Hudhur recited the following verses at the start of his sermon:
‘They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin what is good and forbid evil, and hasten, vying with one another, in good works. And these are among the righteous.
And whatever good they do, they shall not be denied its due reward; and Allah well knows the God-fearing.’ (Surah Al e Imran, verses 115 & 116)
Hudhur said the precepts expounded in these verses have been repeated in other verses of Surah Al e Imran. It is God’s favour that He sent the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) at a time of disorder as the Imam of the age and indeed, we are fortunate that we were enabled to accept him and have pledged that we will try and bring our faith in accordance with the ways that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) explained in light of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Just as it is essential to control one’s tongue against saying something that is contrary to the pleasure of Allah the Exalted, it is also essential to articulate it for the expression of truth. ‘…enjoin what is good and forbid evil…’ is the glory of Momins (believers). Prior to enjoining what is good and forbidding evil, it is essential for a person to demonstrate with his practices that he indeed possesses of this strength. It is vital that before he influences others, his own condition is made persuasive/convincing. Thus remember not to ever stop from enjoining what is good and forbidding evil. Indeed, it is also important to recognise the right time and place and one’s figure of speech should be gentle and clear. Likewise, it is a great sin to say something against Taqwa (righteousness).’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I, p 424)
Hudhur said once we accept the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), our responsibilities increase in terms of attaining that standard where our each word and deed should spread good and should stop evil. Otherwise, of what value would be our Bai’at? In fact, it could incur God’s displeasure.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘I have repeatedly said that the greater nearness to God a person attains, the greater is his accountability.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I, p. 44) Explaining Hudhur said we should not be merely happy that we have accepted the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). Rather, we need to pay great attention to our personal reformation. Acquiring knowledge does not save one from accountability. Acquiring an office [in the Jama’at] does not save one from accountability if the required practices are not there. Belonging to a family where elders made sacrifices does not save one from accountability if one’s practices are not according to the teachings of Islam.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that certainly those are not dear in the sight of God who wear fine clothes and are wealthy. On the contrary, people who are dear in the sight of God are those who give preference to faith over everything else and become God’s with sincerity. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) also said that among God’s promises, one promise is that He will make the followers of truth triumphant over those who deny the truth. However, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) added that while it was correct that his followers were triumphant over his detractors, it was worth pondering over that every person who took his Bai’at did not become his true follower. Unless a person instilled the complete condition within him that entails being a follower, he could not be included among the sincere followers.
Hudhur stressed that we need to seriously reflect on this matter. We can only be practising the commandment of ‘…enjoin what is good and forbid evil…’ if we abide by the instructions of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) who was the true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). The instructions and advices of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) are important for our religious and spiritual well-being as well as for our worldly progress. If we do not try to fully abide by his words we cannot be called his true followers. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was entrusted the great task of taking the message of Islam to the world in this age and this is also the task of those who believe in him. However, for this we need to make good models of ourselves and be mindful of harmony in our word and deed. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that if the matter was restricted to chit chat and pretence, what would be the distinction between us and the others? He said we should focus on demonstrating a good model that would have brightness in it that would make others accept it. Unless there was brightness, no one would be accepting. Hudhur explained that the brightness that is referred to here is the brightness of clarity which we have to instil in us and thus pay the due of our Bai’at.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Allah the Exalted loves the righteous. Remember the greatness of Allah the Exalted and be meek and be mindful that everyone is God’s creation. Do not be cruel to anyone or show impetuosity. Do not look at another with contempt. If there is one person in the community who is foul, he fouls everyone else. If you are inclined towards anger, search your heart and see where this anger stems from. This is a very critical stage.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I, p. 9)
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Fear of God is when man sees how much concord is there between his word and deed. And when he sees that his word and deed are not alike, he should realise that he is culpable of Divine wrath. No matter how pure the words uttered by someone whose heart is impure; such a heart is not valued in God’s sight. On the contrary, it incurs God’s wrath. Therefore, my community should realise that they have come to me so that I may sow a seed which would make a fruitful tree. Everyone should self-reflect to see how his or her inner self and hidden condition is. If, God forbid, our community also has something else on their tongues and something else in their hearts, then their ending would not be good. When Allah the Exalted sees that a community is empty hearted and merely makes verbal utterances, He is Self-Sufficient, He does not care. At the time of Badr, the prophecy of victory had been made and there was triumphant hope everywhere, yet, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was weeping as he supplicated. Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, ‘when there is a promise of victory in every way, what is the need of tenderness?’ The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) replied, ‘God is Self-Sufficient in His Being. That is, it is possible that the Divine promise carried some hidden conditions.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I p. 11)
Explaining, Hudhur said if God’s most beloved, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) prayed with such poignancy wondering if God’s conditions were being met, what should be the state of the rest!
