Published on Jan 02 2010 

Huzur recited verse 29 of Surah Al Hadid at the start of his Friday Sermon today. Its translation reads: ‘O ye who believe! fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will give you a double share of His mercy, and will provide for you a light wherein you will walk, and will grant you forgiveness — and verily Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful —‘ (57:29).

Huzur said with the grace of God today is the first day of 2010 and God has entered us in this year on the blessed day of Friday, so first of all Huzur wished that this year and each year to follow is blessed for every Ahmadi in every way. Huzur said people greet each other on the occasion of a new year but for a believer a year and its days are blessed when repentance is accepted and spirituality is enhanced. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that real Eid and blessed day is the day of repentance and the day of spiritual knowledge. Huzur said a truly blessed day is the day that leads to spiritual development, one that draws attention towards rights of God and rights of people, one that brings all of one’s capacities into practice to seek the pleasure of God, a day that is a day of practical effort to attain God’s nearness. Our years are blessed in the instance where we turn to God to attain all these objectives with complete sincerity.

Today is a Friday and it is a most blessed day. Its significance was stated by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be on him) many times but it should be remembered that in spite of this significance only a true believer can benefit from it and one who is not a believer cannot avail of its blessings. A believer tries to make this day a day of his/her salvation, keeping in mind the saying of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) that there is a time on Friday at which a Muslim, while he/she is offering Salat and is supplicating, will be granted whatever he/she is supplicating for. Huzur said the first day of the year being a Friday makes it all the more significant for a believer so that he/she can adorn it with prayers and with turning to God. We are welcoming this year by livening our nights with worship whereas those who are not believers and who are not aware of the significance of Friday spend the first few hours of a New Year in idle amusements, revelry and alcohol consumption. We are fortunate that we are from the ummah of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) who was an embodiment of nur (light) and who showed us the ways of attaining pleasure of God, so beloved was he to God that God declared His love for those who followed him with sincerity. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said who could have a greater right to ascribe the word of ‘light’ to himself than one following whom makes a person the beloved of God. As God states in the Qur’an, ‘…There has come to you indeed from Allah a Light…’ (5:16). The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) taught us an excellent way to partake of this light with reference to Friday. He said, ‘Among the best of your days is Friday. On that day invoke blessings and salutations (Durud) on me frequently, for your Durud is presented to me on this day.’ Huzur said when our supplications and Durud are presented today they will absorb God’s love. When Durud is invoked with complete sincerity and ardent love of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be on him) it is ultimately presented to God, having been adorned by the intercession of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

It was indeed the true and great love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the peerless profusion with which he invoked Durud on him that gave the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) the station of Messiah which then led to columns of nur coming down to earth from the heavens. He accordingly enjoined those who take his bai’at that if they claim to be in his bai’at then they should invoke Durud on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). He said in turn they would then attain a measure of nur in accordance to their [spiritual] capacities and this would put their lives in this world and the Hereafter in order.

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