On December 4, 2018 the Peace Park Library- the cultural wing of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in South Kerala- at Mathra organized a social outreach programme in solidarity with the victims of the recent, devastating floods in Kerala- the worst ever in its modern history, and also to recognize and honour the humanitarian and charitable works being undertaken by Mrs. Jameela Rajagopalan, an ageing social worker in the village. On the occasion, pecuniary contributions made by members of the South Jamaat to the Kerala Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund was handed over to a senior official of the government. Village officials, public servants, civil society activists, writers and journalists were present on the occasion, and they applauded the works being done by Mukarram Amir Jamaluddin Saheb of Mathra in channeling his spiritual convictions towards humanitarian relief works and service to the people. The event was widely covered in the local press, electronic media/television as well as YouTube channels in Kerala, and the comprehensive Blog report on the same shall be published later, Insha Allah.
In a Special Address delivered on the occasion, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius pointed to the profound dangers facing our common humanity. Reflecting on recent catastrophic events and vast disruptions, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) raised fundamental questions that require credible engagement by all those who are concerned about what is happening to our 'lonely' planet, the living Earth with all the profound challenges of atmospheric pollution, natural calamities; global warming and climate change. The obvious, and almost irreversible, imbalances that have been caused to the earth's stability and carrying capacity by the greed and corruption of the humans and their industrial and economic development models require a radical course correction, and that requires turning back to the ethical and spiritual way of life at the core of the teachings of Divine Elects in every era of humanity. It is when mankind begins to worship the True Divine- and not their false gods of riches and selfishness-that it will be in a position to do true service to humanity in a spirit of solidarity, recognizing the values of common humanity amidst all the diversity, alludes to Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) in his subtle but profound message, Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah.
Read the Speech Below:
Humanity
in Danger
Honourable
guests and my dear disciples,
May
the Peace & Blessings of God Almighty be upon you all.
The
world in which we are living is in a deplorable state. Calamities of
every kind are striking the earth from the sky, the sea and from
within the land itself. The question is why all this is happening?
Why so many calamities? Are these merely natural calamities or signs
of the displeasure of God Almighty?
From
an Islamic point of view, as established in the Holy Quran, God
Almighty says: “Corruption has appeared on
land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that He
(Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that
they may return (to righteousness).” (Chapter 30, Verse
42).
If
we look all around us, especially here itself in Kerala which has
recently, in August 2018, faced major floods and landslides, we see
desolations and destructions of houses and roads and many people’s
homes have been destroyed. More than 500,000 people have been
displaced to refugee camps and over 500 people have lost their lives.
Floods and landslides of such magnitude have not been witnessed since
the great flood of 1924.
In
other parts of India also, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha among
others, major floods and other calamities have struck, causing many
deaths and leaving many homeless and caused many other destructions.
In
other parts of the world, be it in Muslim countries, the Europeans
countries, America, Australia and even the small islands of the
world, every nation is facing calamities of all sorts.
So,
we need to make a reflection! What is happening? Why are calamities
so frequent nowadays?
Wildfires,
drought, famine, tsunamis, earthquakes of great magnitudes, killings
in strife and wars, all these extreme calamities are happening
because of man and his disconnection with the True God, and his
disobedience and negligence of the gifts and favours of God when He
gave man this world as a pure residence in which he can live in
peace, but now, man has turned his back to God Almighty and through
his actions and stupidity, he is bringing on himself his own ruin.
Like
I have mentioned in that verse of the Holy Quran, God Almighty has
warned mankind, not just the Muslims or a small group of people, but
whole mankind that whatever bad strike them comes from their own
faults, from what their hands have brought forth (forward).
Be
it in the realm (kingdom/ field) of this world, materially speaking,
and in matters of spirituality, man has lost his way. Instead of
preserving the environment, i.e. the earth which serves as home for
him, he is destroying it in various ways, through pollution of every
kind. For example, air pollution, putting toxic materials in the
earth, in plants, by using harmful products which is destroying the
ozone layer etc. All these bad habits of man are causing an imbalance
in our environment, in our atmosphere which is leading our life on
earth slowly but surely towards major destruction.
On
top of that, man has cut his connection with his Creator, the Supreme
and Unique Creator Who has created the heavens and earth, and Who
created him and every single living thing in it. Without His
permission, even a single leaf on a tree cannot move. Now, tides
(waves) of great heights or earthquakes cannot happen except through
His permission. He is the One Who has complete control on all His
creation, including nature and all that it contains. Therefore, in
the field of spirituality, whenever man neglects God Almighty and
abandon His worship and instead attaches himself to this material
world, which in Hindi, Sanskrit and also Malayalam is called: the
Kalyuga or Kali Yuga, the Dark Age or the Iron Age,
therefore, God Almighty sends His Rishi, His Avatar,
such a Messenger whom He purifies through the Holy Spirit, through
the descent of revelations, so that he may guide the people out of
darkness into the divine light.
Therefore,
from the Iron Age (Kali Yuga) till that Golden Age (Satya
Yuga) when God Almighty sends His Messenger, that cycle is a
blessed cycle, because it is a time of respite that God Almighty
gives, so that the people may recognise and accept His Messenger and
return back to His exclusive worship. But alas, whenever a Messenger
comes from God Almighty to guide man towards Light, few only follow
him and believe in him. The majority prefer to turn their back and
remain attached to their own beliefs which has over time become
eroded. After the warnings issued by the Messenger of God, whenever
man persists in their wrong ways, God seizes them with His
punishments.
God
does not come down personally to give this punishment but He
manifests His anger through His creations, through nature.
Earthquakes, floods, wildfires, drought etc., all come about as per
the Will of God so that man can return back to His worship and accept
His Messenger, His Avatar, His representative on earth, and change
his life in a positive way.
If
today, we are witnessing such desolations, such calamities, now, O
people, is the time to return back to the worship of the One True
God, the God of all prophets of God, the God of all the Heavens and
earth and all that they contain. In Islam, in the Arabic language, we
call THE UNIQUE GOD, ALLAH,
because it literally means such a Being Who has no partner, no
associate. He is Unique, and there is no one to be worshipped besides
Him. This is what Allah means, and that is why all Muslims refer to
God Almighty as ALLAH.
Even
Jews and Christians in the Muslims and Arab countries believe in
ALLAH, because actually ALLAH is the name for God Almighty. In India,
in Sanskrit, the name given to God Almighty is Parmeshwar or
Parmeshwara which literally means, the Highest Supreme God.
In
an Islamic perspective, there is no wrong in that name for God
Almighty if it is not associated with other names, such as Ram,
Krishna, Brahma, or Shiva.
Indeed,
we Muslims believe that Ram and Krishna were true prophets of
Parmeshwar, of Allah, but they were only envoys of God and not God
Himself.
If
all humankind was to reflect that there is only one God, how
beautiful it would be, that we all converge towards the One true
Being in His exclusive worship, and at the same time attracting the
pleasure of God upon us instead of His wrath (anger). May God
Almighty enable all mankind to become one in His exclusive worship
and save us all from the pangs of destruction and miseries. May God
Almighty enable this (Insha-Allah).
Thank you for your kind
attention.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of God Almighty be upon
you all.