On 30th June 2017, Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (May Allāh be his Helper) delivered the Friday Sermon at Baitul Futūh Mosque, London.

Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: Ramadān comes with countless blessings and those who understand this are able to reap them. Many have written to me that they were able to perform Nawafil in addition to the obligatory worship, that they completed a course of reciting the Holy Quran, that they had strange and pleasurable spiritual experiences, that they experienced the acceptance of their prayers and attained certainty in the existence of God. Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: Those who have strived in such a way, may Allāh forgive any shortcomings on their part and continue to bless them forever. May Allāh continue to elevate the status of those who attained high stations as well as those who strived even a little bit. They should also pray for themselves so that they may not become lax in terms of fulfilling their obligations to Allāh and to His creatures.

When God says that He comes close to His servant when he prays to Him, this statement is not limited to Ramadān, rather He says that He answers the prayers of the distressed person when he calls upon Him. Allāh is not bound only to bestow His nearness in Ramadān. This month has only been specified to draw our attention. The pronouncement "I am near" is for all times.

Drawing our attention to prayer, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) says that God is closest to His servant in the middle part of the night, and if possible one should remember Him at that hour. Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: If you have acquired the habit of offering Nawafil in Ramadān, then you should try to adopt it permanently. If we are fully determined, we can always continue to benefit from God's nearness. When God is close to man, man comes under His refuge. One who remembers God is like the living, and one who doesn't is like the dead. To confine remembrance of God to a few days makes a person spiritually dead. If we want to be among the truly living, we ought to remember God in the remaining 11 months as well. Having come under God's protection in Ramadān, we should use all the means to permanently keep ourselves under His protection.

Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: Our Lord is independent and besought of all, He does not care for someone unless one fervently and consistently prays to Him. It is important that we feel true sympathy when we pray for someone. Just as we pray fervently for ourselves, in the same way we should pray for the Jama'at, for the Muslim ummah, and for our respective countries. We should also pray that God may remove the dangers that are looming over the world today. We should not keep even our enemies out of our prayers. The greater the scope of the prayer, the greater the benefit to the one who prays. And the more miserly one is in one's prayers, the further he is from God.

Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: In our routine prayers we should include the Jamā'at. Everyone is well aware of the situation in Pakistan. Time and again there are lawsuits made against the Jamā'at or Ahmadīs are harassed in other ways by the maulawis or by government officials. May Allāh save every Ahmadī from their mischief. Sometimes the governments do certain things to create law and order situations which help them implement harsh laws that help strengthen their governments. Such acts were also perpetrated by past governments. Therefore, special prayers are needed. Ahmadīs in Pakistan should particularly pray for themselves. We have never taken the law into our own hands, nor sought revenge, nor shall we do so in future. It is only the weapon of prayer that we shall always use. Allāh has always saved us from their designs and will continue to do so and the Jamā'at shall progress more than before.

Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: Similar activities are going on in Algeria, but all Ahmadīs with a very few exceptions remain steadfast in their faith. One Ahmadī wrote that though the Jamā'at was only established ten years ago, their history of making sacrifices goes a long way back. The government is also bewildered that these people neither turn back from their faith nor show any negative reaction. This is because they have the weapon of prayer and they know that their time of tribulation will come to an end and God will listen to their prayers. Before God, worldly powers are of no worth. Trials do come and sacrifices have to be made, but the ultimate victory belongs to those who remain with God. History of the Jamā'at shows that at every occasion God remained with the Jamā'at and protected it, and the enemy was always frustrated.

Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: Those who think they are not in direct danger and are therefore lax in their prayers should remember that these trials can come upon them as well. Before this should come to pass, they should turn their attention to prayer. Even if you are living in ease and security, you should pray for your Ahmadī brothers with an anguished heart that Allāh may help them in their tribulations. When one prays for others, one's own difficulties are also removed.

Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: Those living in western countries should not consider themselves safe, because Ahmadīs will also be affected by the rising anti-Muslim sentiment. Although we say that we are peace loving Muslims, anyone can blindly attack us. Such incidents have started taking place whereby anti-Muslims and nationalists have started activities against Muslims.

Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: The situation in the whole world is such that that it is inviting God's displeasure. World powers are trying to cause rifts among Muslim nations, and these circumstances can set these countries back by decades. America has dangerous aims. A conflict has been created in Syria which could lead Iran to send in its forces, and that will give America and Israel reason to vent their antagonism towards Islām. Big powers are very cunningly trying to weaken Muslim states. However, these conflicts will not be confined to a particular area, Russia will also come in and it can all turn into a world war. Muslim countries will go back decades. The tensions between America and Korea are also growing and commentators say that the use of even a small weapon by America could escalate into a terrible war in the region. Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said that new inventions can also become a means of destruction, such as cyber-attacks particularly if they're employed in manipulating weapons of mass destruction. Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: The world is creating the means for its own destruction.

Huzoor (May Allāh be his Helper) said: Most Muslim leaders have already antagonised their own people by committing atrocities against them, and they commit even greater atrocities to save their rule, but this is not the solution. The solution is the one told by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which is to accept the Promised Mahdi (a.s.). We are fortunate that, in keeping with the command of the Holy Prophet, (peace be upon him) we have accepted the Promised Mahdi (a.s.). Today the world can only be saved in the way told by the Promised Messiah (a.s). Only Ahmadīs can save the world through their heartfelt prayers. Every Ahmadī should feel the suffering of all the people of the world and pray for them. Calamities are fast enveloping the world. While we spread the message that salvation only lies in coming under the protection of the Promised Messiah (a.s), we should also pray fervently that God may bring the world to its senses and save them from destruction.

May Allāh enable us to bring the world under the banner of the Holy Prophet, (peace be upon him) May we employ all the means and take our prayers to the extreme to bring this about. After Ramadān also we should continue to come closer to Allāh through worship and prayers. May Allāh grant us the ultimate success. Amīn.