In his Friday Sermon today, Huzur continued with the subject of the Divine attribute of Al Ra’uf, The Compassionate.
Huzur recited verse (2:208) of Surah Al Baqarah and in explaining the subject of Allah’s compassion said that by virtue of His compassion for His servants He grants everlasting blessings to them in exchange of what are but only a few good deeds, that He never burdens any soul more than its capacity and that He forgives old sinners at their moment’s repentance.
Commenting on the writings of Allama Abu Hayan, Huzur said that he did not agree with the Allama’s statement that Allah’s compassion and gentleness is more encompassing than His mercy. Huzur said that he is ever amazed at the boundless degree and extent of Allah’s mercy and indeed of the mercy of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) who is given the title of ‘Mercy for all the worlds’. Huzur said it was a mercy that pervaded for all living creatures, including vegetation. Huzur elucidated his point without reference to any prepared notes and cited several traditions of the Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings be on him) life that illustrate his unique and matchless quality of mercy. Huzur spoke with reference to verses by a renowned Urdu poet Hali that comprehensively depict the mercy of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be on him), he further elaborated by citing incidents of the Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings be on him) benevolent mercy for children, grown ups, animals and vegetation and recounted that he taught us that the mercy, love and tenderness of Allah is far greater than the compassion of mother-love. Huzur enjoined to constantly invoke blessings on the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) and to pray that may Allah make us the successors of the promise of the Holy Prophet’s (peace and blessings be on him) intercession, a benevolence borne out of his quality of mercy.
Huzur read a few extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) on the subject of mercy and compassion and on the liberating bliss that can only be acquired by negating one’s self in the way of Allah, by surrendering one’s each and every faculty in the way of Allah and in return acquiring an incomparable sense of pleasure and bliss that is in fact pre-cursory to the joys and delights of Paradise.
Huzur concluded by praying that may Allah enable us to attain this.