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Gatherings: How to get Benefits from Pious Meetings -Special Prayers of Holy Prophet (sa)

DawudTalut

Peace be upon you.
Peace and mercy of Allah be on you......There are many kinds of gatherings in the world with various aims. Some gatherings are for counseling about worldly purposes such as to run government, for politics, business, sports or leisure and about so-called knowledge. Committees are made for these, people sit and mutually think. All these gathering, committees and mutual sittings are for worldly works. These gatherings are not for the sake of God the Exalted, His pleasure and nearness. Even if any gathering is convened for the goodness of people and matters are considered, it too is for worldly aims. Pleasure of God the Exalted is not sought in it.

Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (a. t.) further mentioned: But there are gatherings, which are for the purposes of Deen, to do the zikr (mention, remembrance) of Allah the Exalted, to think plans to bring human close to Allah the Exalted, to find means to make progress in spirituality, or those who attend these gatherings they come to get pleasure of Allah the Exalted..... In short, the purpose of these gatherings is only that whatever we do, whatever we plan, whatever programs of gatherings are, the aim should be to get pleasure of Allah the Exalted, nonsense things are avoided in these. Such gathering are the ones, which God the Exalted likes. Results of such gatherings appear in this world too , and Allah the Exalted blesses attendees of such gatherings after death too.

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So, whether it is gathering in home with spouse and children or outside the home, the duty of a momin / believer is to make effort, how to get pleasure of Allah the Exalted and how to take care of own ruhaniyyat (spirituality) and improve it, how to improve condition of self and believers.

The apparent worldly gathering of a believer is not empty of zikr of God the Exalted. He avoids nonsense even when doing worldly works. If he is busy in worldly works, his heart does not forget remembrance of Allah the Exalted and zikr. In the worldly gatherings of believers talks of deception and to usurp rights of others are not done, like talks are done in today’s political and earthly gatherings. Rather fear of Allah the Exalted and Taqwa is always kept in view, and it is expected from a believer that he should always keep in view.

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In Holy Quran, what God the Exalted has guided believers about it is that, these gatherings should be clean from disobedience, rebellion and sins. These should be avoiding disobedience of messenger and should be about practicing Taqwa.

Alas, majority of gatherings of muslims are fully contrary to it, and a muslim is killing another muslim.

Allah the Exalted says “ya aiyohallazina aamanu eza tanajaytum fala tatanajo bilismey wal udwan wa ma’siatirrasuley wa tanajo bilbirrey wattaqwa wattaqullahallazi elehey tohsharun” i.e O ye who believe! when you confer together in secret, confer not for (the commission of) sin and transgression and disobedience to the Messenger, but confer for (the attainment of) virtue and righteousness, and fear Allah unto Whom you shall (all) be gathered. (58-10)

But muslims have forgotten the commandment of Allah the Exalted, their mutual split is at maximum. Allah the Exalted told the sign of believer “rohamaohum bainahum”...they have mutual affection. But here we see the state, which Allah the Exalted has mentioned about non-believers i.e. “wa qolubohum shatta” i.e. their hearts are split. .... They counsel, mutually and with others; in form of secret agreements, by disobeying Allah and His Messenger, away from Taqwa. Fear of Allah is not presnt at all.

Allah the Exalted says, “and fear Allah unto Whom you shall be gathered”. There governments, kingdoms, wealth and having blessing of western powers will of no use. There, no big power will be able to save from punishment of disobedience of commandments of Allah His Messenger and of going away from Taqwa.

In fact the state of those who call themselves muslims but they make the world as their aim and they run after it, it is the practical expression of end of faith and certainty in the Being of God the Exalted. Had there been little faith and certainty in the Being of God the Exalted then neither the state of muslim politician and leaders nor of so called ulama /scholars would have been like this and seen.

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Anyway, it is our duty that we should make ourselves clean from such (worldly) thoughts, and increase in having fear of Allah the Exalted and Taqwa. And those of us who, in their circles, has contacts with muslims, they should make them realize that your such state will not only make you slaves of non-muslims but you will become descending station of punishment of God the Exalted. The world you are chasing, it will slip from your hands, and you have already left Deen. Thus it is time to develop fear of Allah the Exalted and Taqwa in hearts otherwise everything will go away from hands.

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Among the gatherings of worldly counsels, one is that of United Nations. Recently, a session of it, was convened. There was speech by president of America. At this, here, the Western essay writers and analysts too wrote that, by this speech, instead of peace, there is more chance of development of discord and mischief. Rather, they wrote clearly that, by this speech, perhaps Saudi Arabia and some other muslims countries may been happy, otherwise it was extremely disheartening and inciter of war and discord speech.

So the muslim governments should see commandments of Allah the Exalted and should avoid all kind of mischief and discord.

Anyway, all it is said by talking about what is being done in common muslim world.

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But we should continue to keep reviewing our states. It should always be remembered that Satan will never bear to see Jama'at making progress. According to its nature, Satan will continue to make effort to make unrest and split among us.

So the people who sit together sometime and talk about system of Jama'at at local circle, city, country, they in fact are lured by Satan. Since work of Satan is to attack by pretending to be sympathetic, thus such people too attend in these gathering who are not actually against system of Jama'at. Due to feeling of pain of Jama'at, they think the opinion teller (in fact mischievous in form of sympathizer) is saying right and correction is needed. ...

In fact, if correction is needed, the word should be sent to country’s system of Jama'at and Khalifah of time. Then after this, it is very wrong method to talk in gatherings here and there, and in style as if very secret and important things are being mentioned with sympathy of Jama'at, and are signs of sin, transgression and disobedience of Messenger....Allah the Exalted has warned believers against such gatherings that they should avoid these.

If one has complaint against any office holder or Ameer, send complaint to center, send to Khalifah of time. After this, the work of members of Jama'at ends. Now it is work of Khalifah of time, which matter is to see how and how to solve. ... However, everyone should keep doing prayer, each Ahmadi should pray with pain that May Allah the Exalted remove every kind of evil from Jama'at and always those are continued to be granted to Jama'at who practice Taqwa and serve. So everyone should remember this important thing.

As Allah the Exalted will continue to grant progress to Jama'at (and is granting), Satan will do its work too. Satan had expressed before Allah the Exalted on first day and had taken permission that it would lure human, believers.

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Opponents of Ahmadiyyat make (and will make) plans against Jama'at openly and also in the name of sympathy they make (will make) use of simple minded people and weak-in-faith people for mischief. Thus, in this regard, each Ahmadi should be careful. May Allah the Exalted always save Jama'at from internal and external mischief and always enable them to sit in and become part of gatherings of virtue and Taqwa -- not of gatherings of sin, transgression, disobedience of Messenger and gatherings which take away from Taqwa. (Aameen)

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There are various sayings of Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) about types and states of gatherings, and of his true servant too.

How the gathering of a believer should be. If gathering is not up to status of the religious-honour of believer, what reaction should be shown to that.

Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) says: Our way is it, and it should be the way of believer, that when he should speak, speak fully, otherwise remain silent. When you see, in a gathering, laughter and mockery is being at Allah and the Messenger, then either leave from there so that you are not counted among them, or answer back fully, clearly. The third way is hypocrisy, that keep sitting in gathering and keep agreeing without thinking, expressing own beliefs with suppressed voice, secretly.

Continues
 

DawudTalut

Peace be upon you.
So it is reaction of a believer in a gathering where Deen is being mocked or planning is being done against Deen or such talk are being done cleverly which create doubts in heart. The reaction of believer is when they hear anything against Allah and Messenger or against system established by His Jama'at, then reject it strictly. And tell these talk-makers if these things are correct in your thinking, tell Khalifah of time and system but it is not permitted to make talk like this.

If person keep sitting in such gatherings and rejects in suppressed tone and do not speak clearly then Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said it becomes hypocrisy.

And a believer should avoid it and in the matter of Deen and system, feeling-of-lack-of-honour should not be practiced. The expression of honor is by two ways, either answer with clarity, or leave the gathering. It is the method told by Allah the Exalted and Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has explained it. So it is mentioned in a tradition, a companion came to Holy Prophet (sa) and said O Messenger of Allah, please advise me something. He (sa) said, practice Taqwa of Allah, and when you go to a gathering of a nation, and find them talking according to your liking, then stay there (i.e. if they are talking virtuous talks, and are not talking wrong, mischief and discord), and if they are busy in such talks, which you do not like, then leave that gathering.

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Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has also explained, What kind of gathering should be disliked by a believer.

It is in a tradition. Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (r.a.) mentions that a person asked Holy Prophet (sa), we should be seated in gathering of which people. He (sa) said, you should be seated in the gathering of those people, by seeing whom, you remember Allah. And by whose talks, your religious knowledge is increased, and whose deed remind you Hereafter.

So this is guiding principle, which a believer should keep in view when choosing his gathering, that like those gatherings, where zikr of God the Exalted is being done, where talks of grandeur of Deen of Allah the Exalted are being done, where religious knowledge is being increased. And these days increase in religious knowledge is essential for every Ahmadi, to convey message, calling to Allah and for training. Same things remind hereafter, keep drawing attention of human that only shining of world is nothing, wealth and eases of this world are not everything, but the pleasure of God the Exalted should be aim of believer.

First Hadith is explained, that if gatherings are of worldly people, a believer should not like these gatherings. One should immediately get up and leave from such gathering. If we pay our attention to it, our elders and our new young will avoid many evils and mischief.

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There is another kind of gathering, in which young are especially involved. It takes place in the name of fun and noisy activities. Due to effect of western environment, these things have developed in our some of our youth too that they should join such gatherings.

A momin / believer young should always remember to always keep safe their lives from such gatherings and remain in limits, which are defined. Sometimes some events take place among members of Jama'at too, when some young people, as soon as they step in adolescence, do some wrong acts due to having bad company e.g. inflicting damage to neighbours, or to passerby walker, or if they go somewhere they cause loss to anyone. If it is found he is member of Jama'at then such people bring bad repute to Jama'at. So parents too should keep eye on gatherings and companies of their children, so that our young people and children, when stepping in adolescence, should stay away from bad . Parents should arrange such pure gatherings in homes, which should be best from point of view of turbiyyat / training.

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Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said at an occasion when people sit in mosque to recite Quran and mutual teaching and learning, Allah the Exalted sends tranquility on them and mercy of Allah the Exalted covers them and angles take them in their company.

It is great favour of Allah the Exalted that such occasions continue to become available to Jama'at. Everywhere in the world Jama'at-s convene Jalsa-s and Ijtema-s. In these, there are programs for tarbiyyat, to increase knowledge, for remembrance and zikr of Allah the Exalted. ....... For example, today (22 september) here, Ijtema of Lajna ima-illah (auxiliary for Ahmadi-ladies) is starting. Lajna should remember that, more parts of their programs should be religious and knowledge-ful gathering. Attendee ladies should remember they have not come to attend a festival. They should fulfill the purpose of coming to their Ijtema and make permanent religious and knowledge-ful gatherings.. If regular program is not taking place, then do constructive talks instead of useless talks of here and there, and always avoid vain-talks and save time from waste.

Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said that the people who come to a gathering and do not do zikr of Allah, they shall see their gathering with regret on the day of Qiamat.

So those who come to Ijtema should remember to fulfill the purpose of their coming and spend most of their time in doing zikr of Allah and doing and listening to virtuous talks instead of laughing, mocking and useless talks so that our talks should never become those gatherings which will be seen with regret on Qiyamat.

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What advice Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has given to practice Taqwa and to spend time in company of Taqwa-practioners? ... It is in a tradition, he (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said you should not sit with anyone except momin / believer and except righteous no one should eat your food.

Explanation: In the world, human has connection and relation with various people. Person meets them too. Company with non-muslims take place too. It is not possible that person do have no company with non-believer. .. The meaning of his (sa) saying is that human your deep friendship, your more company, your spending of often time, your gatherings, mostly should be such people, who should be strong in Eman (belief) and should be Taqwa-practioners so that you should progress in Taqwa too.

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Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) says: A way of correction of self, Allah the Exalted has told this, that, “kunu ma-assadeqeen” i.e. the people who are firm at truth by way of words, deeds and state, be with them (i.e. be with righteous people). Before it said that “ya aiyohallazina aaman uttaqullah” i.e. those who have Eman (belief), adopt Taqwa of Allah. By this, it is meant, first there should be Eman, then leave place of evil as Sunnat, then live in company of truthful people. There is very big effect of company, which continue to keep on internally. If a person goes to place of prostitutes everyday and then says, Do I do fornication? He should be told, Yes you will do. And he will be embroiled in it one day because there is an effect in company. Likewise, the person who goes to alcohol-house, no matter how much he refrain and say I do not drink but a day will come he will drink surely.

Thus there is always need to avoid bad company. Connection with others exists in common worldly businesses but there must be some limits in these relations. Person should no begin to go in their useless gatherings. Many evils are developed by going to these nonsense gatherings. Here people by themselves express it, some English women expressed that our husbands were good people but evils developed in them due to some friends and they began to go in nonsense and dirty gatherings. This feeling is coming in non-muslims too...We should be very careful about this matter. To stop this thing, Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said that your more-than-essential company, eating and connection with religion-less people will make you away from Deen and Taqwa.

Yes, to convey message and virtuous words, connection must be made. Without it, message cannot be conveyed. But for it, they should be brought to your gatherings as these gatherings of virtue make their effect.

