Follow 'Sunnah', Avoid 'Shirk'

 

Ashhadu alla ilaha illallahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.

I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and Messenger. 

In our proclamation of faith, as Allah says in Surah Al-Baqara, Chapter 2, Verse 286: “The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All of them have faith in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. [And they say] ‘We make no distinction between any of His Messengers.’ And they also say: ‘We hear and we obey. Forgive us, our Lord, for to You is the final return.’”

 

When a Messenger of Allah comes, especially a Messenger and Prophet who comes after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his role is to hold firmly to the Quran and ensures that he guides people to the commandments of this best Book. The Quran is special because it represents the total sum of laws that Allah has ordained for humanity. It is not applicable only to a particular era but applies at all times, as long as there are people on earth. People have been given a perfect guide in the person of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), whom Allah made a representation of the Quran on earth.

Our Islamic Faith - 2

 

Ashhadu alla ilaha illallahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.

 

I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and Messenger.

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I continue on the same subject of faith, my faith, and what Allah has commanded us, Muslims and humanity, to believe.

 

As I mentioned last week, Allah created Jinns and humans to worship Him alone, without associating any other deities with Him in His worship.

 

While the Jinns are responsible for their own actions, we, humanity, are also responsible for our own actions. Therefore, Allah created humans and the universe with a purpose. The purpose of human creation is that within the limits of their capacities, they manifest the divine attributes within themselves. To achieve this objective, Allah has given humans the appropriate faculties and capacities and has placed the universe at their service. But that’s not all! It is essential for humans to follow the laws set by Allah so that they receive the necessary guidance to stay on the right path. How does Allah ensure that humans receive His guidance? It is through His prophets and Messengers.

Al Azim Tafsir: Volume 6

 

New Volume Released

     

Book 6 : Al-Azim Tafsir'ul Quran Series  | Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim, Al-Azim Tafsir’ul Qur'an, Vol. 6: English Commentary of the Holy Quran, pp. 571, Mauritius: Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, 23 January 2025, First edition.

Excerpts from the Blurb: 

Our Islamic Faith

 

Ashhadu alla ilaha illallahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.

 

I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and Messenger.

 

This testimony is an integral part of the Tashahhud (the testimony) that I recited at the beginning of my sermon and is a fundamental aspect of Islamic life, whether in Salat (prayer) or in every aspect of a Muslim believer's life. This testimony prevents anyone from considering the greatest and seal of prophets, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), or any person or thing on this earth as equal to Allah.

 

As the Khalifatullah and Messenger of Allah in this era, it is important for me to present to you what I, as a believing Muslim, hold to be true. First and foremost, I firmly believe in the existence of an All-Powerful God Who is perfect in all His attributes. Allah is a Being without any flaws, weaknesses, imperfections, insufficiencies, laziness, and He lacks nothing and never forgets. None of the human or animal weaknesses that afflict His creatures affect Him, the Creator. He possesses all excellent qualities at the highest level, beyond the full understanding and realization of humanity.

The Pathway to Allah - 2

 

Today, I want to continue last week's sermon about how Allah wants us to get closer to Him through prayers, both the obligatory and additional ones. Among the billions of people in the world, especially Muslims, everyone reaches different levels of closeness with Allah. Some people, because they work hard to maintain their connection with Allah through prayers, Duahs (supplications), Zikr (remembrance of Allah), and Quranic recitations, achieve a much higher status and closeness with Him.

 

Those who reach an elevated level in the eyes of Allah, and whom Allah grants to see many things, including matters of the unseen (Ghayb) that others without such a connection do not experience, find it difficult to accurately describe their spiritual experiences in ordinary language. These experiences are so profound that they cannot be expressed in everyday words.

'Salah': The Pathway to Allah

Among all religious practices, Salah (prayer) is the most profound experience, an unparalleled means of establishing a connection between a believer and his Creator. 

Throughout the ages, humankind has found a path to Allah through Salah (prayer). This path has always been open to those who seek Allah. Before Islam was established as the perfected religion of Allah, Salah (prayer) was performed in various forms, but what was common in each Salah (prayer) was bowing and prostrating before Allah. For example, the original Salah (prayer) of the Jews before Islam was almost similar to how Muslims perform Salah (prayer) today. However, with the establishment of Islam as a Way of Life and Faith, the Jews changed their way of praying to differentiate themselves from Muslims.

 

This example highlights the true value of Salah (prayer) in the life of a true believer. When a believer stands, bows, and prostrates before his Creator with sincerity and humility of heart (Khushu), his Salah (prayer) brings tranquillity and comfort to his soul, body, and spirit. This Salah (prayer) provides true solace to a troubled mind, elevating the believer from a miserable state to one of peace and extraordinary tranquillity. Through Salat (prayers), one can attain high spiritual levels in the eyes of Allah, levels not experienced by those who lack this true connection with their Creator. Therefore, a believer who perfects his Salat (prayers) can achieve a higher spiritual status than other Muslims who have not unlocked the true potential of Salah (prayer).

Christmas and the 'Messiah'

 

No Christmas for true Christians!

In modern Christianity, facts and fabrications are inextricably intertwined. It is almost impossible for anyone to know and appreciate the true origins of the Faith with any certainty. And yet, scholars paying deep attention to specific details in the life of the historical Jesus- spiritual figure at the centre of all the debates-; studying the evolution of the fortunes of the early community of believers- they have unearthed and reconstructed vital points for the attention of truth-seekers. Consider the following: despite widespread popularity of 'Christmas' today, it is originally and essentially a pagan festival accrued to the Faith in the ebb and flow of time, and has had nothing to do with the historical Jesus! Moreover, even the theological doctrines are based on mythical Jesus and speculative wisdom. Rooted in questionable assumptions, the doubtful positions lead to unsatisfactory explanations only to be rejected by thinking minds- a fact empirically evident in the staggering denominational divisions in Christianity today.

It is to correct mistakes and to guide people in the straight path of true Faith that an Elect of God appears in any era. Since true Faith or certainty of belief comes only through Divine guidance, a Divine Messenger speaks with the help of Holy Spirit to bring the light of revelations for the guidance of humanity. Hence, by the Will and grace of God, at the beginning of the Third Millennium- the 21st Century of the Christian era; a holy personage has appeared in this era as the Reformer of all Faiths for our spiritual guidance, including to comfort the believers in the historical Jesus as a holy messenger of God: Hazrat Imam Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius, the Messiah of our times. It is also striking to note in this context that for those who were looking for a spiritual Sign in the birth and times of the new Messiah; the contemporary Messiah has arrived in the cusp of a new era for humanity, and was literally born on a day associated with ‘Christmas’ in the Julian Calendar !

 

Reproduced below is the Friday Sermon of 27 December 2024~ 26 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1446 AH delivered by Hazrat Saheb (aba)- explaining to a considerable detail the true antecedents of modern Christianity, and the need to move away from speculative doctrines and theological fictions to true and pure beliefs in God: