Mosques around the World — Page 20
" 20 20. T. Message of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV On the Occasion of the Inauguration of Bait-ur-Rahman Mosque, USA he building of places of worship, such as mosques, dedicated to the one and only one God, is indeed among the noblest of tasks. But alas, the places of worship are sometimes built with mixed intentions. They are not always entirely and purely dedicated to the worship of Allah alone. . Islam stands out among religions in its total commitment to the unity of God. Yet it does not permit its adherents to interefere with the beliefs and practices of idolatrous religions. The principle teaching in this regard, without compromise, is given in the following verse of the Holy Quran: لا إكراه في الدِّينِ قف "There is no compulsion in religion. " (Al-Quran, 2:257). This contains, indeed, the fundamental principle of religious practices and beliefs. . This principle also implies that those who believe in the unity of God cannot be denied the right to worship in mosques. The doors of the Muslim mosques must therefore always remain open to the followers of all religions, who believe in the unity of God. As far as physical access is concerned, even the idolaters are not denied. . That which is forbidden is only to pay homage to anyone besides God. The Muslim places of worship must entirely remain dedicated to God alone in all sincerity. . There is no doubt that this grand, spacious, and beautiful building is extremely impressive and is a treat for the eyes to behold. only between 1982 and 1994. We are planning to build many more in the coming years to keep pace with the expansion of the Jama'at. . I do hope and pray that the sacrifices of all those who have generously participated in the building of this humble yet great house of God will find favor with the Lord. This mosque has been built at a cost of $4. 25 million, which has been provided almost entirely by members of the US Ahmadiyya Jama'at. A large share of the credit goes to the Association of Ahmadiyya. Doctors/Surgeons, who have provided more than half the entire expenses. The president and office bearers of the Medical. Association should specially be remembered in our prayers. . Among them there are those whose personal sacrifices are phenomenal. As for the rest of the Jama'at a large majority of them participated to the best of their capacity, with enthusiasm and a spirit of dedication that has touched my heart. The Amir of USA, M. M. Ahmad Sahib, and his team, who worked dilgently under his able leadership, are also to be remembered in our special prayers. Outside the executive, there is one name which I would personally like to add to the list of those who performed outstanding work with regard to the collection of fundsHazrat Sheikh Mubarak Ahmad Sahib, the exAmir and Missionary-in-Charge of USA. His strenuous tours for fund raising have been truly impressive. He must be nearing 90 years of age and yet, by the Grace of Allah, he works like a young man. God bless him and all the workers in whatever capacity they worked. May posterity also remember them with prayers when they read this brief mention of their services on this stone tablet. "Yet it must be remembered that, according to Islam, the status of a place of worship, in the sight of Allah, is not related to physical grandeur or outstanding architectural design. The greatness of a mosque depends entirely on the fear of God and the sincerity with which the worshippers bow and prostrate therein. ". Yet it must be remembered that, according to Islam, the status of a place of worship, in the sight of Allah, is not related to physical grandeur or outstanding architectural design. The greatness of a mosque depends entirely on the fear of God and the sincerity with which the worshippers bow and prostrate. therein. However, it is permissible to build large, spacious, simple but beautiful mosques, such as this one for whose inauguration we have all gathered here together. This is an issue that relates to the deep-rooted intentions that precede every human project; if the mosque incidentally also happens to be attractive and beautiful, without the element of lavishness, it is not diapproved in Islam. Alhamdolillah-all praise be to. Allah-I can say with great confidence that those who participated in the building of this mosque did so entirely to win. Allah's favor and had no baser motives. . The first house of God ever built in the USA was by the. Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at in 1922. Since then we have been able to add 28 more mosques or centers of worship in the. United States. It is a small number but the work is quickening in pace with the passage of time. Out of the total, 22 were added. Allah, however, does not need any inscription to remind Him. I have no doubt that He will always shower His blessings on those who have participated with profound sincerity only to please Him. May He always remain pleased with them. Along with those who have made outstanding financial contributions, there are also others who have only been able to offer small sums, but with pure love and a deep sense of sorrow that they could not offer more. The ways of Allah are strange. In His sight, sometimes, small contributors are held higher and closer in His love than those who have offered more. He knows best and to Him we should all turn with prayers that He should ignore our shortcomings and forgive our sins and accept our offerings, small or big, pure or defective, with mercy and graciousness. . May He grant us the opportunity to be able to achieve the very noblest of expectations related to the houses of His worship. . Zahmad. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Khalifatul Masih IVaba. October 14, 1994. Ahmadiyya Muslim Association USA: 1994 Souveni