Huzoor (aba) gave a discourse on the Divine attribute of Al Kaafi (The Sufficient) in the Friday Sermon today. Explaining its meanings from the Arabic lexicon, Huzoor (aba) said it is an attribute of Allah which signifies One Who Suffices and does not need recourse to any other or have hopes from any other. This attribute is commonly used by Muslims to express their gratitude and humility to God. When one ponders upon its deeper meanings, one is bound to come to the conclusion that no being other than Allah Almighty is sufficient for His creation. It is He Who enables us to distinguish between what is right and wrong and protects us and removes all sorts of evil. Huzoor (aba) mentioned and then explained the following Hadith in context of this Divine attribute:
"Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah Al Baqarah at night, they will be sufficient for him." [Bukhari]
The last two verses of the Surah Al Baqarah are translated as follows:
“This Messenger of Ours believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers: all of them believe in Allah, and in His angels, and in His Books, and in His Messengers, saying, ‘We make no distinction between any of His Messengers;’ and they say, ‘We hear, and we obey. We implore Thy forgiveness, O our Lord, and to Thee is the returning.’
Allah burdens not any soul beyond its capacity. It shall have the reward it earns, and it shall get the punishment it incurs. Our Lord, do not punish us, if we forget or fall into error; and our Lord, lay not on us a responsibility as Thou didst lay upon those before us. Our Lord, burden us not with what we have not the strength to bear; and efface our sins, and grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us; Thou art our Master; so help us Thou against the disbelieving people. (2:286) (2:287)”
Huzoor (aba) said that if we ponder upon the meanings of these verses, they include such prayers that provide us with protection against many evils and become a source of progression of our faith.
The first verse is a way of purifying one’s soul and strengthens one’s faith. We must profess our belief in all the articles of faith not by mere lip service, but inculcate a true conviction in our hearts and put into practice what we believe. Therefore, besides having a firm and inclusive faith, believers must act upon their beliefs as well. The belief in God only becomes genuine when we strive to increase in Taqwa. The belief in angels can only be true if we are convinced that they are performing their assigned duties and carrying out their responsibilities. We must acknowledge that all Books were revealed by God (though their present state is altered through the ages by man, except for Quran) and the doctrines and teachings of these Books are now preserved in the Holy Quran which is protected for all times to come. A unique characteristic of Islam is that it requires its adherents to believe in all prophets. Huzoor (aba) specifically mentioned all prophets, i.e. not only in prophets who came before the Holy Prophet (saw), pointing to the fact that the Promised Messiah (as) was to come after the Holy Prophet as a Prophet of God and it is the duty of all Muslims to accept him as a Prophet. The so-called “scholars” of Islam today are waiting for the advent of the Messiah of the latter days in a fashion which is not the practice of God. Not only are they weakening their own beliefs but spoiling others as well. When proofs of truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (as) are present with the support of the Holy Quran, then all Muslims should make an utmost effort to seek that truth and become the recipients of the blessings of Allah by obeying Him. May Allah enable our Muslim brothers to understand the finer details of the Quran, Ameen. To sum up, belief in the above should go forth and parallel with the practical commitment of all commandments of Allah.
The second verse begins with the statement that no soul is burdened beyond its ability. The Promised Messiah (as) in this regard has said that we have been directed to follow the practices of the Holy Prophet (saw). Had we not been bestowed with the faculties to carry out this directive, we would not have been given this instruction because Allah Almighty does not encumber our soul beyond what it is capable of bearing.
Since the first verse invites us to become strong in our faith, the second verse logically develops the idea that those who are thus strong in their faith will never abandon the commandments of God and will make every effort to implement these commandments and practice them in their lives. Islam is a religion for every man and has provided many conveniences so that it can be put into practice with ease. Huzoor (aba) said that we make many efforts to pursue worldly gains, so why should we not put our efforts to secure spiritual returns. The role model of the Holy Prophet (saw) is for us to follow, and therefore we should seek Allah’s help even in the enhancement and improvement of our standards of worship; thus we will progress in faith.
The next part of this verse alludes to the actions of the person i.e. whatever good or evil he does will return to him. Goodness shall reap rewards and evil will earn worthy consequences. A believer should pay attention to his actions at all times so that he gains nearness to God and secures His Mercy. Then will he prostrate to God in gratitude, ensuring his path to purification of soul. He is well aware that he is made weak and feeble, so if he has committed a wrongdoing, intentionally or unintentionally, due to forgetfulness or indolence, due to impurity of intentions, or due to any other weakness, he will seek his Lord’s forgiveness.
The next supplication is O Lord, lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us, who disobeyed You or with whom You were displeased. O Lord, we seek protection from such worldly trials which are beyond our strength to face and to bear. God tries His people in form of wealth or children or in other ways, so we should implore His mercy from all types of trials. Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear of obligations, hardships and afflictions and keep us on the straight path so that we may never incur your displeasure. Have mercy on us and make us among those You love. Guide us and grant us victory over the disbelieving people and bestow us with Your blessings and favors. Make a clear distinction between us and the enemy and make us prevail over them.
Huzoor (aba) said that if we wish to reap the benefits of these prayers, we should recite these verses keeping all this in mind and recite them with a fervor in our hearts so as to become the recipients of Allah’s kind and merciful treatment. May Allah make us humble in our efforts, protect us from Satanic influences and truly enable us to understand the beauties of Quranic wisdom, Ameen.
In the end, Huzoor (aba) drew the attention of all Ahmadis worldwide to pray for relief from the plight that the Palestinians are facing at the hands of Israel. Their situation is getting from bad to worse by the day, and now even those who were supporting the cause of Israel have cried out in protest at the cruelties being done to the innocent Palestinians who are being subjected to such horror. The nations that have remained silent are also part of this cruelty against the innocent. The only way we can help the Palestinians is to pray for them with all our heart. Huzoor (aba) pointed out that there are relief organizations that are sending medications and other provisions to the victims, so Ahmadis should help these agencies as well. Humanity First is also helping and Jamaat will also help in any way possible. May Allah have mercy, Ameen.