Time: A Precious Asset

“O you who believe! Fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forward for tomorrow, and fear Allah, for Allah is Aware of what you do.” (Al Hashar-59: 19).

Months, years, nights and days are times for action and measuring the length of life; they all end and pass very quickly.

Night and day follow each other incessantly. Time causes to move closer that which is far, it wears out what is new and even weakens the strongest. How much was expected in the future and has never materialized? And how much is hoped for tomorrow which shall not materialise?

“Allah does not grant respite to any soul when its appointed term has come. And Allah is Aware of what you do.” (Al-Munafiqun 63: 12).

In three months, a year of our life shall come to an end, to remind us that this world is not eternal. Rather, this world is a trap; how many times has it deceived people who thought that they shall live therein forever! And how many times has it killed those (people) who were immersed in it! Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) took me by the shoulder and said: “Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.” 

And Ibn Umar (ra) used to say, “In the evening do not expect (to live until) the morning, and in the morning do not expect (to live until) the evening. Take (advantage of) your health before times of sickness, and (take advantage of) your life before your death.” (Bukhari).

Years went by being a witness for us or against us; it is for us now to increase good deeds in our life, to catch what we missed and enjoy the time we have left before the destroyer of pleasures (i.e. death) overcome us.

Jabir (ra) narrated that he heard the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said to a man and he was admonishing him, “Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your riches before your poverty, your leisure (free time) before your work, and your life before your death, because there is no forgiveness after the life of this world, and there are no home after this world except heaven or hell.”

On the authority of Abu Malik Al-Ash’ari (ra), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Every person goes out in the morning to sell his soul, so he either frees it or destroys it.” (Muslim).

'Muslims, Stand Up for Refugees'

THE THREAT TO ISLAM

Islam does not accept the idea, widespread amidst the West (mainly the non-Muslims), of a boundary between the inner life of man and his public actions. This belief (i.e. the Islamic belief that there is no boundary between the inner life of man and his public actions) may become a sure force that will convince non-Muslims to rediscover the link between daily life and a moral order. But in doing so it goes against the current conventional Western wisdom. For some time already, the very notion of Islam makes the non-Muslims tremble. They think that the Muslim world is heading towards a confrontation with the other parts of the world who do not share its beliefs. This thus makes the European and even the US (Americans) very nervous. A quick analysis of the current situation where Islam is seen as a blood-thirsty religion only reinforces this fear. But they forget the many wrongs, the murders of poor and defenceless Muslims which they committed in order to conquer lands and properties, but primarily to eradicate Islam from these places.

In Europe, more than twenty years ago, Bosnian Muslims were, for a long brutally mistreated by the Serbians who theoretically are Christians. On the border between Europe and Asia, Armenians Christians annihilated Azerbaijanis (Azeri) Muslims, and Jews and Muslims to this day continue to kill each other in Palestine. Further to the East, there is the brutality of the Indian army in Kashmir, and the destruction in 1992 of the Ayodhya mosque by the Hindus. Such bitter experiences suggest to the Muslims that the world is against them. If this is the case, so they are against the world. This explains the xenophobia that foreigners are murdered by terrorists who brandish Quranic verses in Iraq and Syria and in other Islamic states.

'Terror' is Not 'Jihad'

THE TRUE JIHAD

In this modern day and age, when the world has become considerably smaller because of the technological advancement of the various forms of media, a word has arisen clouded with doubt, distortion and mysticism from the East to the West, before finally gaining international attention. This word is “Jihad”, or as it is better known in the West, ‘Holy War’. 

The actual root of the Arabic word ‘Jihad’ is ‘Jahd’ which signifies endurance or rigorous conditions. Thus, in essence Jihad means to strive to the utmost for the achievement of a purpose and to leave nothing undone in its pursuance. Its Islamic conception is first introduced in the following verse of the Quran.

“Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them.” (22: 40).

This verse throws a flood of light on what the Islamic concept of Jihad actually purports and it clearly shows that Jihad is fighting in defence of Truth. But whereas Islam, like I have told you before, allows no aggressive war, it regards the waging of it to defend one’s honour, country or faith as an act of the highest virtue. According to Islam, man is God’s noblest handiwork. He is the cause of His creation, its aim and end. Therefore, it is only natural that the religion which has raised man to such a high pedestal should also have attached very great importance and sanctity to honour life. Of all things, man’s life, according to the Quran is most sacred and inviolable. It is a sacrilege to take it except under rare circumstances which the Quran has specifically mentioned in the following verses:

Signs of Trial: Diseases, Calamities

THE APHTHOUS FEVER 2016

Like you all know, since July and beginning of August 2016, Rodrigues Island witnessed a major foot/ hoof and mouth disease, that is, the Aphthous Fever among its cattle. 

This is a highly infectuous virus which has rapidly attacked the cattles of Rodrigues, making it necessary to cull them (about a thousand animals from Rodrigues and Mauritius were slaughtered). And as a part of our cattle also originate from Rodrigues, during an investigation, it was found that a cargo of cattle originating from Rodrigues already reached Mauritius, but it was put in Quarantine. From that day on, a psychosis among the Mauritian farmers and also the Mauritians in general has settled.

EID-UL-ADHA 

As the Eid-ul-Adha is coming in a few days, the Muslims have made heard their worry concerning the Qurbani/ Udhiya. While some Muslims have negotiated to import cattle from Africa, nevertheless, the fear of contamination and sickness due to the virus is worrying the Muslims and the Mauritians in general. Many are taking precautionary measures and not participating in Qurbani this year. 

Solar Eclipse, in Mauritius: A Grand Sign

DEEP PARTIAL ANNUAL SOLAR ECLIPSE VISIBLE FROM MAURITIUS

Like you witnessed yesterday (01 September 2016), a deep and partial annular Solar Eclipse was visible here in Mauritius, as well as the other nearby islands and countries like Rogrigues, Reunion, Madagascar, and Central Africa. The eclipse was also partially visible in parts of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean.

An annular eclipse occurs when the moon is farthest from the earth from its orbit. Thus, this makes the moon look smaller, and the outer ring of the sun’s fires or rays of light is seen. For yesterday’s eclipse, the sun disc was eclipsed up to nearly 90% (88.8%). In simpler words, it was noticeably dark here in Mauritius.

The start of the partial phase of the eclipse was seen 27 minutes after noon and reached its maximum at around 14.13pm. The last phase of the eclipse ended at 15.44pm. As for the maximum duration of annularity, it lasted for 3 minutes.

In our sister Island, that is, Reunion Island (the first island outside Mauritius where I went to propagate the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as)), mainly in Saint-Louis, at the Etang du Gol, dubbed as the Eclipse Village, the eclipse  was magnificently whole with a beautiful ring of fire from 14.09-14.11pm, that is, two minutes and 44 seconds of annularity. 

For the first time since 1901, that is, after 115 years, an eclipse of such a magnitude was witnessed from Mauritius by the Mauritians. This is the only deepest solar eclipse to be witnessed from Mauritius itself for the 21^st century. The next eclipse of such magnitude shall manifest in the year 2200.

This is one of the mighty signs for this era, especially with the advent of this humble Messenger of Allah in this 21^st century (CE) and 15^th Century (AH), whereby Mauritius witnessed an eclipse of such a nature.

Islam on Rules of Warfare

Islam does not teach aggression as did Judaism through the law of retaliation. Nor does it, like present-day degraded Christianity, preach a contradiction. It does not ask us to turn the other cheek and at the same time to sell our clothes to buy a sword. 

The teaching of Islam fits into the natural instincts of man, and promotes peace in the only possible way. Indeed, Islam preaches the middle way, neither too extreme, nor too lenient, but justice should be justly done according to the situation prevailing, but like Allah advises in the Holy Quran, forgiveness and patience are best especially in respect to killings and aggression.

All in all, Islam forbids aggression, but it urges us to fight if failure to fight jeopardises peace and promotes war. If failure to fight means the extirpation of free belief and of the search of truth, it is our duty to fight. This is the teaching on which peace can ultimately be built, and this is the teaching on which the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) based his own policies and his practice.

'Terrorism' Knows No Religion

Islam means submission and peace, and it altogether signifies the religion and the way of life of man. Someone who sincerely says that he belongs to Islam will make it a must to make his life an embodiment of peace. He will strive to obey all the commandments of Allah, the Overpowering Lord, the Unique God. He will find himself surrounded by noble teachings, and as a responsible human being filled with the innate willpower to spread goodwill everywhere, he strives to establish securely the bond between man and Allah, between man and man, and between man and the rest of Allah’s creation.

Islam reflects the true nature of the soul of man. When he is born in this temporal world, he is Muslim. He has no religion, no creed whatsoever except being intrinsically and extrinsically devoted to Allah. While the magnet of the earth pulls him to connect with the material, yet his soul is ever thirsty of the spiritual, of the great divine love which has enable for him this journey to earth. Thus his soul strives to soar high above everything material and flimsy, i.e., all mundane connections to connect with the True Reality, i.e. Allah.

Islam reinvigorates the individual, giving him the necessary baggage to last a lifetime on earth whilst being only a temporary traveller. Islam is the true religion of all mankind; it is their true identity and it is that belongingness which ultimately connects him to His Maker, Allah (swt). It is only with the touch of this material world, that man temporary loses his true sense of direction. Some progress further into Islam, while some get beguiled by the attractions of this world and lose the aura of their purpose of being born on earth. As such, man devises several gods of their own making to fill the gap of their lost touch with the true Maker, unable to recall their promises made to Him before their advent on earth.

To guide peoples or nations aright, Allah sent thousands of prophets and messengers among them to re-establish that lost bond which they once had with their Creator. While the accursed one (i.e. Satan) and his army strive to “honour” his word to misguide man and remove him from the righteous path, the purpose of every Adam, in the capacity of Representative (Caliph) of Allah is to preach the word of Allah to the people, to wake up their consciousness and revive the essence of their Islam which has been concealed deep within by layers of worldliness.

From Adam to Muhammad (pbuh), Allah perfected the identity of man by defining once and for all the true name for his creed, faith and religion. Allah consolidated His word, His promise to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), by making him the Seal of all Prophets and by revealing to him his true status of Muslim, and for all his true followers and giving him the perfect book, the Quran so that he, and the rest of Muslim believers till the Day of Judgement abide by it in a true way. But Allah knows that man is weak and falls prey from time to time to the attractions of the satans. That is why, He already revealed that whenever religion will be in danger, he shall send His elect, a truthful guide to lead the people out of the darkness of the world into the divine light. If Islam is the first and foremost religion and identity of man, yet man is beguiled from time to time by his abased desires/ passions which make him cut connection with Allah. Sometimes again, he interprets the Holy verses of God, without the support of a man of God and acts upon them according to his own thoughts and thus ruins the real commandments of Allah. Such is the case concerning Terrorism.

Terrorism in itself knows no religion. It is not specific to any religion. Anybody, whatever his creed and faith may fall prey to terrorism. Terror, the act of terror belongs to the field of the malicious Satan. Islam, being peace cannot refer to the domain of terror. Peace and terror – except of course the FEAR OF ALLAH – cannot cohabit, then how and why did Islam earn the title of ‘Religion of Terror’?