Financial Sacrifice- 2

  

In his Friday Sermon of 15 September 2023~29 Safar 1445 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius gives an exposition on the larger theme of financial sacrifice in the Divine Way. Continuing on the theme from previous week, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores that true believers only seek God’s approval and pleasure in obeying His prescriptions and prohibitions and it is they who inherit Paradise as a reward for their goodness in this world. Just as the rich are on trial on how they conduct with the possessions they have been entrusted with, the needy also have obligations of patience and goodness in the Divine Law of life.

Elaborating on the theme of a Qur’anic verse identified at the beginning of the sermon (13:23), Hazrat Saheb (aba) notes that the true believers perform their social obligations and do all the services that they render only for the sake of God’s countenance: they do not do charity or other good deeds for selfish reasons, or out of pride or religious ostentation. Needy believers endure hardships caused by restricted means of livelihood, or other emotional deprivations, and yet they do not incline to evil and bad deeds, remaining steadfast in faith, in goodness and in fact, they also race to do good in their own way. Diligent in the performance of devotional prayer at prescribed times; disciplining the self and its inclinations in this temporary world; being mindful of the reckoning before the Lord on the Day of Judgement, true believers are hopeful of the enduring rewards of God’s pleasure and blessings in the Hereafter.  

'The world is not our Home'

 

'Everyone on earth perishes; all that remains is the Face of your Lord, full of majesty, bestowing honour'. (55: 27-28) 

'Do not call out to any other god beside God, for there is no god but Him. Everything will perish except His face. His is the judgement and to Him you shall all be brought back.' (28:89)

People love the fleeting life: family and children, wealth and riches, power and authority, fame and grandeur, etc. They forget God and ignore His commandments when they chase transient pleasures here at the cost of enduring blessings in the Hereafter. Hence, elects of God appear with a mission- to call our individual and collective attention to the true purpose and correct values of life; inviting us to choose wisely in our time in this transient world; urging us in the strongest terms to do good and resist evil, and recognize the impermanence of earthly life, so as to benefit us in the world to come. 

 

As the Divine Manifestation of our times in the person of Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius completes 23 years this month, the Divinely-inspired messages shared with the world by the Mujaddid of the 15th Century of Islam renews the enduring Highway to God, providing spiritual guidance and enlightenment to seekers of higher wisdom and true values of life.  Reproduced Below is such a Divinely-inspired message received by Hazrat Munir A. Azim (aba) on 14 May 2002 at 8.45 pm (Zikr Time):  

 

This universe is unstable and perishable. It is continually changing. It will not be tomorrow as it is today. There is no stability in this world and in Jamaat-Ahmadiyya worldwide. It is the land of death, and like a house of sand it can be destroyed at any time.

Riches: Greed and Regret

Our riches and resources come from God Who bestows on us all earthly blessings for a period of time. It is our duty to be grateful and thankful for the Divine grace of mercy; be generous and charitable with the less fortunate in society. Sharing provisions with the needy is recognition of this social mutuality: producers paying a part of the crops on the day of harvest with the poor are only fulfilling the dictates of public conscience, or the Divine command on social responsibility. In his Friday Sermon of 13 November 2009, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius provides an illuminating exposition on the parable of the owners of the garden in the Holy Qur’an. (68: 18-34) 

Whereas equity and charity attracts the Divine grace of mercy and the flourishing of possessions; greed and miserliness remove the protective shield from riches, and expose it to decline, loss and destruction- inviting feelings of ultimate regret on those who displayed arrogance and open ingratitude to the Supreme Lord. 

'It is He who produces both trellised and untrellised gardens, date palms, crops of diverse flavours, the olive, the pomegranate, alike yet different. So when they bear fruit, eat some of it, paying what is due on the day of harvest…' (6:142)     

‘Consider the seeds you sow in the ground– is it you who make them grow or We? If We wished, We could turn your harvest into chaff and leave you to wail, ‘We are burdened with debt; we are bereft.’ (56: 64-68) 

Read the Friday Sermon Below:

Financial Sacrifice

  

In his Friday Sermon of 08 September 2023~22 Safar 1445 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius gives a deep exposition on giving in the way of God.  

Sincerity of intention and action is the mark of true faith. A true believer remembers Allah (swt) with her heart; is in awe of God’s commandments and prescriptions all the time. One’s mind, body and wealth- all will testify to devotional religious practices in everyday life: recitation of the Holy Qur’an; regular performance of the prayer; spending one’s wealth and resources secretly and openly in service of God’s cause. A public act of giving can encourage others to do the same. A person should not to be boastful; Qur’an condemns hypocrisy and show off- ‘someone who spends his wealth only to be seen by people’ (2:265; 4:39). Indeed, the true spirit of giving in religion- whether publicly or privately, is seeking only the Face of God, the approval and pleasure of God in sheer gratefulness for all that He has entrusted one with in terms of wealth and resources in this world.  ‘Those who give, out of their own possessions, by night and by day, in private and in public, will have their reward with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve’ (2:274)

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

'Those who recite the Book of Allah, keep up the prayer, give secretly and openly from what We have provided for them, may hope for a trade that will never decline.' (Surah Al-Fatir, 35: 30)

 

Here “from what We have provided” does not just mean wealth, but also includes abilities, skills and means. So Allah is talking about those who spend from what He has provided them. They spend in secret too and openly too. Allah says that those are people who have made a transaction which shall never perish; a business or trade that will never fail. And its advantages will continue all the time. We know that in the world there are many businesses that prosper and flourish and develop but after a while, if not in the lifetime of a person, but in the lifetime of his children, the business ends and is destroyed.

 

But here Allah mentions such a business which never ends, never fails, i.e. a never-ending prosperous business. In that subject too, like I explained before, I told you that [like in this verse] spending in the path of Allah has been linked to other subjects. Otherwise, the act to just spend in itself is without any importance. There are people who sometimes give importance to people who have money and who can spend and they don’t give any importance to a person who does not have any money and who cannot spend.

 

In the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, we do not make any difference between the rich and the poor. The difference is in Taqwa only. If a poor person who is Muttaqi gives a little something [to the Jamaat – in the way of Allah], then we honour him for this financial sacrifice, even if it be little. There should not also manifest the feeling and thought that if the rich are spending, then we should not give them any importance. Importance should be given to both the rich and the poor. They both are making efforts according to their means to give in the path of Allah.

'Tawheed' & 'Shirk'

 

'And hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you - by His grace - became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be (rightly) guided.' (Al-e-Imran, 3: 104)

 

Allah has put a responsibility on us - the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam - to make the world come under the Millat-e-Wahida, or Ummat-e-Wahida – as one nation, people or community of believers, and that time is fast approach. We are already seeing its realisation and effect through a clear and illuminating light. The project to bring the world as a Millat-e-Wahida also forms a part of Tawheed (the Oneness of Allah), and has a great link with Tawheed.

From all over the world, despite the Islamophobia that has crept into the world, we are finding that after more than twenty years, the world has opened itself to Islam. Allah is inspiring hearts to become Muslims. Now, with the same fervour, Allah has trusted to this humble servant - His Khalifa [Khalifatullah] – the mission to spread the message of His Oneness throughout the world. Apart from me, there are many Muslims around the world who are doing excellent work in the field of Dawa/ Tabligh. They are giving their time and efforts in this endeavour. Now, with the Divine Manifestation, slowly but surely you will find how Allah will open many hearts to recognize the Manifestation of this era with the advent of His Khalifatullah. Victory does not come at once. It comes step by step, and when you find the dawn of that victory, it will have a different effect on your hearts.

'Zikr Allah' - VI

  

Allah the Almighty has said: "Remember Me, and I will remember you; and be thankful to Me and not be ungrateful Me." (Al-Baqarah, 2: 153)

 

In the light of this verse which I have read before you, I am thus continuing my sermon on the Remembrance of Allah. The Remembrance of Allah (Zikr Allah) is so important that since the creation of this universe, Allah has talked a lot about it, and both the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) have stressed a lot on the Remembrance of Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to personally engage himself in the Remembrance of Allah; wherever he went, he used to remember Allah a lot and he also advised his companions and all the people found in his community and also humanity at large to engage themselves in the Remembrance of Allah, even though these people have rejected him, and that they do not believe in Islam, in the Book of Allah and His teachings.

 

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "Engage yourselves completely in the Remembrance of Allah to such an extent that people consider you mad."

'Zikr Allah' - V

 

“O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance; And glorify Him morning and evening. He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you forth from all kinds of darkness into light. And He is Merciful to the believers.” (Al-Ahzaab, 33: 42 – 44).

 

In the light of these Qur'anic verses, I continue my sermon on the Remembrance of Allah. These three verses which I have read before you show that Allah send down His blessings and the angels pray for those types of people who engage themselves in the Remembrance of Allah. The more we remember Allah and glorify Him, the more Allah will remember us and will be with us.

 

I recommend all members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in Mauritius, on the other islands, and this message of mine addresses all people from all countries, and also all my Muslim brothers, sisters and children around the world, that you all should make it a must to engage yourselves in the Remembrance of Allah as frequently as possible, even if possible at each moment of your lives. The more you will remember Allah, the more this Remembrance of Allah will become like a fortress-like protection for you, against all sorts of evils, sorrows, difficulties, illnesses, evil plots, satanic works etc. Remembrance of Allah will save you from all these and other problems which you may face; you will thus always be safeguarded under the Shadow of Allah.