On 17 September 2017, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered a faith-inspiring address to conclude the three-day National Ijtema (Annual Gathering) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association in the UK (Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya).
The objectives of the Ijtema, held for the first time at Country Market, Kingsley, were to educate the Muslim youths of the true peaceful teachings of Islam and to inspire them towards serving both their faith and nation to the best of their abilities.
Commencing on the same day as the Parsons Green station attack, the Ahmadi Muslim youth were united in their condemnation of all forms of extremism and terrorism and during his keynote address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad repeatedly stated that Islam promoted love and compassion for all mankind.
Throughout his address, His Holiness spoke about the most fundamental pledge that all Muslims make, which is the Muslim creed:
“There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
His Holiness delivered a comprehensive commentary on the Islamic creed and said it was not enough to merely proclaim these words, rather they had to be accompanied by a manifestation of one’s faith through the worship of Allah and by following the noble example of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
Speaking about the first aspect of the creed, which is to declare that
“There is none worthy of worship except Allah”,
His Holiness said that this must be manifested through the worship of Allah the Almighty.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The most important and significant form of worship is to offer the five daily prayers. At various places in the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty has commanded us to offer the five obligatory prayers and so if we are negligent in our prayers it means our declaration of faith in Allah is meaningless, without value and false.”
His Holiness further explained the meaning of the creed in light of the teachings and explanations of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) taught that a true Muslim is he whose heart and soul are intoxicated with the love of Allah and consumed by the belief that He alone is worthy of worship. This is the standard required, otherwise, a person’s proclamation of faith in Allah is reduced to superficial and hollow words.”
Explaining the second aspect of the Islamic creed which states, “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, His Holiness said that the Holy Quran has referred to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as the perfect role model for all mankind.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Without a shadow of doubt, it was the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who scaled the highest possible peaks of worshipping Allah. No matter the circumstances, he would never allow anything to get in the way of fulfilling the rights of Allah the Almighty.”
Describing the intensity with which the Holy Prophet bowed before God and prayed, His Holiness said:
“It is reported that when he prayed alone, people could hear the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) weep with such intensity that it sounded like he was screaming and wailing in despair.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“This was the unparalleled standard of worship and of the fear and love of Allah displayed by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which was an example for all of mankind to come.”
His Holiness also explained the love that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had for reading the Holy Quran and following its instructions.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Every pore and every fibre of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was engulfed by pure love and reverence for the Word of Allah. Whenever any portion was recited he would become emotional and tears would flow from his blessed eyes.”
His Holiness also outlined the aspects of the life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which illustrated how he fulfilled his responsibilities towards the society and the creation of God.
His Holiness said that even after a difficult and strenuous defensive battle against a Jewish tribe, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) fulfilled the rights of his opponents.
His Holiness said the Muslims were on the verge of starvation after a long battle when a shepherd from amongst the opposition accepted Islam and joined the Muslims. He brought the sheep under his care with him and enquired what should be done with them.
Explaining the response of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Whilst he could easily have ordered the shepherd to hand over the lambs, instead, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered him to honour his duties to the Jews and to turn the lambs in the direction of their owners so that they could make their own way back.
Rather than give in to any form of temptation at a time when he and his followers were famished and desperate for sustenance, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) ensured that the rights of the opponents were fulfilled and set an incomparable example of fulfilling one’s trusts and obligations.”
Elaborating upon the need to give precedence to one’s faith, His Holiness said that the Holy Quran has instructed Muslims to leave their businesses during the Friday prayers and come to the Mosque, however, there were many Muslims who gave priority to material pursuits over their faith.
Further, His Holiness said that it was common to see people deceiving others or resorting to falsehood in business transactions. However, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was so particular with regards to avoiding all types of falsehoods, that he advised his companions to give charity before conducting any form of business, which would shield them from wrongdoing.
His Holiness quoted a saying of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) which states, that
‘a true Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand all others are safe’.
Commenting on this, His Holiness said:
“If people lived by this teaching all hatreds and conflicts would end – both at a personal level and amongst the wider society. This saying does not only instruct Muslims to abstain from harming others, it also directs them towards humanitarian efforts because the deeper meaning of these words require Muslims to actively seek to help and serve mankind.”
Elaborating the loving and kind character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), His Holiness shed light on the rights given to women in Islam and the kindness that Muslim men should show towards their family members.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Time and again the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasised that a man must treat his wife with love, compassion and be fully respectful to her.”
Concluding his address, His Holiness said that Ahmadi Muslims must seek to fulfil the mission of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) which was to make the world recognise its Creator and to serve mankind.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“We must strive to further this mission so that the world, the majority of whom considers Islam to be an extremist religion that promotes terrorism, comes to realise that Islam is actually a peaceful religion that desires for mankind to recognise its Creator and to fulfil the rights of one another.”
Earlier, a report was presented by Mirza Waqas Ahmad, the National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association during which he informed of the various activities of the 3-day event.
During the Ijtema, Ahmadi Muslim youths from over 100 local communities from across the United Kingdom (Qiadats) competed in various academic and sports competitions, including a special Kabaddi exhibition match.
The Muslim youths were also able to visit the ‘The Hub’ where they had the opportunity to ask questions in a confidential environment about religion or social issues. A number of renowned experts in different academic fields also travelled to the Ijtema to deliver talks to the young Muslims.
