Islam and Imaan
To guide humanity towards His pleasure and satisfaction, and thereby towards the path of righteousness, Allah has sent prophets to every people. These Messengers and Prophets of Allah preached, just as their predecessors did, the oneness of Allah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the best among men, the most pious and exemplary of his time. As Muslims, it is our duty to love him and follow his path (Sunnah, his practices), for he was sent by Allah as a mercy to the universe. Allah chose him to receive the final revelation of the law (the Quran), which is intended to guide humanity towards righteousness and eternal happiness.
Alhamdulillah, Summa
Alhamdulillah, we must be
grateful to Allah, Who, despite many people in the time of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) not knowing how to read or write [not all, some had this
knowledge], but He, Allah opened their hearts to memorise the Quran and the
sayings of His beloved Prophet (pbuh) so that these teachings and practices
could reach us today. Those who believed and lived during the lifetime of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were his Sahaba
(companions). This divine and prophetic message was transmitted by those male
and female companions who were blessed by Allah to live in the time of the
greatest and best prophet and law-bearing messenger – one whom Allah Himself
honoured as Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen
(Mercy to the Universe - to all the worlds – those endowed with understanding)
and Khatam-an-Nabiyyine (Seal of the
Prophets). Allah chose outstanding men and women who sacrificed greatly out of
love for Allah and His Prophet (Nabi).
It is through these sacrifices, their zeal to please Allah and preserve the
message of Islam, that Allah allowed His Deen
(religion – Islam) to spread across the world for centuries onwards.
There have been many
men, women, and even children who sacrificed themselves for Islam. They had a
deep passion (Josh) for
spreading the message and seeking Allah’s pleasure upon them. When Allah
revealed His commandments, gradually over the years, the Arab people – who were
barbaric at the time – slowly transformed into humane people with noble
qualities, and most of them became Muslim. The Sahaba (male companions) and Sahabiyyah (female companions)
dedicated their days and nights to spreading Allah’s message, with some even
travelling to distant lands to convey it.
It is, therefore, an
honour today that Allah has made us Muslim and chosen us as His servants to
restore the glory of Islam in the world. We must thank Allah, Who has blessed
us in this era to bring about the reform of Islam in the world. As Khalifatullah (Caliph of Allah), it
is both an honour and a great responsibility that Allah has placed upon my
shoulders to convey this message to you. Keep in mind that I do not possess the
power to change people’s hearts – only Allah does. My role is merely to deliver
the message in a clear manner.
Alhamdulillah, Summa
Alhamdulillah, Allah has
blessed me with sincere disciples. Just as in every era of the prophets, there
are also hypocrites, but I pray to Allah that during this Ramadan, all ailments
of the hearts of those who claim to believe in me vanish and that a true
transformation takes place within them. I pray that Sahih al-Islam flourishes with such devoted servants of
Allah who truly deserve to be part of this reform and whom Allah will use as
lights to rekindle many extinguished lamps around the world.
My disciples must
remember to firmly establish themselves on that fundamental pillar of Islam:
the Shahada. When you hold steadfastly to Allah, you will undoubtedly
receive the blessings He has promised in Lailatul
Qadr (The Night of Destiny).
When Allah elevates a
non-law-bearing Messenger among you in this era and appoints you to serve Him
in obedience to His Khalifatullah,
then you must reflect – Allah will make you go through many trials. He will
test your faith in various ways to determine whether what you declare with your
lips (your belief in Allah and His Khalifatullah)
truly reflects in your hearts. Understand that Allah grants special favours to
His prophets that other believers do not receive. And He tests believers to
expose the depth of their faith or their hypocrisy.
So this month of
Ramadan is drawing to its end. As you can see, this honoured guest, full of
blessings that it brought for this one month, is slowly but surely reaching the
day when it will leave us, when it will go. Those who have truly benefited from
this month of Ramadan, who have made many sacrifices – not just the sacrifice
of staying without food, but many other sacrifices – where they woke up early
in the morning, before taking their Sehri, they performed their Tahajjud
prayer, they made duah to Allah, and then they took their Sehri,
they engaged in Zikr and Duahs, and after their Zikr, they
performed their Fajr prayer, they did Tilawat (recitation) of the
Qur’an – so their days passed well, filled with the blessings of Allah.
Even someone who goes
to work, during their lunch break (where they do not eat lunch – due to fasting),
during their free moments, they perform Nafl prayers, Duahs, Zikr,
and also their obligatory (Farz) prayers. In the month of Ramadan, many
things accompany this, where they engage in Khidmat-e-Khalq (serving
humanity) in various ways, giving their Zakaat, Fitra, Fidya,
etc.
Those who are unable to
keep fasts – those who are ill and taking medication, pregnant women, women who
are breastfeeding their babies, travellers – then as Allah has said in the
Qur’an, all these people must give Fidya. Here, it refers to those who
genuinely cannot fast. It does not refer to those who are healthy but lazy (to
fast), who make excuses not to fast, and in that case, these types of people
(who are in good health but lazy), when they do not fast, they do not even give
Fidya or Fitra.
Think about it – this
is a month full of blessings. For those who do not take this month into
account, whether Ramadan comes or goes away, for them it is all the same. There
is no change (in them, in their habits): no worship, no recitation of the
Qur’an, no Zikr, they do not fast – their life remains the same (as before).
For these types of people, in the eyes of Allah, they are not true believers.
True believers for Allah are those who sacrifice (for Him, for His Cause)......
So, this month of
Ramadan is drawing to a close. But you, my disciples, have experienced an
extended Lailatul-Qadr
because you have recognised, accepted, believed in, and obeyed the Khalifatullah of your time.
Ramadan is departing,
yes, but the blessings of this Blessed Night remain attached to you because of
your Bai’at (pledge of allegiance) to
the Messenger of Allah of this era, who has come with Ruh’il Quddus (Holy Spirit).
Understand that just as
Allah sends celestial signs and favours to demonstrate the truthfulness of His Khalifatullah, He also tests you to
distinguish who is truly sincere and who is not – whether your faith was merely
superficial or genuinely reflected in your hearts.
Ramadan is ending, but
you have received Lailatul Qadr
because Allah has sent His special Khalifatullah
among you. So, while benefitting from the blessings of this holy month, also
seize these moments and years that Allah has granted you to work for His Deen and spread Islam in the world.
Allah has chosen you, and He is testing you to separate the true diamonds from
the false ones in His path.
Bear in
mind: Ramadan may come and
go. Today, one may witness Ramadan, but who knows if they will see the next?
Likewise, blessed are you who live in the era of the Messenger of Allah, the Khalifatullah, for Allah has
granted you this blessing within your lifetime. Blessed are those who take full
advantage of this blessing and reform their Islam correctly to attain Allah’s
pleasure. A Messenger of Allah does not come in every era. So, consider
yourself fortunate – not only has Allah chosen Islam for you as your religion,
but He has also sent a reformer connected to His beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (saws) to guide you
towards the right path.
Recall: Among the most important obligations in Islam – after
the declaration of faith (Shahada) – is the prayer (Salat). If a believer neglects this…
If a believer already
feels tired during prayer (Namaz/ Salat) – praying as if it is a chore –
without any peace or tranquillity in their prayer, then they should reflect. If
they truly thought about it, they would perform their prayer properly, because
it is Allah Who created them, Who gave them life, Who is nurturing them and
providing for them. And tomorrow, they will return to Allah and will have to
answer to Him.
Now
imagine: you stand before Allah
and show that you have no tranquillity and interest – you cannot even pray
properly (some do not pray at all!). I know people who, even during this blessed
month of Ramadan, are not praying at all. And the parents aren’t encouraging
their children to pray, nor to fast (Sawm/ Roza), nor to give Zakaat.
They are just running after this world.
But what is this world?
It’s temporary. We are living a temporary life. We are not permanent here. We
are here today – who knows if we will still be here tomorrow? How many examples
have we seen like this?
So, are people really
thinking about this properly? That when they leave this world, they will return
to their Creator; and what answer will they give Him? They are focused only on
worldly matters – on pleasures, on what they can do. But think carefully: all
the courage, education, intelligence, wealth (money) – it is Allah Who gave all
of that. And tomorrow, He can take it all away in an instant, and thus, you
will be finished. You will collapse.
That is why Allah has
said: Don’t be arrogant on this earth. Don’t act with pride or boastfulness.
Act with humility.
Look at what the
powerful nations are doing. They think they can do anything on this earth, but
they forget that there is an Allah Who, in one moment, can destroy them. We
have seen it: how much water they had to use to extinguish fire, but the
fire burns even stronger. Then Allah sends rain – how many floods happen, how
many homes are destroyed, how many people lose their houses. I am talking about
those very nations and leaders who take themselves as all powerful.
But as for us, we have
a great weapon: we have the Kalima (Shahada). Before we sleep,
and when we wake up, we remember Allah. We have our Salat/ Namaz – five
times a day.
If a
believer neglects this, then
they are heading toward a spiritual loss that may be irreversible; unless they
wake up in time. If they let the problems of Duniya (the worldly life)
crush them – temporary and useless matters, things that come from Satan – then
they will be crushed. But if they stand before Allah and make Duahs, if
they turn to Allah, then these worldly matters will never affect them. And they
will reform themselves so that their Islam does not disappear.
This is
my advice to everyone: Do not let your Iman
(faith) disappear, because Iman is not easy to attain – it is extremely
difficult to acquire true faith. Even in the Qur’an, Allah asks those who
integrate Islam to say that they have accepted Islam, but not to say that they
have attained Iman.
Iman is not easy to obtain or attain. But if you have
succeeded in attaining it, then learn to protect it – this tiny mustard seed of
Iman that you have been given. A small seed, yes – but do you know what
kind of tree it can grow into, what kind of mighty tree it can become, with
many branches and bearing fruit?
So with your little Iman,
if you know how to protect it and nourish it, it will grow and bear fruit.
It is a tremendous
blessing for someone to be granted Islam. Whoever receives this is truly
fortunate – especially those who have witnessed the Divine Manifestation of
this era, who have recognised and accepted it, and not turned their backs on it.
But unfortunate is the one who saw it, recognised it, witnessed it – and then
turned away. We have seen the consequences for some of them. We feel pity for
them. Sometimes, when I want to make Duah (supplication), I personally
feel pity for them. I open my mouth to pray, but Allah closes it. I won’t
hesitate to say this – it is the last Friday of Ramadan, on the mimbar
(pulpit) of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). When Allah does not allow me to make Duah
for such people, one can understand. Yet I still feel pity for them, because
they witnessed so many divine signs and manifestations. Allah gave them signs. Don’t
say no one received signs – many did!
That same Duah
we used to make, I still make it every day during Tarawee prayers: that
they (the believers/ my disciples and followers) may receive signs, that their Iman
may become strong. Allah gave them (those who lost that blessing) signs
so their faith would be strengthened – but instead, their faith became weaker,
if not completely lost. So let’s not say “zero,” but their faith has
weakened, and they have lost those blessings.
And
recall: if they had even a
fleeting moment of Kashaf (spiritual vision), they would unfortunately
(later on) regress from what they used to be at the beginning of the Divine
Manifestation. When they entered the Divine Manifestation, think of how they
were, how their children were, how the Jamaat (Jamaat Ahmadiyya Al
Mouslemeen) was: small – but how powerfully it functioned. During Ramadan,
how we used to gather every Friday – what amazing work we did! What powerful Dars
(spiritual lessons, Quranic explanations)! We sat together like one family,
broke fast together, dined together, prayed Tarawee together. What joy
that brought! We felt spirituality despite strong opposition, despite insults
and blame – every kind of mockery on the mimbar of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh)!
But it never affected us (at that time).
Today, it is
regrettable to see that because of certain people who sought to poison their
thoughts for their own honour – thinking they are the ones who bestow honour – they
listened to such people. They forgot the Creator. They forgot the Servant of
Allah whom they once believed in, whose hand they held in Bai’at (pledge
of allegiance). Where are they today? Where are their testimonies – the things
they said and wrote? Where has all that gone?
It is truly sad. And
beyond those who never believed at all – even now – there are those who
disbelieved and committed Zulm (oppression), who mocked, who made all
kinds of foolishness. Don’t think Allah won’t hold them accountable! Allah has
taken note of all those who mocked. Don’t say we saw and remained blind. We
must take this seriously. Why? Because it is a lesson for us too – in the Jamaat
Ul Sahih Al Islam.
So, our work continues.
The mission of a Messenger of Allah continues. Let them carry on with their
conspiracies, let them continue their secret discussions, their gossip (rumour
mills), their blame games, their plotting of all kinds of schemes – Allah and
His Servant will continue to move forward. And those who afterwards will take
the Bai’at (pledge of allegiance), they are the ones who will become the
true, sincere believers. And it is you who will lose everything.
This is the very same
call I am making to my disciples. Today, we see our disciples spreading – not
just in one country, but across many nations – by the grace of Allah. We see
how the Jamaat has entered Africa and other countries. All of this is by
Allah’s grace. Through the efforts of our sincere disciples, through the Tabligh
(preaching/ propagation of the divine message) they are doing, they are
carrying this message to the four corners of the world. They are doing
extraordinary work. We must encourage them and make Duahs
(supplications) for them. Through their translations into many languages, we
must support and uplift them.
It is not easy to make
someone attain Iman (faith). We do not give Iman – we preach so
that people may understand. And it is Allah Who opens hearts and grants Iman
to those people.
Among the pillars of
Islam is Roza (Ramadan
fasting), just as Allah has given us the opportunity (Tawfiq) to observe this sacred
month. Ramadan is a holy month, just like Dhul-Hijjah,
the month of Hajj. So we must
thank Allah for allowing us to live through this month, and Insha-Allah, I hope that all of you
in the Ummah have made
the most of this month through fasting (Roza/
Sawm), prayer (Namaz/
Salat), and supplication (Duah).....
May Allah grant all of
you His mercy and dismantle all armies of Satan that seek to wage war against
His servants. May Allah accept your fasting undertaken for His sake, forgive
your sins and faults, and grant you strong Islam and faith (Iman) for the glory of Islam in the
world. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
-----Extracts from the Friday Sermon of 28 March 2025~ 27 Ramadan 1446 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius.