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۔

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, today the Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of Jamaat Ahmadiyya Germany is commencing. In most countries of the world where Jamaat Ahmadiyya is established, the holding of these conventions is an important part of the significant programs of Jamaat Ahmadiyya. There was a time when even for Ahmadis living in India, attending the Annual Convention was very difficult due to travel expenses and other costs to come to Qadian for the convention; rather, for some it was not even possible. For this reason, the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) urged the Jamaat to save something throughout the year for this purpose so that provisions for the journey to the Annual Convention could be arranged. (Derived from Asmani Faisla, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 4, Page 352)

But today we see that by the grace of Allah the Almighty, in developed countries—and even in some countries where the Jamaats have grown—the number of personal vehicles and cars of those attending the conventions is so large that the administration has to make special arrangements for car parking, which is itself a laborious task requiring particular attention. Many among you would have ancestors who attended the convention enduring hardship and difficulty upon themselves. Some, despite having the desire and wish to attend the convention every year, would not have been able to do so. But have any of you ever considered that after having such ease available to you, after gaining prosperity, and having the means and ability to travel—has this made you grateful to Allah the Almighty and increased your faith? Have we reached the same standard of faith that our elders had and the same relationship they had with God Almighty? Some of the elders of that era, despite living in the time of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), despite accepting him, and despite their desire—as I have mentioned—could not reach the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) due to financial constraints. But today, at the conventions of countries where a humble servant and Khalifa of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) attends, people come from other countries even at their own expense to participate. Many are sitting before me right now; rather, even those who have not yet accepted him come from other countries to learn about the truth of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Thus, while this matter is gratifying in the sense that Allah the Almighty has changed circumstances and the message of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is spreading rapidly in the world, there is also a need for the descendants of those elders to turn their attention toward self-assessment—that we evaluate ourselves to see what level we have reached in our relationship with Allah, in our faith, and in adhering to the commands of Allah the Almighty. If there is rapid decline in the standards of righteousness of our elders within our families, then our condition is worrisome. Our prosperity and affluence are useless. We are earning worldly wealth, but our spiritual account is becoming empty. In such circumstances, a time comes when a person, engrossed in worldly pursuits, completely severs their relationship with God Almighty and thus falls from the sight of God Almighty into the lap of Satan. Then, for such people, coming to the convention becomes merely a ritual. Therefore, each one of us should strive that attendance at the convention brings about a revolution within us by pointing out our weaknesses. It should make us grateful to God Almighty. Our prosperity should make us inheritors of Allah the Almighty's blessings. We should always pray and strive that we and our generations never become the objects of God Almighty's wrath. We should become inheritors of our elders' wishes and prayers. Similarly, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the expansion the Jamaat is experiencing—the Jamaat is spreading to every corner of the world—Allah the Almighty is granting people the opportunity to join the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) by opening their hearts, from the north and the south, from the east and the west. Those who are joining the Jamaat to bring freshness to their faith, who wish to strengthen their relationship with Allah—may they also fulfill the purpose of attending this convention. May Allah the Almighty cause their hearts to open more and more. Keep in view what the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) stated as the purposes for holding the convention: that is, establishing a relationship with God Almighty and molding our lives according to His commands, paying attention to fulfilling the rights of our brothers, and striving to spread the message of Allah the Almighty in the world. All these things demand shaping our conditions according to the commands of Allah the Almighty and making sacrifices. Thus, this convention is neither a worldly fair nor a means of achieving worldly objectives. Those who come here should, firstly, continue to pay attention to the remembrance of Allah, as this is necessary for strengthening the relationship with Allah the Almighty and obtaining His blessings. Secondly, it is necessary to keep in mind at all times that we should acquire and adopt those virtues that God Almighty has commanded, and then make them a permanent part of our lives.

Regarding the remembrance of Allah, I also want to mention that even if those sitting in the gatherings are engaged in remembrance individually in their own manner, it has a collective character. Where an individual benefits from it personally, it also becomes a means of collectively obtaining Allah the Almighty's blessings.

Therefore, while listening to the proceedings of the convention and moving about during these days, spend them in the remembrance of Allah. And there is also this benefit that when a person is engaged in remembrance in such a gathering, others also become attentive. Seeing one another, they too strive to make these days purposeful. Instead of holding purposeless gatherings and engaging in meaningless conversation, everyone should try to make these days purposeful. The habit formed during these days, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, continues for some time afterward, and if one remains attentive, it lasts for a longer period.

Thus, it is among the blessings of the Annual Convention that an individual's prayers benefit him personally while also contributing to the collective progress of the Jamaat. Similarly, they become a means of drawing others' attention toward Allah the Almighty and achieving the objectives of the convention. Therefore, every attendee should spend these days in the manner that the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us and expected from us. Strengthen the relationship with Allah the Almighty, and secondly, fill your hearts with love for Allah the Almighty's creation. Be mindful of the feelings and sentiments of your brothers. If there are any grievances among you when you come to the convention, try to remove them. When we establish a relationship with Allah the Almighty and show compassion to His creation, only then can we truly fulfill the right of conveying Allah the Almighty's message to the world in its true spirit. However, to traverse all these paths, effort is required. Effort is a prerequisite. These conventions are held for this purpose: that through the spiritual environment, through hearing talks about righteousness, and through the remembrance of Allah, those habits become permanently ingrained in us that lead us toward Allah the Almighty. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) states at one place:

"This world is temporary and is such a place that will ultimately perish. Within it, the means of its destruction are already set in motion. It is doing its work, but one is unaware. Therefore, steps toward recognizing God should be taken quickly. The pleasure of God Almighty is experienced by the one who recognizes Him. And he who does not take steps toward Him with sincerity and faithfulness—his prayers are not openly accepted, and some portion of darkness always clings to him. If you make even a slight movement toward God Almighty, He will move toward you even more. But first, there must be movement from your side."

Then he said: "Some people complain that they did all good deeds—they offered prayers, kept fasts, gave charity and alms, and performed spiritual exercises—yet they received nothing. Such people are eternally wretched because they do not have faith in the Providence of God Almighty, nor did they perform all their deeds for the sake of God Almighty. If any deed is done for the sake of God Almighty, it is not possible for it to be wasted and for God Almighty not to reward it in this very life." (Malfuzat, Volume 6, Pages 229-230, Edition 1985, Published London)

Thus, to establish a relationship with Allah the Almighty, we must worship Him with sincerity and act upon His commandments. If our work is for the pleasure of God Almighty, we will become recipients of His blessings. We should strive to come out of worldly darkness and seek purely the pleasure of Allah the Almighty. It is the favor of Allah the Almighty that He continues to send His envoys and His beloved ones for our reformation. And it is our good fortune that in this age we have also accepted the one sent by Allah the Almighty, who taught us the ways of loving Allah the Almighty, loving His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and loving the faith, and drew our attention to following them. Who drew our attention to fulfilling the rights of creation according to the teaching given by Allah the Almighty. Who drew our attention to avoiding individual and collective evils. Who drew our attention to avoiding national evils. Who drew our attention to avoiding personal evils. Who drew our attention to rectifying our practical and doctrinal conditions.

Thus, if after entering his Bai'at we still do not pay attention to these matters, we are not fulfilling our responsibilities. Prophets come to bring about a revolution among their followers—to give their conditions a completely different form. Allah the Almighty also showed the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in a vision that he had created a new earth and a new heaven. Then he said, "Come, let us create man." (Derived from Tadhkirah, Page 154, Fourth Edition 2004, with reference to Chashma-e-Masihi, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 20, Pages 375-376, footnote)

This creation of a new earth and a new heaven and the creation of man is the revolution that he was to bring about among his followers. The greatest, perfect, and complete manifestation of creating a new earth and a new heaven is seen in the person of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). How did he create a new earth and a new heaven? He established the enemies of monotheism upon monotheism. Those very people who used to worship idols and denied the One God continued to endure every kind of persecution while crying out "Ahad! Ahad!" (One! One!). Those who gave their lives for the establishment of monotheism but did not deny monotheism. Those who had no concept of God Almighty—Allah the Almighty entered their hearts in such a way that the worship of Allah the Almighty and His remembrance became their nourishment more than physical food. They began spending their days fasting, and their nights in voluntary prayers. Their women also, in their eagerness for worship and to advance in their relationship with God Almighty, gave up their sleep at night and adopted various methods to ward off sleep for the sake of worship. About one female companion, it is narrated that she had hung a rope from the ceiling which she would hold onto, or whose jerk would wake her up. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-Tahajjud, Chapter on the Dislike of Excessive Hardship in Worship, Hadith 1150)

The standard of sacrifice for one another was such that they were ready to give their properties to their brothers—rather, they offered them. But on the other side, those to whom they were offered had also undergone a revolution. They thanked them and said, "May your things be blessed for you. Just show us the way to the market." (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-Buyu', Chapter on What Has Come Regarding the Saying of Allah the Almighty, Hadith 2049)

"Rather than being dependent on anyone, it is better for me to earn and eat for myself." Standards of truthfulness and honesty were established such that a Muslim bought a horse from the countryside for one hundred dinars. When that horse came to the market for sale, another Muslim said, "This horse is very fine; in my view, its price is two or three hundred dinars." The owner said, "The price of this horse is one hundred dinars; how can I take more money?" (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 14, Page 318)

Those people who loved wealth and would even acquire it through deception reached such a standard of truthfulness that they said, "How can I take so much money?" So these are the people who presented such lofty standards. This is the transformation and change that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) brought about. Then he granted rights to women. He gave them honor. He established their dignity. He gave them a status in society. In a society where women had no honor, this was a great matter—rather, it remains so even now.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) has stated a reality at one place regarding this, comparing today's society with the earlier one. Today's male-dominated society makes a great claim that we have given rights to women. And it is a fact that in the earlier society, men used to torment women, beat them, and considered it permissible. And today, as before, men still torment and beat women. This happens in Europe too, and in other countries that loudly proclaim women's freedom, this also happens. Some lawyers sitting before me would know that such cases come up. But the difference is that despite doing all this, men now say that tormenting and beating women is not permissible. Earlier, they would torment, beat, abuse, and usurp rights, but considered it permissible. Now they do all this and still proclaim that it is not permissible. The actions are the same, but the outward admissions have changed. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 14, Pages 316-317)

So in every field, we see a revolution brought about through the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that he transformed people worse than animals into humans. Then he made them educated humans. Then he made them godly humans. (Derived from Lecture Sialkot, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 20, Page 206)

This was a great miracle that manifested through him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). These godly humans began doing everything according to the pleasure of God Almighty. So this was the new earth and new heaven that was created with his (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) coming. And in this age, God Almighty said to his true servant that he should create a new earth and a new heaven. Were the conditions of Muslims in the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), or their spiritual and moral state, the same as they are now? No. Rather, the ignorance that existed before his coming has emerged anew. That is why Allah the Almighty sent the Promised Messiah and Mahdi according to His promise. There was a time when Muslims gave their lives for monotheism. They made all kinds of sacrifices. They spread Islam, and a remarkable transformation occurred in the world. But now Muslims, instead of monotheism, prostrate before graves. They seek their desires from the dead. They are engulfed in shirk (associating partners with God). "There is no god but Allah" is still proclaimed, but now it does not bring about any transformation. The reason is that those who claim to know or believe in it do not understand its meaning and importance. Their being Muslim is nominal. There are also those who, although they make an outward declaration of servitude five times a day, bear witness to monotheism in their prayers and the call to prayer, their actions are idolatrous. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 14, Page 315)

There are quite a few educated people—rather, in Pakistan, many educated ones, including ministers and ambassadors—who go to spiritual guides (pirs) and treat them in a manner akin to worship. The majority do not even offer prayers. They merely think that by calling Ahmadis disbelievers and following the mullah, they will fulfill their duties as Muslims. Then there are extremist organizations in the name of Islam that know only one word—Jihad—and that too with a wrong meaning. Instead of establishing anyone upon monotheism, these people are bent on making the world averse to religion and Islam. Thus, at such a time, it was necessary for the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to come so that he could create a new earth and a new heaven, and he demonstrated this by bringing about a revolution. There was a famous bandit to whom other smaller bandits and thieves used to pay tribute. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) has written at one place that people would ask him, "Tell us a sign of the truthfulness of Mirza Sahib. Did you see any sign?" He replied, "What other sign do you ask for? I myself am a sign of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and this is proof that my entire being has been transformed. My connections with thieves have been cut off, the robberies have ended, and I have become occupied in worship." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 14, Page 319)

Thus, he too created a new earth and a new heaven in this age and transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, demonstrating how new earths and new heavens are made. He (peace be upon him) created a new earth and a new heaven, and we have seen many examples. We see signs, we hear them, and we read them. Seeing the conditions of our elders and hearing from them also brings freshness to our faith. But in this vision, attention has also been drawn to his Jamaat regarding the creation of a new earth and a new heaven. Therefore, now we must see what efforts we, who have become part of his Jamaat and entered his Bai'at (peace be upon him), are making to create a new earth and a new heaven. Are we striving to attain the standard that the Companions achieved when they adopted the true teachings of Islam and manifested it by creating a new earth and a new heaven? Have such transformation and change occurred in our selves that people exclaim, "They have completely changed! They have created a new heaven and a new earth!" Thus, if we are to provide evidence that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) created new earths and a new heaven, then the greatest proof should be our own selves. The establishment of monotheism should be our foremost priority. We should strive to increase our relationship with Allah the Almighty. We should make a wholehearted effort to act upon the commands of Allah the Almighty. Our attention should remain on fulfilling the rights of fellow human beings. We should not be believers of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) merely in terms of belief, but practical changes should also be visible in us, and as I have said, people should say, "This person has become an entirely different human being."

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) has beautifully explained this at one place, stating that there are two kinds of signs of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). One type are those whose fulfillment is the work of God Almighty. The second are those in whose fulfillment we also have a role, and which are to be fulfilled through us or by our means. And we should make a full effort to fulfill them. There are certain kinds of knowledge that only a prophet can understand. If this were not the case, what would be the need for a prophet? The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) revealed, after fourteen hundred years, such matters that existed but Muslims were unaware of or did not have a correct understanding of—for example, the truth of all religions. He explained that a religious leader who has millions of followers and whose followers have continued to receive guidance from him over a long period must possess truth. Although their teachings were later corrupted and those religions did not remain in their original form—such as Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Hinduism—in their own times, they were sent by Allah the Almighty and were bearers of truth. Before the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), even great saints, if they did not speak ill of the leaders of other nations and heads of their religions, were at least doubtful. There was no certainty about what the actual reality was. But in any case, those who follow the true teachings of their leaders are in a better state compared to others. If their teachings were acted upon, the world could become very peaceful, and a remarkable transformation could be seen here. On the contrary, if bad results are emerging from a teaching, then it is bad. The teachings of all those earlier prophets were against Satan, and if this were Satan's teaching, no one would follow them. This is what the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated. This point was present in the Holy Quran, but no one became aware of it or could explain it in this way. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained it. Today, despite Muslims being opposed to the claim of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), they say the same thing and accept that all religions are based on truth. A large educated section of Muslims tells followers of other religions, "Look how good our religion is that it also accepts your elders as being from God Almighty."

Then there is the belief about Jesus ascending to heaven, which no longer exists among most Muslims or among those who call themselves educated. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 14, Pages 317-318)

Rather, now in Pakistan, even the scholars have started saying that this issue is settled—no one is coming, and no one ascended. So the changes in the views of others through the coming of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) are also evidence of the creation of a new earth and a new heaven. These are the signs that were fulfilled by God Almighty. But the other form of creating a new earth and a new heaven—that practically a new earth and a new heaven be created—we must fulfill. The followers of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) must fulfill it. By creating a new heaven, we have not only brought about a change in our belief but have entered the Bai'at of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). But the other form of creating a new earth involves our efforts. Having only a good heaven is of no benefit unless the earth is also new and better, and having a good earth is necessary. That is why the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said that the heart of a believer is like the earth. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 14, Page 319)

Thus, we must make our hearts beneficial not only in terms of belief but also in terms of deeds. Allah the Almighty has bestowed this favor upon us that we have accepted the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Allah the Almighty desires to make our deeds righteous through the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and to reform the earth through our hands. Through the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), Allah the Almighty has shown us the methods, or the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has given us a prescription—it is our task to put it to use. Now we must see: are we truly doing this work? (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 14, Pages 318-319)

So, as I said earlier, if we are fulfilling the rights of Allah the Almighty and the rights of His servants, if our dealings with God Almighty and His creation are clear and distinguished, then surely we are assisting the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in creating a new earth and a new heaven. Thus, there is a need for self-assessment.

I also draw attention to some matters that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has told us. One fundamental matter is that every command of the Holy Quran should bring about a transformation within us, and as the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has explained, it creates a new earth and a new heaven within us. And by adopting it and acting upon it, each one of us can create a new earth and a new heaven and benefit others as well. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) states at one place:

"I observe that people's condition has become such that they make plans and schemes but are negligent of prayer. Rather, reliance on material means has increased to such an extent that worldly strategies have been made equal to God, and prayer is laughed at and considered a useless thing. … This is a dangerous poison spreading in the world. But God Almighty desires to remove this poison. Thus, He has established this Movement for this very purpose—so that the world may come to recognize God Almighty and learn of the reality and effect of prayer." (Malfuzat, Volume 6, Page 269, Edition 1985, Published London)

So every Ahmadi should keep this purpose before them, and keeping it in view, needs to strengthen their relationship with Allah.

Then he said: "This age is also one of spiritual warfare. A battle with Satan has begun. Satan is attacking the fortress of Islam with all his weapons and schemes, and he wants to defeat Islam. But at this time, God Almighty has established this Movement to defeat Satan forever in his final battle." (Malfuzat, Volume 5, Page 25, Edition 1985, Published London)

Thus, for this spiritual battle, every Ahmadi should strive and advance, and this cannot happen until we create new earths and heavens of our spirituality. What he has said—that this Movement has been established to defeat Satan—he has placed this responsibility upon every follower: to advance in spirituality and confront Satan. Then, drawing attention to attaining the standards of fulfilling the rights of fellow beings, he said:

"Also remember well that Allah the Almighty has two commands. First, do not associate anyone with Him—neither in His Being, nor in His Attributes, nor in worship. And second, show compassion to mankind. And by kindness, it is not meant only to your brothers and relatives but to anyone. Anyone who is a child of Adam and anyone from God Almighty's creation. Do not think that he is a Hindu or a Christian. I tell you truly that Allah the Almighty has taken your justice into His own hands. He does not want you to do it yourself" (meaning, do not try to take revenge yourselves). "The more gentleness you adopt and the more humility and meekness you show, Allah the Almighty will be that much more pleased with you. Entrust your enemies to God Almighty." (Malfuzat, Volume 9, Pages 164-165, Edition 1985, Published London)

May Allah the Almighty enable us to fulfill all our obligations. May we become, both in belief and practice, what the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) wished to make us. May our earth become new and may our heaven become new, and may we become those humans who are helpers and supporters of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in creating a new earth and a new heaven. May Allah the Almighty make this convention blessed in every respect, and may those who come here gather countless blessings. Listen attentively to the programs of the convention and strive to make them part of your lives. Every speech and every program is excellent. May Allah the Almighty grant everyone the ability to do so.