One Ummah, One Leader- 2

 

Like I was telling you last Friday, the greatest challenge the Ummah has been facing for centuries is unity around a single Leader – not just any leader or Caliph, but a leader based on the precepts of our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). Many people have come and proclaimed that they are the ones who have come to bring reform to the Ummah. It is true that many Mujaddids (reformers) have come, but after guidance, people have become divided again and that too, sub-divided, to the point that no one truly knows where the truth lies.

 

Each of the sects, the Jamaats (communities) of Islam, is seeking the Khilafat for itself, to lead the Ummah, but this Khilafat – let me tell you – is chosen by Allah! When man deviates from the path of Allah and abandons the spiritual heritage of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), of Islam – an Islam that all the prophets have preached since the creation of man – then Allah sees the need to raise His own Khalifa (Caliph/ Representative) to bring about that unity. This Khalifa of Allah does all he can, through the divine revelation he receives, to revive the Qur’an and Islam in the hearts of people across the world; not just Muslims, but also people of other faiths who have long lost the right path.

 

So, if we look closely, who truly deserves the Khilafat? When we analyse the sects of Islam that have deviated from the right path, we see how many have already lost true guidance; therefore, each Muslim must reflect on whether he is truly following the “Siratwal Mustaqeem” (the straight path), and where it is truly leading him: towards Allah and His pleasure, or towards divine anger and punishment?

 

A Khilafat that is based on the footsteps and works of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) – when the time comes, it will appear, and continue to appear, after people have lost the compass of Islam – that is, when they lose the direction that leads to true Islam.

One Ummah, One Leader - 1

 

The greatest challenge facing the Muslim world, in their perception, is that there must be the establishment of a single authority known as the Khilafat – where all Muslims must unite under one leader. Once the Khilafat is established, it would represent a sign of majesty and omnipotence of Islam, and on the other hand, the Muslim nation would then deserve Divine guidance.

 

The intention to establish a single Khilafat is a noble vision, but unfortunately Muslims are not agreeing. This disagreement is based on who deserves the Khilafat, considering that there have been so many divisions and groups (Jamaat) in Islam. Thus, Islam is torn internally like this, and externally too, there are cunning schemes and wickedness from others of different faiths and beliefs who seek to eradicate Islam so their ideology may dominate the world.

 

Amidst the internal disagreement Muslims have faced, where the body of Islam was torn apart by conflicts, where the unity of Muslims disappeared, Allah found it necessary to send His own Khalifa (Caliph), whom He Himself elected and granted revelation in order to revive the teachings of Islam within global society.

The Gift of Islam

 

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, Who created the heavens and the earth with wisdom, and Who honoured us with Islam, the path of truth and peace.

 

My dear brothers, sisters, and followers, this message is not addressed only to Muslims, but to all humanity. It is a sincere call to all of you to recognize the One Creator, Allah, and thus walk the path of righteousness, justice, and inner peace.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Say: This is my path. I invite people, myself and those who follow me, to Allah, with clear proof. Glory be to Allah! I do not associate anything with Him.” (Yusuf, 12: 109)

The Gift of Quran

 

The Holy Quran is not only a sacred book, but the eternal word of Allah, a direct link between the Creator (Allah) and His servants. It was revealed as a blessing for all humanity (all the worlds), as a warning and glad tidings, but it is more for the one who has fear of Allah and who submits to His will. As Allah tells us in the Quran itself: “This is the Book; there is no doubt in it. It is guidance for the righteous (those who fear Allah and want to follow His path)” (Al-Baqara 2: 3). For every sincere Muslim, their relationship with the Quran must deeply shape their faith, their spirituality, and their destiny.

 

Hazrat Ibn Masud (ra) said: “Whoever wants to know whether he truly loves Allah and His Prophet, then he should observe his relationship with the Quran. If he loves the Quran, then he truly loves Allah and His Prophet.” (Tabarani)

Death in Islam

 

“Kullu nafsin zaa-iqatul-mawt, summa ilayna turjaʿuun.”

“Every soul shall taste death. Then, to Us shall they be returned.”

(Al-Ankabut, 29: 58)

 

Death is a reality that cannot be avoided for every person, whether they are a believer or a non-believer. Islam teaches that every soul is responsible for its own actions, and that no one will carry the burden of another. In the Qur’an, Allah says: “No soul shall bear the burden of another.” (Al-An’am, 6: 165)

This fundamental principle of divine justice is reaffirmed multiple times in the Noble Qur’an. Allah says that everyone will be judged according to their own actions, without the faults or sins or even the merits of one person being transferred to another soul.

'Abu Lahab' and His Wife

 

‘May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined!

May he be ruined too!

Neither his wealth nor his gains will help him:

he will burn in the Flaming Fire–– and so will his wife,

the firewood-carrier, with a palm-fibre rope around her neck.’

                             --- ( Holy Qur'an, Surah Al Masad, 111: 2-6 )

 

In the times of Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), his uncle Abu Lahab was one of the wealthiest and influential Qurayshi leaders who most opposed the Prophet and persecuted the early Muslims. Material wealth and worldly rule intoxicated him with a fiery temperament. Raging impatience characterized this ‘Flame Man’. Abu Lahab’s wife Umm Jamil bint Harb was a scheming woman, known to support her husband in his excesses- even indulged in mocking the Prophet when he was ill. The Holy Qur’an makes an illustration out of the mindset of ‘Abu Lahabs’; the Book of God  roundly condemns such arrogance and hubris: ‘may his (hands) power perish and all that he possesses’.

'Duah': A Prayer

 

O Lord of all the worlds!

It is beyond me to offer You gratitude for all Your favours.

You are most Merciful and Compassionate,

and the bounties that You have conferred upon me are countless.

 

Forgive me my sins, lest I am ruined.

Fill my heart with sincere love for You,

so that I may receive life.