Worship in Islam: Three Elements

In his Friday Sermon of October 14, 2011 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius explains the spiritual purpose of Creation- the worship of the Almighty Allah-by looking at the deep meaning of the various elements and postures involved in the Islamic prayer- Azaan, Wudu and Salat. 

The unique character of the Islamic call to prayer- Azaan, the external purifying impact of Wudu for active and awakened participation in worship and the spiritual and physical benefits that arise out of performing the Salat through its various prescribed postures are explained in the sermon. The Khalifatullah offers illuminating insights on the structural design of human personality and the benefits it may derive by engaging in Salat. 

Read the extracts from the Sermon:

Allah says in the Holy Quran: 

“I have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship Me.” (51: 57). The purpose of creation, according to the Quran in Surah Az-Zariyat (51:57), is but that of worship, and the Salat is the most important worship in Islam. There are three elements to worship in Islam:

(i)                 the preparation or call (Azaan).

(ii)               The purification or Wudu and

(iii)             Salat, the prayer itself.

Each of these elements coalesce and overlap and no exact demarcation is possible, as the Azaan proclaims: Come to prosperity, while the Salat itself is described in Surah Ash-Shams (91: 10) – Those who purity their souls will make progress.

Azaan is the unique call among all religions in that it does not consists of tolling bells or the sounds of the Shofar (Jewish horn) or trumpet. The Azaan proclaims in a language which everyone can comprehend, the cardinal principles of Islam, the witnessing of the existence of one sole God, and the apostleship of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

This beautiful call echoing in the early dawn, which requires repetition after the Muezzin according to the Sunna, evokes far greater reaction than the musical tones of the bell or trumpet which requires an aptitude for musical perception, something not granted to all. The tolling of mournful bells or fear-instilling blasts of the trumpet represent a wrathful divinity compared to the Beneficent and Merciful God of Islam; calling people to progress and prosperity both in this world and the next.

This is the reason for the repetition of the words: Come to prosperity and come to prayer, each call signifying the separate worlds of existence. The early morning call signifies the awakening of the inner soul of all. Creation as is proved by the wakening of all nature, the lifting of darkness, the chirping of the birds and the emergence of the radiating fingers of sunshine.

Dreams and New Bai’ats in Kerala

Whenever a Khalifa of Allah appears, angels descent with him and they will guide eager hearts to the recognition of the Divine Manifestation. This subtle and profound spiritual reality was articulated and confirmed by the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) himself. Today, we are witnessing the fulfillment of this eternal Divine Law through the lived experiences of common believers in Mauritius, in India and elsewhere who have recognized Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib as the Chosen Messenger of Allah of this era.

The Promised Massih (as) writes:

“Let it be known that it is the established custom of Allah that whenever a Messenger, a Prophet or an appointed recipient of Divine Revelation is sent for the reformation of mankind, it becomes imperative that he is accompanied by such angels who instill guidance in all loving hearts. They induce the hearts towards goodness.  They continue to descend until the darkness of profanity and corruption gives way to the break of the dawn of faith and truthfulness. The Almighty God says:

“The angels and the Spirit descend upon them by the command of their Lord with their Lord’s decrees concerning every matter. It is all peace, till the break of the dawn”. (Surah Al Qadr, 97:5-6).

So the appearance of the angels and the Holy Spirit only takes place at the advent of a person of distinction, who is dressed in the garb of Khilafat and honored with a direct communion with God. This Khalifa is specially gifted with the Holy Spirit and the angels in attendance are deputed to descend on all pious hearts. The reflection of this heavenly glow falls on people of receptive talent, and consequently the whole world is engulfed in the dazzle of this intense light.      

As a result of the noble influence of the angels, the hearts of such people are voluntarily inclined towards virtuous thoughts and are thus charmed by the concept of the Unity of God. Upright hearts are charged with the inclination towards the search of truth. The spiritually frail are granted fortitude. Everywhere a breeze begins to blow which is supportive to the objectives of the Mujaddid. An invisible hand is beckoning humanity so that they of themselves are hastening towards that reform which will bring out the best of their talents. Mankind is in a state of agitation and stir in anticipation of what is to come.

At that juncture, the ignorant contemplates that the world has taken a turn for the better, all by itself. Indeed, this reformation is the result of the efforts of those angels    who appear along with the Khalifa of Allah (Khalifa-tullah) and confer extraordinary powers upon people to understand and accept the Truth. They awaken the masses from their slumber, alert the careless, grant hearing to the deaf, quicken the dead and raise the entombed out of their graves. Then, people suddenly begin to open their eyes and those issues that were, until this time, concealed from their hearts begin to unravel. In reality, these angels are not different from this Khalifa of Allah (Khalifa-tullah). They are indeed a reflection of the Divine illumination on his face and manifestations of his endurance towards his mission. Such a person may be physically distant or nigh, he may be an acquaintance or totally alien, yet all are attracted with a magnetic force provided the capacity of reformation is present in them….”

For more information , see: 

 http://sahih-al-islam.blogspot.com/2011/03/descent-of-holy-spirit-in-time-of.html

As eloquently confirmed by the Promised Massih (as), angels guide the truth seekers in the time of a Khalifatullah. Today, in this new century of Islam and Ahmadiyyat, we are witnessing extraordinary testimonials in favour of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius; People in distant lands are virtually being guided by signs and dreams. It is astonishing to hear about the dreams and signs of the believers in the era of the new Divine Manifestation. 

Justice: Games Ahmadis Play

Respect for principles of natural justice and rule of law is a basic feature of even mundane legal systems that administer justice among people. [Inset: Statue of Lady Justice, by F. W. Pomeroy on top of the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court in London, England- She carries a sword and scales but is not blindfolded].

In all such systems, the following fundamental principles are central elements:

     1)      No one shall be a judge in his own cause.

     2)      No one shall be condemned unheard.

   3)  To ensure substantive justice, procedural fairness shall be adhered to.

Now, all of us know that justice is among the foremost Islamic values. And, Ahmadis claim to be the inheritors of the finest Islamic traditions. In any case, they swear by Islamic values of the highest order, including JUSTICE. But, then, the question is this: How do they do when it comes to the Administration of Justice?

What kind of justice does the Administration provide when they have to deal with issues that arise within the Community? How far does the system accommodate notions of fairness, transparency, objectivity and accountability within its power structures so as to ensure justice for its common members? Do common Ahmadis gain justice when they approach the Khulafa with the troubles they have with their leaders?

The plain fact is that injustice breeds and thrives under the Ahmadiyya system today. The system originally built on the foundations of implicit faith and trust of those who work under it has, time and again, been abused by vested interests operating under the mask of obedience to leadership and much injustice is flowing through the contaminated waters of the present Khilafat system and common Ahmadis are suffering due to the excesses of the administrators. There is a clearly perceived need to radically rethink the current premises of administration of justice within the Ahmadiyya Community in the light of the following Qur’anic verse:

“O David, We have made you a vicegerent on earth; so judge between men with justice, and follow not vain desire, lest it should lead you astray from the way of Allah. Surely, those who go astray from the way of Allah, will have a severe punishment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.” (38 : 27)

In an Open Letter written on February 20, 2011 and addressed to the current head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius profoundly analyzed this question. The Messenger of Allah of our times- the Khalifatullah- describes justice as from the very “blood” of Allah. He points out that Allah detests unfairness among his creatures-be it in the Heavens or in the Earth. Pointing to the how and why of the decline in justice-oriented administrative values in the Ahmadiyya Community today, the Khalifatullah provides a profound explanation for the magnificent Will of Allah working behind the current Divine Manifestation.  

Read from the Extracts of the Letter:

‘Knowledge cannot guarantee Guidance’

It is a great spiritual irony that knowledge and divine guidance may not always intersect. In fact, they may diverge on most occasions if we go by the distilled wisdom of spiritual history. 

Whenever a Messenger of Allah appears, it is the priestly class of apparently-learned- men who opposes and rejects him. On the one hand, the Islamic tradition venerates and privileges knowledge and wisdom. Yet, on the other hand, it warns believers to be wary of scholars and the priestly class when they deviate from the Divine Path despite the knowledge they otherwise seem to possess. 

In his Friday Sermon of September 30, 2011 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius reflected on this profound theme. Read from the Extracts of the Sermon:      

“The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey that carries volumes (of books). Wretched is the example of the people who deny the revelations of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” (62: 6)

Knowledge cannot guarantee guidance. It implies that guidance does not depend on knowledge but it is in the power of Allah Almighty. The Quranic verse above condemns those Mullahs who have gone astray.

“And had We willed We could have raised him with Our signs; but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desires. His similitude is that of a dog: if you attack him, he sticks out his tongue, or if you leave him alone, he (still) sticks out his tongue. That is the similitude of those who reject Our signs; So relate the story; perhaps they may reflect.” (7: 177)

There are many other verses and sayings of the Holy Prophet (sa) on this theme. The subject is so crucial that according to one Hadith, the angels of hell will get hold of these insolent Mullahs even before the idolaters. These so-called Mullahs will protest, wondering why they are being dealt with before the worshippers of the idols. The divine answer shall be:

“Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.” (39: 10)

ABORTION: Crime against Humanity

On September 27, 2011 LE MAURICIEN Newspaper of Mauritius, carried an article by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib on the issue of Abortion. In the article, Hadhrat Sahib reflects upon the sanctity of human life- recognized and affirmed by the scriptures of all religions. He describes the practice of abortion (unless under exceptional contingencies) as the very taking away of a   precious human life and as such, a crime against humanity. We are reproducing the article below for the benefit of all].

The Holy Quran says: “Take not life which God has made sacred.” (6:151)

Abortion is essentially the extermination of an unborn innocent life. Almighty God condemns such a heinous practice and His abhorrence for such an act is found not only in the Holy Quran but also in the various other sacred books, like the Gospel, Puranas, and Vedas, etc. In the Quran, God says:

“We ordained… that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation for murder or for spreading mischief on earth, it would be as if he killed all mankind. And who so saved a life, it would be as if he saved all mankind.” (5:33)

Nowadays there are lots of cases of abortion being practised in secret. Abortion in itself is a crime against humanity. Indeed it is a crime which governments of the world are trying to legalise. Some countries have already legalised this crime, while others, like Mauritius are trying to legalise it – which means: making a crime become legal and open! Does making a crime become legal going to resolve the major issues which the human society has to tackle or is it going to definitely aggravate the situation, by encouraging liberal sex and thereafter an increase in unwanted pregnancies which result in abortion?

In the Bible, we can read:  “Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28).

“If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follows: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21: 22-25)

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.” (Psalms 127:3)

A “Severe Warning” to an Ahmadi Maulana

How to prevent common Ahmadis from recognizing the Messenger of Allah of our times? That is the ‘concern’ troubling the minds of the Ahmadiyya leadership in Kerala today!

That Allah the Most High has sent a Messenger of His in order to revive Islam and to revitalise the faith of the Muslims (including Ahmadis) in this Era has come as a shocker to the mundane plans of the contemporary establishment in the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. The leadership in Kerala is thus deploying all plausible methods and means available at their disposal for the execution of this nefarious objective- to keep people away from the sublime message of Allah’s Messenger.

In the true Orwellian fashion, with the objective of discrediting the Divine Plan in the eyes of its common members, the Ahmadi leadership arrogantly and contemptuously describes the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius as the “Fitna” (Allah forbid) of our times! Had it not been for the tragic irony and grave doctrinal mistakes of the so-said inheritors of the teachings of Hadhrat Ahmad (as), these ludicrous pronouncements of the leadership could have been dismissed as the venality and survival tactics of a decadent elite trembling at the bleak prospect of its spiritual irrelevance.

Spiritual history tells us that God’s Messengers have generally been constrained to confront such forces whenever they appear and seek to point attention to Divine message and correct doctrinal mistakes of people. It is no accident, then, that the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius has repeatedly counselled Ahmadi leaders to desist from their campaign of slander and vilification that they seem to relish against the Divine Manifestation. At a time when the Ahmadi leaders in Kerala deluded themselves of being capable of putting out the light of Allah shining forth in Mauritius, there came the stunning challenge of Mubahala from the Massih of Allah against no less a leader in stature than Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Sahib [ Inset: the Maulana with the Fifth Khalifa (c): Al Islam website]. 

For the Mubahala Challenge, see:   
         
http://sahih-al-islam.blogspot.com/2011/04/mubahala-challenge-to-ahmadi-maulana.html

In the aftermath of the Mubahala challenge declared by the Elect of Allah, the Ahmadi leadership strategically withdrew the impugned Maulana from the battle-front. As the Maulana was cooling his heels at home with those who sit at home, they advanced another pawn, Maulvi Mahmud Ahmad Sahib. The Maulana, in a desperate attempt to influence and deviate Ahmadis who are carefully studying the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius, is travelling around the State.

In his Friday Sermon of September 16, 2011 Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib has taken serious note of the activities of Maulvi Mahmud Ahmad Sahib of Kerala and has issued a “clear warning” to desist from playing with fire- waging war against the Light of Allah- or be ready to face a “great humiliation” coming his way. Read the Extracts from the sermon:

‘He who knows his self knows his Lord’

In his Friday Sermon of September 16, 2011 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib profoundly reflected on the spiritual significance of attaining true self knowledge. The human self is capable of transcending its earthly moorings by contemplating the Spirit of God. Through a deeper awareness about the human condition in an ultimately transient world, true believers find the “face” of Allah in every situation they encounter in life.  

Read from the extracts:

The “people of the truth” fall into two categories. Those of the first get married, have children, houses, crops, but their hearts are not attached to these duties, which are not veils for them (which can hinder them from the contemplation of God) ... They no longer see themselves, but only God, Sublime and Exalted, because for the “people of the truth”, the being of the world is the Being of God; in reality, everything comes from Him.

The second category of “people of the truth” always love God, and are consumed by the love of God and the knowledge of God in His essential unity, and they know their self and they destroy it (their ego) and affirm the unity of their self and God, they retain their self, and they are destroyed in their self, and they remain in their self and they hate what occurs outside their self, and love the hidden interiority of their self, and they despise their self because the Messenger of Allah (sa) said:   “He who knows his self knows his Lord” ["Ma’n ara’ a nafsahu faqad ara’fa rab’bahu"].

This is also one of the revelations which I received at the beginning of the Divine Manifestation, whereby God taught me His wonders, that I may become even closer to Him, and that I trust Him, by knowing myself profoundly…

Moreover, when they attach their vision “outside” of their ego, whatever the thing they see, it is their self which they see, and what they contemplate is their self, because for the “people of the truth” the world and their self are one and the same thing; what they see, it's verily their self which they see. Like the Messenger of Allah (sa) said:  “I saw my Lord through the (merciful) eye of my Lord.”

This is also one of the revelations which I received from Allah at the beginning of the Divine manifestation along with the revelation: He who knows his self knows his Lord.