The spirit of financial sacrifice in the cause of Allah is central to
the growth and progress of the Community. In the times of a Messenger of Allah,
there are many who deeply attach themselves to the Divine cause and are
unwilling to let go of the opportunity to learn something new and fresh from
the Divine Messenger. They prefer an ascetic and humble life, cherishing
knowledge and worship. They forgo the possibility of material gains for the
sake of preserving the inherited knowledge for posterity and a distant future.
Such dignified people might prefer their poverty over begging to people for
their survival. It is the duty and responsibility of the Community at large,
especially those who can afford to do so, to take care of the needs and
requirements of such spiritual souls.
In his Friday Sermon of October 19, 2012 the Khalifatullah
Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius continued with the
larger theme of spending in the cause of Allah. Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:
By the grace of
Allah, Allah the Almighty has granted me the great favour to continue my sermon
which I started last Friday. After having recited the same verse (2: 273-275)
of the Holy Quran in front of you, I have the great pleasure and honour to give
you some explanations according to the will of Allah.
Allah the
Almighty says that when we spend for His pleasure and cause only, this does not
mean that we have to spend only on our children, although it is a good way to
have the pleasure of Allah.
When we spend
on our wives and children, to spend what is right according to our limit to
achieve Allah’s pleasure, that’s very good. But here Allah says that those who
spend for Allah’s pleasure while sacrificing their own rights and they spend
more on people who have no rights on them, that is, not related by blood. They
are people who spend more on others, who become poorer for the cause of Allah.
That’s why it is mentioned separately in another verse. On the contrary the
word “and” is not mentioned, that is, they spend on themselves, their own
family, then moreover on poor people. Here Allah speaks about those who spend
on poor people first.
Here it is not
the subject which is mentioned in different places in the Holy Quran, but only
to spend on poor people. What kind of poor people is mentioned here? Those who
have become poor in the way of Allah – they have become very poor so as to promote
the religion of Allah, to keep Islam high up, to show the beauty and miracle of
Allah’s words. And when you give something to these people, this does
not mean that you are giving away a Sadqua, a charity in the real sense
of the word – Oh no! On the contrary, it’s a golden opportunity to spend on
these people, to take care of them. So Allah says that when you spend on these
poor people for Allah’s pleasure, firstly spend on these poor people, those who
has spent all their wealth and health for the cause of Allah, those who had cut
themselves from mundane activities and entertainment to promote and spread
Islam.
There are many
people who had shut themselves somewhere and they do not have the freedom to go
out elsewhere to seek their provisions or to do mundane work. They are
concentrating and devising plans how to spread the perfect religion to reach
the outer ears. They don’t have time to do mundane work to get their living. So
that’s why Allah has laid emphasis to help these “poor” people. In
fact they are not poor. As they are working voluntarily very very hard from
morning till late at night for Deen work, they hardly have time to go out to
seek money for their own livelihood and for their family. They have become “diwana” (dedicated) in the way of
Allah.
For example,
the As-haabe Souffa who had
great capacity to do Deen work etc. and moreover to stay close to the prophet
of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and to listen to the words of Allah coming
from the heavens and to propagate them rapidly to others, Khidmat-e-Deen (service to religion). They had preferred to
spend most of their precious time with the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in the mosque,
in prayer and remembrance of Allah, in reforming themselves and in asking
forgiveness for their sins and errors.
Hence, here in
this verse, Allah says that those people had the ability to go out to carry out
mundane work but despite their capabilities, they had preferred to leave the
luxurious life for Deen work, for the cause of Allah. Therefore, if you spend
on them, it will be the best way to spend for the cause of Allah.
Those Muslims
especially the Ansars (Helpers)
of Madina, they had this habit of visiting these people day and night, gifting
them some money and other basic necessities. Even Hazrat Muhammad (sa) gave
away major part of his gifts to these “poor” people.
.jpg)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra) was one among them. When he was asked why did he not go to his home, why did he stay close
to Hazrat Muhammad (sa)? His only reply was that his entire life was spent in
an unislamic way, against Islam. But now, there is very little time to live. So
how was it possible now to spend that little left far from Hazrat Muhammad (sa)?
It’s impossible, whatever happens, I
will never leave my beloved master Hazrat Muhammad (sa), I don’t need anything
except staying whole day and night in his company and to help him in Khidmat-e-Deen. I want to
spend each second, minute of my life here with him. I don’t want to lose this
favour; not all people receive this divine favour. [Inset: Maqbara of Hadhrat Abu Huraira (ra) at Jannat-ul Baqi, Madina, Saudi Arabia]
So, that was
the state of the heart of Abu Huraira (ra) which he expressed in his own words.
In fact, he really had that great desire to spend all his remaining life in the
company of our beloved Hazrat Muhammad (sa) and he was elated when he witnessed
so many revelations from the Heavens and sayings of the prophet (sa). He always
used to say that he never heard such sweet words since his childhood, and now
he wanted to stay close to the prophet (sa). Hence, he never missed those
golden opportunities of revelations and sayings of the prophet (sa). He was the
Sahabi (companion) who related most sayings of the Holy Prophet (sa). And to
reward him, Allah has kept him alive a bit longer so as he could relate most of
the Hadiths of the Holy Prophet (sa). And Allah
made him live longer so that he could relate all these sayings which he heard
(from the lips of the prophet (sa)). Therefore, these are people who do not
possess complete capacities and abilities, yet they were so much imprisoned in
the love of Allah and that of His prophet (sa) that they were unable and did
not want to come out of it. It is those kinds of people who have been mentioned
in priority in this verse.
Then Allah
continues in the same verse that the ignorant imagine them to be free from want
because of their abstaining from begging. Those ignorant people believed that
they were rich. And now, how can we imagine that these people were rich? Those
whose poverty was apparent, how could we have these thoughts about them? In
fact, these people did not like begging. The Holy Prophet (sa) has condemned
begging. The verse incidentally praises those self-respecting persons who
abstain themselves from begging – they prefer to live on very little they had;
very often on dates and water only; there were even days when they had nothing
to swallow, they attached one stone on their stomach. They did not want to let
people know about their poverty because they had preferred this way of life to
win Allah’s pleasure. Hence, those who become poor in the cause of Allah, they
expect nothing from others.
People all over
the world think that they do not need anything, that they are sitting quietly,
peacefully. But in fact Allah tells these ignorant people to say whatever they
wish to them. You can recognise these people by their foreheads, by their
faces. Allah the Almighty says that these people had never annoyed someone by asking
for charity they do not even have this habit! After He mentions this, Allah
says: “And whatever you spend of
good, indeed, Allah is aware of it.”
Hence, people who sacrifice themselves financially
in the cause of Allah are really happy people. They experience great joy within
themselves without neither the least fear of being poorer nor grief. They
know that they are the luckiest people in this world and in the Hereafter also.
People who make such great financial sacrifice for Allah’s pleasure in this
world and in obeying Allah’s Chosen Servant without expecting an increase in
their wealth, definitely Allah the Almighty will multiply their wealth more
than that, that is, an expected result and whenever they see that increase in
their wealth, they do not show pride, instead they prostrate, they bow down to
their Rab, praising and thanking Him constantly.
And they continue to spend more and more what they
have been gifted. Allah rewards these types of people both in this world and in the
hereafter also. They increase their Zakat, Chanda, Lillah (voluntary donations
in the pathway of Allah), Muqaddam Fund, Jalsa Salana Fund etc. But beware!
People whose wealth is increased without the grace of Allah, by hook and by
crook, fraud, in lotteries, in gambling etc. Make sure that Allah has no
connection with them and it is very easy to distinguish them also because they
are misers and greedy. They do not spend on what they earn licitly. They
concentrate more on what is temporal rather than what is eternal and what shall
make Allah pleased with them. They do not even seek to please Allah.
This is a
subject which has connection with “Inda Rabbihim”. So, Insha-Allah,
May Allah continue to bless the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam (the new
Jamaat of Allah with His Chosen Messenger) which is found in different parts of
the world, in different islands, to preserve all the time this spirit of
sacrifice. And those who are deprived of these financial sacrifices, they must
bear in mind that they are in fact being deprived of these advantages
(spiritual ones) through their own will and besides this they do not do
anything.
Therefore, may
Allah Almighty widen our heart in such a way that we always keep spending and
keep increasing our expenditure for the pleasure of Allah only. Therein is life
for the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and life for the era in which we are
living, whereby there are many Deen works which Allah the Almighty has trusted
us with. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
A Good News
Moreover, I
wanted to share with you all a good news regarding the new post of one of our
brothers from Kerala. By the
immense grace of Allah, a star of the Divine Manifestation is rising all
the more under the gaze of Allah and only for the pleasure of Allah. In this
era, the star, after signing with faith and sincerity a Mubahila Challenge
along with the Messenger of Allah of the time, this humble self, he has proved
that not only he is sincere with Allah and His Messenger but that he can also
master the academic world and revolutionise it. Insha-Allah, he shall go from progress to progress when he
continues to strive hard for the cause of Allah and of His Khalifatullah of
this era and remain ever sincere, simple, joyous, and open-hearted.
All this is a sign of Allah, of His great satisfaction with Mukarram
Fazil Jamal Sahib, newfound Assistant Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (at the Centre for International Legal Studies, School of International Studies).
And the news of his appointment reached him on a day when he completed two
years of Bai'at in the Divine Manifestation, through his acceptance of this
humble self as the Khalifatullah of the time. Moreover, in the field of his
work and analysis, he wrote an inspiring article which was published in the
newspaper “Sikkim Express” on 11 October 2012. Insha-Allah,
this article shall be made available on our website for the attention of our
readers. May Allah bless him, and the like of him in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam,
who devote night and day for the spread of the Divine Message. May Allah be
your Reward. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
The article in Sikkim Express can be read here.
The article in Sikkim Express can be read here.