Huzur recited the following verses at the start of the Friday Sermon:
Say, ‘My Lord has enjoined justice. And fix your attention aright at every time and place of worship, and call upon Him, making yourselves sincere towards Him in religion. As He brought you into being, so shall you return.’ (7:30)
‘They are the ones who turn to God in repentance, who worship Him, who praise Him, who go about in the land serving Him, who bow down to God, who prostrate themselves in prayer, who enjoin good and forbid evil, and who watch the limits set by Allah. And give glad tidings to those who believe.’ (9:112)
Huzur said today his Friday Sermon was the first at Masjid Nur, Frankfurt. This year the mosque completes it fifty years. At the time of its construction it was built within the resources and needs of the Community but the Community has out-grown it now and this is why many people from other areas were asked not to come here for Friday Prayers today. Our first ever mosque built in Germany was in Hamburg and this was the second. The German Jama’at wanted to hold an event to commemorate the completion of fifty years of this mosque and invite dignitaries. Ameer sahib Germany asked Huzur to attend this event which Huzur agreed to. Huzur agreed to this with the prospect of saying something to the dignitaries invited to the event about the teachings of Islam. Although the people invited would be introduced to Islam to some extent but this way Huzur could personally give them the message.
There are many other mosques of our Community that have completed their 75 or 100 years. However, the significance of a mosque is not by virtue of completion of its 50 or 75 years. The significance of a mosque and its beauty is with the people who populate it five times a day while adhering to taqwa.
The Holy Qur’an and ahadith provide us a lot of guidance about the significance and dignity of a mosque and it is the identity of an Ahmadi to recognise this significance of mosque and Huzur would give a discourse today with reference to this.
The name of the mosque Huzur gave his sermon from, as the Ahmadis worldwide would know by now, is Masjid Nur. By coincidence Huzur has been giving discourses about the Divine attribute of Al Nur in his last two sermons.
Huzur said this mosque and every other mosque of ours is built to establish God’s Nur (Light) in hearts and to spread it around us, no matter what the mosque is called.
This is the nur which God sent down to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) through the Holy Qur’an and in this age made the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) a reflection of it so that it may spread all over.
Huzur said he would say that it is the misfortune of the Swiss government that they have given in to the view of an anti-Islamic political party and held the referendum against building of minarets of mosques.
According to a report only 32% people voted in favour of this ban. The majority either abstained or were not in favour of this ban.
While the rest of the Muslims are nonchalant about this, it is the Community of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) who have raised concern at this ban, have called a public meeting and have met with the politicians to register their concern, indeed they are continuing to do this. Some politicians have even extended apologises in this regard.
In Zurich rallies were taken out by [local] people against the preposterous ban. Meanwhile a politician went on to say there should also be a ban on hijab. However, members of his political party raised objection at this proclamation of their national leader and he had to extend an apology on television. A provisional leader of the party wrote favourably to the Ameer sahib of Switzerland regarding this episode. Huzur said indeed decent people are found everywhere.
Huzur said the Ahmadiyya Community is defending Islam all over the world whereas the so-called caretakers of Islam either verbally abuse each other or play with the lives of innocent people. Yet they question the need for the advent of the Messiah. They say they have the nur in the form of the last Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the clear Book, the Qur’an. Indeed, we too profess the same and have a greater belief in it. However, in order to partake of this nur, in accordance to the prophecy of God and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) a person was needed in this age to take this nur further afield.
Huzur said a Spanish satellite TV channel broadcasted against the Swiss ban on minarets. The channel showed a photograph of our mosque in Pedro Abad (Spain) and interviewed many locals who spoke against the banning rules and spoke highly of our mosque and said that this mosque gave the message of love and harmony. One person went as far as saying that these are the real peaceful people and we should emulate them.
Huzur said such is the revolutionary change that the Community of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has brought about, having received religious training from him, that just a few decades ago, these people were perhaps uneasy to greet Muslims and today they openly state on television that as regards peace these Muslims should be emulated.
It is most preposterous to place a ban on the construction of minarets. Even if it is supposed that all Muslims are extremists, would a ban on minarets stop extremism? The word minar (minaret) is derived from the root word of nur. The purpose of a minaret is to call people from a raised position to the worship of One God. In the pre-electricity times this served the purpose. Nowadays the minaret is symbolic and in Muslim countries a loud-speaker is attached to it to transmit the Adhan. Huzur said if objections are to be raised, one could object to the spires of churches. However, that is not our objective. The purpose of a minaret is to relay the Adhan, which is a declaration of the Unity of God, it is a declaration that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is God’s Messenger, it calls to worship because that is the purpose of our existence, it calls to prosperity so that people may accomplish their life in this world and the Hereafter. What a beautiful and solid message the minarets give out.
In spite of the fact that we can raise objections about the churches [spires] we do not, for we do not wish to trifle with the religious sentiments of others. We respect churches and temples. The Holy Qur’an does not just ask us to respect them but also to protect them.
The press coverage of fifty years ago, when this mosque was built, reflected the decency of the journalists of the time. At that time more than seventy newspapers covered the construction of the mosque and carried statements as follows: ‘A white mosque with high and beautiful minarets is built in Frankfurt.’ ‘House of God in Frankfurt’. ‘Islam is heading towards Europe: The followers of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) earlier reached south of France with the help of the sword. The task is being done with spiritual weapons in the current age…a sect that has particularly built mosques in different areas is that of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (on whom be peace)…’.
Huzur said it should be noted that at the time when there were just a few Ahmadis in Germany, due to the proper message coming from this mosque, the press presented the message of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) with great respect. Now that the number of Ahmadis in Germany has grown considerably, they should try harder than before to present the true picture of Islam.
The minarets are as beautiful today as they were in the past but people have lost their fair-mindedness. Islam is portrayed in a negative light and some sections of the press play an unconstructive role in this.
Huzur said it was in the news yesterday that a British man killed his 15 year old daughter. The news was presented as: ‘Muslim man kills his daughter’. Crimes such as this and worse are committed by Westerners but the news is never given as a Christian or a Jewish man committing a crime. However, if the perpetrator is Muslim, his introduction is always with reference to his religion. This shows that there is a movement against Islam.
It is the duty of all the Muslims living in the West to better themselves and stand up against this movement. However, today this is not for everyone to do. It is only in the destiny of the Community of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). It is the task of those who come into the bai’at of the true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to consider this as their responsibility.
The Nur of God should be taken to each and every person in Europe through the agency of mosques. This will come to pass when we are connected to our mosques while abiding by taqwa. Huzur said the station and significance of mosques should always be in our viewpoint.
Huzur said the first verse that he recited (7:30) gives a most beautiful teaching. People object that mosques are the hub of extremism, but the first commandment this verse gives is to establish justice and only then draw attention to worship of God. Indeed, in order to pay the dues of God one has to purify one’s heart. The Holy Qur’an states: ‘…when you judge between men, you judge with justice…’ (4:59). It does not enjoin to judge with equity merely between Muslims for its teaching is for the entire mankind, as it is also stated: ‘…Let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice…’(5:9).
Huzur said a mosque is a place where one comes to bow down before God while staying firm on taqwa and fulfilling the requisites of justice. The word ‘masjid’ is derived from the word ‘sajdah’ (prostration), i.e. the extreme form of obedience and submission. This is what the Quranic verse enjoins; when the time of Salat comes, call on God in the mosque, for He alone guides on the straight path. He alone can create the true essence of ‘sajdah’ in us, He alone grants us sincerity of faith to abide by its commandments, He alone enables us to fulfil all the requisites of justice and it is God alone Who draws our attention to our obligations to Him and our obligations to mankind. Today we bow down to You, prostrate to You to enable us to fulfil our dues.
A true believer, who has firm faith in the Hereafter, cannot do something that would deprive him/her of the blessings of the Hereafter. If one is not drawn to do every act of virtue, then ranks of spiritual development will also escape us.
There is no question that on one hand a believer comes to the mosque to worship God in order to seek His pleasure and on the other hand a voice of hatred emerges from the mosque that can create disorder in the world.
Mosques are symbols of development of paying the dues of God and the dues of mankind and minarets are a source of achieving this and are used to call people.
Today it is the obligation of us, Ahmadis, to tell the world about the reality of Islam. The permanence of this world lies in accepting One God and searching for His Nur. If this light can be found in this world, it is in the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the last Book of Shariah. This Book is the sole source of permanence of this world and its teaching is the guarantee of world peace, as the Qur’an states in 9:112 (as recited by Huzur at the beginning of the sermon.
Huzur said thus [as mentioned in 9:112] are the characteristics of true believers.
