Rewards of Monetary Sacrifice made in the way of Allah

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

September 23^rd, 2005

Huzur^aba delivered this Friday Sermon in Norway. Citing verse 93 of Surah Al Imran (3:93) Huzur^aba based the sermon on the rewards of monetary sacrifice made in the way of Allah.

Huzur^aba said the commandment to spend in the way of Allah is one of the basic commandments and that it has been mentioned in the very beginning of the Holy Qur’an (2: 4); that while it is necessary to worship God to attain His nearness, it is also necessary to spend in His way out of one’s wholesome earnings, and that it purifies the soul.

Relating the paramount examples of monetary sacrifice as made by the Companions of the Holy Prophet^saw Huzur^aba recounted how womenfolk would donate heaps of jewellery and how Hadhrat Umer ^ra and Hadhrat Abu Bakr ^ra set supreme examples of spending in the cause of Allah by donating literally half and all of their property respectively and how Hadhrat Abu Talha gave away his most profitable orchard of dates.

The Promised Messiah^as paraphrases the above Al Imran verse saying that true piety that takes one to the point of salvation is not attained unless one spends out of what is most precious to one. Referring to the Companions of the Holy Prophet^saw he writes that they too were family men like the rest of us but they gave their very lives for the cause of Allah. No one can claim piety by giving what is useless and worthless, the passage to piety is narrow and unless one does not give what is dear to one, it cannot be negotiated. One goes through all manner of trouble to attain worldly designations; thus how can the title of ‘beloved of God’ be attained easily?

In the current age, Huzur^aba said, it was the companions of the Promised Messiah ^as who, through his inspiration, brought about a revolutionary fervour to spend in the way of Allah. Today, we, their progeny, who have pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiah^as and who believe in the perpetuity of the Khilafat that is Divinely established, have to maintain those standards for therein lies our salvation.

Huzur^aba read further from the august writings of the Promised Messiah^as and explained that if one aspired to prosperity and blessings one must avoid niggardliness by all accounts.

Referring to the Quranic term of ‘goodly loan’ (2: 246) Huzur^aba explained that Allah is indeed never in need of any loan; the Quranic term is a reference to monetary sacrifice and by way of explaining to us it denotes that if we spend in His way He shall return it; manifold. Huzur^aba explained that spending in the way of Allah one’s sins are also pardoned.

Huzur^aba cited a few Ahadith to further expound the excellence of spending in the way of Allah and continued to read more extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiah^as detailing extraordinary episodes of monetary sacrifices made by his companions. Huzur^aba said this spirit has continued through time and is prevalent to this day. No one race or nation has monopoly over this fervour; it prevails within the Community all over the world.

Next Huzur^aba addressed the Norway Jama’at specifically, initiating a monetary appeal (Tehrik) in order to resume an abandoned project to build a mosque. Huzur^aba acknowledged that although plentiful donations were initially received for this project yet it was halted. Huzur^aba said he had noticed the sincerity and earnestness of the Norwegian Jama’at; he urged them to make a resolve and move onwards with this project and to accomplish it. Huzur^aba said in the current global climate, especially in the West, it is extremely necessary to promote ways and means to take God’s message to the world. Huzur^aba cautioned against the potential negligence of this project and prayed that may that never happen. Huzur^aba also prayed that may the Norwegian Jama’at be among those about whom the Promised Messiah^as said “they are sincerely devoted”.