The task of real spirituality is to restore the sublime faith in Allah
the Almighty and to reflect the Divine attributes through the moulding of
purified individuals. Islam perfected and preserved in itself the purpose of
all religions which preceded it by recognizing the divine revelations of the
past. Further, it channelized the continuity of Divine revelations through
itself for all times to come. Leading the world on spiritual purification was the
heavy responsibility cast on the shoulders of the Muslim Ummah by the Creator
of the Universe. Contemporary Muslim leaders have failed to recognize the
extraordinary magnitude of the task, nor could they preserve the solid faith of
the early Muslims.
In his Friday Sermon of April 06, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim
Sahib (atba) of Mauritius continued his discourse on the ways in which true
faith has deserted the present day Muslims. Drawing upon the prescient prophecies
of the Holy Prophet (sa), he sketches the causes of spiritual decline. The preservation
of the true faith and real spirituality is a Divine Promise engraved upon the Holy
Qur’an by Allah the Almighty Himself. At a time when the sectarian divisions have
proliferated among Muslims and the spirit of Islam has gone away from the life of
Muslims, the raising of a Khalifa by Allah- Khalifatullah- is in tune with the enduring Divine practice.
Read the Extracts from the Sermon:
“By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for
those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to
truth and advised each other to patience.” (103: 1-4)
Like I explained
in my sermon last Friday, history has proved that the first Muslims reached the
highest degrees of honour and glory whereas Muslims today have taken the
opposite route. It is clear according to these verses that the first Muslims
reached such a dignified status in life because their faith was solid and they
had excellent character.
In contrast, today the situation of the Muslims has
become deplorable because there is lots of weakness in our faith and character.
It is the opposite of what was found in the first Muslims. Therefore it would
not be untrue to say that nowadays, we have just preserved our names as
Muslims! In the same context, the truthful Messenger of Allah the Almighty,
Hazrat Muhammad (sa) foretold: “There shall be a time soon when Islam shall exist
in name only, and the Quran shall exist only in writing.”
This is applied
clearly to the Muslims of today. In such a situation, it is necessary to
consider these points quickly:
(1) Because true Islam, as approved by Allah and His
Messenger (sa) and that which shall bring spiritual and material success is not
found anywhere; then through which means
shall we find this true Islam again?
(2) Which is the
real cause of the disappearance of this true Islam and along with it, for
which reason the Spirit of Islam has flown away from the life of Muslims?
The Purpose of Islam versus the Deviant Practices of
Muslims
When we study
the Quran, we shall see clearly that the capability to preserve true faith and
Islam on the same high level and then in the next go reach the position of
honour and glory, this only depends on the exceptional work which Allah the
Almighty has given solely to Muslims. It is for this reason that the Muslims
have obtained that high position in the Quran, that is, the Khair-ul-Ummah (the best of
nations).
According to
the religion of Islam, the true reason behind the creation of the universe is
to establish and prove the sacred character, the unicity and existence of
Allah, the Noble and Almighty, and to show His infinite power and qualities
through man, when the latter shall be guided with the light of true knowledge
(the Holy Spirit). It is impossible for man to develop and serve this knowledge
without first purifying himself from all impurity and immorality. It is only
after this purification that man shall be able to perfect himself with good qualities,
develop an excellent character and the needed capability to do good deeds. It
is for this reason that Allah the Almighty has sent thousands of messengers and
prophets to purify man and to develop in him the capability to do good deeds.
The greatest
(prophet, like the most beautiful of medallions) who came in that chain (of
prophets) is none other than “Sayyed-ul-Amibiyya
wal Mursaleen” (the chief of all prophets) Muhammad (sa) whereby
he is that most important medallion of that chain. In a chain there is only one
medallion or locket, but there are many links intertwined. The more there are
links, the more they are attached with the medallion. It is through Hazrat
Muhammad (sa) that Allah has perfected religion and Allah gave it the name of
Islam and it is through Hazrat Muhammad (sa) that Allah has sent down His
divine message upon His Messenger for the duration of 23 years and has enabled
these revelations to be compiled into one sacred book called the Holy Quran.
And it is Allah the Almighty who said that it is Him the Guardian of the Holy
Quran, for He shall preserve it till the Day of Judgement, and in this Quran
there are 700 commandments.
Therefore the
question which must be asked is how shall Allah preserve this sacred book, His
700 commandments and the religion which He perfected? Shall Allah let Islam remain only in name (and/or
writing)?
Let us analyse
history with the coming of the Holy Prophet (sa). It is truly a spiritual
revolution which had taken place, for it is through the Holy Prophet (sa) that
man has reached the highest degree of the development of his mind and body till
he purified himself completely. It is then that man received this good news in
Chapter 5 Verse 4: “This day I have
perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you”.
The highest
goal in the creation of man has at last been realised; good and evil have
manifestly been separated. A complete mode of life has been revealed. In that
complete mode of life itself Allah the Almighty has made the believers
understand that for as long as you (the believers) obey “Me” (Allah) and My
messenger, you shall receive great favours, and you shall be among those who
have received the grace of Allah, that is, the prophets, righteous, truthful
and martyrs. And Allah says: “Wa hasura ulaaa-ika Rafiqaa” – And
excellent are those as companions! And Allah continues to say: “Zaalikal
Fazlu minallaah” – That is the bounty from Allah, and “Wa kafaa billaahi
Aliimaa” – and sufficient is Allah as Knower.
Today, what do we see?
It is man himself who has shut the door of this
favour (prophethood). They have wronged their own
souls. But Allah the Almighty shall preserve His Religion and His Sacred Book.
He shall continue to send His favour and this is a (solid) promise. Unfortunately,
the Muslims have turned their backs to this great favour (prophethood) and they
say that Allah the Almighty talked in the past but that now He has ceased to
talk. They say that all this ended with the Holy Prophet (sa), God Forbid! And
they say that the Holy Prophet (sa) is the last prophet, that shall never be
another prophet after him. But then what do they make out of the verse which I
have just put before you? This is the word of Allah, whereby He shall give man
the divine favour of prophets etc. Allah the Almighty gives you this bounty and
favour which come from Him, and what do you do? You close this door! Look now
at the state of Muslims today. Allah the Almighty has said in Chapter 7 Verse
57: “And cause not corruption (or
disorder) upon the earth after its reformation.”
Nowadays Allah
the Almighty is pouring down His grace and bounty upon the best of nations,
when He sends His chosen servant to encourage goodness and to forbid evil
without in the least extracting or adding anything to what teachings are found
in the Holy Quran. He says also that he comes from Allah and that it is Allah
Himself who has sent him to unite you all, like for the first Muslims who
reached an elevated position of honour and glory. They (the Muslims) are
surprised with such a declaration and they begin to create disorder on the
earth, despite the commandment that Allah the Almighty has placed, that not to
create chaos on earth after that Allah has caused its reform. It is then that
Allah the Almighty says: “Then do you
wonder that there has come to you a reminder from your Rab through a man from
among you, that he may warn you?” (7: 70)
There are lots
more verses in the Holy Quran where Allah has said: “O Children of Adam,
anytime a guide comes to you from Me, there will be no fear concerning them,
nor will they grieve.” And Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran, in
another verse: “Inni Jaa-ilun Fil Arzi Khalifa” – Indeed I shall place
on earth My Caliph.
It is not for
man to elect his caliph, for it this was the case, then each person or group
would have elected his or their caliph and follows his or their own precepts or
teachings, like we are seeing nowadays. People today have discarded the Quran
and Sunnah and are following such precepts decided by a man-elected caliph, and
they have given him great importance. If a group does not agree with a leader,
then they look for another one and therefore a successive chain of sects are
formed in Islam. There is no difference with an idolater. He on one hand does
not believe at all in a unique God, the Creator of the Universe, of all things,
and his very own Creator (that is, the Creator of man). But when he turns his
back to this Unique God before whom he has to account one day, he therefore
turns to a hundred false gods which are powerless, and cannot even create an
insect’s leg.
Like this,
Allah the Almighty sends His messenger, His vicegerent, but they turn their
backs to the messenger or caliph of Allah, only to elect one man of their own
choosing to make him become their chief, and each group takes great pleasure in
their own elected leader, and now the Muslims are divided and subdivided into
several sects, school of thoughts, and innovations. These multitudes of leaders
in Islam bring about the existence of more sects and create disorder and hatred
in the hearts of Muslim brothers of one same faith (Islam). These chiefs are
not divinely elected ones and as such they do not receive any divine revelation
and it is them the ones who create disorder on earth and they do commerce with
the verses of the Quran. They do not have the fear of Allah in their heart, and
when you look at them, you are amazed by them, by the way they read, talk but
these are only on their lips and for show.
It is these
people who have brought the religion of Islam to its degradation, and they are
the ones who are the greatest troublemakers. Whenever these so-called leaders
are told not to create chaos on earth, they are the ones who shall reply that “on
the contrary, we want to establish peace!” Allah Himself responds to that
statement of the so-called leaders, saying: “Alaa innahum humul Mufsidunna
wa laakil laa yash-uruun”– Unquestionably, it is they who are the
corrupters, but they perceive (it) not. (2: 13) Allah Himself denies their
words and establishes the truth in that which it is these people themselves who
creates unrest and disorder everywhere but they realise it not. This is so
because they are not people whom Allah the Almighty has chosen as His
representatives on earth. And when Allah did not elect them, then definitely
the Holy Spirit shall not be sent to them. Therefore they become the worst
creatures on earth, like our Holy Prophet (sa) had foretold. He said that when
(Muslims) shall become the worst creatures on earth, they shall create lots of
chaos on earth and they shall bar people from taking the right path.
See now how
Islam, the perfect religion has become (compared to its past glorious days).
Shall Allah let this situation like this? Ponder over this! I recall a Hadith
where Hazrat Muhammad (sa) has told his disciples: “By the One in Whose hand
is my soul, you must enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and you must
stay the hand of the wrongdoer and give him a stern warning to adhere to the
truth, otherwise Allah will surely turn the hearts of some of you against
others, and curse you as He has cursed them (the past people – the Children of
Israel).”
“O you who believe! Do not
obey those who disbelieve; they will turn you back on your heels, and you will
(then) become losers.” (3: 150)
Allah says not
to listen to them for it is Allah who is your Protector and there is none
worthy of giving help except Allah. These kinds of leaders have invented all
sorts of innovations in that pure religion (Islam), and Allah the Almighty has
never sent any authorisation for the implementation of these innovations, for
these are closely associated with association of false deities with Allah and
therefore Muslims are following these false precepts blindly. But verily
Muslims know very well that all these innovations are neither mentioned in the
Holy Quran nor practiced by our beloved prophet (sa). Who are they (the
so-called leaders) to make implement these innovations? That which is mentioned
in the Holy Quran, they will not believe and shall not put emphasis on it and
to educate (rightly) the Muslims about how important these teachings of the
Quran are! They prefer giving importance to such things which shall profit them
materially, and you (the Muslims), you are readily believing them whereas those
imbeciles are the ones who are closing the door of prophethood and that of
divine revelations. This is so because (if they do not close these doors) then
their business shall not work and people are therefore not honour them or give
them any importance.
But it is a
fact that Allah the Almighty has bestowed great favours when He gave you the
rightly-guided caliphs (after the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa) and at the
head of each century He sent reformers, and Allah the Almighty sent His Messiah
(of the last era) and his promised son, the promised reformer and there were
also the deputies of the Promised Messiah (as). But when the people started
giving more importance to the deputies of the Promised Messiah (as) more than
Him, more than His words, therefore Allah saw the need in this era to raise
this humble servant of Allah (this humble self).
When Allah
elect His messenger, it is to recite His verses, His revelation, to purify you,
like Allah says:
“Certainly did Allah confer (great) favour upon the believers when He
sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His revelations
and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had
been before in manifest error.” (3: 165)