His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) is a beaming beacon of Divine guidance and support. His Holiness (aba) represents the highest level of a connection with God in today’s world and thus he is the spiritual leader for tens of millions across the world, and champions the message of fulfilling the rights owed to God, and fulfilling the duties we each owe to our fellow human beings. Over the course of his Friday Sermons, addresses on various occasions, meetings with different organizations and children’s classes, His Holiness (aba) imparts invaluable knowledge and insight on a remarkably vast array of topics.

The Review of Religions in honoured to present some of these ‘Rays of Wisdom’ from His Holiness (aba) taken from various different sources, for the benefit of its readers.

Contents

Preparing to Meet World Leaders

‘Kings Shall Seek Blessings from Your Garments’

Balancing the Spectrum of Atheism, Materialism, and Extremism

Advice for the Youth – How to Navigate Through Modern Times

The Importance of Truthfulness and Honesty in All Facets of Life

Following Guidelines and Restrictions Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

Preparing to Meet World Leaders

His Holiness (aba) is a champion of peace, love and harmony. In his quest for the establishment of peace at a global level and enlightening the world through the true teachings of Islam, His Holiness (aba) travels all across the globe, and is often welcomed with receptions and meetings where he delivers keynote addresses and speaks to high-ranking dignitaries. His Holiness (aba) has also met with world leaders on numerous occasion. Curious as to how His Holiness (aba) prepares for such occasions, one person asked, ‘when you meet the prime ministers or leaders of different countries or when you deliver an address in various parliaments, what prayers do you recite?’

His Holiness (aba) replied,

‘Firstly, we must never fear any person. We are Ahmadis and we should have firm conviction that an Ahmadi Muslim need not to be overawed by any person. Moreover, the Promised Messiah (as) was given the revelation by Allah the Almighty: 

نُصِرْتَ بِالرُّعْبِ

That is, “You have been helped with prestige.” [1]

Therefore, our influence is established upon others and we need not to become overawed by them. Furthermore, I pray that Allah the Almighty may help me and soften the hearts [of those who I shall address]. Additionally, there are various other prayers I offer and then deliver the address starting with name of Allah. There is no reason to be afraid of any person. 

Our well-experienced missionaries also meet prominent people and do so without any fear. They know that they have been tasked to guide the world. Thus, always keep in mind that we are the ones who are to guide the world. When one understands that they are to guide the world, then there is no reason to have any fear. One should also know that the help of Allah the Almighty is with them and that Allah the Almighty has promised the Promised Messiah (as) that He will grant him His help and support. Hence, when one understands all of this, they should simply pray, invoke the name of Allah, recite Bismillah[in the name of Allah] and also recite the following prayer: 

رَبِّ ھَبۡ لِیۡ حُکۡمًا وَّ اَلۡحِقۡنِیۡ بِالصّٰلِحِیۡنَ

وَ اجۡعَلۡ لِّیۡ لِسَانَ صِدۡقٍ فِی الۡاٰخِرِیۡنَ

“My Lord, bestow wisdom on me and join me with the righteous; And grant me true and lasting reputation among posterity.” [2]

Also recite the prayer: 

رَبِّ اشۡرَحۡ لِیۡ صَدۡرِیۡ

وَ یَسِّرۡ لِیۡۤ اَمۡرِیۡ

وَ احۡلُلۡ عُقۡدَۃً مِّنۡ لِّسَانِیۡ

“My Lord, open out for me my breast, And ease for me my task, And loose the knot of my tongue…” [3]

So, you should recite all these prayers and remember that you are to lead and guide the world. When you will keep all these things in mind, then you will never have to worry about anything.

By the Grace of Allah, I have never encountered any fear or became anxious regardless of how prominent or powerful the leader who I am meeting is. When I went to USA, one day before my address at Capitol Hill, three very prominent priests of USA came to meet me, who also deliver addresses in the army and to other services and thus were very well-experienced. They said to me that since I was delivering an address at Capitol Hill the next day, therefore I may be worried or anxious and perhaps busy preparing my address. I told him, “I am not worried or anxious at all; I am going to speak in light of the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and in light of the commandments of Allah and His Messenger (sa) which cannot be refuted.” He replied, “Even though we are well-experienced and have spoken at various services and have had the opportunity to speak in various parliaments, including Capitol Hill for many years, we still have this fear as to how we will deliver our talk. Yet, you say that you have no fear at all.” Upon this, I said, “There is no reason for me to fear, Allah is with us.” Therefore, you do not need to worry about anything. And then Allah indeed manifests His help’. [4]

‘Kings Shall Seek Blessings from Your Garments’

One of the revelations which the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), received was that ‘kings shall seek blessings from your garments’. [5] One person asked His Holiness (aba) to expound upon and explain the meaning of this prophecy. His Holiness (aba) explained:

‘The Promised Messiah (as) received a revelation that ‘kings shall seek blessings from your garments’, It means that there are blessings in every action, in every saying and in the garments of the Promised Messiah (as) – everything associated with the Promised Messiah (as) is blessed. Therefore, even the great kings, will one day consider it an immense honour to be gifted with some cloth of the Promised Messiah (as) and to partake of its blessings. In this day and age, it is not possible for every Ahmadi to attain these blessing through the actual physical garments nor can they reach every king in the form of garments. However, we can all become recipients of his blessings by implementing the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as) and striving to fulfil his mission. We should be seeking all of the blessings associated with the advent of the Promised Messiah (as); the blessings of the revival of Islam that has taken place through the Promised Messiah (as); the blessings of the renaissance of Islam through the Promised Messiah (as), the blessings of the flag of Islam being raised aloft in the world through the Promised Messiah (as); the blessings of establishing the kingdom of God’s Unity in the world; the blessings of uniting mankind under the banner of the Holy Prophet (sa). These are the blessings which the Promised Messiah (as) has bequeathed to us and it is now our responsibility to attain them and to take benefit from them and to then spread them to the corners of the world. 

The Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qasian (1835-1908)

The blessing from the actual garments has its own significance. Similarly, various other things carry blessings; for example, I am wearing a ring with the inscription of “Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?” This is the ring of the Promised Messiah (as); the first ring which he had made after the revelation and he also wore it. I have worn in to derive blessings from it. So, whoever has the opportunity to gain blessings from the garments or any other physical thing, they should benefit from those blessings. However, apart from this, as I have said, to further spread these blessings; to spread the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as) and to fulfil his mission are also part of those spiritual blessings.’ [6]

Balancing the Spectrum of Atheism, Materialism, and Extremism

We find various dispositions in the world when it comes to faith and religion. There are those who completely reject any concept or notion of God and religion and deem adherence to such as being futile. Then there are those who may claim adherence to some sort of spiritual practice, yet find themselves immersed in worldly pursuits. On the other end, there are those who not only claim to follow a religion but under the guise of that religion, they perpetuate their extremist thoughts, views and even actions. If Islam is a religion for all peoples throughout the world, then how should such people on polar opposites of this spectrum be approached? This was the question on the mind of one person who asked His Holiness (aba) how to approach such people.

His Holiness (aba) replied:

‘Those who are not interested in religion have become embroiled in materialism. Nowadays, a large portion of the people throughout the world have no interest in religion. Among these, people of Europe in particular and followers of other faiths – although Muslims are less expressive that they have moved away from faith, but in reality, even their situation is similar to the rest. However, the followers of other religions openly say that they do not believe in God. For this reason, atheism is on the rise and their numbers are increasing. As for Muslims or Christians, among them are people who deem themselves to be practising and religious, but in essence, they have no interest in religion because they do not have any affiliation with religious teachings. Instead, they are immersed in materialism and they are engulfed in worldly pursuits. These exact conditions were foretold by the Holy Prophet (sa), and mentioning the Latter Days, it was to be these very circumstances that would lead to the advent of the Promised Messiah (as). It was for these times that the verses of Surah al-Jumu`ah [7] were revealed and by giving an example of the Jews, the Muslims were warned not to become like them. And the last three verses in the last Ruqoo of Surah al-Jumu`ah, it has been mentioned that people would become engrossed in materialism and abandon their prayers and worship. These are two types of people in the first category. The third category of people are those who become extremists. Prior to the advent of the Promised Messiah (as), the Muslims had abandoned [the teachings of] Islam. For this reason, when the Christian Priests came to the subcontinent – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh – they propagated their message and managed to convert 3 million Muslims into Christians. Even prominent Muslim maulvis [clerics] became Christian because they had moved away from the true teachings of Islam. After his advent, the Promised Messiah (as) challenged them, and so when they [Muslims] rose up in opposition of the Promised Messiah (as), they managed to create a wave of sentiments in favour of Islam amongst one faction of the society, but at the same time, this gave rise to extremism. The Promised Messiah (as) has also stated that his opponents only began following the teachings of Islam due to opposing him, otherwise, they had forsaken the teachings of Islam and forgotten about them. As for those with extremist tendencies, we must explain and educate them about the true and peaceful teachings of Islam. The Promised Messiah (as) has stated that we must inform all people about these teachings and that the two purposes of his advent were: to bring man closer to God and to ensure we worship Him and fulfil His rights. This is important for those who are heading towards atheism and also for those who claim to be religious but have become immersed in materialism. The other purpose [for the Promised Messiah’s (as) advent] is so that people fulfil the rights of one another. And this is for all three categories of people; to inform the atheists about the rights we owe to one another, and this is also important for those who are religious but do not follow it practically; and to explain to them that after the worship of Allah, the second injunction that God has commanded is that we fulfil the rights of one another; this teaching is found throughout the Qur’an, and this also applies to the third category of people as well, who have extremist tendencies and to explain to them that extremism has no place in Islam.

The Holy Prophet’s (sa) entire life was spent in doing good towards others. The Holy Prophet (sa) has been given the title of “a mercy for all peoples” [8] in the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Prophet (sa) was a source of mercy for all people, however, these [extremists] cause people pain and affliction. Can anyone find even one incident where the Holy Prophet (sa) took the initiative himself and imposed war on people? There is not a single incident!

In the Holy Qur’an the commandment of war was first given is in Surah Al-Hajj [9] verses 40 and 41. In these verses, Allah the Almighty says that the permission to fight is because the adversaries had exceeded all bounds [in their cruelties]. Thus, it is was necessary to stop them; and it states that Allah the Almighty repels some men by means of others and if these people had continued [in their injustices], then no church would remain, nor the synagogue of the Jewish people, or any temples or mosques would have remained intact. Thus, when Allah the Almighty gave the commandment permitting a war in the Holy Qur’an, He did so for the sake of protecting all religions. 

These extremists should be asked where they got their teaching from! Because Allah the Almighty states that one should safeguard their own religion and also the religions of others as well. Allah the Almighty has very clearly stated that when those who oppose religion and attack its people in order to completely eradicate it, only then is one permitted to fight against them. It should not be the case that simply for one’s own vested interest they begin to unnecessarily attack the Jews, Christians, Buddhists or the Hindus. 

Islam opposes extremism and its teachings are completely against this. The life of the Holy Prophet (sa) bears witness to the fact that he never supported extremism. He always forgave people and even after the Conquest of Makkah, we witnessed this beautiful example of forgiveness when he said [to the Meccans], “No blame shall lie on you this day.” He said these words to such people who had carried out countless injustices and cruelties. So, we must tell this to the extremists and ask them what wrongful acts have they become involved in? This was not the teaching of the Holy Prophet (sa). Some of these extremists do not want to listen but for this, you need to make an effort over an extended period of time and build personal relationships with them. You should sit with them and then try to convince them. It is only then that they will listen to you. 

The Holy Qur’an is full of such benevolent teachings and the practice, life and character of the Holy Prophet (sa) and his every moment is witness to the fact that he always practised and preached teachings of love, harmony, kindness and peace. These are the teachings you must inform people about.’ [10]

Advice for the Youth – How to Navigate Through Modern Times

‘One thing I would like to say to the young: in this day and age when there are many new inventions that instead of taking you nearer to God, take you away from Him, an Ahmadi must tread very carefully as long he claims that he is an Ahmadi. Allah the Almighty says about the believers:

‘Believers are those ….who avoid vain things.’ [11]

In this present age, so many futile practices have become a part of everyday life, and one of them is the Internet that some young people use for wrong purposes instead of gainful objectives. It is commonly used to cheat others and to develop friendships with boys and girls. Sometimes, immoral or pornographic films appear on the Internet, which are not suitable for decent-minded persons. Such filthy and immoral films affect the morals of young boys and girls, and many of them ruin their lives because of this.

Some parents also worry about their children, especially about young girls. Ahmadis must abstain from this. We must make positive use of the inventions that Allah has provided us in this day and age. Use it for preaching! Countless objections are being raised against Islam. If Ahmadis from every country start giving replies to these objections, then opponents will have no recourse but to become silent.

I have said this many times that Ahmadi boys and girls should be extremely careful about the use of Internet. Always remember that modesty and chastity are a part of faith and every Ahmadi boy and girl should have a high standard of modesty and decency. Only then will he or she be able to progress in virtue and righteousness; and only then will he or she be able to avoid transgression and excess.

Therefore, every Ahmadi, man or woman, young or old, should always remember that if they have accepted Ahmadiyyat, then they will have to bring about a radical change. Otherwise, what is the use of belonging to the Jama’at of the Promised Messiah (as), the sole purpose of whose advent was to remove the chasm that had grown between man and his Creator and to fill it with righteous teachings? Always remember that we have to make sacrifices for a grand purpose.

And what is that sacrifice? That sacrifice is of ourselves and of our vain desires. These sacrifices will make us an active and gainful part of our Jama’at and we will become the best citizens of our country.’ [12]

The Importance of Truthfulness and Honesty in All Facets of Life

Islam is a religion of simplicity. Its teachings are such, that by acting upon the most basic concepts, one is able to begin reaching heights in virtue and spirituality. For example, by simply shunning lying and falsehood, one can begin treading upon a path of high moral standing and spirituality. Explaining the importance of truthfulness and honesty, on one occasion, His Holiness (aba) said:

‘…The foremost moral value is truthfulness and honesty. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

‘…Shun therefore the abomination of idols, and shun false speech.’ [13]

By placing falsehood and idol worship on the same standing, Allah has drawn our attention towards the fact that falsehood is the same as worshipping idols.

Now, on the one hand, we should claim to believe in one God and should have renewed this affirmation in the pledge that we undertake at the hands of the Promised Messiah (as) that there is but One God, and on the other hand despite this declaration still seek the support of falsehood, or, not speak the truth, is tantamount to worshipping idols. It is like denying that God is the Master of all Powers and thinking that your falsehood has more power than Allah.

For example, if someone commits a mistake, then by standing firm on the truth, if he admits his mistake and thinks that, in accordance with the command of Allah, even if he suffers a loss, there is no problem but the Almighty Allah will make good the loss, for He knows well my heart and he rewards good deeds, then all this will be a source of drawing him nearer to the Almighty Allah. Otherwise, evil habits will continue to multiply and, man will resort to falsehood at every step. If he is a businessman, he will rely on lies when trying to sell something in his business. If he is an employee, he depends upon falsehood to keep his boss in doubt about his work.  If he is a husband, he tries to leave his wife in doubt. If she is a wife, she tries to keep the husband in uncertainty.

Then, a woman as a mother has a very high status. A woman is an architect of the future generation. If a woman acquires the habit of telling lies, the whole generation will be involved in this evil habit. Because of such lies, the children begin to be involved in one evil after the other.

In the Hadith [sayings of the Holy Prophet (sa)], there is the account of a person who came to the Holy Prophet (sa) and said to him: ‘I have in me many evils. I cannot leave all these evils at a stroke. Tell me a way by which I can give up one bad habit to start with.’.

Now see, having believed, he wanted to bring about a pure change in himself. He wanted to become a true believer and that is why he said the straightforward word that he wanted to give up evil habits but he could not give them all up at once. Therefore, he wanted to know a way by which he could give up one evil to start with and then, slowly, give up all the others.

Anyhow, the Holy Prophet (sa) asked him to give up the telling of lies. He said to the Holy Prophet (sa): “What you have told me is very easy.”

When he got home, he thought of robbing someone but realised that were he to be caught, he would have to speak the truth because of his promise and, as a result, he would be punished. The next day, he thought of committing adultery, but again thought that he would be punished if caught. Every time he thought of some evil deed, he was restrained by his promise of not telling a lie and speaking the truth and that were he to commit the evil, it would result in either punishment or shame and disgrace.

This is how all his bad habits disappeared, by giving up one bad habit. After a while he mentioned to the Holy Prophet (sa): ”By making me give up one bad habit, you made me give up all evils.”

Therefore, every true believer must remember that telling a lie, bearing false witness or sitting in the company of liars, are practices that create a distance between a believer and his faith. In one place, Allah the Almighty, mentioning a sign of believers says,

‘…who bear not false witness… ‘ [14]

In short, a believer never speaks falsehood nor does he bear false witness. Sometimes when they give false testimony, people are not conscious of it. In our courts, especially in the courts of less developed nations, false witnesses are produced.

