Du'ah: Invocation to Allah- I

'Who is it that answers the distressed when they call upon Him? Who removes their suffering? Who makes you successors in the earth? Is it another god beside God? Little notice you take!' .---(Surah An-Naml; 27: 63).

After having expounded on the ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH – and I hope that you understood the subject well - I begin today a series of sermons [Friday sermons] on invocations [to Allah] - DUAHS.

In the light of the verses that I have just recited before you, I will teach you some invocations (duahs) that Allah (swt) Himself taught me by His grace and His favours. And personally, I think that Allah (swt) had taught in the same way [these invocations] to His chosen servants in the past and I ask you all to listen carefully to these invocations and to say “Ameen” [May it be so] in your hearts.

Allah Himself opened my mind, enlightened my mind, and my heart, and He placed these extraordinary words on my lips [lit. in my mouth], so that I can address Him. As for me, I am just a beggar in front of [my doorstep] my Master’s door. It was by His grace and favours that He taught me how to address Him. Even if these invocations already exist, and I do not know of their existence, then it is a great favour of my Master to have taught them to me; certainly these are extraordinary invocations. So I have to be very grateful to my Allah [God] and I am very fortunate that Allah (swt) Himself taught me all these duahs [invocations]. Alhamdulillah.

O Allah, I am very weak, full of sins; every day by the weaknesses that overwhelm me [that I have], I commit sins. O Allah, I ask You to wash me of all my sins, to cleanse myself of all the faults that I have, to test my heart by the piety of hearts, O You Who effaces the stumbling of sinners.

The Attributes of Allah-XI

By the grace of Allah and the Tawfiq bestowed by Him, I have yet again the opportunity to continue to expound on the attributes of Allah (twa).

Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) as saying: “There are ninety-nine names of Allah; he who commits them to memory would get into paradise. Verily, Allah is odd [He is one, and it is an odd number] and He loves odd numbers.” (Muslim).

In the Hadith compilation, Sahih Al-Bukhari, it has been recorded concerning the beautiful names of Allah that they are ninety-nine, i.e. one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter paradise; and Allah is Witr (One, which is an odd number) and loves ‘the witr’ (i.e. odd numbers).

Allah is the Creator (Al-Khaliq); the Formidable Creator. This attribute points to the complex and astonishingly beautiful organization of constituent parts of the universe with their complete dependence on an underlying order [that is fundamental and very precise] that is found both in the cosmic universe and each atom or microscopic element.

Man’s part in this lies in acquiring in his soul not only knowledge of the whole and the minutiae of the parts of the physical universe but in knowing generically, and in detail, the arrangements of the spiritual universe – things such as the role and rank of the different angels, as well as the advent of the messengers and prophets of Allah and their ranks in the divine order.

Asma’ul Husna: Names of Allah

The Attributes of Allah- Part X

Wa lillaahil Asma’ul Husna, fad’uhu biha’.

The most beautiful names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them. (7:181)

Asma’ul Husna, means the most beautiful names, and the most beautiful names indeed belong to Allah (twa).

In a Hadith compiled by Imam Bukhari (ra), it has been narrated that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: 

“There are 99 names that are Allah’s alone, one hundred less one. Whoever (learns, understand, and) enumerates them, enters Paradise.” 

The Attributes of Allah- IX

The 'Fall' of Hazrat Adam (as)

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah we continue today on the subject of the attributes of Allah, and man’s thanksgiving to Allah for the sublime favours which He has done to him. We thank Him by mentioning Him by His most beautiful names.

Through the favours that Hazrat Adam (as) benefited from Allah during his creation and also afterwards, it appears to us that the elite has with God states [stages, emotions & connections] that they do not share with any other, and that it is through them, excluding ordinary beings, that God executes His plan.

The fact of having eaten the [forbidden] fruit, and the fall on earth which followed, had indeed many happy effects. But how could this disobedience to Allah have had good repercussions, you may ask? Well, in paradise, Adam and his wife knew God only under His attributes of Provider (Al Razzaq), Donor (Al Mu’ti), and Benefactor (Al Muhsin), but in His Secret Benevolence (Lutfihi Al-Khafi) which presides over the divine plan, it pleased God to reveal Himself to them as The Magnanimous (Al Halim), The One Who conceals [faults] (Al Sattar), The Forgiver (Al Ghafur), The Indulgent (Al Tawwab), and the One Who chooses [His elect] (Al-Mujtabi) among many other attributes. His magnanimity in fact meant that He did not hasten to punish them for their act, which is indeed the characteristic of this attribute, which leaves a delay to the sinner (whether to forgive him afterwards and have mercy on him, or to better exercise His power over him by making him suffer a painful revenge).

The Attributes of Allah- VIII

“He is God: there is no god other than Him, the Sovereign, the Supreme-In-Holiness, Source of Peace, Granter of Security, Guardian over all, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Majestic (Al-Mutakabbir) …” (Al-Hashar 59 : 24).

Al-Mutakabbir is The Majestic, Conscious of His greatness. Allah alone has the right to know and to proclaim His greatness and omnipotence over everything and everyone. He magnifies Himself and sees grandeur and superbness only for Him. All greatness belongs to Him. This attitude is completely justified because it is true.

Allah is distinguished by an exclusive greatness just for Him and by an absolute Royalty. He controls everything. He is the one who shows His greatness in all things and by all means.

Know well [what will follow], O my brothers and sisters! Do not be fooled by the simple verbal intention that you give to the meaning of your life, because God hopes to see a radical transformation [in you which] change this.

He demands that you inflict a kind of death on yourselves, after which He will breathe new life into you. Make haste to promote peace among yourselves, to forgive your brothers and sisters their weaknesses, because the one who is not inclined to make peace with his brother is mean, and he risks being excluded [from the proximity of Allah] because he is a source of dissension.

Give up your base desires and don’t cultivate resentment. Even if you are right, behave humbly as if you were wrong, so that forgiveness is reserved for you. Eliminate obesity from your ego, because narrow is the door you have to go through. So eliminate your ego and pride so that you can go through that door.

The Attributes of Allah- VII

It is essential that you know with certainty that you have a God, Creator, and Support of all existence Who is Almighty, and whose attributes are eternal and immutable. He is distant, yet close. He is close, yet distant. He is One, but His manifestations are manifold. God cannot undergo any change, for He is eternally unchanging and Perfect in His attributes. Do not prefer the world, its resources or your loved ones to Him, but prefer Him to everything else so that in heaven you will be among those registered in His community. 

The Omnipotent God has always shown His mercy. If you want to enjoy it, make sure that nothing separates you from Him, that your will submits entirely to His, and that your pleasures and desires are identified completely with His. Whatever the circumstances, whether successful or unsuccessful, always bow down before the threshold of His Throne, that He may accomplish what He wishes. Deploy whatever is in your power to establish His Oneness on earth. Show kindness and mercy to His creatures; do not harm them, be it with your tongue, hands or any other means, and work to promote their well-being [to improve their plight].

Do not act proudly with anyone, even if he is your subordinate or servant, and do not swear at anyone even if you are insulted. Be humble and kind, and have real sympathy for your fellow human beings so that God accepts you. There are many who are only humble in appearance, but deep down, they are real hungry wolves. Externally, they seem to have a pure nature, but internally, they are real vipers. God will only accept you if your tongue and your actions conform to your heart. If you have a high rank, show consideration for those who are below you, and do not despise them. If you are learned, do not boast about it, and do not conceivably disdain the ignorant, but enlighten them with your good advice. If you are rich, don’t boast about it, and don’t flaunt your pride before the poor, but serve them and help them.

Covid-19: Towards A 'New Normal'

With the Covid-19 pandemic severely disrupting life as we knew it, millions of people around the world face uncertain times.  Indeed, whole nations are in the midst of difficult transitions, adjusting to the 'new normal' in public health, economy and polity. An existential imperative for the nations caught up in the cauldron of the 'invisible enemy'; rebuilding shattered lives through re-energizing decimated economies require governments to adopt prudence and wisdom in national policies. Protecting the most vulnerable social groups in these turbulent circumstances, especially the poor and the indigent, is a collective responsibility. Social and economic plans need to be inclusive in character, and not just cater to the elites in the corporate sector! Unfortunately, around the world, many governments have lopsided priorities. In the name of fighting the pandemic / dealing with public health emergency, democracies are witnessing 'power games': usurping excessive powers way beyond what they actually possess, 'authoritarians' are undermining democratic processes of institutional checks and balances. Transparency, accountability and good governance are all stake in these extraordinary times. Moreover, almost all the time, the real beneficiaries of State policies are the big business/ corporate sector, and not the labour class, or the hungry masses. Indeed, the pandemic is testing national elites as to 'reveal' the strength of resilience of their core values and principles: whether they can 'arise and create a new world'- addressing the problems and challenges in an equitable and just way, respecting the rights and interests of the underclass- the fellow humans among them. In his Friday Sermon of 29 May 2020 ~ 06 Shawwal 1441 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius speaks about this vital issue of contemporary concern. Articulated against the backdrop of recent national initiatives in Mauritius on responding to Covid-19, Hadhrat Saheb's perspective and guidance on dealing with the 'new world' would be of considerable interest to thoughtful people everywhere. 

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon: 

THE “COVID-19 and QUARANTINE ACTS”

Now I’ll talk a little bit about the news in our country, especially regarding the new “Covid-19 & Quarantine Acts” that were passed recently.

As a Mauritian citizen, I too have the right to say a few words on the “Covid-19 Bill” and the presentation of the 2020-2021 Budget which will take place on Thursday 4th June 2020. All Mauritians know very well the “Covid- 19 Bill” and the “Quarantine Bill” because these subjects were at the heart of the news of the National Assembly.

However, the measures presented by the government do not seem to be unanimous in parliament and in the country. Personally, I see that there was no consultation or dialogue before their presentation. Yet they affect the freedom of our citizens, labour rights, and the reserves of the Central Bank [among many]. And government can use public funds without transparency, governance and accountability [without being accountable to anyone].

The “Covid-19 Bill” also includes the creation of funds never seen before and draconian measures that affect our democracy.