Service To Mankind: The Greatest Spiritual Practice
People
today are very enthusiastic about the New year. When New year is
coming, people spend a lot of money for the celebration of New Year.
It is a sign of ignorance to single out one particular day in a year
for celebration. For a true devotee, everyday is a festival. In fact,
everyday is New Year day. Hence, we should consider every day, every
minute as new and celebrate it with joy.
Service
is the Highest Spiritual Practice.
All that exists in this objective world is impermanent and unreal.
Man should contemplate on that which is eternal and real. But man out
of his ignorance, wastes his time in brooding over the past and
worrying about the future while forgetting the present. The present
only is real. Past is past; you cannot get it back, however much you
may pray for it. The future is hidden in the womb of time. It is not
possible to visualize it. Therefore, only the present is true and
real. Instead of wasting your time in thinking about the past and
worrying about the future, you should engage yourself in the service
of your fellowmen. Service is the foremost spiritual practice. You
should therefore, always engage yourself in the service of others.
There is no greater spiritual practice than this. People totally
forget the importance of service. They should understand that only
the fruits of service are eternal. God has given us this body for
service to others, and not merely for eating, drinking and wasting
our valuable time in mundane activities. We must realise the truth
that serving others is the most worthwhile activity for us. There is
nothing greater than service to humanity. All great men redeemed
their lives only through service.
Therefore,
you must involve constantly in the service of society. Out of all
spiritual practices, service to mankind is the highest and noblest.
What, according to you, is service? You may be thinking that helping
and serving others in times of their difficulty is service. It is not
as simple as that. You should be constantly engaged in serving
others. The human body consists of several limbs. All these limbs are
meant to be engaged in service. Unfortunately, we have forgotten this
basic fact. Every limb of the body must be engaged in service as
worship [i.e. as an
act of worship/ Ibadah].
Service as worship is the only means by which human life can be
redeemed. We build big Mosques and undertake various spiritual
practices. But all this can give only temporary satisfaction, not
eternal joy. Therefore, you must develop firm faith in the truth that
nothing can provide eternal joy except Service to Humanity. Undertake
service to the suffering humanity. Service is not merely limited to
health care. Service encompasses every possible help to the fellow
human beings.
Imbibe
the noble qualities of sacrifice, love and truth. Only these will
lead you to the ultimate experience of Divinity. Love the needy
person who is in front of you. Talk to him softly and sweetly. Help
him in every possible way. This is the true spiritual practice. There
is no greater spiritual practice than this. One who spends his entire
life in sacrifice is the most blessed soul.
Respect
every individual and talk to him lovingly. Man today expects others
to respect him, but he does not want to respect them. If you do not
respect others, how can you expect others to respect you?
You
are endowed with the form of human being, which is worthy of
veneration. Since you are born as a human being, give respect and
take respect. This is the quality you have to cultivate today.
It
is the villagers, which are still preserving its ancient culture. It
is being defiled in all possible ways in towns and cities. Therefore,
O Mohyuddin, go to the villages, organize your Jalsa Salana, your
Conference, your Exhibition and other Programmes; Go to them, find
out the difficulties of the villagers and undertake service
activities to alleviate their sufferings. Today many people migrate
to towns and cities in pursuit of comforts and luxuries. In the
process, they end up in suffering and difficulties. Man in fact,
invites more troubles for himself when he runs after comforts and
luxuries.
“Na
Sukhat Labhathe Sukham”
(Happiness
cannot be obtained out of happiness)
It
is only through suffering and sacrifice that happiness can be
attained. You should therefore, engage yourself in service
activities. In fact, the hands are given to you to serve humanity.
You will attain glory if you serve those who desperately need help.
When you undertake good work, you enjoy peace in your life. God is
not interested in ritualistic worship. He is pleased when you
undertake service activities. Hence, do service more and more. The
best way to love God is to love all and serve all. God is pleased
when you love all and serve all. If you can recognize the importance
of these two principles and conduct yourself accordingly, there can
be no spiritual practice than this.
You
don’t need to spend any money in performing service. Sanctify your
life by undertaking loving service. Many members of Jamaat Ul Sahih
Al Islam undergoing a lot of difficulties for the financial
sacrifice. There are many Associations [which] deposit the money
[they receive] in a bank and undertake service activities with the
interest that accrues on the amount. Money does not help in
developing noble qualities. Sacrifice alone can do it. That is why it
is said: it is only by sacrifice that man can attain immortality.
Today, however, people want sensual pleasures. Sensual pleasures only
lead to disease, not Zikr-e-Ilaahi.
Hence, try to attain Zikr-e-Ilaahi
through sacrifice. Only then can you attain eternal joy. God is the
Indweller of all Beings.
You
may get some mental satisfaction by contemplating on God. But you can
experience bliss only when you recognize that God is the Indweller of
every living being. The entire universe is permeated by God. God is
not confined to any temple or Mosque. It is said, the body is a
temple or mosque and the indweller is God. The real temple of God is
the body itself. God is installed in the altar of our heart. Heart is
full of compassion. Heart should be full of compassion. So cultivate
compassion more and more. Service undertaken with a compassionate
heart only is worthwhile. Consider every human being as the
embodiment of Divinity. God is present everywhere.
What
can you achieve by relying on such a body? It is only sin that you
accumulate. You should sustain the body for the purpose of serving
others. Develop firm conviction in that truth. What happiness do you
derive from the body? In fact, nothing. Whatever be the pleasures you
may enjoy with the help of this human body, you will have to leave
all those as well as the body itself in a trice one day or the other.