If there is a business dispute or a dispute about property, the lawyers sometimes compel their clients to bear false witness lest the case is determined against them.

The Promised Messiah (as) was once involved in a court case where he was accused of breaking postal regulations by placing a letter in a parcel post to save money. His lawyer advised him to say that he had not done this but that the other party might have done this.

The Promised Messiah (as) said: “Why should I tell a lie when I did put the letter in the parcel?” The lawyer said that if that was the case, the Promised Messiah (as) need not have hired him as a lawyer. In other words, if I am to be employed as a lawyer, you will have to use lies as a tactic.

The case went to court and the Promised Messiah (as) stated that he put the letter in the parcel, firstly because he considered it to be a part of the parcel that contained a manuscript of his work, and, secondly because he was not aware of the law and did not willfully set out to cause any loss to the Government. The judge, who was English, exonerated him. The Promised Messiah (as) says that he had been through such cases but had never relied on falsehood and Allah the Almighty had always helped him.

He says: “How can I accept that there is no alternative to telling lies?”

This incident happened even before his elevation to the exalted status of the Promised Messiah (as). Therefore, remember that telling lies and bearing false witness are such misdemeanours that they can involve a person in all kinds of evil. It is such a dangerous sin that the earlier prophets had also instructed against this. The Holy Qur’an has also put great stress on this issue.

Unfortunately, nowadays lies are told for business gain, or political, or national interest. These worldly people tell lies to achieve their worldly objectives and think that their safety lies in it. But they forget that, if not in this world, and then in the next, they will be held accountable by Allah the Almighty.

Remember! Lying is such a disease that it earns the displeasure of Allah the Almighty, and Allah the Almighty considers this as grave a sin as Shirk, that is, associating someone with Him.

It is also important that truth is used to make your country progress and stand shoulder to shoulder with other countries that are more developed. Truth has made a tremendous contribution to the progress of Europe.

Whereas it is true that Europeans use falsehood in many dealings and employ different standards for their people and for others, but the secret of their progress in business and industry lies in their honesty in maintaining the standard that they fulfil their promise. The product will be exactly the same as described on the outer label. But be warned! Allah the Almighty is not a kinsman of anyone. Therefore, as long as they conduct their business honestly, they will keep on profiting; but when they stop being honest, their business and industries will close down.’ [15]

Following Guidelines and Restrictions Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the world, claiming more lives by the day. From the outset of the pandemic, His Holiness (aba) has been cautioning and advising that restrictions and guidelines set out by the government should be followed and all possible precautions should be taken. As the pandemic continues to linger, His Holiness (aba) again reiterated this message when he said:

‘Another important matter that I wish to mention is regarding the Coronavirus pandemic which has spread throughout the world. Ahmadis are not doing their utmost in taking precautions; neither in the UK, nor in the USA, Pakistan or in any other country. Full precautions must be taken; masks must be worn. 

Some wear masks and leave their noses exposed despite the fact that the nose should also be covered. Or there are some who leave their masks hanging around their necks, but in that case, what is the use of wearing a mask? 

Then people are not abstaining from closely meeting others and are not observing social distancing or other guidelines mentioned by the governments. 

We must act upon all of these things, otherwise, this pandemic will continue to spread. These days, people should try to limit their travel to a minimum and avoid any unnecessary travel. Those travelling from Europe to Pakistan should be careful and these days, it is better if they do not go at all. 

In any case, may Allah the Almighty eliminate this pandemic swiftly and cure all those Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis alike who have been affected by this pandemic.’ [16]

ENDNOTES

[1] Tadhkirah [English Translation] p. 83

[2] The Holy Qur’an 26:84-85

[3] The Holy Qur’an 20:26-28

[4] Class with Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh – February 13, 2021

[5] Ayyamus-Sulh Ruhani Khaza’in Vol. 14 p. 398

[6] Class with Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh – February 13, 2021

[7] Chapter 62 of the Holy Qur’an

[8] The Holy Qur’an 21:108

[9] Chapter 22 of the Holy Qur’an

[10] Class with Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh – February 13, 2021

[11] The Holy Qur’an 23:4

[12] Address delivered on May 4, 2008

[13] The Holy Qur’an 22:31

[14] The Holy Qur’an 25:73

[15] Address delivered on May 4, 2008

[16] Friday Sermon February 12, 2021