The path to attain nearness to Lord
Almighty is narrow and slippery. One needs to traverse it through prayer,
patience and concentration. One can evolve spiritually by establishing a firm
relationship and bond of love with the Guided Ones who are sent by Allah the
Most High from time to time. Listening to them and following their noble
precepts and practices are absolutely essential for those who seek true
guidance to the correct path. This way one will gain right and correct belief
which are free from blemishes and mythical haze. In his Friday Sermon of 11 May 2012, Imam-
Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah
Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius underscores
the struggles involved in attaining spiritual progress and offers special
guidance on how to proceed on this sublime path.
Read
the Extracts from the Sermon:
“According to Islam, our beautiful and
perfect religion, the only spiritual way is that of prayer and concentration.
But time is needed for a person to benefit from this because until a
relationship takes deep roots and a bond of love is created, its effects cannot
be felt. The way of guidance is only through prayer and concentration.
It is God’s rule of nature that every
spirit requires a physical mould. When such a mould is ready, a spiritual form
is breathed into it automatically. It is an essential objective that you should
gradually gain acquaintance with the reality which God has opened to me in the capacity
of Khalifatullah of this era. There are many errors in the beliefs which have
common currency among the ordinary people of Islam and also in Jamaat Ahmadiyya
and these errors have arisen as a result of intermingling with the Christians.
But now God has wished that the pure and bright face of Islam be shown to the
world, that is, the Sahih al Islam. Clarity of beliefs is very essential for
spiritual progress. The clearer the beliefs, the greater will be the progress.
Prayer and concentration are needed in
this struggle because the true reality is hidden
from some people by the veil of their negligence, from others by their
prejudice and yet some others are kept away from it because they have no
devotion to the people of truth. However, without God’s help these veils cannot
be lifted and that is why prayer and concentration are needed. Ever since the
system of prophethood has been instituted, it has been the case that mere
talk cannot lead to any progress. It is always prayer and devoted concentration
which prove beneficial.
You will observe that there was a time
when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) stood alone but people were attracted to
his true righteousness. On the other hand, there are now thousands of Mullahs,
Maulvis and Amirs who give sermons but because they are not honest and do not
possess any spirituality, they do not have similar effect on people.
The ‘poisonous
matter’ contained within a person cannot be removed by
mere talk. What is needed is proximity to pious people and their attention. To
benefit from this, adoption of their ways and an understanding of the correct
beliefs, as taught to them by God, are very essential.
Moreover, when you are acquainted with the
various aspects of belief in which there is a conflict between us and other
Muslims, then, you will be strengthened and that will also be beneficial for
the spiritual development which all of you seek. It can be discerned from such
statements that you may be able to fulfil our conditions and, Insha-Allah,
be able to absorb some guidance. But, remember, that the way of God is such
that if two things are present, then, a person can succeed in the attainment of
spiritual progress.
One is that the time
should be spent in close proximity to the spiritual guide – and in the time of
a Messenger of Allah, the latter is therefore the mentor around whom gather the
seekers of truth and guidance – and attention paid to his conversation and,
should there be anything causing doubt or apprehension, it should not be kept
hidden inside but rather, such things should be aired openly and immediately so
that they can be resolved and thereby allow removal of a piercing ‘thorn’ from
the heart. Such attention and interaction should be beneficial for spiritual
advancement. What is required is to remain in such close proximity with
patience and perseverance, paying close attention to what is being said and not
keeping any doubts to oneself. Doubt can have a poisonous effect which seeps
deep inside and eventually destroys.
The second thing is that when a new
heavenly system is being instituted, a reformer or reviver of faith is sent and
because his task is to correct the errors of all factors, everybody becomes his
enemy and they try to create difficulties for him to harm him.
So that when someone enters his fold, he
too is subjected to all the difficulties and hardships. Enemies attack him,
friends and acquaintances alike become his enemies and wherever he hopes for
any assistance, it all comes to nothing. He has to enter the very difficult
path of hopelessness and disappointment. Whatever hopes he had of gaining any
respect or honour from people, all that is wiped out, but it is an ancient
tradition that one must be prepared for such disappointments.
If a person meets these challenges bravely
and courageously he will remain steadfast. Otherwise there are many who enter
this realm with great enthusiasm but are not able to withstand the pressures
which are brought to bear upon them and eventually they lean towards the world.
Their hearts cannot bear the worldly losses that they and their families have
to suffer. For such people the eventual outcome is worse than the beginning. It
is essential, therefore, that the worldly abuse be borne bravely and that one
is prepared for suffering and disappointments before one enters the fold of
Sahih al Islam.
If such an attitude is adopted, the
attainment of truth is achieved more quickly and all that he had to forego
initially is returned to him by God. For a seed which must become a tall tree
bearing fruit, it is necessary that it should be buried under the soil for some
time. Only then will it become a tree. For this, patience is essential so that
a person may humble himself before God’s will in order that he may be raised up
and hence achieve further development and progress.
Before ending my sermon, I advice all of
you, it is one of our principles that we live a simple life. Our gatherings are
not tainted by the many outer, customary formalities which have become an
essential element of the European, American, Asian or even African way of life,
for if we look at the world, we can see an Americanisation or Europeanization
of the world. We are not bound by empty customs only to the extent that their
abandonment may lead to severe hardship or some other vice. Other than that, in
the matter of eating or in the matter of joining or leaving our gatherings, we
prefer a simple way of life.
May Allah enable all of you to understand the Friday Sermon of today well and guide you in the right path. Insha-Allah, Ameen.