Sunday, June 5, 2016

The Mission of a 'Khalifatullah'

2016 May 26 marks the eighth anniversary of an important event in the annals of Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. A proclamation issued by  Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius on this day eight years ago, contained an important- very very important- news for the entire world, especially for all devout Muslims. Through this Declaration, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) agreed very clearly and categorically that he is indeed being raised by God Almighty as a Khalifatullah. The spiritual import of this event is that it is the very fulfillment of a grand prophecy in our times. For, the promise of God contained in the Qur'an is for true believers in all ages- that Allah (swt) shall raise His servants as Caliphs in every era to guide and lead the community of believers in the path of righteousness and spiritual elevation, by providing them temporal guidance and spiritual leadership. 

Reproduced below is a special speech delivered by the Khalifatullah (atba) on the occasion of the eighth Anniversary. 

The Divine Promise on Khilafat 

Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors (from among) those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoever is ungrateful after that, they will be among the rebels. (Quran, Chapter An-Nur, 24: 56)

Yester night (26 May 2016) by the grace of Allah, marked the 8th year since I received from Allah the title of Khalifatullah officially whereby Allah gave me the instruction to stand up and proclaim my mission as Khalifatullah (the Caliph of Allah) and on this occasion my disciples through the divine instructions happily came forward to take the Bai’at (the oath of allegiance) from the hand of the Khalifatullah of this era. In this regard, I wish to address some words to the world on the mission of a Khalifatullah and invite you all to come forward so that together we may work together through the divine instructions to redress the situation of Islam in the world and bring back the lost souls to the fold of Allah, the True and Unique Rab (Master, Lord).

This verse of the Quran which I have recited at the beginning after reciting the Tashahhud (i.e. attestation of faith) and Ta’uz (i.e. divine protection from the accursed Satan) addresses one of the most important principles of Islam. The Surah An-Nur from which this verse is found is unique in that no other Surah of the Holy Quran throws much light from the point of view of Islam on so many moral, social and political important issues. While the previous Surahs (before the Surah An-Nur) deal with the future victory of Islam, the Surah An-Nur shows us how this promised bright future will materialize for us. While an implied reference is made in verse 36 concerning the Caliphate (Khilafat), which should be the main tool for establishing the spiritual and political supremacy of Islam, this present verse deals with the topic of caliphate in clear and unequivocal terms.

The verse which I have recited contains a promise that Muslims in general will be given the temporal as well as spiritual leadership. This promise is made to the entire Muslim Ummah but the institution of Khilafat (caliphate) shall take a definite form in the person of some people who shall be the successors of the prophets and the representatives of the Ummah. They shall personify the Caliphate. And this caliph is chosen by Allah (swt) like in the past.

Islam is the supreme religion in this world and on top of that the oneness of God, which is the real goal of Islam, shall be firmly established.

The promise of establishing a Khalifatullah by Allah (swt) is clear and not coated with any doubt or misunderstanding. As the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is now the only guide for humanity, his caliphate will continue to exist, whatever its form until the end of time. This favour is among others a demonstration of the distinct superiority of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on all the other prophets and messengers of God. The past century bore witness to the advent of the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) and our present era bears witness to its prestigious Khalifa in the person of this humble servant, Munir Ahmad Azim.

'Khalifatullah' means Servant of God

A Khalifatullah vis-à-vis (that is, towards) Allah (swt) is like a slave that his master has put in a garden like a plant with the intention to plant, cultivate and maintain it. If the Khalifatullah fulfils his task without ever leaving the garden, he shall not incur blame from his Master who shall not therefore prevent him from eating some fruits on condition that he eats them only to fulfil his task correctly and not to eat therefrom greedily.

A Khalifatullah is towards Allah as a servant of a King who calls for him to perform a specific work. A (mundane) king is not a man to employ someone in his palace, leaving him without food. This world is the abode of God and I am the servant of God Almighty. My work is to obey my Master and my salary is none other than divine love and His Paradise. God shall not ordain him (His Khalifatullah and servant) to work without providing him (and in this era, this humble one) the necessary tools and help to accomplish this work.

Sole and complete reliance on God

A Khalifatullah is towards Allah (swt) as a child with his father. Knowing that his father assumes his care, the child does not have any worry and does not fear a lack in his provision and upbringing. It is this confidence in his father that makes his life worth living; by relying on him in all things, he avoids for himself many hassles (worries). Similarly, the Khalifatullah who trusts in Allah, God Almighty is not exposed to worries for he knows that God shall never abandon nor deprive him of His favours and His benevolent generosity, and thus his heart is discharged from any future worry.

So the mission of a Khalifatullah as specified in the verse of the Surah An-Nur (The Light) is to protect the law and bring back the lost sheep to the fold of the Master. When someone is appointed Caliph of Allah by Allah and through the decree of Allah, it is Allah who directs the hearts of believers to him and his mission, and they accept it with sincere and abiding faith. But exceptions exist, especially as regards the weak believers and even the hypocrites who become temporary burdens to his mission. As for the true believers, they are those who face all kinds of persecution, boycotts and other wrongs to support the Khalifatullah and the truth that he has come to distribute so as to light up the world.

My mission as Khalifatullah of this era

As the Khalifatullah of this era I am called to serve the religion of Allah until my last breath. This mission is firmly established through divine revelation, prayer and steadfast trust in God. Like other caliphs of Allah who came in the past and those who will come in the future, I also enjoy serenity and peace of mind despite the most severe difficulties and hardships as well as persecutions.

I have come to repair the broken highway leading man to God. My mission as Khalifatullah consists of calling you to Allah and bringing you all as one body of humanity, without any friction. Islam is the true religion of mankind. It is Islam, that is, submission to Allah which is the real identity of man. Without Islam, man becomes a wild animal without any purpose in life. Islam builds the identity of man and prepares him physically, morally and spiritually for his communication with God both in this world and the hereafter. The Khalifatullah does not have the capacity to change hearts. Only God Almighty possesses the All-Power to do so. I can only inform you of the blessings of Allah in this era which Allah has sent to you in the form of this humble self and the Divine Manifestation of this era to wake you up from a long sleep of ignorance, laziness and forgetfulness of the real Islam and your duty to Allah.

May Allah help the seekers of truth in their research and connect them with the Khalifatullah of this era, this humble servant so that as a united and blessed body we can work together for the welfare of humanity, such welfare that is both temporal and eternal. Insha-Allah, Ameen.

O Allah! You are the Knower of hearts, connect the hearts of Your servants with mine so that together we can reap Your pleasure and restore Your supremacy and unicity in the world, so that humanity abandon false beliefs and embrace True belief in You, The Unique and  Merciful God. Ameen.

May Allah bless all of you, and guide you in the right path. Ameen, Summa Ameen.

---Special Speech delivered on 27 May 2016 (21 Shabaan 1437 Hijri * After Maghrib & Esha).