The following address was delivered at the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of Baitun Nur Mosque, Georgetown, Guyana. Respected Amir Sahib, Canada was in attendance as a representative of Huzoor-e-Anwar (aa).
Tashahhud, Ta’awwuz, Surah Al-Fatihah
“And remember the time when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House, praying, ‘Our Lord, accept this from us; for Thou art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.'” (2:128)
Honourable Guests, Respected Missionaries, Elders, and my dear brothers and sisters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Guyana:
Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah!
May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon you all!
It is a profound honour to stand before you today, on this sacred ground. I bring you the warmest prayers and salutations from the brothers and sisters of Canada Jama’at, and as the representative of our International Headquarters located in the United Kingdom.
As I look at these foundations, I see more than stone and mortar. I see the heartbeat of a community destined for greatness. I see the faith of your mothers and fathers. I see the hopes of your children and grandchildren.
I must take this moment to thank the officials, the staff and the residents of Georgetown for their generosity. In many parts of the world, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at suffers from opposition and thus building mosques there is an uphill, almost impossible task. Your presence today reflects the openness and kindness of your hearts. May Allah bless you all!
The name of this mosque is Baitun Nur, meaning “House of Light.” What a beautiful name!
In the Holy Qur’an, Allah is described as the Light of the heavens and the earth. By building this mosque, you are not merely erecting walls. You are building a vessel to hold that Divine Light.
Georgetown is a city of movement and life. But every city needs a source of light. A place that guides the lost. A place that warms the cold of heart. A place that illuminates the path of righteousness. Let Baitun Nur be that place for Georgetown, for all of Guyana.
Guyana is known globally as the “Land of Giants”, a land of mighty rivers, vast forests, and soaring heights. But today, we are not looking at the giants of nature. We are looking at the Giants of Faith.
By the grace of Allah, your resolve is as firm as the Pakaraima (Pa-ka-RYE-ma) Mountains. Do not consider this mosque as a small endeavour. Let it be a monument to your love for Allah, standing tall in Georgetown, as a testament that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at does not merely inhabit a land of giants, it is made up of giants.
To understand the significance of today, we must look back thousands of years to a barren valley in Arabia. There, the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail (peace be on them) stood together to raise the foundations of the Ka’bah, the first House of God on earth. As they laid each stone, they did not merely build a structure. They established a centre for the unity of mankind. Their prayer, recorded in the Holy Qur’an, was not for fame or comfort. It was for their progeny to remain submissive to God, obedient to God. And, I quote:
“Our Lord, accept this from us; for Thou art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Our Lord, make us submissive to Thee. And make of our offspring a people submissive to Thee. And show us our ways of worship, and turn to us with mercy; for Thou art Oft-Returning with compassion and Merciful.” (2:128-129)
Today, you are walking in the footsteps of these two Prophets. Every brick you lay here in Georgetown is an echo of that sacred devotion.
In Islam, a mosque is not merely a place to offer prayers; it is a catalyst for transformation. It is a Centre of Gravity, pulling the community together, erasing differences of status and wealth. It is a Lighthouse in a world of moral confusion, standing as a beacon of “Love for All, Hatred for None.” And it is an engine of growth. History shows that wherever the Jama’at establishes a House of God, the community flourishes. Education, moral training, and service to humanity all radiate from this centre.
Respected brothers and sisters, Guyana is a nation of remarkable diversity. It is a land where the descendants of Africa and the descendants of the Indian subcontinent have lived side by side, for generations. Yet we must acknowledge a truth. At times, tensions between communities surface in our society. And, if we are honest with ourselves, these tensions can sometimes be felt, even within our own Community.
But here is the question, we must ask ourselves today, as we stand upon the foundations of this House of Light. If division follows us, into the Jama’at, can the Jama’at not also heal that division? Yes, of course, it can. But only if, we allow it to do so.
When Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at, inaugurated the Khadija Mosque in Berlin, in 2008, the first purpose-built mosque in the former East Germany, the community had faced years of intense opposition. Thousands of residents had signed petitions against building of the mosque. Protesters had marched in the streets. Yet, His Holiness (may Allah be his Helper) stood before the gathered guests and declared:
“We are not even against those, who protest against us. We try, and we also pray, that Allah, the Almighty, removes their misunderstandings.”
This is the standard, dear brothers and sisters. If we do not harbour hatred even for those outside the community who oppose us, how can we, then permit resentment to grow between ourselves, simply because of the shade of our skin or the origin of our ancestors?
On that same occasion, His Holiness (aa) recited the words of Allah, the Almighty:
“Let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness.” (5:9)
And then he explained, the root cause of discord. He said, “Suspicion is a major cause of destroying peace in the world. Some people who cause disorder, do so by laying suspicion, in the hearts of others.”
When we fulfil each other’s rights, suspicion has no room to grow. When an Ahmadi Muslim of one background sees his brother of another background, defending his honour, supporting his family, standing by him in hardship, what space remains for division? None. None at all.
The ground upon which you prostrate, in this mosque, does not know your ancestry. It knows only that a servant of God has pressed his forehead upon it, in humility. Let Baitun Nur be the place, where this principle is lived.
Brothers and sisters: what is the responsibility of those who will enter this mosque? Let me be clear. The answer is: not simply to pray and return home.
The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be on him), the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi – he taught that God Almighty has placed two obligations upon man. The first is the Rights of God, fulfilled through His worship, through Salaat, through the remembrance of God. The second is the Rights of His Creation, fulfilled through service to humanity. The Promised Messiah (as) said that of these two, “discharging the rights owed to God’s Creation is the most difficult and delicate challenge.”
His holiness stated at the inauguration of Nasir Hospital in Guatemala, “Above all, the Promised Messiah (as) constantly drew the attention of mankind towards fulfilling both the rights of God Almighty and of one another.”
Now, consider what this means for you, the Ahmadi Muslims of Guyana. This is your home. Your fathers and grandfathers built their lives on this soil. Your children will inherit this nation. The question is not whether you belong here. The question is this. What are you giving to the land that belongs to you?
It is not sufficient to say, “I live my life, I harm no one, what is the problem?” No. You must be actively giving the rights of others. You must be a source of benefit to those around you.
When an Ahmadi Muslim becomes indispensable to his neighbours, when he is known as the one who helps, without asking for reward, when he is the first to arrive in times of need, and the last to leave when the work is done, something remarkable happens. The neighbour stops seeing a face or a complexion. He only sees a helper. He sees someone whose presence makes his life better.
The Promised Messiah (as) set the standard:
“Treat all the creations of God with such deep love, as though they are your close family members. Treat mankind, in the same way, that a mother treats her child.”
A mother does not help her child, to receive something in return. She does not keep accounts. She simply gives, because giving is the expression of her love. This is what the Promised Messiah (as) demands of us.
So, I say to every person who will enter Baitun Nur. Do not think that your duty ends when you have prayed. Your duty begins when you step outside these doors. Ask yourself each day. Whose burden have I lightened? Whose difficulty have I resolved?
When the people of Georgetown see Ahmadis feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, educating the young, visiting the sick, they will no longer ask, “Who are these people?” They will say, “These are our people. These are the ones who serve us.”
By the grace of God, Guyana is going through an economic revolution. These are blessings form our Lord. This requires sound fiscal and social management. We are all aware of countries that squandered natural resources and did not create an equitable society. It created a marginalized and poor segment of society. These inequities are flamed by racial divides.
The Holy Qur’an offer tools to cure this disease. It urges that we must learn to openly embrace the poor and marginalized, with the loving message of Islam without any basis of race or creed.
The Holy Prophet (sa) used to say, “If you wish to locate me, you will find me among the poor and the destitute.” He observed that on the Day of Judgment, God would raise him up among the poor and the weak, because he loved them abundantly.
In short, to love the poor and destitute sincerely, is an exemplary precept of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). As far as race and color are concerned, the dignity bestowed on Hazrat Bilal (ra) is an example. He was a black man and a slave,[soon freed after accepting Islam. But Hazrat Umar (ra), at the time, when he was the Khalifah, would address him saying, “Syedna Bilal, Our leader, Bilal,” and he showed great respect by standing up to welcome him.
This is Islam. This is what we have learned from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa).
Respected brothers and sisters: a mosque is built twice. First with bricks and mortar. Second, with sacrifice and sincerity. This mosque will be the hub from which our humanitarian efforts and educational programmes will flow into the streets of Georgetown.
The Promised Messiah (as) stated that if one desires to make Islam known in a place, they should build a mosque. This is your opportunity to write your name into the history of Islam, in South America. A project of this magnitude, is a rare opportunity for Sadaqah Jariyyah, an ongoing charity. Long after we have left this world, these walls will continue to echo with Tasbeeh, with glorification of God, by future generations.
Let us compete with one another in good works, in the spirit of Musabiqat fil Khairaat. When you give today, you are not losing wealth. You are transferring it to an eternal account that will never be empty. As Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) guided us, building a mosque is akin to building one’s own home in Paradise.
The history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Guyana is a testament to resilience and unwavering faith. From the arrival of the first missionary in 1959 to the formal establishment of the Jama’at in the 1960s, your journey has been defined by a desire to establish the true, peaceful teachings of Islam, in the Caribbean Region.
For over four decades, the building that stood here, purchased in 1978, served as our national headquarters. Now, under the guidance of our beloved Imam, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V (may Allah be his Helper!), we are replacing the old building with a modern 7,600 square foot complex. This is not merely a renovation. It is a manifestation of our growth and our commitment to the future of Guyana Jama’at.
Al-Hamdo lillah!
Let us conclude with the words of the Promised Messiah (as):
“O Lord, let this be a place where Thy name is glorified, where Thy praise is sung, and where Thy unity is established. May those who enter it find peace, and may those who serve it find Thy pleasure!”
O Allah, bless this ground. Bless the hands that give and the hearts that yearn for Your pleasure. May this mosque be a sanctuary of peace, a cradle of progress, and a light that never dims, in this beautiful land. May its light reflect off the waters of Guyana and reach every corner of this nation. And may You accept our sacrifices just as You accepted those of Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upob them).
Let us bow our heads and join in the prayer of our blessed forefathers, Ibrahim and Ismail, as they stood upon the foundations of Ka`bah. They payed and we shall repeat:
Rabbana taqabbal minna; innaka Antas-Samee’ul-‘Aleem!
“Our Lord, accept this from us; for Thou art surely All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
Ameen.
