After the recitation of Surah Fatihah, Hadrat Khalifatul-Masih, may Allah be his support, proceeded.
There has been a renewed intensity in attacks on Islam, on the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, and on the Holy Qur'an with an objective of defaming Islam. The reason behind these attacks is that Islam fulfills the needs of the time, and people are turning towards Islam after examining the teachings of the Qur'an. Unbiased people have pondered over the Holy Qur'an. Though just the translation does not provide the deep knowledge of the message of the Holy Qur'an, yet the ones who have a clear conscience gain some understanding.
A news item has appeared that a British journalist went to Afghanistan for social work. She was arrested by the Taliban and released on the promise that she will read the Holy Qur'an. After arriving home, on reading the Holy Qur'an, she found that there was great difference between the teachings of Islam and the treatment of women in Afghanistan. She accepted Islam. The matter received a lot of media attention. Due to her education and experience, she was hired in Qatar. She stuck to principles of truth and fairness leading to differences with the owners resulting in her separation. She took the case to court and won arguing equal rights in Islam for women. She had similar experience in a second employment. She again took the case to court and won arguing that it is the responsibility of Muslim governments to safeguard women's rights. These incidents strengthened her faith. Though her experiences were negative, her faith advanced through reading the Holy Qur'an. Rather than maligning Islamic teachings, she carried out a jihad against those who were not following these teachings.
Such examples worry anti-Islam forces. Irrespective of the level of their affiliation with their own faith, anti-Islamic feelings force them to indulge in unbecoming practices. This is nothing new. Prophets have experienced this before and Islam now is a target as it is a great religion. Meccans stood up against Islam as it started gaining strength. 'Umar, a staunch enemy of Islam, bowed his head before the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, after reading a few verses of the Holy Qur'an. Allah elevated his status so that he became the second righteous Khalifah. After the migration of the Prophet to Medina, Jews became apprehensive of the increasing influence of Islam. Further expansion worried the kingdoms of Iran and Rome.
Today all the great powers are fearful of Islam. They have resorted to such unfair strategies against Islam that their own conscientious citizens have started raising their voices against their unfair practices. Adversarial voices rising out of the West do not represent the sentiment of the general public. Public has stood up in protest against unfair and vicious attacks.
A news lady, during an interview with our missionary, condemned the republication of the Danish cartoons, and declared that before their publication she was proud of her country. Generally people on internet and in the media have reacted strongly against the republication of Danish cartoons. Khalifatul-Masih presented numerous quotes in this respect and said that this wave against Islam is not the work of a few writers, elected officials, politicians or cartoonists but there is a hand of great powers behind these incidents who are afraid of Islamic teachings and do not want their people to know Islamic teachings, and want to establish their supremacy in the name of religion. There was a big hand of Christians in closing down our television broadcast channel in the middle east [which was immediately replaced by an alternate resource]. They are trying to become the god of the world, and these brains are the ones who are involved in anti-Islamic efforts.
Islam's destiny now is to spread, not through terrorism or militism but through the Messiah of the age. All of us should make an effort to spread the peaceful message of Islam. Allah's plans cannot be frustrated by worldly powers.
Khalifatul-Masih gave details of the efforts of the Ahmadiyya community in Denmark with respect to the republication of the Danish cartoons, and presented the affirmative views of the queen and parliament towards Muslims.
Continuing with a review of the attacks on Islam, Khalifatul-Masih further quoted from a book written against the sanctity of the Holy Qur'an and refuted various allegations in the book.
He further pointed out with reference to the Holy Quran and its explanation by the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, that people who live immoral and unhealthy lives cannot understand and benefit from the pristine teachings of the Qur'an. Despite it having deep meanings, it is easily comprehensible. Only special people reach the depth of its meaning though everyone is able to understand and practice its teachings. People who are filled with envy, animosity and viciousness cannot realize its beneficence, except for when they analyze it with unbiased minds. Therefore, when we hear the antagonistic views, they increase our faith as they fulfill what the Holy Qur'an told us centuries ago.
The Holy Qur'an tells us that the people who have taken up to malign the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, and the Holy Qur'an will not escape the consequences, and we have seen the fulfillment of this warning throughout history. The consequences are imminent if the behavior is not changed. No false god will be able to save them when the time of consequence arrives.
We invite our adversaries to look at the teachings and contents of the Holy Qur'an attentively and discern its excellences with respect to its spiritual, moral and social guidance of mankind. Teachings of Islam are in accordance with nature but it is necessary to have a pious heart to understand them, and a purifier to guide. In this age, the Ahmadiyya community portrays the beauties of its teachings.
There is a great need for prayers these days that Muslim observe heavenly signs and abandon their misunderstandings and unite for a nobler purpose saving themselves from a grave mischief.
At the close of the sermon, Khlaifatul-Masih relayed the sad news of the martyrdom of Basharat Ahmad Mughal in Karachi, Pakistan, and shared the details of the incident and the services of the martyred for the local chapter and his efforts in establishing a mosque in the chapter. He was shot numerous times while on his way to the mosque for the pre-dawn prayer services. He had entered in community in 1988 along with his family.