Journeys of Life: A Qur'anic Prayer

      “O my Lord, make my entry a good entry,

       and make me go forth a good going forth. 
       And grant me from Yourself a helping power.” 
                    ---(Al-Isra, 17: 81).

This prayer was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) before his migration from Mecca to Medina. Within it lies a prophecy about his eventual return as well as his migration. It also contains a much wider meaning. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was persecuted for thirteen years in Mecca and it was for this reason that he migrated to Medina. He would depart with the truth and return with the truth.

The question arises as to why his return has been mentioned before his departure. God in His wisdom, did not want the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to suffer for a moment the thought that he might have to leave Mecca permanently. His re-entry has been mentioned first to make it more definite and to assure him that he would return and so have no reason to grieve and worry. This prayer also reveals the circumstances under which the Holy Prophet (pbuh) would have to leave Mecca. His opponents had branded him as a liar, fabricator and a false prophet. The welcome he received in Medina bore witness to his truth. With reference to Medina the verse implies that the people would bear witness to his truth and so would the people of Mecca on his return. This would result from his prayers and the exclusive help of God. 

This prayer should also be offered with regard to all journeys. The Quranic prayers have a wide meaning and may be offered in connection with various matters. Whatever prayer the Quran relates, a particular event or situation may also be applied to more or less similar kinds of situations which occur in daily life. This was the practice of the Holy Prophet and his companions.

Another aspect of this prayer relates to the continuing changing conditions in a person's life. These changes can move from bad to good or vice-versa. Also in the previous verses God has revealed prayerful guidance by which means the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) may rise to great spiritual height:

“Establish regular prayers -
at the decline of the sun till the darkness of the night, 
and the morning prayer and reading: 
for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony. 
And pray in the small watches of the morning: 
(it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for you: 
soon will your Lord raise you to a Station of Praise and Glory!”
 ----(Al-Isra 17: 79-80).

Everyone who wants to fly high spiritually should offer the prayer regularly and understand its meaning properly otherwise he would be liable to go astray as was the case with Balam son of Baura who was a righteous man and who was lured away from piety by worldly attractions and subsequently suffered disgrace.

Taqwah, Wahiyyu: Certain, Subtle Points

Voices from the Unseen

At this time, by the grace of Allah (swt), there are two parties. Just as our Jamaat (Community) considers itself to be true with full conviction, similarly the opponents, in their transgressions, consider all manner of brazenness and fabrication permissible. Satan has implanted in their hearts that as far as we are concerned, all kind of calumny and slander is admissible and not just admissible, rather it is a virtuous act.

Therefore, it is imperative that we should completely abandon our endeavours to compete with them and to keep our sight on the verdict of Allah (swt). It is better for us to pray and seek Allah's forgiveness than to waste time listening to their abuse and vulgarities. Our Community (Jamaat) should always remember the counsel to be mindful of the matter that I articulate. If ever a thought comes to me, it is this: In this world relationships (of matrimony) are arranged. Some of these are based on physical beauty; some are based on the family or property and some on power. However, Allah (swt) does not care about these matters. 

He has clearly commanded:

"Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah is he who is most righteous among you." (49: 14).

Satanic Impulses in Our 'Celebrations'

Last Friday Sermon of the Year 2016

Today, for the last Friday Sermon of the year 2016, like usual, it is my duty to make people, especially the Muslims, become conscious of the excesses and innovations which breezes through their lives, and thus making them imitate the non-Muslims and participate in unislamic practices.

For New Year festivities, there is a fashion trending to organise all sorts of programmes in hotels and other places which have been transformed for the occasion. These End of Year programmes, including those broadcasted on TV, attract a lot of people. On TV, there are lots of channels which advertise to attract subscriptions, offering deals so that you may opt to subscribe with them during the last month of the year as well as the first month of the New Year. TV Channels also propose all kinds of activities like theatre, discotheques, singing and dancing competitions in several languages with attractive prizes. Many people come forward to participate. Moreover, there are all sorts of games of chance. It is a shame to see that so-called Islamic concerts are organised and for the End of Year and New Year posters are put everywhere for premieres of new films in cinema halls. People do not hesitate to lose time in long queues in order to buy those tickets for them as well as their spouses and children.

Twisted Thinking  among the Muslims

It is most unfortunate that many women are interested in all these distractions, especially Muslim women and girls, who have been barred from Friday Sermons and congregational prayers in the mosques, as well as Eid prayers after a month of fasting and as well as those of the Eid of Sacrifice (Eid-ul-Fitr & Eid-ul-Adha). They are denied the right to listen to sermons which are very important for a believer, male and female. Today's so-called Mullahs see all these as haraam (illicit) for the women and girls, and they have closed the door leading to Allah for them, and now those Muslim women and girls are holding fast to the door leading to Satan, whereby Satan makes everything seem beautiful for them so as to separate them from Allah and His Messenger (pbuh). So, according to these Mullahs, the door of the mosques are haraam (illicit) for the ladies, but now are all these satanic attractions which they have hold fast to halaal (licit) for them? Where will that door lead them? To Paradise or Hell?

The many forms of Divine revelation

The Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) has said:

Out of many forms of revelation which God has disclosed to me, one is that when God desires to disclose some hidden matter to His servant, He causes to flow from his tongue some phrases in a slight slumber, sometimes gently and sometimes harshly. 

Those phrases that flow harshly from the tongue fall upon the tongue as hardly as hails falls suddenly upon a hard piece of ground, or as the hooves of a fast running steed strike the earth. 

Such a revelation arrives with speed and is so awe-inspiring that the whole body is affected thereby and the tongue runs with it so fast and in such a majestic voice as if it is not one’s own tongue. The slight slumber disappears altogether when the revelation is completed and during the time it is received one lies motionless like a corpse.

The second type of revelation, which on account of its many wonders I call perfect revelation, is that when God Almighty desires to inform a servant of a hidden matter after his supplication or on His own, He imposes a faintness upon him, whereby he becomes completely lost to himself and sinks in that faintness like a person who dives in deep water and disappears in it; then when he emerges from this diving he feels a sort of echo inside himself, and when that echo ceases he feels from inside himself words that are appropriate and fine and delicious. This diving in the faintness is a wonderful experience which cannot be adequately described in words. In this condition a whole ocean of understanding is opened for a person.

The third form of revelation is communicated to one’s heart in a gentle manner. A phrase passes through the heart which does not comprehend all the wonders in perfection that are a characteristic of the revelation that we have just described. It is not necessarily preceded by any faintness or slumber. It can be received in complete wakefulness. It is felt as if someone has breathed those words into the heart or has thrown them at the heart. One might be partially awake or might be completely awake and one suddenly feels that new words have entered one’s breast. Sometimes, immediately on entering the heart, the words manifest their forceful light and one becomes aware that these words are being conveyed by God.

Divine Revelation: 10 Points

The concept of Revelation

By the grace of Allah (swt) I continue my sermon which I started last Friday where I began the explanation on the three categories of people who receive revelation. I told you about the first type of people, those who have no merit and have no relation with God Almighty. Today, I will Insha-Allah continue my explanations on the same subject.

So, the second type of people are those who have some relationship with God Almighty, but that relationship is not perfect. The Promised Messiah (as) provides the analogy that their dreams and revelations resemble the experience of a person who, on a dark and very cold night, espies the glow of a fire from afar and thus is able to avoid walking along a path which is full of pits and thorns and rocks and along which serpents and wild beasts exist in large numbers. But the glow of the fire cannot safeguard him against the cold and death. If he cannot reach the warm circle of the fire, he is destroyed like the one who walks in the dark.

Continuing the analogy, the third type of people are those whose experience of dreams and revelations resembles that of a person who on a dark and very cold night not only finds the bright glow of the fire and walks in its light, but who also enters its warm circle and is fully safeguarded against the cold. This stage, the Promised Messiah (as) mentions, is reached by those who burn up their passions in the fire of Divine love and adopt a life of bitterness for the sake of God. They perceive death – i.e. the death of their passions – ahead of them and run towards it and choose it for themselves. That death can also refer to the natural death of man but who the recipient of revelation accepts and welcome for he knows and fully comprehend that this is the way which will inevitably lead him to his heart’s content, i.e. God Almighty. Thus, death does not become a fearful instance but rather a friend which he embraces so that He may see the countenance of God with a heart filled with the hope of divine mercy and His (Allah’s) love.

These type of people, according to the Promised Messiah (as) accept every torment in the cause of God and for the sake of God they become the enemies of their ego and treading contrary to it (i.e. to their ego) exhibit such power of faith that even the angels are surprised at the strength of their faith. They are spiritual champions and all attacks of Satan come to nothing in opposition to their spiritual power. This third type of revelation is called perfect revelation. It descends upon perfect individuals and resembles the ray of the sun that falls on a clean mirror. Then that ray is magnified ten times and its light becomes unbearable for the eye.

'Riba': Unjust Enrichment is Illegal

“O you who believe! 

Do not consume usury, 

doubled and multiplied, 

but fear Allah 

that you may be successful.” 

 --(Al-Imran, 3: 131).

“Those who consume interest 

cannot stand (on the Day of Resurrection)

except as one stands 

who is being beaten by Satan

into insanity.” 

  --(Al-Baqara 2: 276).

Interest or more precisely, interest rate is defined as the price of money, the price at which money can be borrowed and determined like other prices by the collusion of the forces of supply and demand. Originally usury was any premium we had to pay against the use of currency. Nowadays, usury also means the practice of asking for a very high interest premium through borrowing as well.

The verses which I recited consist of an injunction for mankind – especially Muslims – that represents and severely condemns the practice of usury or interest. Thus any transaction relating to usury (i.e. Riba) is illegal, as well as all transactions acquired by illegal means; Transactions such as: bribes, fraudulent transactions, gambling, bank interest, etc. 

'Never Despair; Face All Situations'

The existence of man is not due to chance. His presence on earth either is not without purpose. His creation is a divine decree for specific purposes. Undoubtedly, and without exaggeration, he is the only creature that Allah the Supreme Creator, has preferred to others. 

“Verily, we have honoured the Children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment.” (Al-Isra, 17: 71).

His superiority over other creatures is manifested in various ways: Allah granted him free will, and he has a mind that allows him to distinguish good from evil. Moreover he has a soul which Allah has created and which Allah has ordered to the angel to breathe in his body to make it human. Allah has made His own praise in His blessed Book, when He describes the stages of the creation of man: 

“We created man from an extract of clay. 

Then We placed him as a drop of sperm in a secure receptacle. 

Then we made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot; 

and then We made the clinging clot a lump of flesh; 

and We made (from) the lump, bones,

and We covered the bones with flesh;

then We developed him into another creation.

So blessed is Allah, the best of Creators.” 

  ---(Al-Mu’minuun, 23: 13-15).

Therefore, man must recognize his value and supremacy over all other creatures. He is an unparalleled elect (from among all the creations of Allah). His soul, and his body are all a favour from the Great Creator, a wonderful gift. He is responsible to preserve, to protect and refrain from causing them (i.e. his body and soul) any harm. 

But since man ignores all these realities, the existence of man on earth becomes something meaningless to him and does not represent any value in his eyes. He considers himself a creature similar to others, with a beginning and an end. Nothing more. This way of thinking is the main cause of the loss of thousands, if not millions of lives. How many nations were exterminated from the first one to the last for no good (valid) reason?