Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(at)
Friday Sermon delivered at Masjid Mubarak, Islamabad, Tilford, UK
‘The Unique Bond Established by God Between Caliph & Community’
After reciting Tashahhud, Ta’awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba) said that when Allah the Almighty informed the Promised Messiah(as) that his demise was near, the Promised Messiah(as) informed his Community that God manifests His might in two ways; one at the hand of prophets, and the second after the demise of the prophets when people think that the prophet has faltered and their community has failed, and they mock and jest.
How God Almighty Manifests His Power After the Demise of Prophets
His Holiness(aba) continued quoting the Promised Messiah(as) who said that the opponents of Islam rejoiced at the demise of the Holy Prophet(sa) while the Companions were in great distress and grief. However, God manifested His power by commissioning Hazrat Abu
Bakr(ra) and Islam’s strength was solidified. In this way, God fulfilled His promise of, ‘and He will establish for them their faith that He chose for them and He will change their state of fear into peace.’
His Holiness(aba) continued quoting the Promised Messiah(as) who said the same happened at the time of Moses(as). When Moses(as) passed away between Egypt and Canaan, before he could help the Israelites reach their destination, there was a great deal of grief among the Israelites. The Torah describes that they cried for forty consecutive days. However, it has always been the practice of God to display two manifestations of His might in order to destroy the false joy of the opponents. If this was so, then the Promised Messiah(as) said that the same would be the case after his demise, and there would be a second manifestation after him which would last until the end of days. God vouchsafed to the Promised Messiah(as) that his Community would prevail until the Day of Judgement. Though it is the latter days and signs of the world’s end continue to manifest, however, God will not let the world be destroyed until this promise of His is completed.
The Promise of a Second Manifestation of Power After the Promised Messiah(as)
His Holiness(aba) continued quoting the Promised Messiah(as) who said that he was a manifestation of God’s might, and that after him there would be others who would be the second manifestation of God’s might. This was so that the entire world could be conveyed the message of God’s unity and become themselves united. His
Holiness(aba) said that it was thus that after the demise of the Promised Messiah(as) that God commissioned the First Caliph, Hazrat Hakim Maulwi Nooruddin(ra). There were some of the opinion that after the Promised Messiah(as) the Anjuman should be his successor, however, the First Caliph(ra) put a decisive end to this rebellion. Then after him, God commissioned the Second Caliph, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad(ra). There were those who thought themselves to be more scholarly than him and tried to raise a rebellion. In fact, they even sought to delay the election of the Caliph. However, God saw to it that all of their efforts were completely frustrated and the Caliphate endured stronger than ever, with his era of Caliphate spanning over 50 years. Then, upon his demise, God commissioned the Third Caliph, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad(rh). Then, according to God’s will when the Third Caliph(rh) passed away, God commissioned Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(rh) as the Fourth Successor of the Promised
Messiah(as). After the demise of the Fourth Caliph(rh), God commissioned His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(ra) to the rank of Caliph.
The Bond of Love Between the Caliph and His Community
His Holiness(aba) said that God fulfilled the promise which He made to the Promised Messiah(as) and continued to lead his Community to the paths of success. His Holiness(aba) said that in this era of his Caliphate, the opponents have tried to create discord and have tried to bring an end to the Community. Ahmadis have been martyred in different countries around the world or given them the lure of worldly things. However, God has continued to increase Ahmadis in their faith, certainty and relationship with the Caliphate. Whether in Asia, Europe, America or Africa, every person’s relationship with the Caliphate has been established by God. There is none other than God Who can create such love in the hearts of people. His Holiness(aba) said that wherever he goes to, in the world, he sees this love in the people. In fact, these things are not just claims, but these testimonies have been preserved by the lenses of a camera.
His Holiness(aba) said that he receives thousands of letters a month which show how God attached people to the Community and Himself establishes a bond of love between them and the Caliphate. His
Holiness(aba) said that he would express some examples of such letters.
Wonderful Examples of God Drawing People Towards Ahmadiyyat
His Holiness(aba) said that in Tanzania, a woman came to the mosque asking for prayers. She said that she saw dreams in which she would see a man with a long beard and wheatish complexion. When introduced to the Community and the teachings of the Promised Messiah(as), she realised that the person she had been seeing in her dream was either the Promised Messiah(as) or the Second Caliph(ra). Upon this realisation, she accepted Ahmadiyyat along with her family.
His Holiness(aba) said that in Indonesia, a person arrived at the mosque to accept Ahmadiyyat. He explained that he lived a difficult life. During a time of difficulty, he saw that he was meeting an elder wearing a white turban. This elder told him in the dream to offer alms for forty days. He did so and on the twentieth day, his difficulty was removed. Then, after about three months he saw the same elder again who took him onto a mountain to eat some fruit. The elder told him in the dream to only relate this dream to those who are pious. Upon seeing a picture of the Caliphs, he pointed to the Fourth Caliph(rh), he said that this was the very elder wearing a white turban who he saw in his dream, and he accepted Ahmadiyyat.
His Holiness(aba) said that in Cameroon, a young man saw two elders in his dream. One of them asked what he does, to which he replied that he gave rides to people on his motorcycle and that was how he made a living. The other told him to leave his motorcycle and come here to offer prayers. A few days later, he saw someone distributing pamphlets in the market. He took the pamphlet and upon reading it, he saw the Promised Messiah(as) and realised that this was one of the elders he had seen in the dream. Then upon further research and seeing pictures of the Caliphs, he realised that the other elder was His Holiness(aba), who told him to pray. He accepted Ahmadiyyat and even became the Imam of his village, which he says is due to the blessings of Ahmadiyyat.
His Holiness(aba) said that in Kenya, there is a small town which is predominantly Christian, with 520 churches and only a single centre of the Ahmadiyya Community. One day, a man came to the Ahmadiyya prayer centre and obtained more information about the Community. He realised that this Community had views different from his, however, he was offered to come to the mosque whenever he wished. One day while visiting, MTA was on the TV and a sermon by His Holiness(aba) was playing. Upon listening to it, he said that he wished to accept Ahmadiyyat. When asked what changed his mind, he said that the previous day when he woke up and went outside, he looked up and saw a shining light. He said that upon seeing the sermon of His Holiness(aba), what he saw was fulfilled and so he accepted Ahamdiyyat along with his family. Thus, the heart of an opponent was changed.
His Holiness(aba) said that a woman from Paraguay says that her journey to Islam started during the Covid pandemic. She decided that she should start learning a new language, so she started taking online Arabic classes. Through these classes, she learned about Islam and started doing more research on her own. One day, she saw a post on FaceBook about an event called ‘Coffee, Cake and Islam’, She registered and went to the event where she met the Missionary and his wife. Initially, she had some apprehensions and thought that only Arabs could enter a mosque, however, she came to learn a great deal and learned that Islam teaches there is no compulsion in religion and that Islam is a religion of peace. She remained in contact with the Missionary’s wife and would often ask her questions and even joined the weekly classes. She also strove to learn the entire Salat (formal prayer). One day, whilst relating all that she had learned to her husband, he suggested that she become a Muslim. She studied some more, asked questions and listened to the sermons of the Caliph and as a result, after some time, she accepted Ahmadiyyat. Her husband also accepted Ahmadiyyat a few months later.
His Holiness(aba) said that in Sierra Leone, a man was invited to listen to the sermon delivered by His Holiness(aba). He came along with his family to listen to the sermon. Upon hearing it, he was so impacted that he accepted Ahmadiyyat. Now, he has become an active member of the Community, helping throughout in the mosque renovations and often keeping voluntary fasts, among other things.
His Holiness(aba) said that in Bangladesh, a young man was introduced to the Ahmadiyya Community and he would visit the mosque to listen to the sermons delivered by His Holiness(aba). This influenced him to the extent that he accepted Ahmadiyyat, however, his wife had not yet accepted Ahmadiyyat. The couple did not have any children yet, and so the man suggested to his wife that she should write a letter to the Caliph requesting prayers. It was after doing so that she became pregnant. She was moved and thought that it was due to the Caliph’s prayers that this blessing had been bestowed on them and thus, she too accepted Ahmadiyyat.
His Holiness(aba) said that in Mali, there was a man who was involved in an accident that resulted in his legs being broken. Despite many attempts and different methods, his legs would not heal. One day, he saw His Holiness, the Fifth Caliph(aba) in a dream, who continuously prayed for him and in the dream he would respond by saying Ameen. When he awoke, he said Ameen and passed his hands over his legs. It was after this that his legs slowly started healing and now, no one could ever say that his legs were broken. His Holiness(aba) said that this is how God establishes bonds between people and the Caliph(aba).
His Holiness(aba) said that even non-Ahmadis become impacted by the Caliphate. In Congo-Kinshasa, the Community has a radio station on which His Holiness'(aba) sermons are relayed. One day, a doctor came to the Community who said that he regularly listens to the sermons and requested for them to be translated into the local language so that more and more people could listen to these sermons. Hence, the blessings associated with the Caliphate are so powerful that even non-Ahmadis encourage for the message of the Caliph to be spread to as many people as possible. His Holiness(aba) said that one day they will also recognise and accept the truth of Ahmadiyyat.
(These are just a few examples of the various incidents presented by His Holiness(aba).)
Nothing Can Hinder the Progress of Ahmadiyyat Under the Guidance of Caliphate
His Holiness(aba) said that the promise which God made to the Promised Messiah(as) about the blessings which would accompany the Caliphate is being fulfilled in magnificent and mysterious ways which cannot be comprehended by the human mind. If these incidents, the signs sent by God, the help accompanying the Ahmadiyya Caliphate and the Promised Messiah(as) who came in servitude of the Holy Prophet(sa) in order to unite the world are not all proofs of truthfulness, then what is? It is the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community alone which, under the Caliphate, is working to promote the success and spread of Islam. The success being witnessed by this Community is clear proof of God’s help. However, those who choose to remain blind cannot, and will never see. God-willing, in accordance with God’s promise, the successorship upon the precepts of prophethood which began with the Promised Messiah(as) will continue until the end of times. There is no enemy which can hinder this from happening.
His Holiness(aba) said that we must constantly strive to rejuvenate our faith, keep ourselves attached to the Ahmadiyya Caliphate, and never shy away from offering sacrifices in order to ensure its continuity. His Holiness(aba) prayed that may Allah the Almighty enable us to do so.
