Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V began his address to ladies at Jalsa Salana Holland 2004 by reciting Tashahhud, T‘awwuz, and Surah Fatihah and then said:
“Today I shall draw the attention of ladies here to a few matters. Just as Islam has drawn the attention of men towards discharging their rights and obligations, it has also drawn the attention of women to their rights and obligations. This is because in society, particularly in an Islamic society men and women have specific roles to play. The next generation is brought up in the laps of mothers and they also play a big role in making or ruining nations. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has spoken openly and clearly about the rights and obligations of women and has drawn attention, in light of the teaching of the Holy Qur’an, to abide by righteousness and bring up children according to the beautiful teaching of Islam. If women were to understand this responsibility then an Ahmadi society would continue to be elegant and this effect will not be limited to your homes, it will not be limited to the Jama’at. In fact its effect will be evident outside our homes as well. Its effect will traverse the sphere of the Jama’at and will be evident in the wider society; in every street, city and every country! We can only succeed in the revolutionary change that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wanted to instil in us and we can only succeed in spreading the beautiful teaching of Islam in the world with which Allah the Exalted sent the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and we will only be able to embed the banner of Islam in the world, and as soon as possible, bring the entire world under the banner of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) when the Ahmadi woman understands her responsibility, her status and her duties and tries to play her role in this regard!”
(Address delivered to ladies on 3 June 2004 at Jalsa Salana Holland. Published in Al Fazl International 22 July 2005)
Similarly addressing ladies at Jalsa Salana Germany Huzoore Anwer said:
“As I explained in my sermon yesterday, it is important to follow every stage of attaining Divine nearness while staying firm on righteousness and with fear of God instilled in the heart. Each one of these stages should be followed, each commandment observed. Then alone can spiritual success be attained and one can become recipient of heavens. I enumerated those commandments yesterday. The first of them is to observe Salat with the fear of God and with humility.
“Supplicate Allah the Exalted while being mindful that you are before God and seek from Him; seek for yourself, for your husband and your children; O Allah, You alone can keep us firm on virtues, enable us to worship You! O Allah, make us, our children and our husbands steadfast on these virtues! It is stated regarding offering Salat that when you submit before Allah the Exalted, show humility. This humility will be generated with the awareness that one is standing before Allah the Exalted. A Hadith relates that if one cannot have the awareness of seeing Allah the Exalted or being before Allah the Exalted then at least one should have the awareness that Allah the Exalted is watching one. Then alone can humility be generated. One is also able to concentrate in worship when different kinds of idle and absurd matters are avoided. Effort should be made in this regard as well as prayers should be made during Salat that O Allah, save us, our children and our husbands from these absurdities!”
As regards the absurdities Huzoore Anwer said: “Usually it is women who have the habit to sit and chat about absurd matters, although men also do this. This should be avoided in any case. For example commenting that so and so has such and such clothes, so and so has such and such home, children of so and so have these bad habits, so and so husband and wife have such and such relationship! All this is purposeless and absurd. If these comments happen to be factual then one must pray for the people concerned and seek help from Allah the Exalted to make things better for them with the compassion one has for one’s brothers and sisters and pray for their ills and weaknesses to be removed. However, if the people about whom these comments are made are not as it is being said and it is mere gossip mongering, then it is sinful. The status given to women in Islam or the status that is expected of her, demands that every woman, especially every Ahmadi woman avoids such absurd, purposeless and sinful talk.”
(Address delivered to ladies on 21 August 2004 at Jalsa Salana Germany. Published in Al Fazl International 1 May 2015)