Ata-ul-Haye Nasir, Al Hakam
In an era when some began to assert that God had ceased communion with His servants, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas – the Promised Messiah and Mahdi – said God has not ceased speaking to His servants. He claimed God speaks with him and not only speaks but does so abundantly.
Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
وَمَا کَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنۡ یُّکَلِّمَہُ اللّٰہُ اِلَّا وَحۡیًا اَوۡ مِنۡ وَّرَآیِٔ حِجَابٍ اَوۡ یُرۡسِلَ رَسُوۡلًا فَیُوۡحِیَ بِاِذۡنِہٖ مَا یَشَآءُ ؕ اِنَّہٗ عَلِیٌّ حَکِیۡمٌ
وَکَذٰلِکَ اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکَ رُوۡحًا مِّنۡ اَمۡرِنَا ؕ مَا کُنۡتَ تَدۡرِیۡ مَا الۡکِتٰبُ وَلَا الۡاِیۡمَانُ وَلٰکِنۡ جَعَلۡنٰہُ نُوۡرًا نَّہۡدِیۡ بِہٖ مَنۡ نَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ؕ وَاِنَّکَ لَتَہۡدِیۡۤ اِلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ
“And it is not for a man that Allah should speak to him except by [direct] revelation or from behind a veil or by sending a messenger to reveal by His command what He pleases. Surely, He is High, Wise. And thus have We revealed to thee the Word by Our command. Thou didst not know what the Book was, nor what the faith. But We have made it [the revelation] a light, whereby We guide such of Our servants as We please. And truly, thou guidest [mankind] to the right path.” (Surah ash-Shura, Ch. 42: V. 52-53)
Commenting on these verses, the Promised Messiahas said:
“What then is revelation? It is the living and powerful converse of the Holy and Mighty God with a chosen servant of His, or with one whom He designs to make His elect.” (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, pp. 192-193)
In one of his couplets, the Promised Messiahas stated:
وه خدا اب بھی بناتا ہے جسے چاہے كليم
اب بهی اُس سے بولتا ہے جس سے وه كرتا ہے پيار
“That God still makes one speak whomsoever He wills; He still talks to him, whomsoever He loves.” (Durr-e-Sameen, p. 164)
In another instance, he said:
“The divine revelation that comes from God Almighty, vouchsafes such knowledge to the pious hearts, which is beyond the human powers.” (Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 239, footnote)
Speaking about the grandeur of divine revelation, the Promised Messiahas said:
“The touchstone is that a revelation from God is accompanied by divine succour, knowledge of the unseen that glistens with divine power, and is reinforced with a powerful prophecy.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, pp. 28-29)
Shedding light on the superiority of divine revelation over human reason, Huzooras said:
“As God has invested mankind with the faculty of reason for the understanding of elementary matters to some degree, in the same way God has vested in them a hidden faculty of receiving divine vision and revelation. When human reason arrives at the limit of its reach, then at that stage God Almighty guides His truthful and faithful servants through revelation and divine vision, for the purpose of leading them to the perfection of understanding and certainty.” (Surma-e-Chasham-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 87-88)
In this regard, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated in one of his couplets:
عقل كو دين پہ حاكم نہ بناؤ ہرگز
يہ تو خود اندهی ہے گر نيّرِ الہام نہ ہو
“Do not at all make intellect rule over religion, it is blind in itself if there is no light of revelation.” (Kalam-e-Mahmud, p. 383)
Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللّٰهَ حَقَّ قَدۡرِهٖۤ اِذۡ قَالُوۡا مَاۤ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰي بَشَرٍ مِّنۡ شَيۡءٍ
“And they do not make a just estimate of Allah, when they say: ‘Allah has not revealed anything to any man.’” (Surah al-An’am, Ch. 6: V. 92)
Commenting on this, the Promised Messiahas said:
“I positively and categorically say that to follow reason solely, without the aid of revelation, leads not to one but a host of difficulties, as I shall (God-willing) elaborate at the appropriate place. The Benevolent God, having made everything in pairs, has also paired reason with revelation. The law ordained by the All-Wise is such that as long as something remains separate from its pair, its potential remains hidden and very often it even proves harmful rather than yielding benefit. The same is true of reason. It serves theology in a positive way only if it is linked with its pair—that is, revelation. Without its pair, it is like a monster ready to swallow an entire household and desires to completely devastate a city and lay it to waste. But when it joins its pair, lo and behold, it assumes the most beautiful form and aspect, bringing fortune to the household it enters and removing all woes from those it touches.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya [English], Part III, p. 59)
Commenting on this verse, during his Friday Sermon on 14 April 1922, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said:
“The root cause and origin of all the destructions is only one factor – and all the religious disagreements have emerged due to this very factor – that وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللّٰهَ حَقَّ قَدۡرِهٖۤ meaning that mankind attempts to make estimates about Allah the Almighty. However, how is it possible for mankind to make estimates about Almighty Allah? […]
“Since people were unable to make an estimate about God, they stumbled and invented various beliefs. […] They did not realise why the All-Perfect God would not create any means for the spiritual benefit of mankind, Who had created all means for their physical benefits, such as the moon, sun, earth, heavens, and thousands of kinds of blessings?
“Is it possible He created so many means for the [human] body, which is mortal and lives for a short time, but did not provide any means for the immortal soul? Not at all. Therefore, when they said, ‘Allah has not revealed anything to any man’, it was a huge mistake and that happened only because they were unable to recognise God. In fact. God continues His practice of revealing His Word to His servants.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 7, pp. 243-245)
During his Friday Sermon on 20 April 1923, Huzoorra said:
“The biggest consolation is the comfort of one’s heart, however, it cannot be attained until one is guided by the prophets and ma’mur [God’s appointee], otherwise, though one’s intellect strives hard, it eventually fails. When [Muslims] abandoned the Holy Quran and deviated from it, they were deprived of the comfort [of their hearts] as well.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 8, p. 77-78)
Huzoorra then mentioned a letter from a professor of religious studies at the University of Vienna, in which he stated that the Promised Messiah’sas book The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam had brought about a revolution in his way of thinking and helped him solve those points that he could not solve for a long time. Huzoorra continued:
“The Promised Messiahas neither graduated from any [worldly] university, nor did he obtain formal education from schools; however, what is the reason that, through his words, the mysteries of various disciplines [‘ulum] began to be solved? The answer is, God’s revelation, which descended upon him, disclosed many disciplines. This is the blessing of divine revelation. Human reason has nothing to do with it. Philosophical books cannot encompass those points which are present in the books of Hazrat Aqdasas, since they are a source of comfort [for one’s heart].” (Ibid, p. 79)
During his Friday Sermon on 1 February 1924, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said:
“Those who become content with their [spiritual] situation are actually the ones who always stumble, however, those who believe that they are always in need of guidance and the help of God, save themselves from stumbling.” (Ibid, p. 307)
During his Friday Sermon on 27 May 1932, Huzoorra said that God has established some laws for the reformation of mankind, and without following them, the world could never be reformed:
“Human beings, due to their ignorance, consider the Laws of God Almighty to be flawed, and assume their own plans alone would make them successful. However, […] when they find themselves stranded in their own plans, they realise the world could never be reformed until they follow the laws made by Allah the Almighty. […]
“Europe assumes it has achieved the highest stage of knowledge, and some of its people have even begun to presume, due to their arrogance, that they can falsify God’s godhood as well. However, they are being forsaken in their own plans […] and are astonished upon witnessing the situation of this world, which they themselves ‘established’ [according to their thinking]. Therefore, they ask in the words of the Holy Quran:
وَقَالَ الۡاِنۡسَانُ مَا لَهَا
“[And man says, ‘What is the matter with her?’ (Surah az-Zilzal, Ch. 99: V. 4)]
“‘What has happened to this world? We tried our best to reform it and utilised various kinds of methods to make it suitable for ourselves, however, it continued to crumble and got damaged instead of getting better.’
“Thus, if Europe did not succeed in this regard without the help of Allah the Almighty – despite being advanced in knowledge, intelligence, experience, wealth, resources, honour, means, organisation, and many other aspects – then I wonder about those people who do not hold any status in comparison, but still attempt to reform the world through their self-devised methods. […]
“When God Almighty desires to reform something, He Himself creates such means, through which the reformation could take place. […]
“If the Holy Prophetsa had ever wished to utilise mere [human] plans and self-devised methods to reform the people, he could have never reformed even a single person. However, the Holy Prophetsa did not reform the people by depending upon his own plans, rather, he had surrendered all of his opinions, reasons and sentiments in front of Allah the Almighty […] to the extent that he took upon himself صِبْغَةَ اللهِ [the religion of Allah]. […]
“Therefore, always remember that one cannot reform the world relying on their own efforts alone.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 13, pp. 464-468)
The Promised Messiahas said:
“Though mankind has been strenuously trying for thousands of years to discover God’s powers through the natural sciences and mathematics, their knowledge is so defective that they can only be described as hopeless and unsuccessful in their search. Hundreds of hidden mysteries are disclosed to those whom divine visions and revelation are vouchsafed upon and they are borne witness to by thousands of the righteous. However, the philosophers continue to deny them.” (Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 282-283)
At another instance, Huzooras said:
“Since every individual does not have the capability to reach the heights of certainty through mere reason alone, it is for this reason that we require revelation, which guides our reason through darkness in the likeness of a brilliant lamp. It is for this reason that even the greatest of philosophers were unable to find the true God depending on reason alone. […]
“I am true in my statement when I say that those who become the slaves of reason and claim that revelation is worthless, are people who do not even make use of reason itself. Those who make use of their intellect are referred to as ‘people of understanding’ in the Holy Quran.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 63-64)
Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
اِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا الذِّكۡرَ وَاِنَّا لَهٗ لَحٰفِظُوۡنَ
“Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian.” (Surah al-Hijr, Ch. 15: V. 10)
Commenting on this, the Promised Messiahas said:
“This foretells that there will be a time when Islam will pass through a troubling time, be confronted by severe opposition and a huge turmoil will erupt. At that time, its remedy would be provided by God Almighty Himself, and He would provide an ‘ark’ to save [mankind] from that ‘storm’. That ‘ark’ is the invitation [da’wah] of this humble self.” (Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 264, footnote)
Alluding to this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said:
“In this era, when the people have become extremely negligent about their faith, Allah the Almighty has sent the ma’mur [appointed one] who has purified the commentaries of the Holy Quran from the unnecessary and doubtful points, and presented them to the world in their true form. […]
“In short, God Almighty has not based the spiritual guardianship of the Holy Quran on [human] reason, and its interpretation does not rely on human reason alone, but rather, He has taken the responsibility to guard it through His own Word.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 4, p. 20)
The Promised Messiahas said:
“Remember, merely one’s own plans and proposals cannot help them in their reformation. The one who solely depends on their plans, remains unsuccessful and fruitless since they consider their own plans and propositions to be ‘god’. […] God Almighty has Himself stated the example of the failure of human plans and ideas. In regards to the Torah, the Jews had been commanded to refrain from altering it and various pieces of advice had been given to protect it, however, the unfortunate Jews had altered it.
“On the other hand, the Muslims had been commanded:
اِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا الذِّكۡرَ وَاِنَّا لَهٗ لَحٰفِظُوۡنَ
“Meaning, ‘Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian.’ (Surah al-Hijr, Ch. 15: V. 10)
“Then look with what grandeur He guarded it. […] No one could alter it. It is evident that the act that occurs with the Help of God proves to be very blessed, and the one that is carried out by human efforts [alone], cannot hold the blessings. […] Therefore, it is wrong to believe that one can purify themselves through their own efforts and endeavours.
“However, it does not mean that one should cease to make efforts or to strive. Rather, making efforts and striving are essential, and one is obliged to make efforts. God’s grace does not let one’s true endeavour and effort go in vain. For this reason, one should not shun all those plans and efforts which are essential for their reformation; however, they should not be self-devised, rather, they should adopt those methods which have been taught by Allah the Almighty.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 6, pp. 244-246)
Commenting on verse 56 of Surah an-Nur – Ayat Istikhlaf, the Promised Messiahas said:
“In fact, this verse serves to elaborate the meanings of the other verse:
اِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا الذِّكۡرَ وَاِنَّا لَهٗ لَحٰفِظُوۡنَ
“It answers the question as to how and by what means the Holy Quran will be safeguarded. In this regard, God Almighty says that He will continue sending Khulafa of this Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, from time to time. And the word ‘khalifah’ has been chosen to imply that they will be successors to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and will partake of his blessings, as occurred in earlier times. They will spread the Faith and establish peace after fear; that is, they will appear at such times as when Islam will be rife with schisms.” (Testimony of the Holy Quran [Shahadatul-Quran], pp. 68-69)
Huzooras further said:
“Khalifah means ‘a successor’; and the successor to a Messenger in its true sense can only be the one who possesses the excellences of a Messenger by way of zill [reflection]. […] The Khalifah is in reality a zill of the Messenger. And since no human being is immortal, God Almighty so willed that Messengers, who are the best and most honoured of all men, should live by way of zill until the Day of Judgement. That is indeed why God Almighty initiated Khilafat, so that the world may never be deprived of the blessings of Messengership in any age.” (Ibid, p. 91)
In regards to the establishment of Khilafat after him, the Promised Messiahas said:
“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 Judgement. And that second Manifestation cannot come unless I depart. 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 Jama‘at, who are your followers, prevail over others till the Day of Judgment. […] I came from God as a Manifestation of Divine Providence and I am a personification of His Power. And after I am gone there will be some other persons who will be the manifestation of the second Power [of God].” (The Will, pp. 7-8)
During his Friday Sermon on 24 September 2004, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“An Ahmadi should always remember that they are required to read, understand, and ponder over the Holy Quran. Moreover, whenever they fail to comprehend a certain point, they should understand it through the commentary by the Promised Messiahas, or through the explanations given by [his] Khulafa – following the same principles. And then one should act upon them. Only then could they be included among those for whom this Book is a source of guidance.” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 2, pp. 686-687)
Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
وَاعۡتَصِمُوۡا بِحَبۡلِ اللّٰہِ جَمِیۡعًا وَّلَا تَفَرَّقُوۡا ۪ وَاذۡکُرُوۡا نِعۡمَتَ اللّٰہِ عَلَیۡکُمۡ اِذۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اَعۡدَآءً فَاَلَّفَ بَیۡنَ قُلُوۡبِکُمۡ فَاَصۡبَحۡتُمۡ بِنِعۡمَتِہٖۤ اِخۡوَانًا ۚ وَکُنۡتُمۡ عَلٰی شَفَا حُفۡرَۃٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَاَنۡقَذَکُمۡ مِّنۡہَا ؕ کَذٰلِکَ یُبَیِّنُ اللّٰہُ لَکُمۡ اٰیٰتِہٖ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَہۡتَدُوۡنَ
“And hold fast, all together, by the rope of Allah and be not divided; and remember the favour of Allah which He bestowed upon you when you were enemies and He united your hearts in love, so that by His grace you became [as] brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah explain to you His commandments that you may be guided.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch. 3: V. 104)
Commenting on this verse, during his Friday Sermon on 26 August 2005, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“It must be remembered that now the ‘rope of Allah’ is the personage of the Promised Messiahas and acting upon his teachings. Moreover, your connection with Khilafat would also keep strengthening you. Khilafat would be your unifying force and strength. Khilafat would be a means to connect you with Allah the Almighty through the Promised Messiahas and the Holy Prophetsa.
“Therefore, one should hold fast to this ‘rope’, otherwise, those who fail to do so, would be scattered. They would not only ruin themselves, but cause the ruin of their progeny as well. […]
“How could one hold fast to this ‘rope’? This would not be achieved by merely taking the bai’at [pledge of allegiance] – accepting the Promised Messiahas – but rather, it is essential to act upon the conditions of bai’at as prescribed by him.” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 3, p. 516)
During his Friday Sermon on 27 March 1914, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra shed light on the fact that mankind is always in need of divine guidance.
Commenting on the verses 22 to 25 of Surah al-Baqarah, Huzoorra said:
“In the preceding [verses], Allah the Almighty stated that it is essential for one to worship [God]. Moreover, whenever a teaching comes, there are some who accept it and some others who reject it, and amongst them, there are some hypocrites as well. Therefore, it has been stated that it is essential for mankind to follow the Pure Teaching, so that they may not suffer by rejecting it.
“In this regard, some people often assert that ‘we have accepted [Islam] and agree to the fact that we are obliged to worship and obey God Almighty, however, what is the need for any Heavenly Word anymore? Why can we not act according to our own reason and worship God Almighty by formulating our own principles? What is the need for heavenly guidance anymore?’
“This objection has been responded to here. [Allah] states that one should always remember that mankind has been bestowed with the ability to progress. However, one can only progress with the help of the Divine Word and Guidance. […] For instance, one finds that the soil has the ability to sustain plant growth, however, if there is no rain from the heavens, the soil would be unable to manifest its crops. […] Water is very pure and clean in itself, however, it gets contaminated after [passing through various stages of] its usage. If the already-used water is consumed and one gets the same water time and time again, it could become harmful. However, [Allah does not let] this happen, as Allah the Almighty sends down pure water, after cleansing it through the clouds. The same is the case with the Divine Law; it is sent down in a pure form, but later on, people mix up their personal opinions with it and act according to their own reason, hence, tarnishing it. […] Then comes the ma’mur [appointed one] from Allah the Almighty, who purifies it and presents it to the people.
“The Holy Quran – which is a truthful book, full of wisdom – had alleviated the darkness of the world and filled it with nur [divine light]; however, the people ‘tarnished’ it with [their interpretations, based on] their own reason, and made it ‘inapplicable’. Now, a ma’mur came to the world, who once again purified that Pure Teaching [from the false notions attributed to it], and presented it in such a manner that acting upon it became easy. Look at the commentaries [of the Holy Quran] by the [non-Ahmadi] Muslims that are filled with various points that are against the true fundamentals of Islam. Hence, heavenly ‘water’ was needed to purify that ‘water’ [from the false notions attributed to it]. Thus, for its purification, ‘water’ descended from heaven, and guided the whole world.
“Here, Allah the Almighty has stated that ‘look at yourselves, you have tarnished the pure water.’ In the same way, human nature is also pure in itself, however, it is contaminated when people add their reason to it. The previous sharias had also become inapplicable since the people had tarnished them. This [has been presented as] an argument that one should never think they could achieve something by depending on their reason alone. If the earth is not showered with rain, it can never manifest its fruits and flowers. In the same way, when revelation descends like rain, the pious-natured people are able to reform themselves and are inclined towards good deeds. […]
“The Holy Quran states:
فَلَا تَجۡعَلُوۡا لِلّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا
[“Set not up, therefore, equals to Allah.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch. 2: V. 23)]
“Those who say that ‘we do not need any heavenly sharia or heavenly guidance and we can reach God ourselves’, are mushrik [those who associate something with God]. […]
“Here, the question as to ‘what is the need for any revelation from God?’ has been responded to. What is the significance of a ‘master’ who cannot take care of his servants and help them in their time of need? In the same way, what benefit is of a ‘creator’ who does not guide his creation to save them from destruction and does not descend revelation?” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 4, pp. 55-58)
Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ حَتّٰي يُحَكِّمُوۡكَ فِيۡمَا شَجَرَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوۡا فِيۡۤ اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيۡتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوۡا تَسۡلِيۡمًا
“But no, by thy Lord, they are not believers until they make thee judge in all that is in dispute between them and then find not in their hearts any demur concerning that which thou decidest and submit with full submission.” (Surah an-Nisa, Ch. 4: V. 66)
Commenting on this, during his Friday Sermon, delivered on 25 February 1916, Huzoorra said:
“No one can understand the commentary [of the Holy Quran] better than the one who has been taught by God Almighty Himself. Moreover, who can understand it better than the one upon whom the Holy Quran has been revealed? Therefore, the Holy Prophet’ssa sayings and actions – his sunnah and practice – are the [true] commentary of the Holy Quran.
“However, as time passed after the Holy Prophetsa, the people began to interpret the Quran according to their own reason and rationality. As a result, dissensions began to flare up, and thousands of disagreements surfaced. In such a situation, it became very difficult for the believers to decide which point was to be accepted and which one was to be declared false. […]
“For this reason, the need for such a person was deemed essential who would bring them towards the truth and reality by removing the false notions. Hence came the Promised Messiahas.
“In this verse, God Almighty has stated:
يُحَكِّمُوۡكَ
“[They make thee judge]
“Moreover, the Holy Prophetsa has stated that the Promised Messiahas would be Hakam [judge]. Meaning that he would be appointed to remove the prevailing disagreements, and through him, all the people could gather on one religion [Islam]. Moreover, he would teach the true and correct commentary of the Quran to remove the disagreements that had spread due to the people’s [false] commentaries of the Quran according to their own intellect. Therefore, every matter and disagreement could only be resolved through the Word of God Almighty. […] One’s beliefs [imaaniat] should only be based on the teachings of the ma’mur min-Allah [God’s appointed one].” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 5, pp. 46-48)
Commenting on verse 74 of Surah al-Anbiya, Huzoorra said:
“Islam’s pride lies in the fact that Allah the Almighty appoints such pious people in every era to prove the truthfulness of Islam, who present their own selves as proof of Islam’s truthfulness. They proclaim that ‘The God of Islam still speaks to us, and grants us knowledge from the unseen […].’ Islam is [like] a fruitful tree, and no era could remain deprived of its sweet fruits. In this way, the truthfulness of Islam and Muhammad Rasulullahsa becomes evident to people of all eras.
“Another point which must be remembered is that the core purpose behind the appointment of prophets is for them to bring the people towards that fountain of blessings, without which one can never attain a spiritual life. Meaning to connect them with Allah the Almighty and establish their strong bond with Him.
“And this responsibility cannot be fulfilled without attaining spiritual knowledge. From the perspective of spiritual knowledge, only that person could guide the people who have himself attained the perfect understanding of God Almighty, the one who is aware of the ways to attain His nearness, and holds the deep insight of His attributes.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 5, pp. 535-536)
Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
اِنَّکَ لَا تَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ اَحۡبَبۡتَ وَلٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ۚ وَہُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِالۡمُہۡتَدِیۡنَ
“Surely thou wilt not be able to guide [all] whom thou lovest; but Allah guides whomsoever He pleases; and He knows best those who would accept guidance.” (Surah al-Qasas, Ch. 28: V. 57)
Commenting on this, during his Friday Sermon on 25 December 2009, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“Allah the Almighty provides the means for [mankind’s] guidance. It is His practice to appoint His chosen servants by granting them His nur [divine light]. However, those who reject them – they themselves constrict their heart from paying heed towards God Almighty’s Message. Then, the practice of Allah Almighty towards them is that He lets their hearts constrict even more. They part ways with doing good deeds and continue to fall into vices.
“In this verse, it has been stated that Allah the Almighty helps only those who carry out pious deeds, and show complete obedience to the commandments of Allah Almighty, as a result, they continue to attain various stages of spiritual advancement with the help and grace of Allah the Almighty. Whereas, those who do not believe, exceed in their sins. Therefore, this is a point to ponder for the Muslims and a point of reflection for Ahmadis as well, that if they claim to be Muslim, then they must remember that Islam means absolute submission.” (Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 7, pp. 597-598)
Huzooraa further said:
“Amongst the non-Ahmadi Muslims, there are many huffaz, speakers, and commentators, however, when they are not reflecting upon the pathway which has been taught by the Imam of the Age, then this is a mere superficiality which could not benefit them.” (Ibid, p. 601)
In this era, we – the Ahmadi Muslims – are fortunate to be blessed with the divine institution of Khilafat. It is our responsibility to show complete obedience to the guidance given to us by Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa.
In this regard, during his Friday Sermon on 2 November 2018, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“The Holy Quran has commanded us on several instances to obey Allah and His Messengersa, and also to show obedience to those who are in authority over you. Furthermore, the Promised Messiahas has also included obedience as one of the conditions of Bai‘at and that is for one to pledge that they will obey every ma‘ruf command, until their last breath. […]
“It is evident that showing obedience to ma‘ruf decisions is a vital instruction that we are bound by as they are instructions given to us by God Almighty and also the instructions by His Messengersa. Thus, as long as the true Khilafat is established according to the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa – and this is to continue, insha-Allah – this Khilafat can never issue a directive which is contrary to the teachings of Allah the Almighty and His Messengersa, and will only issue commands which are in line with the Quran and the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa.
“As mentioned earlier, the words obeying ma‘ruf decisions have also been used in the Holy Quran for the Holy Prophetsa. The Promised Messiahas has also used these words in the conditions of bai‘at. Similarly, in relation to Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya, these words are repeated during every pledge. The meaning of these words is clear in that they mean to establish the commands of God Almighty and to advise the Jamaat to adhere to these instructions. Therefore, it is incumbent upon every individual who considers themselves to be part of this Jamaat to abide by this pledge and obey every instruction issued by the Khalifa of the time accordingly. […]
“Therefore, it is not the job of an individual to interpret what is a ma‘ruf decision. A ma‘ruf decision is one which is in line with the Quran, the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa his sayings and also that which falls in line with the teachings of Hakam Adal of this era [the Promised Messiahas]. This is the way through which the unity of the Jamaat can be maintained. The Promised Messiahas was sent by God Almighty for this very purpose, namely to unite the people and establish a Jamaat of sincere and obedient followers. Otherwise, the Promised Messiahas has clearly stated that he had no desire to merely increase the number of followers with those who had no idea of what obedience entails.” (Al Fazl International, 16-22 November 2018, p. 9)
May Allah the Almighty enable us all to act upon each and every instruction of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa with complete obedience. Amin.