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۔

Last Friday, I mentioned the early incidents of Qadian with reference to Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him). What was the condition of the area around Qadian at that time? During walks with the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), only one or two people would accompany him, and the path was a small trail winding through bushes. And now how Qadian is progressing—and this progress is not like the progress of ordinary settlements; rather, Allah the Almighty had informed him that this progress would occur. Settlements near major highways and roads do progress, but Qadian was in a corner, there was no road either, yet Allah the Almighty gave the news of its progress, and then progress occurred. Today people come from far and wide to see the present-day Qadian. In fact, the part of Qadian that is under the Jamaat's control—because of the expansion and beauty of the buildings, government institutions also request to use them for certain functions.

In any case, while mentioning this progress, Hazrat Musleh Maud has described further details of this sign of progress at various places. He says: "See what a magnificent sign Allah the Almighty has shown in the person of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Although you did not experience that era, we did experience and see it. So it is not very difficult for you to see the signs of such a recent time with the eyes of your imagination. Leave aside other signs. Just look at Masjid Mubarak. In Masjid Mubarak, there is a pillar standing from west to east; the part of the mosque to its north was the mosque of that era, and during prayer, sometimes there would be one row and sometimes two. (That is, there were rows.) In that section, there were three walls. One was where there were two windows, and in that section, the Imam used to stand. Then where there is now a pillar (he was describing it at that time; the old section is also preserved there), there was another wall with a door. In that section, only two rows of worshippers could stand, and per row (that is, per line), probably five to seven people could stand. In that section, sometimes there was one row of worshippers and sometimes two." (He says:) "I remember when the worshippers increased beyond that section of the mosque and worshippers stood in the last, that is, the third section, our amazement knew no bounds. It was as if when the fifteenth or sixteenth worshipper came, we were astonished and began saying that now many people come to pray." (He says:) "You probably have not carefully observed that place" (in fact, even now, the residents of Qadian probably have not noticed) "but it is still there. Go and see." (The residents there should also reflect on this, and those who go for Jalsa or otherwise throughout the year—they keep going now—they too should stand there and bring that old era into their imagination, and surely freshness will be created in their faith.)

Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "It was the practice of the Companions that they would sometimes establish old things in practical form and observe them. So you too should go and see. Separate that section where the Imam used to stand, then establish imaginary walls there, and then imagine the rows that would fit in the remaining space, and estimate our amazement when the third row was established—what a great success it was—and then think about what the favors of God Almighty do when they descend."

Then, mentioning the change that occurred even among relatives—that is, the close relatives who were initially opposed and then later joined the Jamaat—he says: "I remember we had a mud-built upper room, and in childhood, we would sometimes climb onto it to play. The stairs we had to climb to get onto it went up near the house of the late Mirza Sultan Ahmad Sahib. At that time, our aunt, who later became an Ahmadi, would see me and say, 'Jeo jia kan oho ji koko' (the crow's offspring crows like its parent). Because my mother is from India and also because in childhood one does not have much knowledge, I could not understand the meaning of this Punjabi phrase. So once I asked my mother what it meant. She said it means that as the crow is, so are its offspring. By crow is meant (God forbid) your father, and by 'koko' is meant you." He says, "See, but then I also saw the time when that same aunt (who used to say all this), if I ever went to her house, would treat me with great respect. She would lay out a cushion for me and seat me with respect and attend to me with courtesy. And if I said that she was weak and elderly and should not trouble herself, she would say, 'You are my pir (spiritual guide).' So I also saw the time when I was 'koko' and also when I became a 'pir.' And seeing all these things, you can understand how God Almighty changes the world when He wishes to change it. So look at these people and benefit from them and create such a transformation in yourselves that makes you beloved of God Almighty and you enter the party of Allah." (Derived from Al-Fazl, April 13, 1938, Page 9, Volume 26, Number 85)

So, as I said, these incidents that draw attention toward creating freshness and advancement in faith should bring us closer to Allah the Almighty. They should tell us that we too must partake of the divine support that is with the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And the Ahmadis residing in Qadian especially need to pay attention to this.

Many of us know this and this matter is also mentioned. In the past few sermons, I had also narrated incidents that the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said Qadian would progress and its expansion would reach up to the River Beas. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said this on the basis of a vision he had. Now, the picture that Hazrat Musleh Maud has drawn of the condition of Masjid Mubarak and the number of worshippers clearly shows that the mosque would not have been larger than an ordinary room. And then the increase in the number of the Jamaat, the expansion of mosques, and not only that, but the prophecy of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) about the progress and expansion of Qadian is one of his signs. Although the expansion of Qadian has not yet reached that extent, when we see many signs being fulfilled, surely a time will come when the world will see this sign also being fulfilled. And as I mentioned, today's Qadian has expanded much more than the Qadian of that era. In any case, Hazrat Musleh Maud, while describing this prophecy that the population of Qadian would grow to reach Beas from various angles, has also drawn the attention of the members of the Jamaat toward their responsibilities. And this responsibility is not only for the residents of Qadian but every member of the Jamaat should keep it in mind. On one hand, in this regard, he has also drawn our attention toward prayers. It seems strange what connection the increase in population has with prayers. But this is the beauty of the words of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) that by describing different aspects of one matter, he highlights its importance even more. Mentioning this incident about reaching Beas, he says: "Once the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw in a vision that the population of Qadian has spread up to Beas." He says: "From this vision, I understand that the population of Qadian will certainly be ten to twelve lakhs." (And at that time, these were the estimates for population growth. It is possible it may exceed even that.) "And if the population is ten to twelve lakhs, it means that four lakh people will come to offer Jumu'ah prayers." (So he says:) "In my view, this mosque (that is, Masjid Aqsa) will expand greatly; rather, we will have to expand it so much that four lakh worshippers can come into it." Now, four lakh worshippers coming to one mosque is very difficult. Masjid Aqsa has been expanded too, and even if it is expanded further and the surrounding houses are also demolished, still that number cannot pray there. Whatever expansion was possible has been done. The area of Dar-ul-Masih or the houses that were there needed to be preserved because they are some historic buildings from the time of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him. So it was not possible to demolish all the houses. And even if all were included in the mosque, as I said, still three to four lakh worshippers cannot pray. Yes, it is quite possible that with the increase in population, a time may come when a large mosque is built in Qadian in which three to four lakh worshippers can pray. In any case, at that time, only this Masjid Aqsa was before him, and he spoke accordingly. Then, regarding this same Masjid Aqsa, he says that we will have to expand it so much that four lakh worshippers can come into it. "For this purpose, it can be expanded in all four directions. Even now, the place where I am standing and delivering the sermon (he is saying) is outside the section that existed in the time of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). That mosque would have been probably one-tenth of this present mosque. So see, this is a great favor of Allah the Almighty that the mosques of other people remain empty, and when we expand our mosques, they become even more crowded, to the extent that people do not find space to pray in the mosque."

Then he narrated his own incident. It has been mentioned before that once such an action occurred from me that frightened me greatly, and it was my own mistake. (He says:) "I was immediately caught. But (on this, he also said:) I thank God Almighty that I was soon cleared" That incident was when he was going for Jumu'ah. He says: "I was fifteen or sixteen years old. When I left the house, a person was returning from the mosque and said that there was no space to pray in the mosque. So I heard this and came back. He says: I offered the Zuhr prayer. He says: It was my misfortune that I should have verified whether the mosque was really full or not, or whether there was space to sit or stand or not. Anyway, he says this is the favor of Allah the Almighty that I have been regular in prayers from a young age, and I have never missed a single prayer to this day. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never asked me whether I had prayed or not. He says: I remember that when I was in my eleventh year, one day at the time of Duha or Ishraq prayer, I performed ablution and wore the coat of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), wept profusely before God Almighty, and made a pledge that I would never miss a prayer in the future. And it is the grace of God Almighty that after this pledge and promise, I have never missed any prayer. But still, since I was a child and in childhood, due to play, sometimes there is laxity in praying with the congregation. So once someone complained to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) about me that you should advise him; he should offer prayers with the congregation regularly. He says: Mir Muhammad Ishaq Sahib was two years younger than me, and in childhood, since we used to play together, and our maternal grandfather, Mir Nasir Nawab Sahib, had a very quick temper, he would get angry with Mir Muhammad Ishaq Sahib and would strictly tell him to pray. And the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was aware of this. When someone complained to the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about me, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said: 'One offers his father's prayer' (that is, regarding Hazrat Mir Ishaq Sahib, he said he offers his father's prayer). Now I do not want the other to offer my prayer. I only want him to offer God's prayer. So the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never said anything to me about prayer. I used to offer all prayers myself."

Children should not take this to mean that parents should not tell them to pray, or parents should not think that it is not their responsibility to draw children's attention toward prayer. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had great expectations about Hazrat Musleh Maud. Moreover, the Promised Messiah knew that he was to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Promised Reformer. So he was also confident that he prays for the sake of Allah the Almighty, and Allah the Almighty Himself would continue to reform him. Then, Hazrat Musleh Maud's own act of praying with great tenderness for prayer at the age of eleven is a witness that he was attentive toward prayers. In any case, after this, he says: "But that day perhaps Allah the Almighty wanted to remove my negligence—that whatever little laxity there was, sometimes the congregational prayer was missed, He wanted to remove it. When I came back and did not offer Jumu'ah, the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw me and said, 'Mahmud, come here.' I went, and he said, 'You did not go to offer Jumu'ah.' I said, 'I did go, but I learned that the mosque was full and there was no space to pray.' I said this in words." He says: "In my heart, I was greatly frightened as to why I trusted someone else's word. I did not know whether he had spoken the truth or a lie. If he had spoken the truth, then it was fine, but if he had lied, then since I have narrated his word before the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) will be displeased with me for telling a lie. Anyway, he says, I was greatly frightened in my heart, wondering what the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) would say today. Just then, Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib, having offered the prayer, came to inquire about the health of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He had kidney pain at that time. So he had not gone to Jumu'ah. I was hovering nearby to see what would happen today. As soon as he arrived, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) asked him whether many people had come to Jumu'ah today and there was no space left in the mosque to pray. He says: My heart sank upon hearing this—I did not know whether that person had told me the truth or a lie. But Allah the Almighty preserved my honor. The late Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib had a great capacity for gratitude for the favors of God Almighty. When he heard this, he said, 'Huzoor, it was a great favor of Allah; the mosque was full of people. There was no space at all to sit in it.' Then I understood that whatever the Ahmadi had said was true. So Allah the Almighty has kept this as the means of our progress: that our mosques should keep expanding and remain populated with people at all times. As long as you keep the mosques populated, you will remain prosperous, and when you abandon the mosques, God Almighty will also abandon you." (Derived from Al-Fazl, March 14, 1944, Page 10, Volume 33, Number 61)

So the expansion of Qadian, the progress and expansion of Jamaat Ahmadiyya, is not only in terms of area and numbers but the expression of this expansion depends on the population of our homes as well as the population of the house of God Almighty. So every Ahmadi, whether a resident of Qadian who wishes to see the progress of Qadian, or a resident of Rabwah who wishes to see the progress of Rabwah, or a resident of any country who wishes to be a part of the progress of the Jamaat and see the progress of the Jamaat, along with populating their settlements, it is extremely essential to also keep the mosques populated, because these advancements are attained by the grace of God Almighty, and the grace of God Almighty increases by fulfilling the right of populating His house.

So today, when we talk about the construction of mosques, we should strive everywhere to make the mosque seem small and strive to establish a pure relationship with Allah the Almighty so that Allah the Almighty never abandons us and we ourselves see every prophecy of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) being fulfilled magnificently. Then, Hazrat Musleh Maud drew a further picture of the condition of Qadian at the time when this prophecy was made—what the circumstances of Qadian were. He says: "I mention this prophecy which relates to the progress of Qadian. Then he said that it is this: that Hazrat Aqdas was told that the village of Qadian, progressing, would become a very large city like the city of Bombay and Calcutta. That is, it would reach a population of nine to ten lakhs" (as I said, he spoke according to the estimates of that time) "and its population, spreading north and east, would reach Beas, which is the name of a river flowing nine miles from Qadian. When this prophecy was published, the condition of Qadian was that its population was around two thousand. Except for a few brick houses, all the other houses were made of mud. The rent of houses was so low that a house could be rented for four or five annas per month. The land for houses was so cheap that land for building a livable house could be obtained for ten to twelve rupees. The condition of the market was such that two or three rupees worth of flour could not be obtained at one time because people were of the farming class and instead of keeping flour, they kept wheat and would grind the grain and bake bread. There were grinding mills. For education, there was one government school which was up to primary level. Its teacher, taking some allowance, would also do the work of the post office. Mail came once a week. All the buildings were inside the town's enclosure wall, and there were no apparent means for this prophecy to be fulfilled because Qadian was eleven miles from the railway." (That is, the railway line was eleven miles away.) "And its road was completely unpaved. And in countries where there is a railway, only the cities situated along its banks have their populations increase" (or there are roads or railways). "There was no factory in Qadian that could cause the city to progress with the population of laborers. There was no government department in Qadian that could cause Qadian to progress. It was neither a district headquarters nor a tehsil, and there was not even a police post. There was no market in Qadian either that could cause its population to progress. At the time this prophecy was made, the disciples of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) were also not more than a few hundred, so that they could be commanded to come and settle here and the city would expand." (Derived from Da'wat-ul-Ameer, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 7, Pages 560-561)

Now, keeping this situation in mind, a wise person who reflects on this prophecy and also sees today's Qadian—which has not yet expanded to Beas but is progressing by the grace of Allah—will declare this a sign just by seeing today's Qadian, provided he has both wisdom and a fair eye. So, as I said, for an Ahmadi, these things certainly become a source of faith, but they also draw the attention of others. Many researchers go there. He is considered a great expert on the subject of Islam, a professor; he went to Qadian from here to research Ahmadiyyat and to see what the true Islam that Ahmadiyyat presents is. After that, he wrote his impressions, and those impressions are such that one is amazed at how even outsiders extract points by going into certain subtleties. In any case, his article will be published.

Then, on one occasion, Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "Regarding this scene that the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw about the progress of Qadian, it is not necessary that the entire scene of Qadian's progress was shown to him. Yes, it is necessary that the progress of Qadian should not be less than this. If it exceeds, it will not be an obstacle to this prophecy; rather, it will increase its glory and grandeur. So this dream that the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw does not mean that Qadian will not expand beyond this. It is possible that at some time Qadian may progress so much that the River Beas becomes a stream flowing within Qadian, and the population of Qadian may extend beyond the River Beas toward the district of Hoshiarpur." (Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 28, Page 35; Al-Fazl, February 11, 1947, Page 2)

Now, where Jamaat buildings are being added in Qadian, besides offices, residential quarters and flats for workers are also being built. Other buildings are being constructed. Allah the Almighty, by improving their circumstances, is also enabling the residents of Qadian to build their larger and spacious homes. Besides this, well-to-do Ahmadis of India are also building their buildings and homes. Then, the Ahmadis living around the world are also paying attention to this. But the fundamental thing is what every Ahmadi should keep in mind: that the secret of all progress or the secret of being a part of progress lies in populating the houses of God Almighty and connecting with Him. Wherever anyone abandons God Almighty, God Almighty also abandons them. And this is now not only connected to the progress of Qadian but the overall progress of the Jamaat is also connected to it—that we should keep making our mosques seem small and hope for the support and help of God Almighty. We should always remember that not only the progress of Qadian but the promise of God Almighty is for every kind of progress of the Jamaat. When we see one sign being fulfilled, our certainty about the fulfillment of another sign also increases. Sometimes in certain circumstances, anxiety is created in the hearts of some people. By making their own estimates, they decide that this work will now happen according to a certain prophecy. Some become worried seeing difficult circumstances and hardships. There is anxiety in Pakistan; just today, news came from Pakistan that the Punjab government, in its view under the name of eliminating sectarianism, has banned certain books of different schools of thought and different groups, including some Jamaat books that have no connection to sectarianism. There is Al-Fazl, there is Ruhani Khazain; the government has banned them at the behest of illiterate mullahs. Whatever the mullahs say, the government accepts. They will never read and reflect on how the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has drawn a beautiful picture of the true teachings of Islam in his books and has always defended Islam and has drawn the attention of mullahs, Muslims, and other religions to see the right path. In any case, whatever the circumstances, we should not be disappointed, nor is there any need for it. Regarding the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), God Almighty repeatedly says: "إِنِّي مَعَ الْأَفْوَاجِ آتِيكَ بَغْتَةً" (I shall come to you suddenly with hosts). Hazrat Musleh Maud says regarding this that you cannot estimate today when that help will come. You cannot estimate tomorrow when that help will come. You will wake up for Tahajjud and you will be thinking that the destination is still far away, who knows how much farther to go. You will be offering the Fajr prayer and tribulations upon tribulations will appear before you, but as soon as the sun appears, the help of God Almighty will reach you, and for your enemy, there will be tribulations on all sides. (Derived from Al-Fazl, January 30, 1949, Page 6, Volume 3, Number 23)

So keep your faith strong. Keep your connection with God Almighty and also keep praying for the strength of your faith. The sun will rise and will surely rise, InshaAllah, and the help of God Almighty will come and will surely come.

