The Divine Favour of Ahmadiyya Khilafat

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community takes pride in the Khilafat system which they have instituted among themselves. They elect their Khalifa from among themselves once a vacancy arises within the leadership. Both literally and in fact, that is the practice. Yet, Ahmadi leaders delude themselves to believe that they did not elect their Khalifa and that the electoral process in the International Majlis Shuura, is simply and merely a method for the implementation of the Divine Will, as their minds conceive it. And the Ahmadiyya theology would have us believe that the Khalifa or the man-elected-man enjoys the shadow of Divine favour and protection. 

With such theological technologies at hand, the leadership practices sophistry with élan: common folks in the Jamaat have been hoodwinked into vain desires of Divine nearness by their leaders for too long. Yet when you question Ahmadis about the Divine connection of their Khalifa, honest among them will admit: they have no sure knowledge on it, and they are merely following conjectures within the Jamaat and they never applied their reasoning power on their beliefs. It is instructive for Ahmadis to remember the admonition of the Holy Qur’an which provides a simple method to test the veracity of claims: And they say, ‘None shall enter Heaven unless he be a Jew or a Christian.’ These are their vain desires. Say, ‘Produce your proof, if you truthful.’ [Surah Al Baqarah, 2:112].

Unfortunately for the Jamaat –e- Ahmadiyya, the deep waters of Divine favour seem to have been dried up in our times. The present Khalifa Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib seems to have been deprived of the great and august blessing of Divine revelations. There is damning evidence that corroborates the assertion that Masroor Sahib does seem to have been stripped of this great Divine favour: for he completes almost a decade on the high seat of Khalifa, without ever presenting a Divine Message.

The Heavenly Signs of Hadhrat Ahmad (as)

One of the most important beliefs among the Muslims is the appearance of Al Imam Al Mahdi in the Latter Days. The grand prophecies of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) regarding the appearance of his substitute in the Latter Days also point to the sign of solar and lunar eclipses. The appearance of the Divinely-ordained soul took place at the appointed time and the signs of celestial events also fulfilled as foretold in the holy traditions. Allah the Most High kept his side of the bargain. Yet, the world in general and the contemporary theologians in particular, rejected him. 

In his Friday Sermon of 22 March 2013, Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius reflects on the personal background of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian who was raised to the august spiritual office of Al Imam Al Mahdi by Allah the Most High, against the backdrop of the decline of the fortunes of Muslims in India and their capacity to articulate Islam’s spiritual appeal in general. In his speech, the Khalifatullah (atba) bears witness to the sublime truth of Hadhrat Ahmad (as) and further, confirms that his own Divine Mission in this era is inextricably intertwined with the Divine Mission of the Promised Massih (as) in the previous era.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

The year 1835 holds a proud place in the human calendar. During that year a child was born in Qadian, an obscure village in northern India. For generations his ancestors had ruled with distinction over the region around Qadian. Prior to his arrival even Islam fell in decline and lost much of its glory. The child who was born was not ordinary. He was intended to bring about a great revolution not only in the realm of the spirit, but also well into the realm of matter. He was born on 13 February 1835 and was named Ghulam Ahmad by his parents and later became famous under the name of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. He was appointed by God as the Messiah and Mahdi.

Interpreting the Prophecy on Musleh Maoud

In a special speech delivered on the occasion of the Musleh Maoud Day on February 20, 2013 Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius paid glowing tributes to the grand prophecy revealed to the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) regarding the birth of an auspicious, blessed, fortunate son who would be a servant of Islam. Extolling the literal and physical fulfilment of that great prophecy in the time of the second Khalifa of the Jamaat-e- Ahmadiyya, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (ra), the Chosen Messenger of Allah of our times points to the contemporary relevance of this prophecy.

A revelation of Allah can be realised in many ways and in different eras also. Just as there was the physical fulfilment of this prophecy in the previous period, the metaphoric and spiritual fulfilment of the prophecy takes place in this era on 20 February 2004, when Allah the Most High raised Hadhrat Khalifatullah with the title: “Musleh Maoud”.  Further, drawing upon the principles of interpretation of numerical values familiar to the great, mystical saints of Islam, Hadhrat Sahib provides an interesting explanation regarding the fulfilment of the prophecy in this era on his august personhood, Alhamdulillah.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:    

Questioning the Violence Against Women

“And when people are brought together,

And when the girl-child buried alive is questioned about,

‘For what crime was she killed?’

And when books are spread abroad,”

              -The Holy Qur’an [Ch: 81, v. 8-11]

The great Qur’anic prophecies regarding the Signs of the Latter Days certainly seem to have come to fruition in our age. A question to ponder: When the signs are apparent and obvious, wouldn’t Allah raise His Messenger as well? As the Qur’an tells us: “There are lessons for those endowed with reasoning”.

Reflective and discerning individuals would be awestruck by the stunning, literal fulfilment of Divine prophecies in our times. Consider this: the single most important fact of our times is the unprecedented and extraordinary phenomena of globalization. The great prophecy of the Holy Qur’an “when people are brought together” is magnificently fulfilled, literally in our times, in several, different ways thanks to the explosion in communication technologies and transportation mechanisms. Likewise, no age before ours has witnessed the transnational exchange of books and ideas as much as we do today: in the age of Internet, the virtual world of cyberspace fosters an information revolution of unimaginable proportions.

It is also of particular interest to note that in our times, at a time when even in Muslim societies, the equality of legal protection offered by Islam to women had been subverted by the misogynist, traditional interpretations, the assertion of women’s dignity and rights, identity and choices have begun to gain legitimacy and recognition in the public sphere. In any case, no age before ours has witnessed as much concern for the protection and dignity and rights of women and girls as much as our own age. 

Meeting on the heels of high profile violence cases against women in India and elsewhere that fuelled global outrage and rising demands for justice, the 57^th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, March 04- 15, 2013, adopted a forward-looking Agreed Conclusions. The document strongly emphasizes that violence against women is a human rights violation and calls special attention to the need for women’s and girls’ safety in public spaces, and for attitudinal changes through challenging gender stereotypes. It highlights the need to strengthen legal and policy frameworks, with important provisions on ending impunity, and ensuring accountability and access to justice, as well as addressing domestic violence. 

Reproduced below is extracts from a Speech delivered on March 08, 2013- International Women’s Day- by the distinguished Executive Director of UN Women, Madame Michelle Bachelet on “Gender-Motivated Killings of Women, Including Femicide”:

Prophecy on the "ARAB SPRING"

Contemporary world is characterized by an upsurge of democratic aspirations and collective struggles over fundamental human rights and freedoms and the quest for dignity and quality of living standards. And the signs of the "Latter Days"- prophecied in the Holy Qur’an -are apparent everywhere: in contemporary history, national political orders, international relations, economic systems, governance systems, human rights, women’s rights,  scientific breakthroughs, technological innovations, emergence of geological and astronomic insights, the phenomena of globalization, etc. At another level, developments in all fields of human activities and critical intellectual engagements, both in the Arab world and outside it, in our times, provide a profound testimonial to the wisdom and foresight of the author of the Holy Qur’an which contains the promise of enduring divine guidance for the believers along with the prophecies on the signs of the “Latter Days”.  It is to guide the mankind in these troublingly complex times that the Holy Qur’an prophecied about the advent of Divine Messengers in the Latter Days. 

According to the Holy Qur'an, "Allah knows  best where to place His Message" [6:125] and He raises His Messenger accordingly. We are, thus, living through a defining moment in world history: at a time when a Messenger of Allah in the person of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) is present among the African people to guide us on the path of spiritual upliftment and material progress.  Hadhrat Khalifatullah’s statements in 2009, appears in retrospect, a prescient forecast or prophecy on events yet to unfold with the recent emergence of the Arab Spring when the Arab massess in North Africa Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria and elsewhere- revolted against their dictatorial elites and liberated themselves from decades of oppressive oligarchies.

Recent Dreams about the Divine Manifestation

“The world of dreams is in a manner like the world to come. The wonders that nature has sealed up in the dreamland and the mysteries therein and the manner in which these spiritual phenomena appear are similar to that of the Hereafter. One might say that the dreamland is a kind of reflection or a photograph of the world yet to come. That is why death and dreams have been spoken of as real sisters, alike in their features, appearance, components and integral parts.

The only way to have a glimpse at the secrets of the world to come without the aid of inspiration and revelation, is this source- the world of dreams; it is, therefore befitting for the wise and thinkers, if they are keen on acquiring some knowledge of the happenings of the next world, that they must ponder and deliberate over the happenings in the dreams because the wonders of the world to come are not unlike the wonders of the dreamland. Just as the state of dreams is created after a strange change so are the conditions transformed in the Hereafter”.- Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (SURMA CHASHM ARYA; p. 159).

By the grace of Allah, Allah keeps sending new revitalising signs in His Divine Manifestation as a constant blessing. In other words, Allah keeps on pouring down His multitudinous spiritual grace in the hearts of both His Chosen Servant, the Khalifatullah of this era, Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius and the sincere believers in his advent. For the benefit of our readers, we present below two important dreams (dated Sunday 24 February 2013), one seen by the Khalifatullah (atba) and the other by one of his most devoted, wise and pious disciples.

A Divine Warner in the Time of Calamities

Worshipping human beings and false gods have become widespread practices in many societies. The delusions of grandeur and illusions of vanity of man are deeply imprinted on his errors of omission and commission that threaten the very future of life on earth. In short, both the ‘faith’ of man and his actual deeds testify against him today. By rejecting or ignoring the path of the Supreme Being and corrupting his deeds, man invites upon himself the Divine Wrath. According to the Divine Messenger of our times, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius, the secret wishes of an offended God will become apparent in the days to come and “He will reveal His face with majesty and terror”. In his Friday Sermon of 08 March 2013, the Khalifatullah exhorts the people to recognize the signs of the times and display sincere repentance and change of heart by following the Divine commandments and messages available today.

Read the Extracts from the FridaySermon:

I constantly think about the possibility of a decision between us and Christianity. My heart bleeds and suffers a lot when I ponder over the error of the worshipping of the dead, as there is no more painful thing than to have a humble human being worshipped by people. And this is also found in Hinduism where Hindus deify the Messengers of God and even others who are not religious. 

The Trajectory of Spiritual Triumph

Divine Messengers appear to call the people back to the sublime path of spirituality, especially when the times witness the materialistic inclinations in society. Since the mundane preoccupations of the affluent will delude them about their sense of destiny and privilege in society, only a few (weak ones) will join the league of the Messenger, initially.  Yet, it is a recurring irony of history that the truth of the Messenger and the power of his messages triumph against all odds.  In spite of apparent weaknesses in terms of material means and riches, the small band of believers prevails over their powerful adversaries. How does this stunning transformation in the fortunes of the two forces come about? What are the spiritual principles in operation in this battle of ideas? What lessons can we learn from the majestic example of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) and from the experience of the Awwaleen (first disciples)?   

In his Friday Sermon of 15 February 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius continued the discourse on victory of truth over falsehood in the spiritual realm. Drawing upon the lived experience of Divine Messengers of the past and the history of spiritual communities, Hadhrat Sahib (atba) offers an eloquent explanation on a very complex and multi-layered subject of much significance for spiritual seekers in every age. Addressing the small band of believers -Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam-, the Messenger of Allah of our times pointedly observes that if they reflect the “light of Allah” in their everyday lives, they will gradually overcome the forces of falsehood and emerge triumphant: “it is this light itself which shall bring into operation all these changes”.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

I continue on the same subject of the sermon I made last Friday, and I read before you the Verse 82 of Chapter 17: “And say, ‘Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, ever bound to depart.’” 

“AL HAQ”- A Divine Attribute

The essence of pure belief is captured in the concept of Taqwah or God- consciousness. When one attains a stage of certainty of faith and establishes a true and real bond with the Truthful Being, it invariably leads to changes in a person- in one’s perceptions and priorities, both internally and externally. Such a person shall be able to walk under the shadow of Divine Help. The special Light or guiding force takes care of all his/her/their spiritual and material affairs in ways that will baffle and confound the mundane world. When a community of such believers straddle the earth, the spiritual light it emanates will illumine the world, conquering the darkness of disbelief and forces of evil. Such a community, howsoever small or insignificant in numbers or material riches it might appear, eventually vanquish their apparently ‘superior’ enemies in the battle of progress and endurance.

The universality of this spiritual principle is a recurring theme in the lived history of Divine Messengers and their spiritual communities. The most important testimonial of its practical application is available to us from the times of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) when the early believers have had to literally confront, far superior armies on the battlefields. It is the readiness to struggle and sacrifice, make efforts and change destinies that characterizes and distinguishes a believer from others. Through grit, determination and a sense of pure belief, the small band of believers go on with their tasks and missions, achieving what are, otherwise, apparently formidable and un-achievable. 

At another level, the principle is a profound commentary on the subtle ways of the Truthful God, AL HAQ. In his Friday Sermon of 08 February 2013, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius provides a profound commentary on the Divine Attribute of Al Haq and exhorts the believers - Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- who have the Divine mandate to re-establish the faith in this age to take heart from the theory and praxis of this important spiritual principle in their every day lives.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“And say, ‘Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, ever bound to depart.’” (17: 82)

Holy Qur'an at Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School, one of the most prestigious institutions of its kind in the world, has recently posted a verse of the Holy Qur’an at the entrance of its Faculty Library, describing the verse as one of the greatest expressions of justice in history. Verse 135 of Surah Al Nisa (The Women) has been posted at a wall facing the faculty’s main entrance, dedicated to the best phrases articulating justice: 

“O you who believe!

Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses 

To Allah, even as against 

Yourselves or your parents, 

Or your kin, and whether

It be (against) rich or poor; 

For Allah can best protect both". 

Established in 1817, Harvard is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. Among its alumni is US President Barack Hussein Obama and a host of influential journalists, writers, media and business leaders and even professional athletes. According to its official website, The Words of Justice exhibition is a testimony of the endurance of humanity’s yearning for fairness and dignity through law. “The words on these walls affirm the power and irrepressibility of the idea of justice.”

We reproduce below an insightful explanation of this particular verse provided by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius as part of his forthcoming Commentary on the Holy Qur’an:

‘Humanity at the Brink of Disaster!’

Through recurring revelations of unmistakable intensity and clarity, Allah the Almighty has charged Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius with a heavy responsibility as a Warner sent unto mankind: to alert and warn the world about the impending Disasters. Thus, in his Friday Sermon of  01 March 2013 (17 Rabi’ul Aakhir ; 1434 Hijri ) Hadhrat Sahib has had to convey to the world the spine-chilling news about the Disasters waiting to unfold in a striking way all over the world. The world appears to be condemned to witness the consequences of its evil ways : for the chronicle of earth-shattering events foretold include wars, calamities, ethnic conflicts, communal violence/racial riots, the destruction of despots and the desecration of cities.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:  

Allah (swt) chose me as His Khalifatullah in this era and my Creator has informed me through revelation several times since Friday, 08 February 2013 and continually so, till now that a third world calamity is to come. Despite the fact that these days all these calamities are hitting the world, yet people do not learn from these happenings, and these do them nothing that these calamities come from the Creator of the universe. They continue to persist in their sin and continue in the practice of Shirk on several levels. They have all forgotten the divine teaching; they trampled the teachings of God and give man’s words the greatest value. The majority of people in the world have turned their backs to the divine messages and rejected the Messenger of God in this present age.

Pakistan and the cult of Militancy

[According to the Holy Qur’an, peace, amity and brotherhood among the people are among the blessings of Allah, Correspondingly, the Divine wrath and punishments take different forms, including civil strife and “violence of one another”. In the last decade, Pakistan’s descent into chaos has been observed with deep anguish and profound sadness by the Messenger of Allah of our times, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius. Time and again, he has warned the Muslim country and its religious and political leadership against the egregious violations of freedom of conscience, of basic human rights and the norms of Islamic propriety and decency in the country. Recent events from there confirm that country is in the grips of Divine wrath: the deer prophecies and warnings made by the Divine Messenger have been proved to be presciently true and correct.    

For the benefit of our readers, we reproduce below an essay on the cult of militancy in Pakistan from one of the leading writers from contemporary Pakistan, the Award-winning novelist Mohsin Hamid who is the author of the novels 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' and the forthcoming 'How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia'. The essay was originally written for, and published in, the New York Times. India’s leading newspaper, The Hindu also carried it on February 24, 2013].

At the heart of Pakistan’s troubles is the celebration of the militant

On Monday, my mother’s and sister’s eye doctor was assassinated. He was a Shia. He was shot six times while driving to drop his son off at school. His son, age 12, was executed with a single shot to the head.

Tuesday, I attended a protest in front of the Governor’s House in Lahore demanding that more be done to protect Pakistan’s Shias from sectarian extremists. These extremists are responsible for increasingly frequent attacks, including bombings this year that killed more than 200 people, most of them Hazara Shias, in the city of Quetta.

As I stood in the anguished crowd in Lahore, similar protests were being held throughout Pakistan. Roads were shut. Demonstrators blocked access to airports. My father was trapped in one for the evening, yet he said most of his fellow travellers bore the delay without anger. They sympathised with the protesters’ objectives.

Abolition of Slavery: Islamic Ethics

In the dark chapters of human history, social relations were characterized by exploitation, oppression, subjugation, domination and hegemony. Perhaps slavery represents the worst example of this social order. On the other hand, Islam seeks to create an egalitarian social order where traditional practices that unjustly discriminate against fellow beings will be contained and eventually abolished. Islamic teachings are, thus, designed to reduce and abolish the class differences and the institutional vestiges of inequality in society. Islam imagines a social space where diversities lead to creative ensemble and the flowering of the human spirit and not to oppression and injustice and the unjust enrichment for a few over the many. [Inset: Watercolor by unidentified artist, depicting plantation slaves dancing and playing musical instruments; banjo player and a percussion player (possibily playing a gourd) at right.  Image courtesy of The Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: A Visual Record  ]

In his Friday Sermon of 01 February 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius explained the Islamic attitude towards the ancient problem of slavery. Drawing upon the express verses of the Holy Qur’an and the traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa), the Messenger of Allah of our times demonstrates the spirit of human equality and empathy for the victims of slavery apparent in the teachings of Islam. In a world characterized by neo-slavery mind-set of modern men who consider women as chattels and sexual trafficking of women and girl children are everyday occurrences, the Islamic teachings are a reminder to the oft-blaming conscience of man.  

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

The year 2013 marks the 178^th year since the abolition of slavery in Mauritius. Thus, every 1^st February is a public holiday in Mauritius. A section of the Mauritian population is made of African originated slaves, thus the appellation of these types of people, Creoles. But as a generality, every Mauritian is known as Creole despite his or her religious or cultural background and beliefs, and our mother tongue is Creole.

Prophet Muhammad (sa) and His Marriages

Both anti-Islam elements and mindlessly ignorant critics have long called attention to the multiple marriages of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa), in an effort to tarnish the sublime spiritual life of the father of Muslims and to decry that Islam has no space for women’s dignity and rights. Nothing can be further from the truth. For history and traditions of the Muslims testify that the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) elevated the status of women in society through his precepts and practices. If one cares to examine the historical record in its entirety and the material circumstances of the events of the Prophet’s marriages and the times in which such marriages happened, one could come to an intelligent conclusion-that Islam and the Holy Prophet (sa) upheld the dignity and rights and status of women in society. 

In his Friday Sermon of 25 January 2013, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius continued his exposition on some important aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa), a theme he began in the previous week. The Sermon especially provides profound insights on the attitude of the Holy Prophet (sa) towards women and the circumstances of his many marriages. In a fractured and divided tribal society, where women’s lives were considered cheap and disposable, the Prophet’s marriages brought dignity to vulnerable, widowed women and protection to their young children, mend the faultiness of tribal discord, raised the status of slave women, provided unique opportunities for the training of the Ummah on religious values and norms, points out the Messenger of Allah of our times.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

Islam has over the centuries been both commended and criticised concerning the rights of women in society. The modern westerners flaunt the so-called liberty of their women folk before the world, and in their ignorance falsely allege that Islam reserves an inferior place to woman and that she is more of a slave than a person of equal status to man. Whilst the world before Islam casted women as a lowly thing, with the advent of Islam the woman regain her true identity as excellent servant of God, and man’s great treasure, help and equal. 

Remembering the Holy Prophet (sa)

In his Friday Sermon of 18 January 2013, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) gave a discourse on the early life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) whose endearing personality was “the epitome of purity, morality, spirituality and human perfection.” The Sermon presents a graphic portrait of the early years of the man whom Allah the Most High had destined to raise to a lofty spiritual station in this very life. Reflecting on the very many trials and tribulations faced by the young Muhammad, who went on to become the Holy Prophet of Islam, the Khalifatullah (atba) observes: “It was the will of God that the Prophet to-be should undergo all sorts of sufferings, pains and privations incidental to human life in order that he might learn to bear them with becoming fortitude and raise his stature in human perfection.”

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:  

Born on the soil of Arabia on a Monday 12 Rabi’ul Awwal (in the year of the Elephant), the Seal of all prophets, Muhammad (pbuh) came as Warner and Preacher of the Unity of God, not only to the People of the land upon which he was born, but he came also as the Universal Prophet, that is, for all nations of the world, a blessing indeed for the world. He was commissioned to Prophethood on a Monday also, and very often he used to fast on this day in remembrance of the immense favour which Allah made upon him when He chose him as the best of mankind.

Attributes of a Divine Seeker

How does one traverse the narrow path of spiritual proximity in a mundane world? How does one attain nearness to Allah, the Most High? What are the qualities that transformed common human beings into Divine Messengers and raised them to the elevated status of friends of Allah?

The precepts of faith are to be practiced in an everyday life, beset with troubling choices and complex questions. In the solitude of man, he is often troubled by perceptions of his own capability and material circumstances in shaping the outcomes. Islam theorises that without the command and permission of Allah the Most High, not even a leaf moves where it does. Thus, Islam offers the empowering idea of Divine Help and succour to the believer who offers fervent prayers to Allah, the Most High and does her best. Yet, a linear understanding of this idea, which does not take account of the Divine Will, would be a mistake. In his Friday Sermon of 11 January 2013, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) provides illuminating insights onto the difficult and complex questions of Divine proximity.

In the service of religion and humanity, a Divine seeker has purity of heart, sincerity of intention, and selflessness in practical action. Regardless of mundane circumstances, they move ahead with their noble responsibilities, with only faith as their armour. They have the courage to walk alone amidst the storms of life and the grace to grow over individual sufferings and afflictions. They have the capability to stare down the prejudices of the self and display unpretentious humility and lack of arrogance defines them in personal life. These are amongst the qualities of real Divine seekers who attains spiritual proximity and becomes the friends of Allah, says the Khalifatullah (atba). Those who adopt these attributes come under the shadow of Divine Help and communion in the varied circumstances of this present life itself, points out the Messenger of Allah of our times.  

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.” (7: 24)

'Become A Plant of Allah'

Islam promises the dawn of a new era in human relations through its ethical vision and spiritual teachings. As the reform of the world is through the reform of the individual, Islam insists upon personal reform as the way forward. By creating a community of people who restrain themselves from the evil whispering of Satanic impulses and do perform good deeds for the sake of their own souls and the progress of humanity, Islam seeks to achieve the larger goal of a progressive spiritual community. 

In the times of a Messenger of Allah, the heavy responsibility of calling mankind to the path of the Lord Almighty and the way in which He has designed and created the human nature, falls on the humble shoulders of the faithful who follow the Messenger.Yet, the spiritual project is not without its share of doubts and concerns for the individual believer in his or her every day life. By looking at the sheer magnitude of the tasks and responsibilities ahead- both at individual and collective, societal level, a believer may even become overwhelmed by a sense of  incapacity and helplessness. How to negotiate these spiritual anxieties and ethical concerns at the individual level?

In his Friday Sermon of January 04, 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius offers profound guidance on the matter. Continuing on the theme of seeking to purify oneself from the evil inclinations of the lower self, the Khalifatullah (atba) exhorts the believers to seek Divine Forgivemess for personal and collective fallibilities by reciting the prayers taught by Allah Himself in His Holy Qur’an. One ought to become a real ‘plant’ of Allah, to be watered and nursed  and preserved by the Lord Himself against all odds and adverse circumstances. A real sense of devotion, love, affection, humility and sincerity in the path of Allah are personal qualities that can open one’s path of Divine Favour, underlines the Messenger of Allah of our times.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon :

“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.” (7: 24)

Imam of the Age: Qualities and Faculties

More than a century back, the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) wrote an important essay on the Need for the Imam. This tract provides illuminating insights into the spiritual order of Imamat that Islamic ethics prescribes for perpetual Divine guidance for the common folks who seeks to strive in the straight and narrow path of pure spirituality.

Read the Extracts from the Book:

   

"Now, an important question arises: Who is to be called the Imam of the age? What are his hallmarks? And why is he to be preferred over other recipients of revelations, dreams and visions? The answer to this question is that the Imam of the age is the one for whose spiritual training God Almighty Himself assumes charge. He imbues his nature with such a light of Imamat that he takes on all the rationalists and philosophers of the world, and vanquishes them in a comprehensive debate.

Sustained as he is by God Almighty, he answers all subtle and abstruse questions in such an excellent manner, that one has to admit that he has come to this transient world equipped with all the provisions for its reform. As a result, he does not have to suffer embarrassment before an opponent. Spiritually speaking, he is the Commander-in-Chief of the forces of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and it is God Almighty’s Will that through him faith should once again become victorious. All those who gather under his flag are also vouchsafed with capabilities of the highest order. He is blessed with all the necessary conditions essential to reform, and all the knowledge necessary for refuting objections, and for presenting the beauties of Islam.

‘Restrain from Evil Inclinations’

In his Friday Sermon of 28 December 2012, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius gave a profound discourse on the hidden pearls of wisdom underlying the Qur’anic teachings on keeping away from evil inclinations and Satanic tendencies. Belivers are those who do good deeds and prefer the welfare of others even over their own personal comforts. They keep away from selfish desires and other evil inclinations and constantly seek to deny giving any corners for Satan to cast his evil whisperings.

“When you, the believers, leave behind the temporary attractions of this world and refuse to follow Satan in his path, and you give Allah preference over all things, it is then that the divine blessings are bestowed upon you; Allah sends down extraordinary blessings, and along with these you reap the good of your good deeds and you get a complete Iman (faith)”, exhorts the Messenger of Allah of our times.

Read the Extracts from the Speech:    

This is enlightenment for mankind and guidance and mercy for a people who are certain (in faith). (45: 21)

In this Quranic verse, Allah says that this Quran and the words therein contain such clear proofs for humanity, that is, when someone studies it with Taqwa (fear of Allah) and in whichever he wants, then he shall certainly see clear proofs (of the truth) in it.

Afterwards Allah says that it is guidance and mercy for the holders of faith, those who have complete faith in it. In the next verse, Allah says: “Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds– (make them) equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge.” (45: 22)

The Dead Sea Scrolls Are Now ‘Online’

The Dead Sea Scrolls or the Qumran Manuscripts are an important source of historical information regarding the material and spiritual life in an early Community of Believers during the Biblical times. According to many scholars, the Scrolls offer illuminating insights on the beliefs and practices of the historical Essene Community of Jewish people to which, it is said, the Hadhrat Jesus (as) belonged. The majority of the Scrolls, preserved at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, are now available online and can be accessed by all here.

Dating from the third century BCE to the first century CE, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves on the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea, Palestine/Israel. 

The manuscripts are generally attributed to an isolated Jewish sect, referred to in the scrolls as "the Community," who settled in Qumran in the Judean desert. The Dead Sea Scrolls, which include the oldest known biblical manuscripts in existence, offer critical insight into Jewish society in the Land of Israel during the Second Temple Period, the time of the birth of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism.

Remembering Professor Abdus Salam

Professor Abdus Salam (1926-1996) was one of the leading scientists of his generation and his outstanding contributions to the world of theoretical physics were widely recognized, including by way of the Nobel Prize for Physics, 1979. He made seminal contributions to the development of science and technology in his own country-Pakistan- and yet, Pakistan as a nation has not given its due to him, thanks to his unwavering personal faith in the messages of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. In a country that has legalised intolerance and the persecution of people and systemically prosecute the Ahmadi Muslims for their essential personal convictions, the memory of the great scientist is sought to be erased even from his tombstone!

For the benefit of our readers, we reproduce below an article written by columnist Mohammad Ahmed in the Pakistani newspaper The News on November 21, 2012 on the 16^th death anniversary of Professor Abdus Salam.

Unmourned in his own country

Today is the death anniversary of one of Pakistan’s ablest sons, Dr Abdus Salam. Unfortunately, his achievements and services remain unacknowledged in his own country, where he was made an alien because of the belief into which he was born, although they are celebrated around the world.