Islam & Women's Rights

 

In his Friday Sermon of 21 October 2022 ~24 Rabi’ul Awwal 1444 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius continues his exposition on the rights of women in society- aspects of a theme that was eloquently explained in the previous Friday Sermon in the light of specific Divine revelations he originally received  as early as two decades ago. Against the backdrop of contemporary issues in various nations involving Muslim women's status and social rights, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) underscores the truly progressive spirit of original Islamic teachings concerning appropriate social conduct among men and women, and the related regulations it introduced to enable people to safeguard against evil and indecency. Despite the rise of Islamophobia in the West, the growing number of women from non-Muslim cultures and  social backgrounds discovering Islam, including its modes of dressing, in recent years testify to the essential wisdom underlying the enduring teachings of Islam. 

At the same time, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) calls attention to the gross excesses being committed by those in authority in the name of implementing religious norms. The ongoing protests in Iran, in the aftermath of the killing of a young Mahsa Amini in the name of Hijab violations by the national "moral police" may also mark the beginning of the end of an oppressive regime of Mullahs playing God on earth.    

   

Elucidating on the Islamic concept of a non-exploitative social order where men and women have an equal responsibility in recognizing the dignity, rights and interests of one another, Hazrat Saheb (aba) underscores the need for the community of believers- both men and women- to gain a proper appreciation of the ethical roots and subtle wisdom that underlies the Islamic regulations of social life.   

'Pardah': A Divine Message

 

An Important Message on the Islamic Pardah

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, as you all know that Allah, through the advent of Islam and the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has restored the Status of Women in society. This creature that has been trampled on for so long, Allah and His beloved Nabi [prophet] has given them back their value, but the ladies too must not exceed the limits in what Allah has given them permission to do.

 

Today, I am sharing with you a divine revelation that I received on Friday, 21 May 2004, in the beginnings of the Divine Manifestation, and the creation of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya Al Mouslemeen. Today, the same message is valid for the gents and ladies of the Divine Manifestation with the advent of this humble Servant of Allah as the Khalifatullah and the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam.

 

I will put in front of you the parts that concern you today and which are very important that you pay very particular attention to and that you also follow this divine advice so that you may gain the benefits of these instructions too, and you come closer to Allah through you obedience to Allah and His Muhyiuddin Al-Khalifatullah of this century. Insha-Allah.

Noble Traits of the Prophet

 

 The Character and Life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

It is essential to inculcate in one the reverence and respect for the lofty character and habits of the Messenger of Allah, the Holy Prophet of Islam and [of] whole Humanity Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). It is necessary that the morals of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) become established in one’s heart so that love for the best of mankind (pbuh) becomes dominant in the heart and eagerness to follow his holy character is induced in the believer. I will mention some Quranic verses and Hadiths in this regard.

 

Allah the Exalted has said: “Verily, you (Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character”. (Surah Al-Qalam 68:5)

 

Allah furthermore says: “O you who believe! Do not enter the houses of the Prophet for a meal without permission. If you are invited, you may enter, but be punctual (so that you will not be waiting while the meal is being prepared). When you have finished eating, leave his home. Do not sit around chatting among yourselves. This will annoy the Prophet but he will feel embarrassed to tell you. God does not feel embarrassed to tell you the truth...” (Al-Ahzab 33: 54)

 

This is a reference to a particular incident. Some companions stayed longer than what was proper on this occasion at the home of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) who was anxious to retire for the night. They continued in conversation. Although the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) was inconvenienced by their late stay, he nevertheless refrained from telling them anything. This was in regard to his personal matters and not to such affairs which came within the purview of Tabligh.

 

Hazrat Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (ra) narrated “The Prophet (pbuh) was more shy (from Haya: i.e. pious shyness from committing religious indiscretions) than a veiled virgin girl.”

Revelations of 17 October 2022

 

‘O you who believe! When you hold secret counsels do not confer to promote sin, transgression and disobedience to the Messenger. Rather confer (to promote) piety, and righteousness and restraint from evil. And take Allâh as a shield, (Allâh) before Whom you shall be gathered together. Holding secret counsels (with evil intentions) is (the work) of satan (who does it) to cause unrest and distress to those who believe. Yet he can do them no harm at all except by the leave of Allâh. Therefore let the believers repose their trust in Allâh.’ (58:10-11)

On Monday, 17 October 2022 at 11.45 am, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius received Divine revelations during Duah and Zikr. These revelations, along with a brief commentary provided by Hazrat Saheb (aba) while announcing the same, contain pure guidance that can benefit all true devotees of God in this era- an era of stealth and subterfuge, of secret plots and dark deeds. 

Indeed, true believers need to be aware of the secret, black deeds of the Hypocrites who seek to deviate people who joins the Divine Elect of their times, by sowing the seeds of doubt and suspicion in their minds by spreading false accusations. The Holy Qur'an emphatically states that the good and the bad are not alike, and that the believers have to be vigilant against Satanic impulses that lead to secret plots, sin and transgression at all times, and in all contexts, they should be ready to fight along with the Elects of God for establishing equity and justice on earth by promoting good and righteous causes. 

Qur’an on Witchcraft

 

‘Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn, from the evil of that which He created; from the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads; and from the evil of those who spit on the knots, (i.e., perform malignant witchcraft). And from the evil of the envious when he envies.’ (113: 2-6) 

Last week, two macabre murders- apparently, ‘human sacrifices’ to propitiate the Devil in pursuit of fortune and riches- were reported from Kerala, sending shockwaves across the nation. According to the Police, the accused couple (currently in custody) staunchly believed in sorcery and witchcraft, indulged in criminal conspiracy with a habitual criminal who exploited their black magic inclinations, and the three together killed two hapless poor women, one after the other over a period of three months. It should also be noted that other incidents of abuse and assault involving occultists and sorcerers have also been reported in the recent past, not just from the State but also elsewhere in India, including from Karnataka and Maharashtra. Superstitious practices gaining ground among all communities is indeed a reflection of the rot in the wider society: worship of wealth and possessions even at the price of one’s soul. 

Worshipping God, or Idols ?

‘Your God is the one God: there is no god except Him, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy. In the creation of the heavens and earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the seas with goods for people; in the water which God sends down from the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are signs in all these for those who use their minds.’ (2: 164 -165)

 

Islam privileges an uncompromising belief in the unicity of God as the true religion of people. In the Islamic tradition, the personal name of God is ‘Allah’, and in the Arabic language, ‘Allah’ has no plural, masculine or feminine form; the expression is never used for any other object or being. ‘He is Lord of the heavens and earth and everything in between so worship Him: be steadfast in worshipping Him. Do you know of anyone equal to Him?’ (19:66)

 

‘Say, ‘He is God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him.’ (112: 2-5)

Many other Qur’anic verses also testify to the Lord’s awe-inspiring presence: ‘Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist; slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; who is he that can intercede with Him but by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot comprehend anything out of His knowledge except what He pleases, His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both tires Him not, and He is the Most High, the Great.’ (2:256)

Muhammad in the Later Days

 

‘Sirat-un-Nabi’ Reflections

 

‘Exalted is He who put constellations in the heavens, a radiant light, and an illuminating moon- it is He who made the night and the day follow each other- so anyone who wishes may be mindful, or show gratitude.’ (25: 62-63)

 

‘There is a time set for every people: they cannot hasten it, nor, when it comes, will they be able to delay it for a single moment. O children of Adam! Whenever there come to you Messengers from among yourselves, relating My revelations to you, then whosoever (by accepting them) are conscious of God and live righteously, there will be no fear, nor will they grieve.’ (7: 35-36)

 

‘He it is Who has raised among the Unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves who recites unto them His Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom, although they had been, before, in manifest misguidance; And among others from among them who have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty, the Wise. That is Allah’s grace; He bestows it on whom He pleases; and Allah is the Master of immense grace.’ (62:3-5)

 

These verses of the Holy Qur’an, in their own mystical and subtle ways, allude to the philosophy of Divine guidance for humanity in darkened times. These verses unmistakably foretell a remarkable spiritual event of profound historic proportions: the advent of an Elect of God in the Later Days of Islam; the raising of an ‘illuminating moon’ [Qamaran Munira] who will reflect the pristine light of the Sun of Faith, Hazrat Muhammad^(sa), as though the Divine servant is a ‘mirror image’ or the second coming of the original Holy Prophet (sa) himself in this era, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah.