The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘It should always be remembered that only Allah the Exalted has real authority to grant succour when help is solicited.’ That is, when help is needed it is only God, Who has the real power to help, and He provides it. This is a most significant point which a true believer should always have in view, whether the help sought is on personal level or communal. But it is seen that in practice people do not pay as much attention to this as they should. Most of us say that our needs are met by the grace of God. However, if we ponder over our words in-depth we will note that we consider various means as the sources of accomplishing our tasks.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) recounted some incidents in this regard and highlighted that man thinks that he attains his objective through help and aid of assorted people or through his own elbow grease. This indeed is how man initially thinks. Even if he meets all his needs using his strength his knowledge and his intellect he feels that he resolved all his problems with his competence and strength and is proud and rather bumptious that he did not have to seek anyone’s help. However, there are times when he cannot manage on his own and needs someone’s help. He seeks help from his family and relatives and they help him out. This makes him realises that family and relatives are a good thing. Then there are times when his family and relatives cannot help him or do not help him. He looks to his friends and acquaintances and he seeks their help and they help him. He realises that friends and acquaintances are good and are helpful in times of need. There also comes a time when his friends make their excuses whether they are warrantable excuses or they simply want to get rid of him, but they cannot help him. Man turns to the community (jama’at) that he belongs to and the community helps him out. When his task is fulfilled he realises that it is good to be associated with a community and his affiliation with it grows. Although it is also seen that at times some people stumble simply because the Jama’at cannot help them when they ask for it. A time comes in the life of some when family, friends and due to some constraints even their community cannot help them. This is when they turn to government and government helps them. At that time government is the be all and end all for these people. However, a time comes when even the government cannot be of help to them and they feel they are not getting their rights. This is when they goes to charitable and philanthropic people who help them out. Man thinks that charitable and philanthropic organisations of the world helped him out while no one else did and had they not helped him out he would have been deprived of his rights.
Nowadays many human rights organisations work on both national and international level and engage in legal battles with governments. They can and do put international pressure on governments. Some of these organisations do very good work. However, it cannot be denied that a time comes when neither one’s efforts and plans avail nor help of family, friends, and community, government or human rights organisations. Yet, if one still attains one’s objective one thinks that the source of success is unseen. As much as one believes in help from the unseen, one attributes success to God.
Speaking of charitable and philanthropic organisations, Ahmadis nowadays know about them well as they are stuck in different countries of the world waiting for their asylum cases. Many such organisations, in fact one large organisation which works under the auspices of UN tries to help, but at times governments do not listen to them either.
Anyhow, when one’s tasks are accomplished in such circumstances one feels the help has come from the unseen and if one believes in God one considers that the help is from God. With complete faith in God, one also attributes success of that task to God which is accomplished through external help. One also knows very well that help of family, friends, community, government and charitable/ philanthropic organisations was in fact from God and behind all the apparent sources of help was the hand of God. Those who do not have a strong connection with God consider worldly means everything and when all these means fail, it is then that they remember God. They remember God because they are not left with any choice and it is at such times they call out to God seeking His help and confessing Him to be the Master of all powers. This shows us that no matter how powerful they may be, governments and organisations have limited power. As mentioned earlier when all else fails even those who do not have strong connection with God, look to Him. The Holy Qur’an also states that when in despair even atheists and polytheists call out to God in their desperation. The Qur’an states: ‘And when harm touches you on the sea, all those whom you call upon, except Him, become lostto you. But when He brings you safe to land, you turn aside; and man is very ungrateful.’ (17:68)
God states that when trapped in storm and in trouble man calls out to God but forgets Him later on. It is human nature to turn to God in extreme humility and pray that if problems are resolved one would always deem God as the source of help. Yet, as soon as man is out of danger he turns to worldliness and is arrogant. Man is ungrateful and God’s mercy is boundless.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) related that an earthquake struck in line with the Promised Messiah’s (on whom be peace) prophecy regarding earthquakes. A medical student in Lahore used to bitterly argue against the existence of God at the time. When the earthquake struck he felt as if the ceiling was going to cave in and he was convinced that no power could save him. This is when he cried out: Ram, Ram! His background was Hindu. Next day his colleagues asked him what had happened to him the day before he did not even believe in God. He replied he had no idea what had happened but he had lost his senses. Truth is that was the only time he had been in his senses and saw only One source of help! As long as man sees other sources of help he is drawn to them and as long as other sources are evident to him he flatters them to the point of disparaging others in front of them. But when he can see no other source of help he calls out to God!
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) related another incident to illustrate the point. In 1918 during WWI Germany attacked the Allied Forces with great strength and a time came when the Allied Forces were in immense danger. Their seven mile long defence line was destroyed and a gap was created in their defence through which Germany could attack and destroy them. The General in command at the front line said to the Commander in Chief that he did not have the manpower to rectify the broken defence line and the situation was beyond him. It was felt that they would be destroyed and France and Britain will be eliminated. When a telegram was sent the Prime Minister was chairing an important meeting of his minsters. There was nothing he could do. Even if there were army reserves they could not be deployed in the time they had. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said although Europe followed Christianity, upon looking closely one finds it hollow and the people very materialistic. Indeed materialistic Europe was very proud of its resources at the time and governments are arrogant anyhow because they have power. At that time their biggest leader who was ever high on power and glory felt that there was no way out. He turned to his colleagues and said let us turn to God and seek help. And they knelt down to pray.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said small wonder that they were saved as a consequence of their prayer. Just as the aforementioned Quranic verse states that in difficulty only God’s help avails while everyone else abandons you. It is also said that God listens to the prayer of the distressed even if it is an atheist. Nowadays atheists turn to God after experiencing signs but if they try and contend with Prophet of God or his community then no matter how much distressed they may be, their prayers are not accepted because they are contrary to God’s decree.
In the WWI story the German forces did not come to know of the broken defence line so they could not take advantage of the situation. Furthermore the Commander in Chief of Allied Forces summoned his officer and informed him of the grave situation and ordered him to make arrangements. The officer did not question the rather impossible proposition and drove to the place where civilian employees of the military worked. He gathered them and said that they were always very keen and eager to serve the country, now was their chance to come forward. He provided them with arms and deployed thousands of civilians at the front line to protect it. Twenty four hours passed by before military reinforcements also arrived. The object of this account is that even worldly materialistic people hold onto God when all else fails. And if they do so how much more should be those who only turn to God for everything drawn to God at all times!
This is why God has taught us a prayer so that our attention is never averted from turning to God and we never think of availing worldly means before God. Indeed, God enjoins to plan for things and put the plan in practice yet one’s trust and reliance should only be in God. One must not turn to God only in the event when all else fails. In fact God has taught us a prayer which is said in every Salat: ‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help.’ (1:5) God states that this verse is mutual between God and His servants and He will grant to one who seeks from Him.
This guarantee of God becomes constant when a person always looks to God and does not only turn to Him in times of trouble. We should be mindful that as Ahmadis who have taken Bai’at of the Imam of the age and have pledged to live our lives to please God and to turn to God in hard times and in good times we strongly need to comprehend the subject of: ‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help’.
We should self-reflect and see what is it that we have to do and what is it that we are doing. Is our standard of worship and calling for God’s help in line with what God has enjoined or do we repeat ‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help’ thirty two times a day in parrot-like fashion and nothing more! We should remember that we are very weak and our enemy is very powerful. We do not have any resources or ways and means apart from turning to God and become His in understanding the spirit of ‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help’. Satanic attacks in the world exceed all bounds. Difficulties are created for us everywhere. Enmity of those calling themselves Muslims is getting stronger as well as envy of non-Muslims. They are envious of the coverage Jama’at is getting. A small glimpse of this envy against the Jama’at was seen in the media in Germany. InshaAllah opposition and envy against us will be consumed by its own fire, but we should not forget our obligations. Otherwise we do not have the strength to contend with the opponents. We should always remember that when God comes to someone’s help, no worldly power can stop the success He gives. God’s help is most extensive and His power is endless. Neither His Being nor His attributes are limited in any way. And every Ahmadi should turn to Him and seek His help. It is not just Pakistani Ahmadis or Ahmadis from countries where difficulties are faced who need to turn to God for help. Every single Ahmadi in every region of the world should do so.
Our Jama’at has a strong bond as indeed it should. This is a distinction of our Jama’at. Everyone should pray for each other so that God’s help is with every Ahmadi at all times, everywhere. If this will be our condition, we will experience amazing Divine help.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) once said: remember Allah the Exalted is not in need of anything. He does not care unless prayer is made abundantly and repeatedly.
Therein is the secret of our success. Whatever our difficulties; be they from any groups or governments or whether the media is used against us or some other resource, may God help us against everything. We do not expect help from any quarters as indeed we should not. We should pray that if we have erred and as a result have distanced God’s help, may God have mercy on us and forgive us. Take us out of His displeasure and include us among those people who are always showered with His grace and blessings and who have the true insight and perception of: ‘Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help’.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: ‘Look, Allah the Exalted has given the teaching of ‘Thee alone do we worship’. It was possible that man had relied on his strength and distanced himself from God. Therefore, the teaching of ‘Thee alone do we implore for help’ was given in conjunction. Do not consider that you offer your worship of God with your own strength. Most certainly you do not! Rather, without succour from Allah the Exalted and unless the Holy God enables and grants strength, nothing can come to pass.’
We should always have this important fact in view. May God enable us to do so!
A reminder to prayers was given. The world is going through fast changes. May God make them a source of progress for the Jama’at and may we be those who worship Him and are granted His help and are continually granted.
