The Holy Ka'aba: The House of Humanity
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.
At the time of Hazrat
Ibrahim (as), the Ka’aba was in ruins, and it is thanks to a revelation from
Allah that he was finally able to locate the place, and then with the help of
his son Ismail (as), he rebuilt the House.
There is a prophecy
mentioned in the Quran that has been fulfilled: “Purify My House”
(Al-Hajj 22: 27). This is both a command and a prophecy. The command was that
it was imperative that the Ka’aba should be safeguarded from all forms of
idolatry and all forms of worship that do not have the essence of the Oneness
of Allah in them, such forms of worship that can destroy that sacred place,
because this House was built only for the worship of the Only God, the One God,
Allah (twt).
The prophecy announced
that the divine command issued is such a command which the people will defy and
they will enable idolatry to penetrate it. And it is extraordinary how this
prophecy finally came true, when the Holy Prophet (pbuh) came to rid this
sacred place of all the false gods, where there were 360 idols and then he
re-established the worship of the One True God Who is beyond all forms and
images that the people of Mecca were worshiping.
This verse (Al-Hajj 22:
27) is making an announcement in an indirect way regarding the advent of the
prophet full of glory - Hazrat Muhammad (saws): The renovation of the Ka’aba by
Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and his son was only to lay the foundation of the Ka’aba as
the Quran specifies in Surah Al-Baqara, Chapter 2, Verses 128-130.
It is with the advent
of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) that the Hajj finally became a form of worship. Contrary
to what the evil tongues claim against Islam, the pilgrimage (Hajj) has never
been a form of idolatry that was incorporated into Islam by the Holy Prophet
(pbuh) with the idea to appease and reunite the Arabs of Mecca, who before that
were steeped in idolatry.
From the time of Hazrat
Ibrahim (as) until today, the pilgrimage to the Ka’aba continues without
interruption, and this will remain until the end of time. The Ka’aba, which was
once the centre of pilgrimage for only Arabs, is today the centre of
convergence of the Muslim world, and, destined to become, the spiritual centre
of all humanity, Insha-Allah. The time is not far when there will be
only one Unique God that people will worship (and this is without a doubt,
Allah the Unique One, without any partner in His worship) and there will be
only one religion, one prophet (the law-bearing one, in this case the Holy Prophet
(pbuh) – being the last law-bearing prophet) and only one Holy Book (the
Quran), with the Ka’aba as the only spiritual centre for all humanity. Insha-Allah.
In addition to the
spiritual good that the pilgrimage brings to the Muslim community, its social
and political impact is very important. The great annual gathering at the Ka’aba
can serve as the basis for the unification of the different Muslim states of
the world in a solid Islamic brotherhood, and this place can become the
privileged place for the exchange of ideas regarding international problems and
where the people, the states are able to renew their bonds of friendship.
The states will be able
to familiarize themselves with the difficulties that their other brothers from
other countries of the world are facing, and then they will be able to help
them, and follow the example of those countries that are progressing
economically and socially, and establish between them cooperation agreements in
several areas. This rallying centre can be the seat of a forum of the Islamic
countries. But it is unfortunate that the Islamic states do not realize that
Mecca is the international capital of the Muslim Ummah.
The divine words: “to
gain benefits for themselves, and to mention Allah’s name” (Al-Hajj 22: 29)
means that they witness the favours bestowed to them by Allah and they recall
Him. This is also a clear reference to the material and spiritual benefits that
the Muslim can and must derive from the pilgrimage in Mecca.
I wanted to talk with
you also about some topics because there is no specific moment when death can overcome
us. No one can say that he knows the exact number of years he has left to live
and the number of days he has left to live in this temporal world.
You should never think
that the simple act of joining the Ummah of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and the
Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in particular is enough for your salvation. So, I have
often felt that if some people in our Jamaat do not know about this, then they
need to know the plan and goal for which Allah created this Jamaat and what it
(this Jamaat) needs to do. It is not good for you to think that the simple fact
of joining this Jamaat is enough for your salvation. That’s why I have thought
that it would be appropriate to put in front of you what Allah really wants of
you.
Allah watches over your
hearts and is not satisfied with what you say only. Each of you needs to be
reminded that when you formally join the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and accept me
as the Imam, this is not enough for you to gain salvation. As Allah has
repeated several times, to gain salvation, it is really important to believe in
the Oneness of Allah and in the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as the true prophet. We
need to have this conviction that the Holy Quran is a Book that contains the
scriptures that come from Allah and that no new law will be revealed till the
Day of Judgement. I mean to say that no new law or no new divine scripture is needed
now. Remember that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is the seal of all the prophets,
that is to say that after him, there will be no new law or new divine scripture
revealed to others. The same book (the Quran) will be used and will remain
until the day of Judgement, whereby other messengers will be sent after the
Prophet of Islam (pbuh) to revive it (i.e. the Quran) through the Ruh-il-Quddus
(Holy Spirit). Thus the same Quran will remain alive all the time.
Tawheed Uluuhiyyah
I seize the opportunity
of this Sermon to speak a little on the Uluuhiyyah (i.e., the
affirmation of the oneness of Allah, which forms part of Tawheed). As I
have just said, a believer, a Muslim, the sincere disciple who finds himself in
Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, he must firmly believe in the oneness of Allah,
because it is not enough for him to recognize the existence of Allah only as
the Supreme Creator. There are many people who believe that Allah exists and
that He is the Supreme Creator, but despite this, they associate with Allah
other false gods in His worship. This is not true Tawheed, or the
affirmation of Tawheed.
The Tawheed that
Allah and His Prophet wants you to believe in and to strengthen yourselves
therein, is the Tawheed ‘Uluuhiyyah. Allah has created people so that he
gets the vision of Tawheed Uluuhiyya, i.e., that he recognizes from the
depth of his soul and his heart that God, Allah is absolutely the only and
unique God, whereby He is not only the Supreme Creator, but He is the Unique
Creator, without having any equal or partner (with Him in His worship – He is the
One True God).
When the world deviates
from the worship and belief in Allah, then Allah finds the need to send someone
who comes from Him, whereby He chooses that person and blesses and honours him
with the descent of revelation – divine revelations, true revelations that come
from Him. Thus, not only I as the Messenger of Allah (have been commanded to
say this), but my beloved prophet (pbuh) has already said: “I have been
ordered to fight people until they say ‘Laa Ilaaha Illallah’ (There is no god –
to be worshipped – except Allah).” (Bukhari, Muslim).
Thus, the oneness of
Allah is of great value for the prophet of Allah or the true believer, because
it is in this belief that the true faith rests, the faith that Allah wants him
(the prophet) to have so that Allah may distinguish it from other people’s
faiths (degree of faith). Each prophet who came before the advent of the noble
prophet (pbuh) also preached the Tawheed Uluuhiyyah, because the human
race was created with the sole purpose of recognizing the oneness of Allah and
worshiping Him (Allah) alone by bearing In mind Allah’s eternal superiority.
The Meccans in the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) era also declared that they believed
in Allah, but despite that they gave Allah associates.
An example of this is
found in the Quran. Allah says:
“Tell
them (O Prophet): “To whom belong the earth and all those on it, if you
(really) know?” They will say, “To Allah.” Say, ‘Will you then not take heed?’
And ask (them), “Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Great
Throne?” They will say, “To Allah.” Say, “Will you not then fear Him?” Ask
(them also), “Who is the One in Whose hand lies the kingdom of every thing and
Who gives protection, and no protection can be given against Him, if you have
knowledge?” They will say, “To Allah.” Say, ‘Then how can you be so deluded?’ (Al-Mu'minun, 23: 85-90).
Thus we find that the
infidels of Mecca recognized the superiority of Allah as the Absolute Lord but
they refused to submit to Him as the Sole and Unique God. So, despite their
belief in Allah, those people were infidels (Kaafirs) because they did
not fully hold themselves fast to “Laa Illaha Illallah”.
The mission of every
Prophet or Messenger, whether a past one or one who will come in the future,
will remain all the time to remind people of the Tawheed Uluuhiyyah,
that is, they are no other gods besides Allah! The words Nabi and Rasul
that I use in my Sermons, Discourses and Books do not absolutely mean that I am
teaching you different teachings - that are contrary to the Quran and the
Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). It rather means that when Allah sends
someone from Him, when the advent of this Messenger is absolutely required,
then Allah sends him to the earth and gives him the honour of divine
revelation, whereby this servant is in communication with Allah - either
directly or through the angel of the revelation who comes to make the
revelation that Allah wants to send.
So the word “Nabi”
applies to the servant who receives this mission from Allah and earns the title
of “Nabi” as confirmed by the verses of the Quran (Al-Baqara 2: 39,
An-Nisa 4: 70 etc.). But that certainly does not mean that he is bringing a new
law, or God forbid (Nawzubillah), that he is abolishing the law that the
Holy Prophet (pbuh) brought. Everything he does, he does it by following the
Holy Prophet (pbuh: without this, nothing can be accomplished.
There is no doubt in
the fact that when the world is destroyed by the weight of sins, and that
people do not understand the true meaning of faith (Iman) and that they
only have an outer form of that faith – like a thin shell, then the essence of
truth begins to disappear in the heart of many people, and the potential for
faith weakens, allowing satanic forces to dominate, and the sweet flavour of
faith dissipates.
So it is Allah’s
responsibility to send someone who will remain loyal to Him and obey His
commandments, and thus Allah gives him the honour of conversing with Him. Allah
communicates with him (by way of revelation). Allah chose and sent me to the
world in this present era, your era because the time has come when the love of
Allah in the hearts of people has cooled.
May Allah guide us on
the right path, Insha Allah, Ameen.
And I wish once again Eid Mubarak to all my brothers, sisters and
children in our Jamaat and in the Ummah Muhammadiyya as a whole. May the spirit
of the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and his son Isma’il (as) remain with
us, in each of us, we (Muslims) who say that we are on the right path! Saying
and doing (putting into practice) are two different things. May your words of
sincerity and promises of submission and sacrifice achieve a beautiful result
like it was in the case of those two noble prophets. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
--- Friday Sermon of 30 June 2023 ~10 Dhul-Hijjah 1444 AH delivered by Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.