Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(at)
Friday Sermon delivered at Masjid Mubarak, Islamabad, Tilford, UK
Excellences of the Holy Qur’an – The Seal of the Books
After reciting Tashahhud, Ta’awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba) said that whilst mentioning the blessings of the Holy Qur’an, the Promised Messiah(as) said that it’s blessings are just as apparent as they were during the time of the Holy Prophet(sa).
Preservation for Eternity
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) said that although many Muslims have neglected the Holy Qur’an, it’s light, blessings and impact are alive and well and God has continuously sent people to preserve and protect the Holy Qur’an as He promises:
‘Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 15:10)
His Holiness(aba) said that in this era, God sent the True Servant of the Holy Prophet(sa) in order to preserve and spread the Holy Qur’an throughout the world. It is unfortunate that from the outset of his advent, so-called scholars and clerics have made it their mission to oppose the Promised Messiah(as) and to create hindrances in his path to spreading the Holy Qur’an.
His Holiness(aba) said that such is the case especially in Pakistan, where clerics create problems and they are able to find the support of certain politicians seeking nothing more than popularity. They remain in the continuous attempts of levelling false blasphemy charges against Ahmadis. His Holiness(aba) prayed for the freedom of those who are currently wrongfully imprisoned.
His Holiness(aba) said that the advent of the Promised Messiah(as) and his teachings have brought to light the fine treasures and meanings of the Holy Qur’an and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is doing the work of spreading these teachings to the world.
His Holiness(aba) said that he would present quotations of the Promised Messiah(as) in which he speaks of the importance and significance of the Holy Qur’an. All-Encompassing Teachings
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that the teachings of the Holy Qur’an are complete and there is no verity which it does not cover. It is stated in the Holy Qur’an:
‘We have left out nothing in the Book. Then to their Lord shall they be gathered together.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 6:39)
His Holiness(aba) further quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that not everyone possesses the ability to extract all the finer points and meanings of the Holy Qur’an, rather it is those who are the recipients of divine revelation and those who have been bestowed the necessary faculties by God who can reach the deepest meanings of the Qur’an and apply them to the current times. Hence, those among the chosen of God upon whom the verities of the Holy Qur’an continue to be opened should be looked to in order to attain a better and more accurate understanding of the Holy Qur’an.
Three Means of Guidance for Mankind
His Holiness(aba) continued quoting the Promised Messiah(as) who explained that the Ahadith (sayings of the Holy Prophet(sa)) also provide insight and further explanation of the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Prophet(sa) never said anything that was contrary to the Holy Qur’an.
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that God Almighty has provided three things for the guidance of humankind; the first is the Holy Qur’an. It teaches the esteemed and sublime rank of God, and it also resolves various issues, such as those between the Jews and the Christians and elucidates the misconception of Jesus(as) dying a cursed death on the cross. The Holy Qur’an eliminates all elements of Shirk (associating partners with God). The Holy Qur’an opens the paths of salvation. All success and salvation are dependent on the Holy Qur’an. There is no spiritual need which cannot be found in the Holy Qur’an. There is no book under the heavens than the Holy Qur’an which can furnish the means for guidance.
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that God has done a great favour upon us by sending the Holy Qur’an to us. Had the Holy Qur’an been revealed to the Christians, they would not have gone astray. Hence we must be grateful for this immense favour and blessing that has been bestowed upon us. It is the ultimate means of saving us.
His Holiness(aba) said that statistics show that these days, more and more Christians are leaving Christianity because they are unable to find spiritual contentment. It is unfortunate that some Muslims neglect the Holy Qur’an despite having the ultimate spiritual guide.
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that if one were to follow the commandments of the Holy Qur’an and live their lives accordingly, then the Holy Qur’an can enable them to adopt the ways of the prophets. At the very outset, the Holy Qur’an teaches the prayer:
‘Guide us to the right path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings’.
Those upon whom blessings were bestowed refers to the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. Hence, one must not abandon the Holy Qur’an, for it seeks to bestow the same blessings that it did on those before us. The Promised Messiah(as) further explained that the second means of guidance is the Sunnah (practice of the Holy Prophet(sa) and the third is the Hadith.
Receiving Honour Through the Holy Qur’an
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that those who honour the Qur’an will be honoured in heaven. The Holy Qur’an should not be left like a thing forgotten for our ultimate success lies in it. There is no book on the face of the planet for humankind other than the Holy Qur’an. Hence, one should hold fast to it so that on the Day of Judgement, they are counted among those who have achieved salvation. The Holy Qur’an enables one to combat any cruelty. His Holiness(aba) said that this example was displayed recently by our brothers who were martyred in Burkina Faso.
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that the Holy Prophet(sa) was the Seal of Prophets, and the Holy Qur’an is the Seal of All Books. God still speaks and the doors of revelation are still open, and this itself is a grand proof for the truthfulness of the Holy
Qur’an and the Holy Prophet(sa). It is astonishing that certain Muslims think that despite being taught the prayer of treading the path of those upon whom blessings have been bestowed, they believe that there is no one in the Muslim Ummah who can in fact achieve the rank of those people. However, why would God teach this prayer if it was not possible to achieve that rank? Certainly it can be achieved and this is the very purpose of Islam and the Qur’an. It is astonishing that allegations of blaspheming the Holy Qur’an are levelled against Ahmadis, yet these are the views of other Muslims regarding the Holy Qur’an. It is the Ahmadi Muslims who hold fast to the belief that God is alive and still speaks today as he did before and this is the message it seeks to spread.
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that it only makes sense that the Seal of Prophets was revealed the Seal of All Books; a book which possesses the ultimate guidance, such that is not and cannot be replicated in any other book or scripture. The grandeur and stature of the elect of God is also reflected in the book revealed to them. There is no one comparable to the Holy
Prophet(sa) and his lofty rank, stature and qualities and such is the case of the Holy Qur’an. His Holiness(aba) said that when this is the case, there is no one who can level an allegation against Ahmadis saying that they dishonour the rank of the Holy Prophet(sa).
A Scripture Peerless in its Teachings
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that nothing can compare to the Holy Qur’an, whether in eloquence, teachings, meanings, purpose, prophecies or in any other facet.
His Holiness(aba) further quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that the Holy Qur’an is not a mere collection of stories. In fact, even the stories that are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an relay a deep rooted philosophy. The Holy Qur’an’s deep knowledge has inspired many in their acquisition of knowledge in science and modern day research.
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that he deemed even the slightest deviance from the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet(sa) to be tantamount to disbelief. Furthermore, the Promised Messiah(as) explained that the Holy Qur’an is vast in the scope of its teachings. It teaches that sometimes, according to circumstances, it is better to forgive, and in other circumstances it is wiser to punish in order to reform. There is no discrepancy between God’s words and actions – He is both Forgiving, yet He also takes people to task when it is necessary. This same thing is reflected in His Word, the Holy Qur’an.
His Holiness(aba) further quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that the Holy Qur’an presents the attributes of God in a manner that can be recognised in the world. The Holy Qur’an enables one to find God.
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who said that whereas the teachings of other prophets can no longer be found in the world today, the light and teachings of the Holy Prophet(sa) are still alive in the world today, rendering him to be the true living prophet. The light of his teachings are present in the world today just as they were before. The Holy Qur’an presents the most balanced teaching, a teaching which is in line with the very nature of humankind. Hence, it is a teaching which is unmatched by any other. The Torah emphasises retribution, whereas the Gospels teach excessive leniency. However, the Holy Qur’an presents the balanced teaching of:
‘And the recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; but whoso forgives and his act brings about reformation, his reward is with Allah.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 42:41)
His Holiness(aba) said that the Promised Messiah(as) was proving the superiority of the Holy Qur’an at a time and place that was under Christian rule. However this was the very purpose for which the Promised Messiah(as) – to spread the truth and demonstrate the ultimate superiority of the Holy Qur’an.
The Unity of God Presented by the Holy Qur’an
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) saying that there are some who allege that the Holy Qur’an has not brought anything new and it presents the unity of God just as the Torah does. However this is not true, because the Holy Qur’an presents the unity of God in such fine detail and with such clarity as is not mentioned anywhere in the Torah. The Holy Qur’an establishes a true understanding of the unity of God, it eliminates all aspects of associating partners with God, and it teaches to place the love of God above all else.
His Holiness(aba) said that there are various other references and quotations on this subject which will be presented in the future.
