Huzoor, I wanted to ask that when we go to the graveyard for prayer, is it forbidden for all Muslims to take flowers or is it only for Ahmadi people? What do you mean? When we go to the graveyard for prayer, many people take flowers, but in our Ahmadis… No, taking flowers is not forbidden in the way that it is categorically forbidden in the Holy Qur’an or Hadith. But we sprinkle perfume on the funeral pyre and put flowers on it. But when these rituals are made, the Qur’an fights against these rituals.
According to this general principle, the Ahmadiyya Jama’at condemns these things that have gradually become rituals in the communities and after which they become illogical. It is as if flowers are being presented to the deceased. There are flowers in the funeral pyre, but we have put live flowers there. So that there is liveliness, beauty, and for those who go to the graveyard, the way we want to see our home clean and beautiful in life, our ancestors should also live in a good environment. This is its purpose. It is not forbidden with this purpose.
But when these rituals are made in the form of offering flowers, the way it is forbidden to you, it is forbidden to the Ahmadis, whether they believe it or not. I was thinking that in life, we take care of our relatives and children like flowers. You can’t take care of the deceased. You can’t feed them, you can’t change their clothes. You can’t pamper them. I just gave a partial example, I didn’t give a detailed example. I meant that the deceased should not be in such a state that they become illogical, and there are illogical thoughts, and they are afraid of going there and become illogical. Just like there are non-Ahmadis or non-Muslim graveyards in Pakistan and India. This is what I was saying.
And as a result, the concept of a graveyard has become very dangerous. People think that the graveyard that will go at night, it will remain there, it will not come back. Therefore, we keep our graveyards clean and beautiful. We also plant flowers. But that doesn’t mean that the flowers are planted for a special person. You have turned that thing for a special person, for a special relative. We are decorating that. This is not right. My objective was that the graveyard should be kept beautiful, it should be kept in a good atmosphere, it should not be a place of fear, but it should be a beautiful place where people can go and be happy. And it should be known that we are treating our deceased with this beauty.
Once, there was an argument between two friends in Rabwah. And the concept of fear of the graveyard, I am telling you this. And they made a criterion for bravery. One said that you cannot go to the graveyard at night. The other said that you cannot go. So when there was a lot of enthusiasm in the debate, one said that no, I can go, I will show you. And the method is that I will go there and I will dig something there and come back to show you that yes, I am here. So the other said that no, you go. We will go there in the morning and see you there. You will be so scared that you will lose your life there.
This concept has deteriorated due to its appearance. Because the Hindus used to burn the dead in the crematoriums, and the graves were in a very terrible condition. And even now, there are graves on top of graves, there are pits, there is no care, there is no shelter, there are no roads. So the appearance is so terrible that the concept of fear, the concept of ghosts and spirits, stick to it. Like there are ruins, they are not graveyards. But the concept of ghosts and spirits lives in such desolate places. Ghosts also go to the ruins.
So to save ourselves from these kinds of desolate concepts, the Ahmadiyya Community is willing to make their graveyard clean, willing to plant flowers. And if you ever go to Vishnimagbara, or Qadian or Rabwah, there is a very peaceful and beautiful environment. Even if you go in the middle of the night, there will be peace, there will be no fear. To this extent, it is permissible. But to make a person’s grave like this, as if you had drawn a map in your life, that is not right. That is why we are not willing to decorate the graves, and to put cement and marble on them.
The grave of the Promised Messiah is also a simple clay grave. Last Sunday, I went to the graveyard. I understand your intention. There were no flowers there. There were no plants in the Ahmadiyya graveyard. It should be done. The graves of the British are so beautiful. When I lived in Malden in 1978, I stayed there for a month. I used to take my children to the graveyard for a walk. It is such a beautiful graveyard. A person is amazed to see it. It is decorated beautifully with flowers.
There are beautiful parks and gardens. It feels like heaven. You should decorate your Ahmadiyya graveyard like this. But if you only decorate your son’s grave, then the graves of other poor people will look bad. So if you want to do something, do it as a community. I used to think, I should decorate my son’s grave with flowers. Not your son’s grave? No, everyone’s grave. Because I have a big heart. The Ahmadis should do it as a community. The Lajna can also do it. The Ansar can also do it. Do something so that the Ahmadiyya graveyard here becomes a model. It should look good. It is very scary. There are no flowers. The graves are all decorated. Please be seated.
