Note: The Alislam Team assumes full responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in this translation of the Friday Sermon.

أَشْھَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَا شَرِیکَ لَہٗ وَأَشْھَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُہٗ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ

أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ- بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ۔ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ۔ مٰلِکِ یَوْمِ الدِّیْنِ۔ اِیَّا کَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِیَّاکَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ۔

اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ۔ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْھِمْ غَیْرِالْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْھِمْ وَلَاالضَّآلِّیْنَ۔

The last ten days of Ramadan are also passing very quickly. During these ten days, Muslims pay particular attention to two things, or give them great importance. One of these is Lailatul Qadr and the other is Jumu'atul Wida (the Farewell Friday). One of these, namely Lailatul Qadr, is something of true significance which is also established from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is mentioned in various traditions in the Ahadith. Similarly, it is also mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. But as for Jumu'atul Wida, the Muslims themselves, or rather the self-made interpretations of the scholars, have given it a wrong colour. Today I shall draw attention to these two matters or briefly mention their importance and reality. Today too I have drawn some benefit from the sermons of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him).

Different narrators have given different dates regarding Lailatul Qadr. Some have said the 21st of Ramadan. Some have given dates from the 23rd to the 29th. Some are firm in their view that it is the 27th or the 29th that is Lailatul Qadr. Nevertheless, in general the tradition regarding this is that you should seek Lailatul Qadr in the last ten days of Ramadan. Seek it in the last ten days, in the last ten nights.

In any case, Lailatul Qadr is a night which has a reality, and it is also a reality that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was given knowledge of the specific date of this special night, in which a true believer is shown a special spectacle of the acceptance of prayers and prayers are generally heard. But from the traditions we learn that, on account of a mistake of two Muslims, this specific date was forgotten by him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). To have knowledge of that moment, of that hour, is no ordinary thing, and that is why a natural desire arose in the heart of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that since Allah the Exalted had given me this knowledge, I should also inform the community of believers. It comes in the Hadith that when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was given this knowledge, he came out of his house joyfully so that he might inform people too, so that they might also benefit from it. But when he came out, he saw that two Muslims were quarrelling. He became engaged in resolving their quarrel and dispute, and his attention was diverted from its date. It seems that a considerable amount of time was spent by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in reconciling these two persons or in resolving the matter. In any case, when he turned his attention again to the fact that he had come out to tell them the date of Lailatul Qadr, by then he had forgotten that specific date — rather, in the Hadith the words "was made to forget" also appear. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) has written that from the wording of the Hadith it appears that he had not merely forgotten, but that by divine intervention the memory of that hour had been removed. So he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that on account of this quarrel or disagreement the knowledge of that hour has been taken away, so it is not now specific, but seek it in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.

From this, Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) has explained a very important point — that the hour by virtue of which it is called Lailatul Qadr is connected with the unity and concord of the nation. So this is a very important point. When we hear the Hadith, we say that if those two Muslims had not quarrelled, we would have come to know these specific dates. But very little attention is paid to the important matter that the hour by virtue of which it is called Lailatul Qadr is connected with national unity and concord, and the nation from which unity and concord disappear, from it Lailatul Qadr is also taken away.

Today, with great regret, we have to say that it is the misfortune of many Muslim countries that unity and concord no longer exist among them. The people are fighting the people. The people are also fighting the government, and the government is oppressing the people. That is, not only is there no unity and concord, but oppression is also being committed. And then emphasis is also being placed on oppression. So it is the result of this lack of unity and concord that even outsiders have the audacity to do whatever they wish against the Muslims. And this is precisely why Israel too is at this time continuing to kill innocent Palestinians in an oppressive manner. If there were unity and concord among Muslims and they were those who walked on the path shown by Allah the Exalted, then the Muslim countries possess such great strength that such oppression would not occur in this manner. Even war has some principles and rules. The Palestinians have no power against Israel. If it is said that the people of Hamas are also committing oppression, then the Muslim countries should stop them too. But the comparison of the oppression of these two is like a person committing oppression with his stick on one side, while on the other side an army is committing oppression by firing cannons. The Muslim countries think (in the past days mourning was observed in Turkey) that by observing mourning they have fulfilled their duty. Similarly, the Western powers too are not playing their role. What was needed was that both sides should be stopped sternly. In any case, all we can do is pray that Allah the Exalted save the oppressed and innocent from these oppressions and that peace be established. Similarly, within the Muslim countries too, where oppression is being committed against one another and disorder is increasing, may Allah the Exalted give them wisdom. And may these people who profess the Kalima refrain from staining their hands with the blood of others who profess the Kalima. May unity and concord be established among themselves. Without this, neither can the rights of their worship be fulfilled, nor can the desire that we attain Lailatul Qadr be fulfilled. Because when unity and concord disappear from a nation, when they come to an end, then Lailatul Qadr too is taken away. Then only nights and darkness, only gloom becomes one's lot. Progress comes to a halt.

