by A. Abdul Aziz.

((Given below is an excerpt of the Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Supreme Head of the world-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, on 06 March 2026, at ‘Masjid Mubarak’, Islamabad, Tilford, U.K. gave a discourse on The Catastrophic Effects of the War in the Middle East)

After reciting first part of Arabic sermon followed by   Surah al-Fatihah, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper) said that the purpose of the message brought by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was to direct people towards belief in One God, His worship, the establishment of His unity and striving in that regard, and to fulfil the rights owed to fellow humankind in order to live together harmoniously.

The Role of Muslim Countries in the Current Turmoil

Ahmadiyya Supreme Head said that the reality today is that, despite Muslims professing the Islamic creed, there is discord among Muslims and a lack of unity. The actions of Muslims do not conform to the teachings which they profess. If we look at the current state of the Muslim world, then there is great cause for concern. Although the Muslim world has means and wealth, the Muslim countries have neither a good standing on the world stage, nor do they have God standing in terms of the faith. They do not strive to act upon the teachings of Islam. The result is that non-Muslims take advantage. Therefore, the leaders of the Muslim world must realise that they need to unite as one and they must strive in this regard. It is only in doing so that they can save themselves from the onslaughts of the world, establish their dignity, and prevent anti-Islamic forces from striking discord among Muslims.

His Holiness said that in this regard, we must ponder over the divinely established provision by following which the Muslim world can become united as one. That provision is the manifestation of the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, in this era, who was sent by God to unite the Muslim world. Thus, it is the responsibility of Ahmadi Muslims to strive towards the end of uniting the Muslim world.

Ahmadiyya Khalifa said that he has been giving warnings for quite some time regarding the current state of the world. Previously, it was thought that the Western or European nations would become the cause of such precarious circumstances, and while they are indeed, it is also true that Muslim nations have also contributed to the current state of affairs in the world. It was the Western nations which stirred discord in the Muslim nations, which then spread from one country to the next. It is clear that these Western nations seek to obtain the means found in these Muslim lands and bring them under their control.

His Holinesssaid that the warnings he has been giving for quite some time are now manifesting exactly as he had said they would. One thing is clearly evident – the powers of the Antichrist will never let us live in peace. They thrive on there constantly being discord in the world. Such nations will establish peace treaties under the guise of peace, but their motives are to obtain oil or other such motives.

The Threat Posed by Establishing Military Bases in Muslim Countries His Holinesssaid that the current war in the Middle East clearly shows the United States has established military bases at various places. But why is this so? Is it to protect those countries? After all, what threat was posed to the Middle Eastern countries? The reality is that they themselves created the threat, and then said that in order to save themselves from the threat, they needed to establish military bases. Or, the Muslim countries were convinced to provide them with military bases with promises of helping them in trade and business. All the while, their actual purpose was not to actually help, but to bolster their own strength. Even if there was a threat to the Arab nations, they were the threats created by the US itself. And so, ultimately, their purpose was to establish their superiority over these nations.

His Holinesssaid that as for Iran, it has always instigated these nations, and indeed, even certain Muslim nations have been opposed to Iran due to theological differences. This discord was taken advantage of by Western nations. Seeing as Iran had a stricter policy against Israel, the US thought to rally the Arab world and establish military bases there to ensure the protection of Israel and impose their presence upon Iran. It is now evident that because of these bases, there were threats to the Arab world, and indeed these threats materialised in the form of attacks which have gravely impacted their livelihoods. There have been negative impacts on areas where the economy depends on oil money or tourism. This has only benefited the Western powers and will continue to benefit them, because when there is war, opposing powers also wage attacks. Since Iran was at war with the US, it too waged attacks targeting bases and embassies in Arab countries, which have caused harm.

The Seeding of Discord Among Muslim Countries

Ahmadiyya Khalifa  said that an Arab journalist wrote that Arabs must remain vigilant, because. In contrast, it is said that Iran is the one waging these attacks; it is also possible for these attacks to be waged by the US and Israel. Whereas Iran may have waged attacks as well, it is very possible that the US and Israel may take advantage and themselves be the ones to wage further attacks. The journalist goes on to write that it is possible that ultimately the US and Israel may exit this war while the Muslim world continues fighting among itself.

His Holiness said that we must thus pray that God saves the world from discord and unrest. The Muslim world must adopt peace and live together harmoniously. This is exactly what Islam teaches them. It does not teach them to be at each other’s throats. As Ahmadis, it has always been our mission to warn them against perpetrating injustices. Given the manner in which these cruelties are increasing by the day, it seems that there is going to be a wide-scale world war. In fact, some Western commentators believe that the world war has already started. His Holiness has also said that the world war has begun. However, if, even now, the Muslim world comes together and unites as one, then they can protect themselves against the onslaughts of the Antichrist.

The Need for Justice and Upholding the Rights of Others

His Holinesssaid that the current threat to the world is great. Everyone is concerned more with their own personal interests and gains. When one becomes selfish, they can think of no one other than themselves. In today’s world, it is not only a matter of seeking one’s own rights; rather, people must honour the rights of others. Thus, the Muslim world must be told to act with justice, for it is only then that peace can be established in the world.

His Holinesssaid that he has been warning the world of this end for a very long time. The same people who mocked or said that His Holiness olds a very pessimistic view of the world are now accepting that what they considered impossible only a few years ago has become a very real possibility, as wars have broken out. American and European commentators have said that the world war has begun and will only intensify. Until these nations continue to seek only their own interests, these wars will only increase.

War Based on Hypothesis

His Holiness said that the US and its allies also say that they attacked Iran because Iran may have created a nuclear bomb or to preemptively stem any attack that they may have launched. In other words, this war was started on the basis of conceptual ideas of what might have been. Western commentators have said that going to war with Iran is not as easy as the US had initially thought and that this war may extend for a long time and it will certainly negatively impact the Muslim world. Most grievous of all is that  Muslims themselves are killing other Muslims. Scores of innocents and children have been killed. American columnists have written that if a few children were killed in Western countries, there would be columns written about it for days on end. However, when a school was bombed in the Middle East, nothing was said. Such was the case in Palestine, and now it is the case in Iran. It goes to show that in their view, a Muslim life holds no value.

Muslim Ummah (Community) Should Unite

Ahmadiyya supreme Head prayed that may Allah grant sense to the Muslim world and enable them to come together to solve these issues. If they claim to believe in One God, then in order to establish God’s Unity on earth it is necessary for them to become united. There is no need to start disputes, even on the basis of differences in beliefs, as sometimes that is what gives rise to conflict. The Holy Prophet⁽ Muhammad (PBUH) was so careful and kind that when his companions told him that a certain person was a hypocrite, the Holy ProphetMuhammad (PBUH) responded saying that he would not take any action so long as the person proclaimed the Islamic creed. Thus, to start disputes on the most trivial of matters will only bring harm unto themselves.

Ahmadiyya Khalifa Harat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper) prayed that may Allah grant wisdom to the Muslim world; even now, may they come to realise that they must not become opposed to Iran solely on the basis of differences in belief. Islam came to establish the Unity of God, and so everyone must strive to this end. They must not make the great powers of this world their gods, because the only true and lasting power belongs to Allah. There is still time to wake up and turn to God. Worldly people have destroyed the peace of the world and will continue to do so. God states in the Holy Qur’an:

‘And if two parties of believers fight against each other, make peace between them; then if after that one of them transgresses against the other, fight the party that transgresses until it returns to the command of Allah. Then if it returns, make peace between them with equity, and act justly. Verily, Allah loves the just.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 49:10)

His Holinesssaid that the dictates of justice must be met and the Muslim governments must play their role. It should be clear that when trying to establish peace, vested interest must not be at the fore, rather the actual issue at hand must be resolved. The issue at hand is clearly the Antichrist which seeks to stir discord. Thus far, the UN has not played its role in establishing this kind of peace. It is only when we rise above vested interests that we can establish peace. God further states:

‘Surely all believers are brothers. So make peace between brothers, and fear Allah that mercy may be shown to you.’ (The Holy Qur’an, 49:11)

His Holiness^(aba) said that even if there is discord or a dispute between two Muslim countries, then they must remember that they are, at their core, brothers; and petty disputes must not undo this brotherhood. The Muslim world must pay special heed to this, otherwise anti-Islam forces will take advantage. If only the Muslim world understood this. May Allah grant them the sense to do so. In any case, it is the duty of every Ahmadi Muslim to pray for the Muslim world, especially for those who are innocent. During Ramadan, one should not focus solely on prayers for themselves but should also pray for the Muslim world; for the establishment of peace and harmony. Through their actions, Muslims are drawing the displeasure of God and incurring  detriment not only in this world but the next as well. May Allah enable the Muslim world to realise this. May Allah enable us to offer prayers in the truest sense.

Full Sermon visit: www.alislam.org