As
an inspired servant of God with a mandate to correct the doctrinal mistakes and
religious practices of the Muslims of today, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam
International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of
Mauritius is in a unique
position to clarify the right perspective to be adopted on religious beliefs
and everyday practices of the believers in this era, Alhamdulillah,
Summa Alhamdulillah; from time to time, Hazrat Muhyiuddin (aba) offers
illuminating guidance on spiritual questions brought before him by people from
around the world. By the Grace of Allah, these Question and Answer sessions
reveal much insight into issues that confuse and confound people, and the
guiding light of a servant of God steeped in the spiritual Way is indeed very
useful for truth seekers. For instance, in a recent interactive session with
the Sahih Al Islam YouTube Channel, Hazrat Saheb (aba) shares his perspective
on the need for balance and prudence in the performance of religious duties
while explaining the importance of congrégational prayer. Likewise, in the same
Interview in response to another question, Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) explains
the nature of appearance of angels in the spiritual visions of human
beings.
Read the Text of the Discourse Below :
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu. Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, we are here again for another session of Questions & Answers with the Khalifatullah Al-Mahdi of this era, Hazrat Munir A. Azim (atba).
We have today some questions which were asked in the
context of our Dawa at International Level, and which need a comprehensive
explanation and insight from our Imam.
Ya Khalifatullah, Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah
Wa Barakaatuhu. (Huzur replied: Wa
Alaikum Salaam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu).
The first question which has come for your attention
is the following:
Can we perform the prayer in congregation even after
completing it the first time in the Mosque? Is a second or third time
congregational prayer for the same Salat permissible? We ask this as the
Wahaabi sect usually makes it a habit to do so.
This is a very interesting question but which needs a
very profound analysis from the Quran and the Hadiths of our beloved prophet
Muhammad (pbuh). As you all know, Jama’ah Prayer is much more packed with
blessings than individual prayers but Allah says in the Holy Quran, in Chapter
Al-Baqara Verse 287: “Allah does not burden any soul greater than it can
bear.”
Prayers can be called to be pronounced again if an
individual prayer has been done by someone and just after praying, he notices
that there will be congregational prayer for the same prayer. To be able to benefit
from the blessings of Congregational Prayer, and especially in this era when
your Imam is the Prophet of Allah, then it is recommended for the true
believers to participate in the Congregational Prayers. This means that if he
had done Zuhr prayer individually, then realized that the Imam has come for
Jama’ah prayer, then it is a blessing for him to participate in the Jama’ah
prayer for the same Salah.
[You Know!] There is a Hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu
Said Al-Khudri (ra) who said: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “The
prayer in congregation is twenty five times superior to the prayer offered by a
person alone.” (Bukhari)
But it is not recommended for an individual to
participate again and again in Jama’ah prayers for the same Salah as
Allah clearly mentions in His Holy Book that He does not burden a soul more
than he can bear. Other than Salah, there are many other acts of worship
that he has to do, and he has lots of responsibilities to accomplish, whether
in his home, his workplace, and to devote himself for the Deen works if
he is someone keen on helping the Cause of Allah.
Moreover, this fact is rendered all the more clear in
the Miraj (spiritual ascension) of our Beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh) when Allah ordained five times prayer obligatory for him and his Ummah
(community).
Remember that initially, the number of prayers
ordained were 50 per day.
Hazrat Anas bin Malik (ra) narrated: “On the Night of
Isra, fifty prayers were made obligatory upon the Prophet. Then it was
decreased until it was made five. Then it was called out: ‘O Muhammad (pbuh)!
Indeed My Word does not change; these five prayers will be recorded for you as
fifty.’” (Tirmidhi)
In the longer version in Sahih al Bukhari it is stated
by Ibn Hazm (ra) and Anas bin Malik (ra) that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Allah enjoined fifty Salat (prayers) on
me. When I returned with this order of Allah, I passed by Musa who asked me, ‘What
has Allah enjoined on your followers?’ I replied, ‘He has enjoined fifty Salat
(prayers) on them.’ On hearing this, Musa said to me, ‘Go back to your Lord
(and appeal for reduction), for your followers will not be able to bear it.’
So, I returned to my Lord and asked for some reduction, and He reduced it to
half. When I passed by Musa again and informed him about it, he once more said to
me, ‘Go back to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear
it.’ So, I returned to my Lord similarly as before, and half of it was
reduced. I again passed by Musa and he said to me, ‘Go back to your Lord, for
your followers will not be able to bear it.’ I again returned to my Lord and He
said, ‘These are five (Salat-prayers) and they are all (equal to) fifty (in
reward), for My Word does not change.’ I returned to Musa, he again told me to
return to my Lord (for further reduction) but I said to him ‘I feel shy of
asking my Lord now.’… ”
From these Hadiths it is clear that it was due to the
insistence of Hazrat Musa (as) that our most noble prophet Muhammad (pbuh) pleaded
with Allah to reduce the number of prayers, and thus, Allah (swt) reduced that
number to a final 5 obligatory daily prayer cycle. What did Hazrat Musa (as)
say to convince our prophet (pbuh) to plead with Allah? He said: ‘Go
back to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear it.’
So, when Allah knew well what transpired between
Prophet Musa (as) and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the conversation
that ensured, and He relented and accepted the humble request of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh), and He assured His beloved prophet that the five prayers shall
be counted as fifty in His sight, so, the people of Islam should not now do
such acts which are not found in the Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh). Even though Jama’ah prayers are packed with blessings, but repeatedly
performing the same prayer in congregation is not recommended for Allah has not
overburden any Muslim believer with such prayers. One congregational prayer for
a specific prayer for the day suffices for a believer and the group of
believers with whom he has prayed with. For example, if a believer has prayed
Zuhr prayer in congregation for that specific day, he does not need to repeat
the same prayer in another congregational prayer with the same Imam and batch
of believers or with another Imam or batch of believers.
Remember that Islam is a flexible religion, and not a
burden overburdening the believers. It has set some limits even in prayers. A
believer has several responsibilities which he must fulfill. Even though he may
not be praying Salat, but while accomplishing his duties and
responsibilities for the day, he does not forget Allah and keep remembering Him
by fearing Him and keeping away from the unlawful and accomplishing such tasks
which will attract the pleasure of Allah upon him.
Jazak-Allah Huzur for your blessed insight into this matter.
Now I put the second and last question for today. It
deals with angels. The question is like thus:
Can Angels come in the shape of a woman? There is an
argument that there is no evidence in the Holy Quran and Hadiths mentioning
that an Angel appeared in the shape of a woman.
First of all, it needs to be put clear that the angels
of Allah are genderless. That is to say, they are neither male nor female. When
need be, they can take the form of a man, a woman, a little boy or little girl.
But like the question says in itself, angels are angels and will remain so, but
can take the shape of any humanly figure Allah ordains them to take so that
they may pass a message to someone.
Let’s say that someone has dreamt of a little girl
giving him a message in a dream or vision. A human girl is female. It needs not
be a woman only. So, when Allah manifests an angel as a little girl in a dream,
this does not mean that the angel is female. It is just a temporary form.
Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Those who do not
believe in the world to come name the angels with female names.” (An-Najm, 53: 28)
In the Pagan times, in pre-Islamic eras, the people
used to think that angels could only be female. They thought that Angels had
genders just like humans and Jinns and can procreate. But Allah put it clear in
the Quran that Angels are not females, but at the same time He does not specify
also that they are male. Although some Angels have male names, this does not
mean that they have a gender. They are without gender and are beyond the proper
knowledge and understanding of the human mind.
Thus, to reply to this question, the angels can take
the form of any human to convey a message, especially in dreams and visions,
but as a personal experience as a Messenger of Allah, Allah never sends his
Angels of Revelations in the garb or form or shape of a woman to convey His
Message. The angels can appear in their true form, or portrayed as little boys
or men of stature. But nevertheless this does not mean that they are males. It is
just a form!
If we take the striking example of Virgin Mary –
Hazrat Maryam (ra), despite not being a prophet, but the forthcoming mother of
a prophet, and despite being a woman, Allah did not send His Angel to her in
the form of a woman but in the form of a man, to convey to her the glad tidings
of a blessed son, the “Kun”, the word of Allah. That was a trial for
her, and she passed her trial for she protected her chastity and the Angel then
reassured her that he had no wrong intentions towards her and introduced
himself as an Angel from Allah. The Holy Spirit appeared for this exceptional
creation, and Hazrat Maryam (ra) was thoroughly blessed by Allah by becoming
the exceptional mother of an exceptional son.
So, even if the angels of Allah may take the form of
human males, this does not mean that they are either males or females in their
true nature. So, I repeat, they are beyond genders and Allah can use them in
any human form He wants to pass on a message to any one of His servants on
earth, usually in dreams and visions. When anyone dies, be it a man or a woman
and comes in the dream of the dreamer and gives him or her a message, this message
is through an angel who comes personified as the person who has died, and not the
actual dead person himself. So, this also conveys clearly that Allah has the
capacity to make His angels appear in any human form as long as this is
beneficial and understandable to the one receiving the message in the dream or
vision that such visions are not tangible but are mere spiritual occurrences
and should not be deemed as true physical appearances of angels.
Jazak-Allah Huzur
for taking the time to guide us on the true aspects of the Deen-i-Islam
and the true meaning of all the parties involved in Islam, be them humans,
angels and even Jinns. May Allah guide you further to grace us with inspired
answers to awaken our mind and heart to the true understanding of the Deen of
Allah and the many aspects of it. Jazak-Allah once again. May Allah bless us
all on the right path. Ameen.
Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu.
(Huzur replied: Wa Alaikum Salaam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu).