Friday Sermon March 22, 2019 : The Promised Messiah (a.s.) : The need for The Imam
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
There is none worthy of worship except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
Muslims who believe in the Messiah,
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (as)

The Promised Messiah (a.s.) : The need for The Imam

Khalifatul Masih V

After reciting the TashahhudTa’awwuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) stated:

Tomorrow will be 23rd March, and this day is commemorated in the Community as the “The Promised Messiah Day”. On this day, the pronouncement was made regarding that Messiah and Mahdi, who in accordance with the prophecy made by the Holy Prophet (sa), was to come in the Latter Days. This mission was to convey and to spread the true teachings of Islam to the world, to unite all the Muslims under one banner and to bring followers of all religions under the subservience of the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani (as) declared that he was that Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, whose advent was prophesied by the Holy Prophet (sa) and thus, he started taking the Bai’at [pledge of initiation].

I will now present some sayings of the Promised Messiah (as), in which he has explained about the need for the advent of the Promised Messiah. He states in one of his [Urdu] couplets:

“This was indeed the appointed time for none other than The Messiah;

Had I not been appointed, someone else would surely have appeared!”

The purpose of the Islamic Messiah was to prove the superiority of the teachings of Islam over all other religions through arguments and proofs. Then, in relation to the circumstances of the time and the need of the Promised Messiah, he further says:

“If the land is barren, rain is of no benefit; in fact, it is damaging and harmful (if the soil of the land is not good or is barren or firm, then it is futile). And so, heavenly light has descended, and it is illuminating the hearts of the people. Prepare yourself to accept it and benefit from it (i.e. prepare your hearts) so that in the likeness of barren land that gains no benefit from rainfall, you too do not walk in darkness and stumble, and consequently perish, falling into a dark abyss, despite the presence of light.”

The Promised Messiah (as) further says:

“Allah the Exalted is more merciful than a compassionate mother. He does not wish for His creation to be wasted. He reveals to you the paths of guidance and light. But in order to tread these paths, you must utilise your reason and purify your souls. Just as planting does not occur until the soil is ploughed to prepare it, so too pure reason cannot descend from heaven until souls are purified through strenuous effort and rigorous self-discipline.”

Allah the Exalted and His Messenger (sa) also foretold some signs for the advent of the Promised Messiah. He would not make a claim without any signs. Hence, mentioning this fact, the Promised Messiah (as) states:

“Another sign in support of the awaited one is that in his era, during the month of Ramadan, the solar and lunar eclipses will occur.”

These are all prophecies contained in the Holy Qur’an that beasts would be gathered together [etc.]. There are various explanations of these. Zoos have been created. Knowledge has become accessible and spread across the world. Some nations have attacked the native people and destroyed them. It also mentions that oceans will be joined together. It also states that people will be joined together. Communication has now become extremely easy and a person is able to communicate across the world within seconds. Furthermore, women, who were treated cruelly at that time, whose rights were suppressed and who used to be killed, will ask that on what grounds are we being killed. Books will be spread far and wide. The press and media; all of these aspects prove the fact that this is the era of the Promised Messiah and prophecies in relation to this are found in the Holy Qur’an.”

Presenting further evidence in relation to where the Promised Messiah was to be appointed, the Promised Messiah (as) states:

“As for the place of the Promised Messiah’s advent, it ought to be remembered that the emergence of the Anti-Christ has been foretold to take place from the East and this refers to our country. Then, it is narrated that the Messiah will appear in the village of Qad’ah, which is short for ‘Qadian.’”

The Promised Messiah (as) continues by saying:

“Calamities were also to serve as a sign.”

i.e. that there would be various sorts of calamities and trials during the time of the Messiah. The Promised Messiah (as) then says:

“Heavenly calamities took on the form of famine, plague and cholera. As for earthly calamities, there are wars and earthquakes, which have destroyed the land.”

He further writes:

“Was the sign of Lekhram not a magnificent sign? Similarly, well before the Conference of Great Religions (Dharam Mahautsav) I announced many days in advance that Allah Almighty had informed me that my essay would be superior to all others. Those who witnessed this grand and awe-inspiring conference can reflect and understand for themselves that the prophecy was fulfilled.”

Then, presenting further evidence of his being divinely commissioned, he further states,

“In short, even at this time, there are many proofs of my being commissioned from God. Firstly, there is internal evidence. Secondly, there are external proofs. Thirdly, there is the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) about the arrival of one who would rejuvenate faith at the turn of every century. Fourthly, there is the divine promise of preserving the Qur’an in the words, ‘Surely, We have sent down the Qur’an, and it is indeed We Who shall safeguard it.’ The fifth proof – which is an outstanding sign – is the divine promise in Surah An-Noor, the Promise of Divine Successorship. According to this promise of Divine Successorship, the Caliphs of the dispensation of Muhammad (sa) shall be like the Caliphs of the dispensations before them. Similarly, the Holy Qur’an has also mentioned the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) in the likeness of Moses (as), as it states, [Arabic] (73:16).

The system of Mosaic successorship came to a close with the advent of Jesus (as), who appeared in the fourteenth century after Moses (as).

The Promised Messiah (as) writes,

“Just as Jesus (as) did not bring any new law, but came to fulfil what was in the Torah, so, too has the Messiah of the dispensation of Muhammad not introduced any new law, but has come for the rejuvenation of the Quran – to revive the true understanding of the Noble Quran.”

After presenting these excerpts from the writings of the Promised Messiah (as), Huzoor (aba) presented several excerpts and narrations of Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) explaining the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (as).

The Promised Messiah (as) states:

“Remember well! The promises of God are indeed true! According to His divine promise, He has sent a warner to the world, but the world accepted him not. Yet God shall accept him and will demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults. I tell you truly that I have appeared as the Messiah in accordance to the promise of God. Now, as you so desire, accept me or reject me, however your rejection will have no significance because that which God Almighty has willed, shall surely come to pass..’”

I would now like to briefly mention in regard to the incident that took place in New Zealand last Friday. I wanted to speak about this last Friday, but I forgot to mention it towards the end. In any case, I issued a press release and on behalf of the entire Ahmadiyya Community, in which I expressed my condolences. Many innocent people, including children were martyred as a result of religious and ethnic hatred. May God Almighty have mercy on them all and grant patience to the bereaved.

The most excellent and moral way New Zealand’s government, and particularly its Prime Minister, has responded to this attack, and also in fulfilling their duties as a government, has been exemplary and is most praiseworthy. It has been a reaction of the highest order and I pray that Muslim nations learn from this model of morality and each play their own role towards eradicating all forms of religious hatred.

After the Prayers, I will lead a few funeral prayers in absentia. The first funeral is of Maulana Khurshid Ahmad Anwar Sahib, who was the Wakilul Maal of Tehreek-e-Jadid in Qadian. He passed away on 19thMarch at the age of 73; To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. By the grace of Allah he was a Moosi [part of the institution of Al-Wasiyyat]. He was suffering from cancer for a long period of time, however, he bore this illness with great patience, courage and resolve. Despite being severely ill and weak, he was never negligent towards fulfilling his official duties. He would regularly go to the office and until his last breath, he fulfilled his Waqf [devotion] to the best of his abilities. In fact, I believe that he fulfilled his devotion in the manner it ought to be fulfilled.

The deceased was the son of Abdul Azeem Sahib – a Dervish of Qadian – and Raeesa Begum Sahiba and was from Pindi Bhattian. The deceased’s father was the first person to accept Ahmadiyyat in his family. After performing Bai’at, the deceased’s grandfather began to oppose his father severely and would even beat him. Afterwards, his father then migrated to Qadian and settled there. The deceased grew up in Qadian and had the opportunity to be in the company of prominent companions [of the Promised Messiah (as)] and the Dervish of Qadian.

He completed his Matriculation examination from Ta’leemul Islam School, Qadian and then joined Madrasa Ahmadiyya. In 1967 he passed the Maulvi Fazal exam from Madrasa Ahmadiyya, Qadian, after which he was appointed as a teacher in Madrasa Ahmadiyya. In 1982, he was appointed as the manager of Al Badar and he also served as the editor for a while. In 1989 he served as Nazim Irshad for Waqf-e-Jadid Qadian. He also had the opportunity to serve as Nazim Irshad Sadar Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya of India and Naib Nazir Baitul Maal Aamad.

In 2006 he was appointed as Wakilul Maal of Tehreek-e-Jadid and until his demise, he served in this capacity with due diligence. Similarly, he was a member and also president of several important Central Committees. He was a very competent administrator and would complete his work with full sincerity and devotion. He played a vital role in securing India’s position in Tehreek-e-Jadid Chanda. Previously it was quite behind in terms of [total] sacrifice, but by the grace of Allah, he helped improve them significantly. He was mindful of Jamaat money and would spend with due care. He was a learned individual and wrote excellent articles. He had the opportunity of carrying out editorial work for the Badar newspaper for many years. His editorials were full of religious knowledge and included the eloquence and articulation of the Urdu language. Approximately forty years ago, when he was in the prime of his youth, there used to be a competition on the Life and Character of the Holy Prophet (sa) held by the Ta’mir-e-Milatorganisation in Hyderabad Deccan. He once took part in this competition and won 1st prize.

The deceased possessed many qualities; his approachability, hospitality and tireless effort are among his prominent characteristics. Prior to Jalsa Salana, he would prepare for the arrival of guests with great enthusiasm. Despite having limited resources, he would make excellent arrangements for the guests. He was an influential personality; he would look after the poor and showed complete obedience to his superiors. He had a deep bond with Khilafat. His services span over almost fifty-two years. He was blessed with four daughters and one son. His son resides here; one of his daughters lives in USA and another in Qadian.

His son-in-law, Khalid Ahmad Ala Din Sahib writes:

“During his illness, whenever I would advise him to rest, he would always reply that it was his desire to serve until his last breath and to meet God Almighty in this manner. Indeed, he fulfilled his pledge.”

The Naib Sadr Majlis Tehreek-e-Jadid writes:

“I knew him from the time we were both students and had the opportunity to work with him on a number of occasions. When the deceased was appointed as Naib Nazir Baitul Maal Aamad, he worked with me for a long period of time with full cooperation. He was very obedient, hardworking and honest. He had deep knowledge of financial matters. When he was made Wakilul Maal, he was responsible for the budget of Tehreek-e-Jadid. At the time of his appointment it was a few hundred thousand, but through the blessings of Allah, that figure increased to tens of millions. May God Almighty elevate the status of the deceased and enable his children to continue his virtuous endeavours.

The second funeral is of Tahir Hussain Munshi Sahib, who was the Naib Ameer [National Vice President] of Fiji Jamaat. He passed away on 5thMarch, at the age of 72; to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. He was a longstanding servant of the Fiji Jamaat and had the opportunity to serve as Naib Ameer for a long period of time. He was a pious individual, sincere and very loyal. By the grace of Allah he was a Moosi and gave Hissa Jaidad during his lifetime. He is survived by one son and one daughter. Both of his children are not Ahmadis.

By the grace of Allah, Tahir sahib had the opportunity to serve in Fiji’s education sector. He served as principal of a college; in the Ministry of Education, as principal of a secondary school and also as an Education Officer. After being promoted he served as Deputy Director of Education and in 1999, he retired from his position. After this the government re-employed him as a member for the Public Accounts Committee and he served in this capacity for a short while until he resigned due to ill health.

Regarding his acceptance of Ahmadiyyat, Hamid Hussain Sahib – the President of Nasarbanga Jamaat – says:

“Munshi sahib’s first assignment was in Nasarbanga Primary School in 1968. At the time I was the Secretary of the School. Through this we became friends and would spend a lot of time together. Despite the fact that he was opposed to the Jamaat, he would listen to the arguments of the Jamaat and also discourse on different points. (Munshi Sahib was from a Sunni background) Whenever he would invite his Maulvi to debate with Ahmadis, the Maulvi would refuse. This would upset Munshi Sahib greatly. Afterwards, God Almighty enabled him to accept the Imam of the age.”

With regards to how Munshi sahib repaid him for this blessing, Hamid Hussain Sahib says: “On one occasion, Munshi Sahib returned home after spending time in Qadian. He told me that he had offered special prayers for me in Baitud Dua because it was through me that God Almighty enabled him to reach his current state. i.e. God Almighty enabled him to accept Ahmadiyyat through Hamid Hussain Sahib. When he was in Baitud Dua, he prayed to God Almighty that Hamid Sahib conferred a great favour upon him that he was able to accept Ahmadiyyat. Only an Ahmadi can pray for the person they are indebted to in such a manner. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) appointed him as Naib Ameer of Fiji.

Naeem Iqbal Sahib, who is a missionary, writes:

“He was very loyal, especially towards Khilafat. He would encourage others to respect and show obedience to Khilafat and this is something he would demonstrate through his own example. If he was opposed to something, the minute he learnt that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih held that opinion, he would immediately change his opinion.

The third funeral is of Musa Sisko sahib of Mali. He passed away on 15thFebruary; to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. He was a Brigade Commander in the army. He learnt of the Ahmadiyya Community through a magazine, after which, he remained in close contact with a missionary in Waskaso Region. He accepted Ahmadiyyat in November 2012. In 2013 during the launch of Waskaso Jamaat Radio station, he had the opportunity to serve as the director for the radio station and he was also appointed as the Sadr [Local President] Jamaat. After the radio station was established in the Waskaso region, the Jamaat was faced with extraordinary opposition. At that time, Musa Sahib showed great wisdom and dealt with the matter with patience and steadfastness. He contacted the relevant authorities and introduced the Jamaat to them. Since 2016, he served in the National Amila as the Umoor-e-Kharijah [External Affairs] Secretary. After performing bai’at, he dedicated his life for the service of the Jamaat. Aside from offering his obligatory prayers, he was regular in offering the tahajjud [pre-dawn voluntary] prayers. He was a very sincere and loyal individual. He had a unique bond with Khilafat and would try to be the first to respond to any initiative launched by the Khalifa. He is survived by two wives, ten daughters and five sons.

May Allah the Almighty elevate the status of all the deceased and enable their children to continue their virtuous deeds. Munshi Sahibs children are not Ahmadi, may Allah the Almighty enable them to accept the Imam of the age.

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