The meaning of Lailatul Qadr is that night in which the destiny of man is estimated and it is decided what shall befall him in the coming year. How far he shall advance and progress. What benefits he shall obtain and what losses he shall have to bear. All decisions concerning human progress are made in lail, that is, in darkness. Drawing a comparison of this progress with physical development, Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) has at one place stated it in this way: that from the Holy Qur'an it is known that even man's physical development takes place in successive layers of darkness. The mother's womb too is a combination of several layers of darkness, and it is there that the decision regarding man's physical development is made. If nurturing is not done well during those days, the child becomes weak. It is an established fact that the outward environment of the mother has an effect on the child. Similarly, the mother's diet and so on have an effect on the child. The moral state of the child too will not be good if the environment is not good. So much so that the children of fearful mothers cannot accomplish any great work in the world; rather, at times, on account of external fear, children are born mentally weak. Good food and a good environment during pregnancy have a good effect on the child's health. This is why in Islam fasting by a pregnant woman is disliked, it is forbidden, because by this a weakness occurs in the nurturing of the child. And this is why the Shariah has also disliked divorce on such occasions, because the shock that this causes also weakens the nurturing of the child. And this is why in such a state Islam has also declared nikah impermissible, because, on account of the agitation of emotions caused by it, a bad effect falls upon the nurturing of the child.

Then Islam has also taught husband and wife a prayer to be saved from satanic thoughts, so that such thoughts may not arise as may also arise in the offspring to come. Both should pray that the Satan who is running with the blood in our veins (a Hadith states, does it not, that with the blood in every man's veins, Satan runs along) — separate him from us so that our offspring may be pure from Satan.

So the Shariah has taught particular care for the nurturing of the child during those days when he is in darkness, in shadows, and this chain of care continues for as long as the chain of darkness continues. Similarly, the days of the child's drinking the mother's milk are also an extension of this chain (it extends up to there), because during those days the child is still not yet turning to the world for his life, but rather is turning to his mother. During those days too, the mother is forbidden to keep fasts, so that no bad effect may fall on the nurturing of the child and his health. So just as physical progress takes place in darkness, similarly spiritual progress too takes place only at night. The spiritual progress of every nation is only as much as the initial sacrifice of that nation, and the measure of the age of its progress is its Lailatul Qadr. The measure of the age of any nation is its Lailatul Qadr. The measure of its progress is its Lailatul Qadr. That is why the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said that the more dear a person is to God, the more trials befall him. So we too should remember that we are also passing through trials at certain places. This itself is Lailatul Qadr. On account of this trial, the search for the true Lailatul Qadr is also undertaken with the same intensity. Attention towards prayers is also generated at that time. Man bows towards Allah the Exalted in a special manner only when he is in suffering. Which then successfully passes through the period of training and nurturing. But if in this we go on losing our standards of unity and concord, then we will not be able to take true benefit from Lailatul Qadr. If we keep making our sacrifices considering them to be for the pleasure of Allah the Exalted, then we shall keep meeting with successes. And while meeting with successes, we shall be those who attain a new life and shall emerge in a new colour. If we maintain mutual unity and concord for the pleasure of Allah the Exalted, then, Insha'Allah, we shall see new stages of progress.

So this is a very important point which every one of us should keep before himself: that when we pass successfully through this Lailatul Qadr, then the decisions of progressing and going forward in it shall also be extraordinary. Decisions are to be made by Allah the Exalted, prayers are to be heard by Allah the Exalted, Lailatul Qadr is to be shown by Allah the Exalted. So it is also necessary to observe those matters which become the means of obtaining Lailatul Qadr. Then matla'ul fajr (the rising of the dawn) too becomes extraordinary, and then the day that dawns shall appear with extraordinary successes. So in order to benefit from Lailatul Qadr we should always keep these matters before ourselves.

Lailatul Qadr is the name of that moment of sacrifice which is accepted in the sight of Allah the Exalted, and that which is accepted in the sight of Allah the Exalted, there is no transaction more profitable than that. So one should strive for accepted sacrifices. In the Islamic battles, for example, in the Battle of Badr, both the disbelievers and the Muslims were killed, but the killing of the disbelievers was not Lailatul Qadr, their sacrifices were not Lailatul Qadr — but the martyrdom of the Muslims was Lailatul Qadr because Allah the Exalted declared those sacrifices to be accepted. This principle should be kept in mind: that the suffering for which Allah the Exalted does not fix any price is not Lailatul Qadr, it is a punishment, a torment. But that suffering for which God fixes a price, that is Lailatul Qadr — meaning the darkness, affliction and sorrow whose recompense Allah the Exalted has decided to give, that is Lailatul Qadr. Allah the Exalted has appointed such moments for man in which the sacrifices he makes are always accepted in the sight of Allah the Exalted. Indeed, the Jamaat Ahmadiyya sees these spectacles, and is seeing them. In some countries, conditions against the Ahmadis are severe. While these severe conditions are giving them the glad tidings of the rising of the dawn, as a result of this Lailatul Qadr, the birth of the children of Ahmadiyyat is taking place in country after country and city after city of the world. New Jamaats are continually being established. So in order to benefit further from this, in order to gather more blessings of Lailatul Qadr, every one of us should pledge that our mutual unity and concord shall be greater than before, and if there are any rifts appearing in it anywhere, if cracks are appearing, we shall fill them immediately. By becoming an example of رُحَمَآءُ بَیۡنَہُمۡ (tender among themselves), we shall attain the true grace of Lailatul Qadr.

So in this Ramadan, we should also try to end mutual individual grievances, so that individually we may benefit from Lailatul Qadr, and so that we may also partake of the fruits of Lailatul Qadr — those successes, those advances, those rewards which are destined collectively from Allah the Exalted. We should also keep in mind that as the rain of Allah the Exalted's bounties is increasing, with the same intensity the enemy shall create — and is creating — hindrances and difficulties for us. He shall try — and is trying — to put us into trials, and one should not think that this is confined to only a few countries. The fire of jealousy makes its full effort to halt progress, and shall do so everywhere; but the glad tidings of the coming of Lailatul Qadr also tell us of being saved from their evil effects and of the acceptance of prayers made for the progress of the Jamaat.

So as long as we keep trying to mould our conditions in accordance with the pleasure of Allah the Exalted, we shall keep on benefiting from Lailatul Qadr. The aim, effort and desire of believers is that they should see the progress of the Jamaat at that high zenith whose promises Allah the Exalted has made, and being attributed to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), we should try to become part of these advances in the manner that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has shown us, and that method is contained in those two things which he has told us about the purpose of his advent. That is, one — that man should be united with God; and second — that man should be made one who fulfills the rights of other men. So these are the two tasks which are our responsibility: that we should raise the standards of our worship, and also turn our attention to fulfilling the rights of one another by removing our disagreements and quarrels. It just cannot be that rights are being fulfilled and yet grudges also remain, disagreements also remain. So if we keep walking upon this principle, then we shall be those who understand the reality of Lailatul Qadr and shall also be those who attain it. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has at one place defined Lailatul Qadr in this way also. He said: "Lailatul Qadr, for man, is his waqt-e-asfa (the purest moment)." (Al-Hakam, Volume 5, Number 32, dated 31 August 1901. Tafsir Hazrat Masih Maud (peace be upon him), Volume Four (under Surah Al-Qadr), page 673, published Rabwah). So in order to purify our lives, we should also try to seek such a Lailatul Qadr, and that shall be the true Lailatul Qadr when we shall be those purifying our lives.

The second matter, as I have said, is Jumu'atul Wida. Strange notions have also gained currency regarding it. It is the favour and kindness of Allah the Exalted upon us that He gave us the opportunity to accept the Imam of the age and purified us from wrong sorts of ideas, and we — an Ahmadi — should be pure from these ideas, otherwise there is no benefit in being an Ahmadi. Many non-Ahmadis hold the view that if one attends the last Friday of Ramadan, then deliberately missed prayers, or whatever prayers there are, are also forgiven. All obligations have been fulfilled. That is, by listening to one sermon today and offering two rak'ats of prayer, as it were, man becomes pure from all the past evils, or they will become pure — and during this period, however many favours and kindnesses of Allah the Exalted are bestowed upon a person, by offering this last Friday of Ramadan, the recompense of these favours and kindnesses of Allah the Exalted shall be settled. In the thinking of these people, the Divinity of Allah the Exalted — God forbid — depends upon these four prostrations of theirs. They have done such a great favour to Allah the Exalted that by performing four prostrations they have — God forbid — established His Divinity. So those who offer Friday prayer with this intention derive no benefit from Jumu'atul Wida, nor any benefit from Ramadan, nor is the coming of Lailatul Qadr any benefit to them. It shall come for others. One should always remember that the commandments of Allah the Exalted are in the nature of a favour. By acting upon them, the benefit is ours alone. This is not some penalty for which excuses should be sought to avoid it. Excuses are sought for those things which are in the nature of punishment or fine. No intelligent person seeks excuses to avoid acting upon that thing which is for his own benefit. Who is there who thinks that he should have no offspring? That his illnesses should not be cured? That he or his children should be deprived of knowledge? That his close relatives and friends should not find comfort and rest? That his offspring should not be of those who attain honour? Nobody wants this. Excuses are sought for the opposite of these things. Man seeks excuses or pretexts to escape from difficulties.

So if we seek excuses to escape from the commandments of Allah the Exalted, it shall mean that we consider His commandments to be wrath, calamity and sorrow. God forbid. Whereas the commandments of Allah the Exalted, and every matter that comes from Him, and His guidance are for our good and to bring us comfort. So it is necessary that we turn our attention towards His commandments. Whether these commandments are about His worship or are other miscellaneous commandments, all are for our good. So to consider any commandment a penalty is something that deprives one of the bounty of Allah the Exalted. One should always remember that the One who gives us life, the One who sent us into this world, is God. And the One who sent us into this world has also set a purpose of life for us, and that is: He said, وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ الۡجِنَّ وَالۡاِنۡسَ اِلَّا لِیَعۡبُدُوۡنِ (Adh-Dhariyat:57) And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me. So when the purpose of creation is وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ الۡجِنَّ وَالۡاِنۡسَ اِلَّا لِیَعۡبُدُوۡنِ, then this is not tied to any particular day or any particular Friday; rather every Prayer and every Friday is obligatory. Besides nawafil, which a person, according to his strength and circumstances, offers to attain further nearness of Allah the Exalted. So it is the duty of a true believer that he should try with all his strength to carry out the commandments of Allah the Exalted, and especially worship, which is the basic purpose of life — to it very great attention needs to be paid, and then the benefit of this worship is ours alone. It is not that worship is without benefit. Its benefit too is reaching us. The Divinity of Allah the Exalted is established even without our worship, and shall remain established. But if we are those who worship, then along with His kindnesses we shall be heirs of His rewards too. We shall be those who benefit from them. One should always keep this in mind: that we shall be called true believers only when we are those who act upon the commandments of Allah the Exalted. The relations of a true believer with Allah the Exalted are just like those of a friend. And in this matter, this should be kept in mind: that friendship is a two-way matter. Each other's wishes are obeyed, and obeyed with sincerity and faithfulness. It is not that one friend keeps getting his wishes obeyed and the other keeps obeying. So from this, guidance is also obtained regarding the acceptance of prayers — towards this issue, which is the issue of the acceptance of prayers — that we shall act upon the commandments of Allah the Exalted, and shall do so with sincerity, and then He too shall hear our prayers. Secondly, in a friendship which is sincere, no friend wishes ill of his other friend. And when in the friendship of worldly people one friend does not wish ill of his friend, then how shall Allah the Exalted, who values faithfulness more than all the faithful, wish ill of His friend? So as a result of pure faith, only mercy and blessing are obtained from Allah the Exalted. If in worldly friendship we see this, and are firm in the belief that my friend is faithful to me, then if he is doing something which apparently appears harmful, a person understands that, because my friend is faithful, there must be some wisdom in it, but the outcome shall not be bad. My friend's intention is not to harm me; rather it is the intention of benefit. Then how can it be thought regarding Allah the Exalted that He wishes to cause us any pain? But when His commandments are not acted upon, then certainly it shall be understood that they are being considered a calamity or torment. And if this is the case, then either our friendship is not true, or — God forbid — Allah the Exalted does not have within Himself the attributes of mercy and compassion and is oppressive, harsh, and severe, and seizes us without reason. The second matter is in any case not true. It is wrong, it is a lie. Allah the Exalted is in any case a Merciful and Compassionate Being. Yes, there may be some defect in the truthfulness of our friendship. If there is weakness, it is within ourselves. We are not making ourselves worthy of His mercy and compassion. So in order to make ourselves worthy of His mercy and compassion, we need to turn our attention to our conditions. We need to strengthen our faith. We need to act upon the commandments of Allah the Exalted and we need to consider the commandments of Allah the Exalted as mercy and bounty. If the commandments of Allah the Exalted are considered mercy and bounty, then they are not bidden farewell to; rather, by acting upon them, faith is strengthened. These commandments are established within oneself. They are settled within one's heart. There are some governmental orders which a person at times considers a penalty, or in poor countries, in third-world countries, there are governmental officials who, going beyond the law, issue their own orders which become the cause of distress to people. Their very coming to some place becomes distressing for people. When officers go on tours, people are in difficulty. And then people try that — may God grant that this officer should not come. May we somehow escape from him. But the commandments of Allah the Exalted are not like an oppressive ruler; rather they are mercy, and not acting upon them becomes a sign of destruction. Every commandment of Allah the Exalted comes bringing mercy and leaves behind countless mercies. Now, take Prayer — the time for Prayer does not come so that one may quickly rid oneself of this penalty. That this burden has fallen upon us, so let us be rid of it and turn it out of the house. Similarly Ramadan. It does not come so that we may simply pass it by. The fasts are obligatory. The world is keeping fasts, so let us also keep them along with them. Similarly the other forms of worship. It is not that, because the environment is telling us so, therefore we offer them and somehow be rid of them; rather a believer always tries to keep these things close to himself. If a believer even once offers a true Prayer with sincerity of heart, then Prayer cannot then leave his heart. It has a peculiar relish which inclines him towards offering Prayer in the future. While finishing the Prayer, he says salaam, but the As-salamu Alaikum is not because we are leaving, that we have a holiday. Rather it is because, understanding it to be a command of Allah the Exalted, he says salaam. Similarly, Ramadan too cannot leave a believer. Hazrat Musleh Maud has stated a very fine point here: that in our country there is an idiom — in Urdu there is an idiom — roza rakha (literally, "kept the fast"). Now this is a very excellent idiom, because the fast that passes — we do not bid it farewell either; rather, we keep it, and it then makes us heirs of the bounties of Allah the Exalted for ever.

