Each of the sects, the Jamaats
(communities) of Islam, is seeking the Khilafat for itself, to lead the
Ummah, but this Khilafat – let me tell you – is chosen by Allah! When
man deviates from the path of Allah and abandons the spiritual heritage of
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), of Islam – an Islam that all the prophets have preached
since the creation of man – then Allah sees the need to raise His own Khalifa
(Caliph/ Representative) to bring about that unity. This Khalifa of
Allah does all he can, through the divine revelation he receives, to revive the
Qur’an and Islam in the hearts of people across the world; not just Muslims,
but also people of other faiths who have long lost the right path.
So, if we look closely,
who truly deserves the Khilafat? When we analyse the sects of Islam that have
deviated from the right path, we see how many have already lost true guidance;
therefore, each Muslim must reflect on whether he is truly following the “Siratwal
Mustaqeem” (the straight path), and where it is truly leading him: towards
Allah and His pleasure, or towards divine anger and punishment?
A Khilafat that is based on the footsteps and works of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) – when the time comes, it will appear, and continue to appear, after people have lost the compass of Islam – that is, when they lose the direction that leads to true Islam.
If we analyse the Ummah
since the death of our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), when Islam
became divided, we find that one faction called the other faction Kafirs
(disbelievers)! Yet they all say “Laa Ilaaha Illallahu Muhammadur
Rasoolullah”!
For example, the
Ahle-Hadith called the Wahhabis Kafirs and said they had no right to be
in charge of the Haramain Shareef (i.e. the Ka’aba Shareef and its
surroundings as well as the Nabawi Mosque and its surroundings in Madina), and
that those who follow the Wahhabis would be cursed, and that one should not
greet them, or that their animal sacrifices are unlawful, and that no
relationship should be maintained with them!
That is one example.
There are many such examples. Each of the Islamic sects has mocked and
condemned its fellow as Kafirs. This matter of mocking the Jamaat of
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) is not unique in itself. All the sects before
the advent of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) were already tearing themselves apart.
At that time, the Wahhabis were already in charge of the Haramain (Makkah and
Madina), and there was pressure from all sides, until the Ottoman Empire (of
Turkey) regained control. All this happened during the lifetime of Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad (as). After the death of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as), the Ottoman
reign continued, where they placed the local Hashemites of Arabia in charge of
Makkah and Madinah and the regions of Hijaz, etc. Then, the family of Saud Ibn
Abdul-Aziz (Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud) took back control (and this continues to this
day), where Arabia became known as: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and where
Wahhabism is dominant. Until now, many in the Ummah are unhappy that the
Wahhabis are in charge of Arabia and have control over the Haramain. But for
everything to go smoothly for Hajj and Umrah, they set aside their differences
so that negotiations can proceed properly.
So, in this way, many
other sects can be mentioned where they have declared their fellow Muslims as Kafirs.
These two sects I have mentioned are enough to demonstrate how Islam has been
divided and sub-divided. Therefore, if we reflect deeply, it is impossible for
the Khilafat to be established without Allah Himself imposing His own
decision upon the Ummah, His own Khalifa, because everyone is fighting
to take the Khilafat for themselves. And each is interpreting Islam in their
own way, where ultimately the true Islam that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) brought
has been lost under layers of harmful or bad Bid’ah (innovations).
The advent of a Khalifa—the
Khilafat—is a very important concept in Islam, and Allah Himself has
made a promise to the believers. (You will find this mentioned in Surah Noor,
Chapter 24, Verse 56). The Holy Prophet (pbuh) explained this Divine Promise as
follows: “... ultimately the Khilafat will be
established among you on the footsteps/ based on prophethood (Nabuwwat)”
(Mishkat – Bab al Anzar wal Tahzir).
Khilafat on the footsteps and “design” of Nabuwwat
(prophethood) means that the true Khilafat, which is based on Nabuwwat
and its structure, built by the hand of the Nabuwwat of Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh), is the kind of Nabuwwat that will be permanently established in
the hearts and minds of every believer through the power of the Nabuwwat
of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). This means that there will still be prophets who
will come after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), who will be prophets only because of
their attachment to him. They will be Khalifas chosen by Allah, and
after them there will be a system of Khilafat based on their reformation
of Islam, until the moment comes when that system becomes corrupted, and Allah
raises another of His chosen Khalifa, a Khalifatullah, an Islamic prophet
to revive the Muhammadan Ummah (peace and blessings be upon the Holy Prophet
Muhammad) and humanity as a whole and invite them all to Islam!
The establishment of
the system of Khalifatullah, and the Khalifas of the Khalifatullah or
Messiah, will continue like this until the Day of Judgement. When people begin
to forget the fundamental teachings of Islam, just as the Ummah had forgotten
(at one point in time), then Allah sent the Promised Messiah and Mahdi
(Khalifatullah) Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), and thus we see that after his
death, Allah desired that the system of Khilafat-e-Massih take place, but after
that system began to deteriorate, Allah made provision to send another of His
chosen Khalifa – chosen by none but Him (chosen by Allah, not by man! – and He
sends this humble servant among the Jamaat of His past Messiah to revive Islam,
to show the Jamaat Ahmadiyya their errors, as well as the rest of the Ummah,
and today it remains my duty to call them (you) all to unity and Islamic brotherhood.
Remember well that the
Khilafat which Allah Himself chooses and sends and to which He grants the Ruh’il
Quddus (Divine Revelation), its establishment and propagation are in the
hands of Allah, where this Khilafat of Allah (Khalifatullah) is
protected and guided. Allah Himself sends His blessings upon His Khalifa,
and through this divine blessing of this Khilafat, all true believers
establish true trust in the oneness of Allah and stay away from worldly things
and idolatry. With this Khilafat guided by Allah, Allah guarantees the
believers the establishment of faith, good deeds, peace, stability in religion,
and protection against Shirk (association of other partners – false gods
– with Allah). As a result, believing nations receive Divine help and attain
greatness and superiority in this world. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
I will stop here. Insha-Allah,
I will continue on the same subject next Friday. May Allah inspire sincere
hearts and even those who are in sin to find His light and guide them to the
straight path before that Promised Day comes when nothing will benefit any soul
except the guidance that Allah has sent to them, and which they have accepted
and remained sincere upon. Insha-Allah, on that Day, I hope to see the
Muslim Ummah of all eras strong and sincere, and that we all together with our
beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) enter into the eternal grace of Allah. Insha-Allah,
Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 01 August 2025~ 06 Safar 1447 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius.