Reforming Self and the World- II

 

 Self Reform & Tabligh/ Dawa- Part 2

 

Allah says in the noble Quran: 

And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, "Indeed, I am of the Muslims." [i.e., one who submits himself completely to Allah]? [Fussilat 41: 34]

 

So, in the context of good deeds and invitation to Allah, we must keep in mind that it is good deeds [of people] that give heights [higher grades or status] to invitations to Allah. The ranks of such people increase before the eyes of Allah, because they are people who make every effort to give the message of Allah, to invite people to the one God Who created this universe.

 

So what better invitation there can be than to invite people to Allah? That is, it's such a beautiful invitation that the world can raise no objection against it. Even those who will not believe in this message, they may not believe but they will not be able to have any objection against you. At the very least they will bow their heads and listen to your message. They will say: You see! We will never believe in Allah, but we must admit that the one who calls us to Him is a very good person.

 

So when you make this invitation, then Allah says it is a better one [a much better invitation]. But what gives heights [higher grades] and honour to this invitation? It is good deeds. If there are not the right deeds that accompany this invitation, then sometimes the invitation will have the opposite effect. This is when people will say: Look at this person! He calls others to Allah but look in what a bad situation he is. He's like a bald man who sells medicine to grow hair!

 

Who do you think will believe in him or pay attention to him? On the contrary, people will laugh at him and deny this message and they will make jokes [mockeries] and they will depart from the way of Allah and they will make others leave Allah. That's what will happen.

 

So, you must have a good understanding of these everyday life wisdoms. These are things that are not difficult to understand. Neither does it require great knowledge or philosophy to understand. It's a very simple thing. If you are to invite people to Allah, then first of all, you must make your own efforts to draw near to Allah. And when you begin to make that effort, then firstly as a result, you will enjoy the benefits of truth.

 

When someone has the certainty that Allah alone is perfect and it is to Allah alone that he must return, then as a result of this, there is a truth that is created in him. And after his effort, it is this force of truth that gives him the opportunity to call people to Allah. People listen to the words of a truthful person, that is to say, the words of a truthful person will certainly have an effect on these people.

 

This is a meaning of truth that it is necessary for you to understand, because there are many people who claim to be truthful [and tell the truth]. But their very actions belie them. They can also be truthful people, yes, but they do not make the sincere efforts that I have mentioned in order to draw closer to Allah. So, when they make the call [to Allah], then, their call will be true but their actions will be false. And Allah also will reject these kinds of calls [invitations]. And the person himself will not understand the lies he has told [he will lose count of the number of his lies]. This person will then say: I call people to Allah and I call them to the true Religion, but how could I have lied?

 

But in fact it was these actions that belied his appeal. And Allah also counts this type of call as false. Many times I have put before you an example of this, about the hypocrites when they testified to the truthfulness of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). What truer testimony can there be where someone addresses Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and says to him: “You are the Messenger of Allah”? But since these were the hypocrites who said this, their actions were not at all in accordance with this testimony, and then they presented their testimony, Allah said, that it is He Who testifies that these are only deceitful testimonies. Before that [in the Quran], Allah says that He gives testimony that [you the prophet] are in the truth, but those who are giving testimony that you are in the truth, they are lying [they are false in their testimonies]. They are hypocrites.

 

So, there seems to be contradictions, when there are not any! There is a profound truth in this. There is a meaning in this that you must understand. That meaning is that when someone is making a call, then the question is not whether his call is true or not! The question is whether if his interior and exterior [his purity of heart and deeds] are in support of his call? If his heart and deeds do not support his call, then that person is false even through his call may be true.

 

So, I make you understand that when you invite people to Allah and at the same time you make efforts to approach Allah, then at that time there will be a testimony of truth within you. And this will trigger the descent of many Barakat [blessings] and strength in your calling. And really that will make all the difference. It's not just tricks or other things that make a difference in your words [call]. It is the truth that makes all the difference. The truth carries such weight that even if the world understands it or not, but they can't help but admit to that truth in your call. The weight [of truth] in the speech of a truthful person cannot even be compared to that of a cunning person. They are not comparable at all. You may have witnessed that there are many great personalities who are cunning and when they talk on different subjects, they employ all sorts of tricks to influence people but nobody gives their calls or speeches any importance. On the contrary, people mock at them. On the radio also, there are lots of people like this who come to talk but their speeches do not influence the others in any way. There are programmes in Creole, Urdu and all types of interesting programmes in various other languages also. But there is no one who, after listening to such positive programmes, starts doing good deeds. So, these programmes are for these people only entertaining programmes. On the other hand, for a servant of Allah, when he talks, his words carry such weight [of goodness and the will for reform] that can transform a person. 

In this context, Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin, Khalifat-Ul-Massih Awwal (ra) has said: I had a weakness in me, and it was a long time weakness. But without addressing me directly, Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) said such words which influenced me so greatly that I had rid myself of that weakness completely; as if the weakness never existed. This happened not one time, but many times. 

The Sahaba of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) related that many people used to come to visit him (as) and they used to abandon their weakness [vain habits] upon his simple advice or the simple words he used. For example, there was one who came [to visit the Promised Messiah] and he was addicted to alcohol. His addiction was so great that it was difficult to make him abandon that vice.

Hazrat Khalifat-Ul-Massih Awwal (ra) also tried to make him understand but the person was not at all influenced by those words to enable him to reform. When the person came before Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as), the latter did not even asked him questions but talked generally on the topic of alcohol. In few words, the Promised Messiah (as) exposed such truths that the person purified himself on the spot and forever abandoned alcohol. This is what is called Spiritual Force; it is such a force which is mentioned in the Quran concerning Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). And his followers [i.e. the followers of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)] got this power as well. The closer they were to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), the greater the strength or force they acquired. The example which I put before you is an example of that. I do not recall all the details but it happened many times that the companions of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) made lots of efforts to eliminate the weaknesses of others but they did not success, whereas in few words, Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) succeeded in eliminating those weaknesses, and that too, completely.

There are many Sahaba of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) who are witnesses to this. And like for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions, there is a resemblance in the spiritual force which was also witnessed by the Promised Messiah and his companions [like I have just told you]. And this is what has enabled a great spiritual revolution in them. That spiritual force is not something out of the imagination. But it is the stage of a truth. It is such a force that no other force on earth can face this. As for Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) he reached such a stage where his whole being was completely immersed in the truth. He plunged his whole being and became one with the truth, so much so that he was then able to manifest the power of truth which verily was the power of Allah. This is the spiritual power or force which the Quran mentions first, and it is only afterwards that it expounds on knowledge and wisdom.

 

Many times in the past I made my disciples understand and told them to reflect on this point of the Quran when it is said that when Allah gave Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) revelation and taught him the Quran, taught him His signs, so the first work he had to do was Yuzakihim. That is, the purification of people. His first force is the force of purification as soon as he receives signs, the verses which come from Allah, and then by joining everything, he does the work of purification. And there was this misunderstanding among the people and even the great prophets whereby they thought that the work of purification could not be done without first acquiring knowledge and wisdom. But Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is the exception in this field and he even surpasses Hazrat Ibrahim (as) in it. Hazrat Ibrahim (as) supplicated Allah and asked Him: O Allah, from among my progeny, my descendants, send such a prophet who will recite to them Your signs so that in turn he gives knowledge to the people and teaches them wisdom, and afterwards enabling their purification.

 

See the order in which Hazrat Ibrahim (as) - who was in fact a great prophet – prayed. He thought that the work should be done in that order, that firstly, Allah chooses someone as prophet. Afterwards He recites to him His signs, and afterwards the prophet teaches the people the knowledge which he has received from Allah and teaches them wisdom. He makes all the necessary efforts to make those people understand [the message – that knowledge] so that tranquility and peace can fall on their hearts and minds, and then he does their purification.

 

So, Hazrat Ibrahim (as) concluded that there must be all the preliminaries so that a prophet can begin to do the work of purification, because knowledge only is not sufficient – knowledge which relates to the mind only. As for wisdom, it gives tranquillity of the heart. So, Hazrat Ibrahim (as) thought that a person who does this work in this order, then he will surely be able to do the purification of the people. Every time the duahs of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) are mentioned, then it is in that order that he supplicated Allah. This has not been mentioned in one place of the Holy Quran but several places; at least twice or thrice. Hazrat Ibrahim (as) says: O Allah, send from among my progeny, my descendants, such a prophet who will recite to them Your signs so that after receiving knowledge from You, he teaches it [that knowledge] to them, as well as wisdom and afterwards, he does their purification.

 

So normally by any reasoning, there can be no objection against these duahs, but then the fact is that Hazrat Muhammad's (pbuh) stage/ status was beyond all these reasoning. It was based on reasoning, yes, but in a well-advanced stage.

 

So, Allah lets us know that He has accepted the duahs of Hazrat Ibrahim (as). Allah told him: Yes, I accept Your duahs but in this [other] chronological order. I will send such a prophet who, after having received knowledge from Me [Allah], will immediately begin to purify [begin the work of purification].

 

When he has done purification, it is then that he makes the people understand. This is indeed in another order [than that of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and the other prophets]. And it is a great [extraordinary] work that you will be astonished by it. The people whose hearts are still crooked, who still hold filth in them, therefore to what length will you go to make them understand? Even if you explain to them wisdom, therefore there shall be some changes but with lots of difficulties. There exists such people whose nature is evil, and despite making them understand the message, they won’t listen. What to do with such people? That’s why, through wisdom and knowledge [alone] you cannot enable their reformation [i.e. those evil people]. Their minds will remain crook whereas someone whose heart is pure and clean and who became a truthful person, then his inclination towards truth also is true. Thus, if you teach such a person knowledge and wisdom, he will verily bring about a pure [spiritual] revolution in him because he is like a piece of cloth which accepts/ absorbs beautiful colours on it. On the other hand, on dirty clothes, you can never imprint beautiful colours.

 

Whatever efforts you made, the dirty clothes will not accept those colours. That is why the specialists on the subject remove first the colours which were already on those clothes, and afterwards they print new colours – that they like – on them. This is because, had the clothes retained its old colours and dirt, it would not have accepted those new colours. Likewise, man is same. There are several colours of idolatry which he imprinted in him [in his soul]. He is plunged so much in idolatry that the divine colours cannot be imprinted on him. That is why Allah gave Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) a superior force above all other forces. The force he acquired was the peak of spiritual force. A [common] person cannot conceive such superior force [of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh)]; such a force that without explaining anything to you, you would have already made the necessary changes [reforms] in you. The Holy Prophet’s proximity alone sufficed to enable the people to make those changes [i.e. reform] in themselves. The people approached him and they successfully purified themselves. And in the life of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), this occurred not just once, but many times. The people who came to visit him [who came into contact with him], were able to do pure changes [reform] in themselves that they were greatly surprised by this. And Quran tells us that it is in fact the proximity of Allah which enables this.

 

Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was such a person who was so close to Allah that he directly took those colours from Allah. And apart from Allah no one could give the strength to make these changes; or, person who manifests the divine colours, he is the one who can have the ability to make these changes. So you have to manifest this closeness [proximity] within you, that is to say, by yourselves, by your ways of acting, people will feel attracted to you. And this is also a scientific truth. Once you have connected with something, then even if there is not that outer connection, the inner connection is enough to make you take on the colours of that thing. It is a spiritual force that pure people receive and the very fact that you approach them, then there will automatically be a pure change in you.

 

I stop here for today. Insha-Allah, I will continue on the same subject Next Friday.

 

Verily, he who has patience in Tabligh/Dawa, and he keeps himself pure in mind and body too, and he takes inspiration from the life of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) just like Hazrat Massih Ma'ud – Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) did, then that person will make great progress in life. He will draw near to Allah and Allah will draw near with him. Insha-Allah, Ameen.

---Friday Sermon of 11 February 2022~ 09 Rajab 1443 AH delivered by Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.