These are very difficult days, as inflation and the recession are hitting everyone. We are seeing prices rising every week, and bills are becoming very difficult to pay. People are struggling to keep up, and one way they are turning to, is to demand higher wages, even if it means going on strike to get more money. It is understandable that people want more money to survive, but through striking to get their point across, further affects everyone. Especially if you need to go to hospital and find your appointments have been cancelled due to strikes.
Of course, we are still better off than many other poorer countries around the world, where in some countries they do not even have good water and are suffering with poverty, diseases, war etc.
But what is the answer to today’s problems? We believe that the only answer is for man to turn to God, pray for help to Allah and remain steadfast. But we are living in a non-religious time. People do not want to hear such a message. They feel that anything is better than giving up their so-called freedom and worship a Being, which they do not want to believe in.
Therefore, being a religious person in this Country is difficult, as we are living in a very immoral society, which have put up blinds to the truth. They do not want to accept religion but have no other answer.
There are many pressures that we face in life, & yet we are fortunate, that we have all the answers in front of us. The Holy Qur’an gives us the answer.
Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book, and observe Prayer. Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil; and remembrance of Allah, indeed, is the greatest virtue. And Allah knows what you do.
(Holy Quran 29:46)
We need to develop a strong attachment to Allah, the One God. Through developing our love for Allah and following His guidance, we will be a better person, a God-fearing person and hopefully people will react to that.
The people living in this Country sadly do not have a very strong love for Allah. They are very worldly, wanting everything now! When they work, they want their reward, when they relax, they want the pleasures of material things. So they can’t really see the benefit of religion!
They dismiss it as a person having faith in some great Power, but that Power doesn’t really affect them. They feel that God is Powerless – He can’t stop wars, sufferings or even terrorism. In fact, it seems that He is the reason for these things.
So, they understand the need for having faith, but they can’t see any real benefit from worship. Instead, they are being persuaded that it’s the person’s faith which is being used to brainwash that person to do evil.
But you should know differently. Religion is to help you become a good person and helps you to remove evil and indecency, but these people need to see that.
They need to see that you really have a live contact with Allah, the One God.
They need to see what the real benefit of religion is.
They need to see you ‘practising what you preach’.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi has said:-
It simply is not possible to achieve success without following the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. If someone thinks otherwise, it is a mere imaginative thinking; the (worldly) people are seeking after success of this kind.
You should keep the example of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) before you. Look at them; they followed the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and gave preference to religion over worldly affairs.
The result was that God fulfilled all the promises that He had made with them. At the initial stage, the opponents mocked at them that whereas they could not come out in the open freely, they were claiming to become the kings of the world.
But having lost themselves in perfect obedience to the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) they were able to achieve what had not been their lot for many centuries.
They loved the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and kept themselves busy in following them day and night. They would not follow the disbelievers even in the matters of their customs.
All the time that Islam was passing through these conditions, it was in its supremacy. The reason being that
‘If you have God with you, you have nothing to worry about.’
The key to the successes and victories of the Muslims was also faith.
We need to develop a strong attachment with Allah, which is achieved through your prayers and reading the Holy Qur’an. There is no harm in benefitting from the material things that are available in this life, but don’t get lost in them. They will not lead you to success, they will destroy you. Instead put your full trust in Allah, always put Him first. Develop your prayers, talk to your Maker – don’t make the prayers a routine, a habit. Get the full benefit from them. Speak to Allah like you would address anyone. Express your love for Him, your concerns, and your needs. Understand that it is only Allah who can help you.
Of course, people can advise and help you – but is it for your betterment? Who knows? We don’t know the future; we don’t really know if we are helping, only Allah knows, therefore, only Allah is in the best position to help us.
Therefore, pray hard and know that Allah is listening and will help you. Likewise, make it the habit to read the Holy Qur’an, constantly, and turn to it for guidance. It is not like an ordinary book. It is the Word of Allah. It is the best guidance for you.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi has said:-
I do not mean that the Muslims should become lethargic, Islam does not make anyone lethargic. They should carry on their trades and services as usual. But what I really do not like is that they should have no place for God.
They should trade when it is time for them to trade but while trading, they must have the fear of God in their hearts so that their trade, too, may become an act of worship. At the time of the daily prayers, they should offer the prayers –and they should not ignore them. Whatever the work in hand, they should give preference to religion; Their ultimate target should not be the gains of this world; It should be the gains of religion. That being the case, their worldly affairs will also become matter of religion.
People need to see that your faith is not just words, but your whole way of life. That you have a really close relationship with God and the result of that relationship is that you have peace and happiness.
That your goal in life is not to attain worldly things, but to attain nearness to Allah. That your purpose in life is to attain Paradise.
That at the end of the day you follow the Holy Qur’an, not people.
That you have a direction, a goal and way in life, something which everyone should have, something everyone should want.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi has said:-
If you will follow the example of the European nations and think that since they are making progress, you will also make progress by following them, you must know that it will not materialise. Your case is quite different. You have been given a Book and the truth has been conclusively brought before you.
They (the Europeans) will be dealt with differently. So far as you are concerned, if you leave the Book of God you will meet your Hell in this very world…
If they think there is no God, let them try all they can to move forward. But God is there, and He definitely is there. They can never make any progress without Him.
We cannot fulfil our purpose in life so long as we do not observe the prayers regularly and live by the Qur’anic teachings. Prayer is vital, the whole religion evolves around it, so we should make every effort to attend the prayers and ensure that we are having a very live contact with Allah. If we achieve that, then the people of this Country will be able to see and understand why religion is so important.