Insightful Guidances of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya

The world as we know is ridden with chaos and unrest. Nations are waging war upon one another in every sense of the word. The world’s leaders are steering the world into another age of destructive pandemonium which due to the extent of weaponry readily available would be fatal. Everywhere we turn politicians are abusing their power relentlessly because the global economy is moving against their best interests.

Religion is a thing of the past, as more and more people look towards rejecting the idea of a God, we also see that the major religions are being portrayed falsely, terror attacks being carried out in the name of Religion. What is the cause for this? Why is the world ready to plunge itself into an abyss of bedlam? The answer to this is simple and one which was prophesied over 1400 years ago by the Holy founder of Islam(saw)… The coming of the spiritual reformer of the age, who would set about in reconstructing the worlds order and leave behind a divine caliphate which would guide its members to becoming the best spiritual versions of themselves.

This article will delve into the various insightful guidances given by the Khulafa of Ahmadiyyat.

Every Khalifa has been divinely cho- sen by the Almighty thus far. they have all been directly connected to Allah spiritually. Therefore, they have all been sent with boundless guidance’s for their community. So as to offer justice to each of our beloved khulafas.

Hazrat Maulana Hakeem Nooruddin (Khalifatul Masih I)ra was a pure and simple man, tolerant, frank and straightforward and truthful. He had excellent qualities of administration and leadership. He had a singular faith in God. His trust in Him was noteworthy and very remarkable.

Quraishi Ameer Muhammad Sahib of Bhera relates:

“I was in the presence of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih when the postman brought a VP parcel for Rs. 16, containing some books. He exclaimed that these were his favourite books which he had fondly ordered sometime back but he had no money to pay for them now. He then said that “God has so much compassion for me that I am sure He will send down His beneficence at this very moment.” Soon after a Hindu man brought his sick child to Huzoor to have him diagnosed. Huzoor examined him and wrote a prescription. The man placed before him a guinea (worth Rs. 15 then) plus one rupee in gratitude and left. Huzoor at once prostrated in thanksgiving and said “I was confident that my Lord, my Friend will never forsake me. It might have been that the man would not give anything at all since as a rule I do not ask for anything or that he would present only one guinea. But my Allah saw to it that His humble servant’s needs are met in full.”

This very short but insightful relation show us the level of trust he had in Allah the Almighty no matter how problematic the situation at hand seemed.

The next guidance I wish to present here is not in need of any explanation and is one which Hadhrat Musleh Maudra has given to missionaries in the European world.

Huzoor gave this advice in writing to

Maulana Qazi Muhammad Abdullah on the occasion of his departure for England as a missionary on the 6th September 1915.

Huzoor writes and I quote, “Europe is now steeped in materialism. She is the mine of all sciences. She is proud of her knowledge. She is puffed up with the thought that what she thinks to be civilization is the real civilization and that all else is barbarism. People, finding her so far advanced in science, are over awed by her extravagant claims while as a matter of fact the sciences of Europe cannot be put in the balance against the knowledge contained in the Quran. Her theories are subject to constant change while the Quranic truths are eternal and unchangeable. Hence, he who believes in the Holy Quran cannot for a second be cowed down before her. If he studies her civilization in the light of the Holy Quran, it will appear to him anything but civilization and its bright pearls will appear no more than mere oyster shells.

Therefore, never be dismayed by the theories of Europe. If they ever begin to ruin your mind, take to the study of the Holy Quran and the works of the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and you will find such knowledge therein as will counteract their unhealthy influence. Bear in mind that you are going to conquer Europe and not be conquered by it. Do not be afraid of her pretensions for they are utterly baseless. Do not yield to the irreligious influences of Europe. But try to bring Europe round to the civilization of Deen-i-Haq; remembering at the same time the injunction of the Holy Prophetsa i.e., Convey glad tidings to the people and scare them not away. Speak gently.

The original urdu text for this can be found in Al-Fazl. Dated on 14th Sepetember 1915

Each Khalifa has provided guidance to the Community and each has ensured that the message of Ahmadiyyat continues to be carried to all parts of the world. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh as the third successor to the Promised Messiahas. He travelled widely, spreading the message of Islam wherever he went. He was the first Ahmadi Khalifa to travel to Africa. A lasting consequence of that historic journey was that the Ahmadiyya Jama’at expanded its efforts in the service of humanity in West Africa. As a result of the selfless efforts of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, the Nusrat Jahan scheme was established, and to this day still continues to provide medical and educational help to West African nations.

Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh also established mosques and missions in various parts of Europe. It was under his guidance and leadership that the Ahmadiyya community has the honour of witnessing the historic return of Islam to Spain.

‘Love for All, Hatred for None’, is the simple phrase that became established as the slogan of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community during this Khilafat. For far too long, Islam had lived under the shadow of militancy and ‘holy war’. That was not the message with which the Holy Prophetsa won the hearts of millions – not through war, but peace; not through hatred, but love. Those simple words are also a lasting testament to the behaviour of the members of the Ahmadiyya community during the severe anti-Ahmadi hostilities which took place in 1974, hostilities which were borne with patience and fortitude under the guidance of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh .

Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh argued that Islam granted absolute freedom of choice in matters of faith and conscience and there was no earthly penalty prescribed for apostasy. In a sermon delivered on Friday 29 December, 1978, he said:

‘Freedom of conscience and freedom of belief are the fundamental rights of man. His very creation is for that purpose. If man is not free in respect of these matters, if people are to be driven forcibly into Islam like sheep and goats, then there can be no recompense by God, the One and Unique, for any human action. Will you compel God Almighty to accept the hypocritical actions of people performed by them under compulsion so that God Himself must love them under compulsion?

During the Khilafat of the 4th Khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh the need for guidances was paramount, the jamaat had relocated to London and was being faced with questions and issues which it had not faced prior to the move. During his Khilafat it was customary that Huzoor would make himself readily available at various times to the community or to others to answer any questions that were put to him. During Huzoors trip to west ferry, Australia on the 30th September an outsider asked what his thoughts were on the future of the western society from an Islamic point of view.

Huzoor begins to answer this question by stating, “The fact is that the pursuit of pleasure and a sense of liberty coupled together have made western soci- ety what it is today. Liberty from what? Liberty from all bondage that binds man to his Creator. This is what I see in the western concept of liberty today. Liberty from all that is noble that creates responsibility, which binds you and which limit your avenues of pleasure seeking. That is the liberty which the West has got today and is still pursuing – a mad pursuit of pleasure wherever it is to be had, forgetting that it is not for man to get whatever he wants to whatever extent he wants to have it.”

Huzoor goes on to explain that man was born with limited knowledge and limited capabilities. He is born with limited imagination and limited reach, so it is impossible for man to attain unlimited pleasure. What usually happens is that man in his mad pursuit is unable to fulfil his worldly desires. This is affecting the entire society and causing a huge amount of unrest.

Later on, Huzoor refers to the western desires using the example of alcohol. How at first a single sip is capable of giving the drinker a kick, however after a certain amount of time that person becomes an alcoholic and no longer is able to even receive a kick from multiple bottles.

Huzoor then mentioning his experience of when he visited the United States that, “while I was there a few years ago, there was a Radio station devoted entirely to the reporting of murders and every five minutes, on average, a murder was taking place. People were being looted and murdered, not for the sake of bread, not for the sake of the necessities of life but just for the sake of the thrill of it. They sought pleasure wherever they could find it. That is the disease of the society.

The answer given by Huzoor is a perfect one and is need of no explanation.

So, what is the answer? The only answer is this – that true pleasure, lasting pleasure, true satisfaction and contentment can only be had by establishing one’s relationship with one’s Creator. That is what man was created for. Society has lost direction. Man has lost his bearings. He has lost the purpose of his creation. So why should God be interested in saving man when he is not serving the purpose of his creation? Everything is created for a certain purpose and according to the Holy Quran man was created to be introduced to his Lord. In the previous stages of life, no animal had developed enough to realise things which only man can realise. The first species which could come into contact with his creator was in the form of man – I mean direct conscious contact. This is what the Holy Quran tells us – to pursue that end, to reach one’s Lord as soon as possible and to remain with Him, to live with Him, to feel His nearness, and so on. The Holy Quran tells us that this is contentment, this is true pleasure. It also tells us that by living closer to your God you become noble, because He is noble.

The last guidance for this article was given by our current Khalifa Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah strengthen his hand) who has on countless occasions explained to us the importance of our Waqf and what it truly means to be a missionary. Recently we were blessed with the visit of Huzoor on 29th April 2019 at the occasion of the convocation in which Huzoor addressed the current and future missionaries on the importance of their Waqf and missionary work. Huzoor went on to say…

''No matter how trivial the matter may seem, it is your duty to guide them (the jamaat members) to the right path. However, for this it is important that your own model and relationship with God Almighty is exemplary. May Allah enable you all to fulfil the words of Hadhrat Musleh Maudra which he expressed in the following couplet;

Today, the majority of the world has become embroiled in materialism and is distant from God, consequently they have fallen spiritually into an abyss of darkness. In such a time, it is your duty to become like a Qutb (leader) for your own people as well as others. It is the duty of those individuals who have submitted their lives for this task. The meaning of Qutub is a leader, or that polar star which serves as a guide and shows people the way, another meaning is the central point. Another meaning of the word Qutub is a saint, or one who has a close bond with God Almighty.

Therefore, it is your duty to impart the teachings of faith to the world and bring them closer to God Almighty. Today it is you whom God Almighty has chosen as the leaders of this world and the ones who are going to serve as its guide. Today, God Almighty has established you as the centre around whom people shall gather to learn about faith and increase in their spirituality. For this to occur it is essential to become a wali, to forge a connection with God Almighty and to increase in spirituality and so, you should continue to excel in achieving these standards… thus, you must never go after the world, rather you should instil confidence within yourself and continue increasing it and confidently go on propagating the teachings of Islam.

Instead of pursuing after worldly endeavours, you must present the teachings of Islam and become a shining guide for the rest of the world.

Since God Almighty has made you into leaders, therefore, you ought to do justice to your role, otherwise studying here for seven years and becoming a Murabbi and graduating with a degree will be meaningless.