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۔

اِنَّ اللّٰہَ وَمَلٰٓئِکَتَہٗ یُصَلُّوْنَ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ۔ یٰٓاَیُّھَاالَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَیْہِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِیْمًا (Al-Ahzab: 57)

Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.

This verse makes it clear that Allah the Exalted is sending down His mercies upon His Prophet. His angels are also praying for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), seeking mercy for him. So when this is the situation, those people who want to stop or diminish the progress of this Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by using various pretexts and tactics can never succeed. Those who level false accusations against him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and make him a target of mockery and ridicule, thinking they will succeed, are living in a fool's paradise. Their conspiracies and efforts cannot cause any harm to this beloved Prophet of Allah the Exalted (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The purpose for which Allah the Exalted sent him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will continue to be achieved by the grace of Allah the Exalted. And in this age, for the achievement of this purpose, Allah the Exalted has opened new doors for spreading the beautiful teaching of Islam by sending his true lover. So the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), whom Allah the Exalted sent as a Prophet for every age and every nation, Allah the Exalted Himself is providing the means for his help through His mercy and grace. His (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) opponents could never succeed before, nor can they succeed now. This is the decree of Allah the Exalted. Therefore, a true Muslim should have no worry that any worldly effort can harm Islam or the status of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Yes, the work that Allah the Exalted has assigned to a true Muslim is this: just as He and His angels are sending blessings on this Prophet to elevate his status, you, while fulfilling your duty, should send countless blessings and salutations upon Allah the Exalted's beloved, perfect, complete, and final Prophet. So this is the duty of a true Muslim. By being included among those who continue to advance the work of this Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and following in the footsteps of Allah the Exalted and His angels, we should send countless blessings and salutations upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

In the past few days, the circumstances that occurred in France, and those who call themselves Muslims attacked a newspaper office and killed twelve people—regarding this, in the last Friday sermon, I briefly mentioned and drew the attention of Ahmadis, the members of the Jama'at, to reciting Durood, that victory for Islam will not come through killing and destruction; rather, by sending Durood upon him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), we can succeed in our purpose. I also expressed the concern that in retaliation for this attack, a wrong reaction could be shown or would be shown, and this was to be expected from those people. By showing a wrong reaction, those people also published the caricatures again, which became a cause of further pain for us and should have been a cause of pain for every true Muslim. What benefit did this terrorism bring? The wrongful act that these newspaper people had committed two or three years ago, which had subsided, was fanned again by the wrong action of those who call themselves Muslims. Many leaders of the Western world had shown a strong reaction against what this newspaper had been doing before. They strongly rejected it, and several governments said we will never allow our newspapers to do this. But after last week's incident, many apparently sensible and responsible people and leaders announced their support for this indecent newspaper. And from various places, they began to receive aid of several million dollars. The circulation of this newspaper, which was only sixty thousand, and it was being said that perhaps it was going to die its own death, was about to completely end and would end—the wrong action of those who call themselves Muslims raised its circulation to over five million within a day, within a week. And now some analysts say that this newspaper has perhaps gotten an additional ten to twelve more years, whereas it might not have even survived six months.

So this action has not only fanned the wrong perception of the teaching of Islam in many countries of the world but has also played a role in reviving a dying enemy. Would the Muslim organizations that commit cruelty in the name of Islam understand that the teaching of love and affection of Islam can bring the world into the fold of Islam more quickly. The way Islam teaches patience and forbearance, no other religion can even compete with it. These worldly people are those whose religious eye is blind, who, let alone the word of Allah the Exalted's prophets, do not refrain from mocking God Almighty Himself. If there is also an ignorant reaction from our side to the actions of these ignorant people, then they will stubbornly say even more ignorant things. So Allah the Exalted says that instead of engaging with these people, turn away from these people full of absurdities and separate yourselves. It is not only sitting in their gatherings or agreeing with them that is sinful or makes one a sinner; rather, when those who do wrong are answered in this retaliatory manner and then they in turn mock God Almighty or speak ill or use indecent words about the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or express in any manner, then too those among us who do such things will be sharing in this sin.

