The
month of Ramadan leads us to cultivate good manners. In a Hadith, the
Messenger of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said:
(1)
Whoever
does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need
of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his
fasting.) (Bukhari).
(2)
Fasting does not just mean giving up food and drink, rather fasting
means giving up idle speech and obscene conduct. If anyone insults
you or treats you in an ignorant manner, then say,
’I am fasting, I am fasting.’
(Bukhari).
These
two narrations point to the importance of truth and good manners.
Thus, this blessed month teaches us not only to abstain from food and
drink but also to refrain from such connexions and actions that can
hurt people and violate their rights.
The
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, when describing a true believer:
“A Muslim is
one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe.”
(Bukhari).
Therefore,
it is up to us as individuals to examine our shortcomings, and seek
improvement and bring ourselves closer to the way (Sunnah)
of our Prophet (pbuh) as well as to aspire to the excellence that is
mentioned in the following words (of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)): “I
guarantee a house in Jannah (Paradise) for one who gives up arguing,
even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a home in the middle of
Jannah for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun; and I
guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good
manners.” (Abu
Dawud).
By
avoiding oppression, shamelessness / shameful behaviour, keeping
hatred and grudges against your Muslim brothers and sisters, doing
Ribat
(palaver / talking behind your brother’s back), initiating a
conflict between two people and to create disorder, to argue to the
point of having the dispute end badly (e.g. crimes etc.) and other
lies, we can save ourselves from the invalidity of the rewards of our
fasts because our Noble Prophet (pbuh) said: “There
are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger and
thirst.” (Ibn
Majah, Ahmad).
One
must fight for Ihsaan
(righteousness and sincerity) and stay away from Riya
(ostentation). Ihsaan
means to make Ibaadat
(the worship of Allah) as if we see Allah before us, even if we do
not see Him, but (we are aware that) He sees everything, including
us.
So,
when we fast, we must have that quality of watching over/ guarding
ourselves and staying away from the ostentation we could make. That
is why, Allah the Exalted said in a Hadith-e-Qudsi:
“Fasting is for Me
and I shall reward for it.”
(Bukhari).
Allah
the Exalted has made fasting a special action (an exclusivity for
Him) when He says: “Fasting
is for Me”
because no one knows whether one is fasting or not, except Allah.
In
the month of Ramadan, we find the harmony and unity of Muslims.
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “The
fast is the day the people fast, the breaking of the fast is the day
the people break their fast, and the sacrifice is the day the people
sacrifice.”
(Tirmidhi). Therefore
the explanation of this Hadith is that we must observe the fast and
break the fast with the Jamaat (that is to say, in congregation)
and the majority of people, as if the Iftaar
(breaking the fast) in the month of Ramadan becomes an act of Ibaadat
celebrated in
community where there are many blessings to receive from it, just
like other Ibaadat
such as
congregational prayers where believers find themselves standing,
shoulder against shoulder. And Iftaar
also shows us that in a specific moment at the time of the breaking
of the fast, Muslims break their fast, all at the same time, and so
in this blessed month,
we have the ability to increase the sensation of the harmony of one
Ummah (community)
from the fact that we observe the fast and break the fast together,
at the same time. We then have a feeling of increasing awareness
about the situation of Muslims and passing the test because during
the fast, a Muslim has the feeling and the experience of what his
needy brothers and sisters feel, when they are in the obligation
(because of poverty) to remain without food for several days.
Indeed,
the unity of Muslims and their collaboration and mutual help is one
of the great foundations on which Islam was built - as Allah says: “And
hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become
divided.”
(Al-Imran, 3: 104).
All
Muslims, especially my disciples of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam
should always bear in mind that when they have integrated the Jamaat
Ul Sahih Al Islam, this does not mean that they are doing Allah or
this humble self as the servant and caliph of Allah favours. Bear in
mind that you have recognized the signs of Allah and the veracity of
His Khalifatullah on your own accord. Nobody has forced you to
accept. And thus, this does not mean that when you integrate the
Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, that everything shall at once be perfect
for you (i.e. that is, your lives would at once be settled, every
problem be resolved). There are lots of sacrifices and lots of
reforms which you have to bring about in yourselves to become Sahih
al Islam, true Muslims.
Those
who have recognised this humble servant (of Allah) as Khalifatullah
and have integrated the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, and have afterwards
despaired and been convinced by the emissaries of Satan to deviate
them from the right path, and have thus left the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al
Islam, therefore woe to you. Always bear in mind that to believe and
afterwards reject your belief in Allah and the Messenger of Allah of
your era shall bring in its wake destruction for you unless you
repent and reform yourselves.
The
Jamaat Ahmadiyya and others continue their campaigns to remove people
from the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, and there are even the hypocrites,
snakes in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam who are not convinced on the
truthfulness of Allah and His Khalifatullah. Therefore, be careful,
beware lest the punishment of Allah befall you unless you repent and
become true Muslims.
All
my TRUE disciples, if you find from deep within yourselves that you
are my TRUE disciples, therefore you should remain united and not
give the hypocrites and those who try to create disorder in the
Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam way to harm the Jamaat of Allah. Do
not worry, if you are truly sincere, it is Allah Who shall protect
you and your Iman
(faith), but if you are/ become hypocrites, therefore Allah Himself
shall remove you from His Jamaat (Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam).
Jamaat
Ul Sahih Al Islam is not a Jamaat which expels people out of its
fold, but it is a Jamaat wherein it is Allah Who shall throw out/
expel all those who are not sincere and the hypocrites; these people
shall leave on their own and when this happens, the TRUE believers
should not despair but on the contrary they should remain firm in
their faith. These are trials which Allah make them go through. That
is why, Allah says, Hold fast to the Rope of Allah and do not be
divided lest you shall be losers and your situations shall be
lamentable/ grievous/ pitiable.
[
Note:
Moreover, the
Khalifatullah, Hazrat Munir A. Azim (atba) talked about the fact that
he never even forced his family as a whole to believe in him. He
never even informed them about the divine manifestations (which he
was receiving). It is towards year 2000, when problems cropped up
(through the evil plots of the ex-so-called Amir of Mauritius)
concerning the Seychelles Jamaat (Ahmadiyya) that his family members
began to ask questions. And the Khalifatullah (atba) also talked
about how a son of Adam began to hatch plots against him, while
another son of Adam began to believe in him and note down the divine
revelations he was receiving at the time. But now, where all these
have gone?
Likewise,
he (atba) also reminded about a revelation which he received at the
beginning of the Divine Manifestation whereby Allah told him that a
lot of people shall come, disguised as Sadus
(Wise, pious people), as if innocent people who shall say that they
believe when in truth they do not have true faith and they shall
sell/give information to the enemies of Allah, of the Khalifatullah
and of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. Hazrat Khalifatullah (atba) has
also mentioned in brief a dream that one of his disciples has made
concerning snake/ s in the Jamaat… ]
To
get back to the subject of my Sermon
... As Allah says in the Qur’an:
“And
hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become
divided.”
(Al-Imran
3: 104).
And
men and women believers are comrades and protectors for each other.
Thus,
we see that Islam emphasizes the gathering of hearts and encourages
Ijtima
(the
community as one). This unity must not exist only in the month of
Ramadan but also in the other months to come and other acts of
worship. For example, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has ordered us to
do five times daily prayer in congregation (Ba-Jamaat),
and this is 27 times more beneficial than praying alone. Likewise,
this collective spirit is manifested in the Hajj, and so the blessing
has been placed in the community.
Similarly,
in our daily actions, like eating, Islam demonstrates unity of the
community. So,
Wahshi
Ibn Harb (ra) narrates: Some
of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “We
eat but are not satisfied.” He
(pbuh) said,
“Perhaps you eat separately.”
The Companions replied in the affirmative. He then said: “Eat
together and mention the Name of Allah over your food. It
will be blessed for you.”
(Abu Dawud).
One
day the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) went to his companions who were
scattered in different circles and said to them, “Why
do I have to see you sitting apart?”
Furthermore, Abu
Thalabah Al-Khushani (ra) said: “When we used stop in a place
(during a journey), we used to separate in into groups in the
pathways and valleys. So the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), said: “Indeed
this splitting of yours in these paths and valleys verily is from the
Devil.” So
thereafter we would not settle in a place (on a journey) except that
we would be close together (to such an extent that if a net were to
be thrown it would have covered us all.” (Abu
Dawud).
Fasting
is also good for your health and contains many medical benefits and
teaches Muslims how to take care of their health and to have a strong
body. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “A
strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak
believer, and there is good in both.”
(Muslim).
Allah
states in the Qur’an: “Indeed
this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship
Me.”
(Al-Anbiya, 21: 93). And
further Allah mentions: “The
believers are but brothers.”
(Al-Hujurat, 49: 11). The
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) clarified the nature of the relations
between Muslims in a Hadith: “Surely
all Muslims are like one body. If anyone of its members suffer an
ailment, the entire body suffers sleeplessness and fever.”
(Bukhari,
Muslim, Tirmidhi).
Finally,
we ask Allah to give us the ability to reform ourselves for the
better and to forgive our sins and guide us on the right path. Ameen,
Summa Ameen, Ya Rabbul Aalameen.
----Friday Sermon of 01
June 2018 (16 Ramadan 1439 AH) delivered by Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.