Jamaat Ahmadiyya al Mouslemeen
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Friday Sermon of
18 JULY 2008 |
› Continuing on the khilafat of Hazrat Hakim Molvi Nuruddin (ra) ...
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After reading the Tashahhud , the Ta'uz and the first chapter of the Holy Quran Hazrat Amirul Mo'menine Zafrullah Domun said: I will continue to speak about the last three years of the khilafat of Hazrat Molvi Nuruddin (ra). After the laying down of the foundation stone of Madrassa Ahmadiyya, the next noteworthy event of 1912 was that the Khalifatul Masih advised the members of the Jamaat to write pamphlets and small booklets in favour of the Jamaat and to arrange for their distribution. This appeal was well received within the Jamaat. According to the editor of “Al Badr ” (the newspaper published by the Jamaat), gradually many Ahmadis started writing and their pamphlets were being distributed in order to spread the message of Ahmadiyyat among the people. As I may have told you before, Molvi Nuruddin (ra) was a scholar. His reputation of being so was known almost all over India . Some of the opponents of the Jamaat even said that it was he who wrote the books of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (May Allah forbid). When he came to Qadian he brought along all his books. His library consisted of several types of books. Among others there were several commentaries on the Holy Quran, the books of Hadith, books on the history of Islam, the Arabic language, books on fiqh , history books, rare books on other religions, books on tasawwuf , and of course books on medicine, plus books on other subjects as well. He once said that he possessed all the 93 volumes of a book about the kharijis (those who broke away from Islam, in early Islamic history). He used to send his disciple Hazrat Molvi Ghulam Nabi to Egypt and Bhopal to make hand copies of rare books. Once he said:
His collection of books was even well known among the intellectuals of India at that time. Even Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Shibli Numani made good use of his personal library. These two persons were well-known personalities in late nineteenth century India . Once Shah Mohammad Suleiman, a judge from the federal court of India needed a rare book from Spain . He tried to get it from all over India but he could not find it. He then requested the second caliph to lend him the book which he returned after use. According to his biographer, what amazed most journalists who visited Qadian was the rare collections of books that they found in that far off village. Molvi Nuruddin was such a great scholar that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan said something really praiseworthy about him. Molawi Nur-ud-Din(ra) appreciated Sir Sayyid's devoted efforts in the cause of Muslim education, and contributed generously towards them. On his side Sir Sayyid held him in high esteem and greatly valued his co-operation. Sir Sayyid was asked: "When an illiterate person acquires proficiency in reading and writing he becomes known as an educated person; when he advances further in the acquisition of knowledge he becomes a philosopher; when he masters moral and spiritual values he becomes a Su f i (mystic); what does a Sufi become when he rises higher?" Sir Sayyid wrote back: "He becomes Nur-ud-Din."(AlHakam 1934) The reason why I am speaking about this aspect of his life is that in Islam a great emphasis is laid upon the search for knowledge. No need for me to quote the Holy Quran or even the hadith of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw). Someone with a rudimentary knowledge of Islam knows this to be true. However the majority of the members of the mainstream Jamaat Ahmadiyya do not have this quest for knowledge. They content themselves with what they are told without any questions. There are some who are so dimwitted that they even say that there is no need to try to know more. What they know is quite enough! They do not read and they do not dare to read anything that may push them to some reflection. They are afraid lest they may lose their certainties. But the fact is that the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw), all the Islamic divines, Hazrat Masih Maood (as) and all his caliphs have laid a great emphasis on the quest for knowledge. They all knew quite well that it is knowledge that gives man real freedom. Ignorance and a little knowledge only serve to enslave people. It is quite unfortunate that there are some people who prefer to allow others to think for them. They are so insecure in their beliefs that they are afraid that new knowledge may destabilize them and they may get some of their paradigms busted. But the history of humankind is a story of paradigms being busted in each succeeding generation. As far as we Ahmadis are concerned, the source of our teachings is the Holy Quran, the books of hadiths and the books of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). It should be very easy for us to solve our differences. But it seems that vested interests and pride makes such an attempt well nigh impossible. Several times before, I have said that I am ready to change my opinions if some one from the mainstream Jamaat show me where I and my friends are wrong. No one dares to come forward to make an attempt to bring us on the right path. And yet they say that they are here to show the world what is the right path. May Allah have mercy upon them. The other main event of that year was the departure of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad(ra) to Mecca for Hajj. He left Qadian on 26 th September 1912 and returned on 3 rd February 1913 . Once Molvi Nuruddin said that he has asked several Muslim divines how one can avoid sinning. He received several types of replies. The response of Maul a n a Muhammad Qasim Nanautwi was: "The remembrance of death safeguards a person against sin." The remedy suggested by Shah ‘Abdul Ghani Mujaddadi was: "A person who always keeps God in the forefront of his mind is safeguarded against sin." The Promised Messiah said: "Constant supplication for suppression of the tendency towards sin ( istighfar ) is a safeguard against sin." (Molvi Nuruddin by Zafrullah Khan p 254). However he said that keeping company with the righteous and constant supplication were also effective remedies. In his own case, on one occasion he had recourse to a device whereby a copy of the Holy Quran was always within his sight, so that he could admonish himself: You believe in that Book and yet you are inclined to disobey it. This held him back till the idea was driven out of his mind. He opined that all these devices are helpful. Some are influenced by one and others are influenced by another. The main thing is that one should persist in the effort till success is achieved. Today, whereever you turn, there is a flood of all types of sins that is engulfing the world. The rare times that I happen to have a conversation with some members of the mainstream Jamaat, I come to know how much the youth of today is drifting away from the real teachings of Hazrat Masih Maood (as). To sin is human; there is no denying this fact. But how to stop sinning this is the endeavor of almost a lifetime. How many are engaged in this endeavour that is the question. That is why I think that what I am saying here will be relevant for those who wish to take the path that will lead them away from sins. The Annual Conference (Jalsa Salana) of the year was held from 25th to 27th December 1912. On that occasion Hazrat Khalifatul Masih observed:
Observe these words. About one hundred years ago, that was the situation in Qadian. Just imagine what it could be today. The whole mainstream Jamaat has become deaf and dumb to the appeal that is being made to them. How many members of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat may truly say that they are in the least interested to have a spiritual life? I personally think they are very few indeed. Hafiz Raushan ‘Ali , the principal pupil of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, stated that the latter had noted down in a note book some of the benefits he had derived from his residence in Qadian. One of them was:
Among the main events of the year 1913, was the launching of the newapaper Al-fazl by Hazrat Mirza Mahmud Ahmad on 19 th June 1913 . In the beginning it was a weekly and later on it became a daily. It was launched at the cost of great sacrifice but it was a source of great blessings for the Jamaat as a whole. On 25 th June 1913 Hazrat Khal i fatul Mas ih suffered from a bout of high fever. The next day, though he was still very weak, he gave his daily lesson of the Holy Quran, and at the end of it observed:
In the following Friday in the course of his second sermon he said:
An event which will have a major impact on the future history of the Jamaat will be the launching of the paper Paigham Sulh from Lahore . The first issue was published on 10 July 1913. Hadrat Khalifatul Masih(ra) became a subscriber but later refused to receive it and was so outraged by its policies and performance that he dubbed it Paigham-e-Jang (Message of war). From time to time professions of loyalty to the Khalifatul Masih (ra) were published in it, but they lacked conviction. A regular campaign of denigration of Sahibzada Mirza Bash i r-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad(ra) was carried on. It was feared that despite his youth he would be the choice of the community as Successor to H a d rat Khal i fatul Mas ih (ra), who made no secret of the high esteem in which he held the Sah ibz a da(ra). The distinctive beliefs and doctrines of the Movement, as set forth by the Promised Messiah (as), repeatedly endorsed by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih (ra) and hitherto subscribed to by the leading dissenters themselves, began to be systematically eroded and watered down with a view of winning popularity with the mass of the orthodox muslims.
We will finish here for today. We will continue incha Allah next week. |