got, they got by subordinating themselves to religion. But for this, faith is needed. There should be such faith that attracts the pleasure of God Almighty. How can a person who has perfect faith abandon high morals? If a person adopts all branches of morals and acts upon them, truthfulness, honesty, trustworthiness, piety, and purity—all will be attained by him, and its necessary result will be that knowledge, skill, intelligence, capability, and hard work will be attained by him. He will be one who acts upon it, and consequently, the world will also be attained. So a believer should pay the most attention to the spiritual relationship—not like those people who think that verbal confession is enough. Love of God Almighty cannot be from the tongue but only from the heart, and when it is so, then man takes possession of everything. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 17, Pages 467-470)

Until a person attains perfection, a reward cannot be obtained. Even by entering religion, only perfection benefits; one should strive for it.

The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say that nowadays only they benefit from us, who have a deep relationship. Either those who are completely opposed, for example Maulvi Sanaullah Sahib etc.—they are the ones benefiting. Other small mullahs are not even asked about. Or those who have perfect sincerity. A lesser relationship does not benefit. If a person sets off toward God Almighty, then as happened with the former ones, it will happen with him too. In this era too, this can happen. If a person truly strives for it, only then will it happen. God Almighty has no enmity with anyone. The need is that we completely throw ourselves before God Almighty. If we prostrate ourselves at His threshold, everything will be attained automatically. And the progress that is necessary for us will automatically be attained by us. There is a common example that by sitting near fire, all the limbs of a person become warm. So how is it possible that a person leaves everything and comes to God Almighty and does not partake of God Almighty's grace? (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 17, Pages 470-471)

So we should strive to attain God. We should understand the reality of the religion sent by God Almighty. We should make the love of God Almighty such a thing that becomes a natural thing, and this same thing will establish the high standards of our morals too, and we will keep attaining worldly progress as well. If we try to partake of the light of Allah the Almighty, only then can we truly gain benefit. When we try to partake of this light with dedication, falsehood, which is darkness, will also automatically separate from us. Laziness, deception, fraud, and other evils, usurping the rights of others—all these are darknesses. These too will automatically be removed due to the light of Allah the Almighty. Our morals will also keep rising, and worldly progress will also keep being attained. So, while living in this society, if we want to save our generations from the bad effects of worldliness, if we want to make them understand the connection of religion and morals, if we want to prove worldly progress to be subordinate to true religion and thereby connect them—that is, their generations—with religion, then we ourselves should also strive to develop a true relationship with Allah the Almighty. May Allah the Almighty grant us the ability to do so.