Hudhur gave a discourse on
‘ obedience to the state’ in his Friday
Sermon today. Hudhur said he wished
to reiterate today what he had
mentioned a few weeks ago as
regards a Tehreek for prayer for the
world of Islam. He had asked Ahmadis
to pray that may God grant sense to
the Muslim leaders so that the Muslim
countries are saved from defeat. In
addition, the message to the masses
was to avoid falling prey to the
extremists or the outsiders. Hudhur
said, with God ’s grace, Ahmadis have
understood that prayer alone is the
real ‘weapon’ and they do not
participate in violent protests.
However, at times the thought of how
much patience must one demonstrate
towards wrong polices of a tyrant
emerges in minds. It is wondered in
some African countries as what should
be the reaction to such leaders, for
example as in the current situation in
the Ivory Coast. How much should
Ahmadis participate in the radical
reaction by the public or against the
anti-governmental rallies. Hudhur said
even some educated people did not
understand the spirit of Hudhur ’s
message. At times, they wish to have a
definitive answer whether they can
participate in a mission to forcefully
take their rights and also how much
oppression they should endure.
Hudhur had organised a meeting with
the Arab Desk where he had
explained to Haani Tahir sahib
regarding the Arabic-speaking African
nations and had explained in detail as
to what should be the deportment of
Ahmadis in the current situation.
Hudhur had also directed that his
instructions should be sent to the
relevant countries in writing for better
understanding. However, judging
from some letters and questions, it
appears that some do not understand
the view point of the Ahmadiyya
Community in this regard; view point
that is based on the Qur ’an Ahadith
and the pronouncements of the
Promised Messiah (on whom be
peace). Thus, Hudhur felt the need to
explain further in order to allay all
doubts.
Hudhur said the Qur’an states, and this
part of the verse is recited every
Friday: ‘Allah…forbids indecency,
and manifest evil, and
transgression ’. (16:91). The Promised
Messiah (on whom be peace) has
explained the Arabic word Bagh ’i
(transgression) as signifying
excessive rainfall that spoils crops.
Hudhur explained this means one
who diminishes rightful dues or one
who exceeds in rightful dues. God
forbids from both; neither the ruler,
nor the masses should either diminish
or exceed in this regard, if they do,
they break the boundaries set by God.
Hudhur said as these day it is the
masses who are taking severe action
against governments, Hudhur would
address the matter correspondingly.
Ahadith inform us that even if the
leader is in the wrong, the masses are
enjoined to be patient.
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be on him) said; ‘After me you
will see injustice, rights suppressed
and others given preference over you.
You will see matters that you will
disapprove of ’. When asked what was
the commandment in such
circumstances, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be on him) replied,
‘ pay their [leaders] rights to them and
ask God for your rights.’ The Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be on him) also said: ‘Whoever
disapproves of something done by his
ruler should be patient, for whoever
disobeys the ruler even as little as the
span of a hand will die a death of
ignorance. ’ A man came to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be on
him) and complained that he had
appointed so and so as a ruler and
had not appointed him, to which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be on him) replied: ‘After me you will
see others given preference over you
but you should be patient till the Day
of Judgment. ’ Once the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be on him) was
asked how people should react if
unjust rulers are imposed on them. He
declined to answer, he was asked
again, and again he declined. When he
was asked the third time, he replied
that even in such a situation the ruler
should be obeyed. He would be
accountable for the responsibility
given to him while the subjects would
be accountable for the responsibility
laid on them. Once the Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be on
him) took Bai ’at, after which he said
once someone is made a ruler he
should not be quarrelled with unless
he does Kufr (disbelief) publically and
for this they [they people] have a
proof from God.
Hudhur explained that the above
explains that rioting against the
government is against the Shariah.
Hudhur said Wahhabi school of
thought and others with extreme view
infer from this Hadith that if the Kufr of
a leader becomes apparent, his
leadership should be snatched. They
issue severely binding Fatwa (edict)
that those who do not acknowledge
as Kaffir people whom they have
decreed as Kaffir, are also Kaffir.
Hudhur said the Hadith mentions
obedience and does not refer to
rebellion/ transgression.
Hudhur said in our Community there is
one instance of ‘disobedience’ to the
state. This is in Pakistan where we are
told not to call ourselves Muslims, not
to read the Qur ’an, not to say the
Kalima, not to offer the Islamic
salutation of Salaam etc. This is a
religious matter for us and we have no
need to obey in this. Indeed, we do
not rebel and abide by all the other
laws of the land. Hudhur quoted Imam
Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on
him) in further elucidation of the
Hadith. He had said that Kufr here
signifies sin, adding that if something
wrong is detected in the government,
the matter should be raised in a
truthful manner, but there should be
no transgression, even if those
governing are oppressive tyrants.
Hudhur said contrary to this today
‘ both sides’ are in conflict and Muslim
is killing Muslim.
Hudhur cited the following Hadith:
‘ The example of those who abide by
God’s regulations (Hudud) and those
who violate them is like that of some
people who drew lots for their places
on a boat. As a result, some of them
sat in the upper deck and others in the
lower deck. When those in the lower
deck needed water, they had to go up
to bring the water which
inconvenienced the people there. One
person from the lower deck started
making a hole in the base of the boat.
People from the upper deck asked him
what he was doing, he replied, ‘when
I go upstairs to get water, you are
inconvenienced, and I cannot do
without water. ’ Thus, if those on the
upper deck stop him they will save
him and themselves from drowning. If
they leave him to make a hole in the
base of the boat, they will kill him as
well as themselves. ’ Hudhur said some
people infer from this Hadith that if
those who do evil are stopped by
force it is not correct, it creates
disorder. Hudhur said if we
understand this to signify rebellion
against the state, then it is contrary to
the words of the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be on him). The
Hadith means that it is warrantable to
stop rioting; however, this is not
applicable where the state is
concerned. The Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be on him)
could not have said something
contrary to the Qur ’an. He had said: ‘If
you see something you disapprove
of , you should alter it with your hand,
if you do not have the strength for
this, do so with your speech and if you
do not have the strength for this, then
do so in your heart, and that is the
least of faith’. Hudhur said Imam
Mullah Ali Qari explained this Hadith as
follows: the directive to ‘alter with your
hand’ is for rulers, the directive to do
so with ‘speech’ is for Ulema (religious
scholars) and the directive to dislike
something censorious with one ’s
heart is for the believing masses.
Hudhur said this is a fine explanation
of the Hadith and as regards the earlier
Hadith about the boat, only those who
are in authority have the right to
prohibit others. If everyone starts
prohibiting each other, disorder
would ensue. And the Qur ’an tells us:
‘…and Allah loves not
disorder.’ (2:206) and as mentioned
earlier: ‘Allah…forbids indecency,
and manifest evil, and
transgression ’.
Hudhur said we have the example of
Prophets of God and their obedience
to the state. Hadith informs us that
124,000 Prophets came to the world.
The Qur ’an mentions 20 to 25
Prophets and none among them said
anything against the ruler of the state
in worldly matters or even took out
rallies with their followers. In terms of
religious beliefs all Prophets openly
refuted the beliefs of the rulers of their
regions and fully disseminated true
beliefs. Hadhrat Yusuf ’s (on whom be
peace) example is often cited in this
regard. The Qur ’an states: ‘We
narrate unto you the most beautiful
narration by revealing to you this
Qur ’an, while before this, you were
of those who were unaware’. (12:4).
Hudhur said Surah Yusuf consists of
the narrative of Hadhrat Yusuf ’s (on
whom be peace) life and the summary
of it is that he was a treasury minister
in the government of the pagan king
of Egypt, a Pharaoh. Had the king
thought that Hadhrat Yusuf (on whom
be peace) was not loyal to him and
was compliant in, God forbid, a
hypocritical way, he would have never
made him a minister. It is indeed
disrespectful to even entertain such an
idea about Hadhrat Yusuf (on whom
be peace). God states in the Qur ’an:
‘Thus did We plan for Joseph. He
could not have taken his brother
under the King ’s law unless Allah
had so willed…’ (12:77). The law of
the king of Egypt did not allow
Hadhrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) to
keep his brother there. Thus, God so
willed that he put the king ’s drinking-
cup in his brother’s luggage and upon
search that is where it was found. This
demonstrates that Hadhrat Yusuf (on
whom be peace) was loyal to the laws
of the pagan and idolatrous king of
Egypt but he did not abide by him in
religious matters. God states in the
Qur’an: ‘O ye who believe! obey
Allah, and obey His Messenger and
those who are in authority over
you. And if you differ in anything
among yourselves, refer it to Allah
and His Messenger if you are
believers in Allah and the Last Day.
That is best and most commendable
in the end ’. (4:60).In explanation of
this verse, the Promised Messiah said it
enjoins to obey God, the Prophet and
your ruler. He also said, ‘O Muslims, if
you have any mutual disagreement,
entrust the matter to God and His
Prophet for judgement. If you believe
in the Day of Judgement, take this
course, for this is the most excellent
interpretation ’. Hudhur explained that
the judgement of God and His Prophet,
as mentioned earlier, is not to rebel, no
matter what sort of worldly situation is
faced.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be
peace) said: ‘The Holy Qur’an states
‘obey Allah, and obey His
Messenger and those who are in
authority over you. ’ Therein is a clear
directive to obey ‘those who are in
authority over you’. If someone says
that the government is not included in
this, it is their clear mistake. Whatever a
government does within Shariah is
included in this regard ’. He said, ‘if the
ruler is oppressive do not criticise him,
rather, reform yourself. God will
replace him or will make him pious.
Any trouble that befalls does so due to
one ’s own bad deeds…my advice is
this alone that you become a model of
virtue in every way. Do not usurp the
rights of God and do not usurp the
rights of mankind. ’
Explaining the same verse Hadhrat
Khalifatul Masih II (may Allah be
pleased with him) said that some
Muslims erroneously infer that this
verse is only about Muslim rulers. He
said this was against the rules of the
Qur’an and here the significance is not
of a co-religionist. God addresses
disbelievers in the Qur ’an: ’ …did not
Messengers come to you from
among yourselves …’ (6:131)Thus it
is not essential that the inference is of
co-religionists. The directive is to obey
those who rule one ’s country. If there
is a disagreement with the state, it
should be entrusted to God and His
Prophet. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II
(may Allah be pleased with him) said
the narrative of Hadhrat Yusuf (on
whom be peace) in the Holy Qur ’an
testifies that it is essential to obey the
ruler no matter what his religion.
Hudhur said in situations where there
is disagreement with the ruler and the
masses, regardless of religion, the
directive of the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be on him) is: ‘I
enjoin you to have God’s Taqwa and
make obedience your way even if a
black slave is your ruler. Those who
will survive me will experience great
disagreement among people. In such
time, I enjoin you to practice my way
and after me, the way of my Rightly
Guided Khulafa. Hold on firmly to this
way and just as something is held on
tightly with teeth, hold onto this way
and do not ever abandon the path
that is mine or that of my Rightly
Guided Khulafa ’.
Hudhur explained a ruler should be
obeyed even if he is unjust and
prayers should be made to God for his
reformation. Ahmadis should
remember the conditions of their
Bai ’at. The second condition is:
‘That he/she shall keep away from
falsehood, fornication, adultery,
trespasses of the eye, debauchery,
dissipation, cruelty, dishonesty,
mischief and rebellion; and will not
permit himself/herself to be carried
away by passions, however strong
they might be’.
And the fourth condition is:
That under the impulse of any
passions, he/she shall cause no harm
whatsoever to the creatures of Allah in
general, and Muslims in particular,
neither by his/her tongue nor by his/
her hands nor by any other means ’.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be
peace) said that destruction of peace is
worse than killing. He said that to
participate in strikes etc. in colleges
and universities is against our
teaching and it is like participating in
rebellion. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih I
(may Allah be pleased with him) said it
is essential for Muslims to obey God,
His Messenger and those are in
authority over them. He said if one
who is in authority does something
against God’s command or that of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be on him) then one should not obey
him or alternatively one should
migrate.
Hudhur said some question the rally
Hadhrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be
pleased with him) organised in favour
of people of Kashmir and deem it to be
a matter on par with rebellion.
However, this action was to give the
people of Kashmir their rights and did
not entail any rioting. Here, attention
was drawn towards the usurpation of
property of the people of Kashmir
where all the income was taken by the
Raja. When Hadhrat Musleh Maud (may
Allah be pleased with him) was asked
what should be the stance of Ahmadis
about the strike action of 1929, he
said they should not participate in it
but could participate in rallies as the
government had allowed that. He was
told that if Ahmadi shops remained
open they were beaten to shut them.
He instructed that the police should be
informed, if they were willing to
provide protection, the shops may be
opened, otherwise not. He said, ‘strike
action causes loss both to the
customer and the shopkeeper. We can
never cooperate with those who
counsel breaking the law because it is
against our religion. No matter how
badly Ahmadis are persecuted, the law
of Shariah and the law of the land
cannot be broken ’.
Hudhur said he had cited verse 2:206
in part earlier, the complete verse
reads: ‘And when he is in authority,
he runs about in the land to create
disorder in it and destroy the crops
and the progeny of man; and Allah
loves not disorder. ’ (2:206). He
explained that this verse is warning
unjust rulers. The Qur ’an does not only
direct the masses, it also enjoins the
rulers, telling them not to be arrogant
about their power and not be unjust.
Hudhur said in the current state of
affairs the same story can be heard
across the board, that national
revenues have been plundered and
the masses deprived of their rights.
How unfortunate that those whom
God has informed about it all are the
ones who are committing these
wrongdoings. Those in authority have
a great responsibility over their public
and by not honouring that these
rulers are creating disorder and God
greatly disapproves of disorder.
Muslim leaders should follow in the
footsteps of the examples that are
there for them; Hadhrat Umer (may
Allah be pleased with him) ruled in a
manner that had people [not just
Muslims] distraught during Christian
rule, wishing for Muslim rule to return.
What is needed is Taqwa, which is
non-existent among the Muslims
today; both the rulers as well as the
masses. The clear instruction for
Ahmadis is to protect themselves from
this disorder and pray most sincerely;
God will one day listen to sincere
prayers. And if their rulers are unjust,
they will be rescued from them. In
future, the changes that are afoot may
bring peace on a temporary basis but
it will not be permanent. When power
is gained through transgression or
through revolutions, after a period of
time, tyrannical rule returns. Therefore,
also pray that may God never impose a
tyrant over us. May God make the
Muslim world recognise their rights
and obligations and thus present the
beautiful teaching of Islam to the
world.
Next Hudhur announced a few funeral
Prayers in absentia that he would lead
after Friday Prayers. These were of:
Amtul Wadood sahiba, wife of Syed
Abdul Hai Shah sahib, Nazir Isha ’at
Anjuman Ahmadiyya Rabwah who
passed away in Rabwah a few days
ago. She was 72 years old. A devout
Ahmadi, she was the mother of
Ahmad Yahya sahib, chairman of
Humanity First.
Muhammad Saeed Ashraf sahib who
passed away in Lahore after a road
accident. He was taken to hospital but
passed away after a few minutes of
arriving there.
Naeema Begum sahiba, passed away
in Ohio, USA. She was the daughter of
Dr, Hashmatullah Khan, special
physician of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih
II . She had a very sincere connection
with Khilafat from the time of 2nd
Khilafat till the present day.
Naeem Ahmad Waseem sahib passed
away on March 6 in USA. He used to
perform security tasks with Hadhrat
Khalifatul III prior to his Khilafat era.
He was a sincere Ahmadi and had
served Ansar USA. A few months ago
he had suffered a heart attack. The
first thing after regaining
consciousness that he talked about
was to ask for an update on chanda
collection for mosque.
Hudhur prayed that may God elevate
the station of the deceased and may
their virtues endure in their children.
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