“If we attain a true relationship with Allah the Almighty, the persecution will dissipate right before our eyes” – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, delivered the Eid-ul-Adha sermon on 29 June 2023 from the Mubarak Mosque in Islamabad, Tilford.
Across the world, millions of Ahmadi Muslims were able to listen live to the Eid Sermon of their Caliph and join in with the silent prayer led by their spiritual leader through the global television channel MTA International.
During the sermon, His Holiness spoke of the deep philosophy behind sacrificing an animal at Eid and highlighted the hardships Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan are facing whereby they are being barred from fulfilling their religious obligations of sacrificing animals at Eid.
Beginning his address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad quoted chapter 22 verse 38 of the Holy Quran which states:
“Their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him. Thus has He subjected them to you, that you may glorify Allah for His guiding you. And give glad tidings to those who do good.”
Speaking of the situation in Pakistan for Ahmadi Muslims, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Ahmadi Muslims are having to sacrifice their sentiments and emotions on this Eid. By the Grace of Allah the Almighty, Ahmadi Muslims are regular in making financial sacrifices and in fact, the level of understanding with which Ahmadi Muslims in this age are offering the sacrifice of their own lives purely for the sake of Allah the Almighty is unmatched…When Ahmadi Muslims are barred from fulfilling their religious obligation of making the sacrifice at Eid of animals, it is very difficult to imagine the pain they suffer as a result. Yet, behind the cover of the law, Ahmadi Muslims are barred from making the sacrifice and this is all being done at the behest of the so-called religious clerics.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further said:
“Sometimes law enforcing officials go beyond the law in hindering Ahmadi Muslims under the pressure of the Mullahs or due to personal grudges. Such people are more fearful of people than they are of God. They do not realise that injustice never lasts for long periods. They are currently doing as they please in the intoxication of their power, however, one day they will face the wrath of Allah, God willing. Nevertheless, despite the fact that sacrificing one’s emotions and sentiments is extremely difficult, Ahmadi Muslims must do so whilst translating those sentiments into prayers at the threshold of Allah the Almighty. Prayers are a most powerful entity. It was the prayers, the restlessness and the cries of Hazrat Ismail and Hajra (peace be upon them) and it was their trust upon God that gushed forth the spring of water and established there a city that became the centre of Islam.”
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad further stated:
“We must learn the lesson from this Eid that simply sacrificing an animal is not sufficient. The true spirit of the sacrifice is to desire the pleasure of Allah and to try to attain righteousness.”
His Holiness said that whilst Ahmadi Muslims are barred from making sacrifices, there are people in Pakistan who are spending large sums on buying expensive animals to offer as a sacrifice to show to people, despite the fact that their wealth is not earned in a lawful way.
Speaking of the economic conditions in Pakistan, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“People in Pakistan are complaining about inflation, whilst also buying ever-more expensive animals for Eid. If the same people live honestly and pay the correct taxes, the inflation that they are complaining about will end and the country’s economy will not be destroyed. However, the entire system is broken and so they will not be able to benefit themselves in any way from any advice…If Ahmadi Muslims wish to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, they must tread upon the pathways of righteousness and assess themselves. If we are righteous and if our actions are for the sake of seeking Allah’s pleasure, then Allah the Almighty knows what is in our hearts and knows the state of our emotions and so He can grant us the reward of the sacrifice even if we are unable to sacrifice an animal…If we attain the lofty standards of righteousness, if we attain a true relationship with Allah the Almighty, the persecution will dissipate right before our eyes, God willing. We will be able to observe all the Islamic practices with complete freedom.”
His Holiness said that whilst the spirit behind making the sacrifice of an animal at Eid is very important, the physical act of doing so is also of utmost importance and so those who are allowed to and are able to, should most certainly make the sacrifice.
Explaining the importance of making the sacrifice of animals, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The sacrifice of animals is a Sunnah, a practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and he always upheld this practice. In fact, he even made sacrifices of animals on behalf of the poor. This Abrahamic tradition has particularly been revived within Islam. It is not possible to understand this in developed countries, however in poorer countries when they are given meat to eat, their happiness is worth observing. There are many people in those countries who have not had meat for over two years! Thus, the sacrifice of animals is also a way of fulfilling the rights of the people and it results in increasing the love of God Almighty because one is able to serve the creation of God to seek the love of Allah.”
His Holiness said that physical acts have an impact upon one’s spirituality and both are intertwined and so the physical act of sacrificing animals at Eid must also be carried out as it draws attention towards the sacrifice one must make of one’s emotions and sentiments for the sake of Allah the Almighty.
Speaking of the benefit of sacrificing animals on the occasion of Eid, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Underpinning every commandment of Islam is a deep philosophy. Some people write to me that there is no benefit in sacrificing animals in the form of charity and the money used for that purpose can be used more effectively elsewhere. This is mainly said by those who do not themselves ever face any worry and difficulty in attaining the basic necessity of food and so they cannot appreciate the value of food. They do not understand the conditions of those people who cannot afford to buy any food, let alone meat. Yes, it is most certainly true that those who are wealthy, they should spend in charity to help people in addition to sacrificing an animal at Eid, so that the other needs of the poor are also met in addition to the necessity of food.”
Concluding his sermon, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“May Allah enable us to make sacrifices of animals with the right understanding and may we spend our lives with righteousness in accordance with the desires of Allah the Almighty and may Allah soon create the means for the injustices against us to end.”
