'The Idiot Box is Truly Harmful'

 TV’S HARMFUL EFFECTS

By the grace of Allah, Allah (swt) in His infinite wisdom and grace has given me again the Tawfiq to continue my sermon today on the subject of: “The Harmful Effects of Television”.

Indeed the time that you lose watching TV is a time which you cannot gain back again, and verily you are in no position to know the exact remaining days which you have before you, before you leave this world. Therefore, maximize what time remains for you in the worship of Allah (Ibaadat), and the seeking of His forgiveness and mercy (Istigfaar). Spend all your time in the path of Allah by doing the works of religion and spend your money also for the propagation of the unity of Allah. Do not spend your money in useless preoccupations wherein there is no divine reward or pleasure.

Islam teaches us that despite all that which we possess (on earth), we verily have no right to use it in the way we want for all these things verily belong to Allah alone: our body, our strength, our time, our money and knowledge, etc. As for TV, it makes us waste our time and money in the disobedience of Allah and it makes us become lazy. With each second that you spend before TV you waste your existence, and verily you shall one day have to account for all that before your Creator. Your TV set plays day and night to such an extent that your electricity bill becomes enormous. It is verily wastage of your money, for apart from (national) television, you get to subscribe to other private channels and you have to pay for all that every month. 

Bear in mind that you have to account for all wealth/ money which Allah has given you before Him one day. Therefore, instead of wasting money, put the money to good use in the treasury of the Jamaat, to spend for the cause of Allah. This shall verily be a blessing for you for Allah shall put His blessings in your money and home and Insha-Allah, you shall have a great reward for it in the hereafter. What you sow in this world, you shall reap it in the hereafter. When you sow good deeds solely for the cause of Allah, therefore you shall reap an infinite reward both in this world and the hereafter. Verily the reward in the hereafter shall be much better and grand. 

TV: Impact on Islamic Life

TV’S HARMFUL EFFECTS

Today, by the grace of Allah, Allah has given me the Tawfiq to continue the second part of my Khutba Jummah on ‘The Harmful Effects of Television’.

Through TV, the Islamic dress code is disappearing, to such a point that there are some who consider the Islamic clothing as uncivilised dress code and only good for ancient times!

Islam has put great restriction concerning sexuality so that the social life of our community remains clean and far away from prostitution, homosexuality and other social maladies. As for TV, it not only removes that restriction through the means of its dirty films but it also incites young people to satisfy their carnal desires (sexual needs/ passions) in an immoral and illicit (Haram) way.

Islam is a religion which teaches Muslims men as well as women to cultivate shame (Haya) in them because shame is a quality which helps cultivate mutual respect. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has even made us know that Allah (swt) has joined shame (Haya) together with faith (Iman). As long as someone has shame in him, his faith shall be alive, but if he loses his shame, he loses also his faith, and he begins to act like an animal. Through the various obscene TV channels proposed to people, television has taken away shame from that community (the Ummah of Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh)).

Shun Arrogance and Cheap Victories

OBEDIENCE TO ALLAH AND TO HIS MESSAGE 

Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al- Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) opened his Friday Sermon stressing on Obedience to Allah and His Khalifatullah, for therein is true salvation for a true believer. A true believer never seeks to hurt the feelings of the Messenger of Allah, Khalifatullah. The one who truly loves Allah and His Khalifatullah will always show obedience to Allah and His Khalifatullah.

During the course of his explanations which Huzur (atba) explained to be divinely inspired – for he relates that ever since the beginning of the Divine Manifestation, before doing any Jummah Khutba (or discourse) he seeks divine succour and guidance on which topic/ subject to bring before the Jamaat and the world at large – and Alhamdulillah, he also received on the spot (11 December 2015) the following revelation (in English): “These are the words coming from Allah. These are not the words of Munir Ahmad Azim.”

Shun Arrogance and Cheap victories

He reiterated the need for each member of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, National and International to ever remain firm in his or her belief and to always project the authentic facets of Islam, and forego all kinds of arrogance and attachment to minor/trivial things which can thus become major impediments in our faith. Arrogance can exterminate one’s faith, and an arrogant person can become like those who left the Divine Manifestation and sought to create problems for Allah and His Messenger and Jamaat. Huzur (atba) said that there is no difference between someone who left the Divine Manifestation and the one who does not pay obeisance to Allah and His Khalifatullah and manifest his or her nafs (ego, passion). Allah does not love the arrogant.

He made the congregation ponder over the situation of those who left the Divine Manifestation, who noted down the divine revelations, where are they today? Or even on those who at the very beginning of the Divine Manifestation itself rejected Allah’s revelations and signs! Now, with the celebrations of the centenary Jubilee of Ahmadiyyat establishment in Mauritius, how hurt they felt when their own Khalifa (elected by man) did not attend this function! Mauritians from all over the world came back to their country in the hope of having that grand celebration with their Khalifa, but all in vain! 

Allah has showed that there is no Khalifa except His very own Khalifatullah, His Chosen Khalifa who could have celebrated that particular centenary Jubilee. All the programmes done were through the helping hand of Allah. Are you still blind? Are you not still recognising that sign? Are you still manifesting your nafs (passion)? Are you still disputing over petty things? Are you trying to put the Messenger of Allah and the Jamaat of Allah in a fix? In the times of the Holy Prophet of Islam (pbuh), the latter stressed on unity, for it is united that we can progress – not divided and having petty arguments!

Watching Too Much TV

TV’S HARMFUL EFFECTS

Today the subject of my sermon shall be on the harmful effects of television. TV in itself is a favour for us from Allah (swt). You shall notice that in all good favours that Allah gives man, little by little Satan makes his way in them, leaving his mark, thus spoiling the favours which Allah have enabled us to have, especially in this past era and the actual era in which we are living with the introduction of television. There are programmes on TV which are essential for viewers, to learn from the given information, such as documentaries, news, educative programmes and others.

Now attraction to all the good effects of TV has disappeared, especially among the youths. Are you people now pondering over the arrays of TV Channels which are available today? I recall the past when there was only one television channel in Mauritius and there were interesting programmes, educative ones (such as documentaries etc.) which started around 3.00 pm and ended at 10.00 pm. Even the radio ended early just like for television. It was years later that a second channel was introduced and today there are a whole lot of TV channels besides the basic national TV channels. Now there are TV stations such as CANAL + proposing new programmes and channels and there is also the MY.T which proposes different new channels. Recently MY.T through publicity done have given viewers 3 months (till October 2015) free viewing of all its channels (more than 73 channels), with the hope that this attracts more and more people to subscribe to these usually paid channels. From what I have learnt, all kinds of Hindi and other serials are being broadcast, one after the other.

Now, what one sees is that all people are before the television, morning and evening. And there is even the option now to get to view the missed programmes and films of the past days.

So the believers need to ponder a lot over the harmful effects of television. Nowadays, a TV in a house has become for the people like a dangerous enemy. It has become such an enemy which is destroying your Iman (faith), time and money when you go to have paid subscriptions to get to view such channels which are dirty. At the same time, you are inviting your wives and children to partake of the harmful effects of these immoral movies and as a result, they also get to be negatively affected by these. 

Youth 'Fashion' & Muslim Parents

THE MUSLIM YOUTHS ARE GOING ASTRAY

Many of our elders these days have approached me to share their testimonials about our male and female Muslim youths. Despite the hard trials, boycott and persecution upon me and the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, but as the Caliph of Allah, I do not have the right to remain passive and fear them, and thereby letting our youths (boys and girls) go astray. 

By the grace of Allah, come what may, I do not have fear of creatures in me, and Allah (swt) has sent me to accomplish a mission and I shall do it despite the palavers and persecutions of the so-called great defenders of Islam. When they have relinquished, abandoned the works which they were supposed to do, Allah has raised His Caliph (Khalifatullah) with a Jamaat to do the noble work which our beloved prophet (pbuh) did. Try as you may, but you shall not be able to extinguish the light of Allah, and let me tell you that Allah (swt) shall continue to perfect His light. Allah (swt) does not need the permission of anybody. When He has to raise His Chosen Servant, He raises him without being accountable to anyone. As for you (our opponents) wait for the consequences (of your acts) before Allah (swt).

Coming back to the subject on the Muslim Youths: Thus, what we see these days, it is sad to say that our youths are going completely astray. And it is sad to see also see Muslim girls in all corners of the streets with non-Muslim boys, and flirting as if they are Bollywood and Hollywood actresses and actors. What is worst is that the image (and honour) of Islam is being trampled by them, for in addition to all these, they also display themselves with beer cans. Where are those so-called Mullahs, those great defenders? Are they blind? Do they not see which route these youths have taken?

As for you, parents – I am not judging you (but) – are you talking with your kids these days? Instead of losing time in vain things and talks, for example, watching vain TV serials or talking about vain things (palavers) with the neighbours, instead of all these, talk with your children like parents should so as to know what is going on in their everyday lives. 

Reclaiming Islam's Pristine Essence

By the grace of Allah, nowadays people in the four corners of the world are lending positive ears, that is, listening carefully and acknowledging the message of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam.

Allah (swt) chose us to transmit the divine message, the same message which was given to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). As our noble master and prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is no more today, but nevertheless Allah (swt) has provided ways and means for His message to be transmitted in our present time in a way to connect both eras.

Who are those people who are capable of spreading this message?

It is verily those who possess the characteristics of the founder of Islam and the Seal of all Prophets (pbuh) who are the one who shall be able to carry on this message with the express commandment of Allah and the blessings of the Ruh-il-Quddus. In other words, they have to possess the same behaviours and willingness as those of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) to execute that great divine plan. These characteristics have been described from the Holy Quran itself as follows:

a)      Yatloo alayhim Ayaatihi:  that is, the one who reads the verses of the Holy Quran and explains them to others.

b)     Wa yuzakkiihim: that is, when he reads these verses, he purifies the hearts of people and converts them in the good sense.

c)      Wa yu’allimahum Kitaaba: that is, he teaches people the Holy Quran.

d)     Wa Hikma: that is, and he teaches people also the Wisdom.

There are numerous people who have accepted the message of Allah but they are not convinced. Some have accepted the message of Allah with good hearts and want to do good deeds, but they don’t know what to do exactly and how to do them.

Hence, it’s the Taleem-ul-Kitaab which explains what pleases Allah and what displeases Him. It’s very important for all of us to acquire knowledge and its BEST SOURCE is from the Holy Quran. And moreover, to have the best explanation of its verses, we all need the Best Lecturer, one who is Divinely-Guided and possesses Taqwa, fear of Allah in his heart.

Degradation among Ahmadis

In his Friday Sermon of 29 May 2015, Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib stated that every day the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is witnessing many signs and favours and he cited with arrogance that in Germany, the Lajna and Ansar had recently bought a five-storey building for € 1.7 million, and affirms that this was a divine support in favour of (man-elected) Khilafat.  

If money and material progress is really divine support in favour of Ahmadiyya man-elected Khilafat, then the Pope and the Christian World as well as the other ancient religions, including the other non-Ahmadi Muslims shall be doubly and even trebly jubilant in stating that it is them who have divine support because they are far more advanced in both number and wealth than the Ahmadiyya Community worldwide. According to them, despite the man-made idols which they (the other religions) cherish, and the closing of the door of prophethood (for the Muslims), they are well-off and are confident that they have divine support for them and their beliefs. 

If the Khalifat-ul-Massih is measuring progress in terms of material possessions instead of spiritual growth (and/or declination) then he is taking an absolutely wrong route. Verily, the worst fears of both Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) were that a time shall come when Islam will be so rich in material means that people will give that more importance and be blinded by them rather than staying true to the true divinely-sent faith. They knew that victory shall come for their followers and they did not worry for their current meagre financial situations for they knew also that those empty treasuries shall be filled one day. What they feared is the corruption and fraud that shall ensued after the large amount of money come to ornate the treasury of the community (Islam as a whole, and the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in particular).

Food for thought: The more there is material growth within a community, be it secular or spiritual, the more there is degradation. If the moral and spiritual values of the people are not secured, the spiritual community falls prey to the allures of the Satan, and the common people, as well as the high priests and heads fall prey to the lust for temporal power and authority.