Published on Apr 28 2010 by Tommy Kallon, Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK

My Dear Brothers Khuddam and Atfal,

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah. May the Lord of mankind open unto you the gates of His mercy and may He so ordain that you are always accompanied by the supplication of His angels.

The word ‘gratitude’ is relatively new to the English language. Originating from the Latin ‘gratido’ some time in the 14th Century, English dictionaries define it superficially as ‘thankfulness’. Its somewhat one dimensional denotation reflects, in many ways, its fledgling history and the absence of the penetrative wisdom required to make it more meaningful. That is not surprising given that the wisdom of the Holy Qur’an’s explanation of what it means to be grateful is absent from the schooling such dictionaries seek to provide. Indeed, true gratitude is far more profound; especially given its Divine roots.

The subject of ‘Gratitude to Allah’ was a key component of Huzur Aqdas(atba)’s last Friday Sermon. Once again Huzur(atba)’s lucid explanations were replete with spiritual treasures that would cause any right thinking person’s heart to blossom with inspiration. We have much to be grateful for both as individuals and as a Divine community. Indeed, Allah’s design is apparent in every aspect of Jama’at Ahmadiyya’s existence and sustenance.

Take, for example, those that persecute Ahmadis, committing ruthless acts of murder and brutality. Allah has shown that their maltreatment is a mere folly and their challenges to Allah’s covenant will continue to fail as the Promised Messiah(as)’s message continues its epic spread. For every mistreatment imposed upon Ahmadi Muslims, Allah grants us greater success and prosperity. As the persecutors gleefully rejoice in their ill-treatment, Ahmadi Muslims, rather than being suppressed, have seen considerable success in whichever country they have migrated to. Their children are more educated, their employment is better paid and their businesses are more prosperous than ever before – progresses that might not have happened in their native homelands. Now, rather than diminishing as the enemies of truth are desperate to see, Jama’at Ahmadiyya is spreading far and wide, currently established in 195 countries. These are the true signs of Allah’s unremitting miracles and show how, for every wrong meted out to the Jama’at, Allah bestows upon us glorious progress incomprehensible to our opponents.

It would be a travesty if those who have migrated from countries in which they were persecuted and now prospered elsewhere as a result of Allah’s mercy and protection could no longer recall how it was that they came to be endowed with such affluence. It is no exaggeration, therefore, to say that they should be constantly grateful to Allah for the remarkable peace and economic prosperity He has bestowed upon them in exchange for their loyalty to Him.

Whether or not we are migrants, Allah has universally provided us with countless other benefits – health, relative wealth, food, air to breath, mental faculties, physical capacities and the most prodigious institution of Khilafat. He has done so without our asking.

That journey towards becoming truly grateful to Allah begins with the search for Taqwa. It is only as we strive to achieve that fear and love of Allah – a righteousness through which we begin to understand the very purpose of our creation – that we begin to understand what it means to be genuinely grateful to Allah.

If we strive to achieve this goal, Allah has promised a great reward. He says in the Holy Qur’an:

 “…If you are grateful, I will, surely, bestow more favours on you…” (Ch.14:V.8)

Gratefulness to Allah must therefore cause us to be utterly obedient to His commands as well as to the institution of Khilafat and the Nizam-e-Jama’at. Those distractions that seek to draw us towards malevolence and away from the purity of Islamic teachings should be avoided with determination and singular resolve.

We must take every opportunity to serve His cause and His creatures in a continuous struggle to achieve a righteous change in your lives and to acquire that inestimable prize – a relationship with Allah founded in Taqwa.
 
That prize is a reality and in our struggle to acquire it we must be prepared to utilise everything we possess in His service. Our life, our wealth, our time and our honour must all be worthy of instantaneous sacrifice for the sake of Allah. We do so not because Allah needs them but instead because this is a demonstration of our gratitude to Him.

That will signal a recompense that is inimitable. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“And whatever good they do, they shall not be denied its due reward; and Allah well knows the God-fearing.” (Ch.3:V.116)

My dear brothers, we must make gratitude to Allah part and parcel of our worship. That gratefulness must manifest itself in every aspect of our being, in our hearts, in our words and in our actions causing us to be humble in the complete knowledge and realisation that each and every one of life’s benefits and successes are conferred upon us by Allah alone and not through our own individual efforts.

May Allah make it so and bless us all profoundly. Ameen.

Wassalam.

Yours humbly,
Tommy Kallon.
Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK