After reciting the Tashahhud, Ta’wwuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) stated:
Although Spain is undoubtedly amongst the Western countries, but is economically less well established than other European countries such as France, However, compared to Pakistan, the economic conditions are far better for those people here who have emigrated from Pakistan. That is why many Pakistanis also come here for business or employment purposes. As far as Ahmadis are concerned, when they emigrate from Pakistan, they do so due to two reasons; the foremost of those is the prevalence of restrictions placed upon religious activities and a lack of religious freedom for Ahmadis in Pakistan. The second reason is to improve their economic situation.
Some people state their conditions truthfully as they file their asylum cases, but some also conjure stories, which is unnecessary. I have said many times that if one mentions truthfully the atrocities committed against us in Pakistan in the name of religion and merely states that, ‘living in Pakistan under such circumstances puts me under extreme psychological pressure which is akin to continuous torture,’ then usually, the authorities or the judges understand this and hence adopt a helpful and sympathetic attitude. Thus, whilst putting forward one’s case, there is no need to formulate exaggerated statements.
In any case, an Ahmadi should safeguard themselves from lying. Allah the Exalted has equated lying to shirk (associating partners with God). One can never expect from an Ahmadi that they would commit shirk. On the one hand he (an Ahmadi) claims that ‘I am at the forefront in proclaiming the Oneness of God the Exalted and in coming into the servitude to the Holy Prophet (sa) and that I believe in the Imam of the Age, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi (as).’ However, on the other hand, he does not protect himself against this fundamental sin, which is the foremost duty of a believer in the Oneness of God. Thus, every Ahmadi should analyse themselves, lying to gain worldly benefits will render us extremely sinful in the eyes of God the Exalted.
Thus, as I have said, once we have emigrated from our homeland in order to safeguard our faith and in order to remain firm on our faith, then we must give the utmost priority to the commandments of Allah the Exalted. We should see as to what our preferences are after having accepted Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. If these priorities are not in accordance with the commandments of God the Exalted, then we have failed to achieve the purpose of our migration. If our very foundation is based on a lie and if we have made the attainment of the world our sole objective, then we will not be the recipients of the blessings of Allah the Exalted.
We should always remember that our objective is not to attain the world and to be engrossed in worldly affairs. Nor is this the purpose of the creation of a believer. Only if we try to achieve the purpose of our creation set out by Him in order to attain the pleasure of God the Exalted, will we be able to acquire true success and fulfil the purpose of entering this world. We will most certainly acquire this world and its blessings as Allah the Exalted does not deprive those who march towards Him of religious and worldly blessings. Allah the Exalted has taught us this prayer to seek from Him the good of this world as well as the hereafter as He says (Arabic) (Al-Baqarah: 202) (‘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’).
In relation to this the Promised Messiah (as) states: ‘A person is in need of two aspects for his prosperity; firstly, to remain safeguarded from all difficulties, adversities and trials etc, which befall him in this temporary worldly life. Secondly, to be safeguarded from sins, evils and spiritual ailments, which lead him away from God.’ There are two (necessary) aspects for a person. Firstly, worldly hardships and ailments and secondly, spiritual hardships and ailments.
Further elaborating on (the word) Rabbana (our Lord), the Promised Messiah states, ‘The truth of the matter is that there is a subtle indication towards repentance in the word Rabbana (our Lord). When a person says Rabbana (our Lord), he completely inclines towards Allah the Exalted.’ The Promised Messiah (as) then states: ‘The reason for this is that the word Rabbana (our Lord) requires (and implies that) a person has left other gods which he had previously created and turned towards this Lord. ….. The fact of the matter is that a person creates multiple gods for themselves. He has utmost faith in his schemes and deceptions, as those are his very gods. If he is proud of his knowledge or power, then that is his god. If he is proud of his beauty or wealth, then that is his god. In short, there are thousands of such gods which are attached to him. Until he does not forsake them, bow his head before the One True Lord and fall at His threshold reciting the heart-rendering prayer of Rabbana (Our Lord), then he cannot understand the nature of the True Lord.”
Therefore, we must always keep this principal in mind. There was mention of paying the due rights to worshipping, so we should remember that we can only make the efforts to do so when we fulfil the objectives of our creation in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty. In this regard God Almighty states:
‘And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.’ (Al-Dhariyat 57). Thus, when we examine the commandments of Allah one after the other, (we come to know that) each one of them draws our attention towards not forgetting God Almighty. Your worldly pursuits should not make you forget the remembrance of Allah, nor should you aim to only fulfil your worldly desires and attain the world.
Regarding this the Promised Messiah (as) states in one place “It is evident that man is not in the position to decide the purpose of his own life because nor did he come into this world by choice, nor will he return by choice. In reality he is a creation, but the One Who created him and granted him greater and loftier faculties than beasts, (i.e. in comparison to other creatures He created man as the noblest of all creatures) can be the one Who declares the purpose of His creation. Whether someone understands this or not, there is no doubt that the purpose of man’s creations is to worship God Almighty, attain a true comprehension of Him and to completely lose oneself in Him. When man keeps this purpose in view, they become true believers and such persons also obtain the acceptance of God Almighty through worldly blessings. ‘
It is the duty of every Ahmadi that after migrating here you should strive to fulfil this important obligation. Ahmadis everywhere should inform others in their surroundings about the true Islam. The morals and standards of worship of every Ahmadi should be such that it should attract the attention of othersWe must acquaint the world with the fact that the purpose of worldly blessings provided by Allah Almighty is not to take one away from Him, rather, these blessings are here to draw us closer to Him. Hence, such blessings should be utilized in moderation, otherwise one will head towards destruction.
Four or five years ago, the world did not envisage the fact that it was heading towards destruction or was not ready admit to this fact. However today the situation is completely different., Ahmadis everywhere should focus their attention towards gaining the pleasure of Allah Almighty and should strive in this regard. It is only the Grace of Allah the Almighty that can save the world from destruction. Only through prostrating before Him can we please Him. Every Ahmadi should remember that simply believing in the Promised Messiah (as) is not enough to enable you to acquire the rewards of this world and the hereafter, nor can it save you from the punishment of the hellfire. In fact, by accepting the Promised Messiah (as) it places an even greater responsibility to fashion our lives according to the pleasure of God Almighty.
The Promised Messiah (as) states: Remember that simply doing the Bai’at (oath of allegiance) is of no benefit; God Almighty is not pleased with this practise until one does not adhere to the true essence of Bai’at. Until then this Bai’at is not the true Bai’at and is merely a ritual. Therefore, it is essential to make an effort towards fulfilling the true purpose of the Bai’at.”
The Promised Messiah (as) says: “The difference between a truthful Muslim and a dishonest Muslim is that a dishonest Muslim only conjures plans but does not fulfil them. Instead a truthful Muslim sees any plans to fruition rather than making statements. Thus, when God Almighty sees that my servant is offering their worship for my sake and is benevolent towards my creation, at that point He sends down his angels, thereby making a distinction between a true Muslim and a false one, in accordance with His promise.”
Therefore, it is vital for every single one of us to strive to become a true Muslim. One should derive benefit from the fruits and blessings of this world in a manner that one becomes the recipients of the blessings in the hereafter. We should fulfil the due rights of our worship. Since we have been forced to leave our countries due to our faith, whilst settling here we should strive to act on the teachings of our faith. May Allah enable every single one of us to achieve this.