Note: The Alislam Team assumes full responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in this translation of the Friday Sermon.
Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) Khalifatul Masih II August 17, 1923
Topics: Direct Relationship with God, No Intermediary in Islam, Understanding One's Responsibilities, Prophets as Exemplars Not Intermediaries, Obedience to Khalifah, Quran as Personal Revelation, Success Through Duty
After reciting Tashahhud, Ta'awwuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Huzoor (ra) said:
Today I wish to speak to my friends regarding an important matter. Although, due to the discomfort of a cough, I fear I may not be able to do justice to the subject as it deserves, I will nevertheless try my best to present it in such a manner that all friends can understand it well.
The subject I wish to discuss and firmly establish in people's minds is this: How should a believer carry out religious duties?
As long as a person does not feel his responsibility, as long as a person is not aware of his duties, as long as a person is not acquainted with the reality of something — until then there can be neither success nor blessing in that work. In reality, all success depends upon the discharge of duties, awareness of reality, and understanding of obligations.
If an extremely intelligent and clever person is placed upon a task whose reality, nature, duties, and responsibilities he is unaware of, he will never be able to do it well. But if an ignorant and less intelligent person is placed upon a task whose reality and responsibilities he is aware of, he will be able to perform it well.
In the world, many people are clever — when they grasp something, they accomplish it excellently. Yet they generally remain unsuccessful in worldly affairs. And there are certain people whom others call fools and simpletons, yet we observe them progressing day by day. For instance, if they are government employees, their rank and salary increase every year. People keep calling them fools and idiots, yet compared to the supposedly wise ones, they keep advancing.
What is the reason for this? If a person reflects truthfully and compares the conditions of both, the reality is that the one advancing is truly wise, and the other is truly a fool. But on such occasions, people say: "It is all a matter of luck." Yet God Almighty does not make anyone unfortunate — all are His servants. Why then would He make anyone unfortunate? The entire Holy Quran is filled with the message that God has made everyone fortunate. It is the person himself who proves himself fortunate, and it is he himself who proves himself unfortunate.
The one who progresses does not do so because of some fate decreed by God, nor does the one who declines do so because of such fate. Rather, the secret of one's success and the other's failure lies in their own respective efforts. The person who progresses does so because he understands his duties. And the person who falls into the pit of decline does so because he does not understand his duties and responsibilities.
If a person possesses intelligence and a superior memory, what use is it if he does not use it properly?
Some poets write — and write very beautifully — that in the garden of this world, many flowers bloom such that if they could display their beauty and freshness, people would be enchanted by them, and those who have achieved fame in the world would pale before them. That is, such people are born in the world that if they had the opportunity to work and could demonstrate their abilities, even the greatest famous leaders and celebrated people would seem insignificant before them. But the difference between the famous and these individuals is that the latter did not get the opportunity to work, while the former did. Thus, the former remained hidden in the earth while the latter became stars of the sky.
This is an elegant thought, but with even greater clarity it can be said that in the world, many people of great abilities remain unknown — not because they did not get the opportunity to display their talent, but because they did not know how to spend their energies or where to direct them. And such individuals are far more numerous than those who simply did not get the opportunity.
But I say: creating opportunity is also within a person's own power. And one who does not make use of his own power — what benefit can that power give him? Consider: it is easy to wake one who is sleeping, but it is very difficult to wake one who is already awake (pretending to sleep). So if God has given someone abilities and he does not use them, then placing him at an elevated station is beyond anyone's power.
The reason for believers' failure is the same. They possess faith. They obtain the true religion and truth. But since they do not know how to use this religion and what their responsibilities are — the fulfillment of which would make them heirs of Allah the Almighty's grace — they remain unsuccessful.
Today I wish to discuss one aspect of this subject, and that is: How should a believer carry out religious work?
In my view, many people remain deprived of spiritual progress and nearness to God because they do not know how they should work. And many people remain caught in the doubt that "this is not our job, it is so-and-so's" or "no one has asked us to do this work, so why should we do it?" In this way, they remain deprived of religious service.