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘It is conditional on people of Taqwa to spend their lives in meekness and humility. This is a branch of Taqwa through which we contend with unwarranted anger. The last and critical stage for great devout and truthful people is to avoid anger. Arrogance and conceit is borne out of anger and at times, anger is in itself results from arrogance and conceit. Anger is generated when a person gives preference to his own self over the other. I do not want people of my community to consider each either lowly or great or have pride over each other or look on them with contempt. God knows who is lowly and who is great. This is a kind of humiliation which carries disdain. It is feared that this disdain grows like a seed and becomes a source of destruction. Some people are very courteous when they meet those who are great. But greatness is in listening to what a humble person has to say with humility and gratify him, respect what he has to say and not to say anything irritable to him that may hurt him. Allah the Exalted states: ‘‘… nor taunt each other with nicknames. It is bad indeed to earn foul reputation after professing the faith; and those who repent not are the wrongdoers.’ (49:12) Do not call names borne out of irritation, this is an act of the wicked. One who taunts another will not die until he too is not similarly embroiled. Do not condemn your brothers. When all of you drink from the same spring who knows whose fate is to drink more? One cannot be honourable and respectable through worldly principles. In the sight of Allah the Exalted one who is righteous is great. ‘…Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware.’ (49:14) (Malfuzat, Vol. I p. 36)
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) also said: ‘True insight and true knowledge cannot be attained without being inclined to Allah the Exalted. This is why it is said that a Momin’s insight should be feared because he sees with Divine light. As I said just now, true insight and real knowledge can never be gained until Taqwa is attained. If you wish to be successful, employ your senses, reflect and ponder. The Holy Qur’an repeatedly instructs to reflect and ponder. Deliberate over the hidden meanings in the Holy Qur’an and become chaste of nature. When your hearts will be purified and you will also use wisdom and will abide by Taqwa, the connection of these two will create a condition where: ‘…“Our Lord, Thou hast not created this in vain; nay, Holy art Thou; save us, then, from the punishment of the Fire.’ (3:192) will flow from your heart. At that time you will realise that creation is not purposeless, rather, it indicates towards the truth and proof of the True Creator so that all kinds of arts and sciences which support religion are made evident.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I, pp. 66 - 67)
Hudhur explained that when one’s heart testifies that God’s creation is not in vain, one prays to God to be saved from the punishment of the Fire and understands that every person has his or her station and it is essential to respect them.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘If you wish that you prosper in this world and the next and you win hearts, adopt purity. Employ your senses and abide by the commandments of the Word of God. Improve yourself and demonstrate your high morals to others. Then alone will you be successful. How well has someone said ‘Whatever comes from heart, influences hearts’. Thus, first create courage of heart. If you wish to influence hearts, create strength of practice, because without practice, verbal strength and physical strength cannot be of any avail. There are hundreds who profess verbally. Many are given titles of maulwis and ulema (religious leaders) and they stand on pulpits to preach, deeming themselves deputies of the Prophet and successors of the Prophets. They say, avoid arrogance, pride and immorality. But such are their own practices and their own conduct. You can assess them from this. How could their words affect your hearts?’(Malfuzat, Vol. I p. 67)
Hudhur explained that from among those who do not accept the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) there are educated people who have decency and they disregard the maulwis.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘I consider those maulwis erroneous who are against modern sciences. In fact they do so to hide their own fault and weakness. They have it embedded in their heads that researching modern sciences turns one against Islam and leads astray. They have declared that intellect and science is completely contrary to Islam. As they do not have the capacity to critique flaws of philosophy, in order to hide this failing of theirs, they concoct that it is not warrantable to study modern sciences. Their soul trembles at the name of philosophy and prostrates before new researches.
However, they have not been given that true philosophy which is generated from Divine revelation with which the Holy Qur’an is replete. That is only given to those and those alone who devote themselves to Allah the Exalted with extreme humility and morality. Whose hearts and minds are rid of the stench of arrogant thoughts, who confess their weaknesses while acknowledging sincere devotion to God.
Thus, it is required that today modern science is acquired for the purpose of service to faith and to communicate the Word of God, and is acquired with great endeavour. However, it has also been in my experience and I mention this as a caution that those people who got involved in these sciences single-mindedly and were so obsessed and engrossed that they did not keep the company of spiritual people. They did not possess any Divine light of their own accord. Such people usually stumbled and became distant from Islam. Rather than making the sciences secondary to Islam, they tried in vain to make Islam secondary to the sciences and in their assumption became providers of religious and national services. However, remember that only that person can serve religion who has heavenly light inside him.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I pp. 68 – 69)
Hudhur explained that he has also stressed the importance of research work as it is a great source for Tabligh and spreading good. Referring to the ‘heavenly light’ as cited by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) Hudhur said in the current age this light is indeed been given to us through the Promised Messiah.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) also wrote: ‘…and strive to excel in steadfastness and be on your guard…’ (3:201) Just as it is important to defend borders against the enemy so that they enemy does not exceed limits; similarly, you should be ready, lest the enemy crosses the border and injures Islam. I have said this before that if you wish to support and serve Islam, first adopt Taqwa and purity which will bring you in the unassailable fortress of Allah the Exalted and you will be given the privilege and the right to serve it. You observe how weak the external condition of Muslims has become. Nations look down on them with contempt. If your inner strength is also lowered and weakened then consider it is all over. Purify yourselves such that holy power penetrates in you and you become strong defenders like those who defend the borders. The grace of Allah the Exalted is always with the righteous and the truthful. Do not adopt those morals and ways which would tarnish Islam. Immoral people and Muslims who do not practice the teachings of Islam tarnish the name of Islam. A Muslim drinks alcohol and vomits in public and his turban comes undone and he falls about in dirty sewers. The police beat him, Hindus and Christians laugh at him. His irreligious action is not just the source of his own derision; rather, imperceptibly it affects Islam. Such news or reports from prisons deeply aggrieve me when I see that due to their bad deeds Muslims are targets of reprimand. My heart becomes anxious that these people who have been shown the right path do not simply damage themselves by their excesses; rather, Islam is derided because of them’ (Malfuzat, Vol I, pp. 77 – 78)
Hudhur said it is still the same. During air travel, where alcohol is easily available, Muslims drink excessively on travels to Arab countries or Pakistan and are a nuisance to fellow travellers.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Our community does not need strong men and those possessing the strength of athletes. In fact people who have the strength to try to improve morals are needed. It is a matter of fact that a strong man is not one who can move a mountain from its base; most certainly, not. One who has the ability to improve morals is a true brave person. Remember to utilise all your strength and power to improve morals because this is real power and bravery.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I, p. 140)
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘In addition, there are two further parts which a truthful and sincere person should keep in view. One of them is true belief. It is an excellent grace of Allah the Exalted that He has shown us the way of perfect and complete belief through the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and without any hard work or endeavour on our part. Many scholars are still deprived of the way that has been shown to you people in this age. Therefore, you should be grateful for this grace and blessing of Allah the Exalted. Gratefulness is in adopting those good works with sincerity which come after true belief and are the second part. Deriving help from your practises, pray that God keeps you firm on the true belief and enables you to do good works. Worship constitutes, fasting, Salat, Zakat etc. Now, for example think about Salat. It came to the world but is not from the world. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said ‘Salat is delight of eyes’. (Malfuzat, Vol. I, pp. 149 – 150)
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Look, what was the ending of nations like that of Lot. It is essential that everyone, even if their heart is hardened, rebukes it and trains it to be humble and tender. It is very important for our community because they receive fresh spiritual knowledge. If one makes a claim of having spiritual knowledge but does not practice it, then it is mere boasting. Therefore, our community should not be negligent due to the negligence of others and seeing the cooled-off fervour of others should not cool off its fervour. Mankind has many wishes but who is aware of the unseen, of fate. Life never goes according to one’s wishes. The aspect of wishes is different from the aspect of fate and this is the true aspect. Remember that Allah the Exalted holds true accounts of man who does not know what is written in them. This is why he should awaken the heart and draw its attention.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I, p. 153)
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘They should adopt Taqwa because it is Taqwa alone that can be called a summary of Shariah. If Shariah has to be explained in brief, the essence of Shariah can only be Taqwa. Taqwa has many ranks and stations but if the seeker is truthful and traverses the elementary stations and stages with resolve and sincerity, he attains the high stations because of his truthfulness and quest of verity. Allah the Exalted states: ‘…Allah accepts only from the righteous.’ (5:28) That is, Allah the Exalted accepts the prayers of the righteous, it is His promise and there is no violation of His promises. As it is stated: ‘…Surely, Allah fails not His promise.’ (13:32). Thus, while the condition of Taqwa is a binding condition for acceptance of prayer, would a person who wishes for acceptance of prayer while remaining negligent and astray, be not unwise and foolish. Thus, it is essential that each person in our community abides by Taqwa as much as possible so that they can acquire the pleasure of acceptance of prayer and strengthen his or her faith.’ (Malfuzat, Vol, I, pp. 108 – 109)
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote: ‘Repentance is not an extra or useless thing for man. Its affect is not only restricted to the Day of Judgement, rather, it adorns both man’s life and religion and he receives comfort and true wellbeing both in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah the Exalted states in the Holy Qur’an: ‘… ‘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.’ (2:202) The word ‘Rabbana’ [Our Lord] makes a subtle indication towards repentance because the word Rabbana necessitates that man is turning to Lord after being wary of other gods that he had previously created. This word cannot be uttered by man without true pain and tenderness. Lord is Who takes one to gradual excellence and Who nurtures and sustains. Fact is that man creates many idols/gods; he fully relies on his schemes and ploys and these are his gods. If he is haughty about his knowledge or physical strength, then that is his god, if he is proud of his physical attractiveness or wealth, then that is his god. In short, he is involved in thousands of such aspects. Until he abandons them all and is wary of them and does not offer his submission before the One God Who is without any partner and Who is the True Lord and does not turn to Him with tender and heartfelt sound of Rabbana, he has not understood the Real Lord. When he repents in the Presence of Lord with tenderness of heart and soul, confesses his sins and calls on Him as Rabbana, that is, you alone were the True and Real Lord and it was through our own error that we were lost in other places. Now, I have abandoned those false gods and affirm Your Rabubiyyat with sincerity of heart and turn to You.
In short, it is difficult to make God one’s Lord without this. Unless the other idols and their value, greatness and dignity does not leave one’s hearts, one cannot abide by the True Lord and His Rabubiyyat. Some people make falsehood their god, they realise that they cannot do without their falsehood. Others make theft, robbery or fraud their god and it is their belief that without these ways they have no other way of being provided for. These are their gods. A thief who has all the apparatus of burglary and the time of night is suitable for him and there is no guard/sentry about, does he consider any other way apart from theft that can be a means of his livelihood? He considers his apparatus his god. People who rely on their schemes and ploys, what need do they have to supplicate and pray to God? Only that person is in need of prayer for whom all other ways are shut and who has no other way but God’s threshold. That is the person whose heart prays. The prayer of ‘Our Lord, grant us good in this world…’ is only for those who have believed in God as their Lord and they are convinced that all the other false gods are naught compared to their Lord.
Fire does not only mean Fire of the Day of Judgement. A person who lives a long life in this world sees that there are thousands of kinds of fires in this world. The experienced know that there are wide-ranging fires in this world, all manner of torment, fears, killings, adversities, disease, failures, fear of humiliation and misfortune, thousands of kinds of anguishes, troubles regarding wife and children and entanglements with relatives. In short, these are all fires. A Momin prays to God to be saved from all kinds of fires. We have sought Your help, save us from all these troubles that make human life miserable and are like fire for man. (Tafseer ul Qur’an by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), Vol. I, pp. 696 – 697)
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Allah the Exalted states in the Holy Qur’an: ‘…and will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection;’ (3:56). This reassuring promise was made to son of Mary born in Christianity. But I give you the glad tiding that…Allah the Exalted has given this glad tiding in the same words. Now, consider that those who wish to make a connection with me and be included in this great promise and great tiding can they be those who are fallen in the stage of Ammarah [incitement to evil] and are adopting the way of wickedness? Most certainly, not; those who truly value this Divine promise and do not consider what I say as fables so remember and listen from your heart. I once again address those who are connected to me, and this is not an ordinary connection, rather it is a tremendous connection. Its affect not only reaches me but also that Being Who has taken me to the person of that esteemed perfect man who brought the spirit of truth and verity to this world. I say that if these matters were to only affect my being, I would have had no worry or concern and would not have had any care. But this does not stop here. Its affect reaches our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and Allah the Exalted. In this instance, listen most carefully. If you wish to partake in this tiding and wish to be its verifier, and you have true thirst for such a great success (that you will be dominant on the deniers till the Day of Judgement), then I say only this much that this success will not be attained unless you pass through the stage of Lawwama (reproving) and reach the tower of Mutmainnah (at peace/rest).
I do not say any more than this that you people have linked with a person who has been appointed by God. Listen to his words with sincerity of heart and be ever ready to practice them, so that you are not from among those who fall in the filth of denial after accepting and thus barter eternal torment.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. I, pp. 103 – 105)
Hudhur prayed that may we, in our gratefulness for being blessed with the insight given to us by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) abide by Taqwa.
Hudhur announced that he would lead funeral Prayer in absentia of the following deceased: Sheikh Muhammad Naeem sahib, Asim Kamal sahib and Irfan Ahmad sahib.