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Unique Acceptance of Prayers of the Promised Messiah (as)

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

August 25th, 2006

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

Huzur gave a discourse on the unique acceptance of the prayers of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in this Friday Sermon.

Huzur said for the past 100 years each day witnesses the advancement and progress of the Community of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) despite counter attempts made by the opposition, including those on governmental level. This indeed is by virtue of the prayers of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that are honoured acceptance to this day.

Citing several examples of faith-inspiring acceptance of prayers made by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) Huzur related incidents of remarkable physical healing people received through these prayers.

Among these was the incident of the miraculous cure of chronic inflammation of the eyes for Amtullah Bibi, an Afghani Ahmadi, who as a child had gone to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) for prayer and healing. He simply put his saliva on his finger, momentarily waited, perhaps saying a prayer, and then put the saliva on the girls’ eyes, and told her that she would be free of the disease. The incident was related by Amtullah Bibi at the age of 70.

Huzur further recounted incidents of childhood illnesses of Hadhrat Mir Muhammd Ishaq and his own son Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (Allah be pleased with them both) as well as the son of Sardar Nawab Muhammad Ali Sahib who were all cured in miraculous ways by the prayers of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) made at the specific times.

On 5th August 1906 the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) felt that he had no sensation in the lower half of his body. As he had read books on Greek medicine he realised this was a symptom of a stroke. During the night he made entreaties to God that death by such means would cause rejoicing among the enemy. This is when he received a revelation that God has power over everything and that God does not disgrace true believers. Following this sleep overcame the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and when he awoke after eight hours, no sign of the illness remained.

Huzur said the outbreak of plague in India was one of the signs of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in that Allah had informed him that people who had come into his ‘household’ would be saved from the disease. Indeed, during this time the Promised Messiah’s (on whom be peace) own young son, Hadhrat Mirza Sharif Ahmad (grandfather of Khalifa tul Masih V) fell ill with high fever and at night time his condition deteriorated. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was extremely distressed at the thought that people would image that the boy had the plague. He did his ablutions and stood for Salat. Very soon into his Salat he was granted the state that is a manifest sign of acceptance of prayer. He experienced two visions and indeed when he finished his Salat, his son’s fever was totally gone.

Huzur related some incidents about a few severe opponents of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) who died in the plague outbreak.

Huzur also recounted an incident to illustrate the firm faith in acceptance of prayer the companions of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had when in response to their request through letters he would write in his letter that ‘he had prayed’.

Huzur explained that when the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote his first manuscript ‘Braheen e Ahmadiyya’ – which was later hailed as a masterpiece in defence of Islam by one and all - that consisted of four volumes, financial circumstances did not allow its publication. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) supplicated to Allah and was given a revelation. This ensued in some people funding the publication and thus the book was printed against odds.

Huzur said while some helped and assisted in the publication of the book others tried to distance themselves from it out of fear of the British government. A Nawab Sadeeq Hassan Khan returned the book to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) torn and spilt up. This enraged the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and he remarked that Nawab Sadeeq could go ahead and please the British government, however, he added that his ‘reputation would be slit/spilt’. As it turned out, the British government filed litigation against Nawab Sadeeq and retracted the title of Nawab from him. When he realised the error of his ways he wrote to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and requested prayers with great humility. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) prayed for him out of compassion and was informed by God of acceptance of the prayer. A short while later the British government reinstated him to the title of Nawab.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) did not know the Arabic language. However, Huzur related the miraculous way in which, following supplication and prayer for the ability to do so, on the request of his companion, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote Arabic poetry and later authored books in Arabic.

Indeed all of the Promised Messiah’s (on whom be peace) dealings were reliant on prayers; he considered prayer a magnificent blessing. He said that several thousand of his prayers had received acceptance and if he wrote them all it would comprise a huge book. He said that if there was no prayer, no person could attain certainty of truth in recognising God, that the need for prayer is not for simply achieving the worldly wants, rather no one could find God without discovering the signs that emerge following prayer.

Huzur concluded on the prayer that may Allah grant us further belief in prayer and continue to enhance it with His grace so that the faith, belief and perception that we have in His Omnipotence continues to take us closer to Him and may we be included among those who are close to Him.