Yet if a person reflects upon the relationship between himself and God Almighty, he will discover this remarkable truth: God Almighty has appointed no intermediary between Himself and His servant. And this is a very great difference between Islam and other religions.
Other religions have placed various intermediaries between God and the servant. But Islam teaches a direct relationship with God and does not establish anyone as an intermediary. For example, Christianity teaches that the being of the Messiah stands between God and the servant — no person can reach God unless he makes the Messiah his means. Zoroastrians consider spiritual forces as intermediaries — fire, the ocean, the sun, and their ancient elders — saying no person can reach God without establishing a connection through these means. Hindus say the same thing; they too have created various intermediaries. Some have made Shivaji an intermediary, some Brahma, some Ram Chandar Ji, some Krishna Ji. And those who separated from among the Hindus into distinct religions — such as the Buddhists and Jains and others — they too have created their own separate intermediaries and say that without them no person can reach God.
So the people of other religions worship these intermediaries, not God.
Islam struck its first blow against this by declaring: There is no intermediary between God and the servant. The only intermediary between God and the servant is the compassion and love that God has for His servant — His attribute of Rahmaniyyat (Graciousness) and Rahimiyyat (Mercy).
This is why every Surah of the Holy Quran begins with "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" — "I begin with the name of Allah, Who is Rahman (Gracious) and Rahim (Merciful)." And while His Rahmaniyyat and Rahimiyyat exist, there is no need for anyone else.
Consider: to reach someone, two things are needed. First, that the means of travel be available. Second, that the one you wish to reach opens his door and grants a meeting. For instance, a person who wishes to visit a friend can face only two obstacles: one, that the friend lives somewhere far where no railway goes and there are no means of travel; and two, that he arrives there but the friend does not let him enter his house. Besides these two obstacles, there can be no other, and no intermediary is needed.
Regarding these two obstacles, God Almighty has declared: Tell those who wish to come to Me that I am Rahman — I have arranged all the means of reaching Me without any desire or intention on the part of the human being. Now the means are available, but someone might say: "Until the Messiah, Krishna, Shivaji, fire, the sun, Zoroaster, etc., tells God to let such a person come, the door will not open." Regarding this, He has declared: **I am Rahim — whoever loves Me and comes toward Me, I go forward to meet him.**¹
Thus it is established that there is no intermediary between God and the servant.
But it is unfortunate that some ignorant ones among the Muslims have also gone in this direction — that there must be some intermediary to reach God Almighty. The Quran does mention one wasilah (means), but its meaning is nearness to God Almighty, and this is correct. However, some people have gone in the direction that some other person must be an intermediary between God and man — whereas there is no intermediary between God and the servant.
Therefore, every command reaches every person directly from God Almighty, and fulfilling it is his own responsibility.
Someone may ask: if this is true, then Shari'ah (divine law) should be revealed to every person. But this objection is not correct. The reason for the revelation of Shari'ah is different, and every servant receiving a command is different.
Shari'ah cannot be revealed to every person because a model (exemplar) is also needed alongside it. And until a person is perfectly pure, he cannot serve as a model. And without a model, Shari'ah cannot be revealed. So if Shari'ah were to be given to every person, the entire world would remain deprived of it, because such beings — who are perfectly pure — are rarely found in an age of misguidance.
Just as in the time of the Holy Prophet (saw), people had fallen to such a low level that none among them could converse with God. When this was the condition, since only Muhammad (saw) was qualified to receive Shari'ah, only he (saw) received guidance, and no one else could. But God's intent is that the entire world should receive guidance. Therefore, He raises His Prophets, and since they are qualified to converse with God Almighty, He tells them: "I am displeased with the people because of their evil deeds. So tell them to reform themselves and become God's beloved ones."
This is like a father who is displeased with his child and tells another person: "Tell my son such-and-such." This does not mean the father has no direct relationship with his son. He does, but since the son's condition is such that he cannot be addressed directly, the father draws his attention to his compassion through another person.
So God Almighty gives Shari'ah to His Prophets and sends them, and they come and convey God Almighty's commands to the people. And the very day people believe in that Prophet, that divine speech becomes directly theirs.
For example, when any person believes in the Holy Prophet (saw), the Holy Quran is revealed upon him that very day. Otherwise, if the Quran was revealed only for the Holy Prophet (saw), then why should we be bound by it? Every person who believes has the Quran revealed upon him. This is why the Holy Quran says regarding the Quran and other scriptures that "they were revealed to you" — though apparently they were revealed to the Prophet. The meaning is that all the servants who are addressed share in that revelation.
At that time, since only the Holy Prophet (saw) was qualified to converse with God and the people were not, it was revealed upon him (saw) alone. Otherwise, when anyone believes, it is revealed upon him too. This is why the Sufis have said that pleasure cannot come in prayer until the person regards the verses he is reciting as being revealed upon himself.
So every servant's relationship with God is direct. If God Almighty conveys His speech through an intermediary, it is because — apart from the one used as a medium — the remaining people are far from God. And when they draw near, that speech becomes for them exactly as it is for the one upon whom it was revealed.
This is why there is no verse of the Holy Quran that is more for the Holy Prophet (saw) and not for us. The Quran is the same for all. Therefore, it is our direct divine address, and it is as though it was revealed upon us.
So the servant has a direct relationship with God Almighty — to the extent that even the Messenger has no role as an intermediary in this.
Some Sufis have written that the relationship between a servant and God is such that a spiritual guide (Pir) does not know what relationship his disciple (Murid) has with God, and the disciple does not know how much relationship his guide has with God — because the relationship between a servant and God is without any intermediary. If it were through an intermediary, the guide would be told: "Your such-and-such disciple has this relationship with God, and another has that." But every person's relationship with God is direct.
And when it is direct, all matters of religion pertain to every individual servant, and there is no intermediary in these either. For example, one should not pray because Muhammad (saw) said so, but because God Almighty told both Muhammad (saw) and us. One should not fast because Muhammad (saw) said so, but because God told both Muhammad (saw) and us.
So when even the Messenger is not an intermediary, no other being can possibly be one. Below Messengers are Khulafa and Mujaddids — how can they be intermediaries?
In reality, every believer has a direct relationship with God Almighty and receives all responsibilities directly.
Now the question may arise: then what is the need for obedience to God's Messengers and Khulafa? But their obedience does not mean that without their intercession God Almighty does not listen to anyone. They are not intermediaries between God and the servant; rather, they are models.
An intermediary means that no matter how pious and righteous a person may be, until the intermediary intercedes, God will not meet him. A model means that such-and-such person is righteous and close to God — we too should become like him.
So Prophets are models because they are perfect and most perfect beings. They are, as it were, God's speech in physical form. Just as we read God's speech in words in the Quran — if one wishes to see it in human form, it is Muhammad (saw). And since the Holy Prophet (saw) became God's speech in physical form, just as following God's speech is necessary for us, following Muhammad (saw) is also necessary — because he (saw) is the model for people, and by observing the model, a person can understand very quickly.
For example, if someone needs to be taught the method of performing ablution (wudu), he will not learn as quickly from verbal description as he will from seeing it demonstrated. So the obedience we render to the Holy Prophet (saw), or the commands given through him (saw), is not because he (saw) is an intermediary between God and us, but because he (saw) is the model and commentary (tafsir) of God's commands.
And since without seeing his (saw) model we cannot understand God's speech, the command for his obedience has been given.
As Hazrat Aisha (ra) said: ***"Kana khuluquhu al-Quran"***² — "His character was the Quran." Whoever has not seen the Holy Prophet (saw) should read the Quran. She thus equated the Quran and Muhammad (saw), because there is no quality and no excellence described in the Quran that is not found in Muhammad (saw), and there is no defect, no legal wrong, no sin, and no evil mentioned in the Quran that is found in Muhammad (saw).
So the Holy Prophet (saw) is the commentary of the Quran, and every Messenger is the commentary of the divine speech revealed upon him. This is precisely why the Holy Prophet (saw) is obeyed — because he (saw) is our model and exemplar, not because he is an intermediary between God and us. Wherever anyone separates from him, he separates from the Holy Quran — for he (saw) is the Quran in human form.
So his (saw) obedience is on account of being a model and exemplar. Now regarding the Khulafa — it is not necessary that they be models in the same sense, and their obedience is not the same as that of the Prophets. A Prophet's every statement is obligatory to accept. But if a Khalifah in his time explains a doctrinal matter in one way and someone cannot understand it, there can be disagreement. Examples of this exist.
In the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), he would explain a matter in one way and some Companions in another, and except in political and administrative matters — where what the Khalifah said was acted upon — disagreement on doctrinal matters was practiced.³
For instance, after the demise of the Holy Prophet (saw), when people refused to pay Zakat, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) said: "I will deal with them as disbelievers." Hazrat Umar (ra) and other Companions were opposed to this. But Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) did not heed anyone, and those people were imprisoned and some were taken as captives.³
Similarly, in the times of other Khulafa, disagreements on certain matters continued. So there is a difference between obedience to the Messenger and obedience to the Khalifah. Disagreeing with the Messenger on any matter is folly and ignorance — such disagreement is as if one says God has made a mistake, because the Messenger's speech is the commentary of God Almighty's speech.
This is like the example of a Pathan who was studying the Quduri (a book of Hanafi jurisprudence). In the Ahadith, it is recorded that the Holy Prophet (saw) made certain movements during prayer — for example, a child climbed on his (saw) back and he (saw) removed him, or picked him up, or made other movements.⁴ On the other hand, some jurists have written that prayer is broken by movement. When the Pathan read this, he exclaimed: "Well then, Muhammad Sahib's prayer was broken!" He did not understand that Muhammad (saw) is the very commentary of prayer.⁴
So it is obligatory to accept every statement of the Prophets because they are the commentary of God's speech. But Khulafa are not like this. If they are, it is their personal perfection — it has nothing to do with Khilafat itself. Therefore, their obedience is limited compared to the obedience of a Prophet. It is limited to administrative matters in which the Jama'at must be kept united. For example, the decisions that judges must make will be under the Khalifah's authority. So the obedience of Khulafa is limited and pertains only to certain matters that relate to administration, not to matters of jurisprudential opinion.
So Khulafa too are not intermediaries. And when Prophets are not intermediaries and neither are Khulafa, then what other being can possibly be an intermediary?
The fundamental truth is this: there is no intermediary between God and the servant. Therefore, every duty that the Shari'ah has established is the duty of every Muslim. If the duty of propagation exists, it is not solely the duty of the Prophet and the Khalifah — they are responsible for their own persons. Every Muslim has this duty, and he is responsible for himself — and is just as responsible as the Holy Prophet (saw) himself.
So until every Muslim understands that all the commands of religion are directed at him personally and all duties rest upon him, he cannot discharge them properly.
Now regarding how these commands and duties should be discharged — since this subject requires more breadth, and today time has run long, I postpone it to next Friday. On that day, I shall explain, if Allah the Almighty grants the opportunity, how every Muslim should act in light of this.
(Al-Fazl, August 24, 1923)
References:
¹ Futuh al-Ghaib (Revelations of the Unseen), Maqala (Discourse) No. 17, by Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (rh).
² Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 6, p. 216 (Hadith No. 24601); Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, Chapter on the Character and Morals of the Holy Prophet (saw). Hazrat Aisha (ra) said: "His character was the Quran" — meaning whoever has not seen the Holy Prophet (saw) should read the Quran, for they are one and the same.
³ Tarikh al-Khulafa (History of the Caliphs) by Imam Suyuti (rh), Chapter on the Events of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra).
⁴ Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 516, as cited in Sirat Khatam an-Nabiyyin, Part 2, p. 318 (by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)). This refers to the hadith narrated by Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (ra) that the Holy Prophet (saw) was praying while carrying Umamah, the daughter of Zainab (ra). When he (saw) prostrated he put her down, and when he stood he carried her on his neck. A related hadith in Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 1141 records that Hasan or Husain climbed on his (saw) blessed back during prostration, and the Holy Prophet (saw) prolonged his prostration so as not to disturb the child.
Related Resources