SUMMARY OF FRIDAY SERMON

by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
March 19^th, 2004

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

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Ihsan
(The Arabic word Ihsan literally means ‘doing good’. It commonly denotes kindness, benevolence)

Delivering his Friday Sermon from Accra, Ghana, today Huzur^aba spoke on the subject of Ihsan. Reciting verse 94 of Surah Al Maidah (5:94) Huzur^aba said that he has been delivering Friday Sermons on basic moral values for a while now and today wished to speak on the high moral trait of Ihsan.

Ihsan supersedes the moral quality of doing justice (adl) and is a higher stage to it in that it enables man to do good regardless of how he is treated. To do Ihsan is a great commandment of Allah and a true mark of a believer. This quality is truly inculcated only after one adopts taqwa and refines it to an exquisite point. The Holy Quran elucidates Ihsan in many varieties, for example to spend in the way of Allah, to be benevolent to one’s next of kin and indeed God’s creation in general. Huzur^aba said that Allah has granted us with the grace of accepting the Messiah of the age and that our efforts to take this spiritual light to others in gathering them under the banner of the Holy Prophet would also be an act of Ihsan.

With reference to Ahadith Huzur^aba related the renowned tradition where the Holy Prophet explained Ihsan as worshiping Allah as if one can see Him and if this is not within one’s reach then to at least feel as if He is watching you. Huzur ^aba further expounded this through the Promised Messiah’s writings and said that to have absolute belief in God as if He is watching you and to love Him most naturally and when even without the concept of a heaven and a hell there is no abating in the zeal of this love then that is a higher stage of Ihsan. Huzur^aba said the Holy Prophet advised to spiritually train oneself to such a level that one responds to goodness and wickedness both with benevolence and that the Holy Prophet enjoined that to say ‘Jazakallaho Khaira’ (may Allah grant you the best reward) to one who has done good to you is the most supreme expression of gratitude. He counselled that three aspects that drew Allah’s grace were; to have mercy on the weak, to have love and compassion for parents and to be benevolent to servants. The Holy Prophet greatly stressed on the goodness of care and nurture of orphans. Huzur^aba said it was his impression that people of Ghana were particularly good at caring for orphans. Expounding on good treatment towards women Huzur^aba counselled men on excellent conduct towards their wives and drew attention towards kindness and benevolence to parents. Huzur^aba prayed that may we adopt the excellent virtue of Ihsan most sincerely. Huzur^aba explained that today he had delivered the Friday Sermon in Urdu by way of recognising the Ihsan of the Pakistani missionaries of spreading the word of Ahmadiyyat in Ghana in the early days and indeed the people of Pakistan who, due to the repressive regime of the country are prevented from listening to the Khalifa of the day. However, such is Allah’s arrangement that now the Khalifa can be heard globally through MTA.

Next Huzur^aba expressed his gratitude to the people and the government, in particular the President of Ghana for their love and affection and prayed most sincerely for them, Huzur^aba prayed for their safe return to their homes. He said his tour of West Africa was to continue further and he prayed that may it conclude enveloping Allah’s support and assistance.