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۔

Remembering the commandments that Allah the Almighty has given us in the Holy Quran, continuously reviewing them, and reminding those who are responsible for reminding others — this is the duty of the community of believers. What I have mentioned about reminding others of these commandments, or continuing to remind those whose responsibility it is — this includes all among us who are either missionaries or office-bearers. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, in the organizational system of the Jama'at, besides the central system, there is also a system of auxiliary organizations. Then, in both the central system of the Jama'at and the system of auxiliary organizations, office-bearers are appointed from the national level down to the local neighborhood level, and every office-bearer is expected to strive to fulfill those duties as an arm of the Khilafat, which are the responsibility of the Khilafat with its wider scope. So if all missionaries and office-bearers understand this point, a revolutionary change can occur in the Jama'at. Reminding others of Allah the Almighty's commandments, or developing the awareness that God Almighty has granted me the opportunity to serve the Jama'at — whether voluntarily or by completely devoting one's life — I should first examine myself as to what extent I am trying to become the example that is the responsibility of one who serves, so that I may remind others of these commandments. If I am only reminding others while my own practice is contrary to it or far from it, then this is a matter of great fear and there is a need for seeking forgiveness (Istighfar). One should seek forgiveness anyway, but in this regard, there is a much greater need for seeking forgiveness.

Here, it should also be clear to each one of us that no office-bearer should think that giving advice is not his job. This is only the work of the Amir Jama'at, or Sadr Jama'at, or Secretary, or missionary, or one or two other secretaries, or similarly the Sadr Ansarullah or their Tarbiyyat department, or Sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya or their Tarbiyyat department, or the Sadr of Lajna and their Tarbiyyat department. No, rather every secretary — whether he is Secretary Hospitality, or in the auxiliary organizations an overseer of humanitarian services or sports, whoever it may be — if he is performing service in any capacity, it is his duty to establish his own example. And if this happens, as I have said many times before, more than fifty percent of the Jama'at, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, can become followers of Allah the Almighty's commandments. Whether it is attendance at prayers in mosques or matters of other sacrifices and rights of fellow beings. So everyone serving the Jama'at at every level should first look within himself to see to what extent he is observing these commandments. He should improve his own condition by pondering over them and then tell others. Similarly, it is the duty of every Ahmadi who claims that he has pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) to create pure changes within himself — to look at Allah the Almighty's commandments, repeat them, and bring them before himself again and again. If we start doing this, there is a great revolution we can bring about, and not only can we reform ourselves, but we can inform the world of the true standards of morality. So we should pay special attention to this and search for Allah the Almighty's commandments and act upon them.

In the previous sermon, I mentioned certain matters that should be the characteristics of a believer. Today I will also present some matters. The month of Ramadan is a great means of reforming a person. This month, while drawing our attention toward our worship, also draws our attention toward our weaknesses and their reform. So in this month, while identifying our weaknesses and pondering over Allah the Almighty's commandments, we should make a full effort to reform ourselves. If we are not making a full effort for this, then we will only be benefiting from the pre-dawn meals (Suhoor) and the breaking of fasts (Iftar) of Ramadan; there will be no practical effect on us that would elevate our spiritual and moral standards. We will be like those about whom jokes are famous — if you ask about keeping fasts, there is an excuse. If you ask about voluntary prayers and Tarawih, they present excuses. If told about praying in congregation, there is an excuse. And when you mention Iftar, then they say, "Yes, yes, of course, we must do that. We haven't become complete disbelievers." We should not become such believers. Then these are the very people who make a mockery of religion, and this is more a depiction of the sorry state of Muslims than a joke. May Allah have mercy on them. But those who believe in the Promised Messiah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) should have very high and lofty standards. Fasts should not be missed without a legitimate excuse, and similarly, the purpose of worship in Ramadan should be fulfilled in the best manner. Likewise, reciting the Holy Quran more during Ramadan is also a practice of the Prophet, and Gabriel (Peace be upon him) would especially review the Holy Quran with the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) during Ramadan. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Bad' al-Wahy, Bab Kayfa Kana Bad' al-Wahy ila Rasulillah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hadith 6) So everyone should pay special attention to the recitation of the Holy Quran, and then search for commandments from it and try to apply them to oneself.

As for the Tarawih prayer, it is certainly not obligatory. It was started in the time of Hazrat Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) so that those who cannot offer Tahajjud may also have their voluntary worship, the voluntary prayer be offered, and they may listen to the Holy Quran through the reciter. But those who can wake up for Tahajjud should also offer Tahajjud. These days, because the time is short, even if one offers a little, one should offer it. Whoever wakes up to keep the fast or is awake at that time should first offer voluntary prayers instead of engaging in idle talk. Tarawih is not a mandatory condition with fasting, and although Tahajjud is also not a mandatory condition, voluntary prayers should certainly be offered. Believers are commanded or exhorted to offer Tahajjud even in normal circumstances. I have made this clarification because someone told me that perhaps it is necessary for the one fasting to offer at least eight Rak'ats, or Tarawih, or Tahajjud. So let me clarify that Tahajjud or Tarawih is not a condition for fasting. Yes, worship is necessary. Voluntary prayers should be offered when time permits. And the essential thing with fasting is reciting the Holy Quran, which is a practice of the Prophet. So everyone's attention should be toward reciting the Holy Quran as much as possible, and as I said, prayers and worship are anyway a duty of every believer. Yes, in Ramadan, we should try to create more beauty in these acts of worship and prayers, and similarly, we should try to keep our tongues moist with the remembrance of Allah as much as possible.

So in this atmosphere of the month of Ramadan, we should strive that if there was any weakness in our prayers and worship before, we should remove it and turn our attention to it with the intention that we must make this important command a regular part of our lives. We should not apply this command only in Ramadan or consider it specific to Ramadan; rather, a believer always has this same command. So each one of us should understand that prayer and worship are among the fundamental commands of Allah the Almighty. Just as most of us have developed attention toward worship these days because the month of Ramadan is a month of blessings and a month of acceptance of prayers, let us also become those who gather Allah the Almighty's blessings and benefit from this month of Ramadan. In this regard, we should remember that Allah the Almighty's sight reaches the depths of our hearts. He knows our intentions and views our deeds according to our intentions. So we should pay attention to populating the mosques and to worship with the intention of adopting Allah the Almighty's righteousness and then making the worship of this month a part of our lives. If the habit of Tahajjud is developed or attention is drawn toward offering voluntary prayers during the day, then we should try to adopt this habit permanently. Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran: یٰٓاَیُّھَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوْا رَبَّکُمُ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَکُمْ وَالَّذِیْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِکُمْ لَعَلَّکُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ (Al-Baqarah: 22) — "O ye men, worship your Lord Who created you and those who were before you, that you may become righteous;"

The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) said in this regard at one place: "O people, worship that God who created you." (Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 22, Page 340)

He said: "Only He who created you is worthy of worship. That is, He alone is the One who remains alive, so attach your hearts to Him. Thus honesty demands that one have a special relationship with God and consider all other things as nothing compared to Him." (Malfuzat, Volume 10, Page 331, Edition 1985, Published England)

As far as intellectual and doctrinal understanding is concerned, we all know that it is God who created us. It is God who is ever-living, the Living God. He hears prayers and we should attach our hearts to Him. But despite this, most of us do not try to develop that special relationship with God Almighty that needs to be developed — that relationship which makes every other relationship seem insignificant in our eyes. In Ramadan, under the influence of an atmosphere, steps begin to be taken in this direction, and then after Ramadan, it happens with most that gradually these steps come to a complete stop. So through our actions, we should try to prove that everything except God Almighty is insignificant, and to understand this, it is necessary to develop righteousness of the hearts. Allah the Almighty has said in this verse that worship Allah the Almighty so that righteousness may be created in your hearts. The purpose of worship is not only to recognize God, but to achieve spiritual heights by developing righteousness. It is to gain understanding of Allah the Almighty's attributes. And when understanding of the attributes develops, only then can everything become insignificant compared to Him. Now, for example, Allah the Almighty says here to worship your Lord. "Lord" (Rabb) is that attribute of Allah the Almighty that nurtures, that creates, and then gradually develops it, grants it progress. So here when Allah the Almighty said to worship your Lord, He said that all your future progress is connected to your Lord. It is associated with Him alone. And when you are worshipping only your Lord exclusively, then where the general blessing of the attribute of Lordship provides worldly and material nurturing, there will also be progress and nurturing of your spiritual abilities. So this also contains a lesson for us that if there is no progress in our spiritual condition or it is not happening, then we are not fulfilling the right of our worship, and consequently, we are not benefiting from the spiritual nurturing of our Lord. When we fulfill the right of worshiping our Lord and spiritually benefit from this attribute of His, we will increase in righteousness, and when we increase in righteousness, then our worship will not remain limited to Ramadan alone but will encompass the entire year and our entire lives. So with this mindset, we need to pay attention to our worship.

The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) says at one place: "The fact is that the ultimate purpose of man's creation is this very worship." That is, the purpose of creation is this. He said: "As stated elsewhere: وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْاِنْسَ اِلَّا لِیَعْبُدُوْنِ (Al-Dhariyat: 57). Worship actually means that man should remove all kinds of hardness and crookedness and make the soil of his heart clean, just as a farmer cleans the land." (Malfuzat, Volume 2, Pages 64-65, Edition 1985, Published England)

Then he said: "So how necessary it is for you to understand that God Almighty's purpose in creating you is that you should worship Him and become His. The world should not be your ultimate goal." He said: "I repeatedly mention this one matter because, in my view, this is the one thing for which man has come, and this is the very thing from which he has become distant." (Malfuzat, Volume 1, Pages 183-184) So there is great need to pay attention to this.

When I receive complaints about some workers and office-bearers that they are negligent in prayers, do not come to the mosque, or some do not even pray at home and their wives are complaining, it causes great shame. So we need to examine our worship. Without it, righteousness cannot be attained. And when there is no righteousness, then a person can neither fulfill the rights of God Almighty, nor the rights of His creation, nor become a useful member for the Jama'at, nor can there be blessings in his work. So we need to be constantly vigilant in monitoring and protecting our worship so that we continue to gather Allah the Almighty's blessings and also achieve spiritual progress. Then there is another command of Allah the Almighty for us. He said: یٰٓاَیُّھَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تَخُوْنُوا اللّٰہَ وَالرَّسُوْلَ وَتَخُوْنُوْا اَمٰنٰتِکُمْ وَاَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ (Al-Anfal: 28) — "O ye who believe! prove not false to Allah and the Messenger, nor prove false to your trusts knowingly."

So this is a very important command requiring attention. Betrayal does not only occur in big matters or big tasks, but encompasses from small matters and tasks to big matters and tasks.

The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), who came for the establishment of a pure community, has taken a pledge from us in the second condition of initiation (Bai'at) specifically not to commit betrayal and to avoid it. (Derived from Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 3, Pages 563-564)

Every evil, whether small or large, is evil, but some evils are such that they continue to give birth to other evils, and betrayal is also one such evil. Allah the Almighty says that the habit of betrayal then leads to betrayal in the fulfillment of one's own trusts and duties. So Allah the Almighty says that a betrayer can neither fulfill the rights of Allah the Almighty and His Messenger, nor the rights of fellow beings. A betrayer may keep saying that he offers prayers and worships, but as mentioned earlier, the purpose of worship is to develop righteousness, and righteousness means fulfilling the rights of Allah the Almighty and His servants out of love and fear of Allah the Almighty. Betrayal in the fulfillment of rights takes one away from righteousness. It is not possible that a person be a betrayer and also walk in righteousness and also fulfill rights. Consequently, Allah the Almighty does not accept the worship of such a person either. Becoming a worshipper is a great thing — a betrayer cannot even be called a believer.

The Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said on one occasion that faith and disbelief, as well as truthfulness and lying, cannot coexist in a person's heart, nor can trustworthiness and betrayal coexist. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Volume 3, Page 320, Musnad Abi Hurairah, Hadith No. 8577, Published Beirut 1998)

So the sign of faith is truthfulness and the fulfillment of trust. Therefore, on one occasion, the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that a believer may have bad habits other than lying and betrayal, but these two habits cannot be in a believer. One who lies and commits betrayal is not a believer at all. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Volume 7, Page 397, Musnad Abu Umamah al-Bahili, Hadith No. 22523, Published Beirut 1998)

The subject of fulfilling the rights of trusts and avoiding betrayal is a vast subject, and a believer is expected to understand its importance and scope. And to understand this, this instruction of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sheds light very clearly. He (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that a Muslim's heart cannot commit betrayal in three matters. Number one: sincerity of intention in work for the sake of God Almighty. Second: well-wishing for every Muslim. Third: staying united with the Jama'at. (Sunan al-Darimi, Al-Muqaddimah, Bab al-Iqtida' bi al-'Ulama', Hadith No. 236, Published Beirut, Lebanon 2000)

So this includes the right of Allah the Almighty. It also includes the rights of fellow beings and the right of loyalty to the Jama'at. All three things are included. In fulfilling the right of Allah the Almighty, besides worship, there are all those responsibilities that are placed upon those who serve the religion of God Almighty. If every person, every servant, examines himself regarding the fulfillment of the trusts entrusted to the office-bearers, keeping the righteousness of God Almighty in view, then he himself will realize to what extent he is fulfilling the right of the trust that has been entrusted to him. Then the Messenger of Allah also said that if you are not fulfilling the rights of your brothers, this too is betrayal. If others are being hurt by your tongue and hand, then because of being a Muslim, you are not fulfilling the responsibility that is yours, and by not fulfilling the right, you are committing betrayal. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Birr wa al-Silah, Bab Ma Ja'a fi Shafaqat al-Muslim, Hadith 1927) Rather, in one narration, it is stated that it is necessary for a Muslim that other human beings should also be safe from his hand and tongue. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Iman, Bab Ma Ja'a fi Anna al-Muslim Man Salim al-Muslimun min Lisanihi wa Yadihi, Hadith No. 2627) So the fulfillment of every human being's rights is obligatory upon a Muslim, and not fulfilling that right makes him a betrayer.

Then for an Ahmadi, adherence to the organizational system of the Jama'at and fulfilling one's pledge of initiation (Bai'at) is necessary. Every member of the Jama'at repeats this pledge at their respective gatherings that they will adhere to the system of the Jama'at. So this pledge is also a trust, and fulfilling it is necessary. It must be fulfilled with all one's abilities. Connection with and obedience to the Khilafat is also necessary. This is repeated in the pledge.

Among domestic matters in fulfilling the rights of trusts, it should also be remembered that when a boy and girl are bound in the bond of marriage, they have certain rights upon each other, and the fulfillment of these rights is a trust. And among the trusts that are the husband's responsibility, for example, is the woman's dowry (Mahr) which he should pay. Many cases come where when disputes arise, the effort is not to pay the dowry. The Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said regarding this to the extent that whoever fixed a dowry for marriage with a woman and intended not to give it, then he is an adulterer, and whoever took a loan from someone with the intention of not repaying it, then he is a thief. (Kanz al-Ummal, Volume 8, Part 16, Page 137, Kitab al-Nikah, Al-Fasl al-Thalith fi al-Sadaq, Hadith No. 44719, Published Beirut 2004)

Then see to what extent the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) expected us to take the standard of trust and emphasized it. He said that whoever is asked for advice by his Muslim brother and he gives advice without proper guidance, then he has betrayed him. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Volume 3, Page 244, Musnad Abi Hurairah, Hadith No. 8249, Published Beirut 1998) That is, if proper advice was not given keeping all things in view, then this is betrayal. So some people are such that when others trust them and seek their advice, they do not give them correct advice. The right of trust is that if one does not clearly have knowledge of something, one should excuse oneself, and if one knows of someone who can give better advice, one should provide their information, one should guide them in that direction.

I have seen some lawyers here who give wrong advice to people coming for asylum or do not advise with full interest while they are taking their full fee — they are counted among those who are committing betrayal. Similarly, there are other matters. So such people should keep in mind that when a person comes to you trusting you, guide them correctly; otherwise, according to the decision of Allah the Almighty's Messenger, they are committing betrayal. So there is a great need for caution in these matters.

What standards does the Promised Messiah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) want to see in us regarding the fulfillment of trusts and avoidance of betrayal? He said at one place:

"The person who does not repent from evil glances, betrayal, bribery, and every unlawful action is not of my community." He said: "Every man who betrays his wife, or a wife who betrays her husband, is not of my community." (Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 19, Pages 18-19)

Then he said: "Along with believing in the One God, it is necessary that the rights of His creation not be violated. The person who violates the rights of his brother and betrays him does not believe in لَا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہ." (Malfuzat, Volume 9, Page 106, Footnote, Edition 1985, Published England)

Then he said: "God Almighty has named righteousness as 'garment' in the Holy Quran. Thus 'لباس التقویٰ' (garment of righteousness) is a term of the Holy Quran. This is an indication that spiritual beauty and spiritual adornment are only produced through righteousness. And righteousness is that a person should, to the best of his ability, observe all the trusts of God and the covenant of faith, and similarly, all the trusts and covenants of creation. That is, he should act upon their most subtle aspects to the extent possible." (Appendix to Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part Five, Ruhani Khazain, Volume 21, Page 210)

So searching for the subtle and fine aspects of trusts and acting upon them makes us those who fulfill trusts, which we should strive for. All the rights that are our responsibility are a trust. All the duties that have been assigned to us are a trust, and their fulfillment is obligatory upon us. And if we wish to become heirs of Allah the Almighty's blessings, then fulfilling this duty is necessary. So each one of us needs to ponder deeply upon this.

Then there is another command of Allah the Almighty that I have taken to present today, which beautifies and adorns the society. Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran: اَلَّذِیْنَ یُنْفِقُوْنَ فِی السَّرَّآءِ وَالضَّرَّآءِ وَالْکَاظِمِیْنَ الْغَیْظَ وَالْعَافِیْنَ عَنِ النَّاسِ۔ وَاللّٰہُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِیْنَ (Aal-e-Imran: 135) — "Those who spend in prosperity and adversity, and those who suppress anger and pardon men; and Allah loves those who do good"

As mentioned earlier, the fulfillment of rights is obligatory upon every Muslim. In this verse, Allah the Almighty has said what the standards of fulfilling rights should be. Rather, going even beyond that, He has advised us that the beauty of society is created by making sacrifices beyond the fulfillment of rights. Not only fulfilling rights, but sometimes to fulfill rights, one also has to make sacrifices. The society in which every person is not only fulfilling each other's rights but is trying to fulfill rights by making sacrifices — that society truly reaches the standard that we can call a paradise-like society. We see its manifestation in the Companions of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), about whom God Almighty also said: وَیُؤْثِرُوْنَ عَلٰی اَنْفُسِھِمْ وَلَوْ کَانَ بِھِمْ خَصَاصَۃٌ (Al-Hashr: 10) — "And they prefer others over themselves despite being in poverty." So when there is such thinking and such actions, then the spirit of sacrifice is born. A person also suppresses the desires of his ego, wishes good for others, and also treats them with kindness. The highest example of the greatness of this character is seen in the model of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when we see that he even forgave the killer of his daughter. (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Part 3, Bab Dhikr Maghazih (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Pages 131-132, Published Beirut 2002) And there are countless other examples. Then how did he advise his Companions to suppress anger and display noble morals, and how did he train them? Regarding this, there is a famous narration that a person began to abuse Hazrat Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) in the presence of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Hazrat Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) remained silent, and the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who was sitting there, kept smiling while listening to this person's talk. When this person's transgression reached its limit, Hazrat Abu Bakr responded somewhat sternly to some of his remarks. At this, signs of displeasure appeared on the blessed face of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he got up and left from there. Later, Hazrat Abu Bakr came to the presence of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said that the person was abusing you and you remained seated, and when I responded to some of his remarks, you left in displeasure. At this, the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that when he was abusing and you were silent, an angel of God Almighty was responding on your behalf. But when you responded back, the angel left and Satan came (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Volume 3, Pages 546-547, Musnad Abi Hurairah, Hadith No. 9622, Published Beirut 1998), and obviously, after that, there was no justification for the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to remain sitting there.

So the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) trained the Companions in such a way that he transformed even their justified anger into forgiveness and taught them the ways of doing good.

Regarding the personal state of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hazrat Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) narrates that he (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never took revenge for any injustice done to himself for his own sake. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-Manaqib, Bab Sifat al-Nabi (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hadith 3560)

The Promised Messiah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "The close ones of God were given great abuses. They were tormented very badly, but they were only addressed with اَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجٰھِلِیْنَ (Al-A'raf: 200) (turn away from the ignorant). Our Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself, the perfect man, was given very harsh sufferings, and abuses, foul language, and insolence were committed, but what did this personification of noble character do in response? He prayed for them, and since Allah the Almighty had promised that if he turns away from the ignorant, 'We will keep your honor and life safe, and these vulgar people will not be able to attack you,' thus it happened that the opponents of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) could not bring any blemish on his honor, and they themselves were humiliated and fell at his feet or were destroyed before him." (Malfuzat, Volume 1, Page 103)

What is the personal example of this true servant of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? I present one example: In the attempted murder case of Dr. Martin Clark, Maulvi Muhammad Husain Batalvi appeared as a witness on behalf of the Christians. At that time, the lawyer of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Maulvi Fazl Din Sahib, who was a non-Ahmadi but a noble-natured person, began to ask Maulvi Muhammad Husain some questions in court to weaken his testimony — questions that were taunting regarding his lineage. At this, the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) immediately stopped his lawyer, saying, "I do not permit you to ask such questions of Maulvi Sahib," and saying this, he immediately placed his hand on the mouth of Maulvi Fazl Din Sahib, the lawyer. (Derived from Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Volume 1, Page 543, Footnote) So this is that noble character that by putting himself in danger, he protected the honor and dignity of his mortal enemy.

Maulvi Fazl Din Sahib would always mention this incident that Mirza Sahib is a man of strange morals — a person attacks his honor, rather his life, and when some questions are asked to weaken his testimony, he immediately stops them saying, "I do not permit such questions." (Derived from Sirat-ul-Mahdi, Part One, Pages 228-229, Narration No. 248) So this is the station that is an example of suppressing anger and forgiveness, rather even of doing good, which we see in the character of the true servant of the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in this age.

The Promised Messiah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says at one place: "وَالْکَاظِمِیْنَ الْغَیْظَ وَالْعَافِیْنَ عَنِ النَّاسِ۔ وَاللّٰہُ یُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِیْنَ (Aal-e-Imran: 135) — That is, the believers are only those who swallow their anger and forgive oppressive, abusive people, and do not respond to vulgarity with vulgarity." (Majmu'ah Ishtiharat, Volume 1, Page 460, Announcement No. 129, titled 'Worthy of Government's Attention...', Footnote)

Advising the Jama'at, he said: "The purpose of preparing this community is that righteousness should permeate through the tongue, ears, eyes, and every limb. The light of righteousness should be inside and outside of him. He should be a lofty example of good morals, and there should be no unjust anger or rage at all." He said: "I have seen that the fault of anger still exists in most people of the community. Grudges and hatred arise over the smallest matters, and they quarrel and fight among themselves. Such people have no share in the community, and I cannot understand what difficulty arises in this — that if someone abuses, the other should remain silent and not respond. The reformation of every community always begins with morals. One should progress in training through patience in the beginning, and the best method is that if someone speaks ill, one should pray for him with a heartfelt desire that Allah the Almighty may reform him, and should never let grudges grow in the heart. Just as there are worldly laws, so there is also God's law. When the world does not abandon its law, how will Allah the Almighty abandon His law? So until there is change, you have no value in His sight. God Almighty does not at all like that instead of forbearance, patience, and forgiveness — which are excellent qualities — there should be savagery. If you progress in these good qualities, you will reach God very quickly." (Malfuzat, Volume 7, Pages 127-128)

May Allah the Almighty grant us in this Ramadan, where He grants us the ability to raise the standards of our worship and to maintain them permanently, may He also grant us the ability to establish and make permanent the standards of other morals and fulfillment of rights. And as I said, all of those among us who are doing the work of the Jama'at in any capacity should first present their own examples, both at home and outside. I again draw attention toward prayers. I had said this in the first sermon of Ramadan as well. Let me briefly say again that these days, pray much for the progress of the Jama'at and for protection from the dangerous schemes of enemies, and wherever you are praying for yourself, also pray much for the triumph of Islam. May Allah the Almighty grant us all the ability to do so.