Published on Aug 05 2011 by Nadimur Rahman

Hudhur began the Friday Sermon today by reciting the Quranic verses:

‘All that is on it (earth) will pass away. And there will remain only the Person of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honour.’ (55:27 – 28) Explaining further, Hudhur quoted from the writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that everything is destined to perish and ultimately only God will remain and that He has decreed death for everything apart from His Being. Hudhur said at the Ameen ceremony of his son Syeddna Mahmood (may Allah be pleased with him), the Promised Messiah wrote a poetic composition entitled ‘Mahmood’s Ameen’, which is full of prayerful and advisory verses. He addressed these verses to Syeddna Mahmood as well as to his two other sons. In fact, he included the whole Community in this. Hudhur quoted a few verses of the poem, which broadly translate as follows:

The world is like an inn, whoever one meets will be parted
Even if one stays for a hundred years, one ultimately separates
There is no room for complaint, this very house is transitory

Hudhur explained that the Imam of the age who came to bring man closer to God, thus drew attention at a time of rejoicing to the fact that real happiness lies in Divine nearness. The world indulges in idle, vain ways and means at time of rejoicing but the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) taught that all our attention should be drawn towards God and for this each act of ours should be to attain the pleasure of God. Once this insight is realised, the strands of our times of joy and sadness will flow towards attaining the pleasure of God. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) came to complete the mission of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). For him there was no greater joy than for his children to cherish love of God and be saturated in the love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and to read and act upon the Holy Qur’an. After Syeddna Mahmood (may Allah be pleased with him) finished his first reading of the Holy Qur’an, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) held a reception and this poem was written for that occasion. Each couplet of this poem is replete with heart-felt prayer and praise and glory of God. Acting upon the blessed model of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) told his children and his followers not to fall in love with this world for a time will come when the world and all that is in it will have to be left behind. It is pointless to love this world for it will not last. Lasting benefit is in having a connection with the Being that always was and always will be and that Being is God, the Master of Glory and Honour.

Hudhur said the aforementioned verses cite two important matters. One is that everything is prone to decline and will gradually perish and each human ultimately dies. The other point is that those who endeavour to attain God’s pleasure should be hopeful. Those who ever search for God, who endeavour for the piety of their children, doubtlessly depart from this world but they are granted an eternal life in the Hereafter and are taken in the loving embrace of God as they hear: ‘So enter thou among my chosen servants, And enter thou My Garden.’ (89:30 – 31)

Hudhur said the advent of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) took place to connect man with God and make him understand the subject of ‘So enter thou among my chosen servants,’. Thus, at a time of rejoicing he articulated in the poem that search for eternal life and unless one finds God, one cannot discover this everlasting life. It is stated in Surah Al Qasas: ‘And call not on any other God beside Allah. There is no God but He. Everything will perish except Himself. His is the judgement, and to Him will you be brought back.’ (28:89) Hudhur said this is the objective which we have to achieve, as God also states: ‘And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.’ (51:57) Hudhur said the significance of such worship is understood once one is firm on the belief that ‘There is no God but He’ and all else will perish.

Hudhur said God draws attention to such matters to those who believe in Him with sincerity. He also provides opportunities for attaining high standards of worship. The month of Ramadan comes every year so that we recognise God and save ourselves from destruction. Fortunate are those who avail of this opportunity and having done so, continue to strive towards it for the rest of the year. Those alone endeavour with resolve who understand that: ‘Everything will perish except Himself.’ No doubt therein is the teaching that death is a reality but those who absorb themselves in God achieve a new life. Who are those who are absorbed in ‘the Person of thy Lord’? These are those who understand the objective of creation. Indeed, fortunate are those who make an effort to comprehend this subject and then act upon it. May God enable each one of us to understand this subject and act upon it and may this Ramadan take us closer to this, for which our elders made endeavours and prayed for and breathed this spirit in the new generation.

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