Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community holds Historic Class with Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh
“It is through the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that the world is destined to unite under the banner of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).” – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
On 13 February 2021, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad presided a sixty minute online class with students of Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh (Ahmadiyya Muslim Missionary training college in Bangladesh).
It was the first time His Holiness presided a class with Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh and in this way, the trainee Missionaries were able to collectively meet with and seek the guidance and prayers of their spiritual and religious leader.
His Holiness presided the meeting from his office in Islamabad, Tilford, whilst the students and teaching staff of Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh were gathered at the Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh complex in Ahmad Nagar.
The event started with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a poem and sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and an excerpt from the sayings of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).
His Holiness was also shown the premises of Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh and the neighbouring areas where Ahmadi Muslims lived during a video presentation.
The Principal of Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh also presented an outline of the history of Jamia Ahmadiyya in Bangladesh and its progress since.
One student sought the guidance of His Holiness about how best to study and learn the Jamia Ahmadiyya educational curriculum.
In response, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The best way to learn is that you read over what you are going to study in class in advance. Ask your teachers to tell you beforehand what they are going to teach. Then, whatever is taught in class, revise that when you return to your hostel. So, read up on the lecture beforehand and then revise it afterwards. This way you will be able to remember it. You should also pray to Allah the Almighty as well that may He enlighten your intellect and enable you to memorise what you are studying.”
Another question related to forging a closer bond of love with God Almighty.
In reply, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“If you obey Allah, you will become His beloved. The love must be mutual. What did the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) do? The companions loved the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), according to the Holy Quran. In the Holy Quran it states in relation to the injunction that Muslims must be obedient to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and says that “Follow me: then will Allah love you.” So what is obedience? It is to follow the practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and to observe one’s prayers like the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would observe his prayers, with complete devotion and concentration.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:
“The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) offered voluntary prayers and so, you should do the same. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would spend time in the remembrance of Allah and so you should do so as well. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) received people with the very best manners and grace and so you should meet people in this way. If we act in this way, we will become Allah’s beloved.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further said:
“So, offer the five daily prayers with due care, recite the Holy Quran and strive to understand it and act on the instructions of God. Along with your worship, fulfil the rights of mankind. This is what makes a person beloved to Allah the Almighty and these are the qualities a Missionary should inculcate within himself. When you inculcate these qualities within yourself, you will become a successful Missionary. You will be among those who call people towards God Almighty and you will also be the ones who draw attention towards fulfilling the rights of people. You must first set your own high moral standard – only then will you be able to become a successful Missionary. This is what will make you become the beloved of God.”
Another student asked about how they can inculcate within themselves the true spirit of life dedication.
In response, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Always remember that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was given a revelation by God Almighty that, “He is pleased with your humble ways.” And so be humble. Never succumb to arrogance upon gaining knowledge. Other than that, whilst being truly consumed with humility, be mindful of the words of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that “I was poor and helpless; unknown and without skills.’”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“So inculcate within yourself the firm realisation that, ‘I was nothing and Allah gave me the ability to come to Jamia and Allah the Almighty gave me the ability to graduate from Jamia as a missionary and Allah the Almighty granted me the opportunity to serve and ensure the moral training of others. Allah gave me the opportunity to propagate the message of Islam and He enabled me to teach the faith.’ If you think in this way it will naturally instil humility within you and bring you closer to God Almighty.”
Upon being asked about his meetings with various world leaders and influential figures, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Firstly, we must never fear any person. We are Ahmadi Muslims and so we should have a firm conviction that we need not be overawed by any person. After all, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was given the revelation that ‘You have been helped with prestige.’ Further, before such meetings, I pray that Allah the Almighty may help me and open the minds and soften the hearts of those who I shall address. Additionally, there are other prayers I offer. So always remember that there is no need to be afraid of any person.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:
“We are the ones that are tasked with guiding the world. When you understand and comprehend this then you should have no fear knowing that Allah’s help is with us and in the knowledge that the promise of Allah the Almighty to support and help the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) is eternal. So, by the grace of God I have never encountered any fear or nerves regardless of how prominent or powerful the leader is who I am meeting.”
One of the trainee missionaries asked about the meaning of the revelation of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) which states that “Kings will seek blessings from your garments.”
Explaining the revelation, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“It means that in every action of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and in every saying of his and in his clothes, there are blessings – everything associated with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) is blessed. Therefore, according to this revelation, even the great kings, will one day consider it an immense blessing and honour to be gifted with some cloth of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“In this day and age it is not possible for every person to attain the blessings of the physical clothes of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). However, we can all be recipients of his blessings by implementing his teachings and striving to fulfil his mission. We should be seeking all of the blessings associated with him and of his advent and the great rejuvenation of Islam that has taken place through the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)… It is through the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that the world is destined to unite under the banner of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). These are the blessings the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has bequeathed to us and it is now our responsibility to benefit from them and to spread them to the corners of the world.”
Thereafter, His Holiness mentioned that he wore the ring that belonged to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) which bears the inscription of the verse of the Holy Quran once revealed to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) stating, “Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?”.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“This ring that I am wearing with the inscription “Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?”, it is the ring of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). I am wearing it due to the desire to benefit from and derive the blessings associated with it. So, whoever has the opportunity to gain blessings of the physical things which are blessed, they should benefit from those blessings. However, above all, as I have said, each Jamia student should try to attain the spiritual blessings of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) which are the blessings of spreading his teachings and fulfilling his mission and purpose.”
On the subject of preaching, one of the students mentioned that whilst some people were moving away from religion, others were developing extremist tendencies and asked what the best way should be to deal with both kinds of people.
In response, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Those who have moved away from religion have become materialistic. Nowadays in the world, a large proportion of the people is no longer interested in religion. Amongst them, the Muslims are less expressive that they have moved away from faith but in reality, even their situation is similar to the rest. People of other faiths express openly as well that they do not believe in God Almighty. Therefore, atheism is spreading fast. People are consumed by materialism and worldlines has overcome them. This was in fact the image that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) depicted of the latter days and these were the exact circumstances that were foretold would lead to the advent of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).”
Advising the best way to preach to those who had developed extremist tendencies, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“We must explain and educate those who have extremist tendencies of the true and peaceful teachings of Islam. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said that all people must be informed of the true teachings of Islam. Indeed, the purpose of his coming was to inform that Islam has two purposes, firstly to bring people closer to God and to fulfil His rights and secondly to make people fulfil the rights of one another.”
Advising on how to speak to those who held extreme and misinformed notions about Islam, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Those who are extremists must be told that extremism has no place in Islam. The life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was spent entirely doing good towards others. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has been given the title of “a mercy for all peoples” in the Holy Quran. Can anyone find even one incident where the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) imposed a war on people? Never! In the Holy Quran the commandment of war was first given is in Chapter 22 verses 40 and 41. In these verses, Allah the Almighty says that the adversaries have exceeded all bounds in their cruelties and so a defensive war may be fought to stop them. It also states that Allah the Almighty repels some men by means of others and if these people continue their injustices, then no synagogue of Jews, churches, or any temples or mosques will remain intact. Thus, when Allah the Almighty gave the commandment permitting a war, He did so for the sake of protecting all religions.’”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:
“Islam opposes extremism and does not support it. The life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) bears witness to the fact that he never supported extremism. He always forgave people and laid forth the greatest example of forgiveness at the time of the Victory of Mecca when he said to the Meccans, ‘No blame shall lie on you this day.’ He said these words to such people who had carried out severe torture and unparalleled cruelties. So, we must tell this to the extremists and ask them what wrongful acts have they become involved in! This was not the teaching of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)… The Holy Quran is full of such benevolent teachings and the practice and life and character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his every moment is witness to the fact that he always practiced and preached teachings of love, kindness and peace. These are the teachings you must inform people about.”
One of the students mentioned that some of the non-Ahmadi Muslims that he tried to approach whilst preaching were unwilling to listen.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“It is their misfortune then that they wish not to listen to the truth. Pray for them. Do not preach to them about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Firstly, pray for them that Allah the Almighty may soften their hearts. Secondly, tell them, ‘At least you are a Muslim, so let us speak about the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the life of his companions and the commandments of the Holy Quran.’ So, when they will see that you are speaking of the Holy Quran and you are following its teachings and you speak about your love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the love for the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), they will continue to speak to you and eventually a time will come when they will realise that the teachings are the same and so they will say, let us listen to what else you have to say, so then they will begin to listen to you.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“This will take time and require patience. The Holy Quran states that, “Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation.” If they do not wish to listen in one way then deal with them in another way. This is one method I have mentioned but you may look for other ways yourself too according to your circumstances to see how you can convince these people. The other aspect is prayer. Prayer is very powerful and strong and if you pray for them then Allah has the power to do all things. He is the Master. If God deems it that these people should adopt softness in their hearts and their end should be good, then He will open up their hearts. However, we should always make an effort from our side to guide and not give up. This was the injunction given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that he should convey the message and propagate the message but it is not incumbent upon you that the people you preach to must certainly believe.”