In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger

Khutbah Ilhamiyyah—The Revealed Sermon

O servants of Allah, ponder and reflect on this day of yours, which is the day of the Festival of Sacrifices, for verily hidden secrets have been placed in these sacrifices for those who are wise. All of you know that many animals are slaughtered on this day—many caravans of camels, herds of cattle, and flocks of goats are slaughtered—and all this is done in seeking the pleasure of the Lord of the universe. Such has been the practice ever since the inception of Islam and continues even in these days. In my opinion, these sacrifices that are made in our illustrious Shariah are beyond the realm of estimation, and they are far superior to the sacrifices made by those belonging to the earlier nations of Prophets. The abundance of these sacrifices has reached a point that the face of the earth has been covered with their blood; so much so that if all of it were to be amassed and irrigated, streams would flow out and rivers would gush forth with it and all of the plains and valleys of the earth would be inundated with blood. In our religion, this deed is counted among those that are a means of attaining qurb [nearness] to Allah the Most Holy. They have been taken to resemble a mount that is like a flash of lightning in its speed and resplendence. It is for this very reason that these slaughtered animals have been given the name qurban [means of drawing nearness to Allah] because it is mentioned in the ahadith that they are a means of acquiring qurb [nearness] and communion with God Almighty for all those who offer these sacrifices with sincerity, devotion, and faithfulness. These sacrifices are among the most exalted acts of worship in the Shariah. Hence, the sacrificial animal is called nasikah. In the Arabic language, the word nusuk denotes submission and worship. Similarly, the word nusuk is also used in the aforementioned language to refer to the sacrifice of those animals whose slaughter has been enjoined by the Shariah. So this commonality of meanings in the word nusuk points out conclusively that a true worshipper and sincere servant is he who ‘slaughters’ his self along with all his faculties, and all of the beloveds who have enamoured him, for the pleasure of the Lord of all creation. Such a one repels the desires of his nafs with a force that causes them to be totally shattered and annihilated. He himself becomes consumed with no trace left of his self and becomes hidden. The fierce winds of fana [self-annihilation] blow upon him and the particles of his very being are blown away by the strong gusts of these winds. And anyone who reflects upon the commonality of the two meanings of the word nusuk, and ponders over this station with an awakened heart and open eyes, will not fail to realize, and will not dispute that this commonality in the meanings of nusuk reveals the secret that the worship which delivers one from a loss in the Hereafter is the slaughter of nafs-e-‘ammarah which is the self that fervently incites towards evil in the likeness of a ruler who constantly enjoins evil. Thus, salvation lies in the fact that one slays the self that enjoins evil by the knives of turning exclusively towards Allah, the Possessor of bounties, power and authority; and by considering God Almighty—to the exclusion of all creation—as being an intimate friend and the comfort of one’s soul. Moreover, one must endure diverse forms of bitter hardships to save one’s self from the death of heedlessness. This is the meaning of Islam and the true import of perfect submission. A Muslim is one who submits himself to slaughter before Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, and who, for His sake, has slaughtered the she-camel of his self and has thrown it down on its forehead; and is never oblivious, even for a moment, of the time of death. In short, the slaughters and sacrifices that are ordained in Islam are a reminder of the objective of giving oneself freely. They are also an incentive for achieving this station, and a forerunner of the reality to be attained after perfect enlightenment. Thus, it is incumbent upon every believing man and woman who seek the pleasure of the Loving God to understand this reality, so as to make it as their ultimate objective, and to imbue this reality into their own being until it permeates every particle of their existence. They should not rest or sit at ease until they have offered this sacrifice for the Lord whom they worship, and not be content—like the foolish and ignorant—with the outer form and hollow shell. Rather, one ought to offer true sacrifice, and carry it out with all their intellect, and with a spirit of righteousness and the spirit of sacrifice. This is the height of the pilgrim’s journey, the ultimate objective of those seeking enlightenment, and the culmination of all the stations of the righteous. All the destinations of the truthful and the saints are arrived at, and the journey of the auliya’ reaches its zenith. If you arrive at this station, you have taken your struggle to its ultimate limit and have achieved the stage of fana. It is then that the tree of your sojourn [towards God] will thereby grow to its utmost perfection, and the neck of your soul will reach the soft green buds in the meadow of purity and sublimity like a she-camel with a long neck reaching the high branches of a verdant tree. Thereafter begins the experience of the feelings, the fragrance, and the glorious manifestations of the One True God, so that He may cut asunder any remaining veins of human frailties. Thereafter, the soul that is content and pleased with God and whom God is pleased with, and which has achieved the stage of fana, is granted life, permanence and nearness, so that this servant may be equipped with the capacity to receive favours after his second life. After this, the perfect man is adorned with the robe of Khilafat [i.e., vicegerency] by the One True God. He is conferred the colour of divine attributes by way of reflection so that it is proven that he is worthy of the station of Khilafat. Then, he descends towards humanity so that he may draw them to spirituality and pull them out of mundane darkness into the heavenly light. Such a man is made to inherit from those that have preceded him from among the Prophets, the Truthful, the men of learning and scholarship, and from among the suns of nearness and friendship of the Divine. He is granted the knowledge and insight of those who have preceded him among the learned divines and the wise scholars of the nation, so that it may be proven that he is worthy of the station of warathat [spiritual inheritance]. Such a man stays in the world for as long as it is ordained by his Lord—the Lord of Honour—to enlighten humanity with the light of guidance. After he has illumined the people with the light of his Lord, or has taken the matter of delivering the message to its due level, [the purpose of ] his title is fully consummated and his Lord calls upon him and his soul is raised to its spiritual station. This is the meaning of rafa‘ [raising] according to those who possess knowledge and understanding. Marfu‘ [one who is raised] is he who is given to drink from the goblet of communion by the hand of the True Beloved who is the ocean of beauty and grace. He is draped in the mantle of Providence, even though he permanently retains his station of servitude. This is the ultimate station that a seeker after truth attains in human life. O company of people, do not be oblivious to this station, nor to the secret that is found in sacrifices. Let your sacrifices be like mirrors that reflect this reality. Do not disregard these advices, nor be like those who have forgotten their Lord and their death. A reference to this hidden secret has been made in the Word of our All-Sustaining Lord. The Most Truthful among the truthful says whilst addressing His Prophet: [Say, ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds’]. See how He has elaborated the meanings of the word nusuk by the words mahya [life] and mamat [death]. By this elaboration, He has thereby pointed towards the reality of sacrifice. Hence—O wise ones!—reflect upon this. Whoever offers his sacrifice with a true understanding of the meaning of sacrifice, and does so with a sincere heart and pure intention, has verily thereby offered the sacrifice of his self, his children and his grandchildren. And for him is a great reward, like the reward which was for Ibrahim [Abraham], from his Benevolent Lord. Our Master, the Chosen One, the Messenger Elect, the Imam of the Righteous, and the Seal of the Prophets who is the most truthful after Allah, has stated that: Verily, sacrifices are mounts that lead you towards the Lord of Creation, and erase faults and ward off afflictions. This is what has been conveyed to us by the Messenger of God, the best of all creation, peace and magnificent bounties of Allah be upon him. In this, he indicates the wisdom of sacrifices in eloquent words that shine like pearls. It is immensely pitiful that many people do not understand these hidden subtleties and do not follow this advice. To them there is no meaning in ‘Id other than to bathe, wear new clothes, gorge themselves and devour mouthfuls of food in the company of their families, servants, and household workers; and then to proceed forth for the ‘Id Prayer adorned like feudal lords. You will find that their greatest joy on this day is to eat sumptuous food, and the height of their desire lies in fine and splendid garments as a display to the people. They know not what sacrifice is, nor the purpose behind the slaughter of goats and cattle. According to them, the purpose of ‘Id is nothing but to eat, drink, and engage in sheer enjoyment from dawn to dusk; to wear elegant dress, ride swift horses, and consume fresh meat. On this day you will find that their preoccupation is nothing more than to wear fine attire, comb their hair, apply collyrium to their eyes, perfume their clothing, style their dangling forelocks and sidelocks as women do for adornment. Thereafter they repeat quick movements in their Prayer in the likeness of a hen that pecks at grain—completely devoid of focus, abounding in stray thoughts and prey to a distracted heart. Thereafter, they attend to the consumption of a variety of foods and victuals, and fill their bellies like cattle with all types of blessings. They are inclined towards sport and pastime and towards useless diversions. They leave their selves free to graze in the pastures of lust. They ride horses, carriages, camels and she-camels, mules, and the necks of people. All the while they are fully decorated. They waste the entire day in frivolous talk, giving gifts of meat to each other and displaying their pride in the meat of their cows and goats. This is accompanied by enjoyment, diverse forms of celebrations, attractions to please the self, acts of transgression, laughing with open mouths displaying both their front and back teeth, and thronging towards the dancing of loose women, kissing and embracing them, and after that [reaching for] their girdles. We say inna lillah [surely, to Allah we belong] on account of the plights that have descended upon Islam, and the vicissitude of the times. Hearts have died, and sins have become rampant while grief has intensified. Thus in the black of night, and in the darkness of the stormy winds, the mercy of Allah demanded the descent of heavenly light.1Accordingly, I am that light and the Mujaddid [Reformer] who has come by the command of God Almighty, the servant [of Allah] who enjoys His support. I am the awaited Mahdi and the Promised Messiah. I have been appointed by my Lord to a station that no man fathoms. My secret is above and beyond the ken of most godly people, let alone the common folk. My station is beyond the grasp of those who delve deep in understanding, nor can the stature of my ascension be perceived by anyone’s imaginations. My gait in the sojourn towards Allah is faster than the swiftest she-camels. Therefore, do not judge me by comparing me to others, nor compare others to me. Do not destroy yourselves with doubt and antagonism. I am the kernel that has no shell. I am the soul that has no body. I am the sun that cannot be concealed with the smoke of enmity and malice. You may search for someone like unto me, but you will surely fail, even if you search carrying a lamp in hand. But this is no pride, it is gratitude for the favours of the God who has planted this seedling. I have been cleansed with the water of light and have been purified in the fountain of Divine Holiness, and have been purged of all filth and impurities, and my Lord has named me “Ahmad”. So, praise me and do not abuse me and do not take your affair to the brink of hopelessness. Anyone who praises me and leaves no kind of praise unmentioned, has spoken the truth, and has abstained from uttering falsehood. Whoever rejects this statement, has utterred falsehood and has kindled the wrath of the Gracious God. Woe upon him who doubts and breaks the covenant, and pollutes his heart with the whisperings of Satan. I have descended from a lofty and honoured station so that my Lord may demonstrate some of His attributes of glory and beauty through me— that is, to remove evil and spread virtue—for, the age demanded that the evil, which had exceeded all bounds, be eradicated, and the virtue which had vanished, be reestablished. Therefore, the grace of God willed that the present age be granted what it demanded in light of its prevailing circumstances, and so that mercy may be bestowed upon men and women. Therefore, I was made a reflection of the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, so that God may remove the elements of harm and misguidance. And He made me the reflection of the most honoured Prophet, Ahmad, the Guided One, to benefit the people and to shower down, once again, the rain of understanding and guidance, and to purify the people from the filth of heedlessness and sin. Thus, I have come with two yellow robes that are coloured with the hues of glory and beauty. And I have been conferred the qualities of causing to die and bringing to life— and I have received these qualities from the Lord who is the Doer of what He wills. But the grandeur that I have been granted by Allah the Possessor of Glory2 is a result of the reflection of ‘Isa [that manifests itself in me], so that I may put an end to the evil of polytheism which surges forth and is present in the doctrines of the misguided and which has been kindled with utmost fury; for, it is the greatest of all calamities in the sight of Allah who is the Knower of all circumstances; and so that I may raze the pillars of falsehood that they have erected in opposition to Allah. The beauty that I have been granted by Allah, the Benevolent and Gracious, is a result of the reflection of Ahmad so that I may bring back the virtue of Tauhid [the Oneness of God] which has vanished from the tongues, hearts, words, and deeds of people, and thereby establish the religious order. I have been commanded to slay3 the swines of disorder, heresy and misguidance which trample underfoot the pearls of truthfulness, destroy the harvests of people, and wreak havoc in the fields of faith, purity, and deeds. This slaying is to be with heavenly weaponry, not with swords and arrows, as is the belief of those who are devoid of rectitude and truthful speech. They are themselves misguided and have misled many others from among the ignorant. It is true that I have been forbidden from fighting the disbelievers. It was ordained even before my existence that I would abolish warfare and would have no inclination towards bloodshed. Thus, there remains no jihad, except the jihad of the tongue, and the jihad of Signs and argumentation. Similarly, I have been commanded to fill the houses and pouches of the Muslims with wealth—but not with the wealth of gold and silver; rather, with the wealth of knowledge, rectitude, guidance, and certainty of the highest degree—so that faith may be made firmer than the mountains, and glad tidings be given to those who are buried under burdens. Therefore, glad tidings be to you that the Messiah has come, and he has been anointed by the All-Powerful God, and has been granted eloquent speech by Him. He safeguards you from the caravan that travels the earth to deceive people, and he calls you towards Allah and removes all doubts. So felicitations to you that the awaited Mahdi has come to you with an abundance of wealth piled in hoards. He strives to restore to you the wealth that you had lost, and to recover for you the prosperity that has been buried alive. It is not a thing that has been forged, but it is the light of Allah which is accompanied by extraordinary Signs. O people, I am the Messiah of the dispensation of Muhammad and I am Ahmad, the Mahdi [Guided One]. Verily, my Lord has remained with me since my childhood and shall stand by me until I reach my grave. I have been granted a fire which devours and water that is sweet. I am the Yemeni Star and a heavenly rain. Infliction of a wound by me is a sharp spear, and my supplication is a proven remedy. I manifest my glory to one people and my beauty to another. I hold a weapon in one hand with which I destroy the practices of cruelty and sin. In my other hand, I possess an elixir by which I restore life to hearts—an axe to destroy and a breath to revive. I possess glory, because—like the son of Mary—people have tried to uproot me. And, I possess beauty because—just like my Master, Ahmad—my mercy surges forth to guide the people who have become heedless of the Lord who is the Most High. Are you, then, surprised at this, and do you ignore the time and its need? Do you not see that the present age yearns for the Lord—who is the Doer of what He wills—to manifest the attribute of His Glory to one people and the attribute of His Beauty to another? Verily, Signs have appeared, [prophesied] indications have been manifested, and all disputes have been resolved. So why do you not see? The solar and lunar eclipses took place in the month of Ramadan, but you fail to recognise. Some from among the people have died in accordance with the tidings of Allah while others, in light of prophecies of death, were killed, but you do not reflect. Many a Sign has been manifested in my support, but you pay no heed. The earth, the heaven, water and dust have testified in my favour, but you do not fear in the least. Intellect, tradition, indications and Signs, as well as other testimonies, dreams and visions also stand in support, but you remain in denial. These Signs carry a magnificent import for those who reflect. The Dhus-Sinin [i.e., comet] has appeared, and nearly a fifth of the century has elapsed. So, tell me where the Mujaddid [i.e., the rejuvenator] is, if you know. The plague has broken out, the Hajj has been suspended, deaths have multiplied, nations have gone to war over gold mines, the cross has been raised, and Islam has shifted away from its true position and has disappeared like a wayfarer. Wickedness and the wicked have increased manifold, people have become enamoured with wine, gambling, and dancing; evildoers and tyrants have appeared. The righteous have shrunk in number and the time for the manifestation of our Lord has arrived, and all that the Prophets had foretold has come to pass. So what will you believe in after this? O people, stand firm all together or individually for the sake of Allah; fear Him and reflect like one who is consumed with neither greed nor enmity. Is this not the time when Allah should have mercy on men? Is it not time that evil be repelled and the thirst of hearts be quenched by rain? Has not the deluge of evil reached its height? Has ignorance not cast its net in all corners? All the land has been corrupted and Satan has thanked the ignorant. So, be thankful to Allah who has remembered you and remembered your Faith and safeguarded it from ruin. He safeguarded the seeds that you had sown and the crops that you cultivated from catastrophe and sent down rain and thus brought His investment to fruition. He sent His Messiah to ward off harm and His Mahdi to foster goodness and bestow reward, and caused you to join the age of your Imam after the age of the others had gone by. Brethren! This age of ours bears a perfect resemblance with this month of ours, because this is the last age and this is also the last month in the Islamic calendar, and both are about to end. There are sacrifices to be made in this month just as there are also sacrifices to be made in this last age. The difference is only of the actual and its mirror image. An example of this has appeared earlier in the age of the Best of Creation, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. O men of understanding! The real sacrifice is that of the spirit. The sacrifices of goats are metaphoric and symbolic. So understand the secret of this truth. After the Companions of the Holy Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, you are the most deserving and most worthy of understanding this truth. You are the last people who have been joined with them by the grace and mercy of Allah. The succession of the dispensations has come to its culmination in our age by the One True God just as the months of the Islamic calendar come to an end with the month of sacrifice. In this, there is a hidden indication for those who possess good judgement. I have been appointed at the highest station of Wilayat just as our Chief, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was at the highest station of Nubuwwat. He was the Seal of the Prophets and I am the Seal of the Auliya’. There is no wali after me except the one who is from me and is under my covenant. I have been sent by my Lord with every power, blessing, and honour. I stand on a minaret where all heights culminate. So fear Allah, O stalwarts. Recognise me and do not disobey me, nor die in a state of disobedience. The age is near when every soul shall be called to account for its deeds and be recompensed. There are many calamities and nothing can deliver you except faith. The errors [of man] are colossal and nothing can eradicate them except for self-annihilation. O my helpers, fear the chastisement of Allah; and for him who fears his Lord are two heavens. So do not sit among the heedless and with those who have forgotten death. Hasten towards Allah and ride swift steeds and abandon lame horses, so that you may meet the Lord of Creation. Adopt the habit of severing ties for Allah so that you may be granted His communion and nearness. Break away from material means so that means may be devised for you. Die, dear ones, so that you may be granted a new life. This day, the argument is complete against the opponents and all the pleas of those who make excuses have been shattered. Those people who spread misguidance and whisper evil have lost all hope in you. They wasted their lives in worldly pursuits and did not gain aught of faith. Indeed, they are like the blind. So this day Allah has broken their backs and they have turned away disappointed. This day, the truth has become clearly manifest to those who can see and the path of the guilty has become evident. Only such a one has turned away from the truth who is deprived by his eternal misfortune, and he alone has rejected it who is deprived by his cruel nature. So we bid farewell to them with greetings of peace. The argument has been perfected against them and their being worthy of punishment has been established. If even now they do not desist, patience is called for, and soon, He who is aware of their circumstances will take them to task.