SUMMARY OF FRIDAY SERMON
by
the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
August 19th, 2005
(NOTE: Alislam Team takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in this Synopsis of the Friday Sermon by Sister Shermeen Butt)
Most Excellent Preceptor
Huzuraba delivered his Friday Sermon on the most excellent and exemplary way in which the Holy Prophetsaw taught, coached and instructed his followers and thus transformed the hitherto ignorant and indecorous people of Arabia into the finest models of excellent conduct.
Citing verse 165 of Surah Al Imran Huzuraba elucidated the subject with reference to the immoral and wretched backdrop of pre-Islam Arabia. Huzuraba said the Holy Prophetsaw purified these people, teaching them the most basic of conduct and ways to live within a family, and all other social spheres. There is no aspect of life on which the Holy Prophetsaw did not set an example; he was the most excellent preceptor of politeness and good conduct. In doing so the Holy Prophetsaw acted upon Divine commandment (51:56) and accomplished this undertaking with gentleness and compassion.
To reform the society, he started with his own family; setting supreme examples of conduct. He would continually and gently remind his family of their dues of worship of God in a most tolerant and gentle manner, often quoting verses of the Holy Qur’an (18:55) to conclusively instruct and tutor them. He wished his family to live simply and to achieve lofty standards in worship of God and not to be inclined to the worldly life, yet he was never harsh with them and always taught with gentleness and by example. He did not approve of his most beloved grandsons to possess what was considered ostentatious in those times and ensured that his family set high examples of leading simple life, in doing so he was never insensitive and took care of their wishes by opting for alternative choices.
Similarly he tutored his blessed wives in the very best of conduct amongst each other by his gentle yet firm manner. He was most forceful in admonishing any negative reference made to physical appearance and likened any such remark to have the potential of polluting an entire mass of sea water with its negativity. He firmly discouraged and stopped any acts borne out of jealousy and coached in mutual reciprocation.
He taught propriety to children with love and affection and in all his counsel there would always be an element of reliance and trust in God.
Huzuraba cited a couple of examples of the Holy Prophet’ssaw gentle, forbearing and kind approach to teach the Bedouins the ways of worship and the etiquette of the mosque.
The Holy Prophetsaw laid tremendous emphasis on speaking the truth and said that it was paramount in establishing the Unity of God. He considered and indeed taught that even the slightest of lie spoken to a child in light-heartedness was wrong. He counted shirk (associating partners with Allah), disobedience to parents and speaking falsehood and giving false testimony as the greatest sins; emphasizing on the ill of speaking falsehood most strenuously.
The Holy Prophetsaw also admonished against the ill of negative conjecture about others. Expounding the matter Huzuraba cited verse 13 of Surah Al Hujurat (49:13) and said that the Holy Prophetsaw coached against this ill on even the smallest level.
Huzuraba related teachings about good treatment with the neighbours and emphasised the significance of conforming to the law of the land. The Holy Prophetsaw taught to love the country that one resides and called it a part of Iman (faith).
Huzuraba read a few extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiahas that most eloquently illustrated the supreme preceptor in the most excellent conduct that the Holy Prophetsaw was.
Huzuraba said today it is our obligation to adopt the good conduct that the
Holy Prophetsaw taught us and to demonstrate it
to the world by example; may Allah enable us