'And hold firmly to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you - by His grace - became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be (rightly) guided.' (Al-e-Imran, 3: 104)
Take hold of the rope
of Allah together as one united body. Not one by one, No! But take hold of it
collectively. In fact, this refers to the verse of the Quran that I have just
recited before you and which I have developed previously in many of my sermons,
speeches and books.
Now I want to draw
special attention to what is said in the Quran, whereby Allah does not mention “Catch
or Hold” the rope, but rather says “Grip firmly to/ Hold fast to”
the rope collectively. This is the answer to many people who say, ‘We are good
Muslims, we have firmly grasped the Quran, we are doing everything that Allah
has told us to do and we are not doing anything that Allah has forbidden us to
do and we are following every teaching, so why is the need for a community, why
do we need to attach ourselves with a Jamaat (as one Community of Believers)?’
In one word, the Quran gives the answer. Allah says that it is not enough for you to lay down your hand to touch and hold the Quran individually. You need to hold this book collectively, as a Jamaat, so that the Oneness of Allah is manifested in this world as well. Just like Allah is One, thus all the people who believe in Him should also become One (united). I am dealing with this subject in reference to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), (for all of you) to put the Quran into practice directly, where it will be possible only when a person gains knowledge of the Quran directly. In order to do everything that the Quran and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) have commanded us to do and to refrain from what they have forbidden us to do, it is necessary to have a deep knowledge of the Quran. We need to have this deep knowledge to put those teachings into practice in the way that Allah wants.
If you don’t have this deep knowledge, you won’t be able to understand what things you don’t need to do, and how to stop doing these things; and what things need to be done and how to accomplish them. Apart from that, there is a spirit in the Quran (i.e. the Spirit of the Quran). Not many people receive this spirit directly. This spirit is included together with the spirit of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). And thus, verily, it means one and the same thing which is known by two names (Quran and Muhammad (pbuh)). Whether you call him the Quran or you call him Muhammad (pbuh), it is the same thing. For example, when Hazrat Aisha (ra) was asked to relate the Sirat (the life and character) of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), she related it in one short sentence, showing simultaneously the true spirit of that which she was saying [i.e. “Verily, the character of the Prophet of Allah was the Quran.” (Muslim) or he was referred as the “Walking Quran”].
Hazrat Aisha (ra) did
not say to the questioner to seek his character in the Quran. No! She said that
his Character was the Quran. He was as of the embodiment, the personification
of the Quran. The Quran was him. That is why we say that prophets need to come,
for we cannot say to hold fast to the Quran, and there is no prophet to teach
it to us. You can’t say that you have grasped the Quran and therefore you don’t
need any prophet. Sometimes the bond with the prophet is created through
imaginary love for the prophet. Sometimes you present sacrifices in the name of
the prophet. Sometimes you sacrifice your own life for the prophet. And
sometimes, criminally also, you take away the lives of others. And when you do
that, you think that you have established a bond with the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
And just for a certain time you show some enthusiasm, a sense of honour while in
everyday life, you have not established that link or bond with the prophet.
So, to establish the
link, there is a certain connection, a certain path. It is through this
connection that the link can be established. If a person or a Jamaat or the
whole Ummah does not establish the link with Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh),
then he will not be able to establish the link with the Quran. Nor can he
really understand the Quran. Nor can he have true love for the Quran, because
to have love of the Quran, he needs to have the excellent moral qualities of
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and it is those excellent moral qualities which can
ignite the flame of love. Without this love, even if you talk about the Quran,
those talks shall be in vain; it would be worthless talks which has no link
with reality. If you separate from Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), you will not be able
to have true love for the Quran and for the Prophet (pbuh) himself. That’s two
names of the same thing that can never be separated from each other.
So for people in
general, they need not only to have love for the Prophet (pbuh) but also for
his every moral quality. And from the moment you have love for his moral
qualities, well at that moment you can adopt those qualities. Otherwise, even
if you want to adopt the moral qualities of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), how can you
do that, if you don’t have the love for it? But from the moment you adopt these
moral qualities, at that moment there is a link, a connection that is
established. And it is for the same reason that if a person is happy with
another person, he should do it in such a way as to adopt the good manners and
qualities of that other person. And it is for the same reason that all the
people who have the same moral qualities feel a connection; they feel close and
come closer together.
As for the liars, they
are always close to liars like themselves. Those who are truthful and true are
closer to those who are in the truth. All those who love humanity, they would
naturally come together. In the same way, if there are other beauties, they
will be grouped together. For example, an artist will come closer to other
artists like himself. Even for birds, they group together if they are of the
same nature.
So to gather with
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and to become one, it is not an imaginary story. If you
adopt these excellent morals, these excellent manners, you will get closer to
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and in return you will win the love of Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh). That love comes from Allah. Because it is through Allah that all the
love is manifested. And in the same way, your link with Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh)
will continue to increase. This is the truth of “Wa’-tasimuu
bi-Hablil-laah”. If you forget this truth, you will not know how to
catch and grip firmly to this rope. Otherwise, there are many people who say
that there is only the need to take hold of the Quran; that there is no need
for unity. [This is not true! Unity is required].
There were some Imams
in Germany who took lessons from other Imams; at that time they were creating
division in the minds of the Bosnians who were approaching the Jamaat of the
Promised Messiah (as), and they were using the same verse to create this
dissension. They acted in ignorance (of the Divine Teachings). Through this
teaching, the Quran wants to bring together people who have been divided. But
those people whose hearts have deviated from the right path, they use the same
verse to create divisions among people, again and again.
So, Islam, the
teachings of Islam, the verses of the Quran, and especially the verse about
holding fast to the Rope of Allah, we all need to know how to explain this. It
does not mean the unity of one group only, but it refers to the unity of the Ummah,
the unity of all Muslims, the unity of Islam. Because in this verse there is
reference to a community, Muslims united in one community. It does not mean
that each person individually grasps the Quran, No. On the contrary, it is
against unity. The Quran gathers all the people together in one hand [the Hand
of Allah] and that is the hand of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) [for he is from Allah,
His Representative]. And it (i.e., the Quran) gathers the people at the hand of
the one who has a connection, an unbreakable bond with Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) -
[The Messenger of Allah raised with the Ruh’il Quddus]. This is the
community to which the Quran calls to, as it insists on grasping the Rope of
Allah firmly but in unison (as one body).
I have mentioned this subject; it is such a subject, a
lesson that we have already heard several times, but how can we do this? How do
we hold firm to this Rope? I am mentioning this in detail that we should
increase our bond with Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). One link is not sufficient. There
is also the bond that is obtained through Iman (faith). And after obtaining
the link of faith, then at that moment, one needs to accomplish the other
demands for the establishment of the other links.
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was the most truthful among those
who spoke the truth. Thus, if you have love for that truthful person, but at
the same time you have hatred for the truth, then at that moment you are a
liar. It is impossible for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to remain among the liars
and for those people to get peace and tranquility. For these kinds of people,
Allah does even give them the opportunity to be together or to become among the
(true) followers of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).
So, in respect to the gathering with Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh), it is a matter that is above all eras. It is above time. It is not
something that concerns only one era. In every era, the people need to gather
themselves together with Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). They just have to adopt the
excellent manners and excellent morals of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). If you find
that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was kind to the little ones, well, follow his
example, and reflect and manifest that same excellent manner in you and with
the others. He (pbuh) had respect for both the old and the young. And in everything,
he always makes sacrifices. And he was an extraordinary person. If in spite of knowing
all those good qualities of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), but if still then, you
remain far away from those good qualities, well at that moment it will be a pure
imagination of yours if you believe that you are close to Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh) – which is not the case!
Don’t think that when talking about Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh),
or when you read Darood upon him and you kiss your hand and touch your
heart in his memory, or you read “Naray Takbeer”, and affirm the
prophetic greatness of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is enough. No, it is not enough.
Do not think that when you do only that, you will get closer to Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh). Similarly, if you just say “Allahu Akbar”, this does not bring
you closer to Allah. When you manifest the attributes of Allah in you, that is
what brings you closer to Allah. And the one who manifested more the attributes
of Allah in him was Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).
So look for those qualities and adopt them and acquire love
for those qualities. Don’t have imaginary love where you say yes, this is a
good thing [yet you don’t make the efforts to acquire that love]. But acquire
such a love for such qualities that you cannot remain without adopting them. It
is like this that your bond or link with Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) will increase
(will be well-established). And the one who establishes his bond with Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh), by adopting the qualities of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), shall not
be able to remain separated from his brothers; because all these people are
also getting closer to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) through his good qualities. So,
they are also, like you, starting to manifest those qualities in them as well.
At that moment, you will not only be getting closer to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh),
but you are also getting closer to all your brothers at the same time.
May Allah help all of you - all my disciples and the whole Ummah - to manifest the excellent moral qualities of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), and reflect the divine attributes as well as the Quran in you. When you will follow Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) in his many practices and his many excellences, you too will become excellent, and it is at that moment that the Ummah will be united and will become excellent, and nothing and no one will be able to break our unity, because we are united through this perfect example of among all human beings and prophets of the earth, Allah’s Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). Insha-Allah, Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 04 August 2023 ~16 Muharram 1445 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.