Moral Values, Changing Times

Today we live in a time when the values ​​of yesteryears have almost disappeared. No more respect for the elders! For example, in the past, teachers were invaluable to their students (the latter had great respect for them), but nowadays this value is lost. Parents are unable to control their children despite religious preaching, the work of NGOs, and the advice of psychologists. Despite all efforts, the situation is not improving. We live in a changing society. With globalization, we are carried away by the current of modernization that takes us away from our values ​​of yesteryears.

The new generation is just following the evolution of society. In the past, schools, Madrasas, as well as parents played their role perfectly to maintain a balance between moral values ​​and the detrimental effects of modernization. But nowadays, parents have lost their authority over their children. Most children do not obey their parents anymore.

Why are our young people devoid of moral values? Could this be due to a loophole in our education system? Are we robotizing our young people through high technology? Politeness and courtesy are almost non-existent among young people. Where are the greetings of yesteryears that flowed from the bottom of our hearts, full of love and friendship?

So who is to blame? We should not play the blame game because all parties are to blame. The parents, the central core of the family have lost their connection with their children. Today, everything is allowed for children. There are no restrictions. Both father and mother are working and the children are left to their own devices without guidance and a good discipline. Now, in a highly technological world, the old-fashioned logic of family unity has given way to a global connection of people of all kinds. Although technology brings some benefits, but unfortunately we are dealing nowadays with its multiple disadvantages as well, those that ruin the physical, moral and spiritual health of children.

'Faith Entails Trials in Your Way'

Faith & the Strong Believer

Dear brothers, sisters and children, for today’s Friday Sermon (Khutba Jumu’ah), it is very important that I talk to you about faith (Iman) and Islam and the difference between a weak believer and a strong believer.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Say, ‘You have not (yet) believed; but say (instead), ‘We have submitted,’ (We are Muslims) for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything’.” (Al-Hujurat 49: 15).

Indeed, Iman (faith) is the confession/ attestation (by the tongue) and acting (according to one’s responsibility) and Islam is confession (by the tongue) without acting.

It should be remembered that those who integrate the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam as Muslims and say that they believe in my advent as the Khalifatullah of the age need to make extra efforts to perfect their Islam and put this Islam into practice in their daily lives. Through the practice of Islam in your daily lives, true faith shall enter your hearts, and no doubt whatsoever, can come into those hearts to deviate you from the right path.

Very often, a Muslim – and I am specifically talking about my followers, the Sahih al Islam members – can feel that he is trying to do all the right things in his life so as to come close to Allah, and despite his various efforts, he is not able to succeed in his efforts and therefore he despairs of the mercy of Allah. He feels abandoned, and thus, he abandons his Salat (prayers) and all acts of worship due to his insecurity and doubts. Now, this is very wrong. This person should bear in mind that acquiring true faith is not an easy matter. He has to go through lots of trials, lots of fires, i.e. difficulties, so that his mettle, his capacities as a true Muslim and believer, and his faith in Allah may be victorious.

Remember, Allah always gives more trials and difficulties to those whom He loves the most. Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.” (Muslim).

Serving Islam: Bai'at & Our Tasks

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- Kerala (India) organized its Eighth Jalsa Salana at the historic Noor'ul Islam Masjid at Mathra on Sunday, 9th December 2018. As noted in an earlier post, the Jalsa this year was special for all its participants, including for the large delegation of brothers and sisters from Tamil Nadu, with the august presence of Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius among them. While Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) in his opening Speech elaborated on the significance of an annual spiritual congregation of brothers; in the concluding Speech, Hazrat Saheb (atba) called attention to important organizational tasks ahead for the brothers to keep in mind to act upon. 

Bai'at at the hands of an Elect of God is nothing less than a covenant with Allah and it entails grave responsibilities on those who choose to strive in the sublime path of seeking proximity to the Divine presence. The social dimension of the worship of the Divine is to reach out to people so that they may also come to be aware of the great blessings on offer in the life to come, and also the felicity that God promises to those who strive in His path in their worldly life as well. Progressing forward as a community requires brotherhood, solidarity, sustained engagement and generous support for collective objectives. Each person can and should make contributions, including  financial sacrifices so as to leverage our collective capacity to reach out with the Divine Message to as many people as possible through the diverse projects identified by the Divine Elect (atba) of our times. 

Marking the culmination of the Jalsa Salana Programme, a collective Bai’at Programme was also organized for the benefit of all members present on the occasion; with all brothers gaining an opportunity to take the Bai'at at the hands of Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba), Alhamdulillah. Hence, the Noor'ul Islam Masjid, Mathra once again became the venue of this historic event: Hadhrat Saheb (atba) explained the conditions of Bai’at and procedural stipulations therein and following this, everyone placed their hands on the hand of Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and pledged their help and assistance to the Divine Manifestation of this era in the person of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba), Summa Alhamdulillah.

Read the Closing Speech of Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) below: 

My dear disciples,

Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.

By the grace of Allah, Allah has chosen you in this era for a great work in the Grand Divine Plan. This Divine Plan consists of the revival of Islam, our religion. Many people have asked, ‘Why, if he says that He comes from Allah, must he operate under the name of a Jamaat. Why another Jamaat?’

To all those who have the same lines of thought I would like to say that first of all as Muslims, this humble self as well as all my disciples’ religion is truly ISLAM. Now, ISLAM as a religion is not an entity which can be used for one to register himself officially, especially in a non-Islamic country so that he can operate and construct buildings and preach the religion of Allah without any fear. As such Allah saw the need to elevate His Khalifatullah with a Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam so that we, His chosen servants can work effectively in a modern-day system which does not consider ISLAM as the prime and foremost religion of the people and society in general.

The Purpose of Jalsa Salana

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- South Kerala (India) organized its Eighth Jalsa Salana at the historic Noor’ul Islam Masjid at Mathra on Sunday, 09th December 2018. Beyond the regular members of the Jamaat in Kerala, the present Jalsa Salana was notable for a couple of important reasons. For one, the august presence of of Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius along with the respected and honoured  members of his family. Secondly, a large delegation of our dear brothers and sisters from Tamil Nadu under the leadership of Mukarram Amir Siraj Saheb and Mukarram Naib Amir Saleem Saheb came to participate and as such, this Jalsa Salana was special and memorable, Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah.

In the opening session of the Jalsa Salana, Mukarram Amir Jamaluddin Raother Saheb presided over the proceedings. YK Hariz Saheb recited the Holy Qur’an, Muhammad Sabir Saheb of Palakkad recited a Nazm. In his Opening Speech, Hazrat Khalifatullah (atba) spoke about the aims and objectives of an annual congregation like the ‘Jalsa Salana’. Drawing copiously from the explanations given in the previous century by the Promised Messiah Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian in his writings, Hazrat Saheb (atba) endorsed the noble practice initiated by the Promised Massih (as) and underscored the purpose of Jalsa Salana as an occasion for brotherhood, mutual understanding and shared learning.  

Read the extracts from the Speech: 

                                THE PURPOSE OF THE JALSA SALANA

My dear disciples and followers, My friends and supporters in Kerala,

Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.

I am happy to be here today, for this special event: Jalasa Salana. Today, my dear ones, I would like to expound on the purpose of the Jalsa Salana which was first initiated by the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). In his book Asmani Faisala (The Heavenly Decree) on pg. 74-75, Hazrat Ahmad (as) said concerning the Jalsa Salana:

“This gathering will be devoted to the exposition of such truths and spiritual insight as are necessary for the promotion of faith and certainty and spiritual understanding, and there will be special prayers and attention for the participants. And to the best of our ability we shall endeavour to supplicate at the threshold (doorstep) of the Most Merciful that He may draw them towards Him, may accept them and may bring about a pious change in them. An additional benefit of these gatherings will be that each year new entrants to the Jamaat shall, by being present on the fixed dates, get to know their brethren who had joined earlier. And these meetings will lead to progressive strengthening of the bond of mutual love and affection. Prayers for absolution will be offered for brothers who will have passed away in the interim, and supplications shall be made at the threshold (doorstep) of the Glorious God that He may unite all these brothers in spirit and banish all estrangement, dryness and differences from amongst them.

'Muhyi-ud-Din': 15 Years of the Proclamation

In his Friday Sermon of 07 December 2018 (28 Rabi’ul Awwal 1440 AH) delivered at the historic Noor'ul Islam Masjid, Mathra (Kerala–India); Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius made profound reflections on the recognition of Divine messages by the believers and the challenge of holding fast to the rope of Faith against the backdrop of the tricks of Satan which seeks to deviate man from his path of obedience to God and His commandments. 

Allah (swt) guides hearts that desire guidance to His signs leading to an appreciation of the ultimate Truth. Yet, after the acquisition of Faith; preserving the acquired faith and striving in the path of God with sincerity and steadfastness at all phases of one's fortunes and life chances can be a formidable challenge. As it happened, people stumble and may even lose their precious spiritual convictions when things go against their material whims and mundane desires. So every believer need to be critically aware of his own subjectivity and the trappings of Satan in order to subdue the dictates of one's own 'self'/ego and be ready to appreciate the big picture of Islam, i.e., the willingness to abide by the Holy Will of Allah (swt) as evident from the commandments of the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions and subjecting one's own choices and decisions to the prudent advices of the Khalifatullah of the era who speaks with the help of Roohul Qudus.   

Reflecting on the 15 years of the present Divine Manifestation- with Allah (swt) raising His humble servant Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius to make the Divinely-inspired Declaration of 06-07 December 2003 as the Muhyi-ud-Din and Messiah of this era; Hadhrat Saheb (atba) points out the extraordinary Divine favour that has been bestowed currently upon the brothers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and elsewhere in the country and beyond, with Allah (swt) raising them as the helpers of the Divine Manifestation in this era, overlooking the claims of an earlier people who did not preserve their beliefs and this episode itself holds a vital lesson for all believers everywhere at all times: of the critical importance of being spiritually aware and thereby preserving their faith against the machinations of Satanic impulses corrupting it.      

Read the Friday Sermon Below:

The Unity of Muslims

And hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah and be not become divided (i.e. be united or do not go separate ways); and remember the favour of Allah upon you when you were enemies and He united your hearts so that by His bounty you became brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it; thus does Allah make clear His revelations (or verses) that you may be (rightly) guided. (Al-Imran, 3: 104).

By the immense grace of Allah, with the institution of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya Al Mouslemeen and then the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam since the beginning of the Divine Manifestation in the year 2001, Allah has shown clearly His might and the power of His promises when He guided the hearts of many people towards the truthfulness of His signs, power, manifestations and Khalifatullah (i.e. Caliph of Allah). By the grace of Allah, lots of you here in India; in Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have been guided to the truth and many of you have received clear signs from Allah about the truthfulness of His Khalifatullah and the Divine Manifestation of this era. Masha-Allah.

'Become Models of Islamic Piety'

During the recently concluded tour of South India, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius addressed the women believers at the Noor'ul Islam Masjid at Mathra on the occasion of their Ijtema on 05 December 2018 (27 Rabi’ul Awwal 1440 AH). In this spiritual discourse, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) encourages women believers of the Divine Manifestation to recognize their important role in the transmission of the Divine messages of our times both within their family circles and beyond. While being models of piety in individual and collective lives, the believers need to appreciate the roles and responsibilities that go with their terrain and be ready to participate- based on their respective capabilities and specific skills- with sincerity and steadfastness in the larger causes of the Jamaat at all levels, exhorts Hadhrat Saheb (atba).    

The Believing Women of the Divine Manifestation

Dear Suruj Makin (i.e. the Strong and Firm Lamps of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam), Assalamoualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.

By the grace of Allah, Allah has enabled this humble self to come to Kerala again this year, after nearly two years now since January of the year 2017. And Alhamdulillah, I am here present today for your special Ijtema to address you few words of encouragement in the path of Allah.

You should know that working for the cause of Allah reaps the sweetest of fruits, be it in this world and the hereafter. As women of the Divine Manifestation of this age, it is your duty to see to it that other women also get the divine message. It is my prayer that Allah gives you the power of tongue, whilst being in Pardah and in a cultured manner to represent Islam in the best way vis-à-vis other ladies, be it of Islam and the various religions.

Today, you are the fortunate ones whom Allah has guided to accept His truth, to recognize His signs and Khalifatullah. Now, you should not neglect your duties to Allah and the Messenger of Allah. You should strive in the various fields of works, like Dawa/ Tabligh and the translations of the documents of the Jamaat, as available in our website. Alhamdulillah, you take good care of your homes – husbands, parents, children and other family members, but how beautiful it would be if all those with the necessary knowledge, contribute in translation works also, especially the Commentary of the Holy Quran inspired to this humble self in your local language, i.e. Malayalam, and Insha-Allah, other local languages of India.

As a spiritual father to you all, it is my duty to motivate you to work selflessly for the cause of Allah. Working for the Deen-e-Islam is indeed a great blessing which few receive or take the step forward to hold firm to. Those who receive the blessings of working for the cause of Allah are indeed fortunate because their sacrifices and dedication shall NEVER be in vain. Allah will illumine them and show them the right path and bring them close to Him.

The World on 'Fire': A Spiritual Gaze

On December 4, 2018 the Peace Park Library- the cultural wing of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in South Kerala- at Mathra organized a social outreach programme in solidarity with the victims of the recent, devastating floods in Kerala- the worst ever in its modern history, and also to recognize and honour the humanitarian and charitable works being undertaken by Mrs. Jameela Rajagopalan, an ageing social worker in the village. On the occasion, pecuniary contributions made by members of the South Jamaat to the Kerala Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund was handed over to a senior official of the government. Village officials, public servants, civil society activists, writers and journalists were present on the occasion, and they applauded the works being done by Mukarram Amir Jamaluddin Saheb of Mathra in channeling his spiritual convictions towards humanitarian relief works and service to the people. The event was widely covered in the local press, electronic media/television as well as YouTube channels in Kerala, and the comprehensive Blog report on the same shall be published later, Insha Allah. 

In a Special Address delivered on the occasion, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius pointed to the profound dangers facing our common humanity. Reflecting on recent catastrophic events and vast disruptions, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) raised fundamental questions that require credible engagement by all those who are concerned about what is happening to our 'lonely' planet, the living Earth with all the profound challenges of atmospheric pollution, natural calamities; global warming and climate change. The obvious, and almost irreversible, imbalances that have been caused to the earth's stability and carrying capacity by the greed and corruption of the humans and their industrial and economic development models require a radical course correction, and that requires turning back to the ethical and spiritual way of life at the core of the teachings of Divine Elects in every era of humanity. It is when mankind begins to worship the True Divine- and not their false gods of riches and selfishness-that it will be in a position to do true service to humanity in a spirit of solidarity, recognizing the values of common humanity amidst all the diversity, alludes to Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) in his subtle but profound message, Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah. 

Read the Speech Below:        

Humanity in Danger

Honourable guests and my dear disciples,

May the Peace & Blessings of God Almighty be upon you all.

The world in which we are living is in a deplorable state. Calamities of every kind are striking the earth from the sky, the sea and from within the land itself. The question is why all this is happening? Why so many calamities? Are these merely natural calamities or signs of the displeasure of God Almighty?

From an Islamic point of view, as established in the Holy Quran, God Almighty says: “Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that He (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may return (to righteousness).” (Chapter 30, Verse 42).

If we look all around us, especially here itself in Kerala which has recently, in August 2018, faced major floods and landslides, we see desolations and destructions of houses and roads and many people’s homes have been destroyed. More than 500,000 people have been displaced to refugee camps and over 500 people have lost their lives. Floods and landslides of such magnitude have not been witnessed since the great flood of 1924.