The Need for The Imam : The Promised Messiah and Mahdi (as)
Friday Sermon delivered at Masjid Mubarak, Islamabad, Tilford, UK
Present-Day Testimonies to the Truthfulness of the Promised Messiah(as)
After reciting Tashahhud, Ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba) said that at various instances in his writings and sayings, the Promised Messiah(as) has mentioned the purpose of his advent and the need for the advent of the Messiah. He explained that the conditions of the world demanded that the Messiah’s advent take place.
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who stated that the gradual disappearance of faith, sincerity and truth called for his advent, and as such, God sent him so that the truth of faith may be re-established in the world and Islam may be saved from the attacks of philosophers, naturalist, atheists and the like. Islam faced many attacks in the 13th century, and people were leaving Islam, and those in Islam were mired in innovations and associating partners with God. As such, all the prevailing conditions demanded that God should send the Messiah.
Determining the Truthfulness of a Claimant to Prophethood
His Holiness(aba) quoted the Promised Messiah(as) who explained the manner in which to determine the truthfulness of a claimant to prophethood. He said that it is not necessary that the advent of a certain prophet be clearly and explicitly mentioned in a divine book, otherwise, many prophets would not be accepted. It must be determined whether the prophet manifested at the appointed time which called for their advent. Then it should be determined whether they are helped by God, and whether they have fully responded to the opponents. When these conditions are met, then it must be said that the prophet is truthful. At the time of the advent of the Promised Messiah(as), the time was calling for someone to mend the disunity within Islam, to protect Islam from external attacks and to re-establish spirituality which had been lost. Hence, the need for the Messiah’s advent was so clear that it cannot be denied. The second condition of it being the appointed time was also fulfilled, as previous prophets foretold that after the six-thousandth year, the Messiah’s advent would take place. Furthermore, the Holy Prophet(sa) stated that there would be a reformer at the beginning of every century. Muslims are now also saying that the advent of the Messiah and a reformer is absolutely necessary.
His Holiness(aba) continued quoting the Promised Messiah(as) who said that in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, there is a revelation stating that he would face opposition and people would try to erase him from the earth, however with God’s help, he would prevail and he would become renowned throughout the world. The fact that to this day, people in every country of the world have, and continue to accept Islam Ahmadiyyat is a testament to this, especially in the face of open opposition against the Community. Seeing this progress is also a means of strengthening the faith of Ahmadiyyat.
Incidents Around the World In Support of The Promised Messiah’s(as) Truthfulness
His Holiness(aba) said that he would share some incidents which demonstrate this:
His Holiness(aba) said that a man from Kyrgyzstan wrote to him expressing that he wished to pledge allegiance because of the manner in which the Promised Messiah(as) wrote about the beauties of Islam and he was convinced that only the Imam Mahdi could write about Islam in this manner.
His Holiness(aba) said that a man in Congo received a pamphlet containing information about the Promised Messiah(as) and the Caliphate. Upon seeing it, he was astonished and said that this was the very Islam he had been waiting for.
His Holiness(aba) said that when Ahmadiyyat was established in a village in Shinyanga, Tanzania, initially, members used to offer their prayers under the shade of a tree. At that time, a man started severely opposing Ahmadiyyat, saying that they are not even Muslims, and vowing that Muslims would build a mosque there. An Ahmadi had given his land to build a mosque, and despite heavy opposition, he remained steadfast and saw the building of a mosque to completion. During this time, the message of Islam reached that same person who had been opposing the Community. As a result of this, his wife and children accepted Ahmadiyyat, while he was still opposing. Yet despite his opposition, his own family’s hearts were changed. Such a change cannot be brought about by any man, it is brought about by God.
His Holiness(aba) said that a new convert from the UK said that she came from a staunch Sunni Muslim family and had always thought that Sunni Islam was the real Islam. One day, she heard the sound of the Azan (call to prayer) coming from a mosque near her university. When she mentioned this at home, her father told her that she should remain far away from that mosque as it belonged to Ahmadis. However, she was courteous and wished to learn more and despite the fear of what her family would say, she started doing more research on her own. She came across the Community’s website where she found answers to many questions which she could not find answers to anywhere else. Then, she started praying for God to show her the truth, after which she saw many dreams, including dreams in which she saw the Fourth Caliph(rh) and His Holiness(aba). After seeing such clear dreams, she decided to pledge allegiance. To be guided in this manner is nothing short of God’s help.
His Holiness(aba) said that God also draws opponents towards the Community. For example, in Mali, announcements were made on the radio about the Community’s upcoming convention. Someone in a village heard this and decided to attend the convention. He had a friend who often advised him against listening to the Ahmadis. However, they both went to attend the convention. They were warmly received and taken care of. They heard the speeches, observed the congregational prayers and after being moved, both of them pledged allegiance. The man’s friend said that he had accompanied him in order to influence him against Ahmadiyyat, however, now he himself was accepting Ahmadiyyat.
His Holiness(aba) said that a man from Uzbekistan belonged to the Imam Abu Hanifah sect. One day, his friend took him to an Ahmadi teacher to learn Arabic. He would also ask him various questions and would be greatly impressed by the answers he would receive. When he asked where he found these answers from, the Ahmadi teacher told them about Ahmadiyyat, and that the Promised Messiah’s(as) writings were a fountain of knowledge. Subsequently, he accepted Ahmadiyyat.
Allah’s Guidance Through True Dreams
His Holiness(aba) said that not only does God make the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah(as) apparent to people, but He also exhibits His help through the Caliphate, and grants people strength in faith by way of dreams.
His Holiness(aba) said that in Senegal, a local missionary was preaching about Ahmadiyyat. One person said that in a dream the day before, he saw that a man had come to invite him to the true Islam. Then, the local missionary showed him pictures of the Caliphs, and he became emotional upon seeing an image of His Holiness(aba), saying that this was the very person he had seen in his dream. As such, he accepted Ahmadiyyat along with his entire family.
His Holiness(aba) said that in the Marshall Islands, the missionary contacted a college professor for help in translating a verse of the Holy Qur’an. When he learned that this was a Qur’anic verse, he became nervous and said that he tried to stay away from translating such things pertaining to religion, especially since there are so many differences between the Qur’an and the Bible. In any case, he helped with the translation, and later, the missionary started learning the local language from him. The professor would come to the mosque to teach him, during which time the professor also learned about Islam and Ahmadiyyat. During this time, His Holiness(aba) sent instructions for the book Our Teaching to be translated into the Marshallese language. The professor also expressed his willingness to help. His perception of Islam had now completely changed. The professor had grown worried about his job, and so the missionary advised him to pray, not in the name of Jesus(as) but in the name of Allah. So, the professor prayed, and a few weeks later, the Ministry of Culture opened a new position and he received a job. Upon seeing his prayers being accepted and reading the words of the Promised Messiah(as), he accepted Islam. He also completed the translation of Our Teaching. This is how God changes people’s hearts towards Ahmadiyyat and the Promised Messiah(as). Christianity used to talk about raising their flag in the world, yet now, Christians are coming under the flag of the Holy Prophet(sa). If the so-called custodians of faith still do not open their eyes, then their matter rests with God. The purpose for which God sent the Promised Messiah(as) will continue to flourish and no one can stop it. But we must remember that simply accepting this is not enough. Rather, we must embody the teachings brought by the Promised Messiah(as).
Appeal for Prayers for Palestine
His Holiness(aba) urged to continue praying for Palestinians. May Allah grant them salvation from the oppression they are facing. There is currently a pause in fighting so that essential materials may reach the people. But what will happen afterwards? Will they kill those people after rendering them aid? Israel’s intentions seem dangerous. One of their government advisors said that if fighting did not immediately commence after this pause, then he would leave the government. This is their mentality. Big powers do apparently express sympathy, but they do not wish to act with justice and are not serious in this matter. They think this will remain contained to that area, but those who are wise have started saying that the war will not remain confined to just that region, rather will spread abroad to their countries as well. Muslim nations have started raising their voices, such as the Saudi king, who said that Muslims must unite and have one voice. The Muslims will certainly have to do so, and this will require a concerted effort. May Allah the Almighty enable this realisation of theirs to come to practical fruition as well. His Holiness(aba) said that a great deal of attention must be given to offering prayers.
Funeral Prayers
His Holiness(aba) said that he would lead the funeral prayers of the following deceased members:
Abdul Salam Arif who had been serving as a missionary. He is survived by two sons, one of whom is a missionary and the other is a life-devotee. Both sons committed the Holy Qur’an to memory. He was a very loving individual and was beloved by many. He instilled love for the Holy Prophet(sa), the Promised Messiah(as) and the Caliphate in the hearts of his children. He always met people with a smile and was very caring of others. Wherever he went, he always instilled love for the Caliphate in the hearts of the people. He would walk for miles to visit different towns and villages so that he could save the Community’s funds. His Holiness(aba) prayed that may Allah the Almighty elevate his station and continue to grant such hard-working and loyal missionaries to the Community. May He also enable his children to carry on the legacy of his virtues.
Muhammad Qasim Khan the former Naib Nazir Baitul Mal Kharch, who had been living in Canada. He lived through four eras of Caliphate and worked in the Private Secretary’s office during the era of the Third Caliphate. He was regular in offering the five daily prayers and reciting the Holy Qur’an. He always enjoined his children to maintain a connection with the Caliphate. He was an unsheathed sword of the Caliphate. His Holiness(aba) prayed that mat Allah grant him forgiveness and mercy and enable his children to carry on the legacy of his virtues.
Abdul Karim Qudsi who was a renowned poet in the Community. His marriage was announced by the Third Caliph(rh). He is survived by four children. One of his sons is a missionary and serving as a professor in Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah. Abdul Karim Qudsi served the Community in different capacities. He was a good poet and a compilation of his poetry had been published. He also rendered the poetic Urdu and Punjabi translation of the Promised Messiah’s(as) famous Arabic poem in praise of the Holy Prophet(sa). He loved the Caliphate a great deal and instilled the same love in his progeny. His Holiness(aba) prayed that may Allah grant him forgiveness and mercy.
Mian Rafiq Ahmad who also recently passed away. He endured hardships for the sake of Ahmadiyyat. He is survived by a son and two daughters. He was regular in offering prayers, he took care of the poor. His Holiness(aba) prayed that may Allah grant him forgiveness and mercy and enable his children to carry on the legacy of his virtues.
Nasima Laiq of USA, wife of Syed Laiq Ahmad Shaheed, who was martyred in Model Town Lahore. Her father was not Ahmadi but her mother converted to Ahmadiyyat and their daughters were also married into Ahmadi households. She was very kind and compassionate. She loved the Caliphate and honoured the system of the Community. She always enjoined her children to abstain from vain things. She is survived by four sons and four daughters. His Holiness(aba) prayed that may Allah grant her forgiveness and mercy and enable her children to carry on the legacy of her virtues.
Summary prepared by The Review of Religions