The first characteristic cited is that they repent, that is, they detach themselves from vices.
The second characteristic is that they worship God. Obviously if one is inclined to God one will also be drawn to His worship. A true believer who has perfect faith always tries his/her utmost and realises that without worship his/her life is incomplete. Huzur said it has come to his notice that attendance at this mosque is not regular and it was also reported in the local press that once five daily Prayers were offered at this mosque but now it was only used for Friday Prayers. Huzur enjoined to rectify this. Huzur said at the time of foundation-laying of mosques, others often ask why do we build mosques. The other day a media person had put this question to Huzur. The simple answer to this is that congregational Salat holds great significance in our religion and we build mosques for this purpose. Sincere Salat draws attention towards paying the dues of God and the dues of mankind. As for those who do not offer their Salat with this mindset, the Qur’an states: ‘So woe to those who pray’ (107:5).
A true believer is one who praises God and only that person can truly praise God who believes God to be the Possessor of all excellent attributes and then obeys God in putting His commandments in practice.
It is these people who enjoin good and forbid evil and watch the limits set by God. What are the limits set by God? These are all the commandments given in the Holy Qur’an. It is the task of a righteous person to stay within these limits.
It is to these people that God gives glad-tidings and all the clamour and opposition cannot harm them in the least.
Huzur said that he would like to add here that God has also given glad-tidings to those who ‘go about in the land serving Him’. This signifies those who step out to spread the message of Truth, for Tabligh. This also includes those whose situation is so straitened for them in their own country that they are forced to migrate to other countries as God enjoins.
Huzur said most of those present came to the West for this reason and it is kind of the German government to have recognised this and to have permitted them to live here. Huzur said it should always be borne in mind that if we want our ultimate aim to seek God’s pleasure and want to be among those who practise virtues and spread them in the society and who save the society we have to put all of God’s commandments in practice and also enlighten our younger generations about them. Otherwise the enemies of Islam will be justified in saying that they do not know what the teaching of our religion is, there are targeting us based on our actions.
Every honourable Ahmadi should be extremely cautious not to bring disrepute to Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam, by any act of ours and should always be mindful that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said, ‘do not bring us in disrepute after being associated with us’.
Every Ahmadi should realise that he/she has been able to raise their standard of living and have had the opportunity to live their lives with freedom in this country because of Ahmadiyyat. Therefore, they should spend their lives in a manner that will make them the recipients of God’s pleasure.
God has granted the Muslims a very high status and the Ahmadis, who have taken the bai’at of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) have thus aimed to do their utmost to attain this status and to safeguard it.
God has stated: ‘You are the best people raised for the good of mankind…’ (3:111). Regardless of religion, today the good of humanity is associated with you. This is a tremendous honour and has not been given lightly. Rather, it is granted because ‘you enjoin good and forbid evil.’
Each Ahmadi should be mindful that it is our task to bring down the barriers of hatred. These barriers need to be brought down by promoting virtues and by worship of God, by populating mosques, by being grateful servants of God; grateful that when the earth was straitened for us we were enabled to spread out in the world. This was with the grace of God.
It was also because when at a later time, walls of rancour and mistrust were to be raised due to the acts of a few Muslims, Ahmadis would be present to defend Islam through the practise of its true teachings.
Today, we have to invite the world to come and see what the reality of mosques is, what is the reality of minarets. Invite them to come and see what true high morals are, what virtues are, how good is enjoined and how evil is forbidden. Invite them to inform them how peace can be established in the world. This indeed is a great responsibility that has been placed on Ahmadis which they need to fulfil through their practice of Ahmadiyyat, true Islam.
Every Ahmadi, man, woman, child and youth solemnly affirms to sacrifice their life, property and honour for this purpose. If we are not able to distinguish ourselves from other Muslims, we will not be able to defend Islam.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said, you and the others are equal in making claims but God is not pleased by mere claims.
Huzur said in order to be ‘best people’ we will have to present our practical examples, may God enable us to do so.
Next Huzur said that during inaugurations of mosques it has become customary where mosques are small to hold a reception inside the mosque by laying matting on the floor. Huzur said this will not be allowed in future. If a reception is to be held during the inauguration of a mosque, a marquee should be erected outside in the courtyard for the purpose. No arrangement should be made for meals in the inner hall of mosque. This should be noted by all Jama’ats of the world.