Faith and Life in the Covid-Times

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam-Tamil Nadu, India has just published a new edition of their spiritual journal, the 'Voice of Imam', first issue of the new Hijri era 1442 AH, Alhamdulillah. 

The journal is a veritable treasure trove of distilled spiritual wisdom, providing in a succinct way the enduring teachings of Islam as reflected in the writings and sermons of our spiritual masters, the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian; the Musleh Maoud Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (ra); and the Imam of the present era, Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius. Likewise, members of the Jamaat in Tamil Nadu, including Naib Amir KM Saleem Saheb, contributed their spiritual writings through its pages. The present issue of the Journal can be accessed here. 

Reproduced below for the benefit of all our readers is the Editorial to the present issue of the Journal from the blessed pen of Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba):

'Dear Readers, 
May the peace, grace and blessings of God Almighty be upon you. 

The times that we are presently living are really difficult times, but it is also a time to reflect on one’s deeds and to reform oneself in the best way. The world is heading towards destruction and unfortunately, this destruction has been brought by the hands of man himself. Humanity is in danger, and it is humans who are bringing about this destruction upon themselves.

Human life is very sacred, and all people, especially the true believers of God Almighty should strive to preserve humankind and the essence of humanity in themselves. That humanity should not be marred by evil whisperings, thoughts and deeds. 

We are in such an era, a blessed era wherein Allah has sent His Messenger as a guide and leader for you all, yet it is also a critical time whereby if mankind does not heed the divine message and call, this can bring about destruction after destruction for the human race.

My humble advice as a Messenger of God Almighty, the Sole God, our Benefactor to Whom belong all dominion of the heavens and earth is that you should turn to Him alone in worship and abandon all evils, in deeds and thoughts.

'Duah' : Invocations to Allah- X

'Massih Maoud' @ 10

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, [yesterday] September 10 marked 10 years of my official proclamation as the Promised Messiah of this era and the Mujaddid of the 15th century of the Hegira (September 10, 2010- 2020). Certainly, when an honour comes from Allah, He proclaims it in the heavens and on the earth in an exhilarating way, and the faithful and the seekers of truth are those who come forward because Allah opens their hearts to recognize and accept this truth.

All glory belongs to Allah Who has raised me as His Chosen Servant and Messenger in this century and bestowed upon me the honour/ title/ mantle of Messiah and Reformer for the benefit of mankind.

It is my humble prayer that Allah may guide the people who have the fear of Allah in their hearts and direct them to His Divine Manifestation of this century and to the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam so that Islam and humanity as a whole be welded once again under the banner of Tawheed (the oneness of God). Ameen.

Today the world is in the grip of multiple degradations, both on the material and spiritual front. We can say that the world is very sick, the people are in extreme pain. Our little Mauritius is also not spared from the dangers that lie in wait [and which have already gripped it], especially with the doubtful and worrying events which have occurred in recent months with the entry of the Japanese bulk carrier “Wakashio” into our territory at Pointe d’Esny and the drama that followed with the leak of tons of diesel and fuel oil making the coast of Mauritius unrecognizable and killing sea creatures. 

After this event, many events took place, but Insha-Allah, if Allah give me the Tawfiq, I will speak to you a little more about this in another speech. 

What I want you to understand is that humanity is in danger [like I have since the beginning told you and keep repeating to you], the conscience of man is in danger because this conscience is threatened by malicious troubles which make him choose the world over the spiritual [Allah]. He prefers to race for money and vain pleasures instead of seeking true spiritual pleasure, the pleasure of Allah which is eternal.

Therefore, prayer is essential in our daily life. Without prayer to the One God [Allah] and without His remembrance (Zikr), we will achieve nothing. Remembering Allah is to guarantee a strong bond with Him, to guarantee His pleasure for us and His help in all circumstances of our life.

Pandemic and the Prophet

[Reproduced below is an article by Dr. Craig Considine of the USA. Originally appeared in Newsweek International on 17 March 2020; against the backdrop of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the article provides a glimpse into the Divinely-inspired advices and healthy practices left behind by the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa). In the search for safety and security from the deadly contagion stalking the world today, the finest minds amongst us testify to the stunning validity and effectiveness of the Prophetic practices even in these uncertain times. Along with his devoted prayers to God Almighty, the Holy Prophet (sa) valued reason and common sense in every day life, including in the fight against epidemics: a lesson for all who truly seek to practice the most ideal way of life]. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing governments and news sources to provide the most accurate and helpful advice to the world's population, as the disease is indeed global in reach. Health care professionals are in high demand, and so too are scientists who study the transmission and effect of pandemics.

Experts like immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci and medical reporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta are saying that good hygiene and quarantining, or the practice of isolating from others in the hope of preventing the spread of contagious diseases, are the most effective tools to contain COVID-19.

Do you know who else suggested good hygiene and quarantining during a pandemic?

Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, over 1,300 years ago.

While he is by no means a "traditional" expert on matters of deadly diseases, Muhammad nonetheless had sound advice to prevent and combat a development like COVID-19.

Muhammad said: "If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague outbreaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place."

He also said: "Those with contagious diseases should be kept away from those who are healthy."

Muhammad also strongly encouraged human beings to adhere to hygienic practices that would keep people safe from infection. Consider the following hadiths, or sayings of Prophet Muhammad:

"Cleanliness is part of faith."

'Duah': Invocations to Allah- IX

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I implore God by His most beautiful names and His most sublime attributes, and I thank Him for giving me the blessed opportunity to continue the Friday Sermon series on the duahs of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). I am making this effort only by the grace and help of Allah. I also implore Him to enable me to benefit from them both during my lifetime on earth and after my death, and to share it with the people - anyone who reads the sermons on the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam’s website. All praise is to Almighty God [Allah] and we praise and implore His help as well as His forgiveness. Ameen.

As for the Holy Prophet (pbuh), he tells us: “He who remembers his Lord and he who does not remember his Lord are like the living and the dead.” (Muslim)

Anyone who recites a letter from the Book of God will have done a good deed knowing that every good deed is rewarded many times. And I don't mean by letter: Alif-Lam-Mim, because Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter. (Tirmidhi)

Now let’s see the duahs which Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) used to recite:

Allahumma anta Rabbi, Laa Ilaaha Illa anta khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana ala ahdika wa wa’dika maa stata’tu. Audhu bika min sharri maa sana’tu. Abu’u laka bini’matika alayya wa abu’u bi-dhanbi. Faghfir li fa-innahu laa yaghfiru dh-dhunuuba ilaa anta.

O Allah, You are my Lord, none has the right to be worshipped except You; You created me and I am Your servant and I abide to Your covenant and promise as best I can, I take refuge in You from the evil of which I have committed. I acknowledge Your favour upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none can forgive sin except You. (Bukhari)

Allahumma afini fi badani. Allahumma aafini fi sam’i. Allahumma aafini fi basari Laa Ilaaha Illa anta. Allahumma inni audhu bika minal kufi, wal-faqri. Wa audhu bika min adhabil-qabri. Laa Ilaaha Illa anta. [to recite three times]

O Allah, make me healthy in my body. O Allah, preserve for me my hearing. O Allah, preserve for me my sight. There is none worthy of worship but You.

O Allah, I seek refuge in you from disbelief and poverty and I seek refuge in you from the punishment of the grave. There is none worthy of worship but you. (Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Ahmad)

Hasbiy-Allahu Laa Ilaaha Illa huwa alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabbul arshil azeem. [to recite seven times]

Allah is sufficient for me, there is no Deity except Him. I place my trust in Him and He is the Lord of the great throne. (Abu Dawud)

Whoever recite these words seven times in the morning and in the evening will see God spare him from all the worries that will preoccupy him, both on this earth and in the hereafter.

'Duah': Invocations to Allah-VIII

Waz-zaakiriinallaaha kasiiraww-wa zaaakiraati ‘a-‘addallaahu lahum-maghfirataww-wa ‘ajran ‘aziimaa.

… men and women who remember Allah often—for (all of) them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward. (Al-Ahzab 33 : 36)

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, thus stated: “I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.”

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) gave me the Tawfiq to continue my sermons on the subject of “Duahs” and today is the 8th part. All this is by the grace of Allah (swt) and His blessing and where He is pouring these duahs on me so that I can present them in front of all the brothers, sisters and children in Islam as well as all my dear disciples around the world. Ya Allah, Ya Azim, Ya Ghaffar, Ya Rabbul Aalameen (O Allah The Almighty, The Indulgent, The Master of all worlds), thank you for all Ilm (knowledge) that You pour out on me so that I lead Your servants on the right path. Ameen.

We pray that Allah (swt) will grant mercy, salvation and blessing to our prophet Muhammad (pbuh), as well as to his family and all of his companions. Ameen.

It is thanks to this great prophet Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen (who is a mercy to the whole universe) that we know these duahs. Allah taught us the duahs that His Nabi Kareem (pbuh) used to address to Him, and especially under what circumstances they should be recited. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself is this perfect guide and model, and we have no guide except the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). [That is to say] It is from him that all people take example in order to perfect their own Islam and Iman (faith).

'Duah': Invocations to Allah- VII

Yaaa-’ayyuhallaziina ‘aamanuz kuru-laaha zikran-kasiiraa; Wa sabbihuuhu bukrataww-wa ‘asiilaa.

O you who believe, remember Allah abundantly, and glorify Him morning and evening. (Al-Ahzab 33: 42-43)

In a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “When a group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allah, the angels surround them (with their wings), (Allah’s) mercy envelops them, Sakina, or tranquillity descends upon them and Allah makes a mention of them before those who are near Him.”

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, we have entered a new Islamic year, the year 1442 Hijri and today is the 1st Muharram. Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah.

As you all know, Muharram is one of the four holy months, along with Rajab, Dhul-Qaddah, and Dhul-Hijjah. For the Muslim, it is the start of our new Islamic year. So, I wish all Muslims all over the world, as well as my followers in different countries of the world, a “Naya Saal Mubarak”.

'Duah': Invocations to Allah- VI

Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah, it is purely by the grace of Allah that I continue my sermon on the subject of duahs. 

In Bukhari's book of Hadiths, Kitab’ul Manaqib, there is mention of a duah for Hadhrat Jabir Bin Abdullah (ra). The introduction is as follows: the narrator relates that Hadhrat Jabir (ra) said: My father Abdullah died in a state where he was in debt... and certainly it is very important that when someone dies leaving a debt/ some debts, then the first thing to do is that his children have to repay his debts.

Hadhrat Jabir (ra) said: I was very worried because there were only a few dates with me [in my property], and that was not enough to pay off all of his debts. So I went to Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) and said to him: These few dates that I have are not enough to pay off my father's debts, and I [then] have to keep paying that debt for many more years... and he said to the Holy Prophet (pbuh): “Come with me, so that his creditors don't abuse me.”

Since his creditors were all Muslims, he thought that when they would see Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) with him, they would not abuse him. Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) told him to go and collect all the dates and put them in a pile. Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) then went around the dates making duahs. Then he sat down and advised the creditors to forgive Hadhrat Jabir bin Abdullah (ra).

Jabir (ra) said: 'I paid all my creditors in the form of dates until all of my father's debts were completely paid off. And as much as the amount of dates which Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) had given as payment, a similar number remained thanks to the prayer that Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) made'.