SALAT : A Healing Balm for the Bruised Soul

In his Friday Sermon of October 21, 2011 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib continued the subject of Islamic prayer and reflected upon the psychological benefits of Salat. Drawing upon the latest trends in psychiatry and the treatment of mental illnesses, Hadhrat Khalifatullah sketches down the ways in which recourse to Salat and its postures would be beneficial. 

Read the extracts from the Sermon:

“A good doctor will utilise the three aspects of therapy to effect a cure:

 (1) Drugs, to actually combat the illness or relieve pain.

 (2) Food to strengthen the defences of the body and,

 (3) Fear, hope, joy or grief are emotions which the doctor should evoke by counselling the patient to conquer his illness.

If a man is engaged in worship, he will feel apprehension, fear and hope, nervousness and love. And when he takes thought of the next life, he will strengthen the faculties, delight the heart and drive away disease by this very means.

The latest trends in psychiatry, both in causation and therapy, postulate a biochemical basis for mental illness. Salat and indeed Zakat can produce mental changes and even psychotic behaviour has been determined most positively. The converse would also apply. The latest trends in psychiatry regarding the causation of depressions and even Neuroses as well as psychoses reveal that anti-Sunna behaviour is implicated. 


This anti-Sunna activity ranges from error in diet to faulty nutrition (Example, lack of Nicotinic Acid Vitamins etc. causes dementia) and to anti-social activity like isolation, lack of social companionship and lack of orientation. All these factors which represent in the various aspects of Salat, (whereby Salat in congregation leads to a fostering of brotherly feelings and companionship) can prevent mental illness. 

Worship in Islam: Three Elements

In his Friday Sermon of October 14, 2011 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius explains the spiritual purpose of Creation- the worship of the Almighty Allah-by looking at the deep meaning of the various elements and postures involved in the Islamic prayer- Azaan, Wudu and Salat. 

The unique character of the Islamic call to prayer- Azaan, the external purifying impact of Wudu for active and awakened participation in worship and the spiritual and physical benefits that arise out of performing the Salat through its various prescribed postures are explained in the sermon. The Khalifatullah offers illuminating insights on the structural design of human personality and the benefits it may derive by engaging in Salat. 

Read the extracts from the Sermon:

Allah says in the Holy Quran: 

“I have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship Me.” (51: 57). The purpose of creation, according to the Quran in Surah Az-Zariyat (51:57), is but that of worship, and the Salat is the most important worship in Islam. There are three elements to worship in Islam:

(i)                 the preparation or call (Azaan).

(ii)               The purification or Wudu and

(iii)             Salat, the prayer itself.

Each of these elements coalesce and overlap and no exact demarcation is possible, as the Azaan proclaims: Come to prosperity, while the Salat itself is described in Surah Ash-Shams (91: 10) – Those who purity their souls will make progress.

Azaan is the unique call among all religions in that it does not consists of tolling bells or the sounds of the Shofar (Jewish horn) or trumpet. The Azaan proclaims in a language which everyone can comprehend, the cardinal principles of Islam, the witnessing of the existence of one sole God, and the apostleship of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

This beautiful call echoing in the early dawn, which requires repetition after the Muezzin according to the Sunna, evokes far greater reaction than the musical tones of the bell or trumpet which requires an aptitude for musical perception, something not granted to all. The tolling of mournful bells or fear-instilling blasts of the trumpet represent a wrathful divinity compared to the Beneficent and Merciful God of Islam; calling people to progress and prosperity both in this world and the next.

This is the reason for the repetition of the words: Come to prosperity and come to prayer, each call signifying the separate worlds of existence. The early morning call signifies the awakening of the inner soul of all. Creation as is proved by the wakening of all nature, the lifting of darkness, the chirping of the birds and the emergence of the radiating fingers of sunshine.

Dreams and New Bai’ats in Kerala

Whenever a Khalifa of Allah appears, angels descent with him and they will guide eager hearts to the recognition of the Divine Manifestation. This subtle and profound spiritual reality was articulated and confirmed by the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) himself. Today, we are witnessing the fulfillment of this eternal Divine Law through the lived experiences of common believers in Mauritius, in India and elsewhere who have recognized Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib as the Chosen Messenger of Allah of this era.

The Promised Massih (as) writes:

“Let it be known that it is the established custom of Allah that whenever a Messenger, a Prophet or an appointed recipient of Divine Revelation is sent for the reformation of mankind, it becomes imperative that he is accompanied by such angels who instill guidance in all loving hearts. They induce the hearts towards goodness.  They continue to descend until the darkness of profanity and corruption gives way to the break of the dawn of faith and truthfulness. The Almighty God says:

“The angels and the Spirit descend upon them by the command of their Lord with their Lord’s decrees concerning every matter. It is all peace, till the break of the dawn”. (Surah Al Qadr, 97:5-6).

So the appearance of the angels and the Holy Spirit only takes place at the advent of a person of distinction, who is dressed in the garb of Khilafat and honored with a direct communion with God. This Khalifa is specially gifted with the Holy Spirit and the angels in attendance are deputed to descend on all pious hearts. The reflection of this heavenly glow falls on people of receptive talent, and consequently the whole world is engulfed in the dazzle of this intense light.      

As a result of the noble influence of the angels, the hearts of such people are voluntarily inclined towards virtuous thoughts and are thus charmed by the concept of the Unity of God. Upright hearts are charged with the inclination towards the search of truth. The spiritually frail are granted fortitude. Everywhere a breeze begins to blow which is supportive to the objectives of the Mujaddid. An invisible hand is beckoning humanity so that they of themselves are hastening towards that reform which will bring out the best of their talents. Mankind is in a state of agitation and stir in anticipation of what is to come.

At that juncture, the ignorant contemplates that the world has taken a turn for the better, all by itself. Indeed, this reformation is the result of the efforts of those angels    who appear along with the Khalifa of Allah (Khalifa-tullah) and confer extraordinary powers upon people to understand and accept the Truth. They awaken the masses from their slumber, alert the careless, grant hearing to the deaf, quicken the dead and raise the entombed out of their graves. Then, people suddenly begin to open their eyes and those issues that were, until this time, concealed from their hearts begin to unravel. In reality, these angels are not different from this Khalifa of Allah (Khalifa-tullah). They are indeed a reflection of the Divine illumination on his face and manifestations of his endurance towards his mission. Such a person may be physically distant or nigh, he may be an acquaintance or totally alien, yet all are attracted with a magnetic force provided the capacity of reformation is present in them….”

For more information , see: 

 http://sahih-al-islam.blogspot.com/2011/03/descent-of-holy-spirit-in-time-of.html

As eloquently confirmed by the Promised Massih (as), angels guide the truth seekers in the time of a Khalifatullah. Today, in this new century of Islam and Ahmadiyyat, we are witnessing extraordinary testimonials in favour of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius; People in distant lands are virtually being guided by signs and dreams. It is astonishing to hear about the dreams and signs of the believers in the era of the new Divine Manifestation. 

Justice: Games Ahmadis Play

Respect for principles of natural justice and rule of law is a basic feature of even mundane legal systems that administer justice among people. [Inset: Statue of Lady Justice, by F. W. Pomeroy on top of the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court in London, England- She carries a sword and scales but is not blindfolded].

In all such systems, the following fundamental principles are central elements:

     1)      No one shall be a judge in his own cause.

     2)      No one shall be condemned unheard.

   3)  To ensure substantive justice, procedural fairness shall be adhered to.

Now, all of us know that justice is among the foremost Islamic values. And, Ahmadis claim to be the inheritors of the finest Islamic traditions. In any case, they swear by Islamic values of the highest order, including JUSTICE. But, then, the question is this: How do they do when it comes to the Administration of Justice?

What kind of justice does the Administration provide when they have to deal with issues that arise within the Community? How far does the system accommodate notions of fairness, transparency, objectivity and accountability within its power structures so as to ensure justice for its common members? Do common Ahmadis gain justice when they approach the Khulafa with the troubles they have with their leaders?

The plain fact is that injustice breeds and thrives under the Ahmadiyya system today. The system originally built on the foundations of implicit faith and trust of those who work under it has, time and again, been abused by vested interests operating under the mask of obedience to leadership and much injustice is flowing through the contaminated waters of the present Khilafat system and common Ahmadis are suffering due to the excesses of the administrators. There is a clearly perceived need to radically rethink the current premises of administration of justice within the Ahmadiyya Community in the light of the following Qur’anic verse:

“O David, We have made you a vicegerent on earth; so judge between men with justice, and follow not vain desire, lest it should lead you astray from the way of Allah. Surely, those who go astray from the way of Allah, will have a severe punishment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.” (38 : 27)

In an Open Letter written on February 20, 2011 and addressed to the current head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius profoundly analyzed this question. The Messenger of Allah of our times- the Khalifatullah- describes justice as from the very “blood” of Allah. He points out that Allah detests unfairness among his creatures-be it in the Heavens or in the Earth. Pointing to the how and why of the decline in justice-oriented administrative values in the Ahmadiyya Community today, the Khalifatullah provides a profound explanation for the magnificent Will of Allah working behind the current Divine Manifestation.  

Read from the Extracts of the Letter: