A Mosque for Allah

 

The Houses of Allah: Part 5

 

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, I continue today my sermon on Mosques. Today I will talk about the donation of mosques and some important mosque rules which we should all bear in mind.

 

Donation of a Mosque

 

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “When a man dies, his actions come to an end except for three things: ‘Continuous Charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him’.” (Muslim)

 

The greatest example of Sadaqah Jariyah is the construction of a Mosque in the name of the deceased, the reward of which he or she will get in the Hereafter.

 

Uthman ibn Affan (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him a house like it in Paradise.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Revelations of 30 July 2023

  

According to the Holy Qur’an, the emergence of a pious and holy man among the people is a great sign of Divine mercy and kindness for the community. By accepting a man of God, you stand to gain clear moral guidance and practical role model for embracing the Divine path, which in its turn offers felicity in this world and salvation and eternal well being in the hereafter. 

In this era of great turbulence and confusion in the moral and spiritual world, out of His great compassion for human beings, Allah (swt) raised His elect, Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius as the Khalifatullah of this era- the high representative of God among the people to revive and renew the spiritual highway- for the benefit of those seeking the pure way. To dispel the cobwebs of confusion in comprehending the Divine Mandate, Allah (swt) also conferred on this humble man of God several spiritual titles, clearly confirming for the benefit of all people that the Divine manifestation of this era is located in the circle of his divine mission- the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International. Among the spiritual titles so bestowed on Hazrat Saheb (aba) is the Qur’anic figure of ‘Dhul Qarnain’, the servant of God who ruled over all the known lands of his time, Masha Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allah-u- Akbar!      

On Sunday, 30 July 2023~ 11 Muharram 1445 Hijri, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius shared with the members of the Jamaat new revelations received through the Rooh-il-Qudus, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah. These revelations once again confirms the lofty nature of the divine mission entrusted to Hazrat Saheb (aba) almost two decades ago under the special will and pleasure of Almighty God. 

Read the revelations below:

 

‘Munir Ahmad Azim is the Dhul Qarnain of this age. He is the Holy Founder of Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. Spiritually, ‘Dhul Qarnain of this age’ applies to Munir Ahmad Azim. Thus besides its historical value, the story is pregnant with great spiritual import.

Oommen Chandy [1943-2023]

 

Former Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr. Oommen Chandy, passed away on Tuesday, 18 July 2023. He was 79, and was ailing for some time. Born on 31 October 1943, Mr. Chandy was the 10^th chief minister of Kerala, serving from 2004 to 2006 and 2011 to 2016. He served also as the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2011.

 

He represented Puthuppally constituency as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the State Assembly from 1970 until his death in 2023, making him the longest-serving MLA of any state legislature in India. He received an award for public service from the United Nations in 2013. He was a member of the Congress Working Committee, the apex decision-making body of the Indian National Congress, at the time of his death.

As a political leader of Kerala, he served the people with much humility and sincerity of purpose all through his days in government as well as outside of it; Mr. Chandy leaves behind a rich legacy of public service;  an outpouring of love and grateful remembrance by common people across the State when his body was taken on its final journey to the burial place is emblematic of the numerous lives he touched throughout his life as a people’s leader. 

We in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- Kerala remember with fondness Mr. Oommen Chandy’s respectful and warm interaction with our beloved Imam Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius, during the latter’s India visit in December 2018. 

Segregation in Islam

To protect the dignity and privacy of individuals while respecting their need for engaging in social relations, the Islamic ethics of Taqwah prescribes ‘Pardah’, a code of conduct for unrelated men and women in their possible social interactions. These days such interactions take place on an everyday basis both on physical spaces- schools, colleges, universities, work places, transport vehicles, etc.- and on virtual spaces such as social media, online meetings, chatting networks, etc. This raises profound questions of practical guidance on related issues for the believers- men and women of faith. For instance, how should a boy or man behave towards a girl or woman he interacts with in the context of social media? Can a man shake hands with a woman and vice-versa in social settings? What about singing Nazms where men and women use their voices and can attract each other’s attention?

Recently, in a programme telecast over the Sahih Al Islam YouTube Channel, a number of issues of appropriate conduct and behaviour between unrelated men and women in social settings were put before Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius for guidance and clarification from the perspective of the Law of Shari’ah. 

Reproduced Below is the text of the Question and Answer session with Hazrat Khalifatullah (aba) anchored by Tayyeba N.A. Saheba in July 2023.

Service to the Mosque

 

The Houses of Allah: Part 4  

Service to the Mosque is an act of tremendous blessings. In a Hadith narrated by Hazrat Anas (ra), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said that the blessings of all good deeds of the Ummah were presented to him, even the blessing of removing a speck of dust from the Mosque. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)

During the time of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), there lived an old Abyssinian lady who had made it her occupation to sweep and clean the Mosque. She died during the night time. The Sahaba buried her without informing the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). When he came to know about it, he was bewildered and made them understand that he should be informed whenever someone among the believers died and he went to the cemetery and prayed on her (i.e. either Duahs or the Janaza Prayer – as per different versions). (Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah)

 

Cleaning the Masjid is an honourable act. Even the elder Sahaba such as Hazrat Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (ra) used to sweep and clean the Mosque. This blessed work should not be viewed with disdain and disgust as it is no ordinary menial work. For every speck or particle of dust removed from the Mosque, Allah rewards the one cleaning His House with great blessings.

Revelations of 19 July 2023

  

In a special message to members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International today, Hazrat Imam Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius shared recently received Divine revelations, and issued special guidelines for the social conduct of members; behaviour with proper respect towards Jamaat system; behaviour with mutual respect and trust towards each other, reassuring harmony and amity within the spiritual order. Extracts from the divine message is reproduced below:

Innaaa arsalnaaka bil-haqqi bashiiranw-wa naziiraa.

We have sent you with the Truth, 

as a bearer of glad tidings and as a Warner.

I am a Warner from Allah; 

I have been sent in this Era.

The blind and the seeing are not alike.

The believers have been called "the living" because by accepting the truth they receive a new life and the disbelievers are called "the dead" because by rejecting the prophet of Allah, the Divine manifestation and the truth which is the elixir of life eternal they bring spiritual death upon themselves.

It is not possible for the Khalifatullah of this Era to make those who have deliberately shut their hearts and ears listen to and accept the Divine Message.

Such people spiritually are dead and defunct as those buried in the grave.

Sanctity of the Mosque

  

The Houses of Allah- 3

Houses in the vicinity of the Mosque

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said that the house closest to the Mosque has greater significance over the house further away. By virtue of the blessings and lights of the Mosque, the homes in the vicinity of the Mosque and their inmates are also enveloped in this spiritual and celestial lustre and blessings. 

When there is a Mosque in the neighbourhood or vicinity of one’s house, it is incumbent for the residents to discharge their obligatory Salat in the Mosque, unless there is a clash of Aqeedah, and the people responsible for the caretaking of the Mosque do not allow Muslims who are not from their own Jamaat (faction in Islam) to perform prayer in their Mosque. But if there are no restrictions, and all Mussallis (Worshippers) are welcomed for prayer – as it should be – as Islam is the Way of Life of all Muslims, and its Mosques are for all Muslims as they are the Houses of Allah, thus, it is not permissible for those who live near those Mosques to bypass the Mosque, even to go to another Mosque to perform their Salat (prayer). That indeed is the Right (Haqq) of the Mosque, regardless of the people’s grievances and grudges.

Virtues of the Houses of Allah

 

The Houses of Allah: Part 2

 

Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah, after talking about the Holy Ka’aba, the House of Humanity on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, today I will talk with you about the Houses of Allah - the Masaajid of Allah (the places of prayer for the worship of the One True God) in general.

 

In a Hadith, it is reported that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Verily, the Houses of Allah on earth are the Mosques (Masaajid/ Masjids).”

 

The honour of a property (i.e. an extent of land), a building or a place depends on the honour of the person to whom the property, building or place belongs. What a Muslim needs to understand or that he needs to try to understand is the degree of honour he owes to Allah. No building or place on earth will be able to equal the Masjid that Allah has proclaimed as “His House” in honour and sanctity.

