'Eid-ul-Adha' Sermon 2022

 

On 10 July 2022 ~10 Dhul-Hijjah 1443 AH, marking the occasion of the Eid-ul-Adha, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius delivered his special sermon on a very vital subject: the enduring legacy of Hazrat Ibrahim (as), the man whose utter devotion to God became a synonym for pure faith, earning him the unique title of Khalilullah, the Friend of God; the great fountainhead of a multitude of spiritual streams in the ancient world: Hagar and Isma'il; Sarah and Isaac, and many other nations- in accordance with the grand Divine promise that his progeny would spread in the earth, just like the numerous stars in the heaven. In the present discourse, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) makes several interesting observations on the basis of historical facts from ancient records, pointing to the striking similarities in the rites and practices of  the religions of India and Persia as well, alluding to the great legacy of Ibrahim/Abraham/ Abram/Brahma in different lands.  

       

Read the Eid-ul-Adha Sermon below: 

The Story of Abraham/Abram/Ibrahim/ Brahma

 

Ibrahim, the Patriarch and Friend of Allah, saw in a vision that he was offering his only son Isma’il as a sacrifice to the Lord. He said to the boy: “O son of mine, I have seen in a dream that I was slaughtering you; So, tell me what you think of it.’

 

The boy replied: “O Father, do as you have been commanded; you will find me, if Allah please, of those who are steadfast.”

 

Ibrahim made the necessary preparations. When all was ready and he was about to proceed to the fulfilment of what he thought he had been commanded to do, he received the revelation that he had indeed fulfilled his dream. (As-Swaffat 37: 104-108).

 

The true meaning of the dream was not that he should sacrifice his son in the manner in which he had seen himself doing in the dream, but that both he and his son should be ready to make a great sacrifice to win the pleasure of God. This great sacrifice was that the boy and his mother should be settled in a distant, barren valley, so that the boy should be made an instrument for the purpose of establishing the true worship of God in and around the Sacred House. (Ibrahim 14: 38).

The Story behind the 'Qurbani'

  

What is 'Qurbani'? 

The Qurbani is practiced by Muslims to commemorate the great sacrifice of Ibrahim (as) (Abraham) who did not hesitate to sacrifice his own son for the sake of Allah [The Almighty & Unique God].

Hazrat Zaidi bn Arqam (ra) states that the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) asked him: “What is Qurbani?” He replied, “It is the Sunnah (tradition) of our father Ibrahim (as).” They inquired, “What benefit do we derive from it?” The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) replied: “A reward for every hair of the sacrificed animal.” [And they asked again], “And what is the reward for the animal whose body is covered with wool?” He (pbuh) replied, “A reward for every strand of wool.”

 

The Aim of the Sacrifice

 

The immolation of an animal in Islam is not done to appease the anger of Allah by offering Him a bribe in order to succeed in any work. Far from all this, Allah does not need anything from us. He is the Almighty and the One to Whom everything belongs. However, the sacrifice is made only in the Name of Allah and to please Him.

 

“Tell them: ‘Verily my prayer, my devotion [sacrificial service], my life, my death, belong to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.” (Al-Anam, 6: 163).

Illnesses of the 'Ummah'- 5

 

DAWA/ TABLIGH: How To Do This Work

 

The most important point in this work of Dawa / Tabligh is the way and method that we will do it. We simply need to follow exactly the principles adopted by the Sahaba (ra) who followed the teachings and practices of the noble prophet (pbuh) to the letter.

In this true form and meaning, the Tabligh is a very important action and a very great benefit. Verily, it is to follow truly the path of the prophets (as), because this work is a great work, and it is also based on the high principles that we must always follow carefully. Each individual needs to feel the need to reform himself instead of changing others. While doing this work, and even outside the Jamaat [Community], he should behave like a true Muslim, a sincere servant who at all times obey and follow Allah’s commandments as per the Shariah and he seeks always the blessing and pleasure of Allah (twt). This is the basic condition, the Ruh (soul) and foundation of this work of Tabligh. Once this has been rooted deeply and firmly into the hearts of the workers [of Deen], the other principles, regulations and actions that I will mention further on will become easy to follow:

Eid-ul-Adha 2022

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in India commemorated the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha on 10 Dhul Hijjah 1443 AH~ 10 July 2022 with spiritual fervour, collective prayers, distribution of sacrificial meat and community feasting. 

In a special message telecast through YouTube on the occasion on the request of his disciples in India, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Al Muhyi-ud-Din Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (aba) of Mauritius  conveyed a blessed Eid, 'Eid Mubarak' to everyone. Reminding all devout Muslims about the deeper meanings of Eid-ul-Adha by alluding to all Islamic rites attached to this occasion of Hajj, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) exhorts everyone to imbibe profound spiritual lessons by reflecting on the blessed, sacrificial lives of the Patriarch among the Prophets, Hazrat Ibrahim (as), and his holy family. In their ever-readiness or pure willingness to sacrifice personal interests and worldly comforts in the service of Divine commandments, preferring Divine pleasure and approval above all personal wishes; Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and family have left a lasting legacy of utter devotion, pure sacrifice and high spirituality for all generations of men and women to emulate and profit by. While seeking to tread on the path of the Prophets by performing sacred rites of sacrifice on this occasion, it is true piety and righteousness that will attract Divine approval, (Insha Allah, Aameen)-  reminds Hazrat Saheb (aba) in this special discourse.   

Eid-ul-Adha 2022: Special Message

 

[On the occasion of the Eid-ul-Adha 2022, the print and electronic media in Mauritius carried a special message of Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba), calling attention to the deeper meanings of the religious festival].

Read the Special Article Below: 

The Muslims enjoy two major celebrations in a year, i.e. the Eid-ul-Fitr and the Eid-ul-Adha. While the Eid-ul-Fitr is the day of rejoicing which the Almighty gives the Muslim believer after a month of fasting for His sake, the Eid-ul-Adha is a time for deep reflection and analysis of one’s own obedience to Allah’s commandments and the teachings and practices of His beloved prophets and role models for mankind.

Illnesses of the 'Ummah'- 4

  

SOLUTIONS

 

As I have already clearly explained before, the sickness that has entered the Muslim Body [Community] these days has been caused by the disappearance of the true value of Islam from our hearts. As a result, the true feelings and love for Islam have died within us and our belief in Islam has disappeared.

 

Certainly, when the “source” has become dry, the paths of good deeds, virtues and excellent qualities which sprung from this source have disappeared. This is exactly what we see today. I have already explained this in detail and made it clear that the only way to rebuild this source and keep it flowing with the deeds of Deen which are profitable is this work which is called Dawa/Tabligh, which we can consider really and truly like the Ruh (soul) of Islam. As long as we do not revive this work, we will not be able to accomplish anything good in this temporal life because no nation, no people can know glory without having excellent qualities and high characters that only Islam can produce.

 

It is our duty as soon as possible to revive this work of Tabligh which is indeed obligatory. Only then can we have hope of bringing the true Deen of Islam to life in the Muslim community. Only by this means can we truly recognize and understand Allah (twt) and His Beloved Prophet (pbuh), and thereafter submit to their commands and desires [i.e., the commands of Allah and of His Messenger (pbuh)].

 

To succeed in doing this, we need to adopt the exact methods and means which Nabi Kareem Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) used and which he put into practice to transform the Arabs (from the period of ignorance to Islam). Allah (twt) says in the Holy Quran: “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow...” (Al-Ahzab, 33: 22)

Illnesses of the 'Ummah'- 3

 

In his Friday Sermon of 17 June 2022 ~16 Dhul Qaddah 1443 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius continues the larger reflections on the spiritual maladies that afflict the Muslim psyche today: the mental attitudes and emotional roadblocks that prevent them from engaging with energy, vigour, enthusiasm and enterprise in the larger goals of Dawah (preaching and propagating Islam).  In this discourse, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) points out how to think through the confusing maze of Muslim renewal in this complicated era.  

As Hazrat Saheb (aba) alludes in the discourse, based on Qur'anic principles and Prophetic practices, the Sahaba-e-Kiram, the pure Companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Tabi'un, the pious generations that followed them became living exemplars of the Faith in the early days of Islam, and wherever they went to preach the message of Tawheed, people en masse abandoned their pagan notions and embraced the Light of Islam in their midst. As time went by, and the original spirit of faith ebbed away; decadence and degradation have returned to the societies that were once 'Muslim'. And today, in the fifteenth century after the Holy Prophet (sa), the Muslims in general seem to be bereft of the true essence of Islamic teachings in their everyday lives. Even worse, far from upholding the spirit of Tawheed as Muslims, many among them have turned into tomb-worshippers; instead of praying God, they invoke the intercession of long-dead saints, just like the idol-worshippers performing rituals before the lords beside Allah (swt), [God forbid].   

Against this dismal contemporary scenario of gross misunderstandings and corrupt religious practices, reclaiming the true teachings along with its progressive potential and transformative spirit is the larger responsibility of the lovers of Allah (swt), including common followers of the Faith today. Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) notes that this task can only be achieved through sustained work involving every segment of the Muslim society, and not by the Ulama and others working in silos. Promoting goodness of every kind and forbidding the bad from spreading in society are the real tasks of everyone at their own levels- indeed, duties and responsibilities are attached to every 'Muslim'- the one who has surrendered his God-gifted free will and submitted his everything to the Divine commandments. Moreover, Tabligh, or striving in God's cause by communicating Divine message to people also entail the willingness to withstand hostilities and insults at the hands of unfair critics and enemies of the Faith, like the Prophets in the past has shown: with patience and fortitude, they preached and lived the message of God against all odds, and the strength of their conviction and the beauty of their character changed hearts and they became victorious in the battlefield of Dawah. It is by following in the footsteps of true lovers of the Faith and in adopting their strategies and steps of engagement with the people that we can make progress in the path of Dawah, indicates Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) in this discourse.