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Divine attribute of As Salam (The Source of Peace)

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

May 11th, 2007

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

Huzur gave a discourse on the Divine attribute of As Salam (The Source of Peace) in his Friday Sermon.

Explaining the meaning of the word Salam Huzur said that it is that Being Whose creation is safe from His oppression, the word is used for Allah because it denotes that He is free from any flaw or defect and is also free from the calamities that befall others, all creation will perish but death cannot overtake Him. He is also called Salam because of His supreme bestowal of well-being and security. Citing verse 59 of Surah Yasin Huzur said this asserts that Allah confers peace on the believers in Paradise and within this is a message of absolute security for them. The verse tells us to convey peace to each other in order to gain Allah’s pleasure in this world as well as the Hereafter. Allah’s pleasure would grant us peace of mind in this world which we can utilise to exude peace in the environment.

Citing Hadith Huzur said that Salam is one of Allah’s names that He has introduced in this world, therefore we must spread it about in the world. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) enjoined to say salam to everyone that one knows and to those one does not know. He admonished that malice and jealousy was creeping among people like it had reprobated the ancients. He said malice was deleterious and one could not gain entry to Paradise unless one had perfect faith and one could not have perfect faith unless one lived with mutual love and affection and conveying salam to others was the essence of this.

Huzur said unfortunately these days malice and jealousy have crept into daily lives exceeding all limits. The significance of the message of huqul ebaad (rights of people) of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) is indeed to stem malice and jealousy. Regrettably sometimes quarrels among people of the Jama’at can end up being drawn out. Recently two fighting families caused notoriety to the Jama’at in an area and disciplinary action had to be taken against them. When one party tried to make up by saying ‘salam’ to the other in the mosque they were rebuffed. Huzur said it is shame that despite accepting the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and being aware of his ten conditions of bai’at such misdemeanours take place. These disciplinary actions cause the Khalifa much grief and more than that these actions are a source of displeasure of Allah, Who is Salam, yet humans cause His displeasure by their misconduct.

Further explaining the term ‘Salam’ Huzur cited Imam Ghazali and said that it is that Being Who is free from all flaws and all defects and not only are Whose actions free from all evil, rather they have an inherent goodness in them. Imam Raghib said the attribute of Salam denotes that Allah is free from all overt and covert flaws and abdus Salam (servant of Al Salam) is one who is a manifestation of this attribute and indeed God keeps such a person safe from all defect, misfortune and flaw.

Huzur said one cannot benefit from the Divine attribute of Salam unless other Muslims are secure from one. Just as the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had said that a Muslim is he/she from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe. Huzur said maintaining good mutual connections is not a trivial matter, if one wishes to be associated to Al Salam then one has to spread peace and security. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said that it is the obligation of a true believer that he/she is a guarantor for all humanity and from whom all people are secure. Huzur said it is this very message of peace and security that facilitates Tabligh (propagation of the message of Islam) and leads on to people entering the fold of Islam. It is with this quality alone that one can imbibe Divine attribute.

Elucidating the subject Huzur cited verse 128 of Surah Al Anam (6:128) “For them is the abode of peace with their Lord, and He is their Friend for what they did.” He also cited verse 17 of Surah Al Maidah (5:17) “Thereby does Allah guide those who seek His pleasure on the paths of peace, and leads then out of every kind of darkness into light by His will, and guides them to the right path.” And verse 59 of Surah Ya Sin (36:59) “Peace on you – a word of greeting from the Merciful Lord.” Commenting on this verse, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that true salam is that which is from God. It is indeed this quality that extinguished the fire for Hadhrat Ibrahim (on whom be peace). The essence of the quality of Salam is that one’s very soul prostrates to the Lord and from all possible aspects God and His commandments take precedence over all worldly things.

Huzur said we can only hope to be the recipients of the Divine promises made to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) when, in accordance with his teachings we generate an awareness for the Divine attribute of Al Salam and try to come under the shelter of Allah’s refuge. We are indeed most fortunate in that we have accepted the Imam of the age to whom we were enjoined to take our ‘salam’ to. Allah sent him His salam through revelations – in order to partake of these beneficences and to get a measure of this ‘salam’ we have to put in practice all the guidance emanating from the font of guidance that was revealed to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and by virtue of whose ardent devotion the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was sent ‘salam’ in his revelation, addressed by the name of ‘Ibrahim’. Huzur explained that this denotes that all the fires kindled by his opponents may be extinguished.

Huzur said hostile fires kindled anywhere in the world will be extinguished because they have been set against the Promised Messiah’s followers. Regardless of whether these flames of opposition are rising in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or Pakistan, not only will they be extinguished rather they will herald peace and security, for this is our faith. Huzur said just before coming for Jummah he had a call informing him of severe opposition in Sri Lanka where 500 people had attacked our mosque and had taken 60 worshippers hostage. The police eventually threw the perpetrators out. Addressing the Ahmadis of Sri Lanka Huzur said these flames of opposition are kindled by people who associate themselves to the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) who was a personification of security and peace.

Urging them to be steadfast Huzur said with Allah’s grace they will be triumphant in their trail. He said it is embarrassing to witness the misdeeds of these people as the world watches them, in that they associate themselves to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) who brought the message of love, harmony and peace. Huzur said in their presumption these people are out to finish Ahmadiyyat, but God will never let them fulfil this presumption. They may think it is [Ahmadiyyat] a sapling planted by the British, but Ahmadiyyat was planted by God Himself, how could they ever destroy it? Indeed, they will be disgraced. The flames of opposition raised in Sri Lanka will soon be extinguished. Huzur asked Ahmadis of Sri Lanka to turn to God in order to seek His grace and blessings, he also urged the world-wide Ahmadi Community to pray that may God pass us through this trial soon.

A revelation of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that each Ahmadi should always remember is, ‘Salam on Ibrahim, We have purified him and delivered him from grief and We indeed brought this about. Thus should you follow in Ibrahim’s footsteps.” Another revelation with slight variation declares ‘selecting Ibrahim as a sincere friend’. Huzur said the followers of one who Allah has selected as a sincere friend should certainly be those who tread the path of establishing His Unity.

Huzur said we note that Allah’s blessings on us are so tremendous that it is as if He Himself comes down to make good all our matters. Recently at a reception for MTA Al Arabiyya Huzur said he had said that it was all indeed a fulfilment of His Divine promises.

Huzur drew further attention to put Divine commandments in practice and cited verse 64 of Surah Al Furqan (25:64) “And the servants of the Gracious God are those who walk on the earth in a dignified manner and when the ignorant address them, they say, ‘Peace!’ Huzur said a supreme example of humility was manifested by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) at the time of the victory of Mecca, where later he famously dispensed security and peace.

Huzur urged to follow Divine commandments, avoid what is idle and absurd and spread peace and a sense of security to seek Allah’s pleasure. He prayed that may Allah enable all to do this.