Divine Attribute of Maalik (The Master)

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

March 9^th, 2007

Huzur delivered his Friday Sermon on the Divine attribute of Malikiyyat (quality of being the Master). Huzur said he has been giving discourses on Divine attributes in the insightful and judicious sequence as they appear in Surah Al Fatihah. Malikiyyat is the fourth excellence and favour of Allah and the distinction between it and Rahimiyyat is that while Rihimiyyat grants success through prayer, Malikiyyat bestows its fruits and manifests Allah’s Powers to those who turn to Him with sincerity.

As traditional, Huzur explained the denotation and meanings of the subject with reference to writings of earlier holy persons. Imam Raghib said that Master of the Day of Judgment is One Who runs the affairs of the masses according to His will.

Citing verse 17 of Surah Al Mu’min (40:17) ‘Whose is the Kingdom this day’! It is Allah’s, the One, the Most Supreme’ Huzur explained that inference of the two Arabic words Maalik (Master) and Malik (King) both is taken in the term ‘Master of the Day of Judgment’.

Huzur said He is the King of the kings and indeed is the Master of the Day of Judgment, He is the Lord of all creation.
Hadhrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Master of the Day of Judgment means that He is the Master of the time of reward and punishment and is the Master of the time of Shariah and religion, in that Allah lays the foundation of religion and Shariah in His capacity as the Master. He is the Master of good and of sin in that He expresses His Malikiyyat by sending reformers and prophets and He rewards those who maintain their condition according to His commandments through Malikiyyat.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that according to the lexicon Maalik is One Who has total possession of creation and has this possession without the help of any partnership and that this is not applicable to anyone but Allah.

Imam Razi explained that Master of the Day of Judgment is One Who is the Master of resurrection and the Day of reward and punishment. It is essential to differentiate between a pious person and a sinner and this can only be done on the Day of Judgment as explained in Surah Al Najm (53:32) and in Surah Sad (38:29) and Surah TaHa (20:16).

Some scholars infer the word Malik from the term Master of the Day of Judgment. Maalik (Master) as compared to Malik (king) is one from whom one seeks everything. By using the term Maalik God is stating that He is responsible for everything, including, food, reward, punishment. The quality of Maalik, compared to the quality of Malik, promotes and advocates a profusion of mercy and compassion. While Malik is an adjectival quality, Maalik is a quality of deed.

Huzur said that the term Master of the Day of Judgment does mean that apart from reward and punishment Allah is not concerned with the world. Rather according to the laws of nature and in accordance with His other attributes He does not necessarily recompense in this world, however on the Day of Judgment none shall be of avail to anyone as it states in Surah Al Infitar (82:18 – 20) likewise there is glad tiding for those who do good as it states in Surah Al Hajj (22:57).

Huzur said the rule of God is not like any kingship of this world; rather it has total ownership and control. God has expounded the good and the bad deeds to us and has given us free will in this world and has also told us that He has the right to punish and that the decision to punish or forgive is with Him, that He gives the glad tiding of a Gardens of Delight to those who do good works but warns the wrongdoers of punishment as stated in Surah Al Tatfif (83:8).

Huzur deduced that indeed He is the Maalik and the Malik Who has complete autonomy in His control, however it is not as if His recompense is without any rule or principle. Rather as it states in Surah Al Ma’idah (5:41) the inference is that on the final Day there will be no chance of an appeal, therefore, He draws our attention towards good deeds in this world and enjoins to strengthen one’s faith. Huzur said in light of the Hadith which relates that Allah’s mercy prevails over His wrath, how unfortunate would it be if we still incurred His punishment.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that the attribute of Master of the Day of Judgment demands that we turn to Him with extreme and utmost humility, sincerity and meekness. Those who turn to Allah in the manner of a completely helpless and powerless person and do actually and genuinely believe in their utter incapacity as they submit, find beneficence from this Divine quality.

An awareness of the attribute of Malikiyyat turns ones heart tender with the awe of punishment and thus generates a true insight.
As regards the sequential order of the Divine attributes Hadhrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that firstly by virtue of Rububiyyat Allah fashions the environment for creating and nurturing, then He hands over the arrangements to man through His attribute of Rahmaniyyat so that there may be spiritual development. When man takes advantage of this, Allah causes excellent results through His Rahimiyyat and grants acceptance to prayers. It is after continuous manifestation of these results that by virtue of His Malikiyyat Allah grants triumph in the world and such is the destiny of Divine communities that Allah has decreed.
As regards man imbibing these Divine attributes on a human level, Hadhrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said the sequential order is different.

It is firstly the attribute of mastership that man adopts so that he may do justice and may avoid evil. In this capacity he also overlooks others’ wrongs either out of mercy/compassion or forgiveness. Secondly the attribute of Rahimiyyat generates value and appreciation of his surroundings and he does good for his surroundings. Progressing from this stage, he adopts Rahmaniyyat, when his near ones as well as all others are given the advantage of his goodness. It is then that imbibing the quality of Lord of all the worlds he tries to create an environment where all the other qualities and their advantages may flourish.

Huzur remarked that these human qualities only come to the fore when one is in authority, has control over something. Ones good moral qualities and courtesy only come into focus when one is given a status. Huzur advised that we should try and imbibe the qualities of Malikiyyat within our scope and sphere. He said it is most essential to reflect over these Divine attributes and to imbibe them.

Huzur prayed that may Allah continue to bless us and may we be the recipients of His mercy on the Day of Judgment.
Next Huzur said that last Friday he overlooked mentioning the name of the martyr he had given the news of, his name was Muhammad Ashraf.

Huzur announced the sad death of a veteran missionary of the Community Choudhry Muneer Ahmad Arif who was 78 years old. He had served in Burma and Nigeria and had taught at the Jam’ia Ahmadiyya for nearly 27 years. A person of gentle disposition he was currently on the Qadha board in Rabwah and was actively doing his duty, despite poor health, up to the day before his death. Huzur prayed may Allah forgive his sins and grants him an elevated status in paradise and announced that he would lead his funeral prayer in absentia later today.