Published on Apr 16 2010 by Nadimur Rahman

Hudhur delivered his Friday Sermon from Baitul Tauheed in Pietro de Castel in Bologna, Italy. Hudhur said it was with God’s grace that today Friday Sermon was being broadcast Live worldwide from Italy for the first time. In spite of members of the Community residing in the country for a long time in a reasonable number we do not have a centre or a mission house there. Some two years ago the site [from where the Sermon was relayed] was purchased, may God enable the construction of a mosque there and remove the hurdles in this matter. Hudhur said locals oppose the building due to their anti-Islam sentiments which are precipitated by the acts of certain Muslim groups. Those who have animosity against Islam will find any excuse to bring it into disrepute; it gives them a chance to fan the flames of ill will. Hudhur said prayers should be made that the hurdles are not only removed in this area but that we are also enabled to build a mission house in Rome.

Hudhur said God is enabling the Ahmadiyya Community to build mosques in Europe. We do come across impediments and we also face rejections in terms of acquiring sites. However God finds us incredible ways to achieve our purpose. The drive to build mosques in Europe is from God. It is not due to any brilliance of our own or even our hard work. This centre also faced opposition. When the councillors and the locals were introduced to the Community and the true teachings of Islam, many councillors including the mayor of the area supported us. Hudhur said the other day the mayor had said at a reception that there should be no impediment in the building of a mission house here.

Hudhur said all this places a huge responsibility on the Ahmadis living in Italy. They should be mindful that they live in a country a part of which has the centre of Catholicism and where papacy is established [Vatican], albeit it is reduced to a paradigm of worldliness but a large majority of Europeans are Catholics who believe in the Pope. Now, in accordance with the decree of God, the Messiah of Muhammad (peace be on him) has to raise the banner of Islam in the entire world and has to gather pious souls at the feet of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Hudhur said this is the task of Ahmadis. We do not even have a missionary in Italy. The missionary from Switzerland visits here. We are working at having a permanent missionary in place here. This raises the responsibility of each Ahmadi in Italy more to bring about such a change in them that they represent high moral and spiritual models of ordinary people, thus endorsing the suggestion that a missionary too would have high moral and spiritual standards and this facilitates in removing any hurdle in his arrival. Each Ahmadi has to become an ambassador of their faith. Hudhur said it should be clear that once a missionary arrives here the level of responsibility for Ahmadis will not lessen. Rather they will need to raise their moral and spiritual levels to such extent that the entire country has a network of our missionaries and mosques established. Hudhur said this is the centre of papacy, and it is not an ordinary concept to envisage a majority of Muslims here. It is a tremendous task. If Ahmadis in Italy honoured their pledge of Bai’at and stayed connected to Khilafat e Ahmadiyya then one day or the other they will see a majority of followers of the Messiah of Muhammad (on whom be peace) in this country. If not those present, their progeny will definitely experience it. When Christianity spread in Italy after the suffering of the Unitarian Christians for many hundreds of years, it was with the concept of trinity. Now Ahmadis have to spread Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam in the country and change the concept of trinity back to Unity of God.

InshaAllah the servants of the Messiah of Muhammad (peace be on him) will continue to give sacrifices to spread this message in the world. These sacrifices will come to pass when we will abide by taqwa, will understand our object of birth, will keep an eye on our own condition, will give precedence to faith over worldly matters, will have exemplary mutual relations, will have a strong tie with the system of Jama’at, will maintain a bond of obedience and sincerity with Khilafat e Ahmadiyya, will keep the pledge of Bai’at with the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and will endeavour to abide by the kingdom of God and His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

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