Divine help and support

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

July 14^th, 2006

Carrying on with the subject of Divine help and support, today Huzur^aba based his Friday Sermon on some incidents of amazing Divine help granted to followers of the Promised Messiah ^as.

Hazoor said indeed Allah’s help comes for His prophets in extraordinary ways; however after their departure from this world this help is channelled towards the community of the prophets in both communal and individual capacity.

In accordance with the words of the Promised Messiah ^as, after his passing away from this world, when the ‘second manifestation’ of God’s Power materialised in the form of his 1st Khilafat no doubt the opponents were crushed. In the era of the 2nd Khilafat we saw how internal and external opposition was demolished and Ahmadiyyat went from strength to strength with a very young yet resolute son of the Messiah at the helm. The 3rd Khilafat witnessed time of immense gravity as the opponent tried to quash the hopes of the Community and in their presumption tried to, as if, ‘cut off the hands’ of the Community. However, Allah’s support and help was forthcoming and it so happened that the opponent did not just have his hands cut off, rather even his neck was cut off.

In the 4th Khilafat, an apparent ploy was used that seemed to confine and restrict Ahmadiyyat from every which way and which was designed for its natural ending. However, in accordance with numerous Divine revelations of the Promised Messiah ^as Allah helped the rightly guided Khalifa of the Messiah and the enemy was left totally disappointed. On the contrary, in fulfilment of the revelation ‘I shall take your message to the corners of the earth’ so many avenues were opened up that the enemy was but left frustrated.

After the passing away of Khalifa tul Masih IV the opponents were hopeful in that the zenith had been reached; now it was time for the decline. They were foolishly unaware of Allah’s plans and of the fact that the triumph of His Messiah would not end with their wishes or their endeavours, nor is this triumph affiliated to a time or a to a certain person, rather it is affiliated to the Promised Messiah ^as and his Community and no force can ever stop it.

Huzur^aba explained that Allah demonstrates His help and succour on individual basis to those who lead their lives in accordance to His teachings and in obedience to the Holy Prophet ^saw, who are firm in their Salat, make financial sacrifice and obey the institution of Khilafat. With reference to help extended to the people of the Community of the Promised Messiah ^as Huzur^aba said indeed it is a proof of his truth and is also a source of strengthening the faith of the believers.

Huzur^aba related several incidents experienced by holy and pious Ahmadis.

Once, Hadrat Maulana Ghulam Rasul Rajiki went to a nearby village for Tabligh purposes. On his way back he wrote a few of his Punjabi poetic verses relating to the advent of the Promised Messiah on the veranda of the local mosque. A couple of village elders saw the poetic verses and decided to send seven strong young men to chase Maulana Rajiki and bring him back so that he could be made to erase the verses from the wall and later be killed. However, Maulana Rajiki reached home safely. When he came to know of the opponents plan he prayed most fervently in Salat fearing that those people would stop him from Tabligh of the Messiah. He felt drowsy and fell asleep on the prayer mat where Allah revealed to him that no one could stop him from Tabligh and that one of the two opposing men would be killed on the 11th day from then. The next day Maulana Rajiki went and told everyone of this and said that no one could avert this fate. People were left stunned. Indeed, after a short illness, the man died exactly on the 11th day.

Maulana Nazir Ahmad Mubasher relates about his time in Ghana that a young man, on his return from Makkah, began giving himself airs and graces and started opposing Ahmadiyyat. Efforts of reasoning and debate did not work with him and his associates took out a rally in the local tradition of the triumphant side, asserting that the Messiah had not come as there had been no earthquake to signal his coming! The Mualana prayed for a week most fervently, making supplications for an earthquake to take place that would be a sign of the advent of the Messiah. He had full conviction that the sign would appear, so he organised three gatherings and made an announcement that an earthquake would definitely occur. Only two of the three gatherings had taken place when a huge earthquake hit the entire country of Ghana which left people astonished – as a result 180 people from the village came into Ahmadiyyat.

Huzur^aba related an incident of Divine help for Sheikh Zain ul Abideen Sahib and Hafiz Hamid Ali Sahib as they travelled to Africa on a sailing ship; the ship faced a storm and the captain of the ship announced the grave and critical situation. Yet they were convinced that the ship would not sink as it carried “two disciples of the Promised Messiah”. Against all odds the ship reached their destination, however, once they had disembarked the ship sailed on and was destroyed near Zanzibar.

During the Second World War, Mualana Sadiq Sahib was stationed in Japan and was wrongly accused and sentenced for the crime of murder. He prayed most fervently and saw a vision which foretold him of the end of the Japanese power. With just ten days remaining for his wrongful execution, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed and thus the matter ended.

While in Fiji, Sheikh Wajid Sahib and the Community met fierce opposition and the opponents set fire to a building of the mission, which miraculously did not do much damage despite the building being of timber. The missionary in charge remarked, ‘may Allah set fire to the house of whoever had set fire to the centre of Allah’. A few days later the residence of the leader of the opponents caught fire.

A similar sort of incident relates that when fire raged around the timber house of Maulana Ghulam Hussein burning things down he reportedly said ‘do not worry, the Promised Messiah had received a revelation that ‘fire is our slave and the slave of our slaves’. Allah heard the call of His helpless servant and his house was protected.

Huzur^aba related further incidents demonstrating Divine help about Maulana Rajiki and Maulana Nazir Ahmad Mubasher as well as incidents relating to Muhammad Sadiq Sahib from Indonesia, Mualana Muhammad Sadeeq Sahib Amritsari and Maula Buksh Sahib.

Huzur^aba said that in this age we see people who truly hold onto the commandments of Allah only in the Community of the Promised Messiah and these are the very people that the Promised Messiah ^as had prayed to have in his Community.

In conclusion Huzur^aba prayed that may Allah continue to bless the Community of the Promised Messiah ^as with people who excel in sincerity; people whose lives are a testimony to Divine help and succour and who, buoyed by Allah’s beneficence, are helpful and supportive towards the perpetuity of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat.