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. He champions the message of fulfilling the rights owed to God, and fulfilling the duties we 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 is 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
How Did His Holiness (aba) Raise His Children?
Is Ahmadiyyat Just Another Sect Among Others in Islam?
Why Must We Send Salutations Upon the Holy Prophet (sa) to Have Our Prayers Heard?
Does Islam Allow Organ Donation?
Are People Who Have Already Passed Away Still Waiting for the Day of Judgement?
Did the Holy Prophet (sa) Physically Ascend to Heaven During Mi`raj?
Will We Meet Our Loved Ones in the Next Life?
Ahmadis Pray For, Not Against Their Opponents
How Did His Holiness (aba) Raise His Children?
Many people throughout the world view His Holiness (aba) as their spiritual father. This sense comes from the manner in which he guides his community and the fatherly love, affection, and compassion with which he does so. In today’s time, with the rapid decline in society’s moral standards, parenting is not only more crucial, but more challenging than ever before. This is yet another matter for which Ahmadis turn to their spiritual father, in order to seek guidance as to how children should be raised. It is thus that some also wonder how His Holiness (aba) raised his own children, and his methods of parenting when his children were young. One person asked how His Holiness (aba) tended to the moral training of his children and how he would discipline them.
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘I think my children’s mother played a vital role in training them instead of myself. The best way is that a father should set their own example before the children. If fathers are offering five daily prayers, they can ask their children to offer five daily prayers. And offering five daily prayers is the best way to discipline your children. Then, when the father is doing tilawat – reading the Holy Qur’an – daily, then people would know that their father is doing it so we should also do it. And inside your house, [if] the environment is good, and your parents are living amicably; there is no quarrel and shout and cry in your house [then] the children will also get a better lesson. So when you become a father, you should try to follow these instructions. [1]
Is Ahmadiyyat Just Another Sect Among Others in Islam?
Upon glancing at the landscape of the Muslim world, one will find great divisions and various sects, each with their own perspectives and views. This has left the Muslim world divided for centuries. It is among these sects that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community came about more than a hundred years ago. One may wonder as to how the truth can be found amid so many different sects. In fact, when it comes to a religion being divided into sects, it is stated in the Holy Qur’an, ‘As for those who split up their religion and become divided into sects, thou hast no concern at all with them. Surely their case will come before Allah, then shall He inform them of what they used to do’ [2]. Citing this verse, one person asked His Holiness (aba) why there are different sects in Islam, and whether Ahmadiyyat is just another sect among them?
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘It was the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa) that in the latter days, my Ummah [nation] will be divided into 72 sects, and each sect will think that that they are on the right path. They will have different points of view, and each sect will think that their point of view is the best and they are following the true teaching of the Qur’an and they are following the Sunnah [practice] of the Holy Prophet (sa). You see, in the present Muslim sects, there are some sects who are following Holy Qur’an, but they do not believe in Hadith [sayings of the Holy Prophet (sa)]. Some, they are following Hadith and they give more preference to Hadith. And some other people have some different points of view. So this prophecy has been fulfilled. Now, the Holy Prophet (sa) also said, when this will happen, then at that time, a reformer will come who will follow my true teachings, who will guide you, and he will be called Messiah and Mahdi – the rightly guided person. This is why we believe, that that person whose advent was foretold by the Holy Prophet (sa) has come in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. He said that Allah Almighty has appointed me as the Messiah and Mahdi of this age according to the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa). And now, He has made it clear to me what are the right teachings. So I am also the person who will decide what is wrong and what is right – Hakm and Adl [judge and just arbiter] – make the decision according to the teaching of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah. This is why the Promised Messiah (as) says that we have to give preference first to the Holy Qur’an where all the teachings about the religion are given. Then we have to follow the Sunnah – what the Holy Prophet (sa) practiced. And then, we should see the Ahadith [sayings of the Holy Prophet (sa)], which were collected almost 150 years later; and then see that how many of them are correct, and are supporting the verses of the Holy Qur’an, or the Holy Qur’an supports whatever they are saying. So, the Promised Messiah (as) is the rightly guided person who started this community according to the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa) and according to the prophecy of Allah Almighty Himself, because in Surah al-Jumu`ah [chapter 62 of the Holy Qur’an], Allah Almighty says that the community will be established on the footsteps of the same community which the Holy Prophet (sa) has established. So our sect is that sect whose commencement was prophesied by the Holy Prophet (sa) himself and the Holy Qur’an itself. And the person who was to come in the latter days was to bring all the different Muslim sects on one hand. This is why he is called Mahdi [rightly guided one]. So, here the situation is different. All those sects which were established or developed, they were following different school of thoughts according to the teaching of Qur’an and Hadith and this and that. But here, the Ahmadiyya sect was established according to the prophecy of the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (sa). This is why we cannot say that the Ahmadiyya Community is the same as other sects in Islam. They were the sects which were developed because of the deviation in their school of thoughts. The Promised Messiah (as) who was to come has come to bring them together, so that he forms one sect, and that is the Ahmadiyya Community, and that is according to the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa).’ [3]
Why Must We Send Salutations Upon the Holy Prophet (sa) to Have Our Prayers Heard?
Sending salutations and blessing upon the Holy Prophet (sa) is a key component of a Muslim’s faith. He was the founder of Islam, the ultimate guide for all of humanity, possessed the highest morals; in essence, he was the perfect man. It is thus that God Himself has stated in the Holy Qur’an that He along with angels send salutations upon the Holy Prophet (sa). As such, sending salutations upon the Holy Prophet (sa) is also a key to having one’s own prayers answered. This aspect however, brought about the following question in a young mind which was asked to His Holiness (aba), ‘Hindus pray to idols so that their gods answer their prayers. In Islam, it is said that unless you send durood [salutations] upon the Holy Prophet (sa), then your prayers remain in the sky and Allah will not accept your prayer. How do we differ from the two?’
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘Hindus have made different gods for different things. And, they believe that their prayers are only heard and listened when they pray to Allah through these idols. Or sometimes they believe that if only we pray to the idols they will listen to our prayers and whatever we want will be achieved. But in the case of durood sharif [prayer for sending salutations upon the Holy Prophet (sa)], it is a different situation. Allah Almighty says that the Holy Prophet (sa) is a human being, and he is the person whom I love more than any other person in the world. And, he has brought you the final Shari`ah – the final law – from Allah Almighty which contains all the necessary things. And, this is also a blessing of the Holy Prophet (sa) or the blessing of Allah Almighty through the Holy Prophet (sa) on us. So, He says that you have to be grateful to the person who has given you something good. Right? So this is why Allah Almighty says that you should pray to Allah Almighty and be grateful to the Holy Prophet (sa) that he has brought you such a religion. And the best way to show your gratitude is that you say Durood Sharif and Allah Almighty says that since this person is the person whom I love more than anyone, any prophet, so when you say durood [send salutations] to him, then I will listen to your prayers as well. But at the same time Allah says that you should talk to Me directly, not that whenever you are talking you will always say that you don’t think that Allah Almighty is not listening you. You can directly talk to Him, but at the same time say durood just to show your love and show the gratitude you have for the Holy Prophet (sa)…Allah Almighty says that you send durood to the Holy Prophet (sa) but don’t think that he is something supernatural, he is also a human being. But Hindus or other idol worshippers think their idols are something which can convey their message. Even they have, you see, made so many idols with wooden material or some clay or some other things; so how can a thing which you yourself have made be the messenger of your prayers or the person or the thing who can convey your message to Allah Almighty? Here, Allah Almighty did not say that when you are saying durood, the Holy Prophet (sa) will convey your message. Allah Almighty says that since I love this person, when you praise him, then I will accept your prayers because you also love this person whom I love. So you see, if your parents see that a person loves their children more than anyone else they will like him and accept him and make him a friend. So in the same way Allah Almighty says that I will listen to you directly, whatever you are saying but if you love my Prophet whom I love more than anyone else, then I will listen to your prayers more than any other prayers which comes to Me through the durood or praise of the Holy Prophet (sa). This is the difference. We do not say that the Holy Prophet (sa) conveys our message. We say Allah Almighty is listening to us directly but that the same time he asks us to praise the Holy Prophet (sa) because He loves him. This is the love; he is not the person who is conveying your message to Allah Almighty. But the Hindus and other idol worshippers believe that their idols are conveying their message to Allah Almighty. So they are making them the means and source of conveying the message. Here in the case of Holy Prophet (sa), he is not considered to be the means and source of conveying the message.’ [4]
Does Islam Allow Organ Donation?
It is a reality that our bodies can serve more than just ourselves, even after our souls have left them. After passing on from this world and leaving these bodies behind, they can serve as a means of saving those who are still going through the journey of life in this world. One person asked His Holiness (aba) if organ donation after passing away is something that is allowed in Islam.
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘Absolutely we can. In fact we can even donate [some organs] before dying; some people donate their kidney or their liver but other organs can also be donated. Yes, of course we can donate our organs after we die. It is a good thing; if you are doing something to serve humanity, then God Almighty has permitted it and it is a very good thing to do.’ [5]
Are People Who Have Already Passed Away Still Waiting for the Day of Judgement?
The Day of Judgement is something which is often repeated in the Holy Qur’an, as it represents a time when all will be answerable for the manner in which they conducted their lives in this world. It is that very accountability which is to drive people towards conducting themselves in the best possible manner while remaining true to their belief in God and His true religion. Regarding the Day of Judgement, a person asked His Holiness (aba), ‘In the Qur’an it says ‘The Day of Judgement’, which means there’s only one day. So what about the people who are already dead, are they still waiting for the Day of Judgement?
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘No, they are not waiting for the Day of Judgement, although there is one Day of Judgement, but those who have done good deeds, they are already in Paradise, and those who have done wrong, they are getting their punishment in Hell. On the Day of Judgement, again, Allah Almighty will ask all of them to get up, and gather them. And then those who have already been punished and if Allah feels that they have had enough punishment, then Allah Almighty will forgive them and they will go to Paradise. And those who are already in Paradise, Allah Almighty will increase their status in Paradise and they will be given a higher status in Paradise. That is the simple answer of this question…The Promised Messiah (as) has dealt with this subject in The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam…On the Day of Judgement people will – either they will be given the lower place in Hell, or they will be forgiven, and those who are already in Paradise they will be given higher status in Paradise and then further increase their status.’ [6]
Did the Holy Prophet (sa) Physically Ascend to Heaven During Mi`raj?
Mi`raj refers to a dream shown to the Holy Prophet (sa) in which he ascended to the Heavens and at different stages met different prophets of the past. He then ascended to the highest stage of Heaven where even angels were unable to go, and it was there where he had communion with God. In fact it was during this very incident that the Holy Prophet (sa) received the commandment of the five daily prayers. Much of the Muslim world however does not consider this to have been a dream, rather they consider it to have been a physical occurrence; in other words, they believe that the Holy Prophet (sa) physically ascended to the Heavens with his body and then returned back to earth. It is a common misconception, and thus, one person asked His Holiness (aba) whether the Holy Prophet (sa) physically ascended to the heavens during the incident of Mi`raj.
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘We believe– even the Holy Prophet (sa) himself and there are so many Hadith [sayings of the Holy Prophet (sa)] and narrations that support our point of view – that it was a spiritual journey and not a physical. And we believe that no person can ascend to Heaven with this physical, worldly body. The Holy Prophet (sa) himself said, even in the Holy Qur’an it is said that when the disbelievers of Makkah asked him to ascend to the Heavens and bring us the book and he refused, [saying] “I am a man sent as a Messenger. I am Messenger from among human beings, I cannot go to Heaven with a physical body.” So why didn’t the disbelievers ask him then, that how can you say that you went to Heaven and spent some time there with Allah Almighty? No, it was a dream. The Qur’an categorically says that the Holy Prophet (sa) answered that, “I am a man sent as a Messenger, I cannot go to Heaven with this physical body and bring down you the book from the Heavens.”’ [7]
Will We Meet Our Loved Ones in the Next Life?
In Islam, one of the key articles of faith is belief in the Hereafter; eternal life which is the true life worth living beyond this material world. As we pass through our lives on this earth, we establish bonds of love and kinship which often fuel us through the ups and downs of life. And so, if the real eternal life is yet to come after we move on from this world, one question which often arises is whether we will meet our loved ones in the next life. This very question was posed to His Holiness (aba).
His Holiness (aba) replied:
‘When someone passes away, we pray that Allah Almighty grants them a lofty place in Heaven and a place near their loved ones. This means that may they remain with their loved ones [in Heaven]. If you have relatives who do good deeds and if you have also done good deeds and are going to Heaven then you will see them in Heaven. Likewise, Allah Almighty has also presented a similar scenario for those going to Hell; those who did bad deeds will meet those who encouraged them to do bad deeds and will say to them that ‘You are the reason we are here. You misguided us due to which we did bad deeds and Allah has placed us in Hell.’ So people going to Hell will see others who have gone to Hell and those going to Heaven will see others who have also gone to Heaven. Those who do good deeds will see each other in Heaven and those who have not done good deeds and have only done bad deeds will go to Hell, how then will they see those in Heaven? There is a wall between the two.’ [8]
Ahmadis Pray For, Not Against Their Opponents
From its inception, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been no stranger to opposition and persecution. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, faced harsh opposition when he claimed to be the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi whose advent had been foretold and long awaited. Since then, even until today, his followers have not only been persecuted, but there are those who have also lost their lives simply on the basis of their faith. It is a shame that much of the opposition comes from within the Muslim world and from clerics who incite their congregations to attack Ahmadi Muslims and even kill them; all because they have misunderstood their own faith. In places like Pakistan, Algeria and other Muslims countries, Ahmadis are subjected to false imprisonments, social boycotts and state sanctioned persecution. Yet in the face of it all, what is the reaction of Ahmadis? His Holiness (aba) explained on one occasion:
‘We are those who pray and will continue to go on praying because this opposition is nothing new for us. In fact, this has been there since the advent of the Promised Messiah (as) and such attacks were levelled against the Promised Messiah (as); those who came to listen to him were also attacked.
Some people simply attend the gatherings in order to just listen to what is being said. It is not necessary that they will accept what is being said. However, the clerics [at the time] would be scared that if these people listened to the Promised Messiah (as), they would pledge allegiance to him because they knew that the truth was on his side. Therefore, they would stop them, but not just that, they would attack them as well. Despite this, the Promised Messiah (as) prayed for such people who would stop others and carry out injustices.
And it is owing to these very prayers that despite their opposition [of the Community], some of them accepted Ahmadiyyat, and continue to do so even now.
Thus…we do not utter anything negative or use similar language as they do; rather, we will continue to pray for them. And just as we have witnessed in the past as well that it is from among these very people who have then become ardent devotees, and this will, God-willing, continue to happen.
Despite listening to their harsh statements, we continue to pray for the Muslims in general. We are pained by their suffering and this indeed is due to the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as) and this was the very instruction given to him by Allah Almighty as well. The cruelties which they perpetrate are owing to their misunderstanding and due to their love for the Holy Prophet (sa), which they claim to have, irrespective of whether they actually demonstrate it or not, but nonetheless, this is what their claim is. Therefore, we are not to pray against them.’ [9]
ENDNOTES
[1] Meeting with Atfal al-Ahmadiyya UK 1stMay, 2021
[2] The Holy Qur’an 6:160
[3] Meeting with Atfal al-Ahmadiyya UK 1stMay, 2021
[4] Ibid
[5] Meeting with Atfal al-Ahmadiyya Canada 15th August 2020
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
[8] Ibid
[9] Friday Sermon 14th May 2021
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