Body Hygiene: Prophetic Traditions

ISLAM places much emphasize upon cleanliness. Purity of the body, mind and the soul are inextricably intertwined in Islam, for physical cleanliness is central to spiritual purity. In his Friday Sermon of 13 July 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius explained the Prophetic traditions on body hygiene and respect for the natural environment in the wider context of leading a healthy and long life in the Islamic way.

Drawing upon his own close study and analysis of the subject, the Khalifatullah observes: “[t]he absence of tobacco and alcohol consumption, consumption of five fruits and vegetables daily, physical exercise half an hour a day can contribute to the prolongation of life. Certainly it is the cleansing of the body, whether of our internal systems and our soul which each contributes to make us human beings capable of living a long life, according to the will of God in good physical, moral and spiritual health...”

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

“The human being who lives temporarily on earth will be compensated after his death according to his beliefs, his actions as well as his intentions. In Islam, acts of goodness not only reveal the spiritual and cultural, but they (also) concern different aspects of man’s life.

Islam has taught rules under the name which is now commonly called hygiene. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: “Ten things are part of (what the human being does by) natural predisposition: trimming his moustache, keeping the beard, brushing the teeth, rinsing his nostrils, trimming his nails, washing his finger joints, removing the hair of the armpits, shaving the pubic hair, using water after relieving him (after going to the toilet), and (one link in the chain of transmission says he remembers the tenth thing vaguely, that is) rinsing his mouth.” (Reported by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, An-Nasaa’i)

According to other links in the chain of transmission, the tenth thing is circumcision. In another famous Hadith reported by Muslim, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) considers purification as being half of faith. So we see that Islam has put much emphasis on how Muslims must cultivate a healthy (clean) lifestyle.

Parenting: Spirituality and Science

Children are the best Gifts Almighty Allah bestows upon the parents. And good parenting is an Islamic virtue. Inculcating good habits and etiquettes in them and nurturing their inherent creative instincts are a huge responsibility and parents are accountable to the Lord Almighty for the same. In an age that offers too many ‘value’ systems and life styles, temptations and diversions are trying to take over the attention of today’s children. In this context, parenting has to go beyond the command/control/authority approach that parents usually deploy and be flexible enough to take account of the evolving realities: the growing reasoning power of children, their intelligence and age. The pride of being a practicing Muslim has to be demonstrated as a living reality to our children on an everyday basis. If the Islamic way is presented to our children with practical example and persuasion characterized by a relationship of trust and friendship, love and mutual respect, it will win over their hearts and minds.  

In his Friday Sermon of July 06, 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius threw new light on the subject of parenting. Drawing upon recent scientific experiments and new knowledge available on the developmental biology of the human brain, the Khalifatullah underscores the critical importance of early years of a child’s life experiences in the eventual development of his/her emotional stability, personality traits and intelligence level.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon: 

“The regimented way many raise their children is not appropriate to modern life and, more particularly, to life in the countries we now live in. At an early stage, regimentation is a  powerful method to activate good habits and the performances of regular activities such as prayer and reading of the Holy Quran. But as the reasoning of children develops, we must as parents also begin to change our approach to reflect their intelligence and the life of the child.

Particularly in the western world, there are many distractions and temptations fighting for the attention of our children. These, together with the fact that we are inclined to serve our natural desires (some might say naturally inclined to evil), mean that we are in danger of losing our children if we rely totally on obedience to our commands. Unless we build up a relationship of trust and friendship with our children as well as authority through mutual respect and love, we have little hope of retaining our children given the strength of the worldly distraction they are exposed to (TV being a prime example).

Bibi Momin Azim Sahiba (1928-2012)

BIBI MOMIN AZIM SAHIBA, the respected and beloved mother of the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius, died on June 30, 2012. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiuun....She was 84 years old and the death came after a brief illness. Hailing from a spiritually distinguished family with a track record of great sacrifice and considerable service to Islam, Bibi Sahiba’s forefathers were among the earliest Ahmadis of the Island nation. [ To read an article about her family background and pious life, click here]. 

Bibi Momin Azim Sahiba was an important and exceptional witness to the current Divine Manifestation in Mauritius from its very early days. May Allah grant the departed, pious soul a high and lofty place in the bliss of Jannat. Ameen, Summa Ameen.  In his Friday Sermon of July 06, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) thanked all those who offered her Janaza prayers and briefly described the events of the last days of Bibi Momin Azim Sahiba’s earthly life. The shadow of Allah’s help and succour comes to the Party of Allah in myriad ways even in times of death and funeral.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:       

“Before ending, by the grace of Allah, I would like to thank all my disciples and all those who have directly expressed or sent their sincerest condolences about the sad demise of my beloved mother Bibi Momin Azim Sahiba and who prayed her Janaza prayers. Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, it gives my heart tranquillity to find such love for Allah, His Rassool and the mother of Allah's Rassool in your heart.

She was really an exceptional lady, and despite that all her children except this humble self are found in the Jamaat Ahmadiyya (mainstream), but she never hesitated to stand firm along with her son, the Messenger of Allah, to such an extent that Allah gave this humble self the blessing to have my mother with me and my family members in our house in her last days. She even emitted signs that she would be going away, by telling this humble self that this was the last time that she would be coming to my place. Prior to taking her to the hospital, I and my family members gave away Sadqua and took her to a private doctor and made all the necessary tests and eco and we also prayed a lot. After 8 days of staying with me, we had to admit her to the hospital due to sudden deterioration in her health.