After reciting the Tashahhud, the Ta’uz and the first chapter Al Fatiha of the Holy Quran, Imam Zafrullah Domun recited the following verse of the Holy Quran:

“Yaa Ayyohal Lazina Amanou lema taqoulouna maa laa taf’aloune.kabora maqtan indallahi an taqoulou maa laa taf’aloune”.

Then he said:

The meaning of the verse that I have just read is “O ye who believe why do you say that which you do not practice. It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that you do not do what you preach.”

Whenever I read this verse or I am reminded of it I try to examine my own actions and check lest I should fall under the category of people who are mentioned here. There is no doubt that no one is perfect and sometimes we slip. But once we are aware that we have slipped we immediately have recourse to Astaghfaar and repentance with a view not to slip again. I have learned through the course of my life that by doing so slowly but surely one can move towards an ideal of behavior that might endear one to Allah rather than causing His Displeasure.  In short, as an Ahmadi Muslim we should always strive to achieve a perfect balance between what we preach and what we practice. If we preach one thing and do not practice it we run the risk of displeasing Allah. In another verse of the Holy Quran Allah says “Wa man yahlil alayhi ghazabi faqad hawa” meaning “he on whom descends My Wrath shall perish” (20:82). Hence members and the leadership of Jamaat Ahmadiyya mainstream particularly and all Muslims generally should always strive to live up to such standards of behavior that they should never become the object of Allah’s Wrath as we understand from the above mentioned verses.

Moreover Hazrat Masih Maood ^as has advised us thus:

 “So do not behave in a manner whereby you would become subject to two curses, the curse of God and the curse of man. Remember well that if the curse of man is not accompanied by the curse of God Almighty, it amounts to nothing. If God does not wish to destroy us, we cannot be destroyed by anyone; but if He should become our enemy, no one can afford us shelter. How shall we please God Almighty and how shall we win His support? He has repeatedly given me the answer to this question: it can only be done through righteousness. So my dear brethren! Make every effort that you may become righteous. Without action, everything is vain and without sincerity no action is acceptable. Righteousness means that, avoiding all these harmful ways, you should march forward towards God Almighty, and be mindful of the subtlest paths of piety.”(Essence of Islam Vol 4 Page 247).

When we ponder over these writings we should be very afraid of what we do and say as Ahmadis. We should see to it that we tread the subtlest path of piety as prescribed by Hazrat Ahmad^as. The minimum requirements of piety are not enough for us. Particularly these days when celebrations for “Masih Maood” day are being celebrated every where the teachings and advises of the Promised Messiah should be uppermost in our minds.

Last week I read on the Ahmadiyya website www.alislam.org that the Jamaat is offering a prize known as “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize for the advancement of peace”. The announcement published on the website says:

“Islam focuses on securing peace in every sphere of human activity. It encourages all to promote education, respect and tolerance, improve social and interfaith harmony, support charitable causes and serve humanity regardless of race, creed or colour. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community is dedicated to establish peace at all levels and to protect the basic human rights of all. In light of this it is keen to recognise efforts made by anyone to advance the cause of peace. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize is therefore awarded in recognition of an individual’s or an organisation’s contribution for the advancement of the cause of peace.”

I do not intend to talk about the merits or demerits of such an initiative. There is no doubt in my mind that although this prize appears to be offered by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of England, it has been approved by the caliph. My concern is how on the one hand the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat wants the world to know it as a peace loving community but on the other hand this same Jamaat promotes a policy that creates ill will hatred and strife among its own followers. Today it is quite well-known particularly on the net that Jamaat Ahmadiyya does not practice what it preaches. It wants the world to know that it has a large heart and it loves everyone and does not hate anyone. But unfortunately this is not the case within some Jamaat’s of which I am aware.

Before I speak about the present state of affairs in the Mauritian Jamaat, I would like to say that problems within Jamaat Ahmadiyya have existed even before the Mauritian Jamaat was formed in 1915. The controversy with our brothers the Lahoris started in 1913 and is still not over yet. During the late 1930’s another problem started with another group of Ahmadis and one of the dissident group was even murdered. In 1956 we know what happened to the children of the first caliph. They were expelled from Rabwah and had to start life again in Lahore. During the caliphate of the Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad there were problems with Mian Rafi sahib, another son of the second caliph because of the revelations that he was receiving. In the last years of the fourth caliph’s reign problems cropped up with some members of the Jamaat and which has still not yet been solved by the mainstream Jamaat. The mainstream Jamaat’s way of dealing with the dissidents has always been systematic social boycott which they claim is Islamic although it is not and an attempt to harm those who do not accept their point of view.

Some people might think that I am exaggerating. Take the case of Mauritius. On the roof of the central Mosque in Rose-Hill there is the same glib and meaningless sentence “Love for All and Hatred for none” displayed in neon lights. But unfortunately this phrase is used only as a decoration of the mosque and almost all Ahmadis hearts are devoid of its message. Here the Ahmadis have been taught by the Amir and his mentors from London to harm those who are in disagreement with them by systematically applying social boycott against them. They should not be invited in any marriage ceremony. If by chance a letter of invitation has been received, with pressure from the Amir that same letter has been taken back. Many Ahmadis from the mainstream do not say salaam to those of the dissident group and sometimes if they are greeted with Salam they will mumble back some meaningless words like the diehard Sunnis do when they are addressed or they might put their hands over their ears with a gesture not to hear. Hazrat Masih Maood ^as came to help us to manifest what is noble in our nature. Unfortunately the current Ahmadiyya leadership in Mauritius has taught its members to become personification of hate and not at all of peace. Then should we be surprised if we see the amalgam of all types of people devoid of moral scruples that form part of this Jamaat these days?

In Canada it is well known that an Ahmadi dissident Mobashir Dar was refused burial in an Ahmadiyya Cemetery by the Amir of the Jamaat over there. When someone or a group displays such attitude can it in anyway promote peace. Someone once said “be the change that you want to see in the world”. Members of Jamaat Ahmadiyya around the world should understand and practice this. In fact the prophet’s definition for a Muslim is “that person from the harm of whose tongue and hands others are protected”. In addition to impress upon each Ahmadi to remember this injunction well, Hazrat Masih Maood ^as included it among the conditions of bai’at. If today we do not see the accomplishment of what was promised it is because members of Jamaat Ahmadiyya are not living according to what they were supposed to live. They have started saying something and doing something else.

Last week I read a quotation from the writings of Hazrat Masih Maood^as where he was saying that the piety of the members of Jamaat Ahmadiyya should influence change in the world. But unfortunately where is that piety that is meeting Allah’s approval? There is a great need for those who say they are Ahmadis to live the teachings of Islam in their daily lives. They have to distinguish themselves from others. They have to practice an Islam that is totally devoid of extremism. But unfortunately this is not what we see. What we observe most of them pay lip service to the teachings of Islam. They follow their leaders because they trust them due to their lack of knowledge of what Islam really is. They prefer to be led rather than to try to understand what they are being told. Most labour under the delusion that just because they form part of a caliph-led Jamaat they will be saved. But such was never and will never be the case. Everyone will be rewarded for what he does.

One of the objectives of the coming of the Promised Messiah was to bring peace to the world. Unfortunately we have to say that within the Jamaat itself there has not been much peace. Today if I am not mistaken we have at least five splinter groups besides the mainstream Jamaat. Yet the holy Quran has told us that “Fa in tanaza’ toum min shay’in fa rouddouho ellalahe wal rasoule in kountoum toumenouna billahe wal yawmil aakher. Zaalaka khayron wa ahsanon ta’weela” which means “And if you differ in anything refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you are believers in Allah and the Last Day. This is best and most commendable in the end” (4:60). On each point of difference if we talk with a view to narrow the difference and with an open mind and with sincere prayers I am sure in the end we will succeed. We will learn and appreciate that we have more in common than what separates us. Hence through the Holy Quran and the sayings or practices of the Holy Prophet Mohammad ^saw and the teachings of the Promised Messiah ^as we will be in a position to iron out our differences and work together for the promotion of Islam which was the initial purpose of the creation of the Jamaat. As far as I am concerned I am ready for any such dialogue as I have repeatedly said in my previous sermons. I suggest that some people within Jamaat Ahmadiyya start working for the purpose of bringing peace and reconciliation among the different Ahmadiyya groups and who knows, maybe, one day they might win the Ahmadiyya Peace Prize! Allah knows best.