'Muttaqi' and the Good Life

Taqwa is a quality or character (or way of being) which enables a person to live according to the Shariah (Islamic Laws). It regulates his entire life according to the divine commandments, by enabling the person to follow or imitate the blessed behaviour and practices of our beloved prophet, the noble prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). The one who inculcates this quality in him in a permanent way is called a Muttaqi (God-fearing/pious, righteous person). That is why we also call him Deendar (devout, religious) or someone who is very serious in matters of Deen (meaning to say, religion, particularly, Islam).

A religious person has always the good fortune of living well in this temporal life also. Allah the Almighty says in the Noble Quran:

“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life…” (16: 98).

As for the difficulties he experiences, these are only easily surmounted difficulties, easily resolved because he knows that life on earth is only temporary/limited. Therefore, he knows that the problems also are temporary. (In his perspective) knowing that the problems are temporary is in itself a great relief. Being a Muslim, he knows that come what may, all situations that he undergoes are what Allah has decreed for him.

Palestine: Israel's War crimes

Rabbih-kum bil-haqq! Wa rabbunar-rahmanul musta-'aanu 'aala maa tasifoon. 

“My Rabb (Lord)! You decide with truth. And our Rabb (Lord) is the Rahman (Most Gracious) whose help is invoked against what you attribute.”

The month of Ramadan, as well as the Eid festival and these difficult days witnessed to a deep sorrow for I could not from my mind those pictures of small innocent Palestinian children killed by the Israelite army. During the month of Ramadan I was terribly overthrown with the shocking pictures of innocent children torn down by bombs.

How can we think that is no problem in Muslim countries when each day, in front of your eyes, parents are carrying the coffins of their children? How can we celebrate festivals, eating and drinking and enjoy ourselves when all these people, all these families have nothing to eat and drink, have nothing with which to clothe themselves properly, have no place to accomplish their Salat (prayers) and not even water to drink and make ablution (Wu’zu)? These are mourning days for me. I ask myself how the Nobel Prize could have been given to Barrack Obama who is a passive accomplice of this tragedy! We should have a special thought for all these Palestinians who are being killed daily, dying as martyrs under the bombs of the Israelites. 

There are lessons to be learned from the tragedy of Palestine. While Palestinians are dying without food, their rich Arab cousins ​​in Dubai and Kuwait are competing to build the tallest skyscrapers in the world. Where is the unity of the Ummah ? Arab countries keep a low profile, watching like spectators. Previously it was said that the Ethiopians were searching in garbage cans for food. Today the Libyans, Syrians, despite living in rich countries search garbage cans for food. There is the absolute need to recover the lost unity. Divided like this, the Arab countries are getting trampled upon. I personally cannot help being deeply upset, shocked and confused, throughout the month of Ramadan by the events in the Middle East.

Afflictions of 'Qiyamah'

And guard yourselves against a chastisement which cannot fall exclusively on those of you who are wrong-doers, and know that Allah is severe in punishment. (8: 25)

Man needs to understand this well that whenever there is birth, there shall be definitely death like mentioned in the Holy Quran whereby Allah the Exalted has said that:  “Each soul (life) shall taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.” (21: 36). 

The Hadiths, narrated by Hazrat Anas (ra) also inform us that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has said: “A time shall come when those practicing religion shall be similar to those holding embers in (the palm of) their hands.” (Tirmidhi).

What is being explained (in the Hadiths) is that there shall be many people who shall consider it a burden to practice religion like it is difficult for one to hold embers in one’s hand. And our beloved prophet (pbuh) has informed his Ummah also that before the Day of Judgement (Qiyamah) there shall many afflictions (fitna) which shall be like darkness wherein believers shall not see any way out; such afflictions which shall be frightening and dangerous. Many of these believers shall lose faith and shall not practice religion at all. In the morning there are some who shall have faith (Iman), but due to personal gain, or under the domination of the tyrants (Zalims), or under the influence of an infidel, such kind of believer shall lose his faith in the afternoon. As for those who are weak in faith, they shall see it difficult to remain firm on the path (the religion) of Islam.

'Eid-ul-Fitr' Sermon 2014

Ramadan has come to an end for this year. But the good deeds that we have been doing during the month of Ramadan must not end; it must continue till the next Ramadan. Fasting is the essence of all worship and it enables man to accomplish all his obligations towards others and also to Allah in a perfect manner.

During the Ramadan, the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam have elevated their level of prayers (Salat/Namaz) as well as getting up early to partake of the Sehri to start their fast. Likewise, this practice must continue, whereby we get up early for the Tahajjud, perform the Salat-ul-Fajr on time and delve in the recitation of the Holy Quran in the morning which is specially rewarding in terms of blessings.

Unfortunately, for those still alive and have got the opportunity to live this blessed month, but who have not reaped any profit/benefit and have not received any divine blessing, then let them bear in mind that their lives have gone to waste when they do not observe that blessed month as it should be done. Furthermore, how can they be happy today, Eid Day when they have let these exceptional days slip out of their hands? When the fast is neglected for no valid reason, this is verily a serious matter (a failure on the part of Muslims). How can these people be happy today when they have not established all the acts of worship in Ramadan like it should have been?

Therefore, each person who says that he believes (in Allah and all tenets of Islam), that he is a believer, therefore he must put into practice all good intentions that he holds, and he must absolutely not miss to seek the divine blessings during the month of Ramadan. To this end he must supplicate Allah in such a way that all in heavens can hear also, and whereby the angels diffuse these supplications throughout the entire world.

Eid Day is for those who have spent a month in the obedience of Allah; they have shunned all that was not permissible for them; they left all, showing their love, and obedience only to Allah. For those who have submitted totally to Him, and have spent the month in sacrifice for the sake of Allah, then Almighty Allah gives them an Eid Day; a day of joy for those who spent the blessed month in the obedience of Allah the Almighty.

True spirit of 'Eid-ul-Fitr'

Eid-ul-Fitr is the gift of Allah to Muslims to reward them for their endurance as well as their obedience and devotion to Him during Ramadan. Since fasting is obligatory on all Muslims during Ramadan, celebrating Eid is incumbent upon them as a community (one Ummah). It is the occasion offered to them to enjoy divine favours, to rejoice, to wear their best, to be at their best and to eat and drink what best has been prepared for it is expressly forbidden to fast on this festive day. But as always in Islam, all in spirit of moderation!

Eid-ul-Fitr is a day of peace and blessing; it is a day of sharing; it is also a day celebrated in the warmth of the family. The festivities of Eid-ul-Fitr commence with thanksgiving, assemble in the mosques in the early morning, prayer is offered and a special sermon is delivered, often on the theme of the gains obtained in the outgoing blessed month of Ramadan and the efforts which one and all must make to keep up with the good habits and the mode of behaviours that Ramadan has helped to achieve. Thereafter greetings are exchanged, visits are paid to friends and relatives, the young visiting the elders, gifts are offered to children, dainties are shared especially with neighbours; in certain families, there exists the tradition of visiting the dear departed ones (in cemeteries) to invoke the Almighty’s blessings on their souls. 

‘Heart’ as a Spiritual Metaphor

The heart, a vital organ and essential in its role of pumping blood in the human body is considered, since ages, as the seat of feelings. This is certainly due to the fact that the heart rate increases with emotions. Indeed, love is symbolized by a heart! The heart is small but can contain vast emotions like the ocean. Over the centuries, an infinite amount of expressions in different languages ​​have been linked to heart; expressions associated with emotions (e.g. with a good heart, with all my heart, with rage in the heart), courage (e.g. having one’s heart in the stomach – French Expression “avoir du coeur au ventre”), others in which a loved one is designated (e.g. my little heart, my heart), the inner life (e.g. speaking from the heart), or even the memory (e.g. learning by heart). In our local Creole language there can also be found: Lekér sale (dirty heart), Lekér roche (having a stone in place of the heart),Lekér fermal (a wounded heart), Lekér l’or (a golden heart/ a heart of gold)...

The heart is also a great symbol related to many interpretations, including: The dwelling of faith and of knowledge, understanding, thinking, feelings etc. The heart is described by scientists as the king of organs; it is the seat of the sincerity of a person, without which none of his actions are accepted.

Several hadiths explicitly cite the supremacy of the heart. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “Surely there is in the body a small piece of flesh; if it is in good condition the whole body is in good condition, and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt and that is the heart.” (Bukhari). He (pbuh) also said: “Surely Allah does not look at your bodies nor your faces but He looks at your hearts.” (Muslim).

Wabisah Ibn Ma’bad (ra) said: “I once went to the Messenger of God (pbuh) and he said:" 

“Have you come to inquire about virtue (good)?” 

“Yes,” I replied, and he said: “Ask your heart. Virtue is that which contents the soul and comforts the heart, and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs the heart, even if people pronounce it lawful and give you verdicts on such matters again and again.” (Musnad Ahmad)

'Tabligh' among Ahmadis: A Kerala Incident

Freedom of religion in any civilized society includes the fundamental human rights to profess, practice and preach one's spiritual convictions, regardless of whether the State or other persons in society approve of those beliefs and practices. There can be no compulsion in matters of religion. Just as no one can be forced against their will to listen to a discourse, no one has the liberty to obstruct the peaceful preaching of a message to others, either. And the preaching of Islam is an appeal to the spiritual conscience of men and women. As the Holy Qur'an says, 'the truth has come from your Lord: let those who wish to believe in it do so, and let those who wish to reject it do so' (18: 30). Divine Messengers in the past had repeatedly been asked to convey the situation as it is: "People, the Truth has come to you from your Lord. Whoever follows the right path follows it for his own good, and whoever strays does so to his own loss: I am not your Guardian" (10:109).

For a century or so, the mainstream Ahmadis had relied on these sublime Islamic principles of freedom of human conscience and the liberty of individual choices in their extraordinary efforts in spreading the message of Islam-Ahmadiyyat among hostile opponents and other adversarial elements everywhere. Yet, today they are increasingly intolerant. This is starkly visible in Kerala these days, even as the message of Allah, being conveyed through the Divine Reformer of our times, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius, has recently reached the corners of India. 

When the disciples of the Khalifatullah (atba) recently sought to convey the Divine message in the town of Karunagappally, the Ahmadi youths in Kerala (India) got enraged and wanted to extinguish the possibility of the message reaching the common Ahmadis. In his Friday Sermon of July 18, 2014, in the course of his expositions on the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Khalifatullah (atba) took note of the Tabligh Incident.