Helpers in the cause of Allah

56 Helpers in the Cause of Allah! Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’s Sermon at The Fazl Mosque, London. 4th May, 1984 The following is the text of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih ‘s sermon delivered at the London Mosque. It has been rendered into English and is published at the responsibility of the Editorial Board of the Review of Religions. I5,; ? ye who believe! be he;pe;s ofAllah, as said Jesus, son of Mary, to his ‘disciples, ‘Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah?’ The disciples said, ‘We are helpers of Allah. So a party of the Children of Israel believed, while a party disbelieved. Then We aided those •,?’•”– x In the course of their history, nations are occasionally confronted with some important and basic decisions. This phenomenon has an equal application to temporal as well as religious communities. When such an occasion arises in the life of temporal nations, they were obliged to decide, “To be or not to be. That is the question”. Are we going to survive or perish? However, in the spiritual domain, the question is not raised in this manner. Spiritual communities being the representative of the Divine Being, the question of elimination does not arise. The only course open to them is to survive under all circumstances. But, to achieve this determination, they have to be prepared for every sacrifice. Today, The Ahmadiyya Community stands on the threshold of such an occasion and the verses which I have just recited are appropriate to this period. The Holy Quran instructs those who believe to enlist as the 57 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS ‘Helpers of Allah’ in the same manner as Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, asked his disciples, “Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah; who will help me in His cause?” And the disciples said, “We are the helpers of Allah.” So Allah aided a party of the Children of Israel to believe while a party disbelieved and Allah helped those who believed against their enemy and made them predominent over those who disbelieved. This incident towards which the Holy Quran has drawn our attention is astonishing when one considers the status of these people from whom Jesus, peace be upon him, sought assistance. They lived in a vast empire, the borders of which extended from the West to the periphery of the known East. Their position in the country of their domicile and the towns of their residence was utterly insignificant. They were so oppressed and helpless that when Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, was subjected to the cross, none of them was able to assist him or help him. What sort of ahelp then did Jesus, peace be upon him, seek of them when such help was not even mentionable? Yet, we find that the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammed Mustafa, peace be upon him, was reminded of this incident and directed to address his followers in similar terms. He was asked to seek helpers in the cause of Allah as Jesus, peace be upon him, had asked earlier. Thus, it appears that the concept of ‘the helpers of Allah’ is far removed from temporal matters. It does not require the services of bold soldiers or battle conditioned warriors. Nor of millionaires or powerful and prominent statesmen. Indeed, not one from amongst this exclusive group responded to the appeal. It was infact from amongst the down trodden, mocked by the world; deprived of their rights of citizenship; ridiculed and abused by the society; persecuted, beaten and dragged through the streets, that Jesus, peace be upon him, appealed for help and it was from amongst these that Jesus, peace be upon him, found helpers for the cause of Allah. Had there not been a message of great significance in this incident, the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammed Mustafa, peace be upon him, would not have been reminded of this occurance and directed to call for helpers in similar terms. This is one aspect of the incident which needs deep thought and consideration. The other aspect which needs HELPERS IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH 58 contemplation is — why does Allah need helpers? Does help infact not originate from Him? What then is the mystery of Allah seeking help from an oppressed people who are in need of assistance themselves? The fact is that by mentioning this incident, Allah wants us to realise that until we are prepared to help in His cause with all our heart and soul, His succor will not descend upon us. The Almighty cannot be considered influenced by any strength or position. Hence, it is irrelevent as to what man can extend to help His cause. Allah demands that man present whatever he has in Allah’s cause and He promises to pay back with His infinite treasures. It is in response to this that Allah blesses His helpers with success and victory. If a man has four pennies and he offers all of these, then how is it possible that when this man requires Allah’s assistance, the Master of all the Treasures would not open His bounty to help him? In these verses, the attention of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, has been drawn to the fact that in the matters of Allah, there is never a question or need for despondency. That is why the Almighty related the example of the weakest of all the prophets — a prophet, in comparison to who’s weakness, a parallel in history could not be found. His disciples were so weak and helpless against the might of the great Roman Empire and their status so insignificant, that the historians of the Roman Empire did not even care to mention it for many years. Nevertheless, this episode is not related in the Holy Quran to cause despondency but to infuse hope and courage. The Almighty proposes to relate that when the disciples of Jesus, peace be upon him, presented whatever little they had for His cause, the Almighty accepted it. What then would be the extent of Allah’s succor, if Muhammed, peace be upon him, who was the ultimate cause of this universe, was to present all he had? This was the Divine message which the Almighty conveyed to the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and this is the message which I today, as a humble servant, convey to you: Today, in the life of the Ahmadiyya Community, a crisis of such a magnitude has appeared as has never appeared before in its history. Therefore, I am calling upon the Ahmadis of the entire world: “O Servants of the Almighty’s beloved prophet, in the name of 59 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS Allah, I am calling for your help. Present everything you have for the cause of Allah. And I bear witness by the Almighty that HE WILL DIRECT HIS ENTIRE RESOURCES TO YOUR SERVICE. There is no power on this earth which can alter this decree. This is an event which has been destined and there can be no other consequence but success, since that is what has been decreed.” The Almighty says, “I show mercy to the oppressed and helpless servants who volunteer all they have in the cause of Allah.” Allah infact does not need any help. This phenomenon has been explicitly explained. But whenever help is sought in the cause of Allah, it is meant to test the reaction of the believers, just as demands are made upon children to test their reaction. The Ahmadiyya Community face a crucial stage today. The question that has to be resolved, is how to use this help effectively and in what manner should the entire resources of the Community be presented to the Almighty — if need be sacrificed in the cause of Allah. This is a very basic and important question and I am constantly engaged in contemplation upon this complicated problem and also in seeking Allah’s guidance. At this preliminary stage, I seek your help through your earnest and repeated supplications. Pray that the Almighty may, through His special grace, show us the avenues which lead to positive success. I am neither hesitant nor afraid of offering my own sacrifice or those of the Ahmadiyya Community. God has bestowed such determination and courage upon me that when the need of the hour demand, I SHALL NOT SHRINK FROM ANY SACRIFICE. But the Almighty has also bestowed upon me a measure of wisdom. And, in every Jihad, a careful exercise of this essential faculty is a top priority. It is thus expedient that I do not allow even one speck or one ounce of the energy of the Ahmadiyya Community to be wasted. But if need be that faith and wisdom demand an absolute utilization of all our resources and Allah requires all our sacrifices, then I shall not be prepared to save even one speck. The Almighty alone knows what is in store for us. However, I can assure you that after careful study of the Holy Quran and the revelations vouchsafed to the Promised Messiah, I am convinced that it is HELPERS IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH 60 inconceivable for anyone to gain victory over you. Nevertheless, it is imperative that you direct all your sentiments, your motives, your conduct and your actions in conformity with the Almighty’s wishes. And then it is destined, that through His help, He shall grant you victory and ascendency over your opponents. This decree has been written and it is not alterable. THE MOVEMENTS OF THE PLANETS AND THE HEAVENS MAY BE CHANGED: THE ENTIRE CREATION MAY BE PULVERISED: BUT ALLAH’S DECREE CANNOT BE ALTERED. This is the faith with which you ought to live. This is the faith in which you ought to die. THIS IS OUR ABSOLUTE INVESTMENT. As far as immediate decisions are concerned, I would like to draw the attention of the Community to certain essential matters. It is assumed that because Jesus, peace be upon him, invited his disciples to be helpers of Allah, we are, whatever the circumstances, precluded from the right of self defence. This is an erroneous conclusion. It contradicts the edicts of the Holy Quran. In these verses, the Almighty has addressed the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and the purpose of relating this incident was only to infuse courage. The period of the Messiah, peace be upon him, has passed away and this is the reign of Hazrat Muhammed Mustapha, peace be upon him. In these verses, the Almighty Allah has addressed the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammed Mustapha, peace be upon him. The concepts have now changed and they bear the seal of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. The only complete and perfect guidance for us now, is the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran enjoins obedience to the Government of the day in very clear terms and in strict obedience to these injunctions, we have been branded as traitors and foreign agents. Yet we have not departed from the injunctions and the commands of the Holy Quran. There has not been a single instance in the history of the Ahmadiyya Community when we have contravened these Quranic injunctions. However, we must appreciate that these verses do not end here. To emphasise the greatness of the followers of the Holy Prophet, it is further stated that if a difference of opinion or a dispute arises in the 61 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS matters of faith, then you should not turn to those in authority but your decisions should be in accord with the instructions of the Almighty and His Messenger. Those in authority are thus excluded from influencing the decision of the believers. For as long as they do not encroach upon the injunctions of the Almighty and His Messenger, we shall continue to obey them but if they exceed their authority and issue instructions contrary to the wisdom of Allah and His Messenger Muhammed Mustapha, peace be upon him, we shall have no option but to disregard them and continue to follow the instructions of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. We shall do that even if we have to sacrifice our lives to that end. We shall not care how many lives are lost or how many heads are severed. NO POWER ON EARTH CAN SEPERATE US FROM THE HOLY QURAN AND MUHAMMED MUSTAFA, PEACE BE UPON HIM. If anyone entertains any designs of annihilating the Ahmadiyya Community, I wish to make it clear to them all, that it is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, an impossible task. Other powerful people have attempted it in the past and Allah destroyed every trace of them and demolished them completely. We have no desire to contend with power. We are humble and we confess, weak even when compared to the disciples of Jesus, peace be upon him. But we cannot overlook the fact that when they presented themselves fully to Allah, they were victorious. “O Almighty Allah! Bestow Your grace and mercy upon us in the same way as You did on the disciples of Jesus, peace be on him — nay — bestow it far in excess as we are the HUMBLE SERVANTS OF MUHAMMED MUSTAPHA, PEACE BE UPON HIM. It would be incorrect to accept the Christian concept of patience and forbearance when it contradicts the Quranic concepts. I wish to make it very clear that patience and forbearance will be judged by the criteria provided by the Holy Quran and the practice of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. We are determined to remain within those constraints. When we are enjoined to show patience and forbearance — we shall. Where we are enjoined to defend ourselves — we shall. For instance, only yesterday, we were informed that some Government Agencies in Pakistan instructed the Community in Rabwah, Pakistan to wipe of f the Kalimah; ‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammed is His Messenger’ from wherever it appeared on the HELPERS IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH 62 mosques. All praise be to Allah, the Community was enabled to make a correct decision when they refused to commit such an atrocity with their own hands and left it to the Government officials to wipe it out if they so wished. I have conveyed a message to them that NO AHMADI SHALL WIPE OFF THE ‘KALIMA’ OF THE UNITY OF ALLAH EVEN AT THE RISK OF HIS HANDS BEING SEVERED. Such an abhorant act is beyond us and we shall not commit it. When such instructions by the authorities infringe religious injunctions — non compliance cannot be described as rebellion. If on the other hand, in compliance with worldly instructions you become guilty of a contravention of the Quranic injunctions or the Holy Prophet’s instructions, peace be upon him, you will doubtlessly be termed as rebellious. Those who comply with the instructions of others in preference with the instructions of the Almighty and the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, will be termed as the rebels of Allah. I wish to make this clear and I want the Ahmadis all over the world to understand this point. This is not a question of geographical limits. IT IS OUR LOT TO OFFER SUPERHUMAN SACRIFICES AND SHED OUR BLOOD IN MANY COUNTRIES. As a result of our sacrifices in many countries, we shall witness a spiritual revolution. This message is addressed to all human beings all over the world as my call “WHO WILL HELP ALLAH” is addressed to all Ahmadis. If you respond to my call positively and I AM SURE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WILL, it is not necessary for you to write to me. But if you are unable to bear this burden, then you may inform me of your inability and I promise not to ex-communicate you. I shall let you continue as relatively weak Ahmadis. We shall compile a list of only those who, due to their circumstances or inadequate courage feel that they are unable to offer sacrifices at the level demanded. All those who do not write to me shall be included amongst the group of “HELPERS OF ALLAH”. Please supplicate earnestly and with humility. Moisten the spots where your foreheads touch the ground when you prostrate before Allah. You can then be sure that you will be let off lightly and you will become victorious. The preferential treatment will be due to your being covered by the Holy shadow of Hazrat Muhammed Mustapha, peace be upon him. His shadow extends farther, is more protective, refreshing and merciful than that of any other prophet. Never for a moment allow 63 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS any doubt to enter your minds. May the Almighty be with you and may He be with me. May He enable us to make the correct decision and may He in fulfilment of His promise, bring solace to our hearts and delight to our eyes. Amin! Ahmadis in Pakistan are passing through an unbearable phase. Their condition is painful beyond imagination. They have suffered and offered great sacrifices in the past. Fathers have been slaughtered in the presence of their sons and fathers have witnessed the slaughter of their sons. This is not exaggerated imagination but a point of fact. Houses have been looted and the Ahmadis have witnessed complete destruction of their property. Yet they have kept their composure. But today, their cheer and smiles have disappeared as they are now being restricted from the glorification of their Lord — Allah. They are as restless as animals when slaughtered. Their suffering is so acute that they are impatiently awaiting permission to sacrifice their lives so that they may be spared the present trials and tribulations. They need your supplications — they deserve your prayers. I swear by the Almighty Allah, through our supplications and prayers, we shall be victorious. No power on earth can survive when it collides with the earnest prayers and supplications of the believers. Divine miracles and His mercy, when manifested, surprises witnesses. For His true servants, He descends from Heaven Himself. He makes His presence felt. Therefore my last message to you all is: Supplicate and pray for your brethren, especially those in Pakistan. Pray with humility, earnestness and regularity. Share their restlessness AND SOON ALLAH’S SUCCOR WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN. ********************** Allah decrees the Fire and debars Paradise for one who takes away the right of a Muslim by a false oath. One man asked: Messenger of Allah, even if it should be an inconsiderable thing? He said: Even if it should be the twig of a wildberry bush.