After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^(aba) recited verse 42 of Surah al-Hajj and then stated:

“Those who, if We establish them in the earth, will observe Prayer and pay the Zakat and enjoin good and forbid evil. And with Allah rests the final issue of all affairs.” [Surah al-Hajj, Ch.22: V.42]

In this verse, Allah the Almighty has outlined that true believers are those who, upon gaining ascendancy after a period of weakness and distress and having attained contentment and improved conditions – whereby they can freely worship and follow their religion – do not follow their desires and vested interests. In fact, [having acquired this state] a true believer observes Salat, pays attention to their prayers, populates their mosques, serves humanity and spends their wealth on the poor and the meek while having the fear of Allah the Almighty. Moreover, they offer sacrifices for the propagation of faith. They purify their wealth by spending it for the propagation of God’s faith. They are mindful of performing good deeds and also admonish others to do the same, fulfilling the rights of Allah Almighty and His servants. They abstain from vices and also stop others from committing sin. Since they do all this whilst having the fear of Allah the Almighty and adhering to His commandments, therefore Allah the Almighty grants fruition to their efforts for God is One Who possesses the final decree and grants the final outcome.

Hence, whatever is done whilst adhering to the commandment of God Almighty and instilling His fear within one’s heart, will most surely produce the best result. Thus, if every one of us were to understand this principle, then we will continue to be recipients of the blessings of Allah the Almighty.

You have built a mosque here in Mahdiabad and recently have also inaugurated a mosque in Fulda and Wiesbaden. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, under the 100 Mosques Project, the Jamaat in Germany has had the opportunity to construct various mosques. Certainly, the members of the Jamaat are offering financial sacrifices for the construction of these mosques so that they can raise the standards of their worship whilst adhering to the commandments of God Almighty.

Having migrated to this country from Pakistan, your financial conditions have improved. This should draw everyone’s attention towards spending in the way of God Almighty and constructing His house, wherein we can gather together and offer congregational prayers, create such condition in our prayers to attract the direct attention of Allah the Almighty. Moreover, so that we are freely able to fulfil the rights of the worship of Allah the Almighty. We are not granted religious freedom in Pakistan as the law of the country does not permit us to construct mosques and it does not permit us to worship freely in order to fulfil the rights of Allah the Almighty and to worship Him.

However, here we are able to construct mosques in order to fulfil the rights of Allah the Almighty and He has also blessed us financially. And so, every one of us should continue to strive in fulfilling the rights of God’s creation. We have pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiah^(as) in order to improve our spiritual and moral state. Therefore, as is the case, our mosques should continue to direct our attention towards this fact. Every Ahmadi living here should thus develop such a mind-set and try their best to act in accordance with this. They should develop this within their hearts and also demonstrate it through their actions, otherwise, the construction of a mosque would be of no real benefit.

Every Ahmadi should remember that their objective will not be fulfilled through merely the construction of a mosque; rather, it will be fulfilled when they sincerely draw their attention towards the worship of Allah the Almighty; when they establish their prayers; when they come to the mosque in order to offer the prayers in congregation and focus their attention towards Allah the Almighty in their prayers. In the case that their attention is distracted, they immediately bring their focus back towards the prayer and Allah the Almighty. Moreover, they will be able to fulfil the objective of the mosque when they understand the true reality that during prayer they are being granted an opportunity to converse with Allah the Almighty. It is not enough to merely bow one’s head or to prostrate or simply repeat the words in Arabic, rather we are also to converse with God in our own languages. We should try to offer prayers in a manner whereby we establish direct communion with Allah the Almighty.

Stating the characteristics of a righteous person and the qualities of a true believer, the Promised Messiah^(as) states that they establish their prayers. A righteous person establishes the prayer to the best of his ability and whenever the condition of their prayer declines, they re-establish it.

The Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“A righteous person fears God Almighty and establishes their prayer. In this state, one may develop various forms of anxieties and fears, which can become a distraction in the way of God.”

The distractions and thoughts in one’s heart turn one’s attention away from Allah the Almighty and this in fact is deemed as decline in the condition of one’s prayer. To refocus one’s attention towards Allah the Almighty is referred to as establishing the prayer. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“However, if the heart is filled with righteousness then such a person, i.e. a true believer, continues to establish the prayer despite this struggle of the soul.” That is, the condition of prayer declines because at times, one’s attention is distracted, however righteousness requires us to make an effort and re-establish the prayer and focus our attention towards Allah the Almighty. This is what is referred to as establishing prayer. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“If one actively strives and makes a concerted effort to establish the prayer and is steadfast in his effort to achieve the highest standard of worship, then a time shall come when God Almighty shall bestow His guidance through His holy word.”

The Promised Messiah^(as) then further elaborates that this guidance signifies that one is no longer in need to struggle to establish the prayer. The prayer of such a person does not decline and he does not lose focus. For such a person, this is no longer the matter. In fact, having attained guidance, the prayer for such a person becomes like a form of nourishment. It becomes as significant as food; just as eating food is vital for a person’s physical body, similarly prayer becomes nourishment for one’s spiritual sustenance. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states (I am elaborating on the words of the Promised Messiah^(as) here) that just as one cannot survive without food, similarly life also ceases to exist without prayer. Furthermore, this form of nourishment is not consumed merely so that one stays alive, in fact the Promised Messiah^(as) states that in fact they derive pleasure from this form of nourishment. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states that the individual is granted such a pleasure and delight during prayer, which is similar to one who drinks cold water in a state of extreme thirst and as a result is able to derive pleasure and is able to quench their thirst. If a person is extremely thirsty and in a difficult situation where they are unable to find water, the pleasure he experiences when he eventually finds water, and cold water for that matter, is similar to the experience felt in prayer by one who is truly guided. The Promised Messiah^(as) gives another example that if a person is hungry and is given extremely pleasant and delicious food, he experiences joy as a result of eating it. Similar is the joy experienced by one who offers the prayer in its true sense. Hence, it is these prayers which are deemed as true prayers, which should be offered with joy and not as a burden.

In fact, the Promised Messiah^(as) has likened the prayer of a true believer to that of an intoxicant, without which one experiences great distress, just like in the case of a drug addict who feels great pain and restlessness upon not receiving a dose of the drug. On the contrary, a true believer experiences a particular sense of contentment and coolness in his heart. The Promised Messiah^(as) states that it is not possible to put into words the pleasure a person feels, who truly offers the prayer. The Promised Messiah^(as) states that a righteous believer experiences pleasure during the prayer, therefore one ought to offer their prayer in a most excellent manner. The Promised Messiah^(as) states that prayer is the root and means of every progress. For this very reason it is stated that prayer is the spiritual apex of a believer through which a person is able to reach God Almighty. (Malfuzat, Vol. 8, pp. 309-310)

Thus, our mosques should be constructed for the purpose of offering such prayers. If we are to draw our attention towards constructing mosques then we should do so in order to attain such means which lead to God Almighty and one is granted the opportunity to converse with Him. Hence, one should not become disheartened as to how to attain this condition. In fact, it is through continuous efforts that Allah the Almighty bestows this rank.

Many people ask this and question and also write to me that they are unable to maintain their concentration during the prayer. Hence, this is the solution in that one must strive and repeatedly remain focused during prayer. A person also asked this question in a gathering with the Promised Messiah^(as) saying that the condition of his heart was such that he did not experience any pleasure and fervour in prayer and he remained in constant agony as a result of this because he had previously experienced the delight of prayer. Consequently, this gives rise to doubts and misgivings even though one may have tried their utmost to suppress them. Thus, what should one do? The Promised Messiah^(as) replied that this is also a blessing and favour of God Almighty in that one is not completely overcome by such misgivings. Although these doubts may be developing yet, having realised this, they do not allow them to overpower him. The Promised Messiah^(as) further says when one does not allow these misgiving to overcome him, even this is deemed worthy of reward. Thus, God Almighty is Benevolent and Merciful that He even rewards this act. The Promised Messiah^(as) states that on the other hand, one who is in the state of Nafs-e-Ammarah [the soul that incites to evil] is not even aware of what sin is and as a result continues to commit sin in his state of ignorance. However, one who is in the state of Nafs-e-Lawwamah [the Reproving Soul] commits sin, but is always anxious and ashamed in doing so.

