Friday Sermon
24 May 2024
Khilafat: The Divine bounty and blessings
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
It is a blessing of Allah the Almighty upon us that He has enabled us to accept the Promised Messiahas, through whom Allah the Almighty had promised the revival of Islam. In accordance with the promises of Allah the Almighty and the prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa, the Promised Messiahas was sent by Allah the Almighty in subservience to the Holy Prophetsa in order to rejuvenate Islam. Furthermore, in accordance with these very promises of Allah the Almighty and these very prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa, the institution of Khilafat was established in his Jamaat. Hence, in order to manifest the fulfilment of the promises of Allah the Almighty and the prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa, every year we commemorate Khilafat Day on 27 May, wherever Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is established. On 26 May, the Promised Messiahas passed away and on 27 May, the Jamaat, in accordance with divine promises, elected Hazrat Maulana Hakim Noor-ud-Dinra as Khalifatul Masih I and took an oath and pledged initiation at his hands to carry on the mission of the Promised Messiahas.
Following the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, the Jamaat gathered at the hands of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. Despite some internal hostilities and all forms of unfavourable circumstances, we witnessed scenes of the help and succour of Allah the Almighty. His Khilafat continued for approximately 52 years, during which we saw scenes of blessings in leaps and bounds.
Following the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, the era of the Third Khalifa commenced and during this era, we witnessed the progress of the Jamaat. The opponents made great efforts to try and efface the Jamaat. However, despite this, we only find signs of progress in history.
Following this, when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh passed away, Allah the Almighty once again manifested His power and the era of the Fourth Khalifa commenced, during which the opponents once again tried their level best to efface the Jamaat. However, they met with failure at every turn and due to this opposition, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh was forced to migrate from Pakistan. He established the Jamaat’s headquarters in England and the world witnessed how the progress of the Jamaat continued to propel. Those who wanted to stop the progress of the Jamaat became restless seeing its progress.
After the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, Allah the Almighty manifested the fulfilment of His promise once again as the Fifth Khalifa was elected. Despite my countless shortcomings, God Almighty granted me extraordinary support and succour, and the Jamaat has continued to progress further. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya was established in dozens of more countries, and the Nizam-e-Jamaat [administrative structure] was further established in dozens of countries and in hundreds of cities and regions, Allah the Almighty guided people by demonstrating His help and succour for Khilafat and instilled the passion in the hearts of people to form a bond with Khilafat and thus provided the means of establishing jamaats of devoted servants. And Allah the Almighty continues to show such signs.
The wondrous signs of people’s attachment to Khilafat and the success of the Jamaat were indeed bound to occur because this was a promise vouchsafed by Allah the Almighty and was then prophesied by the Holy Prophetsa. Thus, neither does Allah the Almighty forget His promises, nor does He break them or, even in the slightest, fail to fulfil the prophecies of His most beloved Prophet, Hazrat Muhammadsa. The Holy Prophetsa made a prophecy that prophethood will remain established among you as long as Allah the Almighty wills, i.e., the era of the Holy Prophetsa. He said that He would then bring about its end and follow it with Khilafat on the precepts of Prophethood. Following this, Allah the Almighty will remove this blessing as well whenever He pleases. Then, in accordance with His decree, a tyrannical monarchy would follow at which people would be dejected and perturbed. When this comes to an end, something even worse in the form of monarchical despotism would follow it according to Allah’s other decree until the mercy of Allah the Almighty is stirred and He will put an end to this period of tyranny and oppression. Thereafter, Khilafat on the precepts of prophethood will be established, and after saying this, the Holy Prophetsa remained silent. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 6, Hadith 18596, ‘Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998, p. 285)
Thus, we are fortunate that we are witnessing the fulfilment of this prophecy. Those who truly remain attached to the Jamaat of the Servant of the Holy Prophetsa, continue to become the recipients of Allah the Almighty’s grace.
We find that after the advent of the Promised Messiahas, even the so-called concept of Khilafat, which remained amongst the Muslims, came to an end. All that remains is the [Muslim] governments and even if they are oppressive governments, they will not be able to save themselves from being seized by Allah the Almighty. At times, Allah the Almighty grants respite, but He eventually seizes the oppressors. In any case, just as the Holy Prophetsa stated that Khilafat on the precepts of prophethood will be established and Allah the Almighty sent the Promised Messiahas, who was a servant of the Holy Prophetsa. The Promised Messiahas also stated that after him, the institution of Khilafat will remain established in accordance with the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa.
The Promised Messiahas stated that he was the Khatam al-Khulafa [Seal of the Khulafa] (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 2, p. 282) and now whoever comes after him whom Allah the Almighty has bestowed the status of Khilafat, can only come as his follower. Thus, no matter how much worldly effort one makes, one can never establish Khilafat independent from the Promised Messiahas. When the time of the Promised Messiah’sas demise drew near, he spoke of the establishment of Khilafat as follows:
“Thus, He [Allah Almighty] manifests two kinds of Power. First, He shows the Hand of His Power at the hands of His Prophetsas themselves. Second, when with the death of a Prophetas, difficulties and problems arise and the enemy feels stronger and thinks that things are in disarray and is convinced that now this Jamaat will become extinct and even members of the Jamaat, too, are in a quandary and their backs are broken, and some of the unfortunate ones choose paths that lead to apostasy, then it is that God for the second time shows His Mighty Power and supports and takes care of the shaken Jamaat. Thus, one who remains steadfast till the end witnesses this miracle of God. This is what happened at the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra, when the demise of the Holy Prophetsa was considered untimely and many an ignorant Bedouin turned apostate. The Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa, too, stricken with grief, became like those who lose their senses. Then Allah raised Abu Bakr Siddiqra and showed for the second time the manifestation of His Power and saved Islam, just when it was about to fall, and fulfilled the promise which was spelt out in the verse:
وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارۡتَضَىٰ لَهُمۡ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ خَوۡفِهِمۡ أَمۡنٗا
“That is, after the fear We shall firmly re-establish them.” [Surah an-Nur, Ch.24: V.56]
The Promised Messiahas further states, “[…] So dear friends! since it is the Sunnatullah [practice of Allah], from time immemorial, that God Almighty shows two Manifestations so that the two false joys of the opponents be put to an end, it is not possible now that God should relinquish His Sunnah of old. So do not grieve over what I have said to you; nor should your hearts be distressed. For it is essential for you to witness the second Manifestation also, and its Coming is better for you because it is everlasting, the continuity of which will not end till the Day of Judgment. And that second Manifestation cannot come unless I depart.”
I would also like to mention here that we can also derive the answer to those who are engaged in the debate about the age of the Promised Messiahas, that he didn’t count and state how many years of his life remained, rather he alluded to his passing, giving no importance to his age but to the completion of his task. As it were, he states:
“But when I depart, God will send that second Manifestation for you which shall always stay with you just as promised by God in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. And this promise is not for my person. Rather the promise is with reference to you, as God [addressing me] says: I shall make this Jamaat who are your followers, prevail over others till the Day of Judgment. Thus, it is inevitable that you see the day of my departure, so that after that day the day comes which is the day of ever-lasting promise. Our God is He Who keeps His promise and is Faithful and is the Truthful God. He shall show you all that He has promised. Though these days are the last days of this world and there are many a disaster waiting to happen, yet it is necessary that this world continues to exist until all those things about which God has prophesied come to pass.” (The Will [Al-Wasiyyat], pp. 5-8)
Thus, among the promises made to the Promised Messiahas, some have been fulfilled, whilst others will be fulfilled in the future, and we shall continue to witness their fulfilment. Therefore, as I mentioned in the beginning, after the passing of the Promised Messiahas in accordance with the promise of Allah the Almighty, the era of the first Khalifa began, and the Jamaat progressed further ahead. Then came the era of the Second Khalifa and the Jamaat grew by further leaps and bounds, and it became established in many countries of the world. Thereafter, then came the era of the Third Khalifa in which further progress was made. Then came the era of the Fourth Khalifa and new avenues of progress were opened. Now there is the era of the Fifth Khalifa and the Jamaat continues to advance to new heights. Despite the full efforts of the opponents, the Jamaat is advancing even further ahead. In fact, as has always been the case, Allah Almighty is Himself guiding the hearts of people sitting in distant lands who have never even seen any Khalifa, and bringing them under the banner of Khilafat. There are millions of such people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, whose hearts are opened by Allah the Almighty. Furthermore, whilst fulfilling the promise to the Promised Messiahas, Allah the Almighty manifests the support and succour of the Jamaat every single day.
I shall present some accounts which highlight the support of Allah the Almighty for Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and the fulfilment of His promises which we witness. Allah the Almighty has promised to establish and preserve Khilafat, but how does He instil the sentiments in the hearts of people to develop a connection with it and to remain attached to it? In relation to this, a mu’allim of Burkina Faso, a country in Africa, writes:
“The first time MTA was established and people saw their Khalifa on screen, their eyes welled with tears of joy and their faces were awash with happiness. After some days, a delegation visited and expressed gratitude to MTA, saying that ‘Normally we cannot travel to meet the Khalifatul Masih, but seeing Khalifatul Masih on MTA soothes our eyes and calms our hearts; this has become our daily routine – to keep “meeting” our Khalifa through MTA.’”
So, this is how God Almighty is kindling love for Khilafat in the hearts of even those who have never met the Khalifa.
Then, describing how God Almighty guides people to Islam through Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya, Amir Sahib The Gambia writes:
“Samba Sahib, a motor-mechanic by profession, happened to see Khalifatul Masih delivering a speech or a sermon on MTA. Upon hearing it, he started saying, ‘There is no doubt that this person has the support of God Almighty.’ Thus, Samba Sahib converted along with his entire family of 14 people to Islam Ahmadiyya.
“Prior to this, his business was struggling, but soon after it picked up. He explains that this was all due to the blessings of Ahmadiyyat. There is no doubt, he writes, that Ahmadiyyat is like a brilliant light against the darkness.”
Those who are not in the Jamaat also witness the blessings of Khilafat and join the Jamaat.
I have given an example from Africa, now there is one of an Arab in Germany. Germany’s Secretary Tabligh writes that an individual came to the tabligh stall in Germany and took home a copy of the Holy Quran and gave his contact number to the Ahmadi to keep in touch. Last year, this man was invited to attend the Jalsa Salana in Germany. (This incident is from a few years ago, so when I say a year back, it is referring to a year prior to when this incident originally took place.) Owing to his exams, he wasn’t able to attend the Jalsa but sent his older brother to attend in his stead.
After hearing my address at the Jalsa, his older brother expressed that this man surely enjoys the special support of God. God Almighty placed the truthfulness of Khilafat in his heart. This individual filled out the bai‘at form that very night and joined Islam Ahmadiyya.
It is only Allah the Almighty Who can place such feelings in the hearts of people, and He does this according to His promises. The other Arab individual who was related to him, although he didn’t take the bai‘at that same night, he continued to ask questions about the Jamaat. He also partook in a group meeting for Arabs with myself. In this gathering, he sought to ask a question about the concept of declaring someone a disbeliever, but someone else asked his question first, to which I gave a detailed answer. Upon hearing my answer, the man’s heart was put at ease and he filled out the bai‘at form before the bai‘at ceremony even took place. He submitted his written form and partook in the bai‘at ceremony as well.
The Amir of The Gambia writes regarding how Allah the Almighty gathers pious souls and causes them to enter the fold of Jamaat and fulfil the promises regarding divine support for Khilafat. He says, “There is a place called Kerngorr; when the Jamaat was established there, an individual named Al-Hajji Fae Sahib severely opposed the Jamaat. He wouldn’t even bear to touch the literature of the Jamaat, but our Jamaat preachers did not lose hope, and consistently preached to him. One day, a Tarbiyyati programme was held for new Ahmadis in the village. Our dai‘een [preachers] convinced this man that even if he didn’t want to read a book, he should come at least once to the mission house with them and participate in the programme.
They said they wouldn’t preach to him at all, nor would they talk to him about such subjects at all. He should just participate in the programme and listen to it. Thus, when this man came to the mission house, he said, ‘I do not want to participate in your class. I can just sit in this television room and watch the television.’ Thus, they seated him in this room and turned MTA on the television. After leaving him there, the rest of the people went to the mosque to attend the programme. (During this time, the man listened to my Friday Sermon on MTA.) When they spoke to him after the class, he began to say, ‘This man is not a liar (meaning this Khilafat seems to be a true Khilafat). Now, I can’t turn away from this.’ Thus, this person performed the bai‘at along with 10 members of his family and joined the Jamaat.”
Can this be the work of man? Surely, Allah the Almighty causes His promises to be fulfilled.
There is another incident of one strengthening their bond with Khilafat, and how Allah the Almighty fulfils His promises. In a city called Ngaoundéré in Cameroon, a particular neighbourhood saw eight families perform the bai‘at and join the Jamaat. The new converts say that MTA has forever changed the lives of our children, and their religious knowledge has increased. There is a young man among them named Abdur Rahman who is doing his O-levels. He avidly listens to my sermons and is a great admirer. Every Friday, he tells his schoolteacher that “I have to go home to listen to the Friday Sermon. I can leave school, but I cannot leave the Friday Sermon.” This is the level of his faith. His father has said that every Friday, he comes home to listen to the Friday Sermon. Abdur Rahman himself says, “By listening to the Friday Sermon, my faith and knowledge increases; whatever evil deeds I used to do before, I have left them all.” Thus, these are the people who fulfil their promise to build a connection with Khilafat. A time will certainly come when they will advance and rise to the top, because they wish to be the fulfilment of this promise.
Then, there is an incident regarding how Allah the Almighty guides people to Khilafat and the promise of Allah the Almighty to attach them with the Khilafat of the Promised Messiahas. There were a great deal of preaching efforts made in Burkina Faso, but they did not yield any fruits. As the mu’allim was leaving, he said that he told some people, “When you come to the city, then definitely come to my house.” Thus, after some days, one of those men, named Bone Sahib, came to his house, and they turned on MTA. After some time, when he saw me on MTA, he said, “I have seen this person before in my dream.” Thus, right at that moment, he entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat without asking for a single proof. When he went back and told the villagers, many other members also accepted Ahmadiyyat. Now, by the grace of God, there is a strong Jamaat established in that village.
Then, another manifestation of Allah the Almighty’s support is the manner in which Allah the Almighty establishes a connection with Khilafat in people’s hearts and opens their hearts to the true teachings of Islam. In this regard, Sultan Sahib from Kyrgyzstan – a completely different region – says, “My son and wife had already accepted Ahmadiyyat. In 2017 I started going to the Jamaat’s mission house every Friday. As my wife and I would drive approximately 12 kilometres to the Jamaat’s mission house for the Friday prayers, we would always listen to a recording of the Friday sermon delivered by the Khalifa of the time.” He says, “Every time I listened to these sermons, my convictions would grow stronger. Hence, this year, on 2 May (– this is from 2022 –) at the end of the blessed month of Ramadan, on the day of Eid, I did the bai‘at [initiation]. I had wished to do so earlier, but one way or another it would get delayed.” He says, “I have written this briefly, but all that is happening within my soul cannot be expressed. (It cannot be stated in words.) In every salat, I pray to Allah for increased knowledge of Islam. Every Jumuah prayer constantly opens a new path for me in some way.”
Guinea-Bissau is another country. How is Allah the Almighty opening the hearts of people through Khilafat? There is an incident of Uthman Balde Sahib, who is a new convert and lives in another part [of Guinea-Bissau]. When he learned that many of his relatives were accepting Ahmadiyyat, he gathered some clerics and went to their area in order to oppose the Jamaat. Our local missionary told them that they could certainly show opposition, however, they should first listen to our message. (At least the people there have the decency that even if they are going to oppose, they are prepared to hear the message. They do not show stubbornness like people do in Pakistan.)
The cleric refused because this is the nature of clerics and so he was bound to refuse. However Uthman Sahib accepted this invitation and proceeded to hear the Jamaat’s message. He was informed about the advent of the Promised Messiahas. It so happened that the day he came was a Friday and my sermon was being shown there live on MTA. He was told that all Ahmadis listen to the sermon delivered by the Khalifa of the time and if he had time he should certainly listen to the sermon as well. Upon this, he said that he would only listen to the sermon for a short while, however, when he started listening to the sermon, he forgot about the time and listened to the entire sermon very intently.
Afterwards, he said, “The Ahmadiyya Jamaaty cannot be disbelievers as I have heard, because your Khalifa is presenting the history of the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa.” Sometimes, some Ahmadis question why it is necessary to tell them about Islamic history – this has become a means of propagation to other Muslims, and that is what makes it necessary, and it also increases our own knowledge in matters many did not even know. He says, “A disbelieving Jamaat could never present the history of the Companions.” Thereafter, he stopped opposing the Jamaat, and along with the rest of his family, he accepted Ahmadiyyat. Now, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, he propagates the message in his area and has formally become a part of the Jamaat’s system.
Then, there is another incident of non-Ahmadis being guided through the voice of Khilafat. A local missionary from Congo-Kinshasa says, “A scheme for propagation was initiated in one of the areas here upon which certain non-Ahmadis started systematically raising opposition. Then, after three months, one day, someone from among those very same opponents, Uthman Sahib, contacted the mission and said that he wished to join the Jamaat along with his entire family. When asked about the reason, he said, ‘One day, my wife was watching a satellite channel and happened to come across your channel, MTA. Since she knew that I was at the forefront of opposing Ahmadiyyat she called me over. When I started saying things about the Jamaat, my wife told me to speak after listening to the entire programme.’” At that time my sermon was being relayed. He says, “After listening to the sermon, I was convinced that the voice which I heard that day presented the true image of Islam. After listening to the Khalifa, there remained no doubt about the truthfulness of this Jamaat.”
How does Allah the Almighty establish love for Khilafat in the hearts? How does he increase people’s faith? How does a person who is thousands of miles away and has never met the Khalifa – as I said before – express his sentiments? Umar Sahib from Senegal says, “Whenever I listen to your sermons I feel a unique sense of pleasure in my heart. Pray that this feeling always remains. Upon listening to the sermon my eyes fill with tears. I love you. Pray that my love for the Messengersa of God, the Promised Messiahas and his Successors supersedes my love for the world and all that is in it.” He says, “It is through your prayers that my business has seen success.” This is all a fulfilment of Allah the Almighty’s promise to the Promised Messiahas.
Ameer Sahib of Belgium writes, “I have a Moroccan friend by the name of Mustafa. He entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat after researching for a long time. He says, ‘I have spent a lot of time around scholars ever since my childhood, however, the sermons of the Khalifa of the time are not only true interpretations of the Holy Quran, but they also take one nearer to Allah the Almighty.’ He further says, ‘After listening to these sermons, I began to find delight in my prayers. Allah the Almighty also showed me true dreams. Ahmadiyyat has transformed my life,’ and whilst recounting these thoughts, his eyes became tearful.”
According to His promise, Allah the Almighty is supporting the Khilafat of the Promised Messiahas and opening the hearts of people. In relation to this, there is another incident.
A missionary in Guinea-Bissau writes, “We had the opportunity to install MTA in 21 localities. Last year, as a result of preaching, a village entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat, however, four families in that village refused to accept Ahmadiyyat. When our team went to that village to install MTA, our mu’allim, Muhammad Massaliau Jalo Sahib, invited those families to the mosque in order that they may see the images of our Khalifa and the Imam Mahdi on our Muslim TV channel. By the time the installation for MTA was complete, it was time for Maghrib prayers. The TV was turned off so that prayers could be offered. Following the prayers, the TV was turned on and a sermon was playing. The non-Ahmadi guests watched attentively, and the mu’allim said to them, ‘The sermon is playing in English, so I will translate it for you because you deserve to know what the Khalifa is saying.’ Upon this, a guest said, ‘I do not understand what is being said. Nonetheless, I swear by God that he cannot be a liar. If he is the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, then the Ahmadiyya Jamaat cannot be false and I proclaim, here and now, that I accept Ahmadiyyat.’” This is another way that Allah the Almighty changes hearts; Khilafat is a significant means for propagating Islam. By observing it, pious-natured people come to know about the true teachings of Islam and enter the Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas.
