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۔

وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّکُمۡ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَوۡفِ وَالۡجُوۡعِ وَنَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَالۡاَنۡفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ۔ الَّذِیۡنَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَتۡہُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ ۙ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ (البقرۃ: 156۔ 157)

"And We will try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives, and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient,Who, when a misfortune overtakes them, say, ‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.’ (Surah Al-Baqarah: 156-157)

In these verses, the characteristics that believers display when facing difficulties, calamities, or any kind of loss are mentioned. Allah the Almighty states that a true believer is recognized only when he possesses these characteristics. Sometimes believers face losses personally, sometimes communal losses occur, but a true believer emerges successful from every kind of loss while seeking Allah's pleasure. That is how it should be. On this subject, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (the Promised Messiah) has shed light extensively in his various writings and teachings, explaining this matter from different angles. At this time, I will present one or two references from Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad regarding this matter.

While explaining these verses, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad states in one place:

"One should not consider misfortunes bad because one who considers misfortunes bad is not a believer. Allah the Almighty states: وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّکُمۡ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَوۡفِ وَالۡجُوۡعِ وَنَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَالۡاَنۡفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ۔ الَّذِیۡنَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَتۡہُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ ۙ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ These very hardships when they come upon messengers bring them the glad tidings of reward, but when these same hardships come upon the wicked and those of evil nature, they bring about their destruction. In short, at the time of misfortune, one should recite 'اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ' so that one seeks Allah's pleasure at the time of trials."

He said: "A believer's life has two parts. The good deeds a believer performs earn a fixed reward. But patience is such a thing whose reward is boundless and infinite." (Good deeds have a reward, but patience's reward is much greater.) "Allah the Almighty says these are the patient ones, these are the ones who have understood Allah. Allah the Almighty divides the life of those who understand the meaning of patience into two parts. First, when he prays (that is, the one who is patient), Allah the Almighty accepts his prayer, as Allah says: ادۡعُوۡنِیۡۤ اَسۡتَجِبۡ لَکُمۡ 'Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer.' (Al-Mu'min: 61) and اُجِیۡبُ دَعۡوَۃَ الدَّاعِ اِذَا دَعَانِ 'I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me.' (Al-Baqarah: 187) Second, sometimes Allah the Almighty does not accept a believer's supplication for some reason, at which point the believer submits his will to Allah's pleasure. It is said figuratively that Allah the Almighty maintains friendship with the believer. Just as two friends sometimes accept each other's words and sometimes decline, so too is the example of this relationship that Allah maintains with the believer. Sometimes He accepts the believer's supplication as He says: ادۡعُوۡنِیۡۤ اَسۡتَجِبۡ لَکُمۡ' 'Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer.' And sometimes He wishes to make the believer accept His words. Accordingly, He says: وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّکُمۡ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَوۡفِ (And We will test you with fear). So it is honest to understand this matter and not to insist one-sidedly."

He said: "A believer should not be sorrowful at the time of misfortune. He is not greater than a prophet. The real matter is that at the time of misfortune, a fountain of love springs forth. A believer never experiences misfortune from which he does not derive thousands of kinds of pleasure."

Then He said: "God's beloved ones do not suffer misfortunes from sin." (That is, misfortunes do not come because of sin.) He says: "The jewels of a believer are polished by misfortunes. Observe how the qualities of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were manifested during the times of his suffering and help. If the Holy Prophet had not faced hardships, what would we now say about his character? Others may consider a believer's hardships as misfortunes, but the believer himself does not regard them as misfortunes." He said: "It is necessary that a person remain steadfast upon sincere repentance and understand that repentance brings him a new life. And if you desire the fruits of repentance, then complete your repentance with action. Observe how a gardener plants a sapling and then waters it, and completes its development. Similarly, faith is a sapling and it is watered through action. Therefore, action is absolutely essential for the completion of faith. If faith is not accompanied by action, the saplings will dry up and they will remain unsuccessful." (From Tafsir Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Vol. 1, p. 603-604, and Al-Badr, March 20, 1903, No. 9, Vol. 2, p. 67)

Then He states: "In the state of being a believer, do not regard trials as bad, and only those who are not complete believers will regard them as bad. The Holy Quran states: وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّکُمۡ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَوۡفِ وَالۡجُوۡعِ وَنَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَالۡاَنۡفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ۔ الَّذِیۡنَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَتۡہُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ ۙ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ (Al-Baqarah: 157). Allah the Almighty says that sometimes We will test you through wealth or lives or children or crops and so forth. But those who are patient at such times and remain grateful, give them glad tidings that the doors of Allah's mercy are open to them and Allah's blessings will be upon them—those who say at such times 'إِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ إِنَّـا إِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ'. That is, we and everything connected to us are from Allah, and ultimately everything returns to Allah. No sorrow of loss eats into their hearts and they dwell in the realm of Allah's pleasure. Such people are patient, and for the patient, Allah has prepared boundless rewards."

Then He states: "Some people blame Allah the Almighty saying He does not answer their prayers, or they criticize God's friends (that is, people criticize God's chosen ones and target them with taunts) saying that their certain prayer was not answered." He said: "In fact, those who criticize are merely ignorant of this divine law. Whoever has experienced such dealing with God will be well acquainted with this principle. Allah the Almighty has presented two models—accepting and declining. Believing in these is faith. Do not become such that you insist on one side only. Do not become such that you oppose God and attempt to break His established law." (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, p. 198-199, 1985 edition, published in England)

He said: "For a human being, there are only two methods of advancement. First, a person advances through observing legislative commandments, that is, prayer, fasting, zakat, and pilgrimage, and other prescribed hardships which he performs by executing them himself according to God's command. However, since these matters are in a person's own hands, he sometimes becomes negligent and careless in them, and sometimes he even finds ways to ease and comfort himself. Therefore, the second method is the one that comes directly from God upon a person, and this is the real cause of a person's advancement. Because in prescribed hardships, a person always finds some way out or some comfort. Observe that if you give someone a whip and tell him to strike his own body, it is natural that love for his own body will arise in his heart. Who wishes to put themselves in pain? Therefore, Allah the Almighty has kept another way for human perfection and says وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّکُمۡ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَوۡفِ وَالۡجُوۡعِ وَنَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَالۡاَنۡفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ۔ الَّذِیۡنَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَتۡہُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ ۙ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ (Al-Baqarah: 156-157). We will continue to test you—sometimes by sending fear, sometimes by famine, sometimes by loss of wealth, lives, and fruits. But give glad tidings to those who are patient in these severe trials and calamities and hunger and who say 'اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ'. That is, there are great rewards for them, Allah's mercies and special favors are prepared. Observe how a farmer, with great effort and hard work, prepares the land by plowing it thoroughly. Then he sows the seed. He endures the difficulties of irrigation. Finally, when the crop is ready after various difficulties, hard work, and careful tending, sometimes due to God's subtle wisdom, hail strikes or drought destroys the crop. In short, this is an example of those difficulties which are called the trials of divine decree. In such a state, the pure teaching given to Muslims is such a true example and lesson of submission to God's decree, and this is only the portion of Muslims." (Malfuzat, Vol. 10, p. 413-414, 1985 edition, published in England)

Therefore, we should always keep this in mind: neither should the thought ever arise in our own hearts that why does God put us through great losses and trials, nor should we be troubled by the mockery of any opponent or by them saying that if Allah is with you, why do you suffer loss?

In these quotations, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad has presented before us certain important points that I now place before you again. You have said that always remember that when hardships and difficulties come upon messengers or God's beloved ones, and likewise upon the communities of prophets who follow their correct teaching, and when God's beloved pass through these hardships, God does not put them through hardships to cause them difficulty or to punish them. Rather, He gives them glad tidings of rewards. And when such hardships come upon the opponents of God's messengers and their communities, and upon the wicked, they come as their destruction and destroy them. Then he said that those who are patient in facing difficulties become heirs to Allah's boundless and infinite reward. So a believer needs to understand the meaning of patience. The meaning of patience is not that a person does not feel sorry for a loss. Rather, it means that one does not let a loss or difficulty so overwhelm oneself that one loses one's senses and becomes hopeless, sitting idle without using one's powers. So up to a certain extent, being sorry for a loss is fine and should be done, and along with this, with renewed determination, one should strive even more than before to advance toward the next goals.

Furthermore, one should remember that only one who is patient truly understands the reality of supplication. Sometimes Allah the Almighty accepts a supplication immediately, and sometimes He does not accept it for some wise reason. But it is the believer's duty that in every state he remains pleased with Allah's will and does not complain about any of Allah's acts. This is true patience, and when such patience exists, Allah the Almighty truly favors His servants abundantly and grants them rewards. You have said that God's true servants even enjoy pleasure in times of difficulty because they see that countless favors and grace of Allah are flowing behind these difficulties. Therefore, you have said that hardships and difficulties do not come to believers because of their sins but are a trial from Allah so that the world may also know that God's servants remain pleased with Allah's will in every state. He said that the most beloved being in the world to Allah the Almighty was the person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), yet he also experienced countless hardships, both personal and communal. The hardships that befell the Holy Prophet are greater than those that befell anyone else. Yet in every kind of hardship, the example of his patience and acceptance of God's will is not found anywhere else in the world, and this is that noble character which is an example for all Muslims. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad also directs us toward sincere repentance, saying that this too is absolutely essential for your success and to emerge victoriously from trials. Therefore, a believer should also pay attention to repentance along with action. That is, at every difficulty and trial, bent before Allah, one should acknowledge one's weaknesses and then continue the process of one's reformation through good deeds. He says that just as a gardener plants a sapling and then waters it, cares for it, and irrigates it, similarly believers should water the sapling of faith with the water of good deeds. If you do this, it becomes the source of a believer's success. There is no need to be troubled by people's talk. Many people talk. People have even objected to God's saints saying that their certain prayer was not answered, that such and such was not accepted. Those who make such objections are actually ignorant of God's law. A believer knows that Allah sometimes says yes and sometimes says no. This is His law. He has advised us not to become one to break this law. Hardships and difficulties do not remain forever for believers. They come and go. So be patient and through supplication and your deeds, absorb Allah's favors, and whenever you pass through difficulties, whenever misfortunes come, become part of those who say 'إِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ إِنَّـا إِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ'. These are the ones to whom Allah gives glad tidings. When a person says 'إِنَّا لِلّٰہ', it means we belong to Allah. So when we see misfortune or loss and say 'إِنَّا لِلّٰہ', it means that since we belong to Allah, He will never destroy us. If a difficulty has come, perhaps Allah wants to prepare us for even greater rewards, and when we say 'إِنَّـا إِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ', bowing before Allah, we are saying that let nothing prevent us from receiving greater rewards in the future. Rather, O Allah! Bowing before You, we ask for this reward and are always seekers of Your favors. So make us patient and make us improve our deeds and make us always bow before You. When we create such a state, then by God's grace there will be progress and we will see even greater communal progress. The enemy's enmity and their mockery cannot harm us if our connection with Allah is correct and genuine.

As I have told you before, in recent days, a fire caused significant damage in two halls adjacent to the mosque due to the fire. It was a terrible fire. When various TV channels and other media reported the incident, some people filled with hatred and enmity expressed great joy. I have given an example before that it would have been good if the mosque were burning. Rather, they say it is not even a mosque because these are not Muslims, so whatever worship place they have, let it burn. These people first celebrated, then expressed regret, not about the loss of the hall, but about the fact that only two halls burned and the mosque did not burn. This is the condition of some Muslims these days. But not all are like this. Muslims from some areas have also expressed sympathy with us. A message of sympathy also came from Muslims of one area saying they are sorry that some part of your mosque or hall burned. They said that a few months ago our mosque also burned. A fire had broken out there, and the mosque had been closed for several months. Now it opened a few days ago. Even some ignorant local English people expressed that it would have been good because there is already hatred against Muslims spread in some places. But our neighbors and those who know the community responded to both these non-Muslims and non-Ahmadis themselves and said: You should be ashamed. This is a community that practices the correct Islamic teaching. Then various channels in the world and other sources also reported this news—that Europe's largest mosque experienced a fire. Then there were also comments about what kind of community this is, who these people are. Through this incident, the community got a wide introduction in the world. Although we were saddened, we showed patience and recited 'إِنَّا لِلّٰہ', but Allah the Almighty showed in this loss and trial that He is with them by making people stand for the community's sake and telling the world that I am with them. What caused the fire? The police have not yet clarified. They did not say anything. But the strong probability is that the fire started from the store next to the kitchen where plastic material and some other things were stored, which quickly ignited the fire, and then through wooden ceilings or AC ducts it spread further. However, whatever the reason, this also points to the weakness of those managing the mosque staff and administration here, and they also need to seek forgiveness.

The fire had erupted in such a way that the damage could have been much more severe. The firefighters themselves say that you were very lucky because such a fire with hundreds and even thousands of degrees centigrade of heat could have caused much greater damage. Compared to that, no significant damage occurred.

I was mentioning how Allah the Almighty established the community's impact through others or how through others Allah establishes the community's impact. The press has the habit of exaggerating news and spreading sensation, and they are searching for such news. During this incident, a press representative came here and stood outside the street with our Secretary Publications, conducting an interview. There was no permission to enter. He asked them: what are your relations like with your neighbors and what are their impressions? While he was still asking this, a car arrived and parked, and an English woman got out of it and approached, saying: I am your neighbor. I live right here next to the mosque, and then offered her help. In this way, many other people came, church representatives came. In any case, hearing these impressions of neighbors directly, that representative said: I have found the answer to my question. I no longer need to ask you. So on one hand there is this behavior of that majority who are not even Muslims, and on the other hand, some Muslims are celebrating and reciting SubhanAllah. Alright, today they are reciting this SubhanAllah in a tone of mockery and to provoke God's wrath. Let them recite it, but by God's grace, soon we will rebuild better and more beautifully and we will recite the true Subhan Allah and Masha'Allah as well.

 As I have said, being tested is God's practice. I have also said it is not yet known what caused the fire and how all this happened. If this was some conspiracy and mischief, the community's progress cannot be stopped by it. Yes, as I have mentioned, the administration should see its weaknesses from this incident and reflect on them.

Like i said in Eid sermon If there was any bad intention, it would cause some loss. If some loss is incurred, Allah also promises glad tidings to those who are patient. Since Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's claim, the series of conspiracies and setting fires against him and his community continues. But what is happening? What result is emerging? We see the community's progress everywhere. One fire is an external fire, but there is also a fire of envy, hatred, and enmity within people. Although apparently part of the area adjacent to our mosque caught fire, as I have said, our loss will be made up by God's grace, and we will also be recipients of Allah's glad tidings, and this patience and supplication will take us into the embrace of Allah's coolness and cool shade. However, from this external fire, the fires of envy of the opponents are also blazing. As I have told you, many people were happy about the fire breaking out, but then they became regretful that their mosque did not burn, that their loss was so small. It should have been much greater. So the external fire we faced is also burning the opponents of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the form of envy, hatred, and rancor. The community's work did not stop even when the fire incident was happening. This is not just a matter outside London or outside the UK; even here in London we continued our work. Some of our workers were certainly worried. But as I have mentioned, one naturally feels sorry for a loss, but one should not let sorrow overcome oneself. A significant part of MTA International is also here, in fact a very large part is here. On that day there was a live program of Rahi-e-Huda (Path to Guidance), so the program organizers decided that we no longer have access to the MTA studio and we do not know what the conditions are there. It cannot even be approached, so today we will show a recording; we will not make it live in transmission. When I learned about this, I said the program will be live from Masjid Fazl. There is nothing to stop this. They should not have made such decisions without asking me. They should have immediately asked me what to do about this live program. Their intention to discontinue or their despair or inability to decide immediately—if the live program had not happened, it would have given this message to both Ahmadis and the world that our entire system has been disrupted by this incident, which did not happen. Consequently, immediately, Rahi-e-Huda's live program took place from Masjid Fazl's studio. People called in, their answers were given, this also gave them satisfaction and relief. So our job is not to lose hope at a loss and sit idle, or to leave our places and just stand there watching. Many people stood here, although they should have gone to their respective duties. Rather, there should have been immediate alternative efforts by every possible means, and one should do them, and then leave the rest to Allah the Almighty. Mirza Mahmud Ahmad Sahib, who was here in those days, explained that when they came to Rabwah after immigration and started its settlement, the community's financial condition was very weak and it was a challenge to establish a new city. There had to be construction of community buildings and mosques. In short, an entire city had to be established in a barren place. Everything had to be constructed from scratch. When Masjid Mubarak was completed, it became famous that the mosque was not constructed properly. Apparently it was about the roof—that proper material was not used and it would collapse. Hazrat Musleh Maaud came for prayer. You stood inside the door, looked, and then said: They are saying it can collapse. Check this. If what is being said is true, that it is such a weak building or roof that it can collapse and will have to be rebuilt, then that is fine. Where there are other tests, this is one more. In those times, after Partition, there were great trials. Those who know the state of the community's finances at that time can alone understand this matter because there is a great difference between today's and those times' conditions. So in any case, we were never panicked by these things and should not be. If this incident too is a trial, then we should make this covenant and prove it through our actions that while bowing before Allah the Almighty and praying, we will successfully pass through this trial too. The community now has great blessings from Allah financially. By God's grace, this loss will be compensated in a better way. Whether this loss came in any way, whoever caused it. Whether it came due to our incompetence, negligence, or whether this incident happened accidentally. Whatever the reason, by God's grace, we ourselves have to restore it in a more beautiful form. For now, I do not need to ask the community for a separate fundraising campaign. But people have started sending funds on their own, without being asked. Children have especially started donating for this. Without being asked, children are offering their piggy banks themselves, in fact they have sent completely full piggy banks with all the coins they had accumulated. A seven or eight-year-old girl told her father, when he asked for details: We used to go to these halls and eat there. We used to play there, we used to have functions there, so we should have our share in rebuilding it. That is why I will give all the money I have accumulated, and she took her piggy bank with her. These are a child's feelings. So when the nation's children have such determination, who can disappoint them? What can these small losses say? Our own neighbors are also trying to fulfill their obligation. Amir Sahib informed that the school's headmaster sent a message that the school's children want to collect some funds and donate it for the rebuilding of this building. This noble character that Muslims should display, these non-Muslims are displaying. Whether we take it or not, in any case they have expressed their feelings and we should value their feelings.

