Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 49
! ! 49 There is no doubt that in comparison to men, women have fewer opportunities to listen to sermons , yet they do have some opportunities at least. So, if they remember and act upon all that is said to them, only then would their compl ai nt that they are not addressed as often as men, be correct and justified. If a student memorizes his first lesson and presents it, he earns the right to request that more lessons be taught to him. However, if he does not memorize the first lesson, then teaching him more is of no use. Similarly, if they remember and act upon those points presented to them it is their right to demand for m ore [addresses], otherwise they have no right. Thus , instead of demanding for lectures to be given to you as they are given to the men, you should prove that you can implement what has previously been said to you. Otherwise, if you do not act upon the advice you have been given and continue to demand that you are addressed , the exhortations given to you will be forcibly given, which will be of no benefit to you. This is because the one who can not remember the first instruction , how can t he y remember any other instruction? How can a person who cannot digest one piece of bread , be expected to digest two ? Therefore , if you do not implement what has been explained to you already, how can one expect that you will take advantage o f what is being said to you now? Thus , I would first like to emphasize to y ou that listen ing to a sermon as a form of entertainment and to dismiss all that was said therein once you are home, is equivalent to a sin. It does not benefit anyone. The purpose of giving an exhortation is that it may be remembered and acted upon. A Good S ermon is not t hat in which the A udien ce is P raised Oftentimes, it has been noted that women evaluate a sermon based on what is being said about them. At Jalsa [Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Community] , women will often rate one maulvi’ s lecture as very good and another’s not so good. Upon inquiry, i t was found that the sermon in which the ladies were praised was considered superior and the one which discussed their weaknesses and their reformation was not appreciated. Hafiz Roshan Ali is an acclaimed speaker, but his sermon was regarded as unsatisfactory. Upon inquiry , it transpired that his sermon conta ined exhortations for women. It can be learn ed from this , that women appreciate only th at sermon in which they are complimented and praised. If they are admonished, they