Divine Elects in the Garden of Islam

اِنَّ الدِّیۡنَ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ الۡاِسۡلَامُ ۟

‘Innad-Diina ‘indallaahil-Islaam.

Surely the (true) religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. (3: 20)

If Islam is the vehicle of life, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the representation of true life, in that which he is the perfect example of how a human, and especially a true servant of Allah must be for Allah in this temporal world despite living among the mixed existence of man, sometimes good, sometimes evil. 

Islam guides man towards perfecting himself for Allah, not the world and all that it contains. The world is temporary whereas the Creator of mankind exists for ever. Indeed, He has neither beginning nor end. He is there for all times, and His presence and appearance are beyond the conception of man. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during his life on earth showed the correct way of life, by his own example. This is one of the fundamental duties of the seal of the prophets, that he provides such guidance which shall not only mark the people of his era, but humankind as a whole, and that till the Day of Judgement.

Allah says the Holy Qur'an:

“You are the best community that has been raised for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah.” (3: 111)

Further in the Quran, in (14: 25-28), Allah says: 

“Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, (making) a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches (high) in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allah presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded. And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, not having any stability. Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills.”

ZAKAT: A Pillar of Islam

In his Friday sermon of August 26, 2011 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius reflected on the spiritual significance of Zakat.

Read from the Extracts:

“Zakat is an obligatory act of charity enjoined on every eligible Muslim individual. It is an act of worship and an effective form of achieving social justice. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and is prescribed in the Quran and Hadith.

The root of the word Zakat in Arabic means blessing, growth, cleanliness or betterment. In Shariah, the word Zakat refers to the determined share of wealth prescribed by Allah to be distributed among the categories of those entitled to receive it. It is also used to mean the action of paying this share. Growth and cleanliness are not restricted to the assets from which Zakat has been taken, but affect the person who pays Zakat, in accordance with verse 104 of Surah 9 (At-Tauba).

“Take Sadaqa (Zakat) from their wealth to purify and cleanse them.”

Zakat, as known in the Shariah, is sometimes called Sadaqa. In fact, Sadaqa covers both Zakat and voluntary charity for any righteous purpose. In the later history of Islam, Sadaqa was used to mean voluntary charitable donations given to the destitute.

Zakat is an act of worship that purifies a Muslim’s wealth and soul. Wealth purification denotes the Mobilisation of assets for the purpose of financial growth and justified distribution. Purification of the soul implies the freedom from hatred, jealousy, selfishness and greed.

Technically, Zakat is a yearly fixed proportion taken from the surplus wealth and earnings of a Muslim. It is then distributed to prescribed beneficiaries for the welfare of the Muslim society. It is paid on the net balance after a Muslim has deducted his expenses on personal, family and other necessities. At the end of the year, if he or she is in possession of the equivalent of 85 grams of gold or more in cash or articles of trade, he or she must pay Zakat at the rate of 2.5%. It also applies to agricultural products and to livestock.

In the Holy Quran, the term Zakat is mentioned in several verses. It occurs thirty times in the Quran; in twenty-seven of them it is associated with Salat, prayer, in the same sequence, namely, those who are steadfast in their prayer … and those who actively pay Zakat.

Ahmadi View on "Why & When a Reformer"

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community today rejects the coming of Divine Reformers in Islam. 

However, in the official website of the Community -Al Islam-, under the aforesaid title, the following EIGHT cogent reasons have been published to convince the world of Islam that Divine Reformers [or Mujaddidin and other Elects of Allah] will continue to arise till the Day of Judgement among Muslims.

Read the text :

“Some people think that since the Muslims have got the perfect book - the Holy Quran - to guide them no reformer is needed by them; they can get guidance from the Holy Quran by themselves.

The idea is very erroneous and the facts of history do not lend support to it.

1. In the first place, we observe that despite the fact that they have the Holy Quran with them they are deteriorating day by day. Discussions among them resulting in vast differences of opinion even about the interpretation of the Holy Quran are on the increase. No doubt they are conscious of the fact that they are going down, they do not find enough of strength to rise up and stand on their feet. This is exactly what we find in the history of previous religions; whenever their followers have deteriorated they have not risen by themselves.

2. In the second place, the practice of God repudiates this idea, whenever darkness has enveloped the spiritual realm, God has been raising a Reformer for the guidance of the people. Look at the followers of Moses; they had a perfect book (according to the need of their time) which contained guidance for them. But whenever darkness enveloped them, they were given another guide in the form of a Reformer who reformed the followers of Moses. So much so that the Holy Quran says: We sent Messengers when he had passed away.

3. In the third place what is actually meant by the perfection of a teaching is that God has mentioned all the ways of spiritual achievement in that specific book and all the needs (religious and spiritual) have been laid down with the ways they can be fulfilled. But if the human mind distorts it with its self-suiting interpretations, the book would lose its meaning for them and they would not be reformed by it unless the truth is unveiled by removing the curtain of self-styled interpretations. The perfect teaching is no doubt like a sharp cutting sword which cuts the sin asunder but there must be somebody who knows how to wield it.

4. In the fourth place, however perfect and effective a teaching might be, unless an example of its implementation is shown to the people they cannot benefit from it. It is through the people of various spiritual ranks that God gives the people models for them to look at and follow them to their personal advantage.