Divine Attribute of Al Quddus (The Holy One)

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

April 27^th, 2007

Huzur continued with his theme of Divine attribute of Al Quddus (The Holy One) in his Friday Sermon.

Huzur began by citing verse 103 of Surah Al Nahl (16:103) and the translation reads: “Say, ‘The Spirit of holiness has brought it down from thy Lord with truth, that He may strengthen those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings for Muslims.’ He explained that just as with all the other Divine attributes, the human adaptation and indeed beneficence of Quddus was at its most and best in the being of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). He admonished his followers to also seek this beneficence and through its blessing remove any bias they may harbour.

Expounding the matter with reference to Ahadith Huzur related a prayer of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) that he would say in the ruku posture (bowing position) of Salat, ‘Holy, Blessed and Pure; the Creator and Sustainer of angels.’ During Witr Salat the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) would say Surah Al A’ala in the first rakat, Surah Al Kafiroon in the second and Surah Al Ikhlas in the third. After ending the Salat he would repeat three times, ‘Holy is He Who is the Sovereign and is Holy.’

He said, ‘Consider it essential to tasbih (glorify Allah) tehleel (to declare the Unity of God) and taqdees (to declare the sanctity and quality of being free from all flaws of Allah & to purify oneness) and count [these] on your fingertips. Your fingertips will be answerable on the Day of Judgment and they shall respond.’

Once some Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) asked him to separate them from someone to which he responded why would have Allah brought his advent about [if he was to carry out such practices]? Huzur said the beneficence of the quality of being Quddus is only favourable if every well-placed, privileged person, every person in a supervisory position; every office-holder fulfils the rights of those in a weaker position and those subordinate to them.

Once during an expedition the Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) were so famished with hunger that they asked his permission to slaughter their camels for food. He gave them permission. Hadhrat Umer (may Allah be pleased with him) came to know of this and went to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and said, ‘O Prophet of God, if they slaughtered their camels they would not have any means of transport left.’ The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had it announced that everyone should bring their leftovers to him. He then prayed, Allah blessed the meagre food and the Companions filled their utensils. The Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said, ‘I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I am Allah’s messenger’. Huzur said it was indeed the Prophet’s power of holiness that brought this blessing about.

Huzur then narrated the incident when the commandment for forbiddance of drinking alcohol was revealed. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) received the revelation he sent a Companion along to announce it in the streets of Medina. At the precise time some drinking was going on. Someone said lets find out if this is correct, another said ‘first obey, and then inquire. It is sufficient that we have heard the announcement.’ It is said that pots full of alcohol were immediately broken and liquor flowed through the streets of Medina.

Once a non-believer was rude to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) but he had kept silent in response. The son of this person, who was a Muslim, heard the incident from people and came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and said that if the Prophet intended to have him killed then he wanted to have the opportunity to do this. The Prophet replied to him and it was not so that he had forgiven the person. Huzur explained that the son was perturbed lest he joined the un-believers once again due to his father, so he declared that he was ready to kill his father for the sake of Allah and the Prophet, but the Prophet, who was a personification of compassion and kindness said that he had indeed forgiven the man. Huzur said this indeed was the blessing of the power of holiness of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

Next Huzur read a few extracts from the noble writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) who was the true and ardent devotee and indeed the slave of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) who had supreme comprehension of the Prophet’s beneficence of holiness and who imparted it to us.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) depicts the transformation that the quality of the Prophet’s holiness brought about in Arabia. This Prophet was created from the light of Allah, who spread his fragrance to take Allah’s beneficence to others. Who removed what was false and manifested most luminously in his truth. He guided people who were but dead of soul, made them civilised and took them to the lofty stages of spiritual discernment.

These were the people who had an idol for every matter, for every aspect in life. They were corrupted and debauched and proud of it. They had reached a stage that was far-removed from all aspects of humanity. They would spend freely on their depravity but had nothing to give in charity – Huzur said even now there are people who spend freely on worldly items but seem awkward when they are asked to give in the cause of Allah.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote that at that time people of Arabia had no experience of listening to sermons. In this situation of heightened disorder Allah sent a Prophet in Mecca. In their ignorance, the people of Mecca rejected him. The Prophet endured each animosity and circumvented malice with love. He was alone for a very long time and contended with everything through the power of his prophethood.

Then a time came when the blessed started to be attracted to him and endeavoured to gain nearness to Allah with their wealth and their lives and set magnificent example of sacrifice. Their drunken nights were transformed into nights of worship of God and their drunken mornings were transformed into the morning prayer, tasbih and Istaghfar (seek forgiveness of Allah).

The teaching of Holy Qur’an and the guidance of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) made the barbarians into humans, from basic humanity it took them to high morality and from high morality it took them to love of God and a stage where one is totally consumed with the love of God and nothing else remains. This is like when after this world has perished only God Al Qahhar (The Most Supreme) shall remain.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote that without power of attraction it is impossible to draw so many people and the Prophet had power of attraction in abundance. His teaching was clear and simple and without any complexity. Without the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the revelation of the Holy Qur’an the truth of the earlier prophets would not have been made evident on us. We have adhered ourselves to a Prophet who is God-like and whose sincere obedience purifies one completely.

Referring to verse 41 of Surah Al Ahzab (33:41) the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) comments on the word ‘khatam’ (Seal) and says that as this word applies to the Prophet (khatam-un-nabiyeen – seal of all the prophets) it applies to the Qur’an as well for it is it khatam ul kutb (seal of all the books) and it has all the excellences in it. Just as the power of holiness of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was at its highest therefore all the excellences of prophethood culminated and excelled in him, similarly the excellence of Word of God culminated in the Holy Qur’an.

With reference to verse 2 of Surah Al Kauther (108:2) the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote this is the response to the unbelievers who claimed that the Prophet did not have any [male] offspring but Allah said that he would have spiritual offspring. When this verse is read in conjunction with the Surah Al Ahzab verse (33:41) it informs us that the Prophet has been given spiritual progeny in abundance. For this reason a true believer would have to acknowledge that the spiritual effect of the Prophet is for everyone and for this reason Allah started this mission [of Ahmadiyyat].

Huzur commented if only our opponents understood this point. Currently opposition in places is rife. These people associate themselves to one who came to spread peace, who partook of a measure from the Holy Spirit and made humans out animal-like people. Now they are turning humans into animal-like people.

Huzur said the beneficence of the power of holiness of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) remains uninterrupted today and it is enabling those who do good in the latter-days to join the ‘earlier ones’ in rank. We witness individual as well as communal manifestations of this.

Huzur said four years ago Allah had purified the hearts of the believers to prove the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet and had made the words of the Promised Messiah come true. He purified the hearts of the believers and filled them specifically and exclusively with sincere prayer. Each believer experienced a wondrous state of their hearts. Without doubt that was a manifestation of the power of holiness. Then the world witnessed how people’s hearts were replete with love for the Khalifa of the day and the Khalifa’s heart filled with love for them. For a person who knew only a few, each and every person was made most dear. Feelings of such love emerged that were beyond one’s imagination. This indeed is the beneficence of the ‘living’ Prophet that enhances faith.

In order to continue to receive the beneficence of the Divine quality of Holiness we will have to continually purify our hearts, may Allah enable everyone to so.

Next Huzur requested prayers for Mian Waseem Ahmad Sahib, Nazir e Ala Qadian, who following a heart attack is extremely ill for the past couple of days. May Allah bless and grant him health, he is an extremely altruistic person.