It should be kept in mind that when someone is in the state of Nafs-e-Lawwamah, they feel ashamed for committing sins and are regretful, but for even this God Almighty grants reward. A person who is remorseful and repents is not a slave of their desires. The Promised Messiah^(as) stated that therefore, this should not be a cause of worry. If an individual experiences distractions and ill thoughts and they strive to repel such feelings, then Allah Almighty grants reward for this act. Such an individual does not succumb to their inner passions. In fact, to a certain degree, it is necessary to experience such a condition. Therefore, one should not be disappointed because the reward is so immense that when the time comes, God Almighty Himself bestows tranquillity and His light. When the time for God’s mercy arrives, one is bestowed with a cool breeze and no longer remains in that state. Thus, such an individual should not become disheartened and ought to recite the following in the state of prostrations:

یَاحَیُّ یَاقَیُّوْمُ بِرَحْمَتِکَ اَسْتَغِیْثُ

“O Living, O Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining Allah, grant me Thy mercy.”

However, bear in mind that whatever is done in a hateful manner is harmful, thus one should not act in haste. In fact, Islam seeks to instil bravery within its followers and one who shows haste is not brave but rather shows cowardice.  After years of trying, eventually the onslaughts of Satan weaken and he runs away.

Therefore, we should always keep this principle in mind that one should not do things in haste, and to hold fast to God and to constantly prostrate before Him. Eventually, Satan will be defeated and will run away. If, however, an individual is hasty and does not strive their utmost to establish prayer, then one is taken into Satan’s grasp. Generally, it is observed that people show haste and upon failing to acquire immediate results they claim that there is no benefit in prayer. It should be kept in mind that if an individual only prays for the sake of attaining the worldly gains, then Allah the Almighty does not accept such supplications. On the contrary, if someone supplicates for advancement in their spirituality, faith and nearness to God Almighty, then He becomes close to them and fulfils their worldly needs as well. Hence, there are certain prescribed practices and principles when supplicating to God Almighty, and one should follow these guidelines.

How is it possible that on the one hand, Allah the Almighty states:

اُدْعُوْنِیْٓ اَسْتَجِبْ لَکُمْ

“Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer”, and yet He fails to accept the prayers of His supplicant. The Promised Messiah^(as) has explained this by stating that the prescribed prayers and Durood to be recited in Salat are in the Arabic language, but it is not forbidden for one to pray in their own language. God Almighty has declared that true prayer is one which is filled with humility and fervency. One should supplicate with humility, a tender heart and the fear of God in that one should be mindful that they are standing before Allah the Almighty and calling upon Him for help. It is these very people, whose sins are wiped away. God Almighty has stated:

اِنَّ الْحَسَنٰتِ یُذْہِبْنَ السَّیِّاٰتِ

Meaning, ‘Surely, good works drive away evil works.” The meaning of “good works” here is the observance of prayer. Concentration and humility in prayers can be attained by supplicating in one’s own language. Meaning that the humility and meekness that causes a person’s heart to melt can only be attained if one prays in their mother tongue and they can comprehend fully what they are praying for. Hence, the Promised Messiah^(as) instructed us to pray in our own language as well. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states that it is vital to offer the prayers that Allah the Almighty has taught us and the best prayer among those prayers is Surah al-Fatihah because it is a complete and comprehensive prayer.

In Surah al-Fatihah, Allah the Almighty has taught us the following prayer:

اِہْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ

“Guide us on the right path.”

The meaning of this supplication is extensive. While elaborating upon this, the Promised Messiah^(as) states that when a farmer learns the traits and skills required for farming, it is at that point that he becomes skilled in the practise of farming, meaning that when a farmer learns the knowledge about farming in that he knows how to plough, sow the seeds, when to fertilise the land, when to irrigate it, when to spray the fields, it  is then that one can say that they are on the right path of their profession. In the same way, one should seek the right path to meet with God and pray: “O my Lord! I am your sinful and humble servant. Please guide me!” Supplicate to God for all your needs, regardless of how insignificant they may be, for He is the One Who bestows. The most righteous is the one who prays the most, because if a beggar knocks at the door of a miserly person, he will one day feel ashamed and give something to the beggar. Therefore, one who begs in front of God Almighty, Whose generosity is matchless, how can he not receive from Him? Hence, the one who asks receives eventually. The other name of prayer is supplication as God Almighty states:

اُدْعُوْنِیْٓ اَسْتَجِبْ لَکُمْ

“Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer.”

He then states:

وَاِذَا سَاَلَکَ عِبَادِیْ عَنِّیْ فَاِنِّیْ قَرِیْبٌ اُجِیْبُ دَعْوَۃَ الدَّاعِ اِذَا دَعَانِ

“And when My servant ask thee about Me, say, ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me.’”

The Promised Messiah^(as) states that some people fall into doubt regarding the existence of God, however God Almighty states that a proof of His existence is that when one supplicates and seeks from Him, He will also respond and remember this servant of His.

Often people claim that they supplicated profusely but their supplications were met with no response. In relation to this, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“You are stood in a place and call out to one who is standing at quite a distance from you, but the person you call out to will indeed hear and respond, but owing to the distance, as well as the fact that you have hearing impediments, you will not be able to hear him. (The person you are calling out to will reply, but when he replies from a far, due to your hearing impediment you will not be able to hear him. Since you have a defect of the ear, you will not be able to hear that person’s reply from a distance). However, gradually as these obstacles and the distances are removed, you will certainly be able to hear.”

The more you strive to become closer to God Almighty, the more you will be able to hear Him. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“This evidence has always been there ever since the world has been created, which is that God Almighty converses with His chosen servants. If this was not the case, then gradually over time, the concept of His existence would have completely disappeared from the face of the earth. Thus, one of the greatest proofs of God Almighty’s existence is that we are able to witness Him and speak to Him. Being able to converse with God Almighty is akin to actually seeing Him. Until obstacles and hindrances remain between God and the one who supplicates to Him, one cannot hear Him.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, pp. 226-227)

When these intermediary hindrances are removed, one indeed will be able to hear Him.

Thus, it is vital to remove the hindrances which lie in-between [man and God]. Moreover, God Almighty has promised that one who earnestly comes towards Him and whilst seeking to comprehend the true reality of His Being, He too shall go towards such an individual. The Holy Prophet^(sa) has also explained this. He states that God Almighty has declared that when His servant takes a step towards Him, He, in turn, takes two steps and when His servant walks towards Him, He comes running. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Tauhid, Hadith no. 7536)

Thus, if ever there are any shortcomings, they are from within us. Therefore, it is essential for us to strive towards God Almighty. In order to search for the paths that lead to Him and in order to meet Him, we are in need of His help. If we claim to have pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiah^(as), then it is essential that we strive to our utmost in order to reach God Almighty. It is not enough to only adhere to one of the instructions of the Promised Messiah^(as) to construct mosques, so that it can serve as a means of introducing Islam to others, rather we must also make every practical effort possible and also seek the help of the Allah the Almighty. One can only achieve success when one makes an effort and is also granted the help of Allah the Almighty.

Elaborating upon this, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“Remember that seeking repentance at the time of Bai‘at [pledging allegiance] produces blessings. In addition to this, if one pledges to give precedence to their faith over all worldly things, it leads one to further progress.” When one pledges allegiance they are granted blessings but when one also pledges to give precedence to their faith over all worldly things then it leads them to further success. “However, to give precedence to faith is not in your hands, rather one is greatly in need of the help of God Almighty for this to be achieved. Just as God Almighty states:

وَالَّذِیْنَ جَاہَدُوْا فِیْنَا لَنَہْدِیَنَّہُمْ سُبُلَنَا

‘And as for those who strive to meet us – We will, surely, guide them in Our ways.’”

The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“Without effort and irrigation, a seed sown into the ground will be fruitless.” When a farmer sows a seed but fails to make any effort in cultivating it and neither waters it then it will not bear any fruit, in fact, it would not even grow at all, and even if it did, it will be extremely weak and will quickly wither away. “Similarly, if you do not remind yourself every day of the pledge of giving precedence to your faith over all worldly things and nor pray to God Almighty’s for His help, you will not be granted any blessing.”

The Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“Without the help of God Almighty, it is not possible to bring about a change in one’s condition.”

In order to attain the help of God Almighty, one has to continually supplicate to seek God Almighty’s help and grace. The Promised Messiah^(as) further states:

“A thief, a cheat, adulterer or criminal, etc. do not always remain in that condition of theirs, rather there comes a time when they feel remorse over their actions. This is true in the case of every wicked person, thus proving that every individual has virtuous thoughts within them. Therefore, it is essential to seek the help of Allah the Almighty in order to attain these virtuous thoughts. It is for this reason that we have been commanded to recite the Surah al-Fatihah in our five daily prayers and we recite اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ and اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ that is, ‘Thee Alone do we worship and Thee Alone do we implore for help’. This points out to two things. Firstly, in order to attain virtuous deeds, one must employ all of their faculties endowed upon them by God and make every possible effort and this is alluded to in the words, Na‘badu i.e. ‘We worship’. An individual who simply prays and does not make any effort, can never prosper. To simply pray is not enough, rather one must make an effort as well. If a farmer sows a seed but makes no effort, how can he then expect for it to bear fruit? This is the established practise of God Almighty. If one plants a seed and then only prays for it and fails to look after it and irrigate and cultivate the land, he will be deprived [of its fruits]. For instance, if there are two farmers, one who works extremely hard in cultivating the land, will surely be successful. On the other hand, the other farmer who does not put any effort, or very little, consequently the yield from his crops will be so insufficient that perhaps he will not even have enough to pay tax and will remain impoverished. So too is the case in faith. Amongst the people are hypocrites, inept, righteous and saints, scholars and spiritual leaders.” In other words, they are all humans, however some of them are hypocrites and incompetent individuals, and while on the other hand, there are some who are righteous and attain the status of saints, scholars and spiritual heads and are granted an elevated station from God Almighty. “Some of them observe prayers for 40 years but there has not been a single change in their condition and nor do they observe any benefit after fasting for 30 days.” They observe the fasts for the entire month of Ramadan but they do not derive any benefit and return to their original condition.

“There are many who claim that they are righteous and have been observing prayers for many years but still fail to become recipient of divine succour. The reason for this is that they only worship ceremoniously and in customary manner. They only worship in the physical sense and do not even think about progress. They do not make any effort to search for the sins that lie within them and nor seek true repentance.” One can only truly seek repentance when they are able to identify their sins. When one ponders over their wrong doings and sins, only then can his repentance be accepted. “They remain stood at the very first step and the condition of such people is no different to that of animals. Their prayers draw the wrath of God Almighty and do not receive acceptance. In fact, their prayers are thrown back in their faces. True prayer grants progress. For instance, if someone suffering from an illness visits a doctor and is prescribed to take a particular medication for ten days, but realises that his health is continually deteriorating, hence after so many days, having received no benefit from it, he will doubt as to whether this is the right medication for him and subsequently will seek to change it. Similarly, worshipping merely in a superficial manner is not correct.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, pp. 225-226)

Thus, one must change their condition. One must ponder as to why their supplications are not being answered even though God Almighty has declared that He answers the prayers of the supplicant.

Thus, true worship is one by which a person draws closer to God Almighty. Then, expounding on the importance of prayers, the Promised Messiah^(as) states:

“Salat in essence is a form of prayer. Every single word uttered in Salat takes the form of a supplication. During Salat, if one’s heart is not inclined towards the prayer, then he should prepare himself for the wrath of God because one who does not pray, invites the wrath upon himself. For example, a ruler or a government, repeatedly proclaims that they will alleviate the pain of those who are suffering and will show mercy upon people and will help all those in need. However, if an individual, who is facing great difficulties, walks by and fails to respond to this call”; a person who is facing difficulty walks by and does not pay heed to the call, nor does he express his difficulty nor ask for help”, then other than facing ruin, what else can he expect for himself? The same is the case for God Almighty; He is ever-ready to grant comfort to mankind but on the condition that one seeks from Him. For prayers to be accepted, it is essential to refrain from disobedience and also one must supplicate with great intensity because a spark is only lit when a stone is hit against another stone.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 7, p. 70)

