Being Good or Bad : Islamic Human Values

Islam has established a number of fundamental rights, valid for all humanity and must be observed and respected under all circumstances. To this end, Islam provides not only legal guarantees but also a very effective moral system. Thus in Islam anything that leads to the well-being of the individual or society is morally good, and everything that is injurious to him/it is morally bad. Islam attaches so much importance to the love of God and love of man that it warns against too much formalism. We read in the Holy Qur’an:  “Virtue does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or the west; virtuous are those who believe in God and the Last Day, the angels and the Book and the prophets, who give for the love of God help to their relatives and to orphans and the needy and travellers, and those who ask, who free captives, who observe prayer, who practice alms-giving, who fulfill the commitment they assume, who show patience in adversity, in hard times and in times of violence. Those are just and fear the Lord.” (2: 178)

We have here a beautiful description of the righteous and God-fearing believer, who obeys to (and implements) the salutary precepts, but without ceasing to gaze upon the love of God and love of as fellow human beings. We have received four precepts:

a) Our faith should be true and sincere.

b) We must be prepared to show it by acts of charity towards our fellow human beings.

c) We must be good citizens.

d) Our soul must be firm and steadfast in all circumstances.

This is the criterion upon which all individual behaviour is judged as good or bad. This criterion is somehow the nucleus around which revolve all the elements that constitute the moral conduct of each person. Before establishing moral precepts, Islam seeks to firmly implant in man’s heart the conviction that he is in constant contact with God who sees him at all times and in all places, that he can hide from the world, but not of Him; he can fool anyone, but not God, he can escape the clutches of anyone except God.

Khalifatullah visits Reunion Island

June 2014: Dawa Highlights

Day One

Alhamdulillah, upon reaching Reunion Island, the Khalifatullah^(atba) was warmly welcomed by the Vice-President of the Jamaat. There was a good interaction between the two and our respected brother took Huzur^(atba) to refresh himself before the start of the mini-Jalsa Salana (half-day) to be held after Zuhr prayer.

Jalsa Salana Programme:

v  Quran Recitation (with translation) by our brother Mohamed Ahmad.

v  An Opening/Welcoming Speech by the Vice-President of the Jamaat.

v  A speech by the Sadr Siraj Makin of the Reunion Jamaat axed on the role of women of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in the modern society.

v  A break of 20 minutes spent in our members & guests from various religious denominations meeting with the Messenger of Allah^(atba).

o   Diner & Salat-ul-Maghrib/Esha in congregation.

v  Quran Recitation (with translation) by our brother Ismaël.

v  Closing Speech by Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim^(atba).

v  Collective Prayer (duas) & refreshments.

The Mini-Jalsa Salana ended at around 20.45pm, and everybody returned home satisfied and thankful to Allah that they have got the opportunity to meet with Huzur^(atba) twice in a year. Alhamdulillah.

Day Two

Huzur^(atba) and some of our members spent the day in Dawa at Sainte Clotilde. In the course of the Dawa expedition, he encountered a Mourid Imam with whom he got a clash on the matter of religion. Later on, he met with a Muslim (a Shiite Mullah) at Moufia and there itself was held a question and answers session on the death of Jesus Christ^(as), to which many people assisted. The Khalifatullah^(atba) exposed to him several verses of the Holy Quran and other proofs from the Hadiths but despite all this, the Mullah refused to acknowledge the truth exposed by the Holy Quran on the subject. He even sought to deviate the people who were witnessing the debate from the true viewpoint of the Holy Quran which the Khalifatullah^(atba) sought to make apparent.

'Fasting is a Shield against Evil'

Yaaa-’ayyu-hallaziina ‘aamanuu kutiba ‘alay-kumus-Siyaamu kamaa kutiba ‘alal lazina min qablikum la-’alla-kum tatta-quun.

“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous.” (2: 184).

The word ‘Siyaam’ (fasting) as mentioned in the Holy Quran can also be called ‘Sawm’, which means ‘to abstain from something’. Abstaining from something does not mean only abstaining from food and drink, no! It also refers to abstaining from vain talks/too much talking; for on the contrary you should concentrate more on Quran reading as well as its translation, concentrate on the remembrance of Allah (Zikrullah) and supplications (duas). Abstention should also be made of sleep, whereby you devote yourself to the voluntary additional prayers when you are fasting during the day. During this period, therefore abstention should also be made of sexual relation with your spouses, and you must learn to control your carnal desires (nafs) and your tongue. This also allows you to multiply more good deeds, help the poor and spend a lot in charity.

When you learn to understand this verse of the Quran (the above-mentioned verse) and you reflect on it, you shall see (deduce) that all the good deeds done in this blessed month (Ramadan) are all acts of worship which a believer does and he does it sincerely for Allah alone. He (the believer) accepts to abstain from all things which were usually licit for him during the previous eleven months and which are made (temporary) illicit for him from before sunrise till after sunset.

Ramadan: Ibadah and Taqwa

“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous.” (2: 184).

Wa maa khalaqtul-Jinna wal-’insa ‘illaa liya’-buduun.

“I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (51: 57).

The month of Ramadan is once again before our door by the grace of Allah. It is a month which is awaited by believers because it contains many benefits and virtues. During the month of Shabaan, Friday sermons (Khutba) often focus on the value of this great month. It is said that Ramadan is a month of worship (Ibadah). Verily, we must rather say that it is a month to increase our acts of worship (Ibadah) because we have been created with the purpose of worshiping Allah (swt).

“I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (51: 57).

In addition to the virtues of this blessed month it is important that we know what is the purpose of these acts of worship during this month. In the Quran, Allah (swt) clearly defines the purpose of the fasting month of Ramadhan: “O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous.” (2: 184).

Generally the word taqwa is translated by ‘fear of Allah’ or ‘piety’. The word taqwa is derived from the word ‘waqaa’ which means protection/protecting oneself.

Gaza: Letter to the Israel PM

The Prime Minister of Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister’s Office
3 Kaplan St. Hakirya

Jerusalem – 91950

14 July 2014

Mr. the Prime Minister,

As the worldwide spiritual leader of Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, I am deeply sad to learn that in this holy month of Ramadan where all Muslims around the world are fasting and also our brothers, sisters and children in Palestine are observing fasting and concentrating on all the instructions given by the Creator of the Universe during this holy month, how merciless on your part – the Israelites – that you do not respect this Islamic holy month and the Muslim faith.

It is with a heavy heart that I learnt how Israel attacked among many others the Northern Gaza strip, hitting the centre for the disabled, killing two disabled women and wounding four. They fired a rocket and it hit these people without any warning. Later on, an Israeli strike hit the Tuffah district in eastern Gaza city, targeting a home and a mosque and killing nearly 20 people. In another strike which happened in the evening, three people were killed in Rafah in south of Gaza. And around dawn on Sunday a 14 year old Palestinian boy died when an Israeli air strike hit his home in Jabaliya. The bodies of five Palestinians killed in an Israeli air strike on a house are seen in the Shifa hospital in Gaza city.

Israel Defense Forces stroke 60 targets in Gaza; 14 Palestinians killed overnight. Is Israel preparing for additional long days of fighting, spreading the blood of the Muslims? 124 Palestinians were killed by an Israeli air bombardment since Tuesday 8^th July and this has been confirmed by medical sources in Gaza. An estimated 900 Palestinians have also been wounded, with some losing limbs and others disabled for life. The majority of the wounded are children. All of the casualties are victims of Israeli bombs dropped on Gaza since Tuesday 8^th July.

Videos have been circulated on the barbaric bombardment of Israel on Gaza, with also the Israeli Air Force dropping mortars on the roofs of homes before destroying them with bigger bombs. Terror in the voices of the Palestinian could be heard. And buildings are destroyed seconds later! What is the difference between state terror and any other king, except the magnitude? Do you take yourself as God on earth to take lives of innocent people in this way? I have seen many false gods on earth, how they were destroyed by the overpowering Lord when they dared to play God on earth!

Divine Favours: 'Count your Blessings'

Fabi-‘ayyi ‘aalaaa-‘i Rabbikumaa tukazzibaan?

“So which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?”

(Ar-Rahman: Chapter 55)

This verse of Surah Ar-Rahman is mentioned 31 times in order to properly inform the believers that they should never forget that all these blessings come from our Creator and from no one else and that He has reserved such blessings also in the hereafter (Aakhirat). Indeed, all the needs of a living being are made ​​available to him (by Allah). Allah (swt) says:

 

“We (Allah) have made ​​the day for livelihood.” (78: 12)

See a living example starting with ourselves.

Once we wake up, we have to face many routines. First we need to breathe in clean air. Do we immediately think that it is one of favours we have been given?  We are healthy – another favour of Allah, the Most Glorious – we have no difficulty to do so because our respiratory system works perfectly.

As soon as we open our eyes, we see near and far images. Is this not a great favour of Allah? When we think, even for a minute, that there are at this moment, thousands of people who are blind! Did you know that the centre of the sight is found in the rear brain occupying few cubic centimetres?

on the 'Alaamaat' of Qiyamah

Wattaquu Yawman-turja ‘uuna fiihi ‘ilaallaah. Summa tuwaffaa kullu nafsim-maa kasabat wa hum laa yuz-lamuun.

“And fear a Day (that is, Qiyamah) when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly.”(2: 282).

The word Qiyamah appears 70 times in the Holy Quran. Allah the Almighty has also called it (Qiyamah) by many other names in the Holy Quran and each name shows an aspect of Qiyamah. For example, among others:

 1. As-Sa’a (The Appointed Hour)

 2. Al-Yaum-ul-Haqq (The Day of Truth, that is, the advent of such a day about which there is no doubt)

 3. Al-Yaum-ul-Mal’oom (The Known Hour)

4. Yaum-ul-Aazifa (The Terrifying Day which is approaching), 

5. Yaum-un-Assir (The Hard Day),

6.  Yaum-un-Azim (The Great Day), 

7. Yaum-ul-B’ath (The Day of Resurrection), 

8. Yaum-un-Talaaq (The Day of Meeting, that is, meeting with Allah the Almighty), 

9. Yaum-ul-Jama (The Day of Assembly), 

10. Yaum-ul-Khuruj (The Day of Coming Out, that is, from the tomb) 

11. An-Naba-ul-Azim (The Great News). 

12. Al-Haqqa (The Inevitable).