Jamaat Ahmadiyya al Mouslemeen

FRIDAY SERMON

of Hazrat Amirul Momeneen Zafrullah Domun

04 March 2011

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After reciting the Tashahhud, the Ta’uz and the first chapter of Al Fatiha Imam Zafrullah Domun said:

Last week I told you that I will continue to develop the refutation of the circular letter that has been sent to me in my coming sermons. However since I have already prepared a booklet refuting all the arguments in Creole I will prefer now to make a few comments addressed to the caliph Mirza Masroor Ahmad. Furthermore to all intents and purposes this circular letter was written to challenge me and the leadership of the Jamaat in Mauritius most probably thought that they would get an overwhelming response from the members of the Jamaat. But Allah has proved right what He kept telling me that this evil appeal will not go far. It will be a cry in the desert. Those who sent the letter wanted to humiliate me. Allah has humiliated them and out of about 3000 Ahmadis in Mauritius only five ignorant Ahmadis responded to this evil call. Once again Allah’s revelation to this humble self has been proved true when He said “I will humiliate He who desires to humiliate you!” I humbly request those who might read this sermon and who are not yet with us to “take heed if indeed you have eyes!” The Creole booklet will be posted in the Creole section of our website incha Allah in the coming days. Printed copies will be sent to the houses of Ahmadis incha Allah.

Some time back I made at least three sermons in which I spoke about what Hazrat Masih Maood^as has said about the characteristics of an Imam. In his small booklet “Zarooratul Imam” available in English under the title “The need of the Imam” at www.alislam.org/library, Hazrat Masih Maood^as took enough pains to explain the characteristics of that person. Those who are interested should read the book. It is quite short and maybe it can be read in an hour or less. Jamaat Ahmadiyya has been telling us since 1908 that the caliph is equivalent to the Imam for the Ahmadis and for the Muslim world as well. But of course the Muslim world has never acknowledged the caliph to be their leader and they do not even consider him to be a Muslim. But that is beside the point.

Before I go on to explain what I have to say we have to bear in mind that the fifth caliph particularly does not refer to himself as the Imam of the Age. To him Hazrat Masih Maood^as is the Imam of the age. But all the caliphs except the first maintain that no one will come because the status of a caliph is higher than that of a Mujaddid. But I have already spoken several times how such an idea is contrary to the Holy Quran and to the teachings of Hazrat Ahmad ^as. That is why I have said that if Ahmadis have these beliefs they are misguided. But we all know that Ahmadis shout on all rooftops that they are the best amongst Muslims and that they have the best of teachings. Therefore if the caliph of Ahmadis these days want Ahmadis to believe that khilafat is the system that has taken over Allah’s privilege of choosing His representatives, he should also be able to put forward cogent well built arguments to justify everything that he says. Furthermore he should be forward in ironing out all types of controversies that might crop up within Jamaat Ahmadiyya. It is unbecoming of him as a caliph and as a person to whom Ahmadis look up to answer their queries to give terse replies to questions that are dividing Ahmadis these days.

In the early days of his khilafat the fourth caliph delivered if I am not mistaken fifteen Friday sermons in which he refuted all the arguments that the government of Pakistan had put forward in their “white paper” against the Ahmadis. When someone listens or read these sermons one has to admit that all the arguments advanced by our opponents were crushed. Whatever may be our differences with the fourth caliph, where he did good we have to acknowledge it. Similarly in the time of the third caliph questions about the status of the Mujaddid cropped up within the Jamaat. The then caliph came forward and tried to answer the questions in a rational way. He put forward his arguments. But unfortunately no one was allowed to put forward the counter arguments presented by Mian Rafi saheb, son of the second caliph.  It is only these days that through the work of a friend of Mian Rafi saheb that we have been able to know that Mian Rafi saheb did tell the  third caliph that he was wrong  on some questions, namely the arrival of reformers after Hazrat Masih Maood ^as.

But the fifth caliph seems to be living in a world of his own. He seems to be completely oblivious of what is going on within the Jamaat. Sometimes I wonder whether he really knows what he says in his speeches or he just reads them and he plays the role of a figurehead in the Jamaat. Several times he speaks about justice, but yet he denies it to his own people. Last week he said that Allah can speak to someone even today. But when such a someone addresses him he ignores him completely. He makes a speech about the continuation of revelations but he ignores those who are saying that Allah speaks with them. So how can he say that he is the leader of the Ahmadis? The Holy Prophet ^saw said that “the leader of a people is the servant of the people”. These days there are some persons who are saying that they are receiving revelations from Allah and that the path which Jamaat Ahmadiyya has taken under the caliphs is not the right one. There is a need to change course. The caliph refuses to talk with these people. He gives instructions for other Ahmadis to boycott them and to ostracize them. How many times we have said that boycotting people is an unislamic measure. But the caliph does not come forward with arguments to say that such measures are justified by Islam. He remains silent and hopes for objections to go away.

These days there are so many questions that are being asked about the second caliph and the khilafat institution that he has imposed in the Jamaat. Again the caliph is incapable of presenting arguments to justify what the second caliph did and he contents himself with repeating what his predecessors said. He does not feel himself confident enough to take a fresh look at all the controversial matters that have cropped up within the Jamaat. Is this a sign of leadership or a sign of cowardice or he just does what Anjuman Ahmadiyya dictates or he just does not know what to say?  As caliph he should have been the one to set the agenda. He should commit himself and say publicly what he thinks about all the claimants who are present these days within Jamaat Ahmadiyya. If he thinks that they are liars he should say so and let the world know how as a caliph who has stepped into the shoes of Hazrat Masih Maood^as he is dealing with these “pretenders”. He cannot just take the second caliph’s speech of 1944 and present it to the Jamaat and brainwash the young to believe in what their fathers believed.

In his speech of last week he is appealing to the Arabs to solve their problems by recognizing the divinely appointed khilafat. Can he give arguments from the Holy Quran and the writings of Hazrat Masih Maood ^as to prove that his khilafat is divinely guided? In the book I mentioned at the beginning Hazrat Masih Maood^as told us that the Imam should be a recipient of revelations. Has the caliph ever talked about any of his revelations so that Ahmadis might know that their caliph is a recipient? Up till now to the best of my knowledge he has never published any divine converse that he might have had with Allah. So he seems to be deficient in one of the most important characteristics that he should have possessed. But he is not humble enough to acknowledge it. But yet the most important characteristic of a khalifa according to Hazrat Masih Maood^as is that he has an innate bond with Truth. It is because of such love of truth that Allah appoints him   as His Khalifa. Such people do not need at all the approval of human beings. Furthermore the caliph wishes to solve the problems of the Arabs but the problems that are dividing ahmadis he does not dare to pronounce himself  upon them.

With the appearance of those persons who say that Allah has commissioned them to carry out a mission within Jamaat Ahmadiyya, many dark areas of Ahmadiyya History has come to light. No one would have known how mercilessly even a son of the second caliph was treated by his brothers who wielded temporal power in Rabwah. No one would have known so much about the prophecy of the Promised son and the circumstances surrounding this prophecy and the many ways or the true way for it to be interpreted. Maybe the Jamaat would have always wished that these matters should have been kept hidden. Even now almost after 73 years the sermons of the second caliph have still not been published for the years (1937-1965). At least they are not available on the website whereas the previous ones are. The Jamaat has to answer why? In the early days of the divine manifestation in Mauritius Allah told us “secrets will come into the open”. The internet is facilitating this task.

In the beginning of the divine manifestation the evil minded amir of the Mauritius Jamaat basking in the good books of the caliph spoke of himself as “a roaring lion in the defence of khilafat.” But what has happened to him today? When he wants he can wake someone up in Rabwah to get a fatwa preventing Ahmadis from attending the funeral of my revered father (may Allah illumine his tomb). But today even after the special investigator into his misdeeds has already submitted his report to the caliph, Ahmadis are still waiting to know what the caliph will do with him. But Allah told us in the very beginning that “even if we will have to wait ten years what was promised will come to pass.” Does the amir not see the necessity now to phone his guides in London to know what is the decision of the caliph concerning him? Does the amir not see that in the interests of the battered reputation of the office of amir he has to vacate his seat and the sooner the better? But to understand and repent for ones mistakes is not the characteristic of anybody. To do so one has to have a relationship with Allah and fear Him. When that fear is absent one acts like the actual amir Jamaat.

So can the caliph who claims that he is divinely appointed ignore all these matters that have been said by those whom Allah has appointed and continue with his business as usual attitude. Jamaat Ahmadiyya needs reform everywhere. The khilafat system has proved itself to be inadequate to deal with the enormous problems that the Jamaat is facing everywhere. The time has arrived when the caliph should wake up from his slumber and tries to understand what these appointed people have to say. There is a need for a purge within Jamaat Ahmadiyya. Those who do not want to live the way Hazrat Masih Maood has prescribed will have to go. The Jamaat has to be rebuilt anew.  Incha Allah we will speak more about this subject in our coming sermons if there are no other urgent matters.

Before ending I would like to say that personally I am ready and willing to talk about all points of differences that exist between me and my ex-friends of the mainstream Jamaat. Since it will be difficult to arrange for face to face meetings I suggest that we carry out a discussion in a civilized manner on YouTube. Since Molvi Basharuth Naveed has challenged me through his circular letter I would like to have that discussion with him or the amir and they have to acknowledge that they represent mainstream Jamaat Ahmadiyya. First of all three persons from our side and three persons from their side will sit down and agree on all points that need to be discussed. Then each party will start putting its arguments on YouTube. Each intervention will last only five minutes (or as agreed) to make it easy for the people to follow. Each party will propose its point of view and it will get a chance to refute its opponent’s point of view. Incha Allah after we have tried to persuade each other of the soundness of our point view we may then decide if there are needs for challenges for both parties. This is what I have learned from the school of Hazrat Masih Maood ^as. I hope they will agree to this proposal.

Instead of making matters even more chaotic for ordinary Ahmadis I make an appeal that we try to solve our differences. I promise that if anyone can show me the soundness of his arguments and the hollowness of mine, I will abandon my ideas and espouse those of the mainstream Ahmadis as I did before. I hope mainstream Ahmadis can say the same thing if they are searching for truth.  There is no need to be disagreeable with one another. We should show to others that being trained in the Promised Messiah’s school we can disagree without being disagreeable. This is the real golden opportunity that I am giving to members of the mainstream Jamaat to show that they can defend their position.  Let us hope they will know how to use it.

In the end I wish to say that we in Jamaat Ahmadiyya Al Mouslemeen vehemently condemn the brutal murder of   Pakistan Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti on Wednesday last. He was a Christian and he has been killed because of his opposition to the Blasphemy laws of Pakistan.