After reciting Tashahhud, Ta`awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) said that all prophets came to the world to establish the concept of the Unity of God among their people. Unfortunately however many abandoned this concept.
Unmatched Standard in Establish the Unity of God
His Holiness (aba) said that similarly, the Holy Prophet (sa) also brought the message of One God and to establish this among his people. The Holy Prophet’s (sa) standard in this regard in unmatched. Not only did the Holy Prophet (sa) teach others to accept the Unity of God, but he did so with argumentation. He did not only forbid against associating partners with God, but he evidenced and explained its pitfalls and developed an aversion for it within the people. He was able to do this because the teaching revealed by God to the Holy Prophet (sa) was so impactful and complete it was impossible for one to reject it after having understood it.
His Holiness (aba) said that the teachings of Islam were impactful to others because the Holy Prophet (sa) himself was a living example of the teachings of Islam and practically showed how to implement them. He would be concerned with the fact that just as those of other religions began worshipping their prophets, he wished for that never to happen in his case. He advised never to make him the object of associating partners with God. Rather, one’s attention should always remain towards the One True God.
His Holiness (aba) said that in previous sermons, he related incidents pertaining to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) love for God and devotion to His worship. Every single one of the incidents presented from the life of the Holy Prophet (sa) all pointed towards the Holy Prophet’s (sa) establishment of the Unity of God. The Holy Prophet (sa) had a passion and longing to establish the Unity of God. From his childhood to the time he received the teachings of Islam from God, we find that the Holy Prophet’s (sa) entire life was a reflection of the Unity of God.
Qur’anic Teachings on God’s Unity
His Holiness (aba) said that God states in the Holy Qur’an:
‘And We sent no Messenger before thee but We revealed to him, saying, “There is no God but I; so worship Me alone.”’ (The Holy Qur’an, 21:26)
His Holiness (aba) said that God taught the Holy Prophet (sa) the ways of worship which the Holy Prophet (sa) employed to render justice the worshipping the One God, in a manner the like of which cannot be found in any other religion. Then, God states in the Holy Qur’an:
‘Say, “Verily I am commanded to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion.”’ (The Holy Qur’an, 39:12)
His Holiness (aba) when a true Muslim sees this, they too will understand that they must strive to become sincere in worshipping God and do so by following the example established by the Holy Prophet (sa). If establish our worship whilst sincerely upholding the Unity of God, then we will become those who can be considered monotheists in the true sense and can bring about a revolutionary change. God also says in the Holy Qur’an:
‘And worship Allah and associate naught with Him” (The Holy Qur’an, 4:37)
At another place in the Holy Qur’an, God says:
‘And your God is One God; there is no God but He, the Gracious, the Merciful.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 2:164)
His Holiness (aba) said towards the end of the Holy Qur’an is an announcement regarding the Oneness of God:
‘Say, “He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Independent and Besought of all. He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him’ (The Holy Qur’an 112:2-5)
His Holiness (aba) says that here, God rejects any and all forms of associating partners with God, and He instructed the Holy Prophet (sa) to announce this to all in the world. As a result, it becomes the duty of his followers to go on announcing the same and to inform the world of the message in this chapter. This announcement refutes the deteriorated messages of all previous religions. This announcement can help a person attain nearness of God. The most pristine and perfect example of this is the Holy Prophet (sa). His every moment was spent in the establishment of the Unity of God. This began from the time of his very childhood, when God Himself saw to his upbringing.
His Holiness (aba) said that he would present examples from the life of the Holy Prophet (sa) of how he established the Oneness of God, beginning with incidents from his childhood. The Holy Prophet (sa) had such a pure nature that love for the Unity of God naturally existed within him, as did an aversion to polytheism and the association of partners with God.
The Holy Prophet (sa) Upholds the Unity of God Even in His Childhood
His Holiness (aba) said that it is recorded that Buwanah was a very revered idol of the Quraish, before which the Quraish would worship and offer sacrifices. One day in the year would entirely be spent in devotion to this idol. Abu Talib also used to go there to worship and sought to take the young Muhammad (sa) along with hi, however he would always refuse. Once, Abu Talib and the Holy Prophet’s (sa) paternal aunts became angry with him and asked why he would not join his people in worshipping this idol. Once, upon the insistence of his aunts he went along with them, however once there, he hurried back in a state of fright. When later asked what happened, the young Muhammad (sa) said that as soon as he would approach he idol, he would see a man clad in white saying ‘O Muhammad, stand back, do not come near this idol.’ After that day, the young Muhammad (sa) never took part in such devotions to idols.
His Holiness (aba) said that once, during a trip to Syria with his uncle, the young Muhammad (sa) was met by a Christian priest named Bahira. Bahira asked a question, to which the young Muhammad (sa) replied, ‘Do not speak to me about Lat or Uzza. By God, I despise nothing more than them.’
His Holiness (aba) said that the Holy Prophet (sa) later went to Syria with the wealth of Hazrat Khadijah (ra) for the purposes of trade. During this time, there arose a dispute between the Holy Prophet (sa) and another man on a certain matter. To this, the other man told the Holy Prophet (sa) to swear by Lat and Uzza. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, ‘I have never sworn by these idols. In fact when I pass by them I turn away.’
The Message of One God Brings About a Revolutionary Change
His Holiness (aba) said that it was in pursuit of this Oneness of God and His worship that the Holy Prophet (sa) would travel to the Cave of Hira. It was 3 miles away from Makkah, and the Holy Prophet (sa) would take refuge there; and it was there, when he was 40 years old, that the Holy Prophet (sa) received the first Qur’anic revelation which in its essence would bring the world to know the true Unity of God.
His Holiness (aba) quoted the Promised Messiah (as) who describes the immense and revolutionary change which the Holy Prophet (sa) brought though the message of the Oneness of God. He took a society which was entirely steeped in godlessness and turned it into a society that abandoned other gods and completely turned to One God. Not only did they turned to God, but they offered such sacrifices and exhibited such devotion as has not been seen by the nation of any other prophet in history. In fact, the Holy Prophet (sa) took a nation of people who were like wild beasts and turned them into civilised people, turned those civilised people into educated people and then turned those educated people into people of God. They then went on to even be slain in the cause of God, but never faltered or failed in their faith. Thus, when it came to establishing the Unity of God, the Holy Prophet (sa) was like another Adam. It was thus that the Holy Prophet (sa) was the pinnacle of all prophets.
His Holiness (aba) further quoted the Promised Messiah (as) who writes that no religion has presented the Oneness of God in the complete manner as Islam has done. His Holiness (aba) commented that it is a shame that today, there are many among the Muslims who have also let go of this complete teaching of God’s Oneness. Thus, as followers of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Promised Messiah and truest servant of the Holy Prophet (sa), it becomes the responsibility of every Ahmad Muslim to uphold Islam’s teachings about the Unity of God and spread them to the world. In Ramadan especially, one should strive and pray to this end even more. The Holy Prophet (sa) strove his entire life and bore great hardships in the cause of establishing the Oneness of God. Thus, if we truly love the Holy Prophet (sa), then we must follow and do out utmost in upholding the Unity of God.
‘Charity Begins at Home’
His Holiness (aba) quoted Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), Second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who explained the verse:
‘And warn thy nearest kinsmen.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 26:215)
The Holy Prophet (sa) was indeed given a message for the entire world. But here, God instructs that in conveying that message, the Holy Prophet (sa) should start with his own home, with his own family, as they too were going astray like others, and by virtue of being his family, their forefathers had done some good towards the Holy Prophet (sa). Thus, it was only right that the Holy Prophet (sa) convey this lifesaving message to them. His Holiness (aba) said that as the saying goes, ‘Charity begins at home,’ so too was the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed by God to first convey his message to his family. Thus, the Holy Prophet (sa) stood on Mount Safa and invited the various tribes of the Quraish, his kinsfolk, to the message he had been given. He said to them that if he told them that there was an army behind the mountain he was standing on, ready to attack them, would they believe him? They said that they would certainly believe him because they always knew him to be truthful. Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) announced that he had been sent by God as His Messenger and that if they wished to attain salvation, they should follow him. Hearing this, the Makkans began mocking the Holy Prophet (sa).
His Holiness (aba) said that despite this opposition, the Holy Prophet (sa) remained undeterred. The veracity of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) message was met by opposition just as veracious.
Steadfastness Despite Severe Opposition
His Holiness (aba) quoted Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) who writes in The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa):
‘His opposition was to be proportionally equivalent to the magnitude of his mission. Since the Holy Prophet (sa) was raised in an era when darkness was especially prevalent and it was inevitable that upon the advent of light, the armies of darkness would contend their utmost; so it happened as such – in comparison to all the prophets of the past, the Holy Prophets was faced with the most opposition. The primary causes as they appear for this opposition are as follows:
1. The people of the Quraish were idolaters of the highest degree. The honour and love of idols had become so impressed in their hearts that to hear even a word against them was unbearable. These wrongdoers had placed hundreds of idols in the Ka‘bah, which was built for the worship of Allah the Exalted alone. They would turn to these idols for all their needs. When Islam came, its principle foundation was the unity of God, its clear commandment was not to bow one’s head before any human, tree, rock or star, etc., Rather:
“Prostrate thyselves before that Being alone [Allah], who hath created them.”
Furthermore, the words used to describe the idols of the Quraish in the Holy Qur’an appeared to the Quraish as very insulting, for they were declared the fuel of hell.’ (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa), Vol.1, p. 186)
His Holiness (aba) quoted the Promised Messiah (as) who described how, upon the advent of Islam, the scholars and believers of all other faiths became strict and staunchly opposed to Islam, to the extent that for 13 long and arduous years, the Muslims faced unimaginable cruelties, to the extent that even women and children would be dragged through the streets and cut to pieces. However, God had instructed not to retaliate to these cruelties, and so these firm believers remained steadfast in their faith as they endured for his sake.
His Holiness (aba) quoted Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) who described the manner in which the Holy Prophet (sa) taught the idolators about the One God – in that their stone idols could do nothing for them. They could not answer their calls, could not help them when they need it, ease their pain or their trials. Alternatively, the Holy Prophet (sa) presented to them the One God Who could not only hear them but answer them and bestow upon them His light. The Holy Prophet (sa) showed the idolators that their idol-worship led to nothing fruitful for them; instead they were steeped in every form of immorality. Such is the state of the world today as well. However, the Holy Prophet (sa) taught how to come out of this state; by turning to God. Yet, the Holy Prophet (sa) taught that fulfilling the rights of God also meant fulfilling the rights of one another. If God has given one wealth, then they should spend it upon the nation and the needy. One should treat women with respect and dignity and take care of the orphaned and widowed. Not only justice, but mercy and kindness should be the hallmarks of a true believer in God. These were the ways taught by the Holy Prophet (sa) to establish nearness to God and fulfil His due rights. This is what a true monotheist looks like.
His Holiness (aba) said that one day the chieftains of Makkah approached the Holy Prophet’s (sa) uncle and implored him to urge his nephew to stop his. They said that they would be prepared to offer him whatever price he named and he would have to do nothing in return other than to stop denouncing the idols. They said he could even continue preaching the message of One God, they simply wished that he would stop denouncing their idols. Otherwise, they said to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) uncle that he would either have to abandon his nephew, or they would renounce his leadership among the Quraish, something which the Quraish held in high esteem. When he approached the Holy Prophet (sa) with his message, the Holy Prophet (sa) responded by saying with tears in his eyes, that if he wished to abandon him then he could, but even if they plead the sun in his right hand and the moon in his left, he would never abandon the Unity of God and spreading its message.
His Holiness (aba) said that thus, it is our duty to spread the message of the One God and do whatever is in our power in order to do so.
Summary prepared by The Review of Religions.
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