Friday Sermon of
Hazrat Amirul Momeneen
Zafrullah Domun

21 NOVEMBER 2008

At Bait-ul-Rahma Mosque
Les Guibies, Pailles
MAURITUS

After reciting, Tashahhud, Ta'uz and chapter Al Fatiha of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Amirul Mo'menine Zafrullah Domun said:

Taking the spiritual path will lead you to Allah. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Promised Messiah and Mahdi came to teach Muslims how to tread this path. There is no denying the fact that many of those sahabas who joined him and took the oath of allegiance with him did take this path. The lives of such sahabas are still today beacons of light for any sincere Ahmadi who wishes to know how this path should be tread. In the same way prior to the arrival of Hazrat Masih Maood as there have been many great Muslims divines who have tread this path and they established lots of Silsilahs and Jamaats around the world. Even today these jamaats/silsilahs are still operational. Most well-known amongst them are the silsilah Qadiriyya known after Hazrat Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, Silsilah Chistiyya known after Hazrat Moinuddin Chisti, the followers of Maulana Rumi etc. All those who joined these Silsilahs/orders did so for the purpose of knowing Allah and leading a life according to the instructions of Allah and the Sunna of his prophet Mohammad saw . To follow the path that leads one to Allah, there is a necessity for one to have a guide ( murshid ) whom one follows because he knows the path and he is there to help. Profiting from his guidance one is led slowly but surely towards Allah. In the literature it is said:

“Ba Murshid beh khudi insaan

Beh Murshid mandi haywaa”

The translation is “with a guide you may become a selfless person, but without one you will remain like an animal.”

At several places in his writings, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of Jamaat Ahmadiyya has told his followers that they should do their best to extricate themselves from their animalistic tendencies and cultivate good morals and strive to enter the stage of “the soul at rest”. As I said last time he has spoken most extensively about this subject in his book “The philosophy of the teachings of Islam.” When a man is in the state of the soul that inclines towards sins (nafs ammara), he is like an animal. He lives like an animal. He eats sleeps and defecates. When he is angry he manifests his anger like an animal. In addition such a person does not pursue any noble objective in his life. He may spend most of his time in idle talk, in calumniating others, in speaking ill of others, in finding faults with others. When he is in group he will be most interested in sharing stupid and lustful jokes to make others laugh. He may perform his namaz but he does not know its value and his mind always roams about when he is at it. At night you may see him staying awake late watching all sorts of films that do not have any aesthetic value or even enlarges one's knowledge. He does not set aside time to read the Holy Quran or the books of Hadith or even the books of the Promised Messiah. But he will watch football matches at anytime of the day or the night and if he does not wake up for his dawn prayer, it does not matter at all for him.

It is quite unfortunate that most people in the world at any point in history find themselves in this category. They are given to obeying their soul that is inclined to sin. They live in blissful ignorance of what is noble in life and of the higher aims of existence. Some people do happen to get out of this category when they listen to someone who may call them towards Allah. By learning and acting upon the teachings of the Holy Quran they are able to stop living like an animal and by the Grace of Allah they bring their soul into a stage known as the self accusing soul (nafs lawwamah). At this stage whenever they go against the injunctions of the Shariah, they feel remorse and they turn towards Allah with prompt repentance. For example if such a person wakes up late for the dawn prayer, he does not feel at ease. He feels that he has been negligent. He feels remorse. To remove the ill feelings that he has, he may do some additional prayers or he may give charity or he may sit down and ask forgiveness from Allah by repeating “I ask forgiveness from Allah” (astaghfiroullah). If he has given vent to unjustified anger, he would repent and present his apologies to the person he may have offended. If he has spoken ill of someone, he would make amends by praying for that person or by going out of his way to do good to that person.

In brief the main characteristic of a person whose soul is in the stage of (lawwamah) is that he regrets anything wrong that he does. He is not like the person who is in the stage of (ammarah) where he does not care at all about his behavior and its effects on others. The person whose soul is in a state of (ammarah) commits a lot of sins without caring at all about its consequences. It is such persons, who kill others, attack their property or their honour and commit several other sins. But the person who, being conscious of Allah and who has started to improve his soul and has been able to bring it to the stage of ( lawwamah ), he will do his best to avoid the great sins and will strive not to do the minor ones also but at the same time he will strive to do good deeds that he thinks would please his Lord.

However such a person is not completely saved from sinning. But he tries to obliterate the consequences of his sins by repentance, prayers and doing good deeds because the Holy Quran says “Good deeds obliterate bad ones”. Such a person desires to improve himself but at times he falls and he even thinks that most probably he would never be able to improve himself. Hazrat Masih Maood as tells us that such a person should never despair of the mercy of Allah. He should continue his efforts with prayers and with being in the company of those who are righteous. But this is a very long process. The bulk of the life of a person is spent in the struggle that goes on at this stage. Eventually he would enter into a stage of “the soul at rest” ( nafs mutmainnah ). At this point such a person gives Allah preference in all that he does. Before doing something he would constantly try to know whether by doing it he would go nearer to Allah or further away from him. He accomplishes the duties that have been imposed upon him by the Shariah with great enthusiasm and great pleasure. He does not concern himself with worldly honour or prestige. His main goal in life is to advance in God-fearedness and God-knowingness. Allah makes such a person like the sun: he gives light to others. He becomes like the earth; even if bad things are thrown to it, only good comes out of it. Such persons are rare indeed. Millions will take this path but very few will attain this stage. Because to arrive there one has to die before he may be given this kind of spiritual life. It is at this stage that Allah greets the person with the following words:

“ Yaa ayyatohan nafsoul moutmeinatur je'i ila rabbeke raziatam marziat fadkholi fi ibaadi wad kholi jannati ”

The translation is:

« O thou soul at rest, return to thy Lord, thou well pleased with Him and He well-pleased with you; so enter thou among my chosen servants; enter thou My Garden (89:29-31)

Some persons resent that we have a Jamaat. But our Jamaat is no threat to anyone. Yes there is no denying the fact that we are a threat to what is false and is being presented as truth. It is our duty to show others how to tread the spiritual path that will take them to the threshold of their Lord. Some are saying that they know the path. Their caliph is leading them towards that path. When Allah sends someone from Himself that person is duty-bound to tell others what Allah tells him. If he does not do so he is not accomplishing his mission. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

“O messenger convey to the people what has been revealed to thee from thy Lord; and if thou do it not, thou has not conveyed His Message. And Allah will protect thee from men. Surely Allah guides not the disbelieving people.” (5:68)

Therefore the “messenger” is duty bound to tell the people what Allah is saying to him. If he does not do so, he is not doing what Allah has put him here to do. Now whether what he says pleases the people or displeases them, he has got to continue to give the message. And since he may fear that the people may harm him, Allah consoles him and tells him that Allah will protect him from the harm that men may try to inflict upon him. Recently on the net, an Ahmadi circulated an email in which he was implying that I boast about my revelations. Through this sermon I am saying it loud and clear that I am not boasting but I am just informing and I am bound to do this. If I do not it I may be punished. How many times Hazrat Masih Maood as has told us that a “messenger” is forced to do Allah's bidding whether he likes it or not. But the messengers have no problem at all in obeying the commandments of their Lord. What to others may be just a possibility, to the messengers is a fact. Has not Allah said in the Holy Quran:

“Those who delivered the messages of Allah and feared Him, and feared none but Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner.”(33:40)

Therefore as some one who has been appointed a guide by Allah through His clear and repeated revelations I am duty bound to publish my revelations and also to call the people towards Allah. I do not possess any thing material that I can give them. What I have is the spiritual table that Allah has given me to be distributed to those who may need it. In doing so I am bound to speak about those false doctrines that have been added to the teachings of Hazrat Ahmad (as) and to inform the people about the true teachings of Hazrat Ahmad (as). By doing so it appears that some Ahmadis appear to be offended. So be it. I am not accountable to them. I am accountable to the One who has sent me. He will judge between us and those who want to oppose us and who want to frustrate His Designs in due course.

Taking the road that will lead to Allah is not easy. It is fraught with pricks. One cannot make the journey alone. One has to have a friend. That friend guides you on the path. To end I will tell you the story about the man who wanted to be tattooed from the Masnavi. It runs as follows.

“It was the custom of the men of Qazwin to have various devices tattooed upon their bodies. A certain coward went to the artist to have such a device tattooed on his back, and desired that it might be the figure of a lion. But when he felt the pricks of the needles he roared with pain, and said to the artist, "What part of the lion are you now painting?" The artist replied, "I am doing the tail." The patient cried, "Never mind the tail; go on with another part." The artist accordingly began in another part, but the patient again cried out and told him to try somewhere else. Wherever the artist applied his needles, the patient raised similar objections, till at last the artist dashed all his needles and pigments on the ground, and refused to proceed any further.

The Prophet's counsels to 'Ali to follow the direction of the Pir or Spiritual Guide, and to endure his chastisements patiently.

The Prophet said to 'Ali, "O 'Ali,
Thou art the Lion of God, a hero most valiant;
Yet confide not in thy lion-like valour,
But seek refuge under the palm-trees of the 'Truth.'
Whoso takes obedience as his exemplar
Shares its proximity to the ineffable Presence.
Do thou seek to draw near to Reason; let not thy heart
Rely, like others, on thy own virtue and piety.
Come under the shadow of the Man of Reason, l
Thou canst not find it in the road of the traditionists.
That man enjoys close proximity to Allah;
Turn not away from obedience to him in any wise;
For he makes the thorn a bed of roses,
And gives sight to the eyes of the blind.
His shadow on earth is as that of Mount Qaf ,
His spirit is as a Simurgh soaring on high.
He lends aid to the slaves of the friends of God,
And advances to high place them who seek him.
Were I to tell his praises till the last day,
My words would not be too many nor admit of curtailment,
He is the sun of the spirit, not that of the sky,
For from his light men and angels draw life.
That sun is hidden in the form of a man,
Understand me! Allah knows the truth.
O 'Ali, out of all forms of religious service
Choose thou the shadow of that dear friend of God!
Every man takes refuge in some form of service,
And chooses for himself some asylum;
Do thou seek refuge in the shadow of the wise man,
That thou mayest escape thy fierce secret foes.
Of all forms of service this is fittest for thee;
Thou shalt surpass all who were before thee.
Having chosen thy Director, be submissive to him,
Even as Moses submitted to the commands of Khizr;
Have patience with Khizr's actions, O sincere one!
Lest he say, 'There is a partition between us.'
Though he stave in thy boat, yet hold thy peace;
Though he slay a young man, heave not a sigh.
God declares his hand to be even as God's hand,
For He saith, ( The hand of God is over their hands.'

The hand of God impels him and gives him life;
Nay, not life only, but an eternal soul.
A friend is needed; travel not the road alone,
Take not thy own way through this desert!
Whoso travels this road alone
Only does so by aid of the might of holy men.
The hand of the Director is not weaker than theirs;
His hand is none other than the grasp of Allah!
If absent saints can confer such protection,
Doubt less present saints are more powerful than absent.
If such food be bestowed on the absent,
What dainties may not the guest who is present expect?
The courtier who attends in the presence of the king
Is served better than the stranger outside the gate.
The difference between them is beyond calculation;
One sees the light, the other only the veil.
Strive to obtain entrance within,
If thou wouldst not remain as a ring outside the door.
Having chosen thy Director, be not weak of heart,
Nor yet sluggish and lax as water and mud;
But if thou takest umbrage at every rub,
How wilt thou become a polished mirror?"

(The Masnavi Story X)

So if you want to live a life of ease, this is not your path. If you are ready to live a life of hardships and pain you may tread the path. Members of our Jamaat should be of the latter group. Similar thoughts have been expressed by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as when he said:

Talkhi ki zindagi ko sidq se karo qaboul

Ta keh toum pe ho malaelka arsh kaa nazoul

The translation is:

“Accept a life of pain with full sincerity

So that the angels of the throne may descend upon you”

Before ending I would like to tell you of the revelations that Allah, out of His Mercy has vouchsafed to me beginning on Saturday Last week. First of all,Allah revealed to me the whole of chapter Al fil (107). In the morning just before waking up He said: “ laa takhaf innaka antal aa'laa ” meaning “be not afraid; you will have the upper hand”. Then He said “ Sa aqoumo ayna ma taqoumo ” which means “I will stand where you stand.” On Sunday morning Allah said to me “ fadkholi fi ebaadi wad kholi jannati ”which means “ Enter among my Servants; enter My Jannat”. Yesterday during Tahajjud He revealed to me “ Fa makarou fa makarallah, wallaho khayroul maakereen ” which means “they made a plan and Allah made a plan and Allah is the best of Planners.” On Wednesday night while I was about to sleep He said to me “Hai sare rah par toumhareh wo jo hai mawla kareem; neik ko kouch gham nahin goh barah gardaab hai ” which are verses of Hazrat Masih Maood (as). The first one was revealed to him and it means “He who is your noble Protector/ Friend is on the high road.” And the second verse means “those who are good at heart need not be afraid even in the midst of great calamities.” I also received the following:

“ Dana fatadalla fa kaana qaba qawsein wa adna ”. This is what Allah says of the holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) in the Holy Quran and it means: “ he drew near and Allah leaned towards him so that they became as it were one chord to two bows or closer still”(53:9,10). We do not have time to talk about this right now because there is so much to say about this matter. In addition Allah also revealed to me “ Anta tahdi ilal haq , anta tahdi ila siratim moustaqim ” which means “ You guide to what is true; you guide to the straight path”. Last night Allah said to me “ Khana kaaba ki kaleed toumhareh hathon mein thama gaya hai ” which means “ the keys of the house of kaaba has been put in your hands” . This is the first time that I have received these noble words. But it is in fulfilment of a promise that Allah made to me some three years back when He revealed to me “ Doun gah toujhe ek din khana kaaba ki kaleed ” which means “one day I will give you the key of the house of kaaba”. Even then I understood that it had a spiritual significance, which I think means that Allah has helped this humble servant to understand and to practice what is the essence of worship and submission to Him.

Therefore, I advise you all to turn to Allah in prayer and to ask for his nearness and to ignore all the harsh or evil words that others may say about us. Recently Allah also said to me “ ojibo da'watoka wa dawaato ahleka ” which means “I will answer your prayers and that of those who are with you”. I want you all to know that all these revelations that I have told you about is recurrent. This is not something that happens once in a blue moon. Allah will never abandon us if we are true to Him. May He be always well pleased with us incha Allah.