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Significance and the Philosophy of Dua (prayer)

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

September 22nd, 2006

NOTE: Alislam Team takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in this Synopsis of the Friday Sermon

Huzur said it is incumbent for a believer who has perfect belief in Allah to seek from Allah at every time of need, even when one is in need of something as minor as a shoelace.

Huzur advised to pray to Allah for safeguard from evil and to be enabled to do good, for without His grace and mercy neither can one be protected from evil nor can one attain the Paradise in this world and the Hereafter. How necessary does it then become to remember Him at all times and to ever seek from Him.

Citing verse 78 of Surah Al Furqan (25:78) Huzur said the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has explained to us that it is Allah’s law that His special grace is granted to one who sincerely adopts Unity of God and prayer; Allah has no needs; if we do not take on good ways and do not spend time in His remembrance, He has no care. This verse elucidates the other Quranic verse that unfolds the purpose for the creation of man (51:57) and proves that Allah is not hasty in destroying those who are not negligent towards religion. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) urged that this was a most important commandment. Allah listens to and accepts the prayer that is made with complete sincerity, made to seek His pleasure and with reliance in Him.

Citing verse 61 of Surah Al Mu’min (40:51) again Huzur explained in the words of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that it is a matter of principle that one who has not understood the essence and the reality of prayer would be in the loss. God and His servants have the mutual power of fusion/imbibing; at the time of prayer this quality creates a singular ambience. A sincere servant of God, as if perishes in his perfect devotion to his God and this is the stage when he attains remarkable Divine closeness and his being totally submits itself to his God.

Huzur said if one is aware of the quintessence of prayer then one must also be aware of its capacity of acceptance. In the mutual capacity of fusion/imbibing between God and His servant it is God Who precedes by means of manifestation of His attribute of Rahmaniyyat (Divine quality of being Gracious) and endows man with innumerable blessings at every step. When His servant becomes devoted to his God purely for the sake of God and with complete sincerity, Allah gets closer still. When God gets so close to His servant that the stage of fusion/imbibing is accomplished, it is then that prayers are granted miraculous acceptance. Huzur explained that even in everyday life when an ordinary person calls on God in distress, he does so in a state of great humility and due to his troubles and therefore witnesses acceptance of prayer.

Huzur said it is by virtue of the Divine quality of Rahmaniyyat that God puts all earthly and heavenly means at the service of man. Huzur referred to a recent sermon of his on acceptance of prayers of pious elders and said that these people had certainly attained the afore-mentioned station. Huzur said today we also have such people in our Community. All that is needed is to go be attracted to Him with sincerity of heart.

Citing verse 111 of Surah Bani Israel (17:111) Huzur explained that Allah declares that we should call onto Him with His different names with reference to and in accordance to our needs for He has great regard for His names, which are a reflection of His attributes. We have been taught all these Divine names to enable us to pray to Him and for the acceptance of our prayers. We should therefore try and get a comprehension and a perception of these names and then call onto Him with reference to the Divine attributes.

Next Huzur expounded some Quranic verses to seek Divine beneficence. Explaining, Huzur said no one should harbour pride over a high-powered job or a prosperous business, or noble lineage or indeed one’s highbrow propensity.

Huzur quoted verse 102 of Surah Yusuf which is a prayer of gratefulness to God for good granted in this world and of hope for death in a state of submission. Huzur said this Quranic prayer is not simply to expound an incident rather it ought to be put in practice by the believers so that they may be counted among the righteous in death.

Huzur expounded some of the illimitable blessings that God has put in place in the heavens and the earth for the benefit of creation, like day and night, seasons, vegetation etc. and said that those who reflect over these blessings and are thankful to God also reflect over the Hereafter and pray for forgiveness. Huzur cited verse 192 of Surah Al Imran (3:192) in this instance and in explanation quoted the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that the verse speaks of people who, unlike the worldly people, do not merely look upon the phenomenon of nature in the material sense, rather they ponder over their far-reaching benefits and advantages for mankind and over their Creator and this strengthens them in their faith.

Next Huzur cited verses 84 to 86 of Surah Al Shu’ara which comprise prayers for wisdom and to be counted among the righteous, for a good reputation after one has passed away and most significantly for elevated status in the Hereafter.

Huzur referred to verse 75 of Surah Al Furqan (25:75) and gave a detailed discourse on the significance of praying for one’s children to be righteous and pious. Quoting from the writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) Huzur said one should not limit one’s wish to have children to the biological desire. The purpose of man’s creation is to worship God so if a person does not follow the path of guidance himself his wish to have children would merely entail that he would be leaving a successor to his bad ways; he likened the wish to have a child so that he/she may grow up to be a successful person to shirk and said that the desire to have children should only be to attain good.

Huzur said these are the standards that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wished to see in all Ahmadis as regards their children. In light of the Quranic teachings, he greatly stressed on moral training of children and for being prayerful for them.
Huzur said for each Ahmadi his/her child is trust of the Community; as for those whose children are in the Waqf e Nau scheme, they are fathers of children who have offered themselves on the precept of Ishmael (on whom be peace) therefore these father need to demonstrate the model of Ibrahim (on whom be peace).

Huzur said if we prayed while fulfilling the requisites of prayers then our prayers would attain acceptance. Huzur prayed that may we be enabled to raise our standards of prayers while understanding the philosophy of prayer.

Next Huzur announced a few funerals in absentia that he was going to lead after Jummah.