 

Therefore, when you visit a Masjid, you are visiting Allah. When you honour a Masjid, you are honouring Allah. And how will you honour the House of Allah? The Islamic Law (Shariah) teaches us how we can honour the Masjids of Allah.

The Houses of Allah- I

The Holy Ka'aba: The House of Humanity

 

“And (remember) when We pointed out for Ibrahim the place of the House (Haram Shariff) saying, “Do not associate anything with Me as My partner, and purify My House for those who make Tawaaf (circumambulation around it), and those who perform Qiyaam (standing up in worship) and those who perform Ruku (bowing down) and Sujuud (prostration). Proclaim the Pilgrimage to all people. They will come to you on foot and on every kind of mount turned lean, emerging from every deep mountain pass to gain benefits for themselves, and to mention Allah’s name on appointed days over such heads of livestock (that they sacrifice) as He has provided them with. “So, eat thereof and feed the distressed, the poor.” (Al-Hajj 22: 27-29).

 

My House, the Holy House, the Sacred Mosque, the House, the Ancient House, the First House, etc., there are so many descriptions used by the Holy Quran to name the cultural structure at Mecca – the Holy Ka’aba. Allah wanted to describe how priceless that monument was, and He did do through the verses of the Holy Quran whereby He gave enough indications and descriptions to show people how it’s value is very high and it has a very lofty distinction in the eyes of Allah because it is the place for the worship of the Unique God (for whole mankind).

 

Allah has already indicated that the location of that House is an honourable place as these words indicate: “We pointed out for Ibrahim the place of the House (Haram Shariff)” (Al-Hajj 22: 27).

 

So through these words, we come to know that this House existed well before the time of Hazrat Ibrahim (as). As I told you in my Eid Sermon, it was built by the prophet Adam (as), and then it became the first centre of the divine religion that has graced this earth, the first place of worship – for the worship of Allah, because it is much later on, after its first erection that many other Temples or Masjids for the glorification of Allah were built.

Eid-ul-Adha Sermon 2023

 

The House of Humanity

And We made this House (i.e. the Holy Ka’aba) a resort for mankind and a place of security, commanding people: “Take the station of Abraham as a permanent place for Prayer”. We commanded Abraham and Ishmael: ‘Purify My House for those who walk round it, those who stay there, and those who bow and prostrate themselves in worship.’ (Al-Baqara 2: 126)

 

Allah says: And remember when We made the House i.e. the Ka’aba in Mecca a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. – He has commanded all those who submit to Him and do not ascribe any partner in His worship, all His believing servants, to take the “Maqam” of Ibrahim, i.e. the place or station of Hazrat Ibrahim (as), or even the stone on which the latter stood while he was re-rebuilding the Ka’aba as a place of prayer, i.e. praying two Rakat (cycles of prayer) after the Tawaf (circumambulation) of the Ka’aba in Mecca.

'Eid-ul-Adha' Message 2023

 

The Rise of Isma'il, the Father of Islam

Among the spiritual treasures which God Almighty (Allah) vouchsafes to mankind are the prophets, His representatives on earth (peace be upon them all). Each one of those highly blessed men achieves excellence in matters of faith. Each is tried in a unique way which distinguishes him from the rest of prophets and mankind.

 

Among those prophets there is Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah. He is known to be the Patriarch of not one, but three great monotheistic religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We even find traces of his teachings and belief in his existence in the Hindu teachings as well. 

And this exceptional man, Allah tried him in so many ways that it is reasonably fair for us to say that he survived all those trials with flying colours and showed forbearance at an exceptional and praiseworthy level. 

He spread the divine message as he was ordained to like the rest of the prophets, and he showed in many ways his pure love for His Creator. When the tests of faith came one after the other, he never traded faith for unfaith, the divine blessings for worldly honours. He was even prepared to sacrifice his only son Isma’il whom he begot at a very advanced age, when men despair of ever having an heir to continue his lineage and heritage. That exceptional man gave everything up just to get the love, approval and pleasure of His Creator. That is why God Almighty took him as His intimate Friend and blessed him in such a way that it is a sign of wonder and hope today that such a man, Allah blessed him so much that in return for his sacrifice, Allah gave him another son, Ishaq (Issac). All Praise be to Allah!