It is established from a Hadith that if any error occurs from a believer, his good deeds become a shield for him and save him from destruction. So regarding every good deed one should keep this in mind: that it should not depart, but should remain established, because benefit can be derived only from that which remains and is established in the heart. In the Holy Qur'an too, by saying وَالۡبٰقِیٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ(Al-Kahf: 47), it has been stated that good deeds are things that remain. So that Ramadan which we have spent doing good deeds is remaining. Indeed these days shall pass, but as long as those good deeds remain which have been established within us as a result of Ramadan, they will not let Ramadan depart. A believer should make every good thing baqiyat-us-salihat (an enduring good). The days may pass, but Ramadan should not pass. Ramadan too is a form of worship, and worship does not pass away. It always abides in the heart of a true believer. So we need to settle Ramadan within our hearts like a true believer.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: when a servant does any good deed, a white mark appears upon his heart. Then he does another good deed, and another white mark appears upon his heart. So much so that he keeps doing good deeds and the whole heart becomes white. Similarly, one who does evil deeds — black marks keep appearing on his heart, and if he keeps doing evil deeds, finally the entire heart becomes black.

Thus both kinds of deeds — good and bad — gather and collect upon man's heart. They leave a mark upon it. We should try to gather good deeds within our hearts. May the good deeds we have done in this Ramadan always remain within us. The things which Allah the Exalted wishes to create within us through Ramadan are precisely the filling of hearts with good deeds.

Ramadan has not brought, nor does it bring, for us merely twenty-nine or thirty days and nights. These days and nights come in other months too; rather this month has brought for us worship and other good deeds, towards the carrying out of which it draws our attention. We should gather them within our hearts, and that which is preserved within the heart cannot be snatched away by anyone else, until man himself takes it out and destroys it. So it is the duty of a believer that he values this gift of Allah the Exalted.

Always remember that this Friday has not come so that by offering it we may bid farewell to Ramadan or send it off; rather it has come so that, if we wish, we may benefit from it and establish it within our hearts forever. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) declared Friday to be one of the festivals for the Muslims. And on this day, according to the Ahadith, there also comes such an hour in which prayers are accepted with particularity. We should benefit from these. We have not come to the mosque today for this — nor should we come for this, and this is not the thinking of an Ahmadi — to say to Allah the Exalted that the calamity which You had placed upon us in the form of Ramadan, thanks be to God that today it is being averted, or is taking leave of us. Rather we have come for this: that in these blessed hours we should pray that the days of Ramadan shall pass in three or four days, but O God, preserve within our hearts the reality of Ramadan and the worship offered within it and the other good deeds, and may they never be separated from us. From this viewpoint, if today we appreciate Jumu'ah or benefit from it, then we have made very blessed use of today's Friday. But if, along with this Friday, or three or four days hence, Ramadan departs from us and we also forget the good deeds done within it, then that is a great misfortune. In the world, a son is not pleased at being separated from his father, a mother from her son, a brother from his brother; rather even friends, true friends, dear ones, close ones, they too are not pleased. Joy always comes to us from the departure of an enemy. Similarly, at the departure of Ramadan, a true believer cannot be pleased. At the departure of blessing, no one can be pleased. Who is the person who is pleased at the departure of blessing? One who is pleased at the departure of blessing can only be called unfortunate — what else can he be called? So today every one of us should pray that He will attach this day to us for ever, and that no hour of ours be separated from Ramadan.

We should always keep reflecting on what Ramadan is, and what Allah the Exalted has told us regarding its reality is this — as I mentioned in the first sermon at the beginning regarding Ramadan that شَہۡرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِیۡۤ اُنۡزِلَ فِیۡہِ الۡقُرۡاٰنُ (Al-Baqarah: 186): those blessed days in which the Qur'an was revealed are called Ramadan, and when the revelation of the Qur'an ceases, then those days no longer remain blessed. They then become ill-fated days. So it is the duty of believers that the attention given during these days to reading and learning the Holy Qur'an should be made a part of our lives throughout the year. Throughout the year we should pay attention to reading the Qur'an. Throughout the year we should try to act upon it. The true purpose of the revelation of the Holy Qur'an shall be fulfilled only when we make it a part of our lives. By having it revealed upon our hearts, and then preserving it within our hearts, so that at every turn of life we may keep benefiting from it. May Allah the Exalted bring it about that our attention always remains fixed on the two matters which I have mentioned today. May we be those who know its reality. May our Lailatul Qadr keep taking us to the zenith of successes. May we attain true awareness of it; and this Friday which is called Jumu'atul Wida — this last Friday of Ramadan — it should not really be called Jumu'atul Wida; this is the last Friday of the month of Ramadan. Let it not be that which makes us bid farewell to the blessings of Ramadan; rather, may its grace become part of our lives, and may we be those who keep fulfilling the purpose of the revelation of the Holy Qur'an. As I have already mentioned regarding the condition of the Muslims of Palestine, remember these people in particular in your prayers. May Allah the Exalted create ease for them. May He bring them out of this difficulty.

After the Prayer, I shall also lead a funeral prayer in absentia, which is of respected Naeemullah Khan Sahib of Kyrgyzstan, who passed away on 21 July 2014 from a heart attack at the age of 61 اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ . He was granted the opportunity to render extraordinary services in the establishment of the Jamaat in the Central Asian Jamaats, particularly in Kyrgyzstan, and to serve as the Naib National President of Jamaat Kyrgyzstan. When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) had urged people to go there, he had at that time gone there with the intention of doing business. But he also did the work of religion. He always remained at the forefront in Jamaat work. He gave preference to Jamaat affairs over personal work. Despite the unfavourable conditions there, he continued to render service with sincerity till the last moment. He was regular in his Prayers, offered Tahajjud, was prayerful, gave abundantly in charity and almsgiving, was at the forefront in the obligatory chandas and other financial schemes, was compassionate to the poor, and was a sincere person. He had a relationship of love and devotion with Khilafat. The missionaries of the Jamaat who used to go there had certain difficulties, and he took great care of them too. He took great care of central guests.

All the missionaries who have had, or are having, the opportunity to serve in those areas all express that he had extraordinary zeal and courage for the Jamaat. In the purchase of the mission house of Jamaat Ahmadiyya Kyrgyzstan too, he played a very key role. The deceased was a Moosi. He had two wives, one Pakistani and one Russian. He has two daughters and four sons. Two of his sons are from his Russian wife. The Russian wife is from Kyrgyzstan. She has also written a letter from Kyrgyzstan and has greatly praised his character. May Allah the Exalted treat him with mercy and forgiveness, and may He also be a Helper and Supporter of his children and wives, and keep them always attached to the Jamaat and to Khilafat. May He grant the opportunity to continue those virtues which he had set in motion.