Phenomenon of satanic forces and God's chosen people

Summary of Friday Sermon

Delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad ^at, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

May 28 ^th, 2010

NOTE: Alislam Team takes full responsibility for any errors or miscommunication in this Synopsis of the Friday Sermon

Hudhur recited verses 72 – 75 of Surah Sad, the translation reads: ‘When thy Lord said to the angels, ‘I am about to create man from clay, ‘And so when I have fashioned him in perfection, and have breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down in submission to him.’ So the angels submitted, all of them together. But Iblis did not. He behaved proudly, and was of those who disbelieved.’ And delivered a Friday Sermon on the phenomenon of satanic forces and God’s chosen people, His Prophets helped by hosts of angels.

Hudhur said from the beginning of time Satan and man have been contending with each other. In religious account God’s love for Adam (on whom be peace) caused Satan to declare war with him with much ferocity. This enmity was repeated in the era of each Prophet of God and indeed is still being repeated. Prophets of God guide to ways leading to God and Satan has always tried to spoil this process and continues to do so. He frightens and misleads people with all manner of pretext, greed and terror. The Holy Qur’an cites in many places that from the creation of Adam (on whom be peace) Satan started using ploys. From Surah Al Fatiha to Surah Al Nas, God has mentioned Satan to alert believers from his attacks, and has commanded to protect themselves from him through prayer.

The aforementioned verses declare the creation of God’s beloved and His command to angels to completely submit to man and the arrogance of Satan in declining to submit to one who was, in his view, created from lesser matter. When God created man, He put the capacity in him to imbue Divine qualities and thus attain nearness to God, and go on to attain a high point in this nearness where angels would be commissioned to serve him. God sends His Prophets who attain the greatest nearness to Him and as a result the entire system of angels arises to help and support them. God’s special decree comes into action for this purpose. God created man as the most eminent of all creation and pressed the entire creation in his service. When man is granted prophethood he becomes the Adam of his age, imagine the support and succour he would receive in such instance.

During the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) he and the believers were bitterly persecuted and the pagans of Makkah marshalled aggression in order to eliminate Islam. In the Battle of Badr it was God’s angels whose help turned the tide in favour of the Muslims. There are several other instances from the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) which illustrate that an army of angels was always with him and the believers. Indeed, the Muslims lost their lives as well as suffered from loss of property etc. however; the mob of Iblees (Satan) could never achieve their objective. Those who follow Satan try their utmost to create doubts and suspicions in people’s hearts through murder and mayhem, financial loss, both overtly and covertly putting terror in people’s hearts. Opponents of good fall into the control of Satan because of their arrogance. Their argument is that those who claim prophethood and who call to God are in fact poor and lowly and it is them who are knowledgeable and conversant, how could they then take their bai’at? Hudhur said it is again arrogance of those who do not accept the Imam of the age that is preventing them from accepting him.

When God commanded angels to prostrate to man it was not a literal command for only God is worthy of prostration. This command meant that one who is commissioned by God should be perfectly obeyed and Satan should not be allowed to succeed in his objectives against him. It meant that the Prophet should be helped in making Satan unsuccessful and an awareness of the message of the Prophet and God’s help and succour for him should be inspired in pious-natured people so that they may recognise the truth and join the community of the Prophet. These people would then go through spiritual enhancement and experience God’s help and succour, as a result their life on this earth and their Hereafter is accomplished and they become the recipients of God’s Paradise. The hearts of pious-natured people are enthused and this is when angels declare: ‘So the angels submitted, all of them together…’ Meanwhile the works of Prophet is blessed in extraordinary ways and one can observe the ‘submission’ of pious-natured people and it is this obedience and submission that is the ‘prostration’ to carry the mission of the Prophet further. By becoming most excellent helpers they take his work forward.

Hudhur said in this age it is the true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), the Promised Messiah, who has been addressed as ‘Adam’ by God. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that to affront one commissioned by God is to affront God. Hudhur said today those who oppose the community of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in fact are contending with God. It was revealed to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace): ‘I determined on the appointment of a Vicegerent and so created Adam, the Vicegerent of Allah the Sultan’ (Tadhkirah p.369). Hudhur said our Khilafat is spiritual rather than temporal and this status was granted to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) because of his subservience to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Having granted the status, God commanded angels to submit to him, that is, submit to the special human who had been chosen for faith. In another revelation God thus assured the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace): ‘…I shall stand with My Messenger and angels will help him…’ (Tadhkirah p. 453). Hudhur explained that this ‘help of God’ is not a tale of yore. We witness to this day that Satan is at work and so are the angels. Our opponents oppress us with their persecution in one place and the community grows in many new places.

Hudhur said he read in Al Fazl recently how Hilmi Shafi sahib accepted Ahmadiyyat and how God inclined him. Mustapha Thabit sahib, who was an Ahmadi, lived worked in Sana desert with Hilmi Shafi sahib. Hilmi sahib would watch the then young man as different from the rest and regular in Salat. Gradually they became friends and while discussing Islam Thabit sahib would present reasoning and argument to which neither Hilmi sahib had the answers to nor could his religious leaders help with. When they parted way, Hilmi sahib kept some of Thabit sahib’s books, including the Five Volume Commentary of the Holy Qur’an. Having read the books, he would, as is the way of people outside our community, try and find objections within. Hudhur said these days it seems to be a trend in Pakistan to look for objections in our books where it clearly demonstrates that the ‘objection’ is actually borne out of the lack of knowledge of the objector. So, Hilmi sahib too would try and find fault and when he sought assurance from religious scholars he could not get any. When he read the book ‘Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam’ it excited him. He showed the book to his father and asked what sort of a person could have written it. His father said, ‘certainly a waliAllah’ (friend of God). Hilmi sahib asked his father what if such a person is claiming to be the Messiah. His father replied he could not object to him, only one very close to God could have written it. However, he added he was old and could not accept him. Hilmi sahib’s heart changed and he accepted the truth and took his bai’at.

Hudhur said such incidents take place even now. Many people are given the message of Ahmadiyyat through dreams. All this is the commotion created by angels in help of one commissioned by God which leads pious-natured people turn to the truth. On the other hand, those who follow Satan, exceed in their opposition and create impediments backed by arrogance. It is their arrogance that persuades them to rebellion and to follow Satan. Whereas God’s people try and become a reflection of Divine attributes and enhance their spirituality.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that arrogance is an evil that does not give up chasing man. He said arrogance comes from Satan and unless one distances from Satan, one cannot accept the message of truth and cannot avail of Divine beneficence. Unless and until man purifies himself of conceit he cannot win God’s pleasure. It was conceit that led Satan imagine he was superior to Adam and was thus accursed by God. However, when one attains Divine knowledge one comes into the guardianship of God. Hudhur explained that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that his opponents may prostrate in his opposition, make cursing prostrations in the process and rub their noses to the ground, their noses would rot but no loss would come to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace).

Hudhur said news are coming in the today, many must have heard it, seen it on TV, severe attacks have been made on two [of our] mosques in Lahore, one in Model Town and the other Darul Zikr. Similarly, rallies have been taken out in Kunri. Likewise, in other places in the world, in various countries, opposition is carried out by following the mullah. Can this opposition finish Ahmadiyyat? Did Ahmadiyyat ever come to an end after earlier opposition? Most certainly not, and it never will, of course it will definitely make those who oppose us the target of God’s chastisement and reprove.

Advising us, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that prayer is such that when Adam and Satan contended with each other no other scheme availed but prayer. In the latter-days, again, triumph will come about through prayer. The first Adam was triumphant through prayers and the second Adam too, who will fight Satan in the latter-days, will be triumphant in this way.

Hudhur said enmity against us is increasing greatly. There is tremendous need for us to turn to prayer. Indeed, our community is also progressing and growing in spite of Satan waylaying at every corner. Pious-natured people continue to enter the community.

Hudhur said we need to pay attention to the Quranic prayer: ‘Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves; and if Thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, we shall surely be of the lost’ (7:24) to gather blessings and for protection against satanic attacks, both on an individual as well as communal level.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that in His wisdom God made Adam with two connections: one connection was with God Himself ‘And so when I have fashioned him in perfection, and have breathed into him of My Spirit, (38:73). This verse proves that by breathing His Spirit in Adam, God created a connection with him so that mankind too could have that connection. On the other hand, He created a natural connection in man with the rest of mankind. Hudhur said it is our responsibility to develop this connection. If this connection of ours is correct, the nature of Adam will become a part of our nature. We will be drawn to pay the dues of mankind and will take the mission of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) forward.

Hudhur said the situation regarding the attacks at the mosques in Lahore is not quite clear yet, however there have been many martyrdoms and many have been injured, some of whom are in a critical condition. The situation in Darul Zikr is not clear yet. The number of martyrdoms could increase as people had come there for Jummah, we will know more when the details will come in. May God elevate the stations of all the martyrs. Pray for the injured, some are critically wounded. This was an aim by the opponents to inflict communal loss. Certainly, God has the power to retaliate. Through which source will He demonstrate His decree, how will He seize those who create disorder and persecute, He alone knows. However, may He make those a cautionary sign, who challenge God’s sense of honour again and again and are exceeding all limits in oppression and InshaAllah this will come to pass.

Hudhur reiterated that Ahmadis should enhance compassion in their prayers. May God demolish the arrogance and conceit of our opponents and their presumption of power by demonstrating a manifestation of His Power. May we ever increase in our faith and belief and may this trial never become a cause of weakness for us. All Ahmadis should pray for Pakistani Ahmadis these days. The circumstances there are most adverse. Similarly, pray for the Ahmadis who are imprisoned in Egypt, may God facilitate their speedy release. In Kerala, India, some Ahmadis have also been wrongly imprisoned, remember them in your prayers. In accordance with His promise, God will never let the sacrifices of those who are imprisoned and the injured and the martyrs go to waste. InshaAllah. Satan and his mob will never be successful. May God have mercy on us and keep us safe from every trial in future.