Allah & His Chosen One

In his Friday Sermon of 05 July 2024~28 Dhul-Hijjah 1445 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius speaks on true faith and devotion to God, explaining what it entails from sincere believers in every day life.  In this era, as in the times of Divine Elects in history, believers stand to gain rewards when they demonstrate  gratitude and loyalty to God and His commands; a commitment to struggle against the selfish [evil] impulses through patience and prayer; a sound heart embracing God’s will and pleasure at all times regardless of mundane setbacks and personal losses, notes Hazrat Saheb (aba). 

Tarbiyyat Lessons-19

 

Life is yours...

So you have to choose

whom you want to in your life.

 

Surround yourself with

People who know your worth

 

You don't need

too many in your life:

Just the real ones

who appreciate you

for exactly who you are

***********

 

If you want good results,

Then meet with good people

Good people always give you

Positive vibration and real happiness.

*****************

'Nabi' and 'Rasul' in Islam

 

'Rasulan Nabiyan'  (Messenger & Prophet) 

The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. (They proclaim) “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You (alone) is the final return.” (Al-Baqara 2: 286)

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, today I have chosen to talk about the messengers of Allah. First of all, when we talk about the Messengers of Allah, it is very important that we are aware that the Islamic conception regarding the role and function of the prophets is different from the conception of the Jews and Christians. In Islam, the word “Nabi” (prophet) or even “Rasul” (Messenger) is not reserved for only the Elects of Allah who have received divine revelations as divine laws to share with their peoples. When we talk about prophets before the coming of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), we are talking about prophets whose message was limited to their own people, while Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and all those who come and will come as his followers-prophets, will be prophets who cannot bring any new law, where they must base themselves only on the Holy Quran and the information of the Ghayb (Invisible) that Allah shows them.

 

And so, this brings us to the question, can a prophet come after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh)? 

The Sanctity of Places of Worship

 

In democratic theory, freedom of religion includes freedom to profess, practice, and propagate the beliefs that are closely held by a person and worship in a place of worship with security, regardless of what others think about his beliefs, or faith. Yet, in actually existing conditions in our societies, often majoritarian groups try to control and limit the freedoms of worship available to minority religious groups, often attacking the places of worship of such minority groups. Indeed, in an era of identity politics, inter-religious tensions as well as intra-religious sectarian strife within communities, places of worship of different religious communities bear the 'markings' of the times.

Consider the recent inaugural of a grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya in India. At the very place where a historic Masjid of the Muslim community stood for close to four-centuries, after destroying the Masjid, a Hindu Temple is recently built over there, after the country's top court endorses Hindu claims over the mosque on the basis of religious majoritarianism! While Hindu extremists executed the despicable crime of destroying the historic Masjid after a vicious hate campaign against the Muslim minority, the Indian State-despite its supposed secular neutrality- exonerated and rewarded, rather than punishing, the thugs involved in the horrific crime. [Inset: Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, a picture from the 19th century, taken by Samuel Bourne, sourced from Wikipedia]. 

While in India, extreme-rightwing Hindu assertions of majoritarianism trump the rights of the Muslim minorities on a range of issues; in Pakistan, it is Sunni fundamentalism that thrives at the cost of other minority groups within- such as the Ahmadi Muslims. For the Ahmadis of Pakistan, in the last several decades, the freedom to worship in a place of their choice without hindrance is at stake due to the Mullahs calling the shots in society through blasphemy laws and violent mobilizations, attacking Ahmadi mosques and killing Ahmadis- painting a bloody picture of gross distortion of foundational Islamic teachings by the far right among the Muslims. [Inset: debris of an Ahmadi mosque demolished in Sialkot, Pakistan, May 2018].       

 

Against this backdrop, in his Friday Sermon of 28 June 2024~21 Dhul-Hijjah 1445 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius reflects profoundly on Islamic teachings on the sanctity of places of worship. Hazrat Saheb (aba) gives an exposition, and underscores the need for all Muslims to understand, respect and adhere to correct teachings of Islam when it comes to our approach towards the places of worship of other communities as well as fellow groups within the Muslim community. 

'Has God Stopped Talking?'

Proof of the Existence of God Almighty 

In response to the question which I have received from a Muslim man who was about to renounce his faith in Islam and in Allah altogether, I am hereby through this sermon answering him so that this explanation may benefit one and all. 

Is there conclusive evidence that God exists? Is the existence of God a fact that can be proven like any other scientific fact that can be proven in a laboratory? 

It is surprising that atheists and believers today share the same belief regarding one of the attributes of God that provides conclusive proof of His existence. In today’s world, it is a fact that everyone agrees upon, both atheists and followers of the various religions of the world, that God has stopped talking.

Tarbiyyat Lessons- 18

 

‘Salah’: Five Times A Day

 

‘Why have prayers been prescribed for Muslims five times a day? It may be asked: would not once or twice, or whenever one happens to feel like it, be sufficient?’ 

 

 

In response to this set of questions from Mr. Louis Babel Christopher from Algeria, Hazrat Imam Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Al Mahdi Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius states:

        

In answering these questions, it must first be pointed out that the Islamic prayers (salat) are somewhat different from "prayer" as used in the Christian sense, although personal supplication and glorification of God (known as Duah) are also a very important part of the Muslim's worship.

 

Basically, Islamic prayers consist of recitations from the Holy Quran and glorification of God accompanied by various bodily postures. The five times of worship correspond to the five periods of the day: daybreak, noon, afternoon, the close of day and night, corresponding to the organization of Man's time around various activities.

A Quiz on ‘Muharram’

 

 Tarbiyyat Lessons- 17

(1) What is Muharram?     

 

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic Calendar.

 

(2)  What happened in Muharram?

 

Imam Hussain (as) was brutally martyred along with his companions and family members including a six-month old Son after three days of no food and water in a desert.

 

(3)   Who was Hussain?

 

Hussain (as) was the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (sa).

 

(4) `Who martyred him?

 

Yazid, an unjust individual, who claimed to be the caliph of Muslims, martyred Hussain (as), his companions and family members.

 

(5) Why was Hussain martyred?

Yazid tried to bring unlawful changes in Islam and also harm humanity at large. Hussein (as) being the grandson of the Holy Prophet (sa) stood against him and his unjust ways.

 

(6) Why give so much importance to the 10^th of ‘Muharram’?

 

The Tenth Day of the Sacred Month of Muharram is called the Day of  'Aashoora'. This is a special day in the history of Islam. It is the most virtuous day of the month of Muharram. Many important events took place on the Day of ‘Aashoora’.