Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community delivers Eid Sermon in London
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad prayed for peace in the world
The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, delivered the Eid-ul-Fitr sermon on 19th July 2015 from the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London.
Addressing the importance of Eid, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Today young and old, men and women, have gathered together because this day holds great significance. Islam has decreed the day of Eid as a day of happiness in which Muslims should join together with their loved ones.”
His Holiness said different nations and communities held various festivals and their sole purpose was enjoyment and recreation. However Islam’s days of celebration guided mankind towards fulfilling the rights of God and serving humanity.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“A distinctive feature of Eid is that it is incumbent on Muslims to congregate in the Mosque and to offer Eid prayers and listen to the sermon. The purpose of enjoining this is so that when people gather to celebrate and enjoy their Eid programmes, they should also assemble to listen to the words of God Almighty and to worship Him.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued by saying:
“Muslims are taught that during their Eid celebrations they must not forget to fulfil the rights that are due to God and those that are due to the creation of God.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said Islam taught Muslims to give precedence to the injunctions of God over their own desires.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Islam teaches that a person should never forsake truth for the sake of fulfilling his own rights and should never declare what is unlawful to be lawful. Rather one must adhere to the limits set by God Almighty. For instance a person who is financially well-off can purchase something that is lawful. However if a person who is unable to purchase something attempts to acquire it by employing unlawful means or by incurring a crippling debt for the sake of fulfilling his personal desires, then this is equivalent to giving precedence to one’s selfish desires over the injunctions of God Almighty.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said that Islam does not prohibit one from fulfilling his or her own rights. In fact God instructs us to fulfil our own rights and those of our loved ones and others.
However when fulfilling one’s own rights, a person must not become selfish. His Holiness quoted the example of a companion of the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be on him) who attained great wealth, however he was never selfish and once donated a caravan of 700 camels loaded with riches for the sake of God.
During the sermon, His Holiness spoke with regret at the dire state of the Muslim world.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The injustices perpetrated by certain Muslims today are not just defaming Islam, but are also a means of completely disregarding the most basic values of humanity. Such inhumane acts are being perpetrated in the Muslim world that one trembles at the sight. We see that Muslims are killing Muslims and are taking the lives of innocent children. Even this day of Eid, which is a day of joy and celebration, has been turned into a day of mourning. They show no remorse and take pride in their cruelty. Blood is being shed and lives are being taken simply because the victims are from a different sect or have different beliefs.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“In certain Muslim countries the governments are carrying out injustices so that their power is not threatened, whilst the opposition are carrying out injustices to topple the governments even at the cost of taking innocent lives. And the greatest injustice is that all this is being perpetrated in the name of the religion of God Almighty and His Prophet (peace be on him) and in the name of Islam.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said it is only through prayers that Islam would progress. His Holiness said that all Ahmadi Muslims should pray for peace in the world.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Today, if Ahmadi Muslims wish to celebrate Eid in in the true sense, then where they seek to attain the blessings of true Eid by bringing about a moral reformation, they should also make every effort to free the world from injustices and should engage fervently in prayer to free the Muslim world from the disorder and troubles it is engulfed in.”