I bear witness that
there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that
Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and Messenger.
This testimony is an integral
part of the Tashahhud (the testimony) that I recited at the beginning of my
sermon and is a fundamental aspect of Islamic life, whether in Salat (prayer)
or in every aspect of a Muslim believer's life. This testimony prevents anyone
from considering the greatest and seal of prophets, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), or
any person or thing on this earth as equal to Allah.
As the Khalifatullah and Messenger of Allah in this era, it is important for me to present to you what I, as a believing Muslim, hold to be true. First and foremost, I firmly believe in the existence of an All-Powerful God Who is perfect in all His attributes. Allah is a Being without any flaws, weaknesses, imperfections, insufficiencies, laziness, and He lacks nothing and never forgets. None of the human or animal weaknesses that afflict His creatures affect Him, the Creator. He possesses all excellent qualities at the highest level, beyond the full understanding and realization of humanity.
I believe in the angels
of Allah, the Sacred Books of Allah, and all His Messengers and Prophets. In
the case where Allah has sent me as one of His messengers, it is obligatory for
me to believe in the revelations I receive and the responsibilities Allah has
placed upon me to restore the glory of Islam in the world. Since I am not a
prophet and messenger who has brought a new law and I am bound to the Quran and
Sunnah of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), and my faith is based on his faith, I will
always remain attached to my beloved master and prophet, Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh). My mission as a prophet and messenger is linked to that of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh), and it is an honour for me to be a prophet who has come to his
Ummah (community) to teach Islam to souls who have forgotten the very essence
of Islam, and for those already attached to Islam, to perfect their Islam and
draw them closer to Allah. Insha-Allah.
Therefore, I believe in
Allah, in His angels, His Books, and all His Messengers. I firmly believe that
it is Allah alone who determines the measure of good and the measure of evil.
He controls everything to the extent that no leaf moves without His permission
and that nothing and no one can act on their own will, except those granted
permission by Him in the form of Free Will. The destiny of a person is made by
Allah, and Allah has the capacity to change the destiny of His servant based on
their devotion and the prayers (Salat) they offer to Allah.
I firmly believe that
the universe and my own creation are the works of Allah, and He has established
everything in a measured, orderly system under His control. The fact that Allah
is a Being Who never sleeps, and is Omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere at
once, like an energy, an eternal and powerful presence, makes it natural for
me, and for all of humanity, to worship Him alone, without associating any
false partners with Him in His worship.
When we talk about
Allah and seek to understand Him, it is important to realize that we can never
fully comprehend Him, while He knows us in every detail. Nothing escapes His
knowledge. He knows all our qualities and even all our flaws. He knows our
weaknesses, and if His mercy and forgiveness do not touch us, then our souls
will be in great difficulty. The one whom Allah treats with His mercy is truly
fortunate, and it is Allah’s mercy and love that can erase human shortcomings,
weaknesses, and even sins.
When we speak of an
All-Powerful God, who knows everything, and from whom nothing is hidden, we
must also understand that time is under His control. If we, humans, have a
conception of time, it is thanks to the minimal knowledge Allah has granted us.
But the conception of time is much vaster, and its knowledge is perfectly
preserved in Allah’s knowledge. Thus, time is a servant of its Creator, and
that Creator is not dependent on time to exist.
We must consider that
with the decreed and limited time Allah has granted us on this earth, to choose
our path, and with the free will He has given us, it is very important that we
follow and do good and stay away from evil. The choice Allah has given humans
to do either good or evil can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how one
uses his or her free will. A true believer must connect his free will with
Allah in prayer, asking Him to guide him always on the right path and to inherit
His love and forgiveness, not His wrath and curse. A believer who entrusts his
free will to the divine will comes under divine protection. So, the one who
does this and stays away from things that divert him from Allah and perseveres
sincerely in the path of Allah while maintaining his trust in Him, can achieve
the highest degree of closeness to the Almighty Allah.
Allah created humans
and the universe with a purpose. The purpose of human creation is to manifest
the divine attributes present within them to the extent of their capacities, so
that the path between them and Allah remains open, and they can easily access
Allah. We can say that the Ruh (soul) of a person is connected with
Allah. The one who seeks this path to connect his soul with his Creator will
find it. The one who strives towards Allah, Allah will come towards him
quickly, because He loves those who love Him and strive towards Him. The soul
of a human is the Breath [from the Spirit] of Allah, and the one who knows his
true Self – not a self attracted to carnal or temporary pleasures, but a self
attached to the divine essence, thirsting to seek and access his Creator – will
certainly achieve what he seeks if he is truly sincere in his quest, and only
his Creator knows if all his efforts are being made to genuinely access Him
(Allah) or merely for the eyes of people.
Remember that actions
done for the eyes of people have no value before Allah. Allah says in the Quran
in Surah Az-Zariyat 51, Verse 57: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind
except to worship Me.”
Consider that there is
a competition between the Jinns and humans to earn Allah’s favour. Just as
there are good and bad humans, there are also good and bad Jinns. The bad ones
who remain bad until their death are destined for severe retribution, while those
who strive towards Allah will find their reward with Him. Though the creation
of Jinns was manifested before that of humans, it is humans who have the
superiority to access Allah more quickly because their Ruh (soul) is
directly connected to Allah. Some among humans have this divine essence within
them, but only a few succeed in discovering the power of this fusion between
them and their Creator. It is through this special grace that Allah has granted
Nabuwwat (prophethood) to the human race rather than to the Jinn race.
If Jinns manage to
overcome their fiery nature (i.e. overcome the fire within them) and attain
goodness by following the Messenger of Allah, whom Allah has raised on earth
for humans and them as well, these Jinns will be part of the ranks of believers
who will attain the highest level of Jannat (paradise) together with the
Messenger of Allah. Allah tested the Jinns in this way because of the initial
arrogance and disobedience of Iblis. However, while Allah condemned Iblis, He
did not condemn the entire race of Jinns. Like humans, they too have their
trials, and those who follow the Messengers of Allah, do good, and prevent
evil, Allah will certainly honour them in a glorious way.
The Quran testifies
that Jinns will also receive their good rewards if they follow the Quran and do
good deeds. Through Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), both Jinns and humans have been
given a great opportunity to reform themselves according to the Quran and his
Sunnah. This is why we refer to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) as Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen
(a blessing for the entire universe). He is a blessing not only for humans like
him but also for good Jinns who follow him and for all other creatures who
honour and follow him.
Since the
subject-matter of my faith and your faith as Muslims is vast, Insha-Allah,
I will continue on the same subject next week. Therefore, a principal aspect of
our Iman (faith) is that we must believe in the Ghayb (the
unseen). Even if something is invisible but is a reality that Allah has told us
to believe in, it is our duty to believe in it because all knowledge belongs to
Allah alone. Insha-Allah, I will delve deeper into this next week.
---Friday Sermon of 24 January 2025~ 23 Rajab 1446 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius.