SUMMARY OF FRIDAY SERMON
by
the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
March 18th, 2005
(NOTE: Alislam Team takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in this Synopsis of the Friday Sermon by Sister Shermeen Butt)
Magnificent Spirit of Generosity
of the Holy Prophet
Huzuraba explained that his generosity and munificence was purely to seek the
pleasure of Allah and to alleviate the pain of others. This is the demeanour
in which he educated and trained his own family, enjoining them to open their
hearts and their means for others!
Huzuraba said the Holy Prophet was a manifestation
of all Divine attributes on a human level and had said ‘Allah is
the Greatest among all who are generous and I am the most generous among people’.
There were many occasions in his life time when he came by literal heaps of
wealth but he never gave it any attention, rather he would be deeply concerned
to promptly distribute the wealth. He said ‘I am only ‘Qasim’ (distributor)
Allah grants and I distribute’.
Huzuraba elucidated the subject by relating numerous traditions. The Holy Prophet’s Companions recalled him to be the most beautiful,
the bravest and the most generous; they referred to him as the noblest, a luminous
and generous being. Particularly during the month of Ramadan his celebrated
generosity would gather phenomenal pace. It was never that one had asked him
for something and he had said no. The people of Medina would ask for his help
over and over again and he would always provide. Once he was given a beautifully
embroidered and woven mantle for which he was in need of. A Companion praised
it and asked for it and the Holy Prophet immediately
gave it, the other Companions were unhappy because the Prophet was in need
of it, but the recipient Companion told them he had asked for it not to use
it but to have it as his shroud.
Once 90,000 dirham were presented to the Holy Prophet.
He spread it on a mat and began distributing it to one and all. When the money
had been completely distributed, a needy person came by. The
Holy Prophet told
him to go and purchase things of necessity in his (the Prophet’s) name.
The Holy Prophet was
displeased when a Companion remarked this to be perhaps an excessive gesture
and smiled in response to another Companion observing
that the Prophet should continue giving and that Allah would never lessen the
wealth. The Holy Prophet explained, ‘this
is what I am commanded to do'.
Huzuraba related an incident when Hadhrat Bilal
took a succession of loans from a non-believer to meet the needs of the disadvantaged
until such time that the repayment was due back and the lender got intimidating.
For fear of failure to pay Hadhrat Bilal was about to temporarily leave home
when the Holy Prophet called for him. Waiting
there were four camel-loads of goods, a gift from a ruler, which was used to
make the repayment.
Huzuraba recounted a few traditions regarding the Holy Prophet’s unvarying
kindness and generosity to the Bedouins, despite their coarse behaviour and
manner, how he always met their needs, at
times even delaying Salat to do so.
Once the Holy Prophet had 10 dirham, he purchased
a tunic for 4 dirham and put it on, a needy came by and asked for a tunic,
the Holy Prophet gave him the tunic while he
purchased another with 4 dirham. Meanwhile he saw a slave girl crying, upon
asking she told him that she had lost 2 dirham that her master had given her
to buy flour. The Holy Prophet gave her the
remaining 2 dirham and walked her home because she feared being told off for
being late. On reaching the house, the Holy Prophet explained the situation to her master, who released her for the sake
of Allah. The Holy Prophet gave the master
the glad tiding of Paradise and remarked that the 10 dirham proved to be most
blessed; they provided a tunic for a Prophet, a tunic for an Ansari and freedom
for a slave!
Huzuraba related many other Ahadith illustrating the supreme generosity of the
Holy Prophet when giving a gift in return;
gold jewellery in return of cucumbers and an entire valley - plot of land -
in return of something humble. He would often purchase livestock from people
and then return it to them as a gift, ever looking at ways to bestow.
Once upon looking at the mount of Uhad he remarked that even if he acquired gold the size of the mount, he would be happy to spend it in Allah’s way within three days and keep nothing for himself. He said that on the Day of Judgement the wealthy will be the losers apart from those who spend over others around them, that a generous person is near to Allah and Paradise and that Allah prefers a generous ignorant to a miserly worshipper.
Huzuraba concluded by reading extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiah
conveying
the subject of the Sermon most eloquently.