Actions and Prayers
When it is the time for the grace of God to be granted to someone, all the means for the acceptance of the prayer are put together by God; one feels a burning in the heart and a great desire to pray. But when the time is not ripe for the acceptance of the prayer one does not feel any sort of contentment of the heart and also one does not feel inclined to pray fervently, however one might try to persuade oneself. The reason for all this is that sometimes God wishes His own will to be accepted by the man as it is and with pleasure and sometimes He accepts the prayer and thus does what His servant asks Him to do. I therefore, expect the acceptance of the prayer very seldom unless I have an inkling from God Himself, and I keep myself contented with whatever the will of God might be, and I am pleased with it the same way as I would have been pleased with the acceptance of the prayer that I might have offered; the truth is that blessings of resignation! to the Will of God are much more and they produce better results.
(Malfoozat Vol. 1, pg. 440)
The fact is that he who does not perform appropriate deeds, does not really pray; he only wants to try God. That is why it is essential that before praying for something it is vitaly important that one should make use of all the sources available to him. This is what really prayer means. One should think over his beliefs and actions, for the practice of God is that He makes the reformation through some relavent means, that is, He makes the means available.
(Malfoozat Vol. 1, pg. 118)
**Distinction of an Ahmadi**
The members of our Jamaat ought to show something distinctive in their day to day behaviors. If somebody, after accepting Bai'at, does not show any distinctive condition and persists in mistreating his wife and children and other people, even after submitting his pledge of "Bai'at", then what is the use of his "Bai'at"? It is very essential that one should demonstrate such an excellent example of dealing with one's family, relatives, neighbors, and even those who are opposed to him, that they should speak out with one voice that this person has completely changed after "Bai'at" and is no longer his old self.
Remember it very well that if you pursue the activities of your inner selves, then the people will definitely look upon you with respect and honor. Take the example of the Holy Prophet may peace be on him). The people were so much impressed and ove! rawed by the power of his noble moral character that once they suspected that the Holy Prophet was going to pray for their destruction. All the non-believers got together, came to the Holy Prophet, and begged of him not to pray for their destruction. A truthful person certainly commands respect and dignity among the people.
If Ahmadis clean their inner faculties and pursue their normal life activities, surely, all the people around them will yield to the power and dignity of their noble character. (Malfoozat, Vol. 9)
*Mosque by Promised Messiah *
At the heavenly sign of solar and lunar eclipse in 1894, The Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, prophesied that the foundation stone of the Renaissance of Islam and a superior world order have been laid. Now, mosques will be built and people will enter them, and join the Divine Movement in hordes.
(Noorul Haq, Vol. 2, p. 42)
After this prophecy, The Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, forcefully appealed and he said:
*"Our Jama'at needs a lot of mosques. It is a house of God. Whichever village or town can build it, this should be well understood that (in that town) foundation of the progress of Jama'at is also laid with it." *
He goes on to say:
This is not mandatory that the mosque must be embellished and be a brick building. Just enclose the plot and a room of thatched roof may be built. The Prophet's Mosque also had its roof of a few palm tree branches which co! ntinued for a long time. It was Hazrat Othman who built it with bricks because he loved construction of fine buildings.
(Malfoozat, Vol. 2, p. 42, First Print 1894)
Better get a piece of land and make an enclosure around it. That will be a mosque for you. No good will be done by creating disorder. If you will not retaliate against your enemy, God will revenge for you. He takes care of him who prostrates at his doorstep.
(Malfoozat, Vol. 6, p. 33)
**What's Hypocrisy**
You should remember that the hypocrite is not only that person who does not keep his word or talks of sincerity but has disbelief in his heart, even that person is a hypocrite who has a dual nature, though he may have no control over it. The Companions of the Holy Prophet, may God be pleased with all of them, feared this thing very much. Once Hazrat Abu Huraira, may God be pleased with him, was found crying. Hazrat Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, asked what the matter was. Hazrat Abu Huraira said that he could find some signs of hypocrisy in himself.
"When I am in the company of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, my heart is very soft and kind and I find that its condition is very much different but when I go away from him, the condition changes" said Abu Huraira.
Hazrat Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, said,
*"The same thing happens to me also."*
Then the two of them went to the Holy Prophet, p! eace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and related to him what they had been talking about. The Holy Prophet said,
*"You are not hypocrites. Both these conditions have to happen quite naturally. If your condition stays the same as it is when you are with me, the angels would come and shake hands with you."*
Behold, how the Companions of the Holy Prophet feared hypocrisy and dual nature. When a man talks with great boldness, he becomes a hypocrite. If somebody hears other talk in a way that they hurl insults on religion, and he does not leave that company, he is a hypocrite. If one is not jealous of the honour of religion as a believer should be, and he does not show steadfastness, he is hypocrite. Unless a man remembers God all the time, he would not be free from hypocrisy - and you can achieve this state of mind through prayers alone. You should always pray to God that He may save you from it. He who gets himself initiated into this community and yet continue! s in his dual nature, keeps himself away from the community. !
(Malfoozat vol. 8, pg. 174)
Virtue and Vice
In order to understand the being and nature of the Satan one should know that there are two faculties that God has granted to the human beings; both these qualities are contrary to each other. And it is so because God would like to test the human beings as to how they would fare for his communion. One of these two faculties is that of virtue and it pulls the man towards religious deeds. The other faculty is the one that invites him to evil deeds. The faculty that draws the man towards virtue is called the Angel and the other one that calls him to evil is known as the Satan. In other words it can be said that there are two faculties working in conjunction with man. One calls him towards virtuous deeds and the other calls him towards evil deeds. Anyone who does not like the words the Angel and the Satan may try to understand this situation by thinking of two faculties - Virtuous and evil. This, nobody can deny.
God has never willed anything that ca! n be called bad. Whatever He does is all good and nothing but good.
Behold! if there had been nothing like evil in the world, the virtue also would not have existed. Virtue is known by its comparison with evil just as evil is known by its comparison with virtue. For instance, if somebody has the opportunity to commit adultery and at the same time has the power to perpetrate this deed, yet he shuns it, we would call this act of his (to avoid adultery in these circumstances) an act of virtue. If somebody has the opportunity to steal or to do injustice and he is in a position to do these things yet he keeps away from these things he does an act of virtue.
Let it be understood well that to have the opportunity of committing sin and yet avoiding it is virtue and that is what deserves good reward.
(Malfoozat vol. 10, pg. 359)