Remembering Asad Shah Sahib

MURDER OF ASAD SHAH SAHIB IN SCOTLAND

On Thursday 24 March 2016, the 40 years old Ahmadi Muslim Asad Shah, originally from Pakistan, from the town of Rabwah and who lived in Glasgow, Scotland, was murdered in the evening about nine o’clock, local time. He was found with a knife in the head outside his newsagent and convenience store/ shop. For reasons beyond the perception and understanding of the authorities, he was brutally stabbed (nearly 30 knife wounds) and had his head stabbed and trampled upon by an individual who attacked him. One of his brothers, who worked nearby, alerted by the noise outside rushed to stop the attacker but in vain. He was also injured while trying to save his brother. Asad Shah Sahib was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The case is still ongoing and the alleged murderer, a Muslim, who later was identified as Tanveer Ahmad, 32 years old is believed to have travelled from Bradford (in northern England) to Glasgow for the only purpose to kill Asad Shah Sahib and was arrested by the Scottish authorities. He will go on trial this 5^th of April.

Few years ago, Asad Shah Sahib was regularly in contact with me. He sent me his writings and revelations by mail and on top of that, we had two or three telephone conversations for more than an hour and we were also in regular contact via Internet (electronic mail), and he was even sorry that he had not met me during my visit to the United Kingdom in 2014, and he told me that had he known, he would have come to meet me, and he wanted to work with me. In that year, he told me that Allah (swt) had also raised him as His chosen servant with several titles and he was ready to join me (and my Jamaat) so that we work together for this noble work. That was his last conversation with me. After that, I too have been busy, but we stayed in touch by email.

The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and I, we condemn this atrocious act and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. Innal-lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Rajii-uun (To Allah we belong and to Him we shall (all) return). May Allah always keep him under His shadow and forgive him and grant patience to his family in this terrible moment and generously reward them in these (hard) times. Ameen.

---Extracts from the Friday Sermon of 01 April 2016 ~(22 Jamad’ul Aakhir 1437 Hijri) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.  

Zikr-e-Ilaahi: The Soul- Divine Connect

The Remembrance of Allah

“O you who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. If any act thus, the loss is their own.” (Al-Munafiqun, 63: 10).

“So veer away from those who turn back from Our Remembrance and desire nothing but the life of this world. 

That is what they could reach of knowledge. Surely your Lord is He Who knows best the ones who have erred away from His way, and He knows best the ones who are guided.” (An-Najm, 53: 30-31).

The Remembrance (Zikr) of Allah is certainly food for our soul. The soul is such an entity that is associated with his Creator and thus to preserve the relationship between the soul and the Creator, man must strive to praise Allah (God Almighty) and remember Him, His Omnipotence and His Love and Mercy upon him in all aspects of his life so that he remains connected with Him (Allah).

Abu Musa Ash’ari (ra) narrated that the Prophet of Allah Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “He/ She who does Zikr of Allah (practice the remembrance of Allah) and he/ she who doesn’t, their example is of like an alive and a dead.” (Bukhari)

A Salafi- Ahmadi Debate in Mauritius

Revelations from Allah (swt)

By the grace of Allah, on Tuesday 08 March 2016, after the Esha prayer, I received several times a verse of the Quran as revelation. This revelation came with such force on my tongue/ my lips and this made me ponder a lot over it. That Quranic verse/ revelation is as follows:

Jaaa-al Haqqu wa Zahaqal-Baatil Innal Baatila kaana Zahuuqa.

The truth has come and falsehood has vanished; surely falsehood is bound to vanish.

The next day, 09 March 2016, I received several calls from an Ahmadi who informed me that on Youtube, Mubarak Boodhun labelled me as an “insane person/ mentally sick”. Before proceeding further with the matter, like the Quran and Hadiths teach us, I made the necessary to contact a member of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam to research on whether the news about the stupid remark is true or not. I was at that time in the midst of an important work, and after giving this instruction, I received a revelation from my Rab, my Allah (swt) who informed me (and thus confirming me the news): 

Unzur Kayfa zarabun lakal amsaala fa-zallun. 
See the kind of examples they invent for you. They have gone astray.

Debate between the Salafiyya and Ahmadiyya

When I returned home at night, I had the opportunity to see it for myself on Youtube. All this happened through a meeting which was held between the Salafiyya and Ahmadiyya, and it was the Salafiyya who posted all those Questions & Answers and subsequently the debates on their Youtube Channel. 

Shame on the Jamaat Ahmadiyya! In the year 2011, just before Ramadan, they had three meetings and debates with the Salafiyya, in Port-Louis (Plaine Verte) and afterwards in Quatre-Bornes, at the Pavillon. The Salafiyya was represented by Shabbir Chowtee and Jamaat Ahmadiyya was represented by Mubarak Boodhun.

The first question of Mubarak Boodhun was on: Who was a Muslim according to the Quran and Hadiths, especially according to the Quran and as defined by Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh)? 

The second question – from Mr. Shabbir to Mubarak Boodhun – after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) till Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), how many prophets there were? And a series of Questions & Answers ensued whereby each of them presented his arguments – but unfortunately the arguments were not presented in the best ways – till they reached a point before the conclusion of their session when Mr. Shabbir put before Mubarak Boodhun about the fact that after Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Muhyiuddin Munir Ahmad Azim was proclaiming to be prophet, therefore he wanted to have the opinion of Mubarak Boodhun on this issue. 

With every fiber of arrogance and boastfulness, Mubarak Boodhun said, concerning me: “He has nothing to do with the Jamaat (Jamaat Ahmadiyya); he has been expelled from the Jamaat.” And therefore Mr. Shabbir insisted on his question, to make that arrogant and boastful man confess if whether a prophet can really come after Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) or not?

Upon the insistence of Mr. Shabbir, Mubarak Boodhun did not know what to say; he was put in a fix and did not know whether to say yes or no! Therefore, in a confused state, he began saying that no prophet shall come (after Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as)) and afterwards he retracts his words and confess that the POSSIBILITY exists that prophets shall come after Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). He said: “No, no one will come… (Pause, then he said)… The possibility exists but I have not witness (the advent of) any (such prophet/s).” 

Then Mr. Shabbir said: “If he (that prophet) comes and you people don’t have faith (believe) in him, then this means that you are a Kafir?” He gave precision to his words and told Mubarak: “If Muhyiuddin Munir Ahmad Azim (I have seen his photo on the internet) is a TRUE prophet, this means you are a Kafir?” Mubarak replied: “Not only me, but every one of us!” 

The Right to Self-Defence against Aggression

Islam forbids aggression, but orders us to fight if the limits of decency and freedom of conscience are exceeded and that truth and peace are in danger. In this case, the Muslim is called to fight and should not shrink from the fight to protect the religion approved by Allah, that is to say, Islam and the Muslims. 

This is the teaching on the basis of which the Holy Prophet (pbuh) set his own line of conduct. He continued to suffer in Mecca and did not fight the aggression of which he was the innocent victim. Even after his flight to Medina, the enemy went there to extirpate Islam; he had to fight for truth and freedom of conscience, but the fights he had subsequently directed were ordained by Allah, especially on self-defence basis and to save the worship of God and His sincere adherents/ servants.

“Permission (to fight) has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only because they said: Our Lord is Allah - For had it not been for Allah's repelling some men by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. 

And Allah will surely support those who support Him – Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might – Those who, if We give them power in the land, establish worship and pay the Zakat and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity. And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters.” (22: 40-42).

Disasters and the Renewal of Faith

Disasters, or Divine Wrath?

What are natural disasters, according to human terms? These are on one hand repressible calamities and on the other uncontrollable disasters varying according to the intensity of the calamities in question, for example: earthquakes, storms, droughts, floods etc. They are classified into two parts: (1) those which manifest as the consequences of what the hands of men have brought forth. For e.g. Global warming by the greenhouse effect, pollution, etc. (2) those which manifest by the nature itself of how the earth and the heavens function, sometimes predictable, sometimes unpredictable.

In themselves, by their nature they are form an integral part in the overall scheme of things in which all life is created. Their roles in this scheme are determinants and are not at all nonsense. So in the interest of a great number of lives, some small individual interests are often sacrificed. This is the accepted principle. Because of the important role that these disasters play in the planning of things and in the journey of life and progress, they cannot then be taken as meaningless just because some individuals are victims are them.

Ethics of Creative Destruction

The general philosophy behind these disasters could be understood if you study the phenomenon of life and death – the fight of one in the face of the other. Every step forward in the evolution of life brings in its wake millions and millions of victims. Each step causes the destruction of countless potential life. Even when we see in the universe millions of species and a number, which cannot be counted, of creatures in various forms of life – then what is their ultimate goal? If you understand how things are patterned you will discover that they are made to serve man and their roles are ultimately to serve the ecology of which man needs. All this is only part of the process. Thus the number is sacrificed for the profit of quality. This is the essence of this whole plan. If billions of lives are sacrificed for the benefit of man – the superior creature/ being – in order to increase his qualities and this after taking the test/ trial – then some sacrifices are justified for this great planning of things.

Faith, Freedom and Public Order

"ISLAMIC STATE" spreads Terror

In the context of the besiegement by the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) of some Muslim states by proclaiming a caliphate which has not been mandated neither by Allah, nor the truly pious people, both the Islamic and non-Islamic worlds now see themselves facing a real danger. 

After Al-Qaeda and other terrorist cells, the ISIS is doing havoc in Iraq and Syria and is trying by force and terror to make people succumb to their command. According to them, the first objective of the Ummah must be the seizure of secular power so as to be able to reign in supremacy. And so, without referring themselves specifically to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), these people spread terror in both Muslim and non-Muslim camps. 

The world is facing a real crisis. That is why in this century, the Caliph of Allah, the Reviver of Faith of this century has been raised by Allah to thwart the purpose of any other false caliphate which is just like a flame blazing and burning further the fragile state of Islam.

We are in a state of emergency. 

Muslims must refer themselves first of all to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of our beloved prophet (pbuh). What these so-called Muslims and defenders of the Ummah are doing has nothing to do with the practice of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). The latter (pbuh) had established the Quran first; long before he even gained political power. The teachings (of the Quran) were observed/ put into practice even if the political powers of the time opposed them. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) remains verily our only source of light. His ascension to political supremacy was primarily free of all injustice and coercion.

Pursuit of Pleasure: At What Cost ?

AN UNSECURE FUTURE

Man’s future, our future rests in our Creator, in our pure relationship (between Him and us) which existed long before our existence on this ephemeral earth. So why is there this distance, now that we exist on this earth? Certainly the pursuit of pleasure associated with uncontrolled freedom has made the society as it is today. We profess to be free, but free from what? (Sadly) We have liberated ourselves from the bonds that bind us to our Creator! It is what we now observe worldwide on the concept of freedom; to be free of anything related to the nobility of the soul, to be free of the magnanimity of the heart that creates in man his sense of responsibility and limiting his unbridled pursuit of pleasure. It’s that kind of freedom that the Muslim world and the world in general now continue to pursue – a mad pursuit of this pleasure – anywhere he can find it and forgetting limits that must not be exceeded.

Man is born with capabilities, resources and a limited imagination; and thus should his pursuit of pleasure be limited, for if unchecked, shall lead him to a dead end. Numerous side effects then stand in his way and society becomes increasingly nervous and turbulent. The Muslim world is unfortunately not spared today.