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Friday 31 March 2023 | AL HAKAM
Answers Problem of the ‘creator of God’, Janazah to Everyday prayer, two Jumuah prayers in one Issues Part 51
mosque and reciting basmalah in salat Guidance regarding basic Islamic issues – which Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa has given on various occasions in his written correspondence and during MTA
programmes – is being officially published below for everyone’s benefit.
Problem of the ‘creator of God’ Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa […] and said that to demonstrate the existence of God Almighty, we assert that since nothing can create itself, there must be a Creator of the universe. However, he added, this leads to the question of who created God. Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 24 December 2021, provided the following answer to this question: “[…] When we state that everything has been created by some entity or being, it is important to acknowledge that science also recognises that nothing in the universe is self-created. Once we consider this principle, the matter becomes clear. Therefore, when we continue asking about the creator of something and the conversation eventually stops at an entity, that ultimate Creator is God Almighty. Science may refer to that entity as ‘nature’, but according to the teachings of Allah the Exalted and His messengers, we regard that entity as the Being of God Almighty. “Furthermore, it is essential to acknowledge that God Almighty’s infinite Being transcends human comprehension and knowledge. Our faith regarding this matter is derived from the Holy Quran, which affirms:
َّ ُ َّ ُ ّٰ َ ٌ َ َ ُ ّٰ َ ُ ۡ ُ الص َم ُد۔ ل َ ۡم یَ ِل ۡد َو ل َ ۡم یُوۡل َ ۡد۔ َو ل َ ۡم یَک ۡن ل ٗہ قل ہو اللہ احد۔ اللہ َ ًُُ ٌ َ كفوا احد۔
“‘Say, ‘He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Independent and Besought of all. He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.’’ (Surah al-Ikhlas, Ch. 112: V. 2-5)
has “The Promised Messiahas expounded upon this doctrine, stating: “‘God is One in His being and His attributes and His glory. He has no partner. All are dependent upon Him. He bestows life on every particle. He is the source of grace for everything and is not in need of grace from any. He is neither a son nor a father for He has no equal and no one is like unto Him.’ (Islami Usul Ki Filasfi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 10, p. 410) “Huzooras also elucidated this in the following words: “‘Your God is One in His Being and in His attributes. No one is eternal and everlasting like Him, nor does anything possess attributes similar to His. Man depends upon a teacher for his knowledge, yet his knowledge remains incomplete, but God needs no teacher, for His knowledge knows no bounds. Man depends upon the air for his hearing, which is limited, but God’s hearing is inherent and unlimited. Man depends upon the light of the sun or other sources of light to see, and his sight is restricted, but God sees by His own light and His sight encompasses everything. In order to create, Man is dependent upon matter and requires time, and his power of creation is confined, but God’s power of creation is not dependent upon matter or time, nor is it in any way limited. This is because all His attributes are unique like Himself.’ (Lecture Lahore, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 154-155)”
Janazah prayer Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa and asked whether the funeral prayer [salat
al-janazah] was indeed a type of prayer [salat], or whether it was simply given that name. He said the question arose since the funeral prayer can be performed at any time without having to take the times into consideration during which offering salat would usually be forbidden. Moreover, he asked whether it was permissible to hold two separate Jumuah prayers in the same mosque. He said, he has observed that in [a certain town’s] mosque, the khuddam who are on duty, deliver a separate sermon and offer a separate Jumuah prayer later on, despite it being prohibited in the book Fiqh-e-Ahmadiyya. Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 7 January 2022, provided the following guidance in this regard: “The funeral prayer is indeed a type of salat, but it does not include bowing [ruku‘] or prostrating [sajdah] because the deceased’s body is present in front of those offering the prayer. This is to avoid any chance of shirk [associating partners with God]. In Tafsir-e-Kabir, Hazrat Musleh-eMaudra explained various types of prayers, including the funeral prayer and stated: “‘In addition to all the other prayers, Salat al-Janazah is another necessary prayer that is considered a collective obligation [fard al-kifayah] in Islam. […] It differs from other obligatory prayers in that it is performed standing up without any ruku‘ or sajdah. All of its parts are performed while standing up. […] The prayer has four parts and is initiated by the imam, who stands facing the qiblah, placing his right hand over his left hand on his chest after loudly reciting the takbir. There is no iqamah pronounced before this prayer.’ (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 115) “There are no prohibited times for offering funeral prayers. However, there is a difference of opinion among Islamic jurists [fuqaha] regarding this matter. There is no prohibition for offering funeral prayers, as there is for offering voluntary prayers [nawafil] after Fajr and Asr prayers, which is prohibited. However, during the three times, i.e., when the sun is rising, at its zenith, or setting, according to the Hanafi, Maliki, and Hanbali jurists, it is preferable not to offer funeral prayers without a valid excuse or necessity. On the other hand, according to the Shafi‘i jurists, funeral prayers can be offered at any time.”
Two Jumuah prayers in one mosque “As far as the question of offering two separate Jumuah prayers in one mosque [by two groups of people] under compelling circumstances is concerned, remember that just as the repeating of other congregational prayers is confirmed by ahadith (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitab assalah, Bab ma ja’a fil l-jama‘ati fi masjidin qad sulliya fihi marrah) and also by the permission granted by the Promised Messiahas for it on account of some necessity (Badr, Qadian, Vol. 6, No. 1, 10 January 1907, p. 18), Friday prayers may also be offered twice if necessary, and there is no objection to this. “However, it is necessary to take precautions to ensure that the Friday prayer is not offered again in the same spot in the mosque where it was already performed. Instead, the on-duty khuddam should deliver their separate sermon and offer their Friday prayer in a different spot. An example of this can be found during the blessed era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira; Al Fazl (Qadian) recorded this in an article titled ‘Madinatul Masih’ as follows: “‘On Fridays, men and women used to go to Aqsa Mosque. This also provided an opportunity for some mischievous people to cause trouble, which resulted in financial loss for a couple of individuals. Therefore, the following recommendation of Dr Khalifa Rashiduddin Sahib[ra] was accepted by Hazrat Maulvi Sahib (Khalifatul Masih Ira): He suggested that to achieve peace of mind, a group of believers should hold a vigil from noon until the Friday prayer has been offered, and then these sincere Ahmadis should observe their separate Friday prayer at Mubarak Mosque. Therefore, on that Friday, Babu Wazir Muhammad Sahib, a sincere and enthusiastic Ahmadi from Lahore, along with some twenty to thirty Ahmadi boys,