Now I also present some miscellaneous references. In a Waqf-e-Nau class, a girl asked what is wrong with placing a floral sheet or flowers on a grave. Is it permissible or not? In any case, I had answered her that these are futile acts, innovations. One should avoid them, and there is no benefit in them either. People sometimes used to do such acts at the mausoleum of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in Qadian too. They did so before and started doing so afterward as well. Therefore, now a railing has been installed there to close off that area so that these innovations do not spread. When such an incident came to the knowledge of Hazrat Musleh Maud, he once said: "I have been told that some people take soil from the mausoleum of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) as a blessing. Some place flowers on the mausoleum of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). All these are futile things. There is no benefit from them, and faith is wasted. What benefit can the dead get from placing flowers on the grave? Their souls are not in that grave; they are at another place. Yes, there is no doubt that the soul does have a connection and attachment with this physical grave. (This issue should also be understood.) And although the souls of the deceased are in whichever realm, Allah the Almighty creates their attachment with these physical graves in one way. For example, once the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went to pray at the grave of an elder. He said that when I was praying, the occupant of the grave came out of his grave and sat before me on his knees. But this does not mean that his soul came out of that earth; rather, due to the physical connection, when the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood at the grave made of earth, Allah the Almighty gave permission to that elder to come to him from his real grave. The same grave about which Allah the Almighty says: ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ (Then He causes him to die and assigns a grave to him;) In this grave, after death, the soul of the human is placed." (Prayer at the Mausoleum of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and Its Wisdom, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 17, Pages 188-189)

That is, it has a connection with that grave, and with reference to that connection, prayers are made for it. The soul retains a connection with the physical grave too, and with reference to that, prayers are made for it. Otherwise, placing flowers and such has no significance. For that elder too, because a passion for prayer must have arisen in the heart of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Allah the Almighty sent that elder from his soul's original place to that grave, and he came upon that grave, which he saw in a spiritual state. In some narrations, it is stated that when the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) asked the old people there about the appearance of that elder as it had been passed down, the features of his eyes and face were exactly what he had seen.

In any case, flowers and such do not benefit graves or souls. Yes, prayers are beneficial and should be made. In the world, we see that when people are buried, they turn to dust. This is the law of nature, and when this is the condition, what can the fragrance of physical flowers give anyone? For the reward and punishment of souls too, the souls have presented and present themselves before Allah the Almighty. And now, prayers should be made for the reward of that soul so that Allah the Almighty may treat them with mercy. No polytheistic act should be done at graves, and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, Ahmadis do not do so. But sometimes such things occur that here too some people place flowers and such, and these are purposeless acts. This should not happen at our graves.

Another incident that Hazrat Musleh Maud mentioned, relating to the writing and reading of the book of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) "The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam," is also a strange incident, and from it, the nature of some crooked people becomes apparent. It is not that they become crooked later; they are crooked from the beginning, so Allah the Almighty does not keep their ends right either. He says: "In 1897, when the foundation of the Great Conference was laid in Lahore and the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was also asked to write an article for it, it was Khawaja Sahib himself who brought this message. In those days, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was suffering from diarrhea. Despite this illness, he started writing the article and completed it with the help of Allah the Almighty. When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) gave the article to Khawaja Sahib, he expressed a lot of disappointment about it and expressed the opinion that this article would not be viewed with appreciation and would be a cause for mockery. But Allah the Almighty had told the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that 'The article will prevail.' So the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) considered it appropriate to write an announcement about this revelation beforehand and publish it in Lahore. He wrote the announcement and gave it to Khawaja Sahib to publish and post it throughout Lahore and also reassured and comforted Khawaja Sahib greatly. But since Khawaja Sahib had decided that the article was—God forbid—useless and nonsensical, he neither published the announcement himself nor let others publish it. Finally, when some people insisted strongly by telling them it was the order of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), he posted a few announcements high on the walls at night, hidden from people's eyes, so that people could not read them, and the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) could also be told that his order had been carried out. Because in Khawaja Sahib's view, that article about which God Almighty had said 'it will prevail' was not worthy of being presented in such a gathering of great scholars. Finally, the day came on which this article was to be read. When the article began to be read, only a few minutes had passed. We all know, as mentioned in history, people became like statues, and it seemed as if they were enchanted. The allotted time passed. People's interest did not diminish at all, and the time was extended, but that was also not enough. Finally, at the insistence of the people, one more day of the conference was added, and on that day, the remaining lecture of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was concluded. Opponents and supporters unanimously said that the lecture of the Promised Messiah prevailed over all, and the word of God Almighty was fulfilled. But Khawaja Sahib's weakness of faith concealed this tremendous prophecy. Now we narrate these incidents, but how can the effect of our narration compare to the effect that would have occurred if the announcement had been published beforehand? In that case, the importance that this prophecy would have had, everyone can well bring to mind." (A'ina-e-Sadaqat, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 6, Pages 181-182)

It is said that Khawaja Sahib was highly educated, a lawyer, but when arrogance is created and a person starts considering his own intellect above the word of God Almighty, such a veil falls upon his intellect that renders him completely senseless and good for nothing. This article is such that even today when we give it to educated non-Ahmadis, they are impressed by its scholarly status and the teachings of Islam upon reading it. In fact, there are many people such that when I ask them how they accepted Ahmadiyyat, they tell me that they accepted Ahmadiyyat after reading "The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam." But in Khawaja Sahib's view, it could be a cause for mockery. And then such stubbornness that, on one hand, the claim of being in the Bai'at of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), yet at the same time, his order was not being followed. But afterward, when people praised it, the act of Allah the Almighty itself struck him a slap on the face.

Then, drawing attention to what kind of religious honor Ahmadis should have, Hazrat Musleh Maud narrated an incident. He had received a report that some people had gone to a place where the Jamaat, elders, were being abused by non-Ahmadi scholars. He says: "First, there is the question of why a person should go where abuses are being hurled. Where opponents give speeches and some Ahmadis go to listen, their going there itself shows that they are not at the station of true honor. Because has the desire ever arisen in anyone's heart that at such and such place my father is being abused, let me go and listen? Or if someone informs someone that your mother is being abused at such and such a place, and he quickly picks up his shoe and runs to hear what abuses are being hurled? If you had true honor, why would you go to listen to abuses about the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or your Imam and other elders? Your going there shows that you have no honor or have honor of a low degree. I remember that during the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), the Arya Samaj held a conference in Lahore and requested him to write an article to be read there. He (peace be upon him) said that we know the habits of these people; they will surely hurl abuses. Therefore, we do not participate in any of their conferences. But Dr. Mirza Yaqub Baig Sahib and some other people of Lahore, whom the Aryas had persuaded through flattery, began saying that since a political movement has started in the country, the Aryas' attitude has changed. You should definitely write an article; it will greatly benefit Islam. Despite his reluctance, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) agreed to their request and wrote an article and sent Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I to Lahore to read it. He says: I also went along, and some other friends also went. There, the article of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was read, which was all about love and affection. After that, an Arya read an article in which severe abuses were hurled at the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and all those filthy objections were made that Christians and Aryas made. He says: I still regret my negligence to this day. Another person was sitting next to me; I do not remember exactly who it was. When the Arya lecturer started a harsh speech, I got up and said I cannot listen to this and I am leaving. But the person sitting next to me said that Hazrat Maulvi Sahib and other scholars of the Movement are sitting. If it were appropriate to leave, would they not have left? I said that whatever is in their hearts, they would know, but I cannot sit. But he said that all the exits are closed; people are standing in the doorways. If you get up and leave from the middle, there will be uproar and disorder will arise. Stay seated quietly. I was persuaded by his words and remained seated. But I still regret to this day that when Allah the Almighty had created a righteous impulse in my heart, why did I not get up? When the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was abused at the conference, he became very displeased and was also very displeased with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I as to why you people did not leave there in protest. In no way should you have tolerated this. So, in any case, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was repeatedly expressing his displeasure. He says: Maulvi Muhammad Ahsan Sahib had not gone to the conference. I remember that while walking, he was confirming the words of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and at the same time kept saying that 'Dhuhool ho gaya' (I was negligent). He says: I heard the word 'dhuhool' for the first time from him at that time, and he kept saying it in such a way that it made one laugh. (Dhuhool means a mistake happened or negligence occurred. He also kept expressing regret and kept saying that dhuhool happened.) In any case, the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forgave them after a short while. So he says that for us, the decision of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) exists. So one should always be cautious about this, but sometimes this happens. He says: There is no harm in publishing those abuses afterward in the form of a book because these abuses being hurled are also a part of the support for the Movement. It is not everyone's job to go there and record what people do or what they hear, but sitting or going to that gathering at that time increases the honor of that gathering. He says: Whatever the opponents write about us, we are compelled to write because it is necessary to inform future generations about these things. But there is no benefit to future generations or people of the present time from going and sitting in such a gathering. And whoever goes to such a gathering tramples upon honor. So I advise the friends of the Jamaat to be cautious about this; no one should go to such gatherings." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 16, Pages 298-300)

So this matter should be remembered by our elders and youth even today, and according to the Quranic command, one should get up and leave such gatherings. May Allah the Almighty always grant us the ability to make the right decisions and to walk on the right path.

Incidentally, I should also mention one more thing with reference to the previous sermon. In the previous sermon, I had narrated an incident of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) regarding the cure of a cough. After that, someone wrote that I have read in the sermon that it does not mention a banana but mentions an apple. In any case, the revelation was to be fulfilled and it was fulfilled, but both are mentioned, and in the mention of the apple too, he said that first he ate a banana. He was eating when I stopped him, so he stopped, but after a short while, he started eating an apple that Hazrat Khalifa Rashid-ud-Din Sahib had brought, and the apple was so sour that even a healthy person could get a cough from it. But he smiled and said that Allah the Almighty has told me that the cough has been cured. So, despite not wanting to, I ate that sour apple. (Derived from Taqdeer Ilahi, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 4, Page 579)

So, in any case, the main thing was that Allah the Almighty said that its cure has been done through prayer; now nothing will have any effect, and it did not. I am telling you this because one letter has already come to me, and if people read another incident, perhaps more may come. This incident was also with me last week, but I had not read it. So, in any case, both banana and apple are mentioned, and I have narrated both.

Now, after the Friday prayer, I will also lead a funeral prayer in absentia, which is for our dervish Haji Manzoor Ahmad Sahib. He passed away on May 1st at the age of 85 in Qadian. إِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَإِنَّا إِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُونَ. He was born in Changrian, District Sialkot, in 1929. His father, Hazrat Nizam-ud-Din Sahib, was a Companion of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and his mother was also a Companion. After initial education, he learned the work of making furniture along with his brothers. In 1947, when the appeal was made that due to the severity of the circumstances, Khuddam were called to Qadian, upon the appeal of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), he traveled more than twenty-five miles on foot, crossing deep waters, for the protection of the center and reached Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II at Rattan Bagh Lahore. From there, in very difficult circumstances, he reached Qadian in September or October 1947. Being included among the early dervishes, he served with great bravery and sacrifice in adverse circumstances. In the early days, when due to rains some roofs and walls collapsed, since he had this skill, he would repair and fix them. In this way, some important services were also entrusted to him. Whatever work was entrusted to him, he performed it with great grace and diligence, including building the wall of Bahishti Maqbara, arranging for the protection of books in the libraries, etc. In making the environment of Qadian favorable, he made contacts with non-Muslims and won them over with his good treatment. He was a very good craftsman. For the constructions of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya, besides masonry, he would do all kinds of woodwork. According to the need, using his mental ability, he would devise a good method for the work. He was also blessed with the honor of installing marble on Minaratul Masih. To hoist the large heavy slabs of marble, he made a wooden stand and a desi-type machine because there was no other way to hoist them. Through this, he installed slabs on the entire minaret. Building the dome on top was very difficult, but Allah the Almighty also granted him the ability to do this work. Similarly, he was blessed with performing extraordinary construction work with great wisdom in the mosques of Srinagar, Jammu, Muskar, and Sandhan, and in the mosque and mission house of Delhi. For many years, he also did the work of setting up the pandal on the occasion of Jalsa Salana. He had great concern for Jamaat properties and always did construction work at low cost while maintaining quality. In 1992, he was blessed with performing Hajj. Until the end, he continued to participate in every program of the Jamaat. His marriage took place very simply in a miraculous manner. His wife also spent her life with him in great hardship with patience and gratitude and supported him. He has six sons and two daughters. All are married and have children. Two sons passed away in their youth, whose grief he bore with great patience. His wife has passed away. May Allah the Almighty elevate his ranks and grant his descendants the ability to follow in his footsteps. As I said, after the prayer, I will lead the funeral prayer in absentia.