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Continues
 

DawudTalut

Peace be upon you.
There are very many non-ahmadis attend our Jalsa-s and functions, they mention it that their state and condition absolutely change by coming here.

Explaining the effect of company, Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said : When human sits with a rastbaz (honest) and sadiq (truthful, sincere) then sidq works in him. But the one who leaves the company of honests and adopt the company of bads and mischievous ones, evil continues to have effect in them. That is why, in Ahadith and Holy Quran, stress and warning is found to avoid bad company, and is written, where insult of Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) takes place, immediately leave that gathering, otherwise he who does not leave after listening insult he will be counted in them.................The one who lives with sincere and honest ones is partner in them too, that is why how much this matter is needed that human should practice the pure commandment of “kunu ma-assadeqeen”. It has come in hadith sharif that Allah the Exalted sends angles in the world, they come in the gathering of pure people, and when they go back, Allah the Exalted ask them what did you see, they say we saw a gathering , in which, people were doing Your zikr, one person was not among them (not among zikr-doers, just sitting), then Allah the Exalted says, no he too is from them – innahum qomun la yashqa jalesohum - From this, it is clearly known that how many benefits are, from company of sincere ones. Very much unfortunate is that person who is away from company.

Thus those who sit in the company and gathering of momin-s become recipients of favour of Allah the Exalted and these are those gatherings which are filled with zikr of Allah the Exalted.

Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) says: There are many who acknowledge God the Exalted but if we scrutinize, it will be found that there is atheism in them because when they are busy in worldly works they fully forget qahr (overcoming) of God the Exalted and His grandeur. That is why this thing is very important that you people should ask ma’arfat (knowledge) from Allah the Exalted by prayer. Without it perfect certainty can never be obtained. That will be obtained at that time, when it is known that, in breaking tie with Allah the Exalted there is a death. .. To avoid sin, as do prayer, there with it, do not give up sequence of measures-taken from hand, and leave all assemblies and gatherings, by attending which, sin is provoked. And along with it keep doing prayer. And know well that release from these aafat is never done, which are made for human from qaza wa qadr (destiny), until help of God the Exalted is accompanied. Salaat which is offered five times, in it too, it is this indication, if he will not save it from emotion and thoughts of self, till then it will not be true Salaat at all. The meaning of Salaat is not at all to offer hurriedly and to offer as custom and habit. Salaat is that thing, which heart too should feel that soul, melting, in fearful state, should fall at threshold of Allah . As much as one has capacity, up to that, make effort to produce riqat (state of weeping with emotion), and seek with supplication, that playfulness and sin which are inside self, should go away. This kind of Salaat is blessed. If he will remain firm at it, he will see that, at night or at day, a Nur (light) has fallen at his heart, and playfulness of nafse-ammara (raw state of self which incites to evil) is reduced, as there is killer-poison in giant-sake, likewise in nafse ammarah too there is killer-poison and He Who made it, He has its cure.

That is, only God the Exalted has the cure to remove evil so bow before Him and ask help from Him so that He always save from the world and its bad effects, and bad gatherings and their effects.

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It is in a tradition that it was practice of Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) that, at the time of closing the gathering, he used to pray, O Allah, You are pure, and swear to Your praise, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except You. I seek mughferat from You and turn to You. (aameen)

At an occasion he (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said, There are some sentences, whoever recited these three times when leaving his gathering, Allah the Exalted, due to these, will cover his sins which he has had done there. And who recited these sentences in gathering of khair (goodness) and gathering of zikr of Allah, he will be stamped with these. And these sentences are:

Subhana kallahumma wa behamdeka - la elaha illa anta – astaghferoka wa atubo elaik

i.e O Allah, You are pure with Your praise, there is none worthy of worship except You, I seek forgiveness from You and turn to You and save me from effects of disliked things which are done by me.

This prayer saves from effects of disliked things and enables human to get maximum benefit from virtuous gatherings.

Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah be his Helper) mentioned: As Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that, until help of God the Exalted is not accompanied, release is not done at all.... That is why, all the time, help of Allah the Exalted should be sought continuously. May Allah the Exalted enable us we should always avoid bad gatherings, and if we attend unknowingly, may we remain safe from their ill effects. May we always remain in search of pure gatherings and attend them, and are blessed by purity of those pure gatherings and favour of Allah the Exalted. May Allah the Exalted always save us from attacks of Satan, treat us with mercy and mughferat, keep us always attached with system of Jama'at, and Khilafat and save us mischief of each mischief-doer. (aameen)

Reference: Based on Friday sermon by Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah help him with His Mighty Help), 22 September 2017, UK, alislam.org and mta. tv
 
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