Social Boycott in the Ahmadiyya Community

The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International has just published a new book in Malayalam, entitled ‘Boycott? Or, No Boycott?’. Originally written by Hadhrat Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius, the present Malayalam translation is by Mukarram Amir Jamaluddin Raother Saheb of Mathra. Written almost five years ago, the Book remains as relevant and topical as ever, discussing the official policy of of the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya vis-a-vis the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius, especially the arrogant institutional decision by the Nizam-e-Jamaat leadership to socially boycott all those who believe or support Hadhrat Munir Saheb (atba) -a Muslim believer who claims he is a recipient of Divine messages in our times.

The Boycott Policy calls for profound spiritual reflections on the part of common Ahmadis as it touches upon, and has grave implications for, their foundational beliefs and personal convictions. Do they plan to behave unjustly and arrogantly in the times of a Divine Elect among them? As the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya is premised on the continuity of Divine revelations within the Muslim Ummah in every era, it is astonishingly ironical to see how the Nizamis seek to dispute God’s messages in this era, with no authority to do so. How can they be so deluded when they can still read the Qur’an?

Indeed, the Holy Qur’an advices humility, openness, caution and wisdom- rather than expulsion and boycott induced by power and hubris- to people who encounter God’s servants in their midst, by referring to the sojourn of Moses (as) among the Pharoah’s people:

“How can you expel a man just for saying, ‘My Lord is Allah,’? He has brought you clear signs from your Lord- if he is a liar, on his own head be it- and if he is truthful, then at least some of what he has threatened will happen to you. Allah does not guide any rebellious, outrageous liar. 

My people, as masters in the land you have the power today, but who will help us from the punishment of Allah if it comes upon us?” (40: 29-30)

Reproduced below is the text of the Introduction to the Malayalam Translation:

The present book entitled ‘Boycott? Or, No Boycott?’, written by Hadhrat Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius in 2014, makes an important contribution to the debates around the anti-Islamic policy of “social boycott” being aggressively implemented by the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in recent times. The profound forensic examination and clinical arguments of Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba), unravelling the roots and branches of this anti-human policy of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, is compulsory reading for all Ahmadi Muslims who care about their foundational beliefs and the ‘directions’ of their Jamaat in recent times.

Peace and Unity among Ahmadis

The world of Islam today is splintered on denominational and sectarian lines. The lineages of the great divide among the Muslims go far back into history, originating in the disputes over obedience to authority and the sharing of power in the times after the Holy Prophet (sa) and his rightly-guided successors, the pious Caliphs. It’s a searing fact of history that after that first century of Islam, the Muslims had never been united as a single spiritual and political order. With the great schism among the believers leading to the formation of sectarian identity among them; the lofty identity of Islam receded to the backdrop and the Muslims were reduced to be either Sunnis or Shiites and in course of time, with the entrenchment of deep divisions over questions of Islamic law, new groups emerged among them on sectarian lines.

Indeed, there is no monolithic/single/unified ‘Islam’ in our times; there are many ‘Islams’ as the proliferation of religious groupings among the nearly two billion Muslims around the world so clearly demonstrate. This is unfortunately true as well, even in the relatively humble and small world of Ahmadiyya Islam- the community of Muslims assembled originally by the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian in the previous century. Today, despite all that the Promised Massih (as) had taught about the unity of all religions in Islam, the Ahmadis or the people who claim themselves to be the followers of that great saint of Islam, themselves are splintered into numerous sects and groupings. For instance, the different Ahmadi sects include the following: Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Qadian, Anjuman Ahmadiyya Lahore, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Al Muslemun, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Islah Pasand, Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Haquiqui.

No one can deny that the Holy Qur’an had indeed warned the Muslims about the lessons of human history. Whereas unity and cohesion leads to progress and blessings, disagreement and splintering leads to decline and fall. The Divine Book says, “This community of yours is one single community, and I am your Lord. So fear Me. But they are divided into sects, each sect rejoicing in its belief.” (23: 53-54). “And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community. Yet they continue to disagree (among them) except those upon whom your Lord has bestowed His Mercy. This is why He created them ...” (11: 119-120). 

It is possible to look at the diversity of situations and the plurality of opinions among Ahmadis as the existential condition of the times we are living in. In dealing with questions where we differ among ourselves, however, it is important to keep the big picture in mind all the time- including the obligations of brotherhood left behind by the Holy Prophet (sa) when he stated: “A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. Do not hate each other and do not be jealous of each other and do not desert each other, O worshipers of Allah! Be brothers! And whoever meets the needs of his brother, Allah will meet his needs”. Indeed, the Ahmadi believers have a duty to respect the integrity and religious choices of our fellow humans found in different sects of Islam. Rather than seeking to project narrow interests, group-based prejudices and sectarian mindsets; engage with the brethren in faith in a spirit of solidarity and kindness in furthering the shared ideals of Islam. 

An Appeal to All 

In October 2008, in the seventh year of the present Divine Manifestation, Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius made a fervent, Divinely-inspired Appeal to all mankind, especially to his Ahmadi brothers found in various sects of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to improve the quality of their spiritual engagements and public debates and to rise above their sectarian perspectives so as to truly embrace the purpose of a spiritual life. 

Read the Document Below:

'Khilafat': Ahmadi Misconceptions

Serious misconceptions exist among Ahmadis today about the spiritual status and authority of their 'Khalifatul Massih'. Through an incremental process of  theological engineering in institutional practices over a century of its existence, the Nizam-e-Jamaat manufactured a special spiritual 'aura' around its assembly-elected leader. The institutional role and administrative authority of the office of the Khalifatul Massih has been calibrated into an 'infallible' league of its own, almost as an equivalent of an Elect of God. Today, the carefully-crafted image of 'a leader who enjoys the shadow of Divine protection' has been conferred upon the Caliph by his own sect and as such the title of 'Khalifatul Massih' holds special significance in the mind-space and religious imagination of the folks within. So much so that most members of the Jamaat today swear by a notion that 'Ahmadiyya Khilafat' is the unchanging institutional order of Islam till the Day of Judgement (Qiyamah). 

Hajj: On Blocking Access to the Ka'aba

Ever since the great Sultan Salahauddin Ayyubi (ra) took up the title "Servant of the Two Holy Mosques"  (Khadim Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain) in the medieval ages as a mark of his quest to attain nearness to Allah (swt) while he was fighting the infidels in the Crusades, many other Muslim monarchs who presided over the holy land of Makkah and Madina continued to assume this title in their times. These days, the Saudi Arabian monarchs take pride in describing their official title as the Khadim Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain, pointing to the significance of the Two Holy Mosques and the land of Makkah and Madina in Muslim spiritual and political imagination.The title refers to their important responsibility for the upkeep of mosques and holy sites within Makkah and Madina and protection of pilgrims on the Hajj. 

As the land of Makkah and Madina belong to every Muslim, all Muslims have a right to visit the Holy lands to perform the religious rites. Sectarian differences among Muslim communities and political disputes among Muslim nations are part of the existential condition of the Islamic world today. These disputes and issues should never be used as a pretext to discriminate against specific groups of Muslims or to upset the Divine order that mandates the free flow of pilgrimage into Islam's holiest shrines. Most certainly, the men whom claim to be the "trustees and stewards  of the Holy Places" have no business creating barriers in the sacred journeys of all  or any of God's devotees- regardless of their denominational identity or national origin.  

The Saudi leadership, however, has a dismal record of playing politics with Hajj in more recent times. Recently, in the aftermath of the economic blockade by the Saudi-led four nations against it, the State of Qatar has complained that its nationals are unable to register through the official channels for the Hajj this year as a direct consequence of the blockade measures instituted by the Saudi authorities due to political disputes. Likewise, speaking against the backdrop of Iranian pilgrims facing problems at the hands of the Saudi authorities, the Iranian spiritual leader Ayatullah Khamenei recently made an instructive statement:  

“The land of Mecca belongs to all Muslims. No one should think they can do whatever they want on this land. All Muslims have the same right with regard to Mecca and Medina.

“No one should manipulate and prevent the concepts of Hajj, or the points and rituals that exist in Hajj. The individuals and the government that prevent these concepts are, indeed, “creating an obstacle in the way of God” [Quran: 2:217]. The Ka'aba belongs to all the Muslims. According to the Quran, Holy Mecca belongs to all Muslims and all Muslims have the same right over Mecca and Medina. No one should think they can do whatever they want on this land.

He went on to say: “Unfortunately, the government of Saudi Arabia creates problems for the Hajj pilgrims and prevents some rituals to be performed; even though, it is righteous to allow them perform those rituals. These issues must be regarded as the Muslims’ demands, which should not be forgotten".

In his Eid-ul-Adha Sermon of 22 August 2018 (10 Dhul-Hijjah 1439 AH), Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius spoke movingly about the plight of the Ahmadi Muslims in our times who are unable to access the land of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) for the purpose of accomplishing their devotional obligations relating to the fifth pillar of Islam. In countries like Pakistan and elsewhere, in passport/visa applications for purposes of Hajj and Umrah visits, all Muslims had been forced to declare statements denying and condemning the Promised Massih (as). Such mindless sectarian prejudices and administrative highhandedness by the authorities smack of Pharoahan tactics. Drawing on Qur'anic teachings and the Holy Prophet (sa)'s instructions, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) calls for intense soul-searching by those concerned before it is too late for them. 

Read the Extracts from the Eid Sermon: 

Pride and Prejudice in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

O my Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous. (Al-Furqan 25: 75).

Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure. (Al-Imran 3: 9).

Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error. (Al-Baqara 2: 287).

Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith. (Al-Baqara 2: 287).

 'Practice' versus 'preaching' in the Nizam-e-Jamaat

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community headed by a man-elected caliph deceives the world with his beautiful speeches about peace and the need to have Love for All and Hatred for None.

As Caliph and Messenger of Allah, it is my duty to put before the world, especially in front of all Ahmadi Muslims around the world, the true face of their present caliph, who certainly does not practice what he preaches.

The Break-up of Ahmadi Families in Mauritius

To hide his face, he tells people who ask him questions about the current situation in Mauritius, a situation that for more than seventeen years has turned sour in the Ahmadiyya Community of Mauritius, [that everything is fine]. With the instructions, directives that come directly from the current caliph, the chiefs of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Mauritius are doing whatever they like by implementing what they call, the caliph’s instructions, such instructions that they absolutely must implement, despite the fact that these same instructions are against the vital teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and even the teachings of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as).

In view of the world, the caliph preaches peace, he is a peaceful man, a man of peace. He insists that there is no problem in Mauritius, that everything is fine in the best of all worlds! But in truth, the more he masks the break-up and massacres in the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Mauritius and elsewhere in the world within the Ahmadi families, the more the truth turns into a powerful wave to reverse his Machiavellian plans. He takes himself as a gatherer, but in truth he is only a man who wants to divide families and break the Muslim unity and family union.

A Divine Message for the 'Jamaat'-II

[These are extraordinary times in the history of Islam-of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. Like providential rain on a parched earth, Allah (swt) is pouring down His messages and revelations on His chosen servant at a time when the world is desperately looking for Divine guidance. 

Reproduced below are extracts from the Friday Sermon of 29 June 2018 (14 Shawwal 1439 AH) delivered by Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius. Like the previous posts in the series,  in the present post also, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) continues to present before the world, especially to his disciples and followers in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, the most recent of Divine revelations the Lord Almighty has descended on his blessed heart. These Divine messages contain a gist of the Qur'anic wisdom for the spiritual illumination of all human souls, reminding everyone about the consequences of their choices including through contemporary illustrations, urging in the strongest of terms to tread the path of purity and obedience to God and His Messenger and His Khalifa of this era, Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah].   

'...O you who have believed, follow the path of Allah, obey His Messenger and seek a means to come closer to your Rab. Strive to tread on His path so that you may prosper and seek to please Allah, and Allah shall remove you from darkness and lead you towards light. Through His grace He guides you to a righteous path. Recall the favour of Allah upon you when He removed you from obscurity and made you take the Bai’at in the hand of My servant and it is (verily) with Allah that you have taken the Bai’at.

Therefore follow the command of Allah. Allah verily knows what is in your hearts. Keep firm with Allah and His Messenger and always attest to the truth. Do not let the hatred of those who do not believe affect you and hinder you from establishing justice between truth and falsehood. This makes you come closer to the path of Allah. Follow Allah’s order because Allah is aware of all that you do. Allah makes this promise to those who have believed sincerely that they shall gain (His) forgiveness and a great reward. On the other hand, those who reject Our signs shall become the in-dwellers of the great fire (hellfire). I, Allah, I am Al-Jaleel.

'Wahyu': A Challenge to the 'Nizam-e-Jamaat'

The 'mainstream' Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, in its institutionalized ‘Khilafat’-system, today represents only an empty 'shell' devoid of the 'kernel' of True Islam. Over the century after the death and departure of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, the Ahmadiyya establishment or the 'Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya' as it is known, has corroded the very idea and essence of ‘Ahmadiyyat’ as taught by the Promised Massih (as). For at the heart of the claims and teachings of the Holy Founder of the Jamaat-e- Ahmadiyya in the last century stands the continuity of Divine revelations in the Muslim Ummah till the Day of Judgement and the arrival of righteous servants as Elects of God who speak with the help of Roohul Qudus. Yet today, in an  age of wealth and affluence within the community; the Nizam-e-Jamaat is more concerned about ‘power’ and ‘authority’ over the mundane riches than with the profound spiritual questions pertaining to the continuity of Divine revelations and the appearance of Divine servants in a new century of Islam. 

Trappings of ‘power’ within the Nizam-e-Jamaat, the growing institutionalization and the consequent need for greater coherence and integration has meant that the role and status of the assembly-elected leader, the ‘Khalifatul Massih’, is carefully ‘calibrated’ so much so that the Caliph is equated to the ‘shadow of God on earth’. Foundational values and basic principles of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya had been 'tweaked' and adjusted to suit the rulers that be- to the extent that the position of the Caliph is elevated to the Elects of God, even when he is not a recipient of Divine guidance. Thanks to the ongoing 'doctrinal' brainwashing by the Mullahs under the Nizam-e-Jamaat in their quest for the elusive 'victory' of Ahmadiyyat,  most Ahmadis today are critically unaware of their own community’s history and its spiritual moorings and are more or less become 'frogs in the well', as it were- completely  oblivious of their own ignorance of the oceans beyond. And the Nizam-e-Jamaat  and the Ahmadi Mullahs in India and elsewhere, in their vanity and false pride over the continuation of their man-elected ‘Khilafat' system, arrogantly and defiantly doubt and dispute the very descent of Divine revelations in this era outside of their 'charmed circle' and seek to negate the truth about the spiritual titles being vouchsafed to Divine servants in our times. 

