• Inna nahnon nazzalnaz zikra wa inna lahou lahafezoune(15:10)
• Wa’dallahoullazina amanou minkoum wa amelousswalehaate la yastakhlefannahoum fil arze kamastakhlafannallazina min qablehim wa layomakkenannanlahoum dinakmoullazir taza lahoum wa layobaddelannahoum mim ba’de khawfehim amna. Ya’bodounani wa laa youshrekouna bi shay’anw wa man kafara ba’da zaaleka faoulaeka homoul faaseqoune.(24:56)

Then he said:

In addition to “Thee Alone do we worship and from Thee alone do we seek help. Guide us to the right path, the path of those whom you have blessed with your favours” these are the two verses of the Holy Quran that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as has often quoted in his writings and speeches whenever he wrote or  spoke about the concept of khilafat as he understood it with the divine wisdom that Allah granted him. Yesterday was 27^th May and usually members of Jamaat Ahmadiyya mainstream celebrate this day as Khilafat day within the Jamaat since 1957. Especially   in Mauritius the Jamaat uses this occasion to drill down its misconception of khilafat in the head of its members by organizing speeches almost in all mosques. As far as members of Jamaat Ahmadiyya Al Mouslemeen are concerned we no longer celebrate or remember this day because we think that it is no longer worth remembering as the mainstream Jamaat does. Moreover as we have been saying for some time now we think that the concept of Khilafat prevailing in the mainstream Jamaat Ahmadiyya these days is the wrong concept and it goes against the writings of Hazrat Masih Maood^as.  Hence we have said and we still maintain that this belief of Ahmadis about khilafat demands some correction and by the Grace of Allah we have been put here to show the world what is the correct belief about khilafat that we should entertain.

First, allow me to give you the translation of these verses. The first one “Inna nahnon nazzalnaz zikra wa inna lahou lahafezoune is translated as “Verily it is We who have sent down this Exhortation and most surely we are its Guardian”. In these words there is a guarantee about the preservation of the letter and spirit of the Holy Quran. Even western writers like William Muir and Noldke have acknowledged that the text of the Holy Quran is the one that was revealed to the Holy Prophet Mohammad ^saw in early seventh century. They agree that there have not been any interpolations. But there is also a guarantee in this verse that Allah will preserve the teachings of the Holy Book by sending His appointees. Even Jamaat Ahmadiyya acknowledges that Allah will send reformers till the end of time to preserve the teachings. In the Larger commentary published by the Jamaat in English we read

“As regards the future, our belief based upon promises made in the Holy Quran is that whenever Muslims forget, or fall away from the teachings of the Godly Quran, God will by raising heavenly Reformers restore to them their faith in its pristine purity. The teachings of the Holy Quran will thus remain effective for all time and will ever continue to enjoy divine help and protection.”

(Larger Commentary Vol2, part 1 page 1266)

However these days the Jamaat refuses to comment about the coming of reformers or guides from Allah because it has committed itself to the belief that it has a system to renew and reform itself known as khilafat and this system will eventually control the world of Islam. But this is not our understanding of the matter. We take our understanding from what Hazrat Masih Maood^as has said. Moreover very often we have spoken about these in our previous sermons. Moreover we also maintain that what the Jamaat is telling the members to believe in is far from the truth. Just as the majority of Muslims and others made mistakes about the death of Hazrat Isa ^as despite the fact that there are at least 30 verses of the Holy Quran which confirm his death, similarly the majority of Ahmadis these days are clinging to the false belief that the system of Khilafat has taken over the privilege of Allah to appoint His own guides. There can be nothing further from the truth.

If we say we support the mission of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as we should also act like him. Of all people he was the person who held the belief that Hazrat Isa ^as was in heavens and that he would come back to earth. After he had already written and published it in his book “Buraheen Ahmadiyya”, Allah taught him that this concept is wrong. Then he pondered over the verses of the Holy Quran and he understood clearly that Hazrat Isa ^as was a previous prophet who had died and who would never come back to earth. Hence the prevalent belief of the majority of Muslims about his coming back was wrong and that the Hadiths that spoke about his coming had to be interpreted to be well understood. This is the attitude of Godly people. Once they perceive something to be the truth they accept it even if it is contrary to what they believed before. Moreover they understand that spirituality is so vast that it is understood little by little. But fortunately for us his writings are as a light which help poor people like us to find our way easily. But others have abandoned the lantern that he bequeathed us and so they prefer to stay into darkness rather than bask into full spiritual lights.

Hazrat Masih Maood^as has not written any commentary of the Holy Quran as some other commentators have done like for example Hazrat Mirza Bashir Uddin Mahmood Ahmad, his second caliph. But almost all the writings of Hazrat Masih Maood ^as are his comments on verses of the Holy Quran.  Since the early eighties all his comments about different verses have been compiled and published volume wise. Previously we had five such volumes. But recently some more have been added and they may be consulted on www.alislam.org. Unfortunately they are in Urdu and few people can read them. There are at least thirteen pages of his comments on the verse under discussion. There are some repetitions of course. But the gist of the message is that Allah has preserved the words of the Holy Quran from all sorts of interpolations and He has and will preserve its true meanings by sending people to whom He reveals or helps to understand the true meanings of its verses.

Similarly all the comments of Hazrat Masih Maood ^as about verse istikhlaf are about 50 A4 pages in Urdu. Now compare this literature with the paragraph that the Jamaat presents to tell its members that Khilafat will go on forever and that also the khilafat that they are presenting to the world. The translation of this verse is as follows:

“Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.”(24:56)

This is a verse of the Holy Quran. In his writings Hazrat Masih Maood ^as has told us that

in this verse is the promise that Allah will send His khalifas amongst the Muslims. They would be appointed in order to preserve the true teachings of Islam. Once these people have declared themselves to be divine appointees “Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious”. Hazrat Masih Maood ^as also spelt out the purpose of the setting up of Jamaat Ahmadiyya in the following words. He said:

“The purpose of God Almighty in setting up this Jamaat is that the true understanding of God, which has disappeared from the world, and true righteousness and purity, which are not to be found in this age, might be re-established. Arrogance is rife throughout the world. The divines are caught in the pride and vanity of their learning. You find that the condition of the mendicants belies their objectives. They are wholly unconcerned with self-improvement, and all the disciplines which they have devised are error and innovation. They are only words and form and have no spiritual reality. Their exercises and devotion have a different form altogether like meaningless repetitions which cannot be traced back to the Holy Prophet ^saw. I find that they pay no attention to inner purification, nor can their artificial disciplines purify their hearts, nor can they acquire the light of true understanding through them. This age has become empty of true righteousness and purity. The way of the Holy Prophet ^saw, which is the means of purification, has been discarded. Now God Almighty desires that the time of Prophethood should be revived in this age and the same righteousness and purity should be reestablished. Thus, the purpose of God Almighty in setting up this Jamaat is that through it the lost understanding might be re-established in the world.”(Taqrirein- Essence of Islam page 274-5)

Since there is a promise from Allah that He will make those who believe and do good works successors and since these people will be among the followers of the messiah then what is wrong that Allah has chosen someone from Mauritius for this purpose. It is Allah’s privilege to choose because He knows what is in the heart of the people. In the Jamaat there are too many types of people these days. There are the good and the bad. Both cannot stay together. There was a need to make a distinction amongst them. Each one should be where he belongs. This distinction is brought about through the intervention of Allah when He orders someone to stand up and live up to the promise that was given in this verse. He knows those who do well and those who commit evil. Once such a person has been appointed and he informs the world about his mission, then “whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.”

This appointment of Allah has been a reverse slap by Allah in the face of those who say that I was brought up amongst the rebels and rebellion is part of us, that is my brothers and my friends. By the Grace of Allah according to this verse and the comments of Hazrat Masih Maood^as on it, those who reject someone appointed by Allah are the rebellious. Moreover hasn’t Allah said in the Holy Quran that the rebellious are those who “break the covenant of Allah after establishing it”. They are those “who cut asunder what Allah has bidden to be joined and create disorder in the earth; it is they who are the losers.”(2:28)

Now if we ponder over the above extract from the writings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad ^as which I have just read and you examine the situation of Jamaat Ahmadiyya in the world today. Do we not see that the evils of which Hazrat Masih spoke about are today rampant amongst them? How many speak the truth? How many understand why they joined this Jamaat and how many are really concerned for their own self-purification before meeting their Lord. You might be duped by listening to their speeches that they are for peace for love for amity. But their actions speak much louder than their words and they make such a noise that one cannot hear at all what they say. But since there are definitely some good people in this Jamaat that is why Allah sends His mercy through the appointment of someone and whosoever takes this helping hand and acts according to the teachings will incha Allah be saved.

To end I may also add that Allah through His sheer Grace has revealed these two verses and many others to this humble servant. We are a fruit bearing tree of the Garden of Ahmad as was promised be Allah. All praise is for Him. May He always keep all of us under His most loving care. Ameen