“I Believe”: Zafrullah Khan’s Faith

“I believe that subordinate prophets will continue to arise in Islam when mankind strays from the path of righteousness and needs divine revelation. It is necessary that, as the pattern of human life develops, mankind should have a living example set before them of a life utterly pure and devoted to the service of God and man”.

 -Sir Zafrullah Khan Sahib (ra) on American Radio Speech, in 1950

Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan Sahib (ra) (1893-1985), arguably one of the greatest public figures to have emerged among the followers and disciples of the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as), stated these ringing words in a context where he was explaining his inner most spiritual convictions and beliefs as a devout Muslim. In the 1950’s, the US radio service CBS invited Sir Zafrullah Khan Sahib, who at that time was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan with a formidable reputation of being a preeminent leader-statesman of the Muslim world, to deliver this address in the series on “This, I believe”. This speech was rebroadcast almost sixty years later on The Bob Edwards Show on July 23, 2010 and is now publically available on You Tube and also in Ahmadi media networks. 

This special speech of Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan (ra) is a public testimonial of his deeply held spiritual convictions and as such, it beautifully captures the sum and substance of the faith that the Promised Massih (as) had taught all his life and left behind as his spiritual legacy for all his followers and disciples. All members of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya need to ruminate and profoundly ponder over the ringing words of this great ambassador of the Ahmadiyya community.  

For the benefit of our Ahmadi readers, many of whom have been misguided by their current leaders and scholars with the notion that “Ummati-Nubuwwat’ in Islam has been replaced by a system of man-elected man or ‘Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya’, we reproduce below the transcript text and audio of the Speech.  

Spiritual Balm for the Diseases of the Heart

“Oh mankind! There has come unto you an exhortation from your Lord, a balm for that which is in the breasts, a guidance and a mercy for believers.” (10: 58).

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, My Rab (Lord, Allah) has given me this opportunity in my Friday Sermon of today to explain the remedies for diseases of the heart (7^th Part: “The Heart”). 

Note that cure and remedies of the diseased hearts lie only in obedience to the Quran and in pure and perfect Iman (faith); you can analyse and try to understand that Allah the Exalted says in the verse of Chapter Yunus which I have recited in the beginning of my sermon after Surah Al-Fatiha.

The Quran is a cure for that ignorance of the heart. Ignorance is a much more fatal disease to the heart in comparison to sicknesses of the body. Diseases of the heart are bad character, evil beliefs, destructive and ignorant customs, etc. The Quran is a salutary healer of all these diseases, for it embraces, advices, admonishes, gives warnings, encouragement, etc. Thus, the cure and healer for the disease of the heart is the Quran. 

Yaum-e-Ashura: Remembering Imam Hussein

My sermon will be on the Islamic month; especially the 10^th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar which is the Yaum-e-Ashura. It is an historical date and deeply memorable in Islam whereby lots of events, in addition to the one at Karbala, took place in the past, and also whereby other events will take place in the future. It is a day which is full of the blessings and on this day, Allah accepts and fulfils prayers made with sincerity. It is recommended to obtain a fast on this day and also one on either the eve or the next day of the Ashura.

On the day of Ashura, perform Ghusl (a complete bath); trim your nails, put on clean clothes and enable yourself to enter a state of Ibaadat (worship of Allah). On this day, besides the obligatory prayers, do some recitations of the Holy Quran, then read two cycles of voluntary prayers by reciting in each cycle after the Surah Al-Fatiha, ten times the Surah Al-Ikhlaas (Qul Huwallaaho Ahad…); After the prayer, read one time the Verse of the Throne (Ayatul Qursi) and nine times the Darood Ibrahim (which we read daily in our Salaat); afterwards ask of Allah whatever you want (which is permissible in the eyes of Allah). Invoke Him with sincerity!

Hazrat Muhammad (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “On the day of Ashura, the one who reads four voluntary cycles of prayer, and in each cycle, after the Surah Al-Fatiha reads eleven times Surah Al-Ikhlaas, Allah forgives him all his sins and will build for him an illuminated minbar.” This form of prayer purifies a believer from all his sins, and elevates him in his faith, and attracts on him the blessings of Allah. It is recommended to observe two fasts, that is, the 9^th and the 10^th day of Muharram. Hazrat Muhammad (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “After the obligatory fasting of Ramadhan, comes the greatness of the Ashura fast, and the latter wash away the sins of the preceding year.” It is also highly recommended on this day to perform other forms of worship to seek the pleasure of Allah, for example: to help the needy people in any way, to feed the poor, give away Sadqua (charity), etc.

The 10^th of Muharram will always remain engraved in the mind of each and every Muslim so that they may always remember the drastic days which befell upon Hazrat Imam Hussein.