Amir Sahib of The Gambia writes, “We went to a place called Samba to propagate Islam. We informed the people about the advent of the Promised Messiahas and read out the conditions of entering the fold of his Jamaat. Upon this, the alkali (or chief) of the village and Chairman of the Progressive Community immediately said, ‘The Holy Prophetsa prophesied the coming of the Imam Mahdi. Today, for the first time, I am hearing about the coming of the Imam Mahdi. Ever since I came across Ahmadiyyat, I was greatly impacted by it.’ He further said, ‘Only Ahmadis are true Muslims because they have the strength of Khilafat that has united them all.’” Then, when he was shown my picture, he said, “I can see truth in him. We also watch him on TV.” Thereafter, all the people – who were great in number – took the pledge of allegiance. When they saw that the Holy Quran was translated in three of their local languages, namely Fula, Mandinka and Wolof, they said, “It is only Ahmadiyyat that is the true Islam. No other sect has had the honour that Ahmadis have been granted.” To conclude, he said, “I will – God-willing – remain firm on my faith in Ahmadiyyat, and I will never back down because this is the true Islam. Other clerics would just come to deceive us.”
Furthermore, the missionary in Mali writes, “A person came to Radio Ahmadiyya and said, ‘I would like to pledge allegiance. Today, I am being saved from the Hellfire by Ahmadiyyat.’ I asked him what he meant, to which he replied, ‘Some clerics and scholars have said that prayer is not necessary, and so they themselves have abandoned the practice of prayer altogether. (They have become passive regarding prayer.) However, the sermon of the Khalifa on the importance of prayer which I heard on Radio Ahmadiyya had a deep impact on me. After hearing that, I considered abandoning prayer akin to entering the Hellfire. Thus, from today, I am an Ahmadi and will never forgo prayer.’” This is the effect that newcomers are taking. Existing members of the Jamaat should evaluate themselves. The clerics speak against us and publish their religious edicts, declaring us as disbelievers. However, their own condition is that they deny a fundamental pillar of Islam. It is a favour of Allah the Almighty that He is guiding people by virtue of Khilafat and liberating them from those who are corrupting the faith.
The missionary of Nigeria writes, “Satellite dishes have been installed in many places to watch MTA. We watch the sermons and other programmes. One person said, ‘I had many reservations regarding the Jamaat, and I could not reconcile my heart. However, when I listened to the sermon of the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, my heart naturally became satisfied. I found the true Islam and all my reservations vanished. I have now joined the Jamaat.’”
Then there is another incident from The Gambia which demonstrates how pious souls have been guided. Whilst mentioning a dream of his, Muhammad Sowe Sahib, states, “Last night, in a dream I saw a person who came and firmly gripped my hand and said, ‘May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.’” in his dream, he did not recognise who this person was and the people informed him that he was the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. The next morning, he came to the mission house and narrated the dream to the local mu’allim. The mu’allim put on MTA which was showing the Friday Sermon. When he saw me [on MTA], he spontaneously said: “This is the same person who I saw in my dream last night.” After this, he accepted Ahmadiyyat.
The Missionary-in-Charge of Cameroon writes that in the town of Maroua, lots of people watch MTA Africa and also join the Jamaat. A mu’allim and imam, Ahmadu Sahib says, “Through watching MTA our faith increases and through the sermons of the Khalifa and programmes in Arabic, a light has developed within us, which has vanquished the darkness. It seems as though prior to MTA and Ahmadiyyat, we were like animals, and now, after MTA, we have become humans.”
How does Allah the Almighty open the hearts of the people in support of Khilafat? There is another incident. A mu’allim in Cameroon writes, “On one occasion I was delivering the Friday Sermon and people were slowly coming to the mosque. I saw a man wearing a coat and a turban, entering the mosque. After the prayers I asked him why he was wearing that attire. He replied, ‘I have a spiritual leader and he wears this kind of attire. If you wish to know more, on cable there is a channel called MTA Africa, you should watch it. His sermons are broadcast on this channel and he holds question and answer sessions with children. When you see him you will realise that he is truthful and is supported by Allah the Almighty.’ Upon this, I informed him about the ten conditions of bai‘at and showed him a picture from the “Al-Taqwa” magazine. (He showed him a picture of me.) I told him that this mosque was built by that same Imam. He did not know that this was a mosque of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and that I was a missionary of the Jamaat. Upon this the gentleman became elated and pledged allegiance with his entire family.”
These were only a few accounts which I have mentioned. They demonstrate the succour of God which was mentioned by the words vouchsafed to the Promised Messiahas that the Second Manifestation of God would be established and would continue. And through this now, the dominance and supremacy of Islam is destined. Allah the Almighty Himself is opening the hearts of the people. He is establishing the influence of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat in the hearts of others and attaching those with a virtuous disposition to Khilafat. Every single day of the 116 years of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat is proof that it is only Allah the Almighty Who supports the Ahmadiyya Khilafat, and that with each passing day, the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is treading on the path of progress.
May Allah the Almighty grant me the opportunity to fulfil this significant responsibility and may He keep every Ahmadi attached to Khilafat with complete loyalty and sincerity. May Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya be blessed with sincere and righteous individuals until the Day of Judgement. May Allah fulfil all those objectives which He promised through the Promised Messiahas. Through the Ahmadiyya Khilafat, may the Kingdom of the One True God be established on earth and may the flag of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, be raised aloft for all the world to witness.
After the Friday prayer, I shall lead the funeral prayer in absentia of two members. The first is of Chaudhry Muhammad Idrees Nasrullah Khan Sahib. He passed away at the age of 90 and was residing in Canada:
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]
By the grace of Allah the Almighty he was a musi. His grandfather, Hazrat Chaudhry Nasrullah Khan Sahibra had the opportunity to serve among the first Nazir-e-A’la. Idrees Nasrullah Khan Sahib was the nephew of Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan Sahibra. His father served as the Amir of Karachi for a very long time. Idrees Nasrullah Sahib was also the great-grandson of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. Idrees Sahib’s maternal grandfather was Hazrat Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sayalra, who was among the pioneer life-devotees and also among the pioneer missionaries to serve in England and was a means of hundreds of people entering the fold of Ahmadiyyat. Idrees Nasrullah Sahib had the opportunity to serve as the Secretary Umur-e-Ammah for Lahore for a period of more than 30 years. He also served as a member of the Ifta Committee and Qadha Committee and also as its president. During the era of the third Khalifa, in which there was great unrest against the Jamaat, his name is foremost among the lawyers who rendered a historic service. During the Samdani Tribunal, which was formed due to the incident that occurred in Rabwah in 1974, Idrees Nasrullah Sahib was present in the courtroom with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh had appointed him as a member of many committees. He also attended the Conference on The Deliverance from The Cross in representation of the Jamaat members of Lahore. He also had the good fortune to be part of the entourage of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh from Rabwah to Karachi during his historic migration to London. He was extremely wise and had a bond of great loyalty and sincerity with Khilafat and this is something that I personally witnessed. May Allah the Almighty enable his children to continue his good deeds and grant him His forgiveness and mercy.
The next mention is of respected Kanwar Idrees Sahib from Karachi, son of Chaudhry Aziz Ahmad Sahib Bajwah. He passed away at the age of 90:
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]
He was the grandson of Hazrat Chaudhry Muhammad Hussainra and Hazrat Sardar Begumra, who were companions of the Promised Messiahas. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, the deceased was a musi. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. From 1959 he worked in the Civil Service and served for a period of 35 years in various posts both in the central and regional government. He was always seen as an extremely trustworthy and responsible individual. This excellent conduct of his was due to the advice of his father, which he imparted to him at the time of his joining the civil service. His father said to him that he would be more aggrieved to hear that Idrees had taken a bribe than he would be if he heard that he had passed away. This was the manner in which his father trained him and the advice he gave him. He produced the English translation of Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan Sahib’sra famous book about his life, “Tahdith-e-Ni’mat” as a result of which, it was introduced to the English-speaking audience.
From 1998 to 2007, he had the opportunity to serve in the majlis-e-amila of the Karachi district Jamaat as Secretary Umur-e-Kharijah. During the interim government, he had the opportunity to serve as the chief minister of a provincial government. He once wrote a letter to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh and started the letter with the words “Bismillah” upon which an opposing cleric filed a report against him and he was tied up with this case for a long time. He always treated everyone with great kindness and would always seek to make reconciliation. In fact, even the cleric who filed the case against him, when the case ended, the cleric sought financial help due to his straitened circumstances and Idrees Sahib gave a large sum to him. May Allah the Almighty grant him His forgiveness and mercy and enable his progeny to continue his good deeds.
(Official Urdu Transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 14 June 2024, pp. 2-7. Translated by The Review of Religions.)