So a true Muslim should avoid this. The matter should be left to God Almighty. God Almighty has said that when they have to return to Me, then they will have to bear the consequences of their actions. Eventually, one day they have to return to Allah the Exalted; then Allah the Exalted will tell them what they had been doing. These days, instead of raising the sword against Islam, the enemy wants to harm Islam, the teaching of Islam, and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by using such lowly tactics.

Allah the Exalted, by saying that Allah the Exalted and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), has told a fundamental principle that these actions cannot cause any harm to the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Your work, instead of getting involved in these absurdities, instead of responding with ignorance in the same manner, is to send Durood and Salam upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This is the work of a true Muslim. Fulfil this right, then understand that you have fulfilled that duty.

As I mentioned, those people who were against this indecent magazine—after this attack, many of them also became in favour of it, saying that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. But despite this, among those people there are also such fair-minded and wise people who have disapproved of this magazine's indecent expression about the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and, while disapproving, have held its management responsible. For example, an early member of this magazine named Charlie Hebdo, whose name is Henri Roussel, says that the caricatures this newspaper had made were provocative, and this is why due to this irresponsible act, the editor pushed his team into death, and he says that this kind of thing was against our basic policy, which they have been doing for the past several years. Similarly, the Pope has given a very good statement that there should be some limit to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression does not mean giving complete licence. He said that every religion has dignity, and its respect is necessary, and no one should attack the honour of any religion. Giving his own example, he says that my close friend (who organizes his tours)—if he too curses or speaks ill of my mother, my reaction would be that I would punch him in the face, and they should expect this reaction from me, that I will punch. In any case, provoking anyone's sentiments is wrong, and they have provoked sentiments; therefore, the fault is theirs. The Pope has given a very genuine statement. Muslims should also now be wise and should not show a wrong reaction afterwards.

These days, the media has dominated the world and plays a big role anywhere in igniting or extinguishing fire, creating or stopping disorder. This time, it has also happened for the first time that after this incident, the UK and various media of the world asked the Jama'at for our reaction or stance about this, in which we told about this killing incident that this is an un-Islamic act and we regret it, but there should also be some limits to freedom of expression; otherwise, those people who provoke the sentiments of others will be responsible for creating disorder in the world. In any case, apart from this, some detailed statements have been made in the press. In the UK, there were Sky News, News Five, BBC Radio, LBC, BBC Leeds, and London Live; then there were external TVs—Fox TV, CNN, Canadian newspapers; similarly, newspapers from Greece, Ireland, France, America. They stated our position. Interviews were also conducted by going to their studios, and through this medium, the true position and teaching of Islam reached several million people. In this, the Amir Sahib here was also interviewed by a TV, and the Imam of Fazl Mosque, Ata-ul-Mujeeb Rashid Sahib, was also interviewed. Similarly, we have teams and representatives in America, Canada, and France. Representatives of their teams participated. There is a press team, and they were invited to the studio and interviewed or asked questions. Newspapers printed our articles or gave news in this regard. So in any case, this team has also done well in conveying the true teaching everywhere in the world, in the UK, in America, and in Canada.

Regarding the press contacts and news of the Canadian team, a journalist there wrote that I ask this question: the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at is a small sect among Muslims, but despite this, there has been so much media coverage from their side. What is the reason for this? And they have tried to convey the right message. So this is the decree of Allah the Exalted that now the Jama'at of the true lover of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has to tell the world the correct direction of the teaching of Islam, which they learned from him.

So as I said in the last sermon, it is our responsibility that in our own circles we give this message to the world and explain that wrong reactions will only give birth to disorder, nothing else will happen. And in the current circumstances of the world, a fire will flare up and this fire will then become a fire that spreads in all directions, which the world cannot bear at this time. So do not provoke people with wrong reactions, nor call upon Allah the Exalted's seizure. May God Almighty give the world wisdom.

But along with this, a very big task of an Ahmadi is also to follow this way that God Almighty has told us: یٰٓاَیُّھَاالَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَیْہِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِیْمًا—that O people who have believed, you also send Durood and Salam upon this Prophet with zeal. Although a believer should try his best to act upon the commands of Allah the Exalted and should not raise the question of why or for what. Obviously, generally he does not raise it either. As someone's faith and knowledge of religious matters and understanding of prayers increases, the wisdom and benefits of the command also begin to appear or are understood. But learning by acquiring some knowledge is also a beautiful part of Islamic teaching. Islam also says to acquire knowledge and also learn, and also try to acquire this understanding and comprehension. To create a relationship with Allah the Exalted, also take steps towards Allah the Exalted. In any case, Allah the Exalted has commanded to learn this so that the wisdom is understood as soon as possible. Not that you wait and gradually learn. Understanding and comprehension of acting upon the commands of Allah the Exalted should also be acquired, and then because of acquiring this understanding and comprehension, it can be acted upon in a better manner.

So in this regard, at this time I will present some Ahadith and excerpts of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) which also clarify the importance and benefits of Durood Sharif. We claim love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and because of the demand of this love, our hearts are pierced when indecent words are said about the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or any matter is attributed to him in a wrong manner. But how will there be the true expression of this love and its benefit? Regarding this, Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) bin Mas'ud narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that on the Day of Judgement, among the people, the one who will be closest to me will be the one who sends the most Durood upon me among them. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Salat, Abwab al-Witr, Bab Ma Ja'a fi Fadl al-Salat..., Hadith No. 484)

So the true expression of love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as a result of which his nearness is obtained, is only through reciting Durood Sharif.

Then it is narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that on the Day of Judgement, from the dangers of that day and the terrible occasions, the one among you who will be most protected and saved will be the one who sends the most Durood upon me in the world. He said that for me, the Durood of Allah the Exalted and His angels was sufficient. This is an opportunity that Allah the Exalted has granted to the believers to earn reward by sending Durood. (Kanz al-Ummal, Part 1, Page 254, Kitab al-Adhkar/Qism al-Aqwal, Hadith No. 2225, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2004)

Then regarding the correct method of making dua, there is a narration. Hazrat Fadalah bin Ubaid narrates that I was sitting with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). A person came and offered prayer and while making dua said, اَللّٰھُمَّ اغْفِرْلِیْ وَارْحَمْنِیْ "O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me." The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "O praying one, you hastened. You should, when you pray and sit, praise and glorify Allah the Exalted. Then send Durood upon me. Then ask for whatever dua he wishes." The narrator says, then another person came. He praised Allah the Exalted and sent Durood upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Upon this, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, اَیُّھَا الْمُصَلِّی اُدْعُ تُجَبْ "O praying one, make dua, it will be accepted." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Da'wat, Bab Ma Ja'a fi Jami' al-Salawat an al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hadith No. 3476)

Then it is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) bin Amr bin al-As. He also heard the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying that when you hear the ‘muezzin’ calling the Adhan, you also repeat the same words that he says. Then send Durood upon me. Whoever recites Durood upon me, Allah the Exalted will send down ten-fold mercies upon him. Then he said, ask Allah the Exalted for Wasilah for me. This is one of the ranks among the ranks of Paradise that will be given to one servant among the servants of Allah the Exalted. And I hope that I will be that one. Whoever asks Allah for Wasilah for me, intercession will become permissible for him. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Salat, Bab al-Qawl Mithla Qawl al-Mu'adhdhin li Man Sami'ahu thumma Yusalli ala al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hadith No. 849)

So this Durood, while it increases love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), is also necessary for the acceptance of prayer and is also necessary for one's own forgiveness.

This is why Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the prayer stops between heaven and the earth, and until you send Durood upon your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), no part of it rises to be presented before God Almighty. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Salat, Abwab al-Witr, Bab Ma Ja'a fi Fadl al-Salat ala al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hadith No. 486)

How should effort be made to recite Durood? Regarding this, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), writing to one of his disciples, says: "You should be very attentive in reciting Durood Sharif, and just as one truly desires blessing for one's beloved, with the same relish and sincerity, seek blessing for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and seek with great humility, and there should be no pretence in this humility and prayer. Rather, there should be true friendship and love with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and truly from the sincerity of the soul, those blessings should be sought for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that are mentioned in Durood Sharif... And the sign of personal love is that one never tires and never becomes weary, and there is no involvement of selfish motives (there should be no personal interest). And one should recite solely for this purpose that the blessings of the Gracious Lord should be manifested upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Volume 1, Pages 534-535, Letter to Mir Abbas Ali Shah, Letter No. 18, Published by Nazarat Isha'at, Rabwah)

Then explaining the wisdom of Durood, he says:

"Although the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has no need for anyone else's prayer." (As he [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] also said in the Hadith that for me, the Durood of Allah and His angels is sufficient. The Promised Messiah [peace be upon him] says:) "But there is a very deep secret in this. The person who, out of personal love, seeks mercy and blessing for someone, because of the relationship of personal love, becomes a part of that person's existence." (Whoever seeks mercy and blessing for someone because of personal love, because of the relationship of that personal love, becomes a part of the body of the one being sought for.) He said: "So the grace that descends upon the one for whom prayer is made, the same grace descends upon him." (Allah the Exalted's grace that descends upon the one for whom prayer is made also descends upon the one making the prayer.) "And since the graces of the Divine Unity upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are limitless, therefore the one who sends Durood, who out of personal love seeks blessing for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), receives a share of limitless blessings according to his zeal. But without spiritual zeal and personal love, these graces appear very little." (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Volume 1, Page 535, Letter to Mir Abbas Ali Shah, Letter No. 18, Published by Nazarat Isha'at, Rabwah)

So we should try to develop this personal zeal. Then explaining the reason for reciting Durood Sharif, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said at one place: "See the truthfulness and faithfulness of our Master and Lord, Hazrat Muhammad, Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He faced every kind of evil incitement. He bore all kinds of sufferings but did not care. It was this very truthfulness and faithfulness because of which Allah the Exalted favoured him. This is why Allah the Exalted has said: اِنَّ اللّٰہَ وَمَلٰٓئِکَتَہٗ یُصَلُّوْنَ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ۔ یٰٓاَیُّھَاالَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَیْہِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِیْمًا۔ Allah the Exalted and His angels send blessings upon the Messenger. O believers, send Durood and Salam upon the Prophet." He said: "From this verse it is evident that the deeds of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were such that Allah the Exalted did not use any particular word to define or limit their praise or attributes." (He did not use any particular word to limit them.) "Words could have been found, but He did not use them Himself. That is, the praise of his righteous deeds was beyond limitation." (That any limit should be set for it. It was beyond that.) "This kind of verse was not used in honour of any other prophet. In the soul of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was such truthfulness and faithfulness, and his deeds were so pleasing in the sight of God that Allah the Exalted commanded for all time that future people should send Durood as a form of gratitude." (Tafsir Hazrat Masih-e-Maud, Volume 3, Page 730, Tohfa-e-Salana or Report of Jalsa Salana 1897, Pages 50-51. Malfuzat, Volume 1, Pages 23-24, Edition 2003, Published Rabwah)

Then stating that Durood Sharif is a means of attaining steadfastness and acceptance of prayer, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) says: "For the increase and renewal of love for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) (that is, to increase in love and to renew it), reciting Durood Sharif in every prayer became necessary. So that a means of steadfastness for the acceptance of this prayer may come into hand. Durood Sharif, which is a powerful means of attaining steadfastness, should be recited abundantly. Not as a formality and habit, but keeping in view the beauty and benevolence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and for the advancement of his ranks and stations, and for his successes. The result of this will be that you will receive the sweet and delicious fruit of acceptance of prayer." (Review of Religions, January 1904, Volume 3, Number 1, Pages 14-15)

How does this advancement of ranks etc. happen? I will also tell you going forward.

Then he says:

"How blessed is this age that Allah the Exalted in these turbulent days, purely out of His grace" (in those days also, wrong things were said about the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] when he made this statement that) "in these turbulent days, purely out of His grace, for the manifestation of the greatness of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), made this blessed intention that He arranged the help of Islam from the unseen and established a Movement. I want to ask those people who have a pain for Islam in their hearts and who have its honour and worth in their hearts—tell me, has any age worse than this ever passed over Islam, in which there has been so much abuse and insult of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Holy Quran has been dishonoured? Then I feel great regret and heartfelt sorrow at the condition of Muslims, and sometimes I become restless with this pain that even this much sense has not remained in them that they feel this dishonour. Did Allah the Exalted not want any honour for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that despite so much abuse, He would not establish any heavenly movement?" (Did Allah the Exalted not want any honour that despite so much abuse, He would not establish any heavenly movement? He did not say here that you rise and pick up guns and sticks and start killing and destruction. Rather, for establishing this honour, the establishment of a heavenly movement was necessary. And he said:) "And by silencing these opponents of Islam, would spread his greatness and purity in the world." (By argument, by his beautiful teaching, He would silence them, not by firing bullets.) "When Allah the Exalted Himself and His angels send Durood upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), how necessary is the manifestation of this Salat at this time of insult, and Allah the Exalted has manifested it in the form of this Movement" (that is, in the form of Jama'at Ahmadiyya). So it becomes even more our duty that we send Durood upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) more than before. So he said: "I have been sent so that I may re-establish the lost greatness of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." (After this, he also said:) "And show the truths of the Holy Quran to the world." (Malfuzat, Volume 5, Pages 13-14, Edition 1985, Published England)

So reciting Durood Sharif abundantly is necessary today for every Ahmadi so that we may also be fulfilling the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). We should be responding to the call of God Almighty. And we should be fulfilling the claim of love and devotion for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This right of love will not be fulfilled merely by slogans and processions, which non-Ahmadi Muslims keep doing. To fulfil this right of love, today every Ahmadi should send crores upon crores of Durood and Salam mixed with the pain of his heart to the Throne. This Durood will be more effective in the destruction of the enemy than the bullets of guns.

Then further explaining what the method of reciting Durood is, he says in a letter he wrote to one of his disciples: "Take care to the utmost degree that every act becomes completely free from the pollution of formality and habit." (Whatever the act is, it should not be mere formality and habit.) "And it should gush forth from the pure fountain of heartfelt love." (The dirt of formality and habit should be purified from it, and the love that emanates from the heart should be gushing like a fountain. He said:) "For example, do not recite Durood Sharif in the way that common people recite like a parrot. Neither do they have any perfect sincerity for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), nor do they seek divine blessings for their accepted Messenger with complete presence." He said: "Rather, before Durood Sharif, one should first establish this belief that the bond of love with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has reached such a degree that the heart can never conceive that from the beginning of time to its end, any such human being has passed who had more love than this degree of love, or any such person is to come who will excel beyond this." (This love should be such that even after much thought, the idea can never arise in the heart that there was anyone before the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] for whom such love could be developed, nor can anyone ever be born in the future for whom one could love with such intensity, or any such person is to come who will excel beyond this.) "And the establishment of this belief can happen in this way: that whatever sufferings and hardships true lovers have endured in the love of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or will be able to endure in the future, whatever sufferings the intellect can conceive of descending, one should be present with heartfelt sincerity to endure all of that." (How will this situation arise? That whatever sufferings could have been endured before or any intellect can conceive that these difficulties can arise, one should be ready to endure those difficulties and sufferings in the love of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] with heartfelt sincerity. He said:) "And no such suffering should the intellect or imagination present from enduring which the heart should hold back. And no such command should the intellect present from obeying which some hesitation or reluctance should arise in the heart. And no creature should have a place in the heart that would be a partner in this kind of love. And when this belief is established" (in this way, faith has progressed) "then Durood Sharif, as I have also explained verbally" (he is writing to this disciple) "should be recited with this purpose: that the Gracious Lord should send down His perfect blessings upon His Noble Prophet and make him a fountainhead of blessings for the whole world, and manifest his greatness and his majesty in this world and the next. This prayer should be with complete presence." (It should be from the depth of the heart, with attention.) "Just as one prays with complete presence at the time of one's own affliction—rather, even more humility and supplication should be made—and one should not keep any share for oneself, that from this I will get such reward or such rank." (One should not recite Durood or pray with this thought that I will get some reward or rank.) "Rather, the sole purpose should be that the perfect divine blessings should descend upon the accepted Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his glory should shine in this world and the next. And the resolve of determination should be on this purpose alone, and day and night there should be continuity of attention. Until no desire in one's heart should be greater than this." (Work with steadfastness.) "So when this Durood Sharif is recited in this way, then it is beyond formality and habit, and undoubtedly wonderful lights will emanate from it. And one sign of complete presence is that most times weeping and crying should be included, and to such an extent should this attention affect every fibre and vein that dreaming and wakefulness should become the same." (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Volume 1, Pages 522-523, Letter to Mir Abbas Ali Shah, Letter No. 10, Published by Nazarat Isha'at, Rabwah)

Then regarding effort for prayers and Durood, he says in a letter to one of his disciples: "You should remain engaged in Tahajjud prayer and routine recitations. There are many blessings in Tahajjud. Idleness is nothing. An idle and comfort-loving person has no weight." Then he said: " 'وَالَّذِیْنَ جَاھَدُوْا فِیْنَا لَنَھْدِیَنَّھُمْ سُبُلَنَا (Al-Ankabut: 70)" (that Allah the Exalted has said that whoever strives in My way, We will guide him to Our ways. He said:) "That Durood Sharif is best which came from the blessed tongue of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and that is: اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ عَلیٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلیٰ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ کَمَا صَلَّیْتَ عَلیٰ اِبْرَاھِیْمَ وَعَلیٰ اٰلِ اِبْرَاھِیْمَ اِنَّکَ حَمِیْدٌ مَّجِیْدٌ۔ اَللّٰھُمَّ بَارِکْ عَلیٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلیٰ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ کَمَا بَارکْتَ عَلیٰ اِبْرَاھِیْمَ وَعَلیٰ اٰلِ اِبْرَاھِیْمَ اِنَّکَ حَمِیْدٌ مَّجِیْدٌ۔" He said: "Whatever words come from the mouth of a pious person, certainly there is some blessing in them. So consider the one who is the chief of the pious and the commander of the prophets—the words that have come from his mouth (that is, these words of Durood Sharif that were just recited), how blessed they must be. In short, of all kinds of Durood Sharif, this very Durood Sharif is the most blessed. This is the recitation of this humble one." (That is, the Promised Messiah [peace be upon him] says that this is the recitation of this humble one.) "And binding oneself to any number is not necessary. One should recite with sincerity and love and presence and humility, and one should certainly continue reciting until a state of tenderness and rapture and being affected is created, and expansion and relish is found in the chest." (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Volume 1, Page 526, Letter to Mir Abbas Ali Shah, Letter No. 13, Published by Nazarat Isha'at, Rabwah)

May Allah the Exalted create this spirit in all of us. May such Durood come from our hearts that reaches the Throne and also satisfies us from it. By the grace of Allah the Exalted, many among us are those who recite Durood and recite with great pain, and Allah the Exalted also shows them the spectacles of its grace. May Allah enable the number of those who recite Durood in this way to continue to increase in the Jama'at, which will also benefit the Jama'at collectively and will also benefit the progress of the Jama'at. There is a style of Durood of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) that I like very much. Although some of us recite something close to it, this is such a style that I also want to present before you, by which, along with Durood, personal love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) increases in a new manner, and comprehension of prayer for the progress of the Jama'at also develops.

He said at one place: "When we pray for another, this prayer in one sense becomes a cause of elevation of rank for us too. So when we recite Durood, as a result, while the ranks of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are elevated, our ranks also increase, and the reward reaches them and then through them reaches us. Its example is like if you put something in a sieve, it comes out of it and also falls into the cloth that is spread below. Similarly, Allah the Exalted has made Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) like a sieve for this Ummah. First, God gives them a share of His blessings, and then those blessings reach us through their medium and through them. When we recite Durood and Allah the Exalted elevates the ranks of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in return, then inevitably Allah the Exalted also tells Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that this gift has come from such-and-such believer." (This gift of Durood that was recited from the heart has come from such-and-such believer.) "Upon this, in their heart (that is, in the heart of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]), an inclination to pray for us is created, and Allah the Exalted gives us a share of His blessings because of their prayer."

He said: "I tell you about myself that whenever I come to pray at the grave of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), I have made it my practice that first I pray for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then I pray for the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). And the prayer I make is: O Allah! I have nothing that I could present as a gift in the service of these elders of mine. The things I have cannot benefit them. However, You have everything. Therefore, I pray and beseech You that You, by doing me a favour, on my behalf, give them some gift in Paradise that they have not received in Paradise before. Then they surely ask, 'O Allah, from whom has this gift come?'" (When Allah the Exalted gives the gift, they will surely ask from whom this gift has come.) "And when God tells them from whom it has come, then they pray for him, and thus the ranks of the one who prays also become elevated. And this is proven from the Quran and Ahadith. It is an established principle of Islam, and no one can deny that prayers certainly benefit the deceased. The Holy Quran has also drawn attention to this by saying فَحَیُّوْا بِاَحْسَنَ مِنْھَآ (Al-Nisa: 87)—that when someone presents you a gift, give him a better gift. Otherwise, at least give as much gift as he gave. According to this verse of the Holy Quran, when we pray for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and send Durood and Salam upon them, God Almighty will present them some gift from us as a result of this prayer. We do not know what blessings are in Paradise, but Allah the Exalted knows those blessings well. Therefore, when we pray, 'O God! Give the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) some gift that he has not received before,' it is inevitable that when that gift is given to him, at the same time it is also told from Allah the Exalted that this gift is from such-and-such person. Then how can it be that after this knowledge, he would remain silent and not pray for the one who sent the gift? At such an occasion, his soul will involuntarily fall at the threshold of Allah the Exalted and say, 'O God! Now give him a better reward on our behalf.' In this way, according to فَحَیُّوْا بِاَحْسَنَ مِنْھَآ, that prayer will return to the one who sent Durood and become a cause of the elevation of his rank. So this is the means by which, without any polytheistic act, we ourselves can also benefit, and the nation can also benefit. Thus, both national and individual benefits can be obtained." (Prayer at the Tomb of the Promised Messiah and Its Wisdom, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 17, Pages 190-192)

In this way, by reciting Durood and responding. So this is such a method, and as I have already said, through it the ways for the progress of the Jama'at also open, and when the Jama'at progresses, when the number of those who recite Durood upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) increases, the number of opponents will also continue to decrease.

Apart from this, I also want to say one more thing. Some people ask why اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ and اَللّٰھُمَّ بَارِکْ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ are separate. Regarding this, in the lexicon, there is this explanation: lexically, اَلصَّلوٰۃ also means اَلتَّعْظِیْم (glorification). On this basis, the meaning of the prayer اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ would be: O Allah! Grant Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) greatness in this world by elevating his mention and granting success and dominance to his message and decreeing permanence and continuity for his Shariah; while in the Hereafter, grant him greatness by accepting his intercession in favour of his Ummah and by multiplying his reward and recompense.

This has also been mentioned in detail in some sentences in the excerpts of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), but not from the meaning of the lexicon. Then further it says that regarding Durood Sharif upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the words بَارِکْ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلیٰ اٰل مُحَمَّدٍ have come in the Hadith. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Tafsir al-Quran, Bab Qawlihi In Tubdu Shay'an aw Tukhfuhu..., Hadith No. 4797)

Its meaning is: O Allah! Whatever honour and greatness and grand glory and eminence You have decreed for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), establish it for him and grant it permanence and continuity. May it remain established forever.

So in summary, in اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ there is prayer for the dominance of his Shariah and its remaining forever established and benefiting from his intercession in favour of the Ummah. And in اَللّٰھُمَّ بَارکْ there is prayer for his (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) honour and greatness and glory and eminence to remain forever established.

May Allah the Exalted grant us the ability to recite Durood in the true sense, and because of this Durood, may we be those who attain the nearness of God Almighty, and may we also be those who always continue to progress in the love of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and may we be those who spend our abilities in the work of spreading his Shariah. May we be those who play our role in eliminating strife and disorder from the world according to his (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) teaching. May Allah the Exalted grant us this ability.

At this time, I will also lead two funeral prayers in absentia. The first is of respected Maulvi Abdul Qadir Sahib Dehlavi, Dervish of Qadian, who passed away on January 10, 2015, at the age of 97 years. اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن (Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return). The deceased was the son of respected Dr. Abdul Rahim Sahib, Companion of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He passed the Maulvi Fazil examination from Madrasa Ahmadiyya. In Qadian, he had the opportunity to serve in the following positions. In the Dervish Department, he was General Secretary in the Ahmadiyya locality of Qadian. Then for a long period, he was Naib Nazir Da'wat-o-Tabligh and Assistant Nazir A'la. Besides this, he was Nazim Jaidad, Qazi Silsila, Auditor Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya, Secretary Bahishti Maqbarah, and Naib Sadr Ansarullah.

An article of Maulvi Sahib, the deceased, titled "Dastan-e-Dervish Bazaban-e-Dervish" was published in the November 2003 issue of "Risala Mishkat." In it, the deceased narrated that Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ishaq Sahib, who used to teach us Hadith Sharif in the upper class at Madrasa Ahmadiyya and loved me very much, said to apply to go to Egypt for education. I gave the application to the administration, and the answer came that whoever does not have money to get a passport, what will he go to Egypt for? I told this to Hazrat Mir Sahib. He says that two days later, I saw in a dream that Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him) has come and said, "Abdul Qadir, Egypt." I related this dream also to Hazrat Mir Sahib. It so happened that it was the time of the Second World War, and young men were being recruited on behalf of Jama'at Ahmadiyya. I went on behalf of the Jama'at and was recruited in the army in the Supply Department. The soldiers also used to get a week or ten days' leave for rest. In this way, going into the army, he also reached Egypt there. So he says that in any case, this humble one preferred to go to Rome from there instead of coming to India to spend the holidays. There, right next to the church, a large hall was built on the right. Upon my inquiry, people told me that once a week, on Monday, the Pope addresses here and the devotees have his audience. The Pope comes to Rome. He says it was Monday; I also went into the hall. There, people were standing in a circle in the hall. Because of the war time, the Pope addressed about world peace, and then while passing near the attendees, he was going back. He says that as he was passing near me, I extended both my hands for a handshake towards him. The Pope also put his hands in mine and stopped. Holding his hand, I gave him the message of Islam. I told him about the second coming of Christ—that he has already appeared, and Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani has claimed to be the Promised Messiah. I have accepted him and invite you to accept as well. So they conveyed this message to the Pope. He says that he expressed joy upon hearing my words. Afterwards, all the American and European visitors gathered around me and began to applaud my courage. I also preached to them and wrote the details of the meeting with the Pope to Hazrat Khalifa Thani. The mention of preaching Islam to the Pope is recorded in Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Volume 10, under the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih the Second, titled "Preaching Islam to the Pope." (Adapted from Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Volume 10, Pages 549-550 with footnote)

In this article, he also narrated three faith-inspiring incidents of acceptance of prayer and divine intervention. In 1969, he also had the opportunity to perform Hajj. The deceased has three sons and four daughters. Despite financial constraints, he provided higher education to all of them. All are settled in foreign countries. The eldest son, Ismail Nuri Sahib, had the opportunity to serve in various Jama'at positions in Germany. He was born during the Dervish period. He was the first son. It is written that his wife passed away many years ago. He lived alone. Therefore, his daughters asked him to come to Germany. He said, "Do not say such a thing to me again." For many years, he spent his life alone in Qadian and had the blessing of fulfilling the covenant of Dervishhood until his last breath. The deceased was a Musi. He was buried in Bahishti Maqbarah, Qadian, in the section for Dervishes. May Allah the Exalted elevate his ranks and enable his children to also follow in his footsteps.

The second funeral is of respected Mubaraka Begum Sahiba, wife of late Bashir Ahmad Sahib Hafizabadi, who was a Dervish of Qadian. She passed away on January 3, 2015, at the age of 83 years. اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن (Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return). Her father, respected Shafi Ahmad Sahib, the deceased, was the President of the Jama'at in Modha (UP). In compliance with the instruction of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) that due to the circumstances of the partition of the country after 1947, arranging marriages in Pakistan was becoming difficult, therefore the Dervishes should arrange marriages in India—in compliance with this, respected Bashir Ahmad Sahib Hafizabadi got this match from UP in 1951.

The deceased Mubaraka Begum Sahiba was very regular in fasting and prayer, and was a virtuous and sincere lady. On a Jama'at appeal, she gave her jewellery in Chanda. During the long trial of the Dervish period, she spent time with her husband with great patience and gratitude. She stood by him in all kinds of circumstances. Now, by the grace of Allah, the circumstances are much better. The early period for Dervishes was a time of great hardship. She had a deep connection with Khilafat. One son of the deceased, respected Munir Ahmad Sahib Hafizabadi, is Wakil-e-A'la Tahrik-e-Jadid Qadian and President of the Management Committee of Fazl-e-Umar Press. He is a life-devotee. The second son practices medicine. Three daughters are in Pakistan. Two daughters were present with them at the time of her death. The deceased was a Musia. She was buried in Bahishti Maqbarah. May Allah the Exalted elevate her ranks. May Ahmadiyyat not only continue in her children and progeny but may they be those who participate increasingly, and may they be those who progress in faith and certainty.