'Be Kind to Animals'

 

According to Islamic teachings, birds and animals are communities like us human beings; just and kind treatment of animals is an obligation upon us. Kind treatment of animals is among the good deeds worthy of ultimate Divine rewards of forgiveness and salvation in the life to come. Likewise, cruel treatment of living beings entails consequences for the human soul. Explicit guidance of the Holy Prophet (sa) on the treatment of birds and animals leaves one with no doubt about the implications of our deeds vis-a-vis these living beings. Consider the following teachings of the Holy Prophet (sa).

According to Prophetic traditions, Allah (swt) thanked a man and forgave him for giving water to a panting dog eating moist earth in its thirst. The  Ahadith also confirm that ‘there is a reward for your kind treatment of every living being.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) also stated: ‘If any Muslim plants a tree or sows a crop, and then a bird, or a human being, or an animal eats of it, then it is sacred charity to his credit.’  

 

Further, the Holy Prophet (sa) relates: ‘A woman entered Hellfire because of a cat that she kept tied up, neither feeding it nor letting it go to eat of the vermin of the earth.’  

 

He also narrates, “one of the prophets stopped to rest under a tree, and an ant stung him. The prophet had his baggage removed from beneath the tree and ordered that fire be set to the ants’ abode. But then God inspired him with the thought, ‘Why not just one ant?’ ”  

 

The Holy Prophet (sa) also states: ‘A prostitute was forgiven because she passed by a dog panting at a well, and observing that thirst was about to kill the dog, she removed her slipper, fastened it to her veil, and drew out some water for the dog. And so she was forgiven because of that.’  

 

In response to a question on the cruel treatment of animals by human beings, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius profoundly explains Islamic ethics on this vital issue. 

Read the Response Below: 

'Karma' and 'Kifarah'

  

‘Are you rewarded for anything except what you have done?’ [27:92]

 

‘Whoever comes before God with a good deed will receive a better reward; whoever comes with an evil deed will be punished only for what he has done.’ (28:85)

 

‘He does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck of dust: He doubles any good deed and gives a tremendous reward of His own.’ (4:41)

  

In Hinduism and Buddhism, ‘Karma’ is the ‘sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.’ Many people believe in ‘Karma’ leading to multiple reincarnations in different states of existence before the human soul finds ultimate salvation. However, ‘Karma’, in general, is about good luck or bad fate; viewed as resulting from one’s actions.

 

From an Islamic perspective, we humans live only once in this world, and when we die, we leave forever from this world, only to give an account of our deeds on the Day of Resurrection and Judgement: man’s eventual fate is essentially linked to his own actions. On the Day of Judgement, man’s soul will testify on all deeds- good, or bad- to receive the true and enduring reward of Paradise, or the Fire of Hell as a consequence of one’s record of deeds.

‘When I Die’: A Reminder

  

‘Every soul will taste death and you will be paid in full only on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is kept away from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have triumphed. The present world is only an illusory pleasure.’ (3:186)

‘Bear in mind that the present life is just a game, a diversion, an attraction, a cause of boasting among you, of rivalry in wealth and children. It is like plants that spring up after the rain: their growth at first delights the sowers, but then you see them wither away, turn yellow, and become stubble. There is terrible punishment in the next life as well as forgiveness and approval from God; the life of this world is only an illusory pleasure. So race for your Lord’s forgiveness and a Garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believe in God and His messengers: that is God’s bounty, which He bestows on whoever He pleases. God’s bounty is infinite.’ (57:22) 

‘Lord, inspire me to be thankful for the blessings You have granted me and my parents, and to do good deeds that please You; admit me by Your grace into the ranks of Your righteous servants.’ (27:20)

Life is transient in this world, and the lost moment never comes back. It is our responsibility to be conscious of our precious opportunity in this world before go forever from here to the Hereafter: to be good, and to do good; to uphold justice and to help God and His messenger/s, in our times among the people. On the Day of Resurrection and of Judgement, we are to give an account of our deeds- good and bad- to the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, our Lord Almighty as we await our rewards- the Paradisical Gardens of Divine pleasure and nearness in the world to come; or, our punishment- the Hellfire of Divine Anger and Rejection, God Forbid.  

 

Reproduced Below is a powerful reminder on the big picture of human life in this world, and the forthcoming accountability that everyone of us need to be prepared for, in the world to come after death and departure from here; a devout Muslim writer of Arab descent has left behind a succinct statement of our essential beliefs on individual accountability on the Day of Judgement when we face the chronicle of our records before God:

An 'Imam' guided by Allah

 

The Divinely-Elected Imam & True Guidance (Part 2)

“One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams; those who are given their record in their right hand will read it (with pleasure), and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.” (Al-Isra 17: 72) 

 

Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah, I continue today the second part of my subject on the explanation of the verse which I have just recited before you.

 

Allah says: “those who are given their record in their right hand will read it (with pleasure)” – This is the Quranic metaphor for passing the test of faith and for undergoing all trials successfully. The right hand is a symbol of blessing while the left is that of punishment. Also in the human body the right side enjoys superiority over the left since the tissues of the right side are generally stronger than those of the left.

The Role and Function of 'Imam'

 

In his Friday Sermon of 26 May 2023 ~05 Dhul-Qaddah 1444 AH, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius reminds us profoundly about the forthcoming accountability that all of us- human beings on the face of earth- are bound to face  on the Day of Judgement. Allah (swt) has gifted us the freedom of choice in this world, and the power is hinged with responsibility and consequences for our own future well being- both in this world and in the world to come. As God is Just, and no injustice shall be done to anyone on the Day of Decision when the Book of Records shall be unveiled; indeed, in the life to come, the fire of Hell or the bliss of Heaven awaits people based on the record of their deeds. 

Allah (swt) raised messengers and prophets in the past to guide human communities on the correct path to follow in life. The 'Imams' so raised  warned people about the two highways of life: of the need to believe in Divine guidance and messages, and to be wary of the deviant path and temptations the Satanic forces promote. Indeed,  Prophets and saints imbued with the Holy Spirit (Roohul Quddus) provide true guidance to people in every era. They are the true ‘Imam’ believers follow in their spiritual quest, for these men of God lead people to the heavenly abode whereas the deviant ‘Imam’s- satanic leaders- marshal people to Hellfire. Whereas the True Imam leads to Divine Contentment and Heavenly Bliss, Divine Wrath and Hell fire is the fate of those who follow their own whims, or the lead of those who promise delusion.

In this discourse, Hazrat Muhyiuddin (aba) points out that Divine revelations and inspirations are a subtle spiritual reality that has meaning and substance even in this era. Contrary to popular perception, the door of Divine communion and communications remain wide open. To attain true guidance and certainty, one needs to purify one’s heart for sincere faith in God; offer repentance in true devotion to the One and Only God. Such truly humble devotion and secret invocations and prostrations at the Throne of God can open up one’s spiritual path, and enable one to experience true guidance and mystical communion even in this era.     

Read the Friday Sermon:  

The Divinely Elected Imam & True Guidance

 

“One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams; those who are given their record in their right hand will read it (with pleasure), and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.” (Al-Isra 17: 72)

 

In the Holy Quran Allah (swt) says: “One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams”

 

What is the meaning of being Imam here? Some understand the meaning to be that each nation or group will appear with its leader, who will bear witness to its virtues or sin. Another view is that the imam is their revelation, their book [which they received].

On the Day of Judgement

 

Our moment of truth, our moment of reckoning is coming. Indeed, with every minute that is receding by, we are approaching the Day of Judgement. The Holy Qur’an calls this Day as the “Undeniable Reality” [Al Haqqah]. Like the Holy Qur’an states elsewhere, ‘Closer and closer it comes to you. Closer and closer still. Does man think he will be left alone? Was he not just a drop of spilt-out sperm, which became a clinging form, which God shaped in due proportion, fashioning from it the two sexes, male and female? Does He who can do this not have the power to bring the dead back to life?’ [75: 35-41].

 

On that Day, we will be presented at the infallible court of Allah (twt), ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’. On the hour of reckoning, the most comprehensive Book of Records will be unveiled; it is for us, each individual in her own merit, to face our beliefs, words, intentions and deeds- actions in complete detail- and to account for them in all fairness and justice. Our souls as well as our limbs will testify- for or against us. As the Holy Qur’an indicates:

 

‘When the Trumpet is sounded a single time, when the earth and its mountains are raised high and then crushed with a single blow, on that Day the Great Event will come to pass. The sky will be torn apart on that Day, it will be so frail. The angels will be on all sides of it and, on that Day, eight of them will bear the throne of your Lord above them. On that Day you will be brought to judgement and none of your secrets will remain hidden.’ (69: 14-19)

 

‘We have bound each human being’s destiny to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out a record for each of them, which they will find spread wide open, ‘Read your record. Today your own soul is enough to calculate your account.’ (17:14-15).

 

‘On that Day, man will be told about all his commissions and omissions. Truly, man is a clear witness against himself, despite all the excuses he may put forward.’ (75: 13-16)