As I have said, the intensity of the fire was very great. Some iron girders and frames twisted like straws. But despite this, some offices were saved. Their records are also safe. There is the office of will (Wasiyyah), the office of judiciary (Qaza), and other offices. Similarly, the entire MTA section was saved. There was very valuable equipment there and by Allah's grace, work has already started there today. Because this section was closely connected to these halls, when I was informed, I became concerned. Actually, the prayer began mainly for this because if the fire reached here, it meant the fire could advance toward the main mosque itself. In any case, Allah the Almighty showed great grace. The library suffered damage, but we had already kept seventy percent of it safe in another location. Similarly, the library's translation section is almost completely safe. The loss of some detailed tapes regarding tours and the like is not such a loss that one would say our history has been destroyed because selected portions of them are safe. The saving of the MTA section is itself a miracle because the adjacent ceiling caught fire and then the fire went back, or Allah the Almighty gave the firefighters the opportunity to control it. Similarly, Tahir Hall and the mosque's section remained completely safe, as I have mentioned. You can also see it. Allah the Almighty also protected us from any loss of life.

One person was working in the library and did not know what was happening outside. He says that when I finished my work and opened the door to go out, a cloud of black smoke entered. I became worried. I went out. I tried to run, but there was darkness and completely black smoke. Everything was closed and I could not see anything, and my breathing started to stop. He says fortunately in that difficulty I felt along the wall of the alley and started moving along with it, and kept praying at the same time because my courage was failing, my breath was being cut off by the smoke. Allah has told Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad that fire is the slave of your slaves, so I am also a slave; save me. He says in this way there were two or three occasions when it seemed like I would fall, and if I had fallen for even a few seconds, the heat was so intense that it would have burned me completely. But in any case, with effort, I came out from that dark smoke, and when I reached the door, I could see light. He says when I rinsed my mouth and cleaned it, such black water came out from rinsing as if it was filled with ink. So this was his condition, but Allah the Almighty miraculously saved him. Even for him, this is a great miracle. A few seconds of delay could have burned him completely. In any case, Allah the Almighty has shown great grace. The envies of the jealous will increase even more, so also pay attention to supplications. رَبِّ کُلُّ شَیْئٍ خَادِمُکَ رَبِّ فَاحْفَظْنِیْ وَانْصُرْنِیْ وَارْحَمْنِیْ کی دعا  "O Lord, everything is Your slave; O Lord, protect me and grant me victory and have mercy on me," and  "اَللّٰھُمَّ اِنَّا نَجْعَلُکَ فِیْ نُحُوْرِھِمْ وَنَعُوْذُبِکَ مِنْ شُرُوُرِھِمْ۔" O Allah, we make You our aim and seek Your protection from their harm," and رَبَّنَا اٰتِنَا فِی الدُّنْیَا حَسَنَۃً وَّفِی الْآخِرَۃِ حَسَنَۃً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّار ‘Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.’ If this incident happened due to our incompetence and weakness, then there is a need to seek forgiveness profusely. May Allah the Almighty grant us in the future the ability to perform our responsibilities correctly and remove these weaknesses. And if this is a trial, may Allah the Almighty bring us through it with success and grant us rewards even greater than before, and count us among those patient ones to whom He gives glad tidings, and let us see even greater progress.

After the prayers, I will lead some funeral prayers in absentia. The first funeral is of Chaudhry Mahmud Ahmad Sahib, the late preacher of Darwish Qadian, who was the son of Chaudhry Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, a companion of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. He passed away on September 18 at approximately 97 years of age in Qadian. اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّـا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن۔ ‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.’ He was a resident of Sargodha. Then in 1934 he came to Qadian's Madrasa Ahmadiyya. In 1943 he was enlisted in the army. After retiring from there, he dedicated his life. On the instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II, he came to Qadian and worked in various institutions in Qadian. He continued to serve as Locum Auditor and Deputy Auditor. He also worked as the General Representative of the Anjuman in Shahjahanpur. He supervised the lands in Qadian's property office. He was blessed with considerable service. He was also a judge of the community. He continued to serve in the office of preaching and education. He retired from there with the Anjuman's employment. He used to compose poetry. He would express people's sentiments in his poems. He was very cheerful and sociable. He had a great fondness for hospitality. He was very popular among the non-Muslim class in Qadian due to his good conduct and decorum. A considerable number of non-Muslims also participated in his funeral. Allah the Almighty blessed him with four sons and three daughters. Two sons are in Qadian while one son and two daughters are in Pakistan. He used to serve any guest who came to Qadian greatly, whether a dedicated one or not. He spent the period of asceticism (dervishhood) with great patience and courage. May Allah the Almighty elevate his ranks. Grant his descendants the ability to continue his virtues.

The second funeral is that of the esteemed Khalid Saleem Abbas Abu Raji Sahib (Syria), who passed away on 27th August 2015 due to cardiac arrest. اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّـا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن۔ ‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.’ He was among the old and devoted Ahmadis of Syria. As a result of the preaching of Munir al-Hasni Sahib, he accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1927. He was very strict in observing fasting and prayers, simple-natured, extremely truthful, hospitable, hardworking, honest, obedient, righteous and a sincere person. By profession, he was a carpenter. He was devoted to the Khilafat. He held the system of the Jamaat and the teachers (Murabbiyan) in great respect. He treated everyone with honor and affection. He was very regular in attending Friday prayers and despite his house being the farthest among those who came on Fridays, he would generally arrive first, and he was very keen on giving the call to prayer (Adhan). Despite his advanced age, he possessed youthful vigor and would personally go to meet the old Ahmadis. He regularly listened to sermons and addresses and conveyed them to others. Till his last breath, he fulfilled his covenant of allegiance with sincerity and faithfulness. He also participated in the Annual Convention in Rabwah and in the UK. All the teachers who worked with him, and all the people who knew him, have spoken greatly of his extraordinary sincerity and his excellent conduct towards the teachers. May Allah Almighty elevate the rank of the deceased. Perhaps only one of his daughters is Ahmadi; the other children are not Ahmadi. He was greatly grieved by this. May Allah Almighty grant his children the ability to accept Ahmadiyyat and fulfill his prayers and good wishes for the sake of his offspring. The incident of his accepting Ahmadiyyat is also such that when he saw a person debating with a mullah, explaining something to him by invoking God and the Prophet, while the mullah kept calling him a disbeliever. In the end, it turned out that the person being called a disbeliever was an Ahmadi. Then it occurred to him that if a person is speaking about God and His Prophet, and yet being called a disbeliever by this mullah, then from this he decided to contact this person and seek information about the Jamaat, and gradually acquiring knowledge, Allah Almighty granted him the ability to accept Ahmadiyyat. May Allah Almighty elevate the rank of the deceased.

At this moment, the third funeral is also that of a Syrian Ahmadi friend. His name was the esteemed Ahmad al-Rahl Sahib. Given the current war-like conditions there, he was struck by bomb fragments, due to which he was martyred. May Allah Almighty elevate his ranks. And pray for the situation in Syria. May Allah Almighty bring about improvement there as well. May Allah grant wisdom and understanding to all Muslim nations, and may they instead of cutting each other's throats become true Muslims and develop compassion among themselves, and may Allah Almighty grant them the ability to follow the Imam of the age.