Sunday, September 23, 2012

Muhammad (sa) and the Seal of Prophethood


In his Friday Sermon of 14 September 2012, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius explained the concept of Prophethood in Islam. By focussing on the Qur’anic title of the Holy Prophet of Islam Muhammad (sa)- Khataman-Nabiyyeen- the Khalifatullah points to the colossal mistakes that have crept into the mainstream belief  through the ebb and flow of centuries and the serious consequences it entailed for the fortunes of the Muslim Ummah. By closing the door of revelation in the Ummah, Muslims have cut at the “root of all spiritual and temporal understanding” and deprived itself of the  great blessing of Divine Guidance, points out the Messenger of Allah of our times.

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:   

Almighty God appointed the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) the holder of the seal. This degree of excellence was barred to all other prophets since the beginning of time. One, who meticulously follows his footsteps, can be awarded the attributes of prophethood. But the Holy Prophet (sa) is gifted with much more than this. A spiritual and intimate linkage with him can elevate an “Ummati” to the exalted status of a prophet.

It was thus that thousands of the followers of the Holy Prophet were converted by his grace into saints of a high order. But there was to be others among the Ummah who would be wrapped in the silver linings of a prophet. One was the Mahdi and the Promised Messiah of the last century and for this century it refers to this humble self, the Muhyi-ud-din Khalifatullah. We are that person whom the Holy Prophet (sa) had himself described as prophet on four occasions (Sahih Muslim).

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Heaven and Hell and the DIVINE WILL


One of the questions that many people raise is this: what will be done to the people who reject the Divine Message of an era and His Messengers? 

The grandeur of the Divine scheme of things is such that the unique Lord, the Almighty Allah, does what He wills. His Mercy and Forgiveness encompass the whole world so much so that He may forgive whomsoever He wants. And no one can question Him as to what He does. The practical operations of the Divine Will, thus, remains for the most part, shrouded as a matter of profound mystery. Except, of course, what He teaches and informs His Messengers through the angels and the Spirit of Holiness. Even His Messengers had only the duty to convey what had been conveyed to them. They had also been instructed to openly declare that they would not know about what would be done to them in this life or in the life to come.

It is plausible to consider that that people might have failed to recognize the Divine Message as a consequence of the complex circumstances and varied conditions of social life of their times.  The limits of our awareness at a humane level to factor in all those colours of human situations through our myopic eyes can and will blur our vision of reality. The essential un-know-ability of the Divine Will also must be kept in mind while interpreting the mystical, spiritual ideas such as fear of Hell and hope for Heaven and salvation of the believers and the damnation of the disbelievers,

In his Friday Sermon of 07 September 2012, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius shared some light on the meaning of these concepts for the benefit of our everyday life. The discourse of the Messenger of Allah of our times deeply underscores the limits of human knowledge to comprehend the Divine Will. He exhorts us to “remain ever at the service of God and humanity also so that you may earn not this world, but everlastingness through your devotion to God”.  

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Islam and Polygamy


Polygamy as an institution has been discredited the world over in our times. Unlike in the medieval times, the patriarchal practice is now seen as an affront/insult to the dignity of women. In an age of increasing consciousness about human dignity and the basic rights of women, polygamy has gone against the grain of societal acceptance as an indulgence by men and worse. Critics of Islam always frown upon Islam for the perceived/alleged legitimacy it extends to men through the institution of polygamy. They argue that it militates against the notions of equality and women’s rights.

The Mujaddid of the Fourteenth Century, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian engaged with the arguments of the critics of Islam in several of his writings and even defended the practice from the point of view of individual liberty and human rights. While Islam recognizes the practice of polygamy and allows men to take more than one wife at a time, as the Promised Massih (as) points out, Islam has not made it a compulsory institution or an obligatory practice on the men.

Marriage is a bilateral agreement/contract under the Law of Islam. Hence, the parties are perfectly entitled to design the conditions of agreement/rules of engagement as well. Muslim women can, if they so wish, certainly determine the conditions of their marriage and not powerless, as is generally being thought of. In the search within the Islamic tradition for the empowerment of Muslim women against the abuse of religious doctrines by the men, the viewpoint of the Promised Massih (as) has been found to be singularly useful. It is pertinent to note that in the century that followed since these observations were made by the Promised Massih (as), the family law reforms in most Islamic countries have moved in this direction as well.