In continuation with the theme of last week’s sermon, Huzoor (aba) focused today’s sermon on the aspect of spiritual healing that is also part of the Divine attribute of Ashaafi (The Healer). After reciting Surah Al Fatihah, Huzoor (aba) reminded us that God is the source of all healing; and when prayer becomes a source of such miraculous healing through the Will of God, a Believer makes great progress in his faith in the Oneness of God and His dominion over creation, and he is reminded of his purpose in life which is to continue to progress and advance in spirituality. Allah Almighty reminds us that man is created to worship Him and to obey His commandments. It is a great favor of Allah that He has given us complete guidance in the form of the Holy Quran through the Holy Prophet (saw). Huzoor (aba) said that as the honeybee is a cure for physical ailments (details provided in last week’s sermon), so is the honeybee a cure for the diseases of the soul, if only we ponder. Huzoor (aba) presented a series of verses from the Holy Quran to elaborate this point.
In the Holy Quran, we read:
And thy Lord has inspired the bee, saying, ‘Make thou houses in the hills and in the trees and in the trellises which they build. (16:69)
If we delve upon this verse, it was through revelation that an ordinary bee was instructed the way and the process to make honey, a cure for physical ailments, and in fact, all animals are guided in a similar way. In reality, revelation is essential for every activity, therefore, how can man reject the value of this divine scheme. The Promised Messiah (as) said that a worldly man believes that his own efforts suffice him to achieve success in all his endeavors, but we must remember that without supplication, there is no success, and what we achieve as a result of this supplication is also a type of revelation. Man should be concerned not only about achieving success in this world, but also in the Hereafter. It is God’s divine law that He sends guidance through His prophets and saintly people. In this regard, He has bestowed His grand favor and mercy upon mankind by sending the Holy Prophet (saw), a perfect human being, and revealing the Holy Quran to him, a complete and perfect guidance and source of physical and spiritual healing.
In a Hadith, we find that one of the companions went to the leader of a tribe and treated him with the help of Surah Fatiha. The companion was compensated for the treatment which he refused. Upon his return, the Holy Prophet (saw) was pleased with his method of treatment, but he also said that he had the right to receive compensation, but should never ask for a payment. (Bukhari). This Hadith sheds light on the fact that the Holy Quran contains healing for all types of ailments. It is the Word of God revealed, but it is not the end of revelation. Prior to the advent of the Holy Prophet (saw), God communicated with His Prophets, and similarly, the process continues even today. The Promised Messiah (as) says that after the Torah was revealed to Prophet Moses (as), God continued to send Prophets in his lineage to remind nations to follow the revealed path of truthfulness. Therefore, revelation is a process that continues even today, and the Promised Messiah (as) has been appointed in modern times to revive the teachings of the Holy Quran and instill these teachings by spreading the word far and wide. This mission continues under the umbrella of Khilafat today. If we analyze the situation of the Muslim world today, we do not find that the Muslims are benefiting from the teachings of the Holy Quran despite the presence of the Book and scholarly people who write commentaries and explain its teachings. Does this mean that, God forbid, the Quran has lost its glorious meaning for modern world? Absolutely not! What this does mean is that the scholarly people who claim to understand the Book have lost their ability to truly comprehend its teachings and today the only path that leads to its understanding is being paved by the Ahmadiyya Community. May Allah guide the Muslim Ummah to the right path, Ameen.
Huzoor (aba) then recited the following verses:
And We are gradually revealing of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers; but it only adds to the loss of the wrongdoers. (17:83)This is a perfect Book; there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the righteous, (2:3)
From these verses, it is clear that guidance is present in the Quran for those whose hearts are clean. If the teachings are practiced, man will progress in spirituality. But Huzoor (aba) explained that just like medicine alone cannot cure, it is important to follow the directions of usage and the proper way of administrating it, similarly, the guidance is present, but people do not know how to follow it. The Promised Messiah (as) said that many who have entered the Jamaat were those who indulged in all sorts of bad habits before their pledge of allegiance, yet, after joining the Jamaat have brought about a great change in their habits and keep a great desire to cleanse themselves of all bad habits. Huzoor (aba) said that these are clear indications that today, the only way to salvation is through the Promised Messiah (as), therefore believers should rejoice that they are the heirs to the promises contained in the Quran and the result of these promises will be in their favor.
O mankind! there has indeed come to you an exhortation from your Lord and a cure for whatever disease there is in the hearts, and a guidance and a mercy to the believers. (10:58)
In this verse, God has addressed the entire mankind, warning them not to undermine the importance of this Book or the Prophet. The Holy Quran contains all sorts of guidance for man to become righteous and Godly. The Prophet is a Mercy for all mankind who also guides us towards God’s mercy. Through these, man can find the true purpose of his creation and ameliorate not only his worldly affairs but also his position in the Hereafter by following the guidance. If we ponder deeply, this verse also responds to those allegations against Islam that accuse it of imposing its message forcefully upon people. This verse contains but a suggestion and an advice from Allah purely for our own benefit. Therefore, Ahmadis should feel sympathy for mankind and it is with this compassion that they should invite every man to become closer to God as this is the only way to achieving salvation. Huzoor (aba) said that a small faction of extremists have hijacked the name of Islam and due to their hostile activities, Islam is earning false allegations. Therefore, it is the duty of Ahmadis to show the beautiful teachings of Islam to the world.
Huzoor (aba) also mentioned that the heart and the soul are connected. Research in this field is also proving this to be correct to a great extent. Remembering God appeases the heart and the mind and thus the soul. In this regard, Huzoor (aba) mentioned the Tahir Heart Institute in Rabwah, where Ahmadi doctors (Huzoor (aba) specifically mentioned Dr. Noori) are doing a tremendous job and their treatment along with prayers are miraculously healing patients. Doctors from overseas are stunned at the recovery of some patients. May Allah enable the doctors to continue to serve humanity, Ameen.
And if We had made it a Qur’an in a foreign tongue, they surely would have said, ‘Why have not its verses been made clear? What! a foreign tongue and an Arab?’ Say, ‘It is a guidance and a healing for those who believe.’ But as to those who believe not, there is a deafness in their ears, and it is blindness for them. They are, as it were, being called to from a far off place. (41:45)
In this verse, God says that there are some people who will always find fault when guidance comes their way. They are deaf and cannot be reasoned with. They have distanced themselves to a far off place and do not wish to hear the message. Huzoor (aba) mentioned that those Westerners who keep finding faults without trying to understand the true message, fall into this category of people. On the contrary, there are others who wish to benefit from this guidance and these are the ones whose hearts are pure. Therefore Allah helps them in their effort and rewards them with His Mercy.
In the end, Huzoor (aba) prayed and requested Ahmadis to pray for the entire Muslim Ummah. May Allah guide them to understand the true meanings of the Holy Quran and restore their lost glory once again and raise high the banner of Islam. May Allah bestow upon them the intelligence to find cure for their spiritual ailments. May Allah enable all of us to remain true to our understanding of this Holy Book and continue to reap benefits from it. Ameen.