Should you undergo so many trials and tribulations for the sake of
these momentary pleasures? You should respect the soul in every human
body. That is real service to God. Dedicate your body to the service
of the Divine in human form. Then everyday of your life will become
an occasion for celebration; your entire life will be a festival. On
the other hand, if you undertake service once in a year, that cannot
be called real service. Your body is made up of dust. Human life is
precious because of the indweller therein who is Supreme
consciousness. Realise your innate divinity.
O
Mohyuddin! Tell the JAMAAT
UL SAHIH AL ISLAM
that their children should cultivate good habits and good qualities
and attain good position in life. Thus, they should bring good name
to their parents. You can earn good name not by money but by sterling
character. No matter, how wealthy a person is, his reputation will be
tarnished if his character is not good. A wealthy person may be
living in a big mansion and enjoying the luxuries of life, but all
this cannot ensure his peace of mind and happiness. People crave to
earn more and more money. But, of what use is the money they earn?
They waste all their money in worthless pursuits. They must utilize
the money earned by them for undertaking good and beneficial
activities for the service of society. They should also cultivate
good behaviour and good habits. Only then will they have real peace
in life. Do not become slaves of money.
Today
everyone is literally crying for peace. But, where is peace? Peace is
within you. Love is within you. But you are losing your peace and
happiness that are within you by searching them in money and
materials in the outer world. You want to earn great wealth and build
big mansions. Devoid of good qualities, all the wealth that you earn
is a waste. Therefore, cultivate good qualities. There can be no
wealth greater in the world than good qualities. The more you put
your good qualities into practice, the more they grow in you. Money
is not that important in life; it is character that is most
important.
You
are highly educated. You can utilize your education for earning more
and more money. But it is not the objective of education. Do not
become the servant of money. Become the servant of God. It is most
important to become the servant of God. Money, of course, is
necessary to some extent. But if you become the slave of Money, you
will bring about your ruination. Too much money will rob you of your
peace. You should earn the wealth of love and truth. What purpose
will it serve if you keep too much money in the bank? Will it do you
any good? You cannot take even a penny with you when you leave this
world.
Only
sacrifice could give peace and satisfaction to man, and not the
wealth and riches. All your hidden treasures will also be left behind
when you depart from this world. So, do not crave for money. Earn
instead the wealth of wisdom and love. Only these virtues can redeem
your life. Develop the wealth of love more and more. When you earn
the wealth of love and truth, your life will be redeemed. Serve all
those who need help. It is sheer foolishness to think that you can
serve God without serving the poor and needy who are before you. What
is that which ultimately come to your rescue? It is sacrifice that
can lead you to immortality.
Be
always ready for sacrifice. Everything can be accomplished by
sacrifice. A person without any spirit of sacrifice can never attain
peace. People of all countries pray for peace. They chant peace,
peace, peace. But do they attain peace? No. They are immersed in
distress and disappointment. The source of peace is within you.
Therefore, look within and realise your divinity. God is with you, in
you, below you, above you and all around you. How can you attain Him
if you search for Him outside when He is within you?
Share
your education and wealth with your fellow human beings. In fact, God
is the real owner of the wealth acquired by you. The money you earn
belongs to God’s Trust. God Himself is the president of that Trust.
Keep your trust in God and make proper use of your money. Do not
hanker after money and worldly possessions. Constantly contemplate
on God. You need not go to forests or caves in the hills in search of
God. He is always with you. When God who is the embodiment of love is
with you, why do you become a victim of the demon of worldliness?
Today demonic qualities are prevalent everywhere. People do not
hesitate to acquire wealth by sinful means. What ultimately you carry
with you at the time of leaving the body is the merit or sin you have
earned and not the wealth you have acquired. What you require is only
a little food to satisfy your hunger. You can serve the life of a
hungry person by sharing your food with him. This is the greatest
spiritual practice. Leaving this simple spiritual practice and
forgetting the noble qualities of love, you search for peace and
happiness in the pursuit of worldly desires. Craving for money can
never be satiated. Nor can money remain with you forever. It comes
and goes.
Develop
the quality of love. Love everyone. Do not hate anybody. Develop the
faith that whatever happens is for your own good. You alone are
responsible for your difficulties and suffering. Respect others. That
alone will protect you. If you insult somebody, you are bound to
receive punishment for it. Pleasure and pain are your own making.
Sins committed by you will follow you like a shadow. Man today is
giving sermons to others. But he himself is not following his
precepts. What value will such teaching have? All this is mere
deception. The teachings you read or listen to, can never help you if
you do not put them into practice. Help your fellow human beings at
least in a small measure. That alone will help you. Do not blame
others for your difficulties. Do not criticize anybody. Love all.
Treat all people as your brothers and sisters. Cultivate the feeling
of Brotherhood of man. This will lead you to the path of
equal-mindedness. Therefore, enhance your honour and prestige by
cultivating the quality of love. Love alone can protect you. The
tongue is given to you to sing the glory of God, not to criticize
others. Why should you suffer when you have such a great wealth with
you? Consider all your education and the service you undertake as
God’s work. Surrender all your actions to Me and seek refuge in Me
alone. Hence, dedicate all your actions to God. Then you will attain
peace (Insha-Allah).
May
Allah bless all of you and bless this day of Jummah
for us. May the blessings of Allah alight on each one of you and may
you derive the fruits of worship by being true to your faith in Allah
and by being true to your fellow brothers and sisters of one same
Jamaat – Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, and the rest of mankind.
Insha-Allah, Ameen.
--- Friday Sermon of 08 February 2019~03 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1440 AH delivered by Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.
--- Friday Sermon of 08 February 2019~03 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1440 AH delivered by Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.