Thus, when one reaches such a stage, then one’s actions and prayers will be carried out solely for the purpose of attaining the pleasure of Allah. In turn, God Almighty would grant them peace despite all their fears. Always remember that whatever you have gained after having come here is only due to the blessings of God Almighty and it is only God’s grace that can increase these blessings. In order to attain these blessings it is vital to turn one’s attention towards the worship of God and fulfilling the rights of God’s creation. You all ought to analyse your own conditions as to what extent you are observing prayer or to what extent one has established a relationship with God Almighty or is striving towards this. How many of our worldly endeavours come between us and our prayers. For this reason, one ought to always remember the saying of the Holy Prophet^(sa) in which he said that the difference between faith and disbelief is the abandoning of Salat. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Iman, Hadith no. 82)

The aspect that will distinguish between belief and disbelief is the abandoning of prayer. This instruction is one that should cause us to be greatly concerned as it has been declared that a believer is one who is regular in their prayers, otherwise there is no difference between him and a disbeliever. Regarding the reward of offering prayers in congregation, God Almighty has not only said to simply offer the prayers, rather He has instructed to offer the prayer in congregation and whilst also fulfilling it due rights which will in turn grant 25 times – or in some cases twenty seven times – more blessings. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Adhan, Hadith no. 645)

If there is no genuine excuse and we do not pay attention towards this, then how unfortunate will we be? Thus, if we have constructed mosques, then we must fulfil the rights of constructing a mosque and we must elevate the standards of our worship. Furthermore, we must also be mindful to offer financial sacrifices, perform virtues ourselves by elevating our moral standards and also encourage others to perform virtues. We must abstain from the evils of society and also protect others from it, otherwise, our pledge of allegiance would merely be a verbal pledge.

We must always bear these words of the Promised Messiah^(as) in mind; he says:

“You must reform yourselves in a manner whereby your intentions become aligned with God Almighty’s intentions to the extent that nothing is left for one’s own self, rather everything becomes God’s. Purification means that one’s heart is cleansed of all sorts of beliefs and actions that are opposed to God. God Almighty does not assist anyone unless they ensure that their intentions become one with God Almighty’s desires and they completely submit to His will.”

The Promised Messiah^(as) says, “I do not take joy of the increasing numbers of my community.” When the Promised Messiah^(as) wrote this, the total number of followers is recorded as 400,000 or perhaps even more than that. “A Jamaat is not formed by simply extending one’s hand to perform the Bai‘at, rather a community will truly be deemed to be a community when they act in accordance with the Bai‘at, through which one brings about a virtuous change within themselves and their lives become completely free from the immorality of sin. One then separates from their carnal desires and the clutches of Satan and becomes immersed in God Almighty. Fulfil the rights of God and the rights owed to His creation wholeheartedly. One ought to remain anxious about the propagation of faith. They would destroy all their desires and wishes and become one with God Almighty. God has stated that one is doomed to go astray and is blind, yet only the one who receives divine light from Him and is granted the elixir of life can be saved. It is God Who conceals the shortcomings of man, otherwise if the inner conditions of people become visible for others to see, then it is possible that some people would not even go near others.” It is the attribute of God Almighty that He conceals the faults of others, for if they become known then it is quite possible that some people would keep away from other people.

The Promised Messiah^(as) says:

“God Almighty is Sattar [the one Who conceals the faults of others] and He does not reveal the faults of others. Thus, man should strive to perform virtuous deeds and always offer prayers. Remember well that if there is nothing that differentiates the people of my Jamaat with others, then God Almighty does not have any personal relation with anyone.” If we as Ahmadis who have performed the Bai‘at are no different to other people, then one ought to remember that God Almighty is not the relative of anyone. Why would He grant us honour and safeguard us? If there is no difference, then God Almighty is not related to anyone that he would be compelled to grant us honour and humiliate others and punish them. The Promised Messiah^(as) says:

اِنَّمَا یَتَقَبَّلُ اللّٰہُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِیْنَ

‘Allah the Almighty only accepts from the righteous.’ The one who abandons every deed that is against the will of God Almighty is deemed as righteous. They consider their carnal passions and everything that is in the world to be nothing compared to God Almighty. The level of one’s faith can only be gauged when it is tested. There are some who listen to something from one ear and remove it from the other. They do not embed these commands in their hearts irrespective of how much one may advise them, they remain unmoved. Always remember that God Almighty is Self-Sufficient and until one prays constantly with great fervency, He does not accept it. Ponder over the fact that when one’s wife or child are ill, that person suffers greatly and is anxious on account of them. Until one develops such fervency and anxiousness in their prayers, praying is a useless and futile act. For the acceptance of prayer, it is essential to develop a state of fervency, just as God Almighty has stated:

اَمَّنْ یُّجِیْبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاہُ وَیَکْشِفُ السُّوْءَ

‘Or, Who answers the distressed person when he calls upon Him, and removes the evil.’”

The Promised Messiah^(as) then says that when one reforms themselves, they ought to ensure the reform of their families, and one is responsible for the reformation of one’s wife and children. The Promised Messiah^(as) says:

“God Almighty grants succour only to those people who constantly strive to do good and excel as opposed to remaining in one place. It is these people who will have a good reckoning. I have observed that some people are extremely passionate and develop a state of great fervency, yet after a while, they become stationary in one place, as a result of which they do not have a good reckoning. God Almighty has taught the following prayer in the Holy Quran:

اَصْلِحْ لِیْ فِیْ ذُرِّیَّتِیْ

‘And make my seed righteous for me’ [Surah Al-Ahqaaf, Ch.46: V.16]. “Alongside praying for one’s own reform, one ought to also pray for one’s wife and children as many people are put into trial due to their children, while others are put in trial due to their wives. Ponder, the first obstacle that Prophet Adam^(as) faced was due to a woman. Balaam abandoned his faith as opposed to Prophet Moses^(as) and the reason for this was that the king at the time gave certain pieces of jewellery to Balaam’s wife and incited for Balaam to curse Moses^(as). Thus, it is due to this that many people are put into trial, and so one ought to strive to reform them and also constantly supplicate for this.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 10, p. 139)

May God Almighty enable us to reform our conditions and to not only establish prayer, but to raise its standards. May we purify our wealth, increase our moral standards, perform virtuous deeds and also spread this far and wide. May we abstain from evil ourselves and strive to protect our offspring. After the construction of this mosque, may we spread the true message of Islam to the residents of this city, may we bring them closer to worship of the One God. We can only achieve this if we bring about virtuous changes within ourselves. May God Almighty grant us the opportunity to do so.

I will now mention some details about the mosque itself. We had previously named this area as Mahdiabad. The local area is called Nahe, where this mosque has been constructed and the local Jamaat here is relatively small. This was an agricultural land, which was bought in 1989. Part of it has been given on contract for farming purposes. Previously there was a farmhouse and another building, which we were granted permission to use as a mission house. We were granted permission to construct a mosque inside the large hall and all this was conducted through Waqar-e-Amal [volunteer work].

This is a two-storey building which comprises of a residence for the missionary, which was constructed previously. In 2010, the council granted permission to build on the farmland. As a result, 12 houses were constructed on this land and permission was granted for a purpose-built mosque. Out of the 12 houses, two have been kept by the Jamaat and the rest were sold, which generated income. Income was also generated from the land that was taken back by the council, in fact, a greater amount was received and as a result, this site was bought.

Nevertheless, six or seven years ago, or rather eight years ago, I laid the foundations, and now the mosque has been constructed. The covered area of the two-storey mosque is 385 square meters and can hold 210 worshippers. The upper floor is for the men and the lower floor is for women. There are facilities for ablution etc. The total cost of the construction was approximately 560,000 Euros. The local members contributed a little over 200,000 euros and the remaining amount was given by the 100-Mosque Scheme. May God Almighty bless the wealth and progeny of all those who sacrificed for this and with the construction of this mosque, may we fulfil the rights of our worship more than before.