Gems of Guidance - November 2023
August 4, 2023 - Salient Points of Jalsa Salana UK 2023
In this Friday sermon, Huzooraa stated that the Jalsa Salana UK concluded successfully last weekend, and the attendance was much greater than in previous years. After explaining the significance of being thankful to Allah the Almighty, he went on to mention the remarks of numerous important guests from all across the world, including a prominent law professor from the USA, a mayor from Belize, the Minister of Information from The Gambia, a historian from Spain, a writer from Italy, and an indigenous Vice-Chief from Canada, to name a few. Some other significant mentions are presented below.
Michael Wilson, a guest from Ghana, also attended the Jalsa. He is the chief technologist under the Department of Environmental Science and Technology in Ghana. Even before the Jalsa started, he was amazed by the work that was being done and expressed that it could not be done without God’s grace. After seeing the actual Jalsa, he was surprised by the commitment of the Jalsa workers and expressed that it must be God’s grace enabling them to work so efficiently. He was astounded by the fact that people who work in certain professional fields were volunteering their time and services at the Jalsa.
A Christian priest and theologian from Chile also attended the Jalsa. He was impressed by the unity and brotherhood of the Community. He says that he has attended many Christian conferences worldwide, but has never witnessed such a vast event organized by volunteers anywhere else. In his view, the success of this Convention is owed to the Community’s unity around their leader. He described the Community as a body; the Caliph as the head and brain, and the Community members as the limbs which operate according to the signals sent from the brain.
Huzooraa said that some people watching the Jalsa around the world even accepted Islam Ahmadiyya as a result, Alhamdolillah.
August 11, 2023: Faith Inspiring Incidents
In this Friday sermon, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa stated that many people had written to him mentioning faith inspiring incidents. Some of the salient incidents Huzooraa mentioned are reproduced below.
Once at a book fair, a computer engineer was looking through the books of the Promised Messiahas. He went to the Missionary who was present and informed him that he was a Muslim because of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Priorly, he had started moving away from faith and had become an atheist. His father owned some books of the Promised Messiahas, which he started reading. As a result of reading these books his faith and belief in God were restored.
Heaa further stated that, in the Czech Republic, a youth visited a book stall set up by the Community and said that he had come to the conclusion that God does exist. However, he was unsure about which religion could help him reach God. Ultimately, he came to the conclusion that it is the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community which could help him reach God and increase his spirituality.
Huzoor-e-anwaraa said that on an island in the Philippines, there were 139 people who accepted Ahmadiyyat, including a school principal and four Imams of a mosque.
Ahmadis in Pakistan are banned from reading or even listening to the Holy Qur’an, yet it is by conveying this very book that the Community is spreading the message of Islam throughout the world. In Micronesia, a person contacted the missionary to obtain a copy of the Holy Qur’an. Later he expressed that he had been reading the Bible his entire life, but it never sat right with him, and he never was able to completely understand it. However, upon reading the Holy Qur’an, it was as if every word was entering directly into his heart. He was astonished at how he had remained deprived of Qur’anic teachings for his entire life, and, despite opposition from friends and family, accepted Ahmadiyyat.
Huzooraa said that throughout the world, God’s help for the Promised Messiahas and his Community is evident. These incidents are the greatest proof of the truthfulness of the Community, and these incidents are strengthening people’s faith.
August 18, 2023: Appropriate Method of Entrusting Matters
In this Friday sermon, Huzooraa explained the Qur’anic instructions of selecting office-bearers. He said there should be no consideration for prior friendships or relationships when suggesting or selecting office holders. Office bearers are selected by members of the Jama’at and the Caliph of the time and this is done after pondering and contemplating as to who the best person for that particular office is. However, sometimes, it is possible that a person’s estimation about someone turns out to be inaccurate, or after obtaining an office, some people change. Instead, the humility, effort and justice with which an office bearer should work, no longer remain. In such instances, the responsibility rests with that office holder, not upon the one who has selected them.
Once two people came to the Holy Prophetsa and said that they should be given a certain position because they were capable of carrying it out. The Holy Prophetsa said that those he appoints are helped by Allah, however, those who seek or desire a position are not blessed or helped.
The first and foremost responsibility of office bearers is to adopt humility. It should be borne in mind that Allah is always watching and such people are under even greater scrutiny from God. Considering that they have been selected by the Caliph of the time, they should work with a mentality to carry out their responsibilities to the best of their abilities. If this mentality is adopted, then the true spirit of work will be inculcated, and members of the Community will cooperate.
Huzooraa said that every office bearer should bear the Hadith in mind that the leader of a nation is the servant of the nation. Similarly, it is the responsibility of office bearers to establish personal connections with the members of the Community in order to foster mutual ties of love. This is, in fact, the reason that they have been made office bearers, so that they may connect with members of the Community. This is the mentality that can beautify the system of the Community, and also draw us nearer to God Almighty.
August 25, 2023: The Essence of Repentance
In his Friday sermon on August 25, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa elaborated the concept of repentance. He mentioned that the Holy Prophetsa once stated, one who truly repents is as if they never erred in the first place. One becomes safe from the ill effects of wrongdoing. Then the Holy Prophetsa cited the following verse:
‘Allah loves those who turn to Him and loves those who keep themselves clean’ (The Holy Qur’an, 2:223)
Huzooraa said that in the Holy Qur’an, it is stated that Allah grants those who truly repent with wealth and progeny, and it becomes a means of being saved from the displeasure of Allah the Almighty. At one instance in the Holy Qur’an, Allah the Almighty states:
‘They would have surely found Allah Oft-Returning with compassion and Merciful.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 4:65)
The Holy Prophetsa was asked what connotes true repentance? He replied: regret and sorrow. By acting upon this advice, one can have their sins forgiven and benefit from the mercy of Allah.
The Promised Messiahas has outlined the conditions for true repentance. The first condition that he stipulated was to abandon ill and evil thoughts. This is a great struggle which one must undertake in order to achieve true repentance. The second condition for true repentance was that one must exhibit true regret and sorrow. The third condition stipulated by the Promised Messiahas for true repentance is to firmly resolve never to go near such evil again.
Huzooraa said that the Promised Messiahas has drawn the attention of his Community towards true repentance on countless occasions and, in fact, has taken every opportunity to highlight this subject. Huzooraa then presented some excerpts of the Promised Messiahas on this subject.
The Promised Messiahas spoke about the benefit of seeking forgiveness. He said that the Muslim ummah has been granted two abilities; one is the ability to gain strength, and the second is the ability to practically exhibit that strength. Strength can be attained through seeking forgiveness and seeking help. Just as people exercise by lifting weights and other means, seeking forgiveness strengthens the soul and develops perseverance of heart. Ghafara also refers to covering; thus, by doing Istighfar – seeking forgiveness – one strives to subdue and suppress those emotions and passions that take one further away from God.
Note: The Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in these brief synopses of Huzoor’saa Friday sermons.