It is against this dismal social and religious backdrop that one should view the ongoing ‘churning’ within the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. Consider the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius: a born Ahmadi- soldier of Islam and a recipient of Divine revelations, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius has been Divinely-blessed with almost all the spiritual titles that, throughout history, were vouchsafed to the great savants of Islam- the people whom devout Muslims over the millennium revere as no less than the spiritual heirs of the Holy Prophet (sa), Alhamdulillah, Soumma Alhamdulillah. If anyone today is truly interested in the sublime world of seeking proximity to the Lord Almighty through Islamic teachings and is on the quest for a Living Exemplar of that great spiritual path, s/he need not look further than the Sheikh-ul-Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.

In his Friday Sermon of 29 June 2018 (14 Shawwal 1439 AH),  Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) provides a fascinating account of the Divine revelations recieved in the last couple of weeks, Alhamdulillah, Allah-u-Akbar. These Divine Messages are compulsory reading for all those who are interested in a Living  God who speaks to His blessed servant on  a range of issues and concerns pertaining to spiritual guidance on the true path. We also hope that the Divine messages and the Discourse in general would be of special interest to all Ahmadis- of every denominational group in existence today-, considering that the entire leadership of the Nizam-e-Jamaat- from the local Ahmadi Mullahs, Amirs in between,  down to the Caliph- stand challenged for a spiritual duel if they truly stand by their baseless assertions/ wild allegations on the nature and character of the present Divine Manifestation in Mauritius.  

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon Below: 

'The Khalifa of Islam': Of Titles and Tasks

10 Years of the official proclamation as "Khalifatullah" 

In a special lecture delivered on 27 May 2018, coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of his Divinely-inspired proclamation of 26 May 2008 as the Caliph of God-"Khalifatullah"- the foremost Islamic spiritual personality of this era Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius- Holy Founder of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- gives an illuminating discourse on the system of the advent of the Spiritual Heirs of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) in every era of Islam, to rejuvenate the Faith and to be a practical exemplar of the Holy Tradition/ Islamic Practice in everyday life for the devout. 

The Islamic sacred tradition recognizes the devout savants of the Faith by conferring upon them grand titles: "Khalifa", "Imam", "Mujaddid", "Muhyi-ud-Din", "Sheikh-ul-Islam", "Hujjatul Islam", "Mahdi", "Massih","Ummati-Nabi", etc. Drawing on the Holy Prophet's teachings, and also keeping in view the additional explanations of the Promised Massih (as) in the previous era, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) in his discourse, succinctly summarizes the spiritual doctrine on the purpose of the advent of the Elects of God in every era. Moreover, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) reminds both his enemies and friends of the need to be critically aware of the "mistakes of the past" when peoples and communities have preferred the adulation of the powers that be and ignored perennial Divine teachings and thereby they let go of a precious heritage of sublime faith represented by the advent of a Divine servant among them. 

Alhamdulillah, the message is of immediate relevance to the Ahmadis of our times- in a context where their elected Khalifatul Massih Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Saheb has been bereft of Divine illumination. Many devout Ahmadis are now seeking to engage with the larger question of Divine Guidance and revelations with the advent of a Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah in this era in the person of Hadhrat Munir Azim Saheb of Mauritius (atba), Soumma Alhamdulillah.

A Warning to the Nizam-e-Jamaat

Located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeast Africa,  the Mayotte archipelago is geographically part of the Comoros Islands, while officially it is an overseas territory of France. It consists of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), and several islets around these two, situated between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. While the region came under the French settlements in 1840s, the people of Mayotte voted to remain politically a part of France in 1974. Following a 2009 referendum with an overwhelming result in favour of the department status under France, Mayotte became an outermost region of the European Union in 2014. It was the Arabs who brought Islam into the region during the medieval times and a Sultanate was established as early as 1500. According to the 2017 census, the small Island region (with an area of 374 square kilometers---144 sq mi) has a population of a little over 2,50,000- a vast majority of whom are the descendants of the Muslims. Although located far way from the mainlands of Africa and Asia, the remote Indian Ocean islands also had the fortune of receiving the message of Islam as propagated by the Promised Massih of the Later Days, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian. In many ways, the deep penetration of the message of Tawheed as propagated by the Promised Massih (as) to the remotest regions of the world is an awesome testimonial to the astonishing truth of the words of Allah (swt) descended on that holy  Divine servant in the previous era: “I shall cause your message to reach the corners of the earth”.

In the late 1990’s, it was the pioneering efforts of Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb of Mauritius that planted the seeds of Ahmadiyyat in several Indian Ocean island communities, including the Mayotte Islands. As the missionary-ambassador of the Promised Massih (as) working in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in collaboration with the then Khalifatul Massih IV, Hazrat Munir Azim Saheb took extraordinary  personal initiative and considerable pain to establish the message of Ahmadiyyat in these parts of the world. If ever the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya develops institutional memory and are truthful to their own records and testimonials; they would not, they should not and indeed they cannot avoid or evade the seminal spiritual work and rich legacy of Hazrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb in the spread of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in the region. 

Of late, the Nizam-e-Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, in Mayotte and beyond, is behaving like the sectarian thugs the Promised Massih (as) used to oppose all his life. In their vain desires for cheap personal glory, they ‘invent’ the history of the Ahmadi peoples and they erase the collective memory inconvenient for their current temperaments! In their concern for constructing a new identity, they are behaving like a prodigal son in denial of his father!! Instead of gratefully co-opting and quietly celebrating the trailblazing spiritual work of Hazrat Munir Azim Saheb in the Indian Ocean island communities in the 1990s as part of the wider and global history of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and its peoples, the Nizam-e-Jamaat is in denial today. Do they think the politics of denial and social boycott has a chance against the tide of history and the destiny of a Man of God? Allah says in the Qur’an: “We will soon show them Our signs all around the world and in their own selves, until it dawns on them that indeed this is the truth. Is your Lord not Sufficient (to confirm your veracity), for He alone is (also) witness to everything?”. (41:53)

In the final part of his Friday Sermon of 25 May 2018 (09 Ramadan 1439 AH),  Imam Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius spoke on the situation in Mayotte, where natural calamities are unfolding against the backdrop of spiritual calamities. In their quest for cheap victory, sectarian prejudices are being unleashed by the chiefs of the Nizam-e-Jamaat against the Jamaat-Ul Sahih Al Islam in Mayotte so much so that Hadhrat Saheb (atba) has been constrained to issue a Divine warning against the culprits involved in the episode. 

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:   

Islam: Dark Clouds, Silver Lining

The situation in the world is extremely worrying for all Muslims (and all my disciples in Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam) and I am again reminding you all to pray earnestly that Allah (swt) may remove the dangers which face Islam which is being encircled by dark clouds which only God can remove whenever He pleases.

There is nowhere in the world where Muslims are not in danger directly or indirectly and we do not see any intelligent Islamic response. There is only one despicable response which they know: persecuting their own Muslim brethrens and finishing Islam by their own hands. In addition to the civil wars and the religious strife which they wage between themselves but when it concerns the Divine Manifestation and the belief in the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) and in this era this humble self the Khalifatullah, all the Muslim sects don't hesitate to group together to counter-attack what they term as heretics. It is on this basis that they seem to agree and help each other to crush the divine truth. Since the advents of non law-bearing prophets/ messengers after Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), they seem to have lost their bearings when they denied and calumniated the men of God.

'No Compulsion in Religion', says Qur'an

Islam's normative injunctions are all designed to foster freedom and justice and to promote a just social order. Its moral universe is informed by the Living Presence of Allah (swt), to whom people are responsible individually and collectively as a group- sect, religion, tribe, clan, nation, community, etc. - and are bound to account for their acts and omissions on the Day of Judgement. Several verses in the Qur'an affirms the inherent freedom of choice in people: "Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. So can you (Prophet) compel people to believe? It is not for a soul to believe , save by God's Leave" (10: 99-100). 'Say, Now the truth has come from you Lord: let those who wish to believe in it do so, and let those those who wish to reject it do so' (18: 30).

Life in Arabia during the Holy Prophet's time also produced within its varied contingencies complex questions of freedom of choice in faith matters. Some of the Muslim parents had a dilemma: whether to force their children to join the then nascent Muslim community; or to respect the children's choice of joining their foster- parents' clan (Jewish tribe- Banu Nadir that was leaving from Madinah and some also wishing to join Christian merchants going to Syria). It might seem astonishing to some; but the Qur'anic verse-"There is no compulsion in religion" (2: 257) was  originally revealed to ensure the freedom of choice of the people who wished to leave Islam against the wishes of their Muslim families!

Even as Islam commands freedom of conscience and respects the right of people to make choices, it also allows resistance to oppression and injustice and to wage wars in self-defence in compelling political circumstances. What is not required or unjustified in general conditions of life, may gain validity of law and practice in exceptional circumstances. Necessity, proportionality, fairness and even-handed dealings are central to Islamic ethics, and the 'text' of moral injunctions need to be seen in the 'context' of the evolving circumstances of the Muslim life. Muslim Ulema who celebrate the 'cult of sword' in the name of Jihad/preaching of Islam are grossly misguided in reading the text without knowing its context. Their ill-considered views are detrimental to the fair name and legacy of Islam as a religion that appeals to human conscience and secular reasoning in equal measure. In his first Friday Sermon of the New Year- on 5th January 2018, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) expounds profoundly on freedom of choice from a Qur'anic perspective and corrects the doctrinal mistakes of the Muslim Ulema on this vital question.  

Mauritius: Politics over 'Jihad'

'Jihad' in the times of Political Crossfire

The Vice Prime Minister (VPM) and Minister of Housing and Lands, Showkutally Soodhun caused much harm against the honour and values of Islam when he used unacceptable (wrong) words during an Eid-ul-Fitr dinner/ celebration at Flacq on Tuesday 18 July 2017. He used such words which dirtied the teachings of Islam and his behaviour was not at all like how a true Muslim should act. And he dared to say this in an assembly which was supposed to advocate the values ​​of Islam but on the contrary, what happened? With the words which he pronounced there, despite being surrounded by several Mawlanas, he committed a blunder through the bad language which he used against the Leader of the Opposition Xavier-Luc Duval. And no one at that time deemed it necessary to stop him.

This scandal was triggered first in the Parliament in the Private Notice Question (PNQ) on the subject of the Communiqué (Release) which he himself issued, taking upon himself to break all ties with Qatar (to boycott Qatar) in favour of Saudi Arabia. And the VPM Soodhun was really hurt that the Leader of the Opposition had insulted King Salman. So, during a dinner to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in Flacq, he made the following declaration (concerning that which transpired in the Parliament): “Had my bodyguard given me a revolver (gun), I would have killed Xavier Duval in Parliament. I would have killed him… Anyway this is what is called Jihad. Because, I have good relations with Saudi Arabia.” 

In his stupidity, VPM Soodhun gave a death threat to the Leader of the Opposition and linked the whole thing to Islam by using the word Jihad, and he thus started a scandal, a controversy for which he (VPM Soodhun) is the culprit. He was the one to issue the release against Qatar when it was verily not his role/ work to do so. If there was a need to issue a release, if any, on the subject, then it was the role of the Prime Minister or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to do so. So, VPM Soodhun acted wrongfully when he issued the Communiqué on 06 June 2017 and after committing this blunder, he used the platform of an Eid party/ celebration to issue a death threat and he used the word Jihad.

The words he used was an incitement to racial hatred. 

Mauritius is a rainbow country which shelters several cultures and religions, and all religions live in harmony, with each one respecting the religions of others. But with this skidding of Soodhun with the words he used, this caused a controversy which is being inflamed day after day. Because of a chap like Soodhun, it is Islam which is being targeted (and wounded). The Religion of Islam with its excellent teachings is a religion which preaches peace (and not the use of swords) and peaceful living so that others may acquire peace through your (i.e. the Muslims') peaceful behaviour.

The Leader of the Opposition accused VPM Showkutally Soodhun that he violated the article 288 of the penal code and he denounced the false accusations which VPM Soodhun put on him (Xavier Duval). He denounced the words which VPM Soodhun wrongly attributed to him, denying that which he never said against Saudi Arabia and the Muslim faith. So, the Leader of the Opposition filed a complaint against VPM Soodhun under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He lodged this complaint after VPM Soodhun issued the death threat against him. If VPM Soodhun has used the word Jihad without knowing its meaning, why use it then? Does he really know the meaning of Jihad? All this scandal came as a means to allow people in their ignorance to speak against Jihad, and thus to speak also indirectly against Islam. Some are saying that Jihad means violence, killing, blood shedding, etc. It is really sad that (regarding this case) there is no Mawlana who has been able to give the true meaning of Jihad.

Excesses in the name of Islam

So you see, when you establish innovations in Islam, where all this would lead you! Where have these people learnt to organise Eid Parties or Diners and politicising the whole event by inviting politicians? More than a month has passed since Eid-ul-Fitr; they are still organising Eid parties? 

Did Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) use to organise/ celebrate all these? What lessons have we learnt in the month of Ramadan? And I talked about this during Ramadan and even after Ramadan, that Ramadan is a blessed month wherein you take a great spiritual bath and do all the actions which Allah (swt) has told you to so, and all these are acts of worship. And after a month of Ramadan, after the end of fasting, Allah (swt) is pleased with you and gives you a day to rejoice, and this is what we call Eid.

Eid-ul-Fitr is a one day celebration and the next day (after Eid), one has the right to accomplish his/ her voluntary fasts (or for those who missed some fasts, to replace them). And this is a month of training also for it helps you to prepare yourselves in respect of the accomplishment of good deeds for the remaining eleven months to come after the Ramadan. And one of its good teachings is that you need to be a good human being, honest and not quarrelsome. Had Ramadan not taught us that whenever a person comes to seek quarrel with us, we need to tell him that we are fasting? As Muslim, it is a really deplorable thing which the VPM Soodhun had done. On top of that, just after Ramadan, during the organisation of a party on the theme of Eid-ul-Fitr, this party was politicised and thus wronging the very notion of Eid-ul-Fitr which is very sacred for us, Muslims. After a month of fasting, wherein we made all kinds of sacrifices only for the cause of Allah (swt) and indeed Eid-ul-Fitr is for those who have made such sacrifices for the cause of Allah during the blessed and sacred month of Ramadan, as a sign of obedience to Him, our Creator, and it is for such people that Allah has given such a Rejoicing Day (Eid-ul-Fitr).

So, see what the politicians along with the Mullahs are doing with our Eid-ul-Fitr celebration. Hear what kind of language Soodhun has used after the blessed month (of Ramadan). Indeed Allah has given the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr to the Muttaqeen (those who have the fear of Allah in their hearts) as a day of contentment, and it is most unfortunate that this Eid-ul-Fitr party - in name only - has become a stage for the VPM Soodhun to trampled (hurt) the teachings of Islam and the practices of our beloved Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). In this celebration made more than one month after that sacred festival, he should have given the right example for all Muslims. Not only him, but all of us, Muslims. 

Our conduct influences public perception

We should be role models for the world and continue to do the good acts we used to do during the month of Ramadan. We should not threaten or use words such as Jihad and revolver as means to threaten someone, anyone. 

Is this the lesson that you have learnt in the month of Ramadhan? Moreover, all the Mullahs and Muslims who were listening to him that night, could they not have stopped him when he used such foul words against the Leader of the Opposition? And they (i.e. these kinds of Mullahs and Muslims) shall voice out that it is them who are true Muslims despite the fact that they are supporting or lending a deaf ear and blind eye to all wrongs which are being added to Islam. Now, with this controversy on Jihad, they are not defending Islam and the true nature of Jihad like they deserve, and now the media as well as many Mauritians are causing much upheaval against the very notion of Jihad, and racial hatred has penetrated the hearts of many against the Muslims.

On the other hand, it is most unfortunate to see the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Mauritius holding, they also, an Eid Party on Monday 17 July 2017, inviting politicians to address the audience. Much money have been spent for this event, and what is not at all good is that this platform has been used to invite politicians and other guests and broadcasting a film on the fifth caliph. Is this the philosophy of Eid-ul-Fitr? And on top of that, with all the Ahmadis who live in Mauritius, every time it is the same faces, families who are seen and taken as important members of the Jamaat. The poor people, the common people - the other Chanda contributors - are not to be seen. Ahmadiyya of Mauritius has also lost the Nur (light) of Allah. And moreover, there is no Pardah when a woman, the Speaker of the National Assembly had been invited and placed amidst all men. I do not condemn inviting women for spiritual functions, but women should be with women. There is a Sadr (chief) for the women. So the Ahmadi women should have been there, in Pardah to receive their high profiled female guest (or any woman for that matter!). It is not in vain that Allah (swt) has raised another Jamaat and raised His chosen servant.

So, as the chosen servant of Allah of this era, it is my duty to give well detailed explanations on the word Jihad which the extremists have spoilt and dirtied.

The true conception of 'Jihad'

The term Jihad is derived from Jahada which means making intense efforts or struggle to the ultimate limit. Jihad, as it appears in the Holy Quran, and not as per what the VPM Soodhun or the terrorists or ignorant people in the world would like to make you believe, is in three (3) categories:

1) Jihad-i-Akbar (The Greatest Jihad which exists)..

2) Jihad-i-Kabir (the Great Jihad)

3) Jihad-i-Saghir or Jihad-i-Asghar (the lesser Jihad).

1) Jihad-i-Akbar, is the tireless struggle against oneself, against one’s evil tendencies and inclinations, against our nafs (ego/ passions). This is the greatest battle or Jihad which exists and which we have the duty to do every day of our lives. And in this greatest battle/ struggle, we aim to come out of our animalistic state, the savage or anti-gregarious state and we progress to the state of becoming truly humane/ human, imbibed with true moral values as well as spirituality.

2) Jihad-i-Kabir, is the battle or mostly duty which we have as a Muslim to propagate the message of Islam, the message of truth around us. We need to recall the admonition of Allah from the Holy Quran, in which Allah says: “There should be no compulsion in religion” (Al-Baqara, 2: 257).

Our duty as Muslims is to spread the message of peace with peace and tranquillity of heart. And it is forbidden for us to use coercion or armaments to force people to recognise or accept that there is only One God (Allah) and to enter the fold of Islam, despite the fact that we know that Islam is the best religion and way of life which Allah has established for us so that we may succeed in accomplishing the greatest Jihad which exists, i.e. the Jihad against our own nafs. We need to pass through the stage of Jihad-i-Akbar with success so that we may come to an honourable position/ level and with peace and help from Allah, we may call people to Allah, to Islam, i.e. calling them to submit themselves completely to Allah.

3) Jihad-i-Saghir or Jihad-i-Asghar is the minor/ lesser Jihad, , and it mainly concerns the State. And here I need to stress that this Jihad is such a Jihad, a battle or struggle which we do, even if we have to take up arms, but only, and I repeat ONLY, to defend ourselves whenever the enemy comes to attack us. It is then, and then only that we have the permission from Allah and His Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) to defend ourselves. Anyway, this type of Jihad is what the other non-Islamic governments coin as a defensive war, or self-defence. And Jihad-i-Saghir is such a Jihad which we do to protect our lives and honour as a Muslim, and as protectors of the religion of Islam, only when the enemy comes with the intention to finish Islam. This kind of Jihad is thus only a defensive battle and not an offensive one.

Jihad-i-Saghir does not mean to attack your other Muslim or even non-Muslim brothers so as to take over their mundane status/ positions in the world, their wealth and mundane powers which they have. It does not mean to kill to acquire lands and kingdoms. We establish the Jihad-i-Saghir ONLY for the cause of Allah, to preserve the identity and presence of Islam in the world. And this Jihad can be done even without arms. 

If it happens that someone comes to kill you only because you are a Muslim, then if you do not have a revolver/ gun, then with your good words and with the will of Allah and your duahs (supplications to Allah), that person can have a sudden change of heart and he stops causing you harm, and he can even become Muslim. A most appropriate example of this truth is what transpired during the times of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) at the beginning of Islam when Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, who was a fierce enemy of Islam, took his sword to come and kill the Prophet of Allah (pbuh). But along the way, he learnt that his sister and brother-in-law had accepted Islam. He thus changed his route and came to confront his sister and brother-in-law at their home. It was with great fury and armed with his sword that he went to meet his sister and brother-in-law but when he came at their place he heard the recitation of the Surah Taha (Chapter 20 of the Holy Quran).

At first, he began to fight with his sister and brother-in-law but when he hurt his sister (and saw blood on her), he regretted his action and he asked to read the divine revelations which they were reciting. But his sister asked him to go purify himself first before he touched the words of Allah. He went to purify himself and then read the verses of the Surah Taha. Afterwards he went to meet the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) but instead of killing him like he planned to, his heart which once was filled with hatred against Islam finally gave way to Islam and he became Muslim. And afterwards he learnt that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) had prayed for either him or Abu Jahl - two great enemies of Islam - to become Muslim. With duah (prayer/ supplications to Allah), what was impossible to achieve became possible by the grace of Allah. A great enemy of Islam became after this incident one of the greatest protectors of Islam, he became the second caliph of Islam, and till today we call him (respectfully) as Hazrat Umar Al-Farooq (i.e. The Distinguisher between truth and falsehood).

Follow the example of the greatest of prophets who ever existed, our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). He did not wage any Jihad for his own cause or family feeling. He waged all wars, in all their forms which exist only for the pleasure of Allah and solely under divine instructions so as to protect the honour, identity and presence of Islam in Arabia and the world.

Even when the enemies provoked the death of his own daughter - Zaynab [and grand-child], he did not extract any personal revenge, but he showed instead worth being a perfect human being and prophet, by always making the dignity and honour of Allah as his first priority, and he thus forgave the assassin of his daughter [and grand-child]. All his actions were based on the preservation of the religion by excellence of Allah, so as to change the hearts of those people, and so that they recognize the grandeur of Allah. Of course, he did not have the power to change the hearts of people, but it is Allah Who helped him a lot. Thus, when he made the necessary efforts, Allah also put in the weight of His power (and breath) in this humble effort of his and changed those barbarous hearts and enabled them to become Muslims. Likewise, through divine help, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) succeeded in teaching people how to make the Jihad-i-Akbar, Jihad-i-Kabir and Jihad-i-Saghir in all spheres of all lives.

This is briefly the true explanation on Jihad which lots of Muslims remain unaware about. I hope that this explanation can help our members, my dear disciples in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, and our other Muslim brothers and sisters throughout the world, as well as the non-Muslims who really want to know about the true meaning of Jihad. Jihad is not a word, which when heard, is to be feared. On the contrary, Jihad is a beautiful term which represents our legal battle (not an illegal one) to spread peace in the world (like in the times of the Promised Messiah (as) when he proclaimed that the Jihad he has come to wage is with the Pen, with his solid arguments in favour of Islam), to spread the true Islam, the Sahih al Islam. Insha-Allah, Ameen.

---Friday Sermon of 28 July 2017(04 Dhul Qaddah 1438 AH) delivered by Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius.