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Tarbiyyat Programme 2016-2018
Dear sisters, Assalamo Alaikum wa Rahmatollah We present to you the Tarbiyyat programme for 2016-2018. Repeatedly we have heard our beloved Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba ask us to self-analyse and to reflect on our shortcomings and the areas we need to improve. In the Friday sermon of June 5th 2015 our beloved Huzoor aba said:
‘We need to self-reflect. It is fundamental that every commandment of the Holy Qur’an should bring about positive change in us and as explained by The Promised Messiah (peace be on him) we have to forge new earth and new heaven.’
Therefore, in response to our Khalifa, this Tarbiyyat Programme has been prepared to give each of us a start us on this journey of self-reflection, and improvement and the understanding of what the consequences are if we decide not to improve ourselves and not to take this ‘journey’ our Khalifa has asked us to. Huzoor’s aba expectations are all based around the promises we make to Allah the Almighty when we take part in Bai’at and refresh our beliefs. Huzoor aba said:
‘We should not be simply pleased that we have taken Bai’at. We need to attain the standard of Bai’at which is, as clearly understood from the meanings of the very word Bai’at, to sell oneself.’
(Hadhrat Khalifa tul Masiv V aba, 5th December 2014) Therefore, we have decided to split this programme according to the Ten Conditions of Bai'at which are spread over 2 years. For this programme to be successful we must put 100% effort into working towards making a change first within ourselves, thus leading to reformation of our families, Jammat and communities, Inshallah. We, the central Tarbiyyat department are always here for you and we will support you to the utmost of our ability in this journey.
Finally, we would like to thank the all involved in producing this Programme for their
valued contribution in the preparation of this syllabus.
Our prayer is that all sisters are able to benefit from this Programme. AmeenNational
Tarbiyyat Department, UK.
Guidelines for Secretaries Dear Secretaries, Assalamo Alaikum wa Rahmatollah We would like to present this syllabus to you as a guide to assist you with the topics set for each term. We understand that sometimes it is difficult to read out big chunks of text as it is sitting down in a meeting and listening to them-especially amongst youngsters. The main aim of this syllabus and these topics are to focus on self-analysing and constantly thinking about the decisions we make. We do not expect you to read whole passages during a general meeting however, you could send some parts through e-mails and carry out the discussion tasks/activities in the meeting. Discussions attract more attention. It can open up ways for communication and bring to the forefront some points you might need to address in the future that is specific to your halqa/area. Through talk and communication it is known to be more beneficial to get messages across. There might be some points which you might need help to address. Please do keep in constant contact by e-mailing the Tarbiyyat department as this department requires a lot of team work. We hope and pray that this syllabus proves to be helpful to both you and your members. Ameen Wasalam, National Tarbiyyat Department, UK.
The Ten conditions of Bai’at
1. That till the last day of his life, he shall abstain from shirk (associating any
partners with Allah).
2. That he shall keep away from falsehood, cruelty, adultery, dishonesty,
disorder, rebellion and every kind of evil.
3. That he shall offer prayers (Salat) five times daily.
4. That he shall not inflict injury on any of Allah’s creatures.
5. That he would bear every hardship for the sake of Allah.
6. That he shall not follow vulgar customs and guard against evil inclinations.
7. That he shall discard pride and haughtiness, live in humility & meekness.
8. That he shall hold his faith, dignity, and the welfare of Islam dearer than his
own life, wealth and children.
9. That he shall have sympathy for all of God’s creatures, and devote his talents
to their welfare.
10. That he shall establish brotherhood with me (i.e.Ahmad), obeying me in all
good things, and firmly adhere to these rules until the last breadth of his life.
https://www.alislam.org/library/history/ahmadiyya/10.html
Almighty Allah commanded the Promised Messiahas to take Bai’at. The divine
commandment was conveyed in the following words:
“And when you made up your mind, then trust Allah.
And, make an ark before Our eyes and according to Our
revelation.
Those who take a pledge at your hand take a pledge with
Allah. Allah’s hand is above their hands.”
(Ishtihar, December 1, 1888, p. 2, Conditions of Bai’at & Responsibilities of
an Ahmadi, https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf,
p.9)
Table of contents 2016-2017 First Quarter - Condition I
Associating Partners with Allah (Shirk) Oneness of God (Toheed) Fear of Allah (Taqwah)
Second Quarter - Condition II
Falsehood (Jhut)/ Adultery (Zanaa) / Trespasses of the Eye (Badnazri) Wickedness and Immorality (Fisq o Fujur) Dishonesty (Khayanat) / Mischief (Fasad) / Rebellion (Baghawat)
Third Quarter - Condition III
Observing the 5 daily Prayers (Salat) / Tahajjud To send blessings on the Holy Prophet saw (Durud) / To seek forgiveness (Istaghfar) Praise of Allah (Hamd)
Fourth Quarter – Condition IV & V
Sympathy to the creatures of this world (Hamdardi - e Khalq) Steadfastness (Istiqamat)
2017-2018 First Quarter – Condition VI
Unislamic Customs Word of Allah (Qaal Allah) Word of the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) (Qaal a Rasul saw)
Second Quarter – Condition VII
Cheerfulness & Forbearance Humility & Meekness Preide & Haughtiness
Third Quarter – Condition VIII & IX
Service of Mankind Importance of Pledge
Fourth Quarter – Condition X
Love of the Promised Messiah as
Obedience to the Promised Messiah as
Obedience of Khilafat
First Quarter 2016-2017
Condition I
Abstaining from Shirk
Establishing Tauheed
The Path of Taqwa
Abstaining from Shirk
(Associating Partners with Allah)
Condition I
“The initiate shall solemnly promise that he/she shall abstain from
Shirk [associating any partner with God] right up to the day of his/her death.”
Introduction:
In this chapter, we wish to give you the understanding that shirk is something that can
be committed easily in our daily lives. There are different forms of shirk, some are
obvious and easy to spot such as worshipping stones while others are more covert
and subtle. Reflecting on the first condition of Bai’at will make us appreciate the finer
concepts of Shirk, will help us examine our every action to avoid it and become closer
to Allah.
Abstaining from Shirk is the first condition of Bai’at. It means not to associate partners
with Allah the Almighty. This is first step towards goodness because abstaining from
shirk is one form of leaving the evil (Tarke Shar) and the first step to be closer to Allah
the Almighty. Abandoning Shirk enables us to create a connection with Allah and help
us to truly abide by the 1st pillar of Islam-There is none worth of worship expect Allah
and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the servant and
messenger of Allah.
According to the Holy Quran, shirk is a great sin and Zulmun Azeem - a grievous
wrong.
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“And remember when Luqman said to his son while exhorting him, ‘O
my dear son! associate not partners with Allah. Surely, associating
partners with God is a grievous wrong.” [31:14]
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) said in his Friday sermon
delivered on 23rd March 2012,
“Each Ahmadi who claims to have taken the Bai’at of the Promised Messiah
(on whom be peace) should be very acutely mindful that it is a huge
responsibility. The task of the second phase of Islam which began with the
Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) requires that his followers instil a
revolutionary change in themselves so that they may partake the blessings
that are associated with the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace).”
(Friday Sermon, March 23 2012)
Therefore, our goal this term is to understand the depth and breadth of this
revolutionary change in light of the first condition of Bai’at. Our goal is to reflect and
identify the areas that we need to work on and then to make every effort to bring about
these changes.
The forms of Shirk:
There are many hidden forms or Shirk. Allah the Exalted has likened uttering
falsehood/dishonesty to idol worship or shirk (The Holy Quran 22:31). Therefore,
whatever Allah the Exalted has said about shirk, applies also to lying.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) has spoken thoroughly on
this matter in his Friday Sermon of June 21st 2013.
When someone lies, they give something else or someone else a stronger
position than Allah.
We should have trust in Allah’s judgements and believe in Allah enough to not
be afraid and speak the truth in all circumstances.
To help put this into context, imagine that Allah’s camera is recording your every
move. You may get away with lies in the near term but if you know He is
watching, you can be sure you will not get away with it.
The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) states in his Urdu poetry: ‘Daro
Yaaro ke woh beena Khuda Hai’3 which means “beware friends! For He is
an All-Seeing God”. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has in many
of his books and poetry reminded us of this attribute of Allah the Almighty.
That He is ‘All-Seeing’. Therefore, we must always be aware of the fact that
He is always watching over us.
Showing-off, following one’s desires and giving them priority over Allah’s
commandments are all referred to as a form of shirk in Hadith:
“….my people will not worship the sun and the moon, the idol and the
stone, they will suffer from ostentations in their actions and they will be
prey to their hidden desires. One of them will start the day fasting but
then he will come across a desire and he will break the fast and indulge
in his desire.”
(Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal,vol. 4. p. 124, printed in Beirut)
Even if one does not indulge in worshipping idols or the natural elements,
depending completely on worldly means alone, is also a form of shirk as the
Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) says:
“Shirk here does not merely mean bowing before stones, etc.; rather,
it is also shirk that you should depend entirely on worldly means and
emphasise worldly idols. This is what shirk is.”
(Al-Hakam, vol. 7, No. 24, June 30, 1903, p. 11)
Undue flattery of a superior in hope of future sustenance is also a form of shirk.
Expectations from children as means of support and security for the future is a
form of shirk.
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true tasks in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learn.
True incidents
1) Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) explained a true incident
from the life of Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih I (May Allah be pleased with him), in his
Friday sermon:
“Once Hazrat Maulvi sahib was coming back from Kashmir via
Rawalpindi, when he ran out of money. He says when I expressed my
concern, (Hazrat Maulvi sahib) said that he would sell the horse he
was riding, it would readily sell for around four to five hundred rupees
giving him enough money. He had bought the horse for 700 rupees.
He says that a little while later the horse developed severe abdominal
pain and died by the time he reached Rawalpindi. He says (Maulvi
sahib) was pacing up and down (we had to pay the tonga fare), I said
that the tonga driver was asking for the fare. He replied with sorrow,
“Nurruddin’s God is lying dead over there, now let’s pray to the real
God, He is the best Provider”. A little later a Sikh brought his father
who was old and ill. (Hazrat Maulvi sahib) examined him and gave a
prescription. He says the consultation fetched enough money for the
journey all the way to Jamun.
(Hayat-i-Nur pp168-9)
Even if by mistake Hazrat Maulvi sahib relied on a worldly source, he
didn’t start wailing when he lost that source. Instead, he remembered
God with complete confidence and prayed. And God helped him in an
unexpected manner”
(Friday Sermon, May 16, 2014)
2) There is an incident in the life of Hadrat Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan’s (May Allah
be pleased with him) mother that shows how much she detested shirk.
“It is said that many of her children died in their infancy. Once, a child
fell ill and was being treated for his illness. Someone came to visit her
and left an amulet as a curative charm for him. A woman attempted to
put that charm around the child’s neck. The mother snatched it and
threw it into fire, saying: ‘My full trust is in my Creator and the Master;
these amulets hold no significance for me.’ Later, when the child was
of two months, she took him to her in-laws in Daska and stayed there
for six months. Now the child was eight months old. She brought him
to her parents’ home. After six days, the same woman—Jay Devi—
visited her once again. She kissed the boy and asked the mother for
some garments and grains suggesting that they would ward off some
evil from the child. In response, the mother said: ‘You are a poor
widow; if you want something as charity, I will be happy to give it to
you as much as I can afford, but I am not among those who believe in
evil spirits. To me Allah the Almighty alone is the Master of life and
death. I do not accept anything else as having any hand in these
matters. For me, such thoughts are like associating partners with God.
I hate them very much. For this very reason I am not willing to give you
anything at all.’ Jay Devi responded: ‘Think it over; if you wish to save
the life of your child, you must give me what I have asked for.’ After a
few days, as the mother was giving a bath to [the same baby boy], Jay
Devi visited once again and pointing to the child, making a gesture,
said: ‘So is he the same prince?’ The mother replied in the affirmative
saying: ‘Yes, this is the one!’ Jay Devi asked for the same articles once
again, but she firmly refused to give her anything. At this, Jay Devi got
annoyed and said: ‘All right! If you return home with your child alive,
only then you can say that I was lying!’ She replied: ‘Whatever shall
happen, that shall be the will of God!’ Jay Devi turned to leave and she
was still in the porch, when during the bath right there and then Zafar
vomited blood and also discharged blood from his bowels, and within
moments his condition became extremely critical. Subsequently,
within hours, he passed away. The mother entreated to Allah the
Almighty in these words: ‘O, My Lord! You are the One who gave him
to me and You are the One who have taken Him away! I am content
with Your will! Please grant me resolve to remain patient!’ Then, she
returned to Daskah [her home town] with an empty lap.”
(Ashab-e-Ahmad, vol. 2, pp. 15–16, published in 1969)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q: A girl was recently married, and a few days afterwards her father-in law was
involved in a serious car crash and was critically injured. Certain relatives are
considering her to be unlucky. Discuss this question in light of Shirk; what
would be your advice to them?
A possible answer could include:
“Every statement, or every deed, which is revered in a manner that befits
Almighty Allah alone, is an idol in the sight of Allah.”
(Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol 12, page 349)
Extra Activities
How can the following be regarded as associates of Allah? Discuss and make your
family aware of these too.
one’s ego
one’s cunning or deceit
Multimedia
When you read through this chapter you might wish to find out more or some questions
might still be unanswered. To help with this we have found some internet links that
give a detailed discussion on the subject of Shirk.
1. Conditions of Bai’at and the Responsibilities of an Ahmadi
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
2. Does God forgive those who do Shirk- Rahe Huda
http://ahmadiyyaarchive.org/video/9JoGM4Vlyj0/does-god-forgive-those-who-
do-shirk
3. Questions about God and Existence of God
http://youtu.be/Pa4aJMIXDS0
4. ‘Harmful Innovations in Religion’
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2010-10-29.html
References
1. The Holy Quran Chapter 31: Verse 14, English Translation by Hazrat Maulvi
Sher Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
2. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Summary Friday
Sermon March 23rd 2012,
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2012-03-
23.html
3. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Durre Sameen, page 32
https://www.alislam.org/urdu/pdf/DurreSameen.pdf
4. Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal,vol. 4. p. 124, printed in Beirut, cited in
Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 17,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
5. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Al-Hakam, vol. 7, No. 24, June
30, 1903, p. 11, cited in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an
Ahmadi, page 16, https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
6. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, March
26, 2010, English subtitles run on MTA, translated by the review of religions
team
7. Ashab-e-Ahmad, vol. 2, pp. 15–16, published in 1969, cited in Conditions of
Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 208
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
8. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol 12, page
349, cited in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 18,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
Establishing Tauheed
(The Oneness and Unity of Allah)
Condition I
“The initiate shall solemnly promise that he/she shall abstain from
Shirk [associating any partner with God] right up to the day of his/her death.”
Introduction
It is explicitly noticeable that the first condition of Bai’it is about shirk. But take a closer
look. Within the 1st condition of Bai’at, we are met with the concept of Tauheed which
is to believe in the One God Almighty- Allah. Therefore, our goal is to achieve what
the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had wished for mankind:
“Above all, it is my task to re-establish in people’s hearts the eternal plant of
the pure and shining unity”
(Friday Sermon, March 25 2016)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) explains that:
“The purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiah’s was to establish true
Tauheed and to set lofty examples with regard to fulfilling our obligations
towards God and His creatures” (Friday
Sermon, March 25 2016)
With this in mind, what are our responsibilities regarding establishment of
Unity?
To believe in unity, one must admonish worldly fears and give importance to the fear
of Allah. We must not strive to please the people of this world, but should try their best
to please Allah the almighty alone and try to walk this path throughout their lives.
Therefore our responsibility should involve helping one another to promote these
qualities. Once this fear of displeasing Allah takes root in our hearts, it then needs to
be reflected in our actions by establishing high standards of worship of our one true
God.
What is Tauheed?
To believe that Allah is One, He is the sole creator of everything and everyone and He
alone is the provider for all, is called Tauheed. Belief in the Oneness of God means
that all what we believe in springs from this fountain-head of eternal truth.
“Verily, I am Allah; there is no God beside Me. So serve Me, and
observe Prayer for My remembrance.” [20:15]
The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) explains that:
“Unity of God does not simply mean that you say lailaha illAllah with your
tongue but hide hundreds of idols in your heart.”
(Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol 12, Page
349)
The first step that we discussed previously is to put Allah the Almighty first and
to get rid of any idols that might become an obstacle between you and your
Lord. This includes any egotistic thoughts or pride of any sort.
The second step is purifying our thoughts in such a way that we truly consider
God to be unique in every sense.
The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) explains that:
“No Unity can be complete without the following three types of
descriptions1. First, there is the Unity of Being—that is, to conceive the
whole universe as non-existent in contrast with Him and to consider it
mortal and lacking reality.
(Which means thinking of God alone to be the only reality)
Secondly, the Unity of Attributes—that is that Rabbiyyat [Lordship] and
Uluhiyyat [Godhead] are confined to His Being and that all others who
1 Particularizations changed to descriptions.
appear as sustainers or benefactors are only a part of the system set
up by His hand.
Thirdly, the Unity of love, sincerity and devotion—that is, that your love
for Him should be exclusive”.
(Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol 12, Page 349-
350)
Human nature can sometimes make us consider our own capabilities and
capacities to be the reason of success. A belief in the Unity of God can help us
get rid of thoughts that point to our self to be the reason of our successes and
truly consider and reflect on Allah’s blessings to be the only reason of our
success.
The concept of the Unity of Allah will also help us to understand the unity of
humankind- which is that all man-made barriers (race, ethnicity, nationality) are
insignificant and all humans are created equal.
Unity also helps us form consistency between our views and actions and
between our relationship with God and our fellow beings. Once we accomplish
this, we are then connected onto the single chain of unbreakable unity.
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true tasks in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learn.
True Incident
1) Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Khalifatul- Masih IV (May Allah have mercy on him)
related a true incident during the opening address at Jalsa UK 1992. He stated:
“In the early history of Islam the Holy Prophet had prayed for the victory
of Muslims against their powerful enemy at the battle of Badr. He
beseeched Allah for His help saying that if this small band of Muslims
be annihilated (God forbid) then there would be no one left to proclaim
and worship the Unity of God.
O Ahmadis! O Ahmadis! O the Ahmadiyya Community in Islam! You
have been commissioned to discharge this sacred work. If you become
negligent then you will be responsible for your own destruction. If you
are destroyed, then the Unity of Allah will be effaced from the world.
…. Recognition of the Unity of God is not only necessary for your
salvation but also for the whole of mankind.”
(Review of religions, November 1992)
2) Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) explained a true incident
from the life of Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih II (May Allah be pleased with him) in his
Friday sermon:
“Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) related that an
earthquake struck in line with the Promised Messiah’s (on whom be
peace) prophecy regarding earthquakes. A medical student in Lahore
used to bitterly argue against the existence of God at the time. When
the earthquake struck he felt as if the ceiling was going to cave in and
he was convinced that no power could save him. This is when he cried
out: Ram, Ram! His background was Hindu. Next day his colleagues
asked him what had happened to him the day before he did not even
believe in God. He replied he had no idea what had happened but he
had lost his senses. Truth is that was the only time he had been in his
senses and saw only One source of help! As long as man sees other
sources of help he is drawn to them and as long as other sources are
evident to him he flatters them to the point of disparaging others in
front of them. But when he can see no other source of help he calls
out to God!”
(Friday Sermon, 28th November 2014)
3) Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) relates another incident:
“In 1918 during WWI Germany attacked the Allied Forces with great
strength and a time came when the Allied Forces were in immense
danger. Their seven-mile-long defence line was destroyed and a gap
was created in their defence through which Germany could attack and
destroy them. The General in command at the front line said to the
Commander in Chief that he did not have the manpower to rectify the
broken defence line and the situation was beyond him. It was felt that
they would be destroyed and France and Britain will be eliminated.
When a telegram was sent the Prime Minister was chairing an
important meeting of his minsters. There was nothing he could do.
Even if there were army reserves they could not be deployed in the
time they had. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him)
said although Europe followed Christianity, upon looking closely one
finds it hollow and the people very materialistic. Indeed, materialistic
Europe was very proud of its resources at the time and governments
are arrogant anyhow because they have power. At that time their
biggest leader who was ever high on power and glory felt that there
was no way out. He turned to his colleagues and said let us turn to
God and seek help. And they knelt down to pray.”
(Friday Sermon, 28th November 2014)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q: A girl is of a marriageable age and her parents wish for her to get married.
The proposal you have suggested to the family is of a particular caste, and even
though the man is a devout and pious Ahmadi with a good education, they are
reluctant to agree simply due to his caste. How should you explain to her
parents that their ideas go against the concept of the Unity of God?
A possible answer could include the concept of Unity and all humans are created
equal. To hold such a thing as caste above all, excludes all ties with Unity and goes
against the conditions of Ba’ait.
“Families that are ruining their homes over trivial worldly matters should reflect and
ponder over this. Your next generation does not only belong to you, it is also an asset
of the Jama'at and the nation”
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2015-03-06.html
Extra Activities
Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) explains that
“We should be mindful that as Ahmadis who have taken Bai’at of the Imam
of the age and have pledged to live our lives to please God and to turn to
God in hard times and in good times we strongly need to comprehend the
subject of: ‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for
help’.
We should self-reflect and see what is it that we have to do and what is it
that we are doing. Is our standard of worship and calling for God’s help in
line with what God has enjoined or do we repeat ‘Thee alone do we worship
and Thee alone do we implore for help’ thirty-two times a day in parrot-like
fashion and nothing more!” (Friday Sermon,
28th November 2014)
In your next Salat reflect on the verse ‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do
we implore for help’ ponder and evaluate yourself in light of Huzoor’s (May Allah be
his Helper) saying. Try doing it a few times a day to begin with and progress daily, the
aim should be to reflect on it each of the thirty-two times.
Multimedia
When you read through this chapter you might wish to find out more or some questions
might still be unanswered. To help with this we have found some internet links that
give a detailed discussion on the subject of Tauheed.
1. The Holy Quran in proof of the Unity of God
https://www.alislam.org/v/68.html
2. Establishment of Tauheed by Khilafate Ahmadiyya
https://www.alislam.org/v/1327.html
3. Friday Sermon, 9th September 2011,
https://www.alislam.org/archives/sermons/summary/FST20110909-EN.pdf
4. Unity of God in the light of Surah Ikhlas,
https://www.alislam.org/quran/HolyQuran/articles/00000233.html
References:
1. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, March
25 2016, https://www.alislam.org/tj/sermons/FSJ20160325-EN.pdf
2. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 20: Verse 10 English Translation by Hazrat
Maulawi Sher Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
3. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol 12, Page
349, cited in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 17-
18, https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
4. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol 12, Page
349-350, cited in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page
18-19, https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
5. Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih IV (May Allah have mercy on him), Summary of
opening address delivered on July 31, 1992, Review of religions, November
1992, https://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000028.html
6. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Summary Friday
Sermon November 28, 2014,
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2014-11-28.html#summary-tab
7. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, An elementary study of Islam, p.4
The Path of Taqwa
(Fear of Allah)
Condition I
“The initiate shall solemnly promise that he/she shall abstain from
Shirk [associating any partner with God] right up to the day of his/her death.”
Introduction
Within the 1st condition of Ba’ait we have established that we need to abstain from
Shirk and establish Tauheed. To secure this promise we then need to walk on the path
of Taqwa.
The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) states:
“O ye who count among my Jama'at, you will be considered my true
followers on the high only when you will truly tread on the path of Taqwa.
Therefore, offer your five prayers in humility and fear as if you are viewing
God Almighty. Keep the fast sincerely and truthfully. He who is duty bound
to pay Zakat, must pay the desired amount. On whom Haj is obligatory, must
go and perform it. Do the virtue punctiliously and loathe vice and abandon
it.
Beware that no deed will reach God which is deprived of Taqwa. The base
of every virtue is Taqwa.”
(Kashti-e-Nooh, Page 14)
Therefore, our goal is to evaluate ourselves and our lives very carefully and see if we
are walking towards the path of taqwa or not? Do we think about Allah before we do
things, even small everyday things? Are we, on a daily basis, adopting new morals for
pleasing our God? Are we raising the quality of our namaz and standards of our
worship overall out of sheer love of Allah?
The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in one of his powerful poetries states that
the “Root of every goodness is righteousness” (taqwa).
What is Taqwa?
The word "taqwa" can best be defined as the "fear of Allah." However, that is not to
say that one should live in the dread of the Almighty, or that He is a Dreadful Being.
Rather, it should be regarded as the fear of the loss of Allah's love, Taqwa is to avoid
all kind of evils for the pleasure of God, to abide by all His commandments and to
avoid all that He has forbidden.
“
O ye who believe! fear Allah; and let every soul look to what it sends
forth for the morrow. And fear Allah; verily Allah is Well-Aware of what
you do.” [59:19]
“And be not like those who forgot Allah, and whom He has
consequently caused to forget their own souls. It is they that are the
rebellious.” [59:20]
How can we walk on the path of Taqwa?
Man's intentions and his actions are always guided and controlled either by fear
or hope. Those who do good deeds do so out of fear and hope, and those who
indulge in vices are motivated by the same.
The belief in Unity dispels all other fears and brings to one's mind the
importance of losing Allah’s love, which means that we must not want to please
other people in this world like our friends or people with high statuses, but
should always want to please Allah and make him happy.
We should try and shape one's life with this in mind. We should aim to win
Allah’s love. In the positive sense, the same applies to all human motivations
and actions.
Once true unity has taken root in our hearts and we know that everything is
dependent upon God. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Khalifatul- Masih IV (May
Allah have mercy on him) explains that:
“The Promised Messiah has explained different aspects of the Unity
of God. You should consider everything unreal and non-existent
besides Him. That is to say nothing except Him has independent
power of its own. Everything is dependent upon God. If He so wishes
He could destroy the universe in a moment. Such a firm faith
represents pure belief in the Unity of God in Whose love a believer
should be lost”.
(Review of Religions, November 1992)
“Hadhrat Ubbay bin Kab, a companion of the Holy Prophet pbuh, aptly
explained taqwa by likening muttaqi (the righteous) to one who walks through
thorny bushes, taking care that his clothes are not caught in and torn by their
branches. In other words, a righteous person is one who is ever on his guard
against sin and takes God for his shield against temptation”.
(https://www.alislam.org/books/pathwaytoparadise/LAJ-chp4.htm)
Allah says that whoever adopts taqwah and puts his trust in Him, Allah
becomes sufficient for him and provides for him in ways beyond man’s
imagination.
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true tasks in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learn.
True Incidents:
1) Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) remembers that
“When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V aba visited Kenya he met with a
politician who related to him that he had also met Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih IV rh who had advised him something which had proved very
beneficial. The advice was to think before doing anything that God is
watching you and that He also has a record of everything one does.
Perhaps this person was Christian. If he could benefit from this advice,
how much more beneficial would the advice be for a true believer who
has been enjoined by God to follow it.”
(Friday Sermon, 6th March, 2015)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q: Your best friend tries her best to offer namaz five times a day, however she
struggles with the idea offer your five prayers in humility and fear as if you are
viewing God Almighty. How can you help her understand?
A possible answer could include: reflecting on our lives, where is our life leading to?
you could start from taking away any hurdles and work your way up slowly growing
closer to Allah.
Q: A girl is doing an MBA at Leeds University. While studying there, she is
placed under scrutiny and pressure from her peers about her hijab. Considering
Taqwa, and the idea of pleasing God before anyone else, what advice would you
give her?
A possible answer could include: The only person you need to please is Allah. For if
you decide to please someone other than Him that will lead to shirk and displease
Allah.
Multimedia
1. How can find the way to Allah- Q&A with Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih IV (May
Allah have mercy on him)
http://youtu.be/qgvFzyZ9fig
2. Fear of God (Khashiyate Ilahi)
https://www.alislam.org/v/6156.html
3. Taqwa-Righteousness
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2009-05-22.html
References:
1. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Kishti-e-Nuh, page 14, cited in
Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 54,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
2. The Holy Qur’an Chapter 59: Verse 19-20 English Translation by Maulawi
Sher Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
3. Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih IV (May Allah have mercy on him), Opening address
July 31, 1992, Review of Religions, November 1992,
https://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000028.html
4. https://www.alislam.org/books/pathwaytoparadise/LAJ-chp4.htm
5. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon March 6,
2015,
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2015-03-06.html
Second Quarter 2016-2017
Condition II
Keep away from Falsehood / Adultery / Trespasses of the eye
Keep away from Debauchery(Wickedness) and Dissipation(Immorality)
Keep away from Dishonesty / Mischief / Rebellion / not to be carried away by
passion
Keep away from Falsehood / Adultery / Trespasses of the eye
Condition II
That he/she shall keep away from false-hood, fornication/adultery, trespasses of the
eye, debauchery, dissipation, cruelty, dishonesty, mischief and rebellion; and
that he/she will not permit himself/herself to be carried away by passions, however
strong they might be.
Introduction:
In this condition we promise to discard a number of evil impulses.
By the end of the chapter we hope that you become aware of some of the actions that
if committed by us, can lead to disharmony in our homes and society.
The first step is recognising the evil practices, the next is eradicating these from our
lives and this self-reformation will lead us to the love of our beloved Allah. Insh’Allah.
Keep away from Falsehood
Lying or falsehood is the root of all evils. When someone lies they are just like an
idolater depending on their idols for salvation. In this way lying is a type of Shirk.
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty has mentioned them together
“Shun therefore the abomination of idols, and shun all words of
untruth.” [22:31]
In his Friday sermon Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) asks us:
“Every Ahmadi should self-reflect and see how much they match up to what
is expected of them. Do we use falsehood in court cases, or tell lies for
monetary gains? Do we not say the truth when arranging matrimonial
matches, and not follow qawl e sadeed (the right word)? Do we use
falsehood to extract social or welfare allowances from the state? Many
people fall under a negative light in this regard. Income is also not disclosed
to gain state benefits and this in turn is tax evasion/fraud. It should be clear
that every government is experiencing problems due to the general
downward financial trends and any government that may not be in such a
situation right now, is going to be in future. As such, governments are
scrutinising matters of welfare and benefits very closely. Anything negative
in this regard not only creates personal difficulties but can also be a cause
of disrepute for Ahmadiyyat. Those who use falsehood for such purposes
should not keep worldly advantage in view but should try and please God
by avoiding falsehood and by living on small means. Be mindful that
falsehood is not used in asylum applications. Certainly, lawyers have always
incited such practices, as the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) also
said. Office-holders should also self-reflect whether they report falsely. They
may not be telling lies but are they also abiding by qawl e sadeed and
saying/reporting what is the unambiguous truth? Matters should be dealt
with righteousness. Each person should deal with matters devoid of
personal gain, devoid of egotism and with only fear of God in view.”
(Friday Sermon, February 5, 2016)
Ways to avoid Falsehood
Exaggeration is a hidden way in which people lie.
By sticking to the truth even when it seems our life, property or honour are at
risk. Always remember our purpose is to seek the pleasure of Allah.
As parents or elders we should be particularly careful in front of children. When
the phone rings or someone comes to the door we do not want to speak to, do
not tell your child to say, “I am not here”, tell them to take a message, I cannot
speak right now.
Avoid threatening children with imaginary people or things. Similarly, do not
promise children rewards for doing things that you have no intention of giving
them, with the hope of keeping them happy.
Be truthful when filling in forms and giving information to the government.
Keep away from Fornication
Adultery or Fornication is the sexual relation between two people not married to one
another and this has been forbidden by Allah Almighty.
“And come not near unto adultery; surely, it is a foul thing and an evil
way.” [17:33]
But when we talk about committing adultery we should also abstain from all those
actions that can lead us to do it.
The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said:
“Approach not adultery. This means that one should avoid all occasions
that might incite one’s mind in that direction, and should eschew all the
paths that might lead to this vice. He who indulges in this vice carries his
viciousness to the extreme. The way of adultery is an evil way as it
obstructs one’s progress towards the goal and is extremely harmful to the
achievement of the purpose of life. Those who find no means of marriage
should keep themselves chaste through the adoption of other means; for
instance, through fasting or dieting or exercise.”
(The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam)
Ways to avoid Fornication
Avoid going to places where you know there will be nudity or state of undress,
such as beaches.
Avoid watching TV shows or films, which contain vulgarity.
And similarly avoid visiting sites or view photos online that are vulgar and
contain nudity.
Parents need to be watchful over what their children watch on television or view
online.
Keep away from Trespasses of the eye
In this part of the pledge we are asked to restrain our eyes in the company of men who
are not our relatives, this is part of Purdah.
Ways to practice restraining of eyes (Ghad-i-basar)
Avoid looking into the face of men not our relatives (or Ghair Mehram)
In today’s world of social media, we need also to be vigilant that our online
activities stay away from the trespasses of the eye, by chatting with or sharing
pictures with men not related to us.
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true tasks in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learn.
True incidents
1.) “The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) once sent a parcel to
someone and placed a letter in the parcel. He did not know this was
against the law. A case was filed against him and the Promised Messiah’s
(on whom be peace) lawyer asked him that since the parcel was not
opened at the other end in front of any witness the Promised Messiah (on
whom be peace) should plain deny sending a letter in it. The Promised
Messiah said it would be untrue to say so and he was not prepared to do
it even though the lawyer told him he would definitely be penalised.
During the court case the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) most
honestly admitted to placing a letter within the parcel but said he did not
know it was against the rules. The prosecution side gave a long-drawn
speech which did not impress the judge. In the end the judge exonerated
the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and the case was dismissed.
This incident is often cited and it gives us a standard of honesty to
maintain. However, people living in these countries act contrary to this
when seeking benefits from the government, when seeking asylum or in
insurance cases. Ahmadis who do this should think about it as dishonesty
does not behove Ahmadis.”
(Friday Sermon, January 23, 2015)
2) “The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) says that I have read in a
book that Syed Abdul Qadar Shah Gillani possessed a very virtuous soul.
He once shared with his mother that my heart is not satisfied and I am not
happy with the prevalent worldly actions. I want to find a saint who can
guide me towards the peaceful path of virtuousness. Listening to the wish
of her son, Syed Abdul Qadar's mother allowed him to undertake the
journey in search of truth and sewed money (Persian coins) into the lining
of his coat under the armpit, thus hiding it away and instructed to use them
when needed. Syed Abdul Qadar Shah Gillani then requested his mother
to give him some advice. His mother instructed him to always speak the
truth because it can save one from great worry. On his way from the jungle,
the caravan was attacked by robbers. Upon seeing Syed Abdul Qadar
Shah Gillani in an impoverish condition, one of the robbers mockingly
questioned if he was carrying some valuables. Following the instructions
of his mother, Syed Abdul Qadar Shah Gillani told the robbers about the
money sewed into the lining of his coat. Upon search, the robbers found
the Persian coins. The robbers were caught up with surprise and upon
inquiring of the reason of why he spoke of the truth, Syed Abdul Qadar
Shah Gillani told that 'I am travelling in search of true path and upon my
departure my mother had instructed me to always speak the truth. So
indeed this was my first test and I did not want to lie.' The leader of the
robbers was so impressed by Syed Abdul Qadar Shah Gillani's good act
that he repented over his unlawful acts and asked for forgiveness along
with the entire group of robbers.”
(Friday Sermon, June 10, 2016)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the
Tarbiyyat department. Discuss.
Q) People say how we could leave falsehood altogether; it is simply not
possible to get by without it!
A possible answer could include:
“The Promised Messiah as said that there was nothing as wicked as
falsehood. Worldly people say that people who tell the truth end up being
penalised. He said, how could I accept this because I have been through
seven court cases and did not use falsehood in even one of them and
with the grace of God did not lose a single case. How could God punish
a truthful person! He explained that when some people are penalised for
speaking the truth, their castigation is not due to being honest. Rather, its
cause is some hidden, unknown sin or wickedness of theirs that God has
knowledge of. For example once a man beat up his cook only because
he did not get the seasoning right. When his attention was drawn to the
disproportionate chastisement he said that the cook had been with him
for a long time and had been very well looked after. Likewise, a large
hoard of man's wickedness at times brings about him being caught and
penalised.”
(Friday Sermon, February 5, 2016)
Extra Activities
Women and girls write to Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) about their husbands
watching lewd films on the internet all day and some husbands also write about their
wives. Matters reach khula or divorce and thus such habits cause break ups of homes.
These films also lead people to behave worse than beasts. There is need to reflect
over this with due concern and need for us to implement certain house rules regarding
media usage as a family. (Friday Sermon, January 2, 2015,
Multimedia
When you read through this chapter you might wish to find out more or some
questions might still be unanswered. To help with this we have found some internet
links that give a detailed discussion on these subjects.
1) Lying faith matters
http://youtu.be/zSbUcZLtqKw
2) Adultery
http://youtu.be/0HS4C7_IYMY
http://youtu.be/v3nWxRaJqiQ
3) Ao kahani sunain- truthfulness
http://youtu.be/bBCOo6zk8Js
4) Concept of evil eye- faith matters
http://youtu.be/ctWBN-feyaE
References
1. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 22; Verse 31, English Translation by Maulawi Sher
Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
2. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, February
5, 2016,
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2016-02-
05.html
3. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 17; Verse 33, English Translation by Maulawi Sher
Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
4. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), The Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam, page 47,
http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Philosophy-of-Teachings-of-Islam.pdf
5. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, January
23, 2015,
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2015-01-23.html#summary-tab
6. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, June 10.
2016,
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2016-06-
10.html
7. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, February
5, 2016,
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2016-02-
05.html
8. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, January
2, 2015,
Keep away from Debauchery(Wickedness) and Dissipation (Immorality)
Condition II
That he/she shall keep away from false-hood, fornication/adultery, trespasses of
the eye, debauchery, dissipation, cruelty, dishonesty, mischief and rebellion; and
that he/she will not permit himself/herself to be carried away by passions, however
strong they might be.
Introduction:
Carrying on from the previous chapter, we wish to raise awareness about some basic
personal vices. These vices can sometimes be easily committed in our daily lives, if
we are not careful. By the end of this chapter we hope that everyone can start to truly
understand the implications of the 2nd condition of Bai’at. We hope that knowing them
better will help us all eradicate these vices from our lives and this self-reformation will
lead us to the pleasure and love of our beloved Allah.
The second condition also enjoins saving oneself from debauchery and dissipation.
This is a vast subject as it deals with wicked behaviour of any type and immorality of
all forms. We will try to cover the basic implications of this topic.
Keep away from Debauchery
Debauchery refers to wickedness, corruption and dishonesty of every kind. In his
Friday Sermon Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) explained:
‘The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) took pledge from us that we
would stay away from all manner of wickedness. Indeed, it is wicked to
astray from what God has commanded.’
(Friday Sermon, January 2, 2015)
Therefore as Ahmadi Muslims it is our duty that we do not partake in any activities that
our debauch and wicked.
Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) then went on to explain how the Promised
Messiah (Peace be upon him) has said that the reason for the fall of the Muslims
was that they exceeded in wickedness and debauchery and disrespected and
reviled the commandments of Allah, having lost themselves in the glitz of the
world. (Friday Sermon, January 2, 2015)
How can we stay away from wicked behaviour?
As the second condition of bai’at instructs us to avoid all form of debauchery
and wickedness it is important for us to understand what these wicked
behaviours are.
In a hadith the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)
explained two kinds of wicked people. Firstly, those merchants who do not trade
with honesty and unfairly raise prices all while being under oath. This shows
that it is extremely important for the businesswomen amongst us to ponder over
the fact whether or not they are dealing fairly and with honesty. This is because
clean dealings are a condition of Bai‘at and the Holy Prophet (Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) has made it clear that those who do not deal in
the correct manner are in fact wicked and the wicked will be in Hell. (Musnadu
Ahmadabni Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 428, printed in Beirut)
The second kind of wicked people mentioned are those women who are
ungrateful and impatient. In this day and age, with so many different facilities
available to us, it is easy to take many things for granted. However, it is
incumbent upon us to be grateful and thank Allah for all things, big and small,
that he has blessed us with. Along with this it is important that whenever
misfortune befalls us, we remain patient and pray sincerely that Allah delivers
us from this hardship. (Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 428, printed in
Beirut)
In his Friday Sermon dated January 2nd, 2015, Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper)
mentions that:
‘The Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) once
counted abusive language as wickedness/debauchery as well.’
(Friday Sermon, January 2,
2015)
This shows that we must be mindful of all that we say and refrain from using
any sort of offensive and abusive language. This can be difficult when in this
day and age bad language is very common. However, we must remember that
our language affects our morals. We should also remind and point this out to
our children so that they too are aware that foul language is wicked.
Lastly, to truly purify our hearts from wicked thoughts, it is essential to keep
away from wicked company as well as impure or wicked media content as these
all affect our thoughts and actions. We must be mindful of the places we go,
keeping away from debauch environments as these undoubtedly will have an
effect on us. Mothers must also keep an eye on their children’s friends, ensuring
that their friends, along with their children, are not engaging in any debauchery.
Keep away from Dissipation (Immorality)
Immorality is rife in today’s world because belief in God does not exist. No God means
there is no right or wrong behaviour, no accountability. There is no entity to hold one
responsible for one’s actions. Consequently, morality begins to decline, as morality
becomes an obstacle in fulfilling worldly desires. Morality is guaranteed only through
belief in an All-Knowing, All Seeing God. We need to keep reminding ourselves that
we can never escape His knowledge, He watches us at all times.
The Holy Quran says:
“O ye who believe! follow not the footsteps of Satan, and whoso follows
the footsteps of Satan should know that he surely enjoins immorality and
manifest evil. And but for the grace of Allah and His mercy upon you, not
one of you would ever be pure, but Allah purifies whom He pleases. And
Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” [24:22]
This verse tells us that Satan is man's open enemy and attacks under the guise of
sympathy, he leads man to evil and harmful ways. However, at the time of
accountability, he will simply say that although he had called humankind to wickedness
why could they not use their judgement and avoided it! It is our responsibility to use
our own judgement, to fight satanic inclinations towards immorality and wickedness
with all our strength.
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) said:
‘Our community does not need strong men and those possessing the
strength of athletes. In fact people who have the strength to try to improve
morals are needed. It is a matter of fact that a strong man is not one who
can move a mountain from its base; most certainly, not. One who has the
ability to improve morals is a true brave person. Remember to utilise all your
strength and power to improve morals because this is real power and
bravery.’ (Malfuzat, Vol I, page 140, cited in Friday Sermon, January 20,
2012)
This extract explains that true strength lies in being able to improve ourselves by
avoiding all immoral things. In order to do this, we must look within ourselves and
identify our areas of weaknesses and then start to make the necessary changes
physically and mentally.
How do we save ourselves from becoming immoral?
The company we keep greatly affects us and soon our behaviour starts to
change whether it be consciously or unconsciously. Regarding this Hazrat
Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) mentioned:
‘Immorality is like a contagious disease. If a pious woman stays in the
company of an immoral women, she may not perpetrate evident
wickedness, but her heart would be affected. It is a very slippery slope,
even small indulgences can at times lead to immoral behaviour. So it
is essential to keep moral company and indulge in moral media
content.’
(Friday Sermon March 22, 2013)
This highlights the importance of keeping company with the righteous and also
ensuring that any media we are consuming is not immoral as one thing can
easily lead to another.
The society in which we live in enjoins many immoral acts in the name of
freedom. Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) has clearly mentioned on many
occasions that blindly following one’s desires in the name of freedom and
enjoyment only leads to the path of immorality. Huzoor (May Allah be his
Helper) said in his Friday Sermon,
‘These days one comes across gaping moral ills, which are not
considered immoral in the West. These are first followed in the name
of open-mindedness, later it is realized they are neither entertainment
nor freedom, rather these are pits of fire in the name of entertainment
and freedom.’
(Friday Sermon April 23, 2010)
This demonstrates that we must constantly be on our guard, reflecting on each
and every one of our actions and thoughts to see that we are not heedlessly
following those around us.
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true tasks in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learn.
True incidents
Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) mentions:
“One missionary informed me that a man in Ghana who became an Ahmadi
used to have all sorts of bad habits such as drinking and adultery, etc. But
then he underwent a marvellous change. As the people are poor, and there
is a housing shortage, people rent rooms in larger houses. Renting a room
is a common practice, and this man used to live in that kind of surroundings
and had many associations with women. As soon as he became an Ahmadi,
he told all of them not to come to him with evil intent. But one woman
persisted in chasing him. To get rid of her he devised the method that upon
seeing her coming, he would bolt the door from inside and started offering
nawafil prayers or reciting the Holy Qur’an. Thus, he safeguarded himself
against the temptation. Now, these are the revolutionary changes brought
by Ahmadiyyat.” (Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi,
page 210)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q) A young girl has been friends with another Ahmadi girl throughout secondary
school. However, she now begins to notice changes in her friend. She’s started
meeting with boys in secret, has boyfriends, sending them pictures, etc. The girl
does not want to be seen as someone who partakes in these activities. What
advice could you give to her?
Multimedia
When you read through this chapter you might wish to find out more or some questions
might still be unanswered. To help with this we have found some internet links that
give a detailed discussion on these subjects.
1. Address by Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) where the first 3
conditions were explained in detail
http://youtu.be/Dm-mPiOZaaw
2. Faith matters- arrogance, morality etc
http://youtu.be/Qp3YL-TyCL
References
1. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, January
2, 2015, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2015-
01-02.html
2. Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 428, printed in Beirut, cited in
Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 34,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
3. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, January
2, 2015, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2015-
01-02.html
4. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 24; Verse 22, English Translation by Maulawi Sher
Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
5. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Malfuzat, Vol I, page 140, cited
in Friday Sermon, January 20, 2012, http://www.alislam.org/friday-
sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2012-01-20.html
6. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, March
22, 2013, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-
2013-03-22.html
7. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, April 23,
2010, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2010-04-
23.html
8. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Conditions of Bai’at and
Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 210,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
Keep away from Dishonesty / Mischief / Rebellion/ not to be carried away by
passion
Condition II
That he/she shall keep away from false-hood, fornication/adultery, trespasses of the
eye, debauchery, dissipation, cruelty, dishonesty, mischief and rebellion; and
that he/she will not permit himself/herself to be carried away by passions, however
strong they might be.
Introduction:
Condition II of the Bai’at continues by asking us to pledge, to keep away from breach
of truth, dishonesty, mischief and rebellion, vices that cause unrest and discord in
society. We hope that understanding them better will help us all to avoid such actions
from our lives and lead to a peaceful society.
Keep away from dishonesty/breach of truth
And plead not on behalf of those who are dishonest to themselves.
Surely, Allah loves not one who is perfidious and a great sinner. [4:108]
Hadrat Abu Hurairahra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘If someone gives
you something for safekeeping, return it to him. Do not be dishonest with
anyone, even if he has been dishonest with you.’ (Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-
ul-Buyu‘, Babu fir-Rajuli ya’khudhu Haqqahu…)
Dishonesty here refers to untrustworthiness, which means our ability to safeguard the
property of others and discharge our responsibilities faithfully whether these are our
duty to our children, parents, spouses or Jamaat.
Keep away from Mischief and Disorder
Mischievous acts are all those that can cause discord in society.
Hadrat Asma’Bint Yazidra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Should
I tell you about the worst of people? The worst people are those who go
about back-biting and creating discord between people. Their wish is that
the obedient servants of Allah get involved in sin.’ (Musnadu Ahmadabni
Hanbal , vol. 6, p. 459, printed in Beirut)
Whether discord is created within Jamaat members, office bearers or whether it is
done at home in an attempt to create distances between loved ones. We need to
carefully reflect on this to reform our thoughts as well as our actions so that our hearts,
our relationships and our homes are free of all such mischief and discord.
Keep away from ways of rebellion
Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and
giving like kindred; and forbids indecency, and manifest evil, and
wrongful transgression. He admonished you that you may take
heed. [16:91]
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) expects us Ahmadi Muslims to be loyal
and obedient to all officials.
Not to be carried away by our passion
And who guard their chastity- [23:06]
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) said that those who guard themselves
against carnal passion and unlawful lust are higher in rank than someone who
sacrifices their wealth, as men can be so enamored with carnal passion that they are
willing to spend large amounts of wealth to satisfy their lust. (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah
Vol 5, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol 21, page 205-206)
A true Momin is not led by his carnal urges but by his desire to please Allah.
Ways to avoid Dishonesty, Mischief and Rebellion. And Not to be carried away
by our passion
We should look after the property of others.
If you find lost property, hand it to someone in authority or seek to return it to
the owner.
When we are entrusted with a job, we should aim to do it with the best of
intentions.
When someone shares something private with us or seeks advice from us,
then we have been entrusted to keep the matter private and not talk about it
with anyone else.
In public events such as meetings or weddings, we should be careful before
taking a seat, making sure that it is not already taken.
Our responsibility to our relatives and rights to all people are also a form of
trust, and we should make every attempt to fulfil them.
We should take any work entrusted to us by the Jamaat, seriously.
Backbiting should be avoided, The Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah
be upon him) said: “The worst people are those who go about backbiting and
creating discord between people.” (Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal , vol. 6, p.
459, printed in Beirut)
Even when someone else is starting fights or verbal abuse, we should respond
with patience. Engaging in arguments only escalates the mischief and creates
disorder.
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true tasks in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learn.
True incidents
“Hadrat Sayyed ‘Abdus Sattar Shahra. It is stated One day Hadrat Shah
Sahibra went to a nearby mosque for prayers. At the same time there
was a bitter enemy of Ahmadiyyat—Chaudhry Rahim Bakhsh—getting
ready for ablution with a pitcher in his hand. Upon seeing Hadrat
Doctor Sahib (who was a government doctor and was stationed at a
government hospital), he started engaging him in religious discussion.
Annoyed with the argument that Hadrat Shah Sahib ra presented,
Rahim Bakhsh hit him in the forehead with the pitcher. The pitcher
shattered into pieces as it hit the forehead. The bone in the forehead
was fractured and blood started oozing out. Doctor Sahib’s clothes
were drenched in blood. He covered the wound with his hand and
immediately went to the hospital for treatment. Chaudhry Rahim
Bakhsh was concerned, wondering what would happen to him.
Knowing that Hadrat Sattar Shah ra was a government doctor, he
thought that the officials would probably lend credence to Doctor Sahib
and he would be in trouble. He did not know what to do and where to
hide! With these fearful thoughts, he stayed hidden (in the mosque).
On the other hand, Doctor Sahib treated his wounded forehead, applied
the medication, changed his blood-soaked clothes, and came back to
the same mosque to observe his prayer. On entering the mosque,
Doctor Sahib saw Chaudhry Rahim Bakhsh Sahib, and asked him with
a simile: ‘Chaudhry Rahim Bakhsh, have you cooled down or not?’ On
hearing this, Chaudhry Rahim Bakhsh was greatly affected and
grasping his hands, begged his forgiveness, and said: ‘Shah Sahib,
please write a letter for my bai‘at.’
This kind of high moral standard of patience, kindness and forgiveness
cannot be shown by anyone other than members of a Godly
community. Thus, Chaudhry Sahib became an Ahmadi, and after a few
days other members of his family also joined the Community. (Hadrat
Doctor ‘Abdus Sattar Shah Sahib,Compiled by Ahmad Tahir Mirza, p.
63, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyyah, Pakistan)”
Multimedia
When you read through this chapter you might wish to find out more or some
questions might still be unanswered. To help with this we have found some internet
links that give a detailed discussion on all the subjects discussed.
1. Strikes- Faith Matters
http://youtu.be/dwg96kzPUuA
2. Terminal illnesses, radicalization- Faith Matters
http://youtu.be/qqDC6Cp5nbo
3. Khalifatul Masih II- Pearls of Wisdom
http://www.mta.tv/friday-sermon/khalifatul-masih-ii-pearls-wisdom-16
References
1. The Holy Qur’an Chapter 4: Verse 108, English Translation by Maulvi Sher Ali
(May Allah be pleased with him)
2. Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-ul-Buyu‘, Babu fir-Rajuli ya’khudhu Haqqahu, cited
in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 40
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
3. Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal , vol. 6, p. 459, printed in Beirut, cited in
Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 42
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
4. The Holy Qur’an Chapter 16: Verse 91, English Translation by Maulvi Sher Ali
(May Allah be pleased with him)
5. The Holy Qur’an Chapter 23: Verse 06, English Translation by Maulvi Sher Ali
(May Allah be pleased with him)
6. Barahin-e- Ahmadiyyah Vol 5, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol 21, page 205-206, cited in
Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 46-47
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
7. Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal , vol. 6, p. 459, printed in Beirut, cited in
Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 42
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
8. Hadrat Doctor ‘Abdus Sattar Shah Sahib,Compiled by Ahmad Tahir Mirza, p.
63, Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyyah, Pakistan, cited in Conditions of Bai’at
and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 219-221
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
Third Quarter 2016-2017
Condition III
Observing Salat & Tahajjud
To send Blessings to the Holy Prophet (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be
upon him) / To seek forgiveness
Praise of Allah
Observing Salat & Tahajjud
Condition 3
“That he/she shall regularly offer the five daily Prayers in accordance with the
commandments of God and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) and shall try his/her best to be regular in offering the
tahajjud and invoking durud on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him). That he/she shall make it his/her daily routine to ask
forgiveness for his/her sins, to remember the bounties of God and to praise and
glorify Him.”
Introduction:
Worship is common to all religions. What differs is the manner and style of worship.
What is unique in Islamic mode of worship is that it contains features from the manner
of prayers found in other religions. It is fascinating however to note that Islam instructs
its followers concerning the method of prayer so comprehensively, that all the postures
of worship found in other religions are symbolically represented in the mode of Muslim
prayer.
In this chapter, our aim is for you to obtain deep understanding of the third condition
of Bai’at and appreciate the role of Salat in cultivating a personal relationship with God.
All other pillars of Islam are conditional, but Salat is not; it is obligatory under all
conditions. At times the Holy Quran gives commandments to safeguard Salat, other
times it gives commandments to be regular in Salat and to offer Salat on time. In short,
Salat is the core of Islamic worship.
Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
And observe Prayer at the two ends of the day, and in the hours of the
night that are nearer the day. Surely, good works drive away evil
works. This is a reminder for those who would remember. [11:115]
In Huzoor’s (May Allah be his Helper) Friday sermon delivered on the June 17, 2016,
Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) quoted:
‘And when My servants ask thee about Me, say: 'I am near. I answer
the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should
hearken to Me and believe in Me, that they may follow the right
way.' [2:187]
Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) then goes on to say:
‘thus, the people who say that they pray and their prayers are not accepted,
do they evaluate themselves? Have they ever evaluated how far they
comply with the directives from Allah? If we do not have actions and our
faith is only formal then our saying so is wrong that we called upon Allah but
our prayers were not accepted’. (Friday Sermon, June 17, 2016)
Therefore, the goal is to look within ourselves and 1) identify the areas and that we
need to work on and 2) start to make changes physically and mentally after
understanding the revolutionary change required of us in light of the third condition of
Bai’at .
The Messenger of Allah (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The first thing for which a person would be called to account is the Prayer. If
he succeeds in this account, he would be successful and will attain salvation.
If that account is deficient, he will be ruined and will be a loser. If there is a
shortfall in the obligatory Prayers, Allah will make it up from his nawafil.
Similarly, all his other deeds will be accounted for.”
(Sunan-ut-Tirmadhi, Kitab-us-Salati, Babu Inna Awwala ma Yuhasabu bihil
‘Abdu…)
What is Salat and how can we establish it?
Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) explained in his Friday
Sermon:
“Salat is a prayer that is offered with extreme intensity. While
supplicating during salat, do not bind yourselves to Arabic
language, but offer humble prayers in your own words, so that
it has an impact on your heart.” (Friday Sermon, June 22,
2012)
Salat should be offered in congregation, should be offered regularly, and
should be offered on time.
In his Friday Sermon on October 11, 2013, Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper)
explained:
“It can be seen all around, among Muslims as well as non-Muslims
that love of the world, idle pursuits and indecency has greatly pushed
back remembrance of God. Owing to love of God, Muslims are
enjoined to pray five times a day, however it is different in practice.
Ahmadis need to first self-analyse themselves whether they are trying
to observe Salat according to the commandment of God or not. If not,
then we are negating the claim of the Promised Messiah (on whom be
peace) that the objective of his advent was to strengthen faith in God,
to bring heaven closer to the Earth.” (Friday Sermon, October 11,
2013)
Salat is a way of meeting God. He has given all of us five appointed times
each day. If we truly love Allah we need to utilize these opportunities to the full
and look forward to meeting our Beloved from one appointment to the other.
Salat should be offered while pondering over the meaning of our verbal
utterance and understanding the depth of what we are asking Allah. Our mind
and soul needs to be in sync with the physical positions of salat i.e. spiritual
‘niyyat’ (intention) and ‘qiyam’. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him)
said that:
“It is important to offer Salat while being mindful of its words as well
as being mindful of the physical state in which it is offered. Words
of Salat correspond with its different postures. The posture when
one stands up in Salat and glorifies and praises God is called
qiyyam. The appropriate position to submit glorification and praise
is indeed in a standing posture. When eulogies are read to kings it
is done in a standing position. Thus in Salat, during qiyyam one is
standing before God in a spiritual sense. Praise is given when one
is convinced about something and a person praises something
having arrived at a viewpoint. Thus a person saying Alhamdolillah
(all praise belongs to God) will only truly say Alhamdolillah when he
is completely convinced that all manner of acclaim belongs to God
alone. When one is convinced on this with one's heart and mind,
this is a state of spiritual qiyyam”. (Friday Sermon, April 15, 2016)
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) reminds us;
“Salat is for praying indeed, and one should pray at every stage. But
if one offers the Salat as if he were asleep, and does not know (The
nature and importance of) Salat then it is not Salat at all. Therefore,
it is required that man should not be lazy in offering the Salat, nor
should he be inattentive.” (Malfuzat, new edition, Vol 3, page 457-
458)
We need to ensure that we do not say our salat just to get this chore out of
the way like a burden or offer it so quickly because we are busy thinking about
our day to day worldly pursuits.
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) has said that
“one should offer five prayers with such humility as if you see God”
(Kishti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol 19, page 15, quoted in Friday
Sermon, June 22, 2012)
We should not miss salat because of considerations like our clothes were
unclean etc. it is better to offer salat with unclean clothes than to have an
unclean heart due to missing salat.
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) also said that employers usually
give permission to offer Salat and such matters should not be made excuses to
abandon Salat. God alone is the Provider and Salat should be offered on time.
(Paraphrased from Malfuzat, Vol 1, page 265, Friday Sermon, April 15, 2016)
Congregational prayer is obligatory on men and not women, so men should try
and get to the mosque or Salat centres for their prayers. It is the responsibility
of mothers to teach their boys to go to the mosque and their girls to offer their
prayer on time.
It is often observed that in homes where elders offer their Prayers regularly, the
children start copying the movements of their elders naturally and thus become
regular in their Prayers, with time. When a child reaches the age of seven, the
proper method of Prayer should be taught to him. He should be encouraged to
join in Prayer and, if possible, he should be persuaded to accompany the
parents to the mosque. When they reach the age of twelve, they should be
made to realise that their parents have discharged their duty and from that time
on, the matter rests between them and God, to Whom they are answerable.
This does not mean that they should not be advised, exhorted or admonished
because as far as advising them is concerned, it can go on for life, if required.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) reminded even the grown-ups in his family lovingly. It is reported that he
used to call out to his daughter Hazrat Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her)
and his son-in-law Hazrat Ali (May Allah be pleased with him), to wake them
up for Fajr Prayer. (https://www.alislam.org/books/salat/02.html)
Discipline in offering prayers will also require children to go to bed early at night
and therefore staying up late will become obsolete in such households.
Families who offer prayers in congregation on their leisure outdoor trips also
become a source of doing tabligh by offering a good example to those who are
around them.
There can at times be difficulty in offering day time Salat on time due to work
commitments. Zuhr and Asr can sometimes be combined. God knew that
people would be weak therefore He gave this flexibility but this flexibility cannot
be used in combing three Salat services. These flexibilities are for special
circumstances only and should not become our norm.
References
1. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 11; Verse 115, English Translation by Maulawi
Sher Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
2. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 2; Verse 187, English Translation by Maulawi Sher
Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
3. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, June 17,
2016, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2016-06-
17.html
4. Sunan-utTirmadhi, Kitab-us-Salati, Babu Inna Awwala ma Yuhasabu bihil
‘Abdu. quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi,
page 53, https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
5. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, June 22,
2012, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2012-06-22.html
6. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, October
11, 2013, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2013-10-11.html
7. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, April 15,
2016, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2016-04-15.html
8. Malfuzat, new edition, Vol 3, page 457-458, quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and
Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 144-145,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
9. Kishti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol 19, page 15, quoted in Friday Sermon,
June 22, 2012, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2012-06-22.html
10. Paraphrased from Malfuzat, Vol 1, page 265, Friday Sermon, April 15, 2016,
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2016-04-15.html
11. https://www.alislam.org/books/salat/02.html
Tahajjud –the way to an exalted station
The third condition also stipulates that one should offer Tahajjud Prayers. One
should wake up to offer Tahajjud and observe it with eagerness.
Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
And wake up for it (the Qur’an) in the latter part of the night as a
supererogatory service for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee
to an exalted station. [17:80]
Ways to adopt Tahajjud in daily life:
Muslims are encouraged to acquire a habit of early to bed and early to rise. The
day begins routinely in the small hours before dawn. The prayer which is
performed at the end of the night is called Tahajjud. It is not obligatory, but is a
very highly encouraged optional prayer.
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) has related that the Holy
Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
“Allah will have mercy on a man who gets up at night for his [voluntary]
Prayer and awakens his wife for the same purpose, and if she
hesitates he sprinkles water over her face to wake her up. And, Allah
will have mercy on a woman who gets up at night to offer [voluntary]
Prayer and awakens her husband for the same purpose, and if he
hesitates she sprinkles water over his face to wake him up.”
(Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-ut-Tatawwu‘i, Babu Qayamil-Laili)
In congregational prayers, society pays homage to God collectively and openly.
In individual prayers, emphasis is laid on privacy, and there should be no effort
to display such prayers to anyone. Similarly the late night prayer is performed
in perfect privacy. Members of the same house try to find their own niches, and
even husband and wife try to say their prayers separately so that communion
with God becomes a highly personal affair.
Those who do not offer Salat consider it as a burden which entails getting up in
the morning and doing ablutions in the cold, leaving blissful sleep and other
comforts. Such people are weary and do not know of the delight and pleasure
that is found in Salat.
Hadrat Bilal (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Holy Prophet
(May Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
‘You should be very regular in tahajjud. That has been the practice of
the righteous ones in the past and is a means of attaining nearness to
God. This is a habit that safeguards against sin, removes blemishes
and safeguards from physical illness.’
(Sunan-ut-Tirmadhi, Kitab-ud-Da‘wat, Babu Fi Du‘a’in Nabiyyi)
According to the Holy Prophet (May Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
you must perform Tahajjud, even if it is of two Raka’at. He also says that God
Almighty accepts the prayers in abundance during the late part of night.
(https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf)
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) says:
“Our Jama‘at should make it incumbent upon itself to offer tahajjud.
Anyone who cannot do more should make at a minimum two rak‘at
because he will get an opportunity to make some supplications.
Supplications made at this time have a very special characteristic
because they are offered with true pain and eagerness. Until there is
a special pain and heartfelt agony, how can one wake up from
comfortable sleep? To wake up at this time creates a heartfelt pain,
which creates a condition of devotion and distress, which in turn
become the means of acceptance of supplication. But someone who
is lax in waking up is obviously lacking in pain and anguish. But one
who wakes up, obviously there is a pain that is waking him up.”
(Malfuzat, new edition Vol 2, page 182)
There are thirteen methods prescribed by Hazrat Musleh Maud (May Allah be
pleased with him), which can help us in getting up at night for tahajjud. Anyone
who struggles to get up should sincerely try them, God willing, they will benefit
from them. There may be difficulties in the beginning, but in the end these
methods will prove useful inshallah. You can find them in detail:
https://www.alislam.org/books/remembranceofallah/rememberance%20of%20
Allah.pdf
Basic Etiquettes of Salat:
One must walk calmly and gracefully towards the mosque; one should not
run even if the Prayer has started.
In a congregational Prayer, the first ranks should be filled in first.
One must concentrate on the Prayer and try not to get distracted.
One must follow the Imam (the person leading the Prayer) in all his
movements.
If one joins the Prayer in the middle, one should follow the Imam till the two
"salams" have been said and then get up and complete the missed raka'at.
If possible, one should avoid passing in front of a person who is saying his
Prayer.
https://www.alislam.org/books/religiousknowledge/sec1.html
Activities:
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true task in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learnt.
True incidents
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) in his Friday Sermon on
August 25, 2006 narrates:
“..The outbreak of plague in India was one of the signs of the
truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (alaihis salaam) in that Allah had
informed him that people who had come into his ‘household’ would be
saved from the disease. Indeed, during this time the Promised
Messiah’s own young son, Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmad (grandfather of
Khalifatul Masih V) fell ill with high fever and at night time his condition
deteriorated. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was
extremely distressed at the thought that people would imagine that the
boy had the plague. He did his ablutions and stood for Salat. Very soon
into his Salat he was granted the state that is a manifest sign of
acceptance of prayer. He experienced two visions and indeed when
he finished his Salat, his son’s fever was totally gone.” (Friday Sermon,
August 25, 2006)
Concerning establishment of daily Prayers and tahajjud, Hadrat Nawab
Muhammad ‘Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
“I was in Qadian at the time of Prayer on the occasion of the Solar
Eclipse. Maulavi Muhammad Ahsan Amrohi led the prayer, and all
those who were Praying were crying profusely. In the month of that
particular Ramadan, there used to be quite a hustle and bustle at the
Ahmadiyyah Square starting at two in the morning. Most of the people
were up in the homes, and many came to the Mubarak Mosque where
tahajjud Prayer was performed, meal was taken and Fajr Prayer was
made in the early hours of the morning. Then the Holy Qur’an was
recited for some time, and by eight the Promised Messiah as would
come out for the morning walk. All of his companion’sra remained in
his company. These activities would go on till eleven or twelve midday.
Then, the adhan for Zuhr Prayer was called and the Zuhr Prayer was
done before one in the afternoon. The ‘Asr Prayer was also made at
the earliest. Thus the only spare time was between ‘Asr and Maghrib.
After Maghrib Prayer and taking of the evening meal, the ‘Isha Prayer
was done by eight or half-past eight. Afterwards there was dead
silence as if no one lived there. Yet, again by 2 a.m., everyone was up
and the place was bustling once again.”
(Ashab-e-Ahmad,vol. 2, p. 77, published in 1952)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) narrates:
“Here again I will give you an example of Ghana where people have
brought a great change that I have myself observed. Some people
travelled a very long distance and arrived very late at night. It was
almost midnight when they got a chance to go to bed. On awakening
at about 2 a.m., I saw them in the mosque in prostrations.” (Conditions
of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 212)
“Hazrat Chaudhry Ameer Muhammad Khan sahib narrates an
incident, where his wife was under treatment in a clinic for a foot
condition and had undergone several surgeries yet the foot condition
had not improved. The nurse suggested that it may be best to cut the
foot at the ankle so that the limb does not become gangrenous as well.
After consultation within his household, he gave the consent for the
amputation. As he was not allowed into the operation theatre, he
decided to offer supererogatory prayers, and supplicated: “O Lord,
You are The Most Omnipotent and have power over everything.
Please save my wife’s foot from being amputated and from her
becoming handicapped for the rest of her life. After he finished his
supplication, he was told that the surgeon refused to amputate the foot
and decided to operate on it himself, and thus his wife was saved from
this lifelong handicap” (Friday Sermon, June 15, 2012)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q: We try to focus in namaz but can never achieve full concentration in
namaz?
A possible answer could include:
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) says, that a person who derives no
pleasure from Prayer should beg before Allah:
“Allah the Almighty! Thou knowest how blind and sightless I am, and at
the moment I am like the dead. I know that in a little while I shall be called
and shall present myself before Thee and no one will be able to stop me.
But my heart is blind and unenlightened. Do Thou cause to descend upon
it such a flame of light that thereby it may be inspired with Thy love and
devotion. Do Thou bestow upon me such grace that I shall not be raised
up sightless and blind. When he supplicates in this manner and persists
in the supplication, he will see that a time will arrive when something will
descend upon him while he is engaged in such a Prayer that will melt
his heart.” (Malfuzat, new edition, vol. 2, p. 616)
Q: We are told that Salat saves one from evil deeds but we see Muslims who
are regular in Salat performing many evil deeds?
A possible answer could include
'…Surely, good works drive away evil works…' and has also stated that Salat keeps
one away from what is foul and immoral. We note though that some people do bad
deeds in spite of offering Salat. This is because although they offer Salat they do not
do so in spirit and with truthfulness. They only go through the motions as a ritual and
perform it as a force of habit. They are dead of soul and God does not call them the
good. Salat which removes immorality is that which has a spirit of truthfulness and has
an effect of beneficence in it. Such Salat most certainly removes badness. Salat is not
a matter of going through the motions, the core and essence of Salat is that
supplication which has delight and pleasure in it. (Paraphrased from Malfuzat, Vol. I,
pp. 162-164)
Multimedia
Various Programs on Salat
https://www.alislam.org/v/k-Salat.html
Faith matters
http://youtu.be/m_wyew7t3sI
Power of Salat- Friday Sermon (20th May 2011)
http://youtu.be/6nDm75UTDq8
Why is it compulsory to pray five times a day- ask Islam
http://www.askislam.org/practices/praying/question_1110.html
Friday Sermon: Importance of Salat (22nd June 2012)
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2012-06-22.html
Friday Sermon: Salat and Fiqah Masih (April 22nd 2016)
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2016-04-
22.html
The Physical Benefits of Salat
https://www.alislam.org/library/articles/salat.htm
Faith matters: (Tahajjud Prayer)
http://youtu.be/i9Me-NatlcY
Friday Sermon: (Tahujjud Prayer) – 22nd August 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M78HpqzkWQ
References
1. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 17; Verse 80, English Translation by Maulawi Sher
Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
2. Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-ut-Tatawwu‘i, Babu Qayamil-Laili, quoted in
quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 59,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
3. Sunan-ut-Tirmadhi, Kitab-ud-Da‘wat, Babu Fi Du‘a’in Nabiyyi, Conditions
of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 58,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
4. https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
5. Malfuzat, new edition Vol 2, page 182, quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and
Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 59-60,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
6. https://www.alislam.org/books/religiousknowledge/sec1.html
7. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, August
25, 2006, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2006-08-25.html
8. Ashab-e-Ahmad,vol. 2, p. 77, published in 1952, quoted in Conditions of
Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 212-213,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
9. Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 212,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
10. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, June 15,
2012, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2012-06-15.html
11. Malfuzat, new edition, Vol 2, page 616, quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and
Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 57,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
12. Paraphrased from Malfuzat, Vol. I, pp. 162-164
To send Blessings to the Holy Prophet (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be
upon him) / To seek forgiveness
(Durood & Istaghfar)
To send blessings on the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) and to seek forgiveness
Condition 3
“That he/she shall regularly offer the five daily Prayers in accordance with the
commandments of God and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) and shall try his/her best to be regular in offering the tahajjud
and invoking durud on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him). That he/she shall make it his/her daily routine to ask forgiveness
for his/her sins, to remember the bounties of God and to praise and glorify Him.”
Introduction:
The third condition enjoins to invoke durood on the Holy Prophet (May peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) as well as asking for forgiveness on a regular basis.
In order to win the pleasure of Allah, to attain His love, for the acceptance of our
prayers, we need to invoke Allah’s blessings upon the Holy Prophet (May peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him). The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) has
admonished that durood should be recited abundantly.
Istighfar means repenting and seeking forgiveness from Allah the almighty and to seek
His help to reach the standards of what is expected of a true believer.
By the end of this chapter we hope that we can begin to really think about the third
condition of Bai’at and appreciate the role of Durood and Istighfar in our journey
towards Allah.
Therefore, our goal this term is to understand the depth and breadth of the
revolutionary change required of us in light of the third condition of Bait. Our goal is to
look within yourselves and 1) identify the areas and what we need to work on and 2)
start to make changes physically and mentally.
Durood
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur’an;
Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who
believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with
the salutation of peace. [33:57]
This verse is very important as it instructs all believers to invoke Durood on the Holy
Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) just as Allah the Almighty
and His angels do, and it is by invoking blessing on our Beloved Prophet (May peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) that we too receive blessings.
It is the heartfelt desire of every Muslim to be close to our Beloved Prophet (May peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) and this close connection is fostered through our
sending blessings on him.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (May Allah be pleased with him) gave the following perspective
about invoking Durood:
‘When we pray for others in a way our prayer also becomes a source of
elevation of our station. While our recitation of Durood elevates the station
of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) it also
increases our station and blessings reach him and then through him also
reach us. For example, when something is placed in a sieve it passes
through it and cascades down. Similarly, God has made the Holy Prophet
(May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) like a sieve for the
Ummah. First God grants blessings to him and then those blessings also
reach us through his agency. As a result of us invoking Durood God
elevates the station of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) and certainly God also tells the Holy Prophet (May peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) that this gift is from such and such
believer. This inspires the Prophet to pray for us and because of his prayer
God grants us a measure of His blessings.’
(Friday Sermon, January 16, 2015)
This extract reiterates that fact that by sending blessings on the Holy Prophet (May
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) we too become the recipients of Allah’s
blessings and is a way to elevate our stations.
Invoking Durood on the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him)
Durood must not be invoked in a careless manner. Instead we must send
blessing on the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
with true love for him, pondering over each word that we say.
In connection to this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his helper) said:
‘Writing to one of his followers the Promised Messiah ( Peace be upon
him) advised to be profoundly aware that every action is free of being
a ritual or force of habit and is instead done with gushing and heart-
felt love. E.g. Durood should not be recited in the parrot-like fashion
that people generally do. They neither have absolute sincerity for the
Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) nor do
they seek blessings for him from God. Rather, it should be one’s creed
when reciting Durood that love of the Holy Prophet (May peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) reaches the level where one’s heart
would not even suggest to have the same degree of love for another
from the start of time till the end or consider that a person could come
in the future who could surpass such love. This creed can be
established by being prepared to endure all imaginable difficulties with
sincerity of heart for his love just as those who loved the Holy Prophet
(May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) endured difficulties
out of his love in the past.’
(Friday Sermon, January 16, 2015)
True Durood is the one that enhances our love for the Holy Prophet (May peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him), and this is done by recognising the favours
of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on us, as
women and as human beings, the dignity, the respect, all the rights that we
enjoy today are his blessing. Above all, he is the one who takes us to God and
teaches us ways to worship Him and ways to love Him. Keeping all of these
mercies in mind will help us invoke a genuine, earnest and spontaneous
durood.
Durood has a very strong link with acceptance of prayers. In connection with
this, Hazrat Umar Bin al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him)says,
‘The supplication remains suspended between heaven and earth.
Until someone invokes blessings upon the Holy Prophet sa, no part
of it goes up to be presented before Allah the Almighty.’
(Sunan-ut-Tirmadhi, Kitab-ul-Witri, Babu ma ja’a fi FadlisSalati ‘Alan Nabiyyi).
Therefore, we must remember whenever we pray for anything, big or small, we
also send blessings on the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him).
Durood should be part of our daily lives but on Fridays we need to make extra
effort to invoke as much Durood as possible.
To seek forgiveness (Istighfar)
The third condition also enjoins istighfar. Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:
And I said, ‘Seek forgiveness of your Lord; for He is the Exceedingly
Forgiving. He will send down clouds pouring rain for you in
abundance, and He will strengthen you with wealth and with children,
and He will give you gardens and He will give you rivers.’ [71:11-13]
In order to strengthen our souls we must be regular in istighfar. We must make it our
habit to ask for forgiveness for the sins we committed both knowingly and unknowingly.
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon Him) has explained:
‘…Istighfar is for obtaining strength. It is also called seeking help. The
Sufis have said that as physical (bodily)strength and power is fostered
through exercise, in the same way, Istighfar is spiritual exercise. Through
it, the soul obtains strength and the heart achieves steadfastness. He
who desires strength should do Istighfar.’
(Malfuzat, vol. II, p. 67 - Essence of Islam Vol. II, p. 246).
The various aspects of Istighfar and how it helps us purify ourselves
In his Friday Sermon dated January 2, 2015, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May
Allah be his Helper) stated,
‘The Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said that God makes a way out of adversity and into prosperity for a
person who engages abundantly in istighfar and provides for him from
means that are beyond his imagination. Thus, the significance of
istighfar should always be in our view.” (Friday Sermon, January 2,
2015)
So while we should always ensure we are asking forgiveness for our sins, it is
especially important to do istighfar during times of hardship.
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) says:
‘Some people have an awareness of sin, others do not. Therefore,
Allah the Almighty has made istighfar incumbent for all times, so that
one should continue to seek Allah’s protection from all sins—obvious
or hidden, known or unknown, whether committed by hand, legs,
tongue, nose, or eyes. These days the prayer of Hazrat Adam as
should especially be recited:
‘Our Lord we have wronged ourselves; and if Thou forgive us not and
have not mercy on us, we shall surely be of the lost.’ (7:24)
This prayer has already been accepted. Do not spend your life in
heedlessness.’
(Malfuzat, new edition, vol. 2. P. 577)
We need to actively think about all the sins that we are asking forgiveness for,
sins past and present, and be truly ashamed of them as well as disgusted by
them in order for the istighfar to help us reform.
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) has explained:
‘There are three aspects that constitute real repentance. Firstly, we
need to take all the thoughts and imaginations out of our heart which
are causing chaos in the heart, which incite one to badness and to
instil repulsion against whatever bad thoughts there may be.
‘Secondly, we need to express regret and mortification over badness
and to express this so much in one’s heart that one is embarrassed.
‘Thirdly, we need to resolve firmly and staunchly not to do the badness
again. If these steps are adopted and full efforts is made to attain high
levels of sabr and Salat, then God’s extraordinary succour will come
our way, InshaAllah.’
(Friday Sermon, November 22, 2013)
Asking for forgiveness with mere words is not enough, we need to start moving
towards goodness. Begin a new and pure life. Active action towards being a
better person is required to lend weight to our istighfar. God’s mercy accepts
us and our istighfar if our intent is reflected in our actions as well.
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) says:
‘This also should be remembered that there are two kinds of matters.
One, the poison which is handled by the Satan and, two, the elixir.
When a man shows pride and thinks that he is somebody to be
reckoned with and does not seek help from the elixir, the poison
overpowers him. But when he humbles himself and realises that he is
nobody and very low and thus feels the need of the help of God then
Allah really produces a fountain through which his soul begins to flow.
This is what Istighfar means i.e. to overpower the poisonous matter
with the power received from God.’
(Malfoozat vol. 2, pg. 67-68)
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true task in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learnt.
True incidents
1. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) narrates his personal
experience as follows: “Once it so happened that I was completely
absorbed in invoking Allah’s blessing upon the Holy Prophet, may peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him, for a long period of time because I
was certain that the paths of reaching Allah the Almighty are very narrow
and cannot be found except through the intermediation of the Holy
Prophet (May Peace and blessings of Allah be on him). As Allah also
says:
…and seek the way of approach unto Him…(5:36)
After a period of time I (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
saw in a vision that two water-men enter my house, one from the interior
side and the other from the exterior. On their shoulders they were
carrying waterskins filled with the light Divine. They said: This is a
consequence of the blessings you invoked upon Muhammad (Peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him).”
(Haqiqat-ul-Wahyi, p. 128, footnote, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 22, p. 131,
footnote)
2. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) recounted the
following instances from the life of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon
him) in his Friday sermon:
‘Once a person asked the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) for a
Wazifah (formulaic prayer). The Promised Messiah replied: ‘Say Istighfar
profusely.’
Once a person requested for prayers regarding his debt and the
Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Say Istighfar profusely.
Once a person asked for prayers that he may have children and the
Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Say Istighfar a lot. It
effaces sin and Allah the Exalted also grants offspring.” (Friday Sermon,
January 13, 2012)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q) If God and angels are reciting durood, what is the purpose of our humble
durood?
A possible answer could include
“The Holy Prophet (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said
that the Durood of God and His angels was sufficient for him. The practice
of invoking Durood is only an opportunity given by God to true believers to
garner merit for themselves.”
Q) Your friend has been married for five years and struggling to have children.
She is always asking you to pray for her as her mother in Law is now becoming
impatient with her. How would you discuss her situation with her in light of
Istighfar; what would be your advice to her?
A possible answer could include
‘He who being a human being does not realise the need of Istighfar (asking
for forgiveness with the connotation of this word as explained above) is a
disrespectful atheist’ (Malfoozat vol. 3, pg. 217)
Multimedia
Faith matters- durood shareef
http://youtu.be/CYZo6_PP1AE
Importance of durood shareef
http://youtu.be/2D9n9EHKl1E
Seek Allahs forgiveness- friday sermon
http://youtu.be/_kkWIFryZgk
Repentance- faith matters
http://youtu.be/dwg96kzPUuA
Reformation and forgiveness- faith matters
http://youtu.be/LGUySD2mEYI
http://www.alislam.org/r.php?q=istighfar
References
1. The Holy Qur’an with English Translation by Hazrat Maulwi Sher Ali (May
Allah be pleased with him)
2. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon January
16, 2015, https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-
2015-01-16.html
3. Sunan-ut-Tirmadhi, Kitab-ul-Witri, Babu ma ja’a fi FadlisSalati ‘Alan Nabiyyi,
quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and the Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, p.69,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
4. The Holy Qur’an with English Translation by Hazrat Maulwi Sher Ali (May
Allah be pleased with him)
5. Malfuzat, new edition, vol 1, page 348-349, quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and
the Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, p.68-69,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
6. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, January
2, 2015, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2015-
01-02.html
7. Malfuzat, new edition, Vol II, p. 577, quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and the
Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, p.67-68,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
8. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon
November 22, 2013, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2013-11-22.html
9. Malfuzat, Vol 2, page 67-68, https://www.alislam.org/library/malf019.html
10. Haqiqatul Wahyi, page 128, footnote, Ruhani Khazain, Vol 22, page 131,
footnote, quoted in Conditions of Baiat and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi,
page 63, https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
11. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, January
13, 2012, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-
2012-01-13.html
12. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon January
16, 2015, https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-
2015-01-16.html
13. Malfuzat, Vol 3, page 217, https://www.alislam.org/library/malf034.htm
Praise of Allah
(Hamd )
Condition 3
“That he/she shall regularly offer the five daily Prayers in accordance with the
commandments of God and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) and shall try his/her best to be regular in offering
the tahajjud and invoking durud on the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him).
That he/she shall make it his/her daily routine to ask forgiveness for his/her sins,
to remember the bounties of God and to praise and glorify Him.”
Introduction:
Another pledge is that we will always remember God’s bounties. The greatest bounty
is that He enabled us to accept the Imam of the age. If we are mindful of this bounty
we will be drawn to forge a sincere connection with the Promised Messiah (Peace be
upon him) and will be drawn to practice his teachings.
By the end of this chapter we hope that we can begin to really think about the third
condition of Ba’ait and appreciate that to remember the bounties of God and to praise
and glorify Him is the key to cultivating a personal relationship with God. Therefore,
our goal this term is to understand the depth and breadth of the revolutionary change
required of us in light of the third condition of Bait. Our goal is to look within ourselves
and 1) identify the areas and what we need to work on and 2) start to make changes
physically and mentally.
Hamd
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) explained
‘Hamd’ is verbal praise which is offered to honour a mighty and noble being
for His acts of beneficence. Perfect praise is the exclusive prerogative of the
Lord of Majesty. The ultimate goal of every kind of glorification, be it in a
small or a large measure, is our Lord Who guides the misguided and exalts
the lowly and is the object of praise of all who are praiseworthy.’
(Karamatus Sadiqeen - The Commentary on the Holy Qur’an, Vol. I, p 72, Friday
Sermon February 10, 2012)
1) Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) then went on to explain the importance of
why the Holy Quran starts with the ‘Hamd’ of God. Huzoor (May Allah be his
Helper) explained that the earlier people were destroyed because they did not
recognise the Divine Attributes, or they forgot them and became embroiled in
shirk. (Friday Sermon February 10, 2012)
The Holy Quran says:
‘Glorify thy Lord with His praise and seek forgiveness of Him. Surely
He is Oft-returning with compassion.’ [110:4]
The preceding verses mentioned the Promised Victory which was granted to the Holy
Prophet (May Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) of people entering the
religion of Islam in large numbers. Here, the Holy Prophet (May Peace and Blessings
of Allah be upon him) is enjoined that since God’s promise has been fulfilled, he should
give thanks to His Lord for fulfilling His promise and should sing His praises. This
shows us the importance of being thankful to Allah and seeking His forgiveness.
In his Friday sermon Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) said:
‘…Faith is enhanced with true Hamd. As a community, we should be drawn
to Hamd at every progress. This increases the blessings. True Hamd
brings about revolutionary spiritual change and saves from imperceptible
shirk (associating partners with God). It makes a person truly devout
worshipper and draws attention to adopt human values…’
(Friday sermon July 20, 2012)
The Holy Prophet (May Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) of
Islam once mentioned that if the entire mankind had turned away from God
and committed the worst possible sins, one and all, they would not diminish
His universal grandeur even as much as when someone dips a sharp
needle into a vast ocean; the water one finds adhered to the surface of the
needle would be far more than the sins of the entire mankind could take
away from the glory of God.
(An Elementary Study of Islam,)
How can we be grateful servants of God?
We need to ponder carefully on the unlimited bounties that God has bestowed
upon us through his Rahmaniyyat as well as his Rahimiyyat in light of the
commentary of surah Al Fatiha by the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon
him). This will help us truly appreciate these bounties and thank and glorify
Him the way it’s due.
The Holy Prophet (May Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said
that
‘any important task that is begun without praise and glorification of
God is not blessed and is not effective.’
(Sunano Ibn-e-Majah, Abwab-un-Nikah, Babu Khutbatin-Nikah,
Hadith No. 1894)
Therefore, we must always remember that before we start anything, we start
with the praise of Allah the Almighty.
Another Hadith is:
‘He who is not grateful for small favours cannot be grateful for the
bigger ones. He who cannot be thankful to men cannot render thanks
for the favours of Allah.’
(Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal, vol.4, p.278, printed in Beirut).
Thus, we should glorify God in a manner that we are also grateful towards His
creation.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) has also explained that in
order to be the recipients of as much blessings as possible we must have true
understanding when we praise Allah.
‘The term Alhamdolillah is said whenever we see or mention God’s
blessings and favours. It is said at every occasion of happiness and
blessing of God, whether it is personal happiness or communal
blessing. The majority of us say this whether or not we have a
deeper understanding of its meanings. It is said, even if as a
formality, because the [Muslim] surroundings develop an
awareness about it. Those who have little religious knowledge are
also aware that these words need to be said as they indicate praise
of God. It is essential to raise our understanding of the spirit of this
term, as this will lead the way to more blessings.’
(Friday Sermon, July 20, 2012)
Hazrat Musleh Maud (May Allah be pleased with him) once said:
‘Some people believe that it is sufficient to recite the attributes of Allah
during Salat. This is wrong. Remembrance of Allah—in addition to
Salat—is clearly enjoined by the Holy Qur’an. ‘And when you have
finished the Prayer, remember Allah, standing and sitting, and lying on
your sides...’ (4:104).
(Remembrance of Allah, p. 19)
If we follow these directions, we will always be engaged in remembrance of
Allah. This can be done during our daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, driving
etc, making all these menial tasks a form of remembrance of Allah. One has to
remember God’s favours with all one’s heart and mind throughout the course
of one’s day to continually remember Him.
Another important point to remember is that we must be humble. This was
explained by Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper):
‘mere verbal professing is not sufficient, the expression of gratefulness
of a true believer is from his/her every gesture and there is an effort to
adopt humility and humility is inculcated when there is an awareness
that all blessings are from God.’
(Friday Sermon, April 23, 2010)
Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) further stated:
‘God is Most Gracious, He enhances our capacities, grants us good
health and bestows His nearness to an Abid (worshipper of God) and
enables to attain the object of our creation. Good health is a blessing
of God, we should utilise it to worship Him and to serve religion.
Indeed, man cannot even perform worship that gains acceptance with
his own strength. Sincere gratefulness enables us to enhance in piety
and taqwa.’
(Friday Sermon, April 23, 2010)9
This condition of Bai’at also includes an injunction to remain ever-thankful to
Allah by giving precedence to our faith over all worldly matters; thanklessness
is called nashukri. If we spend our lives in seeking the world, this would be
ungratefulness.
We are fortunate that we have recognised and accepted the Imam of the age
and the Messiah and Mahdi. If we are mindful of this bounty, we will be drawn
to forge a sincere connection with the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him)
and will be drawn to practice his teachings. Due to this belief, if we focus and
try we should not have difficulty in understanding the spirit of Alhamdolillah and
other Qur’anic terms because, after receiving knowledge from God, the
Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) has enlightened us.
When we look around the world and realise that all the blessing on us are due
to Ahmadiyyat. We should thus express our gratefulness by adopting an
exemplary connection with Ahmadiyyat. If we do not appreciate our Community
and do not pay heed to the word of the Khalifa of the time, we will we be
distancing ourselves as well as our children from God due to our
ungratefulness. With this concept, being a grateful servant of God would be
demonstrated by obeying the Khalifa of the time; fulfilling our duties as Ahmadi
Muslim women; as office bearers, we should fulfil our duties to the best of our
God-given abilities; we can sacrifice our time, money, property, as expected
from us in our Lajna Imaillah pledge.
In his book, ‘Commentary on the Holy Quran’, the Promised Messiah (Peace
be upon him) writes:
‘Hamd is praise which is offered in appreciation of commendable
action of one worthy of praise: it also means lauding one who has done
a favour of his own volition and according to his own choice.
The true reality of hamd is the due only of the Being Who is the source
of all grace and light and exercises beneficence deliberately and not
in ignorance or under compulsion. All this is found only in Allah, the
All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.
Indeed He is the true Benefactor and from Him proceed all benefits
from beginning to end, and for Him is all glorification, in this world and
in the hereafter and all praise that is bestowed on others reverts to
Him.’
[Commentary on The Holy Quran, Vol. I- Surah Fatiha, pg. 71 – 72]
In order to help us remember Allah and be grateful to him, the following prayer
is important to remember:
Hadrat Mu‘adh Bin Jabalra has related that the Holy Prophet (May Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) held him by his hand and said,
‘Mu‘adh, I swear in the name of Allah! I do love you and counsel you
that you should not miss supplicating after every Salat.
اللهم أعن ي على ذكرك وشكرك وحسن عبادتك
Allah, help me in remembering You, and being grateful to You and
worshipping You in the best manner.’
(Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-ul-Witri, Babun fil-Istighfar)
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our Daily lives and help us accomplish our
true task in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring excerpts and have a
discussion about the lessons you learnt.
True incidents
1) Subhan Allahi wa bi Hamdihi, Subhan Allahil-Azeem
‘Holy is Allah, with His Praise; Holy is Allah, the Greatest.’
“Once the Promised Messiah as was unwell but woke up for Tahajjud.
However, because of the weakness he could not stand up for the Tahajjud
prayer. He received a revelation that he could nonetheless achieve great
merit by reciting athe above Zikr in that condition. It is narrated in the
sayings of the Holy Prophet saw that he used to recite it very often.”
(Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-ul-Witri, Babun fil-Istighfar)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q. Your son is very happy that as soon he got his new job, he was able to buy
his favourite car. He is constantly telling his friends that because of his degree
and his attitude to work he got the promotion and soon he will be able to buy
his own house. How would you discuss his situation with him in light of Hamd;
what would be your advice to him?
Multimedia
Showing patience and gratitude towards God in time of difficulty - Q&A with
Hazrat Khalifa tul Masih IV (May Allah have Mercy on him)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_A5QNOIsXY
What is shukr?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTW1l7Eq1mE
Why God has asked us to Grateful?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSZx64vNFP0
What is the consequence of being ungrateful?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBNji_iZFlg
Dars on zikr e illahi
https://www.alislam.org/v/297.html
References
2) Karamatus Sadiqeen - The Commentary on the Holy Qur’an, Vol. I, p 72, Hazrat
Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Summary Friday Sermon
February 10th 2012,
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2012-02-10.html
3) The Holy Quran Chapter 110: Verse 4, English Translation by Hazrat Maulvi
Sher Ali (May Allah be pleased with him)
4) Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Summary Friday Sermon
July 20th 2012,
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2012-07-20.html
5) An Elementary Study of Islam
http://www.alislam.org/books/study-of-islam/prayer.html
6) Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Summary Friday Sermon
January 2nd 2015.
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2015-01-02.html
7) Musnadu Ahmadabni Hanbal, vol.4, p.278, printed in Beirut, quoted in
Conditions of Bait and the Responsibility of an Ahmadi, page 70,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
8) Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon July 20,
2012, MTA subtitles by Review of Religions Team
9) Hazrat Musleh Maud (May Allah be pleased with him) – Remembrance of Allah
Page 19,
https://www.alislam.org/books/remembranceofallah/rememberance%20of%20
Allah.pdf
10) Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Summary Friday Sermon
April 23, 2010.
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2010-04-23.html
11) The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him), Commentary on The Holy Quran,
Vol. I, pg. 71 – 72, https://www.alislam.org/quran/Commentary-on-Surah-
Fatiha.pdf
12) Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-ul-Witri, Babun fil-Istighfar, quoted in Conditions of
Bait and the Responsibility of an Ahmadi, page 70-71
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
13) Lecture delivered by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul-
Masih II [May Allah be pleased with him], during the annual conference of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on December 28, 1916
https://www.alislam.org/books/remembranceofallah/rememberance%20of%20
Allah.pdf
Fourth Quarter 2016-2017
Condition IV
Love of God’s Creatures
Condition V
Steadfastness
Love of God’s Creatures
(Hamdardi - e Khalq)
Condition IV
That under the impulse of any passions, he/she shall cause no harm whatsoever to
the creatures of God in general and Muslims in particular, neither by his/her tongue,
hands, nor any other means.
Introduction:
The blood, property and honour of a Muslim are made unlawful for another Muslim. It
therefore it is incumbent upon us not to cause any harm to our fellow Muslim. An
Ahmadi, however, should not cause harm to anyone, whether by hand or by tongue in
a fit of rage, under the pretext of one’s self-respect or honour or by any other means.
It is therefore important that it is not only Ahmadi Muslims who are safe from an
Ahmadi Muslim, but also every Muslim and all creation of God.
Our responsibilities in this regard are vast. We have to strive for peace and goodness
for all. Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) says:
“You are those people who have been raised for the good of other people
and for their beneficence. From among the duties of Muslims, one of the
biggest responsibilities is that the world should be benefitted by them. The
world should receive from them goodness and beneficence and not harm
or evil. However, at this time, the situation in which the world finds itself, is
that the Muslim governments, peoples and organizations have created so
much disorder that a large part of the world is fearful of the name of Islam
and the Muslims. The people who are cutting the throats of their own people
and are killing innocents, women, children, and the aged without any
regard, and without any reason, illegally and who are enslaving those who
do not share their way of thinking; how can it be expected of them that they
could be such as would wish for good for the non-Muslims.”
(Friday Sermon, October 31, 2014)
It is thus our task today to show the world the true essence of the verse:
best people raised for the good of mankind; (3:111)
If we are to become a source for a revolutionary change in the world, we have to first
bring about a revolutionary change in our lives. By the end of this chapter we hope
that everyone can start to truly understand the implications of the 4th condition of
Bai’at. We hope that by understanding the depth and breadth of this pledge that we’ve
made, will help us all modify our lives accordingly and this self-reformation will lead us
to achieve the pleasure and love of our beloved Allah. Insha’Allah
Kind and loving treatment is not limited to fellow human beings, but also extends to all
the creatures of the animal kingdom too. Hence, we must always be mindful of our
treatment to every single creature of God.
Ways in which we might cause intentional or unintentional harm
Refraining from physical cruelty is not enough; abstaining from verbal and mental
cruelty is equally as important. There are many ways in which we might cause
intentional or unintentional harm to others. We need to take care in all these areas of
conduct.
As mothers or elder siblings we should be careful not to harm children physically,
emotionally or psychologically through anger or undue strict behaviour.
It is imperative to control passionate impulses, e.g. anger, rage, jealousy etc. A
believer tries to remain calm and in control even when influenced by strong
impulses or faced with abusive behaviour. Many grievances are born out of
jealousy; especially when it comes to women.
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Holy
Prophet (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
‘Do not be jealous of one another. Do not quarrel among yourselves.
Do not entertain malice against each other. Do not have enmities
against one another. None of you should overbid on a contract that has
been settled by the other. O servants of Allah, be brothers to one
another. A Muslim is a brother to another Muslim. He does not oppress
his brother. He does not derogate him nor thinks low of him.’ Then
pointing towards his chest the Holy Prophet saw said three times, ‘Taqwa
is in here. It is enough evil for a man to think low of his brother. The
blood, property and honour of every Muslim are unlawful for another
Muslim.’
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul- Birri was-Silah, Babu Tahrimi-Zulmil Muslimi
Wa Khadhlih)
‘There is grievance at times if someone is given the chance to serve
the Jama’at. If one has faith that this is a Divine community, then one
should engage in Istighfar (seeking forgiveness). The Holy Prophet saw
said that ‘one who wishes for an office should not be given one. A
Jama’at office is a trust and if one has Taqwa one should always be
fearful of accountability.’
(Friday Sermon, January 1, 2016)
The Holy Prophet (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined us:
‘not to spoil a trade deal of another by offering more money. This does
not only mean to raise the stakes in a business deal with one’s larger
resources, rather this advice carries extensive scope.’
(Friday Sermon, June 1, 2012)
‘Sometimes in ongoing matrimonial matches another party interferes. If
a matrimonial match is ongoing no one should interfere. The proposal
that comes first should be considered by the family with prayers. They
should not even think about any subsequent proposal until such time
that they have considered the first one. In certain situations, a girl
receives a proposal but a third party with grievance contacts the boy’s
side and furnishes information to them about defects in the girl. They
then go on to suggest a ‘better match’ which never materializes while
spoiling the situation. Ploys are used to disgrace the girl and her family
and thus the poor girl is discredited and all this wickedness is born of
jealousy.’
(Friday Sermon, June 1, 2012)
“Enmities start from petty matters. Hearts are filled with spite and
malice. Some people are always on the lookout for an opportunity to
avenge themselves, while the instruction is not to have enmity with, nor
malice for, anyone.”
(Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, p. 82)
We are asked not to oppress anyone, not to think low of anyone, nor to derogate
anyone. An oppressor never achieves nearness to Allah.
We are expected not to quarrel with each other. Quarrels take place over petty
matters too.
Sometimes a duty holder tells off a child who has been mischievous in a gathering
that if he were to do it again he would be dealt with firmly. The parents, sitting
nearby, immediately roll up their sleeves for a fight, and the person performing the
duty is put down in a terrible way. By doing so they not only took leave of their good
manners, they also banished from the minds of their next generation, the respect
for the organisation of the Jama’at and the distinction between good and bad.
Petty quarrels are sometimes seen at Jalsa as well. In the context of Jalsa Salana
the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) said that:
‘one’s faith is not right unless one gave preference to the comfort of
one’s brother over one’s own comfort.’
(Friday Sermon, January 1, 2016)
Plotting and planning to put a wedge between two friends or relatives. Attempting
to isolate someone by turning others against them. Maligning them in public or
private are all ways of inflicting harm.
Sabotaging relationships, trying to cut ties, poisoning hearts and minds of people
against one another. Creating rifts between loved ones are all forms of emotional
abuse.
Instead of constantly being concerned with the shortcomings of others we should
look within ourselves. In regards to this, Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) said:
‘Those who find faults of others and make accusations have been called
foul and wrongdoers (49:12) by Allah. Each person should be concerned
about the state of their own faith. Indeed, the Holy Prophet saw had said
that one can see the straw in one’s brother’s eye but cannot see the
timber in his own eye. If one had firm faith that Allah is All-Seeing one
would always be only concerned about one’s own deeds.’
(Friday Sermon, May 26, 2006)
This reminds us to cover up the faults of others as in a hadith Abu Hurairah (May
Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Prophet (May Peace and Blessings
of Allah be upon him) said:
“…Whosoever covers up the faults of a Muslim will have his faults
covered up by Allah the Almighty in the hereafter. Allah the Almighty is
keen to help him who is keen to help his brother...”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab-udh-Dhikr, Babu Fadlil Ijtima‘i ‘ala
TilawatilQur’ani wa ‘aladh-Dhikr)
Therefore, as Muslims we should always seek out to help those around us instead
of picking out their faults.
Backbiting, gossip and spreading rumours can all cause harm to others. A Muslim
does not hurt others’ feelings with his jokes or jests, abusive language, sarcasm,
backbiting or false accusations, and he also does not harm other Muslims with his
hands, for example by beating, killing or stealing from others etc. meaning by every
type of unjust use of hands.
Derision, mockery, ridicule and looking down on others are some other social ills
that cause grief to fellow human beings. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon
him) said:
‘Allah the Exalted does not care for anyone but for the righteous person.
Instil mutual love and unity and abandon beastliness and conflict and
give up all manner of mockery and derision because mockery makes
the heart remote and distant from the truth. Treat each other with
respect and everyone should give precedence to the comfort of his
brother over his own comfort.’
(Friday Sermon, February 7, 2014)
We have to be careful in our use of social media. Verbal and emotional abuse can
very easily be inflicted through social media. Any of the above mentioned
behaviours that can cause harm to others that we should try to avoid in real life
must always be avoided in virtual lives on social media too.
We should endeavour to harbour no feelings of rancour whatsoever and, if our
emotions are aroused, we should try to subdue them through earnest prayer and
positive thinking. Islam teaches that in the event of a dispute one should resume
talking within three days. This initiative would go a long way in restoring a friendly
relationship which may grow even stronger.
Usurping rights of others is another means of causing harm. At times wives do not
respect the rights of their husbands. Or there is poor treatment of husband’s family.
God says in the Holy Quran:
"Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he, between whom and
thyself was enmity, will become as though he were a warm friend."
(41:35)
We are taught not to be vengeful and to forgive others. However, where it cannot
be helped and others exceed in limits with their persecution, we should inform the
authorities. This should be done for reformation and should not be borne of any
personal enmity or anger.
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) says:
‘A man should not be conceited, nor indecent, nor ill-mannered towards
the fellow beings. He should act with love and goodness and should
not bear ill-will towards anyone for personal reasons. He should behave
firmly or gently in accordance with the occasions or conditions.’
(Malfuzat, new edition, vol. 5, p. 609)
This condition of Bai’at also reminds us to take care of those creatures that Allah
has created for our service and our use.
Islam expects us to treat all animals (all living creatures - birds, sea creatures,
insects, etc.) with respect and dignity. The Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) continuously advised people to show kindness to
animals.
In connection to this, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud (May Allah be pleased with him)
relates:
‘While we were in the course of a journey along with the Holy Prophet
saw we saw two young doves in a nest and we caught them. They were
still very small. When their mother returned to the nest, not finding her
little ones in it, she began to fly wildly round and round. When the Holy
Prophet saw arrived at the spot he observed the dove and said, ‘If any
one of you has caught its young ones he must release them at once to
comfort it'
(Abu Dawud)
This emphasises the importance of being careful and mindful of not hurting any
creature, regardless of them being human or otherwise.
Indeed, we have to desire and wish good for all people, even those involved in
every kind of evil, thieves and robbers, and those guilty of committing every kind
of excess simply because these are all the creatures of the Lord of all the Worlds
and we are required to be the well-wishers of all creatures of God Almighty.
Our goal this term is to understand the depth and breadth of the revolutionary change
required of us in light of the fourth condition of Bait. Our goal is to look within ourselves
and 1) identify the areas that we need to work on and 2) start to make changes
physically and mentally.
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true task in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learnt.
True incidents
1. Describing the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) strong sympathy for
mankind Huzoor (May Allah be his Helper) says:
“that despite the fact that Allah, the Exalted, had sent the plague as a sign
in support of his claims, yet, when people began to die from it, he became
concerned that if all the people died who would be left to worship God
Almighty and who would be there to believe. So he started praying for the
removal of this torment with such anguish and pain that those who heard
him said that his cries were like those of a woman at the time of giving
birth. So this is the example and standard that has been set before us by
the true servant of the Holy Prophet (sa) in this age as to how to be the
well-wisher of the people of the world.
Instead of desiring the destruction of the world, he desired good for the
world. That God Almighty is Possessor of All Powers and He can change
the hearts of the people without resorting to destruction. So our efforts
also need to be, following in the footsteps of the Promised Messiah (as)
and his Lord and Master the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) that the people may be saved from destruction so that they
may become our brethren. We need to pray for this also with pain in our
hearts. And we need also to make every effort. We have to set right the
material and spiritual lives of the people by guiding the world to the right
spiritual paths.” (Friday Sermon, October 31, 2014)
2. In the context of suppressing the impulses of passion:
Once In the time of the Promised Messiah as, In a meeting with Hindus a
dispute erupted and the Jama‘at showed a great sense of restraint.
Appreciating this good quality of his community, the Promised Messiah as
says: If the good-natured Muslims were not mindful of their high moral
standards, and had they not shown patience and suppressed their anger
in accordance with the Qur’anic teachings, there would have been great
bloodshed at the meeting because of the trouble instigated by the people
who had come with evil intentions. Our Community deserves a thousand
praises because they demonstrated an excellent example of patience and
restraint. They remained silent on hearing the abusive words which were
worse than the bullets of the enemy.
(Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruha niKhaz a’in , vol. 23,p. 10)
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q) I have a quick temper and get negative thoughts all the time. How can I get
rid of these?
A possible answer could include Ahadith relating to controlling anger and a prayer to
purify the heart such as Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad - Khalifatul Masih III (May Allah
have mercy on him) said:
I pray that your hearts may be purified and that all vices and corruptions
and evil incitements may be removed from you, that the Satan of arrogance,
vanity, and self-seeking and selfishness should forsake your breasts and
the ornaments of humility, unselfishness and meekness should prepare
your breasts for the reception of your Lord, and then Allah should descend
upon them and fill them with every type of blessing. May He illumine your
hearts and souls with every type of light. May God cause fountains of
human sympathy and compassion to burst forth from your pure breasts so
that the whole world should become the beneficiary of your selfless service.
http://www.alislam.org/library/links/heart.html
Q2) At times older members in the mosque greet younger members with
comments on the features of their daughters, in a slightly negative manner, how
can we make them understand without being rude that this hurts the child’s
feelings?
Q3) A Senior Lajna member became aware of a marriage proposal for a Lajna in
her majalis, she heard certain negative comments about this member, should
she make the family who are considering the Rishta aware of this?
Q4) At times during jalsa or even in our mosque while we are standing in a queue
waiting for food or security, we are pushed, stomped on, pushchairs are driven
into our backs or we are even ran over by wheels of the pushchairs. Are these
not considered hurting others by hand?
References
1. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, October 31,
2014, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2014-10-
31.html
2. The Holy Qur’an with English Translation by Hazrat Maulwi Sher Ali (May Allah be
pleased with him), Chapter 3, Verse 111
3. Hadith
4. Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul- Birri was-Silah, Babu Tahrimi-Zulmil Muslimi Wa Khadhlih,
quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 81,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
5. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, June 1,
2012, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2012-06-
01.html
6. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, June 1,
2012, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2012-06-
01.html
7. Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 82,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
8. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, January 1,
2016, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2016-01-
01.html
9. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, May 26,
2006, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2006-05-26.html
10. Sahih Muslim, Kitab-udh-Dhikr, Babu Fadlil Ijtima‘i ‘ala TilawatilQur’ani wa
‘aladh-Dhikr, quoted in Conditions of Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi,
page 158, https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
11. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, February
7, 2014, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2014-02-
07.html
12. The Holy Qur’an with English Translation by Hazrat Maulwi Sher Ali (May Allah
be pleased with him), Chapter 41, Verse 35
13. Malfuzat, new edition, Vol 5, page 609, quoted in Conditions of Ba’at and
Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 87,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
14. Abu Dawood, quoted in Life of Muhammad (May Peace and Blessings of Allah
be upon him), page 246, http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Life-of-
Muhammad.pdf
15. Hazrat Khalifatul- Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon, October
31, 2014, http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2014-
10-31.html
16. Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruha niKhaz a’in , vol. 23,p. 10, quoted in Conditions of
Bai’at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi, page 219,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
17. http://www.alislam.org/library/links/heart.html
Steadfastness
Condition 5
That he/she shall remain faithful to God in all circumstances of life, in sorrow and in
happiness, in adversity and in prosperity, in felicity and in trial; and that he/she shall
in all conditions remain resigned to the decree of God and keep himself/ herself
ready to face all kinds of indignities and sufferings in His way and shall never turn
away from Him at the onslaught of any misfortune; on the contrary, he/she shall
march forward.
Introduction:
The 5th condition requires that an Ahmadi remain inclined towards God Almighty in
times of both hardship and ease. When confronted with suffering and tribulation, a
person should reconcile themselves to the will of Allah and show steadfastness in
order to be the recipient of a much greater reward. Steadfastness requires prompt
reconciliation to Divine will without any complaint. Equally, when a person is at ease
and experiences positive things, they should remember Allah and show gratefulness
to Him.
A true Momin is tested and there are two types of steadfastness that he exhibits.
Firstly, in face of adversity, trials, persecution and abuse he remains steadfast to faith
and says Allah is sufficient for me. In Surah Al-Baqarah, we read:
And We will try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of
wealth and lives, and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient, Who,
when a misfortune overtakes them, say, ‘Surely, to Allah we belong and
to Him shall we return.’ It is these on whom are blessings from their
Lord and mercy, and it is these who are rightly guided. [2:156-158]
We are reminded that everything belongs to God, and all that we are bestowed with,
is a gift from Him. Hence, we have no ground for complaint and no reason to grieve
when we lose something, as all things truly belong to Allah. Every misfortune that
befalls a believer should be met with resolve and fortitude.
Secondly, faced with the decree and will of Allah a Momin (true believer) always
remains loyal to his Lord. He surrenders his will for Allah’s will. His devotion never
wavers whether Allah sends blessings his way or tests him with adversity.
By the end of this chapter we hope that we can begin to really think about the fifth
condition of Ba’ait and appreciate the role of steadfastness in cultivating a personal
relationship with God. Therefore, our goal this term is to understand the depth and
breadth of the revolutionary change required of us in light of this condition of Bait. Our
goal is to look within ourselves and 1) identify the areas and what we need to work on
and 2) start to make changes physically and mentally.
Forms of Steadfastness
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) also reminds us that we, as the
chosen Jama’at of Allah, are inevitably going to be confronted with trial and
hardship, just as the believers were in the early days of Islam. These trials are
a test of our faithfulness to Him, hence we should turn to Him at every moment,
and place Him at the center of every thought and action:
“It is inevitable that you should be tried with diverse types of pain and
misfortune as the faithful before you were tried… All are His creatures,
but He chooses the one who chooses Him. He comes to the one who
goes to Him. He bestows honour upon him who honours Him.”
(Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 19, p. 15)
Sometimes Allah makes His servants go through sufferings related to one’s
children. When one suffers a loss considering it a returning to God a bounty of
His that was bestowed on oneself through His benevolence temporarily. God
reclaimed what belonged to Him and being resigned to His will.
Say, 'Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.' (2:157)
At a time of grief and difficulty, sincere utterance of the aforementioned
statement has a deep impression on a person’s mind and brings them a sense
of peace. When a believer accepts that we all come from God and we are all to
return to Him, the connection with the Maker becomes ever stronger.
We should always keep in mind that people who are reconciled to the will of
Allah, and suffer all hardships and tribulations for His sake, are never left
unrewarded by Allah the Almighty.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) said that:
“I have received reports and letters that some ladies are teased by
their in-laws that they bore daughters only. The Holy Prophet
Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that if a
person is tried through having daughters only, his daughters will be a
barrier between him and the fire in the next world.”
(Friday Sermon, November 19, 2010)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) recalls a hadith. He cites
that:
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him)
said that a person who socialises and bears inconveniences and
hurtful behaviour patiently is better than a person who does not
socialise and does not show patience and steadfastness in the face
of hurtful treatment.
(Friday Sermon, November 19, 2010)
This shows us the importance and worth of patience in our daily lives. We must
not cower to hurtful behaviour but be powerful by showing steadfastness and
patience to please Allah ta’ala to gain immense blessings at the end of it.
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Holy
Prophet (May Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said,
‘No Muslim suffers any calamity, suffering, pain, discomfort, or
anxiety, even as small as the prick of a thorn, but Allah wipes out
instead some of his defaults and his sins.’
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Birri was-Silah, Babu Thawabil-Mo’mini fi
ma yusibuhu min Maradin au Huznin au nahwa dhalik)
People who wail, cry and complain eventually come to terms with their loss
after going through phases of anger, despair and blame. However, these are
but the very basic, natural behaviour of a human mind. To exhibit patience
and steadfastness elevates man to a higher level of spirituality. There is
excessive wailing and crying at the death of children, especially among the
women. Thanks to Allah, He has granted the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jam a ‘at
mothers, who are very patient and reconciled to His will. But sometimes there
are instances of complaining or uttering words of ingratitude.
There is a hadith that the Holy Prophet (May Peace and Blessings of Allah be
upon him) used to take a pledge from women-Companions in this respect. The
hadith runs as follows:
Hadrat Usaid (May Allah be pleased with him) relates that he heard
from a woman Companion (May Allah be pleased with her) who had
taken a pledge at the hand of the Holy Prophet (May Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) that the pledge included the following:
‘We will not disobey the Holy Prophet (May Peace and Blessings of
Allah be upon him), will not tear our faces in wailing, will not raise a
hue and cry during mourning, and will not tear our clothes or keep our
hair ruffled.’
(Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-ul-Jana’iz, Babun fin-Nauh)
We have pledged to remain steadfast “…no matter how hard the
circumstances, how long the period of hardship, how apparent the worldly
attractions, how likely the benefits from diverse worldly activities, and how luring
the attractions offered by the worldly powers that tells you not to worry because:
‘as an Ahmadi, even as you maintain ties to the Jama‘at, you can still conduct
your professional affairs, serve the Jama‘at, and sacrifice financially.’ All of
these are caused by Dajjal [Antichrist] to move you away from Allah and the
Jama‘at.”
(Gardens of the Righteous – Riyadh as-Salihin of Imam Nawawi,
translated by Sir Zafrullah Khan Sahib (May Allah have mercy on
him), p. 13-14)
Activities
Sometimes, it can be hard to picture what is expected of us in action. True incidents
can help us apply the lessons learnt into our daily lives and help us accomplish our
true task in this world. Read the following faith-inspiring true incidents and have a
discussion about the lessons you learnt.
True incidents
In Huzoor’s (May Allah be his Helper) Friday sermons, Huzoor has quoted many
incidents from the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him), the Promised Messiah (Peace be on him) and his companions to
show us the standards of steadfastness.
Hazrat Anas relates that the Holy Prophet passed by a woman who was
crying over a grave. He said to her: Be mindful of thy duty to Allah and be
steadfast. She retorted: Leave me alone; you have not been afflicted as I
have been. She had not known who he was. Someone told her: That was
the Holy Prophet. She proceeded to the door of the Holy Prophet and not
finding any doorman went in and said to him: I had not recognised you.
He said: Steadfastness means to be resigned at the time of the first shock
of grief.
(Bokhari and Muslim)
Khubaib ibn Arat relates: We complained to the Holy Prophet of the
increasing persecution inflicted upon us by the disbelievers of Mecca. He
was reclining in the shade of the Ka’aba, having made a pillow of his cloak.
We submitted: Why do you not supplicate for help for us? Why do you not
pray for us? He made answer: From among those who have gone before
you a man would be caught and held in a pit dug for him in the earth and
he would be sawn in two with a saw placed over his head, or his flesh
would be combed away from his bones with iron combs but none of this
would wean him away from his faith. Allah will surely bring this matter to
its consummation till a rider from Sana’a to Hadhratmaut fearing nothing
save Allah and the hazard of the wolf concerning his sheep. But you are
in too much of a hurry.
(Bukhari)
The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him)
Huzoor (May Allah be him Helper) relates that:
“…Mubarak Ahmad was clearly very dear to the Promised Messiah
(on whom be peace). When he became ill the Promised Messiah (on
whom be peace)took so much trouble and spent so much time that
people thought if he was to die, the Promised Messiah (on whom be
peace) would suffer greatly and would be extremely affected and
saddened by it. But the day that he passed away he was seen to be
perfectly resigned to the decree of God saying that this was a trust that
God had given to us and now that He has taken it back what right have
we to complain. So the work of a believer is to serve a fellow human
being as much as he can and considers this a means of earning merit
in the sight of God but when on the other hand the will and decree of
God Almighty comes into operation he does not express any sort of
impatience of lack of contentment. But those who are in the habit of
complaining earn a double loss, both here and in the hereafter…”
(Friday Sermon, May 1, 2015)
Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani sahib writes that in 1898 Maulwi Muhammad
Hussain sent a journal to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace)
which was full of abusive language. He writes that reflecting on the
steadfast resolve that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace)
displayed upon receiving the journal, filled him with emotion even
decades later. His patience and fortitude was exemplary and was a
proof that God bestows such high determination to His Prophets. Irfani
sahib writes that once at a convention a Braham leader was having a
question and answer session with the Promised Messiah (on whom
be peace) when a obnoxious person started hurling abuse at the
Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). The Promised Messiah (on
whom be peace) put his hand on his face and sat completely serene
as if listening to sweet conservation while the man remained foul-
mouthed. He said no one should say anything to the man and should
let him say what he wanted. The Braham was very impressed with this
and said it was a moral miracle.
(Friday Sermon, November 26, 2010)
Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani sahib writes that in 1904 a journal that used
abusive language for the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was
mentioned when the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said,
‘steadfastness should be practised. What do these abusive words do?
Such was also the condemnation of the people of the times of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) which he used to
laugh off saying what can I do about their condemnation, Allah has
named me Muhammad’. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace)
added, ‘similarly has God sent me’. Often abusive letters would arrive
without any postage paid and it had to be paid in order to receive the
letters which the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) used to pay.
These letters had nothing but abuse from start to finish and the
Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) used to pray for the senders
and put all such letters in a bag.
(Friday Sermon, November 26, 2010)
The Companions of the Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him)
“One hundred years ago, two elders of the Jama‘at demonstrated perfect
fidelity and steadfastness. They were true to their pledge, very true. They
were enticed with different kinds of attractions to break the pledge, but
these princes of steadfastness paid no attention to them and remained
true to their pledge. The Promised Messiah as has paid excellent tribute
to them. They are Sahibzadah Sayyed ‘Abdul Latif Shahidra and ‘Abdur-
Rahman Khanra…The history of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama’at over
the last one hundred years bears witness that such examples of
faithfulness and fidelity have been repeatedly demonstrated. There were
losses of lives and property. There were martyrdoms. Children were
killed in the presence of fathers, and fathers were killed in the presence
of children. Then did Allah—Who is the Greatest in rewarding
faithfulness— permit this blood to be spilled in vain? No. He showered
His Mercy upon their progenies in an unprecedented way. Many of you
who are present here or are spread in many countries are personal
witnesses to this are the recipients of these blessings. This is a
consequence of the fidelity that you have shown towards Allah and the
way you remained true to the pledge of allegiance. When the time of
ease comes, do not forget this pledge of Bai‘at nor let your future
generations forget it. Always remain faithful to the dear Allah, so that His
blessings may continue to pour on your future generations; transfer this
relationship of fidelity to the coming generations.” (
The Conditions of Bai’at and responsibilities of an Ahmadi
by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper),
p.100-102)
“…The model of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I ra was in accordance with the
sunnah of the Prophet sa .In August 1905 his son ‘Abdul Qayyum passed
away after suffering from measles for a few days. He was about two years
old. He first kissed the child at which his eyes were filled with tears, and then
he said: I uncovered the child’s face not because I was anxious, but to follow
the sunnah . When the Holy Prophet’s sa son Ibrahim ra passed away, the
Holy Prophet sa had kissed his face and he was tearful. He glorified Allah
the Almighty and said: ‘Though separation is hard to bear even for a short
while, nevertheless, I am content at the will of Allah the Almighty.’ To fulfill
this sunnah I uncovered his face and kissed him. It is Allah the Almighty’s
grace and a reason to be happy that a chance to fulfill a sunnah was granted
to me… Another example is of Hadrat Chaudhry Nasrullah Khan ra .
Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan ra writes: We had a brother whose name was
Hamidullah Khan, who was younger than dear Chaudhry Shukrullah Khan
(deceased) and older than Chaudhry ‘Abdullah Khan (deceased). He
passed away at the age of about nine years after a few day’s illness. His
death took place at the time of Fajr . My father had been up all night looking
after him. After his death, he made arrangements for his burial and other
related matters. After having finished with these, he went to work as usual
at the time of the courts opening. Neither his clients nor the court officers
and his colleagues came to know that he had come to work after having
buried his beloved child, content and pleased with the will of his Lord.”
(Ashab-e-Ahmad, vol. 11, pp. 165–166, published in 1962)
“Model of Hadrat Maulavi Burhan-ud-Din ra [as narrated by his son ] When
the Promised Messiah as arrived Sialkot in the early days, he was traveling
with some friends to deliver his lecture. While he was passing through a
street someone threw a basketful of ashes from a roof top. With the grace
of Allah the Almighty, Hudur as was saved as he had passed through. The
ashes fell on the head of my father. As a consequence, the old, grey haired
man became a spectacle for people. As he passionately loved Hadrat Sahib,
he stood right there in ecstasy and most cheerfully started saying, ‘Come
on woman, throw some more!’ He used to say that it was a favour of Allah
the Almighty that because of H a d rat Sahib as he had received the
blessing. After Hadrat Sahib’s as departure from Sialkot, the khuddam were
returning to their homes after seeing him off at the train station. Somehow
he (Maulav i Burhan-ud-Din ra ) was left behind and the opponents caught
him and deeply humiliated him, so much so that they stuffed cow-dung in
his mouth. However, he felt honour in this humiliation, and pleasure in this
pain and would repeatedly say, ‘O Burhan, how did you deserve these
blessings!’ That is to say, these blessings do not easily come by; rarely is
one victimised for the sake of faith, that it is good fortune to suffer in that
manner!” ( Monthly Ansarullah, Rabwah, September 1977, pp. 14–15)
Extra Activities
A prayer to recite. The Promised Messiah (Peace be upon him) said:
“A verse in the Holy Qur’an relates:
‘Our Lord pour down upon us steadfastness and cause us to die in a state
of submission to Thee (7:127);’
which means, Lord, at this time of trial send down upon our hearts the
comfort that should make us steadfast and do Thou so ordain that we
should die in a state of submission to Thee. At the time of trials and
misfortune, God Almighty causes a light to descend upon the hearts of
those who are dear to Him, being strengthened by which they face
misfortunes calmly and out of the sweetness of their faith, they kiss the
chains that are put round their feet in His cause.”
http://whyahmadi.org/expectations-of-being-an-ahmadi/ten-conditions-of-
baiat.html
Below are some relevant questions which have previously been asked of the Tarbiyyat
department. Discuss.
Q1) In the current climate of islamophobic attacks and hate crimes, is it not wise
to discard scarves for a while and blend in to the general population for personal
safety?
Q3) If we report a hate crime and expect action to be taken against the
perpetrators, does that go against the spirit of steadfastness?
Q2) The various stages of bereavement, the anger, the despair are all considered
natural, will it be healthy not to go through them?
Multimedia
Friday Sermon: Patience and Steadfastness
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2010-11-12.html
http://whyahmadi.org/expectations-of-being-an-ahmadi/ten-conditions-of-
baiat.html
sabr- o –istiqlal (patience and steadfastness) seerat –un- Nabi (SAW)
https://www.alislam.org/v/1042.html
Life of Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) Patience and Steadfastness
https://www.alislam.org/v/1374.html
https://www.alislam.org/archives/sermons/.../FSP20140523-EN.ppt
https://www.alislam.org/archives/sermons/.../FSP20120406-EN.pptx
References
1. The Holy Quran with English Translation and Commentary, Vol. 5, p. 2822.
2. Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 19, p. 15, quoted in The Conditions of Bai’at
and responsibilities of an Ahmadi, p.72
3. The Holy Qur’an with English Translation by Hazrat Maulwi Sher Ali (May Allah be
pleased with him), Chapter 2, Verse 157
4. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon November 19,
2010, https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2010-11-19.html
5. Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Birri was-Silah, Babu Thawabil-Mo’mini fi ma yusibuhu min
Maradin au Huznin au nahwa dhalik, quoted in The Conditions of Bai’at and
responsibilities of an Ahmadi, p.93,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf )
6. Sunano Abi Dawud, Kitab-ul-Jana’iz, Babun fin-Nauh, quoted in The Conditions of
Bai’at and responsibilities of an Ahmadi, p.94,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf)
7. The Conditions of Bai’at and responsibilities of an Ahmadi by Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih V (May Allah be his Helper, p.95,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
8. Gardens of the Righteous – Riyadh as-Salihin of Imam Nawawi, translated by Sir
Zafrullah Khan Sahib (May Allah have mercy on him), p. 13-14,
https://www.alislam.org/library/books/GardensRighteous.pdf
9. Gardens of the Righteous – Riyadh as-Salihin of Imam Nawawi, translated by Sir
Zafrullah Khan Sahib (May Allah have mercy on him), p. 15,
https://www.alislam.org/library/books/GardensRighteous.pdf
10. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon May 1, 2015,
https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2015-05-01.html
11. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), Friday Sermon November 26,
2010, https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2010-11-
26.html
12. The Conditions of Bai’at and responsibilities of an Ahmadi by Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), p.100-102,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
13. The Conditions of Bai’at and responsibilities of an Ahmadi by Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), p.224-225,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
14. The Conditions of Bai’at and responsibilities of an Ahmadi by Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih V (May Allah be his Helper), p.226-227,
https://www.alislam.org/introduction/conditions.pdf
15. http://whyahmadi.org/expectations-of-being-an-ahmadi/ten-conditions-of-
baiat.html