Summary

The following points below are summary from this week's Friday Sermon:

• After reciting Tashahhud, Ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) said that in previous sermons had been mentioning the life of the Holy Prophet (sa) and his passion and zeal for the oneness of God, the establishment of which was the very purpose for his advent.
• His Holiness (aba) said that the Holy Prophet (sa) bore hardships for the sake of upholding the unity of God. Once, the disbelievers surrounded the Holy Prophet (sa), citing the things he had said about their idols.  ‘Will you slay a man because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah,’ while he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord?’ (The Holy Qur’an, 40, 29)
• Upon this, the disbelievers diverted their attention from the Holy Prophet (sa) and turned towards Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and severely beat him. All the while, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) continued repeating, ‘Blessed are You, O Lord of Majesty and Honour.’
• His Holiness (aba) said that according to another narration, this same mob of disbelievers pulled the Holy Prophet (sa) by the hair on his head and his beard so severely that much of his hair fell out. It was upon this that Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) came to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) defence.
• His Holiness (aba) said that Harith bin Harith Ghamdi saw the Quraish inflicting cruelties upon the Holy Prophet (sa), and he asked his father who those people were. His father replied that they had gathered around ‘Sabi’, a name which the Quraish had given the Holy Prophet (sa) to deride him.
• His Holiness (aba) quoted Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), Second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who described the difficulties faced by the Holy Prophet (sa) and said that the Holy Prophet (sa) would be walking through the market while the disbelievers continued striking him. Stones and filth would be thrown into his home.
• His Holiness (aba) quoted Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) who writes in his book, The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa):
• ‘When the ban was lifted, and the Holy Prophet (sa) found a sort of freedom in his movements, he decided to visit Ta’if and invite its people to Islam. Ta’if is a famous place situated forty miles to the south-east of Makkah.
• “Why has not this Qur’an from God been sent to some great man of Makkah or Ta’if?”
• Therefore, in Shawwal of 10 Nabawi, the Holy Prophet (sa) took a journey to Ta’if by himself. On the authority of other narrations, Zaid bin Harithah (ra) also accompanied him.
• At a distance of three miles from Ta’if, there was an orchard, which belonged to a Chieftain of Makkah named Utbah bin Rabi‘ah. The Holy Prophet (sa) took refuge in this orchard, and his ruthless enemies returned exhausted.
• “O My Lord, I complain to you of my helplessness, and my inability, and my helplessness before the people. O My God, You are the most merciful, for You are the guardian and protector of the feeble and helpless – You are my Lord.
• At this time, ‘Utbah and Shaibah were in their garden. In his passion of sincerity, he moved forward and kissed the hands of the Holy Prophet (sa).
• His Holiness (aba) quoted the Second Caliph (ra) who described that the Holy Prophet’s (sa) entire life was spent in upholding and exhibiting the unity of God. This remained the case up until his final moments, when he advised people that even after he passed away, they should not associate partners with God.
• His Holiness (aba) said in the midst of it all, no one faced greater difficulty than the Holy Prophet (sa). From being called a liar, to being suffocated and choked, having stones thrown at him and filth flung upon him.
• His Holiness (aba) said that we must strive to find the true unity of God and develop our faith to the extent that we are prepared to offer the required sacrifices. We should develop true love for the Holy Prophet (sa).
• His Holiness (aba) said that he would lead the funeral prayer in absentia of the following member:
• Zikrullah Tayo Ayyuba who was a missionary and recently passed away. After completing his studies, he served as a missionary in various parts of Nigeria, where he served until his demise.
• He is survived by his wife, three sons and five daughters. His youngest son Abdul Mujeeb is currently serving as a missionary in Nigeria and also serves as the coordinator for The Review of Religions in Nigeria.