The Road to Spiritual Progress

The path to attain nearness to the Lord Almighty is narrow and slippery. One needs to traverse it through prayer, patience and concentration. One can evolve spiritually by establishing a firm relationship and bond of love with the Guided Ones who are sent by Allah the Most High from time to time. Listening to them and following their noble precepts and practices are absolutely essential for those who seek true guidance. This way one will gain right and correct belief which are free from blemishes and mythical haze. In his Friday Sermon of 11 May 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius underscored the struggles involved in attaining spiritual progress and offered special guidance on how to proceed on this sublime path.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

“According to Islam, our beautiful and perfect religion, the only spiritual way is that of prayer and concentration. But time is needed for a person to benefit from this because until a relationship takes deep roots and a bond of love is created, its effects cannot be felt. The way of guidance is only through prayer and concentration.

It is God’s rule of nature that every spirit requires a physical mould. When such a mould is ready, a spiritual form is breathed into it automatically. It is an essential objective that you should gradually gain acquaintance with the reality which God has opened to me in the capacity of Khalifatullah of this era. There are many errors in the beliefs which have common currency among the ordinary people of Islam and also in Jamaat Ahmadiyya and these errors have arisen as a result of intermingling with the Christians. But now God has wished that the pure and bright face of Islam be shown to the world, that is, the Sahih al Islam. Clarity of beliefs is very essential for spiritual progress. The clearer the beliefs, the greater will be the progress.

Prayer and concentration are needed in this struggle because the true reality is hidden from some people by the veil of their negligence, from others by their prejudice and yet some others are kept away from it because they have no devotion to the people of truth. However, without God’s help these veils cannot be lifted and that is why prayer and concentration are needed. Ever since the system of prophethood has been instituted, it has been the case that mere talk cannot lead to any progress. It is always prayer and devoted concentration which prove beneficial.

The Concept of Khalifatullah

In his Friday Sermon of 25 May 2012, Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius gave a discourse on the concept of Khalifatullah or the Vicegerent to Allah on earth. The speech is especially important for Ahmadi Muslims to ponder over, for the extraordinary light it throws on the concept of Khilafat in Islam and the insights it provides on the circumstances in which the favour of Allah deserted the man-elected Khilafat system and resulted in the emergence of the current Divine Manifestation in Mauritius.  

Islam offers the spiritual history of countless prophets in the Holy Qur’an as a living testimonial to an enduring Divine practice: Allah the Most High raises His Messengers, who (did and) would call people to the sublime path of spirituality. These Messengers would teach people the Divine Word and invite them to partake of the Divine blessings that pour down like a heavenly rain on a parched earth. Depending on the depth of their immersion in the Divine waters, these holy men of God are decorated by Allah the Most High Himself with spiritual titles of magnificent proportions- Rasulullah, Nabiullah, Khalifatullah, Muhyi-ud-Din, Mujaddid etc.  

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:  

“The word Khalifatullah can be explained with reference directly to Allah (swt) or with reference to an earlier prophet. The Khalifatullah is created on earth by the word of God and he is vicegerent to Allah, or a deputy to Allah. Hazrat Adam (as) is referred to as Khalifatullah and it (that is, the title and seat of Khalifatullah) came to its perfection in the person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and that also is the meaning of Khataman-Nabiyyeen. This is one understanding of the word Khalifatullah.

Islamic Way: Secret of a Long Life

"Any one who wants to have his provision expanded,

 his term of life prolonged and for people to speak well of him

 should maintain ties of kinship" 

                                                                                        - Prophet Muhammad (sa)

In his Friday Sermon of May 04, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius spoke about the practical ordinances of Islam to be kept in mind in our everyday lives. Islam detests idleness and forbids practices such as usury that breeds and perpetuates a culture of idleness and irresponsibility. On the contrary, it envisions the believers as a community of people devoted to constant personal improvement in their spiritual states and collective progress in material conditions. The very lifestyles and priorities on every single day of their lives will reflect this enduring commitment to individual enterprise and collective growth. 

The believers are to strive for excellence in their chosen fields of occupation or profession so that the world may benefit from their work. Their charity, generosity and service will embrace not just family and kin, but will extend to neighbours and strangers as well. Thus, the Muslim becomes a source from which flow virtue, goodness and peace which everyone around him shall benefit.  ‘That which benefits the people endures in the earth’, says the Holy Qur’an. Adhering to the Islamic way has beneficial consequences, including possibly, a long and productive life, asserts the Messenger of Allah.   

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

The Muslim, if he wants that Allah grants him a long life, must comply with the scheme of everyday life as prescribed by Islam. This requires, inter alia, that the Muslim wakes up early and goes to bed early. The Muslim begins his day at dawn at least, before daybreak. And he welcomes his morning by being pure, before the afternoon catches up with him, full of weaknesses, shortcomings and even sins. This is why our beloved Saviour, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) showed us that we must come what may, and in any situation seek God’s forgiveness for the soul is prone to evil, except that which Allah protects against the ravages of Satan. Therefore, Muslims greet their day early, and this is the virtue praised by the Holy Prophet (sa) when he wished them prosperity and abundance in these times, “Allah bless the precocity of mine (that is, my people).”

Time Planning is an Islamic Virtue

In his Friday Sermon of April 27, 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) continued his discourse on the significance of leading a full life in this world. Good deeds form half of the Faith. Believers are to diligently pursue their noble objectives on every single day of their lives. One must rank one’s priorities and set objectives in terms of importance and try to accomplish each of these tasks in the required time. The main duty or sacred duty (Farz deed) must be fulfilled before performing a supererogatory one, and this is equally valid for other cases. ‘Exploit (your) time fairly and effectively’ and ‘not be among the thoughtless and forgetful’, exhorts the Messenger of Allah of our times.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

“...There is no favour to any particular person where time is concerned. This is because the latter is split equally between men. But some have more merit in how to manage, operate and profit from it. Allah (swt), who evaluated time, and shared it among His servants, distinguished some moments that are better than others.

In terms of ritual actions, Allah (swt) has spared some time for the seasons where expected rewards are increased, as the month of Ramadan and the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Other moments are more favourable to the fulfillment of prayers, as the last third of every night, every Friday afternoon, the breaking of the fast for the faster, and the sacred night (Laila-tul-Qadr) in the month of Ramadan!

Every day you have before you a moment in the morning, a moment in the evening and another at dawn, where you can raise your pure mind to the heavens to win both favours of this world and the hereafter. Before you, there are the seasons of the submission, the days of meditation and nights of sacrifices, to which you refer to the Holy Book (the Quran) and the teaching of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Try then to be among those who remember and call on their Lord, and not be among the thoughtless and forgetful. Be those who act, not of those who laze. Enjoy your time, time is like the sword, and neglect procrastination because there is nothing more harmful.

What Ails Islam Today ?

Enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the primary obligations of the believers in Islam. It is indeed a very firm pillar of Islam upon which the branches of faith are held. Yet today, the different groups within the Ummah have turned this pillar of faith on its head. They viciously compete among themselves for forbidding good and enjoining evil. They leave a trail of blood of fellow Muslim brothers murdered in the streets and even in the Mosques. In his Friday Sermon of April 13, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius continued his magisterial survey on the spiritual ailments that afflict the Islamic world today. ‘True Muslims have become rare’, observes the Messenger of Allah. Drawing upon the sacred traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa), the Khalifatullah shows how the Ahmadiyya Community and the wider Islamic world have drifted away from the quintessential spirit of the religion.  

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

“...I shall put before you a Hadith reported by Hazrat Aisha (ra): 

“The Messenger of Allah (sa) came (home) and from the expression on his blessed face, I understood that something was wrong. He did not utter any word. After performing his ablution, he went directly to the Mosque. I (Aisha) also went near the wall of the Mosque to listen to what he had to say. The Messenger of Allah (sa) stood up on the pulpit and after praising Allah, said: 

“O Muslims, Allah has ordered you to enjoin good and forbid evil, otherwise a time shall come when you shall invoke (Allah), and He (Allah) shall not respond, you shall ask a favour of Him (Allah) and He shall not give you and you shall seek help from Him and He shall refuse.” (Targhib)

In another Hadith, Hazrat Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah has said: “When my community shall begin to give much more importance to this (temporal) world over the next world, and consider it as a source of honour, fear (of God) and the value of Islam shall disappear from their hearts. When you shall stop enjoining good and forbid evil, you shall be deprived from the blessings of revelation, and when each shall criticise one another, you shall fall into disgrace in the sight of Allah.” (Hakim)

Therefore, from these two Hadiths which I have put before you, it is clear that when you leave this message which is to be put into practice, that is “Amr bil Ma’ruf wa nahi anil Munkar” (Enjoin good and forbid evil), it is a fact that this is the primary reason which has brought about the wrath, displeasure and curse of Allah (on Muslims).

The Decline of Muslim Spirituality- II

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.”

The Decline of Muslim Spirituality- I

Early Islam produced men of outstanding ability, extraordinary drive and exemplary personal initiative. They were willing to sacrifice their all for the progress of their deeply held convictions, in the service of their faith. This in turn brought the Muslims victories over victories, successes over successes, grandeur and power which lasted for many centuries altogether. On the contrary, “the deeds of the Muslims (of the present times) have become a big dark spot on the exemplary performance and exceptional exploit of the first and true soldiers of Islam”. The contrasting fortunes of Muslims of the past and of the present have invited considerable scholarly attention in recent times. In his Friday Sermon of March 30, 2012 Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius profoundly reflected upon the lamentable spiritual conditions of the Muslims today and prescribed the spiritual medicines essential for reviving the fortunes of the Community.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:  

We are nowadays in the Islamic year 1433 After Hijra. When we analyse that when the world was plunged into the darkness of ignorance, sins and immorality, a light of true knowledge and guidance (that is, the Holy Prophet Muhammad-sa) made its appearance in the horizon amidst the rocky mountains, Batha (the name of the small mountains surrounding Mecca). Its rays went beyond all boundaries, be it in the east, west, north and south, and these rays (of that divine light) illumine each corner of the earth. In the limited period of twenty-three years, this light leads the way so that people accede to such elevated honourable stations which had not been reached before. It has brightened the Muslims and created in them the profound desire to follow the true message that should guide them in the future towards success.

When they followed the true path, guided by this light, the Muslims won victories over victories, successes over successes and they reached the highest position of honour in history. For many centuries, they reigned over the world with grandeur and power. No (non-Muslim) leader of their time could have got the courage to face them, and if someone did attempt to do so, they risked leading themselves to their own destruction. [Inset: Mughal Emperor Muhiy-ud-Din Aurangzeb Alamgir (1618-1707).   His empire at its zenith spread over the whole of modern South Asia and Central Asia- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, parts of Iran and Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and one-fourth of the then world population lived under his rule. Historians testify that Emperor Aurangzeb inflicted such fear in the minds of the foreign elements trading in the waters of India that it took the British  more than a century and a half to consolidate their hold over India even after his death]. 

This is a historical truth which nobody can ever erase. But it is sad to see that these days this historical truth has become an old tradition, an “ancient story”, only good to be told (for a short time), and which appears farfetched for modern times, especially in our present times whereby the deeds of the Muslims have become a big dark spot on the exemplary performance and exceptional exploit of